Toxoplasma Infections in the Immunosuppressed

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In the USA, toxoplasmosis is the second leading cause of foodborne illness–related death and hospitalization, with >300 deaths and 4000 hospitalizations each year [2]; 4800 people develop visual loss yearly secondary to the parasite.

Increased Risk of Shingles with Inflammatory Myositis

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A study from the Taiwan National Health Insurance examined 2023 patients with new diagnoses of dermatomyositis or polymyositis and population controls and examined the frequency of Herpes zoster.

Shingles Vaccine Not Cost-Effective in Those Under 60

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The herpes zoster (HZ- shingles) vaccine was FDA approved for use in individuals over age 50 years.  However, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended it only be used in those over age 60 years.  

Drug Safety Reports & FDA Updates – August 2015

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Safety reports from literature include long-term safety of rituximab, rituximab-induced neutropenia, tabalumab (Anti-BAFF Mab) results from the ILLUMINATE trial, colchicine toxicity increased in CKD patients, FDA updates and drug labeling changes, and more.

Serious Infections Increased in Etanercept-Treated Juvenile Arthritis Patients

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UK researchers set out to study medically significant infections (MSI) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients enrolled in the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology Etanercept Cohort Study (BSPAR-ETN).

Hospitalized Infections are Higher with the Second Biologic

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Using Medicare claims data on 189,326 RA patients, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham examined the rates of hospitalized infections in previously biologic-treated RA patients and compared rates in cohorts starting new treatment with etanercept, adalimumab, certolizum

Fasenmyer Grant to Calabrese and Lederman Will Further the Interface Between Rheumatology and Virology

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Two longtime collaborators studying HIV/AIDS at the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University have received an $18.5 million grant from the Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation.

Serious Infections are Increasing in Lupus

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Tektonidou and coworkers have analyzed hospitalized serious infections (SIE) involving lupus patients over a 15 year period and show that SIE in SLE have increased substantially between 1996 and 2011, and in 2011 are 12 times higher than seen in patients without SLE.

Heel Pain, Uveitis, TB, Vitamin D, Hidradenitis: July 2015 top social media news

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In July 2015, RheumNow published 73 tweets about impactful news, research and teaching points that I feel will have an impact on the rheumatology community. We had a reach (impressions) of 49,900, 63 mentions, and 1277 visits to RheumNow.com to check out what we publish.

Gut Dysbiosis in RA Reflects Activity, Serology and Response

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Using a metagenome-wide association study (MGWAS) of fecal, dental and salivary samples from rheumatoid arthritis and healthy controls, Zhang et al showed that gut and oral microbiomes are highly concordant and that in RA there is a distinct dysbiosis with less Haemophilus spp.

Does Antibiotic Exposure Increase the Risk of JIA?

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According to the CDC, between 4300 and 9700 children under the age of 16 are diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis each year - the cause of which is unknown.

The Spread of Lyme Disease in the US

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It is estimated that Lyme disease affects nearly 30,000 per year in the USA. While it is is still a disorder of the Northeast and upper Midwest, there are more areas also considered to be high risk.

Xeljanz Warnings on Shingles Updated by FDA

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The MedWatch June 2015 safety labeling changes were published yesterday, and updated the warnings for Xeljanz (tofacitinib). "The risk of herpes zoster is increased in patients treated with Xeljanz and appears to be higher in patients treated with Xeljanz in Japan."

The High Cost and Burden of Sepsis

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One million people are hospitalized each year with sepsis. This is more than the number of hospitalizations for heart attack and stroke combined. Sepsis can be a particular risk for older people.

Chikungunya Infection in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

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Varicella Zoster Virus Commonly Found in Giant Cell Artery Biopsies

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Varicella-zoster virus infection was studied in temporal artery biopsies from those suspected of having giant cell arteritis.

Increasing Incidence of Osteomyelitis

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A Mayo Clinic analysis of trends in osteomyelitis disclosed 760 new cases between 1969 and 2009 in Olmstead county. Rates increased from 11.4 cases per 100,000 person-years for the period from 1969 to 1979 to 24.4 per 100,000 person-years in the period from 2000 to 2009.

Rheumatic Manifestations of Chikungunya Virus

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Chikungunya is a new viral cause of fever and arthritis, especially in endemic areas like the caribbean. The chikungunya epidemic has grown significantly in the Western hemisphere with a total of 1,247,000 cases and 183 fatalities since

Does Cirrhosis Increase the Risk of Autoimmune Disorders?

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A Danish nationwide healthcare registry was used to identify newly diagnosed alcoholic cirrhosis patients between 1977 and 2010. A matched cohort analysis compared each patient with five random individuals from the population.