
Long-term Treatment Study of MRA for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) From Study MRA220JP or MRA221JP
Rheumatoid ArthritisThis is an open-label, extension, Phase III study to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of MRA in patients with RA who participated in Study MRA220JP or MRA221JP.

A Placebo Controlled Study to Assess Efficacy and Safety of Certolizumab Pegol in the Treatment...
Rheumatoid ArthritisPatients will be assigned to one of three treatment groups. Study medication is administered over a 52 week study duration.

The Role of Cytokines on Growth Hormone Suppression in Premenopausal Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis...
Rheumatoid ArthritisHealthyThis study has two phases. Phase 1 will examine the role of inflammatory mediators called cytokines on growth hormone levels in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Phase 2 will evaluate the effect of etanercept on these growth hormone levels. Etanercept is approved for the treatment of RA. It lowers the levels of a key inflammatory mediator called tumor necrosis factor-alpha and is very effective in reducing arthritis symptoms. Growth hormone promotes bone and muscle growth. With aging, people lose muscle mass and bone strength, possibly because of decreased levels of growth hormone. People with RA have bone and muscle changes similar to those in older people, perhaps also due to decreased levels of growth hormone. The first part of this study will see if the inflammatory mediators responsible for joint inflammation (warmth, redness, pain, and swelling) in RA are related to the lowered growth hormone levels in this disease. The second part will evaluate the effect of etanercept treatment on muscle mass and bone density, in addition to growth hormone levels. Premenopausal women between 18 and 55 years of age with a recent diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (less than 3 years) are eligible for this study. Healthy volunteers will also be enrolled in the first phase of the study as control subjects. This study is conducted at two sites, the NIH and the Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore. Healthy volunteers enrolled in this study will be interviewed about their health status and will fill out questionnaires on diet and general physical function, including fatigue, energy and well being. In addition, they will be hospitalized once at the NIH Clinical Center for 24-hour blood sampling and will visit to Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore for a brachial artery reactivity study, as follows: 24-hour blood sampling for growth hormone levels. Blood samples (1/2 teaspoon each) will be collected every 20 minutes from 8 AM one day until 8 AM the following day through a plastic tube in an arm vein. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan on a small area of the spine, hip and wrist to assess bone density and a total body DEXA scan to assess the amount and distribution of muscle and body fat. Blood vessel (brachial artery reactivity) study to measure the ability of the brachial artery to dilate and increase its blood flow. For this procedure, the subject lies on a table with electrocardiogram leads attached to the chest. A blood pressure cuff is inflated for several minutes and a drop of nasal spray of nitroglycerin is given that may cause a headache. Blood pressure and headache are monitored and treated as needed. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis will be seen at the NIH clinic on six separate visits (weeks 0, 1, 6, 12, 18, and 26) over 26 weeks. Week 0 is a screening visit. At weeks 1 and 26, patients will be admitted to the hospital for 24-hour blood sampling, DEXA scans, and brachial artery reactivity tests, as described above, plus X-rays of the hand and feet. After the first visit, they will start taking etanercept, given by self-injection under the skin (like insulin shots) twice a week. Follow-up visits at weeks 6, 12, and 18 will involve evaluations of disease activity and drug side effects through joint examination, blood tests, and questionnaires.

Infliximab for the Treatment of Early Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid ArthritisThis study will test whether the drug combination of methotrexate and infliximab (anti-TNF-alpha antibody) is more effective than methotrexate alone for treating rheumatoid arthritis early in the disease. (The Food and Drug Administration has approved both treatment regimens for patients with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis.) The study will also evaluate how effectively magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can detect differences in the development of bone damage in the two treatment groups by as early as 6 months. Patients 18 years of age and older who have had rheumatoid arthritis for less than 2 years and who have four or more affected joints may be eligible for this 1-year study. Patients must have received methotrexate treatment in the past without complete success, and must not have been treated previously with Anti-Thymocyte therapy. All participants will receive 20 Mg./week of methotrexate. In addition, patients will be randomly assigned to receive a monthly infusion of infliximab or placebo (a fluid that contains no active drug). After 6 months, all patients will receive active infliximab for the remaining half year of the study. Patients will also receive folic acid (1mg/day), Vitamin D (400 IU/day), and calcium supplements. They may continue to take prednisone (no more than 10 Mg./day) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Medication dosages will be adjusted as needed if pain and joint swelling worsen. Over the course of the study, patients will come to NIH for 15 visits and undergo the following tests and procedures: Joint examination-at every visit. Drug side effects evaluation-at every visit during the study and after the study at 24 and 36 months by questionnaires to be filled out and returned. Hand and feet X-rays at the first visit, at 6 months and at 12 months. MRIs of the wrist to examine damage in the bone and synovial tissue (tissue lining the joint)-before treatment begins and at weeks 15, 27 and 54. For this study, the patient lies still in a narrow cylinder (the scanner) with a strong magnetic field. A contrast material (gadolinium) is injected into the blood to enhance the images of the synovium. The MRI takes about 45 minutes. DEXA scans (dual emission X-ray absorptiometry) of the lower spine, one hip and one wrist to measure bone density and assess bone loss-before treatment begins and at weeks 27 and 54. This X-ray test takes about 5 to 10 minutes. CTs (computed tomography) of one hand to assess joint damage in the wrist-before treatment begins and at weeks 27 and 54. Only half the patients in the study will have this X-ray study, which produces 3-dimensional images of the hand. It will be done to compare the location, size and change of damage in the wrist seen on CT with the information obtained on MRI. The procedure takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Blood tests-at every visit to evaluate treatment response and side effects.

Study of Gammalinolenic Acid for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Juvenile Rheumatoid ArthritisOBJECTIVES: I. Determine the efficacy and safety of gammalinolenic acid in the treatment of childhood arthritis.

The Safety and Efficacy of Chicken Type II Collagen on Uveitis Associated With Juvenile Rheumatoid...
ArthritisJuvenile Rheumatoid1 moreCurrent treatment modalities for uveitis associated with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis have not been beneficial in the juvenile population. A new approach for treating patients with presumed autoimmune disorders is oral tolerance therapy. Chicken type II collagen (Colloral) is being developed as an oral tolerance therapy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. This open label pilot study will describe the safety of chicken type II collagen added to current anti-inflammatory medications as treatment for patients with uveitis associated with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The primary ophthalmic outcomes of this study will be a change from baseline in the number of anterior chamber cells and the number and dosage of anti-inflammatory medications. Secondary outcomes for JRA will include change in physician's global assessment, parent/patient assessment of overall well-being, functional assessment, number of joints with active arthritis, number of joints with limited range of motion, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Secondary outcomes for uveitis will include change in visual acuity, vitreous haze, and anterior chamber flare.

Application of N-of-1 Rheumatoid Arthritis
ArthritisRheumatoidThe goal of this N-of-1 study is to learn about treatment for individual patients who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA,) for which many treatments are available. The treatments are different in how they work, the way they are given, side- effects, and cost. While treatment guidelines are available, finding the best treatment order of treatments is often based on physician choice. The main question this study aims to answer are: What are the effects of different treatments on RA symptoms and condition for each individual patient What is the effectiveness of different treatments across all patients enrolled in the N-of-1 study Participants will be enrolled and randomized to a sequence of three U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved RA medications: 1. adalimumab, 2. sarilumab, and 3. upadacitinib. Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires about their condition and quality of life weekly (either in clinic or remotely) and report their level of pain daily (remotely).

Phase II Trial of VDJ001 in Patients With Moderate-to-severe Active Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid ArthritisThis is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo and tocilizumab controlled phase II trial in RA patients to evaluate the initial efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic characteristics, and immunogenicity of VDJ001 in RA patients.

Efficacy and Safety of GSK3196165 Versus Placebo and Tofacitinib in Participants With Moderately...
ArthritisRheumatoidThis study [contRAst 1 (201790: NCT03980483)] is a phase 3, randomized, multicenter, double blind study to assess the safety and efficacy of GSK3196165, in combination with methotrexate (MTX), for the treatment of adult participants with moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to MTX. The study will consist of a screening phase of up to 6 weeks followed by a 52-week treatment phase in which participants will be randomized in a ratio of 6:6:3:1:1:1 to receive GSK3196165 150 milligrams (mg) subcutaneous (SC) weekly, GSK3196165 90 mg SC weekly, tofacitinib capsules (cap) 5 mg twice a day or placebo (three arms, each placebo arm will have 12 weeks placebo followed by 40 weeks active treatment) respectively, all in combination with MTX. Participants who, in investigator's judgement will benefit from extended treatment with GSK3196165, may be included in the long-term extension study [contRAst X (209564: NCT04333147)]. For those participants who do not continue into the long term-extension study, there will be an 8 week safety follow-up visit following the treatment phase.

The AMPK Modulator Metformin as a Novel Adjunct to Conventional Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis...
Rheumatoid ArthritisMetformin, a traditional antidiabetic medication, exerts glucose lowering effects by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a critical enzyme involved in the lipid and glucose metabolism. In addition to the antidiabetic effect, metformin has been shown to inhibit Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation (LPS)-induced inflammation by suppress NF-κB production, which is also regulated by AMPK. These regulatory effects of AMPK on the inflammation, immune and fibroblast-like synovial cells have prompted the investigation on the effects of metformin on rheumatoid arthritis.