Clinical implications of seropositive and seronegative autoantibody status in rheumatoid arthritis patients: A comparative multicentre observational study.

Background And Objectives: Rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated protein (anti-CCP) have been used to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, their association with RA disease phenotypes, individually and in combination, is not well studied. The aim of the study was to compare patients' and disease characteristics, activity and severity in double seronegative (DNRA), single seropositive RF, single seropositive anti-CCP and double seropositive (DPRA) patients.

Unsupervised cluster analysis of clinical and ultrasound features reveals unique gout subtypes: Results from the Egyptian College of Rheumatology (ECR).

Background: Gout comprises a heterogeneous group of disorders; however, comorbidities have been the focus of most efforts to classify disease subgroups.

Objectives: We applied cluster analysis using musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) combined with clinical and laboratory findings in patients with gout to identify disease phenotypes, and differences across clusters were investigated.

Patients And Methods: Patients with gout who complied with the ACR/EULAR classification criteria were enrolled in the Egyptian College of Rheumatology (ECR)-MSUS Study Group, a multicenter study.

Development of machine learning models for detection of vision threatening Behçet's disease (BD) using Egyptian College of Rheumatology (ECR)-BD cohort.

Background: Eye lesions, occur in nearly half of patients with Behçet's Disease (BD), can lead to irreversible damage and vision loss; however, limited studies are available on identifying risk factors for the development of vision-threatening BD (VTBD). Using an Egyptian college of rheumatology (ECR)-BD, a national cohort of BD patients, we examined the performance of machine-learning (ML) models in predicting VTBD compared to logistic regression (LR) analysis. We identified the risk factors for the development of VTBD.

Rheumatologists' knowledge and perception of COVID-19 and related vaccines: the vaXurvey2 online survey.

The study aimed to explore the experience of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection and vaccine adverse events (AEs) among rheumatologists. A validated questionnaire was distributed as a Google form to rheumatologists across the country via social networking sites from late December 2021 till early January 2022. The questionnaire included questions regarding participants' socio-demographic details, COVID-19 infection and vaccination details with special emphasis on AEs.

Systemic lupus erythematosus children in Egypt: Homeland spectrum amid the global situation.

Objectives: This study aims to present the manifestations of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) across Egypt, to focus on age at onset and gender-driven influence on disease characteristics, and to compare findings to other countries.

Methods: The study included 404 Egyptian children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presenting to one of the specialized rheumatology centers corresponding to 13 major governorates. Juvenile cases age was ≤ 16°years at the time of recruitment.

Development and validation of a Behçet's Disease Damage Index for adults with BD: An Explicit, Composite and Rated (ECR) tool.

Background: Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic multisystem variable vessel vasculitis. Disease damage is irreversible and permanent. Validated tools evaluating damage are limited.

Development of an Arabic version of the Behçet's Disease Current Activity Form (Ar-BDCAF): cross-cultural adaptation and validation initiative in Egypt.

Background: Behçet's disease (BD), commonly seen in the Silk road countries, is a variable vessel vasculitis with no specific investigation that reflects disease activity. The Behçet's Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF) is the most famous and acceptable clinical activity score.

Purpose: To develop a cross-cultural adaptation of the BDCAF to the Arabic language (Ar-BDCAF)-Egyptian dialect-across the country and to consider preliminary evaluation of its reliability in assessment of BD activity.

Adult systemic lupus erythematosus in Egypt: The nation-wide spectrum of 3661 patients and world-wide standpoint.

Objective: The aim of this study was to present the epidemiology, clinical manifestations and treatment pattern of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Egyptian patients over the country and compare the findings to large cohorts worldwide. Objectives were extended to focus on the age at onset and gender driven influence on the disease characteristics.

Patients And Method: This population-based, multicenter, cross-sectional study included 3661 adult SLE patients from Egyptian rheumatology departments across the nation.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on rheumatoid arthritis from a Multi-Centre patient-reported questionnaire survey: influence of gender, rural-urban gap and north-south gradient.

During the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic there were several barriers to treatment access and medication adherence in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. There is no information regarding the RA patient health status in Egypt during the COVID-19. Thus,the aim of this work was to study the impact of the pandemic on RA patients through a patient-reported questionnaire and to determine the influence of gender, geographic regions.

Correction to: Behçet's disease in Egypt: a multicenter nationwide study on 1526 adult patients and review of the literature.

The author wishes to correct the record and clarify that in the original version of this article in the Discussion section under "Prevalence over the country governorates" inadvertently presented incorrect data cited in the reference [30].

Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

This paper reports one case of successfully treated patients suffering from a rare entity, the catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS). Management of this patient is discussed in detail.

Serum and Urinary Interleukin-6 in Assessment of Renal Activity in Egyptian Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Aim Of The Work: This study investigates whether serum and urinary interleukin-6 (IL-6) represent an early marker of kidney involvement and assesses the difference between them and renal biopsy in lupus nephritis (LN).

Patients And Methods: A total of 60 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients were compared to 20 healthy controls. Urinary and serum IL-6 were measured in both patients and controls.

The role of ultrasonography in early detection and monitoring of shoulder erosions, and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients; comparison with MRI examination.

Objectives: To determine the accuracy of ultrasound in early detection of bone erosions and monitoring disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a gold standard technique.

Material And Methods: This prospective study was carried out on 50 patients with known RA and 15 healthy controls. Conventional radiography was standardized and performed in two planes.

Ocular manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus.

The purpose of this study is to determine the ocular manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus and its correlation with the disease activity. Fifty-two lupus patients and 20 healthy controls were included in this study. All patients have undergone complete rheumatological, neurological, and ophthalmic examination including visual acuity, slit-lamp examination of the anterior segment, and dry eye evaluation using Rose Bengal stain and Schirmer test.