Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), is a type of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis (AAV) that affects small- to medium-sized vessels.1 It can occur equally in both men and women, with a reported mean age at onset of 55 years.2 The classical presentation of GPA includes upper respiratory tract (i.e., chronic sinusitis, serous otitis and…
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as anti-programmed cell-death 1/programmed death-ligand 1 (anti-PD-1/PD-L1) or anti-CTL-associated protein (anti-CTLA-4), have dramatically changed the treatment of advanced cancers over the past decade. ICIs block T cell inhibition, thus increasing the anti-tumor immune response. ICIs are used not only for metastatic cancer, but also as adjuvant treatment for some stage…
ACR CONVERGENCE 2021—Rheumatology patients who test positive for COVID-19 would benefit from early use of monoclonal antibodies, said Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, MD, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth), Houston, in a session about effective treatment options for COVID-19. Acknowledging that the SARS-CoV-2 virus has already…
ACR CONVERGENCE 2021—The ACR Convergence 2021 meeting reflected the continued advancement of science and practical research in the field of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Among the most important topics this year in RA was the evolution of the risk-benefit profile of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, for which new safety data emerged in a series of related…
During the ACR Convergence 2021 annual Review Course, Peter Merkel, MD, MPH, provided recent updates on vasculitis.
Options to escalate treatment for refractory inflammatory myositis and new therapies in the pipeline are discussed.
During the ACR Convergence 2021 Review Course, Rohit Aggarwal, MD, MS, provided an update on idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.
ACR Convergence 2021—The Pediatric Rheumatology Year in Review began with a fascinating talk by Mara Becker, MD, MSCE, a professor of Pediatrics and vice chair of faculty at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C. Dr. Becker began by describing her search strategy to select high-yield clinical science publications in pediatric rheumatology from the past…
ACR CONVERGENCE 2021—Hematologic abnormalities are common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), whether due to SLE itself or something else. As rheumatology professionals, we are routinely challenged by the management of cytopenias in our SLE patients. At the ACR’s annual meeting in 2021, two hematologists shared expert advice regarding common hematologic manifestations of SLE. Michael B….
New concepts in autoimmunity & immunology are being discovered daily in research being conducted to understand the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its implications for rheumatology & all fields of medicine. Here are some insights shared by experts during day 1 of the Basic and Clinical Research Conference.