Department / Division:
Medicine / Rheumatology and Immunology

Address:
DUMC 3440
Durham, NC 27710

Appointment Telephone:
919-668-7630

Office Telephone:
919-684-2965

Fax Telephone:
919-684-8358

• MD, Tufts University School of Medicine (Massachusetts), 1978

• Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, 1978-1981
• Rheumatology, Duke University Medical Center, 1981-1983

Clinical Interests:
Systemic vasculitis, Wegener's granulomatosis, temporal arteritis, Takayasu arteritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, erosive osteoarthritis, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, women with rheumatic disease, Behcet's syndrome, retroperitoneal fibrosis

Research Interests:
My clinical research interests include systemic vasculitis (Wegener's granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis, giant cell arteritis, Takayasu arteritis) and multi-disciplinary efforts in the areas of systemic lupus erythematosus and anti-phospholipid syndrome.  Dr. E. William St. Clair and I represented Duke in the Wegener's granulomatosis etanercept trial (WGET), a multi-center effort to assess the addition of etanercept to traditional therapy in limited and severe forms of this type of vasculitis. We are now involved in a multi-center, double-blind, controlled trial comparing rituximab with cyclophosphamide in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis.  

My area of clinical expertise is also in the study of vasculitides, particularly Wegener's granulomatosis, giant cell arteritis, and Takayasu's arteritis, as well as systemic lupus erythematosus, anti-phospholipid syndrome, and women's health related to rheumatic disease conditions. I have served as a reviewer for rheumatology and general medical journals, have written chapters and reviews, and have published primary studies in these areas.

Key words:  vasculitis, systemic vasculitis, Wegener's granulomatosis, giant cell (temporal) arteritis, Takayasu arteritis, anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome.

Representative Publications:
Sebastian JK, Voetsch B, Stone JH, Romay-Penabad Z, Lo GH, Allen NB, Davis JC Jr, Hoffman GS, McCune WJ, St Clair EW, Specks U, Spiera R, Loscalzo J, Pierangeli S, Merkel PA, . The frequency of anticardiolipin antibodies and genetic mutations associated with hypercoagulability among patients with Wegener's granulomatosis with and without history of a thrombotic event. J Rheumatol. 2007 Dec;34(12):2446-50. (2007) Abstract

Stone JH, Holbrook JT, Marriott MA, Tibbs AK, Sejismundo LP, Min YI, Specks U, Merkel PA, Spiera R, Davis JC, St Clair EW, McCune WJ, Ytterberg SR, Allen NB, Hoffman GS, . Solid malignancies among patients in the Wegener's Granulomatosis Etanercept Trial. Arthritis Rheum. 2006 May;54(5):1608-18. (2006) Abstract

Wung PK, Holbrook JT, Hoffman GS, Tibbs AK, Specks U, Min YI, Merkel PA, Spiera R, Davis JC, St Clair EW, McCune J, Ytterberg SR, Allen NB, Stone JH, . Herpes zoster in immunocompromised patients: incidence, timing, and risk factors. Am J Med. 2005 Dec;118(12):1416. (2005) Abstract

The Wegener's Granulomatosis Etanercept Trial (WGET) Research Group: Etanercept plus standard therapy for Wegener's granulomatosis.  NEJM 2005; 352(4): 19-29. (2005)

Seo P, Min YI, Holbrook JT, Hoffman GS, Merkel PA, Spiera R, Davis JC, Ytterberg SR, St Clair EW, McCune WJ, Specks U, Allen NB, Luqmani RA, Stone JH, . Damage caused by Wegener's granulomatosis and its treatment: prospective data from the Wegener's Granulomatosis Etanercept Trial (WGET). Arthritis Rheum. 2005 Jul;52(7):2168-78. (2005) Abstract

Merkel PA, Lo GH, Holbrook JT, Tibbs AK, Allen NB, Davis JC Jr, Hoffman GS, McCune WJ, St Clair EW, Specks U, Spiera R, Petri M, Stone JH, . Brief communication: high incidence of venous thrombotic events among patients with Wegener granulomatosis: the Wegener's Clinical Occurrence of Thrombosis (WeCLOT) Study. Ann Intern Med. 2005 Apr 19;142(8):620-6. (2005) Abstract

WGET Research Group, Stone JH, Allen NB, et al.  Limited vs. Severe Wegener's granulomatosis.  Arthritis Rheum 2003; 48:2299-2309. (2003)

Behar JV, Choi YW, Hartman TA, Allen NB, McAdams HP. Relapsing polychondritis affecting the lower respiratory tract. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2002 Jan;178(1):173-7. (2002) Abstract

Abdou NI, Kullman GJ, Hoffman GS, Sharp GC, Specks U, McDonald T, Garrity J, Goeken JA, Allen NB. Wegener's granulomatosis: survey of 701 patients in North America. Changes in outcome in the 1990s. J Rheumatol. 2002 Feb;29(2):309-16. (2002) Abstract

Stone JH, Hoffman GS, Merkel PA, Min YI, Uhlfelder ML, Hellmann DB, Specks U, Allen NB, Davis JC, Spiera RF, Calabrese LH, Wigley FM, Maiden N, Valente RM, Niles JL, Fye KH, McCune JW, St Clair EW, Luqmani RA, . A disease-specific activity index for Wegener's granulomatosis: modification of the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score. International Network for the Study of the Systemic Vasculitides (INSSYS). Arthritis Rheum. 2001 Apr;44(4):912-20. (2001) Abstract

Allen NB, Wegener's Granulomatosis, in: Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 21st edition, ed. by Goldman L and Bennett JC, pp. 1529-1532, 2000 (2000)

Hansen KE, Moore KD, Ortel TL, Allen NB. Antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis and polyarteritis nodosa. Arthritis Rheum. 1999 Oct;42(10):2250-2. (1999) Abstract

Rao JK, Allen NB, Pincus T. Limitations of the 1990 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria in the diagnosis of vasculitis. Ann Intern Med. 1998 Sep 1;129(5):345-52. (1998) Abstract

Provenzale JM, Ortel TL, Allen NB. Systemic thrombosis in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies: lesion distribution and imaging findings. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1998 Feb;170(2):285-90. (1998) Abstract

Provenzale JM, Barboriak DP, Allen NB, Ortel TL. Antiphospholipid antibodies: findings at arteriography. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1998 Apr;19(4):611-6. (1998) Abstract

Estrada A, Stenzel TT, Burchette JL, Allen NB. Multiple myeloma-associated amyloidosis and giant cell arteritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1998 Jul;41(7):1312-7. (1998) Abstract

Allen NB, Bressler PB. Diagnosis and treatment of the systemic and cutaneous necrotizing vasculitis syndromes. Med Clin North Am. 1997 Jan;81(1):243-59. (1997) Abstract

Provenzale JM, Mukherji S, Allen NB, Castillo M, Weber AW. Orbital involvement by Wegener's granulomatosis: imaging findings. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1996 Apr;166(4):929-34. (1996) Abstract

Provenzale JM, Allen NB. Wegener granulomatosis: CT and MR findings. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1996 Apr;17(4):785-92. (1996) Abstract

Gilkeson GS, Allen NB. Retroperitoneal fibrosis. A true connective tissue disease. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 1996 Feb;22(1):23-38. (1996) Abstract

Conlon PJ, Fischer CA, Levesque MC, Smith SR, St Clair EW, Allen NB, Fleming JA, Howell DN. Clinical, biochemical and pathological predictors of poor response to intravenous cyclophosphamide in patients with proliferative lupus nephritis. Clin Nephrol. 1996 Sep;46(3):170-5. (1996) Abstract

Rao JK, Weinberger M, Oddone EZ, Allen NB, Landsman P, Feussner JR. The role of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (c-ANCA) testing in the diagnosis of Wegener granulomatosis. A literature review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 1995 Dec 15;123(12):925-32. (1995) Abstract

Rao JK, Allen NB, Feussner JR, Weinberger M. A prospective study of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (c-ANCA) and clinical criteria in diagnosing Wegener's granulomatosis. Lancet. 1995 Oct 7;346(8980):926-31. (1995) Abstract

Rao JK, Allen NB. Primary systemic amyloidosis masquerading as giant cell arteritis. Case report and review of the literature. Arthritis Rheum. 1993 Mar;36(3):422-5. (1993) Abstract