ACR Journals on Air Podcast
Welcome to ACR Journals on Air, the ACR’s newest podcast series featuring interviews, commentary, and analysis on research from our three peer-reviewed journals: Arthritis & Rheumatology, Arthritis Care & Research, and ACR Open Rheumatology. Join us each episode for engaging discussions with authors and independent experts about recently published studies, their implications for clinical care, and how they move the field of rheumatology forward.
Whether it’s an expert analysis of a manuscript or deep dive with an author—our goal is the same—to understand the impact of the science and bring it from the bench to the bedside.
Podcast Host
Victoria Shanmugam, MBBS, MRCP, CCD, has clinical expertise caring for patients with autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, and chronic wounds. She has led several research studies investigating scleroderma, hidradenitis suppurativa, and the interplay of the host immune response and the microbiome in chronic wounds. Dr. Shanmugam is a frequently invited speaker at professional meetings. Her work in wound healing, hidradenitis, and scleroderma has been published in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, such as Arthritis Care and Research, Current Opinion in Rheumatology, International Wound Journal, and Clinical Rheumatology. Connect with Dr. Shanmugam on Twitter (@VickiShanmugam).
Episodes
New episodes will be available twice a month on Tuesdays.
Episode 59 – Immunology for the Rheumatologist: NETs in Lupus
Episode 58 – Immunology for the Rheumatologist: Type I Interferon & Skin Disease
Episode 57 – Opioids and SARDs
Episode 56 – DECT and Gout Remission
Episode 55 – Immunology for the Rheumatologist: The Devil Is in the Details
Browse previous episodes in the ACR Journals on Air archive.
Episode Show Notes
In this episode we explore the role of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Mariana J. Kaplan, MD, Chief of the Systemic Autoimmunity Branch at the National Institute of Arthritis Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, joins the discussion to break down the complex immunological mechanisms driving lupus, focusing on the contribution of NETs and Low-Density Granulocytes (LDGs) to disease activity and tissue damage. The conversation delves into the potential for these biological markers to improve diagnosis and treatment strategies, particularly in the context of lupus flares and cardiovascular complications.
Mariana J. Kaplan, MD – Mariana J. Kaplan, MD, is NIH Distinguished Investigator, Chief of the Systemic Autoimmunity Branch and Deputy Scientific Director at the Intramural Research Program at NIAMS. Before her appointment, she was a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Kaplan completed her Rheumatology Fellowship and postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan, where she was a member of the faculty for 15 years and an active member of their Multidisciplinary Lupus Clinic. In addition to her research activities, Dr. Kaplan is an active clinician and teacher. She sees lupus patients in the NIH Clinical Research Center and is involved in the development of various clinical trials for patients with autoimmune diseases at the NIH. She has served in numerous roles at the American College of Rheumatology/Rheumatology Research Foundation, the American Association of Immunologists, and the Lupus Foundation of America.
Dr. Kaplan's research has focused on identifying mechanisms of immune dysregulation, organ damage, and premature vascular disease in systemic autoimmunity. More specifically, she investigates how innate immunity (in particular, type I interferons and myeloid cells) promote autoimmune responses and end-organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other systemic autoimmune diseases.
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In this episode, we sit down with Victoria Werth, MS, MD, a leading expert in dermatology and autoimmune diseases, to explore the study Understanding the Role of Type I Interferons in Cutaneous Lupus and Dermatomyositis: Toward Better Therapeutics. Dr. Werth delves into the complex immune mechanisms that drive skin manifestations in cutaneous lupus and dermatomyositis, two challenging autoimmune conditions. She explains how Type I interferons contribute to inflammation and tissue damage, and how understanding these pathways could pave the way for more targeted and effective treatments.
Victoria P. Werth, MS, MD – Victoria P. Werth, MS, MD, is a Professor of Dermatology and Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Chief of the Division of Dermatology at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Hospital. Dr. Werth earned her medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.
She is a co-founder of the Rheumatologic Dermatology Society and previous president of the group. She is co-founder of the Medical Dermatology Society, and a recipient of their lifetime achievement award. She initiated the combined internal medicine/dermatology residency program in the U.S., which has successfully trained prominent leaders in complex medical dermatology. She has a longstanding interest in clinical and translational research pertaining to autoimmune skin diseases, including cutaneous lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, and autoimmune blistering diseases, with a focus on improving the outcomes of autoimmune dermatologic diseases. She has developed and validated disease severity tools now used in many international trials for these diseases, with a goal to advancing evidence for current and new therapeutics.
Her laboratory studies include studies in cutaneous lupus and dermatomyositis that relate to pathogenesis and heterogeneity of response to treatment, and ultraviolet light effects on skin. Recent clinical studies have examined mechanistic effects of therapeutics in CLE, as well as subset-specific expression of cytokine signatures.
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In this episode, we explore the findings of a groundbreaking study analyzing opioid treatment trends for adults with and without systemic autoimmune and inflammatory rheumatic diseases (SARDs) from 2006 to 2019. The study, based on national data from the United States, sheds light on how individuals with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and ankylosing spondylitis are impacted by opioid use compared to the general population.
Yinan Huang, MS, PhD – Yinan Huang, MS, PhD, is a health outcome researcher who has extensive experience in observational study designs to address the impacts of treatments on health outcomes with an emphasis on rheumatology. Her research focuses on generating high-quality evidence of medication utilization, effectiveness and safety of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs as well as other high-risk medications such as opioids for rheumatoid arthritis through largescale healthcare datasets (administrative claims and national survey) and systematic reviews approaches.
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This week we're joined by two leading experts in gout remission, Nicola Dalbeth, MBChB, MD, FRACP, FRSNZ, and Dansoa Tabi-Amponsah, PhD, to explore the exciting advances in gout treatment, with a particular focus on Dual-Energy CT (DECT) imaging and its role in achieving gout remission. We dive into how DECT technology is transforming our ability to visualize urate crystals in joints, its implications for patient care, and the potential it holds for long-term gout management and remission.
Nicola Dalbeth, MBChB, MD, FRACP, FRSNZ – Nicola Dalbeth, MBChB, MD, FRACP, FRSNZ, is a rheumatologist at Health New Zealand and Head of the Department of Medicine at the University of Auckland. She leads a research program focusing on the mechanisms, impact, and treatment of gout.
Dansoa Tabi-Amponsah, PhD – Dansoa Tabi-Amponsah, PhD, is a doctoral student at the University of Auckland. Her PhD research focuses on identifying and understanding the predictors of gout remission.
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This week, we have yet another installment in our ongoing immunology series with our guest David S. Pisetsky, MD, PhD, author of Unique Interplay Between Antinuclear Antibodies and Nuclear Molecules in the Pathogenesis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and ACR Presidential Gold Medalist. Dr. Pisetsky focuses on SLE’s pathogenesis in this study by examining antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) and immunologically active DNA. As we dive deep into his research, we find those all-important details that truly make the difference.
David S. Pisetsky, MD, PhD – David S. Pisetsky, MD, PhD, received his BA from Harvard College magna cum laude in 1967 and his PhD and MD degrees from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1972. He was an intern and resident in Internal Medicine at the Yale-New Haven Hospital from 1973–1975. He joined the faculty of the Duke University Medical Center in 1978 and served as Chief of Rheumatology and Immunology at Duke from 1996–2007.
Dr. Pisetsky has conducted basic and translational research in the field of autoimmunity, focusing on the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the immunological properties of nuclear macromolecules, including DNA. These studies have provided new insights into the binding properties of anti-DNA antibodies in SLE and normal immunity. He has also explored the performance characteristics of serological assays for the determination of antibodies to DNA and other nuclear molecules. In studies on the properties of autoantigens, he has elucidated the role of microparticles and mitochondria in immune complex formation.
Current research focuses on specificity of anti-DNA antibodies for different conformation of DNA, the categorization of lupus symptomatology and the Type 1 & 2 model of SLE.
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