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Objective: To investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ [25(OH)D₃] concentrations and disease activity inpatients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Patients and Methods:This cross-sectional study included 200 adults with RA and 77 healthy controls. Serum 25(OH)D₃ concentrationswere measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Vitamin D status was classified as deficiency, insufficiency, or sufficiency.Disease activity was assessed using the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR).Associations were evaluated using correlation and multivariable regression analyses.Results: Serum 25(OH)D₃ concentrations were significantly lower in patients with RA than in controls (20.2 ± 18.3 vs. 60.3 ± 25.5ng/mL, p

Aims: To investigate the association between nutritional status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) using validated nutritional and disease-specific quality-of-life instruments.Methods: This single-center cross-sectional study included 67 adult patients with MM. Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF). HRQoL was evaluated using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the EORTC QLQ-MY20 module. Group comparisons, Spearman correlation, and multivariable linear regression analyses adjusted for clinically relevant covariates were performed.Results: The median MNA-SF score was 10 (IQR, 8-13); 37.3% of patients had normal nutritional status, 40.3% were at risk of malnutrition, and 22.4% were malnourished. Poorer nutritional status was associated with significantly lower Global Health Status and worse physical, role, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning (all p≤0.001). Symptom burden increased significantly with worsening nutritional status. MNA-SF scores correlated positively with Global Health Status (ρ=0.296, p=0.015) and remained independently associated with Global Health Status after adjustment for ECOG performance status, hemoglobin level, treatment status, disease duration, body mass-index, and serum albumin (β=2.19, 95% CI 0.58-3.81; p=0.008).Conclusion: Impaired nutritional status was independently associated with poorer HRQoL in patients with MM. Routine nutritional screening using the MNA-SF may facilitate early identification of patients at risk for functional decline and impaired quality of life, supporting individualized supportive care.

Background: Serious infections remain a major cause of morbidity and treatment disruption in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Identifying readily available clinical factors associated with infectious complications may facilitate risk-adapted supportive care. This study evaluated clinical and laboratory factors associated with serious infection in patients with MM, including the potential association of baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) with subsequent serious infectious complications. Methods: This retrospective multicenter cohort study included 104 patients with MM. Baseline demographic, disease-related, treatment-related, and laboratory characteristics were evaluated. Serious infection was defined as an infectious episode requiring hospitalization. Infectious events were recorded throughout follow-up, including those occurring during second-line and subsequent therapies. Associations with serious infection were assessed using univariate and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses. The primary multivariable model included age, International Staging System (ISS) stage, dialysis requirement at diagnosis, treatment response, and baseline NLR. Results: Serious infections occurred in 39 patients (37.5%). Dialysis requirement at diagnosis (30.8% vs. 4.6%, p = 0.001), failure to achieve treatment response (51.3% vs. 7.7%, p < 0.001), hypogammaglobulinemia (48.7% vs. 29.2%, p = 0.046), and IVIG administration (76.9% vs. 46.2%, p = 0.002) were more frequent among patients with serious infection. Baseline NLR did not differ significantly between patients with and without serious infection. In the multivariable model, dialysis requirement at diagnosis (adjusted OR 8.26, 95% CI 1.81–37.68; p = 0.006) and failure to achieve treatment response (adjusted OR 16.77, 95% CI 4.37–64.31; p < 0.001) were independently associated with serious infection, whereas age, ISS stage, and baseline NLR were not. Conclusions: Serious infections were common in this real-world MM cohort. Dialysis requirement at diagnosis and failure to achieve treatment response were independently associated with serious infection, whereas baseline NLR was not independently associated with serious infectious complications. These findings suggest that clinical characteristics reflecting renal dysfunction and treatment response may be useful for identifying patients at increased risk of serious infection. The observed association between IVIG administration and serious infection should be interpreted cautiously because of potential confounding by indication and reverse causality.

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy characterized by systemic inflammation and frequent renal involvement. The C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) has emerged as a potential inflammation-based biomarker; however, its clinical significance in MM remains incompletely understood. Methods: This retrospective single-center study included 62 patients with MM. Clinical and laboratory data at diagnosis were collected, and CAR was calculated as the ratio of CRP to serum albumin. Patients were stratified into low and high CAR groups based on the median value (0.13). Survival outcomes were assessed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: The mean age was 65.9 ± 9.9 years, and 54.8% of patients were male. Higher CAR levels were associated with shorter overall survival (123 vs. 89 months, p = 0.32) and progression-free survival (60 vs. 36 months, p = 0.16), although these differences did not reach statistical significance. An unexpected finding was that the requirement for dialysis was higher in the low-CAR group (21.2% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.04). Other clinical and laboratory parameters were comparable between groups. Conclusions: CAR may reflect systemic inflammatory status in patients with MM; however, its prognostic value for survival remains uncertain in this cohort. The observed findings, particularly regarding renal outcomes, should be interpreted with caution. Larger prospective studies are needed to clarify the clinical utility of CAR in MM.

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between immunoglobulin subtypes and the development of renal failure in patients with multiple myeloma. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional observational study included 52 patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma between January 2020 and May 2025. Patients were classified according to immunoglobulin subtype (IgG, IgA, and light chain). Renal failure was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m² and/or the presence of acute kidney injury at diagnosis, according to KDIGO criteria. Clinical, laboratory, and treatment-related data were obtained from electronic medical records. Statistical analyses were performed using appropriate parametric and non-parametric tests. Results: The mean age of the patients was 66.2 ± 10 years, and 57.7% were male. Renal failure was observed in 13.5% of patients. A significant association was found between advanced disease stage and renal failure (p = 0.006). Immunoglobulin subtype was also significantly associated with renal failure (p = 0.04), with a higher incidence observed in patients with lambda light chain disease. No significant associations were found between renal failure and other clinical or laboratory parameters. Conclusion: Immunoglobulin subtype, particularly light chain disease, is associated with the development of renal failure in multiple myeloma. These findings highlight the importance of disease biology in renal involvement and support early diagnosis and appropriate treatment strategies to improve renal outcomes.