Childhood-onset rheumatic diseases including Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), Juvenile Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (jSLE), and Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM) could impact growth, but this is not well described within the UK population, particularly over the long term. This study aims to compare the growth patterns of patients with JIA, jSLE, and JDM to those of their peers. This population-based cohort study used primary care data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) with follow up through to March 2023. Patients diagnosed with JIA, JDM and jSLE, were matched with up to five healthy controls by age, sex and general practice. Age and sex standardised Z-scores were calculated for height and weight. Linear mixed models were used to investigate differences in growth patterns over time. Height measurements from 3736, 182 and 111 children with JIA, jSLE and JDM and weight measurements from 5088, 251 and 144 children with JIA, jSLE and JDM respectively were extracted. JIA patients showed significant baseline differences in height compared to healthy controls (Estimate= -0.061, 95
Nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) abnormalities are recognized in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but their meaning remains uncertain. We examined whether standardized NVC quantifies structural capillaroscopic abnormality burden in SLE. In this single-centre cross-sectional study, 65 SLE patients and 46 non-autoimmune controls underwent standardized NVC. Six parameters were semi-quantitatively scored and combined into microangiopathy, morphological, and total scores. Between-group associations were assessed using adjusted negative binomial regression. Within-SLE correlation, treatment-adjusted, and exploratory cluster analyses were performed. Total score was higher in SLE than controls (15 [10–21] vs. 2 [0–4], p < 0.001). After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension, SLE was associated with total (IRR 7.64, 95
AA amyloidosis is the most severe complication of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Why some patients develop amyloidosis while genotype-identical relatives remain unaffected is unknown. We assessed whether genetic counseling helps to identify at-risk relatives and whether inflammatory activity, rather than MEFV genotype, drives amyloidosis. We conducted a single-center comparative study (1998–2025) including 52 Algerian FMF probands with biopsy-proven AA amyloidosis and 30 first- or second-degree relatives with biallelic MEFV mutations who also had FMF but no amyloidosis. All underwent clinical, laboratory and MEFV genotyping (exons 2,3,5,10). Only individuals with two MEFV mutations (homozygous or compound heterozygous) were included. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors of amyloidosis. The M694I/M694I genotype was equally frequent in both groups (71.2
Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is a well-known feature of AL amyloidosis (AL-A) and transthyretin amyloidosis, and its detection is important due to its association with a poor prognosis. In this study, we aimed to evaluate cardiac dysfunction with echocardiographic features alongside cardiac biomarkers in patients with AA-A in a controlled design with appropriate control groups. This retrospective observational study was conducted at a referral center for amyloidosis in Istanbul, Türkiye. The study population consisted of patients with AA-A, as well as patients with AL-A and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) as diseased controls. We included 139 patients (56
Handgrip strength (HGS) is a valuable indicator of muscle function that can be used to identify patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at risk of sarcopenia and other functional impairments. The aim of this study was to describe grip strength (HGS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), to assess the frequency of low HGS, to quantify grip strength relative to age- and sex-specific reference values, and to identify the clinical factors associated with HGS. In this single-centre cross-sectional study, 70 patients with RA had their HGS measured sequentially on both arms using an electronic hand dynamometer, with three measurements taken per arm; the higher of the HGSmeasurementse was taken as the maximum. Low HGS was defined as < 27 kg for men and < 16 kg for women. The maximum HGS was additionally expressed as an age- and sex-adjusted z-score relative to normative data; deviations from the norm were tested using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (with an assumed median z = 0). Spearman’s correlation and multivariate linear regression were used to determine the presence of an association with the maximum HGS value. The patients were predominantly women (n = 55; 78.6
To investigate the relationship between gastrointestinal symptom burden assessed by the Dudley Inflammatory Bowel Symptom Questionnaire (DISQ), fecal calprotectin (FC), a non-invasive biomarker suggestive of intestinal inflammation, disease activity, and clinical characteristics in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). In this cross-sectional study, 174 patients with axSpA were enrolled. Gastrointestinal symptom burden was assessed using the DISQ, disease activity using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), functional status using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), and health-related quality of life using the Short Form-36 (SF-36). FC levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Correlation analyses, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, and multivariable logistic regression models were performed. FC levels were normal (< 50 μg/g) in 52.9
Comorbidities are associated with morbidity, function, and survival in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), but subtype-specific patterns, mental-physical comorbidity relationships, and patient-reported outcomes remain incompletely characterized. We hypothesized that multimorbidity in IIM is heterogeneous, associated with demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors, and linked to differences in physical function and fatigue. We studied 1028 adults with self-reported, specialist-confirmed IIM. Comorbidities were assessed using the Functional Comorbidity Index and categorized into basic, complex, mental-health, and autoimmune domains. Logistic regression identified factors associated with mental- and physical-health comorbidity; clustering defined comorbidity patterns. Participants were predominantly female (71.3
Shrinking lung syndrome (SLS) is a rare pulmonary manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is characterized by unexplained dyspnea, restrictive ventilatory defect, and diaphragmatic elevation without interstitial lung disease (ILD). A 32-year-old man with SLE presented with progressive dyspnea initially attributed to pleural and infectious processes. As systemic features evolved, SLE was confirmed. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) showed severe restriction (forced vital capacity—FVC—28
To compare the clinical phenotype, organ damage, and survival of patients with antisynthetase syndrome (ASyS) and other idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (OIIM) in a long-term, single-center retrospective cohort. We retrospectively analyzed patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy who fulfilled the Bohan and Peter criteria, the EULAR/ACR classification criteria and had available myositis specific autoantibody results. This cohort comprises patients followed in our autoimmune connective tissue disease clinic between 1991–2024. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, autoantibody, organ damage, and survival data were compared between ASyS and OIIM groups. Myositis Damage Index was used for assessing organ damage at the sixth month of follow-up and the last visit. Of the 122 patients, 35 (28.7
To investigate the association between albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), to identify high-risk clinical phenotypes for SS-ILD, and to construct an AGR-based nomogram risk stratification model. This was a single-center retrospective cohort study enrolling pSS patients who met the 2016 ACR/EULAR classification criteria between January 2014 and December 2024. Patients were divided into ILD and non-ILD groups based on the presence or absence of ILD. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to balance baseline characteristics. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the independent association between AGR and ILD. A nomogram risk stratification model was constructed based on predictors identified in the multivariable analysis, and its predictive performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. A total of 1,087 pSS patients were enrolled (93.6
To explore reproductive concerns and care needs across reproductive contexts among women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and develop a composite patient journey map. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted with 18 women purposively recruited from a tertiary hospital in Hefei, Anhui Province, China. Semi-structured interviews were analysed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method and organised across four reproductive contexts and four mapping dimensions. Participants contributed only to contexts relevant to their reproductive histories. Reporting followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). The composite journey map included four reproductive contexts and four dimensions: emotional experiences, behaviours, support resources, and key pain points. At diagnosis, women reported limited fertility-related information and uncertainty about future marriage and childbearing. During reproductive decision-making, they balanced perceived disease and medication risks with reproductive wishes, family expectations, caregiving resources, and financial capacity. During preconception and pregnancy, repeated monitoring, medication adjustment, and uncertainty about maternal and fetal safety were prominent. After childbirth, concerns centred on disease relapse, infant feeding, physical limitations, and combining treatment with childcare. Across these contexts, family involvement could provide emotional and practical support but could also create pressure. For some women, specific guidance on disease control, pregnancy timing, and medication adjustment was obtained only after they raised pregnancy plans. Reproductive concerns differed across reproductive contexts and involved pregnancy-related risks, family decision-making, practical constraints, and post-childbirth disease management and caregiving. The composite map may inform tailored reproductive communication, coordinated rheumatology–obstetric assessment, and postpartum support.
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased cardiovascular risk. This study explored the association of RA disease activity with arterial stiffness (AVI) and 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. This retrospective cross-sectional study enrolled 1,152 RA patients (484 inactive, 668 active, no prior cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease) and 235 healthy controls. Clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and AVI were compared among groups. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors independently associated with high AVI. The interaction between disease activity and disease duration on AVI was also assessed using two-way analysis of variance (two-way ANOVA). AVI levels and high AVI prevalence were significantly higher in active RA patients than in inactive RA and controls (p < 0.05). With increasing disease activity, Disease Activity Score 28 based on C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP), C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate increased significantly (all p < 0.001). Multivariable regression showed that systolic blood pressure (OR = 1.025, 95
Osteoblast dysfunction and altered Wnt/β-catenin-dependent responses accompany bone-remodeling imbalance in rheumatic and degenerative joint disease. Rosavin and salidroside are constituents of Rhodiola rosea preparations used without prescription, and are always encountered together rather than separately. This exploratory in vitro study asked whether the two compounds and their combination differentially affect total β-catenin concentration and cell-covered area in human osteoblasts (HOBs). HOBs from one commercial preparation (passage 7) were cultured in growth medium (GM) or mineralization medium (MM) and exposed to rosavin 50 µM (R50), salidroside 50 µM (Sal50) or both (R50/Sal50). Total β-catenin was quantified by ELISA in four independently cultured, treated, harvested and lysed wells per condition at days 7, 14 and 21. Cell-covered area was estimated from 79 phase-contrast fields. Welch ANOVA with Games–Howell post-hoc testing was pre-specified. Total β-catenin differed between conditions at day 14 (Welch ANOVA p = 0.003, Holm-adjusted p = 0.009; η² = 0.43): 8.9 ± 3.8 ng/mL in R50 versus 28.5 ± 3.8 in Sal50, 26.5 ± 16.9 in R50/Sal50, 23.5 ± 7.9 in MM and 27.4 ± 8.6 in GM. Sal50 versus R50 was the only contrast surviving correction (difference 19.6 ng/mL, 95
Adipocytokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), although their exact role remains unclear. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides quantitative ocular measurements and may detect subclinical ocular changes in AS. This study evaluated serum adipocytokine levels and OCT findings in patients with radiographic AS and investigated possible correlations between these parameters. This cross-sectional study included 47 patients with radiographic AS diagnosed according to the modified New York criteria and 23 age- and sex-similar healthy controls. Serum visfatin, resistin, adiponectin, and fetuin-A levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. OCT parameters, including retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell complex (GCC), macular thickness, and subfoveal choroidal thickness, were recorded using spectral-domain OCT. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify biomarkers independently associated with AS. Visfatin levels were higher (6.7 [3.9-14.0] vs. 4.5 [3.9-8.1] ng/mL, p<0.001), whereas fetuin-A levels were lower (3253 [1652-5565] vs 3724 [2204-5651] ng/mL, p=0.017) in patients with AS compared with controls. Adiponectin and resistin levels did not differ (both p>0.05). Subfoveal choroidal thickness was greater in AS patients (262 [124-387] vs. 197 [101-300] µm, p<0.001), whereas RNFL, GCC, and macular thickness were similar between the groups (all p>0.05). On multivariable analyses adjusted for age, sex, BMI, and CRP, visfatin (OR=3.894, 95
Behçet’s disease (BD) is rare in European populations. Because clinical and immunological characteristics may differ between Caucasians and Middle Eastern patients, we analyzed BD patients from the Polish population. Data from eight patients with BD treated at a rheumatology clinic were analyzed and collected, including demographic data, clinical features, laboratory test results, comorbidities, and treatment options. The study included eight patients (mean age 38.2 ± 13.7 years; 75
EULAR recommends kidney biopsy in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with glomerular hematuria, whereas both ACR and KDIGO require the presence of proteinuria and/or impaired kidney function. We explored the value of hematuria for the diagnosis of new-onset lupus nephritis (LN). Cross-sectional study of SLE patients who underwent diagnostic kidney biopsy in two independent centers. Clinically significant LN was defined as ISN/RPS class III, IV, V, or mixed III/IV + V. Presentation patterns were categorized by glomerular hematuria, proteinuria, and impaired kidney function. Among patients with glomerular hematuria, regression models identified factors associated with clinically significant LN, and a nomogram was constructed. Of 227 biopsies, 181 (79.7
Fatigue frequently persists after clinically visible inflammation has improved in inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs). This narrative review integrates evidence updated through 21 July 2026 on mechanisms, assessment, and management of fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and Sjögren’s disease (SjD). Across these conditions, associations between fatigue and conventional inflammatory measures are inconsistent and usually weaker than associations with pain, sleep disturbance, mood symptoms, disability, central pain sensitivity, comorbidity, medication effects, and reduced activity tolerance. Recent quantitative findings reinforce this mismatch. In a 2026 RA cohort of 253 patients, 80
Higher risks of cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular events have been reported in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with the general population. However, data remain scarce in populations of African descent, and the Caribbean region is under-represented in this field. We aimed to assess the burden of hospitalized cardiovascular events (HCE) in Martinique, a French Caribbean overseas territory with a predominantly Afro-Caribbean population. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with RA from Martinique identified through the hospital discharge database. The 10-year cumulative incidence of HCE was estimated using the Fine and Gray competing-risk method, with a sensitivity analysis restricted to the classical 3-point major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) definition. Among 205 patients with RA, 50.5
Systemic autoimmune diseases can adversely affect the health of childbearing women and pregnancy outcomes. Additionally, some of theadministered medications are teratogenic, prompting international rheumatological societies to recommend effective contraception and preconception counselling. Given the limited structured education in this field, this study aimed to assess reproductive health awareness and perceptions of family planning among women with systemic autoimmune diseases. A survey-based study was conducted at the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. The sample included 165 women aged 18–50 years who completed the ReproKnow questionnaire assessing reproductive health knowledge, while sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained through interviews and medical records. The median ReproKnow score was 5/10 correct answers indicating moderate knowledge of the studied topic. Greater reproductive health awareness was observed among patients with higher education levels and those diagnosed with SLE or vasculitis. Although one-third of participants stated that their diagnosis affected family planning, only one-fifth reported consistent contraception use, even among those receiving teratogenic medications. Knowledge of contraception efficacy was low (25
