Publications by authors named "Gema Lledo"
Objectives: Oral and genital ulcers are the hallmark manifestation of Behçet's disease (BD), significantly impacting patients' quality of life. Our study focuses on comparing the effectiveness and safety of TNF inhibitors (TNFis) and apremilast in controlling oral ulcers of BD, aiming to provide evidence-based guidance for physicians in selecting appropriate treatment modalities.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on BD patients treated between December 2016 and December 2021 with TNFis or apremilast for refractory oral ulcers.
Article Synopsis
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a long-lasting illness where the body mistakenly attacks its own cells, leading to inflammation and problems, especially in the kidneys.
- About 30% of people with SLE might have kidney issues right away, and it can go up to 50-60% in the first 10 years.
- Treatments are evolving, focusing on reducing immune system damage while protecting the kidney cells from harm.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on creating an automated system using a deep learning algorithm to analyze nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) images for diagnosing systemic sclerosis (SSc) and Raynaud's phenomenon (RP).
- A total of 1,164 NVC images from RP patients were analyzed, achieving a consensus among trained capillaroscopists on 86.9% of the images and demonstrating a high rate of accuracy by the algorithm, which correctly predicted the conditions in 75.8% of cases.
- The algorithm showed strong predictive values (over 80% for microhaemorrhages and abnormal capillaries), making it a potentially valuable tool for timely diagnosis and management of patients with SSc, RP
Anti-dsDNA autoantibodies quantification and complement levels are widely used to monitor disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, better biomarkers are still needed. We hypothesised whether the dsDNA antibody-secreting B-cells could be a complementary biomarker in disease activity and prognosis of SLE patients.
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- The objective of the study was to map the care pathways for pregnant women with rare and complex connective tissue diseases (rcCTDs) in specialized clinical centers.
- A survey conducted by an international expert group gathered insights from 69 centers across 21 countries, revealing that most centers provided care for systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome, but less for other disorders like IgG4-related diseases.
- The study found that while a multidisciplinary team approach was common, with pre-pregnancy care offered at 96% of centers, the consistency of services and access to therapies varied widely, indicating a need for standardized care protocols to improve patient outcomes.
Objective: This research aims to study structural brain changes in patients with persistent olfactory dysfunctions after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Methods: COVID-19 patients were evaluated using T1-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) on a 3T MRI scanner, 9.94 ± 3.
A prospectively study of pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), antiphospholipid syndrome, or non-criteria obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome was conducted to describe the characteristics of women followed in a referral unit and to derive a predictive tool for adverse pregnancy outcome (APO). Demographic characteristics, treatments, SLE activity, and flares were recorded. Laboratory data included a complete blood cell count, protein-to-creatinine urinary ratio (Pr/Cr ratio), complement, anti dsDNA, anti-SSA/Ro, anti-SSB/La, and antiphospholipid antibodies status.
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- Women with systemic sclerosis (SSc) have a higher risk of pregnancy problems compared to healthy women and those with other conditions like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
- During the study, SSc patients had more issues like miscarriages, preeclampsia, and smaller babies.
- However, the overall health of the mothers with SSc did not worsen during or after their pregnancies.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Besides the higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and aging worldwide, immune mediated disorders remain an important cause of kidney disease and are especially prevalent in young adults. Regardless of the initial insult, final pathway to CKD and kidney failure is always the loss of normal tissue and fibrosis development, in which the dynamic equilibrium between extracellular matrix synthesis and degradation is disturbed, leading to excessive production and accumulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To assess the clinical profile of patients with anti-polymyositis/Scl (PM/Scl) antibodies in a cohort of Spanish patients with systemic sclerosis.
Methods: From the Spanish Scleroderma Study Group database, we selected patients in whom PM/Scl antibodies had been tested. We compared demographic, clinical, laboratory, and survival data between patients with and without PM/Scl antibodies.
The incidence rate of pulmonary arterial hypertension and scleroderma renal crisis in systemic sclerosis patients with digital ulcers on endothelin antagonist receptors (ERAs) and phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5i).
Rheumatology (Oxford)
February 2021
Introduction: Endothelin antagonist receptors (ERAs) and phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5i) are beneficial in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and digital ulcers (DU) and prevent from DU recurrences. Our study aimed to determine the difference in the incidence rate of PAH and scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) in patients with SSc and DU (SSc-DU) under ERAs/PDE5i or without treatment.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including SSc-DU patients from the Spanish Scleroderma Registry (RESCLE).
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the major causes of death worldwide due to infectious agents. The advent of direct-acting antivirals has dramatically improved the chance of HCV elimination, even for patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Along with HCV cure, benefits are recognized in terms of regression of liver fibrosis and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAA) eradicates hepatitis C virus (HCV) from most chronic carriers. Information on regression of liver fibrosis and the influence of HIV is scarce in cured patients.
Methods: All consecutive HCV-infected individuals treated with DAA at our institution were examined.