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Life
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Rheumatology and Immunity Research: From Mechanisms, Diagnosis to Clinical Treatment
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Rheumatology and Immunity Research: From Mechanisms, Diagnosis to Clinical Treatment

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (22 September 2023) | Viewed by 3693

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ching-Mao Chang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Integrative Medicine, Center for Traditional Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Interests: traditional chinese medicine in allergy; immunology; rheumatology; Sjögren syndrome; systemic lupus erythematosus; systemic sclerosis; autoimmune rheumatic diseases; dry eye syndrome/keratoconjunctivitis; acupuncture & moxibustion
Dr. Tieh-Cheng Fu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan
Interests: physical medicine; rehabilitation; rehabilitation in rheumatology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Background

Chronic inflammatory, arthritis and rheumatic diseases affect many patients worldwide, and the global burden of these diseases increase year by year. Although new drug development acts more on anti-inflammation, antioxidant, and immune-modulation, the pathogenesis still cannot be elucidated. Many of these diseases have more constraints due to the poor response of conventional drugs, more expensive biologics, more severe adverse effects. Hence, integrated therapies were applied as another treatment for alleviating side-effects and reducing the economic cost. This research topic aims to collect the research on rheumatology and immunity, which it could elucidate chronic inflammatory, arthritis and rheumatic diseases from mechanisms, diagnosis to clinical treatment.

Aim

The aim of this research topic is to collect original articles and reviews aimed at highlighting the role of mechanisms, diagnosis to clinical treatment for chronic inflammatory, arthritis and rheumatic diseases, such as Sjögren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, psoriasis, vasculitis, osteoarthritis, gout, irritable bowel syndrome, or other inflammatory diseases. The author could use artificial intelligence, real-world evidence, clinical observation, or clinical trials to elucidate the overview of the above disease.

Goal

This research topic aims to include basic and clinical studies on

  1. Objective diagnosis for chronic inflammatory, arthritis and rheumatic diseases;
  2. The mechanisms of chronic inflammatory, arthritis and rheumatic diseases;
  3. Integrated medicine, and alternative therapy for chronic inflammatory, arthritis and rheumatic diseases.

We invite contributions to this collection in the form of general commentary, original research, review/mini review, systemic review and meta-analysis, perspective, clinical observation studies and clinical trial articles. We welcome manuscripts related to, but not limited to:

  • Objective diagnosis of chronic inflammatory, arthritis and rheumatic diseases
  • New Therapies and Treatments
  • Medical plant, medical plant extracts and Complementary medicine
  • Rehabilitation in rheumatology
  • Clinical Outcome parameters
  • Clinical studies

Dr. Ching-Mao Chang
Dr. Tieh-Cheng Fu
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Life 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

  • inflammatory diseases
  • arthritis and rheumatic diseases
  • medical plant
  • complementary medicine
  • rehabilitation

Published Papers (3 papers)

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11 pages, 290 KiB  
Article
The Ratio of Monocytes to HDL-Cholesterol Is Associated with Cardiovascular Risk and Insulin Resistance in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
by Alejandro Romo-Cordero, Marta González-Sierra, Juan Carlos Quevedo-Abeledo, Adrián Quevedo-Rodríguez, Fuensanta Gómez-Bernal, Antonia de Vera-González, Raquel López-Mejías, Alejandro Jiménez-Sosa, Candelaria Martín-González, Miguel Ángel González-Gay and Iván Ferraz-Amaro
Life 2023, 13(10), 1995; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13101995 - 29 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 974
Abstract
The monocytes to high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol ratio (MHR) indicates inflammation based on the anti-inflammatory properties of HDL-cholesterol as well as the pro-inflammatory effect of monocytes. Several studies have investigated MHR in various disorders, specifically in cardiovascular diseases. Consequently, MHR has been significantly associated [...] Read more.
The monocytes to high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol ratio (MHR) indicates inflammation based on the anti-inflammatory properties of HDL-cholesterol as well as the pro-inflammatory effect of monocytes. Several studies have investigated MHR in various disorders, specifically in cardiovascular diseases. Consequently, MHR has been significantly associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in the general population, regardless of established risk factors. However, its role in the augmented risk of cardiovascular disease found in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not been studied to date. This is a cross-sectional study that encompassed 430 patients with RA and 208 controls matched by sex and age. Complete blood cell count and complete lipid profile were evaluated. Multivariable analysis was made to analyze the relationship between MHR and RA disease and features subclinical carotid atherosclerosis, and traditional CV factors including insulin resistance and beta cell function indices. MHR values did not differ between controls and patients after multivariable adjustment (12 ± 6 vs. 11 ± 6, p = 0.18). No relationship between this ratio and the characteristics of the disease was found excluding ESR, which showed a significant and positive association with MHR after adjustment for covariates. MHR significantly correlated with Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation-2 (SCORE2) cardiovascular risk algorithm, and insulin resistance and beta cell function parameters after adjustment. In conclusion, MHR does not differ between patients with RA and controls. The relationship of this biomarker with disease-related data is poor. However, MHR is highly and positively related to cardiovascular risk and insulin resistance in RA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rheumatology and Immunity Research: From Mechanisms, Diagnosis to Clinical Treatment)

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15 pages, 1841 KiB  
Systematic Review
Gastroenterological Manifestations of Immunoglobulin G Subclass 4-Related Disease—Epidemiology, Clinical Manifestations, Diagnosis and Treatment
by Jorge Lucas de Sousa Moreira, Sarah Maria Bacurau Barbosa, Pedro Lucas Gomes Moreira de Meneses, Pedro Garcia Dias de Barros, Samuel de Sá Barreto Lima, Damiao Maroto Gomes Junior, Gledson Micael da Silva Leite, Jacob Oliveira Duarte, Galba Matos Cardoso de Alencar Junior, Maria Auxiliadora Ferreira Brito Almino, José Matos Cruz, Hermes Melo Teixeira Batista, Estelita Lima Cândido, Gislene Farias de Oliveira, Hellen Lúcia Macedo Cruz and Jucier Gonçalves Júnior
Life 2023, 13(8), 1725; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13081725 - 11 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1192
Abstract
Despite causing high morbidity, IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) and its gastroenterological manifestations lack better and greater theoretical contributions. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the clinical–epidemiological, diagnostic and treatment aspects of the gastrointestinal manifestations of this disease. A systematic review was [...] Read more.
Despite causing high morbidity, IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) and its gastroenterological manifestations lack better and greater theoretical contributions. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the clinical–epidemiological, diagnostic and treatment aspects of the gastrointestinal manifestations of this disease. A systematic review was carried out using the PubMed, Scopus and Embase databases between January 2012 and March 2023 with the following descriptors: “Immunoglobulin G4-Related Disease” (MeSH) AND #2 “Gastrointestinal Tract” (MeSH). Our data collection grouped a total of 3607 patients from mostly epidemiological cohort studies and cross-sectional follow-ups. In the subgroup analysis, IgG4-RD was associated with male gender, with an estimated prevalence between 54% and 80%. In our findings, the prevalence by topography was presented in the following ranges: lacrimal glands (17–57%); salivary glands (28–72%); pancreas (19–60%); biliary tract (5–40%); retroperitoneal cavity (9–43%). Longitudinal studies are needed to better map the natural history of the gastrointestinal manifestations of IgG4-RD and enable the formulation of individualized treatments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rheumatology and Immunity Research: From Mechanisms, Diagnosis to Clinical Treatment)
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6 pages, 226 KiB  
Brief Report
Absence of Long-Lasting Morning Stiffness at the Time of Diagnosis as Paraneoplastic Warning in Patients with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR): Data from Italian Single-Center Study
by Ciro Manzo, Alberto Castagna and Marco Isetta
Life 2023, 13(6), 1285; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13061285 - 30 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1241
Abstract
Background: There is little literature on the paraneoplastic value of the absence of long-lasting morning stiffness (MS) at the time of diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). We investigated whether and to what extent this finding was related to the probability of diagnosing a [...] Read more.
Background: There is little literature on the paraneoplastic value of the absence of long-lasting morning stiffness (MS) at the time of diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). We investigated whether and to what extent this finding was related to the probability of diagnosing a neoplasia. Patients and Methods: This was an observational, retrospective, single-center cohort study. We enrolled all patients consecutively referred to our rheumatologic outpatient clinic between January 2015 and December 2020, who could be classified as PMR according to 2012 EULAR/ACR criteria. In particular, we assessed all patients scoring a minimum of five points with a combination of clinical and ultrasound (US) criteria. The exclusion criteria were as follows: (a) follow-up duration <two years; (b) malignancy prior to PMR; (c) first-degree familiarity of malignancy; (d) incomplete data; and (e) diagnostic change during follow-up in different rheumatologic diseases. Results: 143 patients (108 women; median age: 71.5 years) were enrolled, and 35 of them did not have long-standing MS at the time of PMR diagnosis. In 10 patients (6.9%), a neoplasia was diagnosed in the first 6 months of follow-ups; among these, 7 did not have long-lasting MS. Among the remaining 133 PMR patients without subsequent malignancy, 28 did not have long-lasting MS. The odds of cancer were 0.114 (C.I. 95% 0.028, 0.471). Long-lasting MS was inversely associated with the development of neoplasias. In all eight PMR patients diagnosed with solid cancers during follow-ups, the removal of the neoplastic mass led to a fast disappearance of clinical, ultrasound and laboratory findings, thus supporting the diagnosis of paraneoplastic PMR. Finally, a positive response to glucocorticoids (GCs) was present in 100% of the 28 PMR patients without long-lasting MS at the time of diagnosis and without neoplasia during their follow-ups. On the contrary, a positive response to GCs was present in 71% of PMR patients without long-lasting MS and neoplasias during follow-up. Among the variables we assessed, a positive response to GCs was the only one that was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). These data suggested that an inadequate response to GCs in PMR patients without long-lasting MS at the time of diagnosis should strengthen investigations to rule out neoplasias. Conclusions: The absence of long-standing MS at the time of diagnosis can be a paraneoplastic warning in patients classified as PMR. A thorough investigation is therefore needed in this subset of patients to rule out neoplasia, before diagnosing an idiopathic PMR and starting treatment with GCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rheumatology and Immunity Research: From Mechanisms, Diagnosis to Clinical Treatment)
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