Risk stratification by accelerated high-dose dipyridamole stress echocardiography in patients over 70 years of age.

BACKGROUND: The non-invasive prognostic assessment of coronary artery disease in patients over 70 years old is an important goal in daily clinical practice. OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively assess the feasibility, the positive and negative predictive values and the accuracy of accelerated high-dose dipyridamole stress echocardiography in patients over 70 years old. METHODS: Three hundred seventy nine patients (226 women; mean age of 75.9±4.6 years) underwent dipyridamole stress echocardiography. RESULTS: Follow-up data were available for 313 patients (mean follow-up duration 21±15.7 months). Overall feasibility was 97%. Positive predictive values were 30% and 40% for 6 and 12 months of follow-up, respectively. Negative predictive values were 97.7% and 96.7% for 6 and 12 months of follow-up, respectively. Accuracy values were 95.5% and 94.9% for 6 and 12 months of follow-up, respectively. Among the clinical variables, dyslipidemia (OR 5.3; CI 95% 1.3-20.9; p=0.016), coronary artery disease (OR 4.2; CI 95% 1.3-13.3; p=0.014) and a positive stress echo response (OR 9.0; CI 95% 1.7-49.1; p=0.011) were independently associated with the occurrence of a cardiovascular event. A Cox regression model showed that male gender and a positive stress echo response significantly predicted death. CONCLUSIONS: Risk stratification with accelerated high-dose dipyridamole stress echocardiography is feasible in patients over 70 years old. A positive stress echo response, the presence of coronary artery disease, and dyslipidemia positively predicted the occurrence of cardiovascular events. Male gender and a positive stress echo response significantly predicted death.

Prevalence of IgA deficiency in adult systemic lupus erythematosus and the study of the association with its clinical and autoantibody profiles.

INTRODUCTION: IgA deficiency (IgAD) is the most common primary immunodeficiency, which can cause frequent infections. The association of IgA deficiency with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is very important because of the high morbidity and mortality rates of infections in patients with this disease. OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence of IgA deficiency in SLE patients from southern Brazil and to compare the clinical and autoantibody profiles of SLE patients with and without IgA deficiency. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and eighty-nine SLE patients were submitted to serum IgA measurement by nephelometry. Levels of IgA below 50mg/dL were considered to be IgAD. Demographic data, clinical profile (presence of arthritis, psychosis, seizures, stroke, serositis, hemolytic anemia, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, and nephritis) and autoantibody profiles (ANA, anti-Ro, anti-La, anti-Sm, anti-DNA, anti-RNP, lupus anticoagulant, and anticardiolipin IgG and IgM) were obtained from reviewing medical records. As control, we used literature data from another study performed in the same geographical area. Data were analyzed through contingency and frequency tables, applying the Chi-square, Fisher, and Mann Whitney tests. RESULTS: IgA deficiency was found in 11 (6.17%) patients (P < 0.001 in relation to controls). The association between IgA deficiency and clinical or autoantibody profile was not significant. CONCLUSION: We concluded that a higher prevalence of IgA deficiency was observed in lupus patients than in controls. Deficiency of IgA did not have any particular laboratory or clinical effects on this population.

Prevalência de deficiência de IgA em pacientes adultos com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico e estudo de sua associação com perfil clínico e de autoanticorpos / Prevalence of IgA deficiency in adult systemic lupus erythematosus and the study of the association with its clinical and autoantibody profiles

INTRODUÇÃO: A deficiência de imunoglobulina A (DIgA) é a imunodeficiência primária mais comum e pode levar a quadros frequentes de infecções. Sua associação com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico (LES) é de extrema importância, dada a alta morbidade e mortalidade que as infecções causam nestes pacientes. OBJETIVOS: Demonstrar a prevalência da deficiência de IgA entre pacientes portadores de LES do sul do Brasil. Comparar o perfil clínico e de autoanticorpos entre pacientes lúpicos com e sem DIgA. PACIENTES E MÉTODOS: Estudo incluindo 189 pacientes com LES submetidos à dosagem sérica de IgA pelo método de nefelometria, sendo considerados deficientes aqueles com IgA inferior à 50 mg/dL. Dados demográficos, de perfil clínico [artrite, psicoses, convulsões, acidentes vasculares encefálicos (AVE), serosites, hemólise, leucopenia, plaquetopenia, nefrite] e de autoanticorpos [FAN, anti-SSA/Ro, anti-SSB/La, anti-Sm, anti-DNA, anti-RNP, LAC (anticoagulante lúpico) e aCL (anticorpos anticardiolipina)] IgG e IgM foram obtidos pela revisão de prontuários. Como controle, foram utilizados dados da literatura de um estudo feito na mesma área geográfica. Os dados foram analisados por tabelas de frequência e contingência aplicando-se os testes de Qui-quadrado, Fisher e Mann-Whitney. RESULTADOS: Foram encontrados 11 (6,17 por cento) pacientes com a DIgA (P < 0,001 em relação ao controle). O perfil clínico e de autoanticorpos dos pacientes com DIgA não foi diferente daquele dos pacientes sem essa deficiência. CONCLUSÃO: Pacientes com LES têm maior prevalência de DIgA que a população controle. A presença de DIgA em pacientes com LES não parece conferir qualquer particularidade clínica ou laboratorial aos mesmos.

INTRODUCTION: IgA deficiency (IgAD) is the most common primary immunodeficiency, which can cause frequent infections. The association of IgA deficiency with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is very important because of the high morbidity and mortality rates of infections in patients with this disease. OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence of IgA deficiency in SLE patients from southern Brazil and to compare the clinical and autoantibody profiles of SLE patients with and without IgA deficiency. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and eighty-nine SLE patients were submitted to serum IgA measurement by nephelometry. Levels of IgA below 50mg/dL were considered to be IgAD. Demographic data, clinical profile (presence of arthritis, psychosis, seizures, stroke, serositis, hemolytic anemia, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, and nephritis) and autoantibody profiles (ANA, anti-Ro, anti-La, anti-Sm, anti-DNA, anti-RNP, lupus anticoagulant, and anticardiolipin IgG and IgM) were obtained from reviewing medical records. As control, we used literature data from another study performed in the same geographical area. Data were analyzed through contingency and frequency tables, applying the Chi-square, Fisher, and Mann Whitney tests. RESULTS: IgA deficiency was found in 11 (6.17 percent) patients (P < 0.001 in relation to controls). The association between IgA deficiency and clinical or autoantibody profile was not significant. CONCLUSION: We concluded that a higher prevalence of IgA deficiency was observed in lupus patients than in controls. Deficiency of IgA did not have any particular laboratory or clinical effects on this population.