At this year’s European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark, HSS physicians and scientists presented exciting new research in rheumatology.

Study highlights include: new results underscoring the importance of a multidisciplinary medical team for pregnant women with lupus; findings that further clarified the clinical manifestations of undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD); the effectiveness of a computer vision tool in distinguishing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from osteoarthritis (OA) in joint tissue from patients who underwent total knee replacement (TKR); and notable discoveries related to the treatment and management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Study Underscores Importance of Multidisciplinary Medical Team for Pregnant Women with Lupus

A study led by HSS rheumatologist Bella Mehta, MBBS, MS, underscores the importance of a multidisciplinary medical team to counsel and provide care for women with systemic lupus erythematosus, the most common form of lupus, who become pregnant. Using a nationwide database, the investigators reviewed the records of more than 50,000 patients with lupus who gave birth over a 10-year period. Findings revealed a higher rate of fetal morbidity and severe maternal morbidity compared to women who did not have lupus. The findings can help both patients and their physicians to assess risk, establish appropriate interventions and ensure that a multidisciplinary medical team is in place to counsel patients and manage their care.

New HSS Study Defines Disease Characteristics for Patients with Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease

A new HSS study conducted by senior study author and rheumatologist Medha Barbhaiya, MD, MPH, and lead study author and rheumatology fellow Caroline Siegel, MD, and colleagues has further clarified the clinical manifestations of undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD). The results reveal that even among patients diagnosed by their treating physician with UCTD, some may meet classification criteria for other rheumatic diseases.

Computer Vision Tool Improves the Ability to Distinguish Rheumatoid Arthritis from Osteoarthritis in Damaged Joint Tissue

A new study led by HSS rheumatologists Bella Mehta, MBBS, MS, and Dana Orange, MD, MS, found that a computer vision tool effectively distinguishes rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from osteoarthritis (OA) in joint tissue taken from patients who underwent total knee replacement (TKR). The results suggest the machine learning model will help improve research processes in the short term and optimize patient care in the future.

HSS Presents Rheumatoid Arthritis Research at 2022 EULAR Annual Congress

Several HSS investigators presented new research related to the treatment and management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The studies focus on the tapering of treatment in patients whose disease is well controlled, real-world outcomes for targeted therapies, assessing the effects of biologic treatments on immune cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and the underlying mechanisms of arthritis triggered by immune checkpoint therapies used to treat cancer.