Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology Recommendations for the Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis.

Objective: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is chronic disease that compromises multiple domains and might be associated with progressive joint damage, increased mortality, functional limitation, and considerably impaired quality of life. Our objective was to generate evidence-based recommendations on the management of PsA in Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology (PANLAR) countries.

Methods: We used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE)-ADOLOPMENT approach to adapt the 2019 recommendations of the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology.

Development of a novel clinimetric tool: PAtient Reported Disease Activity Index in Rheumatoid Arthritis (PARDAI-RA) by PANLAR, for the assessment of patients living with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Clinical experience has shown that a single measure is not sufficient to assess disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Various clinimetric tools are necessary to address the many clinical situations that can arise.

Methods: In order to develop a comprehensive measurement tool, the Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology searched for the most frequent measures of disease activity applied in RA by means of a semi-systematic review of the available literature.

Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology recommendations for the management of axial spondyloarthritis.

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) comprises a spectrum of chronic inflammatory manifestations affecting the axial skeleton and represents a challenge for diagnosis and treatment. Our objective was to generate a set of evidence-based recommendations for the management of axSpA for physicians, health professionals, rheumatologists and policy decision makers in Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology (PANLAR) countries. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation-ADOLOPMENT methodology was used to adapt existing recommendations after performing an independent systematic search and synthesis of the literature to update the evidence.

Epistasis of polymorphisms related to the articular cartilage extracellular matrix in knee osteoarthritis: Analysis-based multifactor dimensionality reduction.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex disease with a multifactorial etiology. The genetic component is one of the main associated factors, resulting from interactions between genes and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to identify gene-gene interactions (epistasis) of the articular cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) in knee OA.

Geographical trends of chikungunya and Zika in the Colombian Amazonian gateway department, Caqueta, 2015-2018 - Implications for public health and travel medicine.

Background: Chikungunya (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIKV) significantly affected Latin America in the period 2015-2017. Most studies were reported from urban areas of Brazil and Colombia. In this paper we estimate Incidence rates for CHIKV and ZIKV in Caqueta, the Amazonian gateway area of Colombia, from 2015 to 2018.

Impact of the gene-gene interactions related to the HIF-1α signaling pathway with the knee osteoarthritis development.

Introduction/objectives: Articular cartilage is the target tissue of osteoarthritis (OA), and because it lacks capillary networks, the microenvironment is hypoxic. Hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) regulates the homeostasis of this tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate whether genetic polymorphisms of the HIF-1α signaling pathway are involved in the development of knee OA.

Gene-gene interactions of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in knee osteoarthritis.

This study was designed to investigate whether genetic polymorphisms of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and its interactions are involved in the development of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Patients with KOA (n = 131) and healthy individuals (n = 190) with different ancestry from two Mexican populations (Mexico City and Guadalajara City) were analyzed. Twenty-five SNPs from thirteen genes (WISP1, DKK1, SOST, FRZB, LRP1, LRP4, LRP5, LRP6, GSKB, ADAMTS5, GDF5, FMN2 and COL11A1) involved in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway were genotyped.

The association of AKNA gene polymorphisms with knee osteoarthritis suggests the relevance of this immune response regulator in the disease genetic susceptibility.

Recent studies have identified AKNA as a potential susceptibility gene for several inflammatory diseases. Here, we aimed to assess the potential association of AKNA polymorphisms with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) susceptibility in a Mexican population, following STREGA recommendations. From a DNA bank of 181 KOA patients and 140 healthy controls, two AKNA SNPs were genotyped using TaqMan probes.

Review of Current Workforce for Rheumatology in the Countries of the Americas 2012-2015.

Background: With the increases in and aging of the populations of the Americas, monitoring the number of rheumatologists is critical to address and focus on areas of greatest need.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to gather data on the rheumatology workforce from 21 national societies in the Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology (PANLAR).

Methods: In September and October 2012 and again in October and November 2015, the heads of the 21 rheumatology national societies were contacted in the 2012 survey; all national societies responded except Cuba.

Rates of Serious Infections in HIV-Infected Patients Receiving Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor Therapy for Concomitant Autoimmune Diseases.

Objective: To estimate the incidence of serious infections in patients with HIV infection and autoimmune disease who were treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, and to compare these rates by stratified viral load levels.

Methods: Using a unified search strategy, 4 centers identified HIV-infected patients exposed to TNF inhibitors. Patient characteristics and infection data were assessed via chart review in all patients who were ≥18 years old and who received TNF inhibitor therapy after HIV diagnosis, between January 1999 and March 2015.

Ultrasound in the interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. Can it facilitate a best routine assessment in rheumatic disorders?

Ultrasound (US) is increasing its potential in the assessment of several rheumatic disorders. Recently, different applications of this imaging technique have emerged. Interesting data supporting its utility and validity in the assessment of the lung to detect and quantify interstitial pulmonary fibrosis in rheumatic diseases, even in subclinical phases, have been reported.

Regional distribution of adult rheumatologists.

Objective: To analyze the distribution of rheumatology practices in the US and factors associated with that distribution, in order to better understand the supply of the rheumatology workforce.

Methods: Using the American College of Rheumatology membership database, all practicing adult rheumatologist office addresses were mapped with ArcView software. The number of rheumatologists per Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA) was calculated.

Glucosamine in osteoarthritis: questions remain.

Glucosamine is now widely used in the hope that it will relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis and stop its progression, yet studies have so far failed to prove convincingly that it works, how it might work, or whether it is safe to take long-term. This is an overview of the evidence to date for currently available glucosamine preparations, as well as for glucosamine used in combination with another popular nutraceutical, chondroitin sulfate.

An update on osteoarthritis therapeutics.

Purpose Of Review: This review addresses recent major developments in symptomatic therapy and the principles of disease modification in osteoarthritis. It emphasizes issues that are of importance to the practicing clinician at a time when researchers in the field are trying to improve ways not only to provide symptomatic relief but also to slow disease progression.

Recent Findings: The past year has led to a reassessment of the role of cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors in osteoarthritis therapy and has yielded new information on nutriceuticals such as glucosamine.