All News
Interferon Blocker Disappoints in SLE
Yet another setback has occurred in the efforts to develop new medications for treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), as anifrolumab failed to meet the primary endpoint in a phase III trial, according to AstraZeneca and MedImmune.
Read Article
CRA Recommendations for Lupus Assessment and Monitoring
A Canadian Rheumatology Association SLE Working Group was established to develop recommendations for the assessment of people with systemic lupus erythematosus.
A panel that included 23 adult rheumatologists, 4 pediatric rheumatologists, 1 immunologist, 4 general internal medicine and rheumatology trainees, and a patient representative, used GRADE methodology to assess the literature and develop guidelines.
Treatment Preferences in Still’s Disease
In July 2018, RheumNow launched a “Live Vote” survey of US and non-US rheumatologists that asked how they diagnose and treat systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA), also known as “Still’s disease”. It appears that many prefer to start therapy with an IL-1 inhibitor, after a course of steroids and MTX/DMARD. Yet, these findings suggest there are significant unmet needs in the diagnosis and management of sJIA patients.
Read ArticleQuestions Remain about Shingrix Safety in Rheumatic Disease
The efficacy and safety of the new zoster vaccine Shingrix has not been established among patients with autoimmune diseases, researchers reported here.
Read Article
2018-2019 ACIP Recommendations for Seasonal Influenza Vaccination
The current issue of the CDC's MMWR reviews the new seasonal recommendations for vaccination against influenza. This is an update to the previous recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
Read Article
IL-12 and IL-23 Promote Giant Cell Arteritis
It has been postulated that TH1 and TH17 pathways are implicated in the pathogenesis of giant cell arteritis (GCA); this is supported by new research showing that interleukin 12 (IL-12) and interleukin 23 (IL-23) may stimulate inflammatory and proliferative pathways relevant to the path
Read ArticleEarly Exposure to Passive Smoke May Up Risk for RA Later in Life
Exposure to second-hand smoke during childhood was associated with an increased risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) later in life, researchers said.
Read Article
Selective Use of HLA-B*5801 Testing in Gout
The current edition of JAMA Internal Medicine describes an Asian gout patient who presents with an allopurinol hypersensitivity reaction that could have been diagnosed by testing for HLA-B*5801.
Read Article
Maternal RA Increases Offspring Risk of Autoimmune Disorders
A Danish population study suggests that fetal exposure to maternal rheumatoid arthritis results in an increased offspring risk of thyroid disease, epilepsy and RA, compared to children born to mothers without RA.
Read Article
Type I Interferon Drives Photosensitivity in Cutaneous Lupus
Kahlenberg and coworkers have reported in ARD that interferon kappa (IFN-κ) is a key regulator of type I interferon (IFN) photosensitive responses in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE).
Read Article
The RheumNow Week in Review – Lupus in the News (7.27.18)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com.
Read Article
Predicting Autoimmune Progression in ANA+ Patients
Positive tests results for antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are frequently referred to rheumatology despite their poor predictive value, even in individuals who are ‘At Risk’ for autoimmune connective tissue diseases (AI-CTDs).
Read Article
The RheumNow Week in Review – Cocoon Therapy? (7.20.18)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights from the news and social media on RheumNow.com in the past week.
Read Article
Biomarker Combo Predicts TNF Inhibitor Responses
Based on clinical trial data, patients starting tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors (TNFi) have roughly a two-thirds chance of achieiving a good clinical response. French investigators have studied a series of potential biomarkers and surmised that the combination of baseline prealbumin, platelet factor 4 and S100A12 can predict a 78% response to TNFi in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.
Read Article
Immunophysiology of the Gout Attack
Gout may be an ancient disease, with arthritis of the big toe having been described in Egypt in 2,600 BC, but only now are the underlying pathophysiologic events being elucidated and understood.
Read Article
Ultrasound Tenosynovitis Predicts RA Development
Musculoskeletal ultrasound (US) has become a more widely used tool in rheumatology clinical practice. This study of early inflammatory arthritis patients shows that US-defined digit flexor tenosynovitis was more predictive of subsequent rheumatoid arthritis than findings of ACPA positivity or US-defined joint synovitis.
The RheumNow Week in Review –Fateful Outcomes in Rheumatology (7.13.18)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com. Fateful outcomes in Rheumatology, what happens to Seronegatives, IL-23 fails, MRI progression, Not all inflammatory back pain becomes SpA:
Read Article
Best of 2017: Are ANA Tests Unreliable?
Pisetsky and colleagues have reported in the Annals of Rheumatic Disease that ANA tests done on established SLE patients may yield surprisingly disparate results.
While ANA negative lupus was a problem of old assays and the loss of ANA positivity may be seen with chronicity or age, most rheumatologists believe that ANA positivity is an absolute requirement for the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus.
Read Article
Does RA Have a Prodrome?
A pattern of increased primary care visits and joint complaints during the 2 years before rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was diagnosed were predictive of the diagnosis, a British case-control study found.
Read Article
Five Barriers to Biosimilar Adoption in the US
A recent Deloitte analysis of the biosimilar market in the USA suggests there are defined obstacles to biosimilar use that must be dealt with, especially as the current administration is seeking to lower drug prices and reduce out-of-pocket costs for US consumers.
Read Article
