After an action packed weekend, RheumNow Live 2023 concluded on Sunday with a half-day session on systemic lupus erythematous and ankylosing spondylitis discussing many new medications that are revolutionizing rheumatology. Dr. Laurent Arnaud, a professor at Strasbourg University in France, however, took the time to review one of our oldest therapies: hydroxychloroquine.

Genetic blood tests indicated that Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) and a cytokine called APRIL were overexpressed in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome who subsequently developed lymphoma, French researchers reported, suggesting that BTK inhibitors might be useful in this population.

A UK population-based study suggests that autoimmune diseases affect approximately one in ten individuals.

Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had higher risks for maternal and fetal morbidity compared to those without the chronic autoimmune disorder, according to a nationwide analysis of U.S. data.

On the first day of ACR State of the Art conference in Orlando, Florida, Dr. Michelle Petri reviewed the treatment and management of neuropsychiatric lupus. Dr. Petri, a lupus expert from Johns Hopkins Rheumatology, reviewed the latest clinical and animal model studies that offer hope in treatment and gave wide-ranging pearls on a variety of issues that can be faced in this disorder. 

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports and addresses 3 viewer case questions.

This week I reached out to many leaders in rheumatology and asked: who are the great women in rheumatology who should be recognized? This was prompted by a smart article in Annals of Rheumatic Disease written by Drs. Tuhina Neogi (Boston) and Nicola Dalbeth (N. Zealand), entitled "Where are the women ‘Heroes and Pillars of Rheumatology’?

This week on the podcast Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, regulatory announcements and novel journal reports including a profile on pseudogout, the safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in RA patients and the diagnostic importance of neutrophils.