Predictors of serious infections in rheumatoid arthritis-a prospective Brazilian cohort.

Background: Infections increase mortality and morbidity and often limit immunosuppressive treatment in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Objective: To analyze the occurrence of serious infections and the associated factors in a cohort of rheumatoid arthritis patients under real-life conditions.

Methods: We analyzed data from the REAL, a prospective observational study, that evaluated Brazilian RA patients, with clinical and laboratory data collected over a year.

Prevalence of autoimmune diseases in an admixed population of patients with type 1 diabetes: a multicenter study in Brazil.

Background/objectives: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of autoimmune diseases (AIDs) and its associated factors in an admixed Brazilian population of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The secondary one was to determine the relationship between AIDs and the occurrence of diabetes-related chronic complications (DRCC).

Methods: This cross-sectional, nationwide survey was conducted in 13 public clinics in 11 Brazilian cities.

Association between clinical, serological, functional and radiological findings and ventilatory distribution heterogeneity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the involvement of the pulmonary interstitium can lead to structural changes in the small airways and alveoli, leading to reduced airflow and maldistribution of ventilation. The single-breath nitrogen washout (SBN2W) test is a measure of the ventilatory distribution heterogeneity and evaluates the small airways. This study aimed to find out which clinical, serological, functional and radiological findings are useful to identify RA patients with pathological values of the phase III slope (SIII) measured by the SBN2W test.

Multicenter study of the natural history and therapeutic responses of patients with chikungunya, focusing on acute and chronic musculoskeletal manifestations - a study protocol from the clinical and applied research in Chikungunya (REPLICK network).

Background: Chikungunya is associated with high morbidity and the natural history of symptomatic infection has been divided into three phases (acute, post-acute, and chronic) according to the duration of musculoskeletal symptoms. Although this classification has been designed to help guide therapeutic decisions, it does not encompass the complexity of the clinical expression of the disease and does not assist in the evaluation of the prognosis of severity nor chronic disease. Thus, the current challenge is to identify and diagnose musculoskeletal disorders and to provide the optimal treatment in order to prevent perpetuation or progression to a potentially destructive disease course.

Extra-articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis remain a major challenge: data from a large, multi-centric cohort.

Introduction: Although Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) extra-articular manifestations (ExtRA) occurrence has been decreasing over time, they are still a major mortality risk factor for patients.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of ExtRA in a large cohort, and its association with demographic and clinical variables.

Method: Cross-sectional and observational study, based on a multi-centric database from a prospective cohort, in which 11 public rheumatology centres enrolled RA patients (1987 ARA or 2010 ACR-EULAR).

Performance of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Index in the Assessment of Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis-Findings From the REAL Study.

Background/objective: Although telemedicine use has been under discussion for decades, this topic has gained unprecedented importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Index (RADAI) is a user-friendly tool, fully self-administered, to assess rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of RADAI with other disease activity indices, functional status, and inflammatory markers in a large cohort of RA patients.

Recommendations of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology for the use of JAK inhibitors in the management of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and autoimmune systemic inflammatory disease that can cause irreversible joint deformities, with increased morbidity and mortality and a significant impact on the quality of life of the affected individual. The main objective of RA treatment is to achieve sustained clinical remission or low disease activity. However, up to 40% of patients do not respond to available treatments, including bDMARDs.

Cardiovascular risk comorbidities in rheumatoid arthritis patients and the use of anti-rheumatic drugs: a cross-sectional real-life study.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune systemic inflammatory disease. In addition to joint involvement, RA patients frequently have other comorbidities, such as cardiovascular diseases. Drugs used for RA treatment may increase or decrease the risk of a cardiovascular event.

Impact of clinical and psychological factors associated with depression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: comparative study between Germany and Brazil.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with clinical and psychological factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Germany and in Brazil.

Method: A convenience sample of 267 RA patients, 176 from Germany (age 62.4 ± 12.

Real-life data of survival and reasons for discontinuation of biological disease-modifying drugs 'in' rheumatoid arthritis.

Background Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, autoimmune disease in which treatment has evolved with a variety of therapeutic classes. Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs have improved therapy; however, the continued long-term use of these drugs with sustained safety and efficacy remains a challenge. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to analyze time of use and reasons for discontinuation of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Which factors predict discordance between a patient and physician on a gout flare?

Objective: To investigate the factors associated with discordance between patient and physician on the presence of a gout flare.

Methods: Patients' self-reports of current gout flares were assessed with the question, 'Are you having a gout flare today?' which was then compared with a concurrent, blinded, physician's assessment. Based on agreement or disagreement with physicians on the presence of a gout flare, flares were divided into concordant and discordant groups, respectively.

Real - rheumatoid arthritis in real life - study cohort: a sociodemographic profile of rheumatoid arthritis in Brazil.

Background: In Brazil, socioeconomic differences in the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been demonstrated, which are important in the formulation of hypotheses regarding the association between environmental factors, lifestyle and the risk of disease development. This study examines how the socioeconomic condition of the patient with RA in Brazil, assessed according to social class, educational level, employment situation and use of caregivers, affects the times between the beginning of symptoms and diagnosis and the beginning of the use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, as well as the presence of erosive disease and functional status.

Methods: This work is part of a multicentric study called REAL - Rheumatoid Arthritis in Real Life in Brazil, which is a prospective observational cohort study.

Discordance between the patient's and physician's global assessment in rheumatoid arthritis: Data from the REAL study-Brazil.

Background: Discordance between patient's global assessment (PtGA) and physician's global assessment (PhGA) has been described in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Understanding the reasons for this discrepancy is important in the context of treat-to-target treatment strategy.

Objective: To assess the determinants of PtGA and PhGA and factors associated with discordance between them.

Rheumatoid artrhitis treatment in Brazil: data from a large real-life multicenter study.

Background: Last decades witnessed great technological advances in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management, but their implementation in clinical practice might prove difficult. Despite the efficacy demonstrated in controlled trials this information needs to be confirmed by real life data. This study assessed real-life treatment among RA patients.

Does the nitrogen single-breath washout test contribute to detecting pulmonary involvement in rheumatoid arthritis? A pilot study.

Objective: There has been growing interest in studying small airway disease through measures of ventilation distribution, thanks to the resurgence of the nitrogen single-breath washout (NSBW) test. Therefore, this study evaluated the contribution of the NSBW test to the detection of pulmonary involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Results: Twenty-one patients with RA underwent clinical evaluation, pulmonary function tests (PFTs), including the N2BW test, and computed tomography (CT).

Gout, Hyperuricaemia and Crystal-Associated Disease Network (G-CAN) consensus statement regarding labels and definitions of disease states of gout.

Objective: There is a lack of standardisation in the terminology used to describe gout. The aim of this project was to develop a consensus statement describing the recommended nomenclature for disease states of gout.

Methods: A content analysis of gout-related articles from rheumatology and general internal medicine journals published over a 5-year period identified potential disease states and the labels commonly assigned to them.

Benzbromarone in the treatment of gout.

Background: Benzbromarone is a uricosuric drug that has been used in the treatment of gout over the last 30 years. Due to its potent inhibition of the dominant apical (luminal) urate exchanger in the human proximal tubule URAT1, it reduces the urate reabsorption, diminishing serum urate levels and therefore preventing gout flares. Through several clinical trials, Benzbromarone has been proved effective and safe, inclusive in patients with chronic kidney disease and as combination therapy with allopurinol.

Cause-Specific Mortality in Gout: Novel Findings of Elevated Risk of Non-Cardiovascular-Related Deaths.

Objective: To examine cause-specific mortality beyond cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in patients with gout compared to the general population.

Methods: We included all residents of Skåne (Sweden) age ≥18 years in the year 2002. Using the Skåne Healthcare Register, we identified subjects with a new diagnosis of gout (2003-2013) and matched each person with gout with 10 comparators free of gout, by age and sex.

Changing rate of serious infections in biologic-exposed rheumatoid arthritis patients. Data from South American registries BIOBADABRASIL and BIOBADASAR.

Objective: Most reports on serious infections (SI) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are from the USA and Western Europe. Data from other regions are largely missing. We report data from South American countries with different backgrounds and health-care systems but similar registries.

Correction: Causes of synthetic disease-modifying drug discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis: Data from a large real-life cohort.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Causes of synthetic disease-modifying drug discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis: Data from a large real-life cohort.

The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has evolved rapidly in recent years. Nonetheless, conventional synthetic disease-modifying drugs (csDMARDs) remain the gold standard for RA treatment. The treatment for RA is expensive and this has a negative impact on public health.

The REAL study: a nationwide prospective study of rheumatoid arthritis in Brazil.

Background: There are few data on the epidemiology, clinical manifestations and management of RA in Brazil, even with the recognition of the high direct, indirect and societal costs of this disease. Herein, we report the formation of the REAL - Rheumatoid Arthritis in Real Life, the first nationally representative multicenter prospective observational study in Brazil.

Methods: The REAL study was designed to include a total of 1300 evaluable patients from 13 tertiary care public health centers specialized in RA management and representative of 5 regions of Brazil.

2017 recommendations of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology for the pharmacological treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

The objective of this document is to provide a comprehensive update of the recommendations of Brazilian Society of Rheumatology on drug treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), based on a systematic literature review and on the opinion of a panel of rheumatologists. Four general principles and eleven recommendations were approved. General principles: RA treatment should (1) preferably consist of a multidisciplinary approach coordinated by a rheumatologist, (2) include counseling on lifestyle habits, strict control of comorbidities, and updates of the vaccination record, (3) be based on decisions shared by the patient and the physician after clarification about the disease and the available therapeutic options; (4) the goal is sustained clinical remission or, when this is not feasible, low disease activity.