Rheumatoid Arthritis: Braun-Moscovici Y

Balbir-Gurman A, Yigla M, Nahir AM, Braun-Moscovici Y. · B. Shine Department of Rheumatology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel. · Semin Arthritis Rheum. · Pubmed #16765714 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical and laboratory features of rheumatoid pleural effusion (RPE) and the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to this condition. METHODS: The review is based on a MEDLINE (PubMed) search of the English literature from 1964 to 2005, using the keywords "rheumatoid arthritis" (RA), "pulmonary complication", "pleural effusion", and "empyema". RESULTS: Pleural effusion is common in middle-aged men with RA and positive rheumatoid factor (RF). It has features of an exudate and a high RF titer. Underlying lung pathology is common. Generally RPE is small and resolves spontaneously but symptomatic RPE may require thoracocentesis. Rarely, RPE has features of a sterile empyematous exudate with high lipids and lactate dehydrogenase, and very low glucose and pH levels. This type of effusion eventually leads to fibrothorax and lung restriction. Superimposed infective empyema often complicates RPE. Oral, parenteral, and intrapleural corticosteroids, pleurodesis and decortication, have been used for the treatment of sterile RPE. Infected empyema is treated with drainage and antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: RPE may evolve into a sterile empyematous exudate with the development of fibrothorax. Symptomatic effusions or suspicion of other causes of exudate (infection, malignancy) require thoracocentesis. The "rheumatoid" nature of the pleural exudate in patients without arthritis mandates a pleural biopsy to exclude tuberculosis or malignancy. The optimal therapy of RPE has yet to be established. The role of cytokines in the course of RPE and the possible usefulness of cytokine blockade in the treatment of this RA complication require further evaluation.

Braun-Moscovici Y, Furst DE. · UCLA Medical School, Rheumatology Division, Los Angeles, California 98101, USA. · Curr Opin Rheumatol. · Pubmed #12707576 No free full text.

Abstract: There is no simple answer to the question: intravenous immunoglobulin-take it or leave it? A thorough review of the current data on mechanisms of action, efficacy, and safety of intravenous immunoglobulins in rheumatic diseases demonstrates that the answer depends on the disease and the patients involved.

Braun-Moscovici Y, Furst DE. · UCLA Medical School, Rheumatology Division, Los Angeles, California 98101, USA. · Curr Opin Rheumatol. · Pubmed #12707571 No free full text.

Abstract: As is often the case, one cannot give a simple answer to the question: plasmapheresis-take it or leave it? A thorough review of the current data on the possible mechanisms of action, the efficacy, and the safety of plasmapheresis in rheumatic diseases demonstrates that the answer depends on the disease and the patients involved.

Rozin A, Schapira D, Braun-Moscovici Y, Nahir AM. · B. Shine Department of Rheumatology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel. · Semin Arthritis Rheum. · Pubmed #11590583 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: To review the literature on the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties of cotrimoxazole (CTX)-a combination of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, to summarize the use of this medication in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, to stimulate and renew the interest of both physicians and researchers in this possible therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to inspire further investigation in this field. METHODS: A MEDLINE search of the literature from 1966 until 2000 was performed, and information about the pharmacology of CTX and its use in the therapy of rheumatic diseases was critically reviewed. RESULTS: RA treatment is associated with numerous problems such as lack of efficacy, frequent side effects, and high cost. Analysis of the relevant literature revealed that experience with CTX in the treatment of RA is limited. However, the results of several nonrandomized and evidently forgotten clinical trials and laboratory investigations suggested that CTX might serve as an effective and inexpensive therapy for RA. Several lines of evidence suggested that CTX has nonspecific anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Although nausea and vomiting were common reasons for CTX withdrawal, they were noted in only some studies, and no major organ toxicity was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Because of its therapeutic qualities, low cost, and relative nontoxicity, CTX seems to warrant a role in the treatment of RA.

Braun-Moscovici Y, Markovits D, Rozin A, Toledano K, Nahir AM, Balbir-Gurman A. · B Shine Department of Rheumatology, Rambam Medical Health Care Campus, Technion, Haifa, Israel. · Isr Med Assoc J. · Pubmed #18548981 links to  free full text

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Infliximab and etanercept have been included in the Israeli national list of health services since 2002 for rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and since 2005 for psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. The regulator (Ministry of Health and health funds) mandates using fixed doses of infliximab as the first drug of choice and prohibits increased dosage. For other indications (e.g., vasculitis), anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy is given on a "compassionate" basis in severe refractory disease. OBJECTIVES: To describe our experience with anti-TNF therapy in a single tertiary referral center in northern Israel and to analyze the impact of the national health policy on the results. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients who received anti-TNF therapy in our institution, and analyzed demographic data, diagnosis, clinical and laboratory features, previous and current therapies, and anti-TNF treatment duration and side effects. RESULTS: Between 2001 and 2006, 200 patients received anti-TNF therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (n = 108), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (n = 11), psoriatic arthritis (n = 37), ankylosing spondylitis (n = 29), adult Still's disease (n = 4), overlap disease (RA and scleroderma or polymyositis, n = 6), temporal arteritis (n = 1), polyarteritis nodosa (n = 1), dermatomyositis (n = 1), amyloidosis secondary to RA (n = 1) and Wegener's granulomatosis (n = 1). Forty percent of RA patients discontinued the first anti-TNF agent due to side effects or insufficient response. Higher sedimentation rate and lower or negative rheumatoid factor predicted better response to therapy among RA patients. AS and PS patients had a better safety and efficacy profile. Severe infections occurred in 2% of patients. All eight patients who presented lung involvement as part of their primary rheumatic disease remained stable or improved. A significant improvement was achieved in all six patients with overlap disease. CONCLUSION: Our daily practice data are generally in agreement with worldwide experience. The 'deviations' might be explained by the local health policy at that time. The impact of health policy and economic and administrative constraints should be taken into account when analyzing cohort daily practice data.

Oren S, Mandelboim M, Braun-Moscovici Y, Paran D, Ablin J, Litinsky I, Comaneshter D, Levartovsky D, Mendelson E, Azar R, Wigler I, Balbir-Gurman A, Caspi D, Elkayam O. · Department of Rheumatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 64239, Israel. · Ann Rheum Dis. · Pubmed #17981914 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of rituximab on the efficacy and safety of influenza virus vaccine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: The study group comprised patients with RA treated with conventional disease-modifying drugs with or without rituximab. Split-virion inactivated vaccine containing 15 microg haemagglutinin/dose of B/Shanghai/361/02 (SHAN), A/New Caledonian/20/99 (NC) (H1N1) and A/California/7/04 (CAL) (H3N2) was used. Disease activity was assessed by the number of tender and swollen joints, duration of morning stiffness and evaluation of pain on the day of vaccination and 4 weeks later. CD19-positive cell levels were assessed in rituximab-treated patients. Haemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibodies were tested and response was defined as a greater than fourfold rise 4 weeks after vaccination or seroconversion in patients with a non-protective baseline level of antibodies (<1/40). Geometric mean titres (GMT) were calculated in all subjects. RESULTS: The participants were divided into three groups: RA (n = 29, aged 64 (12) years), rituximab-treated RA (n = 14, aged 53 (15) years) and healthy controls (n = 21, aged 58 (15) years). All baseline protective levels of HI antibodies and GMT were similar. Four weeks after vaccination, there was a significant increase in GMT for NC and CAL antigens in all subjects, but not for the SHAN antigen in the rituximab group. In rituximab-treated patients, the percentage of responders was low for all three antigens tested, achieving statistical significance for the CAL antigen. Measures of disease activity remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: Influenza virus vaccine generated a humoral response in all study patients with RA and controls. Although the response was significantly lower among rituximab-treated patients, treatment with rituximab does not preclude administration of vaccination against influenza.

Figueroa F, Braun-Moscovici Y, Khanna D, Voon E, Gallardo L, Luinstra D, Pina X, Henstorf G, Laurence S, Neiman R, Furst D. · Department of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago de Chile, Chile. · J Rheumatol. · Pubmed #17216678 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To examine whether self-assessment of tender and swollen joints by patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be used to evaluate changes in disease activity instead of joint counts by physicians. METHODS: Eighty-two patients with RA taking part in controlled studies were recruited for investigation. The patient's self-assessment of joint tenderness and swelling was completed both before and 30 minutes after examination by a physician. Examinations of tender and swollen joints by a rheumatologist were performed at baseline and 3 months later. The correlations and verification of agreement of these clinical assessments were analyzed. RESULTS: Within-patient and patient-physician correlations for joint tenderness counts were high (r = 0.96 and 0.78, respectively). Patient-physician correlation for joint swelling counts was still significant, although much lower (r = 0.34). Patients' and physicians' estimations of the change in disease activity over 3 months did not differ (p > 0.76 for all comparisons). CONCLUSION: Joint tenderness counts were consistent when comparing intra-patient and patient-physician assessments, while joint swelling counts were poorly correlated. Patient and physician assessments of change over 3 months were parallel and similar for joint tenderness count. Self-administered tender joint counts might be a useful tool to evaluate the response to therapy in RA.

Braun-Moscovici Y, Markovits D, Zinder O, Schapira D, Rozin A, Ehrenburg M, Dain L, Hoffer E, Nahir AM, Balbir-Gurman A. · B. Shine Department of Rheumatology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel. · J Rheumatol. · Pubmed #16511906 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE:. The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has changed dramatically with the introduction of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents. Unfortunately, a subset of patients have partial or no response. No measurements were found to predict the efficacy of this therapy. Anti-cyclic citrullinated protein antibodies (anti-CCP) are highly specific and sensitive for RA, and their titer correlates with erosive disease. We investigated the correlation between the efficacy of infliximab therapy and the titer of anti-CCP. METHODS: Thirty consecutive seropositive patients with RA were treated with infusion of 3 mg/kg infliximab on Weeks 0, 2, 6, and 14. Clinical assessment and blood withdrawal were done before each treatment, i.e., at the minimal concentration of the drug. Disease activity was assessed by DAS28 score and by interleukin 6 (IL-6) level. Anti-CCP titer was measured by a commercial ELISA at Week 0 and Week 14. RESULTS: At baseline, 24 patients were positive for anti-CCP antibodies. In most patients there was a significant correlation between clinical response to therapy and anti-CCP titer. The results were especially noteworthy in those patients who showed a sustained and significant decrease in IL-6 levels through the entire period. CONCLUSION: Anti-CCP titer and IL-6 levels might be early predictors of the efficacy of anti-TNF therapy in patients with RA.

Balbir-Gurman A, Guralnik L, Best LA, Vlodavsky E, Yigla M, Menahem Nahir A, Braun-Moscovici Y. · B. Shine Department of Rheumatology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel. · J Clin Rheumatol. · Pubmed #18679135 No free full text.

Abstract: Pulmonary nodulosis and sterile pleural exudates are well-known extra-articular manifestations in rheumatoid arthritis patients with a positive rheumatoid factor. In some patients, treatment with methotrexate has been postulated as the trigger of these complications. We report a patient with psoriatic arthropathy, negative RF, negative anticyclic citrulinated peptide antibodies but positive antibodies to cardiolipin who developed massive sterile pleural empyema and multiple cavitary pulmonary nodules during methotrexate treatment. We suggest that awareness of methotrexate-induced lung and pleural complications should be extended to other than rheumatoid arthritis diseases, not necessarily accompanied by rheumatoid factor or anticyclic citrulinated peptide antibodies.

Dain L, Braun-Moscovici Y, Baum E, Nahir AM, Hoffer E. · B. Shine Department of Rheumatology, Israel. · Clin Exp Rheumatol. · Pubmed #16539817 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the release of superoxide anions from neutrophils of healthy donors was affected when incubated with plasma from infliximab-treated rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. METHODS: Fifteen consecutive seropositive RA patients were treated with 3mg/kg infliximab on weeks 0, 2, 6, and 14. Disease activity was assessed by DAS28 score and by IL-6 level. Neutrophils from healthy donors were incubated with plasma drawn before each infliximab treatment. PMA-stimulated superoxide release was measured by the ferricytochrome C reduction method. RESULTS: 53% of the patients had a favorable clinical response. IL-6 levels showed a significant decline at week two, with a gradual increase thereafter. Treatment with infliximab did not change the superoxide production. However, when the group was divided retrospectively to responders (DeltaDAS28 > -1.2) and non-responders (DeltaDAS28 < -1.2), two different patterns were seen, although the pre-treatment levels were similar: Among the responders IL-6 remained low at its 2 weeks level till week 14, while in the non responders IL-6 increased 3 times (P < 0.03) from week 2 to 14. The responders showed mild, but continuous, reduction of superoxide release, while in the non-responders it increased significantly from week 2 on. CONCLUSION: The reduction in IL-6 in RA sera following anti-TNFalpha therapy has little influence on the capacity of these sera to stimulate healthy neutrophils to produce superoxide, suggesting the existence of non-TNFalpha non-IL-6 dependent neutrophil-stimulating mediators in RA sera. The increasing level of IL-6 among the non-responders after initial dramatic decline might represent an escape phenomenon, possibly caused by alternative mediator(s). Clinically, this IL-6 "escape" might be used as a tool for early identification of responders from non-responders.

Rozin AP, Braun-Moscovici Y, Balbir-Gurman A. · No affiliation provided · Ann Pharmacother. · Pubmed #19033477 No free full text.

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Rozin A, Schapira D, Balbir-Gurman A, Braun-Moscovici Y, Markovits D, Militianu D, Nahir MA. · No affiliation provided · Ann Rheum Dis. · Pubmed #12117691 links to  free full text

This publication has no abstract.