Abstract

SOLIS CARTAS, Urbano  and  VALDES GONZALEZ, Jorge Luis. Immune system activity in rheumatic patients. Rev. cuban. med. mil. [online]. 2022, vol.51, n.4  Epub Dec 15, 2022. ISSN 1561-3046.

Rheumatic diseases are a group of conditions, most of them with immunological affectation and systemic compromise, which generate different degrees of functional disability and decrease in the perception of quality of life of the patients who suffer from them. They constitute one of the main causes of disability, of temporary and definitive invalidity, of labor affectation and are among the first 10 reasons for consultations in the first level of health care. Patients with this type of disease have been considered immunocompromised, which does not correspond directly to the mechanisms of production of the vast majority of rheumatic diseases. This report addresses the myths and realities that encompass rheumatic diseases and the supposed immunosuppression they generate, from the etiopathogenic perspective of this group of diseases. The clarification of these elements is essential to be able to deal adequately, from the therapeutic and self-care point of view, with patients with rheumatic diseases. It is concluded that, based on the etiopathogenic elements of rheumatic diseases and the analysis of the expression of the normal immune response and in rheumatic patients, these cannot be considered as immunosuppressed people. The prescription of immunosuppressants is made in order to restore the normal immune response.

Keywords : rheumatic disease; immunosuppression; immunosuppressants; immune system.

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