Lara C. Pullen, PhD, is a medical writer with a PhD in microbiology/immunology from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. As a medical writer she has covered topics as diverse as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and autism. Her favorite subject, however, is the role of the immune system in health and disease. Dr. Pullen is also the mother of three children, the youngest of whom has Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). She is an active member of the PWS community and a thought leader on the importance of the ketogenic diet for this patient population.
A recent study details the autoantibodies of patients with myositis, confirming most patients carry these antibodies. The results also describe how myositis-specific autoantibodies can be used to identify distinct clinical subsets of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy…
A recent study evaluated the factors associated with the presence of peripheral manifestations of spondyloarthritis (SpA), which affects more than half of patients with SpA. Researchers found that being older, HLAB27 negative and having a history of psoriasis were associated with these symptoms…
Little is known about the immunopathogenic relationship between celiac disease and systemic autoimmune diseases, such as primary Sjögren’s syndrome and systemic sclerosis. But new research indicates that screening for celiac disease may benefit patients newly diagnosed with systemic autoimmune diseases, as well as supports the idea that celiac disease may accelerate the development of systemic autoimmune disease…
Antibody-secreting cells are important for the pathophysiology of SLE and RA, but researchers have been unable to determine how these cells are activated. A new technique is able to distinguish between naïve autoreactive B cells and established antibody secreting cells…
Although antimitochondrial antibodies are present in SLE patients, researchers have has difficulty investigating the phenomenon due to barriers in isolating pure mitochondria. The study describes a technique that allows for such an investigation and provides insight into how the adaptive immune system recognizes mitochondrial organelles…
Pain, physical disability and joint deformity have been linked to sexual dysfunction. New research suggests gout may also significantly affect relationships and intimacy. The study found the physical effects of gout on intimacy, such as joint pain, were the top-ranked concern for gout patients…
Postmenopausal women are often told to consume more than 1,500 mg of calcium daily to reach neutral bone balance. But new research suggests this recommendation should be revised, finding no connection between dietary calcium intake and postmenopausal bone loss…
New data from India suggest women with idiopathic inflammatory myositis are at increased risk of poor fetal outcomes and spontaneous abortions. In the study, researchers found these women had worse obstetric outcomes and increased risk of fetal complications…
Trabecular bone score and high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography may be effective for evaluating bone impairment in patients ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Rheumatologists may be able to use these methods, complementary to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, to identify bone quality deterioration in AS patients.
New research does not support the use of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided strategy for treating RA patients. The study found that among RA patients in remission, an MRI-guided treat-to-target strategy compared with a conventional treat-to-target strategy did not result in improved disease activity remission rates or reduced radiographic progression…