The occurrence of opportunistic infections is an established complication in patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The foremost challenge in such circumstances is differentiating between an exacerbation or progression of SLE, and the effects of the infection itself.1 Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous parasite that often causes an asymptomatic infection in healthy, immunocompetent adults….
Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a condition that manifests as exposed, necrotic and non-healing jaw bone in patients who have been treated with bisphosphonates, denosumab, chemotherapeutic agents, anti-angiogenic drugs, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, thalidomide and steroids.1-4 These medications are administered via intravenous, subcutaneous and oral routes to manage osteopenia; osteoporosis; hypercalcemia of malignancy; bone…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The German Society for Rheumatology (DGRh) has updated its guidelines to reflect the recent impact of the pandemic, noting among its key changes that immunosuppressive medications should not be changed solely for fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection.1 The update is based on evidence from scientific data from registries, cross-sectional studies, case reports and…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Magnesium-based micromotors showed promise as a delivery system for hydrogen therapy to inflamed joints in an experimental model of rheumatoid arthritis, researchers say. Hydrogen gas has been shown to neutralize overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can degrade cartilage and bone and activate inflammatory cytokines, according to Dr. Yingfeng Tu of…
NEW YORK (Reuters)—Individuals fully inoculated against COVID-19 can meet in small groups with other vaccinated people without wearing masks, but should keep wearing them outside the home, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on March 8. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, said during a briefing that the agency’s new guidance…
In Canada, a subcutaneous formulation of CT-P13, which is biosimilar to infliximab, was approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Research from Ellingwood et al. examines how often patients diagnosed with early RA experience episodic joint inflammation and describes characteristics that may result in RA development.
Experts at ACR Convergence 2020 addressed how diet & the body’s microbiome affect chronic diseases.
(Reuters Health)—Many pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may achieve low disease activity in the third trimester with a modern treatment regimen that includes anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) medications, a recent study suggests. Researchers examined data on 309 patients with RA who were pregnant or trying to conceive and who were treated with modern treat-to-target…
COVID-19-related deaths are significantly higher in communities with higher proportions of Black, Latinx, Asian American or other racial/ethnic minorities.