Anti-Ha Antisynthetase Syndrome: A Case Report.

Anti-synthetase syndrome (ASyS) is a rare systemic autoimmune myopathy characterized by the involvement of muscles, lungs, and joints, in addition to Raynaud's phenomenon, "mechanics' hand," and fever. Laboratory ASyS is defined by the positivity of anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase autoantibodies, of which anti-Jo-1 is the most common. Herein, we reported an ASyS defined by an anti-Ha autoantibody, which has rarely been described in the literature.

Concerns about the application of resistance exercise with blood-flow restriction and thrombosis risk in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Hemodialysis (HD) per se is a risk factor for thrombosis. Considering the growing body of evidence on blood-flow restriction (BFR) exercise in HD patients, identification of possible risk factors related to the prothrombotic agent D-dimer is required for the safety and feasibility of this training model. The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors associated with higher D-dimer levels and to determine the acute effect of resistance exercise (RE) with BFR on this molecule.

Exploring the impact of short daily haemodialysis on muscle strength and bone health in end-stage kidney disease patients.

Background: Short-daily haemodialysis (SDH) has been strongly recommended over conventional haemodialysis (CHD) for end-stage kidney disease patients, though few studies have directly compared the effects of these two haemodialysis (HD) modalities on clinical variables related to patient's health.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in individuals undergoing HD, comparing epidemiological, clinical, metabolic, inflammatory, anthropometric, bone health/metabolism, and skeletal muscle function according to dialysis modality. One-hundred seventy-eight patients (20.

Nerves transfers for functional hand recovery in traumatic lower brachial plexopathy.

Background: Distal nerve transfers are an innovative modality for the treatment of C8-T1 brachial plexus lesions. The purpose of this case series is to report the authors' results with hand restoration function by nerve transfer in patients with lower brachial plexus injury.

Methods: Three consecutive nerve transfers were performed in a series of 11 patients to restore hand function after injury to the lower brachial plexus: brachialis motor branch to anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) and supinator branch to the posterior interosseous nerve (PIN) in a first surgical procedure, and AIN to pronator quadratus branch of ulnar nerve between 4 and 6 months later.

Diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging in post-traumatic brachial plexus injuries: A systematic review.

Computed Tomographic Myelography (CTM) is a gold-standard imaging test for evaluating the brachial plexus and has been used for a long time. Another imaging test more recently used is Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI), which is also part of the plexus evaluation. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of MRI in diagnosing post-traumatic injuries of the brachial plexus.

Contraception for adolescents with chronic rheumatic diseases.

Contraception is an important issue and should be a matter of concern in every medical visit of adolescent and young patients with chronic rheumatic diseases. This narrative review discusses contraception methods in adolescents with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE), antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). Barrier methods are safe and their use should be encouraged for all adolescents with chronic rheumatic diseases.

Electrocardiographic changes in dermatomyositis and polymyositis.

Introduction: Cardiac involvement is frequent in inflammatory myopathies. Electrocardiogram (ECG) may show evidence of this involvement and its changes should be well-known and described.

Objectives: Due to the lack of studies in the literature, we conducted an analysis of the ECG findings in patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM), comparing them with a control group.

Study of slow sand filtration with backwash and the influence of the filter media on the filter recovery and cleaning.

Slow sand filters are considered as a great alternative for supplying drinking water in rural and/or isolated areas where raw water that is treatable with this technique is available. Some studies used backwashing as an alternative for cleaning the slow sand filter with the goal of applying the technology in small communities, since filters that supply water to a small number of people do not require much space. In this study the influence of the effective diameter on water quality in the filters and cleaning system was evaluated.

Reduced ovarian reserve in patients with adult polymyositis.

Polymyositis (PM) affects female gender during reproductive age; however, there is no study assessing ovarian reserve in these patients to evaluate ovarian reserve markers in PM. Eight female patients with PM (Bohan and Peter criteria, 1975) with aged 18-40 years, followed at our tertiary centre from March 2011 to May 2014, were invited to participate. They were age-matched with 16 healthy individuals (control group).

In a methotrexate-induced model of intestinal mucositis, olmesartan reduced inflammation and induced enteropathy characterized by severe diarrhea, weight loss, and reduced sucrose activity.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of olmesartan (OLME), an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, on an intestinal mucositis model. Briefly, daily intraperitoneal (i.p.

Pregnancy outcomes in dermatomyositis and polymyositis patients.

Background: Currently, there are few studies that describe pregnancy in dermatomyositis/polymyositis patients, and they are largely limited to case reports or studies with few samples.

Objectives: Therefore, we describe the pregnancy in a large sample of patients with dermatomyositis/polymyositis and to analyze the outcomes in those who became pregnant during or after disease onset.

Methods: The present single-center study analyzed 98 female patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (60 dermatomyositis and 38 polymyositis patients).

Reduction of ovarian reserve in adult patients with dermatomyositis.

Objectives: To assess ovarian reserve markers and anti-corpus luteum (anti-CoL) antibodies in dermatomyositis (DM) patients.

Methods: Forty female DM patients were invited to participate. Exclusion criteria included hormonal contraceptive use within the last six months, neoplasia associations, overlapped systemic autoimmune diseases, current pregnancy, gynaecological surgery and individual choice not to participate.

IgA nephropathy and polymyositis: a rare association.

Polymyositis is a systemic and idiopathic inflammatory myopathy that, besides muscle manifestation, may occur with respiratory involvement, gastrointestinal tract and rarely renal involvement. In this latter, there are only two cases of IgA nephropathy, but both in dermatomyositis. On the other hand, we reported, for the first time, a case of IgA nephropathy in polymyositis.

[Anti-synthetase syndrome: anti-PL-7, anti-PL-12 and anti-EJ].

Objectives: Due to the scarcity of studies in the literature, we conducted an analysis of a series of patients with the anti-PL-7, PL-12 and EJ types of antisynthetase syndrome (ASS).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 20 patients with ASS (8 with anti-PL-7, 6 with PL-12, 6 with EJ) monitored in our department between 1982 and 2012.

Results: The mean patient age at disease onset was 38.

[Inclusion body myositis: series of 30 cases from a Brazilian tertiary center].

Objectives: To describe a series of 30 consecutive patients with inclusion body myositis (IBM) from our tertiary center, from 1982 to 2012.

Materials And Methods: All patients fulfilled the criteria of Griggs et al. (1995) for IBM.

The high prevalence of metabolic syndrome in polymyositis.

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities that are associated with increased cardiovascular diseases (CVD). MetS has been systematically evaluated in all systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases except for polymyositis (PM). This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of MetS in PM patients and analyse the possible association of MetS with traditional risk factors of CVD and PM-related clinical and laboratory features.

Myositis-specific and myositis-associated autoantibody profiles and their clinical associations in a large series of patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis.

Objective: To analyze the prevalence of myositis-specific and myositis-associated autoantibodies and their clinical correlations in a large series of patients with dermatomyositis/polymyositis.

Method: This cross-sectional study enrolled 127 dermatomyositis cases and 95 polymyositis cases. The disease-related autoantibody profiles were determined using a commercially available blood testing kit.

Update on the treatment of calcinosis in dermatomyositis.

Calcinosis is a connective tissue disorder classified into the following four types: metastatic; idiopathic; iatrogenic and dystrophic. Dystrophic calcinosis can occur, for example, in dermatomyositis, mainly in juvenile dermatomyositis, and is characterized by an abnormal deposition of calcium salts in affected skin, subcutaneous tissues, and muscles or tendons, with normal serum levels of calcium and phosphate. The treatment of calcinosis in dermatomyositis remains a challenge, with few descriptions in the literature of low scientific evidence.

Chloroquine diphosphate: a risk factor for herpes zoster in patients with dermatomyositis/polymyositis.

Objectives: Herpes zoster has been widely described in the context of different systemic autoimmune diseases but not dermatomyositis/polymyositis. Therefore, we analyzed the prevalence, risk factors and herpes zoster outcomes in this population.

Method: A retrospective cohort study of herpes zoster infections in dermatomyositis/polymyositis patients was performed.

Dermatomyositis and polymyositis: from immunopathology to immunotherapy (immunobiologics).

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), which include dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM), are chronic systemic diseases associated with high morbidity and functional disability. Current treatment is based on the use of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive drugs, but a considerable number of patients is refractory to traditional therapy. That has led to the attempted use of biologics based on the physiopathogenesis of IIM.

Testicular Sertoli cell function in ankylosing spondylitis.

To assess the testicular Sertoli cell function according to inhibin B levels in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and the possible effect of anti-TNF therapy on this hormone production, 20 consecutive AS patients and 24 healthy controls were evaluated. At study entry, AS patients were not receiving sulfasalazine/methotrexate and never have used biological/cytotoxic agents. They were assessed by serum inhibin B levels, hormone profile, urological examination, testicular ultrasound, seminal parameters, and clinical features.

[Autoimmune hepatitis and dermatomyositis: a rare association].

The association between autoimmune hepatitis and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies has been rarely described in literature. To our knowledge, there are only five reports of autoimmune hepatitis, all coursing with polymyositis. In the present work, we describe a female patient at the age of 58 with cutaneous lesions (heliotrope), progressive proximal muscle weakness of four limbs and constitutional symptoms for 12 months, and worsened two months ago.

Adult dermatomyositis: experience of a Brazilian tertiary care center.

Objective: To report the results of a retrospective cohort involving 139 patients with dermatomyositis, conducted from 1991 to 2011.

Methods: All patients met at least four of the five Bohan and Peter criteria (1975).

Results: The patients' mean age at disease onset was 41.