Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) diagnoses are often delayed, which is associated with poorer patient outcomes. To improve understanding of diagnostic delay in France, we describe the time and patient journey to axSpA diagnosis in primary care.

The impact of biologic sex in axial juvenile spondyloarthritis (axJSpA) is unknown. We assessed whether biologic sex is associated with disease manifestations, patient-reported outcomes, or characteristic sacroiliac joint (SIJ) MRI lesions in a large cohort of youths with classified axJSpA.

Despite major scientific advances, delivering high-quality care for children with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases remains challenging. The field of paediatric rheumatology lies at the intersection of different disciplines, and requires excellent highly specialised medical expertise based on rapidly deepening knowledge in rheumatology and immunology. At the same time, this field relies on compassionate paediatricians understanding the needs of developing children as a vulnerable population. Training pathways and professional recognition vary widely between countries, and formal subspecialty accreditation is available inconsistently. Based on a Europe-wide expert survey, this Viewpoint examines why paediatric rheumatology is still not universally recognised as a distinct subspecialty and how insufficient access to formal accreditation leads to fragmented representation and low visibility of this discipline. We argue that stronger international advocacy involving patients and families is urgently required to support the sustainable development of the field and to ensure equitable, evidence-based, developmentally and psychologically appropriate care for all affected children.

Drug development for osteoarthritis (OA) has faced significant challenges, mainly due to the lack of alignment between joint structure observations and patient-reported outcomes (PROs), such as pain. Weight loss has been linked to positive effects on symptomatic outcomes. Blood-based biomarkers indicating collagen and extracellular matrix turnover can be used to measure injury severity in specific tissues, offering a more precise assessment of disease progression. This study aimed to explore the relationship between obesity and PROs and its impact on serum and urinary biomarkers of bone (CTX-I and osteocalcin), synovial (type III collagen degradation and C3M), and cartilage (type II collagen degradation, CTX-II, and C2M) turnover.

Anti-synthetase syndrome (ASyS) is a rare autoimmune disorder defined by anti-synthetase antibodies. While malignancy is established in DM, its association with ASyS remains unclear. We aimed to estimate malignancy prevalence in ASyS and assess whether autoantibody subtype, age, sex or clinical features influence malignancy risk.

Systemic sclerosis-associated heart involvement (SHI) is an enigmatic disease manifestation associated with high mortality. The Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium (SCTC) Cardiac Working Group developed SHI classification criteria to enable systematic investigation of this condition.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease that can affect multiple organs, including the musculoskeletal system and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). This study aimed to determine the frequency and clinical characteristics of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) among patients with SSc.

The optimal treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is far from being fully elucidated. Only a few trials explored the role of conventional DMARDs: none of them adequately ruled out subclinical giant cell arteritis (GCA). The aim of this study was to assess whether the precocious administration of methotrexate (MTX) and a short course of glucocorticoids (GCs) could be safe and effective in recently diagnosed PMR.

Rheumatic disease registries systematically collect real-world longitudinal data, improving patient care and research. Despite the high burden of rheumatic diseases, national registries are scarce in the Middle East. Rheumatology Research Center, with support from Iran’s Ministry of Health, launched Rheumatry in 2016 as the country’s first national rheumatic disease registry.

In SLE, expanded B cell subtypes like double-negative 2 (DN2) may harbour autoreactivity, which may be linked to impaired checkpoint regulation. We investigated checkpoint molecule CD72 on B cells, its clinical associations, and dynamic changes upon rituximab (RTX) treatment.

Assessing quality of life in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is essential for capturing the full burden of the disease beyond clinical and imaging findings. Quality of life measures support clinicians in identifying unmet patient needs and informing treatment decisions. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the first Bulgarian version of the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) questionnaire.

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a major cause of morbidity in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE). Cyclophosphamide (CYC) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) are recommended first-line induction therapies, yet comparative pediatric real-world data, particularly from Asian populations, remain limited. This study compared the effectiveness of CYC and MMF for induction of renal remission and evaluated patterns and predictors of treatment switching among Filipino children with LN.