Speciality training in rheumatology: Promotion, repetition and dropout rates in the city of Buenos Aires.

Objectives: To evaluate the trajectory of students enrolled in the specialty training in rheumatology.

Methods: Retrospective analysis (2009-2016). Promotion, repetition, and dropout rates were determined.

Active lupus in Argentina: Results of a multicenter and national registry.

Objective: To evaluate the association between patients' characteristics and disease activity in an Argentine lupus registry.

Methods: Cross-sectional study. Disease activity was stratified into: Remission off-treatment: SLEDAI = 0, without prednisone and immunosuppressive drugs.

Humoral and T Cell Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral and T cell response after a two-dose regimen of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: In this observational study, patients with RA who are ≥18 years of age and vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 according to the Argentine National Health Ministry's vaccination strategy were included. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies (ELISA-COVIDAR test), neutralizing activity (cytotoxicity in VERO cells), and specific T cell response (IFN-γ ELISpot Assay) were assessed after the first and second dose.

Polymerase iota (Pol ι) prevents PrimPol-mediated nascent DNA synthesis and chromosome instability.

Recent studies have described a DNA damage tolerance pathway choice that involves a competition between PrimPol-mediated repriming and fork reversal. Screening different translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) polymerases by the use of tools for their depletion, we identified a unique role of Pol ι in regulating such a pathway choice. Pol ι deficiency unleashes PrimPol-dependent repriming, which accelerates DNA replication in a pathway that is epistatic with ZRANB3 knockdown.

Does the Use of Immunosuppressive Drugs Impact on SARS-CoV-2 Infection Outcome? Data From A National Cohort of Patients With Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases (SAR-COVID Registry).

Background/objective: This study describes the impact of immunomodulatory and/or immunosuppressive (IM/IS) drugs in the outcomes of COVID-19 infection in a cohort of patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs).

Methods: Adult patients with IMIDs with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were included. Data were reported by the treating physician between August 13, 2020 and July 31, 2021.

Sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with poor COVID-19 outcomes in patients with rheumatic diseases: data from the SAR-COVID Registry.

Background/objective: This study aims to describe the course and to identify poor prognostic factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with rheumatic diseases.

Methods: Patients ≥ 18 years of age, with a rheumatic disease, who had confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were consecutively included by major rheumatology centers from Argentina, in the national, observational SAR-COVID registry between August 13, 2020 and July 31, 2021. Hospitalization, oxygen requirement, and death were considered poor COVID-19 outcomes.

Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 Third Vaccine in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Who Had No Seroconversion After Primary 2-Dose Regimen With Inactivated or Vector-Based Vaccines.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the immune response after a third dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with undetectable antibody titers after the primary regimen of 2 doses.

Methods: Patients with RA with no seroconversion after 2 doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and who received a third dose of either an mRNA or vector-based vaccine were included. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, neutralizing activity, and T cell responses were assessed after the third dose.

An Argentinean cohort of patients with rheumatic and immune-mediated diseases vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2: the SAR-CoVAC Registry-protocol and preliminary data.

Background/objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with rheumatic and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) in Argentina: the SAR-CoVAC registry.

Methods: SAR-CoVAC is a national, multicenter, and observational registry. Adult patients with rheumatic or IMIDs vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 were consecutively included between June 1 and September 17, 2021.

Multicenter lupus register from Argentina, the RELESSAR database: Influence of ethnicity on disease phenotype.

Objective: The objective is to describe the main characteristics of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Argentina and to examine the influence of ethnicity on the expression of the disease.

Patients And Methods: RELESSAR is a multicentre register carried out by 106 researchers from 67 rheumatologic Argentine centres. It is a cross-sectional study of SLE (1982/1997 ACR) patients.

Predictors of response to etanercept-methotrexate treatment: a post hoc logistic regression analysis of a randomized, open-label study in Latin American patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Determining potential predictors of clinical response would allow a more personalized rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment approach in heterogeneous populations such as Latin American (LA) patients.

Methods: Post hoc analysis to identify baseline characteristics predictive of clinical remission in response to treatment with etanercept (ETN) plus methotrexate (MTX) in LA patients with moderate to severe MTX-resistant RA. We report data from the group of patients who received ETN 50 mg/week plus MTX (ETN + MTX, n = 281) in a clinical trial consisting of an initial 24-week open-label phase, followed by a 104-week extension.

Lung involvement prevalence in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis without known pulmonary disease: a multicentric cross sectional study.

Background: Clinically evident interstitial lung disease (ILD) affects between 10 and 42% of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Airway involvement seems to be even more common. Most of the available evidence comes from studies performed in established RA patients.

Treatment Satisfaction, Patient Preferences, and the Impact of Suboptimal Disease Control in a Large International Rheumatoid Arthritis Cohort: SENSE Study.

Background: Patients' needs and perspectives are important determinants of treatment success in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Assessing patients' perspectives can help identify unmet needs and enhance the understanding of treatment benefits.

Objective: The SENSE study assessed the impact of inadequate response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on treatment satisfaction, disease outcomes, and patient perspectives related to RA disease management.

Performance of the RABBIT infection risk score in an Argentinian rheumatoid arthritis cohort.

Patients with rheumatic autoimmune diseases have a higher risk of infections compared with age-and sex-matched controls. In Latin America, there are no validated tools to assess the risk of serious infection. The objectives were to estimate the incidence of serious infections in a cohort of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients followed for 12 months and to validate the RABBIT risk score for serious infections.

A case of inflammatory pseudotumour of the gallbladder presenting as a big mass of uncertain behavior.

Background: Inflammatory pseudotumour has been used to describe an inflammatory or fibrosing tumoral process of an undetermined cause that may involve a variety of organ systems, including the lungs, spleen, liver, lymph nodes, pancreas and extrahepatic bile duct with potential for recurrence and persistent local growth. In this article, we report a patient with a big mass of uncertain nature and behavior.

Case Presentation: A 60-year-old woman presented with a 1-week history of abdominal pain, fever and jaundice.

CDK-Independent and PCNA-Dependent Functions of p21 in DNA Replication.

p21 is a small unstructured protein that binds and inactivates cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). To this end, p21 levels increase following the activation of the p53 tumor suppressor. CDK inhibition by p21 triggers cell-cycle arrest in the G1 and G2 phases of the cell cycle.

Unscheduled MRE11 activity triggers cell death but not chromosome instability in polymerase eta-depleted cells subjected to UV irradiation.

The elimination of DNA polymerase eta (pol η) causes discontinuous DNA elongation and fork stalling in UV-irradiated cells. Such alterations in DNA replication are followed by S-phase arrest, DNA double-strand break (DSB) accumulation, and cell death. However, their molecular triggers and the relative timing of these events have not been fully elucidated.

Clinical Improvements as Predictors of Improvements in Patient-Reported Outcomes: Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized, Open-Label Study of Etanercept in Latin American Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Background: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), little is known about clinical responses to treatment as predictors of patient-reported outcome (PRO) changes. In this post hoc analysis, we examined the relationship between clinical outcomes at week 12 and PRO changes at week 24 in patients with RA.

Methods: In an open-label study, Latin American patients with moderate-to-severe RA and an inadequate response to methotrexate (MTX) were randomized to receive etanercept 50 mg/week plus MTX (ETN+MTX; n=281) or an additional conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) plus MTX (DMARD+MTX; n=142) for 24 weeks.

Burden of rheumatoid arthritis on patients' work productivity and quality of life.

Background: To determine the burden of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) on patients' work productivity and health related quality of life (HRQoL), and examine the influence of several exposure variables; to analyze the progression of RA over 1 year and its impact on work productivity and HRQoL.

Methods: International multicenter prospective survey including patients in 18 centers in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico with diagnosis of RA and aged between 21-55 years. The following standard questionnaires were completed at baseline and throughout a 1-year follow-up: WPAI:RA, WALS, WLQ-25, EQ-5D-3 L and SF-36.

[Primary angioplasty in Argentina. Results from ARGEN-IAM-ST registry].

Our objective was to evaluate clinical characteristics, results and morbi-mortality in primary angioplasty (PA), of patients treated with PA within 36 hours of a myocardial infarction (MI), included in a prospective, transversal, multicenter and national survey (ARGEN-IAM-ST). A total of 1142 patients treated with PA were registered, 61.2 ± 12 years old, 88% male, 20% diabetics and 58% with hypertension; 77.

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.

Comparison of patient and physician perspectives in the management of rheumatoid arthritis: results from global physician- and patient-based surveys.

Background: In order to better understand the perspectives of patients and physicians regarding the treatment and management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we present and compare results from a patient-based and a physician-based survey developed by the RA NarRAtive advisory panel.

Methods: The RA NarRAtive initiative is directed by a global advisory panel of 39 healthcare providers and patient organization leaders from 17 countries. A survey of patients self-reporting a diagnosis of RA and a physician-based survey, designed by the advisory panel, were fielded online by Harris Poll from September 2014 to April 2016, and from August 2015 to October 2015, respectively.