ARP Rheumatology

Página Inicial
Portugal
Lisbon
ARP Rheumatology

The official journal of the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology (). Indexed to PubMed. Both basic research and clinical papers may be submitted.

ARP Rheumatology succeeds Acta Reumatológica Portuguesa, originally founded in 1973 as the official journal of the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology. It is a scientific double-blinded peer-reviewed and open-access journal devoted to progress in the research, diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The journal aims at serving the interest of both practising clinicians an

d research workers. Editorials, short communications and review articles covering recent developments are included. Controversial techniques and issues on health policy are frequently discussed and serve as tools for encouraging debate. It also concerns about guidelines and clinical protocols related to the practice of rheumatology. The submission has no fees and all articles are available for free.

07/01/2026

⚠️ Adrenal failure is a rare but potentially life-threatening manifestation of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).

This case-based review highlights that adrenal involvement in APS may present atypically, leading to delayed diagnosis—especially in men. Symptoms can be subtle and non-specific, but early recognition is crucial.

🩺 Key take-home messages:
✔️ Consider APS in new-onset primary adrenal insufficiency
✔️ Be alert to unexplained hypotension, electrolyte imbalance, or systemic symptoms
✔️ Early diagnosis and treatment significantly improve outcomes

Raising awareness of these rare presentations can make a real difference in patient care. 💙

🔗https://www.arprheumatology.com/section.php?id=1797

05/01/2026

💙 Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are increasingly encountered with the widespread use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in oncology.

This case highlights a rare but severe complication:
⚠️ ICI-associated myositis with
🫀 Myocarditis and
🧠 Myasthenic syndrome occurring simultaneously

These overlapping immune-mediated manifestations are associated with high morbidity and mortality and require rapid diagnosis, close monitoring, and coordinated care between oncology, cardiology, neurology, and rheumatology.

🔍 Awareness of these presentations is essential as immunotherapy use continues to expand

🔗https://www.arprheumatology.com/section.php?id=1796

03/01/2026

💙 New insights into juvenile systemic sclerosis (JSSc):
Cardiac involvement may be present early, even in asymptomatic patients without pulmonary hypertension.

🫀 Key findings include:
✔️ Subclinical right ventricular dysfunction
✔️ Increased myocardial performance index (MPI)
✔️ Reduced right ventricular volumes
✔️ Preserved left ventricular ejection fraction with early signs of global dysfunction

🔎 Routine use of advanced echocardiographic techniques (tissue Doppler and speckle tracking) may enable earlier detection and improved long-term outcomes in children and adolescents with JSSc

🔗https://www.arprheumatology.com/section.php?id=1795

02/01/2026

🇵🇹 Reuma.pt is the national real-world research platform of Portuguese rheumatology, led by the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology.

Since 2008, it has grown into a powerful ecosystem supporting clinical care, research, and innovation:
✔️ 42,000+ patients and 360,000+ clinical visits
✔️ 78 active centres in Portugal and Brazil
✔️ 14 disease-specific protocols
✔️ Integrated patient-reported outcomes
✔️ Support for clinical trials, pharmacovigilance & international collaboration

A true example of how structured data and collaboration can improve outcomes for people living with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases💙

🔗https://www.arprheumatology.com/section.php?id=1791

29/12/2025

🌟 Thank you to the Top Reviewers of ARP Rheumatology 2025 🌟

Peer review is the cornerstone of high-quality scientific publishing and a vital part of advancing clinical and translational research in rheumatology 🔬📘. Behind every published article lies the dedication, expertise, and thoughtful insight of reviewers who generously give their time to strengthen the science we share.

We are deeply grateful to our Top Reviewers of 2025 for their outstanding commitment, constructive feedback, and rigorous approach to peer review 🤝. Their contributions not only enhance individual manuscripts but also uphold the integrity, credibility, and impact of ARP Rheumatology within the global rheumatology community.

On behalf of the Editorial Board, thank you for your invaluable contribution to advancing excellence in rheumatology research 💙

Catarina Abreu
Lovro Lamot
Mariana Emília Santos
Ana Bento Silva
Filipe Cunha Santos
Filipa Farinha
Doo-Ho Lim
Soraia Azevedo
Alessia Alunno
Cátia Abreu
Carolina Zinterl
Ana Filipa Águeda
Joana Tremoceiro
Wesam Gouda
Kim Lauper

23/12/2025

✨ Season’s Greetings from ARP Rheumatology✨

As we come to the close of the year, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to all authors, reviewers, editors, and readers for your dedication, scientific excellence, and continued support of ARP Rheumatology. Your contributions are essential to advancing knowledge and improving care in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

We wish you a peaceful holiday season and a New Year filled with health, inspiration, and continued collaboration.

Thank you for being part of the ARP Rheumatology community.
Warmest wishes for the year ahead! 🌟

The ARP Rheumatology Team

15/12/2025

A fascinating case! ✨

A 70-year-old woman appeared to have large vessel vasculitis: constitutional symptoms, high inflammatory markers and FDG-PET showing vascular uptake 🔥🩻
Everything pointed to GCA… until she improved without treatment ⚠️

That unexpected improvement led to more testing — revealing syphilitic aortitis 🦠
After receiving penicillin 💉, her vascular inflammation resolved completely.

This case reminds us that not everything that looks like LVV is vasculitis. Infectious mimics matter!

https://www.arprheumatology.com/article_abstract.php?id=1619

12/12/2025

👉Online first

🔍 Serum caspase-1 as a biomarker in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV)
A study of 73 patients evaluated whether serum caspase-1 at diagnosis is linked to vasculitis activity and long-term outcomes. The median BVAS was 5, and median caspase-1 levels were 124.2 pg/mL

Key findings:
• Positive correlation between caspase-1 and disease activity (BVAS)
• All-cause mortality rate: 8.2%
• Higher caspase-1 and dyslipidaemia at diagnosis independently predicted mortality during follow-up

🚨These results suggest that serum caspase-1 may serve as a useful biomarker to assess disease activity at presentation and identify patients at higher risk of adverse outcomes

🔗https://www.arprheumatology.com/article_abstract.php?id=1620

08/12/2025

👉Online first

🔍 Real-world safety of first-line therapies for rheumatoid arthritis: insights from the Portuguese Reuma.pt registry

A large multicenter study using the Reuma.pt database evaluated adverse events (AE) associated with first-line DMARDs in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Among 1,880 AE entries, 377 (20.1%) were attributed to first-line drugs, with methotrexate responsible for 62.9% of these reports (dosage data unavailable).

📌 Key findings
• The median age at AE occurrence was 58.6 years, and 82% were women.
• A causality assessment was available for most reports: 40.3% probable, 28.1% possible, 10.6% definitive
• Severe adverse events occurred in 13.2% of cases, most often involving the lungs
• Male s*x (OR 2.31) and older age were significantly associated with more severe AE
• Nearly half of patients (46.7%) discontinued treatment for various reasons
• Gastrointestinal, skin, and hematologic systems were the most frequently affected

The median time to AE onset was 1.27 years after treatment initiation

📌 Take-home message:
Adverse events related to first-line RA therapies remain an important clinical concern and can lead to treatment discontinuation.
Risk factors such as male s*x and older age highlight the need for personalized monitoring strategies.
Strengthening pharmacovigilance efforts can help improve long-term safety and adherence in RA management

🔗https://www.arprheumatology.com/article_abstract.php?id=1615

03/12/2025

👉Online first

📌 How common is methotrexate intolerance in children with JIA?

A study of 94 children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis found that 1 in 4 experienced methotrexate (MTX) intolerance, assessed with the MISS questionnaire.

The most frequent symptom was nausea after taking MTX (38.3%), followed by behavioral changes such as irritability or distress around dosing.

The study also identified several risk factors:
• Older age at JIA onset
• Older age when starting MTX
• Use of MTX as first-line therapy
These factors were significantly associated with intolerance, and age at onset strongly correlated with age at MTX initiation

🚨Recognising MTX intolerance early is important, as it affects adherence, quality of life, and long-term disease control
Supportive strategies, close monitoring, and individualised treatment planning can make a meaningful difference for young patients and their families

🔗https://www.arprheumatology.com/article_abstract.php?id=1614

21/11/2025

📢 New research sheds light on pelvic enthesitis in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA)!

A prospective study of 200 patients found that pelvic enthesitis is frequent (64%) when assessed using standard AP pelvic radiography and the Radiographic Enthesis Index (REI).

Key findings:
🔹 More common in radiographic axSpA (72%) than non-radiographic axSpA (56%)
🔹 Zone 3 (ischiop***c ramus) enthesitis strongly associated with reduced spinal mobility
🔹 Zone 2 (p***c symphysis) enthesitis linked to higher disease activity
🔹 Patients with enthesitis had longer symptom duration

These results highlight the clinical value of pelvic X-rays for detecting entheseal involvement and understanding its impact on disease activity and function.

🔗https://www.arprheumatology.com/article_abstract.php?id=1607

11/11/2025

📢 New study from the 🇵🇹 Portuguese national Reuma.pt cohort
🧾 Published Online First
🔬 Multicenter analysis of 1,532 patients with Sjögren’s disease:
🫁 9.5% had pulmonary involvement — mainly interstitial lung disease (ILD, 74%)
🚬 Smoking and 👵 older age were key risk factors for ILD
💊 Immunosuppressive therapy helped stabilize lung function (FVC & DLCO)

🌬️ A significant proportion of Sjögren’s patients develop progressive lung fibrosis, highlighting the importance of early recognition and timely treatment.
🔗 https://www.arprheumatology.com/article_abstract.php?id=1610

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