Exposure to air pollution as an environmental determinant of how Sjögren's disease is expressed at diagnosis.

Objectives: To analyse how the potential exposure to air pollutants can influence the key components at the time of diagnosis of Sjögren's phenotype (epidemiological profile, sicca symptoms, and systemic disease).

Methods: For the present study, the following variables were selected for harmonization and refinement: age, sex, country, fulfilment of 2002/2016 criteria items, dry eyes, dry mouth, and overall ESSDAI score. Air pollution indexes per country were defined according to the OECD (1990-2021), including emission data of nitrogen and sulphur oxides (NO/SO), particulate matter (PM2.

Disturbed Antioxidant Capacity in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis Associates with Lung and Gastrointestinal Symptoms.

The correct balance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defense in an organism is disturbed in oxidative stress. To assess oxidative balance in 36 SSc patients and 26 healthy controls (HCs), we measured reactive oxidative metabolites (ROMs), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), lipid peroxidation (measuring 4-HNE), and DNA oxidative damage (measuring 8-OHdG) in serum. Furthermore, DNA breaks in leukocytes of 35 SSc patients and 32 HCs were evaluated using COMET.

Increased L-Selectin on Monocytes Is Linked to the Autoantibody Profile in Systemic Sclerosis.

Monocytes are known to be implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc), as they exert prominent migratory, adhesive, and chemotactic properties. The aim of our study was to characterize the surface expression of adhesion/chemotactic molecules (CD62L, CD11b, CCR2, CCR5) on the SSc monocytes and determine correlations with the clinical presentation of SSc. We included 38 SSc patients and 36 healthy age-and sex-matched controls.

The Predictive Value of the aCL and Anti-β2GPI at the Time of Acute Deep Vein Thrombosis-A Two-Year Prospective Study.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an important cause of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). According to current APS classification criteria, APS cannot be confirmed until 24 weeks after DVT. This time frame results in frequent discontinuation of anticoagulant treatment before APS is diagnosed.

Adiponectin Deregulation in Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases.

Deregulation of adiponectin is found in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). Its expression is downregulated by various inflammatory mediators, but paradoxically, elevated serum levels are present in SARDs with high inflammatory components, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Circulating adiponectin is positively associated with radiographic progression in rheumatoid arthritis as well as with cardiovascular risks and lupus nephritis in systemic lupus erythematosus.

COVID-19 in Association With Development, Course, and Treatment of Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases.

Autoimmune diseases and infections are often closely intertwined. Patients with autoimmune diseases are more susceptible to infections due to either active autoimmune disease or the medications used to treat them. Based on infections as environmental triggers of autoimmunity, an autoimmune response would also be expected in COVID-19.

Clinical Approach to Diagnosis and Therapy of Polyarteritis Nodosa.

Purpose Of The Review: Polyarteritis nodosa is a rare disease characterized by the necrotizing inflammation of medium-sized arteries. Different etiopathogenetic and clinical variants of the disease have been recognized over the past decades. In the present paper, we review the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of the different subtypes of the disease.

Multifocal Thrombophlebitis and Orbital Cellulitis.

BACKGROUND Multifocal superficial thrombophlebitis is a rare clinical manifestation with wide differential diagnosis in relation to the background disease. CASE REPORT Here we report on 2 patients who presented with a systemic inflammatory response, multifocal thrombophlebitis, and orbital inflammation in whom a diagnosis of a defined background disease could not be established. CONCLUSIONS The clinical pattern of our 2 cases might represent a distinctive, not yet defined systemic medical condition.

Predicting gastrointestinal and renal involvement in adult IgA vasculitis.

Background: Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) is still poorly defined in the adult population. We aimed to determine the predictors of gastrointestinal (GI) or renal involvement in adult IgAV.

Methods: The prospective study included histologically proven adult IgAV cases diagnosed between January 2013 and July 2019 at our secondary/tertiary rheumatology center.

The immunogenicity of seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccination in autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic patients-a 6-month follow-up prospective study.

Introduction: Influenza may cause severe complications in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease (AIRD), to whom vaccinations are especially recommended. However, AIRD patients require cautious scrutiny of immunogenicity as they might exhibit poor antibody response to vaccination, especially when taking immunomodulatory medications.

Aim: The aim was to determine immunogenicity of seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccine in AIRD patients, its timeline/persistence, and influence of medications on immune response.

The incidence rate and the early management of rheumatoid arthritis in Slovenia.

Epidemiological data for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) differ according to ethnicity and geographical region. Moreover, despite of clear RA management guidelines, the implementation of treat-to-target (T2T) strategy often remains incomplete. Our objectives were to determine the incidence rate of RA, the clinical characteristics, and the level of adherence to the T2T guidelines in Slovenia.

Methotrexate reduces HbA1c concentration but does not produce chronic accumulation of ZMP in patients with rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis.

Objectives: The mechanism by which methotrexate (MTX) improves glucose homeostasis in patients with rheumatoid (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) remains undetermined. Animal studies indicate a role for intracellular accumulation of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-d-ribofuranosyl 5'-monophosphate (ZMP) but this has not been directly demonstrated in humans. We explored whether accumulation of ZMP is associated with improvements in glucose homeostasis during MTX therapy.

Anti-Phosphatidylserine/Prothrombin Antibodies Are Associated with Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.

Objective. To determine the prevalence and clinical association of anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin antibodies (aPS/PT) in patients with a history of pregnancy complications relevant to antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Materials and Methods.

A case of inverse psoriasis successfully treated with adalimumab.

Inverse psoriasis is a rare form of psoriasis characterized by the involvement of skin fold areas rather than the more common psoriatic involvement of the extensor surfaces of the extremities, trunk, and scalp. In addition, it requires a modified therapeutic approach because it is often less responsive to standard treatment regimens. Current treatment recommendations for inverse psoriasis mainly consist of topical agents, including corticosteroids, calcipotriol, and immunomodulating agents, whereas systemic medications remain insufficiently studied.

Regional characteristics of histamine uptake into neonatal rat astrocytes.

Histaminergic signalling constitutes an attractive target for treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. One obstacle to developing new pharmacological options has been failure to identify putative specific histamine transporter responsible for histamine clearance. Although high-affinity histamine uptake was detected in neonatal cortical astrocytes, its existence in other brain regions remains largely unexplored.

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor-induced hepatic injury in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: two case reports and an analysis of the laboratory data from the Slovenian national biologicals registry.

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors are widely used in the management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondylarthritides. However, TNF-α inhibition may lead to adverse events, including liver injury. The RA patients are frequently treated with several potentially hepatotoxic drugs concomitantly; hence, a causative link between TNF-α inhibitors and liver injury is usually difficult to establish.

Molecular and kinetic characterization of histamine transport into adult rat cultured astrocytes.

Astrocytes have a key role in the clearance and inactivation of histamine in the adult central nervous system, but transporters which mediate histamine uptake into astrocytes have not been fully characterized. We therefore investigated the kinetic and molecular characteristics of histamine uptake into cultured adult rat astrocytes. [(3)H]-histamine was taken up by astrocytes in a temperature-, time- and concentration-dependent manner and was inhibited up to 60-70% by 1mM ouabain or by substitution of NaCl with choline chloride.

Autoimmune response following influenza vaccination in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease.

Vaccines have undoubtedly brought overwhelming benefits to mankind and are considered safe and effective. Nevertheless, they can occasionally stimulate autoantibody production or even a recently defined syndrome known as autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA). There is scarce data regarding autoimmune response after seasonal/influenza A (H1N1) vaccine in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease (AIRD).

A case of refractory adult-onset Still's disease successfully controlled with tocilizumab and a review of the literature.

Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is an uncommon systemic inflammatory disease of unknown aetiology. Up to 80% of AOSD cases can be controlled with corticosteroids; however, reports on those unresponsive to corticosteroids, conventional disease modifying drugs and biological agents, including anti-IL1 inhibitors, are emerging. We present a case of AOSD with severe poylarthritis unresponsive to corticosteroids, methotrexate, anakinra and etanercept, but successfully stabilised with a humanized monoclonal anti-IL-6 receptor antibody, tocilizumab, administered once monthly.