Current Rheumatology Reviews - Volume 17, Issue 3, 2021

A review of the available literature was performed in order to summarize the pathogenic and clinical connections between HIV infection and rheumatological syndromes. The increasing life expectancy during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has led to the observation of many rheumatological manifestations over the years in these types of patients. Although the pathological mechanisms are still not fully Read More

Objective: This study aims to provide consolidation of current research findings as well as the most important concepts regarding neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in rheumatoid arthritis. Data Sources: Relevant publications from 2004 to 2018 were identified using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and eLibrary databases. Primary search terms used were “neutrophil extracellular traps” or “NETs” in combination with Read More

Objectives: To determine the effect of intra-articular injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in patients with primary knee osteoarthritis (OA) by clinical evaluation and ultrasonographic (US) assessment of cartilage thickness. Patients and Methods: A total of 100 patients with mild to severe primary knee OA using the Kellgren- Lawrence (K-L) grading scale were included and divided into two groups. Group I included 50 patien Read More

Background: Patients with rheumatic diseases are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and insomnia. Yet, little is known about mental health status during COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: This study aims to measure the prevalence of mental health disorders among patients with rheumatic diseases in the era of COVID-19 pandemic and to determine potential risk factors for major symptoms of depression, anxiety, Read More

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) are routinely used to assess disease activity in spondyloarthritis. New biomarkers have been reported, such as neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), CRP to albumin ratio (CAR), and albumin to fibrinogen ratio (AFR). Aims: Our study aimed to assess these ratios in spondyloarthritis and to determine the relationshi Read More

Background: People with rheumatic disease may be at higher risk for more severe course with COVID- 19, and the adverse effects of drugs used to treat rheumatic diseases is a major concern. Objective: We conducted this survey to learn about the real impact of COVID-19 pandemic on patients with rheumatic diseases. Methods: Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire using a telephonic interview conducted by two r Read More

Background: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis is a systemic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides (AAVs), mainly involving the respiratory tract and renal system. Treatment by Rituximab as a next-generation therapy in ANCA-associated vasculitis is associated with promising outcomes in GPA patients. Despite symptoms improvements, disease recurrence and drug reaction are a challenging topic nowadays. O Read More

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic systemic inflammatory rheumatic disease that specifically affects the spine and sacroiliac joint. AS diagnosis is often delayed in the clinical practice and this delay may cause the patients to miss the chance of early treatment. Fibromyalgia (FM) is a frequently encountered clinical syndrome, fibromyalgianess is a term used when patients who are diagnosed with inflammatory arth Read More

Objectives: Early diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have improved the outcome of patients. In the last decade, musculoskeletal Ultrasonography (MSUS) had demonstrated its superiority over clinical examination in detecting synovitis in RA. We conducted this present study in order to assess the added value of MSUS in diagnosing early RA. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, inclu Read More

Objective: For patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) who do not achieve adequate clinical response with combined conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (cs- DMARDs), initiation of advanced therapies such as biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) or targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs) is recommended. Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) are the oldest and most commonly used subgroup of advanced th Read More

Background: Beh’s disease (BD) is a rare systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology with relapsing and remitting course, characterized by triple-symptom complex of recurrent attacks of oral aphthous ulcers, genital ulcers and ocular lesions and other clinical features that include dermatological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and neurological manifestations. The main goal of management is to prevent relapses Read More