Articles By Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof, MRCP(UK), PhD
What do our lupus patients think about treat-to-target?
By Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof, MRCP(UK), PhD
13 June 2022
In SLE, two targets that are increasingly used are the DORIS 2021 Remission and the Lupus Low Disease Activity (LLDAS). T2T is more likely to be successful if the treating clinicians and the patients set the treatment goals together. What do our patients think about T2T and do they have any say/concern?
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The Safety of Rituximab and JAK Inhibitors with post-COVID Vaccination
By Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof, MRCP(UK), PhD
08 June 2022
At the onset of the pandemic, data from the Global Rheumatology Alliance reported increased risk of poor severe COVID outcomes including deaths in patients who were treated with rituximab and baricitinib. With the vaccination program undertaken globally, has this risk been attenuated?
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SLE trials update
By Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof, MRCP(UK), PhD
02 June 2022
Translating targeted therapy from bench to bedside has been more problematic in SLE than other autoimmune diseases, with many theoretically well-founded agents appearing to have failed in clinical trials as a result of inefficacy, problem with trial design and/or safety issues.
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Risks associated with mortality in VEXAS
By Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof, MRCP(UK), PhD
06 December 2021
Vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic syndrome (VEXAS) took the centre stage when it was first introduced at ACR20 last year. It got everyone’s thinking that they might have encountered one or two patients in their rheumatology lifetime who might have this condition.
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Update on Safety, Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in SLE
By Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof, MRCP(UK), PhD
22 November 2021
It is almost a year since the Pfizer-BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccine has been made available by the FDA under emergency use authorization (EUA). The question still being asked is whether the vaccine is safe for people with lupus?
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Emapalumab for the treatment of macrophage activation syndrome
By Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof, MRCP(UK), PhD
12 November 2021
Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a term commonly used by rheumatologists to describe a potentially life-threatening complication of systemic inflammatory disorders, most commonly occurring in people with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Read ArticleRisks associated with mortality in VEXAS
By Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof, MRCP(UK), PhD
09 November 2021
Vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic syndrome (VEXAS) took the centre stage when it was first introduced at ACR20 last year. It got everyone’s thinking that they might have encountered one or two patients in their rheumatology lifetime who might have this condition.
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Do B-cell targeted therapies still have a place for the treatment of Sjogren’s?
By Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof, MRCP(UK), PhD
18 June 2021
B-cells play a major role in the pathogenesis of primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) through antibody-dependent and antibody-independent functions, as well as evident by progression to B-cell malignancies/lymphoma. Hence, targeting B-cell is attractive. Despite efficacy of B-cell depleting therapy with rituximab in Phase II trials and case series, it failed to meet its primary endpoint when investigated in two Phase III trials. It is worth noting that the primary endpoint used in both trials was a subjective measure. Post-hoc analyses however showed greater improvement in objective measures such as salivary flow rate and salivary gland ultrasound score in RTX-treated group vs placebo. Therefore, do B-cell targeted therapies still have a place for the treatment of pSS?
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Promising options to treat mucocutaneous disease in SLE
By Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof, MRCP(UK), PhD
08 June 2021
Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) consists of a wide range of dermatologic manifestations seen in people with or without systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). CLE can be categorised into LE-specific lesions, i.e.
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