Comorbidities Burden and Implementation of the Treat-to-Target Strategy in Predicting Real-World Patient Outcomes in Spondyloarthritides.

New biologic and small molecule targeted agents have expanded the armamentarium of Spondyloarthritides (SpA), allowing more therapeutic options for patients who do not respond to therapy. The implementation of the treat-to-target (T2T) strategy with close monitoring and frequent treatment adaptations targeting disease remission has been proposed as the means to prevent radiographic progression and long-term adverse outcomes. In this project we will employ the "University of Crete Rheumatology Clinic Registry" to prospectively study in real-world practice musculoskeletal and extraarticular disease activity, patient function, comorbidities, sociodemographics, imaging, compliance to therapy and other lifestyle factors in axial and peripheral SpA patients.

Treating systemic lupus erythematosus in the 21st century: new drugs and new perspectives on old drugs.

Besides treating acute flares, the management of SLE should aim at preventing organ damage accrual and drug-associated harms, improving health-related quality of life and prolonging survival. At present, therapy is based on combinations of antimalarials (mainly HCQ), considered the backbone of SLE treatment, glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive drugs. However, these regimens are not universally effective and a substantial degree of damage can be caused by exposure to glucocorticoids.

Practical Issues in Managing Systemic Inflammatory Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation threatens not only the health of populations, but also the coherence and function of health care systems. Patients with systemic inflammatory disorders feel the overwhelming strain of COVID-19, since their disease, administered treatments, and associated comorbidities may all contribute to increased vulnerability to infection. At the same time, monitoring the activity status of rheumatic diseases and adjusting the treatments where appropriate, are important for preventing flares and other complications, which could pose additional health risks.

Therapeutic targeting of JAKs: from hematology to rheumatology and from the first to the second generation of JAK inhibitors.

Several cytokines and growth factors, as well as their downstream signalling pathways, are implicated in the pathogenesis of haematological and immune-mediated diseases. These mediators act through binding to their cognate receptor and activation of one or more of the four Janus family tyrosine kinases (JAKs). Gene knock-out studies together with evidence from patients carrying activating mutant forms of JAKs (eg, V617F in myeloproliferative disorders) provided strong rationale for the development of JAK inhibitors.