Omicron variant infection in inflammatory rheumatological conditions - outcomes from a COVID-19 naive population in Aotearoa New Zealand

Background

Due to geographic isolation and border controls Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ) attained high levels of population coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccination before widespread transmission of COVID-19. We describe outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection (Omicron variant) in people with inflammatory rheumatic diseases in this unique setting.

Methods

This observational study included people with inflammatory rheumatic disease and SARS-CoV-2 infection in AoNZ between 1 February and 30 April 2022. Data were collected via the Global Rheumatology Alliance Registry including demographic and rheumatic disease characteristics, and COVID-19 vaccination status and outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore associations of demographic and clinical factors with COVID-19 hospitalisation and death.

Findings

Of the 1599 cases included, 96% were from three hospitals that systematically identified people with inflammatory rheumatic disease and COVID-19. At time of COVID-19, 1513 cases (94.6%) had received at least two COVID-19 vaccinations. Hospitalisation occurred for 104 (6.5%) cases and 10 (0.6%) patients died. Lower frequency of hospitalisation was seen in cases who had received at least two vaccinations (5.9%), compared to the unvaccinated (20.6%) or those with a single vaccine dose (10.7%). In multivariable adjusted models, people with gout or connective tissue diseases (CTD) had increased risk of the combined outcome of hospitalisation/death, compared to people with inflammatory arthritis. Glucocorticoid and rituximab use were associated with increased rates of hospitalisation/death. All patients who died had three or more co-morbidities or were over 60 years old.

Interpretation

In this cohort with inflammatory rheumatic diseases and high vaccination rates, severe outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant were relatively infrequent. The outcome of Omicron variant infection among vaccinated but SARS-CoV-2 infection-naive people with inflammatory rheumatic disease without other known risk factors were favourable.

Funding

Financial support from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) included management of COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance funds.

Association between biological immunotherapy for psoriasis and time to incident inflammatory arthritis: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Targeted biological immunotherapies have been highly effective in controlling skin disease in patients with psoriasis, but whether therapy delays progression to inflammatory arthritis is unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the time to incident inflammatory arthritis among patients newly receiving biological therapies for psoriasis.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, we obtained data on a national sample of patients in the USA from the electronic health records database of the US-based TriNetX network. We included adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with two diagnostic codes for psoriasis (>30 days apart; International Classification of Diseases [ICD] codes) who had been newly prescribed a biologic (inhibitors of tumour necrosis factor [TNF], interleukin [IL]-17, IL-23, or IL-12/23, first prescribed on or after the date of receiving a first psoriasis diagnosis code). The time to incident inflammatory arthritis, defined by first occurrence of a diagnostic code for psoriatic arthritis or other inflammatory arthritis after initiation of biological therapy, was graphed with use of the Kaplan-Meier estimate. Time-dependent risk for inflammatory arthritis was calculated with weighted Cox proportional hazards regression with anti-TNF exposure as the reference, adjusted for demographic and clinical covariables. Sensitivity analyses were used to evaluate incident cases of psoriasis, increased exclusion periods for prevalent cases of inflammatory arthritis, drug switching, and more stringent disease and outcome definitions.

FINDINGS

Between Jan 1, 2014, and June 1, 2022, we identified 15 501 patients with psoriasis (mean age 50·2 years [SD 15·0]; 8399 [54·2%] women and 7102 [45·8%] men; 11 175 [72·1%] White). 976 (6·3%) of the 15 501 patients developed inflammatory arthritis, with a cumulative incidence of 2·6 cases per 100 person-years. In multivariable regression analyses, the risk of developing inflammatory arthritis was significantly lower in patients prescribed IL-12/23 inhibitors (adjusted HR 0·58, 95% CI 0·43-0·76) or IL-23 inhibitors (0·41, 0·17-0·95) than in patients prescribed TNF inhibitors. We found no significant difference for IL-17 inhibitors (0·86, 0·54-1·38) compared with TNF inhibitors. For IL-12/23 inhibitors, the results persisted in all sensitivity analyses. For IL-23 inhibitors, the results persisted in three of six sensitivity analyses, when a higher diagnostic threshold for incident arthritis was used and when excluding patients who developed arthritis within 3 or 6 months after first biologic prescription.

INTERPRETATION

In this large cohort study of patients with psoriasis, treatment with IL-12/23 inhibitors or IL-23 inhibitors was associated with reduced risk of progression to inflammatory arthritis compared with TNF inhibitors. Prospective observational cohorts with disease activity measures and pooled analyses of previous randomised trials are required to confirm these findings.

FUNDING

None.

Characteristics associated with poor COVID-19 outcomes in people with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis: data from the COVID-19 PsoProtect and Global Rheumatology Alliance physician-reported registries

OBJECTIVES

To investigate factors associated with severe COVID-19 in people with psoriasis (PsO), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

METHODS

Demographic data, clinical characteristics and COVID-19 outcome severity of adults with PsO, PsA and axSpA were obtained from two international physician-reported registries. A three-point ordinal COVID-19 severity scale was defined: no hospitalisation, hospitalisation (and no death) and death. ORs were estimated using multivariable ordinal logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of 5045 cases, 18.3% had PsO, 45.5% PsA and 36.3% axSpA. Most (83.6%) were not hospitalised, 14.6% were hospitalised and 1.8% died. Older age was non-linearly associated with COVID-19 severity. Male sex (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.83), cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, metabolic and cancer comorbidities (ORs 1.25-2.89), moderate/high disease activity and/or glucocorticoid use (ORs 1.39-2.23, vs remission/low disease activity and no glucocorticoids) were associated with increased odds of severe COVID-19. Later pandemic time periods (ORs 0.42-0.52, vs until 15 June 2020), PsO (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.65, vs PsA) and baseline exposure to TNFi, IL17i and IL-23i/IL-12+23i (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.73; OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.87; OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.98; respectively; vs no disease-modifying antirheumatic drug) were associated with reduced odds of severe COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

Older age, male sex, comorbidity burden, higher disease activity and glucocorticoid intake were associated with more severe COVID-19. Later pandemic time periods, PsO and exposure to TNFi, IL17i and IL-23i/IL-12+23i were associated with less severe COVID-19. These findings will enable risk stratification and inform management decisions for patients with PsO, PsA and axSpA during COVID-19 waves or similar future respiratory pandemics.

Obstetric Outcomes in Women with Rheumatic Disease and COVID-19 in the Context of Vaccination Status

OBJECTIVE

To describe obstetric outcomes based on COVID-19 vaccination status, in women with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) who developed COVID-19 during pregnancy.

METHODS

Data regarding pregnant women entered into the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance registry from 24 March 2020-25 February 2022 were analysed. Obstetric outcomes were stratified by number of COVID-19 vaccine doses received prior to COVID-19 infection in pregnancy. Descriptive differences between groups were tested using the chi -square or Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS

There were 73 pregnancies in 73 women with RMD and COVID-19. Overall, 24.7% (18) of pregnancies were ongoing, while of the 55 completed pregnancies 90.9% (50) of pregnancies resulted in livebirths. At the time of COVID-19 diagnosis, 60.3% (n = 44) of women were unvaccinated, 4.1% (n = 3) had received one vaccine dose while 35.6% (n = 26) had two or more doses. Although 83.6% (n = 61) of women required no treatment for COVID-19, 20.5% (n = 15) required hospital admission. COVID-19 resulted in delivery in 6.8% (n = 3) of unvaccinated women and 3.8% (n = 1) of fully vaccinated women. There was a greater number of preterm births (PTB) in unvaccinated women compared with fully vaccinated 29.5% (n = 13) vs 18.2%(n = 2).

CONCLUSION

In this descriptive study, unvaccinated pregnant women with RMD and COVID-19 had a greater number of PTB compared with those fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Additionally, the need for COVID-19 pharmacological treatment was uncommon in pregnant women with RMD regardless of vaccination status. These results support active promotion of COVID-19 vaccination in women with RMD who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.

OP0252 FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE COVID-19 OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH IDIOPATHIC INFLAMMATORY MYOPATHY: RESULTS FROM THE COVID-19 GLOBAL RHEUMATOLOGY ALLIANCE PHYSICIAN-REPORTED REGISTRY

Background

There is a paucity of data in the literature about the outcome of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Objectives

To investigate factors associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes in patients with IIM.

Methods

Data on demographics, number of comorbidities, region, COVID-19 time period, physician-reported disease activity, anti-rheumatic medication exposure at the clinical onset of COVID-19, and COVID-19 outcomes of IIM patients were obtained from the voluntary COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance physician-reported registry of adults with rheumatic disease (from 17 March 2020 to 27 August 2021). An ordinal COVID-19 severity scale was used as primary outcome of interest, with each outcome category being mutually exclusive from the other:a) no hospitalization, b) hospitalization (and no death), or c) death. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated using multivariable ordinal logistic regression. In ordinal logistic regression, the effect size of a categorical predictor can be interpreted as the odds of being one level higher on the ordinal COVID-19 severity scale than the reference category.

Results

Complete hospitalization and death outcome data was available in 348 IIM cases. Mean age was 53 years, and 223 (64.1%) were female. Overall, 167/348 (48.0%) people were not hospitalized, 136/348 (39.1%) were hospitalized (and did not die), and 45/348 (12.9%) died. Older age (OR=1.59 per decade of life, 95%CI 1.32-1.93), male sex (OR=1.63, 95%CI 1.004-2.64; versus female), high disease activity (OR=4.05, 95%CI 1.29-12.76; versus remission), presence of two or more comorbidities (OR=2.39, 95%CI 1.22-4.68; versus none), prednisolone-equivalent dose >7.5 mg/day (OR=2.37, 95%CI 1.27-4.44; versus no glucocorticoid intake), and exposure to rituximab (OR=2.60, 95%CI 1.23-5.47; versus csDMARDs only) were associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes (Table 1).

Table 1.

Multivariable logistic regression analysis of factors associated with the ordinal COVID-19 severity outcomes. AZA, azathioprine; CI, confidence interval; combo, combination; CSA, ciclosporin; CYC, cyclophosphamide; DMARD, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug; b/tsDMARD, biologic/targeted synthetic DMARD, csDMARD, conventional synthetic DMARD; HCQ, hydroxychloroquine; IVIg, intravenous immunoglobulin; LEF, leflunomide; MMF, mycophenolate mofetil; mono, monotherapy; MTX, methotrexate; OR, odds ratio; Ref, reference; RTX, rituximab; SSZ, sulfasalazine; TAC, tacrolimus.

VariableOR (95%CI)P-valueVariableOR (95%CI)P-valueAge (per decade)1.59 (1.32-1.93)<0.001ComorbiditiesMale sex1.63 (1.004-2.64)0.048NoneRefNAPrednisolone-equivalent doseOne1.46 (0.79-2.72)0.228NoneRefNATwo or more2.39 (1.22-4.68)0.011>0 to 7.5mg/day1.10 (0.57-2.11)0.779Physician-reported disease activity>7.5mg/day2.37 (1.27-4.44)0.007RemissionRefNAIVIg0.41 (0.15-1.16)0.093Low/moderate1.23 (0.67-2.28)0.504DMARDsHigh4.05 (1.29-12.76)0.018csDMARD only (mono or combi - HCQ, MTX, LEF, SSZ)RefNARegionNo DMARD1.84 (0.90-3.75)0.094EuropeRefNAb/tsDMARD mono or combi (except RTX)1.60 (0.49-5.26)0.435North America0.89 (0.49-1.61)0.694CSA/CYC/TAC mono or combi (except RTX or b/tsDMARDs)1.55 (0.52-4.58)0.429Other4.25 (2.21-8.16)<0.001AZA mono1.70 (0.69-4.19)0.249Time periodMMF mono1.22 (0.53-2.82)0.634Before 15 June 2020RefNAAZA/MMF combi (except RTX or b/tsDMARDs)0.71 (0.25-2.00)0.51716 June - 30 September 20200.58 (0.26-1.27)0.171RTX mono or combi2.60 (1.23-5.47)0.012After 1 October 20200.58 (0.35-0.95)0.032

Conclusion

These are the first global registry data on the impact of COVID-19 on IIM patients. Older age, male gender, higher comorbidity burden, higher disease activity, higher glucocorticoid intake and rituximab exposure were associated with worse outcomes. These findings will inform risk stratification and management decisions for IIM patients.

References

None

Disclosure of Interests

Su-Ann Yeoh: None declared, Milena Gianfrancesco: None declared, Saskia Lawson-Tovey: None declared, Kimme Hyrich Speakers bureau: AbbVie unrelated to this work, Grant/research support from: Pfizer, BMS, both unrelated to this work, Anja Strangfeld Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Celltrion, MSD, Janssen, Lilly, Roche, BMS, Pfizer, all unrelated to this work, Laure Gossec Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Galapagos, Gilead, GSK, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Samsung Bioepis, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, all unrelated to this work, Grant/research support from: Amgen, Galapagos, Lilly, Pfizer, Sandoz, all unrelated to this work, Loreto Carmona: None declared, Elsa Mateus Consultant of: Boehringer Ingelheim Portugal, not related to this work, Martin Schaefer: None declared, Christophe Richez Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Biogen, BMS, Celltrion, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, GSK, MSD, Novartis, and Pfizer, all unrelated to this abstract, Consultant of: Abbvie, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Biogen, BMS, Celltrion, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, GSK, MSD, Novartis, and Pfizer, all unrelated to this abstract, Eric Hachulla Speakers bureau: Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, Roche-Chugai, all unrelated to this work, Consultant of: Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Roche-Chugai, Sanofi-Genzyme, all unrelated to this work, Grant/research support from: CSL Behring, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Roche-Chugai, Sanofi-Genzyme, all unrelated to this work, Marie Holmqvist: None declared, Carlo Alberto Scirè Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Lilly, both unrelated to this work, Rebecca Hasseli: None declared, Arundathi Jayatilleke: None declared, Tiffany Hsu: None declared, Kristin D’Silva: None declared, Victor Pimentel-Quiroz: None declared, Monica Vasquez del Mercado: None declared, Samuel Katsuyuki Shinjo: None declared, Edgard Reis Neto: None declared, Laurindo Rocha Jr: None declared, Ana Carolina de Oliveira e Silva Montandon Speakers bureau: GSK, not related to this work, Paula Jordan: None declared, Emily Sirotich: None declared, Jonathan Hausmann Speakers bureau: Novartis, Biogen, Pfizer, not related to this work, Consultant of: Novartis, Biogen, Pfizer, not related to this work, Jean Liew Grant/research support from: Pfizer research grant, completed in 2021, not related to this work, Lindsay Jacobsohn: None declared, Monique Gore-Massy Speakers bureau: Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, not related to this work, Consultant of: Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, not related to this work, Paul Sufka: None declared, Rebecca Grainger Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and Cornerstones, all unrelated to this work, Consultant of: AbbVie, Novartis, both unrelated to this work, Suleman Bhana Shareholder of: Pfizer, Inc, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Horizon, Novartis, and Pfizer, all unrelated to this work, Consultant of: AbbVie, Horizon, Novartis, and Pfizer, all unrelated to this work, Employee of: Pfizer, Inc, Zachary Wallace: None declared, Philip Robinson Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Janssen, Roche, GSK, Novartis, Lilly, UCB, all unrelated to this work, Paid instructor for: Lilly, unrelated to this work, Consultant of: GSK, Kukdong, Atom Biosciences, UCB, all unrelated to this work, Grant/research support from: Janssen, Pfizer, UCB and Novartis, all unrelated to this work, Jinoos Yazdany Consultant of: Aurinia, Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, all unrelated to this work, Grant/research support from: Astra Zeneca, Gilead, BMS Foundation, all unrelated to this work, Pedro Machado Speakers bureau: Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Orphazyme, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, all unrelated to this work., Consultant of: Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Orphazyme, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, all unrelated to this work.

OP0154 COMORBIDITY CLUSTERS IN ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH DISEASE ACTIVITY AND FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT: DATA FROM THE PSOAS COHORT

Background

Comorbidities in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) occur more frequently than in the general population and are associated with higher morbidity and mortality. Some comorbidities may occur together, making one more likely in the presence of another, and different combinations of comorbidities may have differential considerations for AS management and outcomes.

Objectives

To examine the association of baseline comorbidities with disease activity and functional status in AS.

Methods

We used baseline data from the Prospective Study Of Ankylosing Spondylitis (PSOAS) cohort, a multicenter, prospective cohort from five centers (4 in the US, 1 in Australia). AS patients ≥ 18 years fulfilling mNY criteria for AS (2002-20) were included. Patient-reported AS comorbidities (N=28) and extra-musculoskeletal manifestations (EMMs, N=2) within 3 years of enrollment (prespecified on the baseline case-report form) and only those occurring in ≥1% were included. Undocumented comorbidities were assumed to be absent if missing in <15% of patients, and those missing in >50% of patients were excluded. Comorbidity clusters were identified using K-median clustering. The optimal number of clusters was determined using scree plot of the sum of squared errors and “elbow” on the graph line. Baseline characteristics of the clusters were compared, and associations of with disease activity and functional status measures (primary outcomes: ASDAS-CRP and BASFI) were examined using linear regression adjusted for age and sex.

Results

There were 1,270 AS patients included with a mean age of 44.6 ±14.3 years, 74.4% males, and 81.2% whites. Mean AS symptom duration was 20.6±5.6 years, 81.6% HLA-B27 positive, and CRP elevated in 27.5% of patients at baseline. Depression was the most prevalent comorbidity (31.4%) followed by hypertension (26.1%); uveitis was the most common EMM (30.4%). The five clusters identified included depression (27%), no comorbidities (22%), hypertension (21%), uveitis (20%), and asthma/low bone mass (10%) (Figure 1). The cluster with no comorbidities was significantly younger, with lower symptom duration (p<0.001). Females had higher odds of being in the depression (OR=2.00, 95% CI 1.38- 2.90) and uveitis (OR=2.09, 95% CI 1.41-3.11) clusters compared to the cluster with no comorbidities. The number of comorbidities and clusters with depression and hypertension were significantly associated with worse disease activity and functional status (Table 1).

Table 1.

Age and sex adjusted associations between comorbidity clusters, compared to cluster 3, and baseline disease activity/ functional status measures in ankylosing spondylitis based on Linear regression models.

Cluster 1 (depression)Cluster 3 (hypertension)Cluster 4 (uveitis)Cluster 5 (asthma, low bone mass)OutcomesCoef (95% CI)Coef (95% CI)Coef (95% CI)Coef (95% CI)ASDAS-CRP0.98 (0.78-1.18)0.43 (0.18-0.68)0.04 (-0.19-0.27)0.16 (-0.12-0.44)BASFI (0-10)1.92 (1.51-2.34)1.00 (0.53-1.48)-0.03 (-0.49-0.42)0.64 (0.076-1.20)Enthesitis count1.17 (0.73-1.61)0.73 (0.19-1.26)0.18 (-0.32-0.68)0.48 (-0.13-1.08)Swollen joint count (0-44)0.27 (-0.08-0.62)0.43 (-0.01-0.86)0.31 (-0.09-0.71)-0.95 (-0.58-0.39)Tender joint count (0-46)1.24 (0.59-1.88)0.44 (-0.34-1.23)0.56 (-0.18-1.29)0.34 (-0.55-1.23)BASDAI (0-10)2.30 (1.88-2.71)0.88 (0.36-1.40)0.30 (-0.17-0.78)0.61 (0.03-1.19)Patient Global (0-10)2.25 (1.82-2.68)0.76 (0.21-1.30)-0.22 (-0.71-0.27)0.29 (-0.31-0.89)Patient Pain (0-10)2.45 (1.95-2.94)1.00 (0.37-1.62)0.19 (-0.38-0.75)0.16 (-0.54-0.85)Spinal pain (0-10)2.40 (1.89-2.91)1.05 (0.41-1.70)0.43 (-0.16-1.01)0.76 (0.04-1.47)Figure 1.

Comorbidity clusters in PSOAS cohort at baseline

Conclusion

Distinct comorbidity clusters were identified in AS patients in the PSOAS cohort. In addition to the number of comorbidities, the type of comorbidity seems to be important. Depression and hypertension clusters seem to be associated with worse disease activity and function.

Disclosure of Interests

Paras Karmacharya: None declared, Cynthia S. Crowson: None declared, Dilli Poudel: None declared, John M Davis III Consultant of: Dr. Davis has received consulting fees and/or honoraria from AbbVie and Sanofi-Genzyme (less than $10,000 each), Grant/research support from: Dr. Davis has received research support from Pfizer., Alexis Ogdie Consultant of: Dr. Ogdie has served as a consultant for AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Celgene, Corrona, Gilead, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB (less than 10,000 each), Grant/research support from: Dr. Ogdie has received grants from Novartis and Pfizer to Penn and from Amgen to Forward (grants more than 10,000)., Jean Liew Grant/research support from: Dr. Liew received grant/research support from Pfizer (> $10,000), Michael Ward: None declared, Mariko Ishimori: None declared, Michael Weisman Consultant of: Dr. Weisman received consulting fees for Novartis, UCB, Gilead, and GSK (< $10,000)., Matthew Brown: None declared, Mohammad Rahbar: None declared, Mark Hwang: None declared, John D Reveille Consultant of: JDR received consulting fees for UCB (< $10,000), Grant/research support from: Dr. Reveille received research support from Lilly and Janssen unrelated to this work., Lianne S. Gensler Consultant of: Dr. Gensler has received consulting fees for AbbVie, Eli Lilly, GSK, Gilead, Pfizer (< $10,000)., Grant/research support from: Dr. Gensler received grant/research support from UCB and Novartis (> $10,000).

OP0249 CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH POOR COVID-19 OUTCOMES IN PEOPLE WITH PSORIASIS AND SPONDYLOARTHRITIS: DATA FROM THE COVID-19 PsoProtect AND GLOBAL RHEUMATOLOGY ALLIANCE PHYSICIAN-REPORTED REGISTRIES

Background

Some factors associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes have been identified in patients with psoriasis (PsO) and inflammatory/autoimmune rheumatic diseases, namely older age, male sex, comorbidity burden, higher disease activity, and certain medications such as rituximab. However, information about specificities of patients with PsO, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), including disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) specifically licensed for these conditions, such as IL-17 inhibitors (IL-17i), IL-23/IL-12 + 23 inhibitors (IL-23/IL-12 + 23i), and apremilast, is lacking.

Objectives

To determine characteristics associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes in people with PsO, PsA and axSpA.

Methods

This study was a pooled analysis of data from two physician-reported registries: the Psoriasis Patient Registry for Outcomes, Therapy and Epidemiology of COVID-19 Infection (PsoProtect), comprising patients with PsO/PsA, and the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance (GRA) registry, comprising patients with PsA/axSpA. Data from the beginning of the pandemic up to 25 October, 2021 were included. An ordinal severity outcome was defined as: 1) not hospitalised, 2) hospitalised without death, and 3) death. A multivariable ordinal logistic regression model was constructed to assess the relationship between COVID-19 severity and demographic characteristics (age, sex, time period of infection), comorbidities (hypertension, other cardiovascular disease [CVD], chronic obstructive lung disease [COPD], asthma, other chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease, cancer, smoking, obesity, diabetes mellitus [DM]), rheumatic/skin disease (PsO, PsA, axSpA), physician-reported disease activity, and medication exposure (methotrexate, leflunomide, sulfasalazine, TNFi, IL17i, IL-23/IL-12 + 23i, Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi), apremilast, glucocorticoids [GC] and NSAIDs). Age-adjustment was performed employing four-knot restricted cubic splines. Country-adjustment was performed using random effects.

Results

A total of 5008 individuals with PsO (n=921), PsA (n=2263) and axSpA (n=1824) were included. Mean age was 50 years (SD 13.5) and 51.8% were male. Hospitalisation (without death) was observed in 14.6% of cases and 1.8% died. In the multivariable model, the following variables were associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes: older age (Figure 1), male sex (OR 1.53, 95%CI 1.29-1.82), CVD (hypertension alone: 1.26, 1.02-1.56; other CVD alone: 1.89, 1.22-2.94; vs no hypertension and no other CVD), COPD or asthma (1.75, 1.32-2.32), other lung disease (2.56, 1.66-3.97), chronic kidney disease (2.32, 1.50-3.59), obesity and DM (obesity alone: 1.36, 1.07-1.71; DM alone: 1.85, 1.39-2.47; obesity and DM: 1.89, 1.34-2.67; vs no obesity and no DM), higher disease activity and GC intake (remission/low disease activity and GC intake: 1.96, 1.36-2.82; moderate/severe disease activity and no GC intake: 1.35, 1.05-1.72; moderate/severe disease activity and GC intake 2.30, 1.41-3.74; vs remission/low disease activity and no GC intake). Conversely, the following variables were associated with less severe COVID-19 outcomes: time period after 15 June 2020 (16 June 2020-31 December 2020: 0.42, 0.34-0.51; 1 January 2021 onwards: 0.52, 0.41-0.67; vs time period until 15 June 2020), a diagnosis of PsO (without arthritis) (0.49, 0.37-0.65; vs PsA), and exposure to TNFi (0.58, 0.45-0.75; vs no DMARDs), IL17i (0.63, 0.45-0.88; vs no DMARDs), IL-23/IL-12 + 23i (0.68, 0.46-0.997; vs no DMARDs) and NSAIDs (0.77, 0.60-0.98; vs no NSAIDs).

Conclusion

More severe COVID-19 outcomes in PsO, PsA and axSpA are largely driven by demographic factors (age, sex), comorbidities, and active disease. None of the DMARDs typically used in PsO, PsA and axSpA, were associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes, including IL-17i, IL-23/IL-12 + 23i, JAKi and apremilast.

Acknowledgements

We thank all the contributors to the COVID-19 PsoProtect, GRA and EULAR Registries.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections among vaccinated individuals with rheumatic disease: results from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance provider registry

OBJECTIVE

While COVID-19 vaccination prevents severe infections, poor immunogenicity in immunocompromised people threatens vaccine effectiveness. We analysed the clinical characteristics of patients with rheumatic disease who developed breakthrough COVID-19 after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.

METHODS

We included people partially or fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 who developed COVID-19 between 5 January and 30 September 2021 and were reported to the Global Rheumatology Alliance registry. Breakthrough infections were defined as occurring ≥14 days after completion of the vaccination series, specifically 14 days after the second dose in a two-dose series or 14 days after a single-dose vaccine. We analysed patients' demographic and clinical characteristics and COVID-19 symptoms and outcomes.

RESULTS

SARS-CoV-2 infection was reported in 197 partially or fully vaccinated people with rheumatic disease (mean age 54 years, 77% female, 56% white). The majority (n=140/197, 71%) received messenger RNA vaccines. Among the fully vaccinated (n=87), infection occurred a mean of 112 (±60) days after the second vaccine dose. Among those fully vaccinated and hospitalised (n=22, age range 36-83 years), nine had used B cell-depleting therapy (BCDT), with six as monotherapy, at the time of vaccination. Three were on mycophenolate. The majority (n=14/22, 64%) were not taking systemic glucocorticoids. Eight patients had pre-existing lung disease and five patients died.

CONCLUSION

More than half of fully vaccinated individuals with breakthrough infections requiring hospitalisation were on BCDT or mycophenolate. Further risk mitigation strategies are likely needed to protect this selected high-risk population.

The Impact of Covid-19 on rheumatology training - Results from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance trainee survey

Objective

The aim was to evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the clinical experiences, research opportunities and well-being of rheumatology trainees.

Methods

A voluntary, anonymous, Web-based survey was administered in English, Spanish or French from 19 August 2020 to 5 October 2020. Adult and paediatric rheumatology trainees were invited to participate via social media and email. Using multiple-choice questions and Likert scales, the perceptions of trainees regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient care and redeployment, learning and supervision, research and well-being were assessed.

Results

There were 302 respondents from 33 countries, with 83% in adult rheumatology training. An increase in non-rheumatology clinical work was reported by 45%, with 68% of these having been redeployed to COVID-19. Overall, trainees reported a negative impact on their learning opportunities during rheumatology training, including outpatient clinics (79%), inpatient consultations (59%), didactic teaching (55%), procedures (53%), teaching opportunities (52%) and ultrasonography (36%). Impacts on research experiences were reported by 46% of respondents, with 39% of these reporting that COVID-19 negatively affected their ability to continue their pre-pandemic research. Burnout and increases in stress were reported by 50% and 68%, respectively. Physical health was negatively impacted by training programme changes in 25% of respondents.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on rheumatology training and trainee well-being. Our study highlights the extent of this impact on research opportunities and clinical care, which are highly relevant to future curriculum planning and the clinical learning environment.

Characteristics associated with poor COVID-19 outcomes in individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus: data from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance

Aim

To determine characteristics associated with more severe outcomes in a global registry of people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and COVID-19.

Methods

People with SLE and COVID-19 reported in the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance registry from March 2020 to June 2021 were included. The ordinal outcome was defined as: (1) not hospitalised, (2) hospitalised with no oxygenation, (3) hospitalised with any ventilation or oxygenation and (4) death. A multivariable ordinal logistic regression model was constructed to assess the relationship between COVID-19 severity and demographic characteristics, comorbidities, medications and disease activity.

Results

A total of 1606 people with SLE were included. In the multivariable model, older age (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.04), male sex (1.50, 1.01 to 2.23), prednisone dose (1–5 mg/day 1.86, 1.20 to 2.66, 6–9 mg/day 2.47, 1.24 to 4.86 and ≥10 mg/day 1.95, 1.27 to 2.99), no current treatment (1.80, 1.17 to 2.75), comorbidities (eg, kidney disease 3.51, 2.42 to 5.09, cardiovascular disease/hypertension 1.69, 1.25 to 2.29) and moderate or high SLE disease activity (vs remission; 1.61, 1.02 to 2.54 and 3.94, 2.11 to 7.34, respectively) were associated with more severe outcomes. In age-adjusted and sex-adjusted models, mycophenolate, rituximab and cyclophosphamide were associated with worse outcomes compared with hydroxychloroquine; outcomes were more favourable with methotrexate and belimumab.

Conclusions

More severe COVID-19 outcomes in individuals with SLE are largely driven by demographic factors, comorbidities and untreated or active SLE. Patients using glucocorticoids also experienced more severe outcomes.

Rapid Adoption of Telemedicine in Rheumatology Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights Training and Supervision Concerns Among Rheumatology Trainees

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of telemedicine use during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on rheumatology trainees.

METHODS

A voluntary, anonymous, web-based survey was administered in English, Spanish, or French from August 19 to October 5, 2020. Adult and pediatric rheumatology trainees were invited to participate via social media and email. Using multiple-choice questions and Likert scales, the survey assessed prior and current telemedicine use, impact on training, and supervision after COVID-19 prompted rapid telemedicine implementation.

RESULTS

Surveys were received from 302 trainees from 33 countries, with 83% in adult rheumatology training programs. Reported telemedicine use increased from 13% before the pandemic to 82% during the pandemic. United States trainees predominantly used video visits, whereas outside the United States telemedicine was predominantly audio only. Most (65%) evaluated new patients using telemedicine. More respondents were comfortable using telemedicine for follow-up patients (69%) than for new patients (25%). Only 39% of respondents reported receiving telemedicine-focused training, including instruction on software, clinical skills, and billing, whereas more than half of United States trainees (59%) had training. Postconsultation verbal discussion was the most frequent form of supervision; 24% reported no supervision. Trainees found that telemedicine negatively impacted supervision (50%) and the quality of clinical teaching received (70%), with only 9% reporting a positive impact.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite widespread uptake of telemedicine, a low proportion of trainees received telemedicine training, and many lacked comfort in evaluating patients, particularly new patients. Inadequate supervision and clinical teaching were areas of concern. If telemedicine remains in widespread use, ensuring appropriate trainee supervision and teaching should be prioritized.

POS1422 CORRELATES OF TESTING POSITIVE FOR SARS-COV-2 IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC AD MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASES

Background:

Many studies on COVID-19 outcomes in patients with RMD have either restricted to COVID positive RMD patients or compared them to the general clinic population as a comparator. Given heterogeneity in behaviors and risks, clinical characteristics associated with a positive diagnosis among patients with RMD seeking testing for Sars-CoV-2 remain less well studied.

Objectives:

Among patients with RMD receiving a Sars-CoV-2 PCR test, we aimed to identify RMD-related factors associated with a positive test result.

Methods:

Among patients seen at least once in the University of Washington (UW) rheumatology clinics between March 2018 to March 2020, we reviewed electronic medical records to identify patients undergoing Sars-CoV-2 PCR testing from March 1 through October 31, 2020. Patients with RMD were categorized into two groups: those who tested positive for Sars-CoV-2 and those who tested negative. We randomly selected patients from the negative group in a 2:1 ratio for further data abstraction. Student’s t-test and Chi-squared tests were used to compare continuous and categorical variables, respectively, between the groups. To determine the correlates of testing positive for Sars-CoV-2, specifically RMD medication use and disease activity, we constructed different multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, presence of comorbidities, body mass index, and smoking.

Results:

A total of 2768 RMD patients underwent SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing within the UW system, of whom 43 (1.5%) were positive at least once. Three patients with incomplete information were excluded. Patients who tested positive had higher prevalence of end stage renal disease (ESRD)/chronic kidney disease (CKD) (24% versus 11%), had higher rates of active disease (24% versus 20%), were older (>55 years) (mean age 57.3 versus 54.8 years), male (63% versus 55%), non-white race/ethnicity (32% versus 26%), and higher prevalence of multiple comorbidities (42% versus 31%) (Table 1). In the multivariable models, neither RMD medication use (versus no use, Table 1) nor high disease activity (vs low disease activity/remission) were statistically significantly associated with COVID-19 positivity. Among the 41 COVID-19 positive patients, a majority recovered without specific treatments, although approximately one third of the positive patients were hospitalized and three deaths were observed.

Conclusion:

In this study, patients who tested positive did not differ in many ways from those who tested negative.

Table 1.

Baseline characteristics of the patients prior to COVID testing

VariablesAll(N=126)COVID Positive (N=41)COVID Negative(N=85)P valueAge in years – mean (SD)55.6 (15.3)57.3 (16.3)54.8 (14.9)0.40Sex0.39 Male73 (57.9)26 (63.4)47 (55.3) Female53 (42.1)15 (36.6)38 (44.7)Race0.39 White89 (71.2)26 (63.4)63 (74.1) Other race35 (28.2)13 (31.7)22 (25.9) Missing2 (1.6)2 (4.9)0 (0.0)Rheumatic disease0.64 OA/Crystal/Fibromyalgia37 (29.4)11 (26.8)26 (30.6) RA/SpA32 (25.4)9 (22.0)23 (27.1) All others57 (45.2)21 (51.2)36 (42.3)Rheumatic disease activity0.57 Active27 (21.4)10 (24.4)17 (20.0) Not active99 (78.6)31 (75.6)68 (80.0)Co-morbidities  Diabetes mellitus (%)25 (19.8)9 (22.0)16 (18.8)0.68  Hypertension48 (38.1)20 (48.8)28 (32.9)0.09  Cardiovascular disease23 (18.3)9 (22.0)14 (16.5)0.46  Lung disease25 (19.8)10 (24.4)15 (17.7)0.37  Cancer10 (7.9)3 (7.3)7 (8.2)0.86  ESRD/CKD19 (15.1)10 (24.4)9 (10.6)0.04*

BMI: Body mass index; SD: Standard deviation; OA: Osteoarthritis; Crystal: Crystalline diseases; RA: Rheumatoid arthritis; SpA: Spondyloarthritis

Acknowledgements:

The work in this study was supported by grant UL1 TR002319 to Dr Singh from the Institute of Translational Health Sciences of the University of Washington.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0051 THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON RHEUMATOLOGY TRAINING: RESULTS FROM THE COVID-19 GLOBAL RHEUMATOLOGY ALLIANCE TRAINEE SURVEY

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare delivery and education of physicians, including rheumatology trainees.

Objectives:

To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clinical experiences, research opportunities, and well-being of rheumatology trainees.

Methods:

A voluntary, anonymous, web-based survey was administered in English, Spanish, or French from 19/08/2020 to 05/10/2020. Adult and paediatric rheumatology trainees worldwide in training in 2020 were invited to participate via social media and email. Using multiple choice questions, Likert scales, and free text answers, we assessed trainee patient care activities, redeployment, research, and well-being.

Results:

The 302 respondents were from 33 countries, with most (83%, 252/302) in adult rheumatology training. Many trainees (45%, 135/300) reported an increase in non-rheumatology clinical work (e.g. care of COVID-19 patients), with 52% of these (70/135) also continuing rheumatology clinical work. COVID-19 redeployment was not optional for 68% (91/134).

Trainees reported a negative impact of the pandemic in their growth in rheumatology (Figure 1). They also reported a substantial impact on several training areas: outpatient clinics (79%, 238/302), inpatient consultations (59%, 177/302), formal teaching (55%, 167/302), procedures (53%, 147/302), teaching opportunities (52%, 157/302), and ultrasonography (36%, 110/302), with 87-96% perceiving a negative impact on these areas. Only 54% (159/294) reported feeling comfortable with their level of clinical supervision during the pandemic (Figure 1).

Many trainees (46%, 128/280) reported changes in research experiences during the pandemic; 39% (110/285) reported that COVID-19 negatively affected their ability to continue their pre-pandemic research and 50% (142/285) reported difficulty maintaining research goals (Figure 1).

Some rheumatology trainees reported having health condition(s) putting them at high risk for COVID-19 (10%, 30/302) and 14% of trainees (41/302) reported having had COVID-19 (Table 1). Only 53% (160/302) reported feeling physically safe in the workplace while 25% (76/302) reported not feeling physically safe; reasons included lack of training about COVID-19, lack of comfort in the clinical setting, insufficient personal protective equipment, immunocompromised state, and pregnancy. Half (151/302) reported burnout and 68% (204/302) an increase in stress from work during the pandemic (Figure 1), whilst 25% (75/302) reported that changes to their training programme negatively impacted their physical health.

Conclusion:

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the experience of rheumatology training as well as the well-being of trainees globally. Our data highlight concerns for rheumatology trainees including research opportunities and clinical care which should be a focus for curriculum planning.

Figure 1.

Rheumatology trainee perceptions of pandemic impact and changes in training programme.

Table 1.

Estimated hazard ratios, adjusted for age and gender, for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis

Europen = 89ROWn = 213Combinedn = 302Disability1 (1)9 (4)10 (3)High risk7 (8)23 (11)30 (10)Pregnant4 (5)15 (7)19 (6)Shielding/Quarantining12 (13)70 (33)82 (27)Acquired COVID-1920 (22)21 (10)41 (14)

Disclosure of Interests:

Kristen Young: None declared, Su-Ann Yeoh: None declared, Michael Putman: None declared, Elizabeth Graef: None declared, Francis Berenbaum: None declared, Richard Conway: None declared, Rebecca Grainger Speakers bureau: Speaker fees from Abbvie, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Cornerstones, all not related to this work, Consultant of: Consultancy fees from Abbvie, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Cornerstones, all not related to this work, Grant/research support from: Travel assistance from Pfizer, not related to this work, Adam Kilian: None declared, Maximilian Konig: None declared, Jean Liew Grant/research support from: Research grant from Pfizer unrelated to this manuscript, Pedro M Machado Speakers bureau: Speaker fees from Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Orphazyme, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, all unrelated to this manuscript, Consultant of: Consulting fees from Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Orphazyme, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, all unrelated to this manuscript, Sebastian E. Sattui: None declared, Jeffrey Sparks Consultant of: Consultancy for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, Inova Diagnostics, Optum, and Pfizer unrelated to this manuscript, Grant/research support from: Research support from Bristol-Myers Squibb unrelated to this manuscript, Paul Sufka: None declared, Manuel Ugarte-Gil Grant/research support from: Research grants from Janssen and Pfizer unrelated to this manuscript, Laura Upton: None declared, Zachary Wallace: None declared, Jinoos Yazdany Consultant of: Consultancy for Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer, not related to this work, Grant/research support from: Research grants from Gilead and Pfizer, not related to this work, Arundathi Jayatilleke: None declared.

POS0487 ASSOCIATION OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS WITH MORTALITY IN A COHORT OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE PATIENTS

Background:

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. RA is also associated with increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (1, 2), which is a known cardiovascular risk factor (3). We hypothesized that RA (compared with no RA) would be associated with increased risk of mortality among a cohort of patients with CKD.

Objectives:

To determine the risk of mortality in RA patients with CKD.

Methods:

This study was conducted using participants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) prospective Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) study. Approximately 3600 participants were enrolled from seven US clinical centers. Patients aged 21 – 74 years with mild to moderate CKD were eligible for enrollment. The primary outcome of interest was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes of interest included: kidney event defined as end stage renal disease (ESRD) or 50% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), myocardial infarction (MI), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), heart failure and a composite cardiovascular endpoint. The association of RA mortality over time was examined using Cox multivariate proportional hazards regression, adjusting for potential covariates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, BMI, current smoker, education).

Results:

The study cohort included 492 participants with self-reported RA with a mean follow up of 9.5 years. Compared to the non-RA group, RA patients tended to be older, female, Black. Hypertension, diabetes, use of prednisone was more prevalent among the RA cohort. The unadjusted hazards ratio (HR) for mortality based on RA status was 1.45 (1.26, 1.67) but this association was attenuated after adjusting for the confounding factors [aHR 1.09 (0.94, 1.27)] (Table 1). Participants with RA had a significantly higher risk for heart failure than those without RA [aHR 1.17 (1.02, 1.34)]. We did not observe a statistically significant association between RA status and other secondary outcomes.

Conclusion:

RA was not associated with higher mortality among participants with CKD. However, RA was associated with higher rates of heart failure. Further studies evaluating the mechanisms behind this association are needed.

References:

[1]Kochi M, Kohagura K, Shiohira Y, Iseki K, Ohya Y. Chronic kidney disease, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease risk in rheumatoid arthritis. J Cardiol. 2018;71(3):277-83.

[2]Sumida K, Molnar MZ, Potukuchi PK, Hassan F, Thomas F, Yamagata K, et al. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with biologic agents lowers the risk of incident chronic kidney disease. Kidney Int. 2018;93(5):1207-16.

[3]Chiu HY, Huang HL, Li CH, Chen HA, Yeh CL, Chiu SH, et al. Increased Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis Associated with Cardiovascular Complications - A National Population-Based Cohort Study. PLoS One. 2015;10(9):e0136508.

[4]Muthukumar P, Dhanapriya J, Gopalakrishnan N, Dineshkumar T, Sakthirajan R, Balasubramaniyan T. Evaluation of renal lesions and clinicopathologic correlation in rheumatoid arthritis. Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl. 2017;28(1):44-50.

Table 1.

Estimated hazard ratios (HR) for various outcomes from Cox proportional hazards regression for RA status

UnadjustedModel 1Model 2HR (95% CI)HR (95% CI)HR (95% CI)Death1.45 (1.26, 1.67)1.09 (0.94, 1.27)1.13 (0.97, 1.32)MI or death1.43 (1.25, 1.63)1.09 (0.95, 1.26)1.15 (0.99, 1.33)CVA or death1.42 (1.24, 1.63)1.07 (0.92, 1.24)1.11 (0.95, 1.29)CHF or death1.54 (1.35, 1.75)1.17 (1.02, 1.34)1.22 (1.06, 1.40)Composite1.49 (1.31, 1.69)1.13 (0.99, 1.30)1.18 (1.03, 1.35)Kidney event1.09 (0.94, 1.27)0.91 (0.78, 1.07)1.01 (0.85, 1.20)

Model 1 adjusted for: age, sex, race/ethnicity, BMI, current smoker, education

Model 2 adjusted for: model 1 + cardiovascular risk factors (urine albumin creatinine ratio, systolic blood pressure, estimated glomerular filtration rate)

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

OP0286 CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE COVID-19 OUTCOMES IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS (SLE): RESULTS FROM THE COVID-19 GLOBAL RHEUMATOLOGY ALLIANCE (COVID-19 GRA)

Background:

An increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes may be seen in patients with autoimmune diseases on moderate to high daily doses of glucocorticoids, as well as in those with comorbidities. However, specific information about COVID-19 outcomes in SLE is scarce.

Objectives:

To determine the characteristics associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes in a multi-national cross-sectional registry of COVID-19 patients with SLE.

Methods:

SLE adult patients from a physician-reported registry of the COVID-19 GRA were studied. Variables collected at COVID-19 diagnosis included age, sex, race/ethnicity, region, comorbidities, disease activity, time period of COVID-19 diagnosis, glucocorticoid (GC) dose, and immunomodulatory therapy. Immunomodulatory therapy was categorized as: antimalarials only, no SLE therapy, traditional immunosuppressive (IS) drug monotherapy, biologics/targeted synthetic IS drug monotherapy, and biologic and traditional IS drug combination therapy. We used an ordinal COVID-19 severity outcome defined as: not hospitalized/hospitalized without supplementary oxygen; hospitalized with non-invasive ventilation; hospitalized with mechanical ventilation/extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; and death. An ordinal logistic regression model was constructed to assess the association between demographic characteristics, comorbidities, medications, disease activity and COVID-19 severity. This assumed that the relationship between each pair of outcome groups is of the same direction and magnitude.

Results:

Of 1069 SLE patients included, 1047 (89.6%) were female, with a mean age of 44.5 (SD: 14.1) years. Patient outcomes included 815 (78.8%) not hospitalized/hospitalized without supplementary oxygen; 116 (11.2) hospitalized with non-invasive ventilation, 25 (2.4%) hospitalized with mechanical ventilation/extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and 78 (7.5%) died. In a multivariate model (n=804), increased age [OR=1.03 (1.01, 1.04)], male sex [OR =1.93 (1.21, 3.08)], COVID-19 diagnosis between June 2020 and January 2021 (OR =1.87 (1.17, 3.00)), no IS drug use [OR =2.29 (1.34, 3.91)], chronic renal disease [OR =2.34 (1.48, 3.70)], cardiovascular disease [OR =1.93 (1.34, 3.91)] and moderate/high disease activity [OR =2.24 (1.46, 3.43)] were associated with more severe COVID-19 outcomes. Compared with no use of GC, patients using GC had a higher odds of poor outcome: 0-5 mg/d, OR =1.98 (1.33, 2.96); 5-10 mg/d, OR =2.88 (1.27, 6.56); >10 mg/d, OR =2.01 (1.26, 3.21) (Table 1).

Table 1.

Characteristics associated with more severe COVID-19 outcomes in SLE. (N=804)

OR (95% CI)Age, years1.03 (1.01, 1.04)Sex, Male1.93 (1.21, 3.08)Race/Ethnicity, Non-White vs White1.47 (0.87, 2.50)RegionEuropeRef.North America0.67 (0.29, 1.54)South America0.67 (0.29, 1.54)Other1.93 (0.85, 4.39)Season, June 16th 2020-January 8th 2021 vs January-June 15th 20201.87 (1.17, 3.00)Glucocorticoids0 mg/dayRef.0-5 mg/day1.98 (1.33, 2.96)5-10 mg/day2.88 (1.27, 6.56)=>10 mg/day2.01 (1.26, 3.21)Medication CategoryAntimalarial onlyRef.No IS drugs2.29 (1.34, 3.91)Traditional IS drugs as monotherapy1.17 (0.77, 1.77)b/ts IS drugs as monotherapy1.00 (0.37, 2.71)Combination of traditional and b/ts IS1.00 (0.55, 1.82)Comorbidity BurdenNumber of Comorbidities (excluding renal and cardiovascular disease)1.39 (0.97, 1.99)Chronic renal disease2.34 (1.48, 3.70)Cardiovascular disease1.93 (1.34, 3.91)Disease Activity, Moderate/ high vs Remission/ low 2.24 (1.46, 3.43)

IS: immunosuppressive. b/ts: biologics/targeted synthetics

Conclusion:

Increased age, male sex, glucocorticoid use, chronic renal disease, cardiovascular disease and moderate/high disease activity at time of COVID-19 diagnosis were associated with more severe COVID-19 outcomes in SLE. Potential limitations include possible selection bias (physician reporting), the cross-sectional nature of the data, and the assumptions underlying the outcomes modelling.

Acknowledgements:

The views expressed here are those of the authors and participating members of the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance and do not necessarily represent the views of the ACR, EULAR) the UK National Health Service, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), or the UK Department of Health, or any other organization.

Disclosure of Interests:

Manuel F. Ugarte-Gil Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Janssen, Graciela S Alarcon: None declared, Andrea Seet: None declared, Zara Izadi: None declared, Cristina Reategui Sokolova: None declared, Ann E Clarke Consultant of: AstraZeneca, BristolMyersSquibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Exagen Diagnostics, Leanna Wise: None declared, Guillermo Pons-Estel: None declared, Maria Jose Santos: None declared, Sasha Bernatsky: None declared, Lauren Mathias: None declared, Nathan Lim: None declared, Jeffrey Sparks Consultant of: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, Inova, Janssen, and Optum unrelated to this work., Grant/research support from: Amgen and Bristol-Myers Squibb, Zachary Wallace Consultant of: Viela Bio and MedPace, Grant/research support from: Bristol-Myers Squibb and Principia/Sanofi, Kimme Hyrich Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Grant/research support from: MS, UCB, and Pfizer, Anja Strangfeld Speakers bureau: AbbVie, MSD, Roche, BMS, Pfizer, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, BMS, Celltrion, Fresenius Kabi, Lilly, Mylan, Hexal, MSD, Pfizer, Roche, Samsung, Sanofi-Aventis, and UCB, Laure Gossec Consultant of: Abbvie, Biogen, Celgene, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, Grant/research support from: Lilly, Mylan, Pfizer, Loreto Carmona: None declared, Elsa Mateus Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Abbvie, Novartis, Janssen-Cilag, Lilly Portugal, Sanofi, Grünenthal S.A., MSD, Celgene, Medac, Pharmakern, GAfPA, Saskia Lawson-Tovey: None declared, Laura Trupin: None declared, Stephanie Rush: None declared, Gabriela Schmajuk: None declared, Patti Katz: None declared, Lindsay Jacobsohn: None declared, Samar Al Emadi: None declared, Emily Gilbert: None declared, Ali Duarte-Garcia: None declared, Maria Valenzuela-Almada: None declared, Tiffany Hsu: None declared, Kristin D’Silva: None declared, Naomi Serling-Boyd: None declared, Philippe Dieudé Consultant of: Boerhinger Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lilly, Sanofi, Pfizer, Chugai, Roche, Janssen unrelated to this work, Grant/research support from: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Chugaii, Pfizer, unrelated to this work, Elena Nikiphorou: None declared, Vanessa Kronzer: None declared, Namrata Singh: None declared, Beth Wallace: None declared, Akpabio Akpabio: None declared, Ranjeny Thomas: None declared, Suleman Bhana Consultant of: AbbVie, Horizon, Novartis, and Pfizer (all <$10,000) unrelated to this work, Wendy Costello: None declared, Rebecca Grainger Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Cornerstones, Jonathan Hausmann Consultant of: Novartis, Sobi, Biogen, all unrelated to this work (<$10,000), Jean Liew Grant/research support from: Pfizer outside the submitted work, Emily Sirotich Grant/research support from: Board Member of the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, a patient run, volunteer based organization whose activities are largely supported by independent grants from pharmaceutical companies, Paul Sufka: None declared, Philip Robinson Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB (all < $10,000), Consultant of: Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB (all < $10,000), Pedro Machado Speakers bureau: Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, all unrelated to this study (all < $10,000)., Consultant of: Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, all unrelated to this study (all < $10,000), Milena Gianfrancesco: None declared, Jinoos Yazdany Consultant of: Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca unrelated to this project

AB0674 RAPID ADOPTION OF TELEMEDICINE IN RHEUMATOLOGY TRAINING: RESULTS FROM THE COVID-19 GLOBAL RHEUMATOLOGY ALLIANCE TRAINEE SURVEY

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a rapid increase in remote consultations in rheumatology care. Due to the potential impact of this change on rheumatology clinical training, we investigated trainees’ experiences with telemedicine.

Objectives:

To assess the impact of telemedicine use during the COVID-19 pandemic on rheumatology training, including supervision.

Methods:

A voluntary, anonymous web-based survey was administered in English, Spanish, or French from 19/08/2020 to 05/10/2020. Adult and paediatric rheumatology trainees worldwide in training in 2020 were invited to participate via social media and email. Using multiple choice questions, Likert scales, and free text answers, we collected data regarding prior and current telemedicine use, training, and supervision.

Results:

302 respondents from 33 countries completed the survey, with most (83%, 252/302) in adult rheumatology training. Reported use of telemedicine increased from 13% (39/302) pre-pandemic to 82% (247/302) (Table 1). European trainees predominantly utilised audio-only compared to trainees from the rest of the world (ROW) who predominantly utilised audio-video telemedicine.

Most trainees continued to evaluate new patients using telemedicine (65%, 161/247). A larger proportion of trainees were comfortable using telemedicine to evaluate follow-up (69% 170/247) versus new patients (25%, 41/161) (Figure 1).

Only 32% (97/302) were trained in telemedicine, with the highest proportion among United States (US) trainees (59%, 69/116); subjects included software, clinical skills, and billing. The majority of trainees found this helpful (92%, 89/97).

Supervision was most frequently in the form of verbal discussion after the consultation (Table 1); 24% (59/247) had no telemedicine supervision during the pandemic. In general, trainees found telemedicine negatively impacted their supervision (51%, 123/242) and clinical teaching quality (70%, 171/244); only 9% reported a positive impact on these areas.

Conclusion:

Adoption of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to areas of concern for rheumatology trainees including inadequate supervision and clinical teaching. Our results suggest a need for education on evaluation of new patients using telemedicine, increasing telemedicine training, and ensuring adequate supervisory arrangements.

Table 1.

Telemedicine use, supervision, and training by region. Data is presented as n (%). Rest of the world (ROW) data includes Asia (50), Central and South America (23), Canada (12), Australia (8), and Africa (4).

Europen = 89USn = 116ROWn = 97Combinedn = 302Telemedicine usePre-pandemic15 (17)9 (8)15 (15)39 (13)During pandemic64 (72)112 (97)71 (73)247 (82)Telemedicine modalitypre-pandemicAudio-only14 (93)3 (33)8 (53)25 (64)Audio-video1 (7)7 (78)7 (47)15 (38)Telemedicine modality during pandemicAudio-only56 (88)47 (42)51 (72)154 (62)Audio-video7 (11)100 (89)29 (41)136 (55)Supervisionpre-pandemicReal-time observation (part of visit)0 (0)4 (44)3 (20)7 (18)Real-time observation (full visit)0 (0)2 (22)2 (13)4 (10)Verbal discussion after8 (53)3 (33)7 (47)18 (46)Written communication after0 (0)0 (0)1 (7)1 (3)None7 (47)2 (22)5 (33)14 (36)Supervision during pandemicReal-time observation (part of visit)2 (3)54 (48)15 (21)71 (29)Real-time observation (full visit)3 (5)32 (29)8 (11)43 (17)Verbal discussion after32 (50)65 (58)28 (39)125 (51)Written communication after7 (11)15 (13)9 (13)31 (13)None28 (44)9 (8)22 (31)59 (24)Figure 1.

Rheumatology trainee comfort levels in using telemedicine during the pandemic.

Disclosure of Interests:

Su-Ann Yeoh: None declared, Kristen Young: None declared, Michael Putman: None declared, Elizabeth Graef: None declared, Francis Berenbaum: None declared, Richard Conway: None declared, Rebecca Grainger Speakers bureau: Speaker fees from Abbvie, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Cornerstones, all not related to this work, Consultant of: Consultancy fees from Abbvie, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Cornerstones, all not related to this work, Grant/research support from: Travel assistance from Pfizer, not related to this work, Adam Kilian: None declared, Maximilian Konig: None declared, Jean Liew Grant/research support from: Research grant from Pfizer unrelated to this manuscript, Pedro M Machado Speakers bureau: Speaker fees from Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Orphazyme, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, all unrelated to this manuscript, Consultant of: Consulting fees from Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Orphazyme, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, all unrelated to this manuscript, Sebastian E. Sattui: None declared, Jeffrey Sparks Consultant of: Consultancy for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, Inova Diagnostics, Optum, and Pfizer unrelated to this manuscript, Grant/research support from: Research support from Bristol-Myers Squibb unrelated to this manuscript, Paul Sufka: None declared, Manuel Ugarte-Gil Grant/research support from: Research grants from Janssen and Pfizer unrelated to this manuscript, Laura Upton: None declared, Zachary Wallace: None declared, Jinoos Yazdany Consultant of: Consultancy for Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer, not related to this work, Grant/research support from: Research grants from Gilead and Pfizer, not related to this work, Arundathi Jayatilleke: None declared

OP0288 MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHMS TO PREDICT COVID-19 ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASES: RESULTS FROM THE GLOBAL RHEUMATOLOGY ALLIANCE PROVIDER REGISTRY

Background:

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening complication of COVID-19 and has been reported in approximately one-third of hospitalized patients with COVID-191. Risk factors associated with the development of ARDS include older age and diabetes2. However, little is known about factors associated with ARDS in the setting of COVID-19, in patients with rheumatic disease or those receiving immunosuppressive medications. Prediction algorithms using traditional regression methods perform poorly with rare outcomes, often yielding high specificity but very low sensitivity. Machine learning algorithms optimized for rare events are an alternative approach with potentially improved sensitivity for rare events, such as ARDS in COVID-19 among patients with rheumatic disease.

Objectives:

We aimed to develop a prediction model for ARDS in people with COVID-19 and pre-existing rheumatic disease using a series of machine learning algorithms and to identify risk factors associated with ARDS in this population.

Methods:

We used data from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance (GRA) Registry from March 24 to Nov 1, 2020. ARDS diagnosis was indicated by the reporting clinician. Five machine learning algorithms optimized for rare events predicted ARDS using 42 variables covering patient demographics, rheumatic disease diagnoses, medications used at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis, and comorbidities. Model performance was assessed using accuracy, area under curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. Adjusted odds ratios corresponding to the 10 most influential predictors from the best performing model were derived using hierarchical multivariate mixed-effects logistic regression that accounted for within-country correlations.

Results:

A total of 5,931 COVID-19 cases from 67 countries were included in the analysis. Mean (SD) age was 54.9 (16.0) years, 4,152 (70.0%) were female, and 2,399 (40.5%) were hospitalized. ARDS was reported in 388 (6.5% of total and 15.6% of hospitalized) cases. Statistically significant differences in the risk of ARDS were observed by demographics, diagnoses, medications, and comorbidities using unadjusted univariate comparisons (data not shown). Gradient boosting machine (GBM) had the highest sensitivity (0.81) and was considered the best performing model (Table 1). Hypertension, interstitial lung disease, kidney disease, diabetes, older age, glucocorticoids, and anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies were associated with the development of ARDS while tumor necrosis factor inhibitors were associated with a protective effect (Figure 1).

Table 1.

Performance of machine learning algorithms.

GBMSVMGLMNETNNETRFAccuracy0.790.680.660.660.67AUC0.750.700.740.580.74Sensitivity0.810.680.650.680.67Specificity0.490.600.730.480.68PPV0.960.960.970.950.97NPV0.160.120.130.090.13

GBM: Gradient Boosting Machine, SVM: Support vector machines, GLMNET: Lasso and Elastic-Net Regularized Generalized Linear Models, NNET: Neural Networks, RF: Random Forest. AUC: Area Under Curve; PPV: Positive Predictive Value; NPV: Negative Predictive Value.

Conclusion:

In this global cohort of patients with rheumatic disease, a machine learning model, GBM, predicted the onset of ARDS with 81% sensitivity using baseline information obtained at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis. These results identify patients who may be at higher risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. Further studies are necessary to validate the proposed prediction model in external cohorts and to evaluate its clinical utility. Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and participating members of the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance, and do not necessarily represent the views of the ACR, NIH, (UK) NHS, NIHR, or the department of Health.

References:

[1]Tzotzos SJ, Fischer B, Fischer H, Zeitlinger M. 2020;24(1):516.

[2]Wu C, Chen X, Cai Y, et al. JAMA Intern Med. 2020;180(7):934-943.

Acknowledgements:

The COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance.

Disclosure of Interests:

Zara Izadi: None declared, Milena Gianfrancesco: None declared, Kimme Hyrich Speakers bureau: Abbvie and grant income from BMS, UCB, and Pfizer, all unrelated to this study., Anja Strangfeld Speakers bureau: AbbVie, MSD, Roche, BMS, Pfizer, outside the submitted work., Grant/research support from: A consortium of 13 companies (among them AbbVie, BMS, Celltrion, Fresenius Kabi, Lilly, Mylan, Hexal, MSD, Pfizer, Roche, Samsung, Sanofi-Aventis, and UCB) supporting the German RABBIT register., Laure Gossec Consultant of: Abbvie, Biogen, Celgene, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB., Grant/research support from: Lilly, Mylan, Pfizer, all unrelated to this study., Loreto Carmona Consultant of: Loreto Carmona’s institute works by contract for laboratories among other institutions, such as Abbvie Spain, Eisai, Gebro Pharma, Merck Sharp & Dohme España, S.A., Novartis, Farmaceutica, Pfizer, Roche Farma, Sanofi Aventis, Astellas Pharma, Actelion Pharmaceuticals España, Grünenthal GmbH, and UCB Pharma., Elsa Mateus Grant/research support from: LPCDR received grants from Abbvie, Novartis, Janssen-Cilag, Lilly Portugal, Sanofi, Grünenthal S.A., MSD, Celgene, Medac, Pharmakern, GAfPA and Pfizer., Saskia Lawson-Tovey: None declared, Laura Trupin: None declared, Stephanie Rush: None declared, Gabriela Schmajuk: None declared, Lindsay Jacobsohn: None declared, Patti Katz: None declared, Samar Al Emadi: None declared, Leanna Wise: None declared, Emily Gilbert: None declared, Maria Valenzuela-Almada: None declared, Ali Duarte-Garcia: None declared, Jeffrey Sparks Consultant of: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, Inova, Janssen, and Optum unrelated to this work., Grant/research support from: Amgen and Bristol-Myers Squibb., Tiffany Hsu: None declared, Kristin D’Silva: None declared, Naomi Serling-Boyd: None declared, Suleman Bhana Employee of: Suleman Bhana reports non-branded marketing campaigns for Novartis (<$10,000)., Wendy Costello: None declared, Rebecca Grainger Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Cornerstones and travel assistance from Pfizer (all < $10,000)., Jonathan Hausmann Consultant of: Novartis, unrelated to this work (<$10,000)., Jean Liew Grant/research support from: Pfizer, outside the submitted work., Emily Sirotich Grant/research support from: Emily Sirotich is a Board Member of the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, a patient run, volunteer-based organization whose activities are largely supported by independent grants from pharmaceutical companies., Paul Sufka: None declared, Zachary Wallace Consultant of: Viela Bio and MedPace, outside the submitted work., Grant/research support from: Bristol-Myers Squibb and Principia/Sanofi., Pedro Machado Speakers bureau: Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, all unrelated to this study (all < $10,000)., Philip Robinson Consultant of: Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB and travel assistance from Roche (all < $10,000)., Jinoos Yazdany Consultant of: Eli Lilly and Astra Zeneca, unrelated to this project.

OP0006 ASSOCIATIONS OF BASELINE USE OF BIOLOGIC OR TARGETED SYNTHETIC DMARDS WITH COVID-19 SEVERITY IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: RESULTS FROM THE COVID-19 GLOBAL RHEUMATOLOGY ALLIANCE

Background:

Targeted DMARDs may dampen the inflammatory response in COVID-19, perhaps leading to a less severe clinical course. However, some DMARD targets may impair viral immune defenses. Due to sample size limitations, previous studies of DMARD use and COVID-19 outcomes have combined several heterogeneous rheumatic diseases and medications, investigating a single outcome (e.g., hospitalization).

Objectives:

To investigate the associations of baseline use of biologic or targeted synthetic (b/ts) DMARDs with a range of poor COVID-19 outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods:

We analyzed voluntarily reported cases of COVID-19 in patients with rheumatic diseases in the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance physician registry (March 12, 2020 - January 6, 2021). We investigated RA treated with b/tsDMARD at the clinical onset of COVID-19 (baseline): abatacept (ABA), rituximab (RTX), Janus kinase inhibitors (JAK), interleukin-6 inhibitors (IL6i), or tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). The outcome was an ordinal scale (1-4) for COVID-19 severity: 1) no hospitalization, 2) hospitalization without oxygen need, 3) hospitalization with any oxygen need or ventilation, or 4) death. Baseline covariates including age, sex, smoking, obesity, comorbidities (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancer, interstitial lung disease [ILD]), concomitant non-biologic DMARD use, glucocorticoid use/dose, RA disease activity, country, and calendar time were used to estimate propensity scores (PS) for b/tsDMARD. The primary analysis used PS matching to compare each drug class to TNFi. Ordinal logistic regression estimated ORs for the COVID-19 severity outcome. In a sensitivity analysis, we used traditional multivariable ordinal logistic regression adjusting for covariates without matching.

Results:

Of the 1,673 patients with RA on b/tsDMARDs at the onset of COVID-19, (mean age 56.7 years, 79.6% female) there were n=154 on ABA, n=224 on RTX, n=306 on JAK, n=180 on IL6i, and n=809 on TNFi. Overall, 498 (34.3%) were hospitalized and 112 (6.7%) died. Among all patients, 353 (25.3%) were ever smokers, 197 (11.8%) were obese, 462 (27.6%) were on glucocorticoids, 1,002 (59.8%) were on concomitant DMARDs, and 299 (21.7%) had moderate/high RA disease activity. RTX users were more likely than TNFi users to have ILD (11.6% vs. 1.7%) and history of cancer (7.1% vs. 2.0%); JAK users were more likely than TNFi users to be obese (17.3% vs. 9.0%). After propensity score matching, RTX was strongly associated with greater odds of having a worse outcome compared to TNFi (OR 3.80, 95% CI 2.47, 5.85; Figure). Among RTX users, 42 (18.8%) died compared to 27 (3.3%) of TNFi users (Table). JAK use was also associated with greater odds of having a worse COVID-19 severity (OR 1.52, 95%CI 1.02, 2.28). ABA or IL6i use were not associated with COVID-19 severity compared to TNFi. Results were similar in the sensitivity analysis and after excluding cancer or ILD.

Table 1.

Frequencies for the ordinal COVID-19 severity outcome for patients with RA on biologic or targeted synthetic DMARDs (n=1673).

COVID-19 outcomes by severity scale (n,%)ABAn=154RTXn=224JAKn=306IL6in=180TNFi n=8091)Not hospitalized113 (73.3%)121 (54.0%)220 (71.9%)150 (83.3%)666 (82.3%)2)Hospitalization without oxygenation10 (6.5%)14 (6.2%)11 (3.6%)9 (5.0%)53 (6.5%)3)Hospitalization with any oxygenation or ventilation16 (10.4%)47 (21.0%)52 (17.0%)16 (8.9%)63 (7.8%)4)Death15 (9.7%)42 (18.8%)23 (7.5%)5 (2.8%)27 (3.3%)

Conclusion:

In this large global registry of patients with RA and COVID-19, baseline use of RTX or JAK was associated with worse severity of COVID-19 compared to TNFi use. The very elevated odds for poor COVID-19 outcomes in RTX users highlights the urgent need for risk-mitigation strategies, such as the optimal timing of vaccination. The novel association of JAK with poor COVID-19 outcomes requires replication.

Acknowledgements:

The views expressed here are those of the authors and participating members of the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance and do not necessarily represent the views of the ACR, EULAR, the UK National Health Service, the National Institute for Health Research, the UK Department of Health, or any other organization.

Disclosure of Interests:

Jeffrey Sparks Consultant of: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, Inova, Janssen, and Optum, unrelated to this work, Grant/research support from: Amgen and Bristol-Myers Squibb, unrelated to this work, Zachary Wallace Consultant of: Viela Bio and MedPace, outside the submitted work., Grant/research support from: Bristol-Myers Squibb and Principia/Sanofi, Andrea Seet: None declared, Milena Gianfrancesco: None declared, Zara Izadi: None declared, Kimme Hyrich Speakers bureau: Abbvie unrelated to this study, Grant/research support from: BMS, UCB, and Pfizer, all unrelated to this study, Anja Strangfeld Paid instructor for: AbbVie, MSD, Roche, BMS, Pfizer, outside the submitted work, Grant/research support from: grants from a consortium of 13 companies (among them AbbVie, BMS, Celltrion, Fresenius Kabi, Lilly, Mylan, Hexal, MSD, Pfizer, Roche, Samsung, Sanofi-Aventis, and UCB) supporting the German RABBIT register, outside the submitted work, Laure Gossec Consultant of: Abbvie, Biogen, Celgene, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, unrelated to this study, Grant/research support from: Lilly, Mylan, Pfizer, all unrelated to this study, Loreto Carmona: None declared, Elsa Mateus Grant/research support from: grants from Abbvie, Novartis, Janssen-Cilag, Lilly Portugal, Sanofi, Grünenthal S.A., MSD, Celgene, Medac, Pharmakern, GAfPA; grants and non-financial support from Pfizer, outside the submitted work, Saskia Lawson-Tovey: None declared, Laura Trupin: None declared, Stephanie Rush: None declared, Gabriela Schmajuk: None declared, Patti Katz: None declared, Lindsay Jacobsohn: None declared, Samar Al Emadi: None declared, Leanna Wise: None declared, Emily Gilbert: None declared, Ali Duarte-Garcia: None declared, Maria Valenzuela-Almada: None declared, Tiffany Hsu: None declared, Kristin D’Silva: None declared, Naomi Serling-Boyd: None declared, Philippe Dieudé Consultant of: Boerhinger Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lilly, Sanofi, Pfizer, Chugai, Roche, Janssen unrelated to this work, Grant/research support from: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Chugaii, Pfizer, unrelated to this work, Elena Nikiphorou: None declared, Vanessa Kronzer: None declared, Namrata Singh: None declared, Manuel F. Ugarte-Gil Grant/research support from: Janssen and Pfizer, Beth Wallace: None declared, Akpabio Akpabio: None declared, Ranjeny Thomas: None declared, Suleman Bhana Consultant of: AbbVie, Horizon, Novartis, and Pfizer (all <$10,000) unrelated to this work, Wendy Costello: None declared, Rebecca Grainger Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Cornerstones, Jonathan Hausmann Consultant of: Novartis, Sobi, Biogen, all unrelated to this work (<$10,000), Jean Liew Grant/research support from: Yes, I have received research funding from Pfizer outside the submitted work., Emily Sirotich Grant/research support from: Board Member of the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, a patient run, volunteer based organization whose activities are largely supported by independent grants from pharmaceutical companies, Paul Sufka: None declared, Philip Robinson Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB (all < $10,000), Consultant of: Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB (all < $10,000), Pedro Machado Speakers bureau: Yes, I have received consulting/speaker’s fees from Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, all unrelated to this study (all < $10,000)., Consultant of: Yes, I have received consulting/speaker’s fees from Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, all unrelated to this study (all < $10,000)., Jinoos Yazdany Consultant of: Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca unrelated to this project

POS1162 PREDICTORS OF HOSPITALISATION IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASE AND COVID-19 IN IRELAND: DATA FROM THE COVID-19 GLOBAL RHEUMATOLOGY ALLIANCE PHYSICIAN-REPORTED REGISTRY

Background:

There is limited data regarding the risk of hospitalisation in patients with rheumatic disease and COVID-19 in Ireland.

Objectives:

We used the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance (GRA) registry data to study outcomes and their predictors.

Methods:

We examined data on patients and their disease-related characteristics entered into the COVID-19 GRA provider registry from Ireland (24th March 2020 to 31st August 2020). Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association of demographic and clinical characteristics with hospitalisation.

Results:

Of 105 patients, 47 (45.6%) were hospitalised and 10 (9.5%) died. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed age (OR=1.06, 95%CI 1.01 to 1.10), number of comorbidities (OR=1.93, 95%CI 1.11 to 3.35), and glucocorticoid use (OR=15.01, 95%CI 1.77 to 127.16) were significantly associated with hospitalisation. A diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis was associated with a lower odds of hospitalisation (OR=0.09, 95%CI 0.02 to 0.32).

All significant variable modelMost parsimonious modelUnadjusted OR (95% CI)Adjusted OR (95%CI)*Adjusted p-value*Adjusted OR (95%CI)&Adjusted p-value&Female0.45 (0.20-1.02)0.33 (0.05-2.23)0.34 (0.09-1.36)0.128Age (years)1.08 (1.05-1.11)1.04 (0.97-1.10)0.2241.06 (1.01-1.10)0.010Inflammatory arthritis0.11 (0.05-0.28)0.14 (0.02-0.95)0.0440.09 (0.02-0.32)<0.001Connective Tissue Disease and Other1.56 (0.62 - 3.92)No comorbidities0.11 (0.04-0.30)0.76 (0.09-6.58)0.802Most common comorbiditiesCOPD / asthma4.77 (1.23-18.54)3.09 (0.16-60.07)0.456CVD3.40 (1.31-8.85)0.11 (0.01-1.88)0.129Hypertension3.71 (1.52-9.08)0.56 (0.04-7.94)0.668Obesity0.58 (0.10-3.30)Number of comorbidities (Median, IQR)3.01 (1.92-4.72)2.99 (0.59-15.02)0.1841.93 (1.11-3.35)0.020Never Smokerref.0.889Ever Smoker3.17 (1.18-8.89)1.19 (0.10-13.68)Medication prior to COVID-19 diagnosisGlucocorticoids9.26 (1.95-43.89)18.14 (1.13-290.81)0.04115.01 (1.77-127.16)0.013csDMARD monotherapy0.42 (0.17-1.00)b/tsDMARD (monotherapy or in combination with csDMARD)0.24 (0.10-0.58)1.36 (0.19-9.72)0.557

Conclusion:

Increasing age, comorbidity burden, and glucocorticoid use were associated with hospitalisation, while a diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis was associated with lower odds of hospitalization.

Disclosure of Interests:

Richard Conway Speakers bureau: Janssen, Roche, Sanofi, Abbvie, Elena Nikiphorou Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Eli-Lilly, Gilead, Celltrion, Pfizer, Sanofi, Christiana Demetriou: None declared, Candice Low: None declared, Kelly Leamy: None declared, John Ryan: None declared, Ronan Kavanagh: None declared, Alexander Fraser: None declared, John Carey: None declared, Paul O’Connell: None declared, Rachael Flood: None declared, Ronan Mullan: None declared, David Kane: None declared, Philip Robinson Speakers bureau: UCB, Roche, Pfizer, Gilead, Janssen, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Abbvie, Grant/research support from: Abbvie, UCB, Novartis, Janssen, Pfizer, Jean Liew Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Rebecca Grainger Speakers bureau: Pfizer, Cornerstones, Janssen, Novartis, Abbvie, Geraldine McCarthy: None declared.

Antirheumatic Disease Therapies for the Treatment of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective

Antirheumatic disease therapies have been used to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and its complications. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to describe the current evidence.

Methods

A search of published and preprint databases in all languages was performed. Included studies described ≥1 relevant clinical outcome for ≥5 patients who were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and were treated with antirheumatic disease therapy between January 1, 2019 and May 29, 2020. Pairs of reviewers screened articles, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. A meta‐analysis of effect sizes using random‐effects models was performed when possible.

Results

The search identified 3,935 articles, of which 45 were included (4 randomized controlled trials, 29 cohort studies, and 12 case series). All studies evaluated hospitalized patients, and 29 of the 45 studies had been published in a peer‐reviewed journal. In a meta‐analysis of 3 cohort studies with a low risk of bias, hydroxychloroquine use was not significantly associated with mortality (pooled hazard ratio [HR] 1.41 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.83, 2.42]). In a meta‐analysis of 2 cohort studies with some concerns/higher risk of bias, anakinra use was associated with lower mortality (pooled HR 0.25 [95% CI 0.12, 0.52]). Evidence was inconclusive with regard to other antirheumatic disease therapies, and the majority of other studies had a high risk of bias.

Conclusion

In this systematic review and meta‐analysis, hydroxychloroquine use was not associated with benefit or harm regarding COVID‐19 mortality. The evidence supporting the effect of other antirheumatic disease therapies in COVID‐19 is currently inconclusive.

Early Initiation of Tocilizumab in Clinically Isolated Aortitis

Clinically isolated aortitis can arise from infectious or inflammatory etiologies. Glucocorticoids are the first-line therapy for inflammatory causes of aortitis such as large-vessel vasculitis. However, prolonged steroids use is associated with numerous side effects. We present a case of a 60-year-old woman with clinically isolated aortitis who received early treatment with tocilizumab to avoid prolonged steroid use.

Refractory Hypoxemia in a Patient with Submassive Pulmonary Embolism and an Intracardiac Shunt: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

INTRODUCTION

Acute pulmonary embolism is the third leading cause of cardiovascular death. Management options include anticoagulation with or without thrombolysis. Concurrent persistent hypoxemia should be a clue to the existence of an intracardiac shunt.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 46-year-old man experienced acute hypoxemic respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation after anesthesia induction for elective hip arthroplasty. He was found to have submassive bilateral pulmonary emboli with acute right ventricular dysfunction and a coexisting patent foramen ovale with right-to-left shunt. He remained profoundly hypoxemic despite catheter-directed thrombolysis. He underwent surgical embolectomy with partial endarterectomy, resulting in clinical improvement.

DISCUSSION

The management of acute submassive pulmonary embolism is undertaken on an individualized basis because of the wide spectrum of clinical presentations. In this report we review the literature and discuss the evidence behind the management of cases of acute pulmonary embolism complicated by hypoxemia from a patent foramen ovale. In a case of acute pulmonary embolism complicated by refractory hypoxemia from an intracardiac shunt, adjunctive therapies in addition to anticoagulation and thrombolysis must be considered.

Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity Complicating Thyroid Biopsy

The overdiagnosis of thyroid malignancies may be contributing to the increased incidence of these cancers with a relatively stable mortality rate. We present the case of a man with known malignancies, who underwent biopsy of a suspicious thyroid nodule. This procedure was complicated by local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST). It is important to address goals of diagnostic testing and treatment with patients, particularly if further evaluation is unlikely to change management or outcomes.

A randomized 'N-of-1' single blinded clinical trial of barbed dermal sutures vs. smooth sutures in elective plastic surgery shows differences in scar appearance two-years post-operatively

BACKGROUND

Barbed sutures have unidirectional circumferential shallow barbs, which distribute tension throughout the wound and close wound securely without the need to tie knots.

OBJECTIVES

We compare two different methods of wound closure in elective plastic surgical cases: barbed 3/0 V-Loc™180 suture and smooth 3/0 Maxon™ sutures, both polyglyconate monofilament synthetic absorbable sutures. We assessed the aesthetic long-term results with a minimum two year follow up.

METHODS

This is a prospective, randomized controlled study with internal control. A single surgeon performed all cases. Patients who underwent elective operations that involved long wound closure were enrolled in the study. Each patient acted as their own internal control with half their wound being sutured with 3/0 V-Loc™180 barbed suture and the other half with smooth 3/0 Maxon™ deep dermal sutures and then a subcuticular skin closure. In both groups, the superficial fascial system was closed with 1 Vicryl interrupted sutures on both sides. Long-term cosmesis was evaluated using the modified Hollander cosmesis score by review of standardized postoperative photographs by 9 blinded plastic surgeons and specialist registrars.

RESULTS

The study reports on 33 female patients. The time taken for wound closure was significantly reduced using the barbed suture (p < 0.001). There was no difference in the complication ratio in either group. Two-year aesthetic outcome was significantly superior when using the barbed suture (p = 0.0075).

CONCLUSION

Barbed sutures closure of long wounds is faster and produces a better long-term aesthetic outcome than smooth sutures.

259. Reproductive phenotype of the female aromatase overexpressing mouse

Aromatase, the product of the Cyp 19 gene, converts androgens to estrogens. The role of estrogens within the ovary has recently been revisited; using the aromatase knockout (ArKO) mouse, we investigated the effect of estrogen deficiency on ovarian function. We now have an aromatase overexpressing (AROM+) female mouse model with elevated levels of estrogens. These mice were fertile and bred with FVB/N wildtype (WT) males, the AROM+ male being infertile. In this study we characterised the reproductive phenotype of the female AROM+ mouse. 5 WT and 10 AROM+ mice, 22–27 weeks of age were used in the study. The mice were subject to vaginal smears and killed during estrus. The ovaries, uterine horns and gonadal fat were collected and weighed. One ovary and the uterine horns were fixed in formalin for histological assessment, while the other ovary was snap frozen in Ultraspec solution for RNA isolation and gene expression studies. Serum was collected for hormone measurements. All AROM+ mice exhibited an abnormal pattern of cycling that in general, alternated between estrus and post-estrus. AROM+ mice were significantly heavier than their WT counterparts (WT 35.28 ± 2.89 g v. AROM+ 43.38 ± 2.11 g, P < 0.05). Ovarian, uterine and gonadal fat pad weights were not significantly different between the 2 groups (ovary: WT 17.4 ± 1.14 mg v. AROM+ 17.9 ± 0.06 mg; uterine horns: WT 89.7 ± 11.40 mg v. AROM+ 92.1 ± 6.64 mg; gonadal fat pads: WT 2.47 ± 0.62 g v. AROM+ 3.46±0.26 g). Histological, gene expression and hormone analyses are in progress. Our preliminary analyses indicated no significant effect of excess estrogen on ovarian, uterine and gonadal fat pad weights, despite the AROM+ mice being heavier. It remains to be determined as to whether the ovaries and uterine horns are histologically normal. Supported by the NHMRC (Regkeys 241000, 338510, 198705)

The relations of regulation and negative emotionality to Indonesian children's social functioning

The purpose of this study was to examine the relations of individual differences in regulation and negative emotionality to 127 third-grade Indonesian children's social skills/low externalizing problem behavior, sociometric status, and shyness. Parents and multiple teachers provided information on children's regulation, negative emotionality, and social functioning; peer sociometric information on liking and social behavior was obtained; and children reported on their self-regulation. In general, children's low socially appropriate behavior/ high problem behavior and rejected peer status were related to low dispositional regulation and high negative emotionality (intense emotions and anger), and regulation and negative emotionality (especially teacher rated) sometimes accounted for unique (additive) variance in children's social functioning. Adult-reported shyness was related to low peer nominations of disliked/fights (although shy children were not especially liked), low adult-reported regulation, and (to a lesser degree) low teacher-rated negative emotionality. Findings are compared with work on regulation, negative emotionality, social competence, and shyness in other countries.

The relations of parental emotional expressivity with quality of Indonesian children's social functioning

In Western societies, parental expression of positive emotion has been positively related to the quality of children's social functioning, whereas their expression of negative emotion has been negatively or inconsistently related. The relations of parental expressivity to 3rd-grade Indonesian children's dispositional regulation, socially appropriate behavior, popularity, and sympathy were examined. Parents, teachers, and peers reported on children's social functioning and regulation, and parents (mostly mothers) reported on their own expression of emotion in the family. Generally, parental expression of negative emotion was negatively related to the quality of children's social functioning, and regression analyses indicated that the relations of parental negative expressivity to children's popularity and externalizing behaviors might be indirect through their effects on children's regulation. Unexpectedly, parental expression of positive emotion was unrelated to children's social functioning.

Characterization of human cardiac myosin heavy chain genes

We have isolated and analyzed the structure of the genes coding for the alpha and beta forms of the human cardiac myosin heavy chain (MYHC). Detailed analysis of four overlapping MYHC genomic clones shows that the alpha-MYHC and beta-MYHC genes constitute a total length of 51 kilobases and are tandemly linked. The beta-MYHC-encoding gene, predominantly expressed in the normal human ventricle and also in slow-twitch skeletal muscle, is located 4.5 kilobases upstream of the alpha-MYHC-encoding gene, which is predominantly expressed in normal human atrium. We have determined the nucleotide sequences of the beta form of the MYHC gene, which is 100% homologous to the cardiac MYHC cDNA clone (pHMC3). It is unlikely that the divergence of a few nucleotide sequences from the cardiac beta-MYHC cDNA clone (pHMC3) reported in a MYHC cDNA clone (pSMHCZ) from skeletal muscle is due to a splicing mechanism. This finding suggests that the same beta form of the cardiac MYHC gene is expressed in both ventricular and slow-twitch skeletal muscle. The promoter regions of both alpha- and beta-MYHC genes, as well as the first four coding regions in the respective genes, have also been sequenced. The sequences in the 5'-flanking region of the alpha- and beta-MYHC-encoding genes diverge extensively from one another, suggesting that expression of the alpha- and beta-MYHC genes is independently regulated.

Construction of cosmid genomic libraries for the normal and myopathic Syrian hamsters

Cosmid genomic libraries from both normal and myopathic Syrian hamsters have been constructed. MboI was used to generate 35- to 50-kilobase DNA fragments which were isolated from a 5-25% NaCl gradient. The 35- to 50-kilobase DNA fragments were ligated to the cosmid vector pCV108 and packaged into Escherichia coli DK1. Approximately 3 X 10(5) - 4 X 10(5) clones were obtained per microgram of ligated DNA. Thirteen clones have been isolated from 2 X 10(5) colonies using a cardiac myosin heavy chain clone as a probe. Restriction maps of two of these clones are presented here.