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RheumNow Podcast – Loretta Lynn Arthritis (3.29.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com.
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Best of 2019 - Ups and Downs with Abatacept
Two recent studies have examined the effect of starting abatacept upon the risk of serious hospitalized infections or cancer, showing divergent results from claims data analyses.
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Cyclosporin and IVIG Effective in Kawasaki's Disease
A Lancet study has shown that adding cyclosporin to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) Kawasaki disease patients, who were predicted to be resistant to IVIG, was both safe and effective in averting severe coronary artery outcomes.
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First Line IL-1 Inhibition in Systemic JIA
First-line treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) with anakinra (Kineret) was highly effective as monotherapy, minimizing the need for glucocorticoids, a single-center prospective study found.
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Congenital Heart Block: Dangers Ahead
Children of autoantibody-positive mothers who were born with congenital heart block were at high risk for developing later cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders, as were their siblings, Swedish researchers reported.
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RheumNow Podcast – Scleroderma and the Lung (3.1.19)
Dr. Jack Cush Reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com
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Canadian Vaccination Guidelines for the Immunosuppressed
A multidisciplinary Canadian task force has developed guidelines for vaccination in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapies, based on the evidence that immunosuppressive use in immune-mediated disease may be associated with an elevated risk of infections.
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Differing Effects of Smoking and HLA-DRB1 in Seropositive Rheumatoids
Analyses from the Swedish EIRA incident rheumatoid arthritis cohort study shows that smoking and HLA-DRB1 exert differential effects on serologically defined RA subsets - but that the strongest influence was seen in double positive (CCP+, RF+) individuals.
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RheumNow Podcast - Scurvy and Mechanics (2-1-19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews new journal articles, news reports, and more from the past week on RheumNow.com.
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RheumNow Podcast – TNFs and the Inflammasome (1.25.19)
Dr Jack Cush reviews the news from the past week at RheumNow.com.
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Does Seropositivity Change with Therapy?
A subanalysis of the early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) "IMPROVED" study has shown that changes in RA-autoantibody levels are not associated with disease activity or or long-term drug response, but instead reflect intensity of immunosuppression.
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Major Challenges for Lupus in 2019
Despite striking improvements in survival among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in recent decades -- from 1-year survival of less than 50% before the introduction of prednisone to 90% today in most specialized treatment centers -- many challenges remain in this perplexing, multis
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2018 Rheumatology Year In Review
This annual appraisal of hallmark moments, news and research articles from 2018 are gleaned from that published in RheumNow during the last year and filtered by other news sources and literature review. The top 10 list herein is rooted in what rheumatologists should know and what will likel
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Severe Cutaneous Sarcoid Treated with Tofacitinib
Researchers from Yale have taken a novel approach and shown benefits when using tofacitinib in severe cutaneous sarcoidosis.
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Best of 2018: Ustekinumab May be Effective in Lupus
Ronald F van Vollenhoven and colleagues have reported in Lancet that ustekinumab (UST), an interleukin-12 and -23 inhibitor, when added to usual therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, was shown to be superior to placebo at improving clinical efficacy and laboratory param
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Best of 2018: Unproven But Profitable Stem Cell Clinics
Stem cell clinics are popular and proliferating as they are largely a cash business and fall outside of FDA regulatory control. In lieu of scientific proof, most advocates use patient testimonials and the placebo effect to back up their claims.
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TIF1-Ab in Dermatomyositis Linked to Higher Cancer Risk
Several epidemiological studies have reported that a diagnosis of DM or PM may be associated with increased cancer risk. The association appears stronger for DM than PM.
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No End in Sight for the Shingrix Vaccine Shortage
There is a national shortage of a new shingles vaccine, Shingrix, which is a problem for those who want to start the vaccine and those seeking to receive their second and final injection.
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Genetic Diagnosis for Previously Undiagnosed Disorders
The NEJM has reported the NIH's Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) study results of genetically identifying new diseases from prospectively followed persons with undiagnosed disorders.
The UDN was formed in 2014 as a network of seven clinical sites, two sequencing cores, a coordinating center, central biorepository, a metabolomics core, and a model organisms screening center. It was established to apply a multidisciplinary model in the evaluation of the most challenging cases and to identify the biologic characteristics of newly discovered diseases.
RheumNow Podcast – Can RA Be Prevented (12.7.18)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and new journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com:
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