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CDC Reports Increases in Tularemia
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a sharp rise in tularemia, especially in Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska.
Read ArticleRA Guidelines, Methotrexate and Mortal Risks in Gout: November 2015 top social media news
Here's what you may have missed: in November 2015, RheumNow published 80 tweets on news, research and teaching points that impact the rheumatology community. We had a reach (impressions) of 79,100, 79 mentions, and over 3399 visits to RheumNow.com to check out what we publish.
Read ArticleSkin Cancer Risk in ANCA+ Vasculitis
Previously, granulomatous polyangitis (GPA or Wegener's) was known to have an increase risk of cancer, especially bladder cancer, presumeably due to cyclophosphamide (CTX) exposure.
Read ArticleAzathioprine Adverse Events Associated with TPMT Polymorphisms
Azathioprine (AZA) is widely used in the treatment of several autoimmune diseases. Its use and optimal dosing may be limited by adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) is an important enzyme involved in AZA metabolism.
Read ArticleJuvenile Dermatomyositis Responds Best to Methotrexate and Prednisone
Lancet reports the results of a randomized controlled trial comparing prednisone alone to prednisone combined with either methotrexate (MTX) or cyclosporine (CyA) in new-onset juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).
Read ArticleChronic Digital Ulcers in Systemic Sclerosis Portends More Complications
A prospective, international observational study of systemic sclerosis patients enrolled in the Digital Ulcers Outcome (DUO) Registry: Patients were required to have ≥3 follow-up visits over at least a 2 year observation period between 2008-2013.
Read ArticleCMS Releases Final Rule on Joint Replacement
MedPage Today reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a final rule governing payment for hip and knee replacements for Medicare patients this week that includes several concessions to stakeholders, such as delaying implementation from early 2016 to later in
Read ArticleAre Guidelines Worth the Cost?
A thoughtful perspective on the purpose, focus and cost of guideline efforts in rheumatology has been published in the journal Rheumatology.
Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis Reviewed
Cacoub et al review the common entity cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CryoVas) in the current issue of the American Journal of Medicine.
This small-vessel vasculitis involves the skin, joints, and potentially other organs, including the peripheral nervous system or the kidneys.
Read ArticleAnifrolumab Improves Lupus Outcomes
Furie and coworkers presented the results of a 52-week phase II trial of anifrolumab (ANIFR), a type I interfernon (IFN) receptor antagonist in patients with lupus (SLE).
Read ArticleMycophenolate in Scleroderma Lung Disease
Clements et al presented the results of their Scleroderma Lung Study II wherein PSS patients with interstitial lung disease were randomized to receive either 3 grams daily of mycopheonolate or 2mg/kg/day of cyclophosphamide.
Read ArticleFeatures Predict Chronicity in Myositis
Certain serologic and clinical features can help predict a chronic disease course among children with juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (JIIM), a large registry study showed.
Read ArticleBiosimilars and the FDA
Biosimilars are in the news and will be prominently on parade at next week's ACR meeting in San Francisco. Biosimilars are similar to, but not the same as, innovator biologics.
Read ArticleEconomic Burden of ANCA-Associated Vasculitis in the USA
To assess the prevalence and magnitude of healthcare costs associated with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) in the USA, researchers analyzed adminstrative data from Truven Health MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases.
Read ArticleANCA Levels Predict Relapse in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
A team of Japanese investigators examine 126 patients with ANCA-associated renal vasculitis to see if ANCA levels would predict disease relapse.
Read ArticleIV Cyclophosphamide Equal to Mycophenolate in Lupus Nephritis
A comparison of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and low-dose cyclophosphamide IV (CYC) in the treatment of lupus nephritis (LN) was examined in 173 patients with class III, IV, or V LN.
Read ArticlePlaquenil Benefits Pregnant Women with Anti-Phospholipid Syndrome
Healio.com reports that pregnant women with APL antibodies and who took Plaquenil (HCQ or hydroxychloroquine) had better pregnancy outcomes than those who did not.
Read ArticleAntibody Predicts Lung Disease in Myositis
Patients in the U.S. with myositis who are positive for the anti-MDA5 autoantibody are at high risk for developing interstitial lung disease (ILD), a retrospective study found.
Read ArticleIncreased Risk of Shingles with Inflammatory Myositis
A study from the Taiwan National Health Insurance examined 2023 patients with new diagnoses of dermatomyositis or polymyositis and population controls and examined the frequency of Herpes zoster.
Read ArticleLupus Foundation of America Announces 2015 Award Recipients
Healio reported the newly announced grant recipients from the Lupus Foundation of America.
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