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Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 25m

Study from Czech ATTRA registry of 8,543 RA pts 641 (7.5%) met criteria for D2T-RA & 1,825 achieved remission (21%). D2T-RA predicted by machine learning models (accuracy 0.606–0.747, AUC 0.656–0.832). Predictors included CDAI, DAS28-ESR, TJC, HAQ, CRP, steroids www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Machine learning-assisted screening of clinical features for predicting difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Machine learning-assisted screening of clinical features for predicting difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis

www.nature.com

Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 15h

30% of RA pts have non-alcoholic fatty liver Dz (NAFLD). In 170 pts on MTX or biologics (TNFi, IL-6i)- NAFLD was found in 36%. MTX & biologics were not linked to NAFLD or fibrosis -- BUT was signif assoc w/ metabolic syndr, BMI, Waist, ALT, and AST (all p < .001) link.springer.com/article/10.1...

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Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 16h

FDA has approved Genentech’s CD20-targeting antibody obinutuzumab (Gazyva) for the treatment of adult patients with lupus nephritis who are receiving standard therapy. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

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Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 22h

Telitacicept Effective in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

The NEJM has published a report from van Vollenhoven et al showing a new dual B cell inhibitor, telitacicept, to be effective when given to active SLE patients; but this comes with a few safety concerns.

rheumnow.com/news/telitac...

Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 23h

SAIL-RA: Finding ILD in Early RA

Cohort study of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients finds that interstitial lung disease (ILD) begins early in the course of RA, with certain factors enhancing this risk.

buff.ly/ltDGxi8

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Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 1d

Retrospective study of 423 seropositive RA pts (SPRA) finds 21% with baseline ILD; over 10 yrs 31% had ILD. High monocyte counts signif higher in RA-ILD; whereas RF, CCP did not predict. Age & ILD predicted mortality - not monocytes, RF or CCP www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 1d

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) regulates appetite, body weight & glucose homeostasis. IL-18 deficiency may lead to obesity, but chronic IL-18 signalling promotes liver fibrosis. IL-18 is Elevated in obesity and diabetes mellitus www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Interleukin-18 in obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases - Nature Reviews Endocrinology

Interleukin-18 (IL-18), a pyroptosis-related cytokine linking immunity and metabolism, regulates appetite, body weight and glucose homeostasis. IL-18 has paradoxical roles: its deficiency leads to…

www.nature.com

Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 2d

Study of Bx proven lupus nephritis (1970-2024) - a total of 324 LN pts followed for median 9.9 yrs -- 30 (9.3%) developed Venous Thromboembolic event (VTE); time from LN to 1st VTE 4.4 yrs. Predictors were SLEDAI-2K score (HR= 1.05) and proteinuria level (HR 1.26) academic.oup.com/rheumatology...

Venous thromboembolism in patients with lupus nephritis: frequency and risk factors—a cohort study

AbstractObjectives. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a known complication of SLE, yet there is a lack of high-quality studies specifically focused on LN. Th

academic.oup.com

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Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 2d

From the plenary to posters, RheumNow is your companion for ACR Convergence 2025. Expect:
• KOL videos
• Clinical trial highlights
• Daily faculty recaps
• Live streaming
#ACR25 #Rheumatology #ClinicalTrials

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Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 2d

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” –
Winston Churchill

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Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 3d

Fibromyalgia in PsO & PsA is linked to greater treatment complexity and shorter biologic therapy survival. Retro matched 1:4 cohort study 61K PsO& 244K controls. FM prevalence 3.3% (OR 1.45). In PsA decr biologic survival (6 vs 10yrs) w/ incr switching (HR 1.82)

buff.ly

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Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 3d

CONGRATULATIONS: Dr. Lauren Henderson has been awarded the Drukier Prize in Children’s Health Research. Lauren is a pediatric rheum at Boston Children’s Hospital, focused in difficult JIA. She has studied T-B cells interactions & long-term joint damage in JIA www.eurekalert.org/news-release...

Gale and Ira Drukier Prize in Children’s Health Research awarded to pediatric rheumatologist at Boston Children’s Hospital

Dr. Lauren Henderson, a physician-scientist whose research focuses on children with difficult-to-treat juvenile idiopathic arthritis and other autoimmune disorders, has been awarded the 10th annual…

www.eurekalert.org

Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 3d

Metanalysis of whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) in Ank. spondylitis (AS) - 5 studies & 310 #AS pts. Temps (−60°C to −10°C) & duration (80 sec to 3 min) varied. WBC significantly mproved BASDAI (p<0.001), ASDAS ( 0.015), BASFI (0.006), & VAS pain (.005), but NOT CRP www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Efficacy of Whole-Body Cryotherapy in Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis | Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine

Introduction: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by pain, stiffness, and progressive joint deformities. While pharmacological treatments remain the standard…

www.liebertpub.com

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Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 3d

Skin Biopsies to Predict Scleroderma Outcomes?

Researchers have shown that skin biopsies in patients with SSc can define a fibroblast immunophenotype that may have prognostic and early treatment decision impact.

rheumnow.com/news/skin-bi...

Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 3d

Arthritis Pain and Education Gaps Linked Save

New research from The University of Texas at Arlington shows that differences in state welfare policies are linked to rising arthritis-related joint pain across much of the U.S.

buff.ly/m6NY52g

Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 4d

JAMA Pediatrics study of 1,473 young US adult, finds 1/4 use cannabis or alcohol for sleep (18% cannabis; 7% EtOH), even though these may interfere with quality or ability to stay asleep. In those using cannabis in the last yr, 41 reported using cannabis to sleep. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Cannabis and Alcohol Use to Initiate Sleep Among Young Adults

This survey study identifies the prevalence of and demographic characteristics associated with use of substances for sleep purposes in US adults aged 19 to 30 years.

jamanetwork.com

Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 4d

Failure of IL-17 inhibition in Lupus nephritis. 31 LN pts enrolled in phase 2 DBRPCT of secukinumab 300 mg IV, but was terminated early for futility (complete renal response at week 52 was lower with secukinumab (24.2%) than with placebo (36.3%). academic.oup.com/rheumatology...

Secukinumab in active lupus nephritis: Results from phase III, randomised, placebo-controlled study (SELUNE) and open-label extension study

AbstractObjectives. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous secukinumab 300 mg combined with standard of care (SoC) in adult patients with acti

academic.oup.com

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Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 4d

Muscle mass & JAKi? 15 active RA pts (+ sarcopenia risk) Rx w/ tofacitinib - signif. improved @1 mo. @6 mos muscle mass signif improved (+242 cm3, p=0·017) {less w/ NSAIDs); w/ signif creatinine incr (0.06 mg/dl) & decr in serum IL-6, IL-1 & TNF. No change in CK www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Skeletal muscle effects of Janus kinase inhibition in rheumatoid arthritis (RAMUS): a single-arm, experimental medicine study

Tofacitinib treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis was associated with increased muscle volume after 6 months. The increase in serum creatinine associated with tofacitinib treatment might…

www.thelancet.com

Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 4d

Why Brittle Bones Aren't Just a Woman's Problem

Osteoporosis is more common in women, prompting routine screenings for them at 65. However, about 20% of men over 50 will have an osteoporotic fracture, and older men make up about one-fourth of hip fracture cases.

rheumnow.com/news/why-bri...

Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 4d

Pregnancy Management in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Global Consensus

Consensus guidance on the management of pregnancy in patients with IBD was simultaneously published in six international journals, including The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

rheumnow.com/news/pregnan...

Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 4d

BMJ Systematic review of 217 RCTs w/ 15 684 pts shows beneficial exercises for Knee Osteoarthritis are aerobic activities such as walking, cycling, or swimming significantly mitigated pain during both short and mid-term follow-up periods bioengineer.org/walking-cycl... www.bmj.com/content/391/...

www.bmj.com

Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 4d

Osteonecrosis: suspect with trauma, high-dose steroids, alcoholism, renal failure, transplantation, SLE, thrombotic states (e.g., sickle cell anemia, hemoglobinopathies), radiation injury, pancreatitis, gout, pregnancy, hyperlipidemia, & caisson disease www.rheumaknowledgy.com/osteonecrosis/

RheumaKnowledgy » Osteonecrosis

Last updated: November 4, 2014

www.rheumaknowledgy.com

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Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 5d

Review of IL-1 family cytokines in inflammation and immunity - including, IL-1, IL-18, IL-33, IL-36, IL-37, IL-38, IL-1Ra, etc. Full read -- Good Reference!! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

IL-1 family cytokines in inflammation and immunity - Cellular & Molecular Immunology

Cellular & Molecular Immunology - IL-1 family cytokines in inflammation and immunity

www.nature.com

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Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 5d

Scientific American takes a look at the beneficial effects of:
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Vitamin D
Curcumin
(basic overview for all) www.scientificamerican.com/article/thre...

Many Pills and Powders Claim to Suppress Inflammation and Disease. Three Actually Can

Experts say the strongest scientific studies identify three compounds that fight disease and inflammation

www.scientificamerican.com

Dr. John Cush @rheumnow.bsky.social · 5d

A cohort study of 1 548 538 mother-child pairs with antenatal exposure to steroids (ACS) found a significantly increased risk of res v nonrespiratory infections in preterm & full-term children up to 21 years. (65 vs 40 & 30 vs 18 per 1000 person-Yrs, respectively) jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Antenatal Corticosteroids and Infectious Diseases Throughout Childhood

This cohort study assesses the association between maternal antenatal corticosteroid treatment and the development of infections in offspring from childhood to adulthood.

jamanetwork.com

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