This week's Tuesday Nite Rheumatology featured Dr Randy Cron from the University of Alabama - Birmingham as he spoke and took questions on the immunology, immunopathogenesis and treatment of Cytokine Storm Syndrome, especially as they relate to COVID-19 and rheumatic disease patients. The program was moderated by Dr. Jack Cush.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.

As data continue to emerge about a multi-system inflammatory disorder in children apparently connected to COVID-19, evidence is growing that this is not your typical Kawasaki disease.

Last night's Tuesday Nite Rheumatology featured Dr. Joan Merrill (OMRF). In her lecture, "What does COVID-19 have to do with lupus?", she discusses the pathogenesis of lupus, and specifically thrombotic microangiopathy, complementopathies, catastrophic lupus syndrome and the potential overlap with the vascular pathology seen with COVID-19 infection.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com.

JAMA Internal Medicine has reported that cigarette smoking associated with an increased odds of having antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitis (AAV) (especially MPO positive AAV) and is thereby a modifiable risk factor for AAV.

Pediatricians are asking the question - could this be a rare manifestation of COVID-19 in children?

Dr Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports, twitter feed and COVID developments from the past week on RheumNow.com

The Journal of Rheumatology reports a retrospective, single center, analysis of 17 rheumatoid vasculitis patients who responded well to intravenous rituximab (RTX) therapy.

Dr Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com

Risks of infection were strikingly high among patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated (ANCA) vasculitis, which may relate to both the disease and its treatment, Scottish researchers found.

The Journal of Rheumatology reports the findings of a Swedish population-based cohort study of biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients showing that the overall risk for cancer was not increased; yet there appears to be an increased risk for leukemia and a decreased risk for breast and u

Rheumatology reports on a study of patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) showing worse outcomes and higher costs when hospitalized with GPA.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.

NICE has commissioned an update to the 2010 British Society for Rheumatology guideline for the management of giant cell arteritis, and proposed a total of 19 recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of GCA.

The PEXIVAS study showed that plasma exchange did not reduce the incidence of death or ESKD in patients with severe ANCA–associated vasculitis.

A controlled clinical trial has shown that giving the IL-6 receptor antibody, tocilizumab (TCZ), to  patients with Takayasu arteritis (TAK) results in clinical efficacy and has a steroid sparing efffect.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the journal reports and news from RheumNow.com.
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The French Vasculitis Study Group has published that patients with systemic necrotizing vasculitis do not have an increased risk of malignancy; in fact they have a risk that is similar to the general population.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a relatively new disorder since 2003, and may present as a diagnostic challenge as it can cause fibroinflammatory pathology in nearly any organ.