AB0171 ACHILLES ENTHESITIS AND PLANTAR FASCIITIS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS: IMPACT OF BODY MASS INDEX

Background:Enthesitis is known as a hallmark of spondyloarthitis. However, the growing use of ultrasonography (US) increased our opportunity to encounter enthesitis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The involvement of Achilles tendon and the plantar fascia is not rare in RA patients.Objectives:The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of Achilles enthesitis and plantar fasciitis in RA patients, and to identify association with clinical data.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional study including patients with RA (ACR/EULAR 2010). Demographic and clinical data were collected. Three groups were defined according to the BMI: normal (BMI<25kg/m2), overweight (BMI≥25kg/m2) and obese (BMI≥30kg/m2). US examination of Achilles tendon and plantar aponeurosis was performed by a blinded radiologist experienced in musculoskeletal US using a Philips HD11 device with a high-frequency linear transducer. Enthesitis was defined as hypoechoic and/or thickened insertion of the tendon close to the bone (within 2 mm from the bony cortex) which exhibits Doppler signal if active and that may show erosions, enthesophytes or calcifications as sign of structural damage. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant.Results:Sixty-two feet were examined in 31 RA patients (25 women and six men) with a mean age of 54.8±10.8 years old [32-70]. The mean disease duration was 8.5±7.2 years [1-37]. Rheumatoid Factor (RF) and Anti-Citrullinated Peptides Antibodies (ACPA) were positive in 61.3% and 83.8% of cases. The mean DAS28 ESR was 3.8±1.5 [0.6-7].The mean BMI was 27.7±5.4 kg/m2 [18.3-45.8]. Obesity was noted in 22.7 % of patients and overweight in 45.5% of patients. Clinical examination revealed pes planus valgus (PPV) in 55.6% of cases and pes cavus varus (PCV) in 18.5% of cases.Heel US revealed Achilles enthesitis in 79.6% of cases. The following elementary lesions were noted in the enthesis: thickness (24.1%), hypoechogenicity (37%), erosions (9.3%), enthésophytes (75.9%), and Doppler signal (3.7%). Plantar fasciitis was noted in 81.5% of cases. The following elementary lesions were found in the insertion of plantar aponeurosis: thickness (75.9%), hypoechogenicity (77.8%), erosions (16.7%), enthesophytes (13%), calcifications (1.9%), and Doppler signal (1.9%).An association was noted between BMI and Achilles enthesitis (p=0.002). This association was not found with plantar fasciitis (p=0.224).Achilles enthesitis was also associated with PCV (p=0.007) while plantar fasciitis was associated with PPV (p=0.039).Conclusion:Achilles enthesitis and plantar fasciitis are common in RA patients. These lesions seem to be associated with BMI and foot deformities rather than the inflammatory process.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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POS0538 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HINDFOOT DEFORMITIES AND ULTRASOUND TENOSYNOVITIS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.2223 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 503.1-503

Author(s):

K. Maatallah ◽

H. Boussaa ◽

H. Riahi ◽

H. Ferjani ◽

M. Habechi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Soft Tissues ◽

Power Doppler ◽

Tibialis Posterior ◽

Foot Deformities ◽

P Value ◽

Flexor Hallucis Longus ◽

Hindfoot Deformities ◽

The Mean ◽

The Relationship

Background:Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease that frequently affects the joints and soft tissues of the feet. Tibialis posterior tenosynovitis has a reported prevalence between 13 and 64% in RA. The condition is associated with a progressive flat foot deformity and significant gait disability. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between foot deformities and the involvement of tendons. Recently, ultrasonography (US) has been reported as the gold standard for the investigation of tendons.Objectives:This study aimed to assess the relationship between hindfoot deformities and US tenosynovitis in RA.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional study including patients with RA (ACR/EULAR 2010). Demographic data and disease parameters were collected. For each patient, a podoscope examination of both feet was performed by a rheumatologist. A radiologist experienced in musculoskeletal imaging performed a US examination using a Philips HD11 device with a high-frequency linear transducer. The assessed lesions were synovitis of the tibiotalar, talonavicular, and subtalar joints, and tenosynovitis of tibialis anterior (TA), extensor hallucis longus (EHL), extensor digitorum longus (EDL), tibialis posterior (TP), flexor digitorum longus (FDL), flexor hallucis longus (FHL), fibularis brevis (FB) and fibularis longus (FL) tendons. The presence or absence of synovitis and tenosynovitis was recorded, and the composite synovitis score (power doppler/grayscale ultrasound (PDUS)) was measured for each joint. The US score of each patient was defined by the sum of the composite scores of the joints studied (0-30). A p-value <0.05 was considered significant.Results:Sixty-two feet were examined in 31 RA patients (25 women and six men) with a mean age of 54.8±10.8 years old [32-70]. The mean disease duration was 8.5±7.2 years [1-37]. Rheumatoid Factor (RF) and Anti-Citrullinated Peptides Antibodies (ACPA) were positive in respectively 61.3% and 83.8% of cases. The mean DAS28 ESR was 3.8±1.5 [0.6-7].Podoscope examination revealed pes planus valgus (PPV) in 55.6% of cases and pes cavus varus (PCV) in 18.5% of cases. US showed tibiotalar synovitis in 59.3% of cases, talonavicular synovitis in 64.8% of cases, and subtalar synovitis in 46.3% of cases. In the anterior compartment, tenosynovitis of TA was noted in 5.6% of cases, of EHL in 1.9% of cases, and EDL in 9.3% of cases. In the medial compartment, tenosynovitis of TP was found in 22.2% of cases, of FDL in 5.6% of cases, and FHL in 0% of cases. In the lateral compartment, tenosynovitis of FB and FL was found in 25% and 11.1% of cases respectively.An association between PPV and synovitis of the tibiotalar joint (p<0.001) and the subtalar joint (p=0.007) was found. An association was also noted with FL tenosynovitis (p=0.045) but not with the other assessed tendons.No association was noted between PCV and synovitis or tenosynovitis of the assessed structures.Conclusion:PPV was frequent among RA patients. This condition was associated with tibiotalar and subtalar synovitis and FL tenosynovitis. It is important to detect and correct foot deformities in order to ensure optimal control of the disease.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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POS0548 OPTIMAL ASSESSMENT OF THE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS ANKLE AND HINDFOOT: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN CLINICAL EXAMINATION AND ULTRASONOGRAPHY

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.2720 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 508.2-509

Author(s):

K. Maatallah ◽

H. Boussaa ◽

H. Riahi ◽

H. Ferjani ◽

M. Habechi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Clinical Examination ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Power Doppler ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

P Value ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Therapeutic Decisions ◽

The Mean ◽

Foot Disease

Background:Foot disease is a common problem in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therapeutic decisions are often based on clinical examination (CE) alone, which can be adversely affected by factors such as deformity, obesity, and peripheral edema. Ultrasonography (US) has previously been shown to be more sensitive than CE for detecting synovitis and tenosynovitis in RA forefeet, but few data exist for the hindfoot and ankle.Objectives:The aim of this study was to compare CE and US for the detection of hindfoot and ankle synovitis and tenosynovitis in patients with established RA.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional study including patients with RA (ACR/EULAR 2010). Demographic data and disease parameters were collected. CE was performed by a rheumatologist for the presence or absence of tenderness, swelling, and mobility restriction of both ankles. The following tendons were examined for tenosynovitis: tibialis anterior (TA) and posterior (TP), fibularis longus (FL), and brevis (FB) (assessed together). In a second time, US examination of the tibiotalar, talonavicular, and subtalar joints and the same tendons as CE was performed by a blinded radiologist experienced in musculoskeletal imaging using a Philips HD11 device with a high-frequency linear transducer. The presence or absence of synovitis and tenosynovitis was recorded, and the composite synovitis score (power doppler / grayscale ultrasound (PDUS)) was measured for each joint. The US score of each patient was defined by the sum of the composite scores of the joints studied (0-30). A p-value <0.05 was considered significant.Results:Sixty-two feet were examined in 31 RA patients (25 women and six men) with a mean age of 54.8±10.8 years old [32-70]. The mean disease duration was 8.5±7.2 years [1-37]. Rheumatoid Factor (RF) and Anti-Citrullinated Peptides Antibodies (ACPA) were positive in 61.3% and 83.8% of cases. The mean DAS28 ESR was 3.8±1.5 [0.6-7].Clinical examination of ankles revealed tenderness in 57.4% of cases, swelling in 38.8% of cases, and restriction in the range of motion in 11.1% of cases. TA tenosynovitis was noted in 14.8% of cases, TP tenosynovitis in 22.2% of cases, and FL and FB tenosynovitis in 31.5% of cases.US showed tibiotalar synovitis in 59.3% of cases, talonavicular synovitis in 64.8% of cases, and subtalar synovitis in 46.3% of cases. TA tenosynovitis was noted in 5.6% of cases, TP tenosynovitis in 22.2% of cases, and FB and FL tenosynovitis in 25% and 11.1% of cases respectively.An association was found between clinical tenderness and US synovitis of the tibiotalar joint (p=0.013) and the talonavicular joint (p=0.027). No association was noted between clinical swelling and US synovitis in these joints.No association was noted between clinical and US tenosynovitis of TA (p=0.279), TP (p=0.436), FB (p=0.495) and FL (p=0.315).Conclusion:Clinical examination of RA ankles may be challenging and needs to be coupled with US, which is more sensitive and accurate in the detection of synovitis and tenosynovitis.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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The relation between cardiovascular affection and erosive articular changes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

QJM ◽

10.1093/qjmed/hcaa064.004 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 113 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

M M H Hassabelnabi ◽

N Y Assaf ◽

H F Zidan ◽

G M M Abushanab

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Power Doppler ◽

Premenopausal Women ◽

Joint Disease ◽

P Value ◽

Physical Medicine ◽

Bone Erosions ◽

The Mean

Abstract Background rheumatoid arthritis is currently regarded as independent cardiovascular risk factor. Accelerated atherosclerosis considered as an extra-articular manifestation of RA that occurs as a result of interaction between traditional CV risk factors and inflammatory activity of joint disease. Both atherosclerosis and RA have in common inflammatory mediators. Objectives the presented study aimed to find the relation between cardiovascular affection and erosive articular changes in RA. Subjects and Methods The presented study included 40 patients’ men and premenopausal women that were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis fulfilling the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis recruited from the physical Medicine, Rheumatology, and Rehabilitation outpatient clinics of Ain Shams University, patients underwent laboratory investigation, carotid duplex, musculoskeletal ultrasound and echocardiography. Results Among 40 RA patients, 16 (40%) had erosions in both hands and 24 (60%) without erosion with no statistically significance difference between both sides of hand and feet, only 3 patients (7.5%) had active erosion exhibited by power Doppler. The presence of erosion positively correlated with the mean CIMT (p-value < 0.001) with mean 0.827±0.149, The presence of carotid plaques as a marker of advanced atherosclerosis showed statistically significant value with erosions (p = 0.001). There was positive relation between erosions with disease duration (p-value < 0.001), and negatively with DAS-28 (p = 0.083). Out of 33 patients with positive RF, 16 patients had erosions with statistically significant value (p = 0.017). Conclusion Since the presence of bone erosions was highly associated with higher mean CIMT, consequently, we recommend that when finding bone erosions in rheumatoid arthritis patient, good monitoring should be given to cardiovascular risk factors with early and proper treatment to limit the progression of erosions and protect against atherosclerosis and its complications.

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Effects of the anti-RANKL antibody denosumab on joint structural damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DESIRABLE study): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2018-214827 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 78 (7) ◽

pp. 899-907 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Tsutomu Takeuchi ◽

Yoshiya Tanaka ◽

Satoshi Soen ◽

Hisashi Yamanaka ◽

Toshiyuki Yoneda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Placebo Group ◽

Structural Damage ◽

Bone Erosion ◽

Joint Destruction ◽

Mineral Density ◽

Phase 3 ◽

Double Blind ◽

The Mean ◽

Disease Modifying

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of denosumab in suppressing joint destruction when added to conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (csDMARD) therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).MethodsThis was a multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled phase 3 study in Japan. Patients with RA aged ≥20 years receiving csDMARDs were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to denosumab 60 mg every 3 months (Q3M), denosumab 60 mg every 6 months (Q6M) or placebo. The change in the modified total Sharp score (mTSS) and effect on bone mineral density (BMD) at 12 months was evaluated.ResultsIn total, 654 patients received the trial drugs. Denosumab groups showed significantly less progression of joint destruction. The mean changes in the mTSS at 12 months were 1.49 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.99) in the placebo group, 0.99 (95% CI 0.49 to 1.49) in the Q6M group (p=0.0235) and 0.72 (95% CI 0.41 to 1.03) in the Q3M group (p=0.0055). The mean changes in bone erosion score were 0.98 (95% CI 0.65 to 1.31) in the placebo group, 0.51 (95% CI 0.22 to 0.80) in the Q6M group (p=0.0104) and 0.22 (95% CI 0.09 to 0.34) in the Q3M group (p=0.0001). No significant between-group difference was observed in the joint space narrowing score. The per cent change in lumbar spine (L1–L4) BMD in the placebo, Q6M and Q3M groups were −1.03%, 3.99% (p<0.0001) and 4.88% (p<0.0001). No major differences were observed among safety profiles.ConclusionsDenosumab inhibits the progression of joint destruction, increases BMD and is well tolerated in patients with RA taking csDMARD.

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AB0158 COMPARISON OF CLINICAL EXAMINATION AND ULTRASOUND OF HAND AND WRIST JOINTS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.1922 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 1106.1-1106

Author(s):

S. Bouden ◽

B. D. Siwar ◽

A. Ben Tekaya ◽

O. Saidane ◽

R. Tekaya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Clinical Examination ◽

Disease Activity Score ◽

Power Doppler ◽

Doppler Signal ◽

Left Wrist ◽

The Mean ◽

The Right ◽

Power Doppler Signal

Background:Ultrasound (US) is an accessible and non-invasive tool to assess joint involvement in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is used for diagnostic and prognosis purposes and for following of RA patients by evaluating the disease activity and therefore the response to treatment.Objectives:This study investigates agreement between US of hand and wrist findings and the clinical examination and biological inflammatory parameters in RA patients.Methods:We performed a cross sectional study including patients responding to the ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria for RA diagnosis. We collected US findings assessing synovitis and doppler signal in wrist, metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) articulations, and concomitant clinical examination assessing synovitis and pain in the same joints along with C reactive protein (CRP) levels and disease activity score (DAS28). The power Doppler US score (PDUS) from 6 simplified synovial sites (wrists, bilateral second and third MCP joints) was calculated [1].Results:Forty-three patients were included with 91.7% of women. The mean age was 62±12.95 years old. The mean age at diagnosis was 52±14.79 years with a mean disease evolution of 8±8.57 years. Rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated antibodies were positive in respectively 78% and 83.9% of cases.The mean disease activity (DAS28) was 1,52 with levels ranging from 1.5 to 7.33.Right wrist was the articulation in which US synovitis was most frequently detected (60.5% of patients), followed by the left wrist (53.5%). Power doppler signal was detected as frequently in the right as in the left wrist articulations (41.9%). Subsequently, clinical synovitis was most frequently detected in right and left wrist with 39,5% and 41,5% respectively. These joints were the most frequently painful, in 51.2% and 48.8% at right and left respectively.US synovitis of the first interphalangeal joint was found in only 2.3% and 4.7% in the right and left hand respectively, with positive power doppler signal in 2.3% of the patients in the same articulations.The overall agreement between US and clinical examination in detecting synovitis of wrist, MCP and PIP joints was of 67.3%. It was of 71.4% in wrists, 54.7% in MCP joints and 87% in PIP joints. This suggests the presence of infra-clinical synovitis. All sites combined, US synovitis were correlated to clinical synovitis (p=0.03).A positive correlation was found between PDUS from 6 simplified joint sites and CRP levels (p value of 0.02). No correlation was found with disease activity score (DAS28).Conclusion:US of hands and wrist articulations is more performant than clinical examination in detecting synovitis. The most frequently involved joints with clinical and US synovitis, pain and positive power doppler signal were the wrist joints. CRP level is predictive of the presence of a high simplified power doppler score which is related to clinical activity of the disease as reported by Kawashiri et al. [1].References:[1]Kawashiri S, Kawakami A, Iwamoto N, Fujikawa K, Satoh K, Tamai M, et al. The power Doppler ultrasonography score from 24 synovial sites or 6 simplified synovial sites, including the metacarpophalangeal joints, reflects the clinical disease activity and level of serum biomarkers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). mai 2011;50(5):962-5.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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POS0634 DO BIOLOGICS IMPROVE FATIGUE IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS?

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.3351 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 555.1-555

Author(s):

A. Fazaa ◽

H. Boussaa ◽

K. Ouenniche ◽

S. Miladi ◽

M. Sellami ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Tender Joint Count ◽

P Value ◽

Tender Joint ◽

Direct Role ◽

The Mean ◽

Disease Modifying ◽

Improve Fatigue

Background:Fatigue is a significant issue in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with no accepted evidence-based management guidelines. Several studies suggested that biologic Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (bDMARDs) have a direct role on fatigue in RA.Objectives:This study aimed to compare fatigue between patients treated with bDMARDs and conventional synthetic Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (cs DMARDs).Methods:We conducted a longitudinal study including patients with RA (ACR/EULAR 2010). Patients with other acute or chronic diseases that may induce fatigue (such as cancer, infection or depression) were excluded. Demographic data and the following disease-related parameters were collected: pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Global Patient Assessment (GPA), tender joint count (TJC), swollen joint count (SJC), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), C Protein Reactive (CRP), Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and DMARDs used. Fatigue was assessed at baseline (T0), at 6 months (T6) and at 12months (T12) using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy – Fatigue (FACIT-F) which is a short 13-item questionnaire validated in RA. The score FACIT-F ranges between 0 and 52. Fatigue was considered mild if the FACIT-F score was ≥40, moderate if 20≤FACIT-F<40 and severe if 0≤FACIT-F<20. A p value inferior to 0.05 was considered significant.Results:We included 100 RA patients (84 women and 16 men) with a mean age of 49.5±10 years old [18-65]. The mean disease duration was 87.3 months [1-360]. The mean pain VAS was 49 cm [0-100] and the mean GPA was 47.8 cm [0-100]. The mean TJC and SJC were 5.3 [0-36] and 1 [0-9] respectively. The mean levels of ESR and CRP were 38.1 mm [10-120] and 10.8 mg/l [2-61] respectively. The mean DAS28 ESR was 3.68 [1.90-8.33] and the mean HAQ score was 0.90 [0-2.75].Eighty-three percent of patients used csDMARDs: Methotrexate (n=96), sulphasalazine (n=28), leflunomide (n=21), and hydroxychloroquine (n=12). bDMARDs were prescribed in 17% of patients: Rituximab (n=10), Infliximab (n=9), and Etanercept (n=5).At baseline, the mean FACIT-F score was 27.1 [0-51]. Moderate fatigue was noted in 57% of cases and severe fatigue in 26% of cases. Patients on csDMARDs had a lower FACIT-F score when compared to patients on bDMARDs (26.89 versus 28.41), but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.630).The mean FACIT-F score was 27.41 in bDMARDs patients versus 29.80 in csDMARDs patients (p=0.497) at T6, and 32.35 versus 33.65 respectively at T12 (p=0.695).The mean delta FACIT-F was 2.18 in bDMARDs patiens versus 2.73 in csDMARDs patients between T6 and T0 (p=0.815), and 3.94 versus 7.2 respectively between T12 and T0 (p=0.807).When considering all patients, a significant positive correlation was noted between delta FACIT-F and delta DAS28 at T6 (r=0.418, p<0.001) and at T12 (r=0.338, p<0.001).Conclusion:RA patients treated with bDMARDs didn’t show significant improvement of fatigue in comparison with those treated with csDMARDs. Further studies are needed to determine if biologics improve fatigue, and whether the improvement results from a direct action on fatigue or indirectly through reduction in disease activity.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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AB0174 FATIGUE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.3339 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 1113.2-1113

Author(s):

A. Fazaa ◽

H. Boussaa ◽

K. Ouenniche ◽

S. Miladi ◽

M. Sellami ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Tender Joint Count ◽

P Value ◽

Common Symptom ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Tender Joint ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Mean

Background:Fatigue is a common symptom in many chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is considered one of the most frustrating, uncontrollable, and overwhelming symptoms. However, most of rheumatologists do not assess fatigue despite its clinical significance and its impact on patients’ lives.Objectives:The aims of this study were to determine whether RA patients express more fatigue than healthy controls, and to analyze its correlation with disease activity.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional study including patients with RA (ACR/EULAR 2010) and healthy controls matched for sex and age. Patients with other acute or chronic diseases that may induce fatigue (such as cancer, infection or depression) were excluded. Demographic data and the following clinical parameters were collected: pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Global Patient Assessment (GPA), tender joint count (TJC) and swollen joint count (SJC), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), C Protein Reactive (CRP), Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28), and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). Fatigue was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy – Fatigue (FACIT-F) which is a short 13-item questionnaire validated in RA. The score FACIT-F ranges between 0 and 52. Fatigue was considered mild if the FACIT-F score was ≥40, moderate if 20≤FACIT-F<40 and severe if 0≤FACIT-F<20. A p value inferior to 0.05 was considered significant.Results:We included 100 RA patients (84 women and 16 men) with a mean age of 49.5±10 years old [18-65]. The mean disease duration was 87.3 months [1-360]. The mean pain VAS was 49 cm [0-100] and the mean GPA was 47.8 cm [0-100]. The mean TJC and SJC were 5.3 [0-36] and 1 [0-9] respectively. The mean levels of ESR and CRP were 38.1 mm [10-120] and 10.8 mg/l [2-61] respectively. The mean DAS28 ESR was 3.68 [1.90-8.33] and the mean HAQ score was 0.90 [0-2.75].Thirty-nine healthy controls were enrolled including 35 women and 4 men with a mean age of 51.2 years old [30-64].The mean FACIT-F score was 27.1 [0-51] in RA patients versus 46.2 [0-52] in healthy controls (p<0.001). Among RA patients, 57% had moderate fatigue and 26% had severe fatigue.A significant negative correlation was noted between the FACIT-F score and the following parameters in RA patients: TJC (r=-0.568, p<0.001), SJC (r=-0.274, p<0.001), pain VAS (r=-0.605, p<0.001), GPA (r=-0.658, p<0.001), ESR (r=-0.405, p<0.001), CRP (r=-0.149, p<0.001), DAS28 (r=-0.837, p<0.001) and HAQ (r=-0.634, p<0.001).Conclusion:Fatigue was significantly more observed in RA patients. This symptom was correlated with disease activity and disability. It is important to recognize and manage fatigue in order to improve patients’ quality of life.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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AB0134 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INFLAMMATORY RATIOS AND RADIOGRAPHIC JOINT DAMAGE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.2879 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 1095.2-1095

Author(s):

F. Maatoug ◽

M. Slouma ◽

R. Dhahri ◽

O. Beskri ◽

I. Gharsallah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Structural Damage ◽

Joint Space Narrowing ◽

Joint Damage ◽

Joint Space ◽

Albumin Ratio ◽

Sharp Score ◽

The Mean ◽

Modified Sharp Score ◽

Joint Erosion

Background:The tight control strategy is recommended in rheumatoid arthritis to tailor treatment for patients. This strategy requires regular monitoring of both disease activity and structural damage. However, radiographic assessement cannot be performed frequently and the modified Sharp score is rarely evaluated in current practice. Besides, no biomarker was able to mirror structural damage (1).Objectives:Our study aimed to assess the relationship between the modified Sharp score and the inflammatory ratios (platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), fibrinogen to albumin ratio (FAR) and CRP to albumin ratio (CAR)).Methods:We performed a cross-sectional study including 53 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A cell blood count, fibrinogen and an albumin blood test were measured for each patient. Inflammatory ratios were also measured (PLR, NLR, LMR, FAR, and CAR). Modified Sharp score and its components (erosion score and joint space narrowing score) were evaluated using the radiograph of hand and foot.Patients with infectious or hematological diseases were excluded from the study.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences).Results:Of the 53 patients, 39 were female (Sex Ratio: 2.8). The mean age was 53.9 ± 12.7 years. The mean disease duration was 10.1 ± 8.2 years.The average age of the onset of the disease was 43.8±13.5 years.The mean DAS 28-ESR score was 4.64 ± 1.23. Forty three patients had a score higher than 3.2 (patients with moderate or high disease activity).The mean values of PLR, NLR, LMR, FAR and CAR were 161.62 ± 86.59, 2.84 ± 2.39, 4.99 ± 3.23, 0.12 ± 0.06 and 1.15 ± 1.38.The mean scores of joint erosion and joint space narrowing were respectively 12.76 ± 15.05 and 33.57 ± 25.80. The mean modified Sharp score was 46.33 ± 37.74.There was a positive correlation between modified Sharp score and following ratios: PLR (r: 0.501; p <10-3), NLR (r: 0.302; p:0.031), FAR (r: 0.300; p:0.030), CAR (r:0.286; p:0.042).Moreover, a positive correlation between joint space narrowing score and these ratios was identified: PLR (r: 0.558; p <10-3), NLR (r: 0.428; p:0.002), FAR (r: 0.371; p:0.007), CAR (r:0.387; p:0.005).Joint erosion score correlated with PLR (r: 0.299; p:0.033).No correlation was found between LMR and radiographic score.Conclusion:Our study showed that the modified Sharp score correlated with PLR, NLR, FAR and CAR in patients with RA. This finding suggests that these ratios could be used as inexpensive and reliable markers to reflect radiographic joint damage.Longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm our results.References:[1]Syversen SW, Landewe R, Van Der Heijde D, Bathon JM, Boers M, Bykerk VP, et al. Testing of the OMERACT 8 draft validation criteria for a soluble biomarker reflecting structural damage in rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic literature search on 5 candidate biomarkers. J Rheumatol. 2009;36(8):1769-84.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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AB0578 SUBCLINICAL ENTHESITIS IN PSORIASIS patiEntS AS prediCtor OF ARTHRITIS (EPESCA STUDY): PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.3149 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 1326.2-1326

Author(s):

E. Di Donato ◽

A. Becciolini ◽

S. DI Nuzzo ◽

N. Chernyschova ◽

C. Commisso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psoriatic Arthritis ◽

Structural Damage ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Broad Band ◽

Power Doppler ◽

Diagnostic Delay ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Plantar Fascia ◽

Doppler Signal ◽

P Value

Background:Enthesitis is one of the typical pathological signs of spondyloarthritis such as psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and it seems to be the Primum movens of the disease. Clinical assessment of enthesitis showed to be less sensitive, compared to ultrasound (US) evaluation, in identifying enthesitis in patients with PsA [1].OMERACT defined US enthesitis as: “hypoechoic and/or thickened insertion of the tendon close to the bone (within 2 mm from the bony cortex), which exhibits Doppler signal if active and that may show erosions, enthesophytes/calcifications as a sign of structural damage” [3]The reported prevalence of subclinical enthesitis in psoriasis (PsO) patients in different countries ranges between 7% and 20% [2].Objectives:The main objective of this study was to estimate, by US evaluation, the prevalence of subclinical enthesitis in PsO patients without any clinical signs of enthesitis. Secondary objectives were to analyze differences, in terms of age, sex, BMI, PsO onset and diagnosis, among patients with enthesitis (active or not active), enthesopathy and without any alteration of enthesis.According to the OMERACT definition of ultrasound enthesitis, patients were divided into 4 groups: patients with active enthesitis (AE) defined as the presence of power-Doppler signal in a hypoechoic and/or thickened insertion of the tendon close to the bone; patient with enthesitis (En) defined as hypoechoic and/or thickened insertion of the tendon close to the bone without PD signal; patients with enthesopathy (Ep) defined as the presence of structural damage (erosions, enthesophytes/calcifications); patients without any alteration of enthesis (WE).Methods:Patients with at least 18 years and a diagnosis of PsO made by a Dermatologist were included. Exclusion criteria were the presence of clinical symptoms or signs of articular or entheseal involvement, diagnosis of arthritis and therapy with bDMARDs or tsDMARDs.All patients underwent US examination on grey scale and Power Doppler (PD) ultrasonography of 6 sites (Achilles, quadriceps, distal and proximal patellar, plantar fascia and triceps enthesis) bilaterally. Ultrasound was performed by an experienced sonographer, using a Logiq P9 equipped with 6-12 MHz broad band linear transducer. Data were reported as frequencies and median with interquartile range. To check differences among these four groups, we used chi-square test or Kruskall-Wallis test. P-value ≤ 0.05 is considered statistically significant.Results:We enrolled 124 consecutive psoriasis patients (47 [37.9%] female) with median age 57.7 (45.3-66.5) years, median disease duration 20.4 (10.1-30.8) years, median BMI 27 [24-29]. Patients with AE, En, Ep were 20.2% (25/124), 49.2% (61/124) and 18.5% (23/124), respectively.Patients WE (12.1%, 15/124) showed significantly lower BMI, younger age and shorter diagnostic delay compared to the other patients.All signs of enthesopathy/enthesitis were more frequently observed at Achilles (33.1%, 41/124), triceps (23.4%, 29/124), quadriceps (20.2%, 25/124), distal patellar (18.5%, 23/124) and proximal patellar (4.8%, 6/124) enthesis.Conclusion:Subclinical enthesitis is quite common in PsO patients, and about 20% showed active enthesitis. The enthesopathy seems to be more frequent in patients with increased delay in PsO diagnosis, older age and higher BMI.References:[1]Bandinelli F. et al. Ultrasound detects occult entheseal involvement in early psoriatic arthritis independently of clinical features and psoriasis severity. Clin Exp Rheumatology. Mar-Apr 2013;31(2):219-24.[2]Zuliani F. et al. Ultrasonographic detection of subclinical enthesitis and synovitis: a possible stratification of psoriatic patients without clinical musculoskeletal involvement. Clin Exp Rheumatol Jul-Aug 2019;37(4):593-599.[3]Balint P. V. et al. Reliability of a consensus-based ultrasound definition and scoring for enthesitis in spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: an OMERACT US initiative. Ann Rheum Dis 2018 Dec;77(12):1730-1735.Disclosure of Interests:None declared.

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POS1066 IS ENTHESITIS A SONOGRAPHIC BIOMARKER OF DISEASE SEVERITY IN PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS? THE LINK BETWEEN ULTRASOUND ENTHESEAL ABNORMALITIES AND PERIPHERAL JOINT EROSIVE DAMAGE

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.1159 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 811.2-812

Author(s):

G. Smerilli ◽

E. Cipolletta ◽

G. M. Destro Castaniti ◽

A. DI Matteo ◽

M. DI Carlo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psoriatic Arthritis ◽

Disease Severity ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Structural Damage ◽

Bone Erosion ◽

Doppler Signal ◽

P Value ◽

Bone Erosions ◽

The Us ◽

The Impact

Background:Enthesitis is one of the hallmark of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Ultrasound (US) accurately detects morphostructural abnormalities indicative of entheseal inflammation and structural damage. Interestingly, in a recent study, US-detected entheseal pathology appeared to be a potential marker of disease severity, being associated with higher radiographic score of structural damage at peripheral joint level. (1) However, a sub-analysis of the impact of each elementary finding of US enthesitis was not performed. Moreover, some US entheseal abnormalities (hypoechogenicity, thickening and calcification/enthesophyte) have been described as frequent findings in healthy subjects and patients with dysmetabolic conditions, undermining their specificity. (2) Thus, we hypothesized that their role as a sonographic biomarker of joint disease severity could be questioned.Objectives:The main aim of the present study was to explore the association between the US elementary findings of enthesitis defined by OMERACT [i.e. hypoechogenicity, thickening, Doppler signal, calcification/enthesophyte and bone erosion at enthesis] (3) and the presence of US-detected joint bone erosions in patients with PsA.Methods:Consecutive patients with PsA (CASPAR criteria) were included in this cross-sectional single-centre study. The scanning protocol included bilateral assessment of the main entheses of the lower limbs [plantar fascia, quadriceps, patellar (proximal and distal) and Achilles tendons]. The presence of US joint bone erosions was investigated in the following areas: 2nd and 5th metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints, ulnar head and 5th metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint, bilaterally, as well as the most inflamed joint at the physical examination. The US examination was carried out with a 6-18 MHz probe. Univariate and multivariate logistic analysis were performed to identify predictors of US joint bone erosions.Results:A total of 74 PsA patients were enrolled. The mean disease duration was 7.9±8.0 years. Joint bone erosions were found in 36/75 patients (48.0%), and in 71/600 joints (11.8%), most frequently in the 5th MTP joint (in 26/75 patients, 34.7%). The univariate analysis showed that entheseal bone erosions [odds ratio (OR) 27.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.3-220.2, p value <0.01] and Doppler signal (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.3 - 9.4, p value 0.01) were associated with joint bone erosions. Only entheseal bone erosions remained significantly associated with joint bone erosions in the multivariate analysis (Table 1).Table 1.Multivariate regression analysis: predictive value of the entheseal US findings for the presence of joint bone erosions.OR (95% CI)P valueHypoechogenicity0.5 (0.1-3.4)0.45Thickening2.2 (0.6-8.3)0.27Doppler signal3.2 (0.9-10.8)0.06Calcification/enthesophyte1.1 (0.1-11.2)0.99Entheseal bone erosion24.2 (2.7-216.2)<0.01Conclusion:Entheseal bone erosion and, to a lesser extent, Doppler signal, were the only entheseal abnormalities correlated with the presence of US-detected joint bone erosions, representing potential sonographic biomarkers of disease severity in PsA.References:[1]Polachek A, Cook R, Chandran V, Gladman DD, Eder L. The association between sonographic enthesitis and radiographic damage in psoriatic arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther 2017; 15;19:189.[2]Balint PV, Terslev L, Aegerter P, Bruyn GAW, Chary-Valckenaere I, Gandjbakhch F, et al. Reliability of a consensus-based ultrasound definition and scoring for enthesitis in spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: An OMERACT US initiative. Ann Rheum Dis 2018; 77(12):1730-5.[3]Di Matteo A, Filippucci E, Cipolletta E, Martire V, Jesus D, Musca A, et al. How normal is the enthesis by ultrasound in healthy subjects? Clin Exp Rheumatol 2020;38:472-8.Disclosure of Interests:Gianluca Smerilli: None declared, Edoardo Cipolletta: None declared, Giulia Maria Destro Castaniti: None declared, Andrea Di Matteo: None declared, Marco Di Carlo: None declared, Erica Moscioni: None declared, Francesca Francioso: None declared, Walter Grassi Speakers bureau: W.G. has received speaking fees from AbbVie, Celgene, Grünenthal, Pfizer and UCB Pharma., Emilio Filippucci Speakers bureau: E.F. has received speaking fees from Abbvie, BMS, Janssen, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Roche, Pfizer, UCB Pharma.

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