ACR Conference 2026 Day 2: Research Roundup

Sialic Acid-binding Ig-like Lectin 1: A Serological Biomarker for Interstitial Lung Disease in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies

Research Team: Barreth N, Leclair V, Hudson M, Landon-Cardinal O, Larch M, Buhler K, Berger C, Sciore P, Fritzler M, Johannson K, Choi M, Krustev E.

Summary: Because interstitial lung disease is a leading cause of death in patients with auto-immune diseases causing inflammation of the muscles, finding reliable blood markers is essential to better monitor and predict lung complications. To address this need, researchers evaluated blood levels of a protein, called SIGLEC1, and found that higher levels correlated with the presence and severity of lung involvement. They also tracked changes in SIGLEC1 levels after one year of treatment and found that levels of  this protein reflected treatment response and stability of lung disease. Levels of this protein is a promising blood biomarker of lung disease and response to treatment.

Poorer Mental Health at Initiation of First Advanced Therapy in Early RA is Associated with Higher Medication Concerns and Earlier Treatment Discontinuation: Findings from the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH)

Research Team: Bartlett S, Bingham C, Schieir, Valois MF, Thorne C, Bessette L, Allard-Chamard H, Hazlewood G, Hitchon C, Kuiyea B, Boire G, Pope J

Summary: In this study from the Canadian CATCH cohort, researchers evaluated data from adults with early rheumatoid arthritis to examine how anxiety and depression at the time of starting advanced therapies affected patients’ concerns about medications and persistence of treatment. The study found that about half of patients experienced mental health symptoms at the time of starting advanced therapy, and people with anxiety or depression reported greater concerns with medications and stopped their treatment significantly sooner.

Same Treatment, Different Outcomes: At Initiation of First Advanced Therapy in Early RA, Mental Health Predicts Worse Treatment Response at 6-12 Months

Research Team: Bartlett S, Bingham C, Schieir, Valois MF, Allard-Chamard H, Bessette L, Hazlewood G, Hitchon C, Kuiyea B, Boire G, Pope J

Summary: In this study from the Canadian CATCH cohort, researchers evaluated adults with early rheumatoid arthritis starting their first advanced therapy to see how mental health affected response to treatment 6 to 12 months later. The study found that patients with depression or anxiety experienced less overall disease control and worse pain, fatigue, and physical functioning compared to people with good mental health. This highlights the importance of integrating mental health care as part of the multidisciplinary care for rheumatoid arthritis.

Evaluation of the Clinical Frailty Scale in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Research Team: Chen O, Legge A.

Summary: Researchers evaluated a quick, 9-point Clinical Frailty Scale in 188 adults with lupus to determine if this simple tool could match a more complex standard assessment for detecting frailty. The simple scale was found to have strong agreement with the standard test, identifying nearly 30% of patients as frail. People classified as frail were typically older, had lived with lupus longer, and experienced higher levels of inflammation, organ damage, and physical disability.

Sex Differences in Cellular Immune Profiles in Psoriatic Arthritis

Research Team: Dang S, Li X, Cook R, Wither J, Jurisica I, Chandran V, Eder L

Summary: In this study researchers analyzed blood samples from psoriatic arthritis patients before and three months after starting biological therapies to examine whether immune cells respond to treatment differently in men and women. The study revealed clear baseline differences in immune cell patterns between sexes, which became even more pronounced after treatment—especially with IL-17 inhibitors—pointing toward the potential for tailoring treatment strategies based on patients’ sex.

GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Eligibility and Uptake and their relation with Psoriatic Arthritis Disease Activity and Cardiovascular Morbidity: Real-World Data from a Cardio-Rheumatology Cohort 

Research Team: Eder L, Akhtari S, Shahab S, Afgani F, Jerome D, Kuriya B, Harvery P.

Summary: More than half of patients in a Toronto cardio-rheumatology clinic were eligible for weight-loss medications, particularly those with psoriatic arthritis, but only about 1 in 10 eligible patients received treatment. Patients who were eligible generally had more active disease, and poorer heart health, highlighting an important gap in care.

More than Pain: Differences in Symptom Profile and Their Relation With Psoriatic Arthritis Activity in Male and Female Patients Enrolled in a Global Cohort Study

Research Team: Eder L, Angkodjojo S, Abogamal A, Acosta Felquer ML, Adebajo A Afgani F, Aydin S, Bautista-Molano W, Cauli A, Chandran V, Chau J, Cheng I, Coates LC, Deodhar A, Diaz P, D’Agostino MA, Furer V, Gensler LS, Gossec L, Haroon M, Irani A, Kaeley GS, Kalyoncu U, Kishimoto M, Leung YY, Lubrano E, Maldonado Ficco H, Mathew AJ, Mazal-Markovitz B, Nzeusseu Toukap A, Ogdie-Beatty A, Ortolan A,  Polachek A, Proft F, Raychaudhuri SP, Ridley D, Rochon P, Goldenstein-Schainberg C, Selmi C, Shenker N, Solmaz D, Szentpetery A, Stoenoiu MS, Strand V, Tam LS, Thib S, Wagenaar W, Zisman D, Mease P

Summary: In this international study following people with active psoriatic arthritis starting biologic therapy, women reported more fatigue, sleep problems, mood symptoms, physical limitations, and reduced quality of life than men, even though their disease activity scores were similar. These findings suggest that factors beyond joint inflammation may contribute to differences in how the disease affects women and men.

The Performance of a New Definition of Sonographic Inflammatory Enthesitis at the Single-Enthesis Level for Discriminating Psoriatic Arthritis from Psoriasis Alone and Controls: Analysis of Data from the DUET study

Research Team: Eder L, Ribeiro AL, Koppikar S, Acayaba de Toledo R, Bakewell C, Carron P, Elnady B, Haddad A, Kavanaugh A, Katz A, Kohler MJ, Marin J, Afgani F, Nzeusseu A, Polachek A, Rodriguez E, Rosemffet M, Singh A, Stoenoiu MS, Sarolta Szentpétery A, Tinazzi I, Yinh J, Kaeley GS, Aydin SZ.

Summary: This international study evaluated a new criterion for diagnosing psoriatic arthritis. A specific ultrasound sign of active inflammation at tendon attachment sites was much more likely to be found in people with psoriatic arthritis than in those with psoriasis alone. Although uncommon, this finding was highly specific and strongly increased confidence in the diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis.

High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein as a Biomarker of Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis

Research Team: Ujjwol Prasad Risal (Trainee), Lily Zou, Liana Dimitropoulos, Sydney Thib, Denis Poddubnyy, Dafna D Gladman, Vinod Chandran, Richard Cook, Eder L

Summary: This study looked at blood tests of people followed in a psoriatic arthritis clinic at the Universty of Toronto and found that higher levels of C-reactive protein, a blood marker of inflammation, were linked to more active psoriatic arthritis and worse symptoms. People with higher levels were also less likely to achieve good disease control, suggesting this blood test may help track disease activity over time.

Treat‑to‑Target Achieved, Fatigue Persists: Cross‑Sectional Insights into Mediators of Residual Fatigue.

Research Team: Bingham C, Meng N, Hoque U, Jones M, Bartlett S

Summary: In this study, researchers analyzed patient self-reported data from over 700 rheumatoid arthritis patients to determine what drives persistent fatigue when joint inflammation is well controlled. The study revealed that anxiety, depression, and sleep problems were the primary drivers of ongoing fatigue. This study highlights the importance of inquiring about sleep and mental health in the routine care of people with rheumatoid arthritis

Plasma metabolomics and female gout risk: a prospective study of ~900 circulating metabolites across >100 pathways in US women

Research Team: Rai S, McCormick N, Yokose C, Choi HK.

Summary: In this study, researchers analyzed blood samples from 468 women in a long-term health study to evaluate how 900 circulating chemical compounds relate to the risk of developing gout. They discovered that 116 compounds were linked to a higher risk of gout—notably markers influenced by gut bacteria, sugar substitutes, and steroid hormones—while several amino acids were tied to a lower risk. Overall, the study demonstrates that distinct metabolic shifts predict gout in women, uncovering novel biological markers that provide key insights into how the disease develops.