Risk factors associated with COVID-19 in systemic lupus erythematosus: Results from a longitudinal prospective cohort.

Introduction: Patients with SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) have a higher risk of infection due to dysregulated immune system as well as long-term use of immunosuppressants (IS). This could influence the risk of COVID-19 and its outcome.

Methods: We conducted a longitudinal prospective study across 15 rheumatology centres during the first wave of the pandemic to understand the risk factors contributing to COVID-19 in SLE patients.

A prospective longitudinal study evaluating the influence of immunosuppressives and other factors on COVID-19 in autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Background: We conducted this study to identify the influence of prolonged use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), glucocorticoids and other immunosuppressants (IS) on occurrence and outcome of COVID-19 in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs).

Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter, non-interventional longitudinal study across 15 specialist rheumatology centers. Consecutive AIRD patients on treatment with immunosuppressants were recruited and followed up longitudinally to assess parameters contributing to development of COVID-19 and its outcome.

Incidence of infection other than tuberculosis in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases treated with bDMARDs: a real-time clinical experience from India.

Biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARD) have transformed the treatment paradigm of chronic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs), but they are often associated with adverse drug reactions. The present study evaluated the frequency, characteristics and type of infections, other than tuberculosis (TB), in ARD patients receiving bDMARDs. The multicentre, cross-sectional, retrospective, observational study was conducted across 12 centers in Karnataka, India, between January to August 2016.

Biologics and risk of tuberculosis in autoimmune rheumatic diseases: A real-world clinical experience from India.

Aim: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the major adverse events of concern associated with the use of biologics for managing autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRDs). The study presents the data on incidence of TB in relation to biologic used, screening test and TB prophylaxis in a real-world setting.

Methods: The cross-sectional, observational, retrospective study was conducted across 12 centres in Karnataka, India.

Late-onset neutropenia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis after treatment with rituximab.

Objective: Late-onset neutropenia (LON) is an adverse effect of rituximab (RTX) in hematological malignancies, a finding that was recently reported in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of our study was to estimate its incidence in RA.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed complete blood (cell) count of patients with RA who received RTX between October 2007 and July 2011 to identify neutropenia (≤ 1.

The role of biologics in treatment of ANCA-associated vasculitis.

The vast majority of patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) who receive conventional treatment with glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide experience frequent relapses and treatment-related side-effects. Increasing knowledge of the pathogenesis of AAV has permitted the development of targeted therapies against tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and T and B lymphocytes. Therapy with TNF-α blocking drugs has so far proved disappointing, and this approach is not recommended.