Objective:To analyze the condition of subclinical atherosclerosis (SCA) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and to provide a reference for better management of the associated cardiovascular risk in patients with PsA.Methods:Based on the cohort of PsA patients (PKUPsA) in the Department of Rheumatism and Immunology, Peking University First Hospital, 240 PsA patients without previous clinical atherosclerotic disease between July 2018 and June 2024 were included. The demographic data traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors, PsA related indicators and medications were collected when all patients were entered into the cohort. Increased intima-media thickness and/or arterial plaque formation in bilateral carotid arteries examined by ultrasonography are defined as the presence of SCA. Based on this, patients were divided into SCA and no SCA groups, and the two groups were compared and analyzed. Statistics were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, independent sample t test, χ2 test and Logistic regression analysis. Results:Eighty-five of 240 patients (35.4%) had SCA, including 55 (22.9%) with cIMT thickening and 51 (21.2%) with carotid plaque. Compared with the PsA patients without SCA, patients with SCA were older [55.0 (42.0, 62.5) vs. 42.0(35.0, 53.0) year of age, Z=-4.90, P<0.001], had longer disease course of arthritis [4.6 (1.0, 10.1) vs. 3.0(1.0, 6.1) years, Z=-1.98, P=0.048], more patients with combined hypertension [34.1%(29/85) vs. 15.5%(24/155), χ2=11.08, P<0.001], hyperlipidemia [47.1%(40/85) vs. 27.1%(42/155), χ2=1.22, P=0.002] and the taking of statins [14.1%(12/85) vs. 5.8%(9/155), χ2=4.75 , P=0.029], hypoglycemic agents [10.6%(9/85) vs. 3.9%(6/155), χ2=4.23, P=0.040] and antihypertensive drugs [17.6%(15/85) vs 6.5%(10/155), χ2=7.37, P=0.007]. They also had a higher blood glucose level[5.37 (5.17, 6.09)mmol/L vs. 5.26(4.97, 5.67)mmol/L, Z=-2.82 , P=0.005], low-density lipoprotein [(3.05± 0.76)mmol/L vs. (2.78±0.75)mmol/L, t=2.60, P=0.010] and blood uric acid level[351 (312, 412)μmol/L vs. 333(279, 408)μmol/L, Z=-2.10, P=0.036]. Multivariate analysis showed that older [ OR (95% CI) =1.059 (1.033, 1.086), P<0.001], increased low density lipoprotein [ OR (95% CI) =1.519 (1.018, 2.267), P=0.041] and increased blood uric acid levels [ OR (95% CI)=1.004 (1.001, 1.007), P=0.017] were an independent risk of SCA in PsA patients. Conclusion:More than 1/3 of PsA patients with SCA without past history of clinical atherosclerosis with SCA, advanced age, increased blood low density lipoprotein level, and elevated uric acid level are independent risk factors for PsA with SCA, so attention should be paid to the assessment and management of cardiovascular-related risk. Early intervention can help to improve patient prognosis.

Objective:Treat-to-target strategies for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have been proposed for several years, however, the status of target and goal achievement in China is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the target achievement of PsA patients, and differences of treatment goals were further analyzed.Methods:A total of 360 PsA patients from Peking University First Hospital PsA patient cohort (PKUPsA) between January 2016 and March 2024 were included. We retrospectively analyzed the disease activity of patients at their enrollment. Minimal disease activity (MDA), disease activity index for PsA (DAPSA), clinical DAPSA (cDAPSA) and disease activity score based on 28 joint counts (DAS28) were evaluated. Interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to test the consistency of all these assessments.Results:Three hundred and sixty patients were included in this study, with 149 females (41.4%), median age 47 (36, 57) years and duration of PsA for 2.0(1.0, 6.8) years. 129 (35.8%) patients reported family history of PsO. The most common comorbidities were hyperlipidemia (101, 28.1%) and hypertension (78, 21.7%). There were 217 (60.3%), 75 (20.8%) and 18 (5.0%) patients treated with conventional synthetic DMARDs, biologics and JAK inhibitors respectively. Forty-nine (13.6%) patients ever received intra-articular injection of glucocorticoid. Based on the different definitions, the rates of target achievement were 33.9% (MDA), 56.1% (DAPSA), 60.8% (DAS28-ESR), 63.9% (DAS28-CRP) and 64.2% (cDAPSA). The main limiting factors for MDA attainment among those who had achieved DAPSA or DAS-defined targets were pain VAS, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), tender/swollen joint count, patient global assessment, HAQ, and number of enthesitis, based on leeds Enthesitis Index(LEI). The ICCs of these evaluation methods were 0.489~0.819 ( P<0.001). The consistency was the best between DAPSA and cDAPSA, medium between DAS28-CRP and DAS28-ESR, and worst between MDA and DAS28-CRP. Moreover, DAPSA was more consistent with DAS28 than cDASPA. MDA showed moderate consistency with all other assessments. Conclusion:33.9%~64.2% of PsA patients achieved targets based on different definitions. MDA was the most stringent target, while cDAPSA was the most loose one. In general, MDA was not well consistent with other assessments.

Objective:To explore the differences in the CVD risk and lipid profiles in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients with different disease activity and investigate lipid management status in Chinese patients with PsA.Methods:Patients were enrolled from PKUPsA-PC cohort in Peking University First Hospital from January 2016 to January 2024. Data were collected at their first visit, including disease activity score, lipid profiles and treatment. Two modified CVD risk prediction models (modified China-PAR and modified FRS-CVD) were applied to predict the CVD risk over 10 years. All enrolled patients were subsequently stratified into low, intermediate and high-risk groups. The status of lipid target achievement was assessed based on lipid management recommendations proposed by prediction models. In addition, DAPSA was used to stratify PsA patients into remission, low, moderate and high-disease activity groups, and the differences in CVD risk and lipid profiles among PsA patients with different disease activity status were explored. The t test was used for comparison between 2 groups for measures that conformed to normal distribution; the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between 2 groups for measures that were skewed; and the chi-square test was used for comparison between 2 groups for categorical data.Results:Three hundred and seven PsA patients were included in this study. They were aged 47 (36, 57) years with 121 (39.4%) female, disease duration of skin lesions of 14 (7, 23) years and disease duration of PsA for 3 (1, 8) years. There were 148 (48.2%) patients with dyslipidemia, and 38 (25.7%) of them were receiving lipid lowering drugs. By the modified China-PAR model, there were 174 (56.7%), 76 (24.8%) and 57 (18.5%) in the low-, moderate- and high-risk groups. By the modified FRS-CVD model, there were 173 (56.4%), 58 (18.9%) and 76 (24.7%) patients in the corresponding groups. According to the recommendations for lipid management based on FRS-CVD model, 80 (26.1%) patients did not achieve the target of lipid profile, including 9/174 (5.2%) in the modified model low-risk group, 20/76 (26.3%) in the intermediate-risk group, and 51/57 (89.5%) in the high-risk group, but there were only 12 (15.0%) patients receiving statin therapy. Compared with the remission and low disease activity groups, patients in the moderate-to-high disease activity group were older [50 (37, 60) years vs. 43 (35, 55) years, Z=-2.42, P=0.016]; had a higher proportion of hypertension (30.3% vs. 15.0%, χ2=9.60, P=0.002); and had lower HDL-C levels [1.1 (0.9, 1.3) mmol/L vs. 1.2 (1.0, 1.4) mmol/L, Z=-3.18, P=0.001]. Under the modified China-PAR and modified FRS-CVD risk prediction models, a higher proportion of patients with high disease activity in PsA were stratified at high 10-year CVD risk compared with the remission and low disease activity groups (29.5% vs. 19.6%, χ2=3.81, P=0.005) and (23.5% vs. 12.4%, χ2=6.00, P=0.014). Conclusion:Nearly half of the PsA patients are at medium-high risk to CVD. CVD risk is significantly higher in patients with moderate to high disease activity than in patients with remission and low disease activity. HDL-c levels are lower in patients with high disease activity. Nevertheless a quarter of patients did not achieve the target of lipid profile, and few patients are receiving statin. More attention should be paid to CVD risk evaluation and lipid management as a part of treat-to-target strategy to improve the prognosis.

Rhinovirus (RV) has been reported as one of the main viral causes of human respiratory infections and has received increasing attention in recent years due to its strong association with various respiratory diseases. Studies have shown that RV not only causes the common cold but also plays a critical role in lower respiratory tract conditions such as bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and asthma. Notably, RV is implicated in both the onset and exacerbation of asthma. This review systematically summarizes a wide range of RV-associated respiratory diseases in the available literature. Although there are currently no specific antiviral therapies or vaccines targeting RV, advances in the development of polyvalent vaccines and antiviral drugs provide promising directions for future prevention and treatment. Clarifying the relationship between RV and diseases will provide strong support for optimizing treatment strategies and preventing and controlling respiratory diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To prepare decellularized nerve grafts from alpha-1, 3-galactosyltransferase (GGTA1) gene-edited pigs and explore their biocompatibility for xenotransplantation. METHODS: The sciatic nerves from wild-type pigs and GGTA1 gene-edited pigs were obtained and underwent decellularization. The alpha-galactosidase (α-gal) content in the sciatic nerves of GGTA1 gene-edited pigs was detected by using IB4 fluorescence staining and ELISA method to verify the knockout status of the GGTA1 gene, and using human sciatic nerve as a control. HE staining and scanning electron microscopy observation were used to observe the structure of the nerve samples. Immunofluorescence staining and DNA content determination were used to evaluate the degree of decellularization of the nerve samples. Fourteen nude mice were taken, and subcutaneous capsules were prepared on both sides of the spine. Decellularized nerve samples of wild-type pigs ( n=7) and GGTA1 gene-edited pigs ( n=7) were randomly implanted in the subcutaneous capsules. Blood was drawn at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after implantation to detect neutrophil counting. RESULTS: IB4 fluorescence staining and ELISA detection showed that GGTA1 gene was successfully knocked out in the nerves of GGTA1 gene-edited pigs. HE staining showed that the structure of the decellularized nerve from GGTA1 gene-edited pigs was well preserved; the nerve basement membrane tube structure was visible under scanning electron microscopy; no cell nuclei was observed, and the extracellular matrix components was retained in the nerve grafts by immunofluorescence staining; and the DNA content was significantly reduced when compared with the normal nerves ( P<0.05). In vivo experiments showed that the number of neutrophils in the two groups were similar at 1, 3, and 7 days after implantation, with no significant difference ( P>0.05); only at 5 days, the number of neutrophils was significantly lower in the GGTA1 gene-edited pigs than in the wild-type pigs ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION The decellularized nerve grafts from GGTA1 gene-edited pigs have well-preserved nerve structure, complete decellularization, retain the natural nerve basement membrane tube structure and components, and low immune response after xenotransplantation through in vitro experiments.
Animals ; Transplantation, Heterologous ; Galactosyltransferases/genetics* ; Sciatic Nerve/immunology* ; Swine ; Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Humans ; Graft Rejection/prevention & control* ; Gene Editing ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Heterografts/immunology* ; Animals, Genetically Modified ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Decellularized Extracellular Matrix

Objective:To explore the distribution variation of ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions with clinical signs in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).Methods:This was based on the Peking University First Hospital Psoriatic Arthritis (PKUPsA) cohort. Patients enrolled from January 2019 to June 2024 were inchuded, patients with complete data of physical examination and ultrasonographic evaluations of 62 joints in the hand and foot. The ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions including synovitis, tenosynovitis, enthesitis, and soft tissue inflammation were compared with joint tenderness/swelling. The χ2 test was employed to analyze differences between groups. Results:A total of 7 440 joints in 120 PsA patients were included. Overall, the proportion of joints with clinical signs (tenderness or swelling) was higher than those with ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions [9.14%(680/7 440) vs. 7.93%(590/7 440), χ2=1 245.928, P<0.001], with more tenderness joints than swelling joints [7.72%(574/7 440) vs. 6.14%(457/7 440), χ2=3 264.45, P<0.001]. Clinical signs were primarily observed in hand proximal interphalangeal (PIP), distal interphalangeal (DIP), wrist and ankle joints, mostly in DIP2 joints [19.58%(47/240)]. Ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions were predominantly found in metatarsophalangeal (MTP), wrist, and ankle joints, mostly in MTP2 joints (18.75%, 45/240). Clinical signs were more prevalent than ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions in hand PIP1-3, PIP5, DIP2, and DIP5 joints ( P<0.05), whereas more frequent ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions than clinical tenderness/swelling were in MTP1-4 joints ( P<0.05). Among ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions, synovitis in MTP2 joints (18.75%, 45/240), tenosynovitis in ankle joints (10.00%, 24/240), enthesitis in hand DIP2 joints (8.75%, 21/240), and soft tissue inflammation in MTP4 joints (2.50%, 6/240) most commonly observed. Dactylitis was more frequently observed in toes than in fingers, with the fourth toe most commonly affected(16.67%, 40/240). Ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions were observed in 72.37%(55/240) of fingers/toes with clinical dactylitis, mainly presenting as synovitis, tenosynovitis, or combinations of these. Conclusion:PsA exhibits significant heterogeneity in the inflammatory lesions across different joints and lesion types. The discrepancies between clinical findings and ultrasonic inflammatory changes highlight the limitations of physical examination in fully capturing the pathological features of PsA. As a critical tool for PsA evaluation, ultrasonography offers distinct advantages in detecting subclinical inflammation and differentiating inflammatory from non-inflammatory lesions.

Objective:To analyze the condition of subclinical atherosclerosis (SCA) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and to provide a reference for better management of the associated cardiovascular risk in patients with PsA.Methods:Based on the cohort of PsA patients (PKUPsA) in the Department of Rheumatism and Immunology, Peking University First Hospital, 240 PsA patients without previous clinical atherosclerotic disease between July 2018 and June 2024 were included. The demographic data traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors, PsA related indicators and medications were collected when all patients were entered into the cohort. Increased intima-media thickness and/or arterial plaque formation in bilateral carotid arteries examined by ultrasonography are defined as the presence of SCA. Based on this, patients were divided into SCA and no SCA groups, and the two groups were compared and analyzed. Statistics were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, independent sample t test, χ2 test and Logistic regression analysis. Results:Eighty-five of 240 patients (35.4%) had SCA, including 55 (22.9%) with cIMT thickening and 51 (21.2%) with carotid plaque. Compared with the PsA patients without SCA, patients with SCA were older [55.0 (42.0, 62.5) vs. 42.0(35.0, 53.0) year of age, Z=-4.90, P<0.001], had longer disease course of arthritis [4.6 (1.0, 10.1) vs. 3.0(1.0, 6.1) years, Z=-1.98, P=0.048], more patients with combined hypertension [34.1%(29/85) vs. 15.5%(24/155), χ2=11.08, P<0.001], hyperlipidemia [47.1%(40/85) vs. 27.1%(42/155), χ2=1.22, P=0.002] and the taking of statins [14.1%(12/85) vs. 5.8%(9/155), χ2=4.75 , P=0.029], hypoglycemic agents [10.6%(9/85) vs. 3.9%(6/155), χ2=4.23, P=0.040] and antihypertensive drugs [17.6%(15/85) vs 6.5%(10/155), χ2=7.37, P=0.007]. They also had a higher blood glucose level[5.37 (5.17, 6.09)mmol/L vs. 5.26(4.97, 5.67)mmol/L, Z=-2.82 , P=0.005], low-density lipoprotein [(3.05± 0.76)mmol/L vs. (2.78±0.75)mmol/L, t=2.60, P=0.010] and blood uric acid level[351 (312, 412)μmol/L vs. 333(279, 408)μmol/L, Z=-2.10, P=0.036]. Multivariate analysis showed that older [ OR (95% CI) =1.059 (1.033, 1.086), P<0.001], increased low density lipoprotein [ OR (95% CI) =1.519 (1.018, 2.267), P=0.041] and increased blood uric acid levels [ OR (95% CI)=1.004 (1.001, 1.007), P=0.017] were an independent risk of SCA in PsA patients. Conclusion:More than 1/3 of PsA patients with SCA without past history of clinical atherosclerosis with SCA, advanced age, increased blood low density lipoprotein level, and elevated uric acid level are independent risk factors for PsA with SCA, so attention should be paid to the assessment and management of cardiovascular-related risk. Early intervention can help to improve patient prognosis.

Objective:Treat-to-target strategies for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have been proposed for several years, however, the status of target and goal achievement in China is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the target achievement of PsA patients, and differences of treatment goals were further analyzed.Methods:A total of 360 PsA patients from Peking University First Hospital PsA patient cohort (PKUPsA) between January 2016 and March 2024 were included. We retrospectively analyzed the disease activity of patients at their enrollment. Minimal disease activity (MDA), disease activity index for PsA (DAPSA), clinical DAPSA (cDAPSA) and disease activity score based on 28 joint counts (DAS28) were evaluated. Interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to test the consistency of all these assessments.Results:Three hundred and sixty patients were included in this study, with 149 females (41.4%), median age 47 (36, 57) years and duration of PsA for 2.0(1.0, 6.8) years. 129 (35.8%) patients reported family history of PsO. The most common comorbidities were hyperlipidemia (101, 28.1%) and hypertension (78, 21.7%). There were 217 (60.3%), 75 (20.8%) and 18 (5.0%) patients treated with conventional synthetic DMARDs, biologics and JAK inhibitors respectively. Forty-nine (13.6%) patients ever received intra-articular injection of glucocorticoid. Based on the different definitions, the rates of target achievement were 33.9% (MDA), 56.1% (DAPSA), 60.8% (DAS28-ESR), 63.9% (DAS28-CRP) and 64.2% (cDAPSA). The main limiting factors for MDA attainment among those who had achieved DAPSA or DAS-defined targets were pain VAS, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), tender/swollen joint count, patient global assessment, HAQ, and number of enthesitis, based on leeds Enthesitis Index(LEI). The ICCs of these evaluation methods were 0.489~0.819 ( P<0.001). The consistency was the best between DAPSA and cDAPSA, medium between DAS28-CRP and DAS28-ESR, and worst between MDA and DAS28-CRP. Moreover, DAPSA was more consistent with DAS28 than cDASPA. MDA showed moderate consistency with all other assessments. Conclusion:33.9%~64.2% of PsA patients achieved targets based on different definitions. MDA was the most stringent target, while cDAPSA was the most loose one. In general, MDA was not well consistent with other assessments.

Objective:To explore the differences in the CVD risk and lipid profiles in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients with different disease activity and investigate lipid management status in Chinese patients with PsA.Methods:Patients were enrolled from PKUPsA-PC cohort in Peking University First Hospital from January 2016 to January 2024. Data were collected at their first visit, including disease activity score, lipid profiles and treatment. Two modified CVD risk prediction models (modified China-PAR and modified FRS-CVD) were applied to predict the CVD risk over 10 years. All enrolled patients were subsequently stratified into low, intermediate and high-risk groups. The status of lipid target achievement was assessed based on lipid management recommendations proposed by prediction models. In addition, DAPSA was used to stratify PsA patients into remission, low, moderate and high-disease activity groups, and the differences in CVD risk and lipid profiles among PsA patients with different disease activity status were explored. The t test was used for comparison between 2 groups for measures that conformed to normal distribution; the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between 2 groups for measures that were skewed; and the chi-square test was used for comparison between 2 groups for categorical data.Results:Three hundred and seven PsA patients were included in this study. They were aged 47 (36, 57) years with 121 (39.4%) female, disease duration of skin lesions of 14 (7, 23) years and disease duration of PsA for 3 (1, 8) years. There were 148 (48.2%) patients with dyslipidemia, and 38 (25.7%) of them were receiving lipid lowering drugs. By the modified China-PAR model, there were 174 (56.7%), 76 (24.8%) and 57 (18.5%) in the low-, moderate- and high-risk groups. By the modified FRS-CVD model, there were 173 (56.4%), 58 (18.9%) and 76 (24.7%) patients in the corresponding groups. According to the recommendations for lipid management based on FRS-CVD model, 80 (26.1%) patients did not achieve the target of lipid profile, including 9/174 (5.2%) in the modified model low-risk group, 20/76 (26.3%) in the intermediate-risk group, and 51/57 (89.5%) in the high-risk group, but there were only 12 (15.0%) patients receiving statin therapy. Compared with the remission and low disease activity groups, patients in the moderate-to-high disease activity group were older [50 (37, 60) years vs. 43 (35, 55) years, Z=-2.42, P=0.016]; had a higher proportion of hypertension (30.3% vs. 15.0%, χ2=9.60, P=0.002); and had lower HDL-C levels [1.1 (0.9, 1.3) mmol/L vs. 1.2 (1.0, 1.4) mmol/L, Z=-3.18, P=0.001]. Under the modified China-PAR and modified FRS-CVD risk prediction models, a higher proportion of patients with high disease activity in PsA were stratified at high 10-year CVD risk compared with the remission and low disease activity groups (29.5% vs. 19.6%, χ2=3.81, P=0.005) and (23.5% vs. 12.4%, χ2=6.00, P=0.014). Conclusion:Nearly half of the PsA patients are at medium-high risk to CVD. CVD risk is significantly higher in patients with moderate to high disease activity than in patients with remission and low disease activity. HDL-c levels are lower in patients with high disease activity. Nevertheless a quarter of patients did not achieve the target of lipid profile, and few patients are receiving statin. More attention should be paid to CVD risk evaluation and lipid management as a part of treat-to-target strategy to improve the prognosis.

Rhinovirus (RV) has been reported as one of the main viral causes of human respiratory infections and has received increasing attention in recent years due to its strong association with various respiratory diseases. Studies have shown that RV not only causes the common cold but also plays a critical role in lower respiratory tract conditions such as bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and asthma. Notably, RV is implicated in both the onset and exacerbation of asthma. This review systematically summarizes a wide range of RV-associated respiratory diseases in the available literature. Although there are currently no specific antiviral therapies or vaccines targeting RV, advances in the development of polyvalent vaccines and antiviral drugs provide promising directions for future prevention and treatment. Clarifying the relationship between RV and diseases will provide strong support for optimizing treatment strategies and preventing and controlling respiratory diseases.