The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of neurological complications related to lip biopsy for SS diagnosis using conventional vs minimally invasive techniques.

Behçet's disease (BD) can be life threatening and may be refractory to corticosteroids and immunosuppressives. There has been some experience with haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in BD either for severe, refractory disease or for a haematological condition. The objectives of this study were to describe a BD patient undergoing HSCT and to evaluate the outcomes of BD patients who underwent HSCT.

It remains a matter of debate whether TNF-a antagonists have favourable effects on the cardiovascular (CV) system. This systematic review evaluates the effect of TNF-a blockers on the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness in patients with inflammatory arthritis.

The objective of this study was to summarize the comparative efficacy and safety of MMF and AZA as maintenance therapy for LN.

For effective health care provision, knowledge of disease prevalence is paramount. There has been no systematic endeavour to establish continent-based AS estimates, however, prevalence is thought to vary by country and background HLA-B27 prevalence. This study aimed to estimate AS prevalence worldwide and to calculate the expected number of cases.

The aim of this study was to describe work status and time to return to work in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and to determine which factors are associated with work status.

Assessment of the pattern and extent of arterial involvement and measurement of current disease activity are essential for the management of Takayasu arteritis (TA). Since there is no completed, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial, the level of evidence for management of TA is low, generally reflecting the results of open studies, case series and expert opinion. The most commonly used agents include corticosteroids and conventional immunosuppressive agents such as MTX, AZA, MMF and LEF. In patients who remain resistant and/or intolerant to these agents, biologic drugs including TNF inhibitors, rituximab and tocilizumab seem to be promising. Antiplatelet treatment may also lower the frequency of ischaemic events in TA. In the presence of short-segment, critical arterial stenosis, balloon angioplasty or stent graft replacement may be useful. On the other hand, long-segment stenosis with extensive periarterial fibrosis or occlusion requires surgical bypass of the affected segment, which is clearly associated with superior results compared with endovascular intervention. As a general rule, both endovascular intervention and surgical procedures should be avoided during the active phase of the disease. Earlier diagnosis, better assessment of disease activity and future clinical trials will obviously improve the management of TA.

This study examines the reported evidence of an association between benign joint hypermobility syndrome (BJHS) and psychological symptoms.

There is substantial uncertainty regarding the prevalence of depression in RA. We conducted a systematic review aiming to describe the prevalence of depression in RA.

To identify the instruments that have been used to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in gout and assess their clinimetric properties, determine the distribution of HRQOL in gout and identify factors associated with poor HRQOL.

To evaluate the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendation for yoga as an ancillary intervention in rheumatic diseases.

To systematically review the evidence for association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-(OH)D) and OA and the effect of vitamin D therapy on OA.

Understanding the factors that play a role in maintaining people with inflammatory arthritis in the workforce may aid the design of interventions to support work participation. The objective of this systematic overview is to summarize qualitative studies that explore experiences of patients with inflammatory arthritis to remain employed or return to work.

Our aim was to establish whether alcohol protects against RA development and to determine whether this effect is influenced by alcohol dose, duration and serological status through systematically reviewing the literature and undertaking a meta-analysis.

To compare the clinical and functional outcomes of US-guided (USG) vs landmark-guided (LMG) injection for the treatment of adults with shoulder pathology.

IA steroid injections (IASIs) have been shown to relieve pain in knee OA and are widely used in clinical practice. There is, however, evidence of some variation in response. Knowledge of predictors of response could aid in the selection of patients for this therapy. The aim of this systematic review was to determine factors associated with response to IASI in knee OA.

To determine whether depression has a temporal association with RA disease activity, treatment persistence and response to therapy.

A higher incidence of cancer in scleroderma patients compared with the general population has been suggested by several observational studies, reporting, however, different estimates. Therefore, we aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to definitely assess this association.

To make an inventory of quality and content of currently available and published sets of health care quality indicators (HCQIs) for RA and OA.

To establish the frequency and describe the characteristics of a cohort of patients with SF eosinophilia (SFE) and a long clinical follow-up. A systematic review of the literature on this topic was performed.