The studies focus on the tapering of treatment in patients whose disease is well controlled, real-world outcomes for targeted therapies, assessing the effects of biologic treatments on immune cells from patients with RA, and the underlying mechanisms of arthritis triggered by immune checkpoint therapies used to treat cancer.

What follows are some highlights from the meeting:

Effectiveness of Upadacitinib in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Analysis of 6-Month Real-World Data from the United Rheumatology Normalized Integrated Community Evidence (UR-NICETM) Database

Upadacitinib, an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, was approved for the treatment of RA in 2019 after clinical trials suggested that it reduced symptoms and had acceptable side effects. But since that time, few real-world data have been reported on how patients respond to upadacitinib outside of clinical trials. This six-month study looked at outcomes for 140 patients receiving upadacitinib alone and 223 receiving upadacitinib plus conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). The investigators, led by HSS rheumatologist Allan Gibofsky MD, JD, MACR, FACP, FCLM, found that overall 46% of patients receiving upadacitinib achieved low disease activity and 14% achieved remission, with better results for patients in the combination therapy group than those who got upadacitinib alone. The effectiveness of upadacitinib was not impacted by prior therapy with a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor or tofacitinib. This study supported the use of upadacitinib in clinical practice, including in patients with prior exposure to advanced therapy.

Authors: Allan Gibofsky, MD, JD, MACR, FACP, FCLM (HSS), Mark E. Pearson, MD (West Suburban Center for Arthritis), Andrew Concoff, MD (United Rheumatology), Anna Shmagel, MD, Patrick Zueger, PhD, Yanna Song, MS, Lauren D. Smith, MD (AbbVie Inc.), Grace C. Wright, MD, PhD (Grace C. Wright MD PC, Association of Women in Rheumatology).

Can Patients with Controlled RA Receiving Any Class of Targeted Therapy with Methotrexate (MTX) Sustain Disease Control after Tapering MTX? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis 

People with RA frequently wish to taper the use of methotrexate therapy due to its side effects, but there are questions about the best way to do that. Guidelines that recommend tapering methotrexate before tapering biologic DMARDs are not based on direct evidence. In this study, a team of HSS investigators led by rheumatologist Charis F. Meng, MD, and Director of the Inflammatory Arthritis Center Vivian P. Bykerk, MD, FRCPC, conducted a literature search to look at whether patients who are taking the combination of methotrexate and targeted therapy (biologic therapies and JAK-inhibitors) can taper methotrexate and still be in remission from their RA, while continuing their targeted therapies. They identified 10 studies that met their inclusion criteria. These studies included a number of different targeted therapies. Based on their analysis, the team concluded that patients with controlled RA have a high probability of maintaining disease control for at least 18 months after tapering their methotrexate and continuing targeted therapies. They noted that this review may inform patients who are experiencing controlled disease while taking methotrexate in combination with any of a range of targeted therapies and who are struggling with methotrexate-related side effects. However, they concluded longer follow-up studies are needed to confirm the disease will not worsen over time and that patients should be told about this possibility.

Authors: Charis F. Meng, MD, Diviya Rajesh, Deanna Jannat-Khah, DrPH, Omar Bruce, MPH, Bridget Jivanelli, MLIS, Vivian P. Bykerk, BSc, MD, FRCPC (HSS).

Differential Pharmacodynamic Alterations After Treatment with Abatacept or Adalimumab in MTX-Inadequate Responder Patients with Early RA: Whole Blood RNA-Seq Analysis of the Early AMPLE Study

A number of novel agents for RA are now available for treatment, but tools to predict which patients are likely to respond to specific drugs are lacking. To ensure that patients are matched with the best treatment, more research is needed to determine the molecular signatures of these drugs and their mechanisms of action. In this study, part of a Phase 4 trial called Early AMPLE, investigators including HSS Physician-in-Chief and Chair of the Department of Medicine S. Louis Bridges, Jr., MD, PhD, and Director of the Inflammatory Arthritis Center Vivian P. Bykerk, MD, FRCPC, looked at pharmacodynamic changes in patients in response to treatment with either abatacept or adalimumab. The aim was to identify and differentiate the impact of each drug on modulation of immune cells at the molecular level. The investigators performed pharmacodynamic and other analyses for 14,540 protein-coding genes in 664 RNA- Seq samples, with materials collected from 79 patients with RA who were predicted to respond better to abatacept. They found that after treatment, twice as many genes and pathways were significantly altered in the adalimumab arm versus the abatacept arm and that abatacept treatment decreased immune cell cycle gene expression while adalimumab treatment increased expression of these genes. The differential gene expression was seen in genes known to correlate with RA disease activity. The investigators concluded that these findings may explain the greater clinical improvements seen with abatacept versus adalimumab. Because patients in the Early AMPLE study were predicted to respond differentially to abatacept, these findings may be relevant only to this subgroup of patients. These findings warrant further studies to investigate the potential positive correlation between RA-relevant effects and better therapeutic outcomes.

Authors: Chun Wu (Bristol Myers Squibb), Yicong Li (Parexel International), Neelanjana Ray, Michael A. Maldonado, Peter Schafer (Bristol Myers Squibb), S. Louis Bridges, Jr., MD, PhD (HSS), William Rigby (Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center), Vivian P. Bykerk, MD, FRCPC (HSS), Jane Buckner (Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason), Jinqi Liu (Bristol Myers Squibb).

The Probability of Sustaining Rheumatoid Arthritis Remission in Patients Tapering Targeted Therapy Used as Monotherapy: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis 

A second study led by HSS rheumatologist Charis F. Meng, MD, and Director of the Inflammatory Arthritis Center Vivian P. Bykerk, MD, FRCPC, also used a literature review to look at the effects of tapering drugs for RA in people whose disease is well controlled. This study focused on patients receiving either biologic DMARDs or JAK inhibitors being used alone. A search resulted in five studies that compared tapering of targeted monotherapy (TNF-i, tocilizumab, abatacept, or baricitinib) with continuing therapy or other tapering regimens. A meta-analysis including data from 800 patients found a trend for lower odds of disease remission with targeted therapies versus comparator treatment regimens, but these data were not conclusive. The investigators noted that the lack of trials designed to compare tapering targeted monotherapy to continuing it led to a significant gap in knowledge in an area of research that is increasingly relevant for patients. Their review suggests that stopping targeted monotherapy is unlikely to maintain disease control, but that more gradual tapering schemes, dose reduction, and early treatment of disease may be associated with more successful tapering. More studies are needed to better inform patients, and it is not recommended to stop targeted monotherapy in RA based on this analysis.

Authors: Charis F. Meng, MD, Diviya Rajesh, Deanna Jannat-Khah, DrPH, Omar Bruce, MPH, Bridget Jivanelli, MLIS, Vivian P. Bykerk, MD, FRCPC (HSS).

Less ACPA Epitope Expansion Is Found in ACPA-Positive Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Arthritis Patients Compared to ACPA-Positive Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have improved the treatment of many advanced cancers. However, they can lead to immune-related adverse events, including treatment-induced arthritis. This form of arthritis is similar to RA. About 9% of people with this condition test positive for the anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA). In RA, the increase in ACPA occurs over the years prior to onset of clinical disease. In this study, led by HSS rheumatologist Nilasha Ghosh, MD, MS, investigators examined the degree of ACPA epitope expansion in patients receiving ICI to determine whether treatment-induced arthritis is similar to early RA, or more suggestive of the pre-clinical phase of disease. The analysis employed clinical data and serum samples from 12 patients with ICI arthritis (ICI-A) as well as from 39 ACPA-positive RA patients. There were a number of differences between the patients in the two groups, including age and smoking history. The investigators reported that, overall, people with ICI-A had lower ACPA titers and targeted fewer ACPA epitopes than people with early RA, suggesting that ICI-A may represent an accelerated model of RA pathogenesis with ICI triggering an early transition from pre-clinical to clinical disease. They noted that sequential sampling and analysis are warranted to further determine how the pathogenesis of ICI-A relates to that of RA.

Authors: Diviya Rajesh, Nilasha Ghosh, MD, MS (HSS), Jessica Kirschmann (Stanford University), Karmela Kim Chan, MD, Deanna Jannat-Khah, Susan M. Goodman, MD, Vivian P. Bykerk, BSc, MD, FRCPC (HSS), William Robinson, MD, PhD (Stanford University), Anne R. Bass, MD (HSS).

“Patient satisfaction related to the hospital experience following surgery is an important aspect of patient care,” said Susan M. Goodman, MD, a rheumatologist at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and senior investigator. “The Press Ganey inpatient survey is commonly administered to patients to assess their satisfaction with the process of care. Our aim was to determine whether overall patient assessment scores differed by race or socioeconomic status.”

Dr. Goodman and a team of researchers reviewed the Press Ganey survey responses of more than 4,600 patients who had surgery at HSS from July 2010 to February 2012. Individuals having a primary knee or hip replacement who resided in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut were included in the study.

Researchers analyzed the data to establish an overall score, calculated as the mean of a patient’s ratings for three questions in the “Overall Assessment” section of the Press Ganey survey. The results were categorized as either “completely satisfied” (score of 100) or “not completely satisfied” (score <100).

The analysis, which included 2,516 individuals who underwent hip replacement and 2,113 who had a knee replacement, found that Black patients were more likely to indicate they were “not completely satisfied” compared to white patients in both joint replacement groups.

Dr. Goodman said that although Black patients indicated they were less satisfied with the process of care right after surgery, there was no difference in satisfaction with their joint replacement outcome. Factors such as pain and function are part of the outcome assessment, which is generally conducted two years after surgery.  

With respect to socioeconomic status, researchers considered the patient’s primary health insurance coverage. The study found that the individual’s primary payor was not associated with satisfaction in either joint replacement group.

“The study is important because we know that Black patients generally wait longer to seek treatment, presenting with worse pain and function prior to surgery, and we are trying to sort out the barriers to seeking timely care,” said Mark P. Figgie, MD, chief emeritus of the Surgical Arthritis Service at HSS and co-author of the study.

“Patient outcome measures indicate that although Black patients achieve significant improvement after surgery, it does not reach the same level as those who seek timely treatment,” he added. “Confidence in the health care system may contribute to the delay in seeking care, and this is something we need to address.”

Dr. Goodman added, “More research is needed to investigate other factors, such as perceived staff courtesy and baseline pain and function, to understand why disparities exist so we can achieve a high level of patient satisfaction for everyone.”

Authors: Anne R. Bass, MD, Emily Ying LAI, MSc, Huong Do, MA (HSS), John A. Gibbons, BA, Letitia Bradford, MD, FAAOS, FACS (Nth Dimensions), Mark P. Figgie, MD, Michael L. Parks, MD (HSS), Orett Burke, BS (Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School), Susan M. Goodman, MD (HSS).

Now, researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have examined racial disparities separately for aseptic and septic revision total knee replacement using data from three large states. In their study published July 21 in JAMA Network Open, they found that Black patients had a 39% higher risk of aseptic revision and an 11% higher risk of septic revision than white patients.

“As we predicted, the risk factors were very different for patients needing aseptic versus septic revision,” says lead and corresponding study author Anne R. Bass, MD, rheumatologist at HSS. “But we were totally surprised to find Black race was one of the only risk factors associated with aseptic revision and that this disparity was so much higher for patients treated at high-volume hospitals.”

Dr. Bass and HSS colleagues analyzed data from statewide databases from California, Florida and New York for almost 725,000 patients who had total knee replacement between 2004 and 2014. The investigators looked at an extensive range of variables that have been linked to risk of revision total knee replacement in previous studies, including age; sex; insurance status; presence of other conditions such as diabetes, obesity, renal disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); inflammatory arthritis; surgical site complications; infection on admission for knee replacement surgery; and hospital factors, including non-government, not-for-profit, teaching hospital, rural location, number of beds, and annual total knee replacement volume.

In addition to being Black, other factors associated with a higher risk of septic revision total knee replacement were diabetes, obesity, renal disease, COPD, inflammatory arthritis, surgical site complications, Medicaid insurance and low hospital total knee replacement volume. Similarly, for aseptic revision, additional risk factors were male sex, workers’ compensation insurance and low hospital total knee replacement volume.

When the researchers analyzed the data according to different categories of hospital volume, they discovered Black patients had a 20% higher risk of aseptic revision total knee replacement than white patients if they underwent replacement at low-volume hospitals, defined as 89 or fewer total knee replacements annually. However, the relative risk was 68% higher for those who had knee replacements at very high-volume hospitals, defined as 645 or more procedures per year.

“The question now is why do these disparities exist,” says Dr. Bass. “Our study did not reveal causes, but we can use this learning to develop theories for further investigation.”

“We know that Black patients tend to bypass larger, higher-volume hospitals and have surgery at lower-volume hospitals,” says study co-author Michael L. Parks, MD, a hip and knee surgeon at HSS. “One of the reasons why they may have higher revision rates at higher-volume hospitals is that they tend to present later with more advanced disease and require more complicated surgeries than white patients.”

“The other hypothesis is that care is not being delivered equally across patient groups at high-volume hospitals,” says Dr. Bass. “If that’s the case, hospitals should review and ensure care processes are accessed and applied equally across racial groups to improve surgical outcomes.”

Dr. Bass, Dr. Parks and colleagues are currently conducting further research to look for a relationship between revision total knee replacement risk, hospital volume and annual volume by surgeon to see if they can learn more about racial disparities.

The study was supported by funding provided by the Stavros Niarchos Complex Joint and Reconstruction Center at HSS.

The research focuses on the diagnosis of renal disorders, the risk of venous thromboembolism after total knee replacement (TKR), and the care of pediatric and young adult patients with rheumatologic diseases. There are also studies related to the care of rheumatology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While there have been significant advances in science over the years, there are areas of unmet needs warranting continued investigation,” said S. Louis Bridges, Jr., MD, PhD, Physician-in-Chief, Chair of the Department of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Rheumatology at HSS. “HSS has a relentless focus on improving patient care through innovation and discovery. By spearheading multi-center studies, clinical trials, and laboratory-based research, we continue to improve the quality of life for patients affected by rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions.”

What follows are some highlights from the meeting:

Geographical Variations in COVID-19 Perceptions and Patient Management: A National Survey of Rheumatologists

A study led by HSS rheumatologist Bella Mehta, MBBS, MS, looked at the perceptions and behaviors of rheumatologists in the United States regarding the risk of COVID-19 for patients with autoimmune disorders and how those patients were managed with immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory medications. The 271 respondents were asked whether patients with rheumatic diseases were at higher risk of COVID-19 and whether the pandemic had led them to reduce the use, dosage, or frequency of biologics or steroids. Overall, the survey found geographical variations regarding perceptions of patients’ risk of COVID-19, with responses that were significantly different in the Northeast region of the United States compared with other regions.

Can a Clinical Disease Activity Index Based on Patient-Reported Joint Counts (PT-CDAI) Be Used to Inform Target-Based Care in Telemedicine? An Analysis of 2 Early RA Cohort Studies 

A team that included HSS rheumatologist Vivian P. Bykerk, BSc, MD, FRCPC, looked at data from two cohort studies on patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that compared patient and physician assessment of tender and swollen joints. This research is important because COVID-19 has forced rheumatologists to shift from in-person clinical visits to telemedicine, which limits their ability to carry out complete joint exams. The study found that patient and physician assessments had good agreement when it came to identifying active versus controlled disease activity. In addition, the researchers reported that predictors of higher discrepancies between patient and physician assessments may help identify patient subsets that could benefit the most from more physician-guided training at joint self-assessments as well as more probing questioning during telehealth visits to confirm active synovitis.

Characterization of Antiphospholipid Antibody-Associated Nephropathy: An International Survey of Renal Pathology Society Members

A survey led by HSS rheumatologist Medha Barbhaiya, MD, MPH, sought to determine whether pathologists worldwide use uniform criteria to distinguish antiphospholipid antibody-associated nephropathy (aPL-N) from other forms of thrombotic microangiopathy. The study was done in parallel with an international effort to develop new classification criteria for antiphospholipid syndrome. The web-based survey included 780 members of an international Renal Pathology Society; 111 renal pathologists responded, representing 33 countries. The participants were asked to determine whether two acute and eight chronic aPL-N features were consistent with acute or chronic aPL-N without and were not provided with serology information. Results from the survey indicated that more than 90% of pathologists worldwide agreed that the renal pathologic features most specific for aPL nephropathy are noninflammatory glomerular or small arterial microthrombi and organized microvascular thrombi with recanalization. In the absence of serologic data, more than 75% of pathologists indicated lack of specificity of chronic glomerular or small arterial changes. These findings indicate the importance of serologic test results in biopsy interpretation and suggest higher specificity for certain acute or chronic features.

The Risk of Venous Thromboembolism After Septic Total Knee Replacement (TKR) Revision Is Double the Risk After Aseptic TKR Revision: An Analysis of Administrative Discharge Data

A team led by HSS rheumatologist  Anne R. Bass, MD, assessed the 90-day risk of postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) in people who underwent revision TKR surgery. Although it was already known that infection can increase the risk of thrombosis by triggering coagulation pathways, the impact of infection in this context was not well understood. The study, which included 25,441 of these surgeries performed between 1998 and 2014, used data from the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System. Overall, 69% of these revisions were for mechanical causes (aseptic), 28% were for infection (septic), and 3% were related to a periprosthetic fracture. The researchers found that the risk of VTE after septic revision surgery was double the risk after aseptic revision surgery, and was 2.6-fold higher after revision surgeries for fracture. These findings point to the importance of taking infection and fracture status into account when planning VTE prophylaxis for patients having revision surgery.

Using a Patient-Engaged Approach to Identify Cross-Cutting Disease Factors Impacting Mental Health in Youth with Rheumatologic Disease

A team including HSS chief of pediatric rheumatology Karen Brandt Onel, MD, examined the mental health experiences of those with juvenile arthritis, juvenile dermatomyositis, or systemic lupus erythematous. It included patients aged 14 to 24 and parents of patients between the ages of 8 and 24. The primary outcome was the presence of any clinical or self-diagnosed mental health problem. The survey included information on cross-cutting disease factors such as disease duration, active disease status, current steroid medication, history of disease flare following remission, and appearance-altering comorbidities (such as psoriasis, stretch marks, alopecia, skin ulceration, and visible scarring). The researchers also examined results by mental health problem (depression, anxiety, and self-harm/suicidal ideation). Overall, they found that certain rheumatologic disease factors, including those that alter appearance, are predictive of mental health problems such as depression or anxiety. The findings will help identify targets for mental health screening in youth with rheumatologic diseases.

New Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Quality Measure Set for the Pediatric Rheumatology Care and Outcomes Improvement Network

A team that included HSS pediatric rheumatologist Nancy Pan, MD, reported highlights of new quality measures for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The study also provided information about the performance of these new measures, which were created by the Pediatric Rheumatology Care and Outcomes Improvement Network. The measures take into consideration clinical health importance, scientific validity, and feasibility, as well as best practices. They include both clinical evaluations based in part on the clinical Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score and patient-reported outcomes such as pain, physical function, and overall well-being. An analysis of the new measures found that they are feasible for use on patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and can help to maximize quality improvement efforts and optimize the delivery of care.

Now a study from investigators at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston has found that the synovial fluid and blood of people experiencing checkpoint inhibitor-induced arthritis is populated by a type of T cells rarely seen in people with other types of inflammatory arthritis. The findings are being presented at the virtual American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Professionals annual meeting.

“Although checkpoint inhibitor-induced arthritis looks like other forms of inflammatory arthritis, our findings suggest that they’re not the same,” says study co-author Karmela Kim Chan, MD, a rheumatologist at HSS. “These findings are preliminary, but they are very interesting.”

Checkpoint inhibitor-induced arthritis occurs in about 5% of people taking immunotherapy drugs. The researchers looked at synovial fluid and blood from 10 cancer patients who had experienced this side effect; all of them were being treated with drugs that target the immune checkpoint CTLA-4 and/or PD-1. The team also analyzed blood and synovial fluid from 11 people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and nine people with spondyloarthropathies (SpA).

The analysis revealed a unique population of CD38^hiCD127^- CD8 T cells. This designation means that they expressed high levels of a marker called CD38 and did not express a marker called CD127. These T cells were expanded in both the blood and joint fluid of people with checkpoint inhibitor-induced arthritis.

Flow cytometry and RNA sequencing analysis demonstrated these cells to be both cytotoxic and actively proliferating. Furthermore, RNA sequencing suggested that these cells may respond to the immune-related protein interferon, but more research is needed to confirm the significance.

“We don’t yet know if this population of T cells is causing checkpoint inhibitor-induced arthritis or if it’s a common feature of a larger population of people being treated with checkpoint inhibitor drugs,” notes Dr. Chan. “Our next step is study the blood and synovial fluid of more people being treated with these drugs and not limit our analysis only to those who are experiencing these side effects.”

She adds that eventually researchers may be able to develop drugs targeted to the T cells that cause joint inflammation, which could be used to treat this side effect.

Co-authors of this study include HSS rheumatologist Anne R. Bass, MD, and HSS scientist Laura Donlin, PhD.

Now, in a new study published in Arthritis Care & Research that looked at the risk of total knee replacement revision or failure, HSS investigators found very a different result. “There was a trend toward race being a risk factor, but it was not statistically significant, and poverty had no impact: There wasn’t even a trend,” said lead study author Anne R. Bass, MD, an attending physician and program director of the Rheumatology Fellowship Program at Hospital for Special Surgery, and a professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. “We were definitely surprised by our results.”

For about 85 percent to 90 percent of people who have total knee replacements, the artificial joints last about 15 to 20 years. In elderly patients, that may mean the rest of their lives. But for younger patients, especially those who are very active, the implants may fail over time and require revision. Over the last five years or so, the team of HSS researchers have been collaborating to understand the factors placing some patients at higher risk of poor outcomes, including needing revisions.

This study was the first to link patient data to a statewide discharge database. The researchers linked the HSS Knee Replacement Registry with the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database and captured discharge information for patients who received revisions at other hospitals within the state of New York. Also new with this study, they explored whether race and poverty played a role in knee replacement failure, a broader outcome definition that includes patients who failed to improve at all after their initial procedures but who did not have revisions. Poverty information was collected from the U.S. census data.

Among a total of 4,062 patients who had a total knee replacement between January 2008 and February 2012 at HSS, only 122 or 3 percent required revisions during a median of five years of follow-up. Black patients had a 1.7 times higher risk of knee replacement revision than white patients, but when the researchers analyzed multiple variables, race and poverty were not driving factors. Race and poverty also did not explain differences among patients with knee replacement failure.

The factors that were associated with a higher risk for revision were younger age, being male, and the use of a constrained prosthesis—a knee implant with conforming components that provides more stability. The risk factors driving failure included being treated by a surgeon that performs a low number of knee replacement surgeries and patients’ low expectations for improvement after surgery.

“Younger people and males are typically more active, putting more strain on their implants. Constrained prostheses are only used in patients with bigger deformities and ligament imbalances, which tend to put more strain on the implant and loosen the bone-cement interface,” said study author Mark P. Figgie, MD, an attending orthopedic surgeon and Chief Emeritus of the Surgical Arthritis Service at HSS, and professor of clinical orthopedic surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. “Our findings suggest that all patients should seek care from experienced surgeons at a high-volume hospital.”

To explore their findings on a larger scale, the research team is conducting a new study, linking data from about one million patients from California, New York, Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas with their respective statewide databases. “We are asking the same questions about race and poverty, and we will be able to look at the influence of hospital choice on the risk of revision by linking to the American Hospital Association database,” Dr. Bass said. “We are also looking at differences in revisions caused by infections versus mechanical issues.” The more extensive study is expected to be completed later this year.

Anne R. Bass, MD, rheumatologist at HSS, explains that it is of clinical importance to identify and diagnose those patients with arthritis. "We are just beginning to define these arthritides, because they are so heterogeneous. If you see five different patients, you might see five different phenotypes."

According to Dr. Bass, this patient population will change the field of rheumatology - we just don't know how much.

"We have to take every opportunity to learn, because we are going to see more and more of these patients," she says. "It is critical that we have people who understand and can manage these patients and the problems they confront."

Dr. Bass notes that learning how to predict which patients, who are receiving checkpoint inhibitors, are prone to rheumatic complications will help researchers study this prospectively. "This may be a first step toward learning how to prevent arthritis, and could also be applied to the preclinical phases of RA."

Read the full article at Healio.com. This is also the cover story of the December 2018 print issue.

"Poverty doesn't play into the risk of TKR revision or TKR failure, at least not in our cohort of patients, all of whom had surgery at HSS, a high-quality, high-volume hospital. Our total cohort included almost 5,000 TKR patients and our study was also notable for the fact that we linked our registry to a statewide database, so we were able to identify revisions done, even if the patient went to a different hospital. The study suggests that the factors contributing to TKR revision risk differ from those influencing 2-year patient reported outcomes and may have more to do with factors introduced at the time of surgery," said Dr. Bass.

The research was presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Read the full article at healio.com [registration required].