International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation, joint swelling, and pain involving multiple joints. While biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs) are popular treatments for RA, there is limited research on their combined use. This study examined a cohort of RA patients who demonstrated inadequate response to bDMARDs and subsequently initiated combination therapy with tofacitinib and bDMARDs, assessing both the efficacy and safety profile of this therapeutic approach...

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Sjögren's disease is one of the most common systemic autoimmune diseases with hallmark features of sicca (dryness) symptoms of the eyes and mouth. There are a variety of ways to quantify xerostomia. α-Amylase is an enzyme secreted by the pancreas and salivary glands. While not specific to salivary glands, it may be measured as a surrogate marker of their output. Therefore, in this short investigation, we determined if there were any associations of serum α-amylase with subjective and objective markers of xerostomia...

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AIM: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) predominantly affects the spine and sacroiliac joints, with rare renal involvement. We investigated the incidence rate and risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with AS and its relationship with long-term nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data of patients diagnosed with AS from the Korean National Health Insurance service. The 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) NSAID Intake Scores were categorized into four groups, as follows: =0, >0 and ≤33...

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one autoimmune disease that badly influences the lives of humans. Nuclear factor interleukin 3 (NFIL3) has been elucidated to join into the progression of diversiform diseases. According to a recent report, NFIL3 expression levels are increased in the peripheral blood and synovial tissues of individuals with RA. However, the detailed regulatory impacts of NFIL3 and associated pathways in RA progression need more investigations. METHODS: The mRNA and protein expressions were tested through RT-qPCR and western blot...

BACKGROUND: Ferroptosis is caused by iron-dependent peroxidation of membrane phospholipids and chondrocyte ferroptosis contributes to osteoarthritis (OA) progression. Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) plays a master role in blocking ferroptosis. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an epigenetic modification among mRNA post-transcriptional modifications. This study investigated the effect of methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14), the key component of the m6A methyltransferase, on chondrocyte ferroptosis via m6A modification...

Vaccine-associated rheumatic diseases are rare but one of the most feared adverse drug reactions (ADRs). However, this topic has been investigated less with large-scale data in the literature. With the rapid progress in the development and approval of vaccines during the pandemic, public concerns regarding their safety have been raised. To assess the global and regional burden, long-term trends, and potential risk factors of vaccines-associated six types of rheumatic diseases (ankylosing spondylitis [AS], polymyalgia rheumatica [PMR], rheumatoid arthritis [RA], Sjögren's syndrome, Systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], Systemic scleroderma), this study conducted disproportionality analysis based on the reports from the World Health Organization International Pharmacovigilance Database documented between 1967 and 2023 (n for total reports = 131 255 418) across 156 countries and territories...

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INTRODUCTION: Arthralgias are prevalent in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD), emphasizing the need for early recognition. This study aimed to estimate SARD frequency and compare clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings among SARD, non-inflammatory arthralgia (NIA), and RA in patients with hand arthralgias. METHODS: A prospective evaluation program included individuals aged ≥18 with hand arthralgias. Baseline assessments covered clinical, laboratory, ultrasound, and radiography...

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AIM: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at a higher risk of osteoporotic fractures. Studies have shown that patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) experienced an increase in bone mineral density (BMD) after receiving hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) treatment, indicating a potential protective effect against osteoporosis. Therefore, this study is to examine the relationship between HCQ usage and the risk of osteoporosis in patients diagnosed with RA...

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects the joints. RA is associated with high cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. One of the new markers of cardiometabolic risk is epicardial fat thickness, the study of EFT in patients with RA and its association with echocardiographic parameters may provide valuable insight into the potential cardiac involvement and overall cardiovascular risk in these patients. METHOD: The present study is a cross-sectional study with a comparison group conducted in 2024...