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ACR Comments on CMS Proposed 2025 Physician Payment Rule
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ACR
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) shared the following initial reaction to the proposed CY 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) and Quality Payment Program rule.
Read ArticleSystemic sclerosis sine scleroderma
Systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma (ssSSc), which accounts for nearly 10% of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and was first described in 1962, is a subset of SSc.
Read ArticlePathogenesis of Autoimmune Liver Disease
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EurekAlert!
Autoimmune liver diseases (ALDs), including autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), are complex conditions involving the liver's immune-mediated damage.
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Does B Cell Depletion Matter?
Dr. Yuz Yusof interviews Dr. Ed Vital regarding abstract OP0077 at Eular 2024 in Vienna, Austria.
https://t.co/SX7BkX3w1T https://t.co/H1rD0n8GnK
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Ultraprocessed Foods Increase Lupus Risk
In a study spanning over 25 years, women who consumed high amounts of "ultraprocessed" foods had a 50% higher risk of developing SLE compared to those with low consumption.
https://t.co/7ICeAFRjRG https://t.co/Vi1lBe7neQ
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

174 Active RA pts not responding to MTX were started on TCZ. High GM-CSF (> 5 ng/ml and > 10 ng/ml) at baseline were the independent predictors of poor response to TCZ at Wk24. high GM-CSF had signif higher DAS28-ESR & cytokine levels at baseline https://t.co/vy7czYwv1Z https://t.co/R2cYdNZ3V0
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Pollution and Autoimmunity (7.12.2024)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on https://t.co/V10S4oVFsv. https://t.co/c4Eo4EpOj8
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Intercurrent infections may be assoc w/ SLE flares. 203 Amsterdam SLE pts, incidence of major & minor infections were 5.3 & 64/100Pys. Intercurrent infections (major & minor) were assoc w/ SLE flares (HR 1.9); major infx lead to major SLE flares (HR 7.4) https://t.co/DSPgi9KrwT https://t.co/FI7ZYf3CPl
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Later onset PsO may benefit from earlier PsA screening. Cohort study of 384 Psoriasis pts. Older PsO onset assoc w/ shorter interval from PsO to PsA. PsO onset at 42.6 yrs had a 62% shorter interval & OR 4.56 to have PsA w/in 6 mos. https://t.co/DSiYs88MFa https://t.co/reID2wvLiu
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

268/279 SLE pts w/ kidney biopsy for proteinuria were Dx w/ lupus nephritis. Proliferative LN (III/IV+V) had higher levels of C1q, chromatin, dsDNA, ribosomal P Abs. C1q & dsDNA independently assoc w/ proliferative LN. AutoAbs decreased in proliferative LN https://t.co/tRucgJRpDN https://t.co/DtgEmGhUzd
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

AbbVie has submitted regulatory applications to both the FDA and the European Medicines Agency for Rinvoq (upadacitinib) to treat adult patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) https://t.co/LqRcm2FEFV https://t.co/XEjjSNnOGt
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Full read overview of myositis associated - ILD (and treatments), including:
- Case examples
- Antisynthetase Syndrome
- Anti-MDA5 Amyopathic DM
- Interstitial Lung Disease in Myositis https://t.co/zQpfstnGy8 https://t.co/XogyyxuVMk
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

Preliminary results from RESET-RA Study announced; demonstrating ACR20 efficacy of implanted vagal nerve stimulation at 12 wks (p=0.0209). 2-staged, multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind pivotal trial, enrolled 242 RA pts https://t.co/gIVJd9F6Pk https://t.co/SNjWIa3raB
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

Study from the UK Biobank (n 459K) shows long-term exposure to air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and NOx) may increase the risk of #SLE. 399 SLE pts (F/U 11.8 yrs) found an 18027% incr SLE risk w/ pollutants; magnified in those with high genetic risk https://t.co/PI4rvKwfpj https://t.co/2CZ28rHVG2
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

Efficacy of Biologics in Patients with CKD
A retrospective cohort study of biological bDMARDs persistence in RA patients w/CKD, shows the 3 year survival to be > 50% but all studied biologics were nearly equivalents with regard to safety and efficacy.
https://t.co/rL2ZondUsE https://t.co/1hM237Jl83
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

In the US CorEvitas registry of 1823 PsA pts; 11.1% fulfilled fibromyalgia definition & 20.6% had widespread pain. FM was assoc w/ female, depression/anxiety, impaired function, increased BMI, comorbidities. cDAPSA, patient pain& TJC https://t.co/YwRBYo1aR6 https://t.co/TXraU0F3Mh
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

FDA adverse event study of JAKi in #RA assoc w/ signif more VTE, ischemic heart Dz, & tachyarrhythmias. 75,407 on JAKi vs 303,278 on biologics (TNFi, RTX, TCZ); JAK had more VTE (ROR=2.11), CVA (ROR=1.25), IHD (1.23), arrhythmias (1.15 ), esp in 1st yr. https://t.co/IVsGwqpiJK https://t.co/4epOHdNHbO
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Sobi has submitted a biologics license application to FDA for SEL-212 (pegadricase a uricase enzyme that breaks down uric acid) based on DISSOLVE I & II RCTs. SEL-212 was given FDA FDA’s Fast Track designation in March 2024 https://t.co/TPcUnCJOxT https://t.co/X1DrFDJZeK
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

Full read, comprehensive review of NLRP3 inflammasome & its role in inate immunity (eg, infections), but also lifestyle (obesity, diabetes, NAFLD, heart/lung disease, periodontitis) and autoimmune diseases https://t.co/rCk9ncEsGA https://t.co/qc9eSIAVYe
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European Research Council has awarded a Proof of Concept Grant to Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia and their OrthoBots project, to study the treatment of joint diseases using nanorobots to deliver nanoparticle based therapy to synovial tissues https://t.co/JmYQ1727rf https://t.co/k5uZoSwJPo
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)