Prevalence of positive tuberculin skin test in a Brazilian sample of rheumatoid arthritis and spondylarthritis patients.

Objective: Patients with rheumatic diseases have an increased risk of infections, especially tuberculosis. In this study, we aimed to recognize the positivity rate of tuberculosis skin test in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis and the characteristics of the patients with positive results.

Methods: Retrospective study of tuberculosis skin test results in patients followed from 2004 to 2021 in a single rheumatology unit.

Resistin serum levels and its association with clinical profile and carotid intima-media thickness in psoriasis: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Psoriasis is a protean disease associated with several comorbidities that may have increased levels of adiponectin such as resistin. This may affect the patients atherosclerotic risk.

Objective: To study resistin levels in a sample of Brazilian patients with psoriasis and its association with clinical profile, comorbidities, and carotid Intima-Media Thickness (cIMT).

The effect of antimalarials on the safety and persistence of treatment with biologic agents or Janus kinase inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To test the association of use of antimalarials with the overall safety of treatment in RA patients receiving one or multiple courses of biologic (b)DMARDs or a Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi).

Methods: BiobadaBrasil is a multicentric registry-based cohort study of Brazilian patients with rheumatic diseases starting their first bDMARD or JAKi. The present analysis includes RA patients recruited from January 2009 to October 2019, followed up over one or multiple (up to six) courses of treatment (latest date, 19 November 2019).

Participating as a research team during the COVID-19 pandemic benefits mental health of undergraduate medical students in Brazil.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, undergraduate medical students (UMS) exposed to isolation, social distancing and complete or partial face-to-face educational activities interruption may present increased stress, depression and anxiety. This study was undertaken to evaluate if, during isolation, UMS involved in online group activities as investigators of a research project (volunteer group) would present better mental health than their colleagues, not involved in that research (control group). A Web-based survey, via the Google Forms platform, including details on demographic data, life habits, previous health conditions, worries with the COVID-19 pandemic, sleep pattern modifications and depression, anxiety and mental stress, using the DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale) was implemented from 20 July to 31 August 2020.

Rheumatoid arthritis and nutritional profile: A study in Brazilian females.

Background: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may have nutritional impairment. In RA, muscle loss is associated with an increase in fat tissue, and the patients may not have body mass index (BMI) alterations.

Aim: To study the nutritional status in a sample of patients with RA in Brazil through mini nutritional assessment (MNA) and electric bioimpedance and its relationship to BMI, functionality, disease activity, and treatment.

Seroconversion of rheumatoid arthritis patients after yellow fever vaccination.

Vaccination is a current strategy used to prevent infections in patients with immune-mediated rheumatic diseases. However, the use of live-attenuated vaccines prepared from living microorganisms in these patients should be avoided due to the risk of acquiring infections. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of the yellow fever (YF) vaccine (a live-attenuated vaccine) in 12 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Safety of the Methotrexate-leflunomide Combination in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results of a Multicentric, Registry-based, Cohort Study (BiobadaBrasil).

Objective: To evaluate the safety of the methotrexate (MTX)-leflunomide (LEF) combination in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), comparing it with other therapeutic schemes involving conventional synthetic (cs-) and biologic (b-) disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi).

Methods: Patients with RA starting a treatment course with a csDMARD (without previous use of bDMARD or JAKi) or their first bDMARD/JAKi were followed up in a registry-based, multicentric cohort study in Brazil (BiobadaBrasil). The primary outcome was the incidence of serious adverse events (SAEs); secondary outcomes included serious infections.

Treating rheumatoid arthritis with leflunomide monotherapy versus combination therapy with methotrexate.

Objective: Combination therapies have been proposed as a strategy to control inflammation more effectively in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Few studies examine the combined effect of methotrexate (MTX) and leflunomide (LFN). This study evaluated the symptom control and side effects of the combination of MTX and LFN compared with LFN monotherapy.

Changing rate of serious infections in biologic-exposed rheumatoid arthritis patients. Data from South American registries BIOBADABRASIL and BIOBADASAR.

Objective: Most reports on serious infections (SI) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are from the USA and Western Europe. Data from other regions are largely missing. We report data from South American countries with different backgrounds and health-care systems but similar registries.

Cardiovascular risk and mannose binding lectin in patients with rheumatoid arthritis from southern Brazil.

Background: Mannose binding lectin (MBL) appears to be involved in susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), in the inflammatory process and in the genesis of atherosclerotic disease.

Objective: To study the association of MBL serum levels and its genotypic variation with carotid arteries intimal thickness (IMT) in RA patients from Southern Brazil.

Methods: MBL serum levels, genotyping and IMT were investigated in 90 RA patients along with their demographic, clinical and laboratory profile.

Rheumatoid arthritis and sleep quality.

Background: Sleep disturbances are common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and contribute to loss of life quality.

Objective: To study associations of sleep quality with pain, depression and disease activity in RA.

Methods: This is a transversal observational study of 112 RA patients submitted to measurement of DAS-28, Epworth scale for daily sleepiness, index of sleep quality by Pittsburg index, risk of sleep apnea by the Berlin questionnaire and degree of depression by the CES-D (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale) questionnaire.

Serum pentraxin 3 levels are negatively associated with carotid intima media thickness in non-obese rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Background: Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) is a long pentraxin that is supposed to participate in the inflammatory process and in atherosclerosis.

Aim: To study PTX3 serum levels in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients to know if its serum levels may reflect disease activity and/or subclinical atherosclerosis.

Methods: PTX3 and carotid intima media thickness (IMT) were studied in 85 RA patients (83.

ON VASCULAR STENOSIS, RESTENOSIS AND MANNOSE BINDING LECTIN.

Mannose binding lectin is a lectin instrumental in the innate immunity. It recognizes carbohydrate patterns found on the surface of a large number of pathogenic micro-organisms, activating the complement system. However, this protein seems to increase the tissue damage after ischemia.

URIC ACID AND TISSUE REPAIR.

Uric acid, a metabolic product of purines, may exert a role in tissue healing. In this review we will explore its role as an alarm initiating the inflammatory process that is necessary for tissue repair, as a scavenger of oxygen free radicals, as a mobilizer of progenitor endothelial cells and as supporter of adaptive immune system.