Harnessing the potential of CAR-T cell in lupus treatment: From theory to practice.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a rare, heterogeneous, potentially life-threatening autoimmune disease. Presence of kidney or other major organ (brain, heart or lung) involvement are predictors of poor outcome and in a subset of patients resistant to 1st or 2nd line conventional treatment. The 10-year mortality remains around 10-15 %.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Biomarker for Clinical Response After Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Systemic Sclerosis.

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis is a complex disease that affects various target organs, making it difficult to assess response and determine remission or relapse. A baseline Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) >2.95 is associated with severe progressive skin and lung disease and decreased 5-year survival in systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Systemic sclerosis, silica exposure and cellular therapies: The sand in the gears?

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic orphan autoimmune disease with the highest mortality rate among rheumatic diseases. SSc-related interstitial-lung disease (ILD) remains among the leading causes of SSc-related mortality with still few therapeutic effective strategies. In patients with crystallin silica exposure, SSc is recognized as an occupational disease according to the French social security system (Table 25A of the general insurance regimen).

Von Willebrand factor: a possible biomarker for disease activity in vasculitis.

Objective: Inflammation markers, e.g. C- reactive protein (CRP) and sedimentation rate, can be normal despite active vasculitis.

Outcomes in progressive systemic sclerosis treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation compared with combination therapy.

Objectives: Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) has been shown to improve long-term survival for early diffuse progressive SSc compared with CYC. CYC, however, does not provide a long-term benefit in SSc. The combination of MMF and rituximab is a potent alternative regimen.

Giant Cell Arteritis: State of the Art in Diagnosis, Monitoring, and Treatment.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most prevalent subtype of vasculitis in adults. In recent years, there has been substantial improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of GCA, mainly attributed to the introduction of highly sensitive diagnostic tools, incorporation of modern imaging modalities for diagnosis and monitoring of large-vessel vasculitis, and introduction of highly effective novel biological therapies that have revolutionized the field of GCA. This article reviews state-of-the-art approaches for the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment options of GCA.

Differentially expressed genes in systemic sclerosis: Towards predictive medicine with new molecular tools for clinicians.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare and chronic autoimmune disease characterized by a pathogenic triad of immune dysregulation, vasculopathy, and progressive fibrosis. Clinical tools commonly used to assess patients, including the modified Rodnan skin score, difference between limited or diffuse forms of skin involvement, presence of lung, heart or kidney involvement, or of various autoantibodies, are important prognostic factors, but still fail to reflect the large heterogeneity of the disease. SSc treatment options are diverse, ranging from conventional drugs to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and predicting response is challenging.

Nailfold video capillaroscopy as a useful diagnostic tool in systemic vasculitis.

Background: Nailfold video capillaroscopy (NVC) enables us a direct view of the microvasculature. Only several capillaroscopy studies in adult patients with vasculitis have been reported.

Aim: To characterize NVC changes in vasculitis.

Scleroderma renal crisis following Covid-19 infection.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease in which environmental exposure to substances and agents may trigger disease onset or exacerbation. The most fatal complication of SSc is scleroderma renal crisis (SRC), the incidence of which is 2-3%. SRC usually occurs in the first 5 years from disease onset in diffuse-SSc patients with anti-topoisomerase 1 (ATA) or RNA polymerase 3 antibodies [1].

Herpes zoster following BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases: a case series.

Objectives: As global vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 disease commence, vaccine safety needs to be closely assessed. The safety profile of mRNA-based vaccines in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD) is unknown. The objective of this report is to raise awareness of reactivation of herpes zoster (HZ) following the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination in patients with AIIRD.

Autologous Hematological Stem Cell Transplantation for Systemic Sclerosis in Israel.

Background: Autologous hematological stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a novel therapy for systemic sclerosis (SSc) that has been validated in three randomized controlled trials.

Objectives: To report the first Israeli experience with HSCT for progressive SSc and review the current literature.

Methods: Five SSc patients who were evaluated in our department and were treated by HSCT were included.

Crowned dens syndrome, yet another rheumatic disease imposter.

Objective: Crowned dens syndrome (CDS) is defined as acute cervical or occipital pain due to a local inflammatory reaction related to calcifications in the ligaments surrounding the odontoid process. Virtually, all previous descriptions of CDS have related to calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate (CPPD) arthropathy.

Methods: We prospectively identified a total of twenty-four consecutive inpatients with Crowned dens syndrome from January 2016 to December 2017 in our institution.

Ulcerative Colitis and Familial Mediterranean Fever: Can Anakinra Treat Both?

Anakinra is a biological drug used in rheumatoid arthritis and several autoinflammatory diseases. Its main side effects are injection site reactions and increased infection rate. We present a 28-year-old man with familial Mediterranean fever, whose disease went into remission on anakinra, with concomitant flare of his ulcerative colitis.