High-resolution computed tomography shows evidence of ILD.
The ACR/CHEST ILD Guidelines in Practice, a video
In collaboration with the American College of Chest Physicians, the ACR released two new comprehensive guidelines aimed at improving the screening, monitoring, and treatment of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) secondary to systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). Recently, Sindhu R. Johnson, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada, director of the Toronto Scleroderma Program and principal investigator for the guideline, and Elana J. Bernstein, MD, MSc, Florence Irving associate professor of medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at Columbia University, New York City, and co-first author, presented a webinar to talk about how the guidelines were developed and present some of the recommendations and their rationale: Watch the recording now!
Researchers who devote their time to studying lupus are accustomed to considering environmental stimuli such as sunshine and cigarettes. But according to Gregg J. Silverman, MD, a professor in the Department of Medicine and in the Department of Pathology at the New York University (NYU) School of Medicine and co-director of the Musculoskeletal Center of…
Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) need better appraisal and more informational and social support, according to a new study on health-related quality of life in these patients.1 The phenomenological study, comprising qualitative interviews with patients in the Lupus Clinic at the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo., also found a need for…
The body uses B cells to produce antibodies that can fight off infection by invading antigens and bacteria. But in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the immune system produces autoantibodies that work against the body’s proteins to attack joint tissues. Researchers believe this process is helped along by autoreactive B cells that live in bone matter and…
A prognostic tool developed to predict survival in patients with various forms of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is fairly accurate in predicting survival outcomes for many patients with PAH related to systemic sclerosis (SSc-PAH), according to a new study. However, the prognostic accuracy is less reliable for SSc-PAH patients with the highest risk of death….
The ACR’s newest journal, ACR Open Rheumatology (ACROR), launched in 2019 with all articles published in full online. The journal publishes high-quality, rigorously peer-reviewed articles on original investigations in rheumatology research, including basic science, clinical science, epidemiology, health outcomes and education, as well as commentaries and reviews. Open access is on the rise. A 2017…
Nearly 120 ACR/ARP member advocates and rheumatology patients were on Capitol Hill this week fighting for rheumatology as part of the ACR’s Advocates for Arthritis conference.
A new study adds to the evidence that metabolic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this large, prospective cohort study, Liu et al. found that increased physical activity among women was associated with a reduced risk of RA…
Medical students and residents are choosing careers in rheumatology, thanks in part to the annual Choose Rheumatology Experience hosted by the Rheumatology Research Foundation during the ACR/ARP Annual Meeting. The Choose Rheumatology Experience is a special half-day program designed to help future physicians and rheumatology professionals navigate the Annual Meeting. Cultivating interest in rheumatology is…
Toll-like receptors play an important role in host defense. TLR-7 recognizes viral ssRNA, but also plays a role in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Genetic ablation of a similar receptor, TLR-9, results in opposite effects, with severe disease and kidney involvement. The mechanism of how this works remains unknown. Anna-Marie Fairhurst, PhD, from…
In an international clinical trial, adding the drug belimumab to standard maintenance therapy for patients in remission with vasculitis did not lower the relapse rate. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the safety and efficacy of belimumab as adjunctive therapy to maintain remission in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis (AAV). Results of the multi-center, industry-sponsored…