April 2026 to July 2026
Author: Omar Dhrif
Plasma proteome differences between giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica: a pilot study
Seidlberger et al. compared plasma proteomes of 13 patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) and 15 with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) using mass spectrometry. Active disease was characterised by 50 protein signatures in GCA and 83 in PMR, with only 13 (8.9%) shared. GCA-specific pathways involved mitochondrial membrane activity (ACACA, SLC25A31) and the clotting cascade (VWF, TUBB), whereas PMR involved erythrocyte integrity (SLC4A1, SPTA1), muscle contraction and glucocorticoid resistance (PTGES3). S100A12 was increased approximately 1.6-fold.
Serum citrullinated histone H3 as a biomarker of disease activity and renal outcome in microscopic polyangiitis and granulomatosis with polyangiitis
Kwon et al. measured serum citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3), a marker of neutrophil extracellular traps, at diagnosis in 65 patients with microscopic polyangiitis or granulomatosis with polyangiitis. CitH3 correlated with the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS; r=0.393, p=0.001) and discriminated severe disease (BVAS ≥20) well (area under the curve 0.905, 95% CI 0.825–0.984). Over a mean 38.3 months, eight patients (12.3%) developed end-stage kidney disease; higher CitH3 was an independent predictor (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.181, 95% CI 1.033–1.352, p=0.015).
Identification of distinct subgroups in Chinese patients with Behçet’s syndrome via cluster analysis of immune cells and clinical features
Li et al. applied unsupervised clustering to clinical features and flow-cytometry immune profiles of 201 prospectively enrolled Chinese patients with Behçet’s syndrome. Four clusters emerged: isolated mucocutaneous disease with low inflammation and high remission (IFN-γ, IL-6 and JAK-STAT enrichment); arthritis with raised inflammatory markers responding to tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors; cardiovascular involvement with reduced CLA+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), also TNF-inhibitor responsive; and neurological disease with elevated CD161+ Tregs, low remission and better response to mycophenolate mofetil.
Early risk stratification in lupus nephritis based on established prognostic factors: association with outcomes under triple therapy
Hanaoka et al. applied the 2025 EULAR prognostic factors to 170 patients with biopsy-proven lupus nephritis (classes III, IV and V). Nephrotic-range proteinuria (odds ratio [OR] 0.25, 95% CI 0.11–0.55) and previous renal flare (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.12–0.65) were negatively associated with complete response, which decreased across low-, moderate- and high-risk groups (94.0% vs 71.8% vs 40.9%, p<0.01). In the high-risk group, triple therapy independently predicted complete response (adjusted hazard ratio 3.13, 95% CI 1.17–8.73, p=0.02).
Tripartite motif containing 21 autoimmunity primes CD8+ cell-mediated lung inflammation: an in vivo model of interstitial lung disease pathogenesis
Qiu et al. immunised mice with recombinant tripartite motif containing 21 (TRIM21/Ro52) to model anti-Ro52-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD). Immunisation induced systemic autoantibodies, B-cell activation and lung-predominant inflammation with IgG deposition. A poly(I:C) challenge mimicking a viral trigger markedly amplified pulmonary infiltration by CD8+ and CD11b+ myeloid cells with enrichment of chemokine signalling; Ccl6 was the top upregulated gene and its protein was spatially confirmed in inflamed lung, supporting a pathogenic role for anti-Ro52 autoimmunity in connective tissue disease-associated ILD.
Omar Dhrif
Omar is a Clinical Immunology and Internal Medicine MD from University Tunis El Manar, currently working at University Hospital Dijon Bourgogne, France. His main clinical and research interests focus on vasculitis, global access to health care and educational therapy.
Omar is past-Treasurer of the Tunisian Association of Young Internists, co-founder of the Francophonic Young Internists Group, a member of the Research Committee of the Tunisian Society of Internal Medicine and an American College of Rheumatology Social Media Ambassador. Omar is a member of the EMEUNET Social Media sub-committee.