Sjogren's syndrome: Everything you always wanted to know about genetic and epigenetic factors.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease characterized by a wide spectrum of glandular and extra-glandular features. Genetic and epigenetic factors play an important role in the disease susceptibility and phenotype. There are a multitude of genes that have been identified as implicated in the pathogenesis of pSS, both in HLA and extra-HLA regions with a strong contribution given by genes in interferon signalling pathways.

A new instrument for the screening of psoriatic arthritis among psoriatic patients.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a dermatologist-filled-in 7-item questionnaire (called HERACLES) as a screening tool for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in patients with psoriasis.

Methods: This study was performed in Italy in seven dermatology centres cooperating with rheumatology centres. Adults with psoriasis were consecutively recruited up to a calculated number of 750.

Incident dementia in ischaemic stroke patients with early cardiac complications: A propensity-score matched cohort study.

Introduction: The risk of dementia in patients with stroke-heart syndrome (SHS) remains unexplored.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective analysis using the TriNetX network, including patients with ischaemic stroke from 2010 to 2020. These patients were categorised into two groups: those with SHS (heart failure, myocardial infarction, ventricular fibrillation, or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy within 30 days post-stroke) and those without SHS.

Effectiveness of tildrakizumab 200 mg: an Italian multicenter study.

Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disease that can be challenging to treat, especially in patients with severe disease or high body weight. Tildrakizumab is a monoclonal antibody which inhibits IL-23, approved for moderate-to-severe psoriasis with a standard 100 mg dose. A 200 mg dose may provide greater efficacy for patients over 90 kg or with high disease burden.

Fast Clinical Response of Bimekizumab in Nail Psoriasis: A Retrospective Multicenter 36-Week Real-Life Study.

(1) Background/Objectives: Nail psoriasis (NP) is a chronic and difficult-to-treat disease, which causes significant social stigma and impairs the patients' quality of life. Moreover, nail psoriasis is a true therapeutic challenge for clinicians. The presence of nail psoriasis can be part of a severe form of psoriasis and can have predictive value for the development of psoriatic arthritis.

In Vivo Reflectance Confocal Microscopy Applied to Acral Melanocytic Lesions: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

: Acral melanocytic lesions often pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for many clinicians. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is an imaging technique widely used for the assessment of skin cancers. The aim of this review is to explore the applicability of RCM for the diagnosis of nevi and melanoma on the acral sites.

Intima media thickness of the carotid artery in primary antiphospholipid syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) has been associated with an increase in clinical events associated with atherosclerotic vascular disease. Intima media thickness (IMT) of carotid arteries is a surrogate marker of atherosclerotic vascular disease.

Objectives: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating IMT and their clinical correlates in PAPS.

Anorectal melanoma: systematic review of the current literature of an aggressive type of melanoma.

Anorectal melanoma (ARM) is a rare malignancy often associated with a poor prognosis due to its late diagnosis and aggressive biological behavior. This review aims to comprehensively investigate ARM's diagnosis, management, and treatment, emphasizing its clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, and implications for patient prognosis. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases from inception to 1 July 2024.

Epicardial fat and liver stiffness by acoustic radiation force impulse elastography in people with HIV-1 infection without liver disease.

Objective: To evaluate the association between increased epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM), as assessed by elastography in people with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection (PWH).

Methods: Ninety-one PWH on effective antiretroviral treatment (ART) were enrolled. EFT was measured by transthoracic echocardiography.

Long-term retention rate, adverse event temporal patterns and rescue treatment strategies of mycophenolate mofetil in systemic sclerosis: insights from real-life.

Background: Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is a mainstay for the treatment of systemic sclerosis (SSc). The occurrence and implications of MMF-related adverse events on drug retention rates in real life remain poorly defined. We aimed to determine the MMF retention rate and to investigate the causes and patterns of discontinuation, adverse events (AEs) and treatment options used after discontinuation.

Oxidative Stress: The Hidden Catalyst Fueling Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Disease.

Atherosclerosis is a pathological condition characterized by the inflammation of arterial vessels, leading to serious cardiovascular outcomes such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and death [...

Addition of Bempedoic Acid to Statin-Ezetimibe versus Statin Titration in Patients with High Cardiovascular Risk: A Single-Centre Prospective Study.

Reducing levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) below recommended thresholds is a core component of cardiovascular prevention strategies. We hypothesized that the addition of bempedoic acid to patients already on statin-ezetimibe therapy was more effective than titrating the statin dose in reducing LDL-C. The study enrolled 120 patients at high cardiovascular risk and with LDL-C above 70 mg/dL.

Cryptogenic stroke and seronegative antiphospholipid syndrome: a case series of patients with positivity for "non-criteria" antiphospholipid antibodies.

Cerebrovascular events (CE) are one of the most common and severe events in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), a condition characterized by thrombosis and circulating anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL). Seronegative APS (SN-APS) refers to a group of patients with clinical features of APS but persistently negative tests for "criteria aPL": anti-cardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and anti-β2glycoprotein I antibodies detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the lupus anticoagulant detected by clotting assays. We report a series of five cases of SN-APS in young or middle-aged patients who tested positive for "non-criteria" aPL.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: the diagnostic assessment.

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH) presents a significant diagnostic challenge due to its complex and often nonspecific clinical manifestations. This review outlines a comprehensive approach to the diagnostic assessment of CTEPH, emphasizing the importance of a high index of suspicion in patients with unexplained dyspnea or persistent symptoms post-acute pulmonary embolism. We discuss the pivotal role of multimodal imaging, including echocardiography, ventilation/perfusion scans, CT pulmonary angiography, and magnetic resonance imaging, in the identification and confirmation of CTEPH.