[Pulmonary manifestations of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody associated vasculitis]. / Compromiso pulmonar en vasculitis asociadas a anticuerpos anticitoplasma de neutrófilos.

This article reviews the pulmonary manifestations of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody associated vasculitis (AAV). Its frequency in the different phenotypes of the disease, clinical manifestations and updated therapeutic recommendations are reviewed, aiming to alert the medical community about the existence of these diseases. We pretend to stimulate a timely suspicion, diagnostic precision, and the implementation of effective therapies, to reduce the eventual sequelae derived from a diagnostic omission or an inappropriate treatment for the different clinical scenarios in which these diseases appear.

Arteritis de células gigantes: ¿Cómo debutan pacientes chilenos? Análisis de casos y revisión de la literatura / Giant cell arteritis. Experience in 32 patients

BACKGROUND: Giant cell Arteritis (GCA) is the most common systemic vasculitis in patients over 50 years. Diagnosis is based on clinical, laboratory, imaging and biopsy. Temporal artery biopsy (TAB) may be inconclusive in up to 40% of patients. AIM: To describe disease features of patients diagnosed with GCA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Review of pathology reports of giant cell arteritis and clinical records of patients seen with the diagnosis between 2000 and 2019. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, histopathology, imaging, treatment and follow-up variables were analyzed. RESULTS: We fetched 32 patients with a median age at diagnosis of 70.5 years (range 57-90), 81% women. Twenty eight percent had polymyalgia. 72% had only cranial symptoms, 12% had extracranial involvement and 13% exclusive extracranial involvement. The median time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was two months (range 0.5-8). All had elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and c reactive protein. A TAB was performed in 27 patients and in 17 (65.4%) it confirmed the diagnosis. Transmural inflam- mation was the most frequent finding. All patients received steroids. Follow-up information was available from 25 patients and 92% received a steroid-spa- ring agent, usually methotrexate (74%). Ninety two percent achieved clinical remission in the first year and 59% had minor relapses during steroid tapering. CONCLUSIONS: Our patients showed frequent extracranial involvement and TAB was a useful diagnostic tool.

Compromiso pulmonar en vasculitis asociadas a anticuerpos anticitoplasma de neutrófilos / Pulmonary manifestations of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody associated vasculitis

This article reviews the pulmonary manifestations of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody associated vasculitis (AAV). Its frequency in the different phenotypes of the disease, clinical manifestations and updated therapeutic recommendations are reviewed, aiming to alert the medical community about the existence of these diseases. We pretend to stimulate a timely suspicion, diagnostic precision, and the implementation of effective therapies, to reduce the eventual sequelae derived from a diagnostic omission or an inappropriate treatment for the different clinical scenarios in which these diseases appear.

[Giant cell arteritis. Experience in 32 patients]. / Arteritis de células gigantes: ¿Cómo debutan pacientes chilenos? Análisis de casos y revisión de la literatura.

BACKGROUND: Giant cell Arteritis (GCA) is the most common systemic vasculitis in patients over 50 years. Diagnosis is based on clinical, laboratory, imaging and biopsy. Temporal artery biopsy (TAB) may be inconclusive in up to 40% of patients. AIM: To describe disease features of patients diagnosed with GCA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Review of pathology reports of giant cell arteritis and clinical records of patients seen with the diagnosis between 2000 and 2019. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, histopathology, imaging, treatment and follow-up variables were analyzed. RESULTS: We fetched 32 patients with a median age at diagnosis of 70.5 years (range 57-90), 81% women. Twenty eight percent had polymyalgia. 72% had only cranial symptoms, 12% had extracranial involvement and 13% exclusive extracranial involvement. The median time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was two months (range 0.5-8). All had elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and c reactive protein. A TAB was performed in 27 patients and in 17 (65.4%) it confirmed the diagnosis. Transmural inflam- mation was the most frequent finding. All patients received steroids. Follow-up information was available from 25 patients and 92% received a steroid-spa- ring agent, usually methotrexate (74%). Ninety two percent achieved clinical remission in the first year and 59% had minor relapses during steroid tapering. CONCLUSIONS: Our patients showed frequent extracranial involvement and TAB was a useful diagnostic tool.

Interstitial lung disease and microscopic polyangiitis in chilean patients.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and serological patients characteristics with Microscopic Polyangiitis (MPA) and Interstitial lung disease (ILD). METHODS: Of all the patients with AAV diagnosed between 2007-2017 at the Hospital Clinico Universidad de Chile, those with MPA and ILD were selected and studied retrospectively. RESULTS: All patients were Hispanic; median age at diagnosis 65 years (32-84). 59% were female. All were positive for p-ANCA, 16 patients for MPO. Most common manifestations were constitutional symptoms, weight loss and fever. CT-Scans patterns were Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (UIP) in 10 patients, Nonspecific Interstitial Pneumonia (NSIP) in 6 and fibrosis not UIP or NSIP pattern in 1. In 6 cases, ILD was diagnosed 0.5-14 years before MPA and concomitantly in 11. CONCLUSIONS: Although infrequent, Microscopic Polyangiitis should be suspected in patients with ILD particularly if extra-pulmonary manifestations that rise the possibility of a systemic illness are present, regardless of the time elapsed between the latter and the diagnosis of this type of lung involvement. (Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2020; 37 (1): 37-42).

[Is rituximab effective for induction of remission in lupus nephritis?]. / ¿Es efectivo el rituximab para la inducción de remisión en nefritis lúpica?

The combination of cyclophosphamide and steroids constitutes the standard treatment in lupus nephritis requiring immunosuppressive therapy. However, it is associated with important adverse effects, so there is interest in alternative immunosuppressors such as rituximab. Searching in Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by screening 19 databases, we identified 5 systematic reviews including 24 studies. We combined the evidence using summary of findings tables following the GRADE approach and concluded there is uncertainty about the effects of rituximab in lupus nephritis because the certainty of the evidence is very low, probably leads to important adverse effects, and has high cost. Rituximab should not be used outside the context of a clinical trial, or only in cases where other treatments have failed and there are no resource constraints.

[Is ursodeoxycholic acid effective in primary biliary cirrhosis?]. / ¿Es efectivo el ácido ursodeoxicólico en cirrosis biliar primaria?

Ursodeoxycholic acid is considered as first line treatment in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Its mechanism of action in this disease is unknown and there is controversy about its clinical impact. Searching in Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by screening 19 databases, we identified four systematic reviews including 16 studies. We combined the evidence using tables with summary of findings following the GRADE approach and concluded ursodeoxycholic acid may not have any effect on pruritus, and there is uncertainty about its effect on mortality, need for liver transplantation or on any other important outcome for the patient.

El ácido ursodeoxicólico es considerado como terapia de primera línea en pacientes con cirrosis biliar primaria. Su mecanismo en esta patología no está claro y existe controversia sobre su impacto clínico. Utilizando la base de datos Epistemonikos, la cual es mantenida mediante búsquedas en 19 bases de datos, identificamos cuatro revisiones sistemáticas que en conjunto incluyen 16 estudios. Realizamos un metanálisis y tablas de resumen de los resultados utilizando el método GRADE. Concluimos que el ácido ursodeoxicólico podría no tener ningún efecto sobre el prurito, y que existe incertidumbre sobre su efecto sobre mortalidad, necesidad de trasplante o cualquier otro desenlace importante para el paciente.