RheumNow Podcast – Lupus Delights (9.18.20) Save

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

1. Doximity's 2020 State of Telemedicine report shows the top 10 specialties using telemedicine: 1. Endocrinology; 2. Rheumatology; 3. Gastroenterology, followed by Nephrology Cardiology GU Neurology Geriatrics Heme/onc Pulmonology  https://t.co/J4Dt24ZlYg
2. Danish matched (1:4) cohort study shows COVID-19 pts taking NSAIDs had no greater risk of mortality, hospitalization, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, or renal replacement therapy; study included 9,236 COVID PCR-positive & 2.7% were on NSAIDs  https://t.co/OuUbJ9FxiM
3. Baricitinib in combo with Remdesivir reduces time to recovery in COVID-19 hospitalized pts in NIH-run ACTT-2 Trial w/ >1000 pts randomized to recv 4-mg baricitinib plus remdesivir versus remdesivir alone. Other baricitinib-COVID trials are in progress https://t.co/J87Ypeb4mn
4. Proof-of-concept study colchicine use in the context of COVID-19 infection leads to better survival. 140 consecutive COVID inpatients were Rx w/ standard of care +/- Colchicine. Survival rate @21d was better w/ colchicine (84% vs 64%;p=0.001). https://t.co/OzYd7pZ2ys
5. COVID-19 Risks in Pregnant Women
6. Retrospective cohort study of 213 IMID patients, 36.2% tested positive for COVID-19, who had no greater risk of hospitalized or ventilation and immunosuppressive use was not shown to worsened the course of disease (TNFi decreased risk of hospitalization) https://t.co/gmIXDJkLCt
7. COPDGene study of 361 DISH pts shows DISH carrieds a higher risk of coronary artery disease (OR 1.37 [1.05-1.78] (p=0.019), as measured by coronary calcium scores: 8.8% had CAC = 0; 12.8% CAC1-100; 20.0% CAC100-400 and 24.7% had a CAC>400. https://t.co/av1O907izH
8. Uncontrolled retrospective observational study of 31 RA-ILD DMARD refractory pts treated with RTX showed RTX to reverse the PFTs decline (∆%pFVC +8.06%; ∆%pDLCO +12.7%) while reducing median prednisone dose at 1 yr. @32 mos, 74% still on RTX. https://t.co/AVQCm2MpDk
9. 4033 Dual-energy CT lesions from 27 pts (23 gout; 4 nonGout) shows definite MSU deposits in MTP1 & patella tendons (high density/volume, low DECT ratio) & non-gout lesions seen in larger jts (knee, midtarsal, talocrural) & tendons (Achilles, quadriceps) https://t.co/M1wK52a23C
10. ILD studied in 679 inflammatory idiopathic myositis (IIM) pts; 508 had ILD (found in 93% amyopathic DM, 74% DM & 55% PM). Prevalence of of ILD was higher with antisynthetase Ab + and MDA-5 Ab +. Mortality higher in MDA5+ASA--IM-ILD group (33% vs 12=17%) https://t.co/ATz3wYmFuf
11. Nurses' Health Study (79,568 women) examined the role of diet in 194 incident SLE cases and showed that diets (DASH, Meditteranean, antiinflammatory & healthy diets) had no significant effect of dietary quality on SLE risk https://t.co/JAFirjt0O8
12. NEJM report of 2 SLE pts treated w/ Daratumumab (anti-CD38) to deplete plasma cells a life-threatening refractory SLE. Clinical improvement associated w/ depletion of plasma cells, reduced IFN type I activity, down-regulation of T-cell transcripts https://t.co/K0fwpEHS81
13. Taiwan National Health population study of 650 SLE and non-SLE controls undergoing hip replacement. SLE did not incr risk of early prosthetic infx, but did incr risk of late superficial wound infection (11.4% vs. 5.5%, P = 0.01; HR = 2.37) https://t.co/ZRMB23XLCk
14. Updated List of Drugs Inducing Lupus 
15. Belimumab Effective in Lupus Nephritis