High and very high risk of osteoporotic fracture in Colombia, 2003-2022: identifying diagnostic and treatment gaps.

This study examined the clinical characteristics and refracture rates of Colombian patients with high- and very high-risk osteoporosis. This reveals osteoporosis diagnoses and treatment gaps. Only 5.3% of the patients were diagnosed with osteoporosis at discharge and 70.5% had refractures. This finding underscores the need for national policies to enhance osteoporosis prevention and treatment. PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the clinical features and refracture rates among patients with high- and very-high-risk osteoporosis in Colombia, highlighting diagnostic and treatment gaps. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted using the medical records of patients aged ≥ 50 years who experienced fragility fractures between 2003 and 2022. Clinical and demographic characteristics at the time of the initial fracture were analyzed, as well as the subsequent imminent risk (refracture rate) and the diagnosis and treatment gap. RESULTS: 303.982 fragility fractures occurred, and only 5.3% of patients were diagnosed with osteoporosis upon discharge. The most prevalent index fractures were forearm, vertebral, rib, and hip. Only 17.8% of the cohort had a matched osteoporosis diagnosis, indicating a low healthcare capture. Among the diagnosed patients, 10.08% were classified as high- and very high-risk of fracture, predominantly women with a mean age of 73 years. Comorbidities included diabetes, Sjögren's syndrome, and heart failure. The prevalence of osteoporosis has increased significantly from 2004 to 2022, possibly due to improved detection methods, an aging population, or a combination of both. Despite this increase, treatment delay was evident. Refractures affected 70.5% of the patients, with forearm, hip, humerus, and vertebral fractures being the most common, with a mean time of refracture of 7 months. CONCLUSION: Significant delays were observed in the diagnosis and treatment of fragility fractures. Colombia's government and health system must address osteoporosis by implementing national policies that prioritize osteoporosis and fragility fracture prevention and reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a patient with secondary hypoparathyroidism: A case report.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) has direct and indirect actions on cardiovascular cells. The effects of chronic hypoparathyroidism on cardiac morphology, function, and conduction are still unclear. Low PTH states are associated with multiple manifestations in the heart, acute or chronic. Acute hypocalcemic cardiomyopathy is a transient dilated cardiomyopathy with reduced ejection fraction and diffuse left ventricular hypokinesia. Chronic hypoparathyroidism-associated cardiomyopathy is a rare disease that may cause reduced myocardial tension, cardiac cavity enlargement, arrhythmias, and congestive heart failure. Here, we describe a 73-year-old woman with chronic hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia, who developed a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and not a dilated hypocalcemia-associated cardiomyopathy, which would be usually the case.

Bilateral striopallidal calcinosis secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus.

Bilateral symmetric striatopallidal calcinosis with or without deposits in dentate nucleus, thalamus, and white matter is reported in patients ranging from asymptomatic, metabolic, toxic, and genetic autosomal dominant, familial or sporadic forms. Of the connective tissue diseases, it has been reported in very few cases in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, many incorrectly labeled as Fahr syndrome without even having hypoparathyroidism. Here we describe a 30-year-old female patient with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus manifested at diagnosis with mood disorders and anxiety, and 1-year later develops Lupus headache; Incidentally, an aneurism of the right middle cerebral artery and bilateral and symmetric calcifications of the caudate and lenticular nuclei were noted; this finding is a rarely reported manifestation of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus. A review of the literature based on this case was carried out in electronic databases. There are approximately 29 patients reported in the literature, with calcifications in the basal ganglia associated with systemic lupus erythematosus occurs almost exclusively in young women (96.5%) with a mean age of 33.36 years (2 months-76 years), with a race predilection for Asians (65.5%). Regarding the neuropsychiatric syndromes defined by the American College of Rheumatology, the most frequently associated are movement disorders; followed by cognitive dysfunction, seizure disorders, mood disorders, cerebrovascular disease, psychosis, and acute confusional state, transverse myelitis, and demyelinating syndrome. The mean duration time of the SLE to detection of the basal ganglia calcification is 7.62 years (3 days-31 years).

Clinical outcome of patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia treated with corticosteroids and colchicine in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: To date, there is no specific antiviral therapy for severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Since there is no specific therapy against SARS-CoV2, current efforts aim to prevent contagion through public health measures and develop a protective vaccine. While waiting for the latter, it is necessary to evaluate the drugs that at least, in initial studies, suggested some degree of utility in the management of Covid-19 or its complications. The main objective of the study was to describe the clinical manifestations and outcomes of patients with severe Covid-19 Pneumonia treated with corticosteroids and colchicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study of 301 adult patients with Covid-19 Pneumonia confirmed by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction for SARS-CoV2 (RT-PCR SARS-CoV2), Berlin protocol, who required hospitalization in three hospitals in Antioquia, Colombia. Patients were treated according to the institutional protocol (from March 20, 2020 to June 30, 2020) with corticosteroid if the patient required supplemental oxygen. From July 1, 2020, the management protocol changed with the addition of colchicine to all patients admitted to the institutions. The treatment was supervised and monitored by the same specialist in Infectology of the institutions. We describe the clinical manifestations and outcomes of the patients who received these treatments. The information of the patients was analyzed according to the outcome of interest (alive/dead) with univariate, bivariate, and multivariate measures to adjust the variables that presented statistical association. RESULTS: All patients had pneumonia documented by chest computed tomography with ground glass images and presented an alveolar pressure/inspired oxygen fraction (PaFi) less than 300. Three hundred one patients were included, 240 (79.7%) received corticosteroids, within these 145 (48.2%) received colchicine also, and the remaining 61 (20.3%) patients did not receive corticosterioids or colchicine. Mortality in the group that received colchicine was lower compared to the group that did not receive it (9.6 vs 14.6%, p-value = 0.179). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with corticosteroids and colchicine for managing patients with severe Covid-19 Pneumonia was associated with low mortality at the hospital level. Randomized, placebo-controlled studies are required to evaluate the effect of corticosteroids and colchicine on complications or death from Covid-19.

Dexamethasone vs methylprednisolone high dose for Covid-19 pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: There is no effective therapy for the severe acute respiratory syndrome by coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) responsible for the Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). To date, dexamethasone has shown a decrease in mortality in patients who require oxygen, especially those with invasive mechanical ventilation. However, it is unknown if another corticosteroid can be used, the optimal dose and its duration, to achieve a better clinical outcome. The objective of the study was to compare the differences in clinical outcome and laboratory results in hospitalized patients with severe SARS-CoV2 Pneumonia treated with dexamethasone at 6 mg doses versus patients treated with high-dose methylprednisolone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ambispective cohort study with survival analysis of 216 patients diagnosed with severe Covid-19 pneumonia confirmed by polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV2 by Berlin protocol, who were hospitalized in a high-complexity clinic in Medellín, Colombia. The patients should also have supplementary oxygen and radiological confirmation of Pneumonia by chest tomography. Sample size was not calculated since the total population that met the inclusion criteria was evaluated. 111 patients were treated with the institutional protocol with intravenous dexamethasone 6 mg QD for seven to 10 days if they required oxygen. Since September 15, 2020, the hospitalization protocol of the clinic was modified by the Infectious Diseases and Pulmonology service, recommending a high dose of methylprednisolone of 250 to 500 mg every day for three days with a subsequent change to oral prednisone 50 mg every day for 14 days. The protocol was not applied in the intensive care unit, where dexamethasone continued to be administered. The clinical outcome and differences in laboratory results of the patients who received dexamethasone vs. the prospective cohort that received methylprednisolone from September 15 to October 31, 2020, were evaluated. Follow-up was carried out by outpatient consultation one month after discharge or by telephone, inquiring about readmission or living-dead status. RESULTS: 216 patients had Covid-19 pneumonia documented by ground-glass imaging and alveolar pressure / inspired oxygen fraction (PaFi) less than 300. 111 patients received dexamethasone (DXM) and 105 received methylprednisolone (MTP). Patients in the DXM group evolved to severe ARDS in a higher proportion (26.1% vs 17.1% than the MTP group). Upon completion 4 days of treatment with parenteral corticosteroid, laboratory markers of severity decreased significantly in the group that received MTP, CRP 2.85 (2.3-3.8) vs 7.2 (5.4-9.8), (p-value < 0.0001), D-dimer 691 (612-847) vs 1083 (740-1565) (p-value = 0.04) and DHL 273 (244-289) vs 355 (270.6-422) (p-value = 0.01). After starting the corticosteroid, transfer to the intensive care unit (4.8% vs. 14.4%) and mortality (9,5% vs. 17.1%) was lower in the group that received MTP. Recovery time was shorter in patients treated with MTP, three days (3-4) vs. DXM 6 days (5-8) (p-value < 0.0001). At 30-day follow-up, 88 (92.6%) were alive in MTP vs 58 (63.1%) of those who received dexamethasone. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the treatment of severe Covid-19 Pneumonia with high-dose methylprednisolone for three days followed by oral prednisone for 14 days, compared with 6 mg dexamethasone for 7 to 10 days, statistically significantly decreased the recovery time, the need for transfer to intensive care and the severity markers C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer and LDH. Randomized controlled studies with methylprednisolone are required to corroborate its effect, and studies in a population hospitalized in intensive care wards.

Uncommon patterns of antinuclear antibodies recognizing mitotic spindle apparatus antigens and clinical associations.

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are key biomarkers in the evaluation of rheumatic diseases. The prevalence and clinical significance of uncommon or rare patterns, particularly those directed at the mitotic spindle apparatus (MSA), are not well understood. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of anti-MSA patterns in a Colombian population.During 2013 and 2014, 113,491 consecutive determinations of ANA were studied for the presence of uncommon patterns. Clinical and laboratory data of anti-MSA positive patients were retrospectively collected and analyzed.Of the 113,491 patients tested, 60,501 (53%) were positive for ANA, of which 834 (1.3%) were positive for uncommon/rare patterns of ANA (anti-MSA in 592 cases). Of these 592 cases, complete data were available in 329 patients, of whom 116 had an established diagnosis. Anti-MSA antibodies were the only ANA positive test in 81% patients. At least one fine reactivity was identified in 19/116 (16.3%) of ANA-positive patients, of which anti-Ro was the most prevalent (18/116, 15.5%).The most frequent patterns were nuclear mitotic apparatus (NuMA) (56%) and MSA-2 (25%). The NuMA pattern had the highest ANA titers: mean 320 (range 80-2560) and behaved as monospecific antibodies. The most frequent systemic autoimmune diseases were Sjögren syndrome (SS) (18.1%), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (13.8%), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (11%). Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) was associated with the centrosome (P < .001), NuMA (P < .02) and MSA-2 (P < .45) patterns. Chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) was associated with the NuMA pattern (P < .02) and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) was associated with the MSA-2 (P < .001), centrosome (P < .68) and CENP-F (P < .38) patterns, previously unreported findings. Malignancies were found in 8 patients (50% were papillary thyroid cancer).In a large cohort of ANA determinations, uncommon patterns were found in around 1% of cases. The most frequent anti-MSA patterns found were NuMA and MSA-2. More than 50% of patients with anti-MSA had an associated CTD, mainly SS, RA and SLE, and anti-MSA behaved as monospecific antibodies. Other entities of presumed autoimmune origin, like CIU and SNHL, might be associated with these patterns.

Papel de la citocina BAFF en las enfermedades autoinmunes: rol fisiopatológico y estrategias terapéuticas / Role of the cytokine BAFF in autoimmune diseases: physiopathology and therapeutic targets

El complejo BAFF (factor activador de células B) compuesto por la citocina BAFF, APRIL y sus receptores -BAFF-R (BR3), TACI y BCMA- influyen en la sobrevida periférica, en la maduración de los linfocitos B y en el cambio de clase de las inmunoglobulinas, con múltiples implicaciones clínicas potenciales. Las funciones biológicas de BAFF y su relevancia en varios desórdenes clínicos -autoinmunes, neoplásicos, infecciosos, incluyendo las terapias BAFF dirigidas- son revisadas y discutidas en el presente artículo. Los niveles séricos de BAFF/APRIL se encuentran incrementados en las enfermedades autoinmunes en las que sus concentraciones se relacionan con los títulos de anticuerpos, actividad, progresión de la enfermedad e incluso compromiso orgánico, haciendo de su inhibición un blanco terapéutico atractivo

The BAFF complex (B cell activator factor) composed by the BAFF cytokine, APRIL and their receptors -BAFF-R (BR3), TACI, BCMA- influences B-lymphocyte maturation, peripheral survival and immunoglobulins class isotype switching, with multiple potential clinical implications. In this review we discuss BAFF biologic functions and it relevance in several clinical disorders -autoimmune, neoplastic, infectious and BAFF therapies-. BAFF/APRIL

Hyperferritinemic syndrome: Still's disease and catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome triggered by fulminant Chikungunya infection: a case report of two patients.

There are four medical conditions characterized by high levels of ferritin, the macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), adult onset Still' s disease (AOSD), catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS), and septic shock, that share similar clinical and laboratory features, suggesting a common pathogenic mechanism. This common syndrome entity is termed "the hyperferritinemic syndrome." Here, we describe two different cases of hyperferritinemic syndrome triggered by Chikungunya fever virus infection: a 21-year-old female with SLE and a 32-year-old male patient who developed AOSD after the coinfection of dengue and Chikungunya viruses.

Compromiso hepático de las enfermedadesautoinmunes sistémicas / Liver compromise of the systemic autoimmune diseases

Realizar una revisión narrativa no sistemática de la literatura sobre las diferentesmanifestaciones hepáticas, correlación clínico-serológica y los efectos adversos derivadosde la terapia, de las principales enfermedades autoinmunes sistémicas.Materiales y métodos: Se realizó una revisión narrativa no sistemática de la literaturadesarrollada en idiomas inglés y espanol, ˜ acorde con el objetivo de estudio, para artículosreferenciados entre los anos ˜ 1964 y 2014, en bases de datos primarios como: Pubmed, Embasey Lilacs. Los términos MESH (medical subject headings) utilizados fueron: liver [Majr]; autoimmunediseases [Majr]; rheumatic diseases [Majr]; hepatotoxicity [Majr]; se combinaronutilizando operadores booleanos (AND, OR). Además, se usó la estrategia de agrupamientoretrógrado.Resultados: Se identificaron 622 artículos para tamizaje: 604 resultados encontrados en basesde datos; 18 artículos por agrupación retrógrada. Después de revisar títulos y resúmenes, seexcluyeron 533 artículos irrelevantes, entre ellos cartas del editor y artículos que no evaluabanlos datos de interés, artículos en idiomas diferentes al espanol ˜ e inglés: 8, artículos sinresumen disponible: 16. En última instancia se identificaron 65 artículos en texto completoque brindaban la información necesaria para realizar la revisión.Conclusiones: Es importante para el clínico tener en cuenta y monitorizar la función hepática,no solo como parte de la búsqueda de eventos adversos derivados de la farmacoterapia,sino también como búsqueda de compromiso hepático primario que, en muchas ocasiones,puede ser el resultado de diferentes enfermedades autoinmunes sistémicas...

To perform a non-systematic narrative review of the literature, of the hepaticmanifestations, clinical and serological correlations, and adverse effects of therapy, of themajor systemic autoimmune diseases.Materials and methods: A non-systematic narrative review of literature was performed, accordingto the objective of study, including articles by language (English and Spanish), dateof publication (referenced articles between 1964 and 2014) in Pubmed, Embase and Lilacsdatabases. The MESH (medical subject headings) terms used were: liver [Majr]; autoimmunediseases [Majr]; rheumatic diseases [Majr]; hepatotoxicity [Majr]; they were combined usingboolean operators (AND, OR). The retrograde grouping strategy was also used.Results: 622 articles were identified for screening: 604 articles were found in databases, and18 by retrograde grouping strategy. 533 articles were excluded: letters to the editor, irrelevantarticles which not evaluate the data of interest, 8 articles in different languages to Spanishand English and 16 articles where the abstract were not available. After extensive review oftitles and abstracts, 65 full-text articles that provided the information necessary to conductthe review, were identified and analyzed...

Niveles de 25 hidroxivitamina D y su correlación clínica con diferentes variables metabólicas y cardiovasculares en una población de mujeres posmenopáusicas / Levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and their clinical correlation with several metabolic and cardiovascular variables in a population of postmenopausal women

Introducción: la osteoporosis es la enfermedad ósea metabólica más común. Entre sus causas secundarias se encuentra la deficiencia de vitamina D (VD), la cual predispone además a fracturas por fragilidad e incrementa el riesgo de caídas. También confiere un riesgo incrementado de desarrollar enfermedad cardiovascular, diabetes mellitus tipo 1 y 2. Objetivo: el objetivo principal del estudio fue determinar los niveles de vitamina D en la población y correlacionarlos con diferentes variables clínicas, de laboratorio y densitométricas. Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal, de una cohorte de pacientes donde se analizaron datos secundarios de mujeres posmenopáusicas colombianas con diagnóstico de osteoporosis y osteopenia (N=205). Se analizaron 46 variables donde se calcularon estadísticos descriptivos y regresiones lineales múltiples para determinar correlaciones. Resultados: la prevalencia de niveles insuficientes de vitamina D fue 55.1%, (n=113), deficientes 16.6% (n=34), y adecuados sólo 28.29% (n=58). Al comparar los pacientes con niveles deficientes e insuficientes, se encontró que los pacientes con niveles de vitamina D deficientes fue un factor de riesgo para la presencia de fracturas vertebrales, RR de 1.02 (IC: 0.96 a 1.06) y para la hipertensión arterial RR de 1.47 (IC: 1.36 a 1.58). Conclusión: dos terceras partes de nuestra población de pacientes tienen niveles inadecuados de vitamina D, y se encontró correlación con fracturas vertebrales e hipertensión arterial (Acta Med Colomb 2011; 36: 18-23).

Introduction: osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease. Vitamin D deficiency is an important cause of secondary osteopenia and osteoporosis. It predisposes to fragility fractures and increases the risk of falling, while augmenting the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2. Objective: the objective of this study was to determine the levels of vitamin D in our population study and to correlate them with bone density, vertebral fractures, and other cardiovascular and laboratory variables. Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional study of a cohort (n=205) of postmenopausal Colombian women diagnosed with osteoporosis and osteopenia. We analyzed 46 variables. Descriptive statistics were used, and multiple linear regressions were analyzed in order to determine correlations. Results: it was found that the prevalence of insufficient levels of vitamin D was 55.1% (n=113), deficient levels 16.6% (n=34), and adequate levels in only 28.29% (n=58) of patients. Comparing poor and inadequate levels, we found that deficient levels of vitamin D are a risk factor for vertebral fractures, with an RR of 1.02 (IC: 0,96 a 1.06) and for high blood pressure. with an RR of 1.47 (IC: 1.36 a 1.58). Conclusions: our study shows that inadequate levels of vitamin D are common in our population. This is associated with low bone mass, vertebral fractures, and hypertension. Further studies are needed in our country to confirm our findings (Acta Med Colomb 2011; 36: 18-23).

Dermatomiositis amiopática asociada a carcinoma mioepitelial primario de glándula salival: reporte de caso / Amiopathic dermatomyositis associated with salivary gland mioepithelial primary carcinoma: case report

La dermatomiositis amiopática hace parte de las miopatías inflamatorias. Se han descrito pocos casos de esta enfermedad asociados a neoplasias. Se presenta el caso de una paciente con dermatomiositis amiopática asociada a carcinoma mioepitelial primario de glándula salival, cuyo diagnóstico fue posterior a la misma.