The 2013 Call for Abstracts brochure is your complete guide for submitting an abstract to the 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. It is recommended that you read this guide prior to beginning the submission process.

1. Read the 2013 Call for Abstracts brochure prior to beginning the abstract submission process to review all guidelines and rules that apply to the abstract submission process.
2. Avoid missing any notification e-mails from the ACR by adding ACR@confex.com to your e-mail address book.
3. Use mixed case instead of all caps in the abstract title. Do not acronyms or place a period in the abstract title. Example: This is a Properly Formatted Abstract Title
4. Keep in mind that the total abstract character limit is 2,750 characters, which excludes the title, names of authors/Co-authors, authors' affiliations, spacing and disclosures. Each uploaded table and/or graphic file will decrease the character count by 250 characters from the total limit allowed. (Limit 3 uploads per abstract submission.)
5. Make sure that your figure/table/graph/chart is small enough that it can be reduced to 3.25" width x 8.5" height and still be legible.
6. Use a common font type such as Arial, Calibri or Helvetica when composing the body of your abstract to avoid re-formatting issues.
7. Complete your abstract submission before the deadline date to avoid any unforeseen technical issues or other errors. (Please keep in mind that you will not have access to the abstract submission site after it closes on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 at Noon ET.)

1. Abstracts describing original basic science and clinical work related to the broad area of rheumatic diseases may be submitted.
2. An abstract is ineligible for consideration if it reports work that has been accepted prior to the ACR/ARHP submission deadline of Noon ET on Tuesday, June 25, 2013, for publication as a manuscript.
3. The same study should not be submitted as multiple abstracts. Abstracts that appear as more than one version of a single study will be rejected.
4. By submitting your abstract, you agree to present the abstract if it is selected for presentation during an oral or poster abstract presentation at the annual meeting in San Diego, CA.
5. Case reports are not considered appropriate and will not be reviewed.
6. If the abstract reports results of a clinical trial not yet approved by a regulatory agency, you will be required to identify the trial phase.
7. Abstracts submitted for the late-breaking category cannot be submitted to another category.
8. Abstracts submitted for the ARHP program may not be dually submitted to the ACR program.
9. You do not have to be a member of the ACR or ARHP to submit an abstract.
10. Any work with human or animal subjects reported in submitted abstracts must comply with the guiding principles for experimental procedures found in the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association.

Basic Science

1. B cell Biology and Targets in Autoimmune Disease: B-lymphocyte differentiation, B-cell subsets, plasma cells, autoantigens, autoreactive B-cells and tissue injury.
2. Biology and Pathology of Bone and Joint: joint biology and biochemistry, cartilage and chondrocyte biology, basic studies of osteoarthritis, bone structure and function, bone mineral and matrix, osteoblasts and osteoclasts.
3. Cytokines, Mediators, Cell-cell Adhesion, Cell Trafficking and Angiogenesis: cytokines, chemokines and their receptors; downstream signaling effects and biologic pathways; cell-cell recognition and adhesion molecules, cell-matrix interactions, matrix characteristics and properties, lymphoid organogenesis.
4. Genetics, Genomics and Proteomics: techniques, strategies and observations related to disease susceptibility
5. Innate Immunity and Rheumatic Disease: dendritic cells, antigen presentation, auto-inflammatory pathogenesis, pattern recognition receptors and their ligands, NK cells, complement and Fc receptors.
6. Pain - Basic Aspects: biology, mechanism and animal models of pain.
7. Pediatric Rheumatology - Pathogenesis and Genetics: pathological, genetic and other laboratory-based aspects of pediatric rheumatology conditions.
8. Rheumatoid Arthritis – Animal Models: animal models of inflammatory synovitis, mechanisms and treatment.
9. Rheumatoid Arthritis - Human Etiology and Pathogenesis: genetics, susceptibility loci, etiology and pathogenesis.
10. Spondylarthropathies Psoriatic Arthritis - Pathogenesis, Etiology: etiology and pathogenesis, including genetics, reactive arthritis and animal models.
11. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - Animal Models: animal models, mechanisms and treatment.
12. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - Human Etiology and Pathogenesis: genetics, susceptibility loci, etiology and pathogenesis.
13. Systemic Sclerosis, Fibrosing Syndromes and Raynaud's – Pathogenesis, Animal Models and Genetics: cellular and molecular mechanisms, biomarkers.
14. T cell Biology and Targets in Autoimmune Disease: T-lymphocyte antigens and subpopulations, cognate interactions, T-lymphocyte activation and proliferation.

Clinical

15. Antiphospholipid Syndrome: pathophysiology, presentation and management.
16. Education: research on curriculum design and implementation; educational research projects; and outcomes research on physician and trainee education including associated health training.
17. Epidemiology and Health Services Research: descriptive and/or analytical studies of populations as well as economic analysis; decision making.
18. Fibromyalgia, Soft Tissue Disorders and Clinical Pain Syndromes: regional pain syndromes, pain mechanisms and management, local diseases of muscle, ligament and tendon, fibromyalgia.
19. Health Services Research, Quality Measures and Quality of Care: delivery of care affecting patients with rheumatic disease.
20. Imaging of Rheumatic Diseases: radiography, nuclear medicine, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound and computed tomography (CT).
21. Infection-related Rheumatic Disease: musculoskeletal manifestations of infectious disease, infectious arthritis and pathogenesis.
22. Metabolic and Crystal Arthropathies: crystal-induced arthritis, metabolic conditions including endocrine abnormalities.
23. Miscellaneous Rheumatic and Inflammatory Diseases: rheumatic manifestations and therapy of less common and even rare illnesses not included in other categories (e.g., RS3PE, reticulohistiocytosis, SAPHO).
24. Muscle Biology, Myositis and Myopathies: muscle biology, inflammatory and non-inflammatory muscle disease.
25. Orthopedics, Low Back Pain and Rehabilitation: orthopedic conditions and interventions, physical medicine techniques and outcomes, sports medicine.
26. Osteoarthritis - Clinical Aspects: patient-oriented studies of osteoarthritis, including treatment, diagnosis and outcomes.
27. Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Disease - Clinical Aspects and Pathogenesis: patient-oriented studies of bone structure and integrity and its change in various disease states.
28. Pediatric Rheumatology - Clinical and Therapeutic Aspects: clinical aspects and treatment of inflammatory and non-inflammatory pediatric conditions.
29. Rheumatoid Arthritis - Clinical Aspects: clinical aspects of rheumatoid arthritis. Should not contain any treatment studies.
30. Rheumatoid Arthritis - Small Molecules, Biologics and Gene Therapy: treatment of human rheumatoid arthritis including DMARDs, NSAIDs, glucocorticoids, new potential small molecules, biologics and gene therapy approaches. Human use only.
31. Sjögren's Syndrome: pathophysiology, presentation and treatment.
32. Spondylarthropathies and Psoriatic Arthritis - Clinical Aspects and Treatment: small molecule and biologic therapies of spondyloarthropathies, reactive arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.
33. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - Clinical Aspects and Treatment: diagnosis, clinical manifestations, outcomes, and treatment, including new small molecules, biologics and gene therapy. Human lupus only.
34. Systemic Sclerosis, Fibrosing Syndromes, and Raynaud's – Clinical Aspects and Therapeutics: clinical aspects of these syndromes and of treatments.
35. Vasculitis: genetics, etiology, pathogenesis, polygmatic rheumatica, presentation and management.

ARHP

36. Clinical Practice/Patient Care: care of patients, practice management, medication monitoring/adherence and behavioral aspects of care. Research presentations share scientific findings, controlled studies and other analysis of rheumatology related data.
37. Education/Community Programs: patient education, professional education, community-based programs and public health programs. Research presentations share scientific findings, controlled studies and other analysis of rheumatology related data.
38. Epidemiology and Public Health: descriptive and analytical studies of health status and health outcomes of populations and patient groups. Research presentations share scientific findings, controlled studies and other analysis of rheumatology related data.
39. Health Services Research: health care systems and delivery economic evaluations and analysis. Research presentations share scientific findings, controlled studies and other analysis of rheumatology related data.
40. Pediatrics: pediatric practice and patient care. Research presentations share scientific findings, controlled studies and other analysis of rheumatology related data.
41. Psychology/Social Sciences: psychology, social work, social and behavioral factors affecting patients, families and providers. Research presentations share scientific findings, controlled studies and other analysis of rheumatology related data.
42. Rehabilitation Sciences: physical therapy, occupational therapy, exercise programs and other rehabilitation services. Research presentations share scientific findings, controlled studies and other analysis of rheumatology related data.
43. Research Methodology: questionnaire design, new assessment tools and methodology, new analytical techniques, and subject recruitment and retention. Research presentations share scientific findings, controlled studies and other analysis of rheumatology related data.

All accepted abstracts will be published on the website under My Annual Meeting in September.

• Selected abstract category titles and descriptions have been modified.
• A new ACR basic science abstract category entitled "Pain – Basic Aspects" has been introduced.
• There will be an unopposed poster presentation hour at 10:00 - 11:00 AM during each poster session.
• All unclaimed posters will be recycled after 5:00 PM each day.

The Rheumatology Research Foundation offers award opportunities for medical students, residents, and pediatric rheumatology fellows who submit an abstract for the 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting by the June 25 submission deadline. Award recipients will receive a cash award plus reimbursement of travel expenses to attend the meeting. Acceptance of an abstract does not automatically enroll or guarantee receipt of a Foundation Abstract Award. Visit Foundation's Abstract Awards or call (404) 633-3777, ext. 318 for deadlines and complete award details.