Focus Rheums| ACR Convergence 2024 Previews

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Opinion: More Tests Needed to Diagnose Fever of Unknown Origin

Alan Zalkowitz, MD  |  

I’m writing in regard to the article, “Fever of Unknown Origin” (TR, March 2016), by Charles Radis, DO. In regard to the non-caseating granulomas, there was no mention of epithelioid or giant cells. In addition, it was mainly [complement] C4 in the center of the granulomas, which is often found in sarcoidosis. Moreover, whether these…

Rheumatoid Arthritis & Autoimmune Glomerulonephritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis & Autoimmune Glomerulonephritis

Diana M. Girnita, MD, PhD, Shahzad Safdar, MD, & Avis Ware, MD  |  

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is rarely associated with renal manifestations, but secondary amyloidosis due to chronic inflammation is reported to be the etiology of renal dysfunction in many cases of RA.1,2 The discovery of biologic therapy, with TNF-alpha inhibitors in particular, made a huge difference in the disease course and prognosis of RA patients. However, TNF-alpha…

Christopher Ritchlin Balances Patient Care with Beekeeping Hobby

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When Christopher Ritchlin, MD, MPH, isn’t teaching students, residents and fellows at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), treating patients or conducting medical research in his lab, he’s monitoring the health of another sort of patient—honeybees. For the past four years. Dr. Ritchlin, professor and chief of allergy, immunology and rheumatology at URMC, has…

Rheumatology Drug Updates: Etanercept for Pediatric Plaque Psoriasis

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Etanercept Submitted for Chronic, Severe Plaque Psoriasis in Children The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the supplemental Biologics License Application for etanercept (Enbrel) for treating pediatric patients with chronic, severe plaque psoriasis.1 The application was submitted in early January 2016 and is based on results of a one-year Phase 3 study with…

ARHP Past Presidents Share Ties to Tucson, Arizona

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The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recognized the 50th anniversary of the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP) during the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting this past November in San Francisco. The University of Arizona Arthritis Center followed up with a reception in Tucson to honor past presidents of the ARHP. The Tucson area has the highest…

Diagnostic Tests, Tips for Gluten-Induced Celiac Disease

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CHICAGO—Celiac disease—the gluten-induced illness that can be seen alongside rheumatic diseases—has been seen much more commonly over the past 20 years than it was previously, but the illness can come with questions that are not always straightforward, an expert said at the ACR’s State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium. The disease, in which the small intestine becomes inflamed…

Treatments for Scleroderma with Gastrointestinal Involvement Address Symptoms

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CHICAGO—Nine out of 10 scleroderma cases include clinical signs of gastrointestinal (GI) involvement, with severe involvement associated with high mortality rates, but the pathology of this is not very well understood, a GI expert said at the ACR’s State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium. That has left clinicians with a slate of treatments—anti-reflux, antimicrobials and prokinetics—that address only…

Tips on Vaccinating Patients with Rheumatic Diseases

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CHICAGO—In October of last year, a 52-year-old woman came to see Kevin Winthrop, MD, MPH, associate professor in infectious diseases, public health and preventive medicine at the Oregon Health & Sciences University. She had rheumatoid arthritis and was taking methotrexate and prednisone. She had had little change in her RA disease severity and was considering…

University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Division of Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology Recognized for Excellence

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An interdisciplinary and collaborative environment is a critical factor for the advancement of basic science and clinical research in the academic environment, says William J. Koopman, MD, former director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB’s) Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology. And in 1977, when he was being recruited by Division Director J….