Tuberculin test conversion in patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis receiving biological therapy.

OBJECTIVE: The blockade of inflammatory mediators produced by biological therapies is associated with an increased risk of opportunistic infections, as for example Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT). Given the endemic situation of tuberculosis (TB) in some countries and immunosuppression/anergy of patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis, we wonder whether it is necessary to monitor the MT infection after starting the biological treatment. To evaluate the frequency of the tuberculin skin test (TST) conversion and its association with an active TB infection and other disease variables. METHODS: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and spondyloarthritis (SpA) receiving treatment with anti-TNF, tocilizumab, and/or abatacept agents were included into the study. Patients had to have a negative TST (<5 mm) at the baseline, and a second TST was performed 2-22 months after the initiation of biologic therapy. The TST conversion was considered as a variation ≥5 mm between the two TSTs performed within an interval between 2 months and 2 years. RESULTS: A total of 85 patients were included into the study, and 78.8% were women, with a median schooling duration of 12 years. A total of 74.1% of patients had RA, 16.5% psoriatic arthritis, and 4.7% AIJ and ankylosing spondylitis. Regarding treatment, 75.3% received anti-TNF therapy (31.8% etanercept, 21.2% adalimumab, 17.6% infliximab, 3.5% golimumab, and 1.2% certolizumab), 15.3% tocilizumab, and 9.4% abatacept. Eight patients (9.4%) developed a TST conversion. The shift was more frequent in men (62.5%) than in women (37.5%) (p=0.009), and in those with a prolonged disease duration (X 226±109 vs X130±105 [p=0.017]). This association remained after adjusting for other variables. All patients who developed a TST conversion received prophylactic isoniazid, and only one patient with other risk factors developed active TB. CONCLUSION: The frequency of a TST conversion in patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis was low and was associated with male gender and longer disease duration.

Primary cardiac disease in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: protective and risk factors--data from a multi-ethnic Latin American cohort.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the cumulative incidence, risk and protective factors and impact on mortality of primary cardiac disease in SLE patients (disease duration ≤2 years) from a multi-ethnic, international, longitudinal inception cohort (34 centres, 9 Latin American countries). METHODS: Risk and protective factors of primary cardiac disease (pericarditis, myocarditis, endocarditis, arrhythmias and/or valvular abnormalities) were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 1437 patients, 202 (14.1%) developed one or more manifestations: 164 pericarditis, 35 valvulopathy, 23 arrhythmias, 7 myocarditis and 1 endocarditis at follow-up; 77 of these patients also had an episode of primary cardiac disease at or before recruitment. In the multivariable parsimonious model, African/Latin American ethnicity [odds ratio (OR) 1.80, 95% CI 1.13, 2.86], primary cardiac disease at or before recruitment (OR 6.56, 95% CI 4.56, 9.43) and first SLICC/ACR Damage Index for SLE assessment (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.14, 1.50) were risk factors for the subsequent occurrence of primary cardiac disease. CNS involvement (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.25, 0.75) and antimalarial treatment (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.44, 0.89) at or before recruitment were negatively associated with the occurrence of primary cardiac disease risk. Primary cardiac disease was not independently associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: Primary cardiac disease occurred in 14.1% of SLE patients of the Grupo Latino Americano de Estudio de Lupus cohort and pericarditis was its most frequent manifestation. African origin and lupus damage were found to be risk factors, while CNS involvement at or before recruitment and antimalarial treatment were protective. Primary cardiac disease had no impact on mortality.

Childhood systemic lupus erythematosus in Latin America. The GLADEL experience in 230 children.

To evaluate disease characteristics of childhood onset SLE in Latin America and to compare this information with an adult population in the same cohort of GLADEL. A protocol was designed as a multicenter, multinational, inception cohort of lupus patients to evaluate demographic, clinical, laboratory and serological variables, as well as classification criteria, disease activity, organ damage and mortality. Descriptive statistics, chi square, Fisher's exact test, Student's t test and multiple logistic regression were used to compare childhood and adult onset SLE. 230 patients were <18 years and 884 were adult SLE patients. Malar rash, fever, oral ulcers, thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia and some neurologic manifestations were more prevalent in children (p<0.05). On the other hand, myalgias, Sjögren's syndrome and cranial nerve involvement were more frequently seen in adults (p<0.05). Afro-Latin-American children had a higher prevalence of fever, thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia. White and mestizo children had a higher prevalence of malar rash. Mestizo children had a higher prevalence of cerebrovascular disease and cranial nerve involvement. Children met SLE ACR criteria earlier with higher mean values than adults (p: 0.001). They also had higher disease activity scores (p: 0.01), whereas adults had greater disease damage (p: 0.02). In Latin America, childhood onset SLE seems to be a more severe disease than adults. Some differences can be detected among ethnic groups.

Mortalidad en pacientes con Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico e infecciones. Asociación con neutropenia y fiebre / Mortality in patients whith systemic lupus erythematosus and infections. Associated with neutropenic and fever

Con el objetivo de analizar la mortalidad y sus principales causas se evaluó a los pacientes con Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico (ACR82) que presenta-ron infecciones durante un período de estudio de 12 años. Se evaluaron en particular aquellos con neutropenia y fiebre. Ocurrieron 442 episodios de infecciones en 216 pacientes. 21 pacientes (10 por ciento) presentaron N y F en 28 episodios. La edad promedio fue de 35.6ñ9.6, el tiempo medio de evolución del LES fue de 5.8+- 2 (2 m.-25 a.). El lupus estuvo activo en el 93 por ciento) de los pacientes. El grado de actividad fue de 10.5ñ5.9 en neutropenicos febriles (N y F) vs 5.06.t4.7 en no-neutropenicos febriles (no-N y F) (p-< 0.0001). El tratamiento con ciclofósfamida i.v. se asoció con el desarrollo de neu-tropenia y fiebre (p<- 0.0002). El promedio de neutrofilos fue de 408/mm ñ185.6 (200-806). La duración media de la neutropenia fue de 10.9 días (245 días). Durante el episodio infeccioso fallecieron 38 pacientes (17.6 por ciento), 12/21 con N y F: (57 por ciento) y 26/195 (13 por ciento) no -N y F (p-< 0.00001). Las causas mas frecuentes de muerte fueron: infecciones en 21/38 casos (55.26 por ciento) , el compro-miso multiorgánico del lupus en 6 (16 por ciento), tromboembolismo pulmonar en 5 pasos (13 por ciento) . Predominó la mortalidad por infecciones en los pacientes con N y F (66.6 por ciento) vs. los no-N y F (50 por ciento) pero sin diferencia estadísticamente significativa.

Mortalidad en pacientes con Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico e infecciones. Asociación con neutropenia y fiebre / Mortality in patients whith systemic lupus erythematosus and infections. Associated with neutropenic and fever

Con el objetivo de analizar la mortalidad y sus principales causas se evaluó a los pacientes con Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico (ACR82) que presenta-ron infecciones durante un período de estudio de 12 años. Se evaluaron en particular aquellos con neutropenia y fiebre. Ocurrieron 442 episodios de infecciones en 216 pacientes. 21 pacientes (10 por ciento) presentaron N y F en 28 episodios. La edad promedio fue de 35.6ñ9.6, el tiempo medio de evolución del LES fue de 5.8+- 2 (2 m.-25 a.). El lupus estuvo activo en el 93 por ciento) de los pacientes. El grado de actividad fue de 10.5ñ5.9 en neutropenicos febriles (N y F) vs 5.06.t4.7 en no-neutropenicos febriles (no-N y F) (p-< 0.0001). El tratamiento con ciclofósfamida i.v. se asoció con el desarrollo de neu-tropenia y fiebre (p<- 0.0002). El promedio de neutrofilos fue de 408/mm ñ185.6 (200-806). La duración media de la neutropenia fue de 10.9 días (245 días). Durante el episodio infeccioso fallecieron 38 pacientes (17.6 por ciento), 12/21 con N y F: (57 por ciento) y 26/195 (13 por ciento) no -N y F (p-< 0.00001). Las causas mas frecuentes de muerte fueron: infecciones en 21/38 casos (55.26 por ciento) , el compro-miso multiorgánico del lupus en 6 (16 por ciento), tromboembolismo pulmonar en 5 pasos (13 por ciento) . Predominó la mortalidad por infecciones en los pacientes con N y F (66.6 por ciento) vs. los no-N y F (50 por ciento) pero sin diferencia estadísticamente significativa. (AU)