The year was 1991. It was my first Tuesday as a rheumatology fellow at the University of Pittsburgh’s Presbyterian Hospital. Navigating a maze of buildings and hallways, I delivered myself to the entrance to the scleroderma clinic. Running late and not knowing whether there was a separate entrance for staff, I clicked open the door….
SAN DIEGO—Fibrosis affects all organ systems, but isn’t always systemic sclerosis. Experts on less common forms discussed patient presentations, diagnosis and treatment at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego on Nov. 6. Retroperitoneal Fibrosis Formerly called Ormond’s disease, retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is usually an IgG4-related disease, but has some unique characteristics, said John…
MADRID—Research into pharmacodynamic biomarkers has shown that macrophages may have an important role in the pathogenesis of several diseases, including systemic sclerosis, an expert said at the 2017 Annual European Congress on Rheumatology (EULAR). The findings were discussed in a session that also covered how an understanding of M1 macrophages’ role in fibrosis has evolved…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The pathology of pediatric psoriasis differs from that of adult psoriasis, a finding that has implications for treatment, researchers suggest. “Pediatric psoriasis often differs from adult psoriasis in presentation, triggers, natural history, and response to therapy, suggesting potential differences in the pathophysiology of the disease processes,” Dr. Kelly Cordoro of the University…
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare disease affecting about 49,000 U.S. adults, and it is strongly associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality.1 Of the few available antifibrotic therapies, none is targeted for SSc. However, reason for optimism exists for antifibrotic treatments in early development and clinical trials, says Jörg H.W. Distler, MD, Heisenberg Professor…
Rheumatologists now have another treatment option to offer their patients with one of, if not the most, difficult autoimmune diseases to treat. New data add to the growing evidence of the safety and benefit of stem cell transplantation for patients with systemic sclerosis with internal organ involvement. New results of the Scleroderma: Cyclophosphamide or Transplantation…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor tofacitinib appears to improve moderate to severe nail psoriasis, according to a new study. “Nails are hard to treat in psoriasis and we need better treatments,” says Dr. Luis Garza, a dermatologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, who was not involved in the research….
From treating rashes to uncovering a case of osteoarthritis, dermatologists and rheumatologists can work together in a variety of ways to improve patient care, says Joseph F. Merola, MD, MMSc…
Certolizumab pegol has proved safe and effective for treating patients with plaque psoriasis in a Phase 3 clinical trial…
Recent research examined the relationship between patients with scleroderma who are anti-CTP antibody negative and cancer. Combing two complementary technologies, PhIP-Seq and PLATO-BC, researchers identified the POLR3 complex in cancer-associated scleroderma…