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Biomedicines
Special Issues
Diagnosis, Management and Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Diagnosis, Management and Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2025) | Viewed by 1794

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Yong Feng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Interests: bone; bone development; osteogenesis; bone repair
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder mainly targeting joints. Pathologically, it features synovial inflammation causing joint damage and disability. Molecularly, there's a complex interaction. The immune system is dysregulated, with activated T cells, B cells, and macrophages infiltrating the synovium. Overproduced cytokines like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1 fuel inflammation and joint destruction. Genetic factors play a role, and certain genes heighten RA susceptibility. Abnormal activation of pathways such as NF-κB occurs, increasing expression of inflammation-related genes. There's also an imbalance in MMPs and their inhibitors, with MMPs degrading joint extracellular matrix. Comprehending RA's molecular mechanisms is vital for targeted therapies.

We welcome submissions of original research and comprehensive reviews on Rheumatoid Arthritis as they can uncover new targets/strategies or offer a knowledge overview, promoting idea exchange and research progress. 

Prof. Dr. Yong Feng
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-blind 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

  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • autoimmune disorder
  • synovial inflammation
  • genetic factors
  • signaling pathway
  • targeted therapies

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 383 KB  
Article
Mandatory Biological/Targeted Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs Dose Reduction on Risk of Serious Infections in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Nationwide Nested Case–Control Study
by Der-Yuan Chen, Ching-Heng Lin, Hsin-Hua Chen, Yi-Ming Chen and Kuo-Tung Tang
Biomedicines 2025, 13(12), 2891; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13122891 - 26 Nov 2025
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Abstract
Background: We aimed to investigate the risk for a serious infection in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients after tapering the dose of biological/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs). Methods: This nested case–control study investigated the risk for a serious infection in RA [...] Read more.
Background: We aimed to investigate the risk for a serious infection in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients after tapering the dose of biological/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs). Methods: This nested case–control study investigated the risk for a serious infection in RA patients who underwent mandatory b/tsDMARDs dose reduction 2.5 years after starting therapy with a single b/tsDMARD in the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Cases were those patients who developed a serious infection afterwards. Matched controls were selected from those patients who did not develop a serious infection. We used unconditional logistic regression to analyze the odds ratios (ORs) of b/tsDMARDs dose reduction and discontinuation between cases and controls. Results: RA patients underwent an average dose reduction of 60%. Among a total of 268 cases and 1072 controls, we did not observe a lower risk for a serious infection in those patients who tapered or discontinued b/tsDMARDs. However, those patients who had discontinued b/tsDMARDs had a higher risk for a serious infection when compared with those who had not and had reduced their b/stDMARDs dose reduction below the average (i.e., ≤60%), with an adjusted OR of 1.48 (95%CI: 1.05, 2.09). Conclusions: Dose reduction in b/tsDMARDs in RA patients might not be associated with a lower risk for serious infection. Discontinuation of b/tsDMARDs, however, was likely associated with a higher risk for serious infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis, Management and Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis)
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Review

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14 pages, 428 KB  
Review
The Impact of Insomnia on the Clinical Course and Treatment Outcomes of Rheumatoid Arthritis
by Olivera Radmanović, Vladimir Janjić, Mirjana Veselinović, Aleksandar Kočović, Nemanja Murić, Milan Đorđić, Ermin Fetahović, Nikola Subotić, Anja Milojević, Milena Stojković, Elvis Mahmutović, Danijela Djoković and Branimir Radmanović
Biomedicines 2025, 13(10), 2535; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13102535 - 17 Oct 2025
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Abstract
Background: Insomnia is markedly more prevalent in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients than in the general population and is closely linked to pain, fatigue, psychological comorbidities, and systemic inflammation. Evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship, where active disease worsens sleep quality, while poor sleep amplifies [...] Read more.
Background: Insomnia is markedly more prevalent in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients than in the general population and is closely linked to pain, fatigue, psychological comorbidities, and systemic inflammation. Evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship, where active disease worsens sleep quality, while poor sleep amplifies inflammatory activity and symptom severity. Methods: A narrative review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase to identify studies from the last 15 years involving adult RA patients. Inclusion criteria required assessment of insomnia or sleep quality in relation to disease activity, treatment outcomes, or inflammatory markers. Data from clinical trials, cohort studies, and reviews were synthesized to examine prevalence, mechanisms, and therapeutic implications. Results: Insomnia affects up to 45% of RA patients and correlates with higher DAS28 scores, elevated CRP/ESR, increased pain sensitivity, and reduced quality of life. Contributing factors include chronic pain, stiffness, elevated IL-6 and TNF-α, depression, anxiety, and medication side effects. Conventional DMARDs, corticosteroids, and biologics indirectly improve sleep via inflammation control, with IL-6 inhibition showing potential sleep-specific benefits. Psychotropic agents may help in comorbid depression/anxiety but are best combined with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). Conclusions: Insomnia is a prevalent, multifactorial problem in RA that adversely affects disease activity, symptom burden, and functional outcomes. Integrating sleep evaluation into routine RA management and adopting interdisciplinary strategies that address both inflammation and sleep disturbance may enhance patient outcomes. High-quality longitudinal studies using objective sleep measures are needed to clarify causal relationships and optimize therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis, Management and Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis)
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