Lara C. Pullen, PhD, is a medical writer with a PhD in microbiology/immunology from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. As a medical writer she has covered topics as diverse as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and autism. Her favorite subject, however, is the role of the immune system in health and disease. Dr. Pullen is also the mother of three children, the youngest of whom has Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). She is an active member of the PWS community and a thought leader on the importance of the ketogenic diet for this patient population.
Recent research into rituximab-induced serum sickness (RISS) reinforces the understanding that patients generally recover quickly. However, the study also found patients with autoimmune disease, especially SLE, had a significantly higher risk for developing RISS than patients using rituximab to treat hematological malignancy…
Although not a first-line treatment, autologous serum tears are often used as a treatment option for dry eyes related to both ophthalmic and rheumatic conditions. Recent research into its efficacy also evaluated the treatment’s patient satisfaction, finding autologous serum tears reduced symptoms of dry eye disease and received high patient satisfaction scores…
Recent research indicates that previous concerns about mortality associated with pregnancy in women with SLE may no longer be applicable. In the study, researchers found a significant decline in the in-hospital maternal mortality rate of women with SLE and a decrease in their length of non-delivery related hospitalization over the past two decades…
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) flares may arise from lymphoid and myeloid mechanisms, which may overlap in some patients. In a recent study, researchers compared SLE patients who flared early after treatment to those who did not, unveiling variables that may serve as independent predictors of SLE flares…
An analysis of follow-up data from the DESIR cohort showed patients with recent onset axial spondyloarthritis who experienced peripheral arthritis had worse symptoms and quality of life long term. In the study, peripheral arthritis was also associated with negative HLAB27, non-smoking and the presence of other peripheral disease manifestations…
A meta-analysis confirms prior research suggesting exercise therapy benefits patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA). The study found greater improvements in pain, function, performance and quality of life in patients with milder, as opposed to more severe, OA…
A five-year study in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis found drug-induced disease remission did not persist once adalimumab was stopped after long-term treatment.
A study of nintedanib in patients with ILD associated with systemic sclerosis showed the treatment had only limited improvement. Although these patients had a lower rate of decline in forced vital capacity than those on placebo, nintedanib did not result in clinical benefits for other manifestations of systemic sclerosis…
The phase 3, RA-BEAM study found RA patients who were switched from adalimumab to baricitinib experienced improvements in disease control even in the absence of an adalimumab washout. In the study, the change was not associated with an increase in adverse events or infections…
Recent research indicates that low-density neutrophils, such as low-density granulocytes, exert proinflammatory effects on the T cells of SLE patients. In the study, researchers confirmed SLE patients had a higher prevalence of low-density granulocytes than healthy controls and that these cells appeared to promote a Th1 response…