
A study lead by Lisa Christopher-Stine, M.D., M.P.H. identified “Hiker’s Feet” as a new skin finding in some patients with inflammatory muscle disease (myositis).
In this issue of LEAP you can read about our precision approach to an increasingly common illness, gout, to a rare illness linked to Sjögren’s, and to cancer patients who are developing some autoimmune-mediated complications. And we are especially excited to share with you a tremendous breakthrough in understanding how rheumatoid arthritis begins.
The study provides new evidence that a bacterium known to cause chronic inflammatory gum infections also triggers the inflammatory autoimmune response characteristic of chronic, joint-destroying rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The new findings have important implications for prevention and treatment of RA.