Dissolving microneedles: A transdermal drug delivery system for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that impacts around 1% of the global population. Up to 20% of people become disabled within a year, which has a severely negative impact on their health and quality of life. RA has a complicated pathogenic mechanism, which initially affects small joints and progresses to larger ones over time.

Korean Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Interstitial Lung Diseases: Connective Tissue Disease Associated Interstitial Lung Disease.

Connective tissue disease (CTD) comprising a various range of autoimmune disorders is often accompanied by lung involvement, which can lead to life-threatening complications. The main types of CTDs that can present as interstitial lung disease (ILD) include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, Sjögren's syndrome, mixed connective tissue disease, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, and systemic lupus erythematosus. CTD-ILD poses a significant challenge in clinical diagnosis and management due to its heterogeneous nature and variable prognosis.

LAMP3-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition promotes the invasion and excessive proliferation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the functional role of LAMP3-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target.

Methodology: Changes in EMT and LAMP3 were investigated in the synovial tissue and FLSs of RA patients. In vitro experiments were performed using the EMT inhibitor C19, siRNA, and lentivirus to examine the impact of EMT and LAMP3 on RA-FLSs and the underlying mechanisms involved.

Molecular dynamics simulations to decipher the hotspots at the allosteric site of human 5-lipoxygenase.

Human 5-lipoxygenase (LOX) is a non-heme, Fe-containing LOX which catalyses the conversion of arachidonic acid (AA) to leukotriene A (LTA). LTA is subsequently converted to cysteinyl-LTs and LTB that cause bronchoconstriction and act as chemotactic and chemokinetic agent on human leukocytes, respectively. Leukotrienes play significant roles in inflammation in asthma, cardiovascular diseases, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and many more.

Innovative rheumatoid arthritis management using injection replacement approach via dual therapeutic effects of hyalurosomes-encapsulated luteolin and dexamethasone.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a highly prevalent debilitating condition linked to inflammation. The effectiveness of the present therapeutic techniques is constrained; so, there is an urgent requirement for a novel nanoplatform entailing drugs with proven efficacy. The current work highlighted the development of dexamethasone and luteolin co-encapsulated hyalurosomes (LUT-DEX hyalurosomes).

Relationships between genetic polymorphisms of IL-1β and rheumatoid arthritis.

This study aimed to investigate the association between the interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) gene polymorphism (rs2853550) and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a sample of the Iraqi population. The study included 100 RA patients and 100 healthy controls. Demographic characteristics, including age and gender, were collected and compared between the two groups.

Therapeutic Ultrasound Modulates Cell Proliferation and Proinflammatory Cytokine Levels in Osteoarthritic Chondrocytes.

The development and progression of osteoarthritis (OA) are believed to involve inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the effects of applying therapeutic ultrasound (US) to human osteoarthritic chondrocytes in continuous and pulsed modes on cell proliferation and proinflammatory cytokine levels. Human osteoarthritic chondrocytes (HC-OA 402OA-05a) were proliferated in appropriate media and then seeded into culture plates.

Sarcopenic obesity and brain health: A critical appraisal of the current evidence.

Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is a body composition phenotype derived from the simultaneous presence in the same individual of an increase in fat mass and a decrease in skeletal muscle mass and/or function. Several protocols for the diagnosis of SO have been proposed in the last two decades making prevalence and disease risk estimates of SO heterogeneous and challenging to interpret. Dementia is a complex neurological disorder that significantly impacts patients, carers and healthcare systems.

A prediction study on the occurrence risk of heart disease in older hypertensive patients based on machine learning.

Objective: Constructing a predictive model for the occurrence of heart disease in elderly hypertensive individuals, aiming to provide early risk identification.

Methods: A total of 934 participants aged 60 and above from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study with a 7-year follow-up (2011-2018) were included. Machine learning methods (logistic regression, XGBoost, DNN) were employed to build a model predicting heart disease risk in hypertensive patients.

Identification of biomarkers for knee osteoarthritis through clinical data and machine learning models.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) represents a progressive degenerative disorder characterized by the gradual erosion of articular cartilage. This study aimed to develop and validate biomarker-based predictive models for KOA diagnosis using machine learning techniques. Clinical data from 2594 samples were obtained and stratified into training and validation datasets in a 7:3 ratio.

Axial spondyloarthritis.

Axial spondyloarthritis manifests as a chronic inflammatory disease primarily affecting the sacroiliac joints and spine. Although chronic back pain and spinal stiffness are typical initial symptoms, peripheral (ie, enthesitis, arthritis, and dactylitis) and extra-musculoskeletal (ie, uveitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis) manifestations are also common. Timely and accurate diagnosis is challenging and relies on identifying a clinical pattern with a combination of clinical, laboratory (HLA-B27 positivity), and imaging findings (eg, structural damage on pelvic radiographs and bone marrow oedema on MRI of the sacroiliac joints).

Intra-articular procedures and associated septic arthritis: A mini-review.

Native joint septic arthritis (SA) is a severe, potentially life-threatening condition characterized by the invasion of synovial fluid and membrane by pathogens, most commonly bacteria. The rising frequency of intra-articular procedures such as joint aspirations and injections has led to increased concern regarding iatrogenic septic arthritis. This mini-review aims to summarize current understanding of the incidence, risk factors, bacterial etiology, and strategies for preventing SA associated with intra-articular procedures.

Ten-Year Implant Survivorship and Performance of Anatomic Total Shoulder Arthroplasty Patients with the Zimmer Biomet Comprehensive® Shoulder System - a Short Stemmed Humeral Implant and Hybrid Glenoid.

Background: Anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty are highly successful procedures for treatment of glenohumeral arthritis to reduce pain, improve range of motion, and overall quality of life. However, the long-term survivorship of the implant systems is less widely documented in the existing literature. The purpose of this study was to establish the long-term patient outcomes and identify factors influencing the postoperative implant survivorship of total anatomic shoulder arthroplasty devices/procedures utilizing the short-stemmed prosthesis and hybrid glenoid components of the Comprehensive Shoulder System (Zimmer Biomet, Warsaw, IN, USA) at an average of ten years.

Sulcus-Deepening Trochleoplasty and Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction Provide Good Clinical Outcomes in Addressing Patellar Instability at Mid-Term Follow-Up: A Retrospective Case Series.

Purpose: To update previously published clinical and radiographic outcomes of Dejour sulcus-deepening trochleoplasty and medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFL-R), at mid-term follow-up, and monitor trends in patient reported outcome scores and satisfaction.

Methods: Using the same cohort of patients from our previously published short-term series of 2-year follow up, interval follow-up was performed on 67 patients (76 knees) with severe trochlear dysplasia and recurrent patellar instability who were prospectively enrolled and underwent Dejour sulcus-deepening trochleoplasty and MPFL-R combined with other patellar-stabilization procedures. Patients with less than 2-year follow-up were excluded.

Effects of dioscin from Dioscorea nipponica on TL1A/DR3 and Th9 cells in a collagen-induced arthritis mouse model.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease, and TL1A and its receptor DR3 play important roles in its pathogenesis. Th9 cells are involved in RA development. Dioscin from Dioscorea nipponica (DDN) has a therapeutic effect on RA, but its effect on TL1A/DR3 and Th9 cells remains unclear.

SLC7A11 suppresses pyroptosis to alleviate rheumatoid arthritis development by modulating the IL-17 pathway.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. This study aims to explore the potential mechanisms by which solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) influences RA development.

Methods: Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice were constructed to observe disease onset and pathological scores.

Established and novel insights to guide cancer assessment in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Objective: Older age, dermatomyositis, and specific serum autoantibodies such as anti-TIF1-γ are associated with higher cancer risk in patients with myositis. We evaluated a vast cohort of patients with myositis for the prevalence of cancer, the association to disease features, and the performance of the recent IMACS guidelines.

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed and in all cases serum autoantibodies were tested using HEp-2, immunoassays, RNA- and protein-immunoprecipitation.

Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Bimekizumab in Axial Spondyloarthritis: 2-Year Results from Two Phase 3 Studies.

Objectives: Bimekizumab, a monoclonal IgG1 antibody that selectively inhibits interleukin (IL)‑17F in addition to IL-17A, previously demonstrated efficacy and was well tolerated to 1 year in patients with non-radiographic (nr-) and radiographic (r-) axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Here, we report bimekizumab safety and efficacy to 2 years.

Methods: Patients completing week 52 in the phase 3 studies BE MOBILE 1 (nr-axSpA; NCT03928704) and 2 (r‑axSpA; NCT03928743) were eligible for an ongoing open‑label extension (OLE; NCT04436640).

Poor Prognostic Factors and Unmet Needs in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Prognostic factors in rheumatoid arthritis relate to several aspects, such as prediction of joint damage and loss of function or prediction of response to a particular therapy. Since many decades, it is well established that high disease activity, especially exemplified by swollen joint counts and acute phase reactants, is associated with progression of joint damage. In addition, rheumatoid factor (RF) positive patients, but not patients with anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) are particularly prone to high disease activity and joint destruction.

Differential effects of tibia varus deformity on clinical outcomes following high tibial osteotomy and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty for moderate medial compartment osteoarthritis with moderate varus alignment.

Introduction: There is a lack of clinical evidence supporting the decision-making process between high tibial osteotomy (HTO) and unicomparmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) in gray zone indication, such as moderate medial osteoarthritis with moderate varus alignment. This study compared the outcomes between HTO and UKA in such cases and assessed the risk factor for not maintaining clinical improvements.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 65 opening-wedge HTOs and 55 UKAs with moderate medial osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence grade ≥ 3 and Ahlback grade < 3) and moderate varus alignment (5°< Hip-Knee-Ankle angle < 10°) over 3 years follow-up.

Indications for the addition of a patellofemoral joint arthroplasty following a previous unicondylar knee arthroplasty- a literature review and Delphi consensus.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to establish an international consensus statement on the indications for the addition of a patellofemoral joint arthroplasty (PFJA) in patients with a unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) and symptomatic progression of patellofemoral compartment osteoarthritis.

Materials And Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted, and the results used to inform the development of a statement by an expert working group. This was then evaluated and modified, using a Delphi process, by members of the European Knee Society (EKS).

Post-mortem diagnosis of septic arthritis by Pasteurella multocida: a case report and literature review of fatal septic arthritis.

The diagnosis of septic arthritis remains challenging in the clinical setting, often leading to a suspicion for medical liability. Our purpose is to describe an unusual case of a post-mortem diagnosis of P. multocida fatal septic arthritis, in a healthy 67-year-old woman presenting with pain in the right shoulder.

The Oxford hip score demonstrates moderate ceiling effects at one and two years after total hip arthroplasty: which patients are at risk and does it matter?

Background: The aim was to assess whether the postoperative Oxford Hip Score (OHS) demonstrated a ceiling effect at 1 or 2 years after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and to identify which patients are more likely to achieve a ceiling score and whether this limits assessment of their outcome.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of 7871 patients undergoing primary THA was identified from an established arthroplasty database. Patient demographics, ASA grade, socioeconomic status, OHS and EuroQol questionnaire were collected preoperatively and at 1 and 2 years postoperatively.