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Papers by Martin Rodriguez

BackgroundWe have here assessed the impact of demographic, clinical, and treatment compliance cha... more BackgroundWe have here assessed the impact of demographic, clinical, and treatment compliance characteristics on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of Venezuelan patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We have used a disease-specific questionnaire, the Lupus Quality of Life (LupusQoL), validated in our patient population, to measure HRQoL.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 patients with SLE from outpatient clinic. Patients completed a form with demographic, clinical, and treatment compliance data, and the LupusQoL questionnaire. HRQoL was classified as better or worse according to the cutoff points previously established for this patient population. Spearman’s r test was used to determine the correlations between age, years of education, disease duration, SLEDAI, and SLICC-DI with the eight domains of the LupusQoL. Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare HRQoL between the two groups of patients according to treatment compliance. Binomial logistic re...

International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, 2019

AimRheumatic manifestations are common in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). Since p... more AimRheumatic manifestations are common in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). Since previous reports on the prevalence of arthritis in this disease may have a rheumatology referral bias, we sought to establish the prevalence of undifferentiated inflammatory arthropathy (UIA) in unselected HT patients as seen in an endocrinology clinic.MethodsCross‐sectional study of 92 consecutive HT patients and no definite rheumatic disease from the Endocrinology Division, Hospital Universitario de Caracas diagnosed by the presence of anti‐thyroid peroxidase antibodies (n = 68) or typical ultrasonographic findings (n = 24). Undifferentiated inflammatory arthropathy was defined as combination of morning stiffness and joint pain with ≥2 characteristics of inflammatory joint pain. The study was revised and approved by the Ethics Committee of our hospital and all patients signed an informed consent form.ResultsTwenty‐three patients (25%; 95% CI 16‐34) met the criteria for UIA. Joints most ...

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 1992

False positive results were obtained for HIV tests in two men with active systemic lupus erythema... more False positive results were obtained for HIV tests in two men with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who were suspected of being infected with HIV because of fever, weight loss, lymphadenopathy, and inflammatory myopathy. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for HIV were twice positive when tested three times over a period of six months. Western blot analysis showed reactivity against the gp4l band in patient 1. False positive results for HIV tests can occur in patients with SLE, potentially leading to an erroneous diagnosis of HIV infection.

Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2011

Ethnicity & health, 2021

OBJECTIVE Arthritis is a common chronic condition in the ageing population. Its impact on physica... more OBJECTIVE Arthritis is a common chronic condition in the ageing population. Its impact on physical function varies according to sociodemographic and race/ethnic factors. The study objective was to examine the impact of arthritis on physical function and disability among non-disabled older Mexican Americans over time. DESIGN A 23-year prospective cohort study of 2230 Mexican Americans aged 65 years and older from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (1993/94-2016). The independent variable was self-reported physician-diagnosed arthritis, and the outcomes included Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), mobility, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and handgrip strength. Covariates were sociodemographic, medical conditions, body mass index, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function. General linear mixed models were performed to estimate the change in SPPB and muscle strength. General Equation ...

Newbornmononuclear cellsare knowntohaveincreased suppressor activity when compared withadultcells... more Newbornmononuclear cellsare knowntohaveincreased suppressor activity when compared withadultcells. However, theprecise phenotypic description ofthesuppressor cellsub- population hasnotyetbeenreported. Thisstudy was designed toexamine thesurface markers onhuman cordblood cells asdefined bymonoclonal antibodies andtocharacterize cordblood mononuclear cells that suppress invitro pokeweed mitogen-driven immuno- globulin production. Thepattern offluorescence with the9,6-monoclonal antibody suggested either a de- creased density orapartial blocking ofE-receptors oncordbloodlymphocytes. Otherwise, humancord andadult cells hadsimilar proportions ofT cell sub- populations. Different subsets ofnewborncells iso- lated byamonoclonal antibody rosetting technique weretested forsuppressor activity. Cordblood lympho- cytes recognized bytheOKT8monoclonal antibody constituted themajorfunctional suppressor cell sub- population. Thesecells werepresent inbothE- rosetting andnon-E-rosetting populations. ...

Global Rheumatology

There are scarce data on lupus nephritis from single Latin American countries. We have assessed t... more There are scarce data on lupus nephritis from single Latin American countries. We have assessed the prevalence and factors associated with lupus nephritis in a sample of Venezuelan patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Reumatología Clínica (English Edition)

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Traditionally, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients w... more BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Traditionally, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been assessed using instruments that neglect the specific characteristics of the disease. This study determines the validity of the Lupus Quality of Life (LupusQoL) questionnaire as a psychometrically stable instrument to measure the HRQoL of patients with SLE in Venezuela and establishes the cutoff points of the questionnaire for the Venezuelan population. PATIENTS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted that included patients with SLE from April to July 2018. Patients completed the LupusQoL and the "Generalitat de Catalunya" (GENCAT) scale; sociodemographic data, activity index (SLEDAI) and accumulated damage (SLICC), were obtained. Reliability was evaluated by internal consistency and the convergent validity of the LupusQoL was determined with the GENCAT scale. RESULTS Of the 100 patients, 93% were women, the mean age was 42 years old (SD: 13) and the mean duration of the disease was 11 years (SD: 9); the mean of SLEDAI and SLICC was 3 and 1, respectively. The cutoff point that defined a "better" or "worse" HRQoL for LupusQoL was 64.55 points. A moderate convergence was found after grouping, according to the cutoff points, of the LupusQoL with the GENCAT scale (Cohen's kappa coefficient = .556; p = .000). CONCLUSIONS The LupusQoL is a valid psychometrically stable instrument to measure the HRQoL of patients with SLE in Venezuela. Cutoff points were established to stratify the HRQoL in the Venezuelan population with LES, being useful to complement a comprehensive evaluation.

En la Artritis Reumatoide(AR), los fibroblastos sinoviales activados juegan un papel importante, ... more En la Artritis Reumatoide(AR), los fibroblastos sinoviales activados juegan un papel importante, tanto en la iniciación como en el progreso de la enfermedad. El co-cultivo de fibroblastos con células mononucleares de sangre periférica, genera la diferenciación de estas últimas a células semejantes a osteoclastos con capacidad reabsortiva. La regulación de la diferenciación y de la actividad de estas células, es mediada principalmente por la molécula Receptor Activator of NF-.B Ligand(RANKL) y se expresa en los fibroblastos reumatoideos. Sin embargo, no son conocidos los estímulos que regulan la expresión de RANKL en los fibroblastos reumatoideos. El presente artículo ofrece un estudio sobre el efecto de la estimulación de los FLS con interleucina1, factor de crecimiento básico de fibroblastos, éster de forbol miristato acetato y vitamina D, sobre la expresión del RANKL en fibroblastos obtenidos de pacientes con AR y Osteoarthritis(OA). Tanto los fibroblastos de la sinovial de pacien...

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950), 1982

Page 1. 0022-1767/82/1286-2422$02.00/0 THE JOURNAL OF lMMUNOLOGY Copyrlght 0 1982 by The Amerlcan... more Page 1. 0022-1767/82/1286-2422$02.00/0 THE JOURNAL OF lMMUNOLOGY Copyrlght 0 1982 by The Amerlcan Association of Immunologists Vol. 126. No. 6. June 1982 Prrnted in US A REGULATION OF IgM RHEUMATOID ...

Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, 2011

Objective Evaluate depressive symptoms in caregivers of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) or cy... more Objective Evaluate depressive symptoms in caregivers of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) or cystic fibrosis (CF) and identify associated risk factors. Methods A total of 195 caregivers completed demographic, stress, and depressive symptoms questionnaires. Children's health status was obtained from medical records. Results Approximately 33% of caregivers reported elevated symptoms of depression (i.e., exceeded clinical cutoff of 16 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale). For caregivers of children with T1D, elevations were associated with less caregiver education, more family stress, older child age, and worse glycemic control. For caregivers of children with CF, more family stress and lack of employment outside of the home were associated with elevated depressive symptoms. Conclusions Many caregivers of children with T1D or CF experience depressive symptoms, although risk factors may differ in these two populations. Screening of caregiver depressive symptoms as part of routine clinic visits may provide opportunities for needed intervention.

Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1981

Clinical Immunology, 2012

Aktuelle Rheumatologie, 1983

Despite a decrease in time from disease onset to diagnosis, patients of a recent cohort had incre... more Despite a decrease in time from disease onset to diagnosis, patients of a recent cohort had increased delay in initiation of first DMARD compared with patients from an earlier cohort, increasing the risk for disability in Venezuelan RA patients.

Arthritis & Rheumatism, 1999

To translate into Spanish a version of the Miller-Rahe Recent Life Change Questionnaire and to ad... more To translate into Spanish a version of the Miller-Rahe Recent Life Change Questionnaire and to adapt it to Venezuelan cultural values. Methods. The Spanish version and cross-cultural adaptation of the Miller-Rahe Recent Life Change Questionnaire was done following recently proposed guidelines to preserve semantic, idiomatic, and conceptual equivalence in translations of health assesment instruments. We performed one or more translations into the new language, as well as backtranslation, test-retest reliability, and weighting score for the translated instrument. Results. A Spanish version of the Recent Life Change Questionnaire was obtained. Validity of translations was demonstrated with a significant agreement for the nonliteral translations (kappa value ϭ 0.97, P Ͻ 0.05). The conceptual equivalence was demonstrated by significant agreement in the back-translations (kappa value ϭ 0.84, P Ͻ 0.05). The translated instrument met acceptable levels of reliability, as assessed by Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (Ͼ0.60 for all categories of the questionnaire). The cross-cultural adaptation of the translated instrument required addition and exclusion of items as well as changes of the ranking and scaling of life units in the original questionnaire. Conclusion. A valid and reliable Spanish version of the Miller-Rahe Recent Life Change Questionnaire was produced and adapted to Venezuelan cultural values.