Bone erosions associated with systemic bone loss on HR-pQCT in women with longstanding polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze longstanding polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA) for possible associations between localized bone damage (erosions), and systemic bone loss. Besides, to compare the systemic bone mass of pJIA with healthy controls. METHODS: Thirty-four pJIA women and 99 healthy controls (HC) were included. Radius and tibia of all subjects were scanned by HR-pQCT. Volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), bone microarchitecture, and -finite element parameters were analyzed. Patients underwent HR-pQCT of 2nd and 3rd metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints of the dominant hand, for bone erosions quantification. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 31.5 ± 7.4yrs with a mean disease duration of 21.7 ± 9.2yrs. Bone erosions were detectable in 79% of patients. The number of bone erosions was positively correlated with cortical porosity (Ct.Po) at tibia (r = 0.575, p = 0.001), and radius (r = 0.423, p = 0.018); and negatively correlated with cortical vBMD at tibia (r=-0.420, p = 0.015). In a logistic regression analysis, adjusted for anti-CCP, the presence of bone erosions was independently associated with Ct.Po at radius (p = 0.018) and cortical vBMD at tibia (p = 0.020). Moreover, cortical and trabecular vBMD, trabecular number, and µ-finite element parameters were decreased in patients compared to HC (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Bone erosions in longstanding pJIA women were associated with decreased cortical bone parameters, and these patients showed systemic bone impairment at peripheral sites compared with healthy controls.

Study of chronic hemolytic anaemia patients in Rio de Janeiro: prevalence of anti-human parvovirus B19 IgG antibodies and the development aplastic crises.

The prevalence of anti-human parvovirus B19 IgG antibodies was determined in sera from 165 chronic hemolytic anemia patients, receiving medical care at Instituto Estadual de Hematologia (IEHE), Rio de Janeiro, during the year of 1994. This sample represents around 10% of the chronic hemolytic anemia patients attending at IEHE. Most of these patients (140) have sickle cell disease. Anti-B19 IgG antibodies were detected in 32.1% of patients. No statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) was seen between IgG antibody prevalence in male (27.8%) and female (35.5%) patients. Anti-B19 IgG antibodies were more frequent in older (37.6%) than younger (28.2%) than 20 years old patients, although this difference had no statistical significance (p > 0.05). Anti-B19 IgG antibody prevalence showed that 67.9% of patients enrolled in the study were susceptible to B19 acute infection. With the aim to detect acute B19 infection, patients follow up continued until February 1996. During this period four patients presented transient aplastic crisis due to human parvovirus B19 as confirmed by the detection of specific IgM antibodies. All four patients were younger than 20 years old, and 3 were younger than 10 years old. Three of them were sickle cell disease patients. Three of the four acute B19 infection occurred during 1994 springtime.

Study of chronic hemolytic anaemia patients in Rio de Janeiro: prevalence of anti-human parvovirus B19 IgG antibodies and the developement of transient aplastic crises

The prevalence of anti-human parvovirus B19 IgG antibodies was determined in sera from 165 chronic hemolytic anemia patients, receiving medical care at Instituto Estadual de Hematologia (IEHE), Rio de Janeiro, during the year of 1994. This sample represents around 10 percent of the chronic hemolytic anemia patients attending at IEHE. Most of these patients (140) have sickle cell disease. Anti-B19 IgG antibodies were detected in 32.1 percent of patients. No statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) was seen between IgG antibody prevalence in male (27.8 percent) and female (35.5 percent) patients. Anti-B19 IgG antibodies were more frequent in older (37.6 percent) than younger (28.2 percent) than 20 years old patients, although this difference had no statistical significance (p > 0.05). Anti-B19 IgG antibody prevalence showed that 67.9 percent of patients enrolled in the study were susceptible to B19 acute infection. With the aim to detect acute B19 infection, patients follow up continued until February 1996. During this period four patients presented transient aplastic crisis due to human parvovirus B19 as confirmed by the detection of specific IgM antibodies. All four patients were younger than 20 years old, and 3 were younger than 10 years old. Three of them were sickle cell disease patients. Three of the four acute B19 infection occurred during 1994 springtime