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Enbrel Approved for Pediatric Chronic Plaque Psoriasis

Etanercept (Enbrel) received FDA approval Friday for use in children with moderate to severe, chronic plaque psoriasis.  Previously approved for adults with plaque psoriasis the new indication will be for chronic plaque psoriasis for those over age 4 years.

Flu Shot for Egg-Allergic Patients – What to Do?

Flu season is upon us. While we try our best to vaccinate as many patients as possible, at times it can be challenging for reasons ranging from patient’s perceptions that the vaccine gives them the flu to others stating they are allergic to vaccine components.

RheumNow Week in Review – 4 November 2016

Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights and reports from this week on RheumNow.com, including drug-induced cutaneous lupus, pediatric lupus being worse, new gout drug SEL-12, Gut microbiome and IgA plasmablasts, and the weakly-received new ACP guidelines on gout.

Opioids are Like Guns in the Hands of Children

The opioid abuse epidemic is well known and the focus of many regulators and health care personnel.  The problem also affects the youngest Americans, according to a recent Washington Post article. 

Bariatric Surgery Thwarts Gout and Hyperuricemia

The rising incidence of gout has been directly linked to the obesity epidemic.  The influence of obesity on gout was further tested in a cohort study of obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery as part of the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study.

ACP Gout Guidelines Reviewed and Critiqued by Rheumatologists

ACP released clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of gout. Interestingly, these are not always aligned with the 2012 ACR gout guidelines.

Decreased CD4 T Cells with Rituximab Infusions

Rituximab (RTX) is a monoclonal antibody directed against the CD20 antigen on B cells and when administered causes a marked depletion of CD20+ B cells.

Lymphotoxin B and Adipose Derived Stromal Cells Regulate Skin Fibrosis in Scleroderma

A possible mechanism behind the fibrosis that occurs in scleroderma has now been identified, a mechanism, researchers say, that may one day lead to a treatment for the disease.

IgA ACPA and Plasmablasts Point to Microbiome in Pre-Clinical Rheumatoid

Serum antibodies precede the development of clinical rheumatoid arthritis (RAby) by many years, and yet we still have much to learn about this preclinical phase.

When Cheap Generics Morph Into Expensive Prescriptions

The Wall Street Journal has reported an alarming trend in generic drug pricing that affects many, especially the elderly and those with arthrtis.

Prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Increases

The MMWR has reported that Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), previously (1999) had an estimated 1.8 million (0.9%) prevalence. But as of 2015, an estimated 3.1 million (1.3%) of U.S.

Is There a Familial Risk to Scleroderma?

Using population based data, researchers found a 10 fold increase prevalence of SSc in first degree relatives. That equates to a relative risk of 81. Genetic factors appear to be important in the risk for scleroderma.

The RheumNow Week in Review – 28 October 2016

Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights, news and journal reports from this week at RheumNow.com

Simultaneous Versus Staged Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty

This metanalysis from 2013 reports on an important issue for orthopedists and rheumatologists alike. The issue being in those who need bilateral total knee arthroplasty, is it better to do both knees at once or to do one at a time (staged, serial) arthroplasties..

POSTURE Study: Apremilast Fails in Ankylosing Spondylitis

ClinicalTrials.gov has listed the results of the POSTURE study, a large randomized placebo-controlled trial wherein apremilast was found to yield no benefit (compared to placebo) in treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (32.5% vs. 36.6% ASAS20 at week 16) patients.

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