Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases. It mainly involves joints, as well as extra-articular organs. The extra-articular manifestations (EAM) are more common in patients with severe active disease, and the mortality of RA patients with EAM is 2.5 times of RA patients without EAM. Renal damage is rare in EAM, which mainly includes renal damage associated with RA itself, renal amyloidosis, and drug-induced secondary renal damage. In recent years, researches on RA renal damage have gradually increased, and mainly focused on therapy and prognosis. The recent research progress of RA renal damage are summarized in this review.
Objective To explore the technique of the soft tissue balancing in the total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for the patients of rheumatoid arthritis with flexion contracture. Methods From November 1997 to May 2006, 38 patients with rheumatoid arthritis with flexion contracture underwent primary bilateral TKA and balancing of the soft tissues, among whomthere were 8 males and 30 females, aged 48-71 years old (58.2 on average). The course of disease was 28 months-16 years (7.6 years on average). The preoperative flexion contracture was (38.2 ± 11.3)°. The average range of motion (ROM) and HSS score were (49.1 ± 17.8)° and 23.9 ± 16.9, respectively. According to the preoperative flexion-contracture degree of the knees, these patients were divided into 3 levels: 5 patients with ≤ 20°, 26 patients with 20-60° and 7 patients with ≥ 60°. During the TKA procedure, based on the correct osteotomy, different methods of soft tissue balancing were used for different degrees of flexion contracture. The TKA soft tissue treatment was summed up as the releasing of posterior structures and the balancing between medial collateral ligaments (MCL) and lateral collateral ligaments (LCL), etc. Results The flexion contractures in 38 cases were all improved after the operation, among which 33 patients had a complete correction and only 5 patients had a residual flexion contracture of 5-10°. Eight knees suffered from complications within 1 week after operation, among which 3 had subcutaneous superficial infection and 5 had deep vein thrombus (DVT). These patients obtained good heal ing after active treatment. All the 38 patients were followedup for 10 months to 8 years with the median time of 37 months. The postoperative flexion deformity declined to (2.4 ± 5.7)°, and the ROM and HSS scores were (96.3 ± 14.6)° and 81.7 ± 10.4, respectively. There was statistical difference (P lt; 0.05). According to the HSS score, 27 patients (71.05%)were rated as excellent, 6 good (15.79%) and 5 fair (13.16%), and the choiceness rate was 86.84%. Conclusion The balancing of the soft tissue is a major treatment for correction of the flexion contracture, which can avoid bone over-resection during the surgery of TKA. The proper balancing of the soft tissue can not only achieve an obvious correction of the flexion contracture but also effectively improve the range of motion and the functional recovery of the knee joint after TKA.
Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) has been more widely used in small molecule agents, such as immuno-suppressants, antiepileptic drugs and antibiotics, with less attention in the field of therapeutic biological agents. Monoclonal drugs represented by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors have shown a good relationship between exposure and efficacy in clinical studies. There are corresponding guidelines and consensus for the recommendations of TDM based on current research evidence. Therefore, this paper introduced the current evidence, strategies and considerations for TDM in the optimal treatment of adalimumab from the perspective of adalimumab TDM to provide references for the clinical practice of adalimumab TDM.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder. It is characterized by a chronic polyarthritis that primarily affects the peripheral joints and related periarticular tissues. To a patient with rheumatoid arthritis, we searched the evidence and indentified the best available therapy for him: ① Ibuprofen was used to relieve pain. ② Methopterin ivgtt qw and oral methopterin after the discharge for 12 months. ③ Oral omeprazole 20 mg/d to prevent peptic ulcear. ④ Administration with fish oil and physical exercises after discharge were recommended.
Objective To analyze the trends and influencing factors of rheumatoid arthritis disease burden in mainland China from 1990 to 2021 and predict its disease burden over the next 15 years. MethodsData on RA incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in mainland China were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD 2021). Joinpoint regression was used to analyze temporal trends, while an age-period-cohort model assessed age, period, and birth cohort effects. Decomposition analysis explored the contributions of population aging, population growth, and epidemiological changes. An ARIMA model was applied to predict future disease burden. ResultsFrom 1990 to 2021, the number of RA cases in mainland China increased by 93.5% (incidence), 133% (prevalence), 115% (deaths), and 107% (DALYs), though age-standardized rates showed smaller changes. The disease burden was significantly higher in women than in men, with sex-specific peaks in onset and prevalence. Joinpoint regression revealed rising age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates (AAPC=0.54% and 0.51%, respectively) but declining mortality (AAPC=?0.78%). Cohort effects indicated higher RA risk in later-born populations (RR=1.53 for the 2012 cohort). Decomposition analysis identified population growth as the primary driver of increased burden. Projections suggested that by 2036, the age-standardized incidence and prevalence would rise to 13.92/100 000 and 248.84/100 000, respectively, while DALYs rates might decline to 42.09/100 000. ConclusionThe RA disease burden in mainland China is driven by both population aging and epidemiological factors, with notable sex disparities and cohort effects. Targeted interventions for high-risk populations, optimized healthcare resource allocation, and further research on influencing factors are needed to develop precise prevention and control strategies.
ObjectiveTo compare the cost-effectiveness of etanercept combined with methotrexate to methotrexate plus placebo in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and to provide references for clinical practice.MethodsDecision tree model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness from the perspective of the health care system by TreeAge Pro 2016 software. The cost-effectiveness of the two treatments were compared by incremental analysis, and the robustness of the results were analyzed by sensitivity analysis.ResultsThe cost of etanercept combined methotrexate group in one year duration was ￥212 692, the effective rate (ACR50) was 66.4%; the cost of methotrexate combined with placebo group in one year duration was ￥572, the effective rate (ACR50) was 40.6%. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of two groups was ￥818 000/person, and the sensitivity analysis showed that the results were robust.ConclusionEtanercept combined methotrexate is significant more effective than methotrexat. But the cost of etanercept combined methotrexate is too high to afford and is not economical compared to methotrexate.
ObjectiveTo investigate the potential causal relationship between four types of reproductive behaviors and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with the goal of establishing a theoretical foundation for clinical prevention and treatment strategies. MethodsPooled gene-wide association study (GWAS) data were obtained from large publicly searchable databases. Four characteristics like menarche, menopause, the age of first pregnancy and the age of last pregnancy, which related to reproductive behavior were selected as the exposure factors and RA as the outcome factors. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which were strongly correlated with the phenotype of the exposure factors, were screened as the instrumental variables, and two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses were used to assess the potential causal relationship between the exposure and the disease. Results① The Mendelian randomization analysis utilizing the inverse variance weighted method on two distinct samples revealed a significant negative correlation between the age of first pregnancy and last pregnancy with the risk of RA (OR=0.91, 95%CI 0.85 to 0.98, P=0.011; OR=0.54, 95%CI 0.31 to 0.93, P=0.026). Conversely, no causal relationship was observed between menarche and menopause with RA. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the causal relationship, while MR Egger intercept analysis did not identify any potential horizontal pleiotropy (Page of first gestation -RA=0.169, Page of last gestation -RA=0.283). ② Reverse Mendelian randomization analysis revealed a significant positive causal association between RA and the age of first pregnancy, while no causal relationship was observed with the age of last pregnancy (OR=1.07, 95%CI 1.02 to 1.11, P=0.001). ③ Multivariate Mendelian randomization analysis demonstrated that both the age of first pregnancy and last pregnancy in women were inversely associated with the risk of RA (OR=0.88, 95%CI 0.80 to 0.97, P=0.010; OR=0.68, 95%CI 0.48 to 0.97, P=0.033). ④ There existed a negative correlation between the age of pregnancy in women and the risk of developing RA, suggesting a potential protective effect. ConclusionPregnancy age may have a negative causal relationship with the risk of RA, while menarche and menopause have no causal relationship with RA.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the application and effectiveness of bilateral total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty in the treatment of severe inflammatory arthropathies. MethodsBetween September 2008 and September 2015, 31 patients with severe inflammatory arthropathies were treated with bilateral total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty. Of 31 cases, 22 were male and 9 were female with an average age of 30 years (range, 20 to 41 years); there were 15 cases of rheumatoid arthritis and 16 cases of ankylosing spondylitis with an average onset age of 14 years (range, 5-28 years); all 4 ankylosed joints were observed in 11 cases, 3 ankylosed joints in 2 cases, 2 ankylosed joints in 6 cases, 1 ankylosed joint in 1 case, and no ankylosed joint in 11 cases. Before operation, the hip range of motion (ROM) value was (17.82±28.18)°, and the knee ROM value score was (26.45±30.18)°; the hip Harris score was 29.64±11.58, and the hospital for special surgery (HSS) score was 27.07±11.04. The patients were grouped and compared in accordance with etiology and ankylosed joint. ResultsOne-stage arthroplasty was performed in 1 case, two-stage arthroplasty in 22 cases, three-stage arthroplasty in 7 cases, and four-stage arthroplasty in 1 case. The total operation time was 325-776 minutes; the total blood loss was 900-3 900 mL; the total transfusion volume was 2 220-8 070 mL; and the total hospitalization time was 21-65 days. The patients were followed up 12-94 months (mean, 51 months). The hip and knee ROM values, Harris score and HSS score at last follow-up were significantly improved when compared with preoperative ones (P < 0.05). The subjective satisfaction degree was good in 16 cases, moderate in 10 cases, and poor in 5 cases. Periprosthetic infection occurred in 2 cases (3 knees), joint stiffness in 3 cases (6 knees), joint instability in 1 case (1 knee), leg length discrepancy of > 2 cm in 2 cases, and flexion deformity of 10° in 1 case (1 knee). The hip and knee ROM values, Harris score and HSS score showed no significant difference between patients with ankylosing spondylitis and patients rheumatoid arthritis at last follow-up (P > 0.05). The hip and knee ROM values of the patients with ankylosed joint were significantly lower than those of patients with no ankylosed joint (P < 0.05); the Harris score and HSS score of the patients with ankylosed joint were lower than those of patients with no ankylosed joint, but no significant difference was found (P > 0.05). ConclusionA combination of bilateral hip and knee arthroplasty is an efficient treatment for severe lower extremities deformity, arthralgia and poor quality of life caused by inflammatory arthropathies. However, the postoperative periprosthetic infection and stiffness of knee are important complications influencing the effectiveness of operation.
The incidence of depression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is higher. The concomitant depression will increase medical expense, reduce drug efficacy, lower its compliance, increase the incidence of complication, and affect the cure of rheumatoid arthritis. The influence of depression to rheumatoid arthritis is usually ignored in clinical work. In recent years, the pertinence between depression and immune disease in pathogenesis is found in research: depression will increase the risk of immune diseases in activate inflammation as well as extend and promote the release of inflammatory factors. This article reviews research progress of correlation between depression and rheumatoid arthritis.
Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of antikeratin antibody (AKA) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Systematic and comprehensive literature was searched in PubMed (1966 to June 2010), The Cochrane Library (Issue 6, 2010), CBM (1978 to June 2010), CNKI (1994 to June 2010), VIP (1989 to June 2010), and CMA Digital Periodicals (1997 to June 2010). The diagnosis studies of antikeratin antibody for rheumatoid arthritis were included. The quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS) items were used to assess the quality of the included studies. The Meta-Disc (version 1.4) software was used to analyze the data. Results A total of 69 trials involving 14 890 participants were included. The results of meta-analyses showed that compared with the RA classification criteria revised by American Rheumatism Association (ARA), the summary sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, OR value, and summary receiver operating characteristic curve of antikeratin antibody were 0.41 (0.39, 0.42), 0.94 (0.94, 0.95), 9.52 (7.21, 12.57), 0.63 (0.60, 0.66), 15.24 (11.62, 19.98), and 0.613 6, respectively. Conclusion Antikeratin antibody might be one of the most effective diagnoses for rheumatoid arthritis. The clinicians should combine other autoantibodies with AKA to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis.