ReumatologiaPub Date : 2025-06-20eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.5114/reum/201416
El Binoune Imane, Bourjila Salma, Rostom Samira, El Allagui Hajar, Zemrani Salma, Amine Bouchra, Bahiri Rachid
{"title":"Insights into diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia among Moroccan rheumatologists: a cross sectional online survey.","authors":"El Binoune Imane, Bourjila Salma, Rostom Samira, El Allagui Hajar, Zemrani Salma, Amine Bouchra, Bahiri Rachid","doi":"10.5114/reum/201416","DOIUrl":"10.5114/reum/201416","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This study outlines the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches - both pharmacological and non-pharmacological - used by Moroccan rheumatologists in managing fibromyalgia (FM). It also addresses other key aspects, such as assessing the psychosocial context of patients and referring them to other medical specialties.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a survey designed to assess the management approach of Moroccan rheumatologists towards FM. The survey was carried out anonymously.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of 275 rheumatologists, 140 responded to the questionnaire (with a total of approximately 450 rheumatologists in Morocco). Ninety-nine percent (<i>n</i> = 139) reported encountering FM patients in their practice. Diagnosis of FM was predominantly based on clinical assessment without a scoring system (<i>n</i> = 66; 47%), while 20.7% (<i>n</i> = 29) used the FIRST score. A substantial proportion (70%) of participants requested biological and imaging workups despite apparent FM, with 92% (<i>n</i> = 129) opting for an inflammatory workup. Regarding the treatment aspect, paracetamol was the first-line analgesic prescribed by 58% (<i>n</i> = 81), followed by tramadol (<i>n</i> = 43; 30.9%). Pregabalin was the most commonly prescribed first-line treatment (<i>n</i> = 37; 27.4%), with antidepressants being the second-line choice in 35.8% (<i>n</i> = 42). Non-pharmacological treatments such as physical therapy, therapeutic education, and psychotherapy were the most highly recommended. Nearly all rheumatologists (<i>n</i> = 131; 93.6%) emphasized the need for multidisciplinary management for FM patients, often referring them to psychiatrists either alone or in conjunction with other specialists.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Diagnosing and treating FM presents significant challenges. This survey sheds light on the diverse approaches adopted by Moroccan rheumatologists towards managing patients with FM, emphasizing the importance of multidisciplinary care in addressing the complex needs of these patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":21312,"journal":{"name":"Reumatologia","volume":"63 3","pages":"166-173"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12264735/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144660072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ReumatologiaPub Date : 2025-06-20eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.5114/reum/201175
Sergii Shevchuk, Oksana Pavliuk, Olena Shevchuk
{"title":"Levels of osteocalcin and <i>N</i>-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen in men with ankylosing spondylitis: associations with disease course and structural-functional status of bone tissue.","authors":"Sergii Shevchuk, Oksana Pavliuk, Olena Shevchuk","doi":"10.5114/reum/201175","DOIUrl":"10.5114/reum/201175","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The aim was to assess osteocalcin (OC) and <i>N</i>-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx) levels in men with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and evaluate their relationship with the course of the disease and the structural and functional state of bone tissue.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>The study was conducted on 83 male patients with AS and 29 healthy individuals constituting the control group. Disease activity and functional limitations were assessed using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Ankylosing Spondyloarthritis Disease Activity Score with C-reactive protein (ASDAS-CRP), and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) functional indices. Laboratory testing included CRP and markers of bone synthesis and resorption. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine and femoral neck was determined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean OC levels did not differ significantly between AS patients and the control group and showed no significant correlation with ASDAS, BASDAI, BASFI and CRP indices. On the other hand, NTx values were significantly higher in AS patients than in the control group (105.8 ±3.4 ng/ml vs. 92.6 ±5.1 ng/ml) and were closely related to the activity of the inflammatory process and low functional capacity. The structural and functional state of the bone is impaired by increased bone resorption. Thus, the proportion of patients with low BMD and fractures (68.2% and 27.3%) in the group of patients with high NTx content was 4-12 times higher than with optimal levels of this marker (17.7% and 2.2%). On the other hand, osteoproliferative changes were not associated with NTx levels but were dependent on serum OC levels. In particular, in the group of patients with syndesmophytes, serum OC values were higher (by 12.4%) than in the group without syndesmophytes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Elevated NTx levels are associated with high inflammatory activity and low BMD. On the other hand, OC concentration is not associated with disease progression but is increased in individuals with syndesmophytes.</p>","PeriodicalId":21312,"journal":{"name":"Reumatologia","volume":"63 3","pages":"144-151"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12264742/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144660074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ReumatologiaPub Date : 2025-06-20eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.5114/reum/200191
Ciro Manzo, Paolo Falsetti, Alberto Castagna, Marco Isetta, Edoardo Conticini
{"title":"When can calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease be considered a polymyalgia rheumatica mimicking disease?","authors":"Ciro Manzo, Paolo Falsetti, Alberto Castagna, Marco Isetta, Edoardo Conticini","doi":"10.5114/reum/200191","DOIUrl":"10.5114/reum/200191","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Similarly to polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) disease is common among older people. Calcium pyrophosphate deposition can present in several forms, including proximal manifestations associated with raised inflammatory markers. Consequently, CPPD disease may be diagnosed as PMR. Recently, a European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology and American College of Rheumatology (EULAR/ACR) collaborative initiative proposed new classification criteria for symptomatic CPPD disease. This review paper aimed to discuss when CPPD disease could be considered a PMR-mimicking disease in the light of these criteria.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>We performed a non-systematic literature search on PubMed, regardless of the language. Abstracts submitted at conferences or from non-peer-reviewed sources were not included.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of CPPD among patients categorized as having PMR supported the inclusion of CPPD among the PMR-like diseases. However, CPPD disease was not diagnosed among the 169 subjects in the non-PMR comparison group in the 2012 EULAR/ACR classification proposal for PMR. According to the 2023 EULAR/ACR study design for symptomatic CPPD, within the 148 definite mimickers forming the derivation cohort, 6 were affected by PMR; only one was affected by PMR within the 162 definite mimickers forming the validation cohort. Finally, in all the studies on this topic, no patient with PMR and CPPD was reported to have a late diagnosis of giant cell arteritis, at least within the term of follow-up of each study.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The relationship between PMR and CPPD should be reviewed in light of the 2023 EULAR/ACR classification criteria for symptomatic CPPD disease. Applying these 2023 criteria, we were able to identify three possible scenarios in patients categorized as having PMR according to the 2012 EULAR/ACR criteria: 1) polymyalgic manifestations in patients with already diagnosed CPPD disease (PMR/CPPD or pseudo-PMR CPPD pattern); 2) polymyalgic manifestations categorized as PMR in patients with concurrent diagnosed CPPD disease (symptomatic CPPD with overlapping PMR); 3) polymyalgic manifestations categorized as PMR in patients with undiagnosed chronic CPPD disease (PMR with concurrent undiagnosed CPPD). Further studies are additionally required to confirm the possibility that the PMR/CPPD subset may be a non-vasculitic pattern of disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":21312,"journal":{"name":"Reumatologia","volume":"63 3","pages":"182-190"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12264743/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144660078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ReumatologiaPub Date : 2025-05-30eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.5114/reum/200528
Rafał Wojciechowski
{"title":"The role of magnetic resonance imaging in monitoring patients with axial spondyloarthritis.","authors":"Rafał Wojciechowski","doi":"10.5114/reum/200528","DOIUrl":"10.5114/reum/200528","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) comprises a group of chronic inflammatory joint diseases. Modern therapies enable the rapid achievement of low disease activity or even remission. Therefore, assessing disease activity is now crucial for making the best possible therapeutic decisions. In addition to standard clinical indices used to evaluate disease activity, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly employed to assess inflammation.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>The study included patients with axSpA who had a Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) score ≥ 4 and a Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) score ≥ 2. The MRI examinations of the sacroiliac joints were performed at the beginning and the end of the study to evaluate disease activity. The study lasted 3 months, during which patients were treated with certolizumab pegol.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study included 31 patients with axSpA (11 females, 20 males). The mean age of the patients was 36.7 years (SD 9.7), and the mean disease duration from the onset of the first symptoms was 7.4 years (SD 1.9). At the start of therapy, all patients had active disease, as determined by clinical assessment (BASDAI ≥ 4 and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score [ASDAS] > 2.1) and MRI evaluation (SPARCC ≥ 2). The percentage of patients with active disease after 3 months of therapy was 26% (BASDAI), 19% (ASDAS), and 97% (SPARCC). Significant clinical improvement as a result of the therapy was observed in 81% (ΔBASDAI ≥ 50%), 97% (ΔASDAS ≥ 1.1), and 87% (ΔSPARCC ≥ 2.5) of patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Magnetic resonance imaging provides a perspective on disease activity that complements traditionally used clinical indices. It does not replace these indices but rather offers additional insights during both the diagnostic process and the monitoring of therapy efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":21312,"journal":{"name":"Reumatologia","volume":"63 3","pages":"152-158"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12264736/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144660077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ReumatologiaPub Date : 2025-05-27eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.5114/reum/195016
Agnieszka Małgorzata Wosiak, Aleksandra Stasiak, Elżbieta Smolewska
{"title":"Physical activity in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a review of recent literature.","authors":"Agnieszka Małgorzata Wosiak, Aleksandra Stasiak, Elżbieta Smolewska","doi":"10.5114/reum/195016","DOIUrl":"10.5114/reum/195016","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common rheumatic chronic disease in children, typically characterised by joint pain and swelling, fatigue, stiffness, muscle weakness and movement restrictions. As a consequence, children are exposed to bone atrophy, physical disability, social separation and reduced quality of life. It is believed that early implementation of targeted pharmacological treatment such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, disease-modifying agents and biological therapies is necessary to ensure full recovery. Recent recommendations emphasize the importance of nonpharmacologic treatments, e.g. nutrition, supplements and physical or occupational therapies, as an important component of a complex therapy. In this article, we review recent studies, summarising the impact of different physical interventions on children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis on muscle, bone and psychological function to provide a basis for more detailed recommendations of physical activity for children with arthritis.</p>","PeriodicalId":21312,"journal":{"name":"Reumatologia","volume":"63 3","pages":"191-201"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12264722/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144660075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ReumatologiaPub Date : 2025-04-30eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.5114/reum/200529
Naruaki Ogasawara
{"title":"Three decades of collaboration in rheumatology: a comprehensive co-authorship network analysis (1994-2023).","authors":"Naruaki Ogasawara","doi":"10.5114/reum/200529","DOIUrl":"10.5114/reum/200529","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This study investigated the evolution of collaborative research in rheumatology over 3 decades (1994-2023), utilizing co-authorship network analysis to uncover key contributors, structural trends, and global collaboration patterns. The analysis aimed to provide insights into the dynamics of research cooperation and the factors influencing its development.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>A total of 31,231 publications on rheumatology, indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection, were analyzed. The co-authorship network was constructed using Python (Version 3.10.5) in the PyCharm environment (Version 2022.1.3). Macro-level metrics, including network density, clustering coefficient, components, and average path length, were evaluated alongside micro-level indicators such as degree centrality, closeness centrality, and betweenness centrality to characterize the network's structure and dynamics. Additionally, temporal trends were examined to assess changes in collaboration patterns over time.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analysis revealed an expansion in publication volume and collaboration over the 3 decades, with persistent fragmentation evidenced by low network density (below 0.0005) and numerous disconnected components. The number of active researchers and institutions participating in collaborations increased significantly, contributing to enhanced regional cooperation. Key researchers, including Nicolino Ruperto, Josef S. Smolen, and Yoshiya Tanaka, emerged as central figures, consistently facilitating knowledge exchange and collaboration. Localized, tight-knit collaboration patterns, indicated by high clustering coefficients, persisted despite limited global integration. These findings suggest that while rheumatology research networks are becoming more inclusive, significant disparities in connectivity across regions remain.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This comprehensive analysis highlights the dual trends of growth and fragmentation in rheumatology research collaboration. While local collaborations thrive, broader integration remains a challenge, underscoring the need for initiatives fostering global connectivity in the research community. Enhancing international collaboration and reducing resource gaps between regions could accelerate advancements in rheumatology research, benefiting both the scientific community and patients worldwide.</p>","PeriodicalId":21312,"journal":{"name":"Reumatologia","volume":"63 2","pages":"68-80"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12138997/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144249434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ReumatologiaPub Date : 2025-04-30eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.5114/reum/204012
Stefano Rodolfi, Maria Maślińska, Carlo Selmi
{"title":"Interleukin-6 signalling: what rheumatologists should know and expect.","authors":"Stefano Rodolfi, Maria Maślińska, Carlo Selmi","doi":"10.5114/reum/204012","DOIUrl":"10.5114/reum/204012","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":21312,"journal":{"name":"Reumatologia","volume":"63 2","pages":"65-67"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12138989/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144249432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ReumatologiaPub Date : 2025-04-30eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.5114/reum/200193
Ali Mohamed Ali Ismail, Nadia Saad Sayed Ahmed El Gressy, Mona Darwish Hegazy, Omnia Saeed Mahmoud Ahmed, Ahmed Mohamed Abdel-Halim Elfahl
{"title":"Effects of diaphragmatic breathing exercise on sleeping quality, cortisol, cardiovascular autonomic functions, depression, and fatigue: a randomized-controlled trial in women with systemic sclerosis.","authors":"Ali Mohamed Ali Ismail, Nadia Saad Sayed Ahmed El Gressy, Mona Darwish Hegazy, Omnia Saeed Mahmoud Ahmed, Ahmed Mohamed Abdel-Halim Elfahl","doi":"10.5114/reum/200193","DOIUrl":"10.5114/reum/200193","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The available pharmacotherapies (immunosuppressant therapies) for systemic sclerosis (SSc) are not curative, especially in cases with non-lethal but challenging manifestations or complications of the disease. Fatigue, anxiety, depression, an over-activated hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis (stress axis), and low sleeping quality are the common SSc-induced non-lethal manifestations that need close management. Diaphragmatic breathing tele-exercise (DBTE), as a standalone deep breathing retraining and tele-interventional technique, has not been utilized in the rehabilitation context of non-lethal complications in women with SSc. This online interventional study aimed to explore the efficacy of DBTE in controlling depression, cardiovascular autonomic functions, stress, sleep, and anxiety in women with SSc.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>This randomized controlled tele-interventional trial recruited 40 non-obese women with SSc (aged > 18 years old) from an Egyptian teaching hospital. Women were randomly assigned to the DBTE group (<i>n</i> = 20) or non-DBTE group (<i>n</i> = 20). The DBTE group underwent 12-week 20-minute morning and evening DBTE sessions (sessions were supervised daily through the Zoom video conference program). The non-DBTE group served as a waitlist control group. The outcomes of this study were diastolic blood pressure (BPD), serum cortisol, the total score of the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS-TS), systolic blood pressure (BPS), the general score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-GS), pulse rate (PR), the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire (EI-PHQ<sub>8</sub>), respiratory rate (RR), and the Visual Analogue Scale of fatigue (VAS-F).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the DBTE group, there were significantly lowered values of PSQI-GS, HARS-TS, EI-PHQ<sub>8</sub>, serum cortisol, VAS-F, and cardiovascular/respiratory autonomic functions (BPS, BPD, RR, and PR). In the non-DBTE group, no significant changes were observed for any variables.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>It can be concluded from this tele-interventional trial that the 12-week application of DBTE may reduce cortisol, EI-PHQ<sub>8</sub>, PSQI-GS, HARS-TS, BPS, BPD, RR, PR, and VAS-F in women with SSc.</p>","PeriodicalId":21312,"journal":{"name":"Reumatologia","volume":"63 2","pages":"89-96"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12138990/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144249429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ReumatologiaPub Date : 2025-04-30eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.5114/reum/200527
Tomasz Budlewski, Joanna Sarnik, Olga Brzezińska, Anna Lewandowska-Polak, Tomasz Popławski, Joanna Makowska
{"title":"Triple positivity for autoantibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is associated with a severe course of the disease but not with bone turnover markers.","authors":"Tomasz Budlewski, Joanna Sarnik, Olga Brzezińska, Anna Lewandowska-Polak, Tomasz Popławski, Joanna Makowska","doi":"10.5114/reum/200527","DOIUrl":"10.5114/reum/200527","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a prevalent autoimmune disorder characterized by chronic joint inflammation and progressive bone erosion. Traditional autoantibodies, such as anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPAs) and rheumatoid factor (RF), are established markers associated with disease severity. Recent studies have identified anti-carbamylated protein (anti-CarP) antibodies as potential indicators of disease progression. Additionally, bone turnover markers and specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may influence RA pathogenesis. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between autoantibody profiles, disease activity, bone turnover markers, and selected SNPs in a cohort of Polish RA patients.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>A total of 138 RA patients from the Department of Rheumatology, Medical University of Lodz, were enrolled. Disease activity was assessed using the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints by C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP). Serum levels of RF, ACPAs, anti-CarP antibodies, and bone turnover markers (sclerostin, periostin, and Dickkopf-1) were measured using immunoassays. Genotyping for SNPs in PADI4 (rs2240340), STAT4 (rs7574865), and PTPN22 (rs2476601) genes was performed. Patients were categorized into two groups: those positive for anti-CarP antibodies, RF, and ACPA (triple-positive, <i>n</i> = 27) and those with other antibody combinations (<i>n</i> = 111).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Demographic characteristics, including age (mean approx. 61 years), gender distribution (approx. 75% female), treatment rates (approx. 75%), and glucocorticosteroid use (approx. 40%), were comparable between groups. The triple-positive group exhibited higher disease activity, with a greater number of painful joints (mean 10.07 vs. 7.72; <i>p</i> = 0.017), higher Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores for pain (mean 6.26 vs. 5.06; <i>p</i> = 0.018), elevated DAS28-CRP scores (mean 4.75 vs. 4.07; <i>p</i> = 0.037), and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (mean 32.92 mm/h vs. 22.82 mm/h; <i>p</i> = 0.019). Serologically, the triple-positive group had significantly higher levels of anti-CarP (mean 29.19 ng/ml vs. 16.29 ng/ml; <i>p</i> < 0.0001) and ACPAs (mean 395.45 vs. 368.70; <i>p</i> < 0.0001), but lower RF levels (mean 164.01 vs. 453.40; <i>p</i> = 0.004). Bone turnover markers showed no significant differences between groups, though the difference in sclerostin levels approached statistical significance (<i>p</i> = 0.085), suggesting a possible association of higher bone formation inhibition with triple-positive status. No significant associations were found between the autoantibody profiles and the selected SNPs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The presence of anti-CarP antibodies, RF, and ACPA is associated with increased disease activity in RA patients. However, these autoantibody profiles do not significantly correlate with bone turnover markers or the selected gen","PeriodicalId":21312,"journal":{"name":"Reumatologia","volume":"63 2","pages":"81-88"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12138994/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144249435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}