BUTTGEREIT , Frank

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays an important role in regulating and controlling immune responses. Dysfunction of the HPA axis has been implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other rheumatic diseases. The impact of glucocorticoid (GC) therapy on HPA axis function also remains a matter of concern,...

The management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is primarily based on the use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), mainly comprising synthetic chemical compounds (that is, methotrexate or leflunomide) and biological agents (tumor necrosis factor inhibitors or abatacept). On the other hand, glucocorticoids (GCs), used for decades in...

ObjectivesTo develop treat-to-target (T2T) recommendations in giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). MethodsA systematic literature review was conducted to retrieve data on treatment targets and outcomes in GCA/PMR as well as to identify the evidence for the effectiveness of a T2T-based management approach in these...