Application of the OMERACT filter to measures of core outcome domains in recent clinical studies of acute gout

Prednisolone Versus Colchicine for Acute Gout in Primary Care (COPAGO): protocol for a two-arm multicentre, pragmatic, prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial of prednisolone and colchicine for non-inferiority with a parallel group design

BACKGROUND

Gout is the most common form of rheumatic disease in which monosodium urate crystals are deposited in the joints followed by acute inflammatory reactions. There are various approved drugs that can be prescribed for pain relief during an acute gout attack. However, to date, no direct comparison of efficacy of colchicine and prednisolone for the treatment of acute gout attacks has been investigated. Furthermore, the majority of previous research studies were not only conducted in tertiary centres but also excluded patients with common comorbidities due to contraindications to naproxen.

METHODS

This pragmatic, prospective, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group, randomized, non-inferiority trial investigates whether prednisolone (intervention) is non-inferior to treatment with colchicine (active control) in patients with acute gout. Adult patients presenting with acute gout to their general practitioners in 60 practices across 3 university sites (Greifswald, Göttingen, and Würzburg) are eligible to participate in the study. Participants in the intervention group receive 30 mg prednisolone for 5 days. Those in the control group receive low-dose colchicine (day 1: 1.5 mg; days 2-5: 1 mg). The primary outcome is the absolute level of the most severe pain on day 3 (in the last 24 h) measured with an 11-item numerical rating scale. Day 0 is the day patients take their study medication for the first time. They are then asked to fill out a study diary the same time each day for pain quantification. Pain scores are used for comparison between the two medications. Secondary outcomes are average response to treatment, swelling, tenderness and physical function of the joint, patients' global assessment of treatment success, use of additional pain medication and non-pharmacological pain therapies. For safety reasons, potential side effects and course of systolic blood pressure are assessed.

DISCUSSION

This trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness of pain reduction and side effects of colchicine and prednisolone in acute gout in primary care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05698680 first posted on January 26, 2023 (retrospectively registered). URL of trial registry record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05698680.

2021 Asia-Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology clinical practice guideline for treatment of gout

BACKGROUND

Gout is the most prevalent inflammatory arthritis in the Asia-Pacific region and worldwide. This clinical practice guideline (CPG) aims to provide recommendations based on systematically obtained evidence and values and preferences tailored to the unique needs of patients with gout and hyperuricemia in Asia, Australasia, and the Middle East. The target users of these guidelines are general practitioners and specialists, including rheumatologists, in these regions.

METHODS

Relevant clinical questions were formulated by the Steering Committee. Systematic reviews of evidence were done, and certainty of evidence was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. A multi-sectoral consensus panel formulated the final recommendations.

RESULTS

The Asia-Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Task Force developed this CPG for treatment of gout with 3 overarching principles and 22 recommendation statements that covered the treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia (2 statements), treatment of acute gout (4 statements), prophylaxis against gout flare when initiating urate-lowering therapy (3 statements), urate-lowering therapy (3 statements), treatment of chronic tophaceous gout (2 statements), treatment of complicated gout and non-responders (2 statements), treatment of gout with moderate to severe renal impairment (1 statement), and non-pharmacologic interventions (5 statements).

CONCLUSION

Recommendations for clinically relevant scenarios in the management of gout were formulated to guide physicians in administering individualized care.

The challenge of gout flare measurement

Gout flares are central to the patient experience of gout and are included in the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) core outcome domain set for long-term gout studies. Although a valid definition for gout flare has been developed, there is no consensus around how flare outcomes are measured and reported in long-term clinical studies. Current methods of flare measurement, which are centered on measuring flares as a binary outcome (i.e., present vs absent), do not reflect the variable pattern of flares over time, nor the multidimensional patient experience of gout flares which include factors related to pain severity, functional disability, impact on family and social life, and psychological wellbeing. This review will discuss the importance and challenges of gout flare measurement.

Efficacy and Safety of Pharmacologic Interventions in Patients Experiencing a Gout Flare: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To compare the relative efficacy and safety of pharmacologic antiinflammatory interventions for gout flares.

METHODS

We searched Ovid Medline, Embase, and Cochrane library for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared pharmacologic antiinflammatory treatment of gout flares. We conducted a network meta-analysis (NMA) using a frequentist framework and assessed the certainty of evidence and made conclusions using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation for NMA.

RESULTS

In the 30 eligible RCTs, canakinumab provided the highest pain reduction at day 2 and at longest follow-up (mean difference relative to acetic acid derivative nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs [NSAIDs] -41.12 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) -53.36, -29.11] on a 0-100 scale at day 2, and mean difference -12.84 [95% CI -20.76, -4.91] at longest follow-up; both moderate certainty; minimum important difference -19). Intravenous or intramuscular corticosteroids were inferior to canakinumab but may be better than the other commonly used interventions (low to very low certainty). For joint tenderness, canakinumab may be the most effective intervention at day 2. Acetic acid derivative NSAIDs improved joint swelling better than ibuprofen NSAIDs at day 2 (mean difference -0.29 [95% CI -0.56, -0.02] on a 0-4 scale; moderate certainty) and improved patient global assessment (PtGA) greater than ibuprofen NSAIDs at the longest follow-up (mean difference -0.44 [95% CI -0.86, -0.02]; moderate).

CONCLUSION

Canakinumab may be superior to other alternatives and intravenous or intramuscular corticosteroids may be the second best in pain reduction. Acetic acid derivative NSAIDs may be superior to ibuprofen NSAIDs in improving joint swelling and PtGA.

Development and validation of a patient-reported gout attack intensity score for use in gout clinical studies

OBJECTIVE

Inflammation-related symptoms such as pain, swelling and tenderness of the affected joint are frequently assessed using 5-point diary rating scales in gout clinical trials. Combining these into a single gout attack symptom intensity score may be a useful summary measure for these data, which is potentially more responsive to change compared with the individual components. The objective of this study was to develop a patient-reported gout flare intensity score, the Gout Attack Intensity Score (GAIS), for use in clinical studies, that includes components for gout-related pain, swelling and tenderness.

METHODS

Data from a randomized controlled trial comparing anakinra to standard of care for the treatment of acute gout attacks were used for this study. A 7-day flare diary was completed by patients, including questions relating to intensity of pain, swelling and tenderness (5-point rating scales). Scalability of these items was assessed using Mokken Scale Analysis, and reliability using greatest lower bound reliability coefficients. Known-groups validity was evaluated, as well as the responsiveness to change and the presence of floor and ceiling effects.

RESULTS

Scalability of the single items was supported, and GAIS scores were reliable (greatest lower bound >0.80). GAIS scores demonstrated responsiveness to change with high effect sizes (>0.8), and discriminated better between responders and non-responders compared with its single-item components. No floor and ceiling effects were found.

CONCLUSION

The GAIS seems to be a reliable and responsive instrument for assessing patient-reported gout attack intensity that may be used in gout clinical studies.

A systematic literature review of patient-reported outcome measures used in gout: an evaluation of their content and measurement properties

Background

Gout is a common, monosodium urate crystal-driven inflammatory arthritis. Besides its clinical manifestations, patients often also suffer from pain, physical impairment, emotional distress and work productivity loss, as a result of the disease. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are commonly used to assess these consequences of the disease. However, current instrument endorsements for measuring such outcomes in acute and chronic gout clinical settings are based on limited psychometric evidence. The objective of this systematic literature review was to identify currently available PROMs for gout, and to critically evaluate their content and psychometric properties, in order to evaluate the current status regarding PROMs for use in gout patients.

Methods

Systematic literature searches were performed in the PubMed and EMBASE databases. The methodological quality of included papers was appraised using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist, and evaluation of measurement properties (reliability, responsiveness, construct validity, floor and ceiling effects) was done in accordance with published quality criteria. Item content was appraised by linking health concepts to the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) framework.

Results

In total, 13 PROMs were identified, of which three were targeted specifically at gout patients. The majority of the PROMs were rated positively for content validity. For most instruments, limited evidence was available for construct validity and reliability. Instruments to assess pain scored well on responsiveness and floor and ceiling effects, but not much is known about their reliability in gout.

Conclusions

The physical functioning subscale of the SF-36v2 (Short Form-36 item version 2) is the only PROM that had sufficient supporting evidence for all its psychometric properties. Many of the commonly used PROMs in gout are currently not yet well supported and more studies on their measurement properties are needed among both acute and chronic gout populations.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12955-019-1125-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Treat-to-target (T2T) recommendations for gout

OBJECTIVES

The treat-to-target (T2T) concept has been applied successfully in several inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Gout is a chronic disease with a high burden of pain and inflammation. Because the pathogenesis of gout is strongly related to serum urate levels, gout may be an ideal disease in which to apply a T2T approach. Our aim was to develop international T2T recommendations for patients with gout.

METHODS

A committee of experts with experience in gout agreed upon potential targets and outcomes, which was the basis for the systematic literature search. Eleven rheumatologists, one cardiologist, one nephrologist, one general practitioner and one patient met in October 2015 to develop T2T recommendations based on the available scientific evidence. Levels of evidence, strength of recommendations and levels of agreement were derived.

RESULTS

Although no randomised trial was identified in which a comparison with standard treatment or an evaluation of a T2T approach had been performed in patients with gout, indirect evidence was provided to focus on targets such as normalisation of serum urate levels. The expert group developed four overarching principles and nine T2T recommendations. They considered dissolution of crystals and prevention of flares to be fundamental; patient education, ensuring adherence to medications and monitoring of serum urate levels were also considered to be of major importance.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first application of the T2T approach developed for gout. Since no publication reports a trial comparing treatment strategies for gout, highly credible overarching principles and level D expert recommendations were created and agreed upon.

A Multicenter Longitudinal Study of Hospital-Onset Bacteremia: Time for a New Quality Outcome Measure?

BACKGROUND

Central-line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) rate is an important quality measure, but it suffers from subjectivity and interrater variability, and decreasing national CLABSI rates may compromise its power to discriminate between hospitals. This study evaluates hospital-onset bacteremia (HOB, ie, any positive blood culture obtained 48 hours post admission) as a healthcare-associated infection-related outcome measure by assessing the association between HOB and CLABSI rates and comparing the power of each to discriminate quality among intensive care units (ICUs).

METHODS

In this multicenter study, ICUs provided monthly CLABSI and HOB rates for 2012 and 2013. A Poisson regression model was used to assess the association between these 2 rates. We compared the power of each measure to discriminate between ICUs using standardized infection ratios (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A measure was defined as having greater power to discriminate if more of the SIRs (with surrounding CIs) were different from 1.

RESULTS

In 80 ICUs from 16 hospitals in the United States and Canada, a total of 663 CLABSIs, 475,420 central line days, 11,280 HOBs, and 966,757 patient days were reported. An absolute change in HOB of 1 per 1,000 patient days was associated with a 2.5% change in CLABSI rate (P<.001). Among the 80 ICUs, 20 (25%) had a CLABSI SIR and 60 (75%) had an HOB SIR that was different from 1 (P<.001).

CONCLUSION

Change in HOB rate is strongly associated with change in CLABSI rate and has greater power to discriminate between ICU performances. Consideration should be given to using HOB to replace CLABSI as an outcome measure in infection prevention quality assessments.

Validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the Personal and Social Performance scale in adolescents with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

The Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scale is a widely used tool to evaluate adults with schizophrenia; however, more studies are needed regarding its usefulness in the assessment of adolescent patients, since the evaluation of their functioning could require adaptations according to development.

OBJECTIVE

To examine construct validity, convergent validity, internal consistency and interrater reliability of the PSP in a sample of Mexican adolescents with schizophrenia.

METHODS

A total of 40 patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder were evaluated with PSP, CGAS, PANSS and the MATRICS battery. Construct and convergent validity were determined by the correlation between PSP with PANSS factors, MATRICS dimensions and CGAS. In addition, reliability was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients.

RESULTS

PSP scores correlated with negative, excitement and cognitive factors of PANSS, CGAS as well as MATRICS domains. The PSP also showed high internal consistency and interrater reliability.

CONCLUSIONS

The PSP is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of adolescent patients.

OMERACT endorsement of measures of outcome for studies of acute gout

OBJECTIVE

To determine the extent to which participants at the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) 11 meeting agree that instruments used in clinical trials to measure OMERACT core outcome domains in acute gout fulfill OMERACT filter requirements of truth, discrimination, and feasibility; and where future research efforts need to be directed.

METHODS

Results of a systematic literature review and analysis of individual-level data from recent clinical studies of acute gout were presented to OMERACT participants. The information was discussed in breakout groups, and opinion was defined by subsequent voting in a plenary session. Endorsement was defined as at least 70% of participants voting in agreement with the proposition (where the denominator excluded those participants who did not vote or who voted "don't know").

RESULTS

The following measures were endorsed for use in clinical trials of acute gout: (1) 5-point Likert scale and/or visual analog scale (0 to 100 mm) to measure pain; (2) 4-point Likert scale for joint swelling; (3) 4-point Likert scale for joint tenderness; and (4) 5-point Likert scale for patient global assessment of response to treatment. Measures for the activity limitations domain were not endorsed.

CONCLUSION

Measures of pain, joint swelling, joint tenderness, and patient global assessment in acute gout were endorsed at OMERACT 11. These measures should now be used in clinical trials of acute gout.