Semaphorins and its receptors: Emerging cellular biomarkers and therapeutic targets in autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.

Semaphorins have been discovered to play an array of roles in immune regulation, especially in the complex field of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Originally discovered for their critical role in directing axon growth during brain development, semaphores have since been shown to have versatile actions. They are distinguished by a conserved extracellular sema domain with a 7-blade beta propeller structure.

Serum p-Glycoprotein and Monomeric C-Reactive Protein are Elevated in Takayasu Arteritis.

Purpose: Existing biomarkers including C-reactive protein (CRP) do not adequately distinguish active and inactive TAK. We compared serum p-glycoprotein (p-gp)/Multidrug Resistance Protein 1 (MDR1), monomeric CRP (mCRP), CRP, and mCRP:CRP ratio in Takayasu arteritis (TAK) and healthy controls and their relationship with disease activity.

Patients And Methods: Serum p-gp mCRP (ELISA) and CRP (nephelometry) were compared between consecutive adults with TAK (>18 years) enrolled from a prospective cohort (n = 92) and healthy controls (n = 29), and between active vs inactive TAK (n = 46 each).

Clinical manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis, including comorbidities, complications, and long-term follow-up.

Symmetric inflammatory polyarthritis is the most prominent manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, RA can practically affect any organ system, whether hematologic, neurological, cardiac, lung, skin, eyes, or kidneys. Systemic involvement in RA can be severe when there is interstitial lung disease, scleritis, amyloidosis, pure red cell aplasia, or myelodysplasia.

Indian Rheumatology Association guidelines for the management of ANCA associated vasculitis.

Background: The ACR in 2021 and the EULAR in 2022 published recommendations for management of ANCA-associated vasculitis. Given the differences in the demographic, clinical profiles, and the socio-economic realities between various countries, there is a need for development of guidelines for the management of AAV for less economically developed regions of the world.

Methods: These guidelines were made following the GRADE methodology.

Cultural Adaptation and Development of an Educational Intervention Relating to Cardiovascular Disease Associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis for South Asian People.

Background: The cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is elevated by 1.5 times among South Asians with rheumatological conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the UK. However, there is a dearth of culturally sensitive educational interventions tailored to this population.

Tuberculosis is the predominant infection in systemic sclerosis: thirty-year retrospective study of serious infections from a single centre.

To look for the spectrum of infections and the factors predisposing to infection in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). In this retrospective study, demographic, clinical features, details of infections, immunosuppressive therapy, and outcomes of patients with SSc attending clinics at department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India from 1990 to 2022 were captured. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression was applied to identify independent predictors of infection.

Biological use influences the impact of inflammation on risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Chronic inflammation promotes cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) improve disease activity and cardiovascular disease outcomes. We explored whether bDMARDs influence the impact of disease activity and inflammatory markers on long-term cardiovascular risk in RA.

Prevalence, Predictors, and Prognosis of Serious Infections in Takayasu Arteritis: A Cohort Study.

Objective: To describe the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes associated with serious infections in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TA).

Methods: Serious infections, defined as infections resulting in hospitalization or death or unusual infections like tuberculosis, were identified from a cohort of patients with TA. Corticosteroid and disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) use at the time of serious infection was noted.

Pediatric-onset Takayasu arteritis is associated with greater risk of mortality than adult-onset Takayasu arteritis-A systematic review with meta-analysis of observational cohort studies.

A subset of Takayasu arteritis (TAK) has onset in the pediatric age group (≤18 years). The differences in mortality between pediatric-onset and adult-onset TAK are unclear. Therefore, we undertook a systematic review with meta-analysis to compare mortality risk in pediatric-onset with adult-onset TAK.

Clinical metabolomics by NMR revealed serum metabolic signatures for differentiating sarcoidosis from tuberculosis.

Background: Pulmonary sarcoidosis (SAR) and tuberculosis (TB) are two granulomatous lung-diseases and often pose a diagnostic challenge to a treating physicians.

Objective: The present study aims to explore the diagnostic potential of NMR based serum metabolomics approach to differentiate SAR from TB.

Materials And Method: The blood samples were obtained from three study groups: SAR (N = 35), TB (N = 28) and healthy normal subjects (NC, N = 56) and their serum metabolic profiles were measured using 1D H CPMG (Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill) NMR spectra recorded at 800 MHz NMR spectrometer.

Increased mortality rate in Takayasu arteritis is largely driven by cardiovascular disease-a cohort study.

Objectives: To analyze the risk, causes, and predictors of mortality in Takayasu arteritis (TAK).

Methods: Survival was assessed in a cohort of patients with TAK using Kaplan-Meier curves. Age- and sex-standardized mortality ratio (SMR = observed: expected deaths) for TAK were calculated by applying age- and sex-specific mortality rates for the local population to calculate expected deaths.

It's Not All About the Journal Impact Factor.

We read with great interest the recent Panorama article that discussed the rise in the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) of rheumatology journals and the potential effect of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic in this rise. Although there has definitely been a rise in the JIF of journals following the COVID-19 pandemic, there are concerns about some aspects of the paper that we wish to discuss in this letter..

Artificial intelligence-based preventive, personalized and precision medicine for cardiovascular disease/stroke risk assessment in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a narrative review.

The challenges associated with diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease (CVD)/Stroke in Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) arise from the delayed onset of symptoms. Existing clinical risk scores are inadequate in predicting cardiac events, and conventional risk factors alone do not accurately classify many individuals at risk. Several CVD biomarkers consider the multiple pathways involved in the development of atherosclerosis, which is the primary cause of CVD/Stroke in RA.

Paediatric-onset Takayasu's arteritis associates with worse survival than adult-onset Takayasu's arteritis. A matched retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: A subset of Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) begins in the paediatric age group (≤18 years). Differences in prognosis between paediatric-onset and adult-onset TAK are unclear. We compared the differences in the presentation and survival between paediatric-onset and adult-onset TAK in our cohort of TAK.

Overlap syndrome of anti-aquaporin 4 positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and primary Sjögren's syndrome: a systematic review of individual patient data.

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement can occur in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) due to co-existing neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) which has a highly relapsing course requiring indefinite immunosuppression, and if not diagnosed early, damage accrual occurs over time leading to permanent disability and morbidity. In this review, we describe and outline the clinical course and outcomes of anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody seropositive NMOSD with pSS overlap cases. To investigate the co-existence of AQP4 + NMOSD with pSS, we conducted a review of individual patient data from case reports and case series found in major databases.