Gut dysbiosis and subclinical intestinal damage are common in cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to examine the association of intestinal damage biomarkers (diamine oxidase [DAO], claudin 3, and intestinal fatty acid binding protein [I-FABP; FABP2]) with the state of the gut microbiota in cirrhosis. The blood levels of DAO were inversely correlated with blood levels of claudin 3, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), presepsin, TNF-α, and the severity of cirrhosis according to Child–Pugh scores. The blood level of I-FABP was directly correlated with the blood level of claudin 3 but not with that of DAO. Patients with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) had lower DAO levels than patients without SIBO. There was no significant difference in claudin 3 levels and I-FABP detection rates between patients with and without SIBO. The DAO level was directly correlated with the abundance of Akkermansiaceae, Akkermansia, Allisonella, Clostridiaceae, Dialister, Lactobacillus, Muribaculaceae, Negativibacillus, Ruminococcus, Thiomicrospiraceae, Verrucomicrobiae, and Verrucomicrobiota; and it was inversely correlated with the abundance of Anaerostipes, Erysipelatoclostridium, and Vibrio. The I-FABP level was directly correlated with Anaerostipes, Bacteroidia, Bacteroidota, Bilophila, Megamonas, and Selenomonadaceae; and it was inversely correlated with the abundance of Brucella, Pseudomonadaceae, Pseudomonas, and Vibrionaceae. The claudin 3 level was directly correlated with Anaerostipes abundance and was inversely correlated with the abundance of Brucella, Coriobacteriia, Eggerthellaceae, and Lactobacillus.

Immunoinflammatory rheumatic diseases (IIRDs) are a large group of pathological conditions with impaired immunological tolerance to autogenous tissues, leading to inflammation and irreversible organ damage. The review discusses current ideas on the role of type I interferons in the immunopathogenesis of IIRDs, primarily systemic lupus erythematosus, and new possibilities for personalized therapy.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is frequent systemic autoimmune disease characterized by excessive activation of collagen-specific T helper cells, and elevated level of autoantibodies in the serum. Development of RA is associated with defect in compartment of regulatory CD4+Foxp3+ T cells (Treg), but data concerning suppressive potential of Treg population in RA patients are contradictory and depend on the stage of disease. In this study we aimed to characterize abundance and phenotypic markers of CD4+Foxp3+ Treg in peripheral blood of healthy donors compared to untreated early RA patients to find potential correlations with the disease activity, antibody level, and absolute numbers and proportion of different subpopulations of T cells. Moreover, we assessed the influence of methotrexate (MT) treatment on percentage and absolute numbers of CD4+Foxp3+ Treg from the peripheral blood of untreated early RA patients. We demonstrate that increase and phenotypic changes in Treg population correlate well with response to MT. Analysis of the cohorts of matched RA patients (n = 45) and healthy controls (n = 20) revealed that patients with untreated early RA demonstrate substantial decrease in blood Treg percentage and absolute number, as well as low level of activated Treg surface markers in comparison to healthy control. The defect in Treg compartment negatively correlates with both RA activity and antibody level. MT treatment of patients with early untreated RA increases both proportion and absolute number of Treg with high level of activation markers, suggesting an increase of their functional capacity. Here we speculate the role of Tregs as specific cellular marker of successful RA treatment.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease of unknown etiology, characterized by overproduction of organ-specific autoantibodies to various components of the cell nucleus and the development of immune-inflammatory damage to internal organs. According to modern concepts, one of the key mechanisms of SLE immunopathogenesis is associated with dysregulation of type I interferon (IFN) synthesis The complex of data obtained in the process of fundamental and clinical research served as the basis for the development of a new approach to the pharmacotherapy of SLE, associated with the use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that block the activity of IFN type I or its receptors. Among these drugs, anifrolumab (AFM) occupies a special place, which is a human IgG1 mAbs that bind to cellular receptors for IFN-α. The article discusses the materials of the main studies concerning the efficacy and safety of AFM in SLE, and the prospects for the use of this drug in the treatment of this disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common immune mediated (autoimmune) rheumatic disease, manifested by chronic erosive arthritis and systemic internal organ damage. Currently, RA is considered as a syndrome characterized by clinical and pathogenetic heterogeneity associated with a variety of mechanisms of pathological activation of innate and acquired immunity, determining the variability of the course and outcome of the inflammatory process and effectiveness of therapy. Based on the detection or absence of rheumatoid factor (RF) IgM and antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides (ACCP), RA can be conventionally divided into two subtypes (phenotypes): seropositive RA and seronegative RA, but thanks to improvement of laboratory diagnostic methods the spectrum of autoantibodies detected in RA has increased significantly. Diagnosis of seronegative RA based on classification (rather than diagnostic) criteria can be difficult, especially in the early stages of the disease, and the diagnosis is made only during long-term follow-up of patients. It complicates the timely prescription of adequate anti-inflammatory therapy. This article summarizes the data on genetic predisposition, immunopathogenesis, biomarkers, clinical spectrum, instrumental diagnosis and pharmacotherapy of seronegative RA.

Uncontrolled activation of neutrophils is considered an important mechanism of thromboinflammation and fibrosis in immunemediated rheumatic diseases (IMRD), malignant neoplasms, atherosclerosis, COVID-19 and many other acute and chronic inflammatory diseases of humans. Particular attention has been drawn to the ability of neutrophils to form “network” (web-like) structures, called “neutrophil extracellular traps” NETs. The process associated with the formation of NETs and the weakening of their degradation is called “NETosis”. The publication summarizes data on the role of NETosis in the pathogenesis of IMRD and discusses the prospects for pharmacotherapy aimed at preventing the formation and destruction of NETs.