IntroductionThe aim was to study the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and the clinical characteristics of patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (CIRD).MethodsWe studied a cross-section from the baseline visit of the CARMA project (CARdiovascular in rheuMAtology), a 10-year prospective study evaluating the risk of cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients, and non-CIRD patients who attended rheumatology outpatient clinics from 67 hospitals in Spain. Non-CIRD group was frequency matched by age with the joint distribution of the three CIRD groups included in the study. 25(OH)D deficiency was defined if 25(OH)D vitamin levels were < 20 ng/ml.Results2.234 patients (775 RA, 738 AS and 721 PsA) and 677 non-CIRD subjects were assessed. The median (p25-p75) 25(OH)D levels were: 20.4 (14.4-29.2) ng/ml in RA, 20.9 (13.1-29.0) in AS, 20.0 (14.0-28.8) in PsA, and 24.8 (18.4-32.6) ng/ml in non-CIRD patients. We detected 25(OH)D deficiency in 40.5 % RA, 39.7 % AS, 40.9 % PsA and 26.7 % non-CIRD controls (p < 0.001). A statistically significant positive association between RA and 25(OH)D deficiency was found (adjusted (adj.) OR = 1.46; 95 % CI = 1.09-1.96); p = 0.012. This positive association did not reach statistical significance for AS (adj. OR 1.23; 95 % CI = 0.85-1.80) and PsA (adj. OR 1.32; 95 % CI = 0.94-1.84). When the parameters of disease activity, severity or functional impairment were assessed, a marginally significant association between 25(OH)D deficiency and ACPA positivity in RA patients (adj. OR = 1.45; 95 % CI = 0.99-2.12; p = 0.056), and between 25(OH)D deficiency and BASFI in AS patients (adj. OR = 1.08; 95 % CI = 0.99-1.17); p = 0.07) was also found.ConclusionsPatients with RA show an increased risk of having 25(OH)D deficiency compared to non-CIRD controls.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13075-015-0704-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Development of liver cirrhosis in HIV-infected individuals in the HAART era is mainly associated with active HCV coinfection. The risk of developing cirrhosis is negligible in patients who cleared HCV with therapy, as well as in HIV-HBV-coinfected patients on long-term suppressive tenofovir disoproxil fumarate therapy.

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ObjectiveTo 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 spondylitis (AS) versus non-radiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA) patients.MethodsFifteen European registries contributed PRO scores for pain, fatigue, patient global, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) from 19,498 axSpA patients. Changes in PROs and PRO "remission" rates (definitions: ≤20 mm for pain, fatigue, patient global, BASDAI and BASFI; ≤0.5 for HAQ) were calculated at 6, 12 and 24 months of treatment.ResultsHeterogeneity in baseline characteristics and outcomes between registries were observed. In pooled data, six months after start of a 1st TNFi, pain score was reduced by approximately 60% (median at baseline/6/12/24 months: 65/25/20/20 mm) in patients on treatment. Similar patterns were observed for fatigue (68/32/30/25), patient global (66/29/21/20), BASDAI (58/26/21/19), BASFI (46/20/16/16) and HAQ (0.8/0.4/0.2/0.2). Patients with AS, n=3281 had a slightly better response than nr-axSpA patients, n=993. LUNDEX-adjusted "remission" rates at 6 months for pain/fatigue/patient global/BASDAI/BASFI/HAQ were 39%/30%/38%/34%/35%/48% for the AS cohort and 30%/21%/26%/24%/33%/47% for the non-radiographic axSpA cohort. Better PRO responses were seen with a 1st TNFi compared to 2nd and 3rd TNFi.ConclusionAxSpA patients starting a TNFi achieved high PRO "remission" rates, most pronounced in those fulfilling the modified New York criteria and for the first TNFi.