Current Rheumatology Reviews - Online First

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by multisystem involvement due to autoantibody production and immune complex deposition. While classical cutaneous manifestations, such as malar rash, are common, atypical presentations, like periorbital erythema and swelling, are rare and pose diagnostic challenges. Early recognition is crucial to prevent disease progression and complications.

A 16-year-old girl presented with a three-month history of intermittent bilateral periorbital swelling. Clinical examination revealed pallor and localized alopecia with no significant systemic abnormalities. Laboratory investigations showed pancytopenia with normal renal, hepatic, and thyroid functions and unremarkable urinalysis, chest X-ray, and ECG. Autoimmune markers were positive, with a strongly positive ANA titer of 1:1000 and significantly elevated anti-dsDNA antibodies of 380 IU/mL (reference range: 0-200 IU/mL). According to the 2019 EULAR/ACR classification criteria, a diagnosis of SLE was established. The patient was treated with pulse intravenous methylprednisolone (1g daily for three days), followed by oral prednisolone (1 mg/kg/day), in a tapering regimen and hydroxychloroquine at standard doses. She showed marked improvement, with resolution of periorbital swelling, recovery of pancytopenia, and hair regrowth. At two-month follow-up, she remained asymptomatic and continued hydroxychloroquine for maintenance therapy.

This case underscores the importance of considering SLE in patients with atypical presentations, like periorbital erythema and pancytopenia. Early diagnosis based on clinical and serological findings, followed by appropriate therapy, can achieve remission and prevent complications. The case highlights the need for heightened clinical suspicion and multidisciplinary management in young patients.

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) patients prompt to have high level of TLR7, when coronavirus (CoV-2) infect to these patients, further the level of TLR7 cloud be upregulated and leads to severe condition of RA. Since, some TLR7 antagonists targeting the TLR7 protein are in the clinical trials, but yet to reach the market, and many lead to serious toxicities.

So, we have framed a hypothesis to discover the TLR7 antagonist that may inhibit to the upregulation of TLR 7 in RA patients during the CoV-2infection via virtual screening methodology.

Here we have focused to discover some novel TLR7 inhibitors from the ZINC database,which may effectively inhibit TLR7. Series of virtual screening analysis lead to the discovery of three active hits.

Among these three molecules, ZINC95412580 had a highest binding energy of -15.4273 kcal/mol against the TLR7 protein (PDB Id: 6LW1) that also showed the maximum interactions within the binding pocket.

Thus, the compounds discovered through the use of various software can possibly be used for the management of rheumatoid arthritis during and after COVID infection. Hence, we can conclude that these molecules might be served as the inhibitors of TLR7 upregulation.

Shoulder pain is a common musculoskeletal (MSK) disorder. However, proper diagnosis of shoulder dysfunction and causes of pain remains challenging.

The objective of this study is to identify the frequency of musculoskeletal and neurological disorders among a cohort of Egyptian patients with chronic shoulder pain.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 patients with chronic shoulder pain. Clinical, imaging, and electrophysiology studies were conducted on each participant to assess the frequency of musculoskeletal and neurological causes of shoulder pain.

The commonest causes of shoulder pain in the present study were musculoskeletal disorders, representing 94.2% of the whole cases, of which rotator cuff pathology was the commonest in 78.3%. Neurological disorders were found in 45.8%, of which suprascapular neuropathy was the commonest in 31.7%. At the same time, combined musculoskeletal and neurological disorders were found in 59.2% of cases. The frequency of musculoskeletal disorders was significantly associated with the duration of shoulder pain, as well as patients' occupation, specifically manual working. While the frequency of neurological disorders was significantly associated with shoulder pain duration, old age, sex, and patient's occupation (mainly manual working).

Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common causes of chronic shoulder pain, especially rotator cuff disorders. While suprascapular neuropathy is the most common neurological cause of chronic shoulder pain. The combination of musculoskeletal and neurological disorders together is also an important cause of shoulder pain in many cases, which may not be obvious and must be detected early to provide early and appropriate therapeutic intervention. Manual work is a risk factor for developing MSK and neuropathic shoulder disease.

Investigating CD68+ positive cells in the synovial tissue is crucial for understanding the pathogenesis of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and developing targeted treatment strategies. The role of CD68⁺ positive cells in the synovial tissue of patients with PsA for joint destruction has not been fully studied.

The objective of the study was to examine the presence of CD68⁺ cells in the synovial tissue of patients with PsA, particularly those with high inflammatory activity.

Synovial tissue samples were collected during knee joint replacement surgeries from patients with PsA (16 patients) and gonarthrosis (25 patients). Immunohistochemical methods were employed to detect CD68⁺ cell expression in the tissue samples. The results were analyzed by histologists, and the staining intensity and percentage of positively stained cells were evaluated. The data were then divided into three groups for statistical analysis: negative, weakly positive, and strongly positive histological samples. Routine indices for disease activity, VAS, DAPSA, PASDAI, and mCPDAI were used to assess PsA activity in all patients and to assess correlations with CD68⁺ positive cells in the synovial tissue. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

The expression of CD68⁺ positive cells was significantly higher in patients with PsA compared to those with activated gonarthrosis (p < 0.001). The indices for disease activity, VAS, DAPSA, PASDAI, mCPDAI, and mCPDAI showed a significant positive relationship with the expression of CD68 + cells on synovial tissue in patients with PsA (p < 0.01)

The findings of the study confirm the increased numbers of CD68+ cells in PsA vs. gonathrosis synovium. This suggests the need to explore therapeutic approaches aimed at suppressing or blocking CD68⁺ cells to potentially mitigate joint damage.