Reactive Arthritis or HIV-Associated Arthropathy: Is It Important to Differentiate Them?

Although human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated arthropathy is the most frequently described joint syndrome, the spectrum of its clinical manifestations is poorly known, and it is difficult to distinguish it from reactive arthritis (ReA). Knowing how to differentiate these two conditions has major implications regarding their prognosis and treatment. We present the case of an adult patient with a history of HIV infection with adequate virological control and good adherence to antiretroviral treatment, which began with an acute clinical picture consisting of additive asymmetric oligoarthritis with subsequent transition to symmetric polyarthritis predominantly in the upper extremities, initially attributed to ReA.

Differences between radiographic and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis patients in a Mexican cohort.

To compare the demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics, disease onset, and clinical features of radiographic axial Spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) and non-radiographic axial Spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) patients. All patients who attended outpatient spondylarthritis (SpA) clinics at Hospital General de Mexico and the Instituto Nacional de la Nutrición from 1998 to 2005 and met the rheumatologist diagnostic criteria for SpA were selected. Then the SpA patients were classified by European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group criteria (ESSG).

Gastrointestinal tuberculosis: An autopsy-based study.

Background: Tuberculosis is a disease of great relevance since it is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is an unusual presentation. It is defined as the involvement of any segment of the digestive tract, associated viscera, and peritoneum.

Clinical characteristics of early-onset gastric cancer. A study in a Colombian population.

Gastric cancer is a multifactorial disease with important genetic and environmental factors. It is the fifth most common cancer in incidence, and the fourth cause of death secondary to cancer. The incidence of early-onset gastric cancer is increasing worldwide, but clinical information on these patients has not been well established.

Causes of death in patients with autoimmune and rheumatic diseases-a 16-year autopsy-based study.

Introduction: the autopsy is an essential medical procedure; however, its use has declined over the decades. In autoimmune and rheumatological diseases, anatomical and microscopic diagnosis is critical to diagnose of the cause of death. For this reason, our objective is to describe the cause of death in patients diagnosed with autoimmune and rheumatic diseases who underwent an autopsy in a Pathology reference center in Colombia.

Clinical Diagnosis of Chikungunya Infection: An Essential Aid in a Primary Care Setting Where Serological Confirmation Is Not Available.

Background: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) diagnosis has become a challenge for primary care physicians in areas where the Zika virus and/or Dengue virus are present. Case definitions for the three arboviral infections overlap.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was carried out.

Interstitial Lung Disease in Mixed Connective Tissue Disease: An Advanced Search.

The spectrum of pulmonary manifestations associated with mixed connective tissue disease ranges from pulmonary hypertension and interstitial lung disease to pleural effusions, alveolar hemorrhage, and complications from the thromboembolic disease. Interstitial lung disease in mixed connective tissue disease is a frequently occurring entity, although in most cases it tends to be self-limited or slowly progressive. Despite this, a significant percentage of patients may present a progressive fibrosing phenotype, thus posing a great challenge regarding its therapeutic approach, given the scarcity of clinical studies that compare the efficacy of immunosuppressants available to date.

Opportunistic infections as a cause of death in patients with autoimmune diseases: An autopsy-based study.

Background: Infections are an important cause of mortality in patients with autoimmune diseases and opportunistic infections account for a large percentage of these cases. It is often a clinical challenge to find a balance between immunosuppressive therapy and the risk of developing an infectious process.

Methods: A retrospective, descriptive study of autopsy reports.

Perimyocarditis With Acute Heart Failure as the First Manifestation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Cardiac abnormalities are common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, many of them tend to be mild or asymptomatic and can be recognized by non-invasive studies such as transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). However, heart failure secondary to perimyocarditis as the initial manifestation of SLE remains an extremely rare form of presentation.

A Practical Perspective of the Hematologic Manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory disease with an unknown etiology that can affect any organ or system of the human body. Hematological, renal, or central nervous system manifestations in these patients result in great morbidity because high doses of glucocorticoids, cytotoxic medications, or biological drugs are required to control these manifestations. It is noteworthy that hematological involvement predominates during the first years of the disease and tends to last over time, with the premise that it may be the initial manifestation of the disease.

Obstetric Antiphospholipid Syndrome From the Perspective of a Rheumatologist.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease that can lead to thrombotic or obstetric complications. Recent histopathological studies have shown the absence of placental thrombosis, leading to the consideration of other pathophysiological pathways such as inflammation and complement activation. Due to this, various clinical studies are being carried out with different drug agents in order to avoid their complications.

Lupus Cystitis, From Myth to Reality: A Narrative Review.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a multisystemic disease that usually involves the urinary tract, often in the form of lupus nephritis. However, another form of compromise of this system is lupus cystitis, which, despite being an unusual condition, turns out to be a challenging diagnosis due to the spectrum of nonspecific abdominal and urinary symptoms. Although the exact pathophysiological mechanism of bladder inflammation remains to be established, the role of small vessel vasculitis measured by immune complexes continues to be supported as a central axis for considering possible therapeutic targets.

Current Evidence for IL-17/23 Blockade for the Treatment of Lupus Nephritis.

In the current medical literature, there is increasing evidence for the involvement of the interleukin (IL)-17/23 axis and the potential role of Th17 cells in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis. Knowledge about the interaction of these immunological pathways in the development of autoimmune diseases has led to the identification of new therapeutic strategies aimed at blocking them. For this reason, the main objective of this review focuses on knowing the recent evidence of the different anti-IL-17/23 treatment strategies in lupus nephritis and their future perspectives.

HIV and COVID-19 Coinfection: A Synergism That Results in More Severe Forms of Reactive Arthritis.

Reactive arthritis is defined as arthritis that arises after infection, where pathogens cannot grow in the affected joints. Although the human immunodeficiency virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 are not among the most commonly implicated pathogens, there is growing evidence that they have major implications in the genesis of reactive arthritis. However, there are no described cases of coinfection of both entities that cause reactive arthritis at the same time, and the alterations involved in the immune system that could cause the change of certain clinical characteristics to more severe forms of the disease are unknown.

Extra-Articular Manifestations in Reactive Arthritis due to COVID-19.

Reactive arthritis (ReA) is defined as arthritis that arises after infection, where pathogens cannot grow in the affected joints. Formerly, the clinical triad of postinfectious arthritis, urethritis, and conjunctivitis was called Reiter's syndrome; however, these clinical signs only represented a subset of patients with ReA. Due to the great diversity of its manifestations, its diagnosis is a challenge and can be overlooked in clinical practice.