Work disability in Argentinian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus is prevalent and it is due to ethnic, socioeconomic and disease-related factors.

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence and the associated factors of work disability (WD) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. METHODS: A sample of 419 SLE patients from an observational cross-sectional multicenter study was included. Sociodemographic features, disease characteristics, comorbidities, quality of life, unhealthy behaviors, and work-related factors were measured in a standardized interview. Work disability was defined by patient self-report of not being able to work because of SLE. To identify variables associated with work disability, two different multivariate regression models using a stepwise backward method were performed. RESULTS: Prevalence of WD due to SLE was 24.3%. Eighty-nine percent were female and 51% were Caucasians. Mean disease duration was 8.9 ± 7.2 years, and median System Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology damage index SLICC-SDI was 1.5 (range 0-17). In stepwise multivariate logistic regression, living below the poverty line (odds ratio [OR] = 4.65), less than 12 years of education (OR = 2.84), Mestizo ethnicity (OR = 1.94) and SLICC-SDI (OR = 1.25) were predictors of WD. A second model was performed including patient-derived measures; in this model sedentary lifestyle (OR = 2.69) and lower emotional health domain score of the Lupus Quality of Life (LupusQoL) questionnaire (OR = 1.03) were found to be associated to WD and a higher score in LupusQoL physical health domain (OR = 0.93) was protective. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of WD in Argentinian SLE patients was 24.3%. WD was associated with ethnic (Mestizo), socioeconomic (poverty) and disease-related factors. Patient-related outcomes such us sedentary lifestyle and poor emotional quality of life were also associated with WD.

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and bronchiolitis obliterans organized pneumonia.

Diverse pleuropulmonary manifestations, including pleural effusion, rheumatoid nodulosis, fibrosis, obliterans brochiolitis, bronchiectasias, vasculitis, drug-induced lung disease, and obliterans bronchiolitis with organized pneumonia, have been described in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Bronchiolitis obliterans organized pneumonia (BOOP) is an uncommon condition described in patients with RA but not in juvenile RA (JRA). We described a patient with JRA who developed a BOOP.

Elastofibroma dorsi: review of 4 cases.

Elastofibroma dorsi is a benign, uncommon fibroelastic tissue condition, more common in women after the fifth decade of life. It is usually located in the subscapular region, and can sometimes be bilateral. We present 4 patients, between 53 and 73 years of age, with this disease. It is often an asymptomatic lesion that can manifest, even at its apex, with mild pain when moving the scapula. All our patients had pain.The diagnosis is based on clinical findings and imaging studies, especially ultrasound, computed tomography, and nuclear magnetic resonance. The biopsy is reserved for patients who have no characteristic signs on imaging. In our series, surgical excision was necessary in one of the patients, and in the others, clinical and imaging studies allowed us to arrive at a definitive diagnosis.

Anticuerpos antipéptidos cíclicos citrulinados como marcadores de diagnóstico y actividad en artritis reumatoidea temprana / Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies as diagnostic and activity markers in early rheumatoid artritis

Objetivos: Determinar el valor diagnóstico de los Ac aCCP de segunday tercera generación para AR de reciente comienzo y compararloscon el valor diagnóstico del FR. Evaluar la actividad de la enfermedadmediante el score DAS28 al establecer el diagnóstico de AR. Resultados: Se analizaron los datos de 149 pacientes (75,3% mujeres y 24,7% varones). La edad media de los pacientes fue 58 ± 14. Al final del estudio, 61 (40,9%) cumplieron criterios para AR. Los valores de cribaje de estos anticuerpos demuestran una sensibilidad superior para las dos generaciones de Ac aCCP con respecto al FR, con una specificidad similar para todos los anticuerpos. La actividad de la enfermedad al momentodel diagnóstico medida por DAS28 fue similar en todos los grupos. Conclusiones: Los resultados indican que no existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas en los valores de cribaje entre los Ac anti CCP de las dos generaciones para el diagnóstico de AR. Los valores de cribaje de estos anticuerpos demuestran una sensibilidadsuperior para las dos generaciones de Ac aCCP con respecto al FR, con una especificidad similar para todos los anticuerpos. No hubo diferencias en la actividad de la enfermedad al inicio.

Objetives: To determine the diagnostic value of Ac ACCP second and third generation in the early AR compared to the diagnostic value of FR. To assess disease activity by DAS28 score to establish the diagnosis of RA.Results: We analyzed data from 149 patients (75.3% women and 24.7% males). The average age of patients was 58 ± 14. At the end of the study, 61 (40.9%) met criteria for RA. The values of screening for these antibodies demonstrated a higher sensitivity for the two generations of Ac aCCP with respect to the FR, with a similar specificity for all antibodies. Disease activity at diagnosis by DAS28 score wassimilar in all groups. Conclusions: The results indicate that there were no statistically significant differences among two generations of Ac aCCP for the diagnosis of RA, with a large difference with respect to the RF. Thevalues of screening for these antibodies demonstrated a higher sensitivity for the two generations of Ac aCCP with respect to the FR, with a similar specificity for all antibodies. The activity at the onset of the disease was similar for all the groups.