Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
In our October issue: articles on rheumatic manifestations of chikungunya, mechanisms of lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis and the IL-1 family members in rheumatic diseases.
Image of skin from a patient with dermatomyositis. Image supplied by Majid Zeidi, Kristen Chen and Victoria P. Werth, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Cover design: Susanne Harris.
Cartilage has a limited healing capacity; however, studies into the basic biological characteristics, formation and structural maintenance of the cartilage collagen network are providing explanations for the failure of current therapeutic approaches, urging us to rethink our approach to the regeneration of articular cartilage.
In patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases, non-adherence to methotrexate therapy could lead to lower drug efficacy, unnecessary adjustments of medication, and avoidable health-care costs. Use of a novel blood assay to measure methotrexate could help prevent or reduce non-adherence in clinical practice.
Gout diagnostic criteria help focus attention on the accurate and early diagnosis of gout. New recommendations reinforce that joint aspiration and demonstration of monosodium urate crystals remains the gold standard for a diagnosis of gout and should be attempted in every patient with suspected gout.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated lung disease is difficult to treat and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. A better understanding of the pathogenic pathways involved in lung disease in patients with RA should aid the development of specific therapies.
Chikungunya can be a mild and self-limiting disease, but can also involve a complex spectrum of atypical, severe and/or chronic rheumatic manifestations that place a considerable burden on individuals. New strategies are under development to help treat and prevent this disease.
Cytokines from the IL-1 family perform important functions in innate immune reactions, but can also be involved in chronic inflammatory diseases. This Review highlights the roles of IL-1 family members in rheumatic diseases and potential therapeutic approaches to targeting them.