Brigitte Michelsen

• MD
• Hospital of Southern Norway Trust

Background Observational data on composite scores often comes with missing component information. When a complete-case (CC) analysis of composite scores is unbiased, preferable approaches of dealing with missing component information should also be unbiased and provide a more precise estimate. We assessed the performance of several methods compared...

Objectives We aimed to compare various methods for imputing disease activity in longitudinally collected observational data of patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Methods We conducted a simulation study on data from 8583 axSpA patients from ten European registries. Disease activity was assessed by the Axial Spondyloarthritis Disease Act...

Objective In patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) initiating secukinumab, we aimed to identify baseline (treatment start) predictors of achieving low disease activity (LDA) after 6 months, as measured by Axial Spondyloarthritis Disease Activity Score using C-reactive protein (ASDAS-CRP) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Inde...

Background Efficacy of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) for peripheral arthritis in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) has been established in randomized clinical trials that have used improvement in summated joint counts as an outcome. Whether joints at different anatomical locations might respond differentially to TNFi remains unknow...

Objectives Real-world evidence is needed to inform treatment strategies for patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), who have non-musculoskeletal manifestations (NMM), various risk factors, and comorbidities. International collaboration is required to ensure statistical power and to enhance generalisability. The...

Objectives To re-evaluate cut-offs for disease activity states according to the Axial Spondyloarthritis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS), and study the impact of sex, age, calendar time, disease and symptom duration on ASDAS and ASDAS cut-offs in a large contemporary cohort. Methods Data from 2939 patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) starti...

Background: In comparative effectiveness research, treatment retention - i.e., the time from treatment start to treatment discontinuation - is an important indicator of treatment effectiveness for chronic illnesses. There is no agreement on the event that defines discontinuation. Commonly used are “last dose received”, “decision to discontinue”, or...

Objective Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the most common pulmonary manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but its prevalence has not been investigated in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The role of Methotrexate in ILD development remains debated. This study compares the incidences of ILD in patients with RA or PsA initiating a first biol...

Objective Because 66/68 joint counts are not always performed in routine care, we aimed to determine which of the modified 28‐joint disease activity index for psoriatic arthritis (DAPSA28) or 28‐joint disease activity score with C‐reactive protein (DAS28‐CRP) should be preferred for monitoring disease activity in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) when the...

Objectives To compare the treatment effectiveness of secukinumab in radiographic (r) versus non-radiographic (nr) axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients treated in routine care across Europe. Methods Prospectively collected data on secukinumab-treated axSpA patients with known radiographic status were pooled from nine countries. Remission rates...

Objectives To investigate sex differences in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) among axSpA patients initiating their first TNFi and identify factors contributing to these disparities over the follow-up. Methods Data were included from 15 EuroSpA registries and consisted of axSpA patients initiating their first TNFi, with ≥2 measurements fo...

Background Interleukin-17A inhibitors (IL-17Ai) and tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) are available for treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Bio-naïve patients generally respond better to the first TNFi compared to those who are TNFi-experienced. However, real-world data on the effectiveness of IL-17Ai used as a first line treatment...

Background As anxious or depressed patients may have higher disease activity than patients without anxiety or depression as measured by clinical composite scores of disease activity¹, there is a need to investigate whether such differences are also reflected in imaging modalities, such as ultrasound (US). Objectives To compare disease activity as...

Background In psoriatic arthritis (PsA), the assessment of TNFi treatment outcomes primarily focuses on the improvement in the number of affected joints, disregarding their specific locations. Transcriptomic variances identified in synovial fibroblasts (SF) from various joint sites in rheumatoid arthritis translated into joint-specific SF phenotype...

Background Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The increase in all-cause mortality following ILD development in patients with RA who have initialised treatment with a biologic/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (b/tsDMARD), and how it relates to the correspondi...

Background The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) is used to classify patients with axial spondylarthritis (axSpA) according to disease activity states, particularly when Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) is unavailable. BASDAI values of <2, <4 and >6 are often applied as cut-offs between remission, low...

Background The preferred outcome measure for assessment of disease activity in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score with CRP (ASDAS). Cut-off values for the disease activity states: inactive disease (ID), low (LDA), high (HDA) and very high (VHDA) disease activity, were developed in 2011...

Background Smoking has been associated with higher disease activity, poorer treatment response and drug retention rate among patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treated with Tumor Necrosis Factor inhibitors. However, few studies have investigated the impact of smoking on secukinumab (an interleukin 17A inhibitor) treatment outcomes. Objectives...

Objective Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score with C-reactive protein (ASDAS-CRP) is recommended over erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ASDAS-ESR) to assess disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Although ASDAS-CRP and ASDAS-ESR are not interchangeable, the same disease activity cut-offs are used for both. We aimed to estimate...

Objective Women with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) may have reduced tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) effectiveness compared to men. We examined sex differences in treatment response and retention rates during 24 months of follow‐up among patients with PsA initiating their first TNFi. Methods Data from patients with PsA across 13 European Spondyl...

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) carries a severe disease burden, often leading to deterioration of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Different comorbidities that are relatively prevalent in PsA are also responsible for compromised HRQoL. To assess real-world data of a 5-year follow-up cohort of PsA patients, focusing on changes in general HRQoL, sk...

Objective To evaluate patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after initiation of tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) treatment in European real-world patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Further, to investigate PRO remission rates across treatment courses, registries, disease duration, sex and age at disease onset. Methods Visual-analogue-scale o...

Objective Evidence indicates reduced treatment effectiveness of TNFi in women with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) compared with men. We aimed to investigate sex differences in treatment response and retention rates over 24 months of follow-up in axSpA patients initiating their first TNFi. Methods Data from axSpA patients initiating a TNFi in 1 of...

Smoking has been associated with higher disease activity, poorer treatment response, and drug retention rate among psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients treated with Tumor Necrosis Factor inhibitors. However, few studies have investigated the impact of smoking on secukinumab (an IL17A inhibitor) treatment outcomes. In this study, we therefore aimed to...

Objective To investigate real-world effectiveness of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and the association with (i) treatment line (second and third TNFi-series) and (ii) reason for withdrawal from the preceding TNFi [lack of efficacy (LOE) vs adverse events (AE)]. Methods Prospectively collec...

Objective: This study aimed to explore long-term changes in disease activity and remission rates, and potential sex-related differences in these outcomes, in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients treated in an outpatient clinic. Method: This prospective longitudinal cohort study included 114 patients. The Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthri...

This is the first report comparing EULAR and national treatment recommendations for PsA patients across Europe, and the first this decade to compare ASAS-EULAR and national treatment recommendations in axSpA patients. An electronic survey was completed from October 2021-April 2022 by rheumatologists in 15 European countries. One and four countries...

Objectives: In bio-naïve patients with Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) initiating a Tumour Necrosis Factor inhibitor (TNFi), we aimed to identify baseline predictors of Disease Activity index for PsA in 28 joints (DAPSA28) remission (primary objective) and DAPSA28 moderate response at 6 months, as well as drug retention at 12 months across 13 European r...

Background The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) is often used for classifying patients according to disease activity states. BASDAI values of 2, 4 and 6 have been applied as cut-offs for inactive disease (ID), between low disease activity (LDA) and high disease activity (HDA) and for very high disease activity (VHDA), res...

Background Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common (extra-articular) pulmonary manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In RA, use of biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying drugs (b/tsDMARDs) have been linked to ILD, whereas the risk attributable to MTX use remains unclear. In psoriatic arthritis (PsA), few studies have investigate...

Background Women with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) tend to have higher scores on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), such as the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), compared to men with the same condition. However, it is not well known whether these sex...

Background The impact of radiographic status on real-world secukinumab treatment effectiveness in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients is unknown. Objectives To compare the treatment effectiveness of secukinumab in radiographic (r-) vs. non-radiographic (nr-) axSpA patients treated in routine care across Europe. Methods Prospectively collecte...

Background Considering recent safety concerns for JAK-inhibitors (JAKi), clinicians need to make informed treatment decisions balancing expected effectiveness against risk for adverse events (AE). Current guidelines specifically caution that the use of JAKi in patients with pre-existing comorbidities increases risk of AE, but more data are needed r...

Background National treatment recommendations are often used to optimize patient care and may differ from international recommendations. Although such potential heterogeneity may affect outcomes, mapping of these differences across European countries was last performed more than a decade ago for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and has never been un...

Background Improvement of pharmacological therapies and treatment approaches in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have led to substantial progress in disease outcomes [1]. Despite this progress there is still a need for improvement in PsA treatment [2]. Objectives To explore long-term (5 years) changes in disease activity, remission rates and sex-related...

Background We aimed to describe the uptake of newer biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in the Nordic countries and to compare their retention and effectiveness. Methods Patients with PsA starting a b/tsDMARD in 2012–2020 in five Nordic rheumatology registers were included....

Objectives To evaluate the risk of haematological malignancies in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) overall, and in relation to treatment with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). Methods We identified that patients with PsA starting a first TNFi from the clinical rheumatology registers (CRR) in the five Nordic countries (n=10 621) and...

Objective To investigate the distribution of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients initiating a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi), to assess the proportion reaching PRO "remission" across registries and treatment series, and to compare patients registered to fulfill the New York criteria for ankylosing sp...

Objective Several advanced therapies have been licensed across the related conditions of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), Crohn disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and noninfectious uveitis. We sought to summarize results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy and safety of advanced therapies for these related conditions i...

Objectives : In patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) initiating their first tumour necrosis factor alpha-inhibitor (TNFi), we aimed to identify common baseline predictors of Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS-CRP) inactive disease (primary objective) and clinically important improvement (CII) at 6 months, and drug retenti...

Objectives The positioning of secukinumab in the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is debated, partly due to a limited understanding of the comparative safety of available treatments. We aimed to assess risk of the key safety outcome infections, during treatment with secukinumab and tumor necrosis factor inh...

Background In axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) is a key patient-reported outcome. However, one or more of its components may be missing when recorded in clinical practice. Objectives To determine whether an individual patient’s BASDAI at a given timepoint can be reliably calculated with d...

Background Evidence demonstrates sex differences in disease presentation, physical function, treatment response and drug retention in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Data from observational cohort studies indicate female sex is associated with reduced effectiveness of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis) 1,2 . Although, conflicting res...

Background Several autoimmune inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), are associated with increased risk of malignant lymphomas. There is also a longstanding concern of lymphoma development with tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) treatment, but most studies in RA to date do not indicate an additionally increased risk. Corre...

Background Recent years of progress in conventional and biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs development and improved treatment strategies (treat to target) have yield in improved outcome in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients. [1,2]. Still, despite modern treatment and clinical monitoring methods, we might miss dimensions of disease burd...

Background Evidence reveals sex differences in physiology, disease presentation and response to treatment in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Pooled data from four randomized controlled trials demonstrated reduced treatment efficacy of a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) in females compared to males with ankylosing spondylitis ¹ . However, rea...

Objective Knowledge is needed on the total disease burden across the sexes in inflammatory arthritis (IA). We aimed to compare disease burden, including a broad range of health aspects, across men and women with IA treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). Methods Adult outpatients with IA (rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis,...

Objective There is a lack of real‐life studies on interleukin‐17 (IL‐17) inhibition in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We assessed real‐life 6‐ and 12‐month effectiveness (i.e., retention, remission, low disease activity [LDA], and response rates) of the IL‐17 inhibitor secukinumab in PsA patients overall and across 1) number of prior biologic/targeted...

Objectives To compare the 1-year, 2-year and 5-year incidences of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) starting any of the biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) currently available in clinical practice and to anchor these results with a general population comparator. Methods Observational coho...

Objectives Many axial spondylarthritis (axSpA) patients receive a conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (csDMARD) in combination with a tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi). However, the value of this co-therapy remains unclear. The objectives were to describe the characteristics of axSpA patients initiating a first TNFi a...

Objective To describe baseline characteristics and to compare treatment effectiveness of secukinumab versus tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) using adalimumab as the main comparator. Methods This was an observational, prospective cohort study. Patients with SpA (clinical ankylosing spondylitis, nonrad...

Objectives To investigate whether patient-reported outcomes vary across countries and are influenced by cultural/contextual factors. Specifically, we aimed to assess inter-country differences in tender joint count (TJC), pain and patient’s global health assessment (PGA), and their impact on disease activity (DAS28-CRP) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

Objectives: In axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), switching between multiple biologic or targeted synthetic (b/ts-) DMARDs might indicate difficult-to-treat disease. We aimed to explore the occurrence of multiple switching in routine care axSpA patients using various definitions, and to identify associated clinical characteristics upon start of firs...

Objectives: To investigate time trends in baseline characteristics and retention, remission and response rates in bio-naïve axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients initiating tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) treatment. Methods: Prospectively collected data on bio-naïve axSpA and PsA patients from routine car...

Objectives: To investigate time trends in baseline characteristics and retention, remission and response rates in bio-naïve axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients initiating tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) treatment. Methods: Prospectively collected data on bio-naïve axSpA and PsA patients from routine care i...

Importance Proactive therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), consisting of individualized treatment based on scheduled assessments of serum drug levels, has been proposed as an alternative to standard therapy to optimize efficacy and safety of infliximab and other biologic drugs. However, it remains unclear whether proactive TDM improves clinical outcom...

Objectives To explore the association of maternal rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to pregnancy outcomes, especially preterm birth (PTB) and small for gestational age (SGA), in relation to disease activity and anti-rheumatic treatment before and during pregnancy. Methods By linking prospective clinical rheumatology registers (CRR) in Sweden (SRQ) and Den...

Background Comedication with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) during treatment with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) is extensively used in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), although the additive benefit remains unclear. We aimed to compare treatment outcomes in patients with PsA treated with TNFi and csDMARD...

Background Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is associated with increased cardiovascular co-morbidity including acute coronary syndrome (ACS), partly due to effects of systemic inflammation. Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) may reduce RA disease activity, but act through several pathways and may themselves have an impact on cardiovascular ri...

Background Knowledge of changes over time in baseline characteristics and tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) response in bio-naïve axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients treated in routine care is limited. Objectives To investigate secular trends in baseline characteristics and retention, remission and response rates in axSpA patients initia...

Background Women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes, especially preterm birth (PTB) and small for gestational age (SGA). However, the link between RA disease activity, type and timing of anti-rheumatic treatment, and the risk of these outcomes remains unclear. Objectives To explore the associations...

Background In clinical practice, some patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) fail several consecutive biological treatments (bDMARDs). How this group of ”refractory” patients should best be defined, how common they are, and what their characteristics are, is poorly understood. Objectives To explore the point prevalence of bDMARD refractory...

Background Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is an established extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Few studies have investigated the prevalence of ILD in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Methotrexate (MTX) is frequently used in the treatment of both RA and PsA and has been suggested to be a risk factor for the developm...

Background Knowledge of changes over time in baseline characteristics and tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) response in bionaïve psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients treated in routine care is limited. Objectives To investigate secular trends in baseline characteristics and retention, remission and response rates in PsA patients initiating a fi...

Importance Proactive therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), defined as individualized drug dosing based on scheduled monitoring of serum drug levels, has been proposed as an alternative to standard therapy to maximize efficacy and safety of infliximab and other biological drugs. However, whether proactive TDM improves clinical outcomes when implemented...

Objectives: To compare treatment retention and response to secukinumab vs adalimumab, including the other four TNF inhibitors (TNFi) as comparators, in PsA. Methods: All patients with PsA starting secukinumab or a TNFi in 2015-2018 were identified in the biologic registers of the Nordic countries. Data on comorbidities were linked from national...

Objectives To define fatigue trajectories in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who initiate biological DMARD (bDMARD) treatment, and explore baseline predictors for a trajectory of continued fatigue. Methods One-hundred and eighty-four patients with RA initiating bDMARDs were assessed at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months. Swollen and tender joint...

Objective The associations between fatigue and disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have not been defined. The present objectives were to explore in RA patients the cross-sectional and longitudinal relation of fatigue with subjective as well as objective assessments of disease activity. Methods RA patients were consecutively...

Objectives: To explore 6-month and 12-month secukinumab effectiveness in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) overall, as well as across (1) number of previous biologic/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs), (2) time since diagnosis and (3) different European registries. Methods: Real-life data from 13 Eu...

Introduction: Sleep disturbances, fatigue, and anxiety/depression in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) may be influenced by skin and musculoskeletal manifestations. All of these in turn affect the psychosocial impact of disease. The objective was to explore the occurrence of sleep disturbances, fatigue, and anxiety/depression in psoriatic arthritis (PsA)...

Objective To examine the prevalence of self-reported problems with sexual activity among psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients, and to explore potential associations of such problems with various demographic, musculoskeletal, and dermatological disease variables. Method Consecutive PsA patients were recruited from an outpatient clinic. Data collected...

Background Fatigue is common among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and has major impact on the burden of disease. There is little knowledge regarding the factors predicting the longitudinal development of chronic fatigue. Objectives To identify baseline predictors for the development of chronic fatigue in patients with RA who initiate biol...

Background Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients have been reported to suffer from increased sleep disturbances (1) and fatigue (2). Sleep disturbances and fatigue in PsA may not only be influenced by skin and musculoskeletal manifestations, but also by psychosocial consequences of the disease and the patients’ mental status (3). Objectives To explor...

Background There is a lack of real-life evidence on secukinumab effectiveness in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients. Objectives To assess the real-life 6- and 12-month secukinumab retention rates and proportions of patients in remission/low disease activity (LDA) overall, and by prior biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (bDMARD)/targete...

Background Axial spondylarthritis (axSpA) patients treated with a tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) may receive a concomitant conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (csDMARD), although the value of combination therapy remains unclear. Objectives Describe the proportion and phenotype of patients with axSpA initiating the...

Background Pain catastrophizing (the tendency to describe a pain experience in more exaggerated terms than the average person, to ruminate on it more, or to feel more helpless about it), has been associated with reduced likelihood of achieving remission in rheumatoid arthritis patients (1). Cultural and societal differences between countries may ha...

Background To determine the real-life 6- and 12-month secukinumab effectiveness in Europe overall, as well as stratified by prior biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (bDMARD)/targeted synthetic (ts)DMARD use. Objectives Real-life data from axSpA patients treated with secukinumab from 13 countries in the European Spondyloarthritis (EuroS...

Background Previous studies have suggested similar effectiveness, but longer treatment retention, for tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), when used in combination with a conventional synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (csDMARD) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Objectives To describe patients with PsA initiating a first TNFi as monot...

Background Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) have been available for more than a decade for treatment of spondyloarthrtitis (SpA). Secukinumab (SEC) represents a new mode of action, but few studies have compared outcomes in patients(pts) treated with SEC vs TNFi – and the optimal treatment strategy in routine care remains to be established. C...

Background A head-to-head trial (EXCEED) has indicated similar effectiveness of secukinumab (SEC) and the tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) adalimumab (ADA) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). In the clinical setting, treatment retention serves as a combined measure of overall effectiveness and tolerability. Objectives To explore baseline patient c...

Background Disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients is measured through composite scores which are considered treatment targets and thus facilitate clinical decision making. Scores often combine a mix of objective and subjective measures, and, although the latter (e.g. pain, patient’s global, 28 tender joint count (TJC)) may be impact...

Background In psoriatic arthritis (PsA) both skin and musculoskeletal involvement can contribute to reduce health related quality of life (HRQoL) (1). Although itch is considered an important symptom in psoriasis, less is known about its extent and potential impact on HRQoL in PsA. Objectives The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of it...

Background In psoriatic arthritis (PsA), both psoriasis and musculoskeletal manifestations may impair Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). Our objective was to explore the impact of the various disease manifestations and disease consequences, including psychosocial factors, on HRQoL in PsA patients treated in the biologic treatment era. Methods...

Objectives: To assess the impact of 'patient's minus evaluator's global assessment of disease activity' (ΔPEG) at treatment initiation on retention and remission rates of TNF inhibitors (TNFi) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients across Europe. Methods: Real-life data from PsA and axSpA patients starting thei...

Objective The tender joint count (TJC) is included in composite disease activity scores (CDAS) (the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints, the Clinical Disease Activity Index, and the Simplified Disease Activity Index). The impact of having predominantly tender joints was explored by use of the Tender‐Swollen Joint Count Difference (TSJD), and ultras...

Objectives: Joint swelling and tenderness are considered a proxy for inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). With ultrasound-detected inflammation as reference, our objectives were to explore on patient and joint level the associations between ultrasound synovitis and joint swelling, tenderness and patient-reported joint pain (PRJ...

Objective: To compare (1) golimumab drug survival and efficacy in bDMARD naïve compared with non-naïve rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) patients, (2) golimumab drug survival in RA and PsA patients treated with/without concomitant csDMARDs, (3) predictors of golimumab drug discontinuation. M...

Background Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) are efficacious in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), but some patients switch to a different TNFi because of adverse effects (AE) or lack of effect (LOE). The EuroSpA Collaboration has previously demonstrated a 1-year retention rate of 79% and 6 months LUNDEX adjusted BASDAI<4 of 59%¹...

Background There is a lack of data on exposure, treatment outcomes and retention rates of secukinumab in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treated in routine care. Objectives Primary objective: To assess the proportion of PsA patients in remission after 6 months of secukinumab treatment across Europe. Secondary objectives: To compare baselin...

Background There is a lack of real-life data on secukinumab exposure, treatment outcomes and retention rates in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients. Objectives Primary objective: To assess the proportion of axSpA patients in BASDAI low disease activity (<4) and ASDAS inactive disease (<1.3) after 6 months of secukinumab treatment across Europ...

Background Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a heterogeneous disease involving multiple domains including the musculoskeletal system and the skin. The disease may have a significant impact on various aspects of quality of life including sexuality. Objectives To explore the prevalence of self-reported problems with sexual activity in patients with PsA,...