Autoimmunity reviews最新文献

Chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) is an autoinflammatory bone disease most commonly affecting children and young people. CNO can cause bone pain, hyperostosis and fractures, thereby significantly impacting on patients' wellbeing. The molecular pathophysiology of CNO is characterized by NLRP3 inflammasome activation and a pronounced imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. In the absence of clinical trials, treatment of CNO remains empiric and is based on personal experience and published case series. This project systematically reviewed the available literature in pediatric CNO following 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses' (PRISMA) guidance accessing Medline, Embase, NCBI PubMed, Cochrane Library Clinical Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, and WHO ICTRP. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are usually used as first-line treatment. They facilitate pain control and induce early remission in some patients but also associate with later flares. Conventional disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) have been used with mixed success and may be helpful in patients with associated arthritis, skin inflammation, and/or inflammatory bowel disease. Biologic DMARDs, namely TNF inhibitors, are effective for the treatment of bone and associated skin and/or bowel disease. Bisphosphonates induce rapid remission in most patients but may associate with higher relapse rates when compared to TNF inhibitors. The longstanding absence of diagnostic and, until recently, classification criteria as well as defined study endpoints, the small sample size and variable therapeutic approaches challenge interpretation of studies and comparisons between treatments. Prospective randomised controlled trials are urgently needed to improve the evidence base, resulting in approval of treatments for CNO.

Occupational and environmental exposure to heavy and trace metals is increasingly implicated in cellular dysfunction underlying the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). While trace metals such as selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) are essential for the regulation of immune and inflammatory responses, excessive or imbalanced exposure can disrupt physiological homeostasis. In contrast, exposure to heavy metals including lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and nickel (Ni) poses significant risks to joint health and has been increasingly associated with progressive joint tissue deterioration. Accumulating evidence indicates that metal-induced toxicity disrupts cellular homeostasis by promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative stress and impairing key cellular processes, including apoptosis, ferroptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Moreover, heavy metals may interfere with the autophagy-lysosomal pathway, a critical mechanism for maintaining cellular integrity and immune balance. This review underscores the importance of understanding the complex interactions between heavy and trace metal exposure and their roles in cellular dysfunction and joint tissue degeneration. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying metal-induced toxicity is essential for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies and effective preventive interventions aimed at mitigating RA progression.

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory granulomatous disease that affects people worldwide and can involve virtually any organ but most commonly the lungs and thoracic lymph nodes. The cause of sarcoidosis remains unknown, but occupational and environmental exposures, genetic background, and ethnicity are likely contributors to disease development. Recent immunological studies, including single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, have increased our understanding of disease pathogenesis. Diagnosing sarcoidosis is often challenging due to the lack of a diagnostic gold standard and the remarkable variability in clinical presentation. Accordingly, the diagnosis requires the presence of compatible clinical and radiological features along with histopathological evidence of noncaseating granulomas and exclusion of other granulomatous diseases. The differential diagnosis includes infection, drug-induced granulomatosis, inborn error of immunity, vasculitis and malignancies. Sarcoidosis often resolves spontaneously, but it is not a benign disease. Up to one-third of patients develops chronic or progressive disease, which carries an increased risk of organ failure or death. Treatment is not always required, but is clearly indicated for progressive pulmonary disease, symptomatic cardiac or central nervous system involvement, and significantly impaired quality of life. Treatment aims to decrease symptom burden and preserve organ function. Corticosteroids have been considered first-line treatment for decades, but their long-term use is associated with substantial toxicity. Recently, methotrexate was found to be equally effective as prednisone as first-line treatment in pulmonary sarcoidosis. The identification of novel pathways involved in disease pathogenesis has suggested JAK inhibitors and mTOR inhibitors as potential therapies. More efficacious and better tolerated therapies are urgently needed; however, the rarity of the disease, its heterogeneous clinical course and the lack of prognostic biomarkers make it difficult to design and implement clinical trials of novel therapies.

Sporadic Late-Onset Nemaline Myopathy (SLONM) is an acquired myopathy presenting in adulthood with progressive proximal and axial muscle weakness. A substantial proportion of cases are associated with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), referred to as SLONM-MGUS, suggesting a potential immune-mediated pathogenesis. Although the presence of MGUS has clinical and therapeutic implications, its exact role in disease severity and progression remains unclear. We aimed to characterize clinical, pathological, and prognostic differences between SLONM-MGUS and SLONM without MGUS (SLONM-noMGUS). We conducted a systematic review of SLONM case series published over the past 25 years, supplemented by a single-center case series of five additional patients from our institution (Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome). Eligible subjects included adult patients diagnosed with SLONM based on clinical features and muscle biopsy demonstrating nemaline rods. Data on demographics, laboratory parameters, histopathological findings, treatments and outcomes were extracted and compared between SLONM-MGUS and SLONM-noMGUS cohorts. Of the 144 patients analyzed, 47 % were classified as SLONM-MGUS. These patients exhibited more severe clinical manifestations, including increased respiratory involvement (p = 0.006). Histopathologically, SLONM-MGUS revealed more prominent nemaline rods (p = 0.032), often accompanied by cytoplasmic bodies and lobulated fibers, and frequently required repeat muscle biopsies for diagnosis (p = 0.0285). Inflammatory infiltrates were less frequent in SLONM-MGUS (p = 0.0176). Functional outcomes were significantly worse in this group, with reduced likelihood of full recovery (p = 0.013) and higher rates of non-ambulatory status (p = 0.01). Patients receiving dual or more treatment regimens, particularly those including IVIg and/or autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), had more favorable outcomes. These findings indicate that SLONM-MGUS represents a more severe phenotype of SLONM with distinct clinico-pathological features and poorer prognosis. Notably, combined treatment regimens, including IVIg and/or ASCT, were associated with improved outcomes, highlighting the importance of early recognition and aggressive therapeutic strategies in selected patients.

Autoantibodies, hallmark mediators of autoimmune diseases, drive pathogenesis through Fc receptors (FcRs) engagement. Among human FcRs, FcγRIIa is the most abundantly expressed subtype and plays a pivotal role in regulating both innate and adaptive immune responses. Genetic polymorphisms and dysregulated FcγRIIa signaling are increasingly implicated in autoimmune pathogenesis. By governing immune cell activation, differentiation, and effector functions, FcγRIIa emerges as a central orchestrator of immune responses. Recent clinical studies have identified FcγRIIa as a promising therapeutic target in patients with autoimmune diseases, as well as in murine autoimmune models. This review outlines the structure and cellular expression profile of FcγRIIa and elucidates its role in immune regulation. Furthermore, we discuss its association with autoimmune pathogenesis and highlight FcγRIIa targeted therapeutics evaluated in past and ongoing clinical trials for autoimmune disease treatment.

The inflammatory myopathies-including dermatomyositis, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy, anti-synthetase syndrome, and overlap myositis-are systemic autoimmune diseases characterized by myositis-specific and myositis-associated autoantibodies targeting intracellular antigens. These diseases can be subclassified by autoantibody seropositivity, based on the understanding that each myositis autoantibody is associated with distinct clinical features. Traditionally, given the intracellular nature of their targets, myositis autoantibodies were thought to be non-pathogenic. However, this idea is now being challenged based on data from recent and older studies showing that autoantibodies reach their intracellular targets in vivo and exert functional pathogenic effects. In this review, we summarize experimental evidence supporting a model of pathogenic autoantibody internalization in the skeletal muscle of different inflammatory myopathies. We also address gaps in the evidence for this model, including the lack of a proven mechanism of autoantibody entry, while offering suggestions for future studies to fill these gaps. We discuss possible mechanisms of autoantibody entry, as well as the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications of this model. Finally, we propose that autoantibodies targeting intracellular antigens in other autoimmune diseases-including certain autoimmune neurologic disorders, systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and vasculitis-could potentially play a role in these conditions.

Cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) refers to extracellular DNA fragments released during cell death, which have been observed to accumulate with advancing age. Elevated cf-DNA concentrations have been detected in the plasma and disease-affected tissues of patients with multiple disorders, particularly age-related autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Growing evidence supports the potential of cf-DNA as a biomarker for a broad spectrum of autoimmune and age-associated conditions, including cancer, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and psoriasis. Fluctuations in cf-DNA levels and characteristics appear to be closely associated with disease onset, progression, severity, and prognosis. Importantly, emerging studies indicate that cf-DNA may not merely act as a passive biomarker but could also function as an active mediator contributing to RA pathogenesis through distinct immunological pathways. These insights suggest that cf-DNA represents a promising target for the development of innovative diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic strategies. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of age-related cf-DNA in RA, highlight its potential immunopathological roles, and discuss recent advances in cf-DNA-based diagnostic tools, preventive approaches, and therapeutic interventions with possible clinical translational value.

Autoimmune diseases constitute a collection of complex disorders characterized by abnormal immune responses directed against self-tissues. The pathogenesis of these diseases is strongly linked to the interaction of genetic predispositions and environmental influences. Clinically, autoimmune diseases present with heterogeneous manifestations, and their prevalence has been steadily rising, resulting in profound impacts on patients' physical and psychological health and creating a growing challenge for healthcare infrastructures. At present, nonspecific immunosuppressants are the main treatment method, but this method has limitations such as extensive immunosuppression and serious adverse reactions. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel and targeted therapeutic strategies. As crucial mediators of intercellular communication, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become significant actors in the control of inflammatory and immunological responses, showing great promise in both mechanistic studies and clinical applications. This study offers a comprehensive overview of current developments in EV research for the main autoimmune conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis. It further comprehensively discusses the potential clinical value of EVs from the perspectives of disease pathogenesis and biomarker development, aiming to offer theoretical support and innovative directions for the clinical application of EV-based diagnostics and treatments, as well as for the realization of precision medicine in autoimmune disorders.