Chagas disease reactivation in rheumatologic patients: association with immunosuppressive therapy and humoral response.

Evidence for Chagas disease reactivation (CDR) in rheumatologic patients under rheumatologic treatments (RTs) is scarce. To screen and follow-up patients with rheumatic diseases and concomitant Chagas disease under RT to detect CDR and to describe a possible relationship between CDR and specific RT. An observational, longitudinal, prospective, consecutive study was carried out between 2018 and 2020.

[Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis. Clinical aspects and treatment].

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis, comprise a group of diseases characterized by inflammation of the wall of small vessels. We analyzed epidemiological and clinical characteristics in a series of 47 patients, 23 (49%) with Wegener granulomatosis (WG), 15 (32%) with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and nine (19%) with renal limited vasculitis (RLV). The mean age at onset of symptoms was 50.

Benznidazole blocks NF-kappaB activation but not AP-1 through inhibition of IKK.

Previously, we demonstrated that benznidazole (BZL), known for its antiparasitic action on Trypanosoma cruzi, modulates pro-inflammatory cytokines and NO release in macrophages by inhibiting NF-kappaB. We now proceeded to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which BZL exerts its inhibitory action on NF-kappaB. We demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of BZL is not extended to other macrophage responses, since it did not inhibit other typical hallmarks of macrophage activation such as phagocytosis, MHC-II molecules expression or production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by NADPH oxidase.