LATENT TUBERCULOSIS IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: PROFILE OF PATIENTS SEEN AT A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT CLINIC

Tuberculosis is a common chronic infection in our country, but a minority of individuals develop the disease in some of its clinical forms. The advent of anti-TNF was a major advance in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, but brought with it an increased risk of reactivation of latent tuberculosis. The objective of this study is to establish an epidemiological profile of the patients treated at the university hospital rheumatoid arthritis outpatient clinic, in relation to the screening, prevalence and treatment of latent tuberculosis, mainly in individuals using biological DMARDs.