Advanced UltraTech approach for distinguishing granulomatous from non-granulomatous corneal endothelial exudates in autoimmune rheumatic anterior uveitis.

Background: Anterior uveitis is a common manifestation in individuals with rheumatic conditions such as spondylarthritis, Behçet's syndrome, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and sarcoidosis. Clinical differentiation between granulomatous and non-granulomatous corneal endothelial exudates is crucial to subsequent diagnosis and treatment. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) can ensure an accurate differential diagnosis and appropriate follow-up after local and systemic therapy.

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Incidence in Scleroderma Patients Treated with Bosentan for Digital Ulcers: Evidence from the Italian SPRING Registry.

Objective: Bosentan (BOS) is approved for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and preventing digital ulcers (DU) in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Our study aimed to evaluate whether BOS prescribed for DU could reduce the incidence of PAH in a large SSc cohort from the SPRING registry.

Methods: Patients with SSc from the SPRING registry, meeting ACR/EULAR 2013 classification criteria with data on PAH onset, DU status, BOS exposure, and at least a one-year follow-up between 2015 and 2020, and no known PAH at baseline were included.

Longitudinal association between nailfold capillaroscopy and incident interstitial lung disease: A EUSTAR database analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate (1) the association between nailfold capillaroscopy pattern and 5-year risk for incident interstitial lung disease and (2) the association between transition in nailfold capillaroscopy pattern and risk of incident interstitial lung disease.

Methods: Data of adult patients from the EUSTAR database fulfilling the ACR-EULAR criteria with a disease duration ⩽5 years, having a scleroderma pattern at nailfold capillaroscopy with high-resolution computed tomography confirmed absence of interstitial lung disease (i.e.

Effectiveness and Predictors of Long-Term Treatment Response to Tofacitinib in Rheumatoid Arthritis Cohort: General Analysis and Focus on High-Cardiovascular-Risk Subgroup-A Multicenter Study.

The treatment landscape for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) has evolved significantly with the introduction of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi), such as Tofacitinib (TOFA), which offer a new therapeutic option for patients who have failed or are intolerant to conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs). Safety concerns, particularly related to cardiovascular and cancer risks, prompted a need for additional investigation in real-world clinical settings. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and predictors of response to TOFA in two subpopulations of RA patients, categorized by differing cardiovascular risk profiles.

Uncommon but Significant: Onset, Characteristics and Management of Vasculitis and Connective Tissue Diseases Induced by Immunomodulators during Cancer Treatment.

The introduction of immunomodulators as adjuvant therapies in cancer treatment has represented a significant advancement in oncology, improving therapeutic response and patient survival. Emerging targets and molecules could provide new therapeutic opportunities for cancer patients. However, these agents can induce immunological side effects, including vasculitis and connective tissue diseases, which, while uncommon, present significant clinical challenges.

Nintedanib in Rheumatoid Arthritis-Related Interstitial Lung Disease: Real-World Safety Profile and Risk of Side Effects and Discontinuation.

Objective: Some concerns remain about the safety of nintedanib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), such as in the presence of comorbidities or in combination with biologic, targeted synthetic, and/or conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). In this multicenter study, we retrospectively evaluated the safety of nintedanib in a real-world population of patients with RA-ILD from the Italian Group for the Study of Early Arthritis (GISEA) registry and the possible role of comorbidities and DMARDs on drug safety and withdrawal. Our secondary aim was to investigate the causes of nintedanib discontinuation.

Multicenter observational study on the efficacy of selective Janus Kinase-1 inhibitor upatacitinib in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Upadacitinib (UPA) is a selective, reversible Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi) approved for the treatment of RA. However, there is still no solid evidence on the long-term efficacy of UPA in treated patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of UPA to obtain remission or low disease activity (LDA) in a series of UPA patients in patients with RA after 6 and 12 months of treatment in a real-world setting.

Four-year effectiveness, safety and drug retention rate of secukinumab in psoriatic arthritis: a real-life Italian multicenter cohort.

Objectives: to evaluate over a 48-month follow-up period the: 1) long-term effectiveness and safety; 2) drug retention rate (DRR); 3) impact of comorbidities and bDMARDs line on MDA and DAPSA remission/low disease activity (LDA) of secukinumab in a multicenter Italian cohort of PsA patients.

Methods: Consecutive PsA patients receiving secukinumab were followed prospectively in Italian centers between 2016 and 2023. Disease characteristics, previous/ongoing treatments, comorbidities and follow-up duration were recorded.

Geographical disparities in fibromyalgia severity: An Italian study.

Background: Geographic origin may represent a variable capable of influencing health status. This study aims to investigate the presence of differences of disease severity in Italian patients with fibromyalgia from different macro-regions.

Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study involved patients included in the Italian Fibromyalgia Registry.

Towards a comprehensive approach to the management and prognosis of systemic sclerosis's patients: The role of comorbidities in the SPRING-SIR registry.

Objectives: The current knowledge about the role of comorbidities in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of comorbidities and their impact on disease activity and prognosis in the Systemic sclerosis PRogression INvestiGation (SPRING) registry.

Methods: SSc patients from the SPRING registry, fulfilling the ACR/EULAR 2013 classification criteria, with complete data on baseline comorbidities were enrolled.

Senescence in Adipose-Derived Stem Cells: Biological Mechanisms and Therapeutic Challenges.

Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) represent a subset of the mesenchymal stem cells in every adipose compartment throughout the body. ADSCs can differentiate into various cell types, including chondrocytes, osteocytes, myocytes, and adipocytes. Moreover, they exhibit a notable potential to differentiate in vitro into cells from other germinal lineages, including endothelial cells and neurons.

Analyzing histopathological aspects and cell populations in orbital inflammatory involvement in systemic diseases: A case series from the Rheumatologist's perspective.

Orbital inflammatory disease (OID) comprises approximately 6% of orbital conditions, affecting individuals across all ages. The range of the primary orbital inflammation's differential diagnosis is extensive, encompassing autoimmune disorders such as thyroid diseases, vasculitis, sarcoidosis, connective tissue diseases, immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD), and giant cell myositis, whereas secondary causes span from infections to drug-induced causes. Analyzing histopathological aspects and cell populations could enhance our comprehension of the etiology of orbital inflammatory involvement in systemic diseases such as IgG4-RD.

Four-year real-world experience of secukinumab in a large Italian cohort of axial spondyloarthritis.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate in a real-life Italian multicenter cohort of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) (1) the 4-year effectiveness and safety of secukinumab, (2) the drug retention rate (DRR), and (3) the impact of the line of bDMARDs treatment, subtype of axSpA, and sex on achieving low disease activity (LDA) and very low disease activity (VLDA).

Methods: Consecutive axSpA patients receiving secukinumab between 2016 and 2023 were prospectively evaluated. Data on disease characteristics, previous/ongoing treatments, comorbidities, and follow-up duration were collected.

Effectiveness of ixekizumab over 24 months in different clinical scenarios in psoriatic arthritis: results from the Gruppo Italiano Studio Early Arthritis multicentric prospective registry.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate ixekizumab (IXE) effectiveness, drug survival and clinical response predictors in moderate-severe psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients in different clinical scenarios.

Methods: This was a multicentre real-life observational study based on Gruppo Italiano Studio Early Arthritis (GISEA) registry of IXE treatment in PsA patients (January 2019-June 2023). Data were collected at baseline and every six months.

Shared patterns of glial transcriptional dysregulation link Huntington's disease and schizophrenia.

Huntington's disease and juvenile-onset schizophrenia have long been regarded as distinct disorders. However, both manifest cell-intrinsic abnormalities in glial differentiation, with resultant astrocytic dysfunction and hypomyelination. To assess whether a common mechanism might underlie the similar glial pathology of these otherwise disparate conditions, we used comparative correlation network approaches to analyse RNA-sequencing data from human glial progenitor cells (hGPCs) produced from disease-derived pluripotent stem cells.

Retinal Vascular Abnormalities and Clinical Parameters in Systemic Sclerosis.

: Systemic sclerosis is a complex autoimmune disease characterized by vasculopathy, fibrosis, and immune dysregulation. Ocular manifestations in these patients are increasingly recognized, suggesting potential correlations between systemic vascular abnormalities and ocular microvascular changes. Advancements in molecular immunology and imaging technology using ocular coherence tomography (OCT) have unveiled intricate pathways underlying possible disease pathogenesis.

Activation of Hepatocyte Growth Factor/MET Signaling as a Mechanism of Acquired Resistance to a Novel YAP1/TEAD Small Molecule Inhibitor.

Many tumor types harbor alterations in the Hippo pathway, including mesothelioma, where a high percentage of cases are considered YAP1/TEAD dependent. Identification of autopalmitoylation sites in the hydrophobic palmitate pocket of TEADs, which may be necessary for YAP1 protein interactions, has enabled modern drug discovery platforms to generate compounds that allosterically inhibit YAP1/TEAD complex formation and transcriptional activity. We report the discovery and characterization of a novel YAP1/TEAD inhibitor MRK-A from an aryl ether chemical series demonstrating potent and specific inhibition of YAP1/TEAD activity.

Behçet's Disease, Pathogenesis, Clinical Features, and Treatment Approaches: A Comprehensive Review.

Behçet's disease is a systemic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology. The disease manifests with diverse clinical symptoms, most commonly recurrent oral and genital ulcers, skin lesions, and uveitis, though it can affect multiple organ systems. Diagnosis is primarily clinical due to the lack of a definitive diagnostic test, and management involves a multidisciplinary approach to control inflammation and manage symptoms.

Retention rate of biologic and targeted synthetic anti-rheumatic drugs in elderly rheumatoid arthritis patients: data from GISEA registry.

Objectives: An increased number of elderly individuals affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been reported, including both patients with RA onset in advanced age and patients aged with the disease. In this registry-based study, we aimed to analyze the retention rate and cause of discontinuation of biologic (b) and targeted synthetic (ts)-disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in RA patients over 65 year old.

Methods: RA patients enrolled in the Italian GISEA registry and starting a b- or a ts-DMARD over 65 years of age were included.

Efficacy and Safety of Artificial Tears Containing Lipidure and Hypromellose for the Treatment of Moderate Dry Eye Disease in Contact Lens Wearers.

: Dry eye disease (DED) affects 5-50% of the global population and deeply influences everyday life activities. This study compared the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of novel Respilac artificial tears containing lipidure and hypromellose (HPMC) with the widely used Nextal artificial tears, which are also HPMC-based, for the treatment of moderate DED in contact lenses (CL) wearers. : In a prospective, single-center, randomized investigation, 30 patients aged ≥18 years, diagnosed with moderate DED, and wearing CL were randomly assigned to the Respilac ( = 15) or Nextal group ( = 15).