Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare disease affecting about 49,000 U.S. adults, and it is strongly associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality.1 Of the few available antifibrotic therapies, none is targeted for SSc. However, reason for optimism exists for antifibrotic treatments in early development and clinical trials, says Jörg H.W. Distler, MD, Heisenberg Professor…
The presence of synovial monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystals is the gold standard for diagnosing gout. But a new study, funded in part by the ACR and led by rheumatologists, including Alexis Ogdie, MD, MSCE, evaluated the effectiveness of ultrasound in diagnosing it. The study found that ultrasound can be useful in discriminating gout from non-gout….
New methods of gene sequencing have resulted in improved identification of mutations in patients and increased availability of genetic testing in rare diseases. Despite these exciting advances, a majority of patients lack identifiable mutations and the underlying disease etiology remains an enigma. Somatic mosaicism (SM) may be an explanation for some of these clinically challenging…
Rheumatologists now have another treatment option to offer their patients with one of, if not the most, difficult autoimmune diseases to treat. New data add to the growing evidence of the safety and benefit of stem cell transplantation for patients with systemic sclerosis with internal organ involvement. New results of the Scleroderma: Cyclophosphamide or Transplantation…
(Reuters)—A synthetic version of a medicine traditionally extracted from chili plant relieved knee pain among osteoarthritis patients for up to six months, data showed, bringing Centrexion Therapeutics a step closer to developing a safe and effective analgesic. The drug, designed to be injected at the site of pain, is being developed by the privately-held company…
When she was in elementary school, Sandra Pagnussat, MD, began experiencing unrelenting pain and stiffness, first in her pinky and then in her other fingers. Her pediatrician diagnosed her with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). In high school, Sandra decided to pursue a career in medicine and began taking advanced placement classes in biology and chemistry….
Complement can deposit in various tissues, and previous studies have associated complement deposition with an increased risk for all-cause mortality and stroke. Now, new research underscores the relationship between rheumatic disease, the complement system and cardiovascular disease. In particular, inflammatory rheumatic disease status appears to be uniquely associated with mononuclear cell infiltrates in the vascular…
At present, the U.S. has approximately 5,000 full-time adult rheumatologists. By the year 2025, that number will decline to roughly 3,600.1 Sounds dire, right? Hold that thought. Question: What country has 99 million people and no adult rheumatologists? Answer: Ethiopia.2 The Nigerian Story And then there is Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, with roughly 170…
Although systemic lupus erythematosus still does not have a definite cause or cure, rheumatologists and researchers over the past 50 years have witnessed and contributed to a great deal of progress that helps patients, says Peter H. Schur, MD, director emeritus of the Lupus Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and professor, Harvard Medical School, Boston. Dr. Schur’s…
A comparison study of the serious infection burden among patients with lupus found no major differences in patients treated with three separate immunosuppressive drug regimens. Given that serious infections are among the leading causes of hospitalizations and death in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), researchers investigated whether the incident rates differed in patients who…