To investigate physical function, body composition and frailty in recently diagnosed polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) compared with controls.

To investigate total and cause-specific mortality risk among rheumatoid arthritis-associated lung disease (RA-LD) compared with RA patients without lung disease (RA-no LD).

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.

Chondrocyte biology is being revolutionized by single-cell multi-omics technologies, revealing cellular heterogeneity within cartilaginous tissues. Although past research has implicated cellular heterogeneity in chondrocyte populations, advances over the past decade in single-cell transcriptomics now enable a more granular, functionally annotated classification of chondrocyte subtypes. These analyses provide crucial insights into the role of these subtypes in cartilage formation, maintenance and disease progression. Chondrocyte populations are implicated in tissue homeostasis, pathogenesis and responses to external stimuli, including pro-inflammatory mediators and novel therapeutic agents. This knowledge opens pathways for developing targeted treatments for diseases such as osteoarthritis and intervertebral disc disease. Insights into the molecular signatures of disease-critical chondrocyte populations provide a foundation for biomarker discovery and therapeutic targeting, and there are exciting opportunities for leveraging these findings to progress regenerative therapies. Spatial and temporal profiling of cellular markers, behaviour and metabolic activity will enhance understanding of disease pathogenesis and chondrosenescence and could possibly enable early intervention for osteoarthritis, thereby preventing irreversible joint damage. Future research must integrate advanced single-cell techniques with computational modelling to unravel the dynamic interplay of chondrocyte populations. These efforts could transform precision medicine in rheumatology, addressing the unmet clinical needs in cartilage-related diseases.

Meniscus injury is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries, and its pathogenesis is associated with age, mechanical stress and inflammatory injury. However, the mechanism of meniscal degeneration remains unclear and this study aimed to investigate the role of SPARCL1 in meniscal degeneration.

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.

To evaluate the incidence and types of complications occurring within 60 days postpartum in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD), focusing on disease flares and other clinical events.

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.