Rheumatology International最新文献

Social networks are widely used in the healthcare system for education, research, and professional networking. However, its adoption and impact in Central Asia, particularly among medical professionals, remain underexplored. This study assesses social media usage patterns, motivations, and perceived challenges among healthcare professionals in Kazakhstan, with a focus on professional engagement, information-seeking behaviours, and the need for structured training. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among healthcare professionals in Kazakhstan from November 2022 to January 2023 after extensive pilot-testing by a multi-professional team. The questionnaire comprised multiple-choice and open-ended questions, and Likert scale answers to explore, social media preferences for professional engagement, and future possibilities. Among 147 respondents (M:F ratio = 1:1.17, median age = 32 years), social media adoption was nearly universal (97.96%, n = 144). The primary reasons for usage were knowledge acquisition (81.94%, n = 118), skill development (79.16%, n = 114), and maintaining social connections (68.05%, n = 98). YouTube and Instagram were the most frequently accessed platforms. Despite the perceived professional utility of social media, 75% (n = 108) of respondents felt overwhelmed, and only 65.27% (n = 94) considered it a secure means of communication.69% (n = 99) had never attended training on optimal social media use for professional growth, and 98.61% (n = 142) expressing willingness to participate in future trainings. The social media landscape among healthcare professionals in Kazakhstan reveals nuanced patterns of platform utilisation. The perceived utility of these platforms is tempered by acknowledged challenges, highlighting a critical need for structured guidance and comprehensive professional training frameworks tailored to the unique digital communication environment of Central Asian healthcare settings.

Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) incidence is influenced by various unexplained factors. Multiple studies have investigated seasonal influence on GCA incidence, yielding contradictory results. This meta-analysis aims to determine the pooled seasonal influence on GCA incidence and if it is modulated by latitude. MEDLINE and Scopus databases were searched for articles reporting on incidence and describing seasonal or monthly proportions of GCA. The primary outcome measured was the Seasonal Incidence Risk Ratio (SIRR) defined as the incidence of GCA in warm seasons (Spring and Summer) over GCA incidence in cold seasons (Autumn and Winter). Meta-analysis of GCA incidence variations with season was performed on the pooled SIRR. Nineteen articles describing GCA incidence and seasonal variations in 39,829 patients were included, 10 studies reported a significant seasonal pattern in the incidence of GCA with seven studies reporting a warm seasonal pattern and three studies reporting a cold seasonal while 9 studies did not report a significant seasonal pattern. The pooled SIRR estimate in this meta-analysis was 1.08 [0.99-1.17]. We observed a significant reverse correlation between SIRR and the studies' location latitude r= - 0.595(p = 0.015), additionally, we observed an inflexion latitude line in Lyon, France (45.8), all studies performed southern to that line reported higher proportion of warm seasons cases. The pooled SIRR of studies performed southern to the inflexion line was 1.18 [1.09-1.28]. Overall, there was no significant pooled seasonal pattern; however, a warm-season pattern was driven by studies from southern locations, linking latitude and seasonal influence as environmental factors in GCA.

To give further insights into the safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs) compared to healthy individuals and to highlight changes over the course of repeated vaccinations. In this single-centre study, SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated IRD patients were recruited from the hospital of the University of Munich. Healthcare workers served as the control group. Adverse events following each vaccination were assessed using questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were used to illustrate the differences between IRD patients and the control group. Between January 1, 2021, and Septemper 30, 2022, 235 IRD patients (60.4% female) and 102 healthy individuals (66.7% female) were enrolled in this study. The frequency of patients who experienced adverse events after the first vaccination (140 [59.6%]) was significantly lower compared to the control group (86 [84.3%]) (OR = 0.274 [95% CI: 0.151-0.497]; P < 0.0001). The same was true after the second vaccination (patients: 138 [58.7%]; controls: 80 [78.4%]) (OR = 0.391 [0.228-0.670]; P < 0.001), and after the third vaccination (123 [56.4%]; 70 [69.3%]) (OR = 0.573 [0.348-0.946]; P = 0.029). Local side effects occurred with similar frequency in both groups. However, systemic effects occurred significantly less frequently in patients after all vaccinations than in controls (1. vaccination 97 [41.3%] to 61 [59.8%]: OR = 0.472 [0.294-0.759], P = 0.002; 2. vaccination 91 [38.7%] to 60 [58.8%]: OR = 0.442 [0.275-0.710], P < 0.001; 3. vaccination: 85 [39.0%] to 52 [51.5%]: OR = 0.602 [0.374-0.969], P = 0.036). SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were well tolerated by patients with IRDs. They experienced systemic side effects less frequently in patients than in healthy controls, suggesting a possible association between IRDs/immunosuppressive therapies and attenuation of vaccination reactions. Further research is needed to determine the cause of these differences.

Rheumatoid Arthritis associated Interstitial Lung Disease (RA-ILD) is an extraarticular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Several risk factors for RA-ILD have been identified, one is the promotor variant of mucin 5 B gene (MUC5B). Juge et al., Wheeler et al. and Koduri et al. have developed risk scores for identifying patients with RA at risk of RA-ILD. We aimed to externally validate the three risk scores and further investigate the frequency of MUC5B promotor variant and its association with subclinical lung changes in patients with RA in northern Sweden. Our cohort consisted of 54 patients with RA. The risk score variables were evaluated in binary logistic regression and validated using area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC ROC). The genetic material was purified and genotyped for MUC5B. The Juge et al. risk score performed an AUC ROC of 0.71 (95% CI 0.57;0.86), the Wheeler et al. risk score an AUC ROC of 0.75 (95% CI 0.59;0.90) and Koduri et al. risk score an AUC ROC of 0.70 ((95% CI 0.55;0.85) in our cohort. The differences in AUC were not statistically significant. The MUC5B promotor variant frequency was 26% (n = 14). In our cohort, MUC5B was not significantly associated with subclinical lung changes. The three externally validated risk scores for RA-ILD performed well in this cohort and could be used clinically. In patients with RA in northern Sweden, MUC5B was not found to be independently associated with subclinical RA-ILD.

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare systemic inflammatory disease affecting medium and large arteries, mainly in young Asian women, with a frequency of 1-3 cases per million inhabitants. Diagnosing this disease is challenging due to nonspecific early symptoms, leading to gradual clinical progression until vascular complications appear. A 21-year-old pregnant woman, experiencing progressive mild fatigue, referred for clinical examination. Over the past 3-4 years, she had reported weakness, headache, sweating, and dizziness. Imaging revealed significant vascular damage, including an ascending aortic aneurysm, aortic valve annuloaortic ectasia, aortic, mitral, tricuspid, and pulmonary regurgitation, as well as dilation of the left atrium and left ventricle. While available treatments alleviated symptoms and slowed the progression, late diagnosis resulted in lifelong illness. The diagnostic challenges associated with nonspecific early symptoms and the risk of serious vascular complications underscore the importance of early detection of TA in young women with symptoms of systemic inflammation. Women with TA are more likely to have an unfavourable pregnancy outcomes than the general population. Therefore, such patients need careful monitoring and a collaborative approach to achieve the best possible delivery results. This report aims to compile information on pregnancy in women with TA and how the disease impacts pregnancy progression.

The purpose of this study is to describe the changes in the age-standardized prevalence rate, incidence rate, and years lived with disability (YLDs) rate for gout disease and the associated risk factors in 21 North Africa and Middle East (NAME) countries from 1990 to 2019 based on age, gender, and socio-demographic index (SDI). From 1990 to 2019, the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) team performed a comprehensive systematic review of databases and disease-modeled analysis in the NAME countries. Age-standardized prevalence, incidence, and YLD rates, as well as the attributed burden to risk factors (high body mass index (BMI) and kidney dysfunction), were reported with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). The age-standardized YLDs estimated in 2019 and 1990 were 14.2 (95% UI 8.9-20.4) and 15.8 (10.0-22.7) per 100,000 populations, respectively, with an increase of 11.7% (7.1-16.4%) from 1990. The health indicators were all reported to be higher among males. The three countries with higher SDI that had the highest age-standardized YLDs rate in 2019 were Qatar (22.5 [14.5-32.7]), the United Arab Emirates (20.5 [12.9-29.9]), and Kuwait (19.0 [11.7-27.6]), while YLDs in 2019 attributable to high BMI and kidney dysfunction were estimated to be 7.2 (3.8-12.2) and 3.7 (2.3-5.5) per 100,000, respectively. According to our findings, the burden of gout in the NAME is higher than the reported global average and has risen from 1990 to 2019. Despite advances in gout treatment, NAME countries should prioritize preventive interventions to manage the disease's burden. Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthropathy, and there have been no specific reports of this disease burden in the NAME countries, which account for nearly 8% of the global population. This report estimated that age-standardized YLDs increased by 11.7% (7.1%-16.4%) from 1990 to 2019 in this region. Consequently, these countries have to prioritize preventive interventions to manage the disease's burden.

To examine the central sensitization and its determinants in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and compare it with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and healthy controls (HC). We evaluated the sociodemographic and disease-related parameters, and administered to the study groups the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ), the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the Jenkins Sleep Evaluation Scale (JSS), the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI). We also measured pain using the visual analog scale (VAS) (0-10 cm). This study included age- and gender-matched SLE (n = 74), PsA (n = 74), and HC (n = 80) groups. The JSS, FSS, and CSI scores were higher in SLE than in HC. Although tender joint count, swollen joint count, VAS, and HAQ-DI scores were statistically higher in the PsA group compared to the SLE group, the central sensitization rates in the two groups were similar (56.7% for SLE and 55.4% for PsA, p = 0.868). CSI was significantly correlated with the number of tender joints, VAS, HAQ-DI, B-IPQ, JSS, and FSS (Spearman's rho ranged from 0.501 to 0.646) in SLE. FSS, JSS, and tender joint count were the most important predictors of CSI. Age, the number of swollen and tender joints, FSS, B-IPQ, and JSS accounted for 74% of the variation in CSI scores in SLE. Psychosocial variables influence central sensitization, which occurs frequently in SLE. SLE and PsA exhibited similar CSI scores but higher than HC. It is beneficial to evaluate and manage central sensitization in SLE patients with fatigue and sleep disorders.