Arthritis Research & Therapy最新文献

{"title":"Treg cells mitigate inflammatory responses and symptoms via β2-AR/β-Arr2/ERK signaling in an experimental rheumatoid arthritis","authors":"Yan Liu, Xiao-Qin Wang, Jian-Hua Lu, Hui-Wei Huang, Yi-Hua Qiu, Yu-Ping Peng","doi":"10.1186/s13075-025-03659-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-025-03659-9","url":null,"abstract":"β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) is widely expressed on immune cells, including T cells and it has a non-canonical signaling pathway, which is β2-AR-β-arrestin 2 (β-Arr2)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). Our previous studies have shown that the β2-AR agonist terbutaline (Terb) can activate β2-AR and significantly inhibit helper T (Th) 17 cell function in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). However, the effects of β2-AR on regulatory T (Treg) cells in CIA have not been consistently determined. The aim of our research was to explore whether β2-AR-β-Arr2-ERK1/2 signaling in Treg cells regulates inflammatory responses and signs in CIA. DBA1/J mice were used to prepare CIA model by intradermal injection of collagen type II (CII). Inducible Treg (iTreg) cells were induced from CD4+ T cells that were isolated from the spleens of normal or CIA mice and treated with Terb, β-Arr2 gene silence or overexpression or the ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126 in vitro. β2-AR and β-Arr2 expression, pERK1/2 level, interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β production and the suppression of effector T (Teff) cell proliferation mediated by nature Treg (nTreg) cells were determined. β-Arr2-overexpressed Treg cells were intravenously injected into the tail base of CIA mice. Arthritic symptoms were assessed by clinical arthritis scores. Frequencies of Th17 and Treg cells, cytokine production and osteoclast and osteoblast-specific gene expression were estimated. The increased β-Arr2 expression and pERK1/2 level induced by Terb in CIA iTregs were reduced by β-Arr2 gene silence. The increased TGF-β and IL-10 production in iTreg cells by Terb and the suppression of Teff cell proliferation mediated by Terb-treated nTregs from CIA mice were downregulated by β-Arr2 gene silence or U0126 and further enhanced by β-Arr2 gene overexpression. Adoptive transfer of β-Arr2-overexpressed Treg cells into CIA mice reduced limb inflammation, osteoclast-specific gene expression in joints and Th17 cell cytokine production in joints and serum but increased osteoblast-specific gene expression in joints and Treg cell cytokine production in joints and serum. β2-AR/β-Arr2/ERK signaling in Treg cells contributes to alleviation of inflammatory responses and symptoms in CIA.","PeriodicalId":8419,"journal":{"name":"Arthritis Research & Therapy","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145311539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"“I’m in pain, and I’m not faking it”: A qualitative exploration of the reactions of youth with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and their caregivers to pain-related stigma","authors":"Blair N. Irish, Christine T. Chambers, Justine Dol, Jennifer A. Parker, Adam M. Huber, Yvonne N. Brandelli, Devyn Nichols, Jennifer Brause","doi":"10.1186/s13075-025-03651-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-025-03651-3","url":null,"abstract":"Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic inflammatory condition often marked by pain in childhood. JIA pain has a variable course and often lacks any visible signs. As such, youth with JIA can experience negative judgement from others in response to their pain (i.e., pain-related stigma). Theoretical models indicate that pain-related stigma experiences contribute to affective, behavioural, and cognitive reactions from youth in the moment (i.e., situational) and over time (i.e., enduring) that ultimately influence their health. Caregivers also play a crucial role in supporting their children’s health. While caregivers may protect their children from the potential negative impacts of pain-related stigma, caregivers can also be affected by their children’s stigma experiences. Thus, this qualitative study aimed to explore both the situational and enduring reactions of youth with JIA and their caregivers to pain-related stigma. It also examined similarities and differences in their reactions to identify potentially protective reactions and areas where additional support may be needed. Ten youth aged 15–19 years with JIA and 12 caregivers participated. Youth and caregivers completed separate semi-structured interviews. During interviews, participants were asked about the youth’s experiences of pain-related stigma and how these experiences affected their situational and enduring cognitive, affective, and behavioural reactions. Interview transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Themes generated between groups were triangulated to assess for convergence and divergence. A matrix analysis was subsequently used to develop meta-themes capturing overlapping concepts. Separate themes for each group were developed. The matrix analysis resulted in five meta-themes that capture the overlapping situational and enduring reactions of youth and caregivers to pain-related stigma: (1) addressing stigma and increasing perceived credibility; (2) responding to individual needs; (3) fear and avoidance due to anticipatory stigma; (4) long-term impacts on mental health and well-being; and (5) education and advocacy. Pain-related stigma can impact youth with JIA and their caregivers in various ways, with some reactions being protective of their health and well-being. Strategies to support youth with JIA and their caregivers with navigating pain-related stigma experiences are necessary to promote positive health outcomes.","PeriodicalId":8419,"journal":{"name":"Arthritis Research & Therapy","volume":"97 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145289386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multimodal brain structural and functional analysis in systemic lupus erythematosus patients without overt neuropsychiatric manifestations: associations with disease duration, organ damage, and neurocognitive function","authors":"Jeonghwan Lee, Ji Hyoun Kim, Chi-Hoon Choi, In Ah Choi","doi":"10.1186/s13075-025-03640-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-025-03640-6","url":null,"abstract":"Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that often affects the central nervous system (CNS), leading to structural and functional brain alterations. Although neuroimaging studies have reported significant cortical and white matter changes in SLE, findings remain inconsistent, particularly regarding disease duration and organ damage. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate multimodal brain alterations in SLE using structural and functional neuroimaging. This cross-sectional study included 30 SLE patients without overt neuropsychiatric manifestations and 34 age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Neuroimaging data were acquired using a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Structural analyses included cortical and subcortical volume measurements via FreeSurfer (30 SLE, 34 HC) and white matter connectometry based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) using DSI Studio (29 SLE, 28 HC). Interhemispheric functional connectivity was assessed using resting-state fMRI in the CONN toolbox (27 per group). Clinical assessments included the SLEDAI-2 K, SLICC Damage Index, and SLICC Frailty Index, along with neurocognitive tests that assessed working memory, psychomotor speed, and executive function. Statistical analyses involved ANCOVA adjusted for age and intracranial volume, along with correlation analyses to explore associations between neuroimaging findings and clinical or neurocognitive measures. SLE patients exhibited significantly reduced volumes in the right occipital lobe (F = 11.274, η2 = 0.153, corrected p = .008) and left thalamus (F = 10.502, η2 = 0.140, corrected p = .028). DTI revealed reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the corpus callosum, right cingulum, and brainstem. FA values negatively correlated with disease duration, especially in the left and right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi and the left cingulum. Patients with organ damage exhibited further FA reductions in the brainstem and left cingulum. FA decreases were also associated with poorer cognitive performance. While global interhemispheric functional connectivity was preserved, patients with moderate disease activity showed reduced connectivity in the frontal operculum and insula. Even in the absence of overt neuropsychiatric symptoms, SLE patients demonstrated structural brain changes—specifically reduced occipital and thalamic volumes and widespread white matter disruptions—associated with disease duration, organ damage, and neurocognitive dysfunction. Functional interhemispheric connectivity was globally preserved but impaired in the moderate activity subgroup.","PeriodicalId":8419,"journal":{"name":"Arthritis Research & Therapy","volume":"96 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145283527","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Single-cell sequencing reveals distinct peripheral immune responses in anti-MDA5 antibody positive dermatomyositis with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease","authors":"Chenghua Weng, Enzhuo Liu, Hui Zheng, Zhenke Wen, Yiting Ji, Gang Wang, Lei Zhang, Rongfang Hu, Lei Shen, Zhichun Liu","doi":"10.1186/s13075-025-03639-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-025-03639-z","url":null,"abstract":"Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 antibody positive dermatomyositis (MDA5+ DM) is an autoimmune disease related to rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RPILD) with high mortality. However, the pathogenesis of MDA5+ DM with RPILD remains unclear. We aimed to explore the peripheral immune landscape of MDA5+ DM with RPILD using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). We performed scRNA-seq of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from MDA5+ DM with RPILD (n = 4), MDA5+ DM with ILD (non-RPILD, n = 3), and healthy controls (HCs, n = 3). The proportion of CD14+ monocytes increased, but the proportion of natural killer cells, CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells decreased in MDA5+ DM with RPILD compared with HCs. Obvious antiviral response was the main feature of MDA5+ DM with RPILD, and the expression of several interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) related to RIG-I pathway increased, including IRF7, DDX60, IFI27 and IFI6. However, this antiviral response was not significant in MDA5+ DM with ILD. In addition, multiple immune pathways were downregulated in MDA5+ DM with RPILD, including antigen processing and presentation, translation initiation, mRNA splicing, and activation of T and B cells. Cell communication analysis revealed that multiple signaling pathways, including MHC-I and MHC-II, were attenuated in MDA5+ DM with RPILD. Notably, MHC-II signaling was absent in CD4+ naïve T cells from MDA5+ DM with RPILD. This study demonstrates that antiviral response plays an important role in the pathogenesis of MDA5+ DM with RPILD, as well as changes in downstream immune pathways, providing potential therapeutic targets for future treatment.","PeriodicalId":8419,"journal":{"name":"Arthritis Research & Therapy","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145241875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Real-world sex differences in treatment persistence and reasons for discontinuation in psoriatic arthritis patients: results from the German RABBIT-SpA register","authors":"Lisa Lindner, Anja Weiß, Andreas Reich, Christine Baumann, Frank Behrens, Xenofon Baraliakos, Anne C. Regierer","doi":"10.1186/s13075-025-03650-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-025-03650-4","url":null,"abstract":"In psoriatic arthritis (PsA), growing evidence indicates sex-specific differences regarding clinical manifestation and treatment outcomes. Research has highlighted that females may be less likely to achieve treatment targets and are more prone to discontinuing therapy, though data on sex-specific adverse events is limited. This analysis investigates sex differences in treatment outcomes, persistence, discontinuation reasons, and adverse events during first-line b/tsDMARD therapy. In this analysis bionaïve patients with PsA from the RABBIT-SpA register were included at the start of their first b/tsDMARD. Therapy persistence was estimated using the Cox-regression adjusted for age. Descriptive analyses were used to examine and compare sex–specific differences on reasons for therapy discontinuation. A total of 457 female patients and 343 male patients were included. Females exhibited more severe joint involvement and poorer patient-reported parameters, such as higher disease activity, more pain, and greater functional limitations. In contrast, males showed more pronounced skin involvement and a higher prevalence of nail psoriasis. Females had lower treatment persistence rates, both in the overall analysis of all first-line b/tsDMARDs and in subgroup analyses restricted to TNFi and IL17i therapies. At 12 months, 52% of females and 68% of males remained on their initial b/tsDMARD therapy. Notable sex differences were also observed in the reasons for therapy discontinuation: males more frequently discontinued due to lack of efficacy or remission, while females more often stopped treatment due to adverse events. Our safety analysis indicated that although female patients experienced a greater number of overall adverse events, males reported serious adverse events at twice the rate. Our findings underscore the need for sex-specific treatment strategies and more comprehensive research into biological and sociocultural factors influencing therapy persistence and reasons for discontinuation in real-world settings. Tailored treatment strategies are needed with regard to biologic therapy to overcome worse therapeutic outcomes in female patients with PsA. Not applicable.","PeriodicalId":8419,"journal":{"name":"Arthritis Research & Therapy","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145203259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The senescence-like activity of BMS-470539 is associated with anti-fibrotic actions in models of dermal fibrosis","authors":"Camilla SA Davan-Wetton, Natalya Khodeneva, Christopher P. Denton, David J. Abraham, Mauro Perretti, Trinidad Montero-Melendez","doi":"10.1186/s13075-025-03635-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-025-03635-3","url":null,"abstract":"Conditions like fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis or cancer, once seen as distinct diseases, are now recognized to share strikingly common pathogenic mechanisms. The key to this convergence lies in the fibroblast, a pivotal driver of disease progression, tissue injury and chronicity. Despite this central pathogenic role and growing recognition as a therapeutic target, effective treatments targeting fibroblasts remain elusive, leaving a critical gap in disease intervention. Here we present a novel approach to target fibrosis using the melanocortin compound BMS-470539 to treat in vitro cultured human dermal fibroblasts obtained from healthy volunteers and systemic sclerosis patients and measuring various markers of senescence and fibroblast activation combining microscopy, DNA sequencing, cell migration and RNA sequencing and PCR techniques. We also used the in vivo bleomycin induced skin fibrosis in mice to determine pre-clinical efficacy of BMS-470539. BMS-470539 induced a ‘senescence-like’ state in human dermal fibroblasts from systemic sclerosis patients, characterised by proliferation arrest, lack of pro-inflammatory secretome and inability to induce secondary senescence. This senescence-like activity (accompanied by β-galactosidase activity, lipofuscin accumulation and other markers) resulted in the downregulation of fibrosis markers including ⍺-smooth muscle actin, migration, CCL2 and genes related to TGFβ and fibroblast activation. In vivo, the compound reduced skin thickness on the bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis murine model when administered intraperitoneally, and importantly, this senescence-like activity did not cause signs of fibrosis when administered intradermally. Here, we introduce a novel strategy to disarm pathogenic fibroblasts in the context of skin fibrosis using a therapeutic pro-senescence-like approach using the unconventional melanocortin compound BMS-470539, to reset fibroblast behaviour and disrupt disease progression. This work also emphasizes the translational potential of how understanding shared pathogenic mechanisms across diseases may lead to new therapeutic opportunities to manage multiple diseases like arthritis and fibrosis.","PeriodicalId":8419,"journal":{"name":"Arthritis Research & Therapy","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145188699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evolution from early to difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis: incidence and risk factors in the ERA uclouvain Brussels cohort","authors":"Francesco Natalucci, Clément Triaille, Emilie Sapart, Stéphanie Dierckx, Cécile Van Mullem, Stéphanie De Montjoye, Tatiana Sokolova, Alexandra Avramovska, Patrick Durez","doi":"10.1186/s13075-025-03645-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-025-03645-1","url":null,"abstract":"Despite an increasing number of targeted and biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (ts or bDMARDs), a significant number of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients are refractory to multiple lines of treatments. The definition of Difficult-to-treat (D2T) RA patients has been proposed to harmonize research on this condition. While data on D2T in established RA are emerging, this is the first study to specifically address the evolution from early disease (ERA) to D2T-RA. To identify early clinical, laboratory, and radiographic predictors of progression from early rheumatoid arthritis to difficult-to-treat RA over a five-year follow-up. This was a retrospective monocentric cohort study of DMARD-naïve ERA patients (symptom duration ≤ 12 months), enrolled between 2010 and 2019. Patients were followed for 5 years with data collection at baseline, 6, 12, 36, and 60 months. The primary outcome was the development of D2T-RA, defined according to EULAR 2021 criteria. Baseline analyzed variables included clinical features, serology, radiographic damage, disease activity scores, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and demographic features. Associations between baseline variables and D2T status were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. We included 391 ERA patients [M/F 109/282, median age 48.2 years IQR (21.26)]. After 5 years, forty-one patients (10.5%) matched the D2T definition. A higher baseline radiographic damage, seropositivity, and baseline disease activity characterized these patients. Only radiographic damage was confirmed as an independent factor for progression to D2T-RA in a multivariate analysis [OR = 2.38 CI (1.09–5.54); p = 0.03]. During the follow-up, disease activity was consistently higher in the D2T group. D2T patients were exposed to a higher dose of glucocorticoids and more commonly suffered from infections and osteoporosis. Baseline radiographic damage, seropositivity, and high disease activity represent the major risk factors for the evolution from ERA to D2T-RA. Disease activity indices were consistently higher in D2T patients all along the five-year follow-up. In addition, D2T patients received higher GC doses and more commonly developed disease and treatment-related comorbidities.","PeriodicalId":8419,"journal":{"name":"Arthritis Research & Therapy","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145188762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Longitudinal patterns of obesity index changes and risk of incident rheumatoid arthritis: evidence from a population-based cohort","authors":"Xuanli Zhao, Xiaohui Sun, Fuhua Wu, Ke Huang, Xinzhe Jing, Meiqun Lv, Jing Zhu, Jiayu Li, Fangyuan Jing, Yingying Mao, Ding Ye","doi":"10.1186/s13075-025-03655-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-025-03655-z","url":null,"abstract":"Obesity has been linked to increased rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk, but the impact of longitudinal changes in obesity indices remains unclear. A clearer understanding of these dynamic patterns could enhance early identification and prevention strategies. This study aimed to examine the associations between longitudinal changes in body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and body roundness index (BRI) and the incidence of RA. We analyzed data from 68,061 UK Biobank participants (aged 40–73 years) with at least two obesity index measurements. Obesity change patterns were categorized as stable or transitional, and the annual average rate of change (AARC) was calculated. Cox regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Over a median follow-up of 4.06 years, 354 participants developed RA. Stable overweight (HR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.88), abdominal obesity (HR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.96) and high BRI (HR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.89) were related to an increased risk of RA. Additionally, the transition from non-abdominal obesity to abdominal obesity was connected to a 39% increase in RA risk (HR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.91). The RCS model showed a non-linear association between AARC in BMI and RA risk, with RA risk increasing when AARC exceeded 1.106 (P for non-linearity = 0.019). The findings suggest that specific dynamic changes in obesity indices are associated with an increased risk of RA, and that maintaining a normal body composition may contribute to risk reduction.","PeriodicalId":8419,"journal":{"name":"Arthritis Research & Therapy","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145188700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sacroiliac joint involvement in psoriatic arthritis – MRI, radiographic and clinical findings in 581 European routine care patients","authors":"Nora Vladimirova, Anna EF Hadsbjerg, Simon Krabbe, Adrian Ciurea, Kristýna Bubová, Monika Gregová, Michael J. Nissen, Burkhard Möller, Raphael Micheroli, Susanne J. Pedersen, Jakub Závada, Ziga Snoj, Karlo Pintaric, Bjorn Gudbjornsson, Ziga Rotar, Iris Eshed, Iwona Sudol-Szopinska, Kasper Gosvig, Torsten Diekhoff, Robert GW Lambert, Manouk de Hooge, Maurice Donzallaz, Alexander Bernatschek, Merete Lund Hetland, Lykke M Ørnbjerg, Mikkel Østergaard","doi":"10.1186/s13075-025-03652-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-025-03652-2","url":null,"abstract":"Axial involvement in psoriatic arthritis (axPsA) is associated with more severe disease and increased pain, yet no consensus definition of axPsA exists. This study aims to describe the occurrence and characteristics of MRI and radiographic sacroiliac joint (SIJ) involvement in a European PsA cohort. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of PsA or of axial spondyloarthritis with psoriasis and available routine care SIJ MRIs were included from five European registries in the EuroSpA collaboration. SIJ MRIs and radiographs were centrally assessed for inflammatory and structural lesions, differential diagnoses, and globally evaluated for SpA-indicative findings. Among 581 PsA patients (mean age 45 years, 47% male), 31% exhibited SpA-indicative SIJ-MRI findings (MRI-axPsA). In MRI-axPsA patients, the most common lesions were bone marrow edema (BME) (69%), erosions (68%), and fat lesions (58%), generally present bilaterally. BME ≥ 1 cm, inflammation in an erosion cavity, capsulitis, fat lesions ≥ 1 cm, backfill, and ankylosis were observed almost exclusively in MRI-AxPsA patients. Differential diagnoses included osteitis condensans ilii (8%), probable strain-related BME (11%) and degenerative disease (16%). Among 259 patients with radiographs, 29% met the radiographic mNY criteria for ankylosing spondylitis and 38% had SpA-indicative MRI findings. Male sex, HLA-B27 positivity, elevated CRP and history of inflammatory back pain (but not current back pain) were independently associated with MRI-detected axial involvement. In this large European cohort, one-third of routine care PsA patients had axial involvement, based on global SIJ MRI assessment. The study supports incorporating MRI into the future definition of axPsA to enable early identification. ","PeriodicalId":8419,"journal":{"name":"Arthritis Research & Therapy","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145188701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Longitudinal assessment of circulating fibroblast activation protein in systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease","authors":"Bo Broens, Conny J. van der Laken, Iris A. Simons, Tamara Dekker, Jan-Willem Duitman, Alexandre E. Voskuyl","doi":"10.1186/s13075-025-03656-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-025-03656-y","url":null,"abstract":"Systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) is difficult to manage due to the heterogeneous disease course. There is a high need for new biomarkers to identify patients at high risk for ILD progression. Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) has gained interest as a biomarker to reflect fibrotic activity. As circulating FAP (cFAP) can be measured in blood, we aimed to investigate the value of cFAP in SSc-ILD. cFAP concentrations were determined in plasma samples of 210 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We compared cFAP in baseline and repeated longitudinal samples between SSc patients with (n = 63) and without ILD (n = 147). Furthermore, we investigated the correlation between cFAP and ILD progression at follow-up. In an exploratory analysis, we also investigated if cFAP was associated with other disease-related clinical features and all-cause mortality. cFAP levels were not different between SSc patients with- and without ILD, both at baseline (median 91.5 and 97.7 ng/mL respectively; p = 0.80) or during follow-up. Furthermore, we found no association between cFAP at baseline and ILD progression at 1, 2 and 5 years of follow-up. Notably, cFAP levels were elevated at baseline in patients with higher skin scores (mRSS ≥ 10 compared to mRSS < 10; p = 0.01). Finally, we did not find an association between cFAP and all-cause mortality at 5 and 10 years of follow-up. In conclusion, cFAP does not seem useful as a biomarker in SSc-ILD. However, the association between cFAP and skin score deserves further investigation.","PeriodicalId":8419,"journal":{"name":"Arthritis Research & Therapy","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145188702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}