ROS-driven structural and functional fibrinogen modifications are reverted by interleukin-6 inhibition in Giant Cell Arteritis.

Background: Cranial and extra-cranial vascular events are among the major determinants of morbidity and mortality in Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA). Vascular events seem mostly of inflammatory nature, although the precise pathogenetic mechanisms are still unclear. We investigated the role of oxidation-induced structural and functional fibrinogen modifications in GCA.

Prevalence and clinical associations of ultrasound-confirmed enthesitis in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of US-confirmed enthesitis in a cohort of patients with SLE and to analyse the clinical associations to enthesitis during the course of SLE.

Methods: In a retrospective analysis of the SLE cohort of the Lupus Unit of the Careggi University Hospital, US examinations of SLE patients presenting with tender and/or swollen joints were retrieved to assess the presence of enthesitis. Patients with US-proven enthesitis were compared with SLE controls with tender and/or swollen joints who showed no US evidence of enthesitis.

Clinical profile and evolution of patients with juvenile-onset Behçet's syndrome over a 25-year period: insights from the AIDA network.

Behçet's syndrome (BS) represents an understudied topic in pediatrics: the main aims of our study were to characterize demographic and clinical features of a cohort of BS patients with juvenile-onset managed in three tertiary referral centers in Italy, evaluate their evolution in the long-term, and detect any potential differences with BS patients having an adult-onset. Medical records of 64 juvenile-onset and 332 adult-onset BS followed-up over a 2-year period were retrospectively analyzed and compared. Mean age ± SD of first symptom-appearance was 10.

Comparison of treatments for the prevention of fetal growth restriction in obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Women with criteria and non-criteria obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) carry an increased risk of pregnancy complications, including fetal growth restriction (FGR). The management of obstetric APS traditionally involves clinicians, obstetricians and gynaecologists; however, the most appropriate prophylactic treatment strategy for FGR prevention in APS is still debated. We performed a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NetMA) to summarize current evidence on pharmacological treatments for the prevention of FGR in APS.

Occurrence and predictive factors of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis: findings from a 3-year, multicentre, prospective, observational study.

Objectives: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), "traditional" cardiovascular (CV) risk factors continue to be underdiagnosed and undertreated, thus increasing the risk of developing atherosclerosis. In this work, we evaluated the occurrence and predictive factors of "traditional" cardiovascular risk factors, with a focus on high blood pressure (HBP), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and metabolic syndrome (MetS), in participants with RA, in a 3-year, multicentre, prospective, observational study.

Methods: To assess the occurrence and predictive factors of HBP, T2D, and MetS, consecutive participants with RA, admitted to Italian Rheumatology Units, were evaluated in the GIRRCS (Gruppo Italiano di Ricerca in Reumatologia Clinica e Sperimentale) cohort, a 3-year, multicentre, prospective, observational study.

Long-term effectiveness and safety of secukinumab for treatment of refractory mucosal and articular Behçet's phenotype: a multicentre study.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of secukinumab in patients with a mucosal and articular Behçet's phenotype resistant to conventional and biologic treatment.

Methods: A multicentre retrospective study was performed on 15 patients with a mucosal and articular phenotype of Behçet's syndrome fulfilling the International Criteria for Behçet's Disease and refractory to treatment with colchicine, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and at least one antitumour necrosis factor-α agent. Minimum follow-up was set at 6 months.

SARS-CoV-2 infection among patients with systemic autoimmune diseases.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of clinically overt SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) among patients with systemic autoimmune diseases residing in Tuscany, and to compare it with that observed in the general Tuscan population.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, Tuscan outpatients with systemic autoimmune diseases followed at a tertiary referral centre were telephonically interviewed between April 1st-14th 2020 to collect demographic and clinical data, information on ongoing immunomodulating/immunosuppressive treatments, and on the presence of symptoms suspected of SARS-CoV-2 or of a confirmed infection.

Results: 458 patients were interviewed [74% female, median age 56 years (IQR 43-68)]; 56% of them were receiving corticosteroids, 44% traditional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), of whom 23% hydroxychloroquine, 5% colchicine, while 41% were on biologic DMARDs (of whom 9% on tocilizumab).

Long-Term Effectiveness of Secukinumab in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis.

Objectives: The primary aim of our study was to evaluate long-term efficacy of secukinumab (SCK) in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA); secondary aims were to evaluate drug retention rate and to identify differences in the clinical and laboratory assessment according to axSpA clinical features, dosage administered, and biologic treatment lines. . We collected clinical, demographical, and treatment data from 39 patients affected by axSpA consecutively treated with SCK.

Adalimumab effectively controls both anterior and posterior noninfectious uveitis associated with systemic inflammatory diseases: focus on Behçet's syndrome.

Background: To compare the efficacy of Adalimumab (ADA) in noninfectious anterior uveitis (AU) and posterior segment (PS) involvement, associated with different conditions, with a focus on Behçet's syndrome (BS).

Methods: In this retrospective, multicenter post-hoc study, we evaluated the efficacy of ADA in terms of ocular control and relapses in 96 patients with AU and PS uveitis, either idiopathic (IU) or associated with BS or with other systemic disorders (OSD) (Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada, Inflammatory Bowel Disease), followed in three tertiary referral centers.

Results: Ninety-six patients (45 AU; 51 PS uveitis) were included.

Subclinical and clinical atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis: results from the 3-year, multicentre, prospective, observational GIRRCS (Gruppo Italiano di Ricerca in Reumatologia Clinica e Sperimentale) study.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality, when compared with general population, largely due to enhanced atherosclerotic disease. In this work, we aimed at assessing both occurrence and predictive factors of subclinical and clinical atherosclerosis in RA.

Methods: From January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2015, consecutive participants with RA, admitted to Italian Rheumatology Units, were assessed in the GIRRCS (Gruppo Italiano di Ricerca in Reumatologia Clinica e Sperimentale) cohort.

Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy: a snapshot for the internist.

Intravenous immunoglobulins are the cornerstone for the treatment of primary humoral immunodeficiencies and may be used for a great number of other autoimmune, neurological and hematological conditions as well. Given their wide application, the possibility of running across a patient who needs this kind of therapy is becoming increasingly common. Generally, intravenous immunoglobulins are well tolerated.

Different drug survival of first line tumour necrosis factor inhibitors in radiographic and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: a multicentre retrospective survey.

Objectives: Good drug survival of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) has been shown in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients treated in real-life setting. However, few studies have compared drug survival of the first TNF inhibitor between radiographic axSpA (r-axSpA) and non-radiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA) patients in real-world clinical practice. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness by assessing the retention rate of first-line TNFi in r-axSpA and nr-axSpA patients.

Adalimumab Accounts for Long-Term Control of Noninfectious Uveitis Also in the Absence of Concomitant DMARD Treatment: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Objective: This study was aimed at assessing the long-term ocular control of adalimumab (ADA) in a large real-world population with noninfectious primary or secondary uveitis, focusing on the steroid-sparing effect and on disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) cotreatment.

Methods: In this retrospective, multicenter study, the efficacy of ADA was evaluated in terms of ocular control, changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), corticosteroid-sparing effect, and drug retention rate, overall and stratified according to DMARD cotreatment.

Results: 106 patients were included.

The right place of interleukin-1 inhibitors in the treatment of Behçet's syndrome: a systematic review.

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a chronic (auto)-inflammatory disorder characterized by different clusters of symptoms, including mucocutaneous and ocular involvements. Interleukin-1 inhibitors anakinra (ANA), canakinumab (CAN), and gevokizumab (GEV) represent a promising therapeutic alternative in BS. To date, evidence on the use of ANA, CAN, and GEV is mainly based on small isolated studies or case series, and the real place of anti-IL1 agents in the treatment of BS is still unclear.

Vascular Behçet's syndrome: an update.

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a complex vasculitis, characterised by peculiar histological, pathogenetic and clinical features. Superficial venous thrombosis (SVT) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are the most frequent vascular involvements, affecting altogether 15-40% of BS patients. Atypical thrombosis is also an important clinical feature of BS, involving the vascular districts of the inferior and superior vena cava, suprahepatic veins with Budd-Chiari syndrome, portal vein, cerebral sinuses and right ventricle.

Subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic carriers of persistent antiphospholipid antibodies positivity: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Whereas the relationship between subclinical atherosclerosis and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) has been widely investigated, little is known about subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic carriers with isolated antiphospholipid antibodies positivity (APP).

Methods: Consecutive APP carriers, APS subjects and matched controls were enrolled. Intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (CCA-IMT) and of the Bulb (Bulb-IMT) and the prevalence of carotid plaques were assessed in all enrolled subjects.

Correction to: Long-term efficacy and safety of golimumab in the treatment of multirefractory Behçet's disease.

In the original version of this article the author name Gerardo Di Scala was originally presented incorrectly as 'Di Scala Gerardo'; this has been corrected in this article.

Impact of cardiovascular and immunologic variables on subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in subjects with anti-phospholipid antibodies.

Whereas some previous data on carriers with isolated antiphospholipid antibodies positivity (APP) suggested an increased risk of arterial events in this clinical setting, no data are available on subclinical atherosclerosis in this clinical setting. This article reports data on intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (CCA-IMT) and of the Bulb (Bulb-IMT) and on the prevalence of carotid plaques in APP carriers and in subjects with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) specifically stratifying for the presence of thrombotic manifestations, cardiovascular risk factors, antibody isotype and concomitant Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) or other autoimmune diseases.

Efficacy of the anti-IL 17 secukinumab in refractory Behçet's syndrome: A preliminary study.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of secukinumab in Behçet's patients with active mucocutaneous and articular manifestations refractory to previous treatments.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 5 patients treated with the IL17-inhibitor secukinumab and diagnosed with Behçet according to ISG/ICBD criteria. All patients had active mucocutaneous and articular manifestations refractory to colchicine, conventional DMARDs and at least one anti-TNFα agent.

The Presence of Uveitis Is Associated with a Sustained Response to the Interleukin (IL)-1 Inhibitors Anakinra and Canakinumab in Behçet's Disease.

: To identify factors associated with sustained response to interleukin (IL)-1 inhibition among demographic, clinical and therapeutic data in patients with Behçet disease (BD).: BD patients treated with anakinra or canakinumab were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups according to the clinical response: group 1 included subjects showing a treatment duration of at least 52 weeks and no secondary inefficacy during the first follow-up year; the remaining patients were included in the group 2.

Prompt Clinical Response to Secukinumab in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis: Real Life Observational Data from Three Italian Referral Centers.

Background: Clinical research is needed to identify patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) who are more likely to be responsive to interleukin (IL)-17 inhibition.

Objectives: To evaluate short-term efficacy of secukinumab in the management of axSpA.

Methods: Twenty-one patients (7 males, 14 females) with axSpA were consecutively treated with secukinumab.