Clinical features of patients with hands arthralgia referred from primary care physicians to rheumatologists: A cohort study.

PURPOSE: Early referral of patients with suspicious of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has an impact on prognosis. Our study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with hands arthralgia who were referred from primary care physicians (PCP) to the rheumatologist. METHODS: A descriptive, observational, prospective cohort study was performed. We included patients who visited a PCP for the first time for hands arthralgia. Demographics and the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology criteria for arthralgia suspicious for progression to RA plus seven complementary questions, the time to referral, the pressure needed to provoke pain with an automatic squeeze test machine in the metacarpophalangeal joints of both hands, and the diagnoses established at the last review of medical charts from patients on follow-up were documented. The primary outcome was the referral to a rheumatologist. RESULTS: A total of 109 patients were included. The mean age was 49.9 years, 81.6% were women. 30.3% were referred to the rheumatologist. The time to referral was a median of 38 days. The main clinical characteristics associated with referral to the rheumatologist were the "most severe symptoms are present after midnight" (OR=6.29) and the "difficulty with making a fist" (OR=3.67). An isolated "positive squeeze test of metacarpophalangeal joints" was not associated with a referral to the rheumatologist. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with hands arthralgia who attended PCP, those with most severe symptoms after midnight and difficulty making a fist were more likely to be referred to the rheumatology clinic. Isolated positive squeeze tests are not a parameter for referral, it should only be performed if arthralgia is clinically suspected.

Frequency of human leukocyte antigens class II-DR alleles (HLA-DRB1) in Argentinian patients with early arthritis.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or undifferentiated arthritis (UA) in the CONAART database (Argentine Consortium for Early Arthritis) were assessed for genetic risk factors for RA, specifically for HLA-DRB1 alleles and the PTPN22 rs2476601 polymorphism associated with progression to RA. This is a case-control study. Blood samples were obtained to determine HLA-DRB1 genotypes by PCR-SSO Luminex and PTPN22 (rs2476601) polymorphism by allelic discrimination. A control group of individuals from the general Argentinian population were obtained from the national register of cadaveric organ donors. A total of 1859 individuals were included in this analysis: 399 patients from the CONAART database (347 patients with RA at study end and 52 patients with UA at study end, mean follow-up time 25 ± 18 months) and 1460 individuals from the general Argentinian population. Compared with the controls, the HLA-DRB1*04 and DRB1*09 alleles were more commonly detected in patients with RA diagnosis (OR (95% CI) 2.23 (1.74-2.85) and 1.89 (1.26-2.81)) respectively. Both patients with UA and the general population showed higher frequency of DRB1*07, DRB1*11 and DRB1*15 alleles than patients with RA. PTPN22 rs2476601 polymorphism frequency was higher in RA and UA vs the general population; however, this was significantly different only for RA vs control group (OR [95% CI] = 1.81 [1.10-3.02], P = 0.018. HLA-DRB1 typing and PTPN22 allelic discrimination could distinguish between patients with UA, patients with early RA, and the general population in Argentina. This is the first study of HLA-DRB1 alleles and PTPN22 polymorphism associations with progression to early RA in an Argentinian population.

Artritis indiferenciada: experiencia en dos Centros ambulatorios de reumatología, Medellín, Colombia / Undifferentiated arthritis: experience in two outpatient center of rheumatology, Medellin, Colombia

Introducción: La prevalencia de la artritis indiferenciada en cohortes de artritis de reciente comienzo ha sido variable (23%-56%). Hasta el 54% de los pacientes entra espontáneamente en remisión, 30% evoluciona a artritis reumatoide u otra enfermedad articular inflamatoria definida y 20% continúa con artritis indiferenciada. Objetivo: Describir las características clínicas y el comportamiento, en el tiempo, de la artritis indiferenciada en pacientes de dos centros de reumatología de Medellín, Colombia. Material y métodos: Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal. Se revisaron las historias clínicas de los pacientes con diagnóstico de artritis indiferenciada, con al menos 6 meses de seguimiento, evaluados a mayo de 2011, en Reumatologya S.A. y Clínica Las Vegas. Se analizaron variables demográficas, clínicas y de laboratorio. Resultados: Se incluyeron 61 historias clínicas. La afección fue monoarticular en el 36,1%, oligoarticular en el 27,9% y poliarticular en el 36,1%. En el 75,4% se estableció una enfermedad articular inflamatoria definida (26,2% artritis reumatoide, 16,4% artropatía por pirofosfato de calcio, 6,6% artropatía por cristales de urato monosódico, 6,6% espondiloartropatía seronegativa, 4,9% osteoartritis erosiva, y 14,5% otras). Conclusiones: Durante el seguimiento, el 24,6% de los pacientes continuó con diagnóstico de artritis indiferenciada. La artritis se autolimitó en el 6,6% de los pacientes y en el 75,4% restante se estableció una enfermedad articular inflamatoria definida. Si bien el diseño y tamaño de la muestra del estudio son insuficientes para definir asociaciones estadísticamente significativas, los hallazgos aportan al conocimiento del comportamiento de la artritis indiferenciada en Colombia.

Características laboratoriais de um grupo de pacientes com artrite reumatoide inicial / Laboratory characteristics of a cohort of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis

INTRODUÇÃO/OBJETIVO: Caracterizar uma população de pacientes com artrite reumatoide (AR) inicial quanto aos aspectos laboratoriais, comparando-a com outras coortes similares. PACIENTES E MÉTODOS: Os dados apresentados fazem parte de um estudo prospectivo de coorte incidente, em que foram avaliados 65 pacientes com AR inicial, acompanhados por 36 meses a partir do diagnóstico, na Clínica de Artrite Reumatoide Inicial do Hospital Universitário de Brasília (HUB). Foram registrados os dados demográficos, clínicos e laboratoriais pertinentes à avaliação inicial da coorte, incluindo hematimetria, provas de atividade inflamatória e presença de autoanticorpos (fator reumatoide - FR, anticorpos antipeptídeos citrulinados cíclicos - anti-CCP e antivimentina citrulinada - anti-Sa). RESULTADOS: Houve predomínio de mulheres (86 por cento), com média de idade de 45,6 anos. Doze pacientes (18,46 por cento) tiveram o diagnóstico laboratorial de anemia (hemoglobina < 12 g/dL). Velocidade de hemossedimentação (VHS) e proteína C reativa (PCR) encontravam-se acima do valor de referência em 51 (78,46 por cento) e 46 (70,76 por cento) pacientes, respectivamente. Trinta e dois indivíduos (49,23 por cento) foram positivos para pelo menos um dos isotipos de FR, sendo que 28 pacientes (43,07 por cento) foram positivos para FR IgA, 19 (29,23 por cento) para FR IgG e 32 (49,23 por cento) para FR IgM, respectivamente; 34 pacientes (52,30 por cento do total) foram positivos para pelo menos uma das técnicas utilizadas na averiguação de anti-CCP (CCP2, CCP3 ou CCP3.1), enquanto 9 (13,85 por cento) o foram para anti-Sa. CONCLUSÕES: As características laboratoriais dos pacientes acompanhados nessa coorte brasileira se assemelham em vários aspectos a coortes norte-americanas, europeias e latino-americanas anteriormente publicadas.

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVE: To characterize a population of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) according to laboratory aspects, comparing it with other similar cohorts. METHODS: Data presented are part of a prospective incident cohort study that evaluated 65 patients with early RA, followed for 36 months from the diagnosis at Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinic of Hospital Universitário de Brasília (HUB). We recorded demographics, clinical, and laboratory data relevant to the cohort initial assessment, including red blood cells, evidence of inflammatory activity, and presence of autoantibodies (rheumatoid factor (RF)), cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP), and antivimentin citrullinated (anti-Sa). RESULTS: There was a preponderance of female (86 percent) with mean age of 45.6 years. Twelve patients (18.46 percent) had laboratory diagnosis of anemia (hemoglobin < 12 g / dL). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were above the reference value for 51 (78.46 percent) and 46 (70.76 percent) patients, respectively. Thirty-two patients (49.23 percent) were positive for at least one of the RF isotypes, and 28 patients (43.07 percent) were positive for IgA RF, 19 (29.23 percent) for IgG, and 32 ( 49.23 percent) for IgM RF, respectively; 34 patients (52.30 percent) were positive for at least one of the techniques used in investigation of anti-CCP (CCP2, or CCP3, or CCP3.1), while 9 (13,85 percent) were positive for anti-Sa. CONCLUSIONS: The laboratory characteristics of patients enrolled in this Brazilian cohort are similar in many respects to those of North-American, European, and Latin-American cohorts previously published.