Volume 2, Issue 1

A multidisciplinary guideline development group was established to formulate this evidence-based diagnosis and treatment guidelines for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in China. The grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) system was used to rate the quality of the evidence and the strength of recommendations, which were derived from research articles and guided by the analysis of the benefits and harms as well as patients’ values and preferences. A total of 10 recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of RA were developed. This new guideline covered the classification criteria, disease activity assessment and monitoring, and the role of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biologics, small molecule synthetic targeting drugs, and glucocorticoids in the treat-to-target approach of RA. This guideline is intended to serve as a tool for clinicians and patients to implement decision-making strategies and improve the practices of RA management in China.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It manifests with variable clinical pictures ranging from asymptomatic to mild or uncomplicated illness to severe disease with possible multi-organ involvement, with respiratory and vascular systems being the most often affected. Since COVID-19 can affect patients with autoimmune rheumatic conditions, the concomitant presence of two diseases may have clinical characteristics whose knowledge may help facilitate clinical management. This review discusses the data available in the literature on COVID-19 in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation and extra-articular manifestations. Many questions in the pathogenesis, clinical manifestation, and disease spectrum are answered after the discovery of the first autoantibody namely rheumatoid factor (RF). The finding of the second autoantibody named anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA), which unearths the importance of protein citrullination process. It further provides the insight how immune cells and complement interact to perpetuate the inflammatory response. These two autoantibodies pave the way for our better understanding of RA. This review article focuses on the history, pathophysiology, and clinical association of these two autoantibodies in RA.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains a chronic debilitating disease with a significant negative societal impact, despite the expanding landscape of treatment options. This condition is often preceded by a phase of systemic autoimmunity with circulating autoantibodies, elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines, or subtle structural changes. The capability of identifying individuals in the preclinical phase of RA disease makes a “preventive window of opportunity” possible. Much recent work has focused on the role of imaging modalities including ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and high-resolution peripheral quantitative computer tomography (HR-pQCT) in identifying at-risk individuals with or without early joint symptoms for the development of inflammatory arthritis. This article will review the evidence and discuss the challenges as well as opportunities of proactive risk assessment by imaging in RA.

Objective To enable physicians to understand the efficacy and safety of Tocilizumab (TCZ) in patients with severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) Methods We respectively reviewed the clinical records, laboratory results, and chest computed tomography (CT) scans of 5 geriatric patients with severe COVID-19 treated with TCZ during their inpatient hospitalization period in Wuhan from February 08, 2020 to April 04, 2020. The survival status of the patients in the third and the sixth month after being discharged was followed up and recorded. Results On the fourteenth day after TCZ administration, periphery oxygen saturation rate (SpO 2 ) returned to normal in 4 patients. The serum Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels altered in five patients after TCZ infusion. One patient rapidly progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and died of multiple organ failures eventually. The other 4 patients were cured and discharged from the hospital. During the inpatient hospitalization period, two patients suffered from virus shedding periods (VSPs) delay, and one patient had mild upper respiratory tract infection. One patient died of esophageal carcinoma one month after being discharged. The other 3 patients survived despite mild cough and insomnia. Serum-specific IgG type antibody titer was decreased in one patient. Six months after being discharged, the other three patients were in good condition. Conclusion TCZ may be an efficient therapeutic option for patients with COVID-19. However, the possibility of VSPs delay, secondary infection, serum protective antibody tilter attenuation, and long-term survival status should be addressed before TCZ therapy initiation.

Objective To describe the overall clinical characteristics of patients from the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research group (CSTAR) registry in the past 10 years. Methods CSTAR registry originated as a multicenter, consecutive, and prospective design launched in 2009. The data were collected online from 304 rheumatology centers, which covered 30 provinces in China. All data were generated and uploaded in the clinic directly without secondary collection, including demographic, clinical manifestations, disease activity (SLEDAI-2K) and organ damage evaluation (SLICC Damage Index), and lab test results. Biological samples were preserved for future study. Meanwhile, data cleaning and validation were managed by a professional backstage statistician. Results A total of 25,147 SLE patients were registered up to Dec 2019. The mean age of disease onset was 31.2 years with the age of confirmed diagnosis at 32.1 years. The male to female rate was 1:11.9. 4.6% were pediatric patients. The most common clinical presentations at entry were oral ulcer (59.4%), arthritis (55.0%), alopecia (43.22%), skin rash (40.0%), and nephritis (33.5%). The mean SLEDAI score at entry was 4 and 32.6% were in moderate to severely active disease. 66.4% and 37.8% of patients were positive for anti-ds-DNA antibody or low complement level. Additionally, 1.1% of patients were with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The prevalence rate of cerebrovascular disease was 0.3%. A total of 58.2% of patients were in clinical remission when thery were registered. Conclusions The CSTAR registry is the largest ongoing SLE registry in China so far. More than 25,000 SLE patients are registered and nearly 10,000 are in follow-up visits. This registry has provided high-quality data for future studies and will become an infrastructure for domestic and international collaborations.

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing protein 2 (NOD2) is a cytosolic receptor. Both NOD2 and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) are critical in regulation of immune and inflammatory response. Yao syndrome (YAOS, OMIM 617321) is an autoinflammatory disease associated with specified NOD2 mutations. Herein, we report a well-studied case of YAOS masquerading as mast cell disorder and neuroendocrine tumors to support the involvement of VIP in YAOS. For the first time, this case study suggests a potential relationship between NOD2 and VIP. This could provide a novel avenue for mechanistic study of NOD2-associated disease.