Behcet's Disease

Research into novel therapies for rare, immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) is limited due to small patient populations. Patients with Behçet's disease (BD), idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM, also known as myositis) and IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) are treated with high-dosed glucocorticoids, methotrexate, azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil, mostly for long periods of time with attendant risks of long-term toxicity, including infections. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new, more specific anti-inflammatory therapies such as targeted synthetic and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Due to the role of type 1 interferon in both BD, IIM and IgG4-RD, JAK-STAT inhibition may be a promising treatment strategy in these conditions, because JAK1 is critical for the signal transduction of pro-inflammatory cytokine receptors. Previous research showed that JAK1 inhibition reduces activation of type 1 interferon-regulated proteins and key chemokines that control tissue inflammation.

The purpose of this study is to learn about the experience of women with vasculitis who become pregnant. In particular, the study will consist of several online surveys to assess 1. each woman's vasculitis severity and pregnancy-related experiences, and 2. pregnancy outcomes.