Cardiac involvement is common in SSc and is associated with high mortality, yet is challenging to detect. Our aim was to investigate relationships between cardiac involvement, as assessed by ECG and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and thermographic abnormalities.

The incidence of autoimmune diseases in cold environments has been a topic of interest due to the observed geographical patterns and potential environmental influences on disease development. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of five main autoimmune diseases in 201 countries according to average annual temperatures.

Anti-cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) antibodies may serve as biomarkers for post-infectious autoimmunity and aid clinical risk stratification. We aimed to determine the prevalence of anti-CDT antibodies in a large, well-characterized cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and examine associations with gastrointestinal (GI) and extraintestinal clinical features and SSc-related antibodies.

Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) represent a well-established therapeutic option for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. However, there is a paucity of evidence regarding their impact on de novo immune responses to vaccinations. T cells may confer long-lasting immunity and cross-recognise evolving epitopes of new viral variants, as evidenced by the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Consequently, we investigated the de novo T-cell response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with rheumatic diseases undergoing treatment with JAK inhibitors.

It is well-documented that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with asthma. However, the causal relationship between SLE and asthma, and the potential mediator need to be explained. This study aims to confirm the cause-and-effect relationship between SLE and asthma, and evaluate the mediation effect of lipid in European ancestry.

To fully understand why C-reactive protein (CRP) is usually only mildly elevated in active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), although interleukin-6 (IL-6) is increased, but is high in SLE patients with bacterial infections.

Anti-PL12 autoantibodies are targeted against alanyl-tRNA synthetase, a cytosolic enzyme which plays a vital role in protein synthesis. Clinically, such antibodies are strongly associated with interstitial lung disease and confer a poor prognosis. To better understand their molecular composition, anti-PL12 immunoglobulin variable region subfamily expression and their mutational signatures were analysed by mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics to provide insights into personalized molecular diagnosis.

Many outcomes relevant to rheumatoid arthritis are measured as continuous variables. Judging whether the results of those measurements are clinically significant requires determining the minimal important difference (MID) estimate. Therefore, valid MID estimate(s) are essential for the purposes of clinical decision-making and developing clinical recommendations. Our objective is to present the MID estimates for instruments used to measure outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis studies.

Despite reports of clinical benefits, concerns persist about the stress associated with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA). This review aimed to assess the effects of HIIT on disease activity, immune function, symptoms, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with IA.

Epidemiological data on polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) in Germany is limited. Current national prevalence estimates are low by international standards. This study aimed to gain up-to-date data representative of Germany.

Patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases have high rates of surgical procedures including joint replacements despite the use of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). This scoping review compares clinical practice guideline recommendations for the perioperative management of DMARDs in such patients.

Conflicting data exist on TNF inhibitors' (TNFi) role in preventing PsA in psoriasis. Using propensity score matching, we compared PsA incidence in severe psoriasis patients treated with TNFi vs narrow-band ultraviolet B (nbUVB) phototherapy over a decade of follow-up.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that mostly breaks out at the joints. It further causes bone erosion and decreased life quality due to severe pain. Current drugs are mainly focused on reducing pain, but unable to terminate the disease progression. This study aims to determine the effect of diet types (Western, Vegan and Mediterranean) on RA progression. Some dietary supplements and drug administration (Huayu-Qiangshen-Tongbi formula or Leflunomide plus Methotrexate) in a six-month-period were also simulated to elucidate their effects on gut microbiota growth and exchange metabolite fluxes. The computational analyses showed that Haemophilus parainfluenzae had the highest growth rate in the RA community with the Western diet. Enterococcus faecalis was the most notable bacterial species considering butyrate exchange rates without any dependency on the diet; however diet type became important for Clostridium celatum for acetate and formate exchanges. Focal interactions for RA communities signify Mediterranean diet had the most homogeneous exchange flux distribution. With iron and ornithine supplementation, Clostridium celatum outshined the rest of the bacteria in the RA community with the potential being an RA biomarker. The Mediterranean diet could be studied further for drug administration studies since the bacterial species under this diet exhibited different outputs. In the near future, by utilizing the potential of the gut microbiota to be altered with diet, it might be possible to manipulate the progression of RA.

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with biologic drugs in patients with cancer could potentially result in poor cancer outcomes. This study aimed to identify the beliefs, preferences, and informational needs of patients with RA and cancer regarding the harms, benefits, and uncertainties surrounding the use of RA therapy with respect to cancer.

To investigate a patient-level single imputation approach for patient reported outcomes (PROs) that express similar contents or associated PROs, where a PRO whose value is missing at a particular timepoint is substituted by another PRO whose value is available at the same timepoint.

Systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) is a rare disorder characterized by increased vascular permeability leading to third-spacing of fluids and protein. Drug-induced hypersensitivity reactions can mimic SCLS clinically and radiologically.

Rheumatic diseases significantly impact global healthcare through disability, lost productivity, and reduced quality of life, making them an important focus for researchers. As physiological changes associated with aging decrease bone mineral density, rheumatic diseases further elevate fracture risk in older adults. Resistance training has been shown to counteract age-related declines through increases in muscle, strength, and bone mineral density, demonstrating its potential for mitigating bone mineral density loss. This systematic review examines the effectiveness of resistance training interventions in maintaining or improving bone mineral density in older adults with rheumatic diseases, an issue of relevance given impaired skeletal integrity linked to these diseases.

Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is a sporadic form of autoinflammatory bone disorders (ABDs) presenting with sterile chronic and/or recurrent and multiple sites of bone involvement. We aimed to describe our 10-year cohort of CRMO patients and analyze the characteristics and treatment approaches.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by joint destruction and systemic inflammation, both of which significantly impair patients' quality of life. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a reversible precursor to dementia, is increasingly prevalent among elderly RA patients. Early identification of MCI in this population allows for timely interventions to slow cognitive decline.