With new insights into damage accrual, new outcome measures and new therapies emerging, treatment for lupus nephritis (LN) has evolved over the last years. Although a greater proportion of patients shows clinical responses, treatment reduction and withdrawal remain challenging. While immunosuppressive therapy has relevant side effects, relapses pose the risk of long-term kidney function impairment. Unlike other autoimmune kidney diseases, LN lacks a unique biomarker or biomarker profile clearly reflecting disease activity. Here, we review definitions of remission, LN immunosuppressant withdrawal studies and new biomarkers correlated with disease activity. These factors can help to identify patients who can be safely withdrawn from immunosuppression reducing risk of infection, cardiovascular side effects, toxicity and damage accrual.

Sleep disturbances significantly impact quality of life (QoL) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study aimed to assess sleep quality in cases and controls using both subjective and objective measures and explore association with disease characteristics, psychological factors, physical function and QoL.

Pain in PsA is common and multifactorial, involving nociceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic mechanisms. We hypothesized that PsA patients with entheseal pain exhibit distinct brain activation patterns on functional MRI (fMRI), depending on the presence of US-detected inflammation.

Digital vasculopathy (a spectrum of Raynaud's phenomenon, digital ulceration and critical ischaemia) is one of the most characteristic manifestations of systemic sclerosis (SSc). It is an area of unmet need with a major impact on quality of life: current treatments are only poorly effective. SSc-related digital vasculopathy is a result of structural as well as functional change at the level of both the microcirculation and the digital artery, explaining its severity. This review begins with a brief description of digital vasculopathy, followed by its assessment in the clinical setting, relevant to both diagnosis and monitoring of SSc. Outcome measures of Raynaud's phenomenon and of digital ulcers are then discussed, focusing on recent advances. These outcome measures are a 'hot topic' because reliable patient-reported and laboratory-based outcome measures will facilitate much needed clinical trials. Finally, some of the emerging non-invasive technologies which are providing new insights into pathophysiology are briefly described.

SSc is a rare rheumatological disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite significant recent international clinical trial activity, the yield of approved compounds has been disappointingly low. Our aim was to identify and prioritize potential 'druggable' targets with insights from human genetics, by integrating the available evidence with publicly available bioinformatics sources relevant for SSc drug development.

Systemic autoimmune and chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases predominantly affect childbearing women. These women are at greater risk for pregnancy complications stemming from both the underlying disease and the treatments required to manage it. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of effective contraceptive use across a wide range of diseases including systemic lupus, systemic sclerosis, Sharp syndrome, Sjögren’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and spondyloarthritis.

The continuous increase in Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in various areas of human life has brought about great changes in many sciences, among which is the health sector. ChatGPT and DeepSeek belong to the category of Large Language Models (LLMs) developed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) using supervised and reinforcement learning techniques. The aim of this article is to evaluate the accuracy and consistency of ChatGPT and DeepSeek models in the diagnosis and treatment of two rheumatologic diseases, ankylosing spondylitis (axSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Arthritis research in Canada has historically lacked focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), as studies show limited reporting of equity-related factors and underrepresentation of participants who are historically from underserved communities. To address this, the objective of this study was to gather feedback from arthritis researchers in Canada to inform the development of a health equity-focused demographic survey for arthritis outcomes research.

Patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases are at high risk of developing herpes zoster due to immunosuppressive treatment. We evaluated the effect of a recombinant zoster vaccine in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases compared with placebo and in healthy controls.

To investigate the effectiveness of denosumab (DMAb), teriparatide (TPTD) and romosozumab (ROMO) in patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP).

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are the cornerstone of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) treatment, but the optimal tapering strategy remains unclear. This systematic review aimed to explore the impact of published GC tapering strategies on remission, flare rates, GC discontinuation, cumulative GC doses and patient-reported outcomes (PROs).

We recently identified four SLE clusters based on 13 autoantibodies used in clinical practice. In this prospective cohort study, we investigate the incidence of major cardiovascular events (MACE) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) in SLE patients stratified by clusters. Clusters were compared with each other and to matched controls.

Digitalization is reshaping healthcare delivery, including how physicians and the pharmaceutical industry interact. Rheumatology care is a particularly dynamic field, where digital technologies are increasingly integrated into both clinical care and pharmaceutical engagement. Despite growing digital collaboration, little is known about healthcare professionals’ perspectives on these developments.

Smoking presents significant challenges for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) yet understanding of their smoking habits and perceptions remains limited. This study explores preferences regarding tobacco cessation strategies, barriers to success in cessation, and perceived needs in this population.