Objectives The level of detail included when describing nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) methods varies among research studies, making interpretation and comparison of results challenging. The overarching objective of the present study was to seek consensus on the reporting standards in NVC methodology for clinical research in rheumatic diseases and to propose a pragmatic reporting checklist. Methods Based on the items derived from a systematic review focused on this topic, a three-step web-based Delphi consensus on minimum reporting standards in NVC was performed among members of the European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) Study Group on Microcirculation in Rheumatic Diseases and the Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium. Results A total of 319 articles were selected by the systematic review, and 46 items were proposed in the Delphi process. This Delphi exercise was completed by 80 participants from 31 countries, including Australia and countries within Asia, Europe, North America and South America. Agreement was reached on items covering three main areas: patient preparation before NVC (15 items), device description (5 items) and examination details (13 items). Conclusion Based on the available evidence, the description of NVC methods was highly heterogeneous in the identified studies and differed markedly on several items. A reporting checklist of 33 items, based on practical suggestions made (using a Delphi process) by international participants, has been developed to provide guidance to improve and standardize the NVC methodology to be applied in future clinical research studies.

Clinimetric indices had high concordance and correlation, especially for rheumatoid arthritis patients in remission or low disease activity, without being interchangeable among them.

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The objective of this study is to determine the predictive risk factors of failure to achieve remission within 12 months in a group of patients with proliferative lupus nephritis from Northwestern Colombia. Pragmatic clinical study with retrospective analysis was conducted. We included subjects with systemic lupus erythematosus as defined by the American College of Rheumatology with biopsy-proven nephritis. We assessed 149 patients, with 84 % female. Age at diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus is 24.7 years (16-31). The time between diagnosis of lupus erythematosus and proliferative nephritis is 2 months (0-35.5). ISN/RPS 2003 histologic classification types are the following: IV (63.8 %), III (13.4 %), V + III (3.3 %), and V + IV (3.3 %). Activity index is 6.18 ± 4.55 and chronicity index is 1 (0-3). The result of 24-h proteinuria is 2000 mg (667-4770) and baseline creatinine is 0.9 mg/dL (0.7-1.3). Induction therapy includes corticosteroids (100 %), cyclophosphamide (74.1 %), and mycophenolate mofetil (25.9 %). At 12 months, 40.7 % of individuals failed to attain partial or complete remission. Elevated creatinine (p = 0.0001) and 24-h proteinuria greater than 1500 mg (p = 0.0011) were basal predictors of failure to attain partial or complete remission by bivariate analysis. Similar results were obtained in multivariate analysis: Baseline creatinine elevation (OR 3.62, 95 % CI, 1.59-8.23; p = 0.002) and 24-h proteinuria greater than 1500 mg (OR 3.62, 95 % CI, 1.29-10.13; p = 0.014) were independent predictors of failure to achieve partial or complete remission. At 12 months, 40.7 % of patients did not attain partial or complete remission. Baseline elevated creatinine and 24-h proteinuria over 1500 mg were predictors for poor response.