Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a well-documented independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Obesity may provide an additional link between inflammation and accelerated atherosclerosis in RA. Objective: To evaluate the association between obesity and disease parameters and cardiovascular risk factors in RA patients. Method: Cross-sectional study of a cohort of RA patients from three Brazilian teaching hospitals. Information on demographics, clinical parameters and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors was collected. Blood pressure, weight, height and waist circumference (WC) were measured during the first consultation. Laboratory data were retrieved from medical records. Obesity was defined according to the NCEP/ATPIII and IDF guidelines. The prevalence of obesity was determined cross-sectionally. Disease activity was evaluated using the DAS28 system (remission < 2.6; low 2.6-3.1; moderate 3.2-5.0; high > 5.1). Results: The sample consisted of 791 RA patients aged 54.7 ± 12.0 years, of whom 86.9% were women and 59.9% were Caucasian. The mean disease duration was 12.8 ± 8.9 years. Three quarters were rheumatoid factor-positive, the mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.1 ± 4.9, and the mean WC was 93.5 ± 12.5 cm. The observed risk factors included dyslipidemia (34.3%), type-2 diabetes (15%), hypertension (49.2%) and family history of premature cardiovascular disease (16.5%). BMIdefined obesity was highly prevalent (26.9%) and associated with age, hypertension and dyslipidemia. Increased WC was associated with diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and disease activity. Conclusion: Obesity was highly prevalent in RA patients and associated with disease activity.

There are differences in risk assessment and in the identification of high risk individuals between the three risk functions under evaluation and only a prospective study will be capable of assessing which offers the best current sensitivity, specificity and predictive values for the population under investigation.

The group consisting of pregnant women with GDM or PE showed results for FMD significantly lower than the control group, suggesting possible endothelial injury in these patients.

Our results suggest that multiple biological and environmental factors underlie familial transmission of suicidal behaviour.

Objectives To identify potential predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (C19-VH) in adults with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID). Methods A total of 1,000 IMID patients were enrolled in this web-based cross-sectional study. A standardised and self-administered survey was designed by members of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology Steering Committee for Infectious and Endemic diseases and distributed to IMID patients spread across Brazil. Results Of the 908 (90.8%) respondents eligible for analysis, 744 (81.9%) were willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. In our multivariable logistic regression model, concurrent malignancy, fibromyalgia, hydroxychloroquine use, and recent corticosteroid pulse therapy were independently associated with higher odds of C19-VH. The short duration of COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials was the main reason for C19-VH. Conclusion We identified novel characteristics potentially associated with C19-VH among adults with IMID. Greater awareness on the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines is needed for both IMID patients and attending physicians.

No abstract

Objective:To report the experience in three Brazilian institutions with the use of rituximab in patients with different clinical forms of lupus erythematosus systemic in activity.Methods:The study consisted of a sample of 17 patients with LES, who were already being treated, but that at some stage of the disease showed refractory symptoms. The patients were subdivided into groups according to the clinical manifestation, and the responses for the use of rituximab were rated as complete, partial or no response. Data were collected through a spreadsheet, and used specific parameters for each group. The treatment was carried on by using therapeutic dose of 1g, and repeating the infusion within an interval of 15 days.Results:The clinical responses to rituximab of the group only hematological and of the group only osteoarticular were complete in all cases. In the renal group there was a clinical complete response, two partial and one absent. In the renal and hematological group complete response, there was one death and a missing response. The pulmonary group presented a complete response and two partial.Conclusion:The present study demonstrated that rituximab can bring benefits to patients with lupus erythematosus systemic, with good tolerability and mild side effects; it presented, however, variable response according to the system affected.

TEMA: variabilidade de qualidade e frequência da voz de adolescentes, durante a puberdade, em diferentes tarefas fonatórias. OBJETIVO: analisar, por meio da avaliação perceptivo-auditiva, a estabilidade vocal de adolescentes em três diferentes tarefas fonatórias. MÉTODO: foram sujeitos do estudo 46 adolescentes do sexo masculino, com idade entre 13 e 15 anos, estudantes de uma escola estadual da cidade de Campinas - SP, onde foi realizada a coleta dos dados. As vozes foram gravadas em gravador digital, solicitou-se emissão sustentada da vogal /a/, contagem de 1 a 10 e leitura de parágrafo de um livro pré-estabelecido. A avaliação perceptivo-auditiva da estabilidade vocal foi realizada por três fonoaudiólogas especialistas em voz. Para vozes consideradas instáveis, utilizou-se uma Escala Visual Analógica de 10cm para marcação do grau de instabilidade, em que 0 significava estabilidade e 10 instabilidade máxima, podendo variar de 0 a 10. RESULTADOS: na emissão da vogal sustentada 78,3% (n = 36) dos adolescentes apresentaram instabilidade vocal, em graus que variaram de 1 a 9. Apenas um adolescente apresentou voz instável, classificada como grau 1, durante a contagem de números e todos apresentaram voz estável durante a leitura. A ocorrência de estabilidade variou significativamente de acordo com a tarefa fonatória, havendo maior instabilidade na emissão de vogal sustentada (p < 0,0001; g.l = 2). CONCLUSÃO: as tarefas fonatórias de contagem de números e leitura não permitem inferir sobre a presença de instabilidade na emissão, o que deve ser avaliado na vogal sustentada.