Review Articles in 2017

Primary immunodeficiency syndromes and autoimmune diseases seem to be different, but the clinical symptoms can be very similar. In this Review, the authors examine the causes and pathogenesis of several primary immunodeficiency syndromes and highlight their relationship to rheumatic diseases.

Connexins, hemichannels and gap junctions fulfil important functions in cell–cell communication. In this Review, the authors discuss the role of connexins, hemichannels and gap junctions in musculoskeletal tissues and rheumatic diseases.

This Review discusses the various functions of immunoregulatory semaphorins (known as immune semaphorins) and the role of these proteins in the pathogenesis of autoimmune rheumatic diseases, as well as their potential as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.

Primary and secondary failure of TNF antagonists can affect treatment strategies for rheumatoid arthritis. This article discusses the implications of immunogenicity, as well as methodological problems related to the detection of antidrug antibodies and trough drug levels.

This article provides an overview of the pathophysiology of enthesitis, from induction and inflammation to tissue proliferation and bone formation. Building on these pathophysiological concepts, the clinical presentation, assessment and treatment of enthesitis are also discussed.

The symptomatic pre-arthritis phase of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is hypothesized to be part of a 'window of opportunity' for preventive treatment. This Review discusses the methodological considerations when designing and interpreting preventive trials, and translating findings into clinical practice.

In the past few years, excitement has grown over the potential use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for cartilage repair, although the rarity of these cells has hampered progress. In this Review, the authors examine the potential of joint-resident MSCs as a new avenue for repair in osteoarthritis.

In this Review, the role of canonical Wnt signalling in articular cartilage is discussed, along with the regulatory mechanisms that exist to fine-tune Wnt signalling and the rationale for developing drugs that modulate Wnt signalling for the treatment of joint diseases such as osteoarthritis.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression. In this Review, the definition and function of lncRNAs, their importance in immune cell responses and the potential roles of these molecules in rheumatic diseases are discussed.

This Review explores the main mechanisms of inflammation and the role of innate immune sensors in gouty arthritis, and discusses potential therapeutic approaches aimed at regulating these processes.

Rapid progress in the fields of giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica has resulted in the introduction of imaging techniques into routine clinical practice and in promising reports on the efficacy of biologic agents for treatment. Further research should further advance our understanding of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, imaging and treatment of these diseases.

Serum autoantibodies have a wide range of glycosylation patterns. In this Review, the authors describe the role of autoantibody glycosylation in the pathology of autoimmune disease, and how understanding the role of specific antibody glycoforms might optimize current treatment approaches.

Epigenetic alterations are increasingly being associated with the pathogenesis of inflammatory rheumatic diseases. In this Review, Ballestar and Li outline the current state of research into the role of epigenetics in such diseases and the possibility of epigenetic-targeting therapies.

Autoantibodies are known to regulate the function of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), but the involvement of such functional autoantibodies in autoimmune disorders is not fully understood. In this Review, the author discuss evidence showing agonistic and antagonistic effects of anti-GPCR functional autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of different rheumatic diseases.

The amount of clinical, serological and experimental evidence linking periodontitis to rheumatoid arthritis is constantly increasing. In this Review, Potempa and colleagues lay out the case for periodontal pathogens in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.

In this review, the authors evaluate the association of complement activation with a variety of rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and small-vessel vascultis, and discuss whether complement inhibition has therapeutic potential in these diseases.

The range of clinical manifestations and autoantibodies that are recognized as important in antiphosphlipid syndrome (APS) is constantly increasing. How can disease manifestations and autoantibodies that fall outside of the classic APS criteria be incorporated into diagnosis in the future?

Antigen-specific immunotherapies (ASIs) aim to modulate autoreactive cells and/or induce immune tolerance to self-antigens, and have the potential to be used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases. This Review summarizes current strategies for ASIs, progress in applying these strategies to rheumatic diseases and their limitations and future prospects.

Advances in synovial tissue research have improved our understanding of inflammatory arthritides, particularly rheumatoid arthritis, and have identified potential biomarkers that could be used for diagnosis, disease stratification, and predicting disease course and treatment response.

Visual loss is a major concern for patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). In this Review, the authors discuss visual loss and other ischaemic events in GCA, its epidemiology, associated risk factors, clinical presentation and current therapeutic approaches.