In light of new challenges to individuals’ reproductive rights and the known challenges of clinical management of rheumatic disease patients during pregnancy, we review the current state of reproductive rheumatology and the management of patients with rheumatic disease during pregnancy.
A 25-year-old Mexican American woman with a five-year history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presents with refractory, acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (ACLE) and subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) affecting the scalp, face and hands. Her serologic phenotype is characterized by elevated anti-nuclear, anti-double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA), anti-ribonucleoprotein (RNP), anti-Smith and anti-SS-A (Ro) antibodies and chronically…
When it comes to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and cardiovascular events (CVEs), the rheumatology community is woefully lacking in information, say researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) David Geffen School of Medicine and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Their recent work on biomarkers associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular events in women with…
Lupus & Perinatal Outcomes Adverse perinatal outcomes before & after diagnosis with systemic lupus erythematosus among African American Women By Meghan Angley, PhD, & S. Sam Lim, MD Why was this study done? Previous studies have suggested that women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may experience adverse perinatal outcomes, including preterm and small-for-gestational-age birth, in…
COVID-19 vaccinations are safe for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with manageable side effects and a low incidence of flare, according to a recently published study in The Lancet.1 The use of mRNA vaccines, such as those from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which have been viewed as riskier than traditional vaccines because of a concern…
Rheumatologists can do better at helping systemic lupus erythematosus patients from racial and ethnic minority groups adhere to their lupus medication regimens, according to a paper published in Arthritis Care & Research. Researchers from Duke University examined medication adherence barriers from the perspectives of healthcare providers and patients. Their findings suggest more attention should be…
For decades, rheumatologist Cindy Flower, MD, accumulated images of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in her patients, as well as clinical vignettes to use in teaching at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown, Barbados. For decades, she has wanted to do something wide-reaching with these materials, sharing information from her practice and her mentor, the late Prof….
Experts shined a spotlight on select abstracts of the latest rheumatology research, addressing such topics as racial disparities in the management of children with SLE, vitamin D or fish oil supplementation to prevent autoimmune disease & more.
ACR Convergence 2021—The field of pediatric rheumatology has benefited from significant developments in the basic and translational sciences over the past year, and it can be challenging to keep up with the latest discoveries. In the Basic Science section of the Pediatric Rheumatology Year in Review at ACR Convergence, Tiphanie Vogel, MD, PhD, assistant professor…
ACR CONVERGENCE 2021—Many of the effects of childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) and vasculitis carry into adulthood and present adult rheumatologists with key differences in managing these patients after their transition from a pediatric to an adult provider. “The young adult with childhood-onset lupus is similar in many ways to adults with lupus, but there…