Effectiveness of Baricitinib in Refractory Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis and Uveitis: A Case Report

Baricitinib is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor used to treat refractory rheumatoid arthritis and blocks the subtypes JAK1 and JAK2. A 35-year-old man with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis complicated by bilateral severe non-granulomatous panuveitis was resistant to steroid treatment, multiple conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (methotrexate and salazosulfapyridine), and TNF-α inhibitors (adalimumab and infliximab). Therefore, the TNF-α inhibitors were switched to baricitinib to decrease the activity of systemic arthritis. Along with the amelioration of inflammatory activity in seronegative rheumatoid arthritis, the inflammatory activity of uveitis was decreased. Vitreous opacity, serous retinal detachment, and anterior chamber cells showed improvement. Baricitinib was effective not only in refractory systemic arthritis but also in uveitis, which may provide a new treatment option for patients with refractory uveitis.

The vaccine coverage and vaccine immunity status and risk factors of non-protective levels of antibodies against vaccines in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: cross-sectional Russian tertiary Centre study

Background Immunosuppressive drugs, incomplete vaccine coverage, immune system dysregulation might be factors of a low level of anti-vaccine antibodies in JIA patients. The study aimed to evaluate vaccine coverage, post-vaccine immunity, and risk factors of non-protective levels of antibodies against measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, and diphtheria in JIA patients. Methods A cross-sectional study included 170 children diagnosed with JIA aged 2 to 17 years who received routine vaccinations against measles, rubella, mumps (MMR), diphtheria, and hepatitis B national vaccine schedule. In all patients, the levels of post-vaccination antibodies (IgG) for measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis B, and diphtheria were measured with ELISA. Results Protective level of antibodies were 50% against hepatitis B, 52% - diphtheria, 58% - measles, 80% - mumps, 98% rubella. MMR’s best coverage had patients with enthesitis-related arthritis-85%, compared to oligoarthritis-70%, polyarthritis-69%, systemic arthritis-63%. Diphtheria coverage was 50, 51, 46, 63%, respectively. Incomplete MMR vaccination had 39% patients, treated with biologics, 22% with methotrexate and 14% with NSAID (p = 0.025), and 61, 46, 36% for diphtheria (p = 0.021). Incomplete vaccination was a risk factor of non-protective level of antibodies against measles (HR = 2.03 [95%CI: 1.02; 4.0], p = 0.042), mumps (HR = 6.25 [95%CI: 2.13; 17.9], p = 0.0008) and diphtheria (HR = 2.39 [95%CI: 1.18; 4.85], p = 0.016) vaccines, as well as JIA category, biologics, corticosteroids and long-term methotrexate treatment for distinct vaccines. One-third part of JIA patients continued vaccination against MMR and diphtheria without serious adverse events and JIA flare. There were no differences between patients who continued MMR vaccination or denied in the means of JIA category and treatment options. Patients, continued diphtheria vaccination rare received methotrexate (p = 0.02), biologics (p = 0.004), but had higher levels of anti-diphtheria antibodies (p = 0.024) compare who omitted vaccination. Methotrexate (OR = 9.5 [95%CI: 1.004; 90.3]) and biologics (OR = 4.4 [95%CI: 1.6; 12.1]) were predictors of omitted diphtheria revaccination. Conclusion Children with JIA may have lower anti-vaccine antibody levels and required routine checks, especially in children with incomplete vaccination, biologics, systemic arthritis, and long-term methotrexate treatment. Revaccination of JIA patients was safe and effective.

Evaluation of serum ferritin and its correlation with disease activity in non-systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Background: Serum ferritin is considered as an acute phase reactant that often increases in presence of an active inflammation. Its status as a disease activity marker is well-established in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), but underexplored in other categories. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relation of serum ferritin with disease activity in non-systemic categories of JIAMethods: A prospective analytical study was carried out involving 46 JIA patients (diagnosed and categorized on the basis of ILAR criteria) with high disease activity based on juvenile arthritis disease activity score27 (JADAS27). childhood health assessment questionnaire (CHAQ), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum ferritin, pain VAS (visual analog scale), parent global VAS, JADAS27 were measured at initial visit, six months and one year.Results: 40 (21 female, 19 male) out of 46 patients completed follow-up of 1 year. Amongst them, 11 patients had systemic arthritis, 10 had oligoarthritis, 11 had RF positive polyarthritis and 8 had RF negative polyarthritis. Their median ages at the initial visit were 7, 6.5, 8 and 7.5 years respectively. Serum ferritin, CRP, ESR, CHAQ score and JADAS decreased over time in all four categories of JIA. Median ESR, ferritin, CHAQ and JADAS27 were higher in systemic JIA compared to other groups in all three visits. Serum ferritin significantly correlated with JADAS27 at all three visits in systemic arthritis; at initial visit in oligoarthritis; at initial visit and 6 months in both RF positive and RF negative polyarthritis.Conclusions: In patients with systemic JIA, serum ferritin showed significant correlation throughout disease course even when the disease activity was low. But in non-systemic categories of JIA serum ferritin had a significant positive correlation with disease activity only when the disease activity was high.

The Vaccine Coverage and Vaccine Immunity Status and Risk Factors of Non-Protective Levels of Antibodies Against Vaccines in Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Russian Tertiary Centre Study.

Background: Immunosuppressive drugs, decreased vaccine coverage, aberrant immunity might be factors of low anti-vaccine antibodies in JIA patients. The study aimed to evaluate vaccine coverage, post-vaccine immunity and risk factors of non-protective levels of antibodies against measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B and diphtheria in JIA patients. Methods: A prospective study included 170 children diagnosed with JIA aged 2 to 17 years, who received routine vaccinations against measles, rubella, mumps (MMR) diphtheria and hepatitis B. In all patients, the levels of post-vaccination antibodies (IgG) for measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis B and diphtheria measured with ELISA.Results: Protective level of antibodies were 50% against hepatitis B, 52% - diphtheria, 58% - measles, 80% - mumps, 98% rubella. The best coverage for MMR had patients with enthesytis-related arthritis-85%, compare to oligoarthritis-70%, polyarthritis-69%, systemic arthritis-63%. Diphtheria coverage was 50%, 51%, 46%, 63%, respectively. Incomplete MMR vaccination had 39% patients, treated with biologics, 22% with methotrexate and 14% with NSAID (p=0.025), and 61%, 46%, 36% for diphtheria (p=0.021). Incomplete vaccination was a risk factor of non-protective level of antibodies against measles (HR=2.03 [95%CI: 1.02; 4.0], p=0.042), parotitis (HR=6.25 [95%CI: 2.13; 17.9], p=0.0008) and diphtheria (HR=2.39 [95%CI: 1.18; 4.85], p=0.016) vaccines, as well as JIA category, biologics, corticosteroids and long-term methotrexate treatment for distinct vaccines.Conclusion: Children with JIA may have lower anti-vaccine antibodies levels and required routine check, especially in children with incomplete vaccination, biologics, systemic arthritis and long-term methotrexate treatment.

SAT0493 CLINICAL PROFILE OF JIA PATIENTS WITH THE CERVICAL SPINE INVOLVEMENT: A SINGLE CENTER RETROSPECTIVE CONTINUOUS STUDY.

Background:JIA is the most common chronic condition in pediatric rheumatology. The cervical spine (CS) involvement is associated with severe disease activity and disability and has been recognized as a factor of a poor prognosis. Data about the CS involvement is contradictory due to silent CS involvement in some patients.Objectives:the aim of our study was to provide a clinical profile of the patients with the CS involvement.Methods:753 patients for last 10 years with JIA were analyzed. Patients were divided depending on the CS involvement, which was confirmed by clinical (pain, LOM) and radiological features (effusion in the CS joints). We evaluated active joints and routine tests, such as CRP, ESR, ANA-positivity and HLA B27Results:The CS involvement was in 101 patients (13.4%). The data are in the table. The CS involvement was more frequently associated with joints of upper body, such as TMJ (23.7% vs 2.9%, p=0.000001), shoulder (29.7% vs 2.9%, p=0.000001), elbow (34.2% vs 12.2%, p=0.000001), wrist (61.4% vs 21.8%, p=0.0000001), MCP (43.6% vs 18.4%, p=0.0000001), PIP (52.5% vs 21.3%, p=0.0000001), DIP (23.8% vs 7.1%, p=0.0000001) and hip (44.6% vs 16.6%, p=0.0000001), and ankle (60.4% vs 40.2%, p=0.0001) from lower body.ParametersCS, yes (n=101)CS, no (n=652)pFemale, n (%)69 (68.3)388 (59.5)0.092ANA-positivity, n (%)22/57 (38.6)190/403 (47.2)0.226HLA B27-positivity, n (%)12/33 (36.4)88/275 (32.0)0.613Onset age, years5.3 (2.7-10.1)6.1 (3.0- 10.4)0.241ESR, mm/h12.0 (5.0-31.0)7.0 (3.0- 18.0)0.0006CRP, mg/l3.9 (0.0- 20.0)1.1 (0.0-9.2)0.002Active joints, n (%)16.0 (9.0-28.0)5.0 (3.0-10.0)0.000000Time before remission, years2.9 (1.5-5.1)2.2 (1.1-4.6)0.046OligoarthritisPolyarthritisPsoriatic arthritisEnthesitis-related arthritisSystemic arthritis5 (5.0)48 (48.0)7 (7.0)22 (21.8)19 (18.9)199 (30.5)217 (33.3)33 (5.1)164 (25.2)39 (6.0)0.0000001Uveitis, n (%)9/76 (11.9)107/444 (24.1)0,018Oral glucocorticosteroids, n (%)37 (36.7)115/651 (17.7)0.00001Biologic, n (%)68 (67.3)283 (43.4)0.000007Remission, n (%)57 (56.4)428 (65.6)0.072Flare, n (%)10 (9.9)128/651 (19.7)0.018Conclusion:The main risk factors of CS involvement in JIA were polyarthicular and systemic arthritis, high inflammatory activity and involvement of joints of upper body. Patients with CS involvement required more often biologics.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

Report of a rare case of hand-foot-mouth disease in a adult woman with systemic arthritis

<p>Hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) is a highly infectious disease, rare in adults which usually presents a painfull stomatitis. We describe a rare case of HFMD in a 34-year-old woman with medical history of recent intestinal infection and systemic arthritis with only oral and hands involvement. Additionally, we discuss diagnosis and treatment of this disease and reinforce the importance of the correct diagnosis because delayed diagnosis can cause spread of the disease.</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> Adult; Arthritis; Mouth diseases.</p>