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Background and objective: With an increase in survival rates among rheumatic patients, comorbidities and infections, in particular, have gained more importance, especially after the introduction of biologicals to the treatment algorithms. Tuberculosis (TB) infection has always been given a special attention in patients with rheumatic diseases (RD). Although Lithuanian population has one of the highest TB incidence rates among European countries, the incidence of TB in the rheumatic patients’ population is still unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence rate of TB in an inflammatory RD retrospective cohort and to compare that rate with a rate in a general population. Material and Methods: Patients with the first-time diagnosis of inflammatory RD during the period between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2017 were identified from the Lithuanian Compulsory Health Insurance Information System database SVEIDRA. All cases were cross-checked with Health Information center at the Institute of Hygiene, for the vital status of these patients and date of death if the fact of death was documented, and with Tuberculosis Register operated by Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, for the confirmation of TB cases. Sex and age standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were calculated by dividing the observed numbers of TB among rheumatic patients by the expected number of cases, calculated using national rates from Lithuanian Department of Statistics Official Statistics website. Results: Overall, 8779 patients with newly diagnosed RD were identified during the 2013–2017 period, these included 458 patients who used biological disease modifying drugs (bDMARDs). The mean duration of the follow-up period was 2.71 years. The cohort consisted mainly of women (70%) and a half of the cohort were rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients (53%). Mean age of patients at the time of RD diagnosis was 56 years (range = 18–97 years). There were 9 TB cases identified during 23,800 person years of follow-up: 2 cases among them were treated with bDMARDs. The mean calculated annual TB incidence in RD cohort was 37.81 per 100,000 person years, which is consistent with the incidence rate predicted by national estimates, with a resultant SIR of 0.90 (0.41–1.70). The unadjusted hazard ratio for bDMARD use versus no bDMARD use was 4.54 (0.94; 21.87) in a total cohort and very similar in rheumatoid arthritis cohort; in both cohorts, it was not a statistically significant risk. Conclusions: Here, we present the first nationwide cohort study to assess the incidence of TB in a broad spectrum of inflammatory RD. Although limited by short follow-up period, this study shows that TB incidence in RD cohort does not exceed TB incidence in the general Lithuanian population. Full article

Objective: To explore the relationship between laboratory, functional, disease activity markers and bone mineral density (BMD) loss in patients with spondyloarthropathies (SpAs).
Methods: A cohort of 41 SpA patients were followed up for 4 years. Disease activity indices, spinal mobility and laboratory tests, BMD using were monitored at the baseline and 4-year follow-up. The 4% BMD loss at either of the proximal femurs was defined as significant.
Results: Over the 4-year study period, 27% of SpA patients experienced femoral BMD loss. Baseline BMD > 0.85 g/cm² (p = 0.011) was the baseline factor associated with BMD loss at 4- year follow-up. Several clinical and functional tests were helpful in identifying the BMD loss at follow-up: CRP > 15.6 mg/L (sens. 91%, spec. 70%), ESR > 29 mm/h (sens. 82%, spec. 73%), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) > 4.75 (sens. 91%, spec. 62%). At follow-up anti-TNFa treatment history, stable or improved lateral flexion and intermalleolar distance (NPV, accordingly, 95%, 88% and 87%), made BMD loss unlikely. Deterioration of the physician assessment of global disease activity (PAGDA) score from baseline to follow-up was a remarkable predictor of BMD loss (PPV = 0.83), while stable or improved score excluded the BMD loss (NPV = 0.83). According to multiple logistic regression analysis, baseline BMD value and follow-up CRP levels, when considered together, identify BMD status correctly in 85% of SpA patients (Nagelkerke R² = 0.676).
Conclusion: Baseline BMD, anti-TNFa treatment, PAGDA score, spinal mobility tests and disease activity markers are useful factors in predicting the BMD loss in SpA patients and can provide surrogate information on BMD status. Full article

Pacientai, sergantys reumatinėmis ligomis (reumatoidiniu, psoriaziniu artritu, ankilozuojančiu spondilitu) ir vartojantys naviko nekrozės faktoriaus alfa blokatorius (TNF-α), turi didesnę tuberkuliozės riziką. Tuberkuliozės prevencijos ir gydymo rekomendacijos, prieš skiriant TNF-α blokatorius, parengtos atsižvelgus į didelį tuberkuliozės paplitimą, didelį Mycobacterium tuberculosis atsparumą vaistams, visuotinę Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vakcinaciją nuo tuberkuliozės Lietuvoje. Siekiant sumažinti tuberkuliozės riziką, būtinas paciento ištyrimas prieš pradedant gydymą TNF-α blokatoriumi. Tuo tikslu atliekamas išsamus klinikinis ir dviejų krypčių krūtinės ląstos rentgenologinis tyrimas. Tuberkulino odos mėginys pagal Mantoux metodiką naudojant penkis tuberkulino vienetus arba gama interferono išskyrimo mėginys atliekami pacientams, kuriems nėra radiologinių potuberkuliozinių pokyčių. Jei, tiriant radiologiškai, randamas Gono kompleksas, liekamieji negydytos tuberkuliozės pokyčiai, arba Mantoux, arba gama interferono išskyrimo mėginys yra teigiamas, pacientui skiriamas latentinės tuberkuliozės gydymas. Taigi, latentinės tuberkuliozės gydymui skiriamas izoniazido ir rifampicino 3 mėn. kursas, o gydymas naviko nekrozės faktoriaus alfa blokatoriumi pradedamas ne anksčiau kaip 1 mėn. nuo latentinės tuberkuliozės gydymo pradžios. Įtariant aktyvią Mycobacterium tuberculosis infekciją, tuberkuliozė diagnozuojama mikrobiologiškai arba morfologiškai ir skiriamas prieštuberkuliozinis gydymas. Full article

Original English questionnaires – Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Patient Global Score, and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index – are designed to evaluate health, physical and psychical state of patients with spondyloarthropathies and to assess efficiency of the treatment.
Objective. The objective of the study was to adapt Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Patient Global Score, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index questionnaires to the Lithuanian context and examine their psychometric aspects: reliability and validity.
Patients and methods. Validation and linguistic and cultural adaptation of Lithuanian questionnaires were performed according to the requirements for adaptation of the international questionnaires. Psychometric features of Lithuanian questionnaires were examined in 139 patients with spondyloarthropathies. The validity of questionnaires was tested by comparing these questionnaires with Health Assessment Questionnaire Modified for Spondyloarthropathies, metrology indices (tragus-to-wall distance, lateral flexion, modified Schober’s distance, intermalleolar distance), pain intensity, patient’s well-being, physician’s assessment of the disease activity, and total enthesis count. The reliability of questionnaires was assessed by determining internal consistency of scales and scale stability and by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient.
Results. The linguistic and cultural adaptation of these questionnaires was made during the study. Internal consistency was high for functional and disease activity index (Cronbach a³0.80) and moderate for the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Patient Global Score (Cronbach a=0.58). High stability in regard to time was characteristic of all three questionnaires (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.95). A significant association between the separate questions of examined instruments, their joint results and other factors reflecting patient’s health was established.
Conclusions. Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Patient Global Score, and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index questionnaires in Lithuanian fully correspond to psychometric requirements. They are appropriate and relevant in assessing the influence of spondyloarthropathies on a patient’s health. Full article