Conditions

Subcategories:Axial Spondyloarthritis Gout and Crystalline Arthritis Guidelines Myositis Osteoarthritis and Bone Disorders Other Rheumatic Conditions Pain Syndromes Pediatric Conditions Psoriatic Arthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis Sjögren’s Disease Soft Tissue Pain Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Systemic Sclerosis Vasculitis

Study Uncovers Tet2’s Role in Resolving Inflammation

Lara C. Pullen, PhD | January 11, 2016

When investigating the role of epigenetic modifiers in inflammatory response, researchers found that Tet2 acts at the chromatin level to help resolve inflammation in both dendritic cells and macrophage, repressing the transcription of IL-6…

Overscreening, Overtreatment of Osteoporosis Common

Anne Harding | January 8, 2016

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Too many women who aren’t at risk for osteoporosis are being screened for the disease, and too many women who don’t need osteoporosis treatment are getting it, new research suggests. “In our health system the overtreatment of osteoporosis was common, and this was partly due to the fact that a lot of…

Living with RA: Study Examines the Value of Patient Involvement in Creating Clinical Practice Guidelines

Arthritis Care & Research | January 6, 2016

“The lived experience with RA is itself a valuable form of expertise,” writes Dr. Liana Fraenkel, MD, MPH, and her colleagues in their latest research. To examine the value of this expertise and how it can be incorporated into clinical practice guidelines, researchers developed 18 questions for which two panels—one physician dominated and one comprising entirely patients—would develop recommendations. For a majority of these questions, the patient panel made the same recommendations as the physician panel, with similar recommendation strengths…

Biosimilars Seek Regulatory Approval in the U.S. & Europe; Plus MTX Underused in the U.S.

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BCGP | January 6, 2016

In Europe, an etanercept biosimilar is getting closer to being approved to treat RA and more, and in the U.S., an application for an adalimumab biosimilar has been submitted for FDA approval. Also, an analysis of methotrexate use in the U.S. shows that therapy may actually be underused for RA…

ACPA-Positive & ACPA-Negative Patients with RA: The Difference Begins in the Lungs

Lara C. Pullen, PhD | January 4, 2016

A new study from Stockholm, Sweden, strengthens the link between the lungs and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA)–positive RA. After analyzing the bronchial tissue of untreated patients with early RA, researchers found the patients’ lungs had signs of immune cell accumulation and activation…

The Microbiome’s Role in Inflammatory Arthritis

Arthritis & Rheumatology | January 1, 2016

Despite the relative novelty of the human microbiome as an area of study, a substantial body of evidence has accumulated addressing its potential involvement in the pathogenesis of rheumatic disease. This review article explores the available data in animal and human studies, focusing on the role of the intestinal microbiome in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and the spondyloarthritidies (SpA)…

Original Sin—Researchers Look for Infectious Triggers of Rheumatic Disease & the Best Options to Block the Process

Susan Bernstein | December 29, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO—Two hundred years ago, physicians knew nothing about what caused various forms of arthritis. Today, we have more clues about what may trigger rheumatic diseases, but still can’t pinpoint the culprits that set scores of inflammatory conditions in motion. Researchers discussed some of the background and recent findings that point to what immunologists call…

More Evidence Biomarkers Predict RA Relapse with DMARD Taper

Megan Brooks | December 28, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—For rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in stable remission, a panel of inflammatory markers in blood can help predict the odds of relapse when disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy is tapered, say researchers from Germany. The multibiomarker disease activity (MBDA) score, when combined with anticitrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) testing, can predict relapse in…

People with Schizophrenia at Higher Risk of Osteoporosis

David Douglas | December 27, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Pooled data indicate that bone mineral density (BMD) is significantly lower in patients with schizophrenia than in healthy controls, according to Taiwanese researchers. Dr. Ping-Tao Tseng tells Reuters Health by email that the “evidence indicates the importance of further screening for the risk of osteoporosis in young-aged schizophrenic patients . . ….

Biologic DMARDs Prove Effective for Psoriatic Arthritis & Combination DMARDs Show Promise for RA

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BCGP | December 25, 2015

In clinical trials, ixekizumab and adalimumab proved safe and effective in treating adults with active psoriatic arthritis. Also, the combination therapy of certolizumab pegol plus methotrexate was more effective than placebo for treating severe RA…