This week's NEJM has published the efficacy results of a large phase 3 trial of olokizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody that directly targets IL-6 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

This is in contrast to two other marketed IL-6 inhibitors (sarilumab, tocilizumab) that bind to the IL-6 receptor.

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.

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.

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 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. 

MMWR recently reviewed the epidemiology and characteristics of U.S. monkeypox cases seen between May and July 2022.

Another analysis of the mandatory postmarketing safety study for tofacitinib (Xeljanz) has confirmed what most observers expected: that rates of infection with the drug in rheumatoid arthritis are higher than with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors.

The ACR has posted a new ACR Clinical Practice Guideline Summary providing recommendations on the use of vaccinations for children and adults with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).

Tan and Buch have reviewed the approach to difficult to treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T-RA), with a new EULAR definiation of D2T-RA to foster an approach rationale and concideration of treatment options.

Litifilimab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against BDCA2, targets the BDCA2 receptor on plasmacytoid dendritic cells. When administered to patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) was shown reducing disease activity in CLE patients.

Mehta et al have published a full read review of managing interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with inflammatory myopathies, a heterogeneous group of syndromes connected by ILD and and increased morbidity and mortality risk.

Fever of unknown origin (FUO) represents a diagnostic challenge to many physicians and while cancer and infectious causes need to be excluded, rheumatic disorders are amongst the most common causes of FUO.

Mitochondrial constituents and metabolic products may give rise to immune activation; this is especially true for mitochondrial DNA, which can function as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) leading to inflammasome activation.

Dr. Jack Cush covers the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. This week we have Insights NAFLD, overdose deaths, septic arthritis, refractory stills, & when MTX doesn’t work.

A large cohort study of children with febrile disorders has demonstrated the diagnostic utility of Myeloid-related protein 8/14 (MRP8/14) in diagnosing systemic JIA patients (SJIA) in clinical practice.

Horizon has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the expanded labeling of pegloticase (Krystexxa) injection to be co-administered with methotrexate (MTX), to improve response rates in patients with uncontrolled gout.

For 2022, let's look our top 10 list of advances, game-changers, worries and those better medical practices that evolved during 2021.

Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) is a hyperinflammatory condition that has a significant mortality risk and may arise in patients with rheumatic disease.

A new way of inhibiting tumor necrosis factor (TNF) for treating rheumatoid arthritis showed strong results in a phase II/III clinical trial, researchers said.