Episodios

  • Episode 57: Autoinflammatory Diseases with Adult Rheumatologist Dr. Jason An

    Episode 57: Autoinflammatory Diseases with Adult Rheumatologist Dr. Jason An
    Mar 31 2026

    Autoinflammatory diseases are often considered rare — but, in clinical practice, they may be far more common than we think. In this episode of Around the Rheum, hosts Dr. Daniel Ennis and Dr. Janet Pope speak with Dr. Jason An, a Toronto rheumatologist with expertise in autoinflammatory disorders.

    Together, they explore how these conditions differ from classic autoimmune disease, why adult rheumatologists should be thinking about them more often, and how to approach diagnosis when the presentation doesn’t fit neatly into familiar categories.

    Dr. An also shares practical strategies for recognizing autoinflammatory patterns, interpreting genetic testing, and using targeted therapies both diagnostically and therapeutically.

    In this episode we discuss:

    • The evolving definition of autoinflammatory disease and how it differs from autoimmune disease
    • Why these disorders are not just pediatric diseases and may present in adulthood
    • A practical cytokine-based framework for classifying autoinflammatory diseases
    • The four major inflammatory “buckets”:
    • IL-1–mediated diseases
    • IL-18-mediated diseases
    • TNF / NF-κB pathway disorders
    • Interferonopathies
    • Clinical pattern recognition in patients with recurrent fevers and systemic inflammation
    • The role and limitations of genetic testing in autoinflammatory disease
    • Why variants of uncertain significance (VUS) may still be clinically meaningful in adults
    • Using targeted therapies as diagnostic tools (colchicine, IL-1 blockade, JAK inhibitors)
    • When rheumatologists should consider referral to an autoinflammatory disease specialist

    Recommended reading:

    Dr. An’s review on autoinflammatory diseases in The Journal of Rheumatology:

    https://www.jrheum.org/content/51/9/848

    Dr. Jason An, MD, MSc is an adult rheumatologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of autoinflammatory diseases who works in community practice in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

    Around The Rheum is produced by the CRA Communications Committee. A special thank you to the podcast team, Dr. Dax G. Rumsey (CRA Communications Committee Chair), Dr. Daniel Ennis (Host), Dr. Janet Pope (Host) David McGuffin (exploreproductions.ca), and Erin Stewart (CRA) for leading production.

    Our theme music was composed by Aaron Fontwell.

    For more on the work of the Canadian Rheumatology Association, visit rheum.ca
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    41 m
  • Episode 56: What do rheumatologists get wrong about skin? Exploring the world of the Combined Rheumatology-Dermatology Clinic with Dr. Sheila Au and Dr. Kam Shojania

    Episode 56: What do rheumatologists get wrong about skin? Exploring the world of the Combined Rheumatology-Dermatology Clinic with Dr. Sheila Au and Dr. Kam Shojania
    Feb 27 2026
    Dr. Kam Shojania is a Clinical Professor at the University of British Columbia, Head of Rheumatology at Vancouver General Hospital, and Medical Director of the Mary Pack Arthritis Program. He co-leads the DART Clinic at St. Paul's Hospital, a combined dermatology-rheumatology clinic focused on complex inflammatory skin and connective tissue diseases. Dr. Sheila Au is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Dermatology and Skin Science at the University of British Columbia and a medical dermatologist at St. Paul’s Hospital. She co-leads the DART Clinic and specializes in inflammatory and autoimmune skin disease, with a focus on morphology-based diagnosis and collaborative care.
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    56 m
  • Episode 55: Exploring the New CRA/CanRIO Guidelines with Dr. Carrie Ye and Dr. Jeff Graham

    Episode 55: Exploring the New CRA/CanRIO Guidelines with Dr. Carrie Ye and Dr. Jeff Graham
    Dec 4 2025
    A must-listen for anyone treating autoimmune disease or cancer in the era of immunotherapy.
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    33 m
  • Episode 54: Santé planétaire et durabilité en rhumatologie avec Dres Stephanie Tom et Elizabeth Hazel

    Episode 54: Santé planétaire et durabilité en rhumatologie avec Dres Stephanie Tom et Elizabeth Hazel
    Oct 16 2025
    Dans cet épisode d’Autour de la Rhumato, le Dr Hugues Allard-Chamard discute de la santé planétaire et des moyens d’intégrer la durabilité dans la pratique médicale avec les Dres Stéphanie Tom et Elizabeth Hazel.
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    24 m
  • Episode 53: Rheumatology and Planetary Health with Dr. Stephanie Tom

    Episode 53: Rheumatology and Planetary Health with Dr. Stephanie Tom
    Oct 16 2025
    Did you know that the healthcare industry has a bigger climate change footprint than the airline industry? In this episode of 'Around the Rheum,' hosts Dr. Daniel Ennis and Dr. Janet Pope join in conversation about how rheumatologists can help fight global warming with Dr. Stephanie Tom, the Rheumatology Division Head at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, ON and Vice President of the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA).
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    44 m
  • Episode 52: Medical Mysteries #5 - Young man with unexplained weight gain and shortness of breath with Dr. Steven Rowe

    Episode 52: Medical Mysteries #5 - Young man with unexplained weight gain and shortness of breath with Dr. Steven Rowe
    Sep 4 2025
    A challenging case from Newfoundland featuring a 22-year-old male with severe fatigue, weight gain, requiring a wheelchair and who had to stop his studies and move back with his parents.
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    1 h y 11 m
  • Episode 51: The Past, Present and Future of Psoriatic Arthritis with Dr. Dafna Gladman, Officer of the Order of Canada

    Episode 51: The Past, Present and Future of Psoriatic Arthritis with Dr. Dafna Gladman, Officer of the Order of Canada
    Jul 16 2025
    Dr. Gladman is an Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and and Emeritus Scientist at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute and Crumble Research Institute.
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    40 m
  • Episode 50: Exploring Large-Vessel Vasculitis (LVV) with Dr. Alison Clifford

    Episode 50: Exploring Large-Vessel Vasculitis (LVV) with Dr. Alison Clifford
    May 22 2025
    Dr. Alison Clifford is a rheumatologist and associate professor in the faculty of medicine at the University of Alberta. She has a research and clinical focus on Vasculitis, particularly giant cell arteritis. And she is an associate member of CanVasc.
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    39 m