Sex and Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis

IL-4 polymorphisms (rs2227284, rs2243267, and rs2243270) are associated with reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease, and understanding its genetic and molecular basis is crucial for early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the association between IL-4 polymorphisms (rs2227284, rs2243267, rs2243270, and rs2243283) and RA risk.

METHODS

The four IL-4 polymorphisms were genotyped in 493 RA patients and 493 healthy controls using Agena MassARRAY. Logistic regression analysis calculated odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to estimate the relationship between IL-4 polymorphisms and RA risk.

RESULTS

Overall analysis revealed that rs2243267 (GG vs. CC: OR = 0.26, FDR-p = .032; Recessive: OR = 0.27, FDR-p = .048) and rs2243270 (AA vs. GG: OR = 0.26, FDR-p = .024; Recessive: OR = 0.27, FDR-p = .024) were associated with a decreased risk of RA. Stratified analysis indicated that rs2243267 and rs2243270 were correlated with reduced RA risk in female, smoking, BMI <24, and drinking population; rs2227284 was associated with a decreased RA risk in BMI <24 and drinking population. Moreover, rs2243267 and rs2243270 were significantly associated with reduced ACPA positivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that IL-4 polymorphisms (rs2227284, rs2243267, and rs2243270) act as protective factors for RA in the Chinese Han population.

Tight control in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with targeted therapies across the COVID-19 pandemic era

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the impact of different patterns of healthcare delivery on remission of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with targeted therapies during the first wave (2020) and second/third waves (2021) of the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period (2019).

METHODS

In this observational real-life study, data from RA patients treated with biologic or targeted synthetic drugs were extracted from a longitudinal registry. Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) was analyzed in the same period from the 22nd of February to the 18th of May for three consecutive years. These three periods were characterized by different patterns of healthcare delivery: (1) before the pandemic (2019) only in-person visits, (2) during the first wave (2020) both in-person visits and telehealth, and (3) during the second/third waves (2021) only in-person visits. A generalized linear model with the binomial error was fitted to evaluate the difference in the proportion of patients in CDAI remission. Quantile regression was used to compare the median of CDAI in difficult-to-treat (D2T) patients.

RESULTS

In the three periods, we included 407, 450, and 540 RA patients respectively. The percentages of patients in CDAI remission were similar in the three periods (prevalence ratio 1.07, p value 0.423 between 2020 and 2019, and 1.01, p-value 0.934 between 2021 and 2019). The CDAI remission rate was 40.55% (N = 163), 43.18% (N = 155) and 40.82% (N = 220) in 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. Among our cohort of D2T patients, CDAI remission was similar across the three periods (N = 30, 22.22%; N = 27, 23.68%; and N = 34, 21.52% respectively).

CONCLUSION

Although the pandemic has imposed changes in our healthcare delivery, these different strategies seem to be effective in ensuring satisfactory management of RA treated with targeted therapies. The approaches modulated in the context of the different periods have been a feasible compensation for ensuring disease control even in D2T patients.

Nociplastic pain mechanisms and toll-like receptors as promising targets for its management

ABSTRACT

Nociplastic pain, characterized by abnormal pain processing without an identifiable organic cause, affects a significant portion of the global population. Unfortunately, current pharmacological treatments for this condition often prove ineffective, prompting the need to explore new potential targets for inducing analgesic effects in patients with nociplastic pain. In this context, toll-like receptors (TLRs), known for their role in the immune response to infections, represent promising opportunities for pharmacological intervention because they play a relevant role in both the development and maintenance of pain. Although TLRs have been extensively studied in neuropathic and inflammatory pain, their specific contributions to nociplastic pain remain less clear, demanding further investigation. This review consolidates current evidence on the connection between TLRs and nociplastic pain, with a specific focus on prevalent conditions like fibromyalgia, stress-induced pain, sleep deprivation-related pain, and irritable bowel syndrome. In addition, we explore the association between nociplastic pain and psychiatric comorbidities, proposing that modulating TLRs can potentially alleviate both pain syndromes and related psychiatric disorders. Finally, we discuss the potential sex differences in TLR signaling, considering the higher prevalence of nociplastic pain among women. Altogether, this review aims to shed light on nociplastic pain, its underlying mechanisms, and its intriguing relationship with TLR signaling pathways, ultimately framing the potential therapeutic role of TLRs in addressing this challenging condition.

Femoral bone mineral density as a tool of personalized medicine for rheumatoid arthritis: Interleukin-6 inhibitors for patients with low density whereas tumor necrosis factor inhibitor for patients with preserved density?

Objectives

There is a lack of indicators to distinguish between interleukin-6 inhibitors responders and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors responders in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoporosis is a complication of rheumatoid arthritis and is closely related to inflammatory pathology. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether bone mineral density can distinguish interleukin-6 inhibitors responders from tumor necrosis factor inhibitors responders in rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods

Either interleukin-6 inhibitors or tumor necrosis factor inhibitors was introduced as the first biologics to patients naïve to both corticosteroid and osteoporosis treatment. Correlations between baseline bone mineral density and Clinical Disease Activity Index after 3 months were analyzed.

Results

The subjects were 26 rheumatoid arthritis patients with a median age of 60 years old, disease duration of 1.4 years, Clinical Disease Activity Index of 13.7, and C-reactive protein of 1.69 mg/dL. The subjects were divided into two groups (high (H) and low (L)) according to their femoral bone mineral density with a cutoff of young adult mean of 80%. Six in group H and 11 in group L received interleukin-6 inhibitors, and nine in group H received tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. Clinical Disease Activity Index remission rate by interleukin-6 inhibitors was significantly greater in group L (8/11 (72.7%)) than in group H (1/6 (16.7%); p < 0.05). In the whole group H, significantly more patients obtained Clinical Disease Activity Index remission by tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (7/9, 77.8%) than by interleukin-6 inhibitors (1/6 (16.7%); p = 0.04).

Conclusions

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, interleukin-6 inhibitors may be more beneficial for patients with low femoral bone mineral density, whereas tumor necrosis factor inhibitors may be advantageous for those with preserved bone mineral density.

Updating on pregnancy in rheumatoid arthritis

INTRODUCTION

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most prevalent autoimmune disease in reproductive years, exhibits a higher incidence in females, suggesting involvement of estrogens, genetics and environmental factors in disease onset. Literature shows smaller families in RA patients, driving increased interest in Assisted Reproductive Techniques.

AREAS COVERED

This review elucidates how immunotolerance mechanisms contribute to favorable pregnancy outcomes in RA, emphasizing the need for a careful pregnancy planning to mitigate fetal complications and postnatal flares, which surpass those in the general population. A thorough medication evaluation, orchestrated by a multidisciplinary team, is imperative during pregnancy, weighing potential teratogenic effects against safer alternatives to balance medication safety with disease control. A systematic literature search on PubMed and MEDLINE, using specific terms, covered relevant academic journals up to the latest date.

EXPERT OPINION

This narrative review comprehensively addresses pregnancy-related considerations in RA patients, prioritizing meticulous disease management with pregnancy and breastfeeding-compatible drugs in line with the latest recommendations and registry data. The focus remains on evaluating glucocorticoids, conventional, and biological disease-modifying drugs for compatibility during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Additionally, the evolving landscape of targeted synthetic drugs during pregnancy is explored, providing insights into the latest developments in rheumatological care.

Biopsychosocial factors are associated with impaired sexual function in Mexican patients with rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease with worldwide representation that impacts every domain of a patient´s life, extending to sexual and reproductive domains. The study characterized sexual health (SH) and reproductive health (RH) in Mexican RA outpatients and identified factors associated with impaired sexual function (ISF).

METHODS

From September 1, 2020-January 31, 2022, consecutive RA participants had semi-structured interviews focusing on their SH and RH biographies, and self-administered questionnaires were applied to assess patient-reported outcomes, including fatigue with the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue scale (FACIT-F). ISF was defined based on published cut-offs of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) in males and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) in females (≥1 sexual intercourse in the last four weeks was required for index scoring). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with ISF.

RESULTS

There were 268 participants, and 246 (91.8%) were females. Participants had 13 years of disease duration. Among females, 151 (61.4%) had FSFI applied, and the satisfaction domain was impaired in 111 (73.5%). Among males (N = 22), 17 (77.3%) had IIEF applied, and erectile dysfunction was present in 5 (29.4%). Almost half of the participants denied using a family planning method, were in their 50s, and receiving teratogenic drugs; 89.7% of the participants had children. ISF was detected in 94 (62.3%) females and 3 (17.6%) males. Male sex (aOR: 0.07, 95%CI: 0.01-0.36, p = 0.001), FACIT-F score (aOR: 0.96, 95%CI: 0.92-1.00, p = 0.03), and cohabitation with the couple (aOR: 0.32, 95%CI: 0.11-0.96, p = 0.04) were associated with ISF.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed a disproportionate burden of ISF among women with RA compared to male participants. Male sex, lesser fatigue, and cohabitation with the couple were protective against ISF. Regardless of the prevalent use of teratogenic medications, contraceptive use was suboptimal among the participants.

Dietary magnesium intake and rheumatoid arthritis patients' all-cause mortality: evidence from the NHANES database

BACKGROUND

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory joint disease with all-cause mortality increasing globally. Dietary magnesium (Mg), an anti-inflammatory nutrient, has been proven to be associated with the all-cause mortality. The association of dietary Mg intake and all-cause mortality in RA patients remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the association between dietary Mg intake and all-cause mortality in RA patients.

METHODS

RA patients were extracted from the NHANES 1999-2018, and followed for survival through December 31, 2019. Dietary Mg intake data were obtained from 24-h dietary recall interview. The association between dietary Mg intake and RA patients' all-cause mortality was explored based on weighted univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models and described as absolute risk difference (ARD), hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). This association was further explored in subgroup analyses based on different age, gender and body mass index (BMI).

RESULTS

Totally 2,952 patients were included. Until 31 December 2019, a total of 825 deaths were documented. RA patients with higher dietary Mg intake had a 11.12% reduction of all-cause mortality (ARD=-11.12%; HR = 0.74, 95%CI: 0.56-0.99) in the fully adjusted model, especially in female (HR = 0.68, 95%CI: 0.47-0.98), aged < 65 years (HR = 0.59, 95%CI: 0.37-0.94) and BMI ≤ 30 kg/m2 (HR = 0.62, 95%CI: 0.42-0.91).

CONCLUSION

RA patients who consumed adequate dietary Mg from diet as well as supplements may had a lower risk of all-cause mortality.

Micro-RNA content of circulating extracellular vesicles in early rheumatoid arthritis as biomarkers and mediators of methotrexate efficacy

OBJECTIVES

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are abundant in body fluids, contributing to intercellular signalling by transferring cargo that includes microRNAs (miRs)-themselves implicated in pathobiology. For the first time we evaluated the potential of EV miRs to contribute diagnostic information in early RA, predict methotrexate (MTX) efficacy or shed light on the drug's mechanism of action.

METHODS

Seven hundred and ninety-eight miRs isolated from serum-derived EVs of 46 patients with untreated RA, 23 with untreated polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR; inflammatory disease control group) and 12 in whom significant inflammatory disease had been excluded (non-inflammatory controls; NICs) were profiled (NanoString); the same measurements were made for RA patients after 6 months' MTX treatment. Analyses took multiple testing into account.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight EV miRs were robustly differentially expressed between early RA (but not PMR) patients and NICs after correction for age and sex, suggesting discriminatory value. Cross-validated partial least squares-discriminant analysis also indicated the predictive potential of a distinct baseline EV miR signature with respect to MTX-induced remission at 6 months. The change in expression of 13 miRs over the course of MTX treatment differed significantly between responders and non-responders, and four of those exhibiting increased relative abundance amongst responders have known roles in regulating the pathogenic potential of synovial fibroblasts, namely miR-212-3p, miR-338-5p, miR-410-3p and miR-537.

CONCLUSION

Our data highlight the potential of serum EV miRs as diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers, highlighting a novel potential mechanism by which MTX may exert its therapeutic effect in early RA that warrants further investigation.

Gut microbiome-immune interactions and their role in rheumatoid arthritis development

Objective

The primary objective is to study the impact of gut microbiota and their interactions with diverse immunological markers on the development of rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods

This study was performed in Astana, Kazakhstan, and included 77 Kazakh female patients older than 18 years, who met the American College of Rheumatology 2010 classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 113 healthy controls. The DNA was extracted from fecal samples obtained from all study participants for subsequent sequencing at the 16S rRNA gene V1-V3 locus, facilitating the analysis of the gut microbiome. The Multiplex immunoassay was employed to measure the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and immunoglobulins in both fecal and plasma samples.

Results

Our taxonomic analysis revealed significant differences in the composition of the gut microbiota between the healthy control cohort and the cohort with rheumatoid arthritis RA. Alpha diversity was significantly lower in the RA group. Lachnospiraceae were the most abundant taxon and found to be crucial, showing correlations with immunological markers such as IL5. Additionally, Lachnospiraceae and Oscillospiraceae exhibited the most predictable power and distinguished the composition of both study groups.

Conclusion

Our study identifies key differences in the gut microbiome of RA patients, revealing distinct microbial patterns and specific taxa abundance. We highlight potential biomarkers in immunological and bacterial pathways, offering insights into RA development and indicating possibilities for personalized treatment.

Sociodemographic and health system factors associated with variations in hospitalization costs for rheumatic diseases in adults aged 45 years and older: A cross-sectional study of provincial health accounts in Jiangsu Province, China

AIM

To report the cost of hospitalization and the associated risk factors for rheumatic diseases in middle-aged and elderly patients in China.

METHODS

The study participants included inpatients from hospitals of various levels in the Jiangsu Province Health Account database in 2016. Participants were selected by using a multistage sampling method. Patients <45 years of age were excluded, and patients hospitalized for rheumatic diseases were identified according to the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases. Generalized linear models were used to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics related to the hospitalization costs of patients with rheumatic diseases.

RESULTS

The study included 3696 patients. The average cost of hospitalization for patients with rheumatic diseases was USD 4038.63. Female sex, a long length of stay, age between 65 and 74 years, free medical care, not being covered by the Urban-Rural Residents Basic Medical Insurance, and a high hospital level were associated with high hospitalization costs.

CONCLUSION

This study examined hospitalization costs and relevant influencing factors in middle-aged and elderly patients with rheumatic disease in China. Our findings are useful for further research on costs of disease and the economic evaluation of strategies to prevent rheumatic disease.

Sex-Related Differences in Dispensation of Rheumatic Medications in Older Patients With Inflammatory Arthritis: A Population-Based Study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of our study was to compare dispensation of rheumatic medications between older male and female patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study was performed using health administrative data from Ontario, Canada (years 2010-2017), on patients with incident RA and PsA, who were aged ≥ 66 years at the time of diagnosis. Yearly dispensation of rheumatic drugs was compared between older male and female patients for 3 years after diagnosis using multivariable regression models, after adjusting for confounders. The groups of drugs included in the analysis were disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) classified as conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs) and advanced therapy (biologic DMARDs and targeted synthetic DMARDs), nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids, and oral corticosteroids. Results were reported as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs.

RESULTS

We analyzed 13,613 patients (64% female) with RA and 1116 patients (57% female) with PsA. Female patients with RA were more likely to receive opioids (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.22-1.58 to OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.32-1.72) and NSAIDs (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.04-1.25 to OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04-1.30). Dispensation of DMARDs showed no sex difference in either group. Subgroup analyses showed more intense use of advanced therapy in the RA cohort and of csDMARDs in the PsA cohort when patient and physician sex was concordant.

CONCLUSION

This study did not identify any sex difference in the use of DMARDs among older patients with RA and PsA. The reasons for the higher use of opioids and NSAIDs among female patients with RA warrant further research.

Different gender of oxidative balance score on the risk of rheumatoid arthritis in the US population from NHANES

BACKGROUND

Oxidative stress is associated with risk of pathogenesis between rheumatoid arthritis. The Oxidative Balance Score (OBS) is a systematic tool to assess the effects of diet and lifestyle in relation to oxidative stress. However, the association between OBS and rheumatoid arthritis has not been reported previously. We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the complex association between OBS and rheumatoid arthritis in US adults.

METHODS

Overall, 9747 participants were included in this cross-sectional study. The exposure variable was OBS, which was scored by 16 dietary and four lifestyle factors. Multivariate logistic regression, subgroup analysis, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression were used to analyze the association between OBS and rheumatoid arthritis.

RESULTS

Compared to the lowest OBS quartile group (Q1), the multivariate corrected odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) for the highest quartile of OBS (Q4) was 0.69 (0.52-0.90) (p = .013 for trend); furthermore, the RCS showed a negative linear relationship between OBS and rheumatoid arthritis. According to subgroup and RCS analyses, there was a significant difference between the association of OBS and with rheumatoid arthritis in terms of gender (p = .049).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, high OBS was negatively associated with the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Gender has an effect on OBS in RA. Our results suggest that OBS can be used as a biomarker to predict rheumatoid arthritis.

A Review of Advances in Molecular Imaging of Rheumatoid Arthritis: From In Vitro to Clinic Applications Using Radiolabeled Targeting Vectors with Technetium-99m

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disorder caused by inflammation of cartilaginous diarthrodial joints that destroys joints and cartilage, resulting in synovitis and pannus formation. Timely detection and effective management of RA are pivotal for mitigating inflammatory arthritis consequences, potentially influencing disease progression. Nuclear medicine using radiolabeled targeted vectors presents a promising avenue for RA diagnosis and response to treatment assessment. Radiopharmaceutical such as technetium-99m (99mTc), combined with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) combined with CT (SPECT/CT), introduces a more refined diagnostic approach, enhancing accuracy through precise anatomical localization, representing a notable advancement in hybrid molecular imaging for RA evaluation. This comprehensive review discusses existing research, encompassing in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies to explore the application of 99mTc radiolabeled targeting vectors with SPECT imaging for RA diagnosis. The purpose of this review is to highlight the potential of this strategy to enhance patient outcomes by improving the early detection and management of RA.

Explainable deep learning for disease activity prediction in chronic inflammatory joint diseases

Analysing complex diseases such as chronic inflammatory joint diseases (CIJDs), where many factors influence the disease evolution over time, is a challenging task. CIJDs are rheumatic diseases that cause the immune system to attack healthy organs, mainly the joints. Different environmental, genetic and demographic factors affect disease development and progression. The Swiss Clinical Quality Management in Rheumatic Diseases (SCQM) Foundation maintains a national database of CIJDs documenting the disease management over time for 19'267 patients. We propose the Disease Activity Score Network (DAS-Net), an explainable multi-task learning model trained on patients' data with different arthritis subtypes, transforming longitudinal patient journeys into comparable representations and predicting multiple disease activity scores. First, we built a modular model composed of feed-forward neural networks, long short-term memory networks and attention layers to process the heterogeneous patient histories and predict future disease activity. Second, we investigated the utility of the model's computed patient representations (latent embeddings) to identify patients with similar disease progression. Third, we enhanced the explainability of our model by analysing the impact of different patient characteristics on disease progression and contrasted our model outcomes with medical expert knowledge. To this end, we explored multiple feature attribution methods including SHAP, attention attribution and feature weighting using case-based similarity. Our model outperforms temporal and non-temporal neural network, tree-based, and naive static baselines in predicting future disease activity scores. To identify similar patients, a k-nearest neighbours regression algorithm applied to the model's computed latent representations outperforms baseline strategies that use raw input features representation.

Comparing FGFR-3 and TS-HDS Seropositive Small Fiber Neuropathy: Unique Patient Features, Symptoms, Laboratory, and Nerve Conduction Study Findings

OBJECTIVES

Small fiber neuropathy presents a significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. To solve this challenge, efforts have been made to identify autoantibodies associated with this condition. Previous literature has often considered tri-sulfated heparin disaccharide (TS-HDS) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) as a singular seropositive group and/or focused primarily on symptomatic associations.

METHODS

One hundred seventy-two small fiber neuropathy patients with a Washington University Sensory Neuropathy panel were selected for TS-HDS seropositivity, FGFR-3 seropositivity, and seronegative controls. Data were collected to on the demographic, symptomatic, and laboratory profiles of each subgroup.

RESULTS

Percent female (P = 0.0043), frequency of neuropathic pain symptoms (P = 0.0074), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P = 0.0293), vitamin D (P < 0.0001), and vitamin B12 (P = 0.0033) differed between the groups. Skin biopsy was more frequently normal within both the FGFR-3 and the TS-HDS cohort (P = 0.0253).

CONCLUSIONS

TS-HDS and FGFR-3 display a distinct phenotype from both controls and one another. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) against FGFR-3 and IgM against TS-HDS may be individually valuable markers for the development of distinct clinical phenotypes.

Macrophage-derived human resistin promotes perivascular adipose tissue dysfunction in experimental inflammatory arthritis

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Resistin is an adipokine that induces adipose tissue inflammation and activation of monocytes/macrophages via adenylate cyclase-associated protein-1 (CAP1). Resistin levels are increased in RA and might cause perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) dysfunction, leading to vascular damage and CVD. This study aimed to investigate the role of resistin in promoting PVAT dysfunction by increasing local macrophage and inflammatory cytokines content in antigen-induced arthritis (AIA). Resistin pharmacological effects were assessed by using C57Bl/6J wild-type (WT) mice, humanized resistin mice expressing human resistin in monocytes-macrophages (hRTN+/-/-), and resistin knockout mice (RTN-/-) with AIA and respective controls. We investigated AIA disease activity and functional, cellular, and molecular parameters of the PVAT. Resistin did not contribute to AIA disease activity and its concentrations were augmented in the PVAT and plasma of WT AIA and hRTN+/-/- AIA animals. In vitro exposure of murine arteries to resistin impaired vascular function by decreasing the anti-contractile effect of PVAT. WT AIA mice and hRTN+/-/- AIA mice exhibited PVAT dysfunction and knockdown of resistin prevented it. Macrophage-derived cytokines, markers of types 1 and 2 macrophages, and CAP1 expression were increased in the PVAT of resistin humanized mice with AIA, but not in knockout mice for resistin. This study reveals that macrophage-derived resistin promotes PVAT inflammation and dysfunction regardless of AIA disease activity. Resistin might represent a translational target to reduce RA-driven vascular dysfunction and CVD.

Arthritis alleviation: unveiling the potential in Abrus precatorius macerated oil

Aim: This study endeavors to explore the anti-arthritic effects of macerated oil derived from the plant's aerial parts. Methods: The macerated oil was prepared using maceration in coconut oil, and its phytochemical composition was elucidated using GC-MS. To assess its anti-arthritic activity, in-vitro studies were conducted using various assays. Results & conclusion: The macerated oil showed better antioxidant and anti-arthritic potential by in-vitro investigations. Molecular docking studies elucidated potential binding interactions between specific constituents of the oil and critical molecular targets implicated in the pathogenesis of arthritis, further substantiating its therapeutic potential. The results demonstrated that Abrus precatorius macerated oil could ameliorate arthritis severity in a dose-dependent manner.

Global burden of rheumatoid arthritis among adolescents and young adults aged 10-24 years: A trend analysis study from 1990 to 2019

BACKGROUND

In recent decades, there has been a global increase in the burden of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) among adolescents and young adults (AYAs), making it a significant public health issue. However, our understanding of the disease burden, harm, and influencing factors of RA in this population remains insufficient. This study aimed to assess the trends in RA burden among AYAs aged 10-24 years from 1990 to 2019 at the global, regional, and national levels.

METHODS

Incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rate per 100,000 population, as well as average annual percentage changes (AAPCs), of RA among individuals aged 10-24 years were reported globally, regionally, and nationally based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019). These global trends were further analyzed by age, sex, and Sociodemographic index (SDI). Joinpoint regression analysis was used to determine the year in which the most significant changes in global trends occurred.

RESULTS

Globally, the incidence of RA among AYAs increased from 4.98 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 5.41 per 100,000 population in 2019, with an AAPCs of 0.29 (95%CI: 0.26, 0.32, p < 0.001). The most significant increase occurred in 2000, while the most significant decrease occurred in 2014. The prevalence increased from 34.11 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 36.34 per 100,000 population in 2019, with an AAPCs of 0.22 (95%CI: 0.19, 0.24, p<0.001); The most significant increase was observed in 2000, and the most significant decrease occurred in 2014. DALYs rate with RA were 5.96 per 100,000 population in 1990 and 5.79 per 100,000 population in 2019 for AYAs, with an average decrease of 0.1 years per year (AAPCs = -0.1, 95%CI: -0.2, -0.01, p = 0.04). In terms of gender, the incidence, prevalence, and DALYs rate were higher for females compared to males during the same period. Regarding age, the incidence, prevalence, and DALYs rate increased with increasing age. Based on the SDI quintile, the incidence, prevalence, and DALYs rate of RA were highest in countries with high SDI and lowest in countries with low SDI from 1990 to 2019. However, the relationship between incidence and SDI is non-linear. In terms of regions, Tropical Latin America exhibited the highest incidence, prevalence, and DALYs rate, while Andean Latin America experienced the most rapid increase in incidence and prevalence. Southern Latin America saw the fastest growth in DALYs rate, whereas Southern Sub-Saharan Africa witnessed the most significant decline.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the study revealed an overall increase in the incidence and prevalence of RA among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) over the past three decades, while DALYs rate remained relatively stable. Furthermore, the incidence, prevalence, and DALYs rate of RA were found to increase with age. Fortunately, recent proactive preventive measures and treatment methods have shown promising results. Moving forward, it is crucial to prioritize the female population and AYAs patients in order to further alleviate the global burden of RA.

Rehabilitation of patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases and comorbidities: unmet needs

Comorbidities may contribute to inadequate response to therapy and accelerate disability in various rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Cardiovascular, oncological, and infectious comorbidities are common in rheumatic patients. The rehabilitation of patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs) with comorbidities requires a multidisciplinary approach to improving patients' functional mobility, slowing down the disease progression and minimizing the risks of complications. The evidence suggests that cardiac rehabilitation can be implemented in daily practice in patients with IRDs to reduce mortality for those with established risk factors. Physical exercises reduce the severity, improve the clinical course, and reduce hospitalization rates in patients with rheumatic diseases. A rehabilitation program with focused physical therapy can lead to functional improvements and reduction of disease activity in patients with lowered quality of life (QoL). Health professionals should provide evidence-based recommendations for patients with rheumatic diseases and comorbidities to initiate the self-management of their diseases and prevent complications.

Perimenopause in women with rheumatologic diseases: a spotlight on an under-addressed transition

Abundant research has been published describing the effects invoked during menopause across different organ systems. Changing levels of estrogen and progesterone result in bidirectional alterations of immune cell pathways. Overall, the net trend dampens immunoregulation and promotes inflammation. In paradigmatic rheumatologic diseases, the combined effect is far from predictable. While some features may abate during menopause, studies have shown a general increased frequency toward disease exacerbation. Similarly, while impossible to isolate the ramifications of menopause in women with fibromyalgia, a tendency toward enhanced symptoms is unquestionably apparent. Furthermore, the comorbidities accrued by increasing age and the consequences of long-term medication use may also confound this picture. Periodic rheumatologic visits are warranted, with clinical assessments directed toward a multi-disciplinary approach. Ultimately, while an arsenal of effective tools is available for caring for these women and their underlying conditions, more studies are needed to better clarify how the different stages surrounding perimenopause affect subpopulations with rheumatic diseases and fibromyalgia-related disorders so that clinical course can be predicted and addressed prior to the emergence of symptomatology.

Changes in renal function and morphological variations of kidney diseases in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Objective

Rheumatoid nephropathy is one of the most severe extra-articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associated with a very unfavorable prognosis. This study aimed to identify changes in renal function and morphological variations of kidney diseases in RA patients.

Methods

The study enrolled patients (126 patients) between 18 and 55 years of age with a confirmed active RA of more than 12 months. Each patient underwent the following range of laboratory and instrumental research methods: general clinical analysis of blood and urine, performing urinalysis according to Nechiporenko method; determining daily proteinuria; determining the blood content of glucose, urea, creatinine, uric acid, total bilirubin, liver transaminase level, ionogram, lipidogram, and coagulogram; determining the blood content of rheumatoid factor, anti-streptolysin O, and C-reactive protein; and X-ray of the joints of hands and feet. Renal function was examined by estimating glomerular filtration rate, tubular reabsorption index, and renal functional reserve. For studying the morphological changes in the kidneys under ultrasound examination, renal biopsy was performed in 31 patients with RA with urinary syndrome (proteinuria more than 0.3 g per day and hematuria).

Results

Nephropathy in RA is characterized by impaired renal function and manifested by an increased blood creatinine and a decrease in glomerular filtration rate and renal functional reserve. Among morphological variations of nephropathy at RA, mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis prevails, accounting for 48.4% of patients. Other disorders include the secondary amyloidosis (29.0% of patients), tubulointerstitial nephritis (16.1%), membranous glomerulonephritis (3.2%), and focal-segmental glomerulosclerosis (3.2%).

Conclusion

Kidney damage is a common systemic manifestation of RA with a long and active course, a major nephropathy trigger.

Impact of sex differences on the clinical presentation, pathogenesis, treatment and prognosis of Sjögren's syndrome

Sjögren's syndrome is a common chronic autoimmune disease that manifests as dry mouth, dry eyes and systemic complications. There are sex differences in the clinical manifestations between men and women, with the average age of onset being around 55 years and the majority of female patients developing the disease during the menopausal years. Understanding the impact of sex differences on SS may help in the treatment and prognosis of patients. Studies have confirmed that a number of factors are associated with the onset of SS, but the exact mechanisms are not fully understood. Sex hormones (especially oestrogens and androgens) play a very important role, and the balance of sex hormone levels in the body is crucial for maintaining homeostasis in the acinar cells of the lacrimal and salivary glands. In addition, chromosomes play a very important role in the sex differences in SS. The gut microbiota also has some influence on sex differences in SS. In this review, we focus on oestrogens and androgens, which are important in the pathogenesis of SS, and summarize the progress of non-clinical studies. Sex differences may influence differences in individualized treatment regimens and further studies are needed.

Paxlovid use is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular diseases in COVID-19 patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Paxlovid has been shown to be effective in reducing mortality and hospitalization rates in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is not known whether Paxlovid can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in COVID-19-surviving patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs).

METHODS

TriNetX data from the US Collaborative Network were used in this study. A total of 5,671,395 patients with AIRDs were enrolled between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2021. People diagnosed with COVID-19 were included in the cohort (n = 238,142) from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. The Study population was divided into two groups based on Paxlovid use. Propensity score matching was used to generate groups with matched baseline characteristics. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals of cardiovascular outcomes, admission rate, mortality rate, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate were calculated between Paxlovid and non-Paxlovid groups. Subgroup analyses on sex, age, race, autoimmune diseases group, and sensitivity analyses for Paxlovid use within the first day or within 2-5 days of COVID-19 diagnosis were performed.

RESULTS

Paxlovid use was associated with lower risks of cerebrovascular complications (HR = 0.65 [0.47-0.88]), arrhythmia outcomes (HR = 0.81 [0.68-0.94]), ischemic heart disease, other cardiac disorders (HR = 0.51 [0.35-0.74]) naming heart failure (HR = 0.41 [0.26-0.63]) and deep vein thrombosis (HR = 0.46 [0.24-0.87]) belonging to thrombotic disorders in AIRD patients with COVID-19. Compared with the Non-Paxlovid group, risks of major adverse cardiac events (HR = 0.56 [0.44-0.70]) and any cardiovascular outcome mentioned above (HR = 0.76 [0.66-0.86]) were lower in the Paxlovid group. Moreover, the mortality (HR = 0.21 [0.11-0.40]), admission (HR = 0.68 [0.60-0.76]), and ICU admission rates (HR = 0.52 [0.33-0.80]) were significantly lower in the Paxlovid group than in the non-Paxlovid group. Paxlovid appears to be more effective in male, older, and Black patients with AIRD. The risks of cardiovascular outcomes and severe conditions were reduced significantly with Paxlovid prescribed within the first day of COVID-19 diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Paxlovid use is associated with a lower risk of CVDs and severe conditions in COVID-19-surviving patients with AIRD.

Frequency of fibromyalgianess in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis: A multicenter study of Turkish League Against Rheumatism (TLAR) network

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of fibromyalgianess, fibromyalgia syndrome (FS), and widespread pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and their relationship with clinical and demographic parameters.

Patients and methods

This cross-sectional multicenter trial was performed in 14 centers across Türkiye between June 2018 and November 2019. Out of 685 patients recruited from the accessible population, 661 patients (342 RA, 319 AS; 264 males, 397 females; mean age: 48.1±12.9 years; range, 17 to 88 years) met the selection criteria. In these cohorts, those who did not meet the criteria for FS and had widespread pain (widespread pain index ≥7) were evaluated as a separate group. Clinical status and demographic parameters of patients in both cohorts were evaluated as well as the evaluations of RA and AS patients with widespread pain (widespread pain index ≥7) and RA and AS patients with FS groups. In addition, correlations between polysymptomatic distress scale (PSD) scores and Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI), Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), and Disease Activity Score using 28 joint counts for RA patients and VAS, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) for AS patients were analyzed.

Results

Frequencies of patients with FS and patients who had PSD scores ≥12 were 34.1% and 44.4% in all RA patients, respectively. Moreover, FS and PSD scores ≥12 were found in 29.2% and 36.9% of all AS patients, respectively. PSD scores of RA patients with FS were higher than all RA patients and RA patients with widespread pain. SDAI and CDAI scores of RA patients with FS were higher than all RA patients and RA patients with widespread pain. Similarly, PSD scores of AS patients with FS were higher than all AS patients and AS patients with widespread pain. ASDAS-erythrocyte sedimentation rate and BASDAI scores of AS patients with FS were found higher than all AS patients and AS patients with widespread pain.

Conclusion

Disease activity scores, including pain in RA and AS, were higher in the presence of FS or fibromyalgianess. It may be related to clinical parameters, but cohort studies with long-term follow-up are needed to reveal causality. Additionally, to avoid overtreatment, coexistence of fibromyalgianess should be kept in mind in patients who have inflammatory diseases such as RA and AS, particularly with intractable widespread pain.

Comprehensive reproductive healthcare for women with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: Addressing rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis and inflammatory bowel disease through life's stages

Immuno-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) such as rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease are characterised by pathophysiological mechanisms wherein the immune system erroneously targets the body's own tissues. This review explores the heightened vulnerability of women with IMIDs, influenced by hormonal modulators like estrogen and progesterone. The challenges this poses are multifaceted, encompassing the impact of active disease and medical treatments throughout life stages, including family planning, fertility, and menopause. From the perspectives of rheumatologists and gastroenterologists, we review current management strategies and underscore the need for a multidisciplinary and life-cycle approach to healthcare for women with IMIDs.

Longitudinal analysis of post-acute chikungunya-associated arthralgia in children and adults: A prospective cohort study in Managua, Nicaragua (2014-2018)

Chikungunya can result in debilitating arthralgia, often presenting as acute, self-limited pain, but occasionally manifesting chronically. Little is known about differences in chikungunya-associated arthralgia comparing children to adults over time. To characterize long-term chikungunya-associated arthralgia, we recruited 770 patients (105 0-4 years old [y/o], 200 5-9 y/o, 307 10-15 y/o, and 158 16+ y/o) with symptomatic chikungunya virus infections in Managua, Nicaragua, during two consecutive chikungunya epidemics (2014-2015). Participants were assessed at ~15 days and 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months post-fever onset. Following clinical guidelines, we defined participants by their last reported instance of arthralgia as acute (≤10 days post-fever onset), interim (>10 and <90 days), or chronic (≥90 days) cases. We observed a high prevalence of arthralgia (80-95%) across all ages over the study period. Overall, the odds of acute arthralgia increased in an age-dependent manner, with the lowest odds of arthralgia in the 0-4 y/o group (odds ratio [OR]: 0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14-0.51) and the highest odds of arthralgia in the 16+ y/o participants (OR: 4.91, 95% CI: 1.42-30.95) relative to 10-15 y/o participants. Females had higher odds of acute arthralgia than males (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.01-2.65) across all ages. We found that 23-36% of pediatric and 53% of adult participants reported an instance of post-acute arthralgia. Children exhibited the highest prevalence of post-acute polyarthralgia in their legs, followed by the hands and torso - a pattern not seen among adult participants. Further, we observed pediatric chikungunya presenting in two distinct phases: the acute phase and the subsequent interim/chronic phases. Thus, differences in the presentation of arthralgia were observed across age, sex, and disease phase in this longitudinal chikungunya cohort. Our results elucidate the long-term burden of chikungunya-associated arthralgia among pediatric and adult populations.

Development and validation of a risk prediction model for arthritis in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults in China

Background

Considering its high prevalence, estimating the risk of arthritis in middle-aged and older Chinese adults is of particular interest. This study was conducted to develop a risk prediction model for arthritis in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults in China.

Methods

Our study included a total of 9599 participants utilising data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Participants were randomly assigned to training and validation groups at a 7:3 ratio. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were used to identify the potential predictors of arthritis. Based on the results of the multivariate binary logistic regression, a nomogram was constructed, and its predictive performance was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The accuracy and discrimination ability were assessed using calibration curve analysis, while decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to evaluate the net clinical benefit rate.

Results

A total of 9599 participants were included in the study, of which 6716 and 2883 were assigned to the training and validation groups, respectively. A nomogram was constructed to include age, hypertension, heart diseases, gender, sleep time, body mass index (BMI), residence address, the parts of joint pain, and trouble with body pains. The results of the ROC curve suggested that the prediction model had a moderate discrimination ability (AUC >0.7). The calibration curve of the prediction model demonstrated a good predictive accuracy. The DCA curves revealed a favourable net benefit for the prediction model.

Conclusions

The predictive model demonstrated good discrimination, calibration, and clinical validity, and can help community physicians and clinicians to preliminarily assess the risk of arthritis in middle-aged and older community-dwelling adults.

Causal association between rheumatoid arthritis and pregnancy loss and intrauterine growth retardation: A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the causal relationship between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and pregnancy loss and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) using Mendelian randomization (MR).

METHODS

Genetic variants associated with RA (12,555 cases and 240,862 controls), miscarriage (1475 cases and 149,622 controls), and IUGR (3558 cases and 207,312 controls) were obtained from the FinnGen consortium, and supplementary data on RA (5201 cases and 457,732 controls) and miscarriage (7069 cases and 250,492 controls) were obtained from the Medical Research Council Integrated Epidemiology Unit (MRC-IEU). 47 Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with RA were screened as instrumental variables (IV). The causal relationship between RA and pregnancy loss and IUGR were assessed by 5 MR methods, mainly inverse variance weighting (IVW). Sensitivity analyses were also performed to test the stability of the results.

RESULTS

Bidirectional MR showed that genetically predicted RA was causally associated with pregnancy loss and IUGR in forward MR analyses, and that RA significantly increased pregnancy loss [odds ratio (OR) = 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00-1.33, P = .03] and IUGR (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01-1.15, P = .019). In the reverse MR, there was no causal association between pregnancy loss (P = .15) and IUGR (P = .87) and RA.

CONCLUSION

This study found a significant genetic association between RA and pregnancy loss and IUGR. RA is considered to be a high-risk factor for adverse maternal outcomes. Pre-pregnancy prophylaxis and intra-pregnancy control of patients should be emphasized to reduce the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as pregnancy loss and IUGR.

Ideal cardiovascular health metrics have better identification of arthritis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to explore the association between ideal cardiovascular health metrics (ICVHM) and arthritis (AR), as well as the interactions of various indicators in ICVHM on AR in US adults.

METHODS

We involved 17,041 participants who were interviewed by NHANES from 2011 to 2018. AR included osteoarthritis or degenerative arthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and psoriatic arthritis and other arthritis (Other AR). Logistic regression was applied to analyze the association between AR and ICVHM. Mixed graphical model (MGM) was used to explore the interaction between variables in ICVHM.

RESULTS

Higher ICVHM scores had a protective effect on AR. Compared to "≤1" score, the ORs of AR in participants with 2, 3, 4, and ≥5 were 0.586, 0.472, 0.259, and 0.130, respectively. Similar results were also found in different types of AR. ICVHM has a maximum area under the curve value of 0.765 and the interaction between blood pressure and total cholesterol was 0.43.

CONCLUSIONS

ICVHM correlates significantly with AR and is better at identifying AR than individual indicators. ICVHM can be better improved by controlling the indicators with stronger interactions. Our findings provide guidance for promoting health factors, which have important implications for identification and prevention of AR.

Synovial microenvironment-influenced mast cells promote the progression of rheumatoid arthritis

Mast cells are phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous, and their state is possibly controlled by local microenvironment. Therefore, specific analyses are needed to understand whether mast cells function as powerful participants or dispensable bystanders in specific diseases. Here, we show that degranulation of mast cells in inflammatory synovial tissues of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is induced via MAS-related G protein-coupled receptor X2 (MRGPRX2), and the expression of MHC class II and costimulatory molecules on mast cells are upregulated. Collagen-induced arthritis mice treated with a combination of anti-IL-17A and cromolyn sodium, a mast cell membrane stabilizer, show significantly reduced clinical severity and decreased bone erosion. The findings of the present study suggest that synovial microenvironment-influenced mast cells contribute to disease progression and may provide a further mast cell-targeting therapy for RA.

Tailoring Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment through a Sex and Gender Lens

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) occurs more frequently in women than in men, and the studies that have addressed clinical and prognostic differences between the sexes are scarce and have contradictory results and methodological problems. The present work aims to evaluate sex- and gender-related differences in the clinical expression and prognosis of RA as well as on the impact on psychosocial variables, coping behavior, and healthcare use and access. By identifying between sex differences and gender-related outcomes in RA, it may be possible to design tailored therapeutic strategies that consider the differences and unmet needs. Being that sex, together with age, is the most relevant biomarker and health determinant, a so-called personalized medicine approach to RA must include clear guidance on what to do in case of differences.

The study of serum muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype 3 (m3AChR)-Specific autoantibodies level in rheumatoid arthritis patients with secondary sjogren syndrome

BACKGROUND

Dry eyes and mouth are symptoms of Sjogren syndrome, which can occur on its own and be referred to as primary Sjogren syndrome or in conjunction with other rheumatic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and be referred to as secondary Sjogren syndrome. Anti-muscarinic type 3 receptors have been linked to neurological issues as well as secretory dysfunction in Sjogren patients. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to determine the serum level of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype 3 (m3AChR)-specific autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and evaluate its relationship to disease activity, functional disability, and to study its role in the development of secondary Sjogren syndrome manifestations in those patients.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 30 RA patients with secondary Sjogren syndrome signs and 30 RA patients without secondary Sjogren syndrome manifestations were included, along with 30 healthy volunteers who were aged, and sex matched as controls. All participants underwent thorough clinical examination, evaluation of disease activity using the DAS28 score, assessment of functional status using the modified health assessment questionnaire (MHAQ), and evaluation of the serum level of (m3AChR) by (ELISA).

RESULTS

When compared to RA patients without secondary Sjogren syndrome and healthy controls (20.09 ± 4.24, 18.36 ± 3.59 ng/ml respectively), the serum level of m3AChR antibodies among 30 RA patients with secondary Sjogren syndrome considerably increased (mean 25.98 ± 4.81 ng/ml).Analysis of the m3AChR's (ROC)-curve revealed that the three groups under study differed significantly (P < 0.001), with the AUC (0.806), cutoff (> 22.63ng/ml), sensitivity (73.33%), and specificity (86.67%) all exceeding the threshold. Additionally, there was a significant positive connection between the serum level of m3AChR and the following variables (P < 0.05): DAS scores, MHAQ score, number of tender & swollen joints, and acute phase reactants.

CONCLUSION

Autoantibodies against m3AChR may be one of the serum components involved in the pathophysiology of secondary Sjogren syndrome in RA patients, and because of their high sensitivity and specificity, they can be utilized as a diagnostic marker in these individuals.

Increased contractile activity and dilation of popliteal lymphatic vessels in the TNF-α-overexpressing TNFΔARE/+ arthritic mouse

AIMS

TNF-α acute treatment has been found to disrupt lymphatic drainage in the setting of arthritis through the NF-kB-iNOS- signaling pathway. We examined whether popliteal lymphatic vessels (pLVs) contractile activity was altered in 12- and 24- week-old females of an arthritic mouse model overexpressing TNF-α (TNFΔARE/+).

MAIN METHODS

pLVs were prepared for intravital imaging to measure lymph flow speed, and ex vivo functional responses to a stepwise increase in transmural pressure in the absence or presence of the non-selective NOS inhibitor (L-NNA) or the selective iNOS inhibitor (1400W) were compared between TNFΔARE/+ and WT mice. Total eNOS (t-eNOS) and eNOS phosphorylated at ser1177 (p-eNOS) were evaluated by western blotting.

KEY FINDINGS

In vivo imaging revealed a significantly increase in lymph flow speed in TNFΔARE/+ mice in comparison to WT at both ages. Pressure myography showed an increase in contraction frequency, diameters and fractional pump flow at both ages, whereas amplitude and ejection fraction were significantly decreased in older TNFΔARE/+ mice. Additionally, contraction frequency was increased in the presence of 1400W, and systolic diameter was abolished with L-NNA in TNFΔARE/+ mice compared to WT. Significant increases in p-eNOS expression and neutrophil recruitment (MPO activity) were observed in TNFΔARE/+ mice compared to WT.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our data reveal functional changes in pLVs, especially in advanced stage of arthritis. These alterations may be related to eNOS and iNOS response, which can affect drainage of the inflammatory content from the joints.

Whole-Exome Sequencing for Identification of Potential Sex-Biased Variants in Kawasaki Disease Patients

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology and has become a main cause of childhood acquired heart disease. KD is more prevalent in males than in females. The reason for this sex bias is unknown. Here, we used whole-exome sequencing (WES) to identify significantly different variants between male and female KD patients. From WES result, a total of 19,500 shared genetic variants in 8421 genes were captured via a series of filters. Further comparisons based on sex were performed to obtain 34 potential sex-biased variants in 34 genes for GO and Reactome Gene Sets enrichment analyses. Moreover, we selected 6 variants associated with immune, cells adhesion, platelet function, homeostasis, and ion channel signaling and expanded the sample size (1247 KD patients containing 713 males and 534 females, 803 healthy population containing 481 males and 322 females) for genotyping validation. From the results, USH2A/rs148135241, LMO7/rs142687160, CEMIP/rs12441101, and EFCC1/rs142391828 presented significant differences of alleles/genotypes frequency distributions between male and female only in KD patients (which were consistent with the result of WES analysis) but not in healthy population. In addition, the result also found that only EFCC1/rs142391828 polymorphism was associated with KD susceptibility. This result suggested that those four variants might play critical roles in sex bias in KD. The study would be in favor of a sex-specific genome atlas establishing and novel sex-specific precision therapies development for KD.

EXPLORing Arthritis with Total-body Positron Emission Tomography

Arthritis has significant adverse consequences on musculoskeletal tissues and often other organs of the body. Current methods for clinical evaluation of arthritis are suboptimal, and biomarkers that are objective and measurable indicators for monitoring of arthritis disease activity are in critical demand. Recently, total-body positron emission tomography (PET) has been developed that can collect imaging signals synchronously from the entire body at ultra-low doses and reduced scan times. These scanners have increased signal collection efficiency that overcomes several limitations of standard PET scanners in the evaluation of arthritis, and they may potentially provide biomarkers to assess local and systemic impact of the arthritis disease process. This article reviews current results from using total-body PET in the assessment of common arthritic conditions, and it outlines future opportunities and challenges.

Alterations of the intestinal microbiome and metabolome in women with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is more common in women, and many reports of sex differences have been reported in various aspects of RA. However, there has been a lack of specific research on women's gut flora. To assess the association between the gut flora and RA patients, this study combined the microbiome with metabolomics. Fecal samples from RA patients and healthy controls were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing. Nontargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to detect metabolites in fecal samples. We comprehensively used various analytical methods to reveal changes in intestinal flora and metabolites in female patients. The gut flora of RA patients was significantly different from that of healthy women. The abundance of Bacteroides, Megamonas and Oscillospira was higher in RA patients, while the abundance of Prevotella, Gemmiger and Roseburia was lower than that of healthy women. Gemmiger, Bilophila and Odoribacter represented large differences in microflora between RA and healthy women and could be used as potential microorganisms in the diagnosis. Fatty acid biosynthesis was significantly different between RA patients and healthy women in terms of metabolic pathways. There were different degrees of correlation between the gut flora and metabolites. Lys-Phe-Lys and heptadecasphin-4-enine can be used as potential markers for RA diagnosis. There was an extremely significant positive correlation between Megamonas, Dialister and rheumatoid factors, which was found for the first time. These findings indicated that alterations of these gut microbiome and metabolome may contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of RA patients.

First detection of cutavirus DNA in stools of patients with rheumatic diseases in Guangzhou, China

Cutavirus (CuV) is a novel protoparvovirus possibly associated with diarrhea and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Patients with rheumatic disease are immunosuppressed and may be more vulnerable to pathogenic viruses. A descriptive study was conducted among hospitalized patients with rheumatic diseases and individuals undergoing medical health check-ups between June 2019 and June 2022 in Guangzhou, China. Stool samples of subjects were tested for CuV DNA. Demographic and fecal examination data of patients were obtained from electronic medical records. A total of 505 patients with rheumatic diseases and 244 individuals who underwent medical health check-ups were included in the study. Of the patients with rheumatic disease, 5.74% [95% confidence interval (CI): 4.03%-8.12%] were positive for CuV DNA, while no individual in the medical health check-up group was positive, indicating a close correlation between CuV and rheumatic disease. Men and patients with rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis, according to the disease classification, were more susceptible to being infected with CuV (P ​< ​0.01). After adjustments, being male remained the only significant factor, with an adjusted odd ratio (OR) of 4.4 (95% CI: 1.7-11.4, P ​= ​0.002). Phylogenetic analysis of the CuV VP2 sequences showed three diverse clades, one of which was segregated to be a single branching independent of previously known sequences, which is possible a new genotype.

Impact of fibromyalgia and related factors on foot function and quality of life: Cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The aim of study is to examine the factors that may influence pain, disability and the limitation of activity due to the presence of fibromyalgia in the foot.

METHODS

323 patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia were recruited. Each participant completed the Foot Function Index questionnaire (FFI) and the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR). A multivariate analysis was performed to determine the factors associated with high scores in each of these questionnaires.

RESULTS

In both questionnaires, the subscales presenting the highest scores were foot pain (FFI score: 71.18 ± 20.40) and symptom intensity (FIQR score: 36.23 ± 8.04). According to the multivariate analysis, foot function is influenced by age (p = <0.001), BMI (p = 0.001), lack of physical activity (p = <0.001), the presence of rheumatoid arthritis (p = 0.012), retirement due to disability (p = <0.001) and being unemployed (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Fibromyalgia affects foot function, provoking significant pain. Related factors include age, BMI, lack of physical activity, the presence of rheumatoid arthritis, and employment status.

Metabolomic profiles, polygenic risk scores and risk of rheumatoid arthritis: a population-based cohort study in the UK Biobank

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between metabolomic profiles, genome-wide polygenic risk scores (PRSs) and risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

143 nuclear magnetic resonance-based plasma metabolic biomarkers were measured among 93 800 participants in the UK Biobank. The Cox regression model was used to assess the associations between these metabolic biomarkers and RA risk, and genetic correlation and Mendelian randomisation analyses were performed to reveal their causal relationships. Subsequently, a metabolic risk score (MRS) comprised of the weighted sum of 17 clinically validated metabolic markers was constructed. A PRS was derived by assigning weights to genetic variants that exhibited significant associations with RA at a genome-wide level.

RESULTS

A total of 620 incident RA cases were recorded during a median follow-up time of 8.2 years. We determined that 30 metabolic biomarkers were potentially associated with RA, while no further significant causal associations were found. Individuals in the top decile of MRS had an increased risk of RA (HR 3.52, 95% CI: 2.80 to 4.43) compared with those below the median of MRS. Further, significant gradient associations between MRS and RA risk were observed across genetic risk strata. Specifically, compared with the low genetic risk and favourable MRS group, the risk of incident RA in the high genetic risk and unfavourable MRS group has almost elevated by fivefold (HR 6.10, 95% CI: 4.06 to 9.14).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggested the metabolic profiles comprising multiple metabolic biomarkers contribute to capturing an elevated risk of RA, and the integration of genome-wide PRSs further improved risk stratification.

Causality of occupational exposure on rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis: a two-sample mendelian randomization study

Objective

This study aimed to explore the potential causal link between three specific types of occupational exposure on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Method

A Two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) analysis, comprising univariate MR (UVMR) and multivariate MR (MVMR) analyses, was performed to investigate the potential causal association between three types of occupational exposures, jobs involving mainly walking or standing (JWS), jobs involving heavy manual or physical work (JMP), and jobs involving shift work(JSW) on RA and AS. Genetic variants for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of occupational exposure and AS were obtained from the UK Biobank. GWAS summary data for RA were obtained from FinnGen Biobank analysis. For UVMR, six methods of Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, Weighted Mode, Weighted Median, Simple Mode, MR pleiotropy residual sum, and outlier (MR-PRESSO) were used for the analysis. The MVMR was analyzed using the IVW model as well as the MR-Egger model.

Results

The UVMR suggested no causal relationship between the three occupational exposure and RA [IVW: P=0.59,0.21,0.63] or AS [IVW: P=0.43,0.57,0.04], as did the bidirectional MR [IVW: P=0.73,0.70,0.16], [IVW: P=0.65,0.68,0.74]. Although unadjusted MVMR suggested a causal relationship between JMP and AS [IVW: OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 1.00- 1.02, p = 0.02], the adjusted MVMR denied this relationship and concluded that there was no causal relationship between the other occupational exposure and either RA or AS.

Conclusion

Our MR analysis did not establish a direct causal relationship between certain occupational exposures and either RA or AS.

Gender difference in the effects of chronic diseases on daily physical activity patterns in older adults: analysis of objectively measured physical activity in NHATS 2021

PURPOSE

Many chronic diseases have detrimental impact on the physical activity (PA) patterns of older adults. Often such diseases have different degrees of severity in males and females. Quantifying this gender difference would not only enhance our understanding of diseases but would also help design individual-specific PA interventions, thereby improving health outcomes for both genders.

METHODS

PA data for 747 participants from round 11 (2021) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study were analyzed. Multilevel functional regression models were used to study gender difference in the effects of chronic diseases on daily PA patterns while adjusting for confounders.

RESULTS

Females with dementia (or Alzheimer's disease), hypertension, heart and lung disease had lower PA at different times of day compared to females without these diseases, whereas males with and without these diseases had comparable daily PA. Males with diabetes had higher midnight PA and lower noon PA compared to males without diabetes, while females' PA with and without diabetes were similar.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis demonstrates that although for most diseases, the daily PA patterns of individuals with the disease are negatively altered compared to healthy individuals, the extent of decline varies by gender and time of day. Designing personalized physical activity interventions considering gender and diurnal PA pattern can potentially improve quality of life across both genders.

Global, regional, and national burden of rheumatoid arthritis, 1990-2020, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease associated with disability and premature death. Up-to-date estimates of the burden of rheumatoid arthritis are required for health-care planning, resource allocation, and prevention. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, we provide updated estimates of the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis and its associated deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) by age, sex, year, and location, with forecasted prevalence to 2050.

Methods

Rheumatoid arthritis prevalence was estimated in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020 using Bayesian meta-regression models and data from population-based studies and medical claims data (98 prevalence and 25 incidence studies). Mortality was estimated from vital registration data with the Cause of Death Ensemble model (CODEm). Years of life lost (YLL) were calculated with use of standard GBD lifetables, and years lived with disability (YLDs) were estimated from prevalence, a meta-analysed distribution of rheumatoid arthritis severity, and disability weights. DALYs were calculated by summing YLLs and YLDs. Smoking was the only risk factor analysed. Rheumatoid arthritis prevalence was forecast to 2050 by logistic regression with Socio-Demographic Index as a predictor, then multiplying by projected population estimates.

Findings

In 2020, an estimated 17·6 million (95% uncertainty interval 15·8-20·3) people had rheumatoid arthritis worldwide. The age-standardised global prevalence rate was 208·8 cases (186·8-241·1) per 100 000 population, representing a 14·1% (12·7-15·4) increase since 1990. Prevalence was higher in females (age-standardised female-to-male prevalence ratio 2·45 [2·40-2·47]). The age-standardised death rate was 0·47 (0·41-0·54) per 100 000 population (38 300 global deaths [33 500-44 000]), a 23·8% (17·5-29·3) decrease from 1990 to 2020. The 2020 DALY count was 3 060 000 (2 320 000-3 860 000), with an age-standardised DALY rate of 36·4 (27·6-45·9) per 100 000 population. YLDs accounted for 76·4% (68·3-81·0) of DALYs. Smoking risk attribution for rheumatoid arthritis DALYs was 7·1% (3·6-10·3). We forecast that 31·7 million (25·8-39·0) individuals will be living with rheumatoid arthritis worldwide by 2050.

Interpretation

Rheumatoid arthritis mortality has decreased globally over the past three decades. Global age-standardised prevalence rate and YLDs have increased over the same period, and the number of cases is projected to continue to increase to the year 2050. Improved access to early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis globally is required to reduce the future burden of the disease.

Funding

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Institute of Bone and Joint Research, and Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health.

Bibliometric and visualized analysis of nonpharmaceutical TCM therapies for rheumatoid arthritis over the last 20 years using VOSviewer and CiteSpace software

BACKGROUND

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that poses a significant threat to a patient's quality of life. Commonly used drugs include glucocorticoids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and biological agents; however, there are associated side effects. Complementary and alternative medicines can play positive roles. Bibliometric analysis of herbal medicines for RA has been conducted, but current research trends in nonpharmaceutical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapies for the treatment of RA have not been studied. Here, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of the application of nonpharmaceutical TCM therapies for RA over the last 20 years.

METHODS

We retrieved relevant literature from the Web of Science Core Collection database and used VOSviewer and CiteSpace software for analysis. Visualized maps were then generated to display the relationships between the author, country, institution, and keywords.

RESULTS

A total of 567 articles were included in the final analysis. The number of annual publications on nonpharmaceutical TCM interventions for RA increased over the study period. The journal with the highest number of publications on this topic was Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine; however, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews had the most citations. Collaborations were observed among worldwide institutions, with the People's Republic of China playing a dominant role in the research on treatment of RA using nonpharmaceutical TCM therapies. Ernst E was the most productive author, with 11 articles, whereas Green S had the highest number of citations (287) at the time of retrieval. Specific improvements in the efficacy and selection of nonpharmaceutical therapies were the main research hotspots based on citation burst analysis.

CONCLUSION

This study characterizes the trends in the literature for nonpharmaceutical TCM therapy for RA over the past 20 years; showcasing the current research status for relevant researchers and their teams and providing a reference for future research directions.

Effect of electroacupuncture at ST36 on the cerebral metabolic kinetics of rheumatoid arthritis rats

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to enhance the recovery of symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Both the pathogenesis of RA and the therapeutic effects of EA are closely associated with the metabolic activity of the brain. In this study, we investigated the effect of EA at the "Zusanli" acupoint (ST36) on a rat model of collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis (CIA). The results demonstrated that EA effectively alleviated joint swelling, synovial hyperplasia, cartilage erosion, and bone destruction in CIA rats. Additionally, the metabolic kinetics study revealed a significant increase in the 13C enrichment of GABA2 and Glu4 in the midbrain of CIA rats treated with EA. Correlation network analysis showed that changes in Gln4 levels in the hippocampus were strongly associated with the severity of rheumatoid arthritis. Immunofluorescence staining of c-Fos in the midbrain's periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) and hippocampus demonstrated increased c-Fos expression in these regions following EA treatment. These findings suggest that GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons in the midbrain, along with astrocytes in the hippocampus, may play vital roles in the beneficial effects of EA on RA. Furthermore, the PAG and hippocampus brain regions hold potential as critical targets for future RA treatments. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the specific mechanism of EA in treating RA by elucidating the perspective of cerebral metabolism.

Differential Expression Profiles of Plasma Exosomal microRNAs in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Aim

Differential expression maps of microRNAs (miRNAs) are connected to the autoimmune diseases. This study sought to elucidate the expression maps of exosomal miRNA in plasma of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and their potential clinical significance.

Methods

In the screening phase, small RNA sequencing was performed to characterize dysregulated exosome-derived miRNAs in the plasma samples from six patients with RA and six healthy patients. At the independent verification stage, the candidate plasma exosomal miRNAs were verified in 40 patients with RA and 32 healthy patients by using qRT-PCR. The correlation of miRNA levels and clinical characteristics was tested in patients with RA. The value of these miRNAs in diagnosing RA was assessed with the receiver operating characteristic curve.

Results

During the screening phase, 177 and 129 miRNAs were increased and decreased in RA patients and healthy controls, respectively. There were 10 candidate plasma exosomal miRNAs selected for the next identification. Compared with the healthy controls, eight plasma exosomal miRNAs (let-7a-5p, let-7b-5p, let-7d-5p, let-7f-5p, let-7g-5p, let-7i-5p, miR-128-3p, and miR-25-3p) were significantly elevated in RA patients, but miR-144-3p and miR-15a-5p expression exhibited no significant changes. The let-7a-5p and miR-25-3p levels were linked to the rheumatoid factor-positive phenotype in RA patients. For the eight miRNAs, the area under the subject work characteristic curve (AUC) is 0.641 to 0.843, and their combination had a high diagnostic accuracy for RA (AUC = 0.916).

Conclusion

Our study illustrates that novel exosomal miRNAs in the plasma may represent potential noninvasive biomarkers for RA.

The co-occurrence and cumulative prevalence of hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, and hypothyroidism in preterm-born women in the Women's Health Initiative

Emerging evidence suggests that preterm-born individuals (<37 weeks gestation) are at increased risk of developing chronic health conditions in adulthood. This study compared the prevalence, co-occurrence, and cumulative prevalence of three female predominant chronic health conditions - hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis [RA], and hypothyroidism - alone and concurrently. Of 82,514 U.S. women aged 50-79 years enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative, 2,303 self-reported being born preterm. Logistic regression was used to analyze the prevalence of each condition at enrollment with birth status (preterm, full term). Multinomial logistic regression models analyzed the association between birth status and each condition alone and concurrently. Outcome variables using the 3 conditions were created to give 8 categories ranging from no disease, each condition alone, two-way combinations, to having all three conditions. The models adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, and sociodemographic, lifestyle, and other health-related risk factors. Women born preterm were significantly more likely to have any one or a combination of the selected conditions. In fully adjusted models for individual conditions, the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were 1.14 (95% CI, 1.04, 1.26) for hypertension, 1.28 (1.12, 1.47) for RA, and 1.12 (1.01, 1.24) for hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism and RA were the strongest coexisting conditions [aOR 1.69, 95% CI (1.14, 2.51)], followed by hypertension and RA [aOR 1.48, 95% CI (1.20, 1.82)]. The aOR for all three conditions was 1.69 (1.22, 2.35). Perinatal history is pertinent across the life course. Preventive measures and early identification of risk factors and disease in preterm-born individuals are essential to mitigating adverse health outcomes in adulthood.

Genotyping of Patients with Adverse Drug Reaction or Therapy Failure: Database Analysis of a Pharmacogenetics Case Series Study

Purpose

Pharmacogenetics (PGx) is an emerging aspect of personalized medicine with the potential to increase efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapy. However, PGx testing is still not routinely integrated into clinical practice. We conducted an observational case series study where PGx information from a commercially available panel test covering 30 genes was integrated into medication reviews. The aim of the study was to identify the drugs that are most frequently object of drug-gene-interactions (DGI) in the study population.

Patients and Methods

In out-patient and in-patient settings, we recruited 142 patients experiencing adverse drug reaction (ADR) and/or therapy failure (TF). Collected anonymized data from the individual patient was harmonized and transferred to a structured database.

Results

The majority of the patients had a main diagnosis of a mental or behavioral disorder (ICD-10: F, 61%), of musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases (ICD-10: M, 21%), and of the circulatory system (ICD-10: I, 11%). The number of prescribed medicines reached a median of 7 per person, resulting in a majority of patients with polypharmacy (≥5 prescribed medicines, 65%). In total, 559 suspected DGI were identified in 142 patients. After genetic testing, an association with at least one genetic variation was confirmed for 324 suspected DGI (58%) caused by 64 different drugs and 21 different genes in 141 patients. After 6 months, PGx-based medication adjustments were recorded for 62% of the study population, whereby differences were identified in subgroups.

Conclusion

The data analysis from this study provides valuable insights for the main focus of further research in the context of PGx. The results indicate that most of the selected patients in our sample represent suitable target groups for PGx panel testing in clinical practice, notably those taking drugs for mental or behavioral disorder, circulatory diseases, immunological diseases, pain-related diseases, and patients experiencing polypharmacy.

Factors associated with interstitial lung disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is frequent in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is a potentially life-threatening complication with significant morbidity and mortality. This meta-analysis aims to systematically determine the factors associated with the development of rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All primary studies which reported the factors associated with of RA-ILD were eligible for the review except case reports. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Chinese Biological Medicine Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and WANFANG electronic databases were searched through to December 30, 2022, for studies investigating the factors associated with RA-ILD. The methodological quality assessment of the eligible studies was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). 2 reviewers extracted relevant data independently. Then, weighed mean differences (WMDs) or pooled odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained for the relationships between the factors and RA-ILD. The statistical meta-analysis, subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed using the Review Manager 5.3, and publication bias with Egger's test were performed using the Stata12.0 software.

RESULTS

A total of 22 articles were screened for a meta-analysis which involved 1887 RA-ILD patients and 8066 RA without ILD patients. Some identified factors that were associated with an increased risk of RA-ILD included male sex (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.54-2.39; P < 0.00001), older age (WMD = 5.77 years, 95% CI: 3.50-8.04; P < 0.00001), longer duration of RA (WMD = 0.80 years, 95% CI 0.12-1.47; P = 0.02), older age at onset of RA (WMD = 6.41 years, 95% CI: 3.17-9.64; P = 0.0001), smoking (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.30-2.18; P < 0.0001). Five factors of laboratory items associated with the development of RA-ILD were evaluated in the meta-analysis. Compared with RA without ILD patients, positive rheumatoid factor (RF) (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.47-2.01; P < 0.00001) and positive anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.31-1.90; P < 0.00001) increased the risk of RA-ILD. Meanwhile, RF titer (WMD = 183.62 (IU/mL), 95% CI: 66.94-300.30; P = 0.002) and ACPA titer (WMD = 194.18 (IU/mL), 95% CI: 115.89-272.47; P < 0.00001) were significantly associated with increased risk of RA-ILD. Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (WMD = 7.41 (mm/h), 95% CI: 2.21-12.61; P = 0.005) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (WMD = 4.98 (mg/L), 95% CI: 0.76-9.20; P = 0.02) were also significantly associated with the development of the RA-ILD, whereas antinuclear antibody (ANA) positive status was not significantly associated with increased risk of RA-ILD (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.00-1.60; P = 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis showed that male gender, older age, longer duration of RA, older age at onset of RA, smoking, positive RF, positive ACPA, elevated RF titer, elevated ACPA titer, higher ESR and higher CRP were associated with RA-ILD.

Risk of venous thromboembolism with janus kinase inhibitors in inflammatory immune diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the risk of venous thrombosis (VTE) associated with Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors in patients diagnosed with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of PUBMED, Cochrane, and Embase databases for randomized controlled trials evaluating venous thromboembolic incidence after administering JAK inhibitors in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. The studies were screened according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and a meta-analysis was performed. Results: A total of 16 studies, enrolling 17,242 participants, were included in this review. Four approved doses of JAK inhibitors were administered in the included studies. The meta-analysis revealed no significant difference in the incidence of VTE between patients receiving JAK inhibitors, a placebo, or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors (RR 0.72, 95% CI (0.33-1.55); RR 0.94, 95%CI (0.33-2.69)). Subgroup analysis showed a lower risk of VTE with lower doses of JAK inhibitors [RR 0.56, 95%CI (0.36-0.88)]. Compared with the higher dose of tofacitinib, the lower dose was associated with a lower risk of pulmonary embolism [RR 0.37, 95%CI (0.18-0.78)]. Conclusion: Our meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials observed a potential increase in the risk of VTE in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases treated with JAK inhibitors compared to placebo or tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, though statistical significance was not attained. Notably, a higher risk of pulmonary embolism was observed with high doses of tofacitinib. Our findings provide valuable insights for physicians when evaluating the use of JAK inhibitors for patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023382544, identifier CRD42023382544.

Longitudinal Analysis of the Burden of Post-Acute Chikungunya-Associated Arthralgia in Children and Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study in Managua, Nicaragua (2014-2019)

Chikungunya can result in debilitating arthralgia, often presenting as acute, self-limited pain, but occasionally manifesting chronically. Little is known about differences in chikungunya-associated arthralgia comparing children to adults over time. To characterize long-term chikungunya-associated arthralgia, we recruited 770 patients (105 0-4 year olds [y/o], 200 5-9 y/o, 307 10-15 y/o, and 158 16+ y/o) with symptomatic chikungunya virus infections in Managua, Nicaragua, during two chikungunya epidemics (2014-2015). Participants were assessed at ~15 days and 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months post-fever onset. Following clinical guidelines, we defined participants by their last reported instance of arthralgia as acute (≤10 days post-fever onset), interim (>10 and <90 days), or chronic (≥90 days) cases. We observed a high prevalence of arthralgia (80-95%) across all ages over the study period. Overall, the odds of acute arthralgia increased in an age-dependent manner, with the lowest odds of arthralgia in the 0-4 y/o group (odds ratio [OR]: 0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14-0.51) and the highest odds of arthralgia in the 16+ y/o participants (OR: 4.91, 95% CI: 1.42-30.95) relative to 10-15 y/o participants. Females had a higher odds of acute arthralgia than males (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.01-2.65) across all ages. We found that 23-36% of pediatric and 53% of adult participants reported an instance of post-acute arthralgia. Children exhibited the highest prevalence of post-acute polyarthralgia in their legs, followed by the hands and torso - a pattern not seen among adult participants. Further, we observed pediatric chikungunya presenting in two distinct phases: the acute phase and the associated interim and chronic phases. Differences in the presentation of arthralgia were observed across age, sex, and disease phase in this longitudinal chikungunya cohort. Our results elucidate the long-term burden of chikungunya-associated arthralgia among pediatric and adult populations.