Rheumatology News and Research

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Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Rheumatologists mainly deal with clinical problems involving joints, soft tissues and allied conditions of connective tissues.

Potential new targeted treatments for Lupus

New research provides clues about the causes of lupus symptoms and suggests specific new targeted treatment strategies, according to Nilamadham Mishra, M.D., from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, in presentations this week at the American College of Rheumatology in Boston.

13 Nov 2007

Mycophenolate mofetil therapy effective for reducing lupus flares

Mayo Clinic researchers have shown that an immunosuppressive drug used in organ transplant cases is effective in reducing flare-ups in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

13 Nov 2007

Human Genome Sciences announces positive phase 2 LymphoStat-B results

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. has announced the presentation of Phase 2 clinical results demonstrating that LymphoStat-B (belimumab) achieved a sustained improvement in disease activity across multiple clinical measures, decreased the frequency of disease flares over time, and was well tolerated through 2.5 years on treatment in combination with standard of care in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

13 Nov 2007

Fibromyalgia pain caused by neuron mismatch

The unexplained pain experienced by patients with fibromyalgia is the result of a mismatch between sensory and motor systems, new research suggests.

31 Oct 2007

Gold-like drugs to treat arthritis

Scientists at Duke University Medical Center may have solved the mystery surrounding the healing properties of gold - a discovery they say may renew interest in gold salts as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

22 Oct 2007

Renewed search for lupus treatments and cure

For the first time in decades, a significant number of clinical trials are being conducted to seek a treatment, perhaps even a cure, for lupus, a chronic and potentially fatal autoimmune disease that affects more than 1.5 million Americans -- 10,000 in Los Angeles County alone.

4 Oct 2007

Painful condition affecting kidney failure patients increases risk of death

A painful and debilitating condition that affects patients with kidney failure may be more common than previously believed and appears to be strongly associated with prior exposure to certain contrast agents used in imaging studies.

29 Sep 2007

Research explains why opioids are thought to be ineffective in people with fibromyalgia

People who have the common chronic pain condition fibromyalgia often report that they don't respond to the types of medication that relieve other people's pain.

27 Sep 2007

New treatment for calcific tendinitis

Inflammation of a tendon triggered by calcium deposits, or calcific tendinitis, can effectively be treated with a simple and cost effective percutaneous method according to a recent study conducted by researchers from the Hospital de Basurto in Bilbao, Spain.

25 Sep 2007

Key arthritis legislation could positively impact nation's most common cause of disability

On Wednesday, September 19, the American College of Rheumatology and the Arthritis Foundation will jointly brief members of Congress and their staffs about the devastating effects of arthritis and related rheumatic diseases.

13 Sep 2007

New techniques for measuring blood volume

The July issue of The American Journal of Medical Sciences presents a special symposium on the measurement and clinical implications of blood volume and its measurement.

16 Aug 2007

Prototype vaccine against tuberculosis

Using a novel approach, researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have developed a prototype vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) that works better in animal models than the only TB vaccine now available.

2 Aug 2007

Interferon-alpha levels may predict who might be at risk to develop lupus

Certain families produce higher levels of a specific molecule, called interferon-alpha, that primes the body's immune system to turn on, and in some cases initiate an autoimmune attack on itself, according to new research from Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

1 Aug 2007

Rheumatologists overestimate physical disability of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Rheumatologists substantially overestimate the physical disability of patients with rheumatoid arthritis which may lead to inaccurate evaluations of the patient's ability to work and need for lifestyle modifications, a new study found.

29 Jun 2007

Genzyme files for FDA approval of single-treatment Synvisc-One

Genzyme Corp. has announced that it has filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of Synvisc-One, the single treatment of Synvisc (hylan G-F 20) that provides up to six months of pain relief from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.

23 Jun 2007

Environmental and genetic risk factors in the development of rheumatoid arthritis

Two new studies by a team in Sweden have identified smoking, a low formal level of education and certain metabolic indicators as important risk factors in the development of RA.

19 Jun 2007

Remicade helps those with ankylosing spondylitis

Data presented at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Annual European Congress of Rheumatology showed that patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who received REMICADE, (infliximab) over two years experienced significant improvement in spinal mobility.

19 Jun 2007

Breast feeding for thirteen months or more reduces mother's risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis

In the study, the longer the breast feeding period, the lower the mother's risk of developing RA in later life.

19 Jun 2007

Alcohol may protect against rheumatoid arthritis

New data presented at EULAR 2007, the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Barcelona, Spain, suggests that alcohol may protect against rheumatoid arthritis, with three units a week exhibiting protective effects and ten units a week being more protective still.

19 Jun 2007

Results of Tocilizumab study

Nearly half (43.9%) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving tocilizumab 8mg/kg, in addition to ongoing methotrexate therapy experienced a 50% (ACR50) improvement in symptoms at 24 weeks and more than one fifth achieved a 70% symptom improvement, according to results of a study presented at EULAR 2007, the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Barcelona, Spain.

19 Jun 2007