Glucocorticoids (GCs) are first-line drugs to treat systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) of both high and moderate activities. These are the only agents that are able to provide so prompt anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant effects in rheumatic diseases. Along with antimalarials and immunosuppressants, GCs are used in the standard classical treatment regimen for SLE; however, despite the high efficacy of these drugs, their related immediate or delayed adverse reactions are one of the major problems in the management of a patient with SLE. Occasionally, they may be severer than the indication itself for their use and may be even fatal. The paper describes the adverse reactions observed in a female patient with SLE during long-term use of a high maintenance GC dose.

Objective — to define more precisely the potential of magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) in the early diagnosis of coxitis in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA). Material and methods. Hip (coxofemoral) joint (HJ) MRI (in T1 and T2Fat Sat; 1,5 T modes) was performed in 60 patients with ankylosing spondilitis (AS) and SpA: clinical signs of coxitis were present in 37 patients, while remaining 13 patients without coxitis were included into the control group while 10 healthy subjects without SpA made formed a healthy control group. The following parameters were monitored: pain intensity — by the numeric rating scale (NRS 0—10), distance between the ankles, radiographic changes (RCh) by BASRI index, presence of intraar-ticular exudate by US-examination. Active coxitis was defined as pain (during active and/or passive movement and/or pain at rest) in hip joint after exclusion of enthezitis-related pelvic or greater trochanteric pain. Results. Cases of AS and SpA aged younger than 20 y.o. predominated in the cohort patients with coxitis (55,2%). Bilateral coxitis was diagnosed in 81% patients. Median (Me) of disease duration was 12 [25th; 75th percentiles — 1; 132] months. Pain intensity in hip joint measured by NRS was 3 [2; 5]. RC were not found (BASRI-hip=0) in 20 (29,8%) affected joints, 47 joints met the criteria of I—III BASRI-hip stage. RCh were not present in patients without coxitis (BASRI-hip=1) in 9 (28,7%) joints. The most prevalent inflammatory changes (ICh) in patients with coxitis following MRI data were: exudation in the articular space >7 Ml (54%), bone marrow edema (BME) in the acetabular region (39%), cysts of the acetabular roof (32%), capsule thickening (25,5%), BME of the femoral head (13,4%), cysts of the femoral head (10%). There was a significant correlation between pain intensity measured by NRS and prevalence of ICh (Spearman's rank correlation R=-0,29; t=-2,46; p=0,01). BME of the femoral head and/or of the acetabular roof were seen significantly more often in patients with RCh (in 64 and 25% joints, respectively; p=0,0005). BME of the acetabular roof was 3-fold more common than BME of the femoral head (39 and 13,4%; p=0,001). Femoral head cysts were detected in 15% of joints in the subgroup of patients with RCh, and in 8,5% of joints in the subgroup of patients without RCh (p=0,4). Acetabular roof cysts were seen only in patients with RCh (32%). Overall ICh were detected in 55 (82%) joints in patients with coxitis and in 4 (12,1%) — without coxitis (BME — 1; exudation — 3). In patients without SpA and AS exudation was detected in 5 joints. Conclusion. ICh in hip joint can be detected by MRI before the development of structural damage. The most common area for detection of early inflammatory changes, i.e., BME is the subchondral space of acetabular roof.

Objective: to study the clinical picture of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), the association of its manifestations with the degree of disability in the real practice of a rheumatologist in Russia. Subjects and methods. The investigation enrolled 464 patients with AS, who had consecutively visited rheumatologists for 4 months in 24 cities and towns of the Russian Federation. A specially designed clinical card was filled out for all patients. Later on, the diagnosis of the disease was verified at the Research Institute of Rheumatology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, according to the 1984 modified New York criteria and pelvic survey X-ray films were assessed by two independent experts in a blind fashion. Results. The valid diagnosis of AS was confirmed in 330 (71.1%) out of all 464 patients included into the study; their mean age was 39.7±10.2 years; the mean duration of disease was 14.6±2.6 years; 86% were men and 14% were women. About half (47%) of the patients had peripheral arthritis and 56% had clinical signs of coxitis. The mean BASDAI and BASFI scores were 4.8±2.1 and 4.3±2.6, respectively. 61% of the patients had a BASDAI score of >4.0. Uveitis was the most common extravertebral manifestation (22%). One third of the patients did not work because of health reasons; 45% of the patients changed their work activities due to disease. Conclusion. In Russia, AS is characterized by its high activity, frequent involvement of hip joints and poor functional status in the patients on average 15 years after the onset of the disease. Loss of working capacity was observed in one-third of the patients. In the country, AS is diagnosed very late, on average 9 years after the disease onset.

Objective — to evaluate the impact of tocilizumab (TCZ) therapy on progression of joint destruction and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) inflammatory activity in 48 weeks after initiation of treatment. Material and methods. 42 RA patients who received 6 intravenous TCZ infusions at dose 8 mg/kg given once every 4 weeks alongside with stable anti-inflammatory and glucocorticoid DMARDs were evaluated. EULAR criteria, as well as SDAI and CDAI disease activity indices were used to evaluate the efficacy of TCZ therapy. Radiographs of the hand and distal feet of each patient were obtained at baseline before initiating TCZ therapy and then at 48 weeks. Absence of radiographic progression was defined as total Sharp/van der Heijde score change ≤0. Results. At Week 48 the following values of indices — DAS28 — 4,69 [3,86; 5,44], SDAI — 17,8 [10,7; 29,5], CDAI — 17,1 [7,2; 26,2] — were corresponding to moderate disease activity and were significantly lower than the baseline values. Remission by DAS28 was observed in 11,9% patients, by SDAI — in 7,1%, and by CDAI — in 9,5%. Baseline median total Sharp/van der Heijde score equaled to 78 [46; 122], the number of erosions — to 10,5 [2; 35], and the number ofjoint space narrowing — to 67 [42; 98], while at Week 48 the values of these indices were — 80 [44; 130], 13,5 [1,5; 34] and 69,5 [38; 110], respectively, with signs of radiographic progression in 9 (22,5%) patients. There were no significant differences in the number of erosions and total Sharp scores in subgroups of patients with low, moderate or high disease activity by SDAI & CDAI and sustainable remission at Week 48. Conclusion. Clinical outcomes after 24-week TCZ therapy are indicative of its' clinical effectiveness and a potential to inhibit structural joint damage progression in RA patients.