Publications by authors named "Tekaya R"

Background: Deficiency in vitamin D is widely prevalent around the world. Oral vitamin D supplementation is suggested for older adults to sustain appropriate 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels throughout the year. At present, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) and ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) are the most commonly used compounds.

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COVID-19, caused by a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), can lead to severe infection and has been suggested to induce autoimmune phenomena. We report three cases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) occurring after COVID-19 infection and we present a systematic review of the literature of cases of RA post COVID-19. Our findings suggest that RA may be trigged by COVID-19 infection in genetically predisposed individuals.

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Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease frequently associated with comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases. RA patients are more prone to physical inactivity than the general population.

Aim: Our study aimed to evaluate physical activity (PA) in patients with RA and to assess barriers that influence it in RA characteristics.

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Introduction: Foot problems are very common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Podiatric intervention through therapeutic education of RA patients on the different potential foot problems could improve patients' knowledge and management of their foot problems. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of RA patients on podiatric problems related to their illness and foot care practices.

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Objectives: Nail unit is one of the targets of ultrasound (US) assessment. We aimed to compare ultrasound parameters of clinically normal nail unit in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients with healthy controls (HC) and evaluate their correlations with disease activity.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including patients with PsA and matched HC.

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Introduction: Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a common rheumatic inflammatory disease and can impact patients' work productivity. We aimed to evaluate the impact of pain catastrophizing and central sensitization on work outcomes in young SpA patients and determine the predictive factors of work productivity loss.

Material And Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study over 6 months.

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Article Synopsis
  • TNF alpha blockers like infliximab (IFX) and adalimumab (ADA) are effective for inflammatory diseases but about 30% of patients don't respond, possibly due to anti-drug antibodies (ADAbs).
  • A study involving 197 patients found that 40% of those on IFX and 25% on ADA tested positive for ADAbs, with varying rates across conditions (RA, SpA, and CD).
  • Despite the presence of ADAbs being linked to lower drug levels, they did not correlate with disease activity, suggesting that other factors besides immunogenicity may influence treatment failures.
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Introduction: Medical education has progressed considerably. Information and communication technologies have been adopted as a learning tool.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate the contribution of an educational video in the acquisition of knowledge on the measurement of the Schöber index in young medical students.

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Article Synopsis
  • Tietze syndrome is an inflammatory condition affecting the area where the ribs meet the cartilage, leading to chest pain, swelling, and tenderness.
  • A reported case involved a 35-year-old worker who developed post-traumatic Tietze syndrome after two injuries to the same chest area, confirmed by imaging showing bone issues.
  • Treatment involved non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and the patient was given a 17% disability rating due to the pain's impact on movement, highlighting the need for better awareness of the condition among healthcare providers.
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Osteogenesis imperfecta is an inherited clinically heterogeneous disorder of bone metabolism characterized by bone and skeletal fragility and an increased risk of fractures. Pamidronate infusion was the standard treatment, but zoledronic acid is increasingly used to treat children with osteogenesis imperfecta. We conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous zoledronic acid in the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta in pediatric patients.

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Background: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a multifaceted inflammatory disease that has a strong negative impact on the quality of life (QoL) of patients. The Psoriatic Arthritis Quality of Life (PsAQoL) questionnaire was the first disease-specific patient-derived instrument developed to measure the QoL in patients with PsA. Our objective was to translate the PsAQol into Arabic language and evaluate its reliability and validity in patients with PsA.

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Joint involvement in COVID-19 may occur at different stages of the disease and maybe represented by non-specific arthralgia or by acute arthritis. We report two cases of COVID-19 infection that were complicated by postviral reactive arthritis. Case 1: A 47-year-old male was presented 20 days after a COVID-19 infection with acute right knee arthritis.

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Introduction: We aimed to screen the presence of silent myocardial ischaemia, in established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, using a stress test then to evaluate its association with the disease activity and the cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and Heartscore.

Methods: It is a transversal study in a rheumatologic centre in Tunisia. One hundred three RA patients, asymptomatic for CV diseases, were submitted to a stress test.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of Fc-gamma receptors (FcgRs) may affect the response to TNF-inhibitors (TNFi) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in Tunisia.
  • Researchers analyzed 47 RA patients over six months, focusing on the effectiveness of TNFi treatments like etanercept, adalimumab, and infliximab while genotyping specific SNPs.
  • Results indicated that low-affinity FcgRs were linked to better treatment outcomes, while high-affinity variants were associated with poorer responses, highlighting the potential role of these genetic markers in personalizing RA treatment.
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Background: Knee osteoarthritis, a chronic degenerative disease, is becoming a public health problem around the world due to increasing life expectancy.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the impact of knee osteoarthritis on the quality of life (QoL) of the patients and to identify factors associated with impaired QoL.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional monocentric study including patients with knee osteoarthritis.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates whether variations in Fc-γ receptors caused by specific genetic changes (single nucleotide polymorphisms) affect how well therapeutic monoclonal antibodies are cleared from the body and influence the development of anti-drug antibodies.
  • Conducted on Tunisian rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with various biologic drugs, the study measured serum drug levels and the presence of anti-drug antibodies while genotyping patients for specific Fc-γ receptor variations.
  • Results indicate that while most patients had serum drug levels within the therapeutic range, a minority developed anti-drug antibodies, with a notable association between the high affinity FcgR2A R131H receptor and antibody development, prompting recommendations for further research with larger sample sizes.
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Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is commonly associated with higher rates of comorbidities. Recent recommendations highlight screening comorbidities during the disease course because of their impact on patients' ability to function, on disease outcome, but also on treatment choices. Hence the interest of our study that aimed to quantify the impact of comorbidities among RA patients using a validated tool the Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index (RDCI) and to explore the association between comorbidities and disease characteristics.

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This is the case of a 50-year-old patient suffering from inflammatory low back pain. Radiological exploration showed posterior vertebral damage compatible with discovertebral pseudo-tumor tuberculosis. Pathological examination found no malignant cells, but caseous necrosis was present.

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Background: The objective of the study was to assess clinical and imaging features of rheumatoid arthritis associated with atlantoaxial dislocation (RA-AAD) in comparison to RA without AAD (RA-C) and to identify the associated factors to AAD.

Methods: This was a retrospective comparative study including RA patients over 18 years old. The control group of RA-C was matched according to age (±2 years), gender, and RA duration (±2 years).

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Background: Foot function is usually assessed using self-reported outcome measures which remain subjective in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Physical performance tests were recommended for functional assessment in lower limb osteoarthritis. However, foot function assessment's guidelines in RA are lacking.

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Background: Calcium-pyrophosphate-dihydrate-disease (CPPD) is a crystal-induced arthropathy. The lumbar-spinal involvement is rare and often under-diagnosed. This study aimed to report the case of a lumbar spine CPPD involvement and to perform a systematic review of clinical, imaging features of lumbar involvement in CPPD patients, and treatments that have been implemented.

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Background: Synovial chondromatosis is an uncommon benign condition characterized by synovial membrane proliferation and metaplasia. Synovial chondromatosis cases in patients with rheumatoid arthritis have been reported. However, involvement of the glenohumeral joint is rare.

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A Tunisian patient with painless swelling and discharging sinuses of the right foot was diagnosed with Eumycetoma after 1 year of evolution. Mycetoma is a neglected disease relatively rare in our country. An early and accurate diagnosis, based on histopathological and microbiological examinations, limits functional and esthetical damage.

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Gitelman syndrome represents the clinical manifestations of inactivation of the Slc12a3 genes encoding the thiazide-sensitive sodium chloride cotransporter and the Trpm6-Mg genes encoding the magnesium transporters in the distal convoluted tubule. In fact, the biochemical findings resemble those with thiazide diuretics such as hypokalemia, hypomagnesaemia, hypocalciuria, metabolic alkalosis, and low normal blood pressure. He is usually associated with calcium pyrophosphate deposition.

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