Center of Excellence: Pediatric Rheumatology
professional staff
Thomas J.A. Lehman, MD, FAAP Chief Alexa B. Adams, MD Laura Barinstein, MD Theresa T. Lu, MD, PhD supported by St. Giles Research Chair Nancy Pan, MD Allied Health Professional Lydia Vazquez, LCSW
The Division of Pediatric Rheumatology continues to provide the full range of advanced treatments for children with complex rheumatic diseases. HSS has been at the forefront of defining optimal use of biologic therapies in children with rheumatic diseases. Innovative treatment approaches developed at the Hospital include the combination therapy of rituximab and cytoxan in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Thomas J.A. Lehman, MD, and his colleagues have now completed a fiveThomas J.A. Lehman, MD, FAAP year follow-up study on children with SLE aggressively treated with this therapy with dramatic results showing that they are virtually disease-free. Most recently, Dr. Lehman, Nancy Pan, MD, and their colleagues reported on their study of patterns and influence of familial autoimmunity in pediatric SLE. A high prevalence of autoimmune disease has been documented in relatives of adult patients with SLE, however, data on familial inheritance patterns in pediatric SLE patients are scarce. In a retrospective chart review of 69 patients with pediatric-onset SLE, the researchers found that the most common diseases in relatives of children with SLE were SLE (21 percent) and thyroid disease (15 percent). Children presenting with SLE at an earlier age, as well as those with no family history of autoimmune disease, were more likely to have severe SLE, although severity did not differ by gender. They conclude that larger studies are necessary to elucidate patterns of familial inheritance and baseline patient characteristics that may affect severity of disease in pediatric SLE. Dr. Lehman continues as a principal investigator of the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry, a network of pediatric rheumatology research centers across North America.
Nancy Pan, MD
In 2012, Dr. Nancy Pan, a former fellow in pediatric rheumatology at HSS, joined the Division. Dr. Pan received her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and completed her residency in pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. During her fellowship, Dr. Pan pursued clinical and translational research identifying biomarkers for flares in lupus under the mentorship of Kyriakos A. Kirou, MD, Co-Director of the Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Care. â–
Division of Rheumatology
17