Physiotherapy is a widely used form of treatment of low back pain (LBP) and is important in non-surgical/surgical management of patients with lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV). This review presents physiotherapeutic management in LSTV patients with LBP. A search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Medline, and Google Scholar between November 20 and December 31, 2023. The mean age of patients was 39 years. The patients had an average of 13 sessions, and the average duration of physiotherapy was 3 weeks (frequency of 1-5 sessions/week). The physiotherapy methods used were: manual therapy, mobility training, motor control training, myofascial approach and hot packs, and electrotherapy. Outcome measures were pain scales, range of motion testing, improvement in sleep, return to work, physical activity, or muscle thickness. The reviewed papers described pain reduction, though pain recurrence occurred with varying frequency (1-3 months after therapy). Physiotherapy for LSTV patients should be a first-line treatment, but requires an individualized approach.

Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) are effective treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but growing evidence raises cardiovascular (CV) safety concerns. Given the elevated baseline CV risk in RA, appropriate risk stratification is essential. We retrospectively analyzed 116 RA patients treated with JAKi at the University of Naples Federico II (2020-2025), excluding those with previous CV events. Cardiovascular risk was assessed using the CUORE algorithm, adjusted with the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology-recommended 1.5 multiplication factor. Patients were stratified into low (37.9%), intermediate (48.3%), and high (13.8%) risk categories. Over a median follow-up of 25.6 months, only one major CV event (myocardial infarction) was recorded, with no CV deaths. Despite the algorithm being developed for the general population, it appears feasible for RA patients on JAKi. Our findings suggest its potential role in guiding CV prevention strategies, although larger, multicenter studies are needed to confirm its predictive value and integrate RA-specific variables.

The involvement of neutralizing antibodies against type I interferon (IFN-I) in the development of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adult patients has been well documented. However, the role of anti-IFN-α autoantibodies, especially non-neutralizing types, remains underexplored, especially in children. Our study aimed to determine the frequency of antibodies against IFN-α in children with COVID-19 and long COVID, as well as their potential role in the development of long COVID.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multisystem autoimmune disorder. Autoantibody levels in the serum of RA patients can guide the diagnosis and treatment. Cystatin D is a known inhibitor of cathepsins involved in RA pathogenesis. We aimed to determine the value of cystatin D in RA patients and to explore the relation between cystatin D serum level and disease activity and joint damage.

Early detection of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is critical to prevent joint damage and disability. The Psoriasis Epidemiology Screening Tool (PEST) and the Early Arthritis for Psoriatic Patients (EARP) questionnaire are established instruments for identifying PsA in patients with psoriasis. However, validated Polish versions were not available. This study aimed to translate and validate the Polish versions of both questionnaires.

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) is an infrequent and menacing complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc). While researchers report positive impact of rituximab (RTX) on CIPO in paraneoplastic syndrome, no case reports exist for SSc-associated CIPO. The aim of this case-based review is to analyses current literature in context of particular CIPO case description. This analysis was based on PubMed/MEDLINE database and was conducted using the selected key terms. Finally 40 studies/case reports and one case description from authors clinical experience were included into comparison and discussion. As conclusion description of successfuly treatment with RTX and intravenous immunoglobulins can confirm the suggestions from other studies that B-cells participate in the pathogenesis of SSc, making RTX a potentially effective therapeutic option also in coexisting CIPO.

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a frequently relapsing systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation and destruction of small- to medium-sized blood vessels resulting in potentially life-threatening organ damage. Of the three AAV subtypes, granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) are the most common. The aims of treatment are to rapidly control active disease with induction therapy [typically rituximab (RTX) (the new standard-of-care) or cyclophosphamide alongside glucocorticoids (GC) and avacopan], followed by less aggressive maintenance strategies to reduce the risk of relapse. International and national guidelines for the treatment of GPA/MPA are generally aligned, with all guidelines highlighting a need to reduce treatment-related adverse events through rapid GC tapering and the use of GC-sparing avacopan treatment. Guidelines will continue to evolve as ongoing studies provide new insights into alternative (GC-sparing) treatment options and optimal RTX-based treatment regimens.

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a group of frequently relapsing systemic autoimmune disorders characterized by vasculitis-related organ damage and multiple comorbidities related to chronic inflammation. Advances in immunosuppression-based therapies for AAV have considerably improved remission rates, reduced the risk of relapse, and improved survival in patients with AAV. However, mortality remains high compared with the general population and the benefits of treatment are often offset by treatment-related comorbidities, organ damage and adverse effects, particularly infections. The aim of this review is to investigate the key contributors to disease burden in patients with AAV and to describe strategies for improving health-related quality of life.

Age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), and age-standardized disability-adjusted life years (ASDR) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their trends at the global, regional, and national levels were determined using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a dangerous autoimmune condition that usually requires high-dose glucocorticoids with immunosuppressive agents. Although effective, long-term glucocorticoid use is associated with significant toxicity. Avacopan, a selective inhibitor of C5a receptors, has emerged as a possible glucocorticoid-sparing drug for AAV, potentially offering a safer, more specific approach to treat the disease. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of avacopan and conventional glucocorticoid-containing regimens for the treatment of AAV.

Sedentary behaviour (SB) is receiving increasing attention as a potential target for behavioural change interventions in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), to improve RA outcomes. The primary aim of this review was to describe the design and content of existing SB interventions in RA with a focus on the use of digital technology and Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs). Secondary aims were to understand how SB is conceptualised in intervention studies, and report data on participants' perceptions of acceptable and/or engaging components, adherence, and intervention efficacy.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been associated with immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including ICI associated vasculitis (ICI-vasculitis) and ICI associated PMR (ICI-polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR)-like syndromes). We sought to describe the characteristics of ICI-vasculitis and ICI-PMR in individuals treated with ICIs through a systematic review and local case series.

Chronic inflammatory arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and spondyloarthritis (SpA), poses unique challenges during pregnancy due to potential maternal and fetal complications. This study aimed to compare pregnancy outcomes among women with these conditions in Qatar.

Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that can result in a spectrum of musculoskeletal complications, ranging from infection-related arthritis to post-infectious, immune-mediated conditions. Although prior reports have linked Lyme disease to systemic autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) has not previously been described following Lyme disease.

Recent attempts to understand the pathophysiology and characteristics of osteoarthritis (OA) have led to the stratification of samples and data. An important part of this process is the use of specific terminology, although the lack of clear definitions for these terms can lead to misinterpretation across different disciplines. In this study, we aimed to assess the frequency of use and chronological appearance of key scientific terminology of four prevalent terms in the field of OA research: PHENOTYPE, SUBTYPE, SUBGROUP and ENDOTYPE. These terms were analysed in conjunction with tissues and fluids associated with OA research, specifically plasma/serum, synovial fluid, synovial membrane, cartilage, meniscus and bone. The method for screening the published literature focused on publications from January 2010 to September 2024, with priority given to studies that reported results from unmanipulated human tissues and applying unbiased analytical methods. Excluded from the analysis were reviews, clinical trials, animal studies, in vitro data, and analyses of pre-existing datasets. The data revealed that the most frequently used term was PHENOTYPE, followed by SUBGROUP and SUBTYPE, with ENDOTYPE being the most recently introduced term in 2019. These terms were rarely defined and often used interchangeably within a single paper, particularly in studies involving cartilage and serum. Notably, the use of these terms has tripled in total over the last 14 years, with an increase in the past decade, reflecting a growing interest in OA stratification, as well as the utility of advanced unbiased analytical methods including microarray and RNA sequencing. The term PHENOTYPE was broadly used and often when describing clinical features, whilst the term ENDOTYPE is used when describing molecular mechanisms related to OA pathogenesis. To improve communication of findings associated with OA stratification, we propose a harmonised application in the use of these stratification terms to prevent misinterpretation and support better communication of OA-related research findings. Building on published terminology, PHENOTYPE could be used to describe clinical features, while ENDOTYPE could be used to describe molecular mechanisms.

To gather all relevant literature surrounding the use of Bayesian methods in clinical trials for rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis; and to assess the use of these methods within said trials.

To investigate the long-term trajectory of radiographic progression in difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T RA) and poly-refractory RA (pr-RA) patients and to evaluate the impact of ultrasound-based persistent inflammatory refractory RA (PIRRA) and non-inflammatory refractory RA (NIRRA) classification on predicting rapid radiographic progression (RRP, ≥5 mSvdH units/year).

To investigate cutaneous manifestations in Still's disease patients, evaluating any correlation with ethnic origin, age at disease onset, disease patterns, occurrence of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) and systemic activity scores.

We applied latent class and trajectory modelling to examine whether subgroups of axial spondylarthritis (axSpA) patients report discordant scores for disease activity and mental health symptoms at baseline and after treatment change.