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Objectives: In response to the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic, the Polish government has enabled specialist teleconsultations. Due to this, Polish patients have gained access to continuation of outpatient specialist healthcare using information and communication technologies. The goal of the study was to recognize the needs and expectations as well as the main concerns of Polish rheumatology patients in regard to teleconsultations. Material and methods: An online-based questionnaire comprising 17 single choice and multiple choice, open-end questions was collected among Polish rheumatology patients directly after the introduction of specialist teleconsultations. Results: 244 respondents completed the survey. Mean age of the respondents was 40.6 ±10.5 and 92.6% of them were female. 48% of the respondents lived not further than 20 kilometres from their outpatient rheumatology clinic. The mean severity of current symptoms, assessed by patients on a visual-analogue scale, was 4.9 ±2.4. 82% of the respondents selected telephone consultations as the most convenient form of receiving rheumatology advice. The patients highlighted the lack of physical examination (43%) and additional tests (43.9%) as the factors discouraging them from teleconsultations; 8.2% of respondents were against maintaining rheumatology teleconsultations after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic; 3.7% of the respondents received information on teleconsultations from a medical professional. Conclusions: The community of Polish rheumatology patients is eager to benefit from specialist teleconsultations. Telephone consultations are the most eagerly chosen form of remote consultations. Medical professionals should actively promote this form of patient in order to reach the patients who do not use the computer readily.

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Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are progressive, debilitating diseases that can lead to severe impairment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of disability and compare it between different subtypes of IIM as well as to estimate clinical symptoms associated with greater risk of disability and distinguish the most troublesome activities in this group of patients. A online form concerning clinical symptoms, comorbidities and limitations in daily living was created and distributed to online support groups for patients with IIM. Health Assessment Questionnaire was used to estimate disability and physical limitations while visual analogue scales enabled to assess the intensity of clinical symptoms. 361 out of 377 responders were included for further evaluation. High prevalence of disability was observed in each subtype yet predominantly in patients with inclusion body myositis (IBM) as 51.43% of them fulfilled the criteria of severe to very severe disability. Level of disability correlated with muscle weakness, tolerance of physical activity and level of fatigue. 45.62% of responders in general required walking devices and 43.50% of participants declared using facilitating devices for maintaining hygiene. Patients with IIM encounter multitude physical limitations that can be partially compensated by usage of facilitating devices or aid of the caregivers. IBM seems to be the most disabling subtype.

Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the healthcare systems. Many Polish outpatient clinics have been implementing telemedical consultations as a tool to ensure the continuity of care for patients with chronic diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate patients’ satisfaction with telemedical appointments, as well as availability of the various medical services and patients’ well-being during the pandemic. Material and methods An online-based questionnaire on the experience with telemedical consultations, availability of medical services and current state of health was conducted among Polish rheumatology patients approximately 6 months after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results The survey was completed by 107 respondents with a mean age of 41.52 ±14.33 years. The overall level of satisfaction from telemedical consultations, evaluated with a VAS 1–10 scale, was assessed as 6.23 ±3.04 for teleconsultations in primary healthcare units and 6.00 ±2.80 for rheumatology outpatient units. 42.99% of the respondents were in favour of maintaining telemedical appointments even after the pandemic. Incidences of reduced access to medical services during the COVID-19 pandemic were reported by 77.57% of the patients. Almost half of the respondents reported reduced accessibility to rheumatological care. An alarming decline in health self-esteem, evaluated with a VAS 1–10 scale, was noted from the average 6.37 ±1.92 before COVID-19 to the current rating of 5.78 ±1.91 ( p = 0.0087). Conclusions Polish rheumatology patients are moderately satisfied with the medical teleconsultations in primary health care units and rheumatology outpatient clinics. A substantial number of patients experienced deterioration of well-being as well as limited access to traditional healthcare services, including rheumatology care.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are a group of rare connective tissue diseases with a well-documented association with malignancy. The mechanisms underlying the increased risk of neoplasms in the course of myositis are not fully understood. The Pubmed database has been thoroughly screened for articles concerning cancer-associated myositis (CAM). The article summarizes the current state of knowledge on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of CAM. Furthermore, it analyses potential risk and protective factors for developing CAM, with particular emphasis on the association with distinct serological profiles. The review summarizes recommendations proposed so far for the management of CAM and presents a novel scheme for cancer screening proposed by the authors. Moreover, promising areas requiring further research were indicated.

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Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are rare connective tissue diseases, which can lead to internal organ involvement. IL-33/ST2 pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases including autoimmune disorders. IL-33 fulfils cardioprotective function, while soluble ST2 (sST2) is a decoy receptor that reduces protective impact of IL-33. The aim of the study was to evaluate the concentrations of sST2 and IL-33 in sera of patients with IIM and evaluate its associations with the clinical course of the disease. Patients with IIM as well as age-and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. Concentrations of sST2 and IL-33 were assessed with ELISA in sera of both patients and controls. Patients were asked to fill in the questionnaires concerning clinical symptoms and physical functioning. Concentrations of sST2 and IL-33 were correlated with the results of laboratory tests and clinical symptoms. Concentrations of sST2 were significantly higher in IIM group than in healthy subjects (median sST2 in IIM 26.51 vs in healthy controls 21.39; p = 0.03). In the majority of patients, IL-33 concentrations did not exceed the detection limit. Anti-SRP-positive patients presented significantly higher concentrations of sST2 as compared to anti-SRP-negative patients (p = 0.04). In patients with anti-Ro52 antibodies, sST2 concentrations were significantly lower than in anti-Ro52-negative patients (p = 0.02). Concentrations of sST2 correlated with the degree of disability evaluated with Health Assessment Questionnaire. sST2 is increased in patients with IIM and its concentration correlates with the degree of disability. In patients with anti-SRP antibodies, levels of sST2 are exceptionally high. KeywordsIdiopathic inflammatory myopathy · ST2 · IL-33 · Myositis Rheumatology INTERNATIONAL Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https ://doi.org/10.