April 2025 to July 2025
Author: Clementina López-Medina
Real-world data on the use of the Shingrix vaccine among patients with inflammatory arthritis and risk of cardiovascular events following herpes zoster
Curtis JR, et al. (10.1186/s13075-025-03565-0) aimed to evaluate Shingrix effectiveness and cardiovascular risk after herpes zoster in inflammatory arthritis. Using a retrospective cohort of 132,672 patients (mean age 60 years, 72% female), 22% received ≥1 vaccine dose, but adherence to the second dose was suboptimal. Herpes zoster incidence was halved with vaccination (7.4 vs 14.8 per 1,000 person-years; effectiveness 50%). 360 post-vaccination herpes zoster cases occurred, showing incomplete protection. Risk of venous thromboembolic events was elevated 60–90 days post-herpes zoster, while other cardiovascular risks were not increased. These findings support strong recommendations for Shingrix vaccination in immunosuppressed patients with inflammatory arthritis.
Artificial intelligence-based Raynaud’s quantification index (ARTIX): an objective mobile-based tool for patient-centred assessment of Raynaud’s phenomenon
Di Battista M, et al. (10.1186/s13075-025-03569-w) aimed to develop and validate ARTIX, an AI-based tool for quantifying Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) from mobile phone photos. ARTIX was built through image segmentation, decomposition, and filtering, and validated against thermography during a cold challenge. The study included 45 RP patients (75.5% secondary RP, mean age 52 years) and 22 healthy controls. RP patients had significantly lower ARTIX scores than controls at baseline and across all cold challenge timepoints (p < 0.01). Scores were higher in men and vasoactive drug users, but lower in patients with severe disease features. ARTIX effectively discriminated RP from healthy responses, showing promise as a patient-centred, objective tool for RP monitoring.
Decoding the impact of exercise and αCGRP signalling on murine post-traumatic osteoarthritis progression
Pann P, et al. (10.1186/s13075-025-03589-6) aimed to investigate the role of αCGRP deficiency and exercise intensity on osteoarthritis (OA) progression in a murine post-traumatic model. OA was induced by destabilisation of the medial meniscus in wild-type and αCGRP knockout mice, followed by moderate or intense treadmill running. Cartilage degradation occurred after surgery, but was unaffected by αCGRP deficiency or exercise intensity. αCGRP deficiency prevented cartilage extracellular matrix stiffening after OA and intense exercise. Subchondral bone sclerosis was aggravated by αCGRP deficiency and OA but improved with intense exercise. In αCGRP-deficient mice, intense exercise caused trabecular bone loss and elevated inflammatory markers. Findings identify αCGRP as a regulator of bone remodelling, ECM stiffness, and inflammatory responses, highlighting its role in joint adaptation to mechanical stress during OA.
Entheseal Doppler signals in ultrasound are associated with vasodilator drugs and age in patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis
Hallström M, et al. (10.1186/s13075-025-03614-8) aimed to assess the prevalence and significance of Doppler ultrasound signals in peripheral entheses of patients with long-standing radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. A total of 141 patients underwent ultrasound of 1692 entheses. Active ultrasound enthesitis was detected in 21.3% of patients, but only 4.3% were clinically tender. Isolated Doppler signals were common (89–97% of patients), most frequent at the triceps entheses and least at the Achilles tendons. Multivariable regression showed that older age, NSAID use, and vasodilator therapy were associated with higher Doppler scores, while disease activity was not. Thus, asymptomatic entheseal Doppler findings are frequent in long-standing r-axSpA, but not related to disease activity.
Mortality in polymyalgia rheumatica: a 38-year prospective population-based cohort study from Southern Norway
Tengesdal S, et al. (10.1186/s13075-025-03613-9) aimed to evaluate long-term mortality in polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) using a 38-year, population-based cohort from Norway. A total of 274 isolated PMR and 63 GCA patients were included, matched with population comparators. Mean age at diagnosis was ~72 years, and 96% were deceased by study end. Mean follow-up was 13.7 years. The standardised mortality ratio (SMR) in PMR was 0.97, showing no excess mortality compared with the general population. Men had slightly reduced mortality risk (SMR 0.77), while women had a marginally higher risk (SMR 1.11). For GCA, SMR was 1.10, with no gender differences. Thus, isolated PMR is not associated with increased mortality, supporting its relatively benign long-term prognosis.
Clementina López-Medina
Clementina is a Rheumatologist and Associate Professor at Reina Sofía University Hospital and the University of Córdoba, Spain. Her main research interest is clinical and translational research in Spondyloarthritis and Psoriatic Arthritis. She also leads the Spondyloarthritis Unit at her hospital. Clementina is a member of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology (SER), the Spanish Group of Interest in Spondyloarthritis (GRESSER), the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA), and a full member of the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS). She is also a member of the EMEUNET Social Media Sub-committee.