Exercise Therapy Research in Ankylosing Spondylitis-Induced Back Pain: A Bibliometric Study (2004-2023).

BACKGROUND Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a chronic inflammatory disease predominantly causing back pain, affects up to 0.5% of the global population, more commonly in males. Frequently undiagnosed in early stages, AS is often associated with comorbid depression and anxiety, imposing significant healthcare burdens. Despite available pharmaceutical treatments, exercise therapy (ET) has emerged as an effective, side-effect-free alternative, particularly for managing AS-induced back pain. This study aims to explore the research trends in ET for treating AS back pain from 2004-2023. MATERIAL AND METHODS A comprehensive analysis of 437 articles, sourced from the Science Citation Index-Expanded within the Web of Science Core Collection, was conducted using CiteSpace 6.2.R5. This study spanned from 2004 to October 15, 2023, examining publications, authors, institutions, and keywords to assess keyword co-occurrences, temporal progressions, and citation bursts. RESULTS Research interest in ET for AS began escalating around 2008 and has since shown steady growth. The USA emerged as a significant contributor, with Van der Heijde, Desiree, and RUDWALEIT M being notable authors. Key institutions include Assistance Publique Hopitaux Paris and UDICE-French Research Universities, with ANN RHEUM DIS being the most influential journal. The field's evolution is marked by interdisciplinary integration and branching into various sub-disciplines. CONCLUSIONS Exercise therapy for AS-induced back pain is a growing research area, necessitating further exploration in clinical management and rehabilitation strategies. The relationship between ET and osteoimmunological mechanisms remains a focal point for future research, with a trend towards personalized and interdisciplinary treatment approaches.

Effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture for ankylosing spondylitis: A protocol for a systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of autoimmune disease commonly characterized by joint pain and stiffness. This disease progression can exhibit common deformities and other activities with limited symptoms and significantly impacts people's work and life. Electroacupuncture (EA) as a traditional Chinese therapy, showing several advantages (e.g., safety, economy, and less side effects), has been extensively used to treat AS. However, its curative effect is supported by limited evidence. Accordingly, the present study aims to comprehensively assess the reliability of EA in AS treatment. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis. Seven databases, including the Embase, Cochrane Library, Pubmed, SinoMed, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang Data, will be searched using predefined search terms to identify relevant studies. The primary outcomes will be the clinical efficiency, the Bath AS Disease Activity Index, and the Visual Analog Scale. Eligible studies should report at least 1 of these primary outcomes. Eligible studies designed as randomized controlled trials will be included for meta-analysis, while other related clinical studies will be reviewed. The methodological quality of the included studies will be assessed with a previously established checklist. The Cochrane Collaboration's bias risk tool will be used for assessing the bias of included randomized controlled trials. Stata 17.0 software is used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: The protocol will be used to assess the efficacy and safety of EA in AS treatment. CONCLUSION: This review reliably evidences whether EA is a reliable method for the intervention of AS.

IgG4-Related Disease With Tuberculosis: A Case Report and Retrospective Review of Patients in a Single Center.

Background: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently recognized systemic fibro-inflammatory disease of unknown cause involving many organs including pancreas, salivary glands, and lymph nodes. Chronic tuberculosis (TB) infection has been reported in IgG4-RD, but the prevalence of TB infection has not been evaluated in IgG4-RD. Methods: Characterization of a patient with IgG4-RD by physical examination, laboratory tests, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological examination. TB infection was evaluated by medical history, radiological examinations, sputum examinations, tubercular skin test (TST) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) release assay test (IGRA). Medical records of IgG4-RD patients were reviewed in our institute from February 2015 to September 2020 to explore the prevalence of TB infection in IgG4-RD. Results: We described a 40-year-old Chinese man presented with headache and diplopia. Physical examination revealed bitemporal hemianopsia and limited abduction of both eyes. MRI revealed uniformly enhancing mass overlying clivus with dural tail sign. Laboratory data revealed elevation of IgG4 (1.9g/L), and TB-IGRA demonstrated significantly elevated IFN-γ (414.21 pg/ml). The clivus lesion was subtotally removed and IgG4 was strongly positive on immunohistochemical staining. The diagnosis of IgG4-RD was established, and the patient received treatment of corticosteroids, methotrexate, and cyclophosphamide with isoniazid prophylaxis. Consequently, the mass shrank remarkably within 3 months. A similar concurrence of TB disease or latent TB infection (LTBI) and IgG4-RD was present in 17/47 (36.2%) patients in our institute. Conclusion: High frequency of TB/LTBI presented in patients with IgG4-RD. Patients with IgG4-RD and LTBI should be closely monitored for resurgence of TB. Whether TB represents a risk for IgG4-RD should be further investigated in prospective cohort.

lncRNA­MM2P downregulates the production of pro­inflammatory cytokines in acute gouty arthritis.

Acute gouty arthritis (AGA) is characterized by the accumulation of pro­inflammatory cytokines, which are immunological responses to monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. It has been demonstrated that long non­coding RNA (lncRNA)­MM2P is a novel regulator of M2 polarization of macrophages. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether lncRNA­MM2P regulates the MSU­induced inflammatory process. In cell models of RAW 264.7 and THP­1­derived macrophages, decreased expression of lncRNA­MM2P was observed in lipopolysaccharide­ and MSU­treated macrophages, which was accompanied with obvious inflammatory responses. Using small interfering RNA to knockdown lncRNA­MM2P led to the upregulation of MSU­mediated inflammatory responses, both in RAW 264.7 and THP­1­derived macrophages. In conclusion, lncRNA­MM2P could be an important regulator of MSU­induced inflammation, and therefore could be involved in the development of AGA.