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Biomedicines
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Pathogenesis, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics for Rheumatic Diseases (2nd Edition)
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Pathogenesis, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics for Rheumatic Diseases (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular and Translational Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 3519

Editor

Prof. Dr. Jixin Zhong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Interests: rheumatic diseases; autoimmune; T cells; dendritic cells; macrophages
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rheumatic diseases, encompassing conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, osteoarthritis, and spondyloarthropathies, represent a diverse group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation, pain, and impaired joint or systemic function. Despite advances in understanding their complex etiology, significant challenges remain in unraveling disease mechanisms, improving diagnostic accuracy, and developing targeted therapies. This Special Issue seeks contributions that explore the latest breakthroughs in the ​pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases, including genetic, epigenetic, immunological, and environmental factors driving disease onset and progression. Submissions addressing innovative ​diagnostic tools, such as novel biomarkers, imaging modalities, or machine learning approaches to enhance early detection and personalized care, are strongly encouraged. Additionally, we welcome studies on ​therapeutic advancements, from repurposed drugs and biologics to emerging strategies such as gene therapy, regenerative medicine, and precision immunomodulation.

This Special Issue aims to bridge translational and clinical research, fostering dialog between basic scientists, clinicians, and industry experts. We encourage the submission of original research articles, reviews, case reports, and perspectives that highlight interdisciplinary collaborations, patient-centered outcomes, and novel methodologies. By compiling cutting-edge insights, this Special Issue will serve as a platform to accelerate the development of transformative solutions for patients worldwide.

We welcome you to contribute to this pivotal collection and help advance the fight against rheumatic diseases.

Prof. Dr. Jixin Zhong
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • rheumatic diseases
  • pathogenesis
  • autoimmunity
  • biomarkers
  • precision medicine
  • therapeutics
  • disease management
  • immunology
  • clinical diagnostics
  • treatment strategies

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 4248 KB  
Article
MRI-Based Synovial Iron Quantification Associates with Bone Erosion in Rheumatoid Arthritis
by Shuyuan Zhong, Churong Lin, Jianhua Ren, Yuhang Li, Bo Dong, Weihang Zhu, Yutong Jiang, Zetao Liao, Yanli Zhang, Liudan Tu, Minjing Zhao, Dongfang Lin, Ke Hu, Chenyang Lu, Yunfeng Pan and Yan Liu
Biomedicines 2026, 14(4), 749; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14040749 - 25 Mar 2026
Viewed by 653
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the utility of synovial iron quantification using Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in assessing structural joint damage in the knee of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: This cross-sectional study employed a two-stage design. In the initial comparative stage, [...] Read more.
Objective: To evaluate the utility of synovial iron quantification using Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in assessing structural joint damage in the knee of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: This cross-sectional study employed a two-stage design. In the initial comparative stage, 6 patients with RA and 5 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) were recruited to compare synovial R2* values, a metric derived from iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation quantitation (IDEAL-IQ) MRI sequences representing synovial iron content. Following this, the RA cohort was expanded to a total of 51 patients to investigate the association between R2* values and clinical parameters, including disease activity and bone erosion. Synovial fluid iron levels were measured with an Iron Assay Kit and synovial iron deposits were semi-quantified via Prussian blue staining. Associations between R2* and clinical and laboratory parameters, including inflammatory factors and joint damage indices, were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation. Univariate and multivariate ordered logistic regression models were employed to identify factors associated with bone erosion severity. An R2*-based nomogram was developed and validated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and calibration curves. Results: Synovial R2* values were significantly higher in RA patients than those with osteoarthritis (53.66 S−1 vs. 31.38 S−1, p < 0.05), consistent with Prussian blue staining results. While synovial R2* values showed no significant correlation with systemic iron metabolic markers, inflammatory indicators, or the Disease Activity Score 28, they were positively correlated with bone erosion severity (ρ = 0.500, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with the joint space width (ρ = −0.307, p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis identified R2* as an independent indicator linked to bone erosion extent (OR = 2358.336, p < 0.001). The R2*-based nomogram demonstrated good discriminative performance. (AUC = 0.83). Conclusions: The R2* value derived from IDEAL-IQ MRI is a reliable tool for quantifying synovial iron and may represent a promising non-invasive imaging biomarker reflecting bone erosion in RA patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics for Rheumatic Diseases (2nd Edition))
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14 pages, 932 KB  
Article
Management and Prognosis of Anti-MDA5 Dermatomyositis: Insights from a National Multicenter Cohort
by Sándor Mogyoróssy, Zoltán Griger, Tünde Tarr, Éva Zöld, György Pfliegler, Boglárka Csilla Brúgós, György Nagy, Károly Zsolt Mangel, Gábor Kumánovics, Rita Bakai, László Kovács, Adrienn Rideg, Edit Nagy, Orsolya Farkas, Gábor Nagy, Péter Antal-Szalmás, Gabriella Szűcs, Szilvia Szamosi, Zoltán Szekanecz, Éva Rákóczi and Levente Bodokiadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Biomedicines 2026, 14(3), 709; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14030709 - 19 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Background: Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (anti-MDA5) positive dermatomyositis is a distinct subset of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), often associated with unique cutaneous features and interstitial lung disease (ILD). While East Asian cohorts frequently report high mortality due to rapidly progressive ILD (RP-ILD), [...] Read more.
Background: Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (anti-MDA5) positive dermatomyositis is a distinct subset of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), often associated with unique cutaneous features and interstitial lung disease (ILD). While East Asian cohorts frequently report high mortality due to rapidly progressive ILD (RP-ILD), data regarding Central and Eastern European populations remain scarce. Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter study of anti-MDA5 positive Caucasian patients managed at four Hungarian rheumatology centers between 2020 and 2025. Demographic, clinical, serological, and radiological data were analyzed. Antibody profiling was performed using a standardized 16-antigen immunoblot assay. Results: Anti-MDA5 positivity was confirmed in 24 out of 742 patients (3.23%) treated in the four centers. The median age at diagnosis was 49.5 years (range: 24–81). Classic dermatomyositis was the predominant clinical phenotype (75%), followed by clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) (12.5%) and polymyositis (12.5%). ILD was identified in 58.3% of patients, presenting with organizing pneumonia (OP), non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), and usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) patterns. At diagnosis, median creatine kinase (CK) (193.5 U/L) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (4.24 mg/L) levels remained low even in the ILD group, whereas lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was elevated in 91.7% of the cohort. Anti-Ro52 positivity (45.8% overall) emerged as a notable predictor of ILD (odds ratio [OR]: 22.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.10–240.48; p = 0.0045), being present in 71.4% of affected patients. RP-ILD occurred in two patients (8.3%). Therapeutic management followed an early, aggressive strategy, frequently utilizing cyclophosphamide (45.8%) and methotrexate (37.5%), with Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors or rituximab employed in refractory cases. Overall disease-specific survival was 100% during the study period (median follow-up: 72.0 months); no mortality was directly attributable to IIM-related complications. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that anti-MDA5 positive dermatomyositis in a Hungarian cohort is characterized by heterogeneous manifestations and a significant association between anti-Ro52 and ILD. The observed dissociation between low CK/CRP and elevated LDH underscores the necessity for a high index of suspicion, with LDH serving as a superior marker for disease activity. While ILD presents a significant risk, early and intensive multi-modal intervention may yield superior survival outcomes in European patients compared to the historical mortality rates reported in Asian cohorts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics for Rheumatic Diseases (2nd Edition))
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16 pages, 276 KB  
Article
Associations Between Depression and Reduced Quality of Life in Women with Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Marija Rogoznica Pavlović, Mislav Radic, Andrej Belančić, Kristina Skroče, Karla Vurić and Tatjana Kehler
Biomedicines 2026, 14(2), 389; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14020389 - 8 Feb 2026
Viewed by 682
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease that adversely affects both physical and mental health. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the associations between spondyloarthritis features (SpA-fs) and disease-related variables (DRVs: disease duration, Visual Analogue Scale, Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease that adversely affects both physical and mental health. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the associations between spondyloarthritis features (SpA-fs) and disease-related variables (DRVs: disease duration, Visual Analogue Scale, Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score [ASDAS], Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease/Functional Activity Index), as well as potential correlations with quality of life (QoL) and symptoms of anxiety and depression in women with non-radiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA). Methods: This study included 78 women with nr-axSpA. Data were obtained from medical records and assessed using two validated instruments: the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: The mean age of the cohort was 39.8 ± 7.8 years, with a mean disease duration of 4.80 ± 5.37 years and a mean ASDAS of 2.09 ± 1.14. DRVs, correlated positively with HADS scores and negatively with SF-36 scores. Patients with family histories of SpA had significantly lower mental-component SF-36 scores and higher HADS-D scores. Lower quality of life was associated with DRVs, particularly disease duration. Significant associations with depressive symptoms were observed for both SpA features and DRVs. Conclusions: In women with nr-axSpA, both SpA-fs and DRVs are associated with reduced QoL and elevate the risk of anxiety and depression, underscoring the need for thorough patient evaluation that encompasses psychological health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics for Rheumatic Diseases (2nd Edition))
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