Clinical data on the use of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in late-onset ankylosing spondylitis (LoAS) are limited. The present study aimed to evaluate efficacy, safety, and treatment adherence associated with the initial use of TNFi therapy in biologic naive patients diagnosed with LoAS. Patients whose age of onset was ≥ 45 years and < 45 years were classified as having LoAS and YoAS, respectively, based on the age of symptom onset. There were 2573 patients with YoAS and 281 LoAS. Baseline disease activity measures were similar between the groups. No significant differences were seen between the two groups in response to treatment and in remaining on the first TNFi at 6, 12 and 24 months. In the LoAS group, the analysis showed that TNFi discontinuation was linked to VAS pain score (HR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01–1.06). Patient groups had similar rates of adverse events (YoAS: 8.7% vs. LoAS: 11.7%). In both biologic naive LoAS and YoAS patients, the study showed that the initial TNFi therapy was equally effective and safe.

Objective: TURKBIO registry, established in 2011, is the first nationwide biological database in Turkey. This study aimed to provide an overview of TURKBIO data collected by June 2018. Methods: The registry included adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-AxSpA), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Demographic and clinical features, disease activity markers, and other follow-up parameters, current and previous treat- ments, and adverse events were registered electronically at each visit using open-source software. The registration of patient-reported outcome measures was carried out electronically by the patients using touch screens. Results: TURKBIO registry included a total of 41,145 treatment series with biologicals. There were 2,588 patients with axSpA (2,459 AS and 129 nr-axSpA), 2,036 with RA, and 428 with PsA. The total number of patients, including those with other diagnoses, was 5,718. In the follow-up period, the number of patients and also visits steadily increased by years. The yearly mean number of visits per patient was found to be 2.3. Significant improvements in disease activity and health assessment parameters were observed following the biological treatments. Biologics were often given in combination with a con- ventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug in patients with RA. Infections were the most commonly seen adverse events, followed by allergic reactions. Tuberculosis was observed in 12 patients, malignancy in 18, and treatment-related mortality in 31. Conclusion: TURKBIO provided a valuable real-life experience with the use of biologics in rheumatic diseases in Turkey. Cite this article as: O€ nen F, Can G, C apar S, et al. A real-life analysis of patients with rheumatologic diseases on biological treatments: Data from TURKBIO Registry.Eur J Rheumatol. 2022;9(2):82-87.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effect of age on disease activity and biological treatment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Patients and methods: A total of 811 AS patients registered in the TURKBIO registry database between 2011 and 2019 were categorized according to their age at the time of entry into the registry and assigned to one of two groups: young patients, defined as

Background/aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the antiarthritic potentials of the inhibition of Src kinase in vivo and in vitro settings. Materials and methods: Arthritis was induced by intradermal injection of chicken type II collagen combined with incomplete Freund's adjuvant (collagen induced arthritis [CIA] model) in Wistar albino rats. One day alter the onset of arthritis, dasatinib, a potent Src kinase inhibitor, (5 mg/kg/day) was given via oral gavage. Tissue Src, Fyn, MAPK and STAT mRNA expressions were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. On the other hand, fibroblast like synoviocytes (FLSs) were harvested patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergoing surgical knee joint replacement. FLSs were stimulated with cytokines and dasatinib was added in different concentrations. MMP -1, -3, and -13 levels in FLSs culture were determined by ELISA. Results: The tissue mRNA expressions of Src, Fyn, MAPK and STATs were increased in the arthritis CIA group compared to the control group. Their mRNA expressions in the CIA + dasatinib group were decreased and similar in the control group. In in vitro setting, MMP -1, -3, and -13 expressions from FLSs induced by IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha were increased, while dasatinib suppressed their productions from FLSs. Conclusion: The present study shows that the inhibition of Src kinase has antiarthritic potentials in both in vivo and in vitro settings. Src kinase inhibition may be candidate to further research in human RA.

Objective: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disease characterized by widespread pain. Somatic complaints associated with the cardiovascular system, such as chest pain and palpitations, are frequently seen in FM patients. P and QT dispersions are simple and inexpensive measurements reflecting the regional heterogeneity of atrial and ventricular repolarization, respectively. QT dispersion can cause serious ventricular arrhythmias. The aim of the present study was to evaluate QT dispersion and P wave dispersion in patients with FM. Material and Methods: The study involved 48 FM patients who fulfilled the established criteria and 32 healthy controls (HC). A standard 12-lead electrocardiogram was performed on all participants. QT dispersion was defined as the difference between the longest and the shortest QT intervals. Similarly, the differences between the shortest and longest P waves were defined as P wave dispersion. Results: The QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion were shorter in the FM group compared with the HC group (p<0.001 for both). In terms of the P wave dispersion value, there was no significant difference between the FM and HC groups (p=0.088). Conclusion: Longer QT and P wave dispersions are not problems in patients with FM. Therefore, it may be concluded that fibromyalgia does not include an increased risk of atrial and/or ventricular arrhythmias.