News
Repetitive Testing of Anti-dsDNA Antibodies May Predict Flares in SLE
In abstract #0327 presented during the poster session on Saturday, Dr. Ai Li Yeo and colleagues investigated the usefulness of serial anti-dsDNA testing in predicting flares among SLE patients who have persistently positive anti-dsDNA titers.
Proposed Cancer Screening for Inflammatory Myositis Patients
Today's plenary session features a novel proposal on how and which patients with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy (IIM) should be screened for cancer. Abstract 0002 by Oldroyd et al, entitled "Cancer Screening Recommendations for Patients with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy" took on this thorny practice issue.
Don’t be ‘ticked’: TYK2 is not a JAK!
Recently the FDA approved deucravacitinib, a highly selective TYK2 inhibitor for psoriasis. Trials are positive in psoriatic arthritis and a phase II study in SLE. What about the effects? Presentations from the ACR22 meeting may provide answers.
Survival and Mortality in RA: time to move away from “one-size fits all”?
Patients with RA are known to have a higher mortality risk than the general population.
Exciting Data for SLE: Plenaries from #ACR22
ACR Convergence 2022 promises to be another exciting year for research in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with multiple plenary sessions devoted to therapeutic advancements. Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect!
Avoid Abatacept in RA patients with a history of cancer?
The management of RA patients with a history of cancer continues to be an area of concern. General recommendations are to treat patients with a history of solid organ cancer as no different to any other RA patient. Recently, the ORAL-Surveillance study demonstrated evidence of a greater risk of cancer with tofacitinib than with TNF inhibitors. In this setting, two posters both reassure and raise a new cause for concern.
Practical use of JAK inhibitors in select groups in Axial SpA
A new treatment for AxSpA that has come on the scene are JAK inhibitors. In clinic, considerations for JAKi use are body mass index, smoking status, prior use of biologics and patients with high inflammatory states such as high CRP and inflammatory change on MRI scan of the spine and sacroiliac joints. There are further studies at #ACR22 which help answer these questions.
Do biologics help taper steroids in Adult Still’s Disease?
A Japanese large scale claims data study was able to collect 5-year data to study the treatment patterns in Still’s. In May 2019, intravenous tocilizumab was approved in Japan for Still’s disease. The study was designed to see patterns of steroid exposure before and after the approval of this therapy.
Anifrolumab shows long-term promise in patients with lupus
EurekAlert!
Type I interferon (IFN) is a powerful immune activator that is present at high levels in the majority of patients with lupus, an autoimmune disease.
“Hey PRESTO!” – Early identification of psoriatic arthritis
Despite a wealth of treatment options, a number of notable unmet needs remain in PsA, most notably the significant diagnostic delay that many patients endure. We are all aware that those with psoriatic skin disease are the most at risk cohort for PsA. Identifying patients with psoriasis who have, or are at increased risk of PsA, appears to be the low hanging fruit that we just can’t fully seem to grasp.
Long COVID and Rheumatic Disease
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact worldwide particularly among those who are immunocompromised. Numerous studies have highlighted the increased risk of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection among patients with rheumatic diseases (RD).
