Anti-C1q antibodies in IgG4-related disease are common and associated with renal involvement and cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis.

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence and clinical associations of anti-C1q antibodies in IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), focusing on renal involvement and cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis (CSVV).

Methods: We enrolled patients who met the revised 2020 Comprehensive Diagnostic Criteria and/or the 2019 ACR/EULAR Classification Criteria for IgG4-RD. Variables included demographics, organ involvement, clinical phenotypes, disease activity, serum biomarkers, follow-up duration, remission, and relapses.

Nailfold capillaroscopy findings of a multicentric multi-ethnic cohort of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Objectives: To assess nailfold video capillaroscopic (NVC) abnormalities and their association with clinical features, myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSA), and myositis-associated antibodies (MAA) in a large multi-ethnic cohort of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM).

Methods: We recruited 155 IIM patients from three centres in Mexico, Spain, and the USA. We evaluated the clinical and laboratory features of the patients and performed semiquantitative and quantitative analyses of the NVC.

Salivary IgA subtypes as novel disease biomarkers in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Introduction: Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is the main antibody isotype in body fluids such as tears, intestinal mucous, colostrum, and saliva. There are two subtypes of IgA in humans: IgA1, mainly present in blood and mucosal sites, and IgA2, preferentially expressed in mucosal sites like the colon. In clinical practice, immunoglobulins are typically measured in venous or capillary blood; however, alternative samples, including saliva, are now being considered, given their non-invasive and easy collection nature.

Novel clinical and immunological features associated with persistent post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 after six months of follow-up: a pilot study.

Background: Currently, there is scant information regarding the features associated to the persistence of post-COVID-19 syndrome, which is the main aim of the present study.

Methods: A cohort study of 102 COVID-19 patients was conducted. The post-COVID-19 symptoms were assessed by a standardised questionnaire.

Autoantigen characterization in the lower esophageal sphincter muscle of patients with achalasia.

Background: Serum anti-myenteric autoantibodies define autoimmune achalasia and tissue MMP-9 activity may locally process autoantigenic proteins in the muscle of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) of achalasia patients.

Methods: Biopsies of the LES muscle from 36 achalasia patients, 6 esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO) patients, and 16 transplant donors (TD) were compared in a blind cross-sectional study. Histological characteristics such as inflammation, fibrosis, presence of ganglion cells, cells of Cajal, GAD65, PNMA2, S-100, P substance, and MMP-9 proteoforms in tissue were assessed by H&E and Picrosirius Red staining and immunohistochemistry analysis.

Anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin antibodies in patients with polyarteritis nodosa.

Introduction: Anti-phospatidylserine/prothrombin (aPS/PT) antibodies have been described in cutaneous Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN) in association with specific manifestations.

Objectives: To determine aPS/PT antibodies in patients with PAN and its correlation with clinical manifestations.

Methods: Cross-sectional comparative study including PAN patients and 20 controls (10 Microscopic Polyangiitis [MPA] and 10 Behçet's disease [BD]).

Colchicine Is Safe Though Ineffective in the Treatment of Severe COVID-19: a Randomized Clinical Trial (COLCHIVID).

Background: Colchicine is an available, safe, and effective anti-inflammatory drug and has been suggested as a COVID-19 treatment, but its usefulness in hospitalized severe COVID-19 patients has not been thoroughly demonstrated.

Objective: To address the safety and efficacy of colchicine in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19.

Design: We conducted a triple-blind parallel non-stratified placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Low-Density Granulocytes and Neutrophil Extracellular Traps as Biomarkers of Disease Activity in Adult Inflammatory Myopathies.

Background/objective: Biomarkers for disease activity and damage accrual in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are currently lacking. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to analyze the relationship among low-density granulocytes (LDGs), neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), and clinical and immunological features of patients with IIM.

Methods: We assessed disease activity, damage accrual, amount of LDGs, NETs, expression of LL-37, and serum cytokines in 65 adult patients with IIM.

Thrombosis and thrombocytopenia in antiphospholipid syndrome: their association with mean platelet volume and hematological ratios.

Objective: To assess the mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the MPV-to-lymphocyte ratio, and to test them according to the clinical/serological status, shift through time and other comorbidities in APS.

Methods: We included 96 primary APS patients according to the Sydney classification criteria and/or patients with thrombocytopenia and/or autoimmune hemolytic anemia who also fulfilled the serological criteria. We tested aCL, anti-β2GP-I and aPS/PT antibodies and LA.

Cytokines secretion from human mesenchymal stem cells induced by bovine bone matrix.

Background: Bovine bone matrix is a natural material that has been used in the treatment of bone lesions. In this study, bovine bone matrix Nukbone® (NKB) was investigated due its osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties. This biomaterial induces CBFA-1 activation and osteogenic differentiation, although the cytokines involved in these processes is still unknown.

Alternative complement pathway activation in thrombotic microangiopathy associated with lupus nephritis.

Introduction/objective: Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) in systemic lupus erythematosus is a rare manifestation associated with activation of the complement system. This study aimed to compare plasma and urine complement activation products between patients with active lupus nephritis (aLN) and those with acute TMA plus concomitant active LN (aTMA+aLN).

Methods: Plasma and urine samples were obtained from 20 patients with aTMA+aLN, 20 patients with aLN matched by the histological activity index, 5 patients with chronic TMA, 20 patients with inactive LN, and 10 kidney donors.

The Transcription Factor SCX is a Potential Serum Biomarker of Fibrotic Diseases.

Fibrosing diseases are causes of morbidity and mortality around the world, and they are characterized by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation. The bHLH transcription factor scleraxis (SCX) regulates the synthesis of ECM proteins in heart fibrosis. SCX expression was evaluated in lung fibroblasts and tissue derived from fibrotic disease patients and healthy controls.

Anti-Phosphatidylserine/Prothrombin antibodies in patients with Polyarteritis Nodosa.

Introduction: Anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin (aPS/PT) antibodies have been described in cutaneous Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN) in association with specific manifestations.

Objectives: To determine aPS/PT antibodies in patients with PAN and its correlation with clinical manifestations.

Methods: Cross-sectional comparative study including PAN patients and 20 controls (10 Microscopic Polyangiitis [MPA] and 10 Behçet's disease [BD]).

Esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction: Characterization of a new entity? Clinical, manometric, and neuroimmunological description.

Objective: To determine the differences between clinical, manometric, and neuroimmunological profile of esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO) and achalasia patients.

Methods: Seven EGJOO and 27 achalasia patients were enrolled in a blind cross-sectional study. Peripheral blood (PB) of 10 healthy donors and 10 lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle biopsies from organ transplant donors were included as controls.

Triosephosphate isomerase, carbonic anhydrase, and creatinine kinase-brain isoform are possible antigen targets in patients with achalasia.

Background: Idiopathic achalasia is an uncommon esophageal motor disorder. The disease involves interaction between inflammatory and autoimmune responses. However, the antigens related to the disease are still unknown.

Inhibition of HIV-1 envelope-dependent membrane fusion by serum antilymphocyte autoantibodies is associated with low plasma viral load.

The HIV-1 envelope protein (Env) mediates the membrane fusion process allowing virus entry to target cells and the efficiency to induce membrane fusion is an important determinant of HIV-1 pathogenicity. In addition to virus receptors, other adhesion/signaling molecules on infected and target cells and virus particles can enhance fusion. The presence of antilymphocyte autoantibodies (ALA) in HIV patients' serum suggests that they may contribute to the inhibition of Env-mediated membrane fusion.

Myocardial fibrosis detected by magnetic resonance imaging, elevated U-CRP and higher mRSS are predictors of cardiovascular complications in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients.

Introduction: In previous studies we showed that prevalence of myocardial fibrosis as assessed by late enhancement on cardiac MRI in SSc patients is 45% and is associated to diffuse disease (dcSSc) and lower left ventricle ejection fraction; microvascular damage defined as decreased perfusion on cardiac MRI after adenosine infusion, was also very frequent (79%). Our aim was to identify baseline characteristics associated to the development of cardiovascular outcomes (heart failure, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, vasculopathy, elevated systolic pulmonary artery pressure and death) in SSc patients with previously documented myocardial fibrosis and microvascular damage.

Patients And Methods: We included 62 SSc patients who participated in the study of prevalence of myocardial fibrosis (2008-2010) and in our local SSc cohort.