{"title":"How common is vasculitis: what do population-based data tell us?","authors":"Anu Pandit, Brian D Jaros, Anisha B Dua","doi":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001146","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/BOR.0000000000001146","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>The systemic vasculitidies are a group of diseases characterized by vascular inflammation, with varying features and frequencies across the globe. Our review aims to highlight recent epidemiologic data and key findings on these disorders that have been published over the past 18 months.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Advances in imaging techniques, increased disease awareness, and improved diagnostic and therapeutic management has altered the demographic and prognostic landscape of the systemic vasculitidies. Updated data driven classification criteria have allowed for better characterization and epidemiologic research in these disease states. The ethno-geographic variability and influence of genetic and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of systemic vasculitis is further highlighted by recent epidemiologic studies, with new trends in certain populations postulated to be secondary to increases in genetic diversity.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Recent data highlights the geographic, ethnic, and seasonal variability of the systemic vasculitidies. The use of advanced imaging techniques and updated classification systems, coupled with new epidemiologic studies from underrepresented populations, shed further light on the burden and characteristics of these diseases globally.</p>","PeriodicalId":11145,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in rheumatology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145877956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Are lupus outcomes improving?","authors":"Sumatha Channapatna Suresh, Richard Furie","doi":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/BOR.0000000000001144","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Significant progress has been made in improving the outcomes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) largely through advances in drug discovery as well as enhancements in overall clinical management. This review provides insights into the basis for observed improvements in long-term outcomes through analyses of organ damage, mortality, healthcare utilization, and quality of life.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Patients with SLE in the first half of the twentieth century faced a 50% chance of surviving beyond 7 years. However, in modern times, age standardized mortality has greatly improved, and comorbidities that adversely affect outcomes are receiving far more attention than in prior eras.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>It is a remarkable era for patients with SLE, with multiple targeted therapies transforming management. Yet, damage prevention still begins with early diagnosis and rapid attainment of remission. Treat to target strategies should be coupled with adjunctive measures, such as strict blood pressure control as well as cardiovascular and metabolic risk management.</p>","PeriodicalId":11145,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in rheumatology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145818484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maria Emilia Romero Noboa, Irakli Tskhakaia, James S Andrews
{"title":"Comorbidities in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: population-based evidence on risk subgroups and implications for delivery of care.","authors":"Maria Emilia Romero Noboa, Irakli Tskhakaia, James S Andrews","doi":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001143","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/BOR.0000000000001143","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) carry substantial extra-muscular comorbidities. The purpose of this review is to provide a focused synthesis of recent population-based data on the epidemiology of key comorbidities in IIMs: atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), venous thromboembolism (VTE), psychiatric and neurocognitive disorders, and bone health.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>IIM patients have approximately two-fold increased risk of ASCVD and of other cardiovascular events, like VTE. These risks likely result from several factors, including chronic systemic inflammation, physical inactivity, treatment side effects. Anti-HMGCR immune necrotizing inflammatory myopathy (IMNM), is a subtype of IIM that requires special consideration regarding dyslipidemia management, where statin alternatives are necessary. Furthermore, psychiatric and neurocognitive comorbidities are common, and likely under-recognized among IIM patients, and perhaps especially so in inclusion body myositis (IBM) patients. Finally, IIM patients have an increased risk of accelerated bone loss likely due to systemic inflammation, muscle damage and physical inactivity, and glucocorticoid exposure.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Cardiovascular care, psychiatric/neurocognitive disorders, and osteopenia/osteoporosis are highly prevalent and often underrecognized in IIMs. Effective management of these IIM-associated comorbidities requires a multidisciplinary, comprehensive care approach, and further work is needed to adapt existing risk-stratification and screening tools for the unique needs of IIMs patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":11145,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in rheumatology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145700103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pathogenesis of skin damage in lupus: recent advances and future directions.","authors":"Qilin Li, Qianjin Lu","doi":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001139","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/BOR.0000000000001139","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Lupus erythematosus (LE) encompasses a spectrum of autoimmune diseases with significant heterogeneity, ranging from cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), confined to the skin, to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which affects multiple internal organs. The underlying pathogenesis of lupus skin lesions and the heterogeneity among various subtypes remain elusive and require further investigation. This review synthesizes recent progress in elucidating the mechanisms of lupus skin injury, providing novel perspectives on diagnosis and therapeutic strategies, while also outlining promising avenues for future investigation.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Key insights include the active pathogenic role of keratinocytes, essential involvement of neutrophils, the central role of type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling, and a preactivated molecular state in nonlesional skin. Emerging distinctions between CLE and SLE lesions, as well as the role of photosensitivity, are also examined. These findings highlight modifiable environmental factors as critical parts for LE prevention and establish a new paradigm for future precision medicine in LE.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>These novel findings enrich the complex pathogenic network underlying lupus skin injury, accelerating the transition toward precision medicine. Rational prevention, early diagnosis, and targeted treatment represent the core principles and a promising vision for the future evolution of lupus management.</p>","PeriodicalId":11145,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in rheumatology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145630748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Targeted therapies in systemic sclerosis: a narrative review of novel drugs in clinical trials.","authors":"Morgan Emokpae, Crystal Cheung, Manvitha Nadella","doi":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001121","DOIUrl":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001121","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Systemic sclerosis (SSc) remains a therapeutic challenge, with conventional immunosuppressive strategies showing inconsistent effects and no disease modifying activity. The lack of head-head trials comparing immunosuppressives with emerging antifibrotic agents further complicates treatment decisions in SSc. This review aims to provide an update on the recent advances in targeted therapies for SSc, with a focus on novel biologics and small molecules that specifically modulate key mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Advances in molecular profiling have revealed inflammatory and fibrotic endotypes within SSc while imaging studies support a fibroinflammatory subset, highlighting potential therapeutic targets.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>A literature search for clinical trials between January 2020 and April 2025 from PubMed/MEDLINE, clinicaltrials.gov, euclinicaltrials.eu databases for targeted therapies in systemic sclerosis revealed a total of 117 clinical trials, of which we described the design, methods and endpoints from 14 studies (2 conference abstracts, 11 trials and 1 case series). These study results offer hope for patients with systemic sclerosis and pave way for future studies directing the development of patient-specific guidelines.</p>","PeriodicalId":11145,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in rheumatology","volume":" ","pages":"392-403"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144946274","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Charlotte Jauffret, Sara K Tedeschi, Abhishek Abhishek, Augustin Latourte, Georgios Filippou, Tuhina Neogi, Tristan Pascart
{"title":"Calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition: 2025 update to recent epidemiological findings.","authors":"Charlotte Jauffret, Sara K Tedeschi, Abhishek Abhishek, Augustin Latourte, Georgios Filippou, Tuhina Neogi, Tristan Pascart","doi":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001117","DOIUrl":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001117","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Our objective is to propose an expert opinion focusing on most important and recent developments in calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) epidemiology. We highlight recent findings published in the past 18 months and their potential implications for research and patient care.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>We discuss new understanding of CPPD prevalence through advances in imaging modalities, advances in synovial fluid analyses (SFA), updates on disease phenotypes, and potential sources of misdiagnosis of CPPD. We present recent data regarding extra-articular associations of CPPD, particularly cardiovascular events and osteoporotic fractures. We discuss new therapeutic options. We identify barriers to improving research in CPPD, and tools currently available to overcome certain pitfalls.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Improved knowledge in the epidemiology of asymptomatic CPPD and symptomatic CPPD disease is crucial to improving recognition of this still underdiagnosed disease, and to understanding patient phenotypes and their outcomes. Future research will require prospective designs to establish the prevalence of CPPD disease phenotypes and to provide more precise data according to each phenotype, both in terms of epidemiological findings and treatment responses, to develop personalized medicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":11145,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in rheumatology","volume":" ","pages":"437-444"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144759435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Targeting inflammation, fibrosis, and vascular dysfunction in systemic sclerosis: the role of diet and complementary and alternative medicine.","authors":"Veronica Balbuena Hurtado, Monique Hinchcliff, Navya Murugesan","doi":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001115","DOIUrl":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) often seek advice regarding diet including functional foods, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as adjunctive therapies. This review summarizes existing literature regarding these approaches.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Study results of low Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols (FODMAP), Mediterranean and ketogenic diets suggest symptom reduction and beneficial microbiota modulation in SSc, though sample sizes are small. Nitrate-rich and antioxidant supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids show promise in lowering inflammation and oxidative stress in the circulation. Herbal remedies like curcumin have demonstrated antifibrotic properties in preclinical models. Topical agents (e.g., rosemary oil, vitamin E gel) and nutritional vitamins (e.g., C, D, E) are also frequently used, though robust clinical trials are lacking.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>CAM, dietary interventions, and functional foods may aid in SSc management, but more rigorous research is needed to provide definitive evidence.</p>","PeriodicalId":11145,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in rheumatology","volume":" ","pages":"384-391"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12517728/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144946231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kimberly S Lakin, Michael Parides, Jessica K Gordon
{"title":"Harnessing artificial intelligence to advance insights in systemic sclerosis skin and lung disease.","authors":"Kimberly S Lakin, Michael Parides, Jessica K Gordon","doi":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001114","DOIUrl":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001114","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>The purpose of this review is to summarize the uses of artificial intelligence for advancing systemic sclerosis (SSc) skin and lung disease research through 2024.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Applications of AI in SSc research have expanded markedly in recent years. The most common artificial intelligence method identified was supervised machine learning for predictive modeling. Supervised machine learning uses input data labeled with a known outcome to train a model to predict outcomes when encountering new data. Using machine learningassisted feature selection and posttraining feature importance techniques also highlighted key predictors within complex datasets, informing possible mechanisms underlying heterogeneous patient outcomes. Additionally, unsupervised machine learning approaches have been used to identify patient subsets with distinct clinical trajectories. Unsupervised machine learning identifies groups with similar characteristics within a dataset, without considering a specific outcome. Digital image analysis using deep learning has also been undertaken in lung imaging studies to quantify interstitial lung disease (ILD) extent and automate ILD subtype classification, as well as skin biopsy analysis to quantify histologic changes. These scalable tools could efficiently automate prognostic assessments for use across centers of varying local expertise.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Artificial intelligence represents a tool for analyzing high-dimensional, complex datasets to derive robust results, even within relatively small SSc cohorts. To date, artificial intelligence driven insights to SSc skin and lung disease have focused on identifying patient subsets, quantifying disease severity, and building predictive models to inform personalized patient care.</p>","PeriodicalId":11145,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in rheumatology","volume":" ","pages":"353-364"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12741988/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144788531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Updates in juvenile dermatomyositis: pathogenesis and therapy.","authors":"Samantha L Coss, Sara E Sabbagh, Hanna Kim","doi":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001112","DOIUrl":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001112","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>This review provides updates on juvenile dermatomyositis pathogenesis and treatment.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>JDM pathogenesis research updates in genetic risk factors include C4 copy number. Studies clarify myositis-specific autoantibodies' (MSA) role in disease pathogenesis and more myositis-associated antibody (MAA) clinical associations. Recent studies validate an interferon (IFN)-regulated gene score and an IFN-related monocyte surface protein marker, SIGLEC-1. Vasculopathy and mitochondrial dysfunction evidence increases, both with ties to IFN. Studies point to not only T and B cells, but monocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils as dysregulated in JDM. Regarding treatment, there are growing reports of success with therapies targeting IFN-signaling (Janus kinase inhibitors), dazukibart (anti-IFN-beta), and anifrolumab (anti-IFNAR1). Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy targeting B-cells in a growing number of adult myositis patients and one JDM patient have dramatic reports of achieving drug-free remission.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Growing evidence show genetic markers, MSA, IFN, vasculopathy, varied immune cells, and mitochondrial dysfunction having important roles in JDM pathogenesis. Some refractory patients show benefit with newer IFN pathway-targeted therapies and cellular CAR-T-cell therapy. Further collaborative research on disease pathogenesis, treatment targets, and innovate clinical trial design is needed to increase access to more efficacious treatments in JDM.</p>","PeriodicalId":11145,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in rheumatology","volume":" ","pages":"445-456"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144689474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Areeka Memon, Manvitha Nadella, Morgan Emokpae, David N Assis
{"title":"A comprehensive review of systemic sclerosis-primary biliary cholangitis overlap: emerging evidence for a distinct clinical subtype.","authors":"Areeka Memon, Manvitha Nadella, Morgan Emokpae, David N Assis","doi":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001127","DOIUrl":"10.1097/BOR.0000000000001127","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>To synthesize current knowledge on the genetic, immunopathogenic, and clinical presentations of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) with a focus on their co-occurrence as a clinically relevant overlap syndrome. This narrative review summarizes preclinical and clinical studies addressing SSc-PBC overlap.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Genomic studies highlight shared susceptibility loci between SSc and PBC. Furthermore, SSc-PBC overlap patient sera reveals anticentromere antibodies which cross-react with an antigenic motif on pyruvate dehydrogenase-E2 (structural core of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex catalyzing formation of acetyl coA), the most common target of antimitochondrial antibodies in PBC. Similar profibrotic cytokines and T regulatory cell profiles are identified in sera and skin and liver biopsies of patients with SSc and PBC respectively. Analysis of clinical phenotypes reveals that SSc-PBC overlap patients have reduced incidence of pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension compared to SSc alone, and less severe hepatic involvement compared to PBC alone.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>SSc-PBC overlap remains an understudied disease process. This review summarizes current knowledge and outlines future directions to guide research and improve care for patients with this distinct clinical overlap.</p>","PeriodicalId":11145,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in rheumatology","volume":" ","pages":"413-421"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145014108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}