Incidence and Outcome of Pneumomediastinum in Non-ICU Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

Objectives: Pneumomediastinum (PNM) is a rare complication of mechanical ventilation, but its reported occurrence in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to COVID-19 is significant. The objective is to determine the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of PNM in non-ICU hospitalized patients with severe-to-critical COVID-19 pneumonia.

Design: Retrospective observational study.

Metabolic syndrome and adipokine levels in systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis.

Introduction: Aims of study were to evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and to evaluate serum level of adipokines in SLE and SSc patients with and without MetS.

Methods: Fifty SLE patients and 85 SSc patients were enrolled. The diagnosis of MetS was made according to the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III.

JAK inhibitors in immune-mediated rheumatic diseases: From a molecular perspective to clinical studies.

The Janus Kinase signalling pathway is implicated in the pathogenesis of immune-related diseases. The potency of small-molecule Janus Kinase inhibitors in the treatment of inflammatory diseases demonstrates that this pathway can be successfully targeted for therapeutic purposes. The outstanding relevant questions concerning drugs' efficacy and toxicity challenge the research to enhance the selectivity of these drugs.

Occurrence and predictive factors of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis: findings from a 3-year, multicentre, prospective, observational study.

Objectives: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), "traditional" cardiovascular (CV) risk factors continue to be underdiagnosed and undertreated, thus increasing the risk of developing atherosclerosis. In this work, we evaluated the occurrence and predictive factors of "traditional" cardiovascular risk factors, with a focus on high blood pressure (HBP), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and metabolic syndrome (MetS), in participants with RA, in a 3-year, multicentre, prospective, observational study.

Methods: To assess the occurrence and predictive factors of HBP, T2D, and MetS, consecutive participants with RA, admitted to Italian Rheumatology Units, were evaluated in the GIRRCS (Gruppo Italiano di Ricerca in Reumatologia Clinica e Sperimentale) cohort, a 3-year, multicentre, prospective, observational study.