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Objective: To develop updated guidelines for the pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)., Methods: A group of experts representative of different geographical regions and various medical services catering to the Mexican population with RA was formed. Questions based on Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) were developed, deemed clinically relevant. These questions were answered based on the results of a recent systematic literature review (SLR), and the evidence's validity was assessed using the GRADE system, considered a standard for these purposes. Subsequently, the expert group reached consensus on the direction and strength of recommendations through a multi-stage voting process., Results: The updated guidelines for RA treatment stratify various therapeutic options, including different classes of DMARDs (conventional, biologicals, and JAK inhibitors), as well as NSAIDs, glucocorticoids, and analgesics. By consensus, it establishes the use of these in different subpopulations of interest among RA patients and addresses aspects related to vaccination, COVID-19, surgery, pregnancy and lactation, and others., Conclusions: This update of the Mexican guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of RA provides reference points for evidence-based decision-making, recommending patient participation in joint decision-making to achieve the greatest benefit for our patients. It also establishes recommendations for managing a variety of relevant conditions affecting our patients., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Background: Sclerodermatomyositis is an overlap syndrome of myositis and scleroderma, with dermatological, muscular and joint involvement, but may also present with ocular manifestations., Clinical Case: A 57 year-old woman presented with ophthalmological manifestations, including scleral thinning 360°, and the presence of cells in the anterior and posterior chamber. Oriented physical examination and laboratory studies led to the diagnosis, with the need for systemic treatment., Conclusion: Sclerodermatomyositis is a rare disease. Its diagnosis needs thorough clinical and laboratory studies, and its management should be multidisciplinary when inflammatory ocular manifestations may be present., (Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV) are chronic autoimmune diseases characterized by inflammation and destruction of small vessels. Rituximab is now licensed for use as a remission-induction agent in the treatment of these disorders. During recent years, several non-controlled studies have suggested that rituximab may be of value in maintaining disease remission in AAV. In these series, 3 techniques have been tried: "watch-and-wait", repeated cycles in fixed intervals, or administration based on proposed biomarkers. More importantly, the results of the MAINRITSAN trial showed that this anti-CD20 agent is superior to azathioprine for preventing major relapses in AAV. This review summarizes current information regarding the effectiveness, timing, dosing, duration and safety of rituximab as a valid option for remission maintenance., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.)

Background: The pharmacologic management of rheumatoid arthritis has progressed substantially over the past years. It is therefore desirable that existing information be periodically updated. There are several published international guidelines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis that hardly adapt to the Mexican health system because of its limited healthcare resources. Hence, it is imperative to unify the existing recommendations and to incorporate them to a set of clinical, updated recommendations; the Mexican College of Rheumatology developed these recommendations in order to offer an integral management approach of rheumatoid arthritis according to the resources of the Mexican health system., Objective: To review, update and improve the available evidence within clinical practice guidelines on the pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis and produce a set of recommendations adapted to the Mexican health system, according to evidence available through December 2012., Methods: The working group was composed of 30 trained and experienced rheumatologists with a high quality of clinical knowledge and judgment. Recommendations were based on the highest quality evidence from the previously established treatment guidelines, meta-analysis and controlled clinical trials for the adult population with rheumatoid arthritis., Results: During the conformation of this document, each working group settled the existing evidence from the different topics according to their experience. Finally, all the evidence and decisions were unified into a single document, treatment algorithm and drug standardization tables., Conclusions: This update of the Mexican Guidelines for the Pharmacologic Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis provides the highest quality information available at the time the working group undertook this review and contextualizes its use for the complex Mexican health system., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

The primary vasculitidies are complex diseases with varied clinical manifestations, which may be common to those present in multiple diseases. The antineutrophil cytoplasm autoantibodies (ANCA) led to a revolution in the diagnosis and research of these diseases, being the first and so far, the only biomarkers for three of these diseases, which affect small caliber vessels. From their description, much progress has been made, but there are still gray or misunderstood areas regarding their best use in the clinic. This can lead to errors as making a positive test synonym for vasculitis, or to overestimation of its importance. This review will address aspects such as nomenclature, employment in the diagnosis and monitoring of vasculitis, their presence in other diseases, their methods of detection, and finally, some comments on other potential biomarkers in vasculitis., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

The primary systemic vasculitidies (PSV) comprise an heterogeneous group of complex clinical entities with a common substrate: inflammation and necrosis of blood vessels. The inflammatory process involves vessels of any caliber. The location and the different size of the affected vessels, the severity of vascular damage and the different histopathological patterns which may predominate are the basic characteristics that define the different vasculitic syndromes and enable individualization. The description and progress in the knowledge of the primary vasculitidies have evolved considerably in recent decades, allowing for a better resolution of the complex problems placed by these patients. This review aims to provide a view on the practical approach to these diseases and their challenge. It focuses on ANCA associated vasculitidies (AAV) because this subgroup has the only proven biomarker and is the most common in our area. Also, multiorganic involvement is frequent. Some notes regarding other PSV are made., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

One of the main characteristics of the vasculitis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasm autoantibodies (AASV) is the absence of immune complex deposition in biopsies of affected tissues as well as a lack of complement depletion. However, in early stages of disease induced in animal models, it has been observed that the complement system may be involved in the generation of these diseases. There are various animal models which have been developed with the aim of knowing which are the pathogenic mechanisms in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener) (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), the latter being explained using these approaches in a more satisfactory manner, as there is lack of a model which reproduces the changes leading to a granulomatous vasculitis associated with antibodies against proteinase-3, as in GPA. This short review presents recent evidence of the presence of complement in biopsies of patients with AASV and the most recent animal models, which show the participation of complement in their etiology., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Since cyclophosphamide was introduced for the treatment of ANCA-associated vasculitis, the mortality of these diseases has decreased considerably. However, such treatment is related to acute and chronic serious adverse effects, which contribute to the morbidity and mortality of such diseases. Therefore, one of the main challenges in the treatment of such conditions is to find newer and effective therapies with a safer profile. Rituximab (RTX), an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody stands at the top of new options for the treatment of ANCA-associated vasculitis, and is the strongest candidate to establish itself as a first choice therapeutic agent. Here, we review the rationale of RTX treatment in ANCA-associated small vessel vasculitis, and the current evidence of both its efficacy and toxicity., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

We present a case of subglottic stenosis (SGS) in a young patient with positive ANCA but a wrong diagnosis of Wegener granulomatosis (WG). Instead, she was diagnosed as having laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). Pitfalls of ANCA testing in this scenario, the route to diagnosis of LPR and the contribution of this entity to subglottic stenosis (SGS) in WG are discussed. Caution when interpreting ANCA results is mandatory to avoid improper management., (Copyright © 2008 Elsevier España. Reumatología Clínica ® Sociedad Española de Reumatología and ® Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)