In 1982, the ACR developed classification criteria for the identification of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) for use in research. The ACR updated these criteria in 1997, and in 2012, the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) group developed an additional set of classification criteria. In 2014, in an attempt to establish and refine even more…
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune clotting disorder that may present catastrophically with multiple thromboses over a short period of time. In this article, we examine the case of a woman with undiagnosed APS whose first symptoms presented during a long-haul flight. A review of the literature on thrombosis at high altitudes and during long…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors do not appear to increase cancer-recurrence rates in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to new findings from Sweden. TNF has both tumor-promoting and cancer-protective effects, so TNF inhibitors could conceivably affect the risk for cancer recurrence. However, few studies have reported the risk for cancer relapse…
As Lyme disease and Lyme arthritis spread to new regions in North America, physicians may ned to become aware of their signs and symptoms. Allen C. Steere, MD, says “Lyme arthritis is more complicated to treat than other manifestations of the disease.” Here are some best practices for treating Lyme arthritis…
Researchers have determined that dominant B cell receptor (BCR) clones in peripheral blood may predict the onset of clinical signs and symptoms of RA…
(Reuters Health)—Older women with osteoporosis who consistently take a bisphosphonate may have a lower risk of fractures and lower total health costs than their counterparts who stop taking these drugs, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers examined data on 294,369 women who were at least 66 years old, insured by Medicare and prescribed osteoporosis medicines for…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Adalimumab appears to be safe for treating pediatric patients with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA), psoriasis and Crohn’s disease (CD), according to data from company-sponsored clinical trials. Adalimumab is an anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibody with demonstrated efficacy in these conditions, but pediatric safety data remains limited. Dr. Gerd…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—More than half of those infected by the mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus will go on to experience chronic articular pain or arthritis, according to Brazilian researchers. Chikungunya—meaning “to become contorted” in the Makonde language—was first described during an outbreak in Africa in the 1950s. Many outbreaks have since occurred in Africa, Asia and…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A 13-transcript whole-blood gene expression signature accurately differentiates Kawasaki disease (KD) from other febrile conditions in children, researchers report. “We believe it is feasible to turn the signature into a diagnostic test,” Dr. Michael Levin from Imperial College London, London, tells Reuters Health by email. “There are a range of methods to…
With electronic clinical quality measures tailored for treating gout patients, physicians and their teams now have tools to measure and improve gout care performance and outcomes…