Biosimilar drugs in Mexico: position of the Mexican College of Rheumatology, 2012.

Biotechnological drugs (BTDs) are complex molecules whose manufacturing process precludes the ability to identically reproduce the structure of the original product, and therefore there cannot be an absolute equivalence between the original (innovative) medication and its biosimilar counterpart. BTDs have been proven useful in the treatment of several rheumatic diseases, however their high cost has prevented their use in many patients. Several BTD patents have expired or are close to expire, triggering the development of structurally similar drugs with efficacy and safety profiles comparable to the innovative compound; however, these must be evaluated through evidence based medicine.

Validity of the COPCORD core questionnaire as a classification tool for rheumatic diseases.

Objective: Rheumatic diseases are vastly underdiagnosed and undertreated, particularly among minorities and those of low socioeconomic status. The WHO-ILAR Community Oriented Program in the Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD) advocates screening of musculoskeletal complaints in the community. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the COPCORD Core Questionnaire (CCQ) as a diagnostic tool for rheumatic diseases.

[Secondary Raynaud's syndrome: skin blood flow decrease between the ischemic episodes and prolongation of the vasoconstriction during the respiratory maneuvers].

Unlabelled: The Raynaud's syndrome is an episodic skin ischemia manifested by pallor, cyanosis and erythema of the fingers in response to cold or emotional stress. The exact pathophysiology is unknown but it has been hypothetised that may be due to an autonomic alteration in the sympathetic innervation of skin blood vessels.

Objective: To study the changes of heart rate and skin blood flow (SBF) in healthy subjects and in patients with secondary Raynaud's syndrome during different respiratory maneuvers: 1.