Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center
Antioxidants may protect tissues against damage, reduce systemic inflammation, and modulate antigen presentation by inflammatory cells. However, no large-scale investigation on whether dietary and/or supplement intake of antioxidants is protective against the development of autoimmune rheumatic disease. Here, Costenbader et al (American Journal of Epidemiology 2010; 172(2): 205) explore antioxidant intake and the risk of [...]
Leflunomide use during early pregnancy is associated with fetal malformations in animal studies and is classified as a pregnancy category X by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, little is known about pregnancy outcomes in humans exposed to leflunomide in early pregnancy, particularly in those who receive “wash-out” with cholestyramine (a drug sequestrant). Here, [...]
Recently, it has been recognized that a subset of T cells producing the cytokine IL-17 contribute to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Animal studies have suggested that blockade of IL-17 may reduce the inflammatory signs and symptoms of inflammatory arthritis and reduce bone erosion. Here, Genovese et al report Phase I/II data for LY2439821, [...]
Reactivation of latent tuberculosis is a recognized risk of TNF inhibitor use. While there has been circumstantial evidence of greater risk with the monoclonal antibody TNF inhibitors (e.g. infliximab and adalimumab) compared with decoy receptor TNF inhibitors (e.g. etanercept), there have been few direct comparisons. Here, Dixon et al (Ann Rheum Dis 2010; 69: 522-528) [...]
Treatment with rituximab, a monoclonal antibody targeting CD20+ B cells, could adversely affect immunization responses by dampening the antibody response from new vaccination or reducing pre-formed antibody from prior vaccination. However, little systematic investigation of immunization responses has been undertaken. Here, two studies concurrently published in Arthritis & Rheumatism explore responses after influenza vaccination (van [...]
