Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has long been associated with increased cardiovascular risk, but despite substantial improvements in disease management, mortality remains high. Atherosclerosis is more ...prevalent in RA than in the general population, and atherosclerotic lesions progress at a faster rate and might be more prone to rupture, causing clinical events. Cells and cytokines implicated in RA pathogenesis are also involved in the development and progression of atherosclerosis, which is generally recognized as an inflammatory condition. The two diseases also share genetic and environmental risk factors, which suggests that patients who develop RA might also be predisposed to developing cardiovascular disease. In RA, inflammation and atherosclerosis are closely linked. Inflammation mediates its effects on atherosclerosis both through modulation of traditional risk factors and by directly affecting the vessel wall. Treatments such as TNF inhibitors might have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk. However, whether this benefit is attributable to effective control of inflammation or whether targeting specific cytokines, implicated in atherosclerosis, provides additional risk reduction is unclear. Further knowledge of the predictors of cardiovascular risk, the effects of early control of inflammation and of drug-specific effects are likely to improve the recognition and management of cardiovascular risk in patients with RA.
A phase 3 trial of anifrolumab, a monoclonal antibody to type I interferon receptor subunit 1, showed benefit in a composite primary end point of lupus scores. A previous phase 3 trial failed to meet ...its primary objective but showed an effect in secondary end points.
Abstract Objectives We performed a systematic literature review to determine factors that influence damage and damage progression in SLE patients and how damage relates to mortality in this ...population. Methods A search of Medline, Embase and Web of Science was performed, with papers included if they met the requirements of containing keywords relating to SLE and damage assessment using the SDI, published between 1990 and October 2012. Results A total of 358 articles were identified, with 50 included in this review. From 17 studies reporting damage at more than 2 time points, damage progressed over time, but the rate of damage accrual reported was variable across studies. Demographic factors that influence the accrual of damage in several reports include male gender, older age, longer disease duration, Afro-Caribbean and Indo-Asian ethnicity. Patients with higher disease activity at a single time point or over time accrue greater damage. Certain organ system involvement also predicts damage accrual, in particular renal and neuropsychiatric involvement. Corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide and azathioprine all show an association with damage accrual, while hydroxychloroquine appears to have a “protective” effect. Four studies, which examined prognosis, all demonstrated that damage is a predictor of future mortality. Conclusions Damage in SLE patients increases over time and predicts future mortality. Patients at risk of damage can be identified from demographics factors and the pattern of clinical involvement. Disease activity, corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapy are also associated with future damage but further studies are needed to separate the mechanisms of these associations from the problem of residual confounding.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Drug-induced interstitial lung disease (DIILD) occurs as a result of numerous agents, but the risk often only becomes apparent after the marketing authorisation of such agents.
In this ...PRISMA-compliant systematic review, we aimed to evaluate and synthesise the current literature on DIILD.
Following a quality assessment, 156 full-text papers describing more than 6000 DIILD cases were included in the review. However, the majority of the papers were of low or very low quality in relation to the review question (78%). Thus, it was not possible to perform a meta-analysis, and descriptive review was undertaken instead. DIILD incidence rates varied between 4.1 and 12.4 cases/million/year. DIILD accounted for 3⁻5% of prevalent ILD cases. Cancer drugs, followed by rheumatology drugs, amiodarone and antibiotics, were the most common causes of DIILD. The radiopathological phenotype of DIILD varied between and within agents, and no typical radiological pattern specific to DIILD was identified. Mortality rates of over 50% were reported in some studies. Severity at presentation was the most reliable predictor of mortality. Glucocorticoids (GCs) were commonly used to treat DIILD, but no prospective studies examined their effect on outcome.
Overall high-quality evidence in DIILD is lacking, and the current review will inform larger prospective studies to investigate the diagnosis and management of DIILD.
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