Faculty Bibliography

Objective: To analyze discordance between global estimates by patients (PATGL) and their physicians (DOCGL) according to demographic and self-report variables on a multidimensional health assessment questionnaire (MDHAQ), in patients with many rheumatic diseases seen in usual care. Methods: Each patient completes an MDHAQ at each visit, which includes scores for physical function, pain and PATGL, each found on the HAQ, and scores for sleep quality, anxiety, depression, self-report joint count and fatigue, which are not found on the HAQ. A random visit of 980 patients with any rheumatic diagnosis was analyzed in 3 categories: PATGL=DOCGL (within 2/10 units); PATGL>DOCGL (by >/=2/10 units); DOCGL>PATGL (by >/=2/10 units), using descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression models. Results: Patients included 145 with rheumatoid arthritis, 57 systemic lupus erythematosus, 173 osteoarthritis, 348 other inflammatory, and 257 other non-inflammatory diseases. Overall, PATGL=DOCGL in 509 (52%), PATGL>DOCGL in 371 (38%) and DOCGL>PATGL in 100 (10%). PATGL>DOCGL was associated significantly with older age, female gender, low formal education, Hispanic ethnicity, not working, high MDHAQ physical function and pain, and high scores for fatigue, poor sleep, anxiety, depression, and self-report joint count, not available on the HAQ. Pain and fatigue were significant in a final multinomial logistic regression; the other variables may raise awareness of discordance to clinicians. Conclusions: Global estimates of patients indicated significantly poorer status than estimates of their physicians in 38% of 980 patients with rheumatic conditions, and were associated with demographic and MDHAQ scores, 5 of which are not available on the HAQ. (c) 2013 American College of Rheumatology.

BACKGROUND: Age, gender and genetic predisposition are major intrinsic risk factors for osteoarthritis (OA). Iron increases are associated with age and gene mutation. In the present study, we examined whether serum ferritin, an indicator of total body iron stores, correlates with clinical features in patients with OA, and whether the hemochromatosis Fe (HFE) gene mutation plays a role. METHODS: In a 2-year longitudinal observational study, 127 patients with knee OA and 20 healthy individuals (controls) were enrolled. All patients underwent standardized weight-bearing fixed-flexion posteroanterior knee radiographs. Peripheral blood samples were analyzed for serum ferritin, and genotyped for HFE using allelic discrimination methods. RESULTS: Higher levels of serum ferritin were found in patients older than 56 years (P =0.0186) and males (P =0.0006), with a trend toward higher ferritin in patients with OA. HFE gene mutation carriers were more prevalent among patients with OA than among healthy controls. When stratified further by gender, we found that male patients with OA had higher levels of serum ferritin than male control subjects [odds ratio = 4.18 (limits of 95% confidence interval: 0.86-27.69, P = 0.048)]. Analyses of radiographic data indicated that higher ferritin was associated with narrower joint space width at baseline (P = 0.032) in male patients. Additionally, among men, risk prediction of radiographic severity [Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade >2)] in the higher ferritin group was almost five times that of the lower ferritin group (odds ratio = 4.74, P = 0.023). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that increased ferritin levels are associated with symptomatic knee OA in males. This finding needs to be validated in a larger cohort of patients.

Objective. To examine the effect of rilonacept on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with poorly controlled familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Methods. As part of a randomized, double-blinded trial comparing rilonacept and placebo for the treatment of FMF, patients/parents completed the modified Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) at baseline, and at the start and end of each of 4 treatment courses, 2 each with rilonacept and placebo. Results. Fourteen subjects were randomized; mean age was 24.4 +/- 11.8 years. At baseline the physical HRQoL score was significantly less (24.2 +/- 49.5) but the psychosocial score was similar to the population norm (49.5 +/- 10.0). There were significant improvements in most HRQoL concepts after rilonacept but not placebo. Significant differences between rilonacept and placebo were found in the physical (33.7 +/- 16.4 versus 23.7 +/- 14.5, P = 0.021) but not psychosocial scores (51.4 +/- 10.3 versus 49.8 +/- 12.4, P = 0.42). The physical HRQoL was significantly impacted by the treatment effect and patient global assessment. Conclusion. Treatment with rilonacept had a beneficial effect on the physical HRQoL in patients with poorly controlled FMF and was also significantly related to the patient global assessment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00582907.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound has emerged as a key tool for the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of patients with RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and other rheumatic diseases. The most important sonographic findings in RA include erosions, effusions, synovitis, and tenosynovitis. Investigators have suggested various "optimal" numbers of joints to scan in RA to assess disease activity, gauge treatment response, provide prognostic information, and guide management decisions. The complexity of pediatric sonoanatomy has delayed its validation in juvenile idiopathic arthritis, yet ultrasound reliably measures the extent of synovitis/tenosynovitis and guides precise injections.

Background Estimates of global status by doctors (DOCGL) and patients (PATGL) are discordant in about 30-40% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).1,2 This discordance has been analyzed to date only in RA patients. Objectives To analyze levels of discordance between DOCGL and PATGL in all patients with any diagnosis seen in usual clinical care at a rheumatology setting. Methods Each patient seen at an academic rheumatology clinical setting since 2005 completes a self-report MDHAQ (multidimensional health assessment questionnaire) at each visit, with scales for physical function, pain, PATGL, fatigue, anxiety, depression and quality of sleep, and demographic data. DOCGL was completed by 2 rheumatologists. One random visit of patients seen between 2005 and 2011 was analyzed, patients were classified as PATGL=DOCGL (PATGL and DOCGL within 2 of 10 units), PATGL>DOCGL (PATGL >2 units than DOCGL), and DOCGL>PATGL (DOCGL >2 units than PATGL). Univariate odds ratios were computed to identify variables associated with discordance. Significant variables (p<0.05) were included in multivariate models, with selected variables when indicated. Results In a total of 980 patients studied, 509 (52%) had PATGL=DOCGL, 371 (38%) PATGL>DOCGL, and 100 (10%) DOCGL>PATGL. Patients with PATGL>DOCGL were more likely to be female, have less formal education and have higher MDHAQ scores (Table). In multivariate analysis, higher pain and fatigue scores were independent predictors of PATGL>DOCGL. If MDHAQ scores for pain and fatigue were not included in a second model, female gender, lower education and higher scores for depression and sleep problems were independent predictors of PATGL>DOCGL. In patients with DOCGL>PATGL, only lower fatigue was associated in multivariate analysis with lower odds of discordance (OR=0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98). Conclusions 38% of patients estimated their statusas worse than their physicians. These patients were more likely to score higher for pain and fatigue, be female and less educated tha!