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ID PMID Title PublicationDate abstract
33123604 Identification of Long Noncoding RNAs lnc-DC in Plasma as a New Biomarker for Primary Sjö 2020 OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the plasma levels of lnc-DC in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients and investigate the potential associations between lnc-DC and disease activity. METHODS: In this study, we recruited 358 enrollments, including 127 pSS patients without immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), 22 pSS patients with ITP, 50 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, and 50 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 109 healthy individuals, from Xuzhou Central Hospital. The expression of anti-SSA and anti-SSB was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Spearman rank correlation test was used to analyze the relationship between lnc-DC and pSS activity. pSS activity was measured by anti-SSA, anti-SSB antibody, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and β (2)-microglobulin levels. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the diagnostic performance of plasma lnc-DC for pSS. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, SLE and RA patients, the lnc-DC expression levels were significantly elevated in pSS patients (P < 0.001), especially in pSS patients with ITP (P < 0.001). As expected, we also found that the lnc-DC expression positively correlated with anti-SSA (R (2) = 0.290, P < 0.001), anti-SSB (R (2) = 0.172, P < 0.001), ESR level (R (2) = 0.076, P = 0.002), and β (2)-microglobulin level (R (2) = 0.070, P = 0.003) in pSS patients. ROC curves showed that plasma lnc-DC in pSS patients had an AUC 0.80 with a sensitivity of 0.75 and specificity of 0.85 at the optimum cutoff 1.06 in discriminating SLE and RA patients. In addition, the combination of lnc-DC and anti-SSA/SSB (AUC: 0.84, sensitivity: 0.79, specificity: 0.90) improved significantly the diagnostic ability of pSS patients from SLE and RA patients. In the efficacy monitoring study, levels of plasma lnc-DC were dramatically decreased after treatment (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: These findings highlight that plasma lnc-DC as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis of pSS and can be used to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of pSS underwent interventional therapy.
33345197 Associations between gut microbiota and genetic risk for rheumatoid arthritis in the absen 2020 Jul BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that is associated with reduced life expectancy. The disease is heritable and an extensive repertoire of genetic variants have been identified. The gut microbiota might represent an environmental risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis. We aimed to assess whether known rheumatoid arthritis risk alleles were associated with the gut microbiota in a large population who do not have rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study done in the UK and Switzerland, we used genotyping and microbiota data from previous studies of the TwinsUK cohort, excluding participants who had ever had a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, as well as their unaffected co-twins. We used blood samples for genotyping and stool samples for the assessment of the gut microbiota. We generated a polygenic risk score (PRS) for rheumatoid arthritis in 1650 TwinsUK participants without the disease, based on 233 GWAS-identified single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with rheumatoid arthritis. We validated the PRS using logistic regression against rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in 2686 UK Biobank individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were generated from 16S rRNA gene sequencing of stool samples and assessed for association with the PRS for rheumatoid arthritis. We validated the findings in an independent sample comprised of first-degree relatives of patients with rheumatoid arthritis from the SCREEN-RA cohort. Differential abundance of ASVs present in more than 5% of samples, grouped by ASV taxon annotation, against the rheumatoid arthritis PRS as a continuous variable was assessed using fixed-effects covariates. To account for multiple testing, the false discovery rate calculation was applied to all p values to generate q values, with a significance threshold of 0·05 determined a priori. FINDINGS: We found that presence of Prevotella spp were positively associated with the rheumatoid arthritis PRS in TwinsUK participants (q<1 × 10(-7)). This finding was validated in SCREEN-RA participants (n=133) carrying established shared epitope risk alleles (q=0·0011). We also found an association between Prevotella spp and presence of preclinical rheumatoid arthritis phases (q=0·021). INTERPRETATION: Prevotella spp in the gut microbiota are associated with the rheumatoid arthritis genotype in the absence of rheumatoid arthritis, including in individuals at high risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Our findings suggest that host genotype is associated with microbiota profile before disease onset. FUNDING: Versus Arthritis.
33294313 A comparison of risk factors for osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis using NHANES data. 2020 Dec Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are both diseases of joints, but they have very different etiologies. Osteoarthritis is a disease assumed to result from wear and tear over time, whereas rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the body's immune system attacks joint tissues. Using NHANES data (1999-2015), we have compared the influence of age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index and smoking on these two very different forms of arthritis. Incidence of both increases with age and are more frequent in females than males. There is little apparent difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in women of normal as comparted to overweight, but both are more frequent in obese women, especially those over the age of 60. While osteoarthritis is more frequent in whites, blacks have more rheumatoid arthritis, and Hispanics show an intermediate prevalence. Smoking significantly increased the incidence of both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in women, but increased prevalence of only RA in men. There was no effect of smoking on OA prevalence in males. It is remarkable that two diseases of joints, which have quite different causes, should have so many commonalities. The differences that exist appear to be due to a combination of inflammatory markers and access to health care.
31092717 Sjögren Syndrome without Focal Lymphocytic Infiltration of the Salivary Glands. 2020 Mar OBJECTIVE: Primary Sjögren syndrome (SS) is characterized by a focal lymphocytic infiltrate in exocrine glands. We describe patients who lacked this key feature. METHODS: We evaluated patients with sicca in a comprehensive clinic at which medical, dental, and ophthalmological examinations were performed. All subjects underwent a minor salivary gland biopsy with focus score calculation. Extraglandular manifestations were also determined. We categorized subjects as high, intermediate, or low in terms of expression of interferon (IFN)-regulated genes. RESULTS: About 20% (51 of 229, 22%) of those classified as having primary SS had a focus score of zero. Compared to those with anti-Ro positivity and a focus score > 1.0, the patients with focus score of zero (who by classification criteria must be anti-Ro-positive) were statistically less likely to have anti-La (or SSB) and elevated immunoglobulin, as well as less severe corneal staining. The focus score zero patients were less likely to have elevated expression of IFN-regulated genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells than anti-Ro-positive SS patients with a focal salivary infiltrate. CONCLUSION: There are only a few clinical differences between patients with primary SS with focus score zero and those with both anti-Ro and a focus score > 1.0. The small subset of focus score zero patients tested did not have elevated expression of IFN-regulated genes, but did have systemic disease. Thus, extraglandular manifestations are perhaps more related to the presence of anti-Ro than increased IFN. This may have relevance to pathogenesis of SS.
33072443 Do Menopause and Aging Affect the Onset and Progression of Rheumatoid Arthritis and System 2020 Oct 14 Rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are autoimmune diseases that are commonly seen in the female population. Rheumatoid arthritis mainly consists of distal symmetrical deforming polyarthritis. SLE patients have immune complexes that damage the organs and systems of the body, and this can present with one or more symptoms including the characteristic malar rash, serositis, lupus nephritis, photosensitivity, and arthritis of large joints. The onset and progression of the diseases are affected by physiological processes that occur in the body such as menopause and aging. The studies used as evidence were found in the PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Taylor & Francis Online, Wiley Online Library, Ovid, and Oxford Academic databases. By analyzing these studies, the effects of aging and menopause on rheumatoid arthritis and SLE were revealed. In relation to menopause and aging, it was found that there was a progression of disease in women who had rheumatoid arthritis. However, aging and menopause caused the progression of SLE to decrease in women. An earlier age of onset of menopause was correlated with an increased chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis and SLE. Furthermore, while some studies showed that a later onset of SLE caused an increase in the progression of the disease, other studies showed that a later onset of SLE led to a decrease in the progression of the disease. Due to the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis and SLE in females, we believe that the effects of menopause, age, and other factors on these two diseases should be examined in future studies.
32003314 Unusual Cerebral Involvement of Rheumatoid Arthritis Mimicking a Tumor. 2020 BACKGROUND: The central nervous system's involvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is infrequent and can be life-threatening. Mass-like CNS involvement is an unusual presentation. A 45 year old man had suffered seropositive rheumatoid arthritis for five years referred to our hospital with one-week history of right-sided facial paralysis, left hemiparesis and headache. DISCUSSION: MRI demonstrated hyperintense mass-like lesion extended from mesencephalon to right hippocampus and basal ganglia on T2 and FLAIR images. On DWI, restricted diffusion was not present. After contrast administration, minimal contrast enhancement was noted. After methotrexate and steroid treatment, the size had been markedly shrunken on the follow-up images. The clinical symptoms were also improved. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, the mass-like presentation was not reported in the literature. We report an unusual case of brain involvement of rheumatoid arthritis mimicked tumor.
32361905 A case of bilateral methotrexate-associated diffuse large B-cell lymphomas of the breasts 2020 Sep A 54-year-old woman on methotrexate (MTX) treatment developed reddish skin change in her right breast. Mammography and ultrasound showed no masses in the breasts but bilateral mammary glands presented diffuse lower-level echoes. Only 19 days later, the patient developed bilateral breast masses. Histological examination showed that diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells spread widely and sparsely in the bilateral breasts in addition to the tumor cell conglomerate, leading to the diagnosis of MTX-associated lympho-proliferative disorders (MTX-LPDs). Withdrawal of MTX resulted in complete disappearance of the left MTX-LPD in 2 months but no regression of the right MTX-LPD. Chemotherapy led to a partial response followed by re-growth of the right MTX-LPD. Re-biopsy of the right MTX-LPD revealed double/triple hit lymphoma. Second-line and later-line chemotherapies caused no regression of the right MTX-LPD. The patient died in a year after the diagnosis of MTX-LPDs. Breast oncologists should note the presence, biology, and diagnostic images of MTX-LPD.
31879467 Altering the natural history of rheumatoid arthritis: The role of immunotherapy and biolog 2020 Jan Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an idiopathic disease characterized by systemic inflammation, persistent synovitis, and the presence of autoantibodies. Because of the musculoskeletal deformity caused by RA, multiple orthopaedic procedures are regularly performed as part of the treatment. The changing rates of surgery and the rise in new efficacious medical therapy have improved the prognosis for patients with RA. This review will discuss the natural history of rheumatoid arthritis, common medications used to treat it, how disease progression has changed as a function of new biologic immunotherapy, and the role of orthopaedic intervention in this new landscape of advanced rheumatoid care.
32754477 Cognitive dysfunction in patients of rheumatoid arthritis. 2020 May Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a form of arthritis characterized by joint pain, stiffness, swelling and deformity. There has been plethora of researches in the area of rheumatoid arthritis which focused on immune system, genetic predisposition and newer treatment modalities. Researchers have also examined the cognitive decline, physical deficits and their interrelationship in patients with RA. Among several psychological aspects depression, anxiety and stress emerge as significant psychological co morbidity. RA is a multifactorial, chronic, inflammatory disease primarily affects physical functioning as well as psychological aspects. Pain, fatigue, duration of disease, disease activity and functional disability are very common in rheumatoid arthritis which is leading cause of psychological distress and functional disability. Various types of neuropsychological battery were used to assess the decline in specific areas like attention, executive functioning, visuo-spatial learning, verbal learning/memory etc. These functions were compared with other type of arthritis disease. Also, various other factors like depression, cardiovascular diseases, other systemic and chronic disease and concomitant drugs intake etc. also affected cognitive functioning in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients. The objective of this review was to identify and explore the rates and types of cognitive impairment in RA. This present review paper systematically examines and summarizes the cognition related decrement in arthritis patients. Multiple research articles between 1990 to 2018 were searched. These reviews were evaluated and synthesized using a narrative and descriptive approach.
32609963 Do ankle, hindfoot, and heel ultrasound findings predict the symptomatology and quality of 2020 Objectives: To evaluate the ankle, hindfoot, and heel changes (determined by physical examination, ultrasound and baropodometry) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, to compare the findings with healthy subjects, and to analyze if these findings are associated with ankle pain and could affect the quality of life. Methods: We enrolled 35 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 35 healthy controls, and evaluated their ankles (tibiotalar joints, tendons), hindfeet (talonavicular, subtalar joints) and heels using clinical examination, DAS28-CRP, RAPID3 for the evaluation of functional status, quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis questionnaire, ultrasound, and baropodometry. Results: The ultrasound inter-observer agreement was good for the subtalar joint, and very good for the other structures. Flat foot was identified in 50% of feet in rheumatoid arthritis patients, with 83.8% having concomitant hindfoot valgus and less subtalar joint synovitis visible from the lateral approach (32.4% vs 55.6%, p = 0.041). The body mass index, RAPID3 and subtalar synovitis were independent predictors for the symptomatic ankle (all p <0.05). Midfoot and heel plantar pressures were higher in rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to healthy controls, but when subtalar synovitis was present, the pressures decreased (avoidance of heel support). Poor quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis patients was independently predicted by DAS28-CRP, RAPID3, disease stage, hindfoot valgus, tibiotalar and subtalar synovitis, tendon pathology, Achilles tendon enthesophytes, calcaneal erosions, plantar fasciitis, and perifasciitis (all p <0.05). Conclusion: The quality of life of rheumatoid arthritis patients is significantly affected by ankle and hindfoot pathology (inflammatory modifications, but also degenerative findings and deformities). Ultrasound scanning is an important tool in the evaluation of inflammatory and degenerative lesions in these regions, and their early detection might contribute to a better therapeutic management in these patients. Objectives: To evaluate the ankle, hindfoot, and heel changes (determined by physical examination, ultrasound and baropodometry) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, to compare the findings with healthy subjects, and to analyze if these findings are associated with ankle pain and could affect the quality of life. Methods: We enrolled 35 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 35 healthy controls, and evaluated their ankles (tibiotalar joints, tendons), hindfeet (talonavicular, subtalar joints) and heels using clinical examination, DAS28-CRP, RAPID3 for the evaluation of functional status, quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis questionnaire, ultrasound, and baropodometry. Results: The ultrasound inter-observer agreement was good for the subtalar joint, and very good for the other structures. Flat foot was identified in 50% of feet in rheumatoid arthritis patients, with 83.8% having concomitant hindfoot valgus and less subtalar joint synovitis visible from the lateral approach (32.4% vs 55.6%, p = 0.041). The body mass index, RAPID3 and subtalar synovitis were independent predictors for the symptomatic ankle (all p <0.05). Midfoot and heel plantar pressures were higher in rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to healthy controls, but when subtalar synovitis was present, the pressures decreased (avoidance of heel support). Poor quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis patients was independently predicted by DAS28-CRP, RAPID3, disease stage, hindfoot valgus, tibiotalar and subtalar synovitis, tendon pathology, Achilles tendon enthesophytes, calcaneal erosions, plantar fasciitis, and perifasciitis (all p <0.05). Conclusion: The quality of life of rheumatoid arthritis patients is significantly affected by ankle and hindfoot pathology (inflammatory modifications, but also degenerative findings and deformities). Ultrasound scanning is an important tool in the evaluation of inflammatory and degenerative lesions in these regions, and their early detection might contribute to a better therapeutic management in these patients.
31427751 Effects of immunomodulatory drugs on depressive symptoms: A mega-analysis of randomized, p 2020 Jun Activation of the innate immune system is commonly associated with depression. Immunomodulatory drugs may have efficacy for depressive symptoms that are co-morbidly associated with inflammatory disorders. We report a large-scale re-analysis by standardized procedures (mega-analysis) of patient-level data combined from 18 randomized clinical trials conducted by Janssen or GlaxoSmithKline for one of nine disorders (N = 10,743 participants). Core depressive symptoms (low mood, anhedonia) were measured by the Short Form Survey (SF-36) or the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and participants were stratified into high (N = 1921) versus low-depressive strata based on baseline ratings. Placebo-controlled change from baseline after 4-16 weeks of treatment was estimated by the standardized mean difference (SMD) over all trials and for each subgroup of trials targeting one of 7 mechanisms (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-12/23, CD20, COX2, BLγS, p38/MAPK14). Patients in the high depressive stratum showed modest but significant effects on core depressive symptoms (SMD = 0.29, 95% CI [0.12-0.45]) and related SF-36 measures of mental health and vitality. Anti-IL-6 antibodies (SMD = 0.8, 95% CI [0.20-1.41]) and an anti-IL-12/23 antibody (SMD = 0.48, 95% CI [0.26-0.70]) had larger effects on depressive symptoms than other drug classes. Adjustments for physical health outcome marginally attenuated the average treatment effect on depressive symptoms (SMD = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.06-0.35), but more strongly attenuated effects on mental health and vitality. Effects of anti-IL-12/23 remained significant and anti-IL-6 antibodies became a trend after controlling for physical response to treatment. Novel immune-therapeutics can produce antidepressant effects in depressed patients with primary inflammatory disorders that are not entirely explained by treatment-related changes in physical health.
33110878 A giant rheumatoid nodule of the cubital fossa: A mimicker of malignancy. 2020 Aug Rheumatoid nodules (RNs) are the most common extraarticular manifestation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, appearing in up to 30%. They are typically localized subcutaneously in pressure points or joints, such as the extensor surface of the elbow. But when they have atypical localizations, they provide a confusing differential diagnosis including the possibility of a malignancy. Herein, we report a 53-year-old female patient with known rheumatoid arthritis who presented with a painless mass in the right cubital fossa. The uncommon site and the presence of cortical disruption made us proceed to computed tomography-guided biopsy to exclude the presence of a malignancy. Biopsy established the RN diagnosis.
32201660 Organizing Pneumonia Induced by Tocilizumab in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis. 2020 Feb 13 Interstitial lung disease is a significant extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis, due to its prevalence, morbidity and mortality. Biological therapies are widely used for rheumatoid arthritis treatment. However, some biological agents have been related to the induction or exacerbation of interstitial lung disease. We report a 51-year-old woman with knee arthralgia, hand and foot joint deformities. Although there were no respiratory symptoms, rheumatoid arthritis and interstitial lung disease were diagnosed. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) detected a radiological pattern of nonspecific interstitial pneumonia. After tocilizumab therapy for nine months, a second HRCT detected a worsening of interstitial lung disease, presenting a pattern of organizing pneumonia. Tocilizumab was discontinued and prednisone (1 mg/kg/day) was introduced. After two months, a further HRCT detected a significant improvement in organizing pneumonia. There are few similar cases in the literature of tocilizumab-induced organizing pneumonia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Despite being a rare adverse effect, knowledge of this association is important for monitoring the use of tocilizumab.
32476685 Rheumatoid arthritis with pachymeningitis - a case presentation and review of the literatu 2020 Rheumatoid meningitis (RM) is a rare central nervous system (CNS) manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with a wide spectrum of symptoms. We present a review of the literature with a rare illustrative case of a 61-year-old man with a history of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who presented headaches, stroke-like symptoms and seizures. MRI revealed the leptomeningeal enhancement in the right hemisphere. As cerebromeningeal fluid showed increased level of protein and was positive for Candida mannan, the initial clinical diagnosis was fungal meningitis. Despite the antifungal treatment the patient's clinical condition did not improve. Detailed laboratory, radiologic and histopathological diagnostics enabled the diagnosis of RM. In conclusion is worth to highlight that presentation of RM is variable and complex, diagnosing it is a big dilemma which is why it must be considered in the differential in a patient with long-standing seropositive RA.
33192106 Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated in a Disease Management Pr 2020 BACKGROUND: Care models can affect the clinical outcome of patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare how an innovative model of a rheumatoid arthritis disease-management program can improve the clinical outcomes of patients compared to a conventional assessment approach. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of real-world data from clinical records of a cohort of 5078 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis who were followed up at the Center of Excellence in Rheumatoid Arthritis vs the clinical outcomes reported in the Colombian National Registry of Rheumatoid Arthritis. RESULTS: We found significant differences in the diagnosis and follow-up between the specialized Center program and the usual care reported by the Colombian National Registry (p<0.005), including the evaluation of rheumatoid factor, Anti-citrullinated antibodies Disease Activity Score, Health Assessment Questionnaire, number of visits to the rheumatologist, and clinical outcomes measured by the level of disease activity. In addition, when comparing the Center's clinical outcomes - from baseline to the last follow-up, we found an improvement in the level of disease activity, with patients classified in remission increasing from 20.8% to 58.5% (p<0.005), and a reduction in those with high disease activity from 18% to 4.7% (p<0.005). CONCLUSION: Real-world evidence showed that patients with rheumatoid arthritis who underwent follow-up under an innovative disease-management model improved their clinical outcomes compared with those patients in a conventional assessment program. These results could suggest a way of improving health policies for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
31879489 Long-term clinical results of bipolar hemiarthroplasty for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid a 2020 Jan We aimed to clarify the possibility of using bipolar hip arthroplasty (BHA) for degenerative diseases by examining long-term results postoperatively in 336 hips. Patients' average age was 61.0 years (range, 34-88 years), and the average follow-up period was 12.5 years (range, 5.0-27.3 years). The 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year Kaplan Meier survival rates (end point: revision) were 92.1%, 81.8%, and 20.1% in the osteoarthritis group and 96.4%, 90.1%, and 24.6% in the rheumatoid arthritis group, respectively. Since the survival rate for more than 10 years decreases rapidly, the use of BHA for treating degenerative diseases should be restricted.
32322123 Color fraction as a useful method of imaging synovium vascularization in patients with hig 2020 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease with joint inflammation and destruction as the main features that appears with prevalence of 1 to 2% of the general population. Women are three times more likely to suffer from RA than men. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs at any age but commonly over 40-50 years old. In the course of RA each joint may be involved but most frequently the proximal interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints of the hands, wrists, and also small joints of the feet are affected. Symmetrical joint swelling with overgrowth of synovium and hypervascularization confirmed in power Doppler ultrasound imaging are very characteristic for RA. Quantification of vascularization with the color fraction index may be a useful tool to monitor disease activity and in evaluation of inflammation in scientific research. This article aims to present this imaging diagnostic method based on the literature.
32174824 Iguratimod as a New Drug for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Current Landscape. 2020 Iguratimod (IGU) is a novel synthetic small molecule disease modified anti-rheumatic drug approved only in Japan and China up to date. IGU plays an important immunomodulatory role in the synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis by inhibiting the production of immunoglobulins and cytokines and regulating T lymphocyte subsets. IGU also regulates bone metabolism by stimulating bone formation while inhibiting osteoclast differentiation, migration, and bone resorption. In clinical trials, IGU was shown to be superior to placebo and not inferior to salazosulfapyridine. Combined therapy of IGU with other disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs showed significant improvements for disease activity. IGU has good efficacy and tolerance as an additional treatment for rheumatoid arthritis patients with inadequate response to methotrexate and biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. In this review, we summarize current landscape on the mechanism of action of IGU and its clinical effectiveness and safety. It is expected that further translational studies on IGU will pave the road for wider application of IGU in the treatment of autoimmune diseases other than rheumatoid arthritis.
32676556 The Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Rheumatoid Arthritis. 2020 Jun Omega-3 fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids thought to play a role in health and disease. They are known as essential fatty acids, as they cannot be synthesized in mammals. Omega-3 fatty acids have a beneficial effect on the secondary prevention of coronary artery disease and stroke and are essential for the development and function of the nervous system and the retina in man. Omega-3 fatty acids are thought to have immunomodulatory properties as they act as precursors to lipid mediators of inflammation which may limit or modulate the inflammatory response. Omega-3 fatty acids seem to prevent or attenuate experimental arthritis. They may have a beneficial effect in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Clinical studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids may have a modulatory effect on disease activity, namely on the number of swollen and tender joints. It appears that omega-3 fatty acids may modulate disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.
32829958 Pharmacology and safety of tofacitinib in ulcerative colitis. 2021 Jan The use of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors is a new approach in the therapy of inflammatory diseases with immune base. Tofacitinib is one of these inhibitors targeting JAK1 and JAK3, and its efficacy has been demonstrated in the treatment of moderate to severe ulcerative colitis (UC). It is a small synthetic molecule administered orally, with a fast bioavailability and elimination rate, predictable pharmacokinetics and lack of immunogenicity, which are convenient characteristics for both efficacy and safety. This article reviews the pharmacological characteristics of tofacitinib and its safety profile.