Rituximab use in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Seven-Year Retrospective Study of 52 Patients at a Saudi Arabian Hospital.

BACKGROUND Rituximab (RTX) is a chimeric therapeutic monoclonal antibody that targets the CD20 molecule on B lymphocytes. RTX is approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients who do not respond to disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or other biologics. The purpose of this retrospective study was to report our experience with RTX treatment at a single center in Saudi Arabia between 2015 and 2022 in 52 patients with RA.

Lupus Nephritis Outcomes after Stopping Immunosuppression.

Immunosuppression (IS) is a standard therapy for lupus nephritis (LN). Data on the outcomes of patients with LN after the discontinuation of immunosuppression remain uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes and results of patients with lupus nephritis (LN) who ceased immunosuppressive (IS) therapy.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in cytokine genes and their association with primary Sjögren's syndrome in Saudi patients: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To determine the allelic frequencies and effects of genotypic variations in cytokine gene polymorphisms in a Saudi Arabian population.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 41 patients with Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and 71 healthy controls between October 2018 and May 2019. Single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyping was performed using the SEQUENOM MassARRAY System, targeting nine polymorphisms in different cytokine genes.

Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome and Raynaud's Phenomenon: Is There a Link between the Pathogeneses of Their Underlying Complex Etiology? A Case Report and Literature Review.

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) typically manifests as a sudden, severe thunderclap headache due to narrowing of the cerebral arteries. Symptoms usually resolve within three months. An imbalance in cerebral vascular tone, an abnormal endothelial function, and a decreased autoregulation of cerebral blood flow are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of RCVS.

An Examination of Infection Incidence and Management in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients: A Five-Year Review from a Saudi Arabian Center.

BACKGROUND Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune condition often associated with an increased susceptibility to infections. The infections in patients with SLE, primarily involving the skin, respiratory tract, and urinary tract, can significantly complicate disease management. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence, management, and patient outcomes associated with infections in a group of 74 SLE patients at a single center in Saudi Arabia, spanning a 5-year period.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Saudi Patients.

Unlabelled: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex, multifactorial disorder with an autoimmune etiology. RA is highly heritable and is associated with both human leucocyte antigen (HLA) and non-HLA genes. We investigated the associations of 33 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with RA in the Saudi population.

New insights on genetic variants and phenotypic features of childhood large-vessel vasculopathy: a systematic review and single-centre series.

Objectives: To describe the phenotypic, genetic, and outcome characteristics of large-vessel vasculopathy (LVV) in childhood associated with genetic variants. Additionally, a systematic literature review was conducted to delineate the differences between LVV with and without genetic variants.

Methods: The medical records of all children with LVV seen between January 2000 and September 2022 at our institution were retrospectively reviewed for demographic, clinical and genetic data, and outcomes at the last follow-up visit.

Clinical and laboratory characteristics of idiopathic inflammatory myositis in Saudi patients: A retrospective study in a single tertiary centre.

Objectives: Idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM) in Saudi patients has been poorly studied owing to the lack of available data. This study aimed to identify the clinical and laboratory features of patients at a single tertiary care center.

Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the medical records of Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to collect clinical and laboratory data between December 2022 and February 2017 as follows: age at disease onset, gender, follow-up duration and disease duration; clinical symptoms; laboratory result; presence and type of myositis-specific autoantibody or myositis-associated autoantibody; and type of immunosuppression, presence of malignancy, disease course, and outcome.

Reactive perforating collagenosis and systemic lupus erythematosus: A rare case report.

Background: Transepidermal clearance of altered collagen and excessive excretion of keratin are characteristics of a rare cutaneous disorder known as reactive perforating collagenosis (RPC). There are different forms of RPC; however, the acquired form is the most prevalent and inherited. Reactive perforating collagenosis is rarely described in autoimmune rheumatic diseases; instead, it is typically linked to systemic conditions such as renal failure or hepatic disease.

Fibromyalgia in Health Care Worker During COVID-19 Outbreak in Saudi Arabia.

In the face of the contemporary COVID-19 pandemic, health service providers have emerged as the most at-risk individuals who are likely to contract the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To measure the prevalence of fibromyalgia (FM) during COVID outbreak among health workers in Saudi Arabia using FiRST and LFESSQ tool. The study employed a cross-sectional methodology to explore the prevalence of Fibromyalgia among health workers at different health care settings in Saudi Arabia.

Disease phenotype and diagnostic delay in Saudi patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome: An exploratory cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To describe primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) cohort in Saudi Arabiain view in of clinical/serological/histopathological phentotype, and, diagnostic delay.

Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted between October 2018 and May 2019. Diagnostic delay was calculated from symptoms onset to clinical diagnosis.

Fatigue in Saudi Patients with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome and Its Correlation with Disease Characteristics and Outcome Measures: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Fatigue is a prevalent symptom affecting primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of fatigue in Saudi pSS patients and its correlation with disease features and outcome measures using a validated tool.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study evaluating fatigue in pSS using the Arabic version of the fatigue severity scale (FSS).

The Value of Screening for Celiac Disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Single Experience of a Tertiary Medical Center.

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-organ inflammatory disease associated with autoimmune diseases. The aim of the study is to assessed the frequency of celiac disease (CD) in adults and children with SLE (aSLE and cSLE, respectively) and compare them with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients; the study also explored the clinical impact of CD serologic markers on SLE disease activity and severity.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study.

Myositis Specific Autoantibodies: A Clinical Perspective.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an idiopathic inflammatory condition characterized by myositis and variable skin manifestation. The existence of myositis specific autoantibodies usually manifests with varying degrees of skin or muscle inflammations. The condition has a well-established association with most clinical phenotypes, and these autoantibodies are useful in informing the diagnosis, management and prognosis of the disease.