Hospital for Special Surgery to Present Innovative Research at American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting

New York, NY—October 5, 2014

More than 50 studies involving researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City will be presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) annual meeting in Boston, November 14 - November 19.

"An impressive number of oral and poster presentations cover a range of important topics – from laboratory-based studies of gene expression and alterations in cell signaling in lupus to novel collaborative studies of outcomes of joint replacement surgery in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis," said Mary Crow, M.D., physician-in-chief at Hospital for Special Surgery.

"In addition to sharing their original research, HSS rheumatologists have been selected to present the latest information on pregnancy management in lupus patients, ethics in rheumatology and challenges in the use of electronic health records," Dr. Crow added.

HSS study highlights include:

• Interferon-a and Angiogenic Dysregulation in Pregnant Lupus Patients Destined for Preeclampsia (oral)
• Measuring the Impact of an Early RA Support and Education Program Using a Program Evaluation with Patient-Identified Outcomes (oral)
• Biologic DMARDs Modify the Association Between Patient Expectations and Outcomes of Total Knee Replacement in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients (poster)
• Very Low or High Body Mass Index Negatively Affects Patients’ Ability to Achieve Sustained Remission in Early RA (poster)
• Implant Survival and Patient-Reported Outcomes After Total Hip Arthroplasty in JIA Patients Under the Age of 35 (poster)
• Rho-Associated Protein Kinase (ROCK) Activity Is Elevated in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Patients and May be Responsive to RA Therapies (poster)

"The ACR annual meeting is the premier forum for presentation of the most current information related to the full spectrum of musculoskeletal, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The meeting attracts thousands of physicians, scientists and affiliated health professionals," Dr. Crow noted.

In addition to research studies, HSS professionals will be moderating panel discussions and participating in "Meet the Professor" sessions.

For more information about a specific study or to interview a Hospital for Special Surgery expert, please contact Robin Frank (tel. 516.773.0319) or Tracy Hickenbottom (tel. 212.606.1197) in the HSS Public Relations Department.