To evaluate the impact of oral low-dose glucocorticoids (GCs) on the effectiveness of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis) compared with non-TNF-targeted bDMARDs (other mechanisms of action [OMA] including tocilizumab, abatacept and rituximab) in RA patients with inadequate response to TNF inhibitors (TNFi-IRs).

Tumour markers may correlate with interstitial lung disease (ILD). We conducted a large, population-based retrospective study to investigate the relationship between serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels and disease severity and 1-year mortality in different ILD subtypes.

The effects of systemic tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibition on glucose homeostasis are not fully understood. This study aims to evaluate the effects of TNF inhibitors (TNFis) on gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), amylin and pancreatic polypeptide (PP), hormones involved in the fine-tuning of postprandial glucose homeostasis, in patients with RA, PsA and axial spondylarthritis (axSpA).

The Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology has developed evidence-based recommendations for the pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis in Latin America. A panel of rheumatoid arthritis experts from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela formulated clinically relevant questions in the population, intervention, comparator, outcome format. Systematic literature reviews were done following the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation method. Recommendations were formulated based on evidence quality and expert consensus, which required at least 70% agreement among the voting members to be included in the guidelines. Ten recommendations and a treatment algorithm were developed. Key topics include early initiation of conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), particularly methotrexate, parenteral methotrexate for intolerance, cautious glucocorticoid use, switching mechanisms of action after unsuccessful biological or targeted synthetic DMARD treatment, tapering in remission, and guidance for rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease and vasculitis. Special attention is given to cost-effectiveness and accessibility considering the socioeconomic characteristics of Latin America. These recommendations aim to support clinicians in Latin America by providing a practical, evidence-based, and contextually relevant framework that addresses the unique challenges faced in the region.

Autoantibodies represent a serological hallmark of SSc. Heart involvement in SSc patients includes diastolic dysfunction, conduction block, pericardial effusion, altered left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), valvular pathology, as well as myocardial inflammation and/or fibrosis. To characterize the role of anti-RNA polymerase III (RNAPIII) antibody positivity in the pathophysiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related cardiac involvement in SSc patients.

To investigate the prevalence, clinical features, histological spectrum and outcomes of intra-renal involvement in patients with primary APS (PAPS), with particular attention to both aPL nephropathy (aPL-N) and non-aPL-N renal lesions.

SLE is a multifactorial autoimmune disease with complex genetic architecture and immune cell involvement. While genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous risk loci, most are non-coding, making it challenging to pinpoint causal eGenes [genes with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs)] and therapeutic targets.

We describe the case of a 39-year-old woman who presented with extreme reactive thrombocytosis as a prominent and unusual feature in the context of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (myeloperoxidase, MPO)-associated vasculitis. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in an adult patient where marked thrombocytosis was part of the initial presentation of ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects ~1% of the global population and leads to joint inflammation, local bone erosions and systemic bone loss. The disability and immobility caused by inflammatory bone loss, joint destruction and fractures in rheumatoid arthritis present a clinical challenge and impose a considerable socioeconomical burden. Osteoclasts have the unique ability to resorb bone and cause bone loss. A comprehensive understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of osteoclasts and their crosstalk with stromal cells, such as osteoblasts, or immune cells during inflammation is essential for the development of targeted therapies to prevent and treat bone loss. The objective of this Review is to present a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge of osteoclast regulation at different levels: from systemic pathways to changes in the bone microenvironment, including the involvement of local cells, to osteoclast-intrinsic regulation such as metabolic adaptations. We also discuss some of the current and emerging therapies that can counteract inflammatory bone loss.

To identify factors associated with, and treatment outcomes of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Considerable knowledge gaps remain regarding the cause, prevention, and management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with limited systematic effort to establish research priorities that truly align with the preferences of those impacted by RA.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease that can affect the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems. Elderly RA patients face a significantly elevated risk of cerebrovascular events, the core mechanism of which may be related to chronic inflammation-mediated vascular endothelial dysfunction and impaired cerebral blood flow regulation. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine in RA, yet whether its inhibitor can improve cerebral hemodynamics remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of TNF-α inhibitor etanercept on cerebral blood flow in elderly RA patients.

GCA and PMR are commonly overlapping diseases. Biomarkers for detecting vascular inflammation in PMR patients are lacking. We aimed to determine the diagnostic value of serum levels of angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, interleukin-6, interleukin-17A, interleukin-23, CXCL-9 and osteopontin (OPN) in identifying vascular inflammation in PMR.

Biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) have improved outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, heterogeneity in treatment response remains a significant challenge. Machine learning (ML) may enable improved prediction, but the comprehensive review of ML applications in RA is fragmented and limited. This scoping review synthesizes the literature on ML methods for predicting treatment response to b/tsDMARDs in RA.

We describe disease progression in patients from the SLE Prospective Observational Cohort Study (SPOCS; NCT03189875), investigating differences by baseline IFN gene signature (IFNGS) status.

Few data are available regarding the functional prognosis of adults with primary central nervous system vasculitis (PCNSV). We developed and validated a prognostic model for 12-month functional independence in adults with PCNSV.