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Long-Term Benefit of Rituximab in Systemic Sclerosis
A small cohort trial of rituximab (RTX) in 29 systemic sclerosis patients showed significantly improved skin sclerosis and lung function after a follow-up of 96 weeks.
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Renal Involvement is Pivotal in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
Bearing in mind that renal impairment is among the worst complications of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), researchers have identified four different trajectories of kidney function over time in AAV patients, with implications for personalized treatment, as well as future research.
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NSAIDs in Pregnancy (3.3.2023)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the lastest journal articles, news, and FDA announcements from the past week on RheumNow. This week, the importance of IFNa, Subclinical PsA and NSAID safety during Pregnancy.
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VEGA - The Efficacy of Combination Biologics in Ulcerative Colitis
A novel trial has shown that combination biologic therapy (guselkumab plus golimumab) to be more effective in ulcerative colitis than either biologic alone.
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Sarilumab is FDA Approved for PMR
Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sarilumab (Kevzara) for the treatment of adults with active, refractory polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), stipulating it is indicated in those patients who have had an inadequate response to corticosteroids or who cannot tolerate corticosteroid taper.
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Psoriatic Arthritis: Depressing News on Second- and Later-Line Treatments
Most patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) failed to achieve low disease activity after switching from one targeted therapy to another, real-world data from Scandinavian registries indicated.
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Treat-to-Target Guidelines for GCA and PMR
The Annals of Rheumatic Disease has published updated multinational, treat-to-target (T2T) recommendations for the treatment of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).
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Phase 3 Trials of Baricitinib Disappoint in SLE
Despite the encouraging phase II trial results of baricitinib in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, two parallel phase III trials have failed to redemonstrate the efficacy of baricitinib in active SLE, thereby halting development of baricitinib in SLE.
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An Alternative Pain Protocol Following Knee Replacement Surgery
A study led by Vinod Dasa, MD, Professor of Orthopaedics at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, reports that a novel surgical pain management strategy following total knee arthroplasty (TKA), or total knee replacement, provided pain relief without opioids.
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Periodontal Mucosal Breaks Trigger RA Disease Activity
Periodontal disease (PD) is more common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), especially those with anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs). RA activity has been linked to the severity of PD and mucosal inflammation.
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Which Meds are Best for Acute Low Back Pain?
Acute low back pain (LBP) is a common cause of disability. An analysis in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research examined which non-opioid drugs are best for treating this condition.
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Heavy Metals and the Risk of Arthritis
The etiology of arthritis was studied using US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data and suggested that elevated concentrations of trace elements (TE: Pb, Cd, and Cu) were associated with increased risk of arthritis.
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Specific ACPAs and Autoantibodies Lead to RA-Associated ILD
A BRASS registry study shows that specific isotypes of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) can be associated with incident rheumatoid arthritis-associated ILD (RA-ILD).
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Half the Experts are Wrong (2.17.2023)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and tries to stump the expert panel this week on the podcast.
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New Laboratory Insights for the ANA+ Consult
A new study suggests that use of ELISA assays for CXCL-10 and IFN-α can predict which ANA+ individuals may progress to developing a systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (SARD).
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Drug Safety Differences with New Novel Therapies in RA
Safety outcomes for targeted synthetic or biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/ts DMARDs) used to treat RA were studied using data from the Anti-Rheumatic Therapies in Sweden (ARTIS) registry, showing that these newer agents are largely similar, but still have particular differences for specific infection or other adverse event risks.
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Older Lupus Patients Need Follow-Up After Hospital Discharge
Medicare beneficiaries 65 and older with lupus faced dramatically higher mortality when they received no follow-up care during the month after a hospital stay, researchers found.
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Without DMARDS, Shoulder Arthroplasty Increasing in Rheumatoid Arthritis
The need for total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients appears to depend on the use of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), according to Seminars in Arthroplasty.
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Does Methotrexate Increase Skin Cancer Risk?
There are several reports suggesting a link between methotrexate (MTX) use and certain skin cancers, yet these are confounded by a higher risk of skin cancers with inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis of which MTX is the most common treatment.
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Deucravacitinib - Effective in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
A Phase II, multicenter study has demonstrated the efficacy and safety of deucravacitinib, an oral, selective, allosteric inhibitor of TYK2, in adults with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
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