EMR Messaging Woes (4.11.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and regulatory approvals from this past week on RheumNow.com
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RA Prevention through Deep Immunophenotyping
Researchers at the University of Colorado have identified pathogenic immune phenotypes in at-risk populations for RA. They have found the expansion of specific T cell subtypes, in the at-risk group, and postulate this could lead to https://t.co/AEo0GOr7Kn
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KORAIL (Korean RA-ILD) prospective cohort study of CT and biomarkers showed 35% ILD progressed over 3 yrs. Higher baseline KL-6 (HR 1.37) & hSP-D (1.51) levels assoc w/ progression. Increasing KL-6 at 1 yr showed the greatest progression (∆KL-6: HR 2.0) https://t.co/efowyCp1qu https://t.co/JVd7sRKzVF
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Systemic sclerosis pts in the PRESS & STRIKE cohorts - High type I interferon (IFN) scores in diffuse SSc pts correlated w/ high disease activity & worse 12-month prognosis and overall survival. https://t.co/pdPjoVfQNH https://t.co/RB7li2ZIxX
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Danish registry study of 1431 AAV pts ((median age: 69 yrs, 52M; F/U 4.8 yrs) shows AAV had more LVH (17% vs 12%), ST-T (10% vs 7%), aFib (9.6% vs 7.5%), QTc prolong (6% vs 3.6%). Only AAV w/ major ECG abnls had incr risk of CV mortality [HR 1.99; 1.49-2.65) https://t.co/OB8b9pC6kw
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RA Prevention through Deep Immunophenotyping
Researchers at the University of Colorado have identified pathogenic immune phenotypes in at-risk populations for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They have found the expansion of specific T cell subtypes, in the at-risk group, and postulate this could lead to future immunospecific prevention
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Consensus on Bone Turnover Biomarkers in Osteoporosis
EurekAlert!
A new consensus paper, published by the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO), the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), and the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (
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Cancer Survival with TNF Inhibitors (3.28.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com
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ACPA specificity and recognition motifs examined in 6,907 patients with RA from 5 Scandinavian cohorts. ACPA targeting non-glycine citrulline motifs assoc. more strongly w/ HLA-SE; ACPA to glycine citrulline motifs assoc. w/ smoking and IgA ACPA
A&R
https://t.co/PmKv3dZLc4 https://t.co/NdPG4Orfj4
Links:
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Worse Outcomes in HLA-B27+ JIA
MedPage Today
Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who carried the HLA-B27 genetic marker tended to have worse long-term outcomes, including lower rates of drug-free remission, in a prospective Scandinavian study.
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Predicting Premature Death with Multimorbidity
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.
55 myositis (IIM) pts studied Nailfold Capillaries, MSAbs, cytokines & IFN genes. MDA5(+) pts signif more dilated (DIL), giant & abnl morphology caps, w/ microhemorrhages (MH) vs ARS (+) pts. MH & DIL assoc w/ MX1, IFI27, IP-10, RANTES, GROα. Giant caps assoc w/ IFI27, SDF-1α, https://t.co/3WQL8Sw0rq
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Autoimmune Disease Impact Report
Integrated Benefit Institute, a nonprofit independent research organization, has published its 2025 Autoimmune Disease Impact Report, which examines the health and productivity impacts of five prevalent and costly autoimmune conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis,
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Targeting Obesity in Rheumatic Disease Patients
Sattar et al. has published an informative overview of the effect of obesity on rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). They estimate that nearly 70% of RMD patients are overweight or obese.
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ERA, APPs, & Alpha GAL (3.21.2025)
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.
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Adrenal Dysfunction after Steroids in PMR and GCA Patients
JAMA has published a study of PMR and GCA patients who stopped glucocorticoid (GC) therapy and noted a low (1.2%) risk of GC-induced adrenal insufficiency after planned cessation.
GC are widespreadly and chronically used in rheumatology, often with the
PAFLAR Guidelines for Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
The Pediatric African League against Rheumatism (PAFLAR) initiative has published its guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA
Axial Involvement in Psoriatic Arthritis
Analysis of a Greek Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) cohort shows that nearly one quarter of patients have axial involvement, and among them, ∼30% have isolated spinal axPsA and nr-axSpA, respectively.
Channeling Bias and Cancer Risk with Biologic or Targeted Synthetic DMARDs
A retrospective US administrative claims cohort study of RA patients on tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis), non-TNFi biologics, or Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis) found a statistically significantly higher risk of incident cancer in patients receiving rituximab, abatacept, or JAKis (
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Crohn’s Microbiome may Predispose to Axial Spondyloarthritis
EurekAlert!
People with Crohn’s disease and related joint inflammation linked to immune system dysfunction have distinct gut bacteria or microbiota, with the bacterium Mediterraneibacter gnavus being a potential biomarker, according to new study by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers.
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SOCS1 Insufficiency - a Rare Inborn Error of Immunity
Lancet Rheumatology has published a population study of the rare suppressor of cytokine signalling 1 (SOCS1) insufficiency - an inborn error of immunity affecting the negative regulation of cytokine and growth factor signalling.
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Diagnoses via Immune ‘Fingerprints’
Science and researchers at Stanford Medicine have reported the use of Mal-ID (machine learning for immunological diagnosis) to analyze B and T cell receptors (BCRs and TCRs) sequences from human blood, showing the ability to predict health… https://t.co/nqyf4iaD10 https://t.co/wt5V6uxLYf
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JAMA Case: A Woman With Painful Digital Ulcers - What would you order next?
- chest CT w/ myositis-specific autoAb panel
- dsDNA
- SCL-70 & Centromere Abs
- muscle biopsy https://t.co/t0WCIMtZg2 https://t.co/M1jBhnclLl
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Opioid Deaths are Down (2.28.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. Opioid deaths are down, IL-33 levels are up and Weight loss is in the news again this week!
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Diagnoses via Immune ‘Fingerprints’
Science and researchers at Stanford Medicine have reported the use of Mal-ID (machine learning for immunological diagnosis) to analyze B and T cell receptors (BCRs and TCRs) sequences from human blood, showing the ability to predict health… https://t.co/ni09ssCYSv https://t.co/4HWui3XxfE
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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