It is well known that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are at an increased risk of developing non-infectious pulmonary complications, especially interstitial lung disease (ILD); however, the clinician must keep in mind that lung disease could not only be a manifestation of the underlying condition, but also a consequence of using disease-modifying therapies. New-onset ILD or ILD worsening has also been reported as a possible consequence of both conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologic agents. This study is a narrative review of the current literature regarding the potential risk of developing interstitial lung disease along with the administration of specific drugs used in controlling rheumatoid arthritis. Its purpose is to fill knowledge gaps related to this challenging patient cohort by addressing various aspects of the disease, including prevalence, disease features, treatment strategies, and patient outcomes.

Aim: To evaluate the frequency of tibiotalar and subtalar joints together with extensor, flexor and peroneal tendons inflammatory lesions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients by using ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Material and methods. Fifty RA patients and 25 healthy subjects were prospectively included. All patients and controlsunderwent clinical examination (to screen for swollen and/or tender ankles) and ankle US and MRI (to screen for synovialhypertrophy – SH, tenosynovitis and power Doppler – PD signals). The imaging tests were compared using overall agreement, positive agreement, Cohen’s κ, sensitivity, specificity and positive likelihood ratio.Results. The subtalar joint had the highest frequency of US-detected SH (30%), as well as positive PD signals (10%). Regarding US joint effusion, the tibiotalar joint recorded the highest frequency (44%). The most frequent US tenosynovitis was detected in the tibialis posterior tendon (40%). Compared to MRI, US evaluation of tibiotalar joints had very good agreement and large effect on detection probability for both SH and effusion (kappa 0.84, positive likelihood ratio 21.1). Compared to MRI, the sensitivity and specificity for US joint involvement ranged between 72.0-88.5% and 82.4-95.8%, and for tenosynovitis were 33.3-78.6% and 85.2-100%, respectively. Compared to asymptomatic RA patients (n=25), those with at least one symptomatic ankle (n=25) had significantly higher frequencies of both SH and effusion in all the evaluated structures.Conclusion: US has high sensitivity and specificity in detecting RA inflammatory lesions in the ankle and rearfoot, in very good agreement with MRI. The high frequency of ankle inflammatory lesions in RA should result in increased interest in the imaging evaluation of these structures.

Background and aims: Rheumatic diseases are chronic, progressive conditions associated with severe pain, joint damage, disability, and even death. Healthcare interventions play a critical role in symptom management, patient education, and adherence to treatment plans. This study evaluates the role of healthcare interventions in the management of patients with rheumatic diseases, focusing on pain management, functional rehabilitation, patient education, and multidisciplinary collaboration. In addition, barriers to optimal care and potential solutions, including digital health technologies, are explored. Materials and methods: We conducted a narrative review of the scientific literature. Studies published between 2014 and 2025 were selected from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Elsevier, Springer, Frontiers, and Wiley Online Library. Key areas of review included nurse-led pain management, education programs, and the impact of interdisciplinary care on patient outcomes. Results: Nursing interventions significantly improve pain control, treatment adherence, and self-management skills in patients with rheumatic diseases. Multidisciplinary approaches improve functional rehabilitation and increase quality of life in patients with rheumatic conditions. However, barriers such as insufficient health care resources, lack of patient awareness, and disparities in the availability of services hinder effective care delivery. Conclusions: A structured, multidisciplinary approach integrating healthcare interventions, digital health solutions, and patient-centered education is essential to optimize the management of rheumatic diseases. Future research should focus on improving access to non-pharmacological therapies and standardizing healthcare protocols for better patient outcomes.

Biomarker discovery in sarcoidosis mechanisms represents an innovative research tool. Inflammatory responses in sarcoidosis patients were analyzed by flow cytometry to highlight CD8a+CD45+, CD45+CD8a−, CD4+CD19+, CD4+CD19−, CD3+CD56+CD16+, CD56+CD16+, and CD16+CD56− as predictive biomarkers. In our study, monocyte-derived macrophage activation (M1 phenotype), represented by CD8a+CD45+ expression, is characteristic of granulomatous inflammation in active and progressive sarcoidosis and serves as a biomarker with very good accuracy and high specificity for establishing a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. As a prognostic biomarker, it is an independent predictive factor of disease progression, being negatively associated with applied treatments by sarcoidosis stage. The accumulation of activated CD4+ T-helper cells in sarcoid granulomas is responsible for the establishment of a pro-inflammatory phenotype and serves as a biomarker with good accuracy and high specificity for sarcoidosis diagnosis. As a prognostic biomarker, CD3+CD56+CD16+ (iNKT) is an independent predictor associated negatively with disease progression, being positively correlated with treatment applied by sarcoidosis stage. CD biomarker analysis, yielding predictive models with specificity for diagnosis and prognosis, is an important research tool for estimating disease progression in patients with different inflammatory response phenotypes across the stages of sarcoidosis.