About

Dr. Abhijeet Danve is an Associate Professor of Medicine in Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology at Yale School of Medicine. He enjoys serving adult patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, with particular interest in psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis (axial spondyloarthritis), and gout. He is certified in internal medicine and rheumatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is also certified by the American College of Rheumatology in musculoskeletal ultrasound, which he routinely uses in his practice. Dr. Danve has received several awards, including the Marshall J Schiff Fellowship Award, the Distinguished Fellow Award by the American College of Rheumatology, and the Jane Bruckel Early Career Investigator Award from the Spondylitis Association of America. His research focuses on clinical and translational studies aimed at early diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis and reducing diagnostic delays. He is involved in multiple studies, including developing screening tools, understanding awareness among non-rheumatologists, and optimizing classification criteria for spondyloarthritis. Additionally, he has a strong interest in healthcare safety, quality improvement, and leveraging digital technology for patient-reported outcomes. Dr. Danve is an active member of several professional organizations, including SPARTAN, GRAPPA, ASAS, and the American College of Rheumatology, and enjoys teaching medical students, residents, and fellows.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Pathology
• Physical therapy
• Intensive care medicine

Selected publications

• Clinical Images: Klippel–Feil syndrome in a patient referred for axial spondyloarthritis

  Arthritis & Rheumatology · 2025-12-15

  article

  Disclosure Form Data S1: Supporting Information Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

  PublisherDOI

• Early diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis among patients with chronic back pain using a clinical screening tool and referral strategy

  Rheumatology Advances in Practice · 2025-01-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Objective: Lack of timely referral of suspected axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients to rheumatologists is an important modifiable reason for diagnostic delay of axSpA. We assessed the usefulness of a self-referral strategy using a clinical feature-based screening questionnaire (SQ) (A-tool). Methods: Finding axSpA (FaxSpA) was single-centre prospective study involving patients with chronic back pain (CBP). The A-tool, consisting of a three-question prescreen and eight-question SQ, was distributed to patients via the patient communication portal and university Facebook page. Patients with affirmative responses on all three prescreen questions, and three or more questions on SQ were eligible for study visit. Enrolled patients underwent history, physical examination, labs (CRP and HLA-B27) and imaging studies (X-ray and MRI of the pelvis). The clinician's judgement was considered the gold standard for diagnosing axSpA. Results: Eighty-six of the 100 enrolled patients completed all the study procedures, and 29 (34%) were diagnosed with axSpA. Seven patients had AS, and 22 had non-radiographic axSpA. Sensitivity and specificity of the individual A-tool questions for diagnosing axSpA ranged from 0.03 to 0.86 and 0.14 to 0.96, respectively. Positive likelihood ratios (+LR) of the individual items in the A-tool ranged from 0.84 to 1.34. There was low to moderate agreement between the patient responses on the online A-tool and the corresponding physician-confirmed responses. Conclusion: A tool-based strategy for self-referral of CBP patients is a simple, practical and feasible approach for early diagnosis of axSpA. We need a larger prospective study to validate our findings.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Psychosocial burden of axial spondyloarthritis and impact of different disease domains: a systematic literature review

  Rheumatology Advances in Practice · 2025-01-01 · 1 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Objective: To assess the psychosocial impact of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Methods: A literature search was conducted in two stages: stage 1 included all patients with axSpA and stage 2 focused on patients with inadequate response to prior TNF inhibitor treatment. Selection criteria included population (adults with axSpA), outcomes of interest (psychosocial factors potentially impacted by axSpA, e.g. quality of life, mental health and work productivity) and context [disease-related (disease activity, pain) and -unrelated (gender, race, ethnicity, behaviour) factors potentially affecting psychosocial outcomes). Search results were categorized based on the core domains of disease activity, pain, morning stiffness, fatigue, physical function and overall functioning and health in patients with axSpA. Results: A total of 197 articles were included in this review, most of which were observational, with only one randomized controlled trial (RCT). The evidence suggests an association between greater disease burden and poorer psychosocial outcomes as well as a bidirectional relationship between disease components and psychosocial outcomes, both contributing to the overall disease burden. However, while many studies reported on psychosocial outcomes, potential relationships with disease domains or activity were not evaluated. Furthermore, there were inconsistencies across studies in how these outcomes were measured, such as the use of different tools and/or scales. Conclusion: Given the paucity of RCTs examining psychosocial outcomes in axSpA, future research should focus on standardizing assessment of psychosocial impairments experienced by patients and establishing appropriate interventions and management strategies to ensure the holistic treatment of patients with axSpA and to optimize treatment response and outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Knowledge, Awareness, and Attitudes Regarding Axial Spondylarthritis Among Nonrheumatology Physicians in the United States

  The Journal of Rheumatology · 2025-03-01

  articleSenior author

  OBJECTIVE: We surveyed physicians in the United States to assess knowledge, awareness, and attitudes toward axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). The objective was to identify barriers for referral and opportunities for intervention to reduce diagnostic delay of axSpA. METHODS: An online questionnaire was distributed nationwide to nonrheumatology physicians (NRPs) serving patients with chronic back pain (CBP), namely in family/internal medicine, spine surgery/orthopedics, pain management, physical medicine/rehabilitation, and to rheumatologists as the comparator group. RESULTS: Seven hundred fifty physicians completed the survey (response rate 24%). The majority of NRPs were familiar with inflammatory back pain (IBP); 87% could identify > 4 of 8 IBP items, but only 41% routinely assess for IBP in practice. NRPs screen patients for axSpA risk factors ≤ 50% of the time. NRPs order C-reactive protein and HLA-B27 tests significantly less often, and antinuclear antibodies and rheumatoid factor tests significantly more often than rheumatologists in patients with CBP. Only 50% of NRPs correctly answered sacroiliac/pelvic radiograph as the correct initial imaging test, and 37% correctly selected magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis as the next imaging test. Unfamiliarity with the terms axSpA and nonradiographic axSpA was reported by 11% and 35% of NRPs, respectively, and NRPs less often consider axSpA as a possible diagnosis in patients with CBP. Formal referral guidelines for patients with suspected axSpA were felt to be important by NRPs and rheumatologists alike. CONCLUSION: There is a substantial lack of knowledge and awareness about nomenclature, laboratory testing, and proper imaging of axSpA among NRPs. Unnecessary laboratory tests are commonly ordered by NRPs and rheumatologists. Formal referral guidelines and improved education may help reduce diagnostic delay of axSpA.

  PublisherDOI

• VEXAS syndrome presenting with features of Sjögren’s disease: a case-based review of VEXAS and autoimmune disease overlap

  Clinical Rheumatology · 2025-11-05

  reviewSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Clinical Images: Transient perivascular inflammation of the carotid artery syndrome

  Arthritis & Rheumatology · 2024-12-23 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Disclosure Form Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Ixekizumab Treatment Patterns and Health Care Resource Utilization Among Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis: A Retrospective United States Claims Database Study

  Rheumatology and Therapy · 2024-08-20 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access1st author

  Real-world data on ixekizumab utilization in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) are limited. We evaluated ixekizumab treatment patterns and health care resource utilization (HCRU) in patients with axSpA using United States Merative L.P. MarketScan® Claims Databases. This retrospective cohort study included adults with axSpA who initiated ixekizumab during the index period (September 2019–December 2021). Index date was the date of the first ixekizumab claim. All patients had continuous medical and pharmacy enrollment during the 12-month pre-index and follow-up periods. Descriptive statistics were used to assess patient demographics (index date); clinical characteristics (pre-index period); treatment patterns (12-month follow-up period); and HCRU (pre-index and 12-month follow-up periods). The study included 177 patients (mean age 45.8 years; females 54.8%) with axSpA who initiated ixekizumab. Overall, 79.1% of patients reported prior biologic use; of these, 70.7% received tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors (TNFi) and 49% received secukinumab. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) Charlson Comorbidity Index score was 1.1 (1.3) and ~ 27% of patients reported ≥2 comorbidities. The median (inter-quartile range [IQR]) number of ixekizumab prescription refills was 7 (4–11). The mean (SD) Proportion of Days Covered (PDC) for ixekizumab was 0.6 (0.3) and adherence (PDC ≥80%) was 34.5% (N = 61). Overall, 26.6% (N = 47) of patients switched to a non-index medication and 54.2% (N = 96) of patients discontinued ixekizumab. Among the patients who discontinued ixekizumab (N = 96), 19.8% (N = 19) restarted ixekizumab and 49.0% (N = 47) switched to a non-index medication. The median (IQR) ixekizumab persistence was 268 (120–366) days. Mean axSpA-related outpatient, inpatient, and emergency room visits were similar between the pre-index and follow-up periods. Treatment patterns were largely similar between biologic-experienced patients (N = 140; 79.1%) and the overall population. Despite high comorbidity burden and majority of the patients being biologic-experienced, patients initiating ixekizumab for axSpA showed favorable persistence profiles during the 12-month follow-up period. Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) affects the patients’ ability to perform daily activities and can have a major impact on their quality of life. Ixekizumab is approved in the United States for the treatment of axSpA. However, real-world data on utilization of ixekizumab are limited. We used administrative claims databases to evaluate real-world treatment patterns and health care resource utilization in adult patients with axSpA who were receiving ixekizumab in the United States. The study showed that more than a quarter of the patients receiving ixekizumab had at least two comorbidities. A majority of the patients (79%) reported that they had received at least one biologic before initiating ixekizumab. Even with the high comorbidity burden and the previous exposure to biologics, patients showed favorable persistence to ixekizumab. Of the patients who discontinued ixekizumab, subsequently, 20% re-initiated ixekizumab and approximately half of the patients switched to an alternative medication. There was no increase in axSpA-related health care resource utilization following ixekizumab treatment. The study findings suggest that ixekizumab is an effective treatment option for patients with axSpA.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• How to Monitor Disease Activity of Axial Spondyloarthritis in Clinical Practice

  Current Rheumatology Reports · 2024-02-19 · 14 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• An update on the management of axial spondyloarthritis for sports medicine professionals

  BMC Sports Science Medicine and Rehabilitation · 2024-10-07 · 1 citations

  reviewOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  BACKGROUND: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease which mainly affects the spine and sacroiliac joints, causing longstanding back pain, stiffness, and limited mobility. AxSpA is an underrecognized disease in non-rheumatology practices because of its heterogeneous clinical features that may be difficult to identify. MAIN BODY: Sports medicine practitioners are well positioned to suspect and recognize axSpA among their patients with chronic back pain and refer them to a rheumatologist. Early referral to a rheumatologist is important for timely diagnosis, prompt treatment, and improved long-term outcomes for patients with axSpA. Physical therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remain the first-line treatment for and the cornerstone of axSpA management. For patients with inadequate response to or intolerance of NSAIDs, biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and targeted synthetic (ts) DMARDs are indicated. These drugs can reduce pain, inflammation, fatigue, and disability and can improve health-related quality of life. The goal of this review is to improve awareness of axSpA among sports medicine practitioners and other non-rheumatologists so that these providers ensure timely referral of patients with suspected axSpA to rheumatologists for appropriate treatment and better outcomes. We also provide an update on current treatment possibilities for axSpA and describe how rheumatologists use treatment guidelines and disease activity measures to identify and optimally treat patients with active axSpA. CONCLUSION: Sports medicine practitioners have an excellent opportunity to identify patients with suspected axSpA and refer them to rheumatologists in a timely manner, as well as monitor symptoms among patients diagnosed with axSpA to identify inadequately controlled disease.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Is yearly interferon gamma release assay latent tuberculosis infection screening warranted among patients with rheumatological diseases on disease-modifying drugs in non-endemic settings?

  PLoS ONE · 2024-07-03 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: Patients living with rheumatologic diseases on disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) are at an increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB). Current guidelines recommend screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) before initiating DMARD. However, data is lacking on the value of yearly screening for LTBI. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted on adult patients (≥ 18 years) with rheumatologic disease on DMARD followed longitudinally in the outpatient rheumatology clinics between 2017-2021. Collected data included patient demographics, rheumatologic diagnosis, medications, TB-related risk factors, interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) results, LTBI diagnosis and treatment. Descriptive statistics were performed. RESULTS: Among 339 patients, 81 (23.9%) were male, 259 (76.4%) were white, and 93 (27.5%) were Latinx. Inflammatory arthritis (84.1%) was the most common rheumatic diagnosis. Common DMARD were JAK inhibitors (19.2%), TNF-alpha inhibitors (18.9%), and IL-17 A inhibitors (18.0%). Only 2 patients at baseline had positive IGRA, and both had a history of treated LTBI. Positive IGRA tests were recorded in 1 (0.7%), 3 (1.8%), 3 (1.3%), and 3 (1.1%) in the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. Four patients converted from negative to positive during serial yearly IGRA testing. After reviewing the IGRA test and TB risk factors, only one patient was considered newly diagnosed with LTBI, requiring 4 months of rifampin. CONCLUSION: In a non-endemic area, serial IGRA testing of low-risk patients on DMARD yielded very low rate of newly diagnosed LTBI. A targeted LTBI screening based on TB-related risk factors should be performed prior to IGRA testing rather than universal yearly screening in a non-endemic setting.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Suneesh Anand

  Temple University

  59 shared

• Shiv T. Sehra

  Mount Auburn Hospital

  57 shared

• Divya Jayakumar

  Washington University in St. Louis

  50 shared

• Gary W. Stallings

  New York Medical College

  49 shared

• Supriya Kulkarni

  Memorial Hospital

  17 shared

• Narinder Maheshwari

  15 shared

• Atul Deodhar

  Oregon Health & Science University

  14 shared

• Jennifer Harley

  New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation

  10 shared

Education

• Other

  Unknown

• M.D.

  Unknown

• Other

  Unknown

Awards & honors

• Marshall J Schiff Fellowship Award by American College of Rh…
• Distinguished fellow award by American College of Rheumatolo…
• Jane Bruckel Early Career Investigator award by Spondylitis…