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Labs/Biomarkers

Elevated serum levels of interleukin-18 discriminate Still's disease from other autoinflammatory conditions. Sera from 53 mSAID, 220 guSAID, 49 controls show IL-18 signif increased in Still's Dz; free IL-18 levels were selectively higher in Still's disease. https://t.co/8IWXWZmWgE
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Prospective study of 171 suspected Sjogrens (130 dx w/ SjD) pts compared Dx accuracy - Labial gland Bx best Dx efficacy (AUC 0.90), followed Ro/SSA (AUC 0.79), Omeract score (AUC 0.78). Salv gland US grade 3 strongly predicted +Bx (AUC 0.77) & correlated w/ salivary flow ~-0.5

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Multimorbidity predicts flares in rheumatoid arthritis

A study from Olmstead county and the Mayo Clinic shows that multimorbidity  and social factors predict higher rheumatoid arthritis (RA) flares and lower remission rates.

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September to Remember (9.5.2025)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from RheumNow. This week - unemployment, diagnosing Sjogren's and a lot of ILD.

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EHR analysis of Alaska Tribal Health System finds the prevalence of Sjögren's disease at 199 per 100K adults (primary SjD 129; secondary 70 (RA,SLE)). The age-adjusted incidence 16.6 per 100K Pt-Yrs. Only 5% had salivary gland Bx & 3% met 2016 ACR/EULAR or 2012 ACR criteria https://t.co/4tMdWIGTEi
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Biomarkers in ILD Join Elena K. Joerns, MD, as she highlights key insights on the role of biomarkers in ILD. Sponsored By: Boehringer Ingelheim. https://t.co/Mxg9P50m7C #ILD #Rheumatology https://t.co/tQUvwHD5cX
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Elevated serum levels of interleukin-18 discriminate Still's disease from other autoinflammatory conditions. Sera from 53 mSAID, 220 guSAID, 49 controls show IL-18 signif increased in Still's Dz; free IL-18 levels were selectively higher in Still's disease. https://t.co/oAd3JwDR5D
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Multi-omics, biomarkers, rheumatoid arthritis and pulmonary fibrosis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease, and approximately 30%-40% of patients develop pulmonary complications such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), but the causal relationship between the two has long been unclear. A team from Taizhou Hospital in Zhejiang Province

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High cancer risk in myositis patients linked to autoantibodies- TIFF1g, NXP2, HMGCR. https://t.co/CECO78ESHi
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Long-term Lab Monitoring in RA is Inefficient Annals of Internal Medicine has published a retrospective study of long-term routine laboratory toxicity monitoring (lt-RLTM) in patients receiving disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy showing that most very abnormal https://t.co/hytyH1qqED
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Might systemic autoimmune Dz related anti-protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5). ELISA study of 33 SSc, 87 RA, & 31 controls. Vs controls, anti-PRMT5 Abs seen in SSc (48% vs 0; AUC 0.9) & RA (15% vs 0; AUC 0.768). PRMT5 Abs signif assoc w/ ILD & ANA positivity. https://t.co/svjjtQQsIY
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
MUC5 mutations not in SSc-ILD. Study of 2363 SSc-ILD, 3526 SSc w/o ILD & 15076 controls. They found no assoc w/ MUC5B promoter variant & SSc-ILD. (Suggesting ILD pathogenic mechanisms differ between RA and SSc) https://t.co/bBq52X0Mwq https://t.co/eu1IpaXGL8
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

ILD Begins (8.29.2025)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from RheumNow.com. This week news on vaccines, safety of acetaminophen and more.

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Long-term Lab Monitoring in RA is Inefficient

Annals of Internal Medicine has published a retrospective study of long-term routine laboratory toxicity monitoring (lt-RLTM) in patients receiving disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy showing that most very abnormal laboratory finding occur early in therapy (first 6 months) or

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RHEUM Survey: How important is "Seropositivity" in RA?

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Osteoporosis in Older Men

JAMA has publish an invited commentary on Screening for Osteoporosis (OP) in Older Men. They point out that a simple screening strategy for older men based on previous fracture history and bone density screening at age 70 or 75 years is a reasonable means of screening for OP in older men.

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Lupus Core Dataset for Research

EurekAlert!

SLE is a complex and potentially life-threatening autoimmune disease. Part of the complexity stems from how it can differ from person to person – giving rise to marked heterogeneity in not only manifestations, but also in disease course and treatment response. To support better understanding

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Single-center Retrospective study of 4,736 RA, propensity matched 509 w/ RA-ILD vs 509 without ILD. In multivariate analysis RF positivity was an independent risk factor for RA-ILD (adj OR = 1.5) w/ signif nonlinear relationship observed, risk threshold @60 IU/mL Paradoxical https://t.co/0XtWnIsbmK
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Sjögren's Graduates (8.22.2025)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports, FDA approvals, drug safety, and more from this week.

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Uncertainty with immunosuppressive for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

A current Cochrane review suggests a continued unmet need regarding the status and utility of targeted immunosuppressant and immunomodulatory treatments for the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM). Overall there has been little progress since the previous Cochrane review (2012) that found

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Nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) in Dx of systemic sclerosis - study of 258 NVCs found giant capillaries (specificity 98%) & capillary density to be best at defining a scleroderma pattern (39%). Density ≤8 capillaries/mm best defined dropout (AUC 0.911); having both = 91% https://t.co/zyoe7ofGLR
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Glossary for Giant Cell Arteritis

 

Dejaco and colleagues have published a glossary of terms often used in conjunction with giant cell arteritis. The glossary of definitions for 23 signs and symptoms of GCA was developed through a consensus process involving international experts.

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Mayo study of 659 incident RA pts finds Multimorbidity predicted 29% (OR:1.29) higher odds of RA flare, & 34% lower (OR:0.66) odds of remission. RA Flares assoc w/ female, smoking, younger age shorter Dz duration, but not seropositivity. Remission assoc w/ male, not smoking, https://t.co/yEwkQ63zIh
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Rheums Speak: Changing Rheumatology Practices & Choices

RheumNow surveyed clinicians worldwide on how their rheumatology practice, treatment decisions, and career outlooks have changed over the past 20 years. 242 respondents (68% from the USA) shared their perspectives on the changing landscape of rheumatoid arthritis care, practice patterns, and

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2025 ACR Guidance on Diagnosis and Management of VEXAS

The ACR has published a formal international consensus guidance on VEXAS as a resource for clinicians seeking to understand the disease and its management. 

VEXAS is a rare genetic disorder; the acronym stands for Vacuoles E1 enzyme X-linked

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