Publications by authors named "Alfredo Vargas Caselles"
Patients with dermatomyositis (DM) are particularly susceptible to the development of opportunistic infections due to immunosuppression induced by the disease itself and its treatment. We describe three patients who met the diagnostic criteria for DM and developed tuberculous myositis. The first case, a 54-year-old woman, had a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Mycobacterium tuberculosis detected in a post-mortem muscle biopsy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTNFα-inhibitors cycling with golimumab as second drug in inflammatory arthritis patients: Data from the multicenter GO-REAL registry.
Reumatol Clin (Engl Ed)
December 2024
Article Synopsis
- This study evaluated the effectiveness and persistence of golimumab (GLM) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis who previously used other TNF inhibitors compared to those who haven't.
- A total of 192 patients were included, with follow-up results indicating that the majority discontinued GLM due to inefficacy, and the median survival for GLM treatment was similar for both experienced and naive patients.
- The study concluded that prior TNFi experience did not significantly affect the survival or persistence of GLM treatment, but having public health insurance was linked to higher discontinuation rates.
Background: Combined therapy constitutes the standard of care in RA. Jak inhibitors (Jaki) have shown efficacy in monotherapy, a modality used in cases where it is not possible to use Disease-Modifying Anti Rheumatic Drugs (csDMARDs).
Objectives: To estimate the prevalence (total and by drug), reason for using and the increase over the time of bDMARDs or tsDMARDs as monotherapy after the availability of the Jaki.
Background/objective: Demand for rheumatology care has steadily increased in recent years. The number of specialists in this field, however, seems insufficient. No recent studies have diagnosed the attributes of rheumatology training in Latin America.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Studies show that the demand for rheumatology care in Latin America exceeds the growth of the workforce, prompting research into the current situation of rheumatologists in the region.
- A survey assessed data across 19 Latin American countries, revealing an overall ratio of one rheumatologist for every 106,838 inhabitants, with significant disparities between countries such as Uruguay and Nicaragua.
- Findings indicate notable variations in workforce characteristics, including age and compensation, suggesting a need for policies to enhance rheumatologist availability and improve patient care for rheumatic diseases.