Bullous systemic lupus erythematosus (BSLE) is a rare blistering cutaneous manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

As goes SLE, bullous disease typically affects women, especially those of African descent.

A recent meta-analysis suggests a bidirectional association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and depression.  Finding RA patients with depression yields an 80% increased mortality risk.

Anti-cytokine therapies represents a potential alternative for the treatment of depression.

Declines in body mass index (BMI) were linked with slower worsening of knee osteoarthritis (OA), according to data from three large longitudinal cohort studies.

A cohort analysis from Toronto suggests that axial psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is distinctly different from axial ankylosing spondylitis (AS) with psoriasis.

A current Medscape article on patient "no shows" in private medical practice examines the cause and approach to the problem.

The most common reason for no shows is lack of knowledge about the scheduled appointment. Here are other common causes of no-shows, and how to address the problem.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow and discusses a case of refractory juvenile dermatomyositis with calcinosis.

With nearly one-third of adults, adolescents and children having sleep difficulties, many resort to using melatonin. JAMA reports substantial increases in the use of over-the-counter (OTC) melatonin, in all age groups. But is it effective, safe and warranted?

The DESIRES trial studied rituximab (RTX) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and showed clinically significant improvement in skin and lung outcomes after a subsequent 24-week open-label extension phase.

A multicentre, proof-of-concept trial of suggests that low-dose IL-2 therapy may be effective in moderate-to-severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

A wide range of therapies have been implicated in causing drug-induced lupus erythematosus (DIL); now it appears that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can be added to the list of causative drugs.

Pregnancy often occurs in women with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), and a recent cohort study suggests outcomes are generally better than what had been reported in the literature.

JUNIPERA study evaluated secukinumab (SEC) in children with enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) and juvenile psoriatic arthritis (JPsA) and was found to be safe and effective in patients with active ERA and JPsA who previous failed to respond to conventional therapy.

In a cross-sectional study of US adults, gout was more prevalent in black adults compared to white adults; possibly explained by sex-specific dietary differences and social determinants of health and clinical factors. 

Global age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) for 1000000 was for 0.13 for AS, 0.04 for PsA, 0.86 for CD and 0.76 for UC.

We've got a lot to discuss this week: psoriasis; fatigue; sleep; sural nerve biopsies; uveitis and SpA; diet and RA; tofacitinib and the ORAL surveillance study; what not to take with mycophenolate - and more. In what order should these items be discussed? This week the run down is based on popularity, measured by rheumatologist engagements on the website and social media.

MMWR from last week focused on chronic conditions in young adults showing they are common, costly, and major causes of death and disability. Overall arthritis ranks behind five more common chronic condition in young adults - obesity, depression, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and asthma.

Infection may play an important role in the genesis of vasculitis and ANCA seropositivity; this report suggests that past cytomegalovirus infection may be a risk in the occurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis. 

A cohort study of SLE patients shows that remission and low disease activity (LDA) are associated with less damage accrual over time.

Repeat serologic testing is not uncommon, but is it warranted? A retrospective study shows that repeated testing for autoantibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) rarely changes the result or adds a new diagnosis. 

Patient-reported fatigue is high in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and often goes under-recognized by physicians. Fatigue importantly impacts physical functioning, work productivity, and health related quality of life (HRQoL).