Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in South America: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is among the most prevalent chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases worldwide. The aim of this study was to establish a pooled estimate of the RA prevalence in South America by means of a meta-analysis of the available epidemiologic studies. Systematic searches in PubMed, Lilacs, SciELO, Scopus, and Web of Science databases (updated May 2019) were done followed by a systematic grey literature search to identify original research articles and reports, published after 2000, providing data of RA prevalence in any South American country. Proportion meta-analysis of weighted pooled was performed, with between-trial heterogeneity assessed by the inconsistency relative index. Sensitivity analyses and sub-group analyses were also done. A total of 25 articles, representing 27 population-based studies were included. Pooled prevalence of RA resulted in 0.48% with 591,981 cases in a population of 114,537,812 individuals (I2=99%). Brazil and Colombia presented the lowest rates of RA prevalence 0.22%, and 0.24%, respectively. RA prevalence in indigenous population was higher 1.45%, and studies using COPCORD method reported also the highest rates 1.07%.

Endopleura Uchi: Um Breve Resumo Sobre Suas Propriedades Farmacológicas E a Importância Das Plantas Medicinais Para a Sociedade Contemporanea

“…O chá da casca do uxi-amarelo é utilizado como anti-inflamatório e popularmente, é indicada para artrite reumatoide que é uma doença autoimune e inflamatória crônica [66,67] . Alguns estudos exploram a atividade anti-inflamatória da E. uchi e inclusive, um de seus compostos ativos, a bergenina, foi reportada como um potencial anti-inflamatório, o que pode comprovar o uso popular do uxi para artrite [13] .…”

The Role of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the Aetiology of Autoimmune Diseases

“…Microbial pathogenesis has been put forward as a cause of human autoimmune disorders; in particular, it has been suggested that attention should be paid to the potential pathogenic role of the obligate intracellular bacterial species Chlamydia pneumoniae ( C. pneumoniae ) [ 1 , 2 ]. The most prevalent chronic human autoimmune disorder worldwide is rheumatoid arthritis [ 3 ], and it is noteworthy that Fujita et al found a 30% prevalence of C. pneumoniae immunoglobulin M (IgM) in 27 patients in the acute phase of this illness (compared with a prevalence of 10% in controls) [ 1 ]. Furthermore, Gérard et al reported that synovial samples from all seven patients in their cohort of subjects with either rheumatoid arthritis or undifferentiated oligoarthritis proved polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive for C. pneumoniae DNA, while samples from a cohort of two patients with osteoarthritis were PCR-negative; moreover, reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assays targeting C. pneumoniae rRNA operons and mRNAs demonstrated that these synovial bacteria were metabolically active [ 4 ].…”

Identification of potential ferroptosis key genes and immune infiltration in rheumatoid arthritis by integrated bioinformatics analysis

“…The mortality rate of patients with RA remains higher than that of the general population [ 5 , 6 ]. RA affects patients' quality of life and poses a significant social and economic burden on individuals, their families, and the community [ 7 ]. The underlying mechanism of RA is not yet fully clarified, therefore, it is important to have an intensive study on the nosogenesis of RA for targeted therapy of RA.…”