RESUMO

With an increasing number of international journeys occurring daily, there is also an increase in the need for appropriate medical advice for patients who will undertake such travel. In this context, the lupus patient presents a great challenge to the rheumatologist. However, the demand for such information by patients is low, and it has proven difficult for the medical community to adequately provide it. In this article, we carried out a literature review of the medical recommendations made for the lupus patient in order to guide the rheumatologist through the topic of travel medicine.

Assuntos

RESUMO

INTRODUÇÃO: Frente à crescente evidência da redução de eventos cardiovasculares relacionados à redução do LDL colesterol (LDL-c), a Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia (SBC) propôs em 2017 metas mais agressivas de LDL-c. OBJETIVO: Avaliar em um centro terciário de cardiologia a proporção de pacientes que atingiram metas de LDL-c propostas pela Atualização da Diretriz Brasileira de Dislipidemias e Prevenção da Aterosclerose da SBC conforme estratificação de risco cardiovascular. METODOLOGIA: Foram analisados 2180 pacientes consecutivos em controle ambulatorial quanto à fatores de risco cardiovascular e terapia medicamentosa vigente. Conforme a diretriz, foram classificados em risco baixo, intermediário, alto e muito alto com metas de LDL-c < 130, 100, 70 e 50 mg/dL, respectivamente. RESULTADOS: A média de idade foi de 65 anos, sendo 53% dos pacientes do sexo feminino. Do total, 1225 (56.2%) eram de risco muito alto, 900 (41.3%) alto, 50 (2.3%) intermediário e 5 (0.2%) de baixo risco. Trezentos e noventa e nove pacientes (18.3%) atingiram as metas de LDL-c estabelecidas pela diretriz, sendo 11.1%, 26.2%, 46% e 80% de cada faixa de risco, respectivamente. Destes, 74.5% dos pacientes de muito alto risco, 56.2% de alto risco, 86% de risco intermediário e 40% de baixo risco estavam em uso de estatinas na intensidade e doses preconizadas pela diretriz. Apenas 148 (6.8%) pacientes não usavam estatina. (AU)

Assuntos

RESUMO

INTRODUÇÃO: Com o aumento de evidências que a diminuição do LDL colesterol (LDL) se relaciona com a diminuição de eventos cardiovasculares, diretrizes de diferentes partes do mundo objetivam menores metas de LDL através da estratificação de risco cardiovascular. A inibição dá para proteína converta-se subtilisina/kexina tipo 9 (PCSK9) reduz os níveis de LDL em até 60%, com subsequente diminuição em desfechos cardiovasculares. OBJETIVO: Nossa meta foi avaliar em um centro terciário de cardiologia a proporção de pacientes de muito alto risco cardiovascular que atingiram a meta de LDL < 50mg/dL atualmente proposto pela diretriz da Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia. Adicionalmente, nós averiguamos o número de pacientes que estavam recebendo terapia adequada com estatinas e quantos destes poderiam se beneficiar de inibidores da PCSK9 pelos critérios FOURIER/ODYSSEY e pelas recomendações propostas pelo National Institute for Health and Excellence (NICE). METODOLOGIA: Foram rastreados 2180 pacientes consecutivos de março de 2018 a fevereiro de 2019 para fatores de risco cardiovascular, níveis de colesterol e terapia medicamentosa vigente. Em seguida, foram estratificados conforme o risco cardiovascular, sendo avaliada a adequação à terapia com estatinas recomendada. Em seguida, avaliamos quantos dos pacientes de muito alto risco, que estavam em uso de estatinas de alta intensidade, apresentavam níveis de LDL utilizados para inclusão nos estudos FOURIER/ODYSSEY (≥ 70mg/dL) e recomendados pelo NICE (≥ 140mg/dL) para a introdução de inibidores da PCSK9. RESULTADOS: Dos 2180 pacientes avaliados, 1125 (56.2%) pacientes eram de muito alto risco cardiovascular. Destes pacientes, 136 (11.1%) apresentavam LDL < 50mg/dL, estando 320 (26.1%) pacientes adicionais com LDL < 70mg/dL. Quando avaliado o tratamento com estatinas vigente, 913 (74.5%) pacientes estavam recebendo estatinas de alta intensidade. Destes, 617 (65.9%) teriam indicação de introdução de inibidores da PCSK9 pelos critérios FOURIER/ODYSSEY e 88 (9.4%) pelas recomendações do NICE. CONCLUSÕES: Com metas progressivamente menores de LDL, a busca por níveis ideais de LDL é um desafio para a prática clínica atual. Por mais que pacientes estejam recebendo a terapia recomendada com estatinas, permanece a dificuldade em atingir metas ideais, principalmente no grupo de pacientes de maior risco. Esses pacientes se beneficiariam da inibição da PCSK9, sendo o critério NICE, uma estratégia mais custo-efetiva, ainda aplicável em uma proporção substancial de pacientes. (AU)

Assuntos

RESUMO

Hearing aids (HAs) are an effective strategy for auditory rehabilitation in patients with peripheral hearing deficits. Yet, the neurophysiological mechanisms behind HA use are still unclear. Thus far, most studies have focused on changes in the auditory system, although it is expected that hearing deficits affect a number of cognitive systems, notably speech. In the present study, we used audiometric evaluations in 14 patients with bilateral hearing loss before and after one year of continuous HA use and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and cortical thickness analysis in 12 and 10 of them compared with a normal hearing control group. Prior to HA fitting, fMRI activity was found reduced in the auditory and language systems and increased in visual and frontal areas, expanding to multimodal integration cortices, such as the superior temporal gyrus, intraparietal sulcus, and insula. One year after rehabilitation with HA, significant audiometric improvement was observed, especially in free-field Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) test and functional gain, a measure of HA efficiency. HA use increased fMRI activity in the auditory and language cortices and multimodal integration areas. Individual fMRI signal changes from all these areas were positively correlated with individual SRT changes. Before rehabilitation, cortical thickness was increased in parts of the prefrontal cortex, precuneus, fusiform gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus. It was reduced in the insula, supramarginal gyrus, medial temporal gyrus, occipital cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and claustrum. After HA use, increased cortical thickness was observed in multimodal integration regions, particularly the very caudal end of the superior temporal sulcus, the angular gyrus, and the inferior parietal gyrus/superior temporal gyrus/insula. Our data provide the first evidence that one year of HA use is related to functional and anatomical brain changes, notably in auditory and language systems, extending to multimodal cortices.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Paraguay has registered no human cases of rabies since 2004, and the last case in dogs, reported in 2009, was due to a variant maintained in the common vampire bat "Desmodus rotundus". In 2014, a dog was diagnosed as positive for rabies with aggression towards a boy and all required measures of control were successfully adopted. Epidemiological investigation revealed that the dog was not vaccinated and had been attacked by a crab-eating fox, "zorro" (Cerdocyon thous). The sample was diagnosed by the Official Veterinary Service of the Country and sent to the Center on Rabies Research from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, for antigenic and genetic characterization. A second sample from a dog positive for rabies in the same region in 2015 and 11 samples from a rabies outbreak from Asuncion in 1996 were also characterized. The antigenic profile of the samples, AgV2, was compatible with one of the variants maintained by dogs in Latin America. In genetic characterization, the samples segregated in the canine (domestic and wild species)-related group in an independent subgroup that also included samples from Argentina. These results and the epidemiology of the case indicate that even with the control of rabies in domestic animals, the virus can still circulate in wildlife and may be transmitted to domestic animals and humans, demonstrating the importance of continuous and improved surveillance and control of rabies, including in wild species, to prevent outbreaks in controlled areas.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Any of the various layers of the eye may suffer injury in systemic lupus erythematosus, ranging from keratoconjunctivitis sicca to retinopathy and optic neuritis. Rheumatologists must always be aware of ocular involvement in those patients since rapid diagnosis and a prompt intervention in those severe cases can prevent visual loss or even irreversible blindness. We present here the case of a 14-year-old girl who, despite a short period of disease, developed chorioretinopathy with transitory visual impairment with a good treatment response.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Rabies is an endemic disease in Brazil, where it is considered a serious public health problem. Although the number of human and dog-transmitted cases has declined in recent decades, rabies in wildlife has emerged considerably. Among the sylvatic animals, wild canids have been considered important hosts of the rabies virus. We performed a retrospective study of reported cases of rabies in wild canids and human victims in Ceará state (Northeast Brazil) during 2003 to 2013. Information was provided by governmental laboratories involved in rabies detection and by the Ministry of Health. From January 2003 to December 2013, a total of 11 931 animal samples were examined for rabies. Positivity were detected in 438 samples (3.67%), of which 229 (52.28%) were domestic animals, 105 (23.97%) wild canids and 104 (23.74%) other wild animals (bats, marmosets and raccoons). Approximately 33% of wild canids surveyed (n = 317) were positive for rabies. During the studied period, a total of 1923 attacks on humans by wild canids were registered. Males (n = 1405) were more affected than females (n = 520; 72.98% versus 27.01%), and the median age of all cases was 36.5 years. Injuries to individuals up to 19 years old corresponded to approximately 30% (n = 565) of all cases. Most of the victims lived in rural areas (72.46%; n = 1395), and the majority showed bites (81.13%; n = 1677) or scratches (12.23%; n = 253). Injuries were considered profound (52.1%; n = 1003), superficial (40.91; n = 788) or multiple with severe laceration (6.98%; n = 134). Only 1300 (67.53%) victims were enrolled for the complete rabies post-exposure prophylaxis scheme. Data from the present study confirm that wild canids are important hosts of rabies virus in northeastern Brazil and jeopardize rabies control in this area. Local authorities should focus their efforts in education of health professionals. In addition, strategies should be formulated to preserve wildlife.

Assuntos

Assuntos

RESUMO

OBJECTIVES: To assess ovarian reserve markers and anti-corpus luteum antibodies (anti-CoL) in adult patients with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (c-SLE). METHOD: Fifty-seven adult c-SLE female patients and 21 healthy controls were evaluated for anti-CoL. Ovarian reserve was assessed by: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), oestradiol, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and antral follicle count (AFC). Demographic data, menstrual abnormalities, disease activity, damage, and treatment were also analysed. RESULTS: The median current age was similar in adult c-SLE patients and controls (27.7 vs. 27.7 years, p = 0.414). The medians of AMH (1.1 vs. 1.5 ng/mL, p = 0.037) and AFC (6 vs. 16, p < 0.001) were significantly reduced in SLE patients compared to controls without significant menstrual abnormalities. Anti-CoL were solely observed in c-SLE patients (16% vs. 0%, p = 0.103) and were not associated with demographic data, ovarian reserve parameters, disease activity/damage, and treatment. Further evaluation of c-SLE patients treated with cyclophosphamide revealed a higher median of FSH levels compared to c-SLE patients not treated with cyclophosphamide and controls (8.8 vs. 5.7 vs. 5.6 IU/L, p = 0.032) and lower median AMH (0.4 vs. 1.5 vs. 1.5 ng/mL, p = 0.004) and AFC (4.0 vs. 6.5 vs. 16 IU/L, p = 0.001) levels. Nineteen patients treated exclusively with methotrexate demonstrated a negative correlation between the cumulative dose and AMH levels (p = 0.027, r = -0.507). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated for the first time that a high cumulative methotrexate dose is a possible cause of subclinical ovarian dysfunction in adult c-SLE patients. Further studies are required to confirm this deleterious effect in other rheumatic diseases, particularly juvenile idiopathic arthritis and idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Epidemiological studies with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients have been reported worldwide but, until now, a large evaluation had not been performed in Brazil. Therefore, we determined the clinical and immunological features of 888 SLE patients followed at our service from 2008 to 2012. The mean age at SLE onset and the mean disease duration were 29.9 ± 9.5 years old and 14.5 ± 8.4 years, respectively. A predominance of female gender (91.9%) and Caucasian ethnicity (69.9%) were observed. Cumulative mucocutaneous manifestations (90.7%) were most commonly identified (malar rash (83.2%), photosensitivity (76.9%)) followed by articular (87.4%), hematological (44.0%) and renal (36.9%) involvements. Antinuclear antibody was detected in all patients, followed by anti-dsDNA (35.1%), anti-Sm (21.8%) and anti-ribosomal P protein antibodies (19.8%). Additional comparison of clinical and laboratory features between genders revealed that malar rash was observed more in female SLE patients (84.5% vs. 69.4%, p = 0.001). Male lupus patients presented a higher frequency of anti-dsDNA (45.8% vs. 34.2%, p = 0.047) and a trend of more nephritis (47.2% vs. 36.0%, p = 0.059). In conclusion, we identified a high prevalence of mucocutaneous manifestations in this Brazilian SLE cohort compared to other countries, mainly malar rash that was most commonly observed in female patients. Anti-dsDNA and other specific SLE autoantibodies were also identified in a higher frequency, predominantly in the male gender.

Assuntos