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Skin Biopsies to Predict Scleroderma Outcomes?
Researchers from the Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medicine have shown that skin biopsies in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) can define a fibroblast immunophenotype that may have prognostic and early treatment decision impact.
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MSK Manifestations in Pediatric IBD
Arthritis and musculoskeletal (MSK) symptoms may accompany pediatric-onset inflammatory bowel diseases (pIBD) as an extra-articular intestinal manifestation, but may vary in presentation and clinical course.
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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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Who with #SSc-ILD will progress?
progression is non linear - can stabilize and worsen
Search for Predictive biomarker
For clinical care & enriching RCTs
Maybe #KL6 🤷♀️
Maybe IP-10, MIG
No strong #biomarker
Depends on what is used
#ACR25 @RheumNow @ACRheum
Abst#0882 #0883 https://t.co/lyTRUEY9SI
Links:
Janet Pope Janetbirdope ( View Tweet)
Pregnancy risk in Sjögren’s & scleroderma
Meta-analysis (n=4,820) shows ↑ risk of miscarriage in Sjögren’s (RR 1.8) & ↑ preterm birth in SSc (RR 2.4).
Calls for preconception counseling & multidisciplinary high-risk OB care.
@RheumNow #ACR25 Abstract #1398
Jiha Lee JihaRheum ( View Tweet)
Can tissue give us an underlying diagnosis in aortitis?
Dr. Kermani breaks down the autoimmune differential based on histopathology
@RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/twcH021dxS
Brian Jaros, MD Dr_Brian_MD ( View Tweet)
The differential diagnosis for CNS vasculitis is BROAD. Keep in mind it’s mimics @RheumNow #ACR2025 https://t.co/ASWr6zm5eQ
Gabriela Martinez Zayas, MD MartinezZayasMd ( View Tweet)
#0777 Big news for VEXAS! 🎯
The first validated disease activity index (VEXAS-DAI) has been developed via international Delphi consensus. A 12-domain, 40-point tool to standardise assessment & power trials in this complex syndrome. Validation underway! @RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/DSeHb7eNeV
Mrinalini Dey DrMiniDey ( View Tweet)
FDA Approves Obinutuzumab for Active Lupus Nephritis
The FDA has approved obinutuzumab (Gazyva) for the treatment of lupus nephritis. This is good news for the more than 1.7 million people worldwide with lupus nephritis.
https://t.co/Wr3tG5izCi https://t.co/P8A5PUCIX0
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
#ACR25 Abstr#641 Phase 1/2 CASTLE Basket Trial fully recruited N=24 (10 SLE, 9 SSc, 5 IIM). Short-term data of autologous CD19-CAR T
Zorpocabtagene-autoleucel/MB19.1:
- 22/24 high degree efficacy
- no relapse
- no high grade CRS/ICANS
*Need larger Phase prior approval @RheumNow https://t.co/sp1nieeCvl
Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof Yuz6Yusof ( View Tweet)
12 yr study of 115 Systemic Sclerosis pts shows Finger-to-palm distance (tip 4th finger to distal palmar crease) may be a useful tool for predicting the progression of skin thickening and the development of digital ulcers in the early stages of severe SSc https://t.co/brCEz5Fqac https://t.co/kZMQ0UsimB
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Casal Moura, M., Merkel, P.A., Jayne, D. et al.Challenges in the diagnosis, classification and prognosis of ANCA-associated vasculitis. Nat Rev Rheumatol (2025). https://t.co/fGUr2DnfwA
Good figure, citation above. Via
@AKronbichler and colleagues https://t.co/FGfPFiGgMv
Links:
Suleman Bhana, MD DrBhana ( View Tweet)
Review: Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance
NEJM has reviewed the common hematologic/immunologic finding of "monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance" (MGUS) - a common premalignant plasma-cell proliferative disorder found in approximately 5% of those https://t.co/kleuYayTZW
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Sequencing DNA to find new lupus treatments
MUSC geneticist Betty Tsao, Ph.D., will lead a five-year project to identify rare mutations associated with childhood-onset SLE, or lupus, with more than $3.5 million in funding from the National Institute of Arthritis and https://t.co/1vfQ4fK6FX
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
What is IPAF?
Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia with Autoimmune Features - or IPAF - describes patients with interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features, but they don’t meet a diagnosis of a CTD.
https://t.co/ThU4pq27MU https://t.co/AOa5PALJst
Links:
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Retrospective study of 137 pts w/ Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) w/ myositis Abs testing. 11% MSA+. & more like to have autoimmune Dz, +ANA, +RF. MSA negativity predicted by these 4: neg RF, ANA <1:320, no hypergammaglobulinemia, no Raynaud's - specificity 100%, sensitivity https://t.co/JAca1fpwZT
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
What is IPAF?
Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia with Autoimmune Features - or IPAF - describes patients with interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features, but they don’t meet a diagnosis of a CTD.
https://t.co/ZEexaqoeLK https://t.co/p3Yfv2IkE2
Links:
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Chronic urticaria (CU) may be a presenting feature of an autoinflammatory syndrome (monogenic or multifactorial) - disorders to consider: cryopyrin-associated periodic (CAPS), Schnitzler, Still's disease, & neutrophilic urticarial dermatosis https://t.co/GKYqFzX6A0 https://t.co/QEEaw9zNjH
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Scleroderma-associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Since the first placebo-controlled randomized trial published nearly 20 years ago for the treatment of patients with SSc-ILD, evaluating cyclophosphamide vs. placebo, there have been several other randomized studies to guide the https://t.co/n8S0N2wTqu
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Report of 54 Sjögren dz pts w/ cutaneous vasculitis (CV); most had cryoglobulinemic vasculitis & hypergammaglob.vasculitis. Sjogrens w/ CV had higher risk of lymphoma. Type II cryoglob. vasculitis incr risk of mortality/lymphoma, renal dz, peripheral nerve involvement https://t.co/Yd1iu9ZJX0
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
