Recent News
Read ArticleDr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com
Review of HLA-B27
What’s New? HLA-B27 remains the dominant genetic link to spondyloarthritis (SpA) across the age spectrum, but B27 related clinical expression diverges between children and adults. New mechanistic data on autoreactive T cells, HLA-B27 misfolding, and gut-joint https://t.co/13hbXlAvCr
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Added IVIG is Effective in Myositis
A small randomized controlled trial demonstrates that intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) added to cortocosteroids lead to greater and faster improvements in patients with newly diagnosed idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). https://t.co/uNNJ9sHU8M
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Bariatric Surgery in the Era of GLP-1RA
Overweight/obesity is a chronic multi-system disease that can impair physical and mental health. It now affects almost 1 in 3 Canadians. Multiple recent guidelines have therefore suggested using waist measurements, in addition to BMI, to https://t.co/RaXnQ2d9Yr
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
4,197 pts from the UK Biobank met fibromyalgia criteria, yet 72.6% had NOT received a diagnosis. Non-Dx assoc w/ male, older age, milder sxs or other pain Dx (OA, CRPS, CFS), lower polysymptomatic distress scores, and less frequent fatigue. https://t.co/Y9m9jR5wbR https://t.co/fitm675kyK
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Research at Cedars-Sinai used synthetic noncoding RNA TY1 in a bleomycin mouse model of scleroderma, noting improved exercise tolerance, CV function, lung hydroxyproline, skin thickness, less fibrosis. TY1 attenuates the cGAS/STING pathway https://t.co/jOwlPokxKE https://t.co/aIgIPzZbGa
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EBR Journal Club: Obexelimab in IgG4-Related Disease (INDIGO)
The EBR Journal Club Companion applies my adapted version of the JAMA approach to critical appraisal to an important RCT in rheumatology. Each review covers four domains: Does this apply to my patients? What is the risk of bias? How great are the benefits and harms? And what didn’t they show me? This edition: INDIGO (obexelimab in IgG4-related disease).
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Obesity and Gout: An Old Relationship with New Thoughts
Current recommendations are that obesity management is an integral component of gout treatment and that, in parallel, gout awareness is an important component in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome.
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OL study of tofacitinib in 20 juvenile DM pts w/ calcinosis cutis (11 boys; age 10.4 yrs; CC x 31 mos). Calcinosis assessed by CT scan showed decr Agatston score from 6,349 to 4,007. No SAE. https://t.co/UDLLwce3mp https://t.co/BflewkO0RM
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Join us for Tuesday Nite Rheumatology on September 22 for:
🔴 Obesity Treatment & Safety
Experts will tackle:
• GLP-1/GIP therapies
• Lifestyle & bariatric interventions
• Treatment selection & safety
• Cost & compounding concerns
• Sarcopenia & bone health
• The future https://t.co/v7kSZamLKF
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Metanalysis of 87 studies shows predictors of #MTX response: early Dz, low dz activity, early MTX initiation, and absence of erosive disease. Smoking and higher BMI were linked to reduced efficacy. https://t.co/OfB09aHNOS https://t.co/4UiOgfW940
Links:
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Obesity and Rheumatic Disease
Presented as part of RheumNow's "The Obesity Imperative" campaign.
https://t.co/d2fl4EJX8Q https://t.co/DpihLZz5Ch
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
QD Clinic: GLP-1s and History of Thyroid Cancer?
Daric Mueller, PA-C, St. Clair Shores, MI, presents this case as part of RheumNow's "The Obesity Imperative" campaign, presented in September 2026.
https://t.co/uob8RlMV14 https://t.co/f42gB0IXl1
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Early RA Referral Clinics Work!
An outcomes study from the Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic (EAC) has shown substantially less diagnostic delay and better long-term outcomes when patients are referred to EAC compared to usual referrals.
https://t.co/6vGd0S0V1W https://t.co/2ATEMRhtMM
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
ACR Updates Osteoarthritis Guidance
ACR
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has released updated clinical guidance for the treatment and management of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, hip, and hand. The evidence-based recommendations update the 2019 ACR/Arthritis Foundation guideline and are designed to support individualized, shared decision-making between patients and clinicians.
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Review of HLA-B27
HLA-B27 remains the dominant genetic link to spondyloarthritis (SpA) across the age spectrum, but B27 related clinical expression diverges between children and adults. New mechanistic data on autoreactive T cells, HLA-B27 misfolding, and gut-joint trafficking point to new plausible, targetable pathways.
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QD Clinic: Bariatric Surgery "Curing" Arthritis?
Dr. Richard Conway, Dublin, presents this QD Clinic as part of RheumNow's "The Obesity Imperative" campaign, presented in September 2026.
https://t.co/M6nKr9EShU https://t.co/6JX5bCYzfo
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Obesity Journal Club: Tuesday Nite Rheumatology
The Obesity Journal Club explores the TOGETHER PsA and STEP 9 trials and what emerging evidence tells us about the relationship between obesity, weight loss, and rheumatic disease. Panelists discussed the results of these trials, https://t.co/3C1RLyRj0b
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Discussing Weight Loss: 3 Minute Script
Dr. Jack Cush's 3 Minute Script as discussed in his Introducing Weight Loss video.
https://t.co/JRWAPc5if5 https://t.co/NUpxPT4bdo
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Indian study of 85 #RA pts in LDA or better (DAS28-ESR ≤ 3.2). W/ 6 mos F/U, 39 (46%) had 1+ RA flare (DAS28 > 3.2); time to flare 12 wks (8–18) unrelate to Dz activity. Predictors: seropositivity (HR 2-2.3) https://t.co/ifqeoPtxpx https://t.co/ltx64X55fd
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Video
From the Blog
A few years ago, when I would see a patient with rheumatic disease and increased BMI, I would often document it as obesity as a comorbidity, recommend weight loss and exercise, and then move on. My approach has changed.
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Podcasts
Early RA Referral Clinics Work (9.18.2026)
Obesity QD Clinics Part One
Obesity & Inflammation: Understanding the Impact on Rheumatic Disease-
A Day of Infamy (9.11.2026)
Therapeutic Updates
The Four Pillars of Weight Loss
RheumNow
Watch our 'Four Pillars of Weight Loss' series as part of this month's The Obesity Imperative campaign. Videos include: 'Building A Multidisciplinary Program for Obesity and Arthritis Management' and "Nutrition, Weight Management and Rheumatic Disease".
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Label update: Structural damage progression in active PsA
Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Medical Affairs
Listen to Dr. Catherine Bakewell’s review of clinical data from a recent label update.
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Poster Hall
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact
Real-World Predictors and Early Indicators for IBD in Patients With PsA
Daily Gem
Adipose inflammation and psoriatic inflammation share the same cytokine vocabulary: TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-23.
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