Pulmonary involvement in systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multi-systemic autoimmune disease that mainly affects the skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, heart and kidneys. Pulmonary disease in patients with SSc is strongly associated with mortality. The mechanisms involved into its pathophysiology include the activation of autoimmune cells and hyperplasia of fibroblasts with an increased capacity to produce collagen and diminished collagen breakdown.

Guillain-Barré syndrome in Colombia: where do we stand now?

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rapid-onset muscle weakness disease caused by the immune-mediated damage of the peripheral nervous system. Since there is an increase incidence of GBS cases in Latin America, particularly in Colombia, and most of them are currently preceded by Zika virus (ZIKV) infection, we aimed to assess the available evidence of the disease in Colombia through a systematic literature review. Out of 51 screened abstracts, only 16 corresponded to articles that met inclusion criteria, of which 15 were case reports or case series.

Physical activity, nutrition and behavior change in Latin America: a systematic review.

Physical activity (PA) and nutrition are key health behaviors underlying the design and implementation of prevention strategies for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Latin America. Nevertheless, research still reports low prevalence of PA and fruit and vegetable consumption throughout the region. This paper aims at reviewing the ways in which models of behavior change theory have been applied in study development and implementation regarding nutrition and PA in Latin America.