Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Serbian Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) Questionnaire (refers to r-axSpA) and its relations with disease activity and functional status indices.

Objectives: To translate, cross-culturally adapt and validate the Serbian Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) questionnaire, e.g. according to the new nomenclature Radiographic-Axial Spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA), and to relate it to disease activity and functional status domains.

Wearable Movement Exploration Device with Machine Learning Algorithm for Screening and Tracking Diabetic Neuropathy-A Cross-Sectional, Diagnostic, Comparative Study.

Background: Diabetic neuropathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study is to evaluate the Moveo device, a novel device that uses a machine learning (ML) algorithm to detect and track diabetic neuropathy. The Moveo device comprises 4 sensors positioned on the back of the hands and feet accompanied by a mobile application that gathers data and ML algorithms that are hosted on a cloud platform.

Periodontal health status in systemic sclerosis patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the periodontal health of systemic sclerosis patients compared with non-systemic sclerosis controls.

Materials And Methods: Online databases were searched for eligible studies on February 24, 2023. The primary outcomes of interest in systemic sclerosis patients and controls included the clinical attachment level, periodontal probing depth, recession depth, plaque index, bleeding on probing score, gingival index, number of teeth with periodontitis, prevalence of periodontitis and gingivitis, and extent and severity of periodontitis.

The short-term effect of glucosamine-sulfate, nonanimal chondroitin-sulfate, and S-adenosylmethionine combination on ultrasonography findings, inflammation, pain, and functionality in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A pilot, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of glucosamine-sulfate (GS), nonanimal chondroitin-sulfate (naCS), and S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) combination on ultrasound findings, inflammation, pain, and functionality in knee osteoarthritis.

Patients And Methods: In the prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study conducted between August 2019 and November 2019, 120 participants (28 males, 92 females; mean age: 66.4±7.

Elderly-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis: Characteristics and Treatment Options.

Elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA) is a distinct clinical entity defined as the onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in individuals aged over 60 years. EORA presents unique clinical features, including a more equitable distribution of sexes, a potential predilection for male involvement, a higher incidence of acute onset characterized by constitutional symptoms, a propensity for systemic manifestations, elevated sedimentation rates at disease onset, a reduced occurrence of rheumatoid factor positivity, increased titers of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies, a preference for involvement of large joints, elevated disease activity, the presence of bone erosions, and heightened patient disability. RA is recognized to consist of three partially overlapping subsets.

Salivary Antioxidant Profile in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis and Periodontitis.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare periodontal status and antioxidant profile in unstimulated saliva of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with periodontitis and systemically healthy periodontitis patients.

Design: Twenty patients with established diagnoses of systemic sclerosis and periodontitis (SSc group) and 20 systemically healthy individuals with periodontitis (P group) were enrolled in the study. Clinical periodontal parameters (clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival recession (GR), periodontal probing depth (PPD), and gingival index (GI)) and concentration of uric acid (UA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in unstimulated saliva samples were assessed.

The Relationship Between Tc-Pertechnetate Hand Perfusion Scintigraphy and Nailfold Capillaroscopy in Systemic Sclerosis Patients: A Pilot Study.

Objectives: This study aims to assess the possible relationship between Tc-pertechnetate hand perfusion scintigraphy (HPS) and nailfold capillaroscopy (NC) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients.

Patients And Methods: The study group consisted of 25 SSc patients (6 males; 19 females; mean age 54.2±9.

Long-term effects of immunosuppressive therapy on lung function in scleroderma patients.

The study aims to analyze the effects of induction treatment with cyclophosphamide (CYC) pulse therapy followed by maintenance treatment with other mild immunosuppressive agents on lung function in scleroderma (SSc) patients. Thirty patients with SSc (mean age 52 years, mean disease duration < 2 years) with forced vital capacity (FVC) ≤ 80% and/or diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (DLco) ≤ 70% were included. Monthly CYC pulses were given for 6 months (induction treatment), followed by 3-monthly maintenance pulses for the next 18 months, and during the next 5 years patients received other mild immunosupressive therapy brought by the competent rheumatologist.

Women with silicone breast implants and autoimmune inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants: description of three patients and a critical review of the literature.

Silicone has been widely used in the manufacture of medical implants. It is well tolerated in most cases. However, in this paper we report the cases of three women who developed autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA syndrome), namely with silicone breast implants.

Diagnosis of Raynaud's phenomenon by Tc-pertechnetate hand perfusion scintigraphy: a pilot study.

We assess the usefulness of Tc-pertechnetate hand perfusion scintigraphy in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). The study population consisted of 18 patients with primary RP, 25 patients with secondary RP within systemic sclerosis (SSc), and ten healthy individuals. Gamma camera dynamic first-pass study during the first 60 s and a static scintigraphy after 5 min were recorded following a bolus injection of Tc-pertechnetate via a cubital vein.

Profile of rheumatology patients willing to report adverse drug reactions: bias from selective reporting.

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) have a significant impact on human health and health care costs. The aims of our study were to determine the profile of rheumatology patients willing to report ADRs and to identify bias in such a reporting system.

Methods: Semi-intensive ADRs reporting system was used in our study.

Multiple Major and Minor Anomalies Associated With Klippel-Feil Syndrome: A Case Report.

Klippel-Feil syndrome is defined as congenital fusion of two or more cervical vertebrae. In this article, we report a 55-year-old male patient with one-year history of neck pain, headaches, and one episode of syncope after a severe trauma. X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging of cervical spine revealed fused vertebral bodies of C2-C5.

Lower extremity lipedema, upper extremity lipodystrophy and severe calcinosis complicating juvenile dermatomyositis.

Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is a rare but complex and potentially life-threatening autoimmune disease of childhood. Significant proportions of patients have residual weakness, muscle atrophy, joint contractures, and calcinosis. Recently, new clinical findings, such as lipodystrophy accompanied with increased fat deposition in certain areas, have been reported.

The value of pattern capillary changes and antibodies to predict the development of systemic sclerosis in patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon.

The aim of this study is to assess the prognostic value of major provisional criteria for the development of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in primary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) patients. We retrospectively studied the chart of 497 patients with primary RP in whom anticentromere (ACA) and antitopoisomerase I (ATA) antibodies tests and a capillary reading were available. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratios (LHR+), negative likelihood ratios (LHR-), odds ratio (OR), and area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of those criteria were assessed to predict the development of SSc.

Late appearance and exacerbation of primary Raynaud's phenomenon attacks can predict future development of connective tissue disease: a retrospective chart review of 3,035 patients.

To assess the prognostic value of the age at onset of Raynaud's (RP) and of a history of exacerbation of RP attacks for the development of connective tissue disease (CTD) in patients initially found to have primary Raynaud's. 3,035 patients with primary RP (2,702 women and 333 men) were followed for an average of 4.8 years (range from 1 to 10 years).

Is there a difference in systemic lupus erythematosus with and without Raynaud's phenomenon?

The aim of this study was to assess the association between Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and specific capillaroscopic findings in patients with SLE and particular clinical manifestations of the disease. A total of 79 patients with SLE were included in the study: 44 of them (43 women) with RP and 35 (32 women) age-, sex-, and disease-duration-matched patients with SLE without RP. Demographic variables, clinical manifestations, laboratory and nailfold capillaroscopy findings were compared between the two groups.

Scleroderma pattern of nailfold capillary changes as predictive value for the development of a connective tissue disease: a follow-up study of 3,029 patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon.

To assess the prognostic value of scleroderma pattern of nailfold capillary changes for the development of connective tissue diseases (CTD) in subjects with primary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). The study included 3,029 consecutive patients with primary RP who had been followed at 6-month intervals during the mean of 4.8 years.

PCI and clopidogrel: antiplatelet responsiveness and patient characteristics.

Objective: This study on responsiveness to clopidogrel and aspirin evaluates its interaction with: (i) patient characteristics; (ii) procedure characteristics; (iii) antiplatelet dose.

Methods And Results: After elective PCI, 60 patients receiving aspirin 100 mg daily, and clopidogrel 75 mg daily were monitored with the PFA 100 test and VASP assay. Non-responsiveness to aspirin and clopidogrel was found in 23 (38%) and 18 (30%) of 60 patients, respectively.

The prognostic value of nailfold capillary changes for the development of connective tissue disease in children and adolescents with primary raynaud phenomenon: a follow-up study of 250 patients.

To assess the prognostic value of capillaroscopy findings for the development of connective tissue disease in children and adolescents with Raynaud phenomenon, we followed up a group of 250 (mean age 15 years) for 1 to 6 years after the first capillaroscopy was performed. Every 6 months they were screened for signs and symptoms of connective tissue disease. Analysis was performed on capillary changes registered 6 months before the development of connective tissue disease.

Peripheral vasculopathy in patients with systemic sclerosis: difference in limited and diffuse subset of disease.

Objective: To examine the difference in clinical signs of peripheral vasculopathy in patients (pts) with limited (lcSSc) and diffuse cutaneus systemic sclerosis (dcSSc).

Patients And Methods: Ninety one patients with systemic sclerosis (39 with lcSSc and 52 with dcSSc) have been assessed for the presence of clinical signs of vascular injury: Raynaud's phenomenon, severity of capillary damage on capillaroscopy, presence or absence of finger-tip ulcers or pitting scars, presence of telangiectasias and radiographic signs of finger-tip osteolysis. Statistical significance of difference in clinical manifestations of peripheral vasculopathy in pts with lcSSc and dcSSc was assessed using the Mann-Whitney and X2-test.