A cohort analysis of dermatomyositis (DM) patients starting immunomodulators finds that methotrexate use was not associated with an increased risk of interstitial lung disease (ILD).ILD affects ~23% of DM patients and the oft used MTX is has a low risk of pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis in 0.3% to 11.6% (in RA), respectively. Such risks have caused concern regarding the potential benefits vs. risk of using MTX in ILD.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) all have a unique and diverse set of antibodies that are involved in the development of the disease. Researchers at Utrecht University unveiled the complexity of these antibodies using powerful lab tools capable of analysing our immune system at molecular levels.

Analysis of the German RABBIT registry shows that systemic inflammation, more so than disease activity, strongly influences all-cause mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and prevalent interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD).