Articles By Jack Cush, MD
ICYMI: New Laboratory Insights for the ANA+ Consult
A new study suggests that use of ELISA assays for CXCL-10 and IFN-α can predict which ANA+ individuals may progress to developing a systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (SARD).
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ICYMI: RA Disease Activity and Alcohol Use
Despite its well known toxicities, alcohol is known to be antiinflammatory. The effects of alcohol use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is less known, but a recent study suggests that alcohol consumption was dose-dependently associated with lower disease activity and higher health-related quality of life in RA patients.
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Scleroderma – Thick and Thin (6.30.2023)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal articles and regulatory decisions from the past week from RheumNow.com. This week focuses on parodoxical psoriasis, scleroderma outcomes and subsets, and alopecia areata therapy.
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Dr. K. Frank Austen (1928-2023)
Rheumatology mourns the loss of a historic leader in the field, Dr. K. Frank Austen, who died at his home in Maine on June 23, 2023, at the age of 95.
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Scary Outcomes with Systemic Sclerosis Sine Scleroderma
The hallmark of systemic sclerosis is scleroderma, but less than 10% of SSc patients have sine scleroderma (ssSSc). A EUSTAR database review compared the manifestations and outcomes of ssSSC to limited cutaneous SSc and diffuse cutaneous SSc.
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Predictors of Cardiovascular Events in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
A large, retrospective, multinational study of patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) shows they may be at risk for cardiovascular events (CVEs).
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FDA Delays Bimekizumab Decision, Again
Editor's Note: please note the error in the original report has been corrected to read: UCB affirms there are no open information requests from the FDA regarding the BLA for bimekizumab or bimekizumab manufacturing.
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Paradoxical Psoriasis in Kids Taking TNF Inhibitors
A multicenter cohort study reported a large cohort of pediatric patients receiving TNF inhibitor therapy complicated by psoriasis, regardless of treatment indication or the specific TNF inhibitor.
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High BMI Increases Arthritis Risk
Obesity carries many risks, now a new study in Arthritis & Rheumatology shows that higher body mass index (BMI) increases the risk for several rheumatic diseases, especially in women for both gout and psoriatic arthropathy.
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TitAIN Study: Secukinumab Efficacy in Giant Cell Arteritis
A phase 2 trial has demonstrated the efficacy of secukinumab, an anti-interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody, in patients with active giant cell arteritis (GCA).
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