Articles By Jack Cush, MD
Serologically Active, Clinically Quiescent SLE
Lupus management is guided by assessment of both clinical and serologic features; but what happens with the patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) serologically active, but clinically quiescent (SACQ)? A large cohort study shows that nearly one-third of such patients may flare
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Large GWAS Study Reveals Genetic Basis for Osteoarthritis Phenotypes
Cell has published the results of a multinational, GWAS meta-analyses of 826,690 individuals that included 177,517 osteoarthritis patients, finding 52 previously unknown osteoarthritis (OA) genetic risk variants and linking OA genetic risks with joint distribution and pain
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RheumNow Podcast – Like Father, Like Daughter (10.29.2021)
Bad things happen when our patients go into the ICU and it's not always due to the disease. Good things happen when we rise from sitting. And guess what? Rheumatologists are setting cardiology straight about hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. This, and a special recognition of parent-child rheumatologists, along with the news and articles from this week on RheumNow.
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Biologic Use and the Risk of Serious Infection in Psoriasis Patients
National Health Data from France examined biologic use in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, and found the risk of serious infections (SIE) to be increased with some biologics (infliximab and adalimumab), but not others (etanercept, ustekinumab IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors or apremila
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BEAT-LUPUS: Sequential Belimumab After Rituximab in SLE
The Annals of Internal Medicine reports that targeting B-cells in refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with sequential belimumab after rituximab may significantly reduce dsDNA antibody titers and lessen the number of future severe flares.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Thrombotic Risk Influenced by DMARD Choice
RA patients have an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) related to disease activity and inflammation, yet a large real-world study of older RA patients shows methotrexate to be associated with a 2-fold increased VTE risk (compared to hydroxychloroquine).
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Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections Fail in Ankle Osteoarthritis
A controlled trial of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections into the ankle of osteoarthritis (OA) patients failed to improve ankle symptoms and function when compared to placebo injections - yet another trial showing that intraarticular injections are seldom beneficial.
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Pfizer/Lilly Pull Tanezumab Development
Today, Lilly and Pfizer announced their global clinical development of the NGF inhibitor, tanezumab, has been discontinued due to recent negative opinions from the EMA and FDA advisory committee.
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New Hope for NonAlcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
The current issue of the NEJM has two articles on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD also called NASH - nonalcoholic steatohepatitis), one dealing with the prognoses, outcomes and mortality of NAFLD and another prospective and promising interventional trial in NASH patients.
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Increased Preterm Birth Risk in Psoriatic Arthritis Pregnancies
Pregnancy outcomes may be affected by psoriatic arthritis or antirheumatic treatment; registry cohort study shows that preterm birth and cesarean delivery were mostly increased by antirheumatic treatment, especially biologics.
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