Dear All,

Greetings of the day!

As Chennai  gears up to host the 17th APLAR congress where the Indian Rheumatology Association will come out with the annual newsletter booklet, we bring to you important studies done over the last few months in our field. Prominent among them is the data by Van Vollenhoven RF et al over 11 years use of rituximab. For those of us who have been using it for years now, it is reassuring to know there are no real worrisome safety signals. Except for immunoglobulin levels going down and minor infusion reactions, the study shows rituximab being safe up to 11 years. Weiss PF et al have shown fluid sensitive sequences of sacroiliac joints are enough for diagnosing sacroilitis in children and that gadolinium is not needed. This is an important finding knowing the adverse effects of the dye.

These and many other summaries of studies useful to all of us in our day to day practice along with meet the expert and the all important patient’s perspective are included in the issue.

Everything has to change, so must the newsletter; for the better. Your contribution and ideas for the same will matter. Please email us at iranewseletter@gmail.com

Wishing you all an academic feast at Chennai.

Regards,

Banwari Sharma
Editor, IRA e-Newsletter