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.

Non-criteria Antiphospholipid Antibodies: a narrative review.

The 2006 Revised Sapporo Classification Criteria for Definite Antiphospholipid Syndrome included as laboratory criteria the tests for antiphospholipid antibodies whose accuracy was regarded as satisfactory according to the evidence available at that time. In practice, however, the sensitivity and specificity of these "criteria" of antiphospholipid antibodies are sometimes insufficient for identifying or ruling out antiphospholipid syndrome. It has been studied whether the accuracy of the laboratory diagnosis of the syndrome could be improved by testing for non-criteria antiphospholipid antibodies.

Antiphospholipid Syndrome Committee of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology position statement on the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).

Background: The term Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs) refers to a group of drugs that inhibit factor Xa or thrombin. Even though their use for treating different thrombotic or prothrombotic conditions is increasing recently, there is no compelling evidence indicating that those medications are safe in all antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) patients.

Methodology: To address this issue, specialists from the Antiphospholipid Syndrome Committee of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology performed a comprehensive review of the literature regarding DOACs use in APS to answer the three following questions: (1) potential mechanisms of action of these drugs that could be relevant to APS pathogenesis, (2) DOACs interference on lupus anticoagulant testing, and (3) the efficacy of DOACs in APS.

Epidemiologic Features of Systemic Vasculitides in the Southeast Region of Brazil: Hospital-Based Survey.

Background/objective: The epidemiology of vasculitis is variable in different geographic areas, and this issue has not been approached in Brazil yet. The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of vasculitis in specialized centers in Brazil.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in 9 vasculitis outpatient clinics from 6 different states mainly from the Southeast and the Northeast regions of Brazil between 2015 and 2017.

Correction to: V Brazilian consensus guidelines for detection of anti-cell autoantibodies on hep-2 cells.

After publication of the original article [1], we were notified that there is a mistake in Fig. 2.

V Brazilian consensus guidelines for detection of anti-cell autoantibodies on hep-2 cells.

Background: The V Brazilian Consensus for determination of autoantibodies against cellular constituents on HEp-2 cells, held in Brasilia (DF, Brazil) on August 27, 2016, discussed the harmonization between the Brazilian Consensus on ANA (BCA) guidelines and the International Consensus on ANA Patterns (ICAP) recommendations ( www.anapatterns.org ).

Update on antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) associated with thrombosis and/or pregnancy morbidity. Most APS events are directly related to thrombotic events, which may affect small, medium or large vessels. Other clinical features like thrombocytopenia, nephropathy, cardiac valve disease, cognitive dysfunction and skin ulcers (called non-criteria manifestations) add significant morbidity to this syndrome and represent clinical situations that are challenging.

Recommendations of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology for the induction therapy of ANCA-associated vasculitis.

The purpose of these recommendations is to guide the appropriate induction treatment of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients with active disease. The recommendations proposed by the Vasculopathies Committee of the Brazilian Society Rheumatology for induction therapy of AAV, including granulomatosis with polyangiitis, microscopic polyangiitis and renal-limited vasculitis, were based on systematic literature review and expert opinion. Literature review was performed using Medline (PubMed), EMBASE and Cochrane database to retrieve articles until October 2016.

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Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by recurrent arterial or venous thrombosis and/or gestational morbidity and by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. It can also cause other vascular manifestations such as microangiopathy, chronic arteriopathy and catastrophic APS (CAPS). Certain laboratory tests for the syndrome (for example, the lupus anticoagulant test) can be affected by the use of anticoagulant agents, making diagnosis more difficult.

The impact of comorbidities on the physical function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To investigate the association of comorbidities with mobility limitation and functional disability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and to identify which comorbidity indicator is the most appropriate to determine this association.

Methods: Sixty rheumatoid arthritis patients were enrolled in a cross-sectional study for a period of 11 months. Comorbidities were assessed using three indicators: (i) the total number of comorbidities; (ii) the Charlson comorbidity index; and (iii) the functional comorbidity index.

[The influence of physical function on the risk of falls among adults with rheumatoid arthritis].

Objectives: Identify fall prevalence in the last 12 months among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and verify the influence of disease activity and physical function in the risk of falls.

Methods: 43 patients with RA participated in this study. The following parameters were evaluated: clinical aspects; fall occurrence in the last 12 months; ESR (mm/h); pain on a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 10cm; disease activity, measured by the Disease Activity Score 28/ESR (DAS-28/ESR); physical function, assessed by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ); and risk of falling, assessed by two tests, the 5-time sit down-to-stand up test (SST5) and the timed get up and go test (TUG).

IV Brazilian guidelines for autoantibodies on HEp-2 cells.

Objective: The Fourth Brazilian Consensus for Autoantibodies Screening in HEp-2 Cells (ANA) was held in Vitória, Espírito Santo, and aimed to discuss strategies and recommendations about the technique, standardization, interpretation and quality control of the indirect immunofluorescence reaction on HEp-2 cells.

Methods: Twenty three ANA experts from university centers and private laboratories in different areas from Brazil discussed and agreed upon recommendations for the fourth edition of the Brazilian Consensus for Autoantibodies Screening in HEp-2 Cells.

Results And Conclusion: The 4th ANA Consensus included three novel patterns into the existing algorithm (cytoplasmic Rods and Rings, nuclear Quasi-homogeneous, and CENP-F).

Frequency of antiparvovirus B19 antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: To determine the frequency of antiparvovírus B19 (B19) antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and the possible correlation of anti-B19 seropositivity with disease activity and quality of life.

Patients And Methods: Serum samples from 57 patients with RA, 45 with SLE and 65 healthy controls were used. We applied protocol with clinical data, and the Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS 28), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) indexes.

Guidelines for the treatment of antiphospholipid syndrome.

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by arterial and venous thrombosis, gestational morbidity and presence of elevated and persistently positive serum titers of antiphospholipid antibodies. The treatment of APS is still controversial, because any therapeutic decision potentially faces the risk of an insufficient or excessive antithrombotic coverage associated with anticoagulation and its major adverse effects. This guideline was elaborated from nine relevant clinical questions related to the treatment of APS by the Committee of Vasculopathies of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology.

Ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis: a rare association--case report.

Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune disorder of unknown etiology. Although the large intestine is the major focus of autoimmunity, resulting in chronic diarrhea, that is actually a systemic disease, with numerous extraintestinal manifestations, such as articular involvement. The frequent association of a number of autoimmune diseases in the same patient has been described.

Possible role of adipokines in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.

In recent years, mediators synthesized in the adipose tissue, the so-called adipokines, have been described. They have a hormonal action, regulating appetite and glucose metabolism, but also act as cytokines with effects on the immune system, including effects on autoimmunity. The most important adipokines are leptin, adiponectin, resistin and visfatin, and some of them have been assessed in autoimmune rheumatic diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).