Accuracy of Financial Disclosures in US-Based Rheumatology Journals.

Objective: Transparency of disclosure in publication is necessary for readers to be aware of any potential conflicts of interest (PCOIs). Past studies of accuracy of disclosure in rheumatology journals have focused exclusively on clinical practice guidelines and not research works. We assessed discrepancy in reporting PCOIs in clinically oriented manuscripts published in the three top-ranked (by impact factor) US-based general rheumatology journals.

2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout.

Objective: To provide guidance for the management of gout, including indications for and optimal use of urate-lowering therapy (ULT), treatment of gout flares, and lifestyle and other medication recommendations.

Methods: Fifty-seven population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes questions were developed, followed by a systematic literature review, including network meta-analyses with ratings of the available evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, and patient input. A group consensus process was used to compose the final recommendations and grade their strength as strong or conditional.

2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout.

Objective: To provide guidance for the management of gout, including indications for and optimal use of urate-lowering therapy (ULT), treatment of gout flares, and lifestyle and other medication recommendations.

Methods: Fifty-seven population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes questions were developed, followed by a systematic literature review, including network meta-analyses with ratings of the available evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, and patient input. A group consensus process was used to compose the final recommendations and grade their strength as strong or conditional.

Gout and cardiovascular disease: crystallized confusion.

Purpose Of Review: Gout is associated with the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, but the biological relationship between the two remains uncertain. The demonstration of reduction of cardiovascular risk with appropriate gout treatment would argue for a causal role for gout in cardiovascular disease. We reviewed recent studies that address the relationship between gout and cardiovascular disease.

Refractory Psoriatic Arthritis and Polyarteritis Nodosa: Co-occurrence in a Patient with Undiagnosed HIV.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection can result in several autoimmune illnesses, including psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). We describe a patient who presented with PsA refractory to both synthetic and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), who then developed PAN while on antitumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy. The onset ofvasculitic disease led to the discovery of the HIV infection, and manifestations of both PsA and PAN remitted with the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Antinuclear antibody testing: discordance between commercial laboratories.

Antinuclear antibody (ANA) test results frequently affect the course of patients' evaluations, diagnosis, and treatment, but different laboratory centers may yield conflicting results. This study investigated the degree of agreement between laboratory results in a group of subjects who had ANA testing performed at two commercial laboratories. This was a chart review study, in which all ANA tests ordered by the authors from one commercial laboratory over a 4-year period were queried.

Hyperuricemia, gout, and cardiovascular disease: an update.

Across the globe, both gout and hyperuricemia have become increasingly common over the last few decades. The burden of gouty disease is made heavier by its association with several comorbid conditions, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. Accruing evidence from prospective studies suggests that gout is an independent risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease and for higher cardiovascular mortality.

PEG-ing down (and preventing?) the cause of pegloticase failure.

Pegloticase is a powerful but underutilized weapon in the rheumatologist's armamentarium. The drug's immunogenicity leads to neutralizing antibody formation and rapid loss of efficacy in roughly one-half of all patients, which remains an impediment to broader use. New data, however, suggest that drug survival might improve with concomitant immunosuppressive agent (s), which merits further study.

Thromboangiitis obliterans successfully treated with phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors.

Thromboangiitis obliterans, or Buerger's disease, is a non-atherosclerotic, segmental, inflammatory disease affecting the small- and medium-sized vessels of the distal extremities. Other than discontinuation of tobacco, there is no standard-of-care treatment. Although two randomized trials have demonstrated a role for intravenous iloprost, no oral drug has yet been demonstrated to be effective in treating thromboangiitis obliterans.

The clinical utility of a positive antinuclear antibody test result.

Background: This retrospective study investigated the clinical utility of a positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) test performed outside of the rheumatology setting. Prior studies have investigated the frequency of ANA positivity within the general population. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the clinical utility of a positive ANA test result in a real-world setting by reviewing the final diagnoses of patients who were referred to a tertiary rheumatology clinic for evaluation of a positive ANA test result.