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A Day of Infamy (9.11.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on Rheumnow.com - including obesity, disappointing durability with GLP-1 drugs, AI diagnoses and worries about CV risk in ANCA-associated vasculitis. And take this week's RheumIQ quiz!
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Doubting RS3PE (8.14.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles this week where RheumNow featured info on cancer, deadly viruses, AI rules, poetry and good moons rising.
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COVID Virus Persistence with DMARD Use
MedPage Today
Drugs commonly used to treat systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) may keep the SARS-CoV-2 circulating after COVID-19 infection in patients with these conditions, with researchers documenting substantially increased viral antigen persistence compared with other post-COVID patients.
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UBER Rheumatology Ride (3.6.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this week on RheumNow.com
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The 2025 Rheumatology Year in Review
The year 2025 presented numerous advances in rheumatology and related inflammatory and autoimmune disorders ranging from several new groundbreaking FDA approvals/indications, drug developments, game-changing guidelines and practices that will impact patient care for rheumatic diseases.
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True or False: A meta-analysis of hidradenitis suppurativa patients showed IL-17 inhibitors significantly increased IBD risk compared to placebo.
See if you got it right in this week's RheumIQ quiz at https://t.co/UaXqHKWizt.
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
From 1975 -2025, incidence of Kawasaki dz (KD) increased 16.1-fold in Japan, KD cases 15 032 and& 14 809 in 2023 & 2024, but during COVID #s dropped to 10 333 in 2022. KD #s rebounded after the COVID-19: Infants showed minimal changes, but kids 5-9 had the greatest increase https://t.co/j0BL2ZELXn
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Remember
Babies of pts on chronic #immunosuppression with #SARDs
❎delay #vaccinations til 6/12
For safety & to mount sufficient response
#rotovirus #vaccine is Ok before 6 months or vaccine is ineffective
Pts w #SARDs need #COVID shots
@RheumNow #EULAR2026 #vaccine #recom https://t.co/WEzNajWlxY
Links:
Janet Pope Janetbirdope ( View Tweet)
#EULAR2026 POS0729 Longer-term data of autologous CD19 CAR-T appear favourable in #SLE. 4-year data of the initial 8 patients treated at Erlangen remained in GC- and IS-free remission. Infection profile declined over time apart from some blips during COVID pandemic @RheumNow https://t.co/QZMxA2CK33
Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof Yuz6Yusof ( View Tweet)
#OP0225 at #EULAR2026: In this nationwide French cohort, patients with IMIDs had nearly 2x risk of HPV-related cancers or severe dysplasia versus matched controls. Risk was particularly increased in SLE, reinforcing the importance of HPV vaccination and screening. @RheumNow
Mrinalini Dey DrMiniDey ( View Tweet)
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) - analysis of cases 2023-2024 shows 99% were undervaccinated against COVID-19. OVer 2 yrs, 141 MIS-C 78%had no COVID-19 vaccine. All 4 children who died were unvaccinated https://t.co/iBcA4GIdDe https://t.co/IQLLaG55gm
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Does RTX work in CNS lupus? Japanese experience in 17 refractory NP-SLE pts Rx w/ RTX - 16/17 had significant improve. & 1 partial improvement -- none had NP-SLE relapse. Two died during COVID> https://t.co/GpCgpSxn37 https://t.co/PMz05MHBhj
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
PTPN22 1858C>T allele, seen in 5-15% NAmerica, often assoc. w/ autoimmune dz risk. BUT...PNAS shows Ptpn22 augments innate immunity and enhances NK activity against coronavirus infection https://t.co/1AMTuOXtoT https://t.co/9f3JdimJsG
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
No link between pregnancy tylenol & autism. JAMA Pediatrics data from 1.5 million Danish children( 1997 -2022); ~2% were tylenol exposed during preg. 2% of these Dx w/ Dx w/ autism (vs. 3% not exposed) https://t.co/Pp1tE54Dic https://t.co/qu61jKolpN
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
COVID Virus Persistence with DMARD Use
Drugs commonly used to treat systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) may prolong SARS-CoV-2 circulation after COVID-19 infection in patients with these conditions, with researchers documenting substantially increased viral antigen https://t.co/szeILIbmjF
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
5 yr Italian study of hospitalized autoimmune pts(2018-23) 4,896 IMID pts compared to 301,126 non-IMIM. IMID had signif higher risk cancer (adj OR 1.32) highest 1st yr. Decreased from 1.83 @ yr 1 to 1.2 @5+ yrs. IMID had more lung & bladder CA, leukemia lymphoma & melanoma https://t.co/UXqDHQtzv0
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Myocarditis causes 17,000 deaths/Yr worldwide. Causes include A) iatrogenic/autoimmune: checkpoint inhibitors & gene therapy; B) High income countries: parvo B19, herpesvirus 6; C) low income: dengue, HIV, malaria and Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas disease) https://t.co/en4OnhWPda https://t.co/urwkjlVeg6
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
CDC study of Death certificate data showed that btw 2018–2023, there were 14,936 #SLE deaths (43% w/ SLE as the underlying cause). Mortality rate per million: females 5.97 > males 1.16, blacks 10.7. Causes of death:heart disease (0.93), cancer (0.56), COVID-19 (0.51). https://t.co/qTe6O66wRO
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
FDA has approved tocilizumab-anoh (Avtozma; Celltrion), a biosimilar to Actemra, for intravenous and subcutaneous use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), giant cell arteritis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and COVID-19. https://t.co/qw7SJ7ZCK9
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
SMILE enrollment hampered by COVID - yet failed to show a protective effect for HCQ in preventing SLE. Can you Prevent SLE? Dr. David Karp lecturing at UTSW @drdavidkarp @utswrheum https://t.co/GImHpycbgO
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
