A real-world economic analysis of biologic therapies for psoriatic arthritis in Italy: results of the CHRONOS observational longitudinal study.

Background: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic, immune-mediated, spondyloarthropathy characterised by musculoskeletal signs and symptoms with associated joint pain and tenderness. The average worldwide PsA prevalence is 133/100,000, while in the Italian population is 90-420/100,000. Traditionally, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoid, and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs have been used in the treatment of PsA.

The CHRONOS Real-World Evidence of Biologic Treatments in Psoriatic Arthritis in Italy: A Gender Analysis.

Phenotypic features and outcome differences between sexes have been reported in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). However, little is known about sex differences in effectiveness of biologics in clinical practice. gender analysis of the CHRONOS, a multicenter, noninterventional, retroprospective Italian real-world study assessing 6-month and 1-year effectiveness of biologics for PsA.

How to Manage COVID-19 Vaccination in Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases: An Expert Opinion by IMIDs Study Group.

Since March 2020, the outbreak of Sars-CoV-2 pandemic has changed medical practice and daily routine around the world. Huge efforts from pharmacological industries have led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines. In particular two mRNA vaccines, namely the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and the mRNA-1273 (Moderna), and a viral-vectored vaccine, i.

Brain Modulation by Electric Currents in Fibromyalgia: A Structured Review on Non-invasive Approach With Transcranial Electrical Stimulation.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a complex disorder where widespread musculoskeletal pain is associated with many heterogenous symptoms ranging from affective disturbances to cognitive dysfunction and central fatigue. FMS is currently underdiagnosed and often very poorly responsive to pharmacological treatment. Pathophysiology of the disease remains still obscure even if in the last years fine structural and functional cerebral abnormalities have been identified, principally by neurophysiological and imaging studies delineating disfunctions in pain perception, processing and control systems.

Standard and pocket-size lung ultrasound devices can detect interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Objectives: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a frequent extra-articular manifestation of RA associated with increased mortality. High-resolution CT (HRCT) is used for diagnosis and follow-up, but its accuracy is counterbalanced by high costs and radiological risk. In the presence of ILD, lung US (LUS) detects vertical artefacts called B-lines.

The immunomodulatory effects of estrogens: clinical relevance in immune-mediated rheumatic diseases.

Immunological, epidemiological, and clinical evidence suggest that female sex hormones play an important role in the etiology and pathophysiology of chronic immune/inflammatory diseases. Several significant factors generate confusion and opposite conclusions in evaluating the role of estrogens in these diseases, including relatively superficial translational studies from animals to the human condition, the different effects of estrogens on their different receptors or on different target cells, the different estrogen concentrations employed, and opposite effects (especially on cell proliferation) exerted by different peripheral estrogen metabolites. A preponderance of 16alpha-hydroxylated estrogens, as observed in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluids, is an unfavorable sign in synovial inflammation.

Pregnancy, cytokines, and disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: To evaluate levels of selected cytokines and soluble receptors involved in the humoral immune response during pregnancy in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

Methods: Seventeen consecutive SLE patients and 8 matched healthy controls were prospectively studied during pregnancy. Sera were obtained within the last 3 months prior to pregnancy; at 9, 17, and 29 weeks of pregnancy; and at 1 month after delivery.