Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by multiple clinical manifestations. Vasculopathy is a main disease hallmark and ranges in severity from an exacerbated Raynaud phenomenon to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The potential involvement of the immune system in SSc-associated vascular abnormalities is not clear. Here, we set out to study SSc-related immune parameters and determine whether and which peripheral T cell subsets associate with vascular severity in SSc patients.

To investigate the risk of DM and evaluate the impact of SLE therapies on the risk of developing DM in patients with SLE.

To quantify the frequency and impact of malnutrition in systemic sclerosis (SSc), as diagnosed by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria, based on weight loss, BMI and muscle atrophy.

A rapidly expanding number of prediction models is being developed, aiming to improve RA diagnosis and treatment. However, few are actually implemented in clinical practice. This study explores factors influencing the acceptance of prediction models in clinical decision-making by RA patients.

To evaluate the efficacy of pharmacological interventions for treating early-stage, pain predominant, adhesive capsulitis, also known as frozen shoulder.

To compare focus score and other histopathological features between paired labial and parotid salivary gland biopsies in a diagnostic cohort of suspected Sjögren's disease (SjD) patients.

EULAR supports the use of nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) for identifying disease patterns (DPs) associated with SSc and RP. Recently, EULAR proposed an easy-to-manage procedure, a so-called Fast Track algorithm, for differentiating SSc patterns from non-SSc patterns in NVC specimens. However, subjectivity among capillaroscopists remains a limitation. Our aim was to perform a software-based analysis of NVC peculiarities in a cohort of samples from SSc and RP patients and, subsequently, build a Fast Track-inspired algorithm for identifying DPs without the constraint of interobserver variability.

Previous attempts to pool prevalence studies in PsA have failed to take account of important methodological differences between studies that may have created biased estimates. The aim of this review is to estimate the prevalence of PsA within the adult general population worldwide, considering potential differences between population-based and health administrative studies separately.

Anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies are clinically efficacious in the management of RA with an associated increase in Tregs; however, the role of functional Treg subsets has yet to be clarified. This study aimed to evaluate how functional Treg subsets are altered by IL-6 receptor blockade and to analyse the relationship between these Treg subsets and the clinical outcome of RA.

Lupus nephritis (LN) can occur as an isolated component of disease activity or be accompanied by diverse extrarenal manifestations. Whether isolated renal disease is sufficient to decrease health-related quality of life (HRQOL) remains unknown. This study compared Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 29-Item (PROMIS-29) scores in LN patients with isolated renal disease to those with extrarenal symptoms to evaluate the burden of LN on HRQOL and inform future LN clinical trials incorporating HRQOL outcomes.

To explore the cost-effectiveness of a web-based support tool for parents of children with Juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Attribution of neuropsychiatric symptoms in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) relies heavily on clinician assessment. Limited clinic time, variable knowledge and symptom under-reporting contribute to discordance between clinician assessments and patient symptoms. We obtained attributional data directly from patients and clinicians in order to estimate and compare potential levels of direct attribution to SLE of multiple neuropsychiatric symptoms using different patient-derived measures.

Chronic inflammatory diseases, like Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), carry an increased risk for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events, accompanied by impairment of atheroprotective properties of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). In SLE, serum B cell-activating factor (BAFF), a cytokine implicated in disease progression, has been correlated with subclinical atherosclerosis. We investigated the impact of treatment with belimumab -an anti-BAFF monoclonal antibody- on HDL atheroprotective properties and composition in SLE patients.

WD repeat- and FYVE domain-containing protein 4 (WDFY4), coded by a gene on 10q11.23, is a member of the BEACH (Beige and Chediak-Higashi) domain-containing family. Genome-wide association studies identified WDFY4 variants as a risk factor for SLE in Asian and European populations. WDFY4 variants are also associated with RA and primary biliary cholangitis, in different ancestry populations. The WDFY4 protein plays an essential role in the cross-presentation of classic dendritic cells, reactive oxygen species-induced apoptosis of CD8+ T cells, and non-canonical autophagic activity in B cells. A novel variant rs7919656 was identified in Japanese clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis patients, with a highly expressed truncated isoform augmenting the melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) signalling pathway. The same variant was later found to be significantly associated with RP-ILD in Chinese MDA5+DM patients. Here, we briefly review the association of WDFY4 with autoimmune diseases and its known function in the immune response.

Tocilizumab, an IL-6 inhibitor, has been proven effective in patients with adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD). This study aimed to clarify whether tocilizumab can be discontinued after achieving remission and to identify factors relevant to its successful discontinuation.

Rheumatic diseases may impair reproductive success and pregnancy outcomes, but systematic evaluations across diseases are lacking. We conducted a nationwide cohort study to examine the impact of rheumatic diseases on reproductive health measures, comparing the impacts with those of other immune-mediated diseases (IMDs).