Improving the arthritis component of the SLEDAI-2K.

Objective: To propose a new definition for SLEDAI arthritis informed by imaging.

Methods: We performed a planned secondary analysis of observational data from a multicentre study evaluating SLE patients with inflammatory joint pain (swelling not required) using various clinical instruments, laboratory tests and ultrasound. For SLEDAI arthritis, assessors (blinded to ultrasound) were asked which of the glossary terms for arthritis in any version of the SLEDAI drove their decision to score for arthritis.

Damage Index for Antiphospholipid Syndrome (DIAPS): An Antiphospholipid Syndrome Alliance for Clinical Trials and International Networking (APS ACTION) "Damage" working group report on strengths and limitations.

Objectives: To gather the perspectives of APS ACTION members regarding the strengths and limitations of Damage Index for Antiphospholipid Syndrome (DIAPS); and establish recommendations for the improvement of DIAPS.

Methods: APS ACTION members were invited to answer a survey regarding their satisfaction with DIAPS scoring system and individual items. The level of agreement (LoA) among members with the inclusion of individual items in DIAPS was calculated (LoA of <75% was considered disagreement).

Reduced response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is associated with impaired immunoglobulin class switch recombination in SLE patients.

Introduction: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients exhibit B-cell abnormalities. Although there are concerns about reduced antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, detailed data on B-cell-specific responses in SLE remain scarce. Understanding the responsiveness to novel vaccine-antigens, and boosters number, is important to avoid unnecessary prolonged isolation of immunocompromised individuals.

An update on autoantibodies in the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs) have become pivotal biomarkers for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies and have revolutionized understanding of the heterogeneous disease spectrum that affects both adults and children. The discovery and characterization of MSAs have substantially enhanced patient stratification based on clinical phenotype, thereby facilitating more precise diagnosis and ultimately improving management strategies. Advances in immunoassay technologies in the past 20 years have further propelled the field forward, enabling the detection of a growing repertoire of autoantibodies with high specificity and sensitivity; however, evolving research over the past decade has revealed that even within antibody-defined subsets, considerable clinical diversity exists, suggesting a broader spectrum of disease manifestations than previously acknowledged.