COVID-19 on patients with immune-mediated rheumatic disease: a comparative study of disease activity, fatigue, and psychological distress over six months.

Objectives: To compare the impact of COVID-19 on the clinical status and psychological distress of patients with immune-mediated rheumatic disease (IMRD) caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection with that of noninfected IMRD controls during a 6-month follow-up period.

Methods: The ReumaCoV Brazil is a longitudinal study designed to follow IMRD patients for 6 months after COVID-19 (patients) compared with IMRD patients without COVID-19 (controls). Clinical data, disease activity measurements and current treatments regarding IMRD and COVID-19 outcomes were evaluated in all patients.

Immunogenicity and Safety According to Immunosuppressive Drugs and Different COVID-19 Vaccine Platforms in Immune-Mediated Disease: Data from SAFER Cohort.

Background/objectives: The effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID) depends on the underlying disease, immunosuppression degree and the vaccine regimens. We evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of different COVID-19 vaccine schedules.

Methods: The SAFER study: "Safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 Vaccine in Rheumatic Disease", is a Brazilian multicentric prospective observational phase IV study in the real-life.

Socioeconomic factors and COVID-19 mortality in immune-mediated rheumatic diseases patients: regional analysis from Argentina, Mexico and Brazil.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection has become a major international issue, not only from a medical point of view, but also social, economic and political. Most of the available information comes from the United States, Europe, and China, where the population and the socioeconomic status are very different from Latin American countries. This study evaluates the effect of regional socioeconomic characteristics on mortality due SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with immune-mediated rheumatic diseases (IMRD) from Argentina, Mexico and Brazil.

Predictors of Hospitalization in Breakthrough COVID-19 among Fully Vaccinated Individuals with Immune-Mediated Rheumatic Diseases: Data from SAFER-Study.

Breakthrough COVID-19 (occurring in fully vaccinated people) has been described. Data on its characteristics among immune-mediated rheumatic disease (IMRD) patients are scarce. This study describes breakthrough COVID-19 occurring in IMRD patients participating in the SAFER-study, a Brazilian multicentric cohort evaluating the safety, effectiveness, and immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in patients with autoimmune diseases.

Safety of CoronaVac and ChAdOx1 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: data from the Brazilian multicentric study safer.

Background: Patients with immune-mediated rheumatic diseases (IMRDs) have been prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination to mitigate the infection severity risks. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at a high risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, especially those under immunosuppression or with associated comorbidities. However, few studies have assessed the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine in patients with RA.

Position statement of the Brazilian society of Rheumatology on mesna use as a preventive therapy for bladder disease in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases and systemic vasculitis under cyclophosphamide treatment.

Objective: To review current literature to support the use of mesna as a preventive therapy for hemorrhagic cystitis and bladder cancer in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases and systemic vasculitis treated with cyclophosphamide.

Materials And Methods: The search for articles was conducted systematically through MEDLINE, LILACS, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. Only articles in English were selected.

Life expectancy and death pattern associated with systemic lupus erythematosus diagnosis in Brazil between 2000 and 2019.

Objectives: to evaluate the main factors associated with mortality and determine the life expectancy of SLE patients between 2000 and 2019 years in Brazil.

Methods: death data related to SLE available in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) (DATASUS) were evaluated in all Brazilian states. Three groups of death causes potentially associated from SLE were evaluated: cardiovascular and kidney diseases and infections.

Factors Associated With Mortality in Patients With Immune-Mediated Rheumatic Diseases and COVID-19 From Latin America: Data From Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil.

Objective: To describe characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in patients with rheumatic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) from Argentina, Mexico and Brazil, and to assess factors associated with mortality in this population.

Methods: Data from 3 national registries, SAR-COVID (Argentina), CMR-COVID (Mexico), and ReumaCoV-Brasil (Brazil), were combined. Adult patients with IMIDs and SARS-CoV-2 infection were recruited.

The Role of Autoantibody Testing in Modern Personalized Medicine.

Personalized medicine (PM) aims individualized approach to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Precision Medicine applies the paradigm of PM by defining groups of individuals with akin characteristics. Often the two terms have been used interchangeably.

Guidelines on COVID-19 vaccination in patients with immune-mediated rheumatic diseases: a Brazilian Society of Rheumatology task force.

Objective: To provide guidelines on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in patients with immune-mediated rheumatic diseases (IMRD) to rheumatologists considering specific scenarios of the daily practice based on the shared-making decision (SMD) process.

Methods: A task force was constituted by 24 rheumatologists (panel members), with clinical and research expertise in immunizations and infectious diseases in immunocompromised patients, endorsed by the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology (BSR), to develop guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination in patients with IMRD. A consensus was built through the Delphi method and involved four rounds of anonymous voting, where five options were used to determine the level of agreement (LOA), based on the Likert Scale: (1) strongly disagree; (2) disagree, (3) neither agree nor disagree (neutral); (4) agree; and (5) strongly agree.

Let's Talk About Lupus. Overview of an Innovative, High-Reach, Online Program to Fill the Education Gaps of Latin Americans Living With Lupus.

Background/objective: The Latin American population living with lupus lacks reliable and culturally competent health education resources. We describe a Spanish and Portuguese online program to educate Latin American people about lupus.

Methods: An extensive network of Latin American stakeholders participated in the program design, implementation, dissemination, and evaluation.

A longitudinal multiethnic study of biomarkers in systemic lupus erythematosus: Launching the GLADEL 2.0 Study Group.

After more than 20 years of sustained work, the Latin American Group for the Study of Lupus (GLADEL) has made a significant number of contributions to the field of lupus, not only in the differential role that race/ethnicity plays in its course and outcome but also in several other studies including the beneficial effects of using antimalarials in lupus patients and the development of consensus guidelines for the treatment of lupus in our region. A new generation of "Lupus Investigators" in more than 40 centers throughout Latin America has been constituted in order to continue the legacy of the investigators of the original cohort and to launch a novel study of serum and urinary biomarkers in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. So far, we have recruited 807 patients and 631 controls from 42 Latin-American centers including 339 patients with SLE without renal involvement, 202 patients with SLE with prevalent but inactive renal disease, 176 patients with prevalent and active renal disease and 90 patients with incident lupus nephritis.

A Brazilian Cohort of Patients With Immuno-Mediated Chronic Inflammatory Diseases Infected by SARS-CoV-2 (ReumaCoV-Brasil Registry): Protocol for a Prospective, Observational Study.

Background: Patients with immune-mediated rheumatic diseases (IMRD) are at increased risk of infections, including significant morbidity and high mortality. Considering the potential for unfavorable outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with IMRD, several questions were raised regarding the impact of COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic.

Objective: This paper presents the protocol of a study that aims to prospectively evaluate patients with IMRD and a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis (using criteria provided by the Brazilian Ministry of Health).

Revisiting hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for patients with chronic immunity-mediated inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, also known as antimalarial drugs, are widely used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases and have recently become the focus of attention because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Rheumatologists have been using antimalarials to manage patients with chronic immune-mediated inflammatory rheumatic diseases for decades. It is an appropriate time to review their immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory mechanisms impact on disease activity and survival of systemic lupus erythematosus patient, including antiplatelet effect, metabolic and lipid benefits.

Incidence of Cytomegalovirus Antigenemia in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases: a 3-year retrospective study.

Objective: To determine the incidence of positive CMV antigenemia (CMV-Ag) in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRD) and to describe the outcomes of these patients.

Methods: From January 2011 to December 2014, a total of 443 patients with AIRD were enrolled in this retrospective analysis. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data, current clinical manifestations, organs affected by CMV infection, therapeutic management and outcomes were evaluated.

Could obesity be considered as risk factor for non-vertebral low-impact fractures?

Background: It has long been established that obesity plays a positive role against osteoporosis (OP) and low-impact fractures (Fx). However, more recent data has shown higher fracture risk in obese individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between BMI, particularly obesity, OP and low-impact Fx in Brazilian women, as well as to evaluate the SAPORI (Sao Paulo Osteoporosis Risk Index) tool performance to identify low BMD according BMI category.

The relevance of performing exercise test before starting supervised physical exercise in asymptomatic cardiovascular patients with rheumatic diseases.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact and risk factors associated with an abnormal exercise test (ET) in systemic inflammatory rheumatic disease (SIRD) patients before commencing supervised physical exercise.

Methods: A total of 235 SIRD patients were enrolled in three controlled clinical trials, including 103 RA, 42 SLE and 57 AS patients. The control group consisted of 231 healthy, sedentary subjects matched for age, gender and BMI.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the five urban regions of Brazil-the Brazilian COPCORD study (BRAZCO).

The objective of this study is to describe the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms (MSK-S) in the five urban geographical regions of Brazil using the Portuguese version of the Community Oriented Program for Control of Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD) core questionnaire (CQ)-BRAZCO study. From April to May 2013, a population-based survey was conducted by applying the CQ for 5000 individuals aged over 15 years in 16 capitals of the Brazilian regions. Trained teams assessed the MSK-S and socioeconomic status.

The skin tissue is adversely affected by TNF-alpha blockers in patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis: a 5-year prospective analysis.

Objective: We evaluated the incidence of and the main risk factors associated with cutaneous adverse events in patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis following anti-TNF-α therapy.

Methods: A total of 257 patients with active arthritis who were taking TNF-α blockers, including 158 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 87 with ankylosing spondylitis and 12 with psoriatic arthritis, were enrolled in a 5-year prospective analysis. Patients with overlapping or other rheumatic diseases were excluded.

Supervised physical exercise improves endothelial function in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supervised physical exercise on endothelial function, ergospirometric test variables and disease activity in SLE patients.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study in which women with SLE who were available to perform physical exercise were allocated to the exercise group (EG) to practise supervised physical exercise for 1 h three times per week for 16 weeks. Those who were not available for this activity were allocated to the control group (CG).