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Topic Review
Cytokine Signalling Pathways of JAK Kinases
The discovery of JAK kinases, which are tyrosine kinases coupled with cytokine receptors, may open a new chapter in the treatment of so far untreatable diseases.
  • 368
  • 18 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Treatment Approach of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the prototype of systemic autoimmune diseases is characterized by extreme heterogeneity with a variable clinical course. Renal involvement may be observed and affects the outcome. Hydroxychloroquine should be administered to every lupus patient irrespective of organ involvement. Conventional immunosuppressive therapy includes corticosteroids, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, cyclosporine and tacrolimus. However, despite conventional immunosuppressive treatment, flares occur and broad immunosuppression is accompanied by multiple side effects. Flare occurrence, target organ involvement, side effects of broad immunosuppression and increased knowledge of the pathogenetic mechanisms involved in SLE pathogenesis as well as the availability of biologic agents has led to the application of biologic agents in SLE management. Biologic agents targeting various pathogenetic paths have been applied. B cell targeting agents have been used successfully. Belimumab, a B cell targeting agent, has been approved for the treatment of SLE. Rituximab, an anti-CD20 targeting agent is also used in SLE. Anifrolumab, an interferon I receptor-targeting agent has beneficial effects on SLE. In conclusion, biologic treatment is applied in SLE and should be further evaluated with the aim of a good treatment response and a significant improvement in quality of life.
  • 365
  • 10 Jul 2023
Topic Review
miRNAs in RA Development
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease characterized by autoimmunity, synovial inflammation and joint destruction. Pannus formation in the synovial cavity can cause irreversible damage to the joint and cartilage and eventually permanent disability. 
  • 353
  • 07 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Polyarteritis Nodosa
Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), also known as panarteritis nodosa, represents a form of necrotizing vasculitis that predominantly affects medium-sized vessels, although it is not restricted to them and can also involve smaller vessels. The clinical presentation is heterogeneous and characterized by a significant number of patients exhibiting general symptoms, including asthenia, fever, and unintended weight loss. Although PAN can involve virtually any organ, it preferentially affects the skin, nervous system, and the gastrointestinal tract. Orchitis is a rare but specific manifestation of PAN. The absence of granulomas, glomerulonephritis, and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies serves to distinguish PAN from other types of vasculitis. Major complications consist of hemorrhagic and thrombotic events occurring in mesenteric, cardiac, cerebral, and renal systems. Historically, PAN was frequently linked to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, but this association has dramatically changed in recent years due to declining HBV prevalence.
  • 353
  • 18 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Systemic Sclerosis-Related Lung Fibrosis
Systemic sclerosis (SSc), or scleroderma, is an autoimmune connective tissue disease with one of the highest mortality rates among the rheumatic diseases. Fibrosis is recognized to be a defining feature of SSc, affecting the skin and multiple visceral organs. As a result, SSc is considered the prototypic fibrosing disease. 
  • 350
  • 21 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Metabolome in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease, clinically characterized by poly-articular involvement with chronic synovial inflammation culminating in bone erosions and disability. Metabolomics is an emerging science that is part of the omics group (e.g., proteomic, transcriptomics, etc.). It allows the identification of small molecules, known as metabolites, in a biologic system, catching the alteration of the metabolic status of different tissues and fluids that mirror the cellular perturbation occurring during disease.
  • 349
  • 03 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Complement as a Biomarker for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease of immune complex deposition; therefore, complement plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of SLE. In general, complement levels in blood and complement deposition in histological tests are used for the management of SLE. Thus, the evaluation of complement status can be useful in the diagnosis of SLE, assessment of disease activity, and prediction of treatment response and prognosis. In addition, novel complement biomarkers, such as split products and cell-bound complement activation products, are considered to be more sensitive than traditional complement markers, such as serum C3 and C4 levels and total complement activity (CH50), which become more widely used.
  • 347
  • 15 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Biological Therapy on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in RA
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), one of the most common of the chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases (CIADs), is recognized as an independent cardiovascular risk factor. Therapies used in RA include disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), categorized into conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs), targeted synthetic DMARDS (tsDMARDs), and biological DMARDs (bDMARDs). csDMARDs are used as first-line therapy in the absence of contraindications, with Methotrexate (MTX) being the first option. Moreover, when disease activity is high, low doses of glucocorticoids can be used for a short period of time as a bridging therapy.
  • 341
  • 08 May 2023
Topic Review
Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Inhibitors
Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, peripheral and/or axial spondyloarthritis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis, are characterized by molecular and cellular changes in the immune system. Due to the systemic nature of these diseases, organs such as the liver or cardiovascular system are often affected by the inflammatory process. Tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor therapy reduces the activation of pro-inflammatory signaling cascades, mitigates the chronic inflammatory process by restoring cellular balance, and alleviates clinical consequences, such as pain and tissue damage.
  • 340
  • 14 Aug 2023
Topic Review
The Treatment of Enthesitis-Related Arthritis
Enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) represents 5–30% of all cases of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and belongs to the spectrum of the disorders included in the group of juvenile spondyloarthritis. In the last decade, there have been considerable advances in the classification, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of ERA. New provisional criteria for ERA have been recently proposed by the Paediatric Rheumatology INternational Trials Organisation, as part of a wider revision of the International League of Associations for Rheumatology criteria for JIA. The therapeutic recommendations for ERA are comparable to those applied to other non-systemic JIA categories, unless axial disease and/or enthesitis are present. In such cases, the early use of a TNF-alpha inhibitor is recommended. Novel treatment agents are promising, including IL-17/IL-23 or JAK/STAT pathways blockers.
  • 338
  • 24 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Score
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that affects multiple organ systems and manifests in a relapsing–remitting pattern. Consequently, it is paramount for rheumatologists to assess disease activity, identify flare-ups, and establish treatment goals for patients with SLE. In 2019, the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Score (SLE-DAS) was introduced as a novel tool for measuring disease activity. This tool refines the parameters of the established SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) to enhance the assessment process.
  • 319
  • 25 Dec 2023
Topic Review
JAK Inhibitors’ Pleiotropic Potential in Pain's Immune Interactions
The exploration of pain within the contexts of rheumatic diseases, immune interactions, and the JAK/STAT signaling pathway reveals the intricate and dynamic interplay between immune responses and neural processes that shape pain perception and modulation. From the complex nature of pain experiences in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis to the bidirectional communication between immune cells and neurons, a comprehensive understanding of these interactions is crucial for developing effective pain management strategies.
  • 317
  • 17 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Antinuclear Antibodies
The discovery of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) in the mid-20th century during studies on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) marked a significant breakthrough.
  • 316
  • 05 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Hypertrophic and Senescent Chondrocyte Phenotypes Associated with Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex disease of whole joints with progressive cartilage matrix degradation and chondrocyte transformation. The inflammatory features of OA are reflected in increased synovial levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and VEGF, higher levels of TLR-4 binding plasma proteins and increased expression of IL-15, IL-18, IL-10 and Cox2, in cartilage. Chondrocytes in OA undergo hypertrophic and senescent transition; in these states, the expression of Sox-9, Acan and Col2a1 is suppressed, whereas the expression of RunX2, HIF-2α and MMP-13 is significantly increased.
  • 309
  • 22 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Predisposing Factors of B-Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
In pSS, chronic antigenic stimulation gradually drives the evolution from polyclonal B-cell expansion to oligoclonal/monoclonal B-cell predominance to malignant B-cell transformation. Thus, most pSS-related lymphomas are B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs), with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas predominating, followed by diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) and nodal marginal zone lymphomas (NMZLs).
  • 304
  • 10 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Gut Microbiota in SLE and Lupus Nephritis
Lupus nephritis is a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is caused by immune dysregulation and kidney inflammation. In recent findings, gut microbiota potentially acts as primary mediators to enhance immune complex deposition, complement activation, and macrophage infiltration, and led to renal inflammation. Gut inflammation, known as leaky gut, allows pathogenic bacteria to enter the blood stream to form immune complexes which deposit on the kidney. Lymphocytes and macrophages induct a proinflammatory cytokine milieu that leads to kidney inflammation. Accumulating pieces of evidence from the field of gender bias, dietary habit, alcohol, smoking and antibiotic consumption were closely related to dysbiosis of gut microbiota in SLE.
  • 303
  • 13 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Giant Cell Arteritis
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a noninfectious granulomatous vasculitis of unknown etiology affecting individuals older than 50 years. Two forms of GCA have been identified: a cranial form involving the medium-caliber temporal artery causing temporal arteritis (TA) and an extracranial form involving the large vessels, mainly the thoracic aorta and its branches. GCA generally affects individuals with a genetic predisposition, but several epigenetic (micro)environmental factors are often critical for the onset of this vasculitis.
  • 302
  • 05 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Intravenous Immunoglobulins Treatment for Autoimmune Diseases
Intravenous administration of immunoglobulins has been routinely used for many years in clinical practice, developed initially as replacement therapy in immunodeficiency disorders. The use of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIGs) is embedded in the modern algorithms for the management of a few diseases, while in most cases, their application is off-label and thus different from their registered therapeutic indications according to the summary of product characteristics. 
  • 300
  • 21 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Bioadhesive and Injectable Hydrogels
Injectable bioadhesive hydrogels, known for their capacity to carry substances and adaptability in processing, offer great potential across various biomedical applications. They are especially promising in minimally invasive stem cell-based therapies for treating cartilage damage. This approach harnesses readily available mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to differentiate into chondrocytes for cartilage regeneration.
  • 300
  • 13 Nov 2023
Topic Review
The Contribution of Innate Immunity in Large-Vessel Vasculitis
Large-vessel vasculitis (LVV) are granulomatous vasculitis affecting medium- and large-sized arteries, especially the aorta and its main branches. They are mainly represented by giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu arteritis (TAK), both marked by vessel wall inflammation and remodeling, accounting for arterial stenosis and subsequent ischemic manifestations or aortic aneurysms and dissection.
  • 298
  • 18 Feb 2024
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