Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Background: Biological agents have revolutionized the management of chronic inflammatory rheumatisms (CIR), significantly improving patients' quality of life. However, this advancement is not without risks, and the emergence of tuberculosis as an adverse effect is a growing concern, particularly in endemic regions. Objectives: Our study aims to assess the frequency of tuberculosis in the context of chronic inflammatory rheumatisms, along with the clinical and paraclinical profile of affected patients. Methods: Cohort Study with Retrospective Data Collection on Patients with CIR over a 5-Year Period from January 2018 to January 2023. The cohort includes patients monitored for rheumatoid arthritis and spondylarthritis based on ACR 2010 and ASAS criteria, respectively, who have been administered biological agents. All patients underwent epidemiological, clinical, and paraclinical assessments (QuantiFERON test and chest X-ray) before starting biologic therapy. Patients with a positive QuantiFERON test received chemoprophylaxis according to the national protocol. Patient data were collected and analyzed. Results: We included 134 patients monitored for Chronic Inflammatory Rheumatisms (81 RA/52 SA). The female-to-male ratio was 1.3. The mean age was 44 years (±15.5). The average disease duration was 15 years (±7.96). No recent tuberculosis exposure (Conclusion: The frequency of tuberculosis under biologic therapy, although relatively low at 4% in our study, nevertheless underscores the need for close monitoring and thorough pre-treatment assessment before initiating this type of therapy. The results demonstrate that, despite precautions taken, cases of tuberculosis can occur, highlighting the complexity of managing this population of immunocompromised patients. REFERENCES: NIL. Acknowledgements: NIL. Disclosure of Interests: None declared.
Zaher et al. (Sat,) studied this question.