GI/Liver

The ‘iron fist’ of haemochromatosis arthropathy, and other key features: Patrick Kiely #EULAR2025 @RheumNow https://t.co/grs1Tq3GAk

Links:

David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
EULAR,poster

EULAR 2025 – Day 2 Report

Jack Cush, MD

Day 2 was a full agenda for those attending EULAR 2025 in Barcelona with sessions on the management of RA, Behcets, Lupus and Hand Osteoarthritis. Clinical overviews on MAS, Ehlers-Danlos, Difficult to treat RA and PsA offered a wide variety of options to rheumatologists. Here are a few

Read Article
GI symptoms in axSpA -Cohort of 370 pts with axSpAfrom New Zealand -Elevated fecal calprotectin ➡️ positive correlation with GI symptoms and high disease activity -Bowel symptoms associated with reduced quality of life. -Use of TNFi improved bowel symptoms over time. https://t.co/wA37G3HWyi

Links:

Adela Castro @AdelaCastro222( View Tweet )
IL-40 is elevated in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Study of serum (90 SSc vs controls/HCs), Skin Bx (5 SSc v 5 HCs). IL-40 signific. upregulated in the skin & correl. w/ ESSG (r = 0.37), GI dz; also w/ serum IL-8, TGF-β1. IL-40 functionally linked to activated B cells, PMNs, T https://t.co/XsSFXgBxuD
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
IL-40 is elevated in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Study of serum (90 SSc vs controls/HCs), Skin Bx (5 SSc v 5 HCs). IL-40 signific. upregulated in the skin & correl. w/ ESSG (r = 0.37), GI dz; also w/ serum IL-8, TGF-β1. IL-40 functionally linked to activated B cells, PMNs, T https://t.co/2sIgMYK7xo
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Biologic.choice.MD_.jpeg (keep)

Biologics in Pregnancy Patients With Autoimmune Disease

Jack Cush, MD

A large cohort, claims data study shows that among pregnant women receiving biologic therapies for autoimmune conditions, 72% continued their biologics pregnancy, more so among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients than those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis (PsO) or psoriatic

Read Article
Single center study of 2741 ANA tests: 65% ANA negative, 31% ANA+ w/ nuclear staining patterns, & 2.0% ANA+ w cytoplasmic staining. Cytoplasmic - most were reticular, dense fine speckled next. Reticular assoc w/ primary biliary cholangitis (w/ Abs against M2). Dense fine https://t.co/SfBY9BShax
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Vitamin D Headlines (5.9.2025) Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and lupus highlights from the past week on RheumNow. Triple positivity, the gut and CRPS, and hope for better outcomes with Vitamin D therapy. https://t.co/i9OJrYR59T https://t.co/PQ3fAR5teR

Links:

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RheumNow Podcast square

Vitamin D Headlines (5.9.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and lupus highlights from the past week on RheumNow.com. Triple positivity, the gut and CRPS, and hope for better outcomes with Vitamin D therapy. 

Read Article
67 systemic sclerosis pts w/ mod-to-severe lower GI Sxs were Rx in phase 2, RDBPCT of placebo or fecal transplants at wks 0 and 2, with no signif change in GI sxs by week 12 (bloating or diarrhoea). https://t.co/vWq2c8d4Kn https://t.co/PpPsAQbj5M

Links:

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
67 systemic sclerosis pts w/ mod-to-severe lower GI Sxs were Rx in phase 2, RDBPCT of placebo or fecal transplants at wks 0 and 2, with no signif change in GI sxs by week 12 (bloating or diarrhoea). https://t.co/vWq2c8d4Kn https://t.co/EZGgVYpxAl

Links:

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Pairwise Network Metanalysis suggests that JAKi use may NOT be assoc w/ Gastrointestinal perforation (GIP), as suggested by the PI. 23 RCTs, (20,023 pts) followed for 24 wks. Incidence of JAKi GIP=0.19%. compared to csDMARDs this was not signif increased (RR 1.02; CI: 0.41-2.56). https://t.co/lLD9Tj6a9F
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RheumNow Podcast square

Rheumatology: Believe It or Not (4/25/2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. Should we believe the reviews and metanalyses?

Read Article
RheumNow Podcast square

Osteoarthritis Risky Business (4.18.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and Journal reports from this week on RheumNow.com.  Osteoarthritis patients have unique risks and synovial fluid WBC numbers can tell you when to worry about septic arthritis in gout and pseudogout patients.

Read Article
In a murine model of Kawasaki Dz vasculitis- depleting gut microbiota reduces KD like vasculitis. CV lesions were assoc w/ decrease in Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Replacement attenuated these findings. https://t.co/uAfInA5MAq https://t.co/3AjMRQnmts

Links:

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Anti-muscarinic 3 Abs are assoc w/ severe GI Dz in systemic Sclerosis. 132 SSc pts (enrich for GI Sxs) - 39% had anti-M3R Abs; 25% high-titer M3R+. Hi titer M3R+ pts had more diffuse Dz (44% vs 23%), GI severity (91% vs 70%), RNPC3+ (18% vs 6%), U1RNP+(21 vs 2%) https://t.co/j8ZWFY4fgx
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
In a murine model of Kawasaki Dz vasculitis- depleting gut microbiota reduces KD like vasculitis. CV lesions were assoc w/ decrease in Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Replacement attenuated these findings. https://t.co/Hnij8TWkYy https://t.co/wEuVcuAZ5j

Links:

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RheumNow Podcast square

An Epidural Letdown (4.4.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

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

Read Article
Korea National Health Insurance Database review shows that risk of mortality in Behcets patients is 28% higher than gen. population; highest in 1st 12 mos (OR 2.66). Major causes were CA, CVD, GI (viscus rupture), respiratory, & infections. Higher in younger pts. https://t.co/vWJrUN9C0H
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
morbidity,covid,heart,lung,brain

Predicting Premature Death with Multimorbidity

Jack Cush, MD

Machine learning (ML) models were used to predict premature death in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with multimorbidity, the co-occurrence of 2 or more chronic conditions. 

Read Article
RheumNow Podcast square

ERA, APPs, & Alpha GAL (3.21.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com.  Listen in for 2 new case questions - Ask Cush Anything.

Read Article
The FDA has approved guselkumab(Tremfya) for both subcutaneous (SC) and intravenous (IV) induction therapy treatment of adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease (CD). It is the only IL-23 inhbitor available for SC and IV use in CD https://t.co/ekXRVOwNnS https://t.co/6zveRR5WjD

Links:

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a (Lone Star) tick-borne allergy to the galactose-α-1,3-galactose carbohydrate, found in mammalian meat/products; Sxs (hives, itching, swelling, and GI issues) present 2-8 hrs after meat & be life-threatening. Time to Dx has dropped considerably, w/… https://t.co/p1M9Qaf1jz https://t.co/jTJzq7YtVJ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
A Case of IgA Vasculitis Presenting as Duodenal Perforation Presentation by Dr. Audrey Liu, at the Rheumatology Winter Clinical Symposia - Feb 2025 https://t.co/kZWgy1S0Wh https://t.co/9mJAzVRVpl

Links:

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
syringe, pill, DMARD, Treatment, therapy

Are Combination Biologics Safe?

Jack Cush, MD

Although package inserts commonly warn against combining the use of biologic or targeted therapies, there is growing interest in such combination therapy for patients with problematic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID).
Read Article

Recent Blogs

Best of 2022: The Contribution of the Gut Microbiome and Diet to Joint Inflammation in PsA

Christopher Ritchlin, MD, MPH
abdominal-pain-2821941_640.jpg
Interactions of the gut microbiota in humans promote the release of a variety of metabolites with profound effects on human health and immune regulation. Read Post

Best of 2022: Methotrexate in PsA

Philip Mease, MD
Methotrexate
Until the publication of the SEAM trial, evidence in the medical literature for the efficacy of the most commonly used drug for psoriatic arthritis worldwide, methotrexate, has been lukewarm at best. Yet we all employ it commonly, either as monotherapy or in combination with biologic or targeted synthetic DMARD treatment. It is inexpensive and widely available, and only modestly toxic. Read Post
×