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Background: Methotrexate (MTX) is the recommended first-line drug in EULAR and ACR treatment guidelines for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and hence the most commonly prescribed DMARD in the treatment of this group of patients. However, lung disease is considered a potential adverse effect of MTX treatment.Objectives: To investigate the risk of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and acute and chronic respiratory failure in RA patients treated with MTX and other medications.Methods: From the Danish National Patient Register (DNPR) and the clinical DANBIO Register for rheumatic diseases, we retrieved data on RA patients registered between 1997 and 2015. Information on ILD and respiratory failure outcomes was obtained from DNPR, and information on redeemed prescriptions for MTX and other medications was obtained through linkage to the Danish Prescription Register. Associations between MTX and lung disease outcomes were analyzed in Cox regression models adjusted for age, calendar time, sex and use of other medications possessing the potential for pulmonary toxicity. Standardized Incidence Ratios (SIRs) of lung disease were calculated to compare RA patients to the general population.Results: Of the 30,512 RA patients identified, 60% patients had redeemed at least one prescription for MTX, 35% had redeemed a prescription for sulphasalazine, 6% had redeemed a prescription of either amiodarone or nitrofurantoin, and 27% had not received any of the included drugs at the end of the 5-year follow-up for ILD and respiratory failure. MTX treatment was not associated with an increased risk of lung disease (≥1 redeemed prescription(s) compared to no prescriptions), HR 1.00 (95% CI 0.78 to 1.27) for ILD and 0.54 (95%CI 0.43 to 0.67) for respiratory failure at 5-year follow-up (Table). The SIR was 3-4 times increased for ILD in MTX-treated RA patients, but this was no different from the RA population in general compared to the background population.View this table:Table. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for the risk of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and acute or chronic respiratory failure in 30,512 patients with rheumatoid arthritis up to 5 years after diagnosis.Conclusion: RA patients had an increased risk of ILD compared to the general population, but that risk was not further increased in patients treated with MTX compared to non-MTX treated.Disclosure of Interests: None declared

The European Alpha-1 Research Collaboration (EARCO) will promote international research in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiencyhttp://ow.ly/DWwg30nwCj4

Summary Background The efficacy of α1 proteinase inhibitor (A1PI) augmentation treatment for α1 antitrypsin deficiency has not been substantiated by a randomised, placebo-controlled trial. CT-measured lung density is a more sensitive measure of disease progression in α1 antitrypsin deficiency emphysema than spirometry is, so we aimed to assess the efficacy of augmentation treatment with this measure. Methods The RAPID study was a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial of A1PI treatment in patients with α1 antitrypsin deficiency. We recruited eligible non-smokers (aged 18–65 years) in 28 international study centres in 13 countries if they had severe α1 antitrypsin deficiency (serum concentration Findings Between March 1, 2006, and Nov 3, 2010, we randomly allocated 93 (52%) patients A1PI and 87 (48%) placebo, analysing 92 in the A1PI group and 85 in the placebo group. The annual rate of lung density loss at TLC and FRC combined did not differ between groups (A1PI −1·50 g/L per year [SE 0·22]; placebo −2·12 g/L per year [0·24]; difference 0·62 g/L per year [95% CI −0·02 to 1·26], p=0·06). However, the annual rate of lung density loss at TLC alone was significantly less in patients in the A1PI group (−1·45 g/L per year [SE 0·23]) than in the placebo group (−2·19 g/L per year [0·25]; difference 0·74 g/L per year [95% CI 0·06–1·42], p=0·03), but was not at FRC alone (A1PI −1·54 g/L per year [0·24]; placebo −2·02 g/L per year [0·26]; difference 0·48 g/L per year [–0·22 to 1·18], p=0·18). Treatment-emergent adverse events were similar between groups, with 1298 occurring in 92 (99%) patients in the A1PI group and 1068 occuring in 86 (99%) in the placebo group. 71 severe treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 25 (27%) patients in the A1PI group and 58 occurred in 27 (31%) in the placebo group. One treatment-emergent adverse event leading to withdrawal from the study occurred in one patient (1%) in the A1PI group and ten occurred in four (5%) in the placebo group. One death occurred in the A1PI group (respiratory failure) and three occurred in the placebo group (sepsis, pneumonia, and metastatic breast cancer). Interpretation Measurement of lung density with CT at TLC alone provides evidence that purified A1PI augmentation slows progression of emphysema, a finding that could not be substantiated by lung density measurement at FRC alone or by the two measurements combined. These findings should prompt consideration of augmentation treatment to preserve lung parenchyma in individuals with emphysema secondary to severe α1 antitrypsin deficiency. Funding CSL Behring.