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Clin Exp Rheumatol 2022 May 4. Epub 2022 May 4.

Immunology Laboratory Department, Bordeaux University Hospital, France.

Front Pediatr 2022 9;10:855260. Epub 2022 May 9.

Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.

Mesenchymal stem cells have recently been recoined as medicinal signaling cells (MSC) for their ability to promote tissue homeostasis through immune modulation, angiogenesis and tropism. During the last 20 years, there has been a plethora of publications using MSC in adults and to lesser extent neonates on a variety of illnesses. In parts of the world, autologous and allogeneic MSCs have been purified and used to treat a range of autoimmune conditions, including graft versus host disease, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, refractory systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis. Read More

Front Mol Neurosci 2022 9;15:870868. Epub 2022 May 9.

Division of Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.

Seizures are a common presenting symptom during viral infections of the central nervous system (CNS) and can occur during the initial phase of infection ("early" or acute symptomatic seizures), after recovery ("late" or spontaneous seizures, indicating the development of acquired epilepsy), or both. The development of acute and delayed seizures may have shared as well as unique pathogenic mechanisms and prognostic implications. Based on an extensive review of the literature, we present an overview of viruses that are associated with early and late seizures in humans. Read More

BMC Neurosci 2022 May 25;23(1):30. Epub 2022 May 25.

Charles River Discovery Services, Neulaniementie 4, 70210, Kuopio, Finland.

Background: Therapeutic agents stimulating the process of myelination could be beneficial for the treatment of demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. The efficient translation of compounds promoting myelination in vitro to efficacy in vivo is inherently time-consuming and expensive. Thyroid hormones accelerate the differentiation and maturation of oligodendrocytes, thereby promoting myelination. Read More

Clin Rheumatol 2022 May 26. Epub 2022 May 26.

Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 37, 00185, Rome, Italy.

Objectives: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients are at risk for a severe disease course during SARS-CoV-2 infection either due to comorbidities or immunosuppression. The availability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines is crucial for the prevention of this hard-to-treat illness. The aim of this study is to assess the humoral response after mRNA vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in SSc patients. Read More

Turk J Pediatr 2022 ;64(2):394-399

Departments of Pediatric Rheumatology, İstanbul Cerrahpaşa University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.

Background: Juvenile systemic sclerosis (JSS) is an extremely rarely seen auto-immune disease characterized by the increased fibrosis of skin and internal organs. Congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) is a developmental disorder of the lung, characterized by atypical cell hyperplasia which creates the ground for lung adenocarcinoma. In general, CPAM is diagnosed in early childhood, due to recurrent respiratory symptoms including cough, hemoptysis and respiratory infections. Read More

Mediterr J Rheumatol 2022 Mar 31;33(1):1-6. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Division of Rheumatology, Patras University Hospital, Rion, Patras, Greece.

Systemic sclerosis is a systemic, autoimmune disease that in many patients affects not only the skin, but also internal organs, mainly the lung. It is clear that internal organ (ie, lung) involvement determines the prognosis. Therefore, there is an unmet need to introduce novel and more effective treatments capable of halting disease progression and hence improve prognosis. Read More

Mediterr J Rheumatol 2022 Mar 31;33(1):106-108. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Vitamin D is an agent involved in bone and mineral homeostasis. It has been recognized as a potent immunomodulator. It has immune-enhancing properties, and it induces immune tolerance. Read More

Mediterr J Rheumatol 2022 Mar 31;33(1):63-67. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.

Distinguishing hereditary forms of myopathy from certain forms of inflammatory myopathy can be challenging. We present 3 cases where a certain degree of overlap was observed between genetics and autoimmunity. A child with juvenile dermatomyositis where heterozygosity for a pathogenic mutation implicated in LGMD1C resulted in a delayed diagnosis. Read More

Mediterr J Rheumatol 2022 Mar 31;33(1):35-41. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Rheumatology Department, Firoozgar Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Background: Systemic sclerosis is a chronic disease of connective tissue accompanied by fibrosis of the skin and inner organs and an increased risk of foot ulcers. Biomechanical indices such as soft-tissue thickness and compressibility may correlate with the risk of this phenomenon.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess heel pad and first metatarsal head (MTH) soft-tissue thickness and compressibility index (CI) in scleroderma patients compared to matched healthy individuals. Read More

Mediterr J Rheumatol 2022 Mar 31;33(1):7-13. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Since its discovery, vitamin D was shown to have both immunostimulatory and immunomodulatory effects on the immune system. A growing body of evidence so far linked vitamin D deficiency with the development and severity of several systemic and organ specific autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis. In the present report, the multiple and diverse effects of vitamin D on the immune system are reviewed. Read More

Arthritis Res Ther 2022 May 23;24(1):118. Epub 2022 May 23.

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Eur Respir J 2022 Apr 7. Epub 2022 Apr 7.

Center of Experimental Rheumatology, Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

Eur Respir J 2022 Apr 7. Epub 2022 Apr 7.

Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China

ACR Open Rheumatol 2022 May 23. Epub 2022 May 23.

Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, New York.

Objective: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) has significant psychosocial implications. We aimed to evaluate the proportion of participants in a large international SSc cohort who used mental health services in a 3-month period and to evaluate demographic, psychological, and disease-specific factors associated with use.

Methods: Baseline data of participants enrolled in the Scleroderma Patient-Centered Intervention Network Cohort were analyzed. Read More

Front Immunol 2022 4;13:885609. Epub 2022 May 4.

Center for Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Disease, Department of Inflammation, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

IL-17 (IL-17A) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by a sub-set of T helper cells termed Th17 cells primarily in response to cytokines like TGF-β and IL-23 and play an important role in host defense. IL-17 signals the IL-17RA/RC heterodimer and the adaptor protein Act1 to activate both canonical and non-canonical pathways inducing transcriptional activation and stabilization of mRNAs. IL-17 appears to act not directly on immune cells but stimulates stromal cells such as endothelial and epithelial cells and fibroblasts to secrete other immunomodulatory factors. Read More

Front Immunol 2022 5;13:869172. Epub 2022 May 5.

Division of Rheumatology, St. Joseph's Health Care, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.

The pathogenesis of connective tissue diseases (CTDs), such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc), is characterized by derangements of the innate and adaptive immune system, and inflammatory pathways leading to autoimmunity, chronic cytokine production, and chronic inflammation. The diagnosis of these diseases is based on meeting established criteria with symptoms, signs and autoantibodies. However, there are pre-clinical states where criteria are not fulfilled but biochemical and autoimmune derangements are present. Read More

Front Immunol 2022 4;13:893086. Epub 2022 May 4.

Department of Dermatology, The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Autoantibodies are found in various pathological conditions such as autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and malignant tumors. However their clinical implications have not yet been fully elucidated. Herein, we conducted proteome-wide autoantibody screening and quantification with wet protein arrays consisting of proteins synthesized from proteome-wide human cDNA library (HuPEX) maintaining their three-dimensional structure. Read More

Front Physiol 2022 5;13:900631. Epub 2022 May 5.

Cardiovascular Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a terminal disease characterized by vasculopathy, tissue fibrosis, and autoimmunity. Although the exact etiology of SSc remains unknown, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and calcium handling dysregulation have been associated with a large number of SSc-related complications such as neointima formation, vasculogenesis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, impaired angiogenesis, and cardiac arrhythmias. Hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an antioxidant enzyme involved in multiple biological actions in the cardiovascular system including vascular tone, angiogenesis, cellular proliferation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. Read More

Isr Med Assoc J 2022 May;24(5):299-305

Department of Postgraduate Studies, Faculty of Medicine, National University Autonomous of Mexico, México City, México.

Background: Patients with autoimmune disease (AID) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could have higher mortality due to the co-morbidity and the use of immunosuppressive therapy.

Objectives: To analyze the risk factors and outcomes of patients with AID and COVID-19 versus a control group.

Methods: A prospective cohort study included patients with and without AID and COVID-19. Read More

Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2022 May 21. Epub 2022 May 21.

Rheumatology Clinic, Università Politecnica Delle Marche, Carlo Urbani" Hospital, Via Aldo Moro, 25, 60035, Jesi, Ancona, Italy.

Frailty is a new concept in rheumatology that can help identify people more likely to have less favorable outcomes. Sarcopenia and inflammaging can be regarded as the biological foundations of physical frailty. Frailty is becoming more widely accepted as an indicator of ageing and is linked to an increased risk of negative outcomes such as falls, injuries, and mortality. Read More

J Neurosci Res 2022 May 20. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, progressively debilitating demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Nearly 80% of MS patients experience lower urinary tract dysfunction early in their diagnosis. This significantly affects the quality of life, and in latter stages of disease is a leading cause of hospitalization. Read More

Ann Rheum Dis 2022 May 20. Epub 2022 May 20.

Priority Area Asthma & Allergy, Research Center Borstel, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Members of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Borstel, Germany

Objective: To determine contributions and functions of autoantibodies (Abs) directed to the angiotensin receptor type 1 (AT1R), which are suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of AT1R Abs-related diseases such as systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: C57BL/6J mice were immunised with membrane-embedded human AT1R or empty membrane as control. Mice deficient for CD4 or CD8 T cells and B cells were immunised with membrane-embedded AT1R or an AT1R peptide proposed to be a dominant T cell epitope. Read More

EBioMedicine 2022 May 17;80:104055. Epub 2022 May 17.

Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Joint Degeneration and Injury, Changsha, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China. Electronic address:

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that dysbiosis in gut microbiota may contribute to the occurrence or development of several rheumatic diseases. Since gut microbiota dysbiosis is potentially modifiable, it has been postulated to be a promising preventive or therapeutic target for rheumatic diseases. However, the current understanding on the potential associations between gut microbiota and rheumatic diseases is still inadequate. Read More

Arthritis Rheumatol 2022 May 20. Epub 2022 May 20.

Leiden University Medical Center, Rheumatology department.

Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2022 May 20. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Several rheumatic diseases have a perplexing association with cancer. Unraveling this mysterious connection is likely to provide deeper understanding regarding mechanisms governing the onset of both autoimmunity and cancer immunity, in addition to providing clinicians much needed guidance around whom and when to screen for occult malignancy. Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) and dermatomyositis are two diseases in which the association with internal malignancy is well-described and can be considered as models from which to gain important insights that likely have broader applicability. Read More

Neurogastroenterol Motil 2022 May 20:e14416. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic and generalized disease affecting the connective tissue of the skin and many internal organs, in particular the gastrointestinal tract. The esophagus is involved in up to 80% of the cases and represents a major cause of serious morbidities that deeply impact on the quality of life and survival of patients. Indeed, the presence of esophageal dysfunction is a good prognostic indicator in SSc, primarily due to its impact on pulmonary disease. Read More

Front Aging Neurosci 2022 3;14:890958. Epub 2022 May 3.

Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease characterized by the degeneration and death of motor neurons. Systemic neuroinflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of ALS. The proinflammatory milieu depends on the continuous crosstalk between the peripheral immune system (PIS) and central immune system (CIS). Read More

PLoS One 2022 19;17(5):e0265059. Epub 2022 May 19.

Department of Cardiology, Cliniques Universitaires de Bruxelles, Hôpital Académique Erasme, Bruxelles, Belgium.

Background: Risk stratification is central to the management of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). For this purpose, multiparametric tools have been developed, including the ESC/ERS risk score and its simplified versions derived from large database analysis such as the COMPERA and the French Pulmonary Hypertension Network (FPHN) registries. However, the distinction between high and intermediate-risk profiles may be difficult as the latter lacks granularity. Read More

Am Health Drug Benefits 2022 Mar;15(1):13-20

Clinical Trials Results Analyst, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system characterized by symptoms including reduced mobility, pain, fatigue, and spasticity. MS affects nearly 1 million people in the United States, with significant negative impact on a patient's quality of life, and an average lifetime cost of care in excess of $4 million. The cost-effective management of patients with MS faces several challenges. Read More