Latest Rheumatology Articles for July 2025

Published: July 22, 2025

Today we’re showcasing some of the most recent rheumatology-related articles posted recently across medical journals.

The following rundown features topics related to rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and more. All of the articles included within the list were published within the past month.

Oxidative Stress is a Shared Characteristic of ME/CFS and Long COVID

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, July 2025
Description: Over 65 million individuals worldwide are estimated to have Long COVID (LC), a complex multisystemic condition marked by fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and other symptoms resembling myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). With no clinically approved treatments or reliable diagnostic markers, there is an urgent need to define the molecular underpinnings of these conditions.
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Cardiac Function and Mechanics in Systemic Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Echo Research and Practice, July 2025
Description: The study aimed to evaluate differences in conventional, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and speckle-tracking echocardiographic (STE) parameters of all cardiac chambers between SSc patients and healthy controls.
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DLX4 Regulates Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-like Synoviocytes Invasiveness and a Cancer Transcriptomic Signature

Scientific Reports, July 2025
Description: Researchers describe a new role for DLX4 in the regulation of RA FLS behaviors relevant to disease pathogenesis and joint damage, and identify a new transcriptomic signature regulated by this gene. These findings raise the possibility that DLX4, or one of its target genes and pathways may become a target for treatment.
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Effects of High Intensity Interval Training on Patients with Inflammatory Arthritis: A Systematic Review

BMC Rheumatology, July 2025
Description: Despite reports of clinical benefits, concerns persist about the stress associated with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA). This review aimed to assess the effects of HIIT on disease activity, immune function, symptoms, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with IA.
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Relationship Between Hydroxychloroquine Blood Levels and Lupus Activity Through the Lens of the Type 1 and Type 2 Lupus Model: A Cross-Sectional Study

Lupus Science & Medicine, June 2025
Description: In the type 1 and 2 SLE model, inflammation mediates type 1 manifestations, but its role in type 2 manifestations (eg, fatigue, myalgias, mood disturbance, cognitive dysfunction) is less clear. Therapeutic hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) levels reduce type 1 activity, but their relationship with type 2 activity is unknown. Exploring this relationship may illuminate type 2 SLE pathophysiology.
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The Role of Adipose Tissue in Critical Illness-Induced Skeletal Muscle Wasting – New Considerations for Treatment Approaches

Journal of Applied Physiology, June 2025
Description: This review highlights the current evidence and key questions that warrant further investigations to improve understanding of the relationship between adipose tissue and skeletal muscle health. This knowledge may then be leveraged to facilitate new therapeutic approaches aimed at improving skeletal muscle health and functional outcomes in patients with critical illness.
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Ultrasound- and Clinical-defined Disease Activities are Associated with Altered Bone Microarchitecture and Lower Bone Mineral Density in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, June 2025
Description: Researchers investigate if rheumatoid arthritis (RA) activity, defined clinically and with ultrasound, is associated with bone macro- and micro-architecture impairment on high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) and dual X-ray densitometry (DEXA).
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Look forward to more journal-focused topics in the coming weeks.