Long-Term Follow-Up of Anti-Infliximab Antibodies in Patients With Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis: A Marker of Drug Survival and Tapering.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of anti-infliximab (IFX) antibodies on three different points of care: response/tolerance to IFX, tapering strategy, and in a subsequent treatment with a second tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi).

Methods: A prospective cohort of 60 patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis who received IFX were evaluated retrospectively regarding clinical/laboratorial data, IFX levels, and anti-IFX antibodies at baseline, after 6, 12 to 14, 22 to 24, 48 to 54, 96 to 102 weeks, and before tapering or switching.

Results: Anti-IFX antibodies were detected in 27 patients (45%), of whom 23 (85.

Assessment of hydroxychloroquine blood levels in Sjögren's disease patients: drug adherence and clinical associations.

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been used to treat Sjögren's disease (SjD) patients. However, there are no studies evaluating drug adherence through HCQ blood levels, pharmacy refill (PR) and medication adherence questionnaires. The relationship of HCQ blood levels with glandular/extraglandular disease parameters was also poorly assessed.

Safety and immunogenicity of influenza A(H3N2) component vaccine in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus.

Introduction: Seasonal influenza A (H3N2) virus is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the last 50 years in population that is greater than the impact of H1N1. Data assessing immunogenicity and safety of this virus component in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) is lacking in the literature.

Objective: To evaluate short-term immunogenicity and safety of influenza A/Singapore (H3N2) vaccine in JSLE.

Robust immunogenicity to the H3N2 component of influenza A vaccine in primary Sjögren syndrome.

Introduction: Influenza A (H3N2) virus is the major cause of morbidity/mortality due to seasonal influenza over 50 years. Data about the safety/immunogenicity of influenza A/Singapore (H3N2) vaccine are scarce in primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS).

Methods: Twenty-one consecutive pSS patients and 42 HC (healthy control individuals) were immunized with influenza A/Singapore/INFIMH-16-0019/2016 (H3N2)-like virus.

Primary dental care treatment in primary Sjögren's syndrome: a possible role in improving salivary flow rate.

Objectives: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is an inflammatory chronic disorder that mainly affects exocrine glands. Additionally, oral infections can aggravate the glandular dysfunction. However, data on primary dental care (PDC) treatment in pSS are scarce.

Quantitative alpha-defensin testing: Is synovial fluid dilution important?

Background: Alpha-defensin has been widely studied for the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). However, there is a lack of detailed information regarding the proper laboratory technique of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, such as sample dilution.

Aim: To assess the influence of dilution in the synovial fluid during ELISA for the diagnosis of knee PJI; and determine which dilution presents a better performance.

Strong response after fourth dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in autoimmune rheumatic diseases patients with poor response to inactivated vaccine.

Objectives: To assess immunogenicity of a heterologous fourth dose of an mRNA (BNT162b2) severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine in autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) patients with poor/non-response to inactivated vaccine (Sinovac-CoronaVac).

Methods: A total of 164 ARD patients who were coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poor/non-responders (negative anti-SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 IgG and/or neutralizing antibodies-NAb) to the third dose of Sinovac-CoronaVac received an additional heterologous dose of mRNA (BNT162b2) 3 months after last dose. IgG and NAb were evaluated before and after the fourth dose.

Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in primary Sjögren's syndrome: humoral response, safety, and effects on disease activity.

Introduction: There is no study specifically focused on SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS).

Objectives: To assess the immunogenicity, safety, possible effects on disease activity, and autoantibody profile of the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine in pSS.

Methods: Fifty-one pSS patients and 102 sex- and age-balanced controls without autoimmune diseases were included in a prospective phase 4 trial of the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine (two doses 28 days apart, D0/D28).

Immunogenicity and safety of primary fractional-dose yellow fever vaccine in autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Background: Brazil faced a yellow fever(YF) outbreak in 2016-2018 and vaccination was considered for autoimmune rheumatic disease patients(ARD) with low immunosuppression due to YF high mortality.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate, prospectively for the first time, the short-term immunogenicity of the fractional YF vaccine(YFV) immunization in ARD patients with low immunossupression.

Methods And Results: A total of 318 participants(159 ARD and 159 age- and sex-matched healthy controls) were vaccinated with the fractional-dose(one fifth) of 17DD-YFV.

Performance of alpha-defensin lateral flow test after synovial fluid centrifugation for diagnosis of periprosthetic knee infection.

Background: The quantitative alpha-defensin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) demands a prior synovial fluid centrifugation, whereas this processing is not routinely required prior to the alpha-defensin lateral flow test.

Aim: To evaluate whether a prior synovial fluid centrifugation could lead the lateral flow performance to achieve comparable results to ELISA during periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) diagnosis.

Methods: Fifty-three cases were included in this study: 22 classified as PJI and 31 classified as aseptic cases, according to Musculoskeletal Infection Society 2013 criteria.

The influence of obesity on hydroxychloroquine blood levels in lupus nephritis patients.

Introduction: In 2016 the American Academy of Ophthalmology(2016-AAO) recommended a maximum daily HCQ use of 5.0 mg/kg real body weight(RBW) taking into consideration minimizing eye toxicity. Retinopathy in systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) patients was recently associated with obesity and this condition is progressively more common in these patients.

Profiles of criteria and non-criteria anti-phospholipid autoantibodies are associated with clinical phenotypes of the antiphospholipid syndrome.

Background: Specific anti-phospholipids antibodies (aPLs) are used as classification criteria of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). These aPLs, although essential for diagnosis, do not predict disease phenotypes, which may require specific therapies. Non-criteria aPLs are rarely evaluated and their role is yet to be defined.

Abatacept induced long-term non-progressive reduction in gamma-globulins and autoantibodies: dissociation from disease activity control.

Objectives: To evaluate long-term effects on gamma-globulins and autoantibodies of abatacept (ABA) versus tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Method: Eighteen RA patients undergoing abatacept (ABA-RA) and 18 age/sex-matched patients treated with TNFi (TNFi-RA) were compared regarding clinical data, total gamma-globulins (TGG), specific subtypes (IgG, IgM, IgA), free light chains (FLC), IgM/IgG rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP3), and anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV), assessed before and every 6 months, up to 24 months.

Exclusion Criteria: previous abatacept/rituximab or low TGG (< 0.

Clinical and laboratory features of African-Brazilian patients with systemic sclerosis.

Objective: African-Brazilians comprise a group of blacks and "pardos." As racial differences can be associated with distinct presentations, we evaluated the clinical and serological associations of African-Brazilians with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: Sera from 260 adult SSc patients (203 whites and 57 African-Brazilians) were evaluated.

Anti-DNase I Antibody: A New Serological Reactivity in Primary Sjögren Syndrome.

Background And Objective: Primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease that particularly affects exocrine glands. Dry eye is one of the most important features of this syndrome, and a recent study reported reduced deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) activity in the tear of patients with dry eye. We therefore postulated that patients with pSS might have antibodies targeting DNAse I.

Ovarian reserve in young juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients.

Objectives: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) occurs during reproductive age, however, there are no systematic data regarding ovarian function in this disease.

Methods: Twenty-eight post-pubertal JIA patients and age-matched 28 healthy controls were studied. Complete ovarian function was assessed during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle including anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), estradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and antral follicle count (AFC) by ovarian ultrasound, and anti-corpus lutheum antibodies (anti-CoL).

Metabolic syndrome in Sjögren's syndrome patients: a relevant concern for clinical monitoring.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been described in autoimmune diseases. However, there are scarce data about MetS and adipocytokine profile in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Seventy-one female pSS patients (American-European Consensus Group Criteria, 2002) aged 18-65 years and 71 age-, race-matched control women were enrolled in this case-control study.

Anti-ribosomal P protein: a novel antibody in autoimmune hepatitis.

Background: Autoantibodies to ribosomal P proteins (anti-rib P) are specific serological markers for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and are associated with liver involvement in this disease. The similarity in autoimmune background between autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and SLE-associated hepatitis raises the possibility that anti-rib P antibodies might also have relevance in AIH.

Aims: To evaluate the frequency and clinical significance of anti-rib P antibodies in a large AIH cohort.

Short and long-term effects of pandemic unadjuvanted influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine on clinical manifestations and autoantibody profile in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Despite WHO recommendations about the A/California/7/2009/H1N1-like virus vaccination, studies evaluating its possible influence on clinical manifestations and autoantibody profile in primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible influence of the unadjuvanted A/California/7/2009/H1N1-like virus vaccination on clinical manifestations and autoantibody profile in SS in the short/long-term. Thirty-six SS patients (The American-European Consensus Group Criteria, 2002) and 36 healthy controls with comparable mean age and gender were evaluated before and 21-days after this vaccination regarding seroprotection/seroconversion, factor increase in geometric mean titer (FI-GMT) and side effects.

EBV reactivation serological profile in primary Sjögren's syndrome: an underlying trigger of active articular involvement?

Antibody to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) early antigen diffuse (anti-EA-D) is associated with viral replication. However, their possible associations with clinical/therapeutic features in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) were not established. We evaluated 100 pSS patients (American-European Criteria) and 89 age/gender/ethnicity-matched healthy controls.

Influenza A/H1N1 vaccination of patients with SLE: can antimalarial drugs restore diminished response under immunosuppressive therapy?

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of pandemic 2009 influenza A (H1N1) in SLE under different therapeutic regimens.

Methods: A total of 555 SLE patients and 170 healthy controls were vaccinated with a single dose of a non-adjuvanted preparation. According to current therapy, patients were initially classified as SLE No Therapy (n = 75) and SLE with Therapy (n = 480).

Verbal ability impairment in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus.

Introduction/objective: Evaluate the frequency of verbal ability impairment and associated factors in patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE).

Patients And Methods: Cross sectional study of 36 children and adolescents with JSLE of a group of 57 patients at the Clinic of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics and Medical Clinic of Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo. At the time of diagnosis and study, we analyzed the following epidemiological features: clinical, socioeconomic, and educational level.