Publications by authors named "Blanca Hernandez Cruz"

Diet is considered a possible cofactor, which affects the immune system and potentially causes dysregulation of intestinal homeostasis and inflammation. This study aimed to review the quality of evidence on the effects of specific diet composition on symptoms of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [remission maintenance of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis], psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in adult patients. We conducted a review of meta-analyses and Cochrane systematic reviews using PubMed and EMBASE, from inception to September 2024, and Google Scholar.

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To describe the frequency of neutropenia and Felty syndrome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) attended in routine clinical practice. We selected by randomization a sample of 270 RA patients attended from January 2014 to November 2022. Demographic, clinical, and neutropenia-related variables were collected from the electronic medical records.

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Objectives: To compare the safety of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) with that of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and determine drug persistence among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Methods: We analysed data from patients included in BIOBADASER 3.0 and treated with JAKi or TNFi from 2015 to 2023 and estimated the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of adverse events and persistence.

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Background: We aimed to analyse the effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of initial treatment with biological therapies in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Qualitative study. A group of RA experts was selected.

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Article Synopsis
  • Baricitinib is a small-molecule medication used to treat moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is particularly prescribed after patients have not responded to other biologics.
  • This review analyzed data from studies published between 2016 and 2022, highlighting the demographics of patients (mainly older females with long-term RA), treatment patterns, and outcomes related to baricitinib use.
  • Results showed significant effectiveness in controlling RA symptoms, with notable rates of remission and low disease activity over time, alongside high rates of medication persistence among patients.
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Article Synopsis
  • Sarcoidosis is a complex disease where the immune system forms granulomas, most often affecting the lungs but can involve multiple organs, and typically responds well to glucocorticoids; however, some cases can be severe and require more aggressive treatment.
  • A case study of a 38-year-old Spanish woman with Heerfordt's syndrome showed that after initial improvement with glucocorticoids, she relapsed with significant symptoms, necessitating multiple treatments until a combination of cyclophosphamide and infliximab led to improvement.
  • Effective management of sarcoidosis, especially in severe cases, is crucial for preventing long-term damage and enhancing quality of life, with treatments tailored to the specific disease severity.
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Objective: To identify perceptions of gender bias in Spanish rheumatology and to quantify the involvement of both sexes in all areas of the specialty.

Methods: A survey was sent to all members of the SER on participation and perception of biases and of their own competencies, and actual data on participation in governing bodies, congresses, committees, and Spanish rheumatology departments in the last 5 years were reviewed.

Results: The survey was answered by 95 rheumatologists, 4.

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Objective: To propose a consensus modification of the HAQ according to the predominant values, language, and culture of the society.

Methods: First, a scoping review of the literature and a survey of HAQ users were conducted to identify the problems of this questionnaire. In a second phase, a meeting was held with expert professionals to discuss the results and design proposals for modification.

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Introduction: Baricitinib is an oral Janus kinase (JAK)1/JAK2 inhibitor approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to investigate patients' characteristics, prescription patterns, effectiveness, and treatment persistence in patients receiving baricitinib in real-world practice in Spain.

Methods: This retrospective longitudinal cohort study conducted in five rheumatology units included adults with RA initiating baricitinib (Sep-2017-May-19) with at least a 6-month-follow-up.

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Objectives: To describe the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS), to know the characteristics of the patients attended with emphasis on sex differences, and to know the compliance of International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) quality standards.

Methods: Observational, prospective research. All the consecutive patients that attended in usual clinical practice from May 2018 to October 2019, were over 50 years, and with a fragility fracture (FF), were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) significantly affects the gastrointestinal tract, with over 50% of patients reporting GI symptoms; a study analyzed data from 3658 SLE patients to understand these manifestations.
  • Patients with GI damage (3.7% of the cohort) were generally older, had longer disease duration, and higher rates of complications like vasculitis and renal disease, leading to increased hospitalizations and mortality.
  • The presence of GI damage correlates with worse prognosis, and higher glucocorticoid doses increase the risk, while oral ulcers may actually reduce the likelihood of developing GI damage.
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Fragility fractures constitute a major public health problem worldwide, causing important high morbidity and mortality rates. The aim was to present the epidemiology of fragility fractures and to assess the imminent risk of a subsequent fracture and mortality. This is a retrospective population-based cohort study (n = 1369) with a fragility fracture.

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Objective: To describe disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) patterns in routine clinical practice in adult rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to ascertain the reasons for methotrexate (MTX) discontinuation.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted from March to October 2014 at the Rheumatology Units of seven hospitals in Spain. In a single visit, the treating rheumatologist completed an online case report form.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study looked at serious infections in kids with a disease called juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE).
  • They found that about 30% of these kids had serious infections during the study, with the most common type being respiratory infections caused by bacteria.
  • The risk of getting these serious infections was higher in kids who had more disease symptoms, used certain medicines to suppress their immune system, or had surgery to remove their spleen.
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Objective: To estimate the incidence and analyze any cancer-associated factors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), differentiating between hormone-sensitive (HS) and non-HS cancers.

Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter study of a patient cohort from the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Registry of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology. Included were the first cancer post-SLE diagnosis, clinical and sociodemographic information, cumulative damage, severity, comorbidities, treatments, and refractoriness.

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Objective: To describe the incidence of bacteremia in a large multicentric cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their clinical characteristics and to identify risk factors.

Methods: All bacteremic episodes from the Spanish RELESSER registry were included. Clinical and laboratory characteristics concerning bacteremia and SLE status, as well as comorbidities at the time of infection, were retrospectively collected.

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Objective: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the most serious complications of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the present study, we aimed to assess the efficacy of abatacept (ABA) in patients with ILD associated to RA.

Methods: National multicenter, non-controlled, open-label registry study of RA patients with ILD treated with ABA.

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Objectives: To evaluate the association of shared epitope, smoking and their interaction on the presence of autoantibodies (anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide [CCP] antibodies and rheumatoid factor) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in our geographical area.

Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out in a cohort of 106 patients diagnosed with RA. Odds ratios (OR) for antibody development were calculated for shared epitope, tobacco exposure and smoking dose.

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Objectives: To describe the prevalence of comorbidities in patients with RA in Spain and discuss their management and implications using data from the Spanish cohort of the multinational study on COMOrbidities in Rheumatoid Arthritis (COMORA).

Methods: This is a national sub-analysis of the COMORA study. We studied the demographics and disease characteristics of 200 adults patients diagnosed with RA (1987 ACR), and routine practices for screening and preventing the following selected comorbidities: cardiovascular, infections, cancer, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, osteoporosis and depression.

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Objectives: We aimed to describe juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE) features and to establish its differences compared to adult-onset SLE (aSLE) from a large national database.

Methods: Data from patients (≥4 ACR criteria) included in Spanish Society of Rheumatology Lupus Registry (RELESSER) were analysed. Sociodemographic, clinical, serological, activity, treatment, cumulative damage, comorbidities and severity data were collected.

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Objectives: To estimate the incidence of severe infection and investigate the associated factors and clinical impact in a large systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) retrospective cohort.

Methods: All patients in the Spanish Rheumatology Society Lupus Registry (RELESSER) who meet ≥4 ACR-97 SLE criteria were retrospectively investigated for severe infections. Patients with and without infections were compared in terms of SLE severity, damage, comorbidities, and demographic characteristics.

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Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are treated with a mean of 3-4 conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) with or without glucocorticoids (GCs), before the first biologic prescription. The main reasons for change are inefficacy in 30-40 % of patients, and toxicity ≈ 10 %. Thus, they are treated with the first TNF antagonists in monotherapy.

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Objectives: To identify patterns (clusters) of damage manifestations within a large cohort of SLE patients and evaluate the potential association of these clusters with a higher risk of mortality.

Methods: This is a multicentre, descriptive, cross-sectional study of a cohort of 3656 SLE patients from the Spanish Society of Rheumatology Lupus Registry. Organ damage was ascertained using the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Damage Index.

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The aim of the study was to profile those patients included in the RELESSER registry with histologically proven renal involvement in order to better understand the current state of lupus nephritis (LN) in Spain. RELESSER-TRANS is a multicenter cross-sectional registry with an analytical component. Information was collected from the medical records of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who were followed at participating rheumatology units.

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