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Associations in Rheumatology (10.3.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and important associations in rheumatology from the past week on RheumNow.com.
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How Does Your Garden Grow (9.26.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from RheumNow.com. Pool therapy, Fibrosis, NSIE's and what's best for knee OA.
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Did Hydroxychloroquine Reduce COVID-19 Mortality?
A multicenter study investigated the association between hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) dosage and COVID-19 mortality among hospitalized patients from multiple medical centers in China. The analysis focused on dose effects of HCQ on mortality.
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Equal Safety of JAK Inhibitors and TNF Inhibitors
JAMA has published a systematic review and meta-analysis of head-to-head studies showing there was no meaningful difference in safety events observed when taking either JAK inhibitor (JAKi) vs TNF antagonist (TNFi) therapies for the treatment of immune-mediated
SARD-ILD and serious infection risk: The elephant in the room
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) remains one of the largest unmet clinical needs across many systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD). Clinicians are already keenly aware of the complexity of patients with SARD-ILD. The “elephant in the room” for all these issues: serious infection.
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RA at risk for pneumonia & hospitalisation. Pop/ study (41187 RA vs 205935 matched controls). w/ 4yrs F/U, RA had signif. more pneumonia (adj HR 1.73) & hospitaliz (aHR 2.26); higher w/ seropositives (aHR 1.86 & 2.52) & bDMARDs (1.73), but not tsDMARDs (0.93) https://t.co/XJE1FqVqCn
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ILD and ANCA: What to do?
Several cohort studies conducted in Asia, Europe and the Americas have evaluated the clinical significance of ANCA when detected in patients with ILD as well as the types of ILD encountered in patients with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and their https://t.co/nrToywCaKm
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PPP syndrome = a rare triad
👉 Pancreatitis + Polyarthritis + Panniculitis
🔬 Pathogenesis: circulating pancreatic enzymes (esp. trypsin) → fat necrosis in subcutis & bone marrow.
📌 Clue: painful nodules + arthritis, often with minimal abdominal symptoms.
#Rheumatology https://t.co/3qniCmahgl
ILLIASUL IBAD IlliasulK ( View Tweet)
Monthly survey - 351 ArthritisPower #RA Registry pts reported 523 nonserious infxns (31% ; most URI), few resulted in ED or hospitalization. But NSIA led to missed work (37%) or RA Rx interruptions (26%) and more fatigue. NSIE may contribute to more disease flares https://t.co/Al5B5oxvFg
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Infections cause high morbidity & mortality in our immunocompromised rheum patients: vaccinations are essential to keep them healthy.
Best time to administer vaccines?
1. Before immunosuppression
2 during periods of dz control
3. >1 vaccines need pt input
@LCalabreseDO #CCRW25 https://t.co/oBgXlIk1TY
TheDaoIndex KDAO2011 ( View Tweet)
SARD-ILD and serious infection risk: The elephant in the room
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) remains one of the largest unmet clinical needs across many systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD). ILD is highly prevalent across systemic sclerosis, mixed connective tissue https://t.co/oxIteGfUTd
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CDC 2025–26 Updates to Influenza Vaccination.
- Most are trivalent inactivated (IIV3s) or vaccines (RIV3), few live virus(LAIV3)
- FDA approved FluMist (LAIV3) for self-administration (ages 2-49)
- If <18yrs, Flu vax should thimerosal free
2023/24 Flu vax prevented 7900 deaths, https://t.co/hjLBGKWNDr
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RA-associated interstitial lung disease or bronchiectasis is assoc w/ increased risk of total and cause-specific mortality. retrospective cohort study using the Mass General Brigham Biobank 221 RA-LD cases (151 RA-ILD, 70 RA-BR). RA-LD higher mortality (34 vs 13/1000PY; HR
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When Myositis Hits the Lungs: What Every Rheumatologist Should Know About ILD
When idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) affect the lungs, the consequences can be serious. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is not only common in IIM, but also one of the leading causes of death, https://t.co/qRoTr3r84x
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Retrospective study of 201 IPAF (Interstitial pneumonia w/ autoimmune feat.) pts w/ F/U 5.6 yrs. ANA+ 80%, RF+ 25%, CCP+ 14%, 88% Rx w/ IS or antifibrotics. 24% died, 7.5% transplant. Comorbidies were common; mean CCI 3.2; IPAF mortality worsened by
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Nitazenes — a class of highly potent synthetic opioids — are rapidly emerging as a major contributor to the overdose crisis; they are over 20 times more potent than fentanyl. Nitazenes are an illegal Schedule I drug that are rapidly spreading in the illicit drug market
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There is no criteria for infection-induced Antiphospholipid syndr (APS). aPL & aCL abs have been reported w/ COVID, HCV, HIV, EBV, varicella-zoster, & CMV. infections may induce transient aPL positivity without over APS, but may precipitate APS or catastrophic APS (CAPS).
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QD Clinic: Progressive RA-ILD Management
Dr. Richard Conway, a rheumatologist in Dublin, discusses a case about managing progressive rheumatoid arthritis-interstitial lung disease, as part of RheumNow's Rheum to Breathe: ILD campaign, presented throughout the month of September https://t.co/dLCXeXwl7w
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Hyperferritinemia is common in Hyperinflammatory syndromes but is a hallmark of Macrophage activation syndrome and Sepsis; and is a poor prognostic sign too. MAS is excessive activation of T-lymphocytes & macrophages leading to cytokine storm & multi-organ damage. https://t.co/MUKXC0Tw3M
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QD Clinic Video: RA and Bronchiectasis
Dr. Jeffrey Sparks, Boston, talks about rheumatoid arthritis and bronchiectasis as part of RheumNow's Rheum to Breathe: ILD campaign, presented throughout the month of September 2025.
https://t.co/Y2u3m4rFfj https://t.co/KgrIxXlQo4
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