When Moll and Wright first described the spondyloarthritides in the early 1970s, the archetype of the group was ankylosing spondylitis (AS).1 The shared clinical features of the spondyloarthritides were sacroiliitis; asymmetric large joint peripheral arthritis; psoriasis or psoriaform skin lesions, including keratoderma blennorrhagica; uveitis; and bowel inflammation. Moll and Wright described five clinical subgroups of…
A recent editorial provides new insights by reexamining the definitions of remission for rheumatoid arthritis and outlining concerns with the use of specific metrics for remission in clinical trials.
Findings support the continued use of TNF inhibitor monotherapy in individuals with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. In the study, these patients had a lower risk of hospitalization or death caused by COVID-19 than patients on other commonly prescribed treatment regimens
The etiology of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is poorly understood but current evidence supports an interaction between genetic and environmental factors that coalesce to promote local tissue inflammation.1-3 The pivotal cytokines that underlie the local inflammatory response in a wide range of tissues are interleukin (IL) 23, IL-17 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF).4 The central contribution…
As the cloud moved away from the tent, Miriam’s skin suddenly became diseased, as white as snow. When Aaron turned toward her, he saw that she was diseased. —Numbers 12:10 For 29 years he [Fray Pedro de Urraca] was afflicted by … pain, suffering it at once in all the joints of his body, with…
Background & objectives: Patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) may be at an increased risk of SARS-CO-V2 infection as a result of underlying disease, associated comorbidities and use of potentially immunosuppressive treatments. Further, concern exists regarding whether individuals with rheumatic diseases potentially experience more severe COVID-19 and poorer outcomes. This study was undertaken to…
A study found DNA methylation profiling may predict if a patient will progress from a diagnosis of undifferentiated arthritis to that of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The findings also suggest a pre-established epigenetic signature exists in patients diagnosed with undifferentiated arthritis that evolves into RA.
Secher et al. evaluated the risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnant patients with RA, axSpA or PsA, assessing the effect of disease activity and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs on this risk.
COVID-19 vaccinations are safe for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with manageable side effects and a low incidence of flare, according to a recently published study in The Lancet.1 The use of mRNA vaccines, such as those from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which have been viewed as riskier than traditional vaccines because of a concern…
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease characterized by noncaseating granulomas in affected tissues, mostly involving the lungs and lymph nodes.1,2 The etiology of sarcoidosis remains unknown but is thought to be due to an inflammatory response to an antigen exposure in genetically predisposed individuals.1 Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF‑α), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, plays an essential role in…