In rare cases where IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) affects the pericardium, surgery to remove all or part of this sac surrounding the heart is usually necessary to control the disease, according to a study of 5 patients in the U.S. “Medical therapy alone is often inadequate, and [surgery] remains the…
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People with immunoglobulin-G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) often attend dozens of outpatient doctors’ visits in the months immediately before and after diagnosis, and many are hospitalized for more than a week at a time. That’s according to a study based on U.S. commercial insurance records that also showed healthcare-related costs increase…
Four blood proteins may help diagnose immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD), monitor disease activity and treatment response, and predict relapse risk, a study reveals. The four proteins also showed strong associations with standard markers of inflammation and could distinguish the disease from conditions with similar signs, including cancer. “These insights…
Researchers in Japan have described the clinical and tissue features of localized-type IgG4-related cholecystitis, a rare form of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) that affects the gallbladder, which may help distinguish it from gallbladder cancer. “Understanding these … features would contribute to a more accurate differential diagnosis from [gallbladder] cancer,” the…
IgG4-related prostatitis — an inflammation of the prostate caused by IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) — can be easily mistaken for an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer, making diagnosis challenging, according to a systematic review of published cases to date. Still, data suggested that most men with IgG4-related prostatitis respond well…
Interactions between two specific subsets of immune cells may contribute to disease activity in people with immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD), according to a new study. Researchers speculated that this newly identified immune-related axis could be a potential target for new IgG4-RD treatments. The study, “Extrafollicular [Tph2–CD11c-positive,…
Azathioprine, an immunosuppressive medication, may help keep immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) under control over the long term, while reducing glucocorticoid, or steroid, use, according to a small real-world study in Austria. In most of the 10 patients evaluated, azathioprine — primarily used to treat immune diseases — was…
Closely monitoring disease activity without starting medication immediately — an approach called watchful waiting — may raise the risk of relapse for people with mild IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), according to a real-world study from China. In people with IgG4-RD, watchful waiting is sometimes used as a strategy for patients…
Regulatory authorities in Japan have granted orphan drug designation to rilzabrutinib, an oral therapy candidate for immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) that’s now in late-stage clinical testing globally. In Japan, orphan drug designation is awarded to experimental medicines that aim to treat diseases affecting fewer than 50,000 people in the…
Long-term treatment with rituximab — a cancer drug used despite not having specific approval — is safe and generally effective for controlling IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), though researchers say more study is needed to standardize its use. Those are the outcomes of a small study by scientists in Germany, who…
