Search

Objectives: This study aimed to compare three-dimensional kinematic of the trunk, pelvis, hip, and knee during the single-leg squat and hip torque in individuals with and without isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFOA). Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated trunk, pelvis, hip, and knee kinematics at 30°, 45°, and 60° knee flexion during the single-leg squat using the Vicon motion capture and analysis system, the Nexus System 2.1.1, and 3D Motion Monitor software. Sixteen individuals (8 males, 8 females; mean age: 49.3±6.2 years; range 40 to 61 years) participated in the study, of which eight were PFOA patients and eight were healthy controls. Isometric hip abductor, extensor, and external rotator torques were evaluated using a handheld dynamometer. Results: The PFOA group exhibited greater hip adduction at 30° (p=0.008), 45° (p=0.005), and 60° (p=0.008) knee flexion in the descending phase of the single-leg squat, as well as at 60° (p=0.009) and 45° (p=0.03) knee flexion in the ascending phase. No significant differences were found between groups for other kinematic variables (p>0.05). The PFOA group exhibited lower isometric hip abductor (p=0.02), extensor (p<0.001), and external rotator (p=0.007) torques. Conclusion: Individuals with PFOA exhibited excessive hip adduction that could increase stress on the lateral patellofemoral joint at 30°, 45°, and 60° knee flexion during the single-leg squat and exhibited weakness of the hip abductors, extensors, and external rotators in comparison to healthy controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, Brazil has shown an increase in the elderly population and the incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases, such as rheumatic diseases, which compromise the functional capacity of the elderly. The aim of the study was to outline the sociobiodemographic profile and, based on this knowledge, develop a physical exercise program to relieve the symptoms presented by the elderly with rheumatic diseases registered in an extension project. Quantitative, exploratory, descriptive and interventional study performed with 40 elderly people registered at an Extension Center at the State University of Southwest Bahia (UESB), Jequié-BA. A sociobiodemographic questionnaire developed by the researchers and an interventionist approach with a functional physical exercise program were used. The data were analyzed using the Software Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS)® version 20.0. The results were 100% women, 70% between 60-70 years old, 75% brown, 65% housewives, 25% incomplete elementary school I, 95% income from 1 to 3 minimum wages, 100% with osteoarthritis, 75% had SAH, 20% scored 8 and 20% scored 5 for pain, 70% affected in the lumbar spine. The scientific literature indicates the practice of physical exercise as one of the most effective approaches in the treatment of rheumatic diseases. It was concluded that the knowledge of the profile of the elderly made it possible to characterize rheumatic diseases and the symptoms that affected the elderly registered in the extension project, as well as the elaboration of a physical exercise program aimed at improving the symptoms of rheumatic diseases in this group of senior people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal plants are used in several countries for the treatment of various diseases, including arthritis and osteoarthritis, thus constituting a valuable alternative to commercial drugs. In Brazil, several cultivated plants of economic interest have been indicated for the treatment of rheumatic diseases in ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological surveys. From this perspective, the present study aimed to review the literature on the anti-arthritic and anti-ostoarthritic potential of plants traditionally used in Brazil. The scientific documents were retrieved from different databases, from the first report published in 1989 until December 2023. A total of 55 species distributed in 31 families are used for the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis in different Brazilian states. The species Echinodorus grandiflorus , Pterodon emarginatus , Morinda citrifolia , Uncaria tomentosa , and Miconia albicans stood out for the number of citations. Leaves (41%) are the parts of plants most used in the medicinal preparations. Of the 55 species used by traditional communities, 24 had their anti-arthritic and anti-osteoarthritic activities investigated in preclinical models, and 14 in randomized clinical trials. Phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids, may be directly involved with the reported anti-arthritic and anti-osteoarthritic activity. Many of the species cited in ethnobotanical surveys carried out in Brazil still lack scientific investigations that prove their anti-arthritic effects in preclinical and clinical trials. The exploration of novel phytopharmaceuticals derived from commonly utilized plant raw materials holds the potential to facilitate the establishment of more readily accessible therapeutic alternatives for the general public. [Display omitted] • 31 families and 55 species are traditionally used for the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis in Brazil. • Asteraceae and Lamiaceae are widely used in the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis in Brazil. • The Brazilian states of Goiás and Mato Grosso had the higher number of ethnomedicinal uses. • 24 species traditionally used in Brazil showed anti-arthritic potential in vivo. • 14 species were evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Activity Scale for Kids (ASK) assesses the physical disability of children (5 to 15 years old) with neurological, orthopaedic or rheumatic diseases. The objective of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the ASK for Brazilian Portuguese and assess the validity and reliability of the instrument., Methods: A total of 67 children and adolescents with musculoskeletal, neurological or rheumatic diseases participated in the study. We evaluated the comprehension of the pre-final version of the questionnaire in 24 participants and reliability and validity in the other 43 participants. The translation and adaptation of ASK to Brazilian Portuguese followed guidelines from previous studies. The validity of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the ASK was verified through Spearman's correlation with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ Version 4.0 (PedQL). Intraclass correlation coefficient verified inter- and intra-evaluator reliability, while internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Scores were used to assess the standard error of the mean and minimal detectable change., Results: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the ASK presented excellent reliability, internal consistency, agreement and moderate correlation with PedsQL (0.522, P < 0.001) between ASK performance and PedsQL; 0.537, P < 0.001 between ASK capacity and PedsQL., Conclusion: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the ASK has good validity and reliability and may be used by professionals and researchers to assess the functioning of children and adolescents with disabilities., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Mayaro virus (MAYV) is a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus that causes often debilitating rheumatic disease in tropical Central and South America. There are currently no licensed vaccines or antiviral drugs available for MAYV disease. Here, we generated Mayaro virus-like particles (VLPs) using the scalable baculovirus-insect cell expression system. High-level secretion of MAYV VLPs in the culture fluid of Sf9 insect cells was achieved, and particles with a diameter of 64 to 70 nm were obtained after purification. We characterize a C57BL/6J adult wild-type mouse model of MAYV infection and disease and used this model to compare the immunogenicity of VLPs from insect cells with that of VLPs produced in mammalian cells. Mice received two intramuscular immunizations with 1 μg of nonadjuvanted MAYV VLPs. Potent neutralizing antibody responses were generated against the vaccine strain, BeH407, with comparable activity seen against a contemporary 2018 isolate from Brazil (BR-18), whereas neutralizing activity against chikungunya virus was marginal. Sequencing of BR-18 illustrated that this virus segregates with genotype D isolates, whereas MAYV BeH407 belongs to genotype L. The mammalian cell-derived VLPs induced higher mean neutralizing antibody titers than those produced in insect cells. Both VLP vaccines completely protected adult wild-type mice against viremia, myositis, tendonitis, and joint inflammation after MAYV challenge. IMPORTANCE Mayaro virus (MAYV) is associated with acute rheumatic disease that can be debilitating and can evolve into months of chronic arthralgia. MAYV is believed to have the potential to emerge as a tropical public health threat, especially if it develops the ability to be efficiently transmitted by urban mosquito vectors, such as Aedes aegypti and/or Aedes albopictus. Here, we describe a scalable virus-like particle vaccine against MAYV that induced neutralizing antibodies against a historical and a contemporary isolate of MAYV and protected mice against infection and disease, providing a potential new intervention for MAYV epidemic preparedness.

Background: Physical activity associates with improved immunogenicity following a 2-dose schedule of CoronaVac (Sinovac's inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine) in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD). This study evaluates whether physical activity impacts vaccine-induced antibody responses to a booster dose in this population., Methods: This was a phase-4 trial conducted in São Paulo, Brazil. Patients with ARD underwent a 3-dose schedule of CoronaVac. One month after the booster, we assessed seroconversion rates of anti-SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 IgG, geometric mean titers of anti-S1/S2 IgG, frequency of positive neutralizing antibodies, and neutralizing activity. Physical activity was assessed through questionnaire., Results: Physically active (n = 362) and inactive (n = 278) patients were comparable for most characteristics; however, physically active patients were younger (P < .01) and had a lower frequency of chronic inflammatory arthritis (P < .01). Adjusted models showed that physically active patients had ∼2 times odds of seroconversion rates (OR: 2.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.22 to 3.61), ∼22% greater geometric mean titers of anti-S1/S2 IgG (22.09%; 95% confidence interval, 3.91 to 65.60), and ∼7% greater neutralizing activity (6.76%; 95% confidence interval, 2.80 to 10.72) than inactive patients., Conclusions: Patients with ARD who are physically active have greater odds of experiencing better immunogenicity to a booster dose of CoronaVac. These results support the recommendation of physical activity to improve vaccination responses, particularly for immunocompromised individuals.

Background: There is a lack of information on the role of chronic use of hydroxychloroquine during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. Our aim was to compare the occurrence of COVID-19 between rheumatic disease patients on hydroxychloroquine with individuals from the same household not taking the drug during the first 8 weeks of community viral transmission in Brazil., Methods: This baseline cross-sectional analysis is part of a 24-week observational multi-center study involving 22 Brazilian academic outpatient centers. All information regarding COVID-19 symptoms, epidemiological, clinical, and demographic data were recorded on a specific web-based platform using telephone calls from physicians and medical students. COVID-19 was defined according to the Brazilian Ministry of Health (BMH) criteria. Mann-Whitney, Chi-square and Exact Fisher tests were used for statistical analysis and two binary Final Logistic Regression Model by Wald test were developed using a backward-stepwise method for the presence of COVID-19., Results: From March 29th to May 17st, 2020, a total of 10,443 participants were enrolled, including 5166 (53.9%) rheumatic disease patients, of whom 82.5% had systemic erythematosus lupus, 7.8% rheumatoid arthritis, 3.7% Sjögren's syndrome and 0.8% systemic sclerosis. In total, 1822 (19.1%) participants reported flu symptoms within the 30 days prior to enrollment, of which 3.1% fulfilled the BMH criteria, but with no significant difference between rheumatic disease patients (4.03%) and controls (3.25%). After adjustments for multiple confounders, the main risk factor significantly associated with a COVID-19 diagnosis was lung disease (OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.03-2.58); and for rheumatic disease patients were diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (OR 2.8; 95% CI 1.19-6.63) and glucocorticoids above 10 mg/ day (OR 2.05; 95% CI 1.31-3.19). In addition, a recent influenza vaccination had a protective effect (OR 0.674; 95% CI 0.46-0.98)., Conclusion: Patients with rheumatic disease on hydroxychloroquine presented a similar occurrence of COVID-19 to household cohabitants, suggesting a lack of any protective role against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Trial registration Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC; RBR - 9KTWX6)., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

We aim to analyze factors associated with the quality of life (QOL) response of individuals with rheumatic diseases treated by the Public Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde) with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs). Data from 428 patients using bDMARDs were collected using a standardized form at baseline and 6 months after the onset of treatment. The average reduction of the scores on EuroQol-five dimension was 0.11 ± 0.18 6 months after the onset of treatment with bDMARDs, denoting significant improvement of the participants' QOL. All the investigated types of disease exhibited significant improvement at the 6-month assessment, without any difference among them (p = 0.965). The participants with baseline poorest functionality and best QOL exhibited the best QOL outcomes after 6 months of treatment. Our study showed that the use of biological drugs induced considerable improvement in the participants' QOL.

Objective: To analyze organizational characteristics of support groups that represent rheumatic patients in the Brazilian states., Methods: Initially a mapping of the desired universe was made. Contact was attempted with all organizations and they were asked to answer a structuralized electronic questionnaire with the purpose of understanding the profile of these organizations (developed initiatives, legal aspects, difficulties, strong points, among others)., Results: 45 organizations were identified. They predominate in the south and southeastern regions of the country. Of the total, 30% have a website and 50% presented difficulties to establish contact with. Of the 12 organizations that answered to the questionnaire, 5 had closed, one is on a construction phase, and the remaining was not possible to establish contact with, or did not answer the research. Of the organizations that answered the questionnaire, only one declared having an OSCIP title (Civil Social Organization of Public Interest) or a Social Organization title and only one declared being registered at the National Council of Social Assistance (CNAS). Moreover, 50% did not present a public utility title, 25% were registered in a registry office and only 1/3 declared being registered in the City Council of Social Assistance (CMAS)., Conclusions: The studied groups present heterogeneous characteristics. Of the organizations studied, some showed to be more solid and well-structured, but others showed important intrinsic difficulties, with an incipient profile or characteristics that demonstrate little survival expectation.