Patients known to be autoantibody positive (e.g., anti- Jo1) for the anti-synthetase syndrome were assayed by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) for other reactivities, showing antinuclear staining (ANA) or cytoplasmic staining (Anti-Cyt Ab+).

Oligoarticular-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis accounts for nearly half of all JIA patients. While many of these children will require DMARD therapy, many others are treated with antiinflammatory meds or intra-articular corticosteroids. But the evidence for this latter approach is scant.

The George Institute for Global Health has performed a systematic review of drugs used to treat back pain. Their findings, published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, shows that only one in six improve their pain with NSAID therapy.

Up to 30% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) will eventually undergo joint reconstructive surgery, yet we have limited data to guide the perioperative management of DMARDs and biologics.

Doubt remains regarding the appropriateness, efficacy and safety of methotrexate in the treatment of moderate to severe cutaneous psoriasis. Moreover, high dose, subcutaneous MTX has not been studied in a well-designed trial.

Kevzara (sarilumab), an interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor monoclonal antibody, was approved by Health Canada for use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Gout should be one of the easiest and best managed of rheumatic disorders.  However, numerous deficits exist with regard to the treatment and long-term care of gout.

There are several trials that test the efficacy and safety of combination tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) plus methotrexate against triple therapy (methotrexate plus hydroxychloroquine plus sulfasalazine) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Most patients who present with gout to rheumatology clinics are at very high risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease, Spanish researchers found.

Curbside Consults are cases submitted by our rheumatology colleagues as challenging therapeutic or safety issues. Answers are based on experience, with added evidence from the medical literature and published guidelines.

Dr. Cush reviews highlights from the past week on RheumNow.com.

A JAMA article presents the US Public Health Task Force review of OSA testing.

RheumNow will periodically report safety issues as Drug Safety Bulletins. These will update you with safety issues, label changes and reports of new, ongoing and resolved drug shortages that affect rheumatology. If you have suggestions or information about specific drug shortages or drug safety issues, please email us at info@rheumnow.com.

A study published in The BMJ shows that financial ties between researchers and companies that make the drugs they are studying are independently associated with positive trial results; thereby questioning the bias in these objective trials.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights from the past week on RheumNow.

If Congress changes or repeals the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which adults are at risk of losing health insurance?

The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations for fibromyalgia (FM) management were published in 2007 and largely had recommendations based on expert opinion’. These guidelines were updated in May of 2015 after a systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the data.

SHARE (Single Hub and Access point for pediatric Rheumatology in Europe) was established in 2012 to optimise the diagnosis and treatment of several pediatric diseases. They have recently published their recommendations regarding the diagnosis and management of juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).

IL-1β, along with pancreatic insulin, helps regulate blood sugar levels, as well as chronic inflammation.

A randomized trial of 537 knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients in the Duke Healthcare system has shown that patient- and provider interventions were no better than the usual standard of care.