Arthritis/Rheumatology Pubmed Results

CONCLUSION: CAP and BV exhibit promising potential for alleviating RA in rats, with their combined application showing the greatest efficacy. The antiarthritic effects may be mediated via suppression of oxidative stress and inflammation and enhancement of the antioxidant defense system in addition to the modulatory effects on MMP-1 and MMP-3 gene expression. Further clinical research is essential to evaluate their safety and effectiveness in human RA management.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) refers to a process in which epithelial cells shed their polarity and intercellular adhesion while adopting mesenchymal traits. Emerging evidence indicates that EMT is critically involved in the pathogenesis of several oral inflammatory diseases, including periodontitis, drug-induced gingival overgrowth, and Sjögren's syndrome. A thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing EMT may help elucidate the pathogenesis of these diseases and...

Obesity is common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but its prognostic value at first recorded advanced-therapy initiation is incompletely defined. We examined whether baseline body mass index (BMI) was associated with early DAS28-ESR remission and Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI)-based functional recovery after first recorded advanced therapy. Adults with clinician-diagnosed RA initiating first recorded advanced therapy between 2013 and 2020 were studied retrospectively....

CONCLUSIONS: Handgrip weakness in RA may reflect both joint pathology and motor cortex atrophy in the PMA/SMA. Hand exercise improved HGS and induced certain structural changes in the brain, though effects on motor regions remain uncertain and warrant further study.

CONCLUSIONS: We successfully established a rat model of CHD with rheumatic syndrome using I/R in combination with RA and HFD. The present findings suggest that the PTRF-related TLR4/MyD88-JNK signaling pathway may act as an important regulatory mechanism underlying myocardial injury aggravated by combined HFD and CIA stimulation.

This article discusses rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease leading to progressive joint damage and multi-organ complications. The complex pathogenesis of the disease is presented, involving the interaction of environmental, genetic, and immunological factors, including the role of autoantibodies and proinflammatory cytokines. Particular attention is paid to leflunomide, a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD), which primarily works by inhibiting the DHODH...

Methotrexate (MTX) remains the first-choice treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but individual variability in response and adherence underscores the need for reliable biomarkers of long-term drug exposure. Intracellular methotrexate polyglutamates (MTXPGs), typically measured in red blood cells (RBCs), fulfill this role but require invasive venous sampling. This study aimed to develop and validate a multi-matrix LC-MS/MS method for measuring MTXPGs in capillary blood samples obtained via...

Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether pomolic acid (PA), a predicted bioactive metabolite of the Dong botanical drug Madeng'ai (MDA), suppresses inflammatory cytokine expression by inhibiting nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway activation in a tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced human rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocyte (RA-HFLS) model. Methods: PA content in MDA from different regions and harvest years was quantified via High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)....

This study aimed to compare the prevalence and severity of central sensitization (CS) between patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Also, we investigated clinical correlates of CS, its impact on disease burden, and factors associated with CS in these patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Rheumatology outpatient clinic between May 2025 and January 2026. Ninety-three patients with PsA and ninety-two patients with RA meeting were...

CONCLUSIONS: Improving dietary quality with either a MedDiet or the Irish HEG improved e-DII scores in a cohort of people living with RA, however, no statistically significant change in PROMs were observed.

Primary Sjögren's disease (pSjD) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease in which immune-mediated pathology is not confined to exocrine glands but also affects multiple organ systems. Renal involvement constitutes a clinically meaningful manifestation of pSjD and may exert a considerable impact on disease progression, prognosis, and treatment selection. However, the pathogenic basis of renal injury in pSjD is still incompletely understood, and existing therapeutic approaches remain largely...

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration and progressive dysfunction of exocrine glands, leading to xerostomia, xerophthalmia, and recurrent sialadenitis. Conventional management focuses on symptomatic relief with saliva substitutes, oral hygiene, secretagogues, and systemic immunomodulation for extra-glandular disease. However, these approaches do not directly address ductal obstruction, periductal inflammation, or intraductal...

CONCLUSIONS: A randomized controlled trial is performed to compare the effectiveness of an online, interactive lifestyle intervention program and general nutrition recommendations in patients with IA with LDA from a clinical, patient, and societal point of view. If the intervention is proven effective, it can be applied as a complementary option to current treatment approaches.

CONCLUSIONS: Moxibustion can ameliorate synovial inflammation in RA rats, and its mechanism may be related to regulating the expression of the Tim-3/Gal-9 signaling pathway, inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization, and promoting M2 macrophage polarization.

Insulin signaling regulates cellular metabolism in an epigenetic manner, but its role in the immune cell homeostasis remains unknown. High plasma insulin obstructs efficient insulin signaling and rewires metabolic activity in autoimmunity. In this study, we explored the functional consequences of insulin signaling for the metabolism and phenotype of effector CD4^(+) T cells in blood and synovial tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Transcriptome profiling of CD4^(+) cells in RA...

Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) are emerging as promising natural nanotherapeutics for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This review summarizes the therapeutic potential of PDEVs, highlighting their unique biological properties, multi-target mechanisms of action, and current application challenges. Accumulating evidence indicates that PDEVs can modulate immune responses, suppress inflammatory pathways, exert antioxidant effects, protect bone and cartilage, and influence the gut-joint axis....

CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis indicates that the observed 6% pooled proportion of HZ in patients with RA constitutes a significant burden compared to the general population, highlighting the necessity for timely prevention. Moreover, when assessing HZ risk, factors such as female gender, age, corticosteroid use and dosage ≥7.5 mg/day, use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, and a history of pulmonary disease, hypertension, kidney disease, or heart disease...

CONCLUSIONS: In real-world practice, the drug retention of tofacitinib in elderly RA patients is comparable to that in nonelderly patients. Despite a higher comorbidity burden, age itself is not an independent risk factor for treatment discontinuation. However, the risk of MACE is higher in elderly patients, necessitating careful cardiovascular assessment and monitoring before tofacitinib treatment. These findings suggest that tofacitinib is a viable option for elderly RA patients, provided...

RATIONALE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a well-recognized risk factor for nontuberculous mycobacterial infections, especially among patients receiving glucocorticoids or biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. However, cases of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) pulmonary disease in RA patients without such immunosuppressive therapies are rarely reported, which challenges the conventional risk stratification.

The visceral adiposity index (VAI), a measure of abdominal fat, has shown associations with various diseases. However, no study has investigated the relationship between VAI and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the correlation between RA risk and VAI among US adults. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the years 2007 to 2016 were downloaded. Participants were categorized into RA and non-RA groups based on arthritis...

This study aims to elucidate the genetically causal link between rheumatic diseases and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Genome-wide association studies data for IPF were sourced from the FINN cohort in the IEU database, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus data, and Sjögren syndrome data from the European Bioinformatics Institute, and ankylosing spondylitis data from Risteys FinnGen. We utilized single-nucleotide polymorphisms...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder, leading to long-lasting pain. This study aimed to explore the relationship between geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) and immune-inflammatory biomarkers neutrophil-percentage-to-lymphocyte ratio (NPAR)/neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)/platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR)/lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR)/systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in elderly RA patients. We analyzed data from the National Health and...

RATIONALE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder that has seriously affected human health worldwide. This report describes a rare case of herpes infection, secondary to RA, that emerged after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection or vaccination. Despite pharmacological intervention for arthritis, herpes, and mental health symptoms, the patient's condition has not improved.

Emerging evidence suggests that disturbances in skin microbiota homeostasis may contribute to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) development through systemic immunomodulatory pathways. However, the causal relationships and underlying intermediary mechanisms remain to be clarified. We utilized summary-level data from large-scale genome-wide association studies and the FinnGen database, including 150 skin microbiota taxa, 731 immune cell phenotypes, 473 gut microbiota taxa, and RA cases. Two-sample...

To examine whether salivary gland ultrasonography (SGUS) and scintigraphy (SGS) reflect systemic disease activity (ESSDAI) and patient-reported index (ESSPRI) in primary Sjögren's disease (PSD). We retrospectively enrolled 118 patients undergoing SGUS and SGS during diagnostic workup of dryness symptoms, which ultimately led to labial biopsy-confirmed PSD. SGUS was scored using the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials (OMERACT) system (range 0-12). SGS analysis relied on...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation and joint destruction. As the disease progresses, joint deformity, loss of joint function and disability may occur, thereby seriously affecting the quality of life of patients, as well as their physical and mental health. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway serves a critical role in regulating inflammatory responses, cell survival and gene expression in RA. The present review aimed to summarize how...

CONCLUSIONS: We aimed to investigate the association between MPU and the risk of developing RA in the general population. Results indicate that increased MPU, longer duration of use, and greater weekly mobile phone usage time may be associated with an elevated risk of developing RA.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent synovitis. Synovial fibroblasts (SF) are the predominant cellular components in the inflamed synovium. Recent studies have shown increased expression of P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) in RA SF. However, its precise expression patterns and its contribution to inflammatory arthritis remain unclear. We demonstrate that P2X7R is robustly expressed in RA synovium, correlating with increased synovitis and systemic...

We report the case of a woman in her 20s from rural Myanmar who developed severe crusted scabies following the prolonged use of unlabelled traditional herbal remedies for rheumatoid arthritis. While her joint symptoms improved, she developed a rapidly progressive, hyperkeratotic and pruritic rash. A clinical diagnosis of crusted scabies was made based on the characteristic morphology and evidence of uncomplicated scabies in household contacts. Treatment included a prolonged course of topical...

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by chronic inflammation of exocrine glands, resulting in lacrimal gland dysfunction, reduced tear secretion and dry eye manifestations. The nuclear factor κB (NF‑κB) signaling pathway is a central regulator of inflammatory responses; however, its role in lacrimal gland injury in pSS remains incompletely defined. The present study investigated the contribution of NF‑κB signaling to lacrimal gland damage and tear...

Still's disease (SD) in pregnancy is a rare autoinflammatory disorder presenting considerable diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Balancing maternal disease control with foetal safety is essential, and evidence supporting biologic therapies - particularly interleukin-1 (IL-1) blockade - during gestation remains scarce. A 34-year-old primigravida developed de novo SD at 27 weeks' gestation with high-grade fever, evanescent maculopapular rash, polyarthralgia, neutrophilic leucocytosis, and...

CONCLUSIONS: TAFRO syndrome shows clinical heterogeneity and anti-SS-A antibody status may represent one potential factor associated with treatment response. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and clarify the underlying mechanisms.

CONCLUSION: Home-based a-tDCS effectively reduced pain, disability, and analgesic use in RA patients with persistent pain without objective inflammation.

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a potential role of sex hormones in modulating TCR responses, with possible implications for inflammatory pathways and bone erosion associated markers. Further studies are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and to evaluate their potential relevance for therapeutic strategies.

CONCLUSION: Overall, RA-related gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolic disturbances are linked to impaired periodontal healing, potentially through enhanced inflammatory responses. This study highlights a microbiome-immune-metabolic axis that may influence periodontal regeneration in RA.

CONCLUSION: Irreversible damage in SD occurs early, often present at diagnosis and affects multiple organ domains. Early identification of high-risk patients, based on clinical, serological and patient-reported measures, may enable timely interventions to prevent further damage, guide treatment and improve long-term outcomes.

CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis indicates that stem cell therapy effectively reduces OSDI scores, increase Schirmer test scores, and enhances tear film stability in dry eye syndrome caused by Sjögren's syndrome. However, the increased incidence of adverse events in the short term suggests that benefits and risks must be carefully weighed prior to clinical application, with rigorous monitoring and close follow-up required throughout treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Sjögren's disease (SjD) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by dry mouth (xerostomia) and dry eyes (xerophthalmia) due to inflammation in exocrine glands, particularly the salivary and lacrimal glands. The condition presents a wide variety of clinical features, suggesting that it may involve heterogeneous conditions without a clear boundary. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several genetic variants associated with SjD, their roles in SjD...

Targeted B-cell depletion via the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab fundamentally altered the therapeutic algorithm for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Despite its clinical entrenchment, approximately 40% of patients exhibit primary or secondary non-response, exposing critical limitations in conventional depletion strategies. This review critically deconstructs the mechanisms dictating therapeutic resistance and re-evaluates B-cell pathobiology through high-resolution transcriptomic and...

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the benefits and harms of dose reduction or discontinuation of non-TNF biologic or targeted synthetic DMARDs in people with rheumatoid arthritis who are in remission or have low disease activity.

CONCLUSIONS: When the serum hCG of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is abnormally high and there is no clinical manifestation of pregnancy or trophoblastic tumor, we should be alert to the possibility of RF interference. It is recommended to use DTT to pretreat samples. This can easily and efficiently eliminate interference, ensure the accuracy of detection, and avoid misdiagnosis.

Adapted physical activity is recommended as a non-pharmacological strategy for the management of chronic inflammatory arthritis. However, the long-term adherence of patients to physical activity programs remains a major challenge in clinical practice. The present study aimed to assess adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) physical activity recommendations and to identify factors associated with long-term adherence in patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis (CIA). This longitudinal...

Dysregulated B cells are central to many hematologic malignancies and autoimmune diseases, but current B cell-targeted therapies often fail to translate binding into effective signaling. Here, we present CD20 EryPatch, a living dynamic cellular patch that co-opts natural erythrocyte processes of morphological and biological changes, enabling a dual mechanism of micrometer-scale mechanotransduction and phagocytic "tag-and-clear" for enhanced B cell depletion. CD20 EryPatches are designed to...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility is strongly influenced by genetic variations within the major histocompatibility complex, with HLA-DRB1 risk alleles representing the largest contributors to heritability, particularly in seropositive (anti-citrullinated protein antibody positive) disease. The shared epitope (SE) hypothesis, first proposed more than three decades ago, explained the clustering of susceptibility within HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes. Subsequent fine-mapping expanded HLA-DRB1 disease...

CONCLUSION: CD8^(+)PD-1^(+)TIGIT^(+) T-cell expression is elevated in SjD and RA compared with HV and AS. CD4^(+)PD-1^(+)TIGIT^(+) levels are higher in future anti-TNF responders compared with non-responders and rise after treatment in patients with RA and AS. Further studies should clarify the functional role of CD4^(+)PD-1^(+)TIGIT^(+) cells in IMIDs.

CONCLUSION: Each subset of neutrophils is involved in the occurrence and development of pSS disease at different stages. In particular, LY6E and CLEC12A among the DEGs specifically upregulated by pSS neutrophils may be biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for pSS.

RATIONALE: Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are the cornerstone of pharmacologic treatment for inflammatory arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis). DMARDs are immunomodulatory drugs which may increase the risk of infection, including surgical site infections; thus, some surgery guidelines recommend continuing some DMARDs and withholding others prior to surgery. On the other hand, discontinuation may result in worsening of the symptoms of...

The co-occurrence of axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is rarely reported and poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to their distinct pathophysiological mechanisms. While tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are effective for both conditions, optimal strategies for patients with inadequate response remain unclear. We report a 65-year-old male with a long-standing history of HLA-B27-positive ankylosing spondylitis (AS) with radiographic bamboo...

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in middle-aged populations.The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. A comprehensive search of major electronic databases was conducted for studies published between 2013 and 2023. In addition, a manual search was performed to identify relevant studies examining an association between these 2...

The aim of present work was to develop and optimise hyaluronic acid-functionalised, chloroquine-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (HA-CQL-SLNs) for CD44 receptor-mediated therapy of rheumatoid arthritis. The Chloroquine base was precipitated and characterised using UV spectroscopy, FTIR, and DSC. Solid lipid nanoparticles were prepared by melt emulsification followed by probe sonication and optimised using a Box-Behnken design. Particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and entrapment...