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.

Pathogenic mechanisms contributing to thrombocytopenia in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

SummarySystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune condition developing thrombocytopenia in about 10-15% of cases, however, mechanisms leading to low platelet count were not deeply investigated in this illness. Here we studied possible causes of thrombocytopenia, including different mechanisms of platelet clearance and impairment in platelet production. Twenty-five SLE patients with and without thrombocytopenia were included.

Validation of the adjusted global antiphospholipid syndrome score in systemic lupus erythematosus patients in Argentina.

Introduction: Assessment of risk both for pregnancy morbidity and thrombosis in the presence of anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL) is still a challenge in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients. The Global Antiphospholipid Syndrome Score (GAPSS) takes into account the aPL profile (criteria and non-criteria aPL), the conventional cardiovascular risk factors and the autoimmune antibody profile. An adjusted model of the score (aGAPSS) excluding anti-phosphatidylserine/Prothrombin (aPS/PT), suggests that the score is able to stratify patients for their rate of events making it widely applicable in daily clinical practice.

[Inflammatory myopathy with initial respiratory muscles involvement and rheumatoid arthritis].

Inflammatory myopathies comprise a heterogeneous group of subacute, chronic and sometimes acute acquired muscle diseases. The most common inflammatory myopathies seen in practice can be separated into four distinct subsets: polymyositis, dermatomyositis, necrotizing autoimmune myositis and inclusion body myositis. These disorders present as proximal and symmetric muscle weakness but rarely respiratory muscles may also be affected.