Abstract Background Data on post-acute COVID-19 in autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) are scarce, focusing on a single disease, with variable definitions of this condition and time of vaccination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and pattern of post-acute COVID-19 in vaccinated patients with ARD using established diagnosis criteria. Methods Retrospective evaluation of a prospective cohort of 108 ARD patients and 32 non-ARD controls, diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection (RT-PCR/antigen test) after the third dose of the CoronaVac vaccine. Post-acute COVID-19 (≥ 4 weeks and > 12 weeks of SARS-CoV-2 symptoms) were registered according to the established international criteria. Results ARD patients and non-ARD controls, balanced for age and sex, had high and comparable frequencies of ≥ 4 weeks post-acute COVID-19 (58.3% vs. 53.1%, p = 0.6854) and > 12 weeks post-acute COVID-19 (39.8% vs. 46.9%, p = 0.5419). Regarding ≥ 4 weeks post-acute COVID-19, frequencies of ≥ 3 symptoms were similar in ARD and non-ARD controls (54% vs. 41.2%, p = 0.7886), and this was also similar in > 12 weeks post-acute COVID-19 (68.3% vs. 88.2%, p = 0.1322). Further analysis of the risk factors for ≥ 4 weeks post-acute COVID-19 in ARD patients revealed that age, sex, clinical severity of COVID-19, reinfection, and autoimmune diseases were not associated with this condition (p > 0.05). The clinical manifestations of post-acute COVID-19 were similar in both groups (p > 0.05), with fatigue and memory loss being the most frequent manifestations. Conclusion We provide novel data demonstrating that immune/inflammatory ARD disturbances after third dose vaccination do not seem to be a major determinant of post-acute COVID-19 since its pattern is very similar to that of the general population. Clinical Trials platform (NCT04754698).

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the frequency of anti-collagen type V in humans with early systemic sclerosis (SSc) compared to defined SSc patients and healthy controls, since collagen type V was shown to be overexpressed in early SSc patients’ skin and there is no data concerning the presence of this antibody in early stages of human SSc. Experimental studies showed that animal models immunized with collagen type V developed a disease similar to human systemic sclerosis (SSc), with antibodies production, mainly in early stages post-immunization. Methods: Eighty-one female SSc patients were included and divided into two groups: early-SSc (18 patients-EULAR Preliminary Criteria) and defined-SSc (63 patients-ACR Criteria 1980). The control group consisted of 19 healthy women age-matched to Early-SSc group. Anti-collagen type V was performed by ELISA. Data was analyzed by appropriate tests. Results: The prevalence of anti-collagen type V in early-SSc, defined-SSc and control groups was respectively 33, 17 and 5% (p = 0.07). SSc patients with anti-collagen type V had shorter disease duration compared to those without this antibody (8.8 ± 5.1 vs. 14.7 ± 8.9, p = 0.006). Likewise, early-SSc patients with anti-collagen V also had a shorter disease duration than patients negative for this antibody (4.6 ± 2.2 vs. 9.7 ± 5.2, p = 0.04). No association with clinical subsets or scleroderma antibodies specificities was observed (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The production of anti-collagen type V in SSc seems to be an early event independent of other antibodies specificities. Further studies are necessary to determine if the underlying mechanism for this chronology involves a primary immune response to abnormal expression of collagen type V.

Esta pesquisa é um estudo de caso que tem como objetivo analisar, longitudinalmente, a fluência de um sujeito com Afasia Progressiva Primária (APP) Logopênica. O método de análise baseou-se em sete sessões de atendimento fonoaudiológico de uma paciente com 61 anos de idade, diagnosticada com APP. Os dados foram analisados de forma qualitativa, a partir da Neurolinguística Enunciativo-Discursiva. Os resultados sugerem que a paciente apresentava a variante Logopênica da APP, com as seguintes características: fala com estrutura gramatical reservada, manutenção da compreensão de palavras isoladas e de frases preservadas, durante a conversação na interação dialógica. As dificuldades de fluência referiram-se às ocorrências de repetição em palavras longas e menos cotidianas, parafasias fonológicas, pausas disfluentes e anomia. A análise também apontou modificação progressiva nos sintomas, com aumento do número de repetições e alteração de sua forma de ocorrência. Essas modificações parecem indicar uma relação inversamente proporcional entre fluência de fala e avanço da doença, em que a fluência tende à deterioração. Esse cenário assume aspecto relevante na linguagem do sujeito na medida em que influencia na sua interação e papel social, ou seja, quanto menos fluente é o discurso, mais essa condição afeta sua posição de falante.

This research is a case report which aims to perform a longitudinal analysis of fluency of a subject with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), Logopenic variant. The method of analysis was based on seven speech therapy sessions of a 61-year-old patient diagnosed with PPA. The data was analyzed qualitatively in light of Enunciative-Discursive Neurolinguistics. The results showed that the patient has the logopenic variant of PPA, with the following characteristics: preservation of speech grammar structure, preserved comprehension of single words and phrases during conversation in dialogical interaction. Speech flow difficulties were marked by occurrences of repetitions of longer and more unusual words, phonological paraphasias, non-fluent pauses and anomies. The analysis also pointed to a progression of symptoms, with increasing number of repetitions of different forms of occurrence. These modifications suggest an inversely proportional relationship between oral fluency and disease progression in which speech flow tends to decay. This scenario is relevant for subjects' language because it influences their social interaction, i.e., the less fluent their speech, the more affected they are as speakers.

Considering the changes antiretroviral therapy (ART) has brought to the treatment of HIV infection, the current clinical and laboratory profiles of HIV/AIDS individuals referred to oral health centers are crucially important in instructing dentists about the oral health management of these patients. The aim of the present study was to determine the clinical and laboratory profiles of HIV-infected individuals referred to a clinic for patients with special needs between 2005 and 2012 by retrospectively analyzing their dental records. A total of 97 records of HIV patients referred to the School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, were analyzed. The Mann-Whitney test was used to determine the associations between mean CD4+ counts, mean viral load, and the presence of HIV-related oral lesions (HIV-OL). Most of the patients were male, and their mean age was 38.3 years. Eighty-nine (92%) patients were on regular ART, 77 (79.4%) had a CD4+ count higher than 200 cells/mm3, and 63 (64.9%) had an undetectable viral load. Twenty patients (20.6%) presented with some HIV-OL, including pseudomembranous and/or erythematous candidiasis and angular cheilitis, which were correlated with a low CD4+ count and with an undetectable viral load (p < 0.05). Among the branches of dentistry, periodontics, followed by surgery and restorative dentistry, was the most sought-after specialty, and no intercurrent events were observed during the dental treatment. It may be concluded that there are no restrictions on the dental treatment of patients on regular ART, It is important, though, that the treatment be based on local characteristics and on the prevention of oral diseases.