The objective of this study was to investigate the relation between swelling and tenderness of individual finger joints and grip force in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In an inception cohort of patients with early RA (symptom duration < 12 months), all patients were examined by the same rheumatologist, and grip force was measured using the Grippit instrument at inclusion, 1 and 5 years

Innate immunity plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA), which is characterized by synovial inflammation and condylar cartilage degradation. We are urged to investigate the impact of Resatorvid, a preventative drug that inhibits Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), on experimental inflammatory TMJOA pathology. An intra-articular injection of complete Freund’s

Human placenta-derived exosomes (pExo) were generated, characterized, and evaluated as a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). pExo was generated from full-term human placenta tissues by sequential centrifugation, purification, and sterile filtration. Upon analysis of particle size, cytokine composition, and exosome marker expression, pExo was further tested in cell-based

Chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) is an autoinflammatory bone-disease of unknown origin. The National Pediatric Rheumatologic Database (NPRD) collects long-term data of children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases including CNO. To assess characteristics, courses, and outcomes of CNO with onset in childhood and adolescence and to identify outcome predictors. From 2015 to 2021 patients with

Identifying axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) activity early and accurately is essential for treating physicians to adjust treatment plans and guide clinical decisions promptly. The current literature is mostly focused on axSpA diagnosis, and there has been thus far, no study that reported the use of a radiomics approach for differentiating axSpA disease activity. In this study, the aim was to develop

Sarilumab, an IL-6 receptor antagonist, is a first-line biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug for rheumatoid arthritis. The identification of genetic biomarkers as predictors of response to sarilumab could allow for a personalized treatment strategy to improve clinical outcomes. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 62 patients treated with sarilumab to determine whether single-nucleotide

This study aimed to evaluate the expression level of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins in B and T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in relation to disease activity and the effect of various Bcl-2 family inhibitors (BH3 mimetics) as potential treatment. We included 14 SLE patients, 12 RA patients, and 13 healthy controls to study anti-apoptotic

Comorbid conditions are very common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and several prior studies have clustered them using machine learning (ML). We applied various ML algorithms to compare the clusters of comorbidities derived and to assess the value of the clusters for predicting future clinical outcomes. A large US-based RA registry, CorEvitas, was used to identify patients for the analysis. We assessed

To establish refined risk prediction models for mortality in patients with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) by using comprehensive clinical characteristics. Data from the multicentre Japanese registry of patients with vasculitis (REVEAL cohort) were used in our analysis. In total, 194 patients with newly diagnosed MPA were included, and baseline demographic, clinical, laboratory, and treatment details

To determine the prevalence of sustained remission/low disease activity (LDA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after discontinuation of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), separately in induction treatment and maintenance treatment studies, and to identify predictors of successful discontinuation. We performed a systematic literature review of studies published from 2005 to May 2022

The induction direction of interferon (IFN)-α in T-cell phenotype and function varies depending on the activation state of the cell and the time of stimulation. To assess the effects of elevated IFN-α on regulatory T cells (Tregs) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, we investigated the differentiation of Th1-like Tregs under in-sequence and out-of-sequence conditions and the reversal effect

The differential diagnosis between adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD) and sepsis has always been a challenge. In this study, a machine learning model for differential diagnosis of AOSD and sepsis was developed and an online platform was developed to facilitate the clinical application of the model. All data were collected from 42 AOSD patients and 50 sepsis patients admitted to Affiliated Hospital

Prior research has revealed a heightened prevalence of neoplasms in individuals diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The primary objective of this study is to delve into the causal association between RA and two distinct types of neoplasms: benign neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage (BNBAC) and malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage (MNBAC). We employed summary data from genome-wide

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-023-03211-7.

The aggressive phenotype of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) has been identified as a contributing factor to the exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) through the promotion of synovitis and cartilage damage. Regrettably, there is currently no effective therapeutic intervention available to address this issue. Recent research has shed light on the crucial regulatory role of R-spondin-2 (Rspo2)

Intradiscal condoliase injection is an alternative therapeutic option for lumbar disc herniation (LDH). However, it is often associated with disc degeneration. Several in vivo studies have demonstrated the regenerative potential of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in disc degeneration. Thus, we hypothesized that the intradiscal injection of PRP releasate (PRPr), a soluble releasate isolated from PRP, has

Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk) is an enzyme expressed in leukocytes other than T lymphocytes and plasma cells and involved in B-cell receptor- and Fcγ receptor (FcγR)-mediated signal transduction. Btk inhibitors potentially suppress autoantibody production due to the expected inhibitory ability of B lymphocyte differentiation into antibody-producing plasma cells and reduce FcγR-mediated neutrophil

This study sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with distinct treatment histories. Pooled phase II/III trial data from patients who received tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg twice daily or placebo, as monotherapy or with conventional synthetic (cs) disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), were analyzed post hoc. Separate evaluations were conducted

Cardiovascular (CV) risk estimation calculators for the general population underperform in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The purpose of this study was to identify relevant protein biomarkers that could be added to traditional CV risk calculators to improve the capacity of coronary artery calcification (CAC) prediction in individuals with RA. In a second step, we quantify the improvement

Systemic sclerosis (SSc), with unclear pathophysiology, is a paradigmatic rheumatic disease of immunity dysfunction-driven multi-organ inflammation and ultimate fibrosis. Pathogenesis breakthroughs are urgently needed for available treatments halting its unremitting stiffness. This study aims to investigate whether ferroptosis can regulate the progressive SSc fibrosis. In vivo, bleomycin (BLM)-induced

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that involves transformation of the lining of synovial joints into an invasive and destructive tissue. Synovial fibroblasts become transformed, invading and destroying the bone and cartilage of the affected joint(s). Due to the significant role these cells play in the progression of the disease process, developing a therapeutic strategy

Correction: Arthritis Res Ther 25, 86 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-023-03045-3 Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported an error found in the abstract section wherein the word “shorter” should be replaced by “longer”. The correct sentence should reads: The factors associated with a higher probability of discontinuation on remission were shorter disease duration

The association between systemic sclerosis and the development of bronchiectasis is unclear. This study aimed to compare the risk of bronchiectasis between individuals with systemic sclerosis and those without using a nationwide longitudinal dataset. Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service dataset between 2010 and 2017, we identified 4845 individuals aged ≥ 20 years with systemic sclerosis

Correction: Arthritis Res Ther 25, 143 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-023-03129-0 Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported an error under heading Introduction. The sentence currently reads: 17 studies were included (13 cross-sectional and 4 cohorts), indicating that multiple sclerosis patients are more likely to suffer from periodontal diseases and TMD [7]. TMD

To compare the 10-year structural and functional prognosis between patients in sustained remission versus patients in sustained low disease activity (LDA) in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We included 256 patients from the ESPOIR cohort who fulfilled the 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria for RA and who were in sustained remission using the Simple Disease Activity Index (SDAI) score (n = 48), in sustained LDA

Circular RNAs are involved in autoimmune disease pathogenesis. Our previous study indicated that circPTPN22 is involved in autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. First, the expression of circPTPN22 was detected by real-time PCR and western blotting. After overexpression or knockdown of circPTPN22, the proliferation

In European axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) clinical registries, we aimed to investigate commonalities and differences in (1) set-up, clinical data collection; (2) data availability and completeness; and (3) wording, recall period, and scale used for selected patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Data was obtained as part of the EuroSpA Research Collaboration Network

Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is a chronic autoimmune disease. Some patients remain in an active state even though they were administrated with a combination of corticosteroid and methotrexate. Existing research has suggested that interferon and Janus kinase played an important role in pathogenesis. Existing research has suggested the efficacy of JAK inhibitors (JAKi). Our retrospective study aimed

IL-37 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine involved in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. We aimed to investigate the association between IL-37 genetic variants, IL-37 plasma levels, and various clinical phases of gout. The study included a control group with no history of primary hyperuricemia/gout, (n = 50), asymptomatic hyperuricemia (n = 74), intercritical gout (n = 200), acute gouty flare (n = 18)

TNF-α inhibitor (TNFi) serum trough levels have previously been found to be related to disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). However, most research regarding serum trough levels has been conducted in patients who only recently started TNFi therapy. Therefore, our objective was to explore TNFi serum trough level measurements in relation to disease activity and BMI in the total axSpA population

Serum exosomes play important roles in intercellular communication and are promising biomarkers of several autoimmune diseases. However, the biological functions and potential clinical importance of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs from serum exosomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have not yet been studied. Serum exosomal lncRNAs and mRNAs were isolated from patients with RA and osteoarthritis

In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), autoreactive B cells are thought to develop by-passing immune checkpoints and contribute to its pathogenesis. Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 and 9 signaling have been implicated in their development and differentiation. Although some B cell subpopulations such as T-bet + double negative 2 (DN2) cells have been identified as autoreactive in the past few years, because

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is primarily treated with glucocorticoids (GCs), which have substantial toxicity. Tocilizumab, an interleukin-6-receptor inhibitor (IL-6Ri), showed beneficial effects in GCA, leading to its approval. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of sarilumab (another IL-6Ri) in GCA. This Phase 3, double-blind study comprised a 52-week treatment period and a 24-week follow-up

The clinical value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in assessing relapsing polychondritis (RP) with airway involvement remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate PET/CT features of RP with airway involvement and explore its clinical value in predicting disease pattern, severity and prognosis. RP patients with airway involvement who

Cellular senescence is a critical factor contributing to osteoarthritis (OA). Overexpression of chromobox homolog 4 (CBX4) in a mouse system was demonstrated to alleviate post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) by reducing cellular senescence. Additionally, replicative cellular senescence of WI-38 fibroblasts can be attenuated by CBX4. However, the mechanisms underlying this senomorphic function of CBX4

Upadacitinib (UPA) is a selective JAK inhibitor recently approved for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). In this post-approval study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of UPA over 24 weeks and identify clinical predictors of response, in a multicentric cohort of patients affected by PsA. One hundred and twenty-six patients with PsA treated with UPA were enrolled in 10 Italian

β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI) complexed with human leukocyte antigen DR (β2GPI/HLA-DR) was found to be a major autoantibody target in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). This study aimed to reveal the association between anti-β2GPI/HLA-DR antibodies and vascular thromboses in women with systemic rheumatic diseases. We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study. We measured anti-β2GPI/HLA-DR antibodies and

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that mainly affects the sacroiliac joint and spine. However, the real mechanisms of immune cells acting on syndesmophyte formation in AS are not well identified. We aimed to find the key AS-associated cytokine and assess its pathogenic role in AS. A protein array with 1000 cytokines was performed in five AS patients with the first diagnosis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterised by joint pain and swelling, synovial hyperplasia, cartilage damage, and bone destruction. The mechanisms of dendritic cell (DC) and T cell-mediated crosstalk have gradually become a focus of attention. DCs regulate the proliferation and differentiation of CD4+ T cell subtypes through different cytokines, surface molecules, and

Autoantibodies are critical elements in RA pathogenesis and clinical assessment. The anti-malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde (anti-MAA) antibodies are potentially useful because of their claimed high sensitivity for all RA patients, including those lacking RF and anti-CCP antibodies. Therefore, we aimed to replicate these findings. We independently attempted replication in Santiago and Barcelona using sera

While many women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) improve during pregnancy and others worsen, there are no biomarkers to predict this improvement or worsening. In our unique RA pregnancy cohort that includes a pre-pregnancy baseline, we have examined pre-pregnancy gene co-expression networks to identify differences between women with RA who subsequently improve during pregnancy and those who worsen.

As current therapies for canine osteoarthritis (OA) provide mainly symptomatic improvement and fail to address the complex pathology of the disease, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer a promising biological approach to address both aspects of OA through their immunomodulatory properties. This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of xenogeneic MSCs in dogs with OA at different dose levels

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation modification is involved in the regulation of various biological processes, including inflammation, antitumor, and antiviral immunity. However, the role of m6A modification in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases has been rarely reported. Based on a description of m6A modification and the corresponding research methods, this review systematically summarizes current

To examine and quantify liver and kidney lesions and their response to anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy in a TNF-Tg mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Female TNF-Tg (Tg3647) mice were used as the animal model for chronic RA. Ultrasound, immunofluorescence, histological staining, serology tests, and real-time RT-PCR were used to examine the pathological changes in the liver and kidney

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by systemic synovitis and bone destruction. Proinflammatory cytokines activate pathways of immune-mediated inflammation, which aggravates RA. The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway associated with RA connects immune and metabolic signals, which regulates immune cell proliferation and differentiation, macrophage polarization

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune liver disease, whose etiology is yet to be fully elucidated. Currently, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the only first-line drug. However, 40% of PBC patients respond poorly to it and carry a potential risk of disease progression. So, in this study, we aimed to explore new biomarkers for risk stratification in PBC patients to enhance treatment. We first

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has a variable impact on different synovial joints, with inflammation being more commonly observed in some joints than others. Emerging evidence suggests that the anatomical variation in pathophysiology could result in differential responses to treatments across the joints, both within and between modes of action. This analysis aimed to characterize joint-specific responses

Studies evaluating the association of knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) with falls and fractures have inconsistent findings. We aimed to investigate associations of symptomatic and radiographic knee and hip OA with risk of falls, recurrent falls, and fractures. We conducted an electronic search of databases from inception to February 2023. Two authors independently screened studies, extracted data,

To compare a treat-to-target (T2T) approach and routine care (RC) in adults with active to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) initiating subcutaneous abatacept. A 12-month cluster-randomized trial in active RA patients treated with abatacept was conducted. Physicians were randomized to RC or T2T with a primary endpoint of achieving sustained Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) low disease

Physical function is an important determinant of health-related quality of life in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis patients (r-axSpA). To improve the basis of effective healthcare efforts, we aimed to investigate which demographic and disease-related factors that influence Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) in r-axSpA patients overall and stratified by sex. Furthermore, we sought

This work aims to develop a deep learning model, assessing atlantoaxial subluxation (AAS) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which can often be ambiguous in clinical practice. We collected 4691 X-ray images of the cervical spine of the 906 patients with RA. Among these images, 3480 were used for training the deep learning model, 803 were used for validating the model during the training process, and the

Dimerization of the myeloid differentiation primary response 88 protein (MyD88) plays a pivotal role in the exacerbated response to innate immunity-dependent signaling in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ST2825 is a highly specific inhibitor of MyD88 dimerization, previously shown to inhibit the pro-inflammatory gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from RA patients (RA PBMC). In this study

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease and causes chronic pain and disability to the elderly. Several risk factors are involved, such as aging, obesity, genetic susceptibility, and environmental factors. We conducted a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) and chemical-related gene set enrichment analysis (CGSEA) to investigate the susceptibility genes and environmental factors

This study aimed to investigate the long-term effect of vitamin D supplementation compared to placebo over 5 years in participants with knee osteoarthritis (OA). We also aimed to describe the effect of maintaining sufficient serum vitamin D levels over five years in knee OA. Participants (n = 173) from the Hobart centre of the Vitamin D Effects on Osteoarthritis (VIDEO) trial were extensively followed

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) treatment is aimed at inducing remission to prevent joint destruction and disability. However, it is unclear what is the long-term impact on health-related outcomes of the timing of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) initiation in JIA. Our aim was to evaluate the long-term impact of the time between JIA onset and the initiation of a bDMARD in

Synovial fibroblasts in rheumatoid arthritis (RAFLS) exhibit a pathological aberration of glycolysis and glutaminolysis. Henceforth, we aimed to investigate if dual inhibition of these pathways by phytobiological compound c28MS has the potential of synergistic therapy for arthritis by targeting both glucose and glutamine metabolism. The presence of HK2 and GLS across various cell types and associated

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare complication of primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS). Several genes have proven to be associated with pSS and PAH. However, there is no study specifically addressing the genetic susceptibility in pSS combined with PAH. Thirty-four unrelated patients with pSS-PAH were recruited from April 2019 to July 2021 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Demographic

While the availability of biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) has improved outcomes for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, there remains a subset of individuals who fail to achieve low disease activity or remission despite multiple cycles of b/tsDMARDs. This state is referred to as 'difficult-to-treat (D2T)' RA. Data from the Korean College of Rheumatology

Osteoarthritis (OA) is driven by low-grade inflammation, and controlling local inflammation may offer symptomatic relief. Here, we developed an indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and galectin-3 fusion protein (IDO-Gal3), where IDO increases the production of local anti-inflammatory metabolites and Gal3 binds carbohydrates to extend IDO’s joint residence time. In this study, we evaluated IDO-Gal3’s ability

Upadacitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, has demonstrated efficacy and an acceptable safety profile in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in the phase III SELECT-AXIS programs. We report the 1-year efficacy and safety in patients with AS and an inadequate response to biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARD-IR) from the SELECT-AXIS 2 study. Patients ≥ 18 years with active AS who