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Background/Objectives: Our aim was to validate the performance of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) classification criteria for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), published in 2023, in an APS cohort. Methods: A total of 193 patients, 83 with APS (secondary APS, n = 45; primary APS, n = 38) and 110 without APS (systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), n = 100; others, n = 10), were included in this study. The performance (sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC)) of the 2023 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for APS was evaluated and the agreement with the revised Sapporo criteria was compared using the kappa test. Results: In our cohort, the sensitivity and specificity of the 2023 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for APS were 73% and 94%, respectively (AUC: 0.836, 95% CI: 0.772–0.899), while the sensitivity and specificity of the revised Sapporo criteria were 66% and 98%, respectively (95% CI: 0.756–0.888). The performance of the two sets of criteria in our cohort was significantly consistent and significant (p < 0.001). When the sensitivity, specificity and ROC curve analysis were performed again by excluding livedo racemosa, the sensitivity of the new criteria in our cohort was 62% and the specificity was 100% (AUC: 0.813, 95% CI: 0.746–0.881). Conclusions: Although the newly published criteria broaden the scope of APS classification by including clinical findings other than thrombosis and obstetric criteria, their sensitivity in our cohort was low. On the other hand, we found that the specificity of the criteria in our cohort reached 100% when livedo findings were excluded.

Patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) who receive immunosuppressive therapy are at risk of infection due to impaired immune function and immunosuppressive medication. Vaccination plays a crucial role in preventing infections in this population. However, vaccination rates and factors influencing vaccination uptake in axSpA patients still need to be adequately studied. This study was designed to determine the vaccination rates of vaccines covered by health insurance in this particular group in Turkey and attitudes towards vaccines and infections. This survey included 199 patients with axSpA who visited our outpatient clinic in June, July, and August 2023 and received biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. The mean age of the participants was 43.7 ± 0.7 years, and the majority were male (66.3%). The majority of the patients were vaccinated against COVID-19 (85.4%), followed by hepatitis B (41.2%), influenza (20.1%), and pneumococcal pneumonia (10.5%). While awareness of COVID-19 vaccination was widespread (100%), knowledge of other vaccines was lower (hepatitis B 80.9%, influenza 70.3%, pneumococcal 60.3%, respectively). Educational interventions targeting patients and healthcare professionals are needed to improve vaccination rates in this population. Our findings emphasize the need for strategies to increase vaccination rates in axSpA patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy. Removing barriers to vaccination and raising awareness of the importance of vaccination are critical to optimizing vaccination practices in this vulnerable population.

Background/Objectives YouTube is increasingly being used as an educational tool and is a substantial source of information. This study aimed to assess the quality of the most viewed YouTube videos pertaining to familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Methods A search on YouTube was conducted on January 13, 2022, using the keywords: “familial Mediterranean fever treatment,” “familial Mediterranean fever colchicine,” and “familial Mediterranean fever colchicine opacalcium.” Two rheumatologists independently evaluated the relevance and accuracy of the videos. Redundant or irrelevant videos were excluded. The educational value of YouTube videos was assessed using the Global Quality Scale (GQS). Comparative analyses of video parameters across different cohorts were performed. To assess the reliability and quality of the videos, a modified version of the DISCERN scale and the GQS were employed. Results Out of the 59 videos reviewed, 43 (72.9%) were of high quality, 10 (16.9%) were of medium quality, and 6 (10.2%) were of low quality. Upon comparing parameters among groups, no significant disparities were observed in terms of daily views, daily favorites, daily dislikes, or daily comments (p > 0.05). GQS scores for usefulness and modified DISCERN scores showed significant differences among groups (p

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is characterized by recurrent episodes of fever and serositis. Blood-based biomarkers determined in FMF patients during attack-free periods could be used to predict the risk of amyloidosis and the severity of the disease. The recently defined pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) comprises four distinct subsets of blood cells and serves as an easily accessible and cost-effective marker. The objective of this study was to assess the role of PIV in predicting amyloidosis and moderate-to-severe disease. Clinical characteristics and laboratory values during the attack-free period were retrospectively analyzed in 321 patients over 18 years of age diagnosed with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). In our tertiary adult rheumatology outpatient clinic, disease severity and laboratory markers were evaluated during the first attack-free interval. At baseline, patients with amyloidosis were excluded. Patients were categorized based on the presence of amyloidosis and the severity of the disease. When focusing on amyloidosis in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, optimal cut-off values for pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio were determined as ≥518.1, ≥2.3, and ≥127.2, respectively. In multivariate analysis, PIV, C-reactive protein (CRP), and the presence of the M694V homozygous mutation emerged as independent risk factors for both amyloidosis and moderate-to-severe disease. Additionally, NLR was identified as an independent risk factor for amyloidosis, while red blood cell distribution width was associated with moderate-to-severe disease. In patients with FMF, especially in the presence of the M694V homozygous mutation, CRP and PIV may be useful in predicting both amyloidosis and moderate-to-severe disease.