The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Association for Rheumatology Professionals (ARP) Annual Meeting

November 8 - 13, 2019
Atlanta, GA

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/ Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP) annual meeting is the world’s largest rheumatology gathering for physicians, other health care professionals and scientists who treat or research rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. Many Johns Hopkins Division of Rheumatology physicians and researchers attended this year’s conference and shared information about recent innovations and discoveries. The following video Q&A’s with Johns Hopkins staff were conducted at the ACR/ARP conference. 


Renal Single Cell Genomics Links Type II Interferon and Lupus Nephritis in African-Americans

Andrea Fava says we are currently neglecting the development of specific treatments that could target the particular cells involved in driving lupus in African American patients.
Andrea Fava, MD

Andrea Fava, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology

Patient Reported Outcomes and Factors Predicting Clinical Disease Activity in Patients with Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitor Inflammatory Arthritis

Caoilfhionn Connolly and colleagues assessed patients with inflammatory arthritis from cancer-treating checkpoint inhibitors to see what has an impact on their quality of life and what type of symptoms patients experience. They found that ...
Caoilfhionn Connolly, MD

Caoilfhionn Connolly, MD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Emotional and Social Determinants of Health Increase Office Communication for Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Dana DiRenzo says rheumatologists not only need to pay attention to patients’ physical health but also their social and emotional well-being.

Defining the SLE-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Phenotype

Marisa Mizus says it’s important to study diverse populations that have lupus. There are few guidelines on how to monitor and treat hypertension in patients with lupus, and Marisa Mizus discusses what her team is doing to help.

The Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Cardiovascular Risk Equation

Michelle Petri says current cardiac guidelines lack information on how to best monitor and treat cardiac patients who also have lupus.
Michelle Petri, MD, MPH

Michelle Petri, MD, MPH

Director, Johns Hopkins Lupus Center
Professor of Medicine

Low Vitamin D Is Associated with Miscarriage and Preterm Birth in SLE with a U-shaped Relationship

Michelle Petri discusses what she and her colleagues are doing to help women with lupus have a successful pregnancy.
Michelle Petri, MD, MPH

Michelle Petri, MD, MPH

Director, Johns Hopkins Lupus Center
Professor of Medicine

Vitamin D Reduces Cardiovascular Risk Factors in SLE - Hydroxychloroquine Increases Low C3 in SLE - Effect of Treatment on Antiphospholipid Antibodies in SLE

Michelle Petri is back with more posters! During these presentations, she talks about a couple new therapies that all patients with lupus should receive.
Michelle Petri, MD, MPH

Michelle Petri, MD, MPH

Director, Johns Hopkins Lupus Center
Professor of Medicine

Association of African-American Ethnicity and Smoking Status and Total and Individual Damage Index in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Romy Kallas and her team found that smoking seems to increase organ damage in patients with lupus, and she urges patients to seek help quitting.

Linaclotide for the Treatment of Refractory Constipation in Systemic Sclerosis

Zsuzsanna McMahan discusses a drug rheumatologists can use to treat scleroderma patients who suffer from bowel and colon issues. McMahan also talks about the gastrointestinal complications among patients with scleroderma.
Zsuzsanna McMahan, MD

Zsuzsanna McMahan, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Environmental and Atmospheric Factors in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Regression Analysis

George Stojan says his research found that so-called atmospheric factors (wind, barometric pressure, temperature, pollution concentration, etc.) were predictive of specific flares in patients with lupus.

Toward a Liquid Biopsy for Lupus Nephritis: Urine Proteomic Analysis of SLE Identifies Inflammatory and Macrophage Signatures

Lupus nephritis is one of the worst manifestations of lupus.
Andrea Fava, MD

Andrea Fava, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology

Part II - Toward a Liquid Biopsy for Lupus Nephritis: Urine Proteomic Analysis of SLE Identifies Inflammatory and Macrophage Signatures

In their study, Andrea Fava and colleagues used an assay that allows them to measure a thousand proteins in urine — urine proteomics.
Andrea Fava, MD

Andrea Fava, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology

Cancer Immunotherapy Induced Rheumatic Disease

Laura Cappelli organized an open discussion at #ACR19 among oncologists and rheumatologists to address the rheumatic problems seen in some patients on cancer-fighting checkpoint inhibitors.

Treatment Options for Scleroderma Skin Involvement

Laura Hummers leads a talk on how clinicians treat and manage severe scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that causes hardening of tissue.
Laura Hummers, MD

Laura Hummers, MD

Clinical Director, Division of Rheumatology
Associate Professor of Medicine

Hydroxychloroquine Blood Levels and Risk of Thrombotic Events in Systemic Lupus Erythematous

Researchers found that the lower the levels of hydroxychloroquine, the greater the rate of clotting events. But the researchers were surprised that when they looked at hydroxychloroquine doses prescribed to patients with lupus compared ...
Maximilian Konig, MD

Maximilian Konig, MD

Postdoctoral Fellow