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Alberto Migliore,1 Silvana Giannini,2 Emanuele Bizzi,1 Umberto Massafra,1 Maurizio Cassol,3 Martin Jose Michael Abilius,1 Giovanni Boni4 1Operative Unit of Rheumatology, San Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Rome 00189, Italy; 2Department of Radiology, Villa Stuart Sport Clinic, Rome 00136, Italy; 3Department of Internal Medicine, San Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Rome 00189, Italy; 4ANTIAGE Sportive Medicine Ambulatory Department (Ambulatorio di Medicina dello Sport Antiage), Foligno, Italy Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of intra-articular hyaluronic acid administration in active football players complaining of knee pain after sports activity. Efficacy and safety profiles of intra-articular hyaluronic acid and time needed for football players to recover and restart sports activity were examined.Methods: Clinical data of active football players reporting knee pain after sports activity were included in this retrospective study. All patients who received an intra-articular injection at time 0 and after 2 weeks were included in the study. Patients underwent laboratory examination, knee X-ray, ultrasound, and clinical examination before receiving the intra-articular injection. Effusions or cysts were drained before injections. Lequesne index score, pain visual analog scale (VAS) score, and patient’s global assessment score were recorded at time 0 (day of the first injection), 1 and 2 days after the first injection, at 2 weeks (day of the second injection), and at follow-up visits. Only data from patients completing the follow-up were analyzed.Results: Data from 17 patients were analyzed: 16 males and one female, of which three were professional players (two males and one female) and 14 were nonprofessional players. The mean age of patients was 39.8±11.8 years. Two patients (one male and one female) showed joint effusion. Two patients reported relevant joint pain after injection that regressed without any medication. At the first week, all parameters examined indicated improvement that was maintained until the end of follow-up. One day after the first and second injection, patients reported a slight increase in pain VAS score, which was not statistically significant, and the pain resolved after 1 day. All patients successfully restarted playing after the first injection within 3.1±2.0 days and kept playing after the second injection following our indication (1 day of break).Conclusion: The use of a medium-molecular weight hyaluronic acid in football players affected by knee osteoarthritis seems efficacious and safe and resulted, in our experience, a stable improvement of symptoms; moreover, it allowed a rapid restart of sports activity. Larger studies on larger populations are needed to confirm these findings. Keywords: sports, hyaluronic acid, intra-articular, injection, football, trauma

LS Martin-Martin,1 F Giovannangeli,2 E Bizzi,2 U Massafra,2 E Ballanti,2 M Cassol,3 A Migliore2 1Department of Internal Medicine, Regina Apostolorum Hospital, 2Operative Unit of Rheumatology, 3Department of Internal Medicine, San Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Rome, Italy Background: Biologic agents are currently the strongest immunosuppressive drugs able to induce remission in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). One of the objectives of the medical scientific community now is how to maintain remission or low disease activity (LDA). The aim of this trial is to evaluate the contribution of low-dose sequential kinetic activation (SKA) IL-4, IL-10, and anti-IL-1 antibodies (10 fg/mL) in patients affected by RA in maintaining LDA or remission obtained after biological therapy. Method: This is a randomized, open, active-controlled, prospective, Phase IV trial. Disease activity score (DAS28), clinical disease activity index, simplified disease activity index, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels, global health assessment, and pain visual analog scale were evaluated at baseline visit and then every 3 months together with an assessment of side effects till 12 months. Thirty-nine RA patients were enrolled and randomized to continue disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) therapy or to receive a combination of SKA low-dose cytokines formulated in concentration of 10 fg/mL orally administered at a dose of 20 drops/d for 12 consecutive months. Results: The rate of maintenance of LDA at 12 months was superior in the group treated with low-dose cytokines compared with patients treated with DMARDs, 66.7% and 42.1%, respectively; however, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. No side effects were reported in both groups. Conclusion: This is the first study using a combination of three low-dose cytokines in RA, after data published on psoriasis. These data suggest that the use of a combination of low-dose SKA cytokines may be an opportunity to explore in the management of RA. Keywords: RA, low-dose cytokines, low-dose antibodies, SKA, biological agents, low disease activity

Migliore A, Giannini S, Bizzi E, Massafra U, Cassol M, Abilius MJ, Boni G. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. 2019;10:11–15.Following publication, the authors of this article discovered an error on page 12, in Methods section, 3rd paragraph, 4th row regarding name and affiliation of hyaluronic acid applied in this study. Correct name and provenance is SINOVIAL 8 mg/mL (IBSA Farmaceutici, Italy).Read the original article

Alberto Migliore,1 Emanuele Bizzi,1 Colin Gerard Egan,2 Mauro Bernardi,3 Lea Petrella4 1Rheumatology Unit, San Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Rome, 2Primula Multimedia SRL, Pisa, 3Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, 4MEMOTEF Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy Background: Biological agents provide an important therapeutic alternative for rheumatoid arthritis patients refractory to conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Few head-to-head comparative trials are available.Purpose: The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the relative efficacy of different biologic agents indicated for use as monotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis.Methods: A systemic literature search was performed on electronic databases to identify articles reporting double-blind randomized controlled trials investigating the efficacy of biologic agents indicated for monotherapy. Efficacy was assessed using American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20, 50, and 70 criteria at 16–24 weeks. Relative efficacy was estimated using Bayesian mixed-treatment comparison models. Outcome measures were expressed as odds ratio and 95% credible intervals.Results: Ten randomized controlled trials were selected for data extraction and analysis. Mixed-treatment comparison analysis revealed that tocilizumab offered 100% probability of being the best treatment for inducing an ACR20 response versus placebo, methotrexate, adalimumab, or etanercept. Likewise, for ACR50 and ACR70 outcome responses, tocilizumab had a 99.8% or 98.7% probability of being the best treatment, respectively, compared to other treatments or placebo. Tocilizumab increased the relative probability of being the best treatment (vs methotrexate) by 3.2-fold (odds ratio: 2.1–3.89) for all ACR outcomes.Conclusion: Tocilizumab offered the greatest possibility of obtaining an ACR20, ACR50, and ACR70 outcome vs other monotherapies or placebo. Keywords: biologics, meta-analysis, mixed-treatment comparison, monotherapy, rheumatoid arthritis, tocilizumab

OBJECTIVE: Several studies on knee osteoarthritis suggest that the intra-articular administration of hyaluronic acid products may be a relevant option in the management of patients with persistent pain. The aim of this study is to report the data of efficacy of US-guided HyalOne®/Hyalubrix® 60 injections in a large population of patients with hip osteoarthritis, repeated at least 2 times per year for up to seven years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a prospective, post-marketing, cohort study. Data were collected from the ANTIAGE registry. Values of Lequesne index, pain VAS, NSAIDs intake, global medical and patients assessments were evaluated every six months from the baseline to the end of the follow-up, seven years later. The inclusion criteria were: age ≥18 years, symptomatic hip osteoarthritis of at least 1-year duration, and up to 84 months of follow-up. All the patients received hyaluronic acid injections at least every six months, using ultrasound guidance to ensure accurate placement. RESULTS: 1022 patients were included in the study. The patients were categorized by age classes, gender, and body mass index (BMI). All the groups show a statistically significant reduction at all time points compared to baseline values of Lequesne index, pain VAS, NSAIDs intake, global medical and patients assessments. There are slight differences in the subgroups of overweighted, obese and over 70 years patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our study supports the clinical efficacy and safety of HyalOne®/Hyalubrix®60 in patients affected by osteoarthritis. This is the first study, reporting on a large cohort of patients in different categories with a long follow-up on seven years. The data confirm the proper use of ultrasound-guided viscosupplementation (VS) as background therapy in the management of hip osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently AAOS, ACR and OARSI revised their recommendations for the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and for hand, knee and hip joints. During ISIAT (International Symposium on Intra-Articular Treatments) 2013 round table on recommendations about the use of intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid (IAHA) in OA, several considerations were elaborated by the ISIAT Technical Expert Panel (TEP) regarding discrepancy between recommendations and clinical practice. The ISIAT TEP gathered the following eight suggestions regarding the drawing of recommendations on the use of IAHA in OA and its comparison with other treatments. It is necessary to merge data coming from both RCTs and registers. Only studies with a strong level of evidence should be taken into account. A common threshold of efficacy should be assessed for comparing treatments. Evaluation of hard outcomes is essential. The effect size of placebo as comparator should be attentively considered in RCTs. Particular attention should be given to different phenotypes of OA that may possibly respond differently to each treatment. Compliance and long-term side effects of different therapeutic approaches should be evaluated. Pharmacoeconomic evaluation should be performed on the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: To outline the latest discoveries regarding the utility and reliability of serum biomarkers in idiopathic recurrent acute pericarditis (IRAP), considering recent findings on its pathogenesis. The study highlights the predictive role of these biomarkers in potential short- (cardiac tamponade, recurrences) and long-term complications (constrictive pericarditis, death)., Recent Findings: The pathogenesis of pericarditis has been better defined in recent years, focusing on the autoinflammatory pathway. New studies have demonstrated the pivotal role of the classical inflammatory biomarkers in distinguishing pericarditis phenotypes (high-grade vs. low-grade inflammation) and in defining outcomes of this condition. Pericarditis involves intense inflammatory activity, which causes elevation of different markers, such as C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, neutrophils and platelets, serum amyloid A and D-Dimer. Conversely, lymphocytes are often reduced, as well as hemoglobin during the acute phase. Cardiac troponins T and I are elevated in up to 30% of cases. A Biomarker for CRP-negative cases is needed. Other markers have been proposed for diagnosis and prognosis in IRAP, such as anti-heart antibodies and anti-intercalated disk antibodies, but we need further studies to validate them., Competing Interests: Declarations. Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent: All studies with human or animal subjects are published and followed ethical standards. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: We aimed to investigate the remission rate and disease duration in idiopathic or post-cardiac injury pericarditis and risk factors for disease duration and anti-interleukin-1 (IL-1) agent discontinuation., Methods: This was a multicenter, longitudinal, observational study including 370 patients (51.4% female). The remission rate was the proportion of patients who stopped all pericarditis-related therapies for at least 6 months without recurrences., Results: The median follow-up was 4.9 (interquartile range [IQR] 2.8-8.4) years, and the median age at the end of follow-up was 49 (IQR 37-60) years. A median of 1.1 (IQR 0.6-1.9) recurrences/year and 0.4 (IQR 0.1-0.9) hospitalizations/year were recorded. The remission rate at follow-up was 34.0%, 7% per year. Disease duration was shorter for patients in remission (3.1 years, IQR 1.6-6.2 years) than for those still receiving treatment (4 years, IQR 2.2-7.8; P = 0.02). Use of "guidelines-based therapy" (hazard ratio [HR] 1.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25-2.73; P = 0.02) and colchicine use at first attack (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.02-2.23; P = 0.038) were protective factors, whereas steroid use was associated with longer disease duration (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.35-0.81; P = 0.003). Corticosteroids were used in 77.3% of patients, with a median duration of therapy of 1.1 (IQR 0.4-2.6) years. Anakinra was used in 25.9% with a median duration of therapy of 2.4 (IQR 0.9-5.0) years; only 19.8% were able to stop anakinra at the end of observation period., Conclusion: This study reports the largest and longest follow-up in patients with recurrent pericarditis. Guideline adherence from the first attack is associated with a shorter course. The disease was long and impacting in terms of recurrences and hospitalizations, often requiring a long-term treatment, in particular with anti-IL-1 agents., (© 2025 The Author(s). ACR Open Rheumatology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Rheumatology.)

Background: Current guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pericarditis refer to the general adult population. Few and fragmentary data regarding recurrent pericarditis in older adults exist., Objective of the Study: Given the absence of specific data in scientific literature, we hypothesized that there might be clinical, laboratory and outcome differences between young adults and older adults affected by idiopathic recurrent pericarditis., Materials and Methods: We performed an international multicentric retrospective cohort study analyzing data from patients affected by recurrent pericarditis (idiopathic or post-cardiac injury) and referring to tertiary referral centers. Clinical, laboratory, and outcome data were compared between patients younger than 65 years (controls) and patients aged 65 or older., Results: One hundred and thirty-three older adults and 142 young adult controls were enrolled. Comorbidities, including chronic kidney diseases, atrial fibrillation, and diabetes, were more present in older adults. The presenting symptom was dyspnea in 54.1% of the older adults versus 10.6% in controls (p < 0.001); pain in 32.3% of the older adults versus 80.3% of the controls (p < 0.001). Fever higher than 38°C was present in 33.8% versus 53.5% (p = 0.001). Pleural effusion was more prevalent in the older adults (55.6% vs 34.5%, p < 0.001), as well as severe pericardial effusion (>20 mm) (24.1% vs 12.7%, p = 0.016) and pericardiocentesis (16.5% vs 8.5%, p = 0.042). Blood leukocyte counts were significantly lower in the older adults (mean + SE: 10,227 + 289/mm 3 vs 11,208 + 285/mm 3 , p = 0.016). Concerning therapies, NSAIDS were used in 63.9% of the older adults versus 80.3% in the younger (p = 0.003), colchicine in 76.7% versus 87.3% (p = 0.023), corticosteroids in 49.6% versus 26.8% (p < 0.001), and anakinra in 14.3% versus 23.9% (p = 0.044)., Conclusions: Older adults affected by recurrent pericarditis show a different clinical pattern, with more frequent dyspnea, pleural effusion, severe pericardial effusion, and lower fever and lower leukocyte count, making the diagnosis sometimes challenging. They received significantly less NSAIDs and colchicine, likely due to comorbidities; they were also treated less commonly with anti-IL1 agents, and more frequently with corticosteroids., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The American Geriatrics Society.)

Recurrent pericarditis, an inflammatory syndrome with a pathogenesis not fully elucidated, often presents diagnostic challenges. This study aims to assess the correlation of D-Dimer (D-D) and procalcitonin (PCT) levels with clinical, laboratory and imaging features in recurrent idiopathic pericarditis. We analyzed 412 patients with idiopathic recurrent pericarditis from 2019 to 2023 in our referral center. D-D and PCT values were obtained from emergency room in other Italian facilities. Among the cohort, PCT levels were assessed in 50 of 412 patients (12.1%), with only 4 showing marginal elevation. D-D levels were measured in 48 of 412 patients (11.6%), with 33 of them exhibiting elevated values. None of these patients had venous thromboembolism, and elevated D-D levels were significantly associated with pleural effusion, fever, higher CRP, increased white blood cell counts, higher neutrophil counts, reduced relative lymphocyte counts. Multivariate analysis revealed fever as the sole correlate of elevated D-D. PCT elevation was infrequent and unrelated to any variables. In idiopathic recurrent pericarditis unrelated to specific conditions, we observed a close association between elevated D-D levels and non-specific inflammation markers, including fever, increased CRP, and neutrophil leukocytosis. PCT levels were typically normal or mildly elevated., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: Prof Antonio Luca Brucato: Institution received funding from Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. as an investigative site; unrestricted research grants from SOBI and ACARPIA; travel and accommodation for the advisory committee from SOBI and Kiniksa. All other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Ethical approval: Obtained. Human and animal rights statements and Informed consent: All participants provided informed consent prior to their participation., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Medicina Interna (SIMI).)

Background/Objectives: Anemia during acute inflammation is not well described in the literature. We aimed to study whether patients develop a transient hemoglobin decrease during an acute attack of recurrent pericarditis. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with recurrent pericarditis. The primary endpoint was the difference in hemoglobin levels during an acute attack and in the following remission. As secondary endpoints, we correlated this variation with laboratory and clinical features; we also evaluated the available baseline hemoglobin values. Results: Sixty-two patients, including thirty females (48.4%), with a median age of 39 years, were observed during an acute attack and remission. The attack indexed was the first in 21 patients and the second or the third in 41, with pre-attack hemoglobin levels available for the latter group. Median hemoglobin levels (IQR) were 13.8 (12.8-15.1) g/dL at baseline, 12.0 (11.2-13.4) during attacks and 13.6 (13.1-14.0) during remission ( p < 0.001). The median hemoglobin reduction between an acute attack and remission was 1.4 g/dL. Their mean corpuscular volume remained in the normal range. Hb reduction significantly correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP) elevation, neutrophilia and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, but not serosal involvement. Only CRP elevation remained associated with the variation of Hb in a multivariate analysis ( p = 0.007). Conclusions: This study is a proof of concept: hemoglobin levels may decline rapidly during acute inflammation in correlation with CRP elevation, with transient normocytic anemia, followed by a rapid rebound. In this regard, idiopathic pericarditis may represent a pathogenetic model of this type of anemia.

Introduction: Cardiovascular pathologies represent the first cause of death in uremic patients and are among the leading causes of mortality in patients with hereditary angioedema due to C1-inhibitor deficiency (HAE-C1INH). Before 2020, the most common treatment for long-term prophylaxis in HAE-C1INH patients in Italy was attenuated androgen, which may increase cardiovascular risk by multiple mechanisms., Case Description: We present a case report of a 56-year-old patient with HAE-C1INH type I affected by IgA nephropathy with severe kidney impairment. The patient experienced a first kidney transplant and, after late rejection, underwent a second kidney transplant. Further comorbidities included obesity, hypertensive cardiomyopathy, HCV liver disease, and dyslipidemia. His prophylactic therapy to prevent angioedema attacks had consisted of attenuated androgens for about 40 years. Since 2020, new modern targeted therapy for LTP, particularly lanadelumab, has shown promising results. The majority of patients with attenuated androgens have been successfully switched to lanadelumab, including our patient. Since introducing lanadelumab (300 mg subcutaneously every two weeks; after a six-month attack-free period, the dosing interval of lanadelumab was extended to four weeks), the patient has not experienced any acute HAE attack and did not report any adverse events. Moreover, we observed decreased total cholesterol, C-LDL, and body mass index, reducing the Matsushita et al. score for ten years of cardiovascular risk from 13.2% to 9.3%., Conclusion: lanadelumab is effective and safe in preventing hereditary angioedema attacks, as well as in reducing cardiovascular risk in an immunosuppressed patient with significant comorbidities. The successful outcomes of this case highlight the potential of lanadelumab as a promising prophylactic therapy., Competing Interests: AG received speaker/consultancy fees from CSL Behring and Takeda. MC received travel grants from CSL Behring, Menarini, Novartis, and Shire-Takeda, and consultancy fees from Biocryst, CSL Behring, and Shire-Takeda. AZ received speaker/consultancy fees from and/or was a member of advisory boards for BioCryst, CSL Behring, KalVista, Pharming, Pharvaris, and Takeda. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Gidaro, La Cava, Donadoni, Popescu Janu, Cogliati, Brucato, Zanichelli, Cancian and Bizzi.)

Introduction: Short peripheral catheters (SPCs) are affected by a high complication rate that leads to catheter failure. Currently, the Visual Infusion Phlebitis score (VIP) is the most used tool to verify the presence of inflammatory complications (phlebitis and thrombophlebitis). However, ultrasound signs (US) may be an attractive alternative., Objective: This study aims to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of US and VIP score = 1 in identifying and recognizing early signs of SPC failure. The time to positivity for US and VIP scores was assessed as a secondary outcome., Methods: An observational prospective study was conducted. In each patient, US (subcutaneous edema; fibroblastic sleeve; thrombophlebitis) and VIP of the exit site were performed every 24 h until 96 h after insertion. Compared to catheter failure, Sensitivity, Specificity, and Predictive values in both US and VIP were calculated., Results: Two hundred patients were enrolled. The presence of ultrasonic pattern suggestive of edema at 72 h ( p  = 0.018), fibroblastic sleeve at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h ( p <  0.001), thrombosis at 48 ( p <  0.001) and 72 h ( p  = 0.005), and at least one of an abovementioned US at all checkpoints ( p <  0.001) were highly significant predictors of complications. Both US and VIP effectively detect inflammatory events; however, the US showed better sensitivity in overall checkpoints and earlier predictive ability than VIP (1.9 vs 0.47 days)., Conclusions: An ultrasound inflammatory pattern is correlated with SPC failure. An ultrasound protocol-requiring minimal training-is more effective than VIP in recognizing early signs of device failure., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

This study, conducted by searching keywords such as "maternal lupus", "neonatal lupus", and "congenital heart block" in databases including PubMed and Scopus, provides a detailed narrative review on fetal and neonatal lupus. Autoantibodies like anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB may cross the placenta and cause complications in neonates, such as congenital heart block (CHB). Management options involve hydroxychloroquine, which is able to counteract some of the adverse events, although the drug needs to be used carefully because of its impact on the QTc interval. Advanced pacing strategies for neonates with CHB, especially in severe forms like hydrops, are also assessed. This review emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary care by rheumatologists, obstetricians, and pediatricians in order to achieve the best maternal and neonatal health in lupus pregnancies. This multidisciplinary approach seeks to improve the outcomes and management of the disease, decreasing the burden on mothers and their infants., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. No part of the review, including its graphics, are copied or published elsewhere in whole or in part.

Introduction: The management of even large pericardial effusions in asymptomatic patients is still a matter of debate. Aim of the present study is to explore, in a multicenter setting, the rate of post-cardiac injury syndromes (PCIS) and pericardial effusion recurrence after pericardial effusion drainage procedure., Material and Methods: This is a multicenter international retrospective study including a consecutive cohort of patients diagnosed with large, chronic and idiopathic pericardial effusions, prospectively evaluated from January 2003 to December 2021 who underwent a clinically indicated pericardial drainage procedure. Two separate end-points were recorded: 1) recurrence of pericardial effusion after drainage without any sign of pericardial inflammation 2) occurrence of PCIS, defined as the new onset of pericarditis 1 to 6 weeks after pericardial intervention., Results: 124 patients were enrolled (50 % female, mean age 64 years old). A mean follow-up of 29.6 ± 25.6 months was obtained in 110 patients (88 %). 110 patients were treated with pericardiocentesis (89 %), 25 with pleuro-pericardial windows (20 %), and 1 with pericardiectomy (1 %). PCIS occurred in 21 out of 124 patients followed for at least 6 weeks (16.9%). Recurrence of pericardial effusion after drainage without any sign of pericardial inflammation occurred in 68 out of 110 patients at a longer follow-up (61.8 %). At multivariate analysis only inflammatory cells in pericardial fluid was associated with PCIS and pericardiocentesis with pericardial effusion recurrency., Conclusion: Our data support the need of caution with the use of pericardiocentesis in asymptomatic patients with large pericardial effusion as it is often associated with pericardial effusion recurrence. Of interest the presence of inflammatory cells in the pericardial fluid is associated with PCIS after pericardial drainage procedures., (Copyright © 2024 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To investigate pregnancy outcomes in women with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) in the Italian prospective cohort study P-RHEUM.it., Methods: Pregnant women with different ARD were enrolled for up to 20 gestational weeks in 29 Rheumatology Centres for 5 years (2018-2023). Maternal and infant information were collected in a web-based database., Results: We analysed 866 pregnancies in 851 patients (systemic lupus erythematosus was the most represented disease, 19.6%). Maternal disease flares were observed in 135 (15.6%) pregnancies. 53 (6.1%) pregnancies were induced by assisted reproduction techniques, 61 (7%) ended in miscarriage and 11 (1.3%) underwent elective termination. Obstetrical complications occurred in 261 (30.1%) pregnancies, including 2.3% pre-eclampsia. Two cases of congenital heart block were observed out of 157 pregnancies (1.3%) with anti-Ro/SSA. Regarding treatments, 244 (28.2%) pregnancies were treated with glucocorticoids, 388 (44.8%) with hydroxychloroquine, 85 (9.8%) with conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and 122 (14.1%) with biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Live births were 794 (91.7%), mostly at term (84.9%); four perinatal deaths (0.5%) occurred. Among 790 newborns, 31 (3.9%) were small-for-gestational-age and 169 (21.4%) had perinatal complications. Exclusive maternal breast feeding was received by 404 (46.7%) neonates. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was compiled by 414 women (52.4%); 89 (21.5%) scored positive for emotional distress., Conclusions: Multiple factors including preconception counselling and treat-to-target with pregnancy-compatible medications may have contributed to mitigate disease-related risk factors, yielding limited disease flares, good pregnancy outcomes and frequency of complications which were similar to the Italian general obstetric population. Disease-specific issues need to be further addressed to plan preventative measures., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients. Different studies suggest that the use of disinfectant caps (DCs) significantly reduces the rate of CRBSIs. The first purpose of this study is to analyze, through an in-vitro -model, the antiseptic effect of DCs produced by two manufacturers; the second aim is to assess potential differences in terms of effectiveness between the two manufacturers' products., Methods: A know concentration of thirteen different microorganisms was incubated with the sponge drenched in antimicrobial fluid inside DCs and cultured through several assays to investigate the disinfectant effectiveness of some commercially available caps. Disinfectant properties were evaluated under two different conditions: baseline (DCs placed on the needle-free connectors (NFCs) and stress test (DCs directly applied to the catheter hub)., Results: Both manufacturers overcame the basal tests (fourteen different assays). Regarding stress tests: the only significant bacterial load was found for Serratia marcescens (10 4 CFU/mL in ICU Medical™), both at 90 and 180 minutes after incubation; due to the low load, MDR Acinetobacter baumannii was not considered significant (<10 3 CFU/mL in BD PureHub™)., Conclusions: Our results confirm what was reported in BD PureHub™ datasheet and add data not previously shown by ICU Medical™. Moreover, no difference was observed between the two manufacturers products: the use of both DCs on NFCs was able to reclaim the catheter lumen. These findings support the routine use of DCs with NFCs, as part of a structured bundle of interventions, to reduce the incidence of CRBSIs., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The Authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a heterogeneous multifactorial autoinflammatory disease characterized by a plethora of clinical manifestations. Cutaneous lesions are considered hallmarks of the disease. However, their evolution over time and a thorough description are scarcely reported in non-endemic regions. The aim of this study was to detail BD skin manifestations and their evolution over time in Italy, as well as the dermatological prognostic impact of specific cutaneous features in long-standing disease. Data were collected in a double fashion, both retrospectively and prospectively, from the AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance (AIDA) international registry dedicated to BD, between January 2022 and December 2022. A total of 458 Italian patients were included. When assessing skin manifestations course, the constant or sporadic presence or absence of cutaneous involvement between onset and follow-up was considered. Oral ulcers (OU) (88.4%) and genital ulcers (GU) (52.6%), followed by skin involvement (53.7%) represented the most common presenting mucocutaneous manifestations at disease onset. Up to the time of enrolment into the AIDA registry, 411 (93.8%) patients had suffered from OU and 252 (57.9%) from GU; pseudofolliculitis (PF) accounted for the most common skin manifestation (170 patients, 37.1%), followed by erythema nodosum (EN) (102 patients, 22.3%), skin ulcers (9 patients, 2%) and pyoderma gangrenosum (4 patients, 0.9%). A prospective follow-up visit was reported in 261/458 patients; 24/148 (16.2%) subjects with skin involvement as early as BD onset maintained cutaneous lesions for the entire period of observation, while 120 (44.1%) patients suffered from sporadic skin involvement. Conversely, 94/113 (83.2%) with no skin involvement at disease onset did not develop skin lesions thereafter. At follow-up visits, cutaneous involvement was observed in 52 (20%) patients, with a statistically significant association between PF and constant skin involvement (p = 0.031). BD in Italy is characterized by a wide spectrum of clinical presentations and skin manifestations in line with what is described in endemic countries. Patients with skin disease at the onset are likely to present persistent cutaneous involvement thereafter; mucocutaneous lesions observed at the onset, especially PF, could represent a warning sign for future persistent skin involvement requiring closer dermatological care., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objectives: To describe clinical characteristics of patients with Still's disease treated with methotrexate (MTX) and to assess drug effectiveness evaluating change in disease activity, reduction of inflammatory markers, and glucocorticoid (GC)-sparing effect., Methods: Patients with Still's disease treated with MTX were assessed among those included in AIDA Network Still Disease Registry., Results: In this registry, 171 patients with Still's disease were treated with MTX (males 43.3%, age 37.1 ± 16.0 years). They were mainly characterised by joint features and fever without a prominent multiorgan involvement. MTX was administered with GCs in 68.4% of patients, with other conventional synthetic DMARDs in 6.4%, and with biologic DMARDs in 25.1%. A significant reduction of the modified systemic score was observed, and 38.6% patients were codified as being in clinical remission at the end of follow-up. The concomitant administration of a biologic DMARD resulted a predictor of the clinical remission. Furthermore, a reduction of inflammatory markers and ferritin levels was observed following the administration of MTX. Additionally, a marked reduction of the dosage of concomitant GCs was identified, while 36.7% discontinued such drugs. Male gender appeared as a predictor of GC discontinuation. MTX was discontinued in 12.3% of patients because of adverse effects, and in 12.3% for lack of efficacy., Conclusions: Clinical characteristics of patients with Still's disease treated with MTX were described, mainly joint features and fever without a prominent multiorgan involvement. The clinical usefulness of MTX was reported in reducing the disease activity, decreasing the inflammatory markers, and as GC-sparing agent., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest for this work., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Pericardial effusion is the most common manifestation of pericardial diseases during pregnancy. This effusion is benign, mild, or moderate, well tolerated, with spontaneous resolution after delivery; no specific treatment is required. Acute pericarditis is the second most common condition, usually requiring medical therapy during pregnancy. Cardiac tamponade and constrictive pericarditis are rare in pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy counselling is essential in women of childbearing age with recurrent pericarditis to plan pregnancy in a phase of disease quiescence and to review therapy. High-dose aspirin or nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen and indomethacin, can be used up to the 20th week of gestation. Low-dose prednisone (2.5-10 mg/d) can be administered throughout pregnancy. All of these medications, apart from high-dose aspirin, may be used during lactation. Colchicine is compatible with pregnancy and breastfeeding, and it can be continued throughout pregnancy to prevent recurrences. Appropriate follow-up with a multidisciplinary team with experience in the field is recommended throughout pregnancy to ensure good maternal and fetal outcomes., (Copyright © 2023 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This cohort study describes a systemic phenotype of pericarditis, comparing this phenotype with other forms of pericarditis., Patients and Methods: Patients in our center were enrolled in a prospectively maintained registry from 2019 to 2022. 412 patients with idiopathic recurrent pericarditis were analyzed. "Systemic inflammatory" subset was defined as the presence of all the following criteria: fever ≥38C°, CRP ≥2 times normal values, pleural effusion detected with any imaging techniques. The absence of any of the 3 criteria was defined as "isolated" subset., Results: We found that 211 (51.2%) of 412 patients (188 female) presented the systemic subset and the variables significantly associated with this subset in univariate analysis (p<0.001) were: higher mean age: 45.5 (±SD 17.2) vs 39.9 (±SD 16.4) years, higher mean CRP values: 128.8 vs 49.9 mg/L, higher proportion of pericardiocentesis: 19% vs 1.5%, higher mean leukocyte count: 13,143.3 vs 9910.3/mm 3 , higher mean neutrophils number: 10,402.5 vs 6779.8 /mm 3 and lower mean lymphocyte count: 1693.9 vs 2079.3 /mm 3 . As results the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was higher in systemic inflammatory phenotype: 6.6 vs 3.4 (p< 0.001). Anti-IL1 therapy was started more frequently in the systemic subgroup (26%) than in the isolated subset (7.5%) (p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis neutrophil count and lymphopenia were statistically associated with the systemic subset (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: This results demonstrate the relevance of the systemic inflammatory phenotype, characterized by pleural effusions, confirming its analogy with autoinflammatory diseases, thus possibly requiring an eventual escalation of therapy to IL-1 inhibitors., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Aims: To identify peripheral blood cellular correlates of active pericarditis and to verify whether peripheral blood neutrophils, lymphocytes and the neutrophil to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are associated with disease phenotype or prognosis., Methods: Observational prospective study on a cohort of 63 patients with idiopathic pericarditis followed for 12 months after each pericarditis recurrence. Two distinct analyses were performed: the "index attack" analysis focused on the first pericarditis episode in each patient, while the "all attacks" analysis included all episodes occurring during the study., Results: Absolute and relative neutrophilia and lymphopenia, together with high NLR, were observed during active pericarditis, as compared with disease remission, at both analyses. Neutrophils showed a positive correlation with plasma C-reactive protein levels, while lymphocyte count showed a negative correlation. Relative neutrophil count was higher, and lymphocyte count lower in patients with pleural effusion; a higher NLR and lower absolute lymphocyte count were observed in those with peritoneal involvement. No correlations were found between peripheral blood neutrophil or lymphocyte counts and size of pericardial effusion, or with the presence of myocardial involvement. Peripheral neutrophilia, lymphopenia and NLR during acute attacks predicted the number of recurrences in the following 12 months., Conclusions: Peripheral blood neutrophilia and lymphopenia are typical of acute idiopathic pericarditis. Acute attacks of pericarditis are associated with neutrophilia and lymphopenia, as compared with disease remission. During acute attacks, neutrophilia and lymphopenia reflect the extent of serosal inflammation and could help to customize therapeutic management after remission has been achieved., (© 2022 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

The field of inflammatory disease of the heart or "cardio-immunology" is rapidly evolving due to the wider use of non-invasive diagnostic tools able to detect and monitor myocardial inflammation. In acute myocarditis, recent data on the use of immunomodulating therapies have been reported both in the setting of systemic autoimmune disorders and in the setting of isolated forms, especially in patients with specific histology (e.g., eosinophilic myocarditis) or with an arrhythmicburden. A role for immunosuppressive therapies has been also shown in severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a condition that can be associated with cardiac injury and acute myocarditis. Furthermore, ongoing clinical trials are assessing the role of high dosage methylprednisolone in the context of acute myocarditis complicated by heart failure or fulminant presentation or the role of anakinra to treat patients with acute myocarditis excluding patients with hemodynamically unstable conditions. In addition, the explosion of immune-mediated therapies in oncology has introduced new pathophysiological entities, such as immune-checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis and new basic research models to understand the interaction between the cardiac and immune systems. Here we provide a broad overview of evolving areas in cardio-immunology. We summarize the use of new imaging tools in combination with endomyocardial biopsy and laboratory parameters such as high sensitivity troponin to monitor the response to immunomodulating therapies based on recent evidence and clinical experience. Concerning pericarditis, the normal composition of pericardial fluid has been recently elucidated, allowing to assess the actual presence of inflammation; indeed, normal pericardial fluid is rich in nucleated cells, protein, albumin, LDH, at levels consistent with inflammatory exudates in other biological fluids. Importantly, recent findings showed how innate immunity plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of recurrent pericarditis with raised C-reactive protein, with inflammasome and IL-1 overproduction as drivers for systemic inflammatory response. In the era of tailored medicine, anti-IL-1 agents such as anakinra and rilonacept have been demonstrated highly effective in patients with recurrent pericarditis associated with an inflammatory phenotype., Competing Interests: EA received a grant from the Italian Ministry of Health (GR-2019-12368506). AB: Institution received funding from Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., as an investigative site; unrestricted research grant from SOBI and ACARPIA; travel and accommodation for advisory committee from SOBI and Kiniksa. JM has served on advisory boards for Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Takeda, Audentes, Deciphera, Janssen, ImmunoCore, Myovant, Cytokinetics, AstraZeneca, ProteinQure, and Pharmacyclics. JM was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01HL141466, R01HL155990, and R01HL156021). MG received consulting fees from Astrazeneca and GlaxoSmithKline. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ammirati, Bizzi, Veronese, Groh, Van de Heyning, Lehtonen, Pineton de Chambrun, Cereda, Picchi, Trotta, Moslehi and Brucato.)

Pericardial diseases are an heterogeneous group of entities, ranging from acute pericarditis to asymptomatic pericardial effusions. New advances in understanding the processes underlying them have been made. In 2020 a prospective study defined the reference intervals of the component of normal pericardial fluid, that was found to be rich in nucleated cells, proteins, albumin and LDH, at levels compatible with the inflammatory exudates of other biological fluids such as pleural or peritoneal fluid; Light's criteria should not be used to evaluate it. Recently we also analyzed systematically large chronic idiopathic non-inflammatory pericardial effusions, observing that a non-invasive wait-and-see approach may be the best choice in clinical practice in oligosymptomatic cases. Concerning acute recurrent pericarditis (RP), an innovative interaction between cardiologists, internists and pediatric rheumatologists led to the intuition of a pivotal role of IL-1 in recurrent pericarditis characterized by an evident inflammatory recurrent phenotype, and recent data have shown the striking efficacy of anakinra and rilonacept in these patients. The proper selection of the patient is important; the ideal candidate for anti-IL-1 therapy is the patient with RP with high levels of serum C-reactive protein, high fever, neutrophil leukocitosis, pleuropulmonary involvement, frequent exacerbations and resistant to conventional therapy. On the contrary, anti-IL-1 drugs are not indicated in patients with pericardial effusion whose cause is not attributable to inflammatory phenomena. Finally, many patients with RP are women of childbearing age, and the possibility for these women to become pregnant must be addressed by multidisciplinary teams., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This review summarizes the currently available evidence on the management of acute and recurrent pericarditis during pregnancy, focusing on the safety of diagnostic procedures and treatment options for the mother and fetus. Family planning should be addressed in women with recurrent pericarditis of reproductive age and adjustment of therapy should be considered before a planned pregnancy. The treatment of pericarditis in pregnancy is similar to that for non-pregnant women but considers current knowledge on drug safety during pregnancy and lactation. The largest case series on this topic described 21 pregnancies with idiopathic recurrent pericarditis. Pregnancy should be planned in a phase of disease quiescence. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used at high dosages until the 20 th week of gestation (except low-dose aspirin 100 mg/die). Colchicine is allowed until gravindex positivity; after this period, administration of this drug during pregnancy and lactation should be discussed with the mother if its use is important to control recurrent pericarditis. Prednisone is safe if used at low-medium doses (2.5-10 mg/die). General outcomes of pregnancy in patients with pericarditis are good when the mothers are followed by a multidisciplinary team with experience in the field.

Purpose of the Review: The purpose of the review is to analyze the pathogenetic mechanisms that underlie acute pericarditis, with attention to autoimmune and autoinflammatory pericarditis, and, in addition, to review the available therapeutic armamentarium., Recent Findings: Several studies have been published on the use of anti-IL-1 drugs in recurrent pericarditis, including anakinra and rilonacept. The latest, the RHAPSODY study, based on the use of rilonacept in recurrent pericarditis, has recently reached phase 3 with promising results in terms of efficacy and safety. Alterations in the function of the inflammasome and the consequent overproduction of IL-1 play a pivotal role in the genesis of autoinflammatory pericarditis. Recent studies added evidence to the importance of anti-IL-1 drugs in the treatment of recurrent pericarditis with raised C-reactive protein. In the era of tailored medicine, anti-IL-1 agents may be very useful in the subset of patients with recurrent pericarditis and a clear inflammatory phenotype., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many countries applying restrictive measures, such as lockdown, to contain and prevent further spread. The psychological impact of lockdown and working as a healthcare worker on the frontline has been chronicled in studies pertaining to previous infectious disease pandemics that have reported the presence of depressive symptoms, anxiety, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Potentially linked to psychological well-being and not yet studied is the possibility that lockdown and working on the frontline of the pandemic are associated with perceptions of coercion., Methods and Analysis: The present study aimed to examine perceived coercion in those who have experienced COVID-19-related lockdown and/or worked as a frontline healthcare worker across three European countries. It aimed to describe how such perceptions may impact on psychological well-being, coping and post-traumatic growth. It will employ an explanatory mixed-methods research methodology consisting of an online survey and online asynchronous virtual focus groups (AVFGs) and individual interviews. χ 2 tests and analyses of variance will be used to examine whether participants from different countries differ according to demographic factors, whether there are differences between cohorts on perceived coercion, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic growth scores. The relationship between coercion and symptoms of distress will be assessed using multiple regression. Both the AVFGs and the narrative interviews will be analysed using thematic narrative analysis., Ethics and Dissemination: The study has been approved by University College London's Research Ethics Committee under Project ID Number 7335/004. Results will be disseminated by means of peer-reviewed publications and at national and/or international conferences., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

How is an evanescent wish to move translated into a concrete action? This simple question and puzzling miracle remains a focal point of motor systems neuroscience. Where does the difficulty lie? A great deal has been known about biomechanics for quite some time. More recently, there have been significant advances in our understanding of how the spinal system is organized into modules corresponding to spinal synergies, which are fixed patterns of multimuscle recruitment. But much less is known about how the supraspinal system recruits these synergies in the correct spatiotemporal pattern to effectively control movement. We argue that what makes the problem of supraspinal control so difficult is that it emerges as a result of multiple convergent and redundant sensorimotor loops. Because these loops are convergent, multiple modes of information are mixed before being sent to the spinal system; because they are redundant, information is overlapping such that a mechanism must exist to eliminate the redundancy before the signal is sent to the spinal system. Given these complex interactions, simple correlation analyses between movement variables and neural activity are likely to render a confusing and inconsistent picture. Here, we suggest that the perspective of sensorimotor loops might help in achieving a better systems-level understanding. Furthermore, state-of-the-art techniques in neurotechnology, such as optogenetics, appear to be well suited for investigating the problem of motor control at the level of loops.

The central pattern generator (CPG) architecture for rhythm generation remains partly elusive. We compare cat and frog locomotion results, where the component unrelated to pattern formation appears as a temporal grid, and traveling wave respectively. Frog spinal cord microstimulation with N-methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA), a CPG activator, produced a limited set of force directions, sometimes tonic, but more often alternating between directions similar to the tonic forces. The tonic forces were topographically organized, and sites evoking rhythms with different force subsets were located close to the constituent tonic force regions. Thus CPGs consist of topographically organized modules. Modularity was also identified as a limited set of muscle synergies whose combinations reconstructed the EMGs. The cat CPG was investigated using proprioceptive inputs during fictive locomotion. Critical points identified both as abrupt transitions in the effect of phasic perturbations, and burst shape transitions, had biomechanical correlates in intact locomotion. During tonic proprioceptive perturbations, discrete shifts between these critical points explained the burst durations changes, and amplitude changes occurred at one of these points. Besides confirming CPG modularity, these results suggest a fixed temporal grid of anchoring points, to shift modules onsets and offsets. Frog locomotion, reconstructed with the NMDA synergies, showed a partially overlapping synergy activation sequence. Using the early synergy output evoked by NMDA at different spinal sites, revealed a rostrocaudal topographic organization, where each synergy is preferentially evoked from a few, albeit overlapping, cord regions. Comparing the locomotor synergy sequence with this topography suggests that a rostrocaudal traveling wave would activate the synergies in the proper sequence for locomotion. This output was reproduced in a two-layer model using this topography and a traveling wave. Together our results suggest two CPG components: modules, i.e., synergies; and temporal patterning, seen as a temporal grid in the cat, and a traveling wave in the frog. Animal and limb navigation have similarities. Research relating grid cells to the theta rhythm and on segmentation during navigation may relate to our temporal grid and traveling wave results. Winfree's mathematical work, combining critical phases and a traveling wave, also appears important. We conclude suggesting tracing, and imaging experiments to investigate our CPG model.