Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40009231›Full record

ArticleRheumatology international2025

Synovitis and its association with elevated circulating interferons and hydroxychloroquine response in discoid lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional study.

Magdalena Stec, Monika Krezelok, Magdalena Awsiuk, Ewa Wypasek, Bogdan Batko, Maciej Pastuszczak

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Article in Rheumatology international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Magdalena StecClinical Department of Dermatology in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Maria Curie-Sklodowska Street 10, Zabrze, 41-800, Poland.
Monika KrezelokClinical Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, Krakow, Poland.
Magdalena AwsiukJohn Paul II Hospital, Krakow, Poland.
Ewa WypasekJohn Paul II Hospital, Krakow, Poland.ORCID 0000-0002-4225-6405
Bogdan BatkoClinical Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, Krakow, Poland.ORCID 0000-0003-3999-8093
Maciej PastuszczakClinical Department of Dermatology in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Maria Curie-Sklodowska Street 10, Zabrze, 41-800, Poland. pastuszczak.maciej@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0001-7241-9685

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A significant proportion of patients with discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) experience joint pain, yet its underlying pathomechanism remains unclear. Recent ultrasound studies in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients indicate synovitis in up to 90%, even in clinically silent cases, with interferon-mediated immune responses implicated in joint inflammation. This study aimed to investigate joint pathology in DLE, focusing on synovitis and its immunological profile. We analyzed 23 patients with histologically confirmed DLE and joint pain, all treated for ≥ 5 months with prednisone (≤ 10 mg/day) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ, 200 mg/day). Ultrasonographic assessment (24 joints per patient) was performed using power Doppler (PD) ultrasonography, with synovitis graded using the OMERACT-EULAR PDUS synovitis score. Serum levels of 37 cytokines were measured via Bio-Plex Pro™ Human Inflammation Panel (37Plex). Synovitis (OMERACT-EULAR score ≥ 1) was identified in 30% (7/23) of DLE patients, with minimal (grade 1) synovitis in six cases and moderate (grade 2) synovitis in one. Patients with synovitis had significantly higher levels of IFN-α2, IFN-γ, MMP-1, MMP-3, sTNF-R1, and sTNF-R2 (p < 0.05), more painful joints, and poorer response to HCQ treatment (71.4% vs. 25% non-responders). Joint pain in DLE may result from synovitis, with an interferon-mediated immune response contributing to inflammation. Patients with synovitis exhibited elevated interferon levels and a worse response to HCQ therapy. These findings suggest a shared pathogenic mechanism between DLE and SLE-related arthritis, warranting further investigation into targeted therapeutic strategies.

Indexed as

Antirheumatic AgentsHydroxychloroquineInterferonsLupus Erythematosus, DiscoidSynovitisAdultArthralgiaCross-Sectional StudiesCytokinesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrednisoneTreatment OutcomeUltrasonography, DopplerAntirheumatic AgentsCytokinesHydroxychloroquineInterferonsPrednisoneArthritisCutaneous lupus erythematosusHydroxychloroquineInterferonsSynovitisUltrasonography

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.