Science Translational Medicine has published results of a Canadian study of low back pain (LBP) suggests that pain control by anti-inflammatory treatments might have negative effects on pain duration and may be counterproductive for long-term pain outcomes.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports and takes viewer questions this week.

A single dose of the monoclonal-antibody AZD7442 (combination of tixagevimab and cilgavimab) has been shown to be safe and effective as prophylaxis against COVID-19 infection in high risk individuals who tested positive for COVID-19. 

Held on April 19, 2022, Tuesday Night Rheumatology: Controversies in PsA, featured a lively and informative panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Jack Cush.

The PsA Expert panelists included:

Arthritis & Rheumatology has publish an ACR Subcommittee report on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected fellows and their training. 

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a second booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for older people and certain immunocompromised individuals.

A retrospective cohort study from Kaiser Permanente Southern California intramuscular vaccination given between 2016 and 2017 shows a small but significant increase in shoulder conditions, reported as an adverse event (AE) following intramuscular vaccination in the deltoid muscle. 

An Italian environmental study shows that air pollution increases the risk of autoimmune diseases, in particular rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue diseases (CTDs) and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

A novel biologic intervention trial has shown that subcutaneous, intermittent therapy with low-dose interleukin-2 (Ld-IL2) is potentially effective and safe in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

JAMA has published a meta-analysis of 15 studies of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 treated with tocilizumab and corticosteroids, showing that a clinically meaningful mortality benefit from tocilizumab (and steroids) was best seen in those not requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV).

Interesting reports this week about dementia, who gets hand OA and a great list of women Heroes and Pillars of Rheumatology. Tune in as Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from this past week in RheumNow.com.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently recommended and approved two doses of the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, AKA Shingrix) for prevention of herpes zoster and complications in immunodeficient or immunosuppressed adults aged ≥19 years.

A prospective primary care study of patients at-risk for inflammatory arthritis (IA) showed that progression to IA was most likely in those with high anti-CCP antibody titers levels and involvement of the hands/feet/ IA.

Patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) did not mount durable antibody responses to the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant after the standard two-dose regimen of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine -- and for those taking rituximab (Rituxan) as maintenance therapy, even a third dose wasn't much help.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com. This week we discuss amputations, a $57 billion RA market, an FDA approved drug for Cat arthritis and drug that works in Sjogren's.

While the American College of Rheumatology recommends holding mycophenolate (MMF) in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases patients (RMD) receiving COVID-19 vaccines, there is limited data on such an approach. A recent cohort study of RMD patients showed that holding MMF yielded higher antibody responses than continuing MMF.

A recent trial published in Annals of Internal Medicine analyzed the effects of B-cell depletion (rituximab) followed by B-cell suppression (belimumab) and showed effective lowering of anti-dsDNA titers and and fewer severe flare in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).