[Autoinflammatory syndromes]. / Síndromes auto-inflamatórias.

Autoinflammatory syndromes (AIS) are a heterogeneous group of congenital diseases characterized by the presence of recurrent episodes of fever and local or generalized inflammation, in the absence of infectious agents, detectable auto-antibodies or antigen-specific autoreactive T-cells. These diseases have been much better understood during the past 15 years, mainly due to the marked advances of the Human Genoma Project and its implications in the identification and characterization of genetic mutations. In this paper we make a revision of the classification of AIS and focus our attention specially on the cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS), in particular the CINCA syndrome that shares many clinical characteristics with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha -308 genotypes influence inflammatory activity and TNF-alpha serum concentrations in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Considering the relevance of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the pathophysiology of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), it is likely that polymorphisms in its promoter area may be relevant in disease susceptibility and activity. We investigated if clinical measures of JIA activity and TNF-alpha serum concentrations were associated with TNF-alpha -308 genotypes. METHODS: Portuguese patients with JIA in 5 pediatric rheumatology centers were recruited consecutively, along with a control group of healthy subjects. Demographic and clinical data and blood samples were collected from each patient. DNA was extracted for analysis of TNF-alpha gene promoter polymorphisms at position -308 by restriction fragment-length polymorphism. RESULTS: One hundred fourteen patients and 117 controls were evaluated; 57% of patients presented the oligoarticular subtype, 25% the polyarticular subtype, 8% the systemic subtype, and 9% had enthesitis-related arthritis and 5% psoriatic arthritis. Twenty-four percent of the patients presented the -308 GA/AA genotypes and 76% the -308 GG genotype, similar to findings in controls. Patients with the -308 GA/AA genotype had higher degree of functional impairment, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, 100-mm visual analog scale score for disease activity, and TNF-alpha levels compared to those with the -308 GG genotype. CONCLUSION: TNF-alpha -308 GA/AA genotypes were found to be related to higher inflammatory activity and worse measures of disease activity in Portuguese patients with JIA. They were not associated with susceptibility to JIA.

Sequential treatment of severe postmenopausal osteoporosis after teriparatide: final results of the randomized, controlled European Study of Forsteo (EUROFORS).

It is unclear which treatment should be given after stopping teriparatide therapy for severe osteoporosis. In a prospective, randomized, controlled, 2-yr study, we compared BMD effects and clinical safety of three follow-up treatments (anabolic with teriparatide, antiresorptive with raloxifene, or no active treatment) after 1 yr of teriparatide. Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and a recent fragility fracture received open-label teriparatide (20 microg/d) for 12 mo before they were randomized (3:1:1) to continue teriparatide (n = 305), switch to raloxifene 60 mg/d (n = 100), or receive no active treatment for the second year (n = 102). All patients received calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Changes in areal BMD from baseline to 24 mo were analyzed using mixed-model repeated measures. Daily teriparatide treatment for 2 yr significantly increased spine BMD by 10.7%. Patients receiving raloxifene in year 2 had no further change in spine BMD from year 1 (change from baseline, 7.9%), whereas patients receiving no active treatment had a BMD decrease of 2.5% in year 2 (change from baseline, +3.8%). At the total hip, BMD increases from baseline at 2 yr were 2.5% with teriparatide, 2.3% with raloxifene, and 0.5% with no active treatment; the respective changes at the femoral neck were 3.5%, 3.1%, and 1.3%. The study had insufficient power to assess antifracture efficacy. In conclusion, BMD increases progressively over 2 yr of teriparatide therapy in women with severe osteoporosis. After discontinuation of teriparatide, raloxifene maintains spine BMD and increases hip BMD.