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Genetics

RheumNow Podcast with Special Guest Dr. Michael Weinblatt (9.22.2023)

Sep 22, 2023

Dr. Jack Cush is joined by Dr. Michael Weinblatt as they discuss this weeks news and journal reports, including difficult RA, HLA typing and abatacept responses and new regulatory decisions. 




  1. UCB has issued a press update on its pending application for the approval of their

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RheumNow Podcast – with Special Guest Dr. Janet Pope (9.8.2023)

Sep 08, 2023

This week, Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news with special guest, Dr. Janet Pope. They discuss "Not-non-Inferior", large scale genetic screening, Zoster risk w/ newer lupus drugs, tapering, RA referral problems and the TNR webinar session on "ORAL Surveillance Revisited".

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ICYMI: LAVLI - A New Autoinflammatory Disorder

Jul 06, 2023

NIH researchers have have described a novel autoinflammatory disorder called "Lyn kinase-associated vasculopathy and liver fibrosis" (LAVLI), based on a mutation in the LYN gene (that encodes the Lyn kinase protein). They discovered that increased Lyn kinase activity promotes systemic

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What is Colchicine Worth? (6.23.2023)

Jun 22, 2023

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. This week a new colchicine FDA approval, rising rate of IgG4 related disease and what's the safest biologic?




  1. An RCT of 1136 newly COVID test positive pts compared long term outcomes if immediately

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LAVLI - A New Autoinflammatory Disorder

Mar 28, 2023

NIH researchers have have described a novel autoinflammatory disorder called "Lyn kinase-associated vasculopathy and liver fibrosis" (LAVLI), based on a mutation in the LYN gene (that encodes the Lyn kinase protein). They discovered that increased Lyn kinase activity promotes systemic

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Geo-epidemiology of Autoantibodies in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Mar 09, 2023

A multinational study of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients shows a variety of post-translationally modified anti-modified protein antibodies (AMPA). While AMPA differed in different ethnic populations, their levels correlated with total serum IgG.

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Half the Experts are Wrong (2.17.2023)

Feb 17, 2023

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and tries to stump the expert panel this week on the podcast.

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Burnout #10 (2.3.2023)

Feb 03, 2023

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the past week of news on RheumNow.com.

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VEXAS may be more common than expected

Jan 25, 2023

A great study of a recently described rheumatologic/hematologic disorder VEXAS (vacuoles, E1-ubiquitin-activating enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic) syndrome recently appeared in JAMA, describing the frequency and presentations of UBA1 variant. 

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Multi-ancestry analysis reveals novel genetic loci associated with Osteoarthritis

Dec 06, 2022

The first large multi-ancestry genetics study of osteoarthritis (OA) has found 10 novel OA-associated genetic loci, and results showed some of the OA-associated regions are robustly found in every population ancestry studied. 

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Pregnancy Outcomes with Belimumab

Oct 19, 2022

Pregnancy in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is fraught with problems of adverse pregnancy outcomes, more pregnancy loss and birth defects. Now a study of SLE pregnancies exposed to belimumab (BEL) shows and expected rate of pregnancy loss but a variable rate of birth defects.



Data

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CRTAC1- a Novel Biomarker for Osteoarthritis

EurekAlert!
Oct 17, 2022

Scientists at deCODE genetics a subsidiary of Amgen report in Arthritis & Rheumatology that a novel plasma protein (cartilage acidic protein-1; CRTAC1) is a potential biomarker of osteoarthritis (OA) through its association with OA risk and progression to joint replacement.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Need to Quit Smoking ASAP

Oct 04, 2022

While it is known that smoking ups the risk of developing RA, its effect on outcomes in those with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is less known.  A report from an early arthritis registry shows that current smoking increases disease activity and lowers health-related quality of life.

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Heavy Metal Rheumatology (9.23.2022)

Sep 23, 2022

Below are this week’s highlights from RheumNow, as discussed by Dr. Jack Cush. Thanks to all of you for your kind comments and great reviews of our weekly podcast. Please let us know how we can improve by emailing me or recording your suggestion using the "Ask Cush Anything" link on our website

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Genetic Testing for Autoinflammatory Disease

Sep 01, 2022

Not all patients with periodic fevers fit neatly into diagnostic categories. Some can be diagnosed as Still’s disease (based on criteria) while others can be classified as autoinflammatory diseases (AID) and some may be unclassifiable, clinically or genetically.

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EULAR/ACR Classification in MDA5+ Myositis Patients

The diagnosis of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) can be informed by the 2017 EULAR/ACR classification criteria, but their utility in patients with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) and anti–melanoma differentiation–associated protein 5 (anti–MDA-5)–positive IIM is less

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STING/IFN Activation Promotes ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Progression

Aug 29, 2022

Research presented in the Journal of Experimental Medicine shows that ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) may be propagated by pathogenic mechanisms triggering cGAS/STING/IRF3-dependent IFN-I release.

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Managing JDM with Calcinosis

Aug 19, 2022

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow and discusses a case of refractory juvenile dermatomyositis with calcinosis.




  1. CDC report of fungal infx in US 2019 - coccidioidomycosis (20,061), histoplasmosis (1,124) & blastomycosis (240

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CC Genotype and Thiopurine Toxicity

Jun 20, 2022

Annals of Internal Medicine reports that thiopurine toxcicity risk is associated with the "CC" genotype and that azathioprine discontinuation was associated with hematopoietic toxicity and lower thiopurine doses. 



Prior studies have shown that azathiprine (AZA) use is associated with

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Polygenic Risk Scores to Identfy Severe Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis

May 09, 2022

Prevention of knee and hip osteoarthritis would obviate considerable disability and future surgery.  We may be one step closer according to a prospective European GWAS study showing polygenic risk scores (PRSs) significantly associated with higher risks for knee and hip OA joint replacement

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Arthritis Predicts Hepatic Fibrosis in Hemochromatosis

Apr 25, 2022

Mayo Clinic Proceedings reports the results of a retrospective, cross-sectional of patients with HFE hemochromatosis showing that advanced hepatic fibrosis is primarily seen in those with arthritis due to HFE hemochromatosis. 



A total of 112 patients with a liver biopsy confirmed

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#Rheumatoid arthritis- is it all or partially in your genes 🧬? Many genes are not sufficient or necessary to produce #RA. Genes were used in a study to predict development of RA better than clinical parameters. But not ready for prime time YET #RNL2022 @RheumNow @karen_kc123 https://t.co/J5aBs4iLbR

Consequences of TNF inhibition (3.18.2022)

Mar 18, 2022

This week we're going to talk about the downside of TNF inhibitors, a few interesting observations in gout, and yes, kids do get COVID. We're also going to preview what's coming in April (hint: it's about PsA). This and more as Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past

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Environmental Pollutants Ups Autoimmune Disease Risk

Mar 16, 2022

An Italian environmental study shows that air pollution increases the risk of autoimmune diseases, in particular rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue diseases (CTDs) and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).



Previously environmental pollutants have been linked to an increased risk of

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Predicting Spondylitis in At-Risk Relatives

Mar 14, 2022

The risk of developing axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) if you’re a first-degree relative (FDRs) of an ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patient has been deflined by a 35 year follow-up study showing that if you are a FDR of axSpA you may be at higher risk of acute anterior uveitis (AAU).

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