Shengxiang Liang, Liting Chen, Ruilan Liang, Jiayi Ling, Minghui Hou, Song Gao, Minglin Ou, Min Yang
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an incurable autoimmune disease. The role of interleukin-38 (IL-38), an anti-inflammatory cytokine, in RA is not fully understood, and its clinical relevance in RA remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the correlation of IL-38 with disease activity and the clinical manifestation of RA.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, patients with treatment-naïve RA (n = 63) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 60) were consecutively enrolled over a 15-month period. Patients with RA were categorized into three subgroups-low disease activity (LDA), moderate disease activity (MDA) and high disease activity (HDA)-using the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints based on C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP). Circulating levels of IL-38, tumour necrosis factor (TNF), IL-6, IL-17, IL-1β, and 25(OH)D were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Clinical data, including duration, tender joints count (TJC), swollen joints count (SJC), patient global assessment (PGA), evaluator global assessment (EGA), bone mineral density (BMD), clinical disease activity index (CDAI), simplified disease activity index (SDAI), DAS28-CRP, joint musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS), and serological indicators were recorded. We determined the correlation between IL-38 and disease activity, as well as clinical manifestation in RA.
Results: At the macroscopic level, musculoskeletal ultrasonography of joints in different stages of disease activity in RA suggests that, as the disease progresses, arthritis in the hand becomes more severe, accompanied by synovial thickening and pronounced blood flow signals in the joint area. The expression of IL-38, TNF, IL-6, IL-17 and IL-1β significantly increased in patients with RA compared to HC. Noteworthy differences were observed in the blood flow signal score, synovial signal score, IL-38, TNF, IL-6, IL-17 and IL-1β among the three subgroups (LDA, MDA and HDA). As disease activity increased in patients with RA, the blood flow signal score, synovial signal score and expression of TNF, IL-6, IL-17 and IL-1β exhibited a gradual increase, while the expression of IL-38 showed the opposite pattern. Inverse correlations were identified between IL-38 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-17), as well as key clinical parameters, including disease duration, SJC, TJC and DAS28-CRP score.
Conclusion: IL-38, intricately linked to the pathogenesis of RA, emerges as a promising therapeutic target for the management of this debilitating disease.
期刊介绍：
Aims and Scope
Rheumatology and Therapy is an international, open access, peer reviewed, rapid publication journal dedicated to the publication of high-quality clinical (all phases), observational, real-world and health outcomes research around the discovery, development, and use of rheumatologic therapies. Studies relating to diagnosis, pharmacoeconomics, public health, quality of life, and patient care, management, and education are also welcomed.
Areas of focus include, but are not limited to, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, gouty arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, osteoarthritis, juvenile idiopathic/rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, axial spondyloarthritis, Pompe’s disease, inflammatory joint conditions, musculoskeletal conditions, systemic sclerosis, and fibromyalgia.
The journal is of interest to a broad audience of healthcare professionals and publishes original research, reviews, case reports, trial protocols, communications and letters. The journal is read by a global audience and receives submissions from all over the world. Rheumatology and Therapy will consider all scientifically sound research be it positive, confirmatory or negative data. Submissions are welcomed whether they relate to an international and/or a country-specific audience, something that is crucially important when researchers are trying to target more specific patient populations. This inclusive approach allows the journal to assist in the dissemination of all scientifically and ethically sound research.
Ethics and Disclosures
The journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and subscribes to its principles on how to deal with acts of misconduct thereby committing to investigate allegations of misconduct in order to ensure the integrity of research. Content in this journal is peer-reviewed (Single-blind). For more information on our publishing ethics policies, please see here: https://www.springer.com/gp/editorial-policies
Rapid Publication
The journal’s rapid publication timelines aim for a peer review decision within 2 weeks of submission. If an article is accepted it will be published online 3-4 weeks from acceptance. These rapid timelines are achieved through the combination of a dedicated in-house editorial team, who closely manage article workflow, and an extensive Editorial and Advisory Board who assist with rapid peer review. This allows the journal to support the rapid dissemination of research, whilst still providing robust peer review. Combined with the journal’s open access model this allows for the rapid and efficient communication of the latest research and reviews, allowing the advancement of rheumatologic therapies.
Personal Service
The journal’s dedicated in-house editorial team offer a personal “concierge service” meaning that authors will always have a personal point of contact able to update them on the status of their manuscript. The editorial team check all manuscripts to ensure that articles conform to the most recent COPE, GPP and ICMJE publishing guidelines. This supports the publication of ethically sound and transparent research. We also encourage pre-submission enquiries and are always happy to provide a confidential assessment of manuscripts.
Digital Features
Rheumatology and Therapy offers a range of additional features designed to increase the visibility, readership and educational value of the journal’s content. Each article is accompanied by key summary points, giving a time-efficient overview of the content to a wide readership. Articles may be accompanied by plain language summaries to assist readers who have some knowledge of, but not in-depth expertise in, the area to understand the scientific content and overall implications of the article. The journal also provides the option to include various types of digital features including animated abstracts, video abstracts, slide decks, audio slides, instructional videos, infographics, podcasts and animations. All additional features are peer reviewed to the same high standard as the article itself. If you consider that your paper would benefit from the inclusion of a digital feature, please let us know. Our editorial team are able to create high-quality slide decks and infographics in-house, and video abstracts through our partner Research Square, and would be happy to assist in any way we can. For further information about digital features, please contact the journal editor (see ‘Contact the Journal’ for email address), and see the ‘Guidelines for digital features and plain language summaries’ document under ‘Submission guidelines’.
For examples of digital features please visit:
https://springerhealthcare.com/expertise/publishing-digital-features/
Preprints
We encourage posting of preprints of primary research manuscripts on preprint servers, authors'' or institutional websites, and open communications between researchers whether on community preprint servers or preprint commenting platforms. Posting of preprints is not considered prior publication and will not jeopardize consideration in our journals. Authors should disclose details of preprint posting during the submission process or at any other point during consideration in the journal. Once the manuscript is published, it is the author''s responsibility to ensure that the preprint record is updated with a publication reference, including the DOI and a URL link to the published version of the article on the journal website.
Please see here for further information on preprint sharing: https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author/journal-author-helpdesk/submission/1302#c16721550
Peer Review Process
Upon submission, manuscripts are assessed by the editorial team to ensure they fit within the aims and scope of the journal and are also checked for plagiarism. All suitable submissions are then subject to a comprehensive single-blind peer review. Reviewers are selected based on their relevant expertise and publication history in the subject area. The journal has an extensive pool of editorial and advisory board members who have been selected to assist with peer review based on the afore-mentioned criteria.
At least two extensive reviews are required to make the editorial decision. Where reviewer recommendations are conflicted, the editorial board will be contacted for further advice and a presiding decision. Manuscripts are then either accepted, rejected or authors are required to make major or minor revisions (both reviewer comments and editorial comments may need to be addressed). Once a revised manuscript is re-submitted, it is assessed along with the responses to reviewer comments and if it has been adequately revised it will be accepted for publication. Accepted manuscripts are then copyedited and typeset by the production team before online publication. Appeals against decisions following peer review are considered on a case-by-case basis and should be sent to the journal editor, and authors are welcome to make rebuttals against individual reviewer comments if appropriate.
Considering the time and effort required for a detailed peer review we reward our regular reviewers with the opportunity to publish without publication fees (pending peer review) for every three reviews completed per calendar year.
Copyright
Rheumatology and Therapy is published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License, which allows users to read, copy, distribute, and make derivative works for non-commercial purposes from the material, as long as the author of the original work is cited. The author assigns the exclusive right to any commercial use of the article to Springer. For more information about the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License, click here: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0.
Publication Fees
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be required to pay the mandatory Rapid Service Fee of €5,250/$6,000/£4,300. The journal will consider fee discounts and waivers for developing countries and this is decided on a case-by-case basis.
Open Access
All articles published by Rheumatology and Therapy are published open access.
Contact
For more information about the journal, including pre-submission enquiries, please contact charlotte.maddocks@springernature.com.
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