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

2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting Abstracts Now Available

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Accepted Annual Meeting abstracts are now available online. Search abstract presentations online or download a PDF of the online 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting Abstract Supplement. Our online resources center is your single point of access to Annual Meeting program information. View, print or download Annual Meeting publications or access the app.

Past President Marlin Shields Reflects on the ARHP’s 50-Year History

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As the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP) continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary, The Rheumatologist recently spent time with Charter Member and Past President Marlin N. Shields, RPT, discussing the history of the ARHP and the changes he has seen in rheumatology. One topic that was, and remains, near and dear to him is…

Rheumatology Research Foundation Expands Studies in Rheumatic Diseases Through Career Support

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For the past 30 years, the Rheumatology Research Foundation has been an invaluable resource for investigators looking to further their careers and expand essential research into rheumatic diseases. Among the Foundation’s many award recipients is Robert Plenge, MD, PhD. In 2008, Dr. Plenge received a grant from the Foundation to pursue finding a genetic basis…

Dr. St.Clair Reflects on Progress in Rheumatology

E. William St.Clair, MD  |  

As a practicing rheumatologist, I have experienced the increasing payer and government involvement shaping our evolving healthcare system. New payment models, changes in health insurance coverage, the federal mandate for the adoption of electronic health records and the implementation of ICD-10 are recent changes that have rocked our world. Our patients are also paying the…

Sjögrens Syndrome: The Need to Bridge Patient Symptoms & Objective Findings

Sjögrens Syndrome: The Need to Bridge Patient Symptoms & Objective Findings

Robert I. Fox, MD, PhD, & Carla M. Fox, RN  |  

Despite a generation of advances in molecular biology, a huge gap exists between the Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) patient’s description of their symptoms and the objective findings. Current issues include: Many SS patients are misclassified as either rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), even within rheumatology clinics. Frequently, the sickest SS patients with extraglandular…

SSNHL was first described in 1979 in a series of 18 patients from Iowa whose acute hearing loss was not explained by the usual causes.

When Sense Disorders Signal Immune System Interactions

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I sometimes find myself mired in sticky clinical circumstances. I am facing a distraught patient who is seeking my opinion about a condition that, according to some, may not truly belong in the rheumatologist’s bailiwick. Case example: hearing loss. The Steroid Test Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and its relative, autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED),…

Rheumatology Drug Updates on Brentuximab Vedotin, Tofacitinib Citrate

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Brentuximab Vedotin Enters Phase 2 Trials Brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris), an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed at CD30, is currently entering Phase 2 clinical trials for treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).1 The ADC encompasses an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody, which is attached by a protease-cleavable linker to a microtubule-disrupting agent, known as monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE). The ADC…

U.S. Drug Benefit Managers Clamp Down on Specialty Pharmacies

Caroline Humer & Deena Beasley  |  

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters)—In recent days, the largest U.S. managers of private prescription drug benefits have cut off at least eight pharmacies that work closely with drugmakers, intensifying scrutiny of a system that helps inflate drug prices, officials at the benefit managers told Reuters. The terminations come from payers who together manage drug benefits for…