Antiphospholipid Patients Admitted in the Intensive Care Unit: What Must The Rheumatologist Know?
AbstractPurpose of the reviewAntiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a rare systemic autoimmune disorder that can escalate into a 'thrombotic storm' called the catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS), frequently requiring ICU admission for multiple organ failure. This review aims to offer insight and recent evidence on critically-ill APS patients.Recent findingsThe CAPS classification criteria define this condition as the involvement of at least three organs/systems/tissues within less than a week, caused by small vessel thrombosis, in patients with elevated antiphospholipid antibodies levels. These criteria do not encomp...
Source: Current Rheumatology Reports - April 23, 2024 Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research
Decoding the Intricacies of Statin-Associated Muscle Symptoms
AbstractPurpose of ReviewHyperlipidemia is the major cardiovascular morbidity and mortality risk factor. Statins are the first-line treatment for hyperlipidemia. Statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) are the main reason for the discontinuation of statins among patients. The purpose of this review is to guide clinicians to recognize the difference between self-limited and autoimmune statin myopathy in addition to the factors that potentiate them. Finally, treatment strategies will be discussed. This review mostly focuses on new data in the past 3 years.Recent FindingsRecent findings suggest that SAMS is a complex and mul...
Source: Current Rheumatology Reports - April 5, 2024 Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research
AA Amyloidosis: A Contemporary View
AbstractPurpose of ReviewAmyloid A (AA) amyloidosis is an organ- or life-threatening complication of chronic inflammatory disorders. Here, we review the epidemiology, causes, pathogenesis, clinical features, and diagnostic and therapeutic strategies of AA amyloidosis.Recent FindingsThe incidence of AA amyloidosis has declined due to better treatment of the underlying diseases. Histopathological examination is the gold standard of diagnosis, but magnetic resonance imaging can be used to detect cardiac involvement. There is yet no treatment option for the clearance of amyloid fibril deposits; therefore, the management strate...
Source: Current Rheumatology Reports - April 3, 2024 Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research
From Psoriasis to Psoriatic Arthritis: Ultrasound Insights Connecting Psoriasis with Subclinical Musculoskeletal Inflammation and the Path to Psoriatic Arthritis
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review summarizes the literature about the transition from psoriasis to psoriatic arthritis (PsA), focusing on musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) for detecting subclinical inflammation and its role in diagnosis and triage of high-risk patients.Recent FindingsMSUS effectively detects subclinical musculoskeletal inflammation in patients with psoriasis; however, some of these lesions are non-specific and can be found in healthy individuals. Preliminary evidence suggest that subclinical sonographic findings may predict progression to PsA in psoriasis patients. MSUS can also improve referrals ’ ac...
Source: Current Rheumatology Reports - March 21, 2024 Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research
JAK-STAT Signaling and Beyond in the Pathogenesis of Spondyloarthritis and Their Clinical Significance
This article mainly highlights the JAK-STAT signaling system, its association with the relevant cytokine/cytokine-receptor system, and its regulatory role in pathogenesis of SpA. Also, we have briefly addressed the principle for the use JAKi in Sp A and the current status of use of JAK inhibitors (JAKi) in SpA.Recent FindingsRecent developments with newer JAK molecules as well as other molecules beyond JAK inhibitors are now an exciting field for the development of novel therapies for autoimmune diseases and various malignant conditions. In this article, we have provided a special emphasis on how various cell signaling sys...
Source: Current Rheumatology Reports - March 16, 2024 Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research
Paediatric Rheumatology Fails to Meet Current Benchmarks, a Call for Health Equity for Children Living with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Using Digital Health Technologies
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis critical review begins by presenting the history of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) management. To move the conversation forward in addressing the current shortcomings that exist in the clinical management of children living with JIA, we argue that to date, the advancement of successful treatments for JIA has been historically slow. Factors implicated in this situation include a lack of rigorous research, JIA being considered a rare disease, and JIA ’s idiopathic and complex pathophysiology.Recent FindingsDespite the well-intended legislative changes to increase paediatric research, and ...
Source: Current Rheumatology Reports - March 11, 2024 Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research
Osteoarthritis as an Enhanceropathy: Gene Regulation in Complex Musculoskeletal Disease
AbstractPurpose of ReviewOsteoarthritis is a complex and highly polygenic disease. Over 100 reported osteoarthritis risk variants fall in non-coding regions of the genome, ostensibly conferring functional effects through the disruption of regulatory elements impacting target gene expression. In this review, we summarise the progress that has advanced our knowledge of gene enhancers both within the field of osteoarthritis and more broadly in complex diseases.Recent FindingsAdvances in technologies such as ATAC-seq have facilitated our understanding of chromatin states in specific cell types, bolstering the interpretation of...
Source: Current Rheumatology Reports - March 2, 2024 Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research
Precision Medicine in Rheumatology: The Promise of Ultrasound-Guided Synovial Biopsy, Barriers to Its Implementation in the United States, and Proposed Solutions
AbstractPurpose of ReviewIn the clinical evaluation of inflammatory arthritis and the research into its pathogenesis, there is a growing role for the direct analysis of synovial tissue. Over the years, various biopsy techniques have been used to obtain human synovial tissue samples, and there have been progressive improvements in the safety, tolerability, and utility of the procedure.Recent FindingsThe latest advancement in synovial tissue biopsy techniques is the use of ultrasound imaging to guide the biopsy device, along with evolution in the characteristics of the device itself. While ultrasound guided synovial biopsy (...
Source: Current Rheumatology Reports - February 20, 2024 Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research
