Vasculitis and familial Mediterranean fever: Description of 22 French adults from the juvenile inflammatory rheumatism cohort

Objective

The frequency of vasculitis may be increased in patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF), according to several studies. Our aim was to assess the characteristics of French adult patients with both diseases.

Methods

Patients with vasculitis were selected from patients followed for FMF in the French JIR-cohort.

Results

Twenty-two patients were included [polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) n = 10, IgA vasculitis n = 8, unclassified vasculitis n = 2, granulomatosis with polyangiitis n = 1, and microscopic polyangiitis n = 1]. Pathogenic mutations in exon 10 were found in all 21 patients (96%) for which MEFV testing results were available, and 18 (82%) had two pathogenic mutations. Histology showed vasculitis in 59% of patients. Most patients with FMF-associated PAN were HBV-negative and had an inactive FMF before PAN onset, and 40% had a peri-renal or central nervous system bleeding. Most patients with FMF-associated IgA vasculitis had an active FMF before vasculitis onset, and 25% had digestive bleeding. Both patients with unclassified vasculitis had ischemic and/or hemorrhagic complications.

Conclusion

This study confirms the predominance of PAN and IgA vasculitis in patients with FMF and the high frequency of bleeding in FMF-associated PAN. FMF should be considered in case of persistent symptoms and/or inflammatory syndrome despite vasculitis treatment in Mediterranean patients.

Cutaneous vasculitis occurring in the setting of systemic lupus erythematosus: a multicenter cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To describe the clinical and pathological features of biopsy-proven cutaneous vasculitis (CV) associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), focusing on diagnosis classification and impact on overall SLE activity.

METHODS

Retrospective multicentric cohort study including SLE patients with biopsy-proven CV identified by 1) data from pathology departments of three university hospitals and 2) a national call for cases. SLE was defined according to 1997 revised ACR and/or 2019 ACR/EULAR criteria. CV diagnosis was confirmed histologically and classified by using the dermatological addendum of the Chapel Hill classification. SLE activity and flare severity at the time of CV diagnosis were assessed independently of vasculitis items with the SELENA-SLEDAI and SELENA-SLEDAI Flare Index.

RESULTS

Overall, 39 patients were included; 35 (90%) were female. Cutaneous manifestations included mostly palpable purpura (n = 21; 54%) and urticarial lesions (n = 18; 46%); lower limbs were the most common location (n = 33; 85%). Eleven (28%) patients exhibited extracutaneous vasculitis. A higher prevalence of Sjögren's syndrome (51%) was found compared with SLE patients without CV from the French referral center group (12%, p < 0.0001) and the Swiss SLE Cohort (11%, p < 0.0001). CV were mostly classified as urticarial vasculitis (n = 14, 36%) and cryoglobulinemia (n = 13, 33%). Only 2 (5%) patients had no other cause than SLE to explain the CV. Sixty-one percent of patients had inactive SLE.

CONCLUSION

SLE-related vasculitis seems very rare and other causes of vasculitis should be ruled out before considering this diagnosis. Moreover, in more than half of patients, CV was not associated with another sign of active SLE.

Long-term prophylaxis in hereditary angioedema management: Current practices in France and unmet needs

Background: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is characterized by unpredictable and potentially life-threatening attacks of cutaneous and submucosal swelling. Over the past decade, new agents, based on a better understanding of the underlying biologic mechanisms of HAE, have changed the face of long-term prophylaxis (LTP). Objective: The objective was to describe current practices and unmet needs with regard to LTP for HAE in expert centers in France. Methods: The study was conducted in France in 2020. Based on their experience with patients with HAE who had visited their center at least once in the past 3 years, physicians from 25 centers who are expert in the management of HAE were requested to fill in a questionnaire that encapsulated their active patient list, criteria for prescribing LTP, and medications used. They were asked about potential unmet needs with currently available therapies. They were asked to express their expectations with regard to the future of HAE management. Results: Analysis was restricted to 20 centers that had an active patient file and agreed to participate. There were 714 patients with C1 inhibitor (C1-INH) deficiency, of whom 423 (59.2%) were treated with LTP. Altered quality of life triggered the decision to start LTP, as did the frequency and severity of attacks. Ongoing LTP included androgens (28.4%), progestins (25.8%), lanadelumab (25.3%), tranexamic acid (14.2%), intravenous C1-INHs (5.6%), and recombinant C1-INH (0.7%). Twenty-nine percent of the patents with LTP were considered to still have unmet needs. Physicians' concerns varied among therapies: poor tolerability for androgens and progestins, a lack of efficacy for tranexamic acid and progestins, dosage form, and high costs for C1-INHs and lanadelumab. Physicians' expectations encompassed more-efficacious and better-tolerated medications, easier treatment administration for the sake of improved quality of life of patients, and less-expensive therapies. Conclusion: Despite the recent enrichment of the therapeutic armamentarium for LTP, physicians still expressed unmet needs with currently available therapies.

Reduced peripheral blood dendritic cell and monocyte subsets in MDS patients with systemic inflammatory or dysimmune diseases

BACKGROUND

Systemic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (SIADs) occur in 10-20% of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Recently identified VEXAS (Vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, Autoinflammatory, Somatic) syndrome, associated with somatic mutations in UBA1 (Ubiquitin-like modifier-activating enzyme 1), encompasses a range of severe inflammatory conditions along with hematological abnormalities, including MDS. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the association between MDS and SIADs remain largely unknown, especially the roles of different myeloid immune cell subsets. The aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate peripheral blood myeloid immune cells (dendritic cells (DC) and monocytes) by flow cytometry in MDS patients with associated SIAD (n = 14, most often including relapsing polychondritis or neutrophilic dermatoses) and to compare their distribution in MDS patients without SIAD (n = 23) and healthy controls (n = 7). Most MDS and MDS/SIAD patients had low-risk MDS. Eight of 14 (57%) MDS/SIAD patients carried UBA1 somatic mutations, defining VEXAS syndrome.Compared with MDS patients, most DC and monocyte subsets were significantly decreased in MDS/SIAD patients, especially in MDS patients with VEXAS syndrome. Our study provides the first overview of the peripheral blood immune myeloid cell distribution in MDS patients with associated SIADs and raises several hypotheses: possible redistribution to inflammation sites, increased apoptosis, or impaired development in the bone marrow.

Iloprost Duration for Digital Ulcers in Systemic Sclerosis: French Retrospective Study at Two Centers and Literature Review

Objective

Ischemic digital ulcers (DUs) are frequent and severe complications of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Treatment options for SSc-related digital vasculopathy are based on aggressive vasodilation, with the objective to improve blood flow in ischemic areas. Intravenous prostanoids are recommended to treat active DUs. However, the level of evidence for the duration of 5 days is low. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether prolonging the infusion beyond 5 days increases the rate of healing of active DUs in SSc.

Methods

This is an observational longitudinal retrospective bicenter study from 2000 to 2017. The objective was to compare the healing rate and time (defined by a healing of at least 50% of DUs) between two durations of iloprost administration: 5 days or less, or more than 5 days.

Results

Forty-one patients, with a mean age of 47 ± 15 years at diagnosis and 32 (78%) females have been included. Systemic sclerosis was diffuse in 10 (24%) cases and 13 (32%) had an interstitial lung disease. A total of 243 iloprost infusions for DUs were performed: 140 infusions for 5 days or less, and 103 infusions for more than 5 days (prolonged duration). Patients with active DUs which received >5 days of iloprost had higher modified Rodnan skin scale at the time of iloprost infusion (median 33 vs. 15; p < 0.05), more interstitial lung disease (44 vs. 27%; p < 0.05), more anti-topoisomerase I antibody positivity (59 vs. 44%; p < 0.05), and received more previous cyclophosphamide therapy (48 vs. 19%; p < 0.05). While the number of active DUs before iloprost infusion was not significantly different among those who received ≤5 days and >5 days of iloprost, the time to healing after iloprost infusion significantly decreased in SSc patients who received >5 days iloprost infusion: 48 [7–392] vs. 91 [9–365] days (p < 0.05). The proportion of SSc patients with healed DUs tended to increase in patients with >5 days iloprost infusion (log rank = 0.06). The number of patients with complete DU healing at day 90 was significantly increased in SSc who received >5 days of iloprost: 53 (51%) vs. 52 (37%) (p < 0.05). In addition, the time to healing was not significantly associated with the use of calcium channel blockers, endothelin receptor antagonists or a combination of PDE-5 inhibitors.

Conclusion

Prolonging duration of iloprost >5 days could improve the healing rate and the time to healing of SSc-related DUs. Prospective randomized studies are needed to confirm these data and define the optimal duration of iloprost therapy.

Comparison between idiopathic and VEXAS-relapsing polychondritis: analysis of a French case series of 95 patients

Objective

A new adult-onset autoinflammatory syndrome has been described, named VEXAS (Vacuoles, E1 Enzyme, X-linked, Autoinflammatory, Somatic). We aimed to compare the clinical characteristics, the laboratory features and the outcomes between idiopathic-relapsing polychondritis (I-RP) and VEXAS-relapsing polychondritis (VEXAS-RP).

Methods

Patients from French retrospective multicentre cohort of RP were separated into two groups: a VEXAS-RP and an I-RP.

Results

Compared with patients with I-RP (n=40), patients with VEXAS-RP (n=55) were men (96% vs 30%, p<0.001) and were older at diagnosis (66 vs 44 years, p<0.001). They had a greater prevalence of fever (60% vs 10%, p<0.001), of skin lesions (82% vs 20%, p<0.001), of ocular involvement (57% vs 28%, p=0.01), of pulmonary infiltrates (46% vs 0%, p<0.001), of heart involvement (11% vs 0%, p=0.0336) and with higher median C-reactive protein levels (64 mg/L vs 10 mg/L, p<0.001). Seventy-five per cent of the patients with VEXAS-RP had myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) versus none in I-RP group. The glucocorticoids use, and the number of steroid sparing agents were similar in both groups, but patients with VEXAS-RP had more frequent refractory disease (remission obtained in 27% vs 90%, p<0001). VEXAS-RP was associated with higher risk of death: six patients (11%) died in the VEXAS-RP group after a median follow-up of 37 months and none in the I-RP group after a median follow-up of 92 months (p<0.05).

Conclusion

We report the largest cohort of VEXAS-RP, characterised by high prevalence of male sex, fever, skin lesion, ocular involvement, pulmonary infiltration, heart involvement, older age and MDS association.

6-sulfo LacNAc monocytes are quantitatively and functionally disturbed in systemic sclerosis patients

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by fibrosis, microangiopathy and autoantibodies. We previously reported that circulating follicular helper T (cTfh) cells are increased in SSc and induce plasmablast differentiation. However, mechanisms leading to cTfh cell expansion and activation in SSc remain to be established. Tfh cells require IL-12 for their expansion and differentiation. 6-sulfo LacNAc monocytes (slanMo), a subset of monocytes, have a higher capacity to produce IL-12 and to induce CD4 + T cell proliferation in comparison with dendritic cells (DC) or classical monocytes. The aim of this study was to perform a quantitative and functional analysis of monocytes and DC and to correlate them with cTfh cell expansion and clinical manifestations in SSc. Using flow cytometry, we analyzed different monocyte subsets including slanMo and DC from 36 SSc patients and 26 healthy controls (HC). In vitro culture experiments of sorted slanMo were performed for functional analysis and cytokine production. We observed that slanMo, intermediate and non-classical monocytes were increased in SSc in comparison with HC. Furthermore, the increase in slanMo cells was more potent in patients with diffuse SSc. We observed a significant positive correlation between slanMo and cTfh cell levels in SSc patients but not in HC. Other monocyte subsets did not correlate with cTfh cell expansion. In addition, we observed that in vitro, slanMo cells from SSc patients produced less IL-12 than slanMo from HC. SlanMo are increased in SSc and may participate in the activation of cTfh cells in SSc.

AB0044 REDUCED PERIPHERAL BLOOD MYELOID CELLS IN PATIENTS WITH VEXAS SYNDROME

Background

Systemic inflammatory or dysimmune diseases (SIDDs) are encountered in up to a quarter of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Recently identified VEXAS (vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic) syndrome, associated with somatic mutations in UBA1, encompasses a range of severe inflammatory conditions along with hematologic abnormalities, including myelodysplasia. Only limited data are available on the pathophysiology of MDS-associated SIDDs, and especially about the role of different myeloid cell subsets.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to describe the phenotype of myeloid immune cells (dendritic cells and monocytes) in MDS patients with associated SIDDs, and to compare their distribution with MDS patients without SIDDs and controls.

Methods

Phenotype analysis by flow cytometry from PBMCs of 14 MDS patients with SIDDs, 23 MDS patients without SIDDs and 7 controls without MDS and SIDDs. Eight of the 14 MDS/SIDDs patients (57%) had a somatic UBA1 mutation.

Results

In this study analyzing peripheral blood myeloid immune cells in MDS patients with and without SIDDs, we observed a quantitative reduction of different DC and monocyte subsets in MDS/SIDDs patients, especially in patients with active SIDDs and above all in patients with newly described VEXAS syndrome.

Conclusion

Further functional studies are warranted to better understand the mechanisms and the consequences of the phenotypic modulations of immune myeloid cells in the pathophysiology of MDS-associated SIDDs, especially in VEXAS syndrome.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

AB0461 TRIPLE POSITIVE PROFILE IN ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID SYNDROME: PROGNOSIS, RELAPSE AND MANAGEMENT FROM A RETROSPECTIVE MULTICENTER STUDY

Background

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is defined by the development of vascular thrombosis, or pregnancy morbidity in the presence of persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (APL). Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) can be detected in primary APS patients without any clinical systemic autoimmune disease. The presence of ANA antibodies could confer a specific phenotype in primary APS.

Objectives

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is defined by the association of thromboembolic and/or obstetrical clinical manifestations and the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (APL). Patients with all three APL are referred to as triple positive (TP). The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of the TP profile in a cohort of 204 patients.

Methods

Clinical and biologic data from 195 APS were retrospectively collected. ANA test was considered to be positive when titers were superior or egal to the 1/80 dilution. ANA-positive APS patients did not fulfilled SLE ACR/EULAR classification criteria

Results

204 patients were included in our study, 68 were TP and 136 were single or double positive (NTP). 122 patients (59.8%) had primary APS. 67 patients (32.8%) had obstetrical APS, with a higher rate among TP patients (45.6% versus 26.5%, P=0.010), and 170 patients (83.3%) had thrombotic APS, without difference between TP and NTP patients. TP patients had more placental complications than NTP patients (17.6% versus 2.9%, P=0.001) and more non-criteria events (48.5% versus 25.7%, P=0.002). 97 patients (47.5%) presented at least one relapse, and the relapse rate was significantly higher in TP patients than in NTP patients (63.2% versus 39.7%, P=0.002). Of the relapses, 30 were obstetric and 74 thrombotic, and the rate of obstetric relapses was significantly higher in TP patients. During follow-up, 21 patients (10.3%) died and this rate did not differ between the two groups.

In univariate analysis, TP patients (HR 1.77; 95% CI 1.17-2.68; P=0.007), venous APS (HR 1.74; 95% CI 1.13-2.69; P=0.013), a history of premature birth (HR 2.47; 95% CI 1.24-4.93; P=0.010), and curative anticoagulation (HR 4.91; 95% CI 1.55-15.5; P=0.007) are associated with the risk of relapse. The serological profile was also a factor in relapse: the presence of the anti-β2GP1 antibody (HR 1.70; 95% CI 1.09-2.64; P=0.018) and LA (HR 1.59; 95% CI 1.01-2.50; P=0.046). The non-criteria manifestations of APS are associated with a higher risk of relapse, although not statistically significant (HR 1.49; 95% CI 1.00-2.23; P=0.052).

In multivariate analysis, the TP profile remained associated with a risk of relapse (HR 1.63; 95% CI 1.04-2.55; P=0.031), as well as venous APS (HR 2.05; 95% CI 1.30-3.23; P=0.002), and the antecedent of premature delivery (HR 2.33; 95% CI 1.10-4.92; P=0.027). The risk factors associated with relapse in multivariate analysis are summarized in Figure 1.

Conclusion

The TP profile is associated with a higher risk of relapse and obstetrical complications.

Figure 1.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

Long-term prophylaxis with lanadelumab for HAE: authorization for temporary use in France

Background

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is associated with a heavy burden of illness.

Objective

To evaluate use of lanadelumab in a French Authorization for Temporary Use (ATU) program.

Methods

ATU requests were made between October 12, 2018, and March 13, 2019; patients were followed through September 23, 2019. At entry, patients received lanadelumab 300 mg every 2 weeks. HAE attack characteristics were evaluated at day (D) 0 and months (M) 3 and 6. Patients completed the Angioedema Quality of Life (AE-QoL) questionnaire at initiation and monthly and the Angioedema Activity Score questionnaire daily in 28 day cycles (AAS28).

Results

In total, 77 patients received ≥ 1 lanadelumab dose; 69 had ≥ 1 quarterly follow-up visit (analyzed population). Mean (standard deviation [SD]) lanadelumab exposure was 240.4 (53.7) days. Lanadelumab dose was modified in 12 patients (mostly to every 4 weeks). For the analyzed population, compared with attacks/month (mean [SD]) within 6 months before ATU (2.68 [2.54]), fewer attacks occurred between initiation and first visit (0.16 [0.42]; P < 0.001) or last visit (0.16 [0.42]; P < 0.001); D15 and last visit (0.15 [0.41]); and D70 and last visit (0.17 [0.70]). AE-QoL total and domain scores were significantly higher at initiation versus M3 and M6; 55% and 65% of patients, respectively, achieved a minimal clinically important difference from D0 to M3 and D0 to M6. Proportion of patients with AAS28 of 0 was higher during M3 (90%) and M6 (83%) than initiation (59%). The most frequently reported adverse events included headache (7.3%) and injection site pain (6.3%).

Conclusions

Lanadelumab reduced attack rates, improved quality of life, and was generally well tolerated.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13223-022-00664-4.

Multidisciplinary support for ethics deliberations during the first COVID wave

BACKGROUND

The first COVID-19 wave started in February 2020 in France. The influx of patients requiring emergency care and high-level technicity led healthcare professionals to fear saturation of available care. In that context, the multidisciplinary Ethics-Support Cell (EST) was created to help medical teams consider the decisions that could potentially be sources of ethical dilemmas.

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective was to prospectively collect information on requests for EST assistance from 23 March to 9 May 2020. The secondary aim was to describe the Cell's functions during that period.

RESEARCH DESIGN

This observational, real-time study of requests for Cell consultations concerned ethical dilemmas arising during a public health crisis. The EST created a grid to collect relevant information (clinical, patient's/designated representative's preferences and ethical principles strained by the situation), thereby assuring that each EST asked the same questions, in the same order.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

Only our university hospital's clinicians could request EST intervention.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The hospital Research Ethics Committee approved this study (no. CER-2020-107). The patient, his/her family, or designated representative was informed of this ethics consultation and most met with EST members, which enabled them to express their preferences and/or opposition.

FINDINGS/RESULTS

33 requests (patients' mean age: 80.8 years; 29 had COVID-19: 24 with dyspnea, 30 with comorbidities). 17 Emergency Department solicitations concerned ICU admission, without reference to resource constraints; others addressed therapeutic proportionality dilemmas.

DISCUSSION

Intervention-request motives concerned limited resources and treatment intensity. Management revolved around three axes: the treatment option most appropriate for the patient, the feasibility of implementation, and dignified care for the patient.

CONCLUSIONS

COVID-19 crisis forced hospitals to envisage prioritization of ICU access. Established decision-making criteria and protocols do not enable healthcare professionals to escape ethical dilemmas. That acknowledgement highlights ethical risks, enhances the added-value of nursing and encourages all players to be vigilant to pursue collective deliberations to achieve clear and transparent decisions.

Kidney disease in antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: Risk factors, pathophysiology and management

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLS) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by recurrent arterial and venous thromboembolic events, pregnancy related complications as well as the persistent detection of antiphospholipid antibodies at a 12 week interval. Renal complications tend to occur in 3% of APLS patients, with renal artery stenosis being the most common kidney related complication. Renal pathology may be subdivided into macro as well as microvascular thrombotic complications with stenosis, thrombosis and infarction representing the principle macrovascular events and APLS nephropathy representing the predominant microvascular complication. APLS related kidney disease may present with an array of heterogenous manifestations ranging from hematuria and non-nephrotic range proteinuria to hypertension or as part of a severe, life threatening and fulminant multiorgan failure disorder known as catastrophic antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (CAPS). Management of APLS related renal complications depends on the site of vascular injury, the thromboembolic risk profile based on the subtype, isotype and titer of the autoantibodies as well as the severity of the injury. Primary prophylaxis in these patients primarily revolves around the use of low dose aspirin, with prophylactic anticoagulation during events that increase thromboembolic like surgery and hospitalization. Anticoagulation is the cornerstone of treatment of APLS related kidney disease with INR targets varying depending on the associated venous or arterial thrombosis. Immunosuppression with the likes of rituximab, mTOR inhibitors, eculizumab and belimumab have been used with some success, but lack randomized control trial validation for their use. Pulsed corticosteroids with Plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulins is the recommended treatment for CAPS.

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential and cardiovascular events in systemic lupus erythematosus (HEMATOPLUS study)

OBJECTIVE

The detection of somatic mutations in genes of myeloid cells in asymptomatic patients - defining clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) - predisposes to cardiovascular events (CVE) in the general population. We aimed to determine whether CHIP was associated with CVE in SLE patients.

METHODS

The study is an ancillary study of the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial PLUS study conducted from June 2007 through August 2010 at 37 centers in France involving 573 SLE patients. The search for somatic mutations by high-throughput sequencing of 53 genes involved in clonal hematopoiesis was performed on genomic DNA collected at PLUS inclusion. The CHIP prevalence was assessed in SLE and in a retrospective cohort of 479 patients free of hematological malignancy. The primary outcome was the incident CVE in SLE.

RESULTS

Screening for CHIP was performed in 438 SLE patients (38 [29-47] years, 91·8% female). Overall, 63 somatic mutations were identified in 47 patients defining a CHIP prevalence of 10·7% in SLE. Most SLE patients (78·7%) carried a single mutation. Most variants (62·5%) were located in the DNMT3A gene. CHIP was associated with age, age at SLE diagnosis and a lower frequency of antiphospholipid antibodies. CHIP occurred more than 20-years earlier (p < 0·00001) in SLE than in controls. The detection of CHIP at inclusion was not associated with the occurrence of CVE during follow up (HR = 0·42 (0·06 - 3·21), p = 0·406).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of CHIP is high in SLE with respect to age but was not associated with incident CVE.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, https://clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05146414.

Angioedèmes et médecine d’urgence

Les angioedèmes (AE) sont un motif de recours fréquent aux urgences. Leur morbimortalité n’est pas négligeable compte tenu de l’atteinte fréquente des voies aériennes supérieures. On distingue les AE histaminiques et bradykiniques. Aux urgences, la démarche diagnostique et la conduite à tenir doit être systématique et standardisée afin de ne pas méconnaître un potentiel AE bradykinique. Les AE histaminiques, accompagnés dans la plupart des cas d’une urticaire superficielle, sont de loin les plus fréquents et sont associés parfois à une anaphylaxie, ce qui nécessite alors un traitement par adrénaline immédiat. Ils peuvent être allergiques (médiés par les IgE) et sont alors associés à une anaphylaxie ou non allergiques, et se traduisent cliniquement par une urticaire aiguë ou chronique associée à l’AE. Les AE bradykiniques, d’incidence plus rare, sont également pourvoyeurs de recours aux urgences et particulièrement les AE secondaires aux inhibiteurs de l’enzyme de conversion de l’angiotensine compte tenu de leur importante prescription et de leurs atteintes cliniques de la face, de la langue et du larynx, elles-mêmes pourvoyeuses de recours aux urgences. Les traitements spécifiques d’urgence comprennent principalement l’icatibant et le concentré de C1-inhibiteur. Ils doivent être administrés le plus tôt possible devant l’inefficacité des traitements antiallergiques. Un avis auprès d’un expert du centre de référence pour les AE à kinines peut améliorer les prises en charge en aidant à la démarche diagnostique et en organisant la mise à disposition des traitements spécifiques d’urgence.

Why are people still dying of drug-susceptible TB in Paris in the 21st century?

BACKGROUND: Although the burden of TB is lower in France than in low-income countries, patients continue to die from TB in Paris. Our goal was to describe TB-related deaths and to identify associated risk factors.METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in two hospitals in Paris between 2013 and 2018. All patients with drug-susceptible TB were included and followed until end of treatment. The primary outcome was death. We performed univariate and multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazard model.RESULTS: Of the 523 patients included, 362 were men (median age 37 years), of whom 24 patients died (4.5%). The final survival model concluded that age (HR 1.1 for each additional year), not living in one´s own accommodation (HR 5.9), being born in France (HR 8.0), being alcoholic (HR 4.2), having a history of cancer (HR 7.1) or meningeal or miliary TB (HR 8.2) were associated with a higher risk of death.CONCLUSION: The rate of TB-associated death is unacceptably high for a curable disease. To note, patients born in France were much more at risk of death than immigrants. We believe raising awareness among healthcare professionals is a potentially easy and efficient lever for improving care.

Drug-induced antiphospholipid syndrome: Analysis of from the WHO international database

OBJECTIVE

As with drug-induced lupus, some drugs may induce an antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). With the always growing numbers of new molecules, the list of the liable treatments evolves rapidly. We herein analyzed VigiBase, the international pharmacovigilance database, to identify drugs suspected of inducing APS.

METHODS

All the reported cases associated with "anti-phospholipid syndrome" using the preferred term level of medDRA (dictionary of regulated drug activity) when associated with anti-phospholipid antibodies in VigiBase were analyzed. For each treatment, a Bayesian disproportionality indicator (i.e. information component, IC) was calculated. A drug was significantly associated with APS if the 95% lower-end of the IC credibility interval was positive (IC₀₂₅ > 0). Drugs with potential protopathic bias were excluded.

RESULTS

From 01/11/2000 to 25/07/2021, 790 reports of suspected drug-induced APS were found in VigiBase. After excluding drugs reported by a single country and drugs with protopathic bias, fourteen drugs (n = 359 reports) were associated with APS with an IC_{0 25} > 0. These drugs were hormons: ethinylestradiol-etonogestrel and drospirenone-ethynilestradiol; platelet growth factors: eltrombopag, romiplostim; vaccines: Human Papillomavirus vaccine, hepatitis A and B vaccines and typhoid vaccine; antibiotics: minocycline; nonstreroidal anti-inflammatory: rofecoxib; biotherapy: interferon beta-1-a, etanercept; anti-hypertensive drug: hydralazine; bisphosphonates: alendronic acid and antipsychotic: olanzapine. The mean age at diagnosis of drug-induced APS was 39.2 years [29.3;47.9] and there were 63.5% of female patients. The mean delay from first exposition to drug-induced APS was 19.7 months [4.5; 38.8]. Drug-induced APS was reported as a severe side effect in 66.3% of cases: 8.4% with a life-threatening event and 2.5% of death (n = 9). A third (n = 118, 32.9%) pulmonary embolism events were reported and 4.2% (15) cerebral infarctions. 14.8% (53) cases were associated with a systemic lupus, a sub-analysis without lupus cases showed the same severity of cases.

CONCLUSION

This study identified 14 drugs potentially associated with drug-induced APS that may prove useful in the investigational work-up in any new diagnosis of APS.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03994302.

Delayed inflammation decrease is associated with mortality in Tocilizumab-treated critically ill SARS-CoV-2 patients: A retrospective matched-cohort analysis

Little is known about the immuno-inflammatory response to Tocilizumab and its association with outcome in critically-ill SARS-CoV2 pneumonia. In this multicenter retrospective cohort of SARS-CoV-2 patients admitted to three intensive care units between March and April 2020, we matched on gender and SAPS II 21 Tocilizumab-treated patients to 42 non-treated patients. Need for mechanical ventilation was 76% versus 79%. IL-6, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen had been collected within the first days of admission (T1), 3 d (T2) and 7 d (T3) later. Tocilizumab-treated patients had persistently higher IL-6 plasma levels and persistently lower C-Reactive protein and fibrinogen levels. Among Tocilizumab-treated patients, baseline levels of inflammatory biomarkers were not different according to outcome. Conversely, C-reactive protein and fibrinogen decrease was delayed in non-survivors. C-Reactive protein decreased at T1 in survivors (45 [30–98] vs 170 [69–204] mg/l, P < 0.001) but only at T2 in non-survivors (37 [13–74] vs 277 [235–288], P = 0.03). Fibrinogen decreased at T2 in survivors (4.11 [3.58–4.69] vs 614 [5.61–7.85] g/l, P = 0.005) but not in non-survivors (4.79 [4.12–7.58] vs 7.24 [6.22–9.24] g/l, P = 0.125). Tocilizumab treatment was thus associated with a persistent both increase in plasma IL-6, and decrease in C-reactive protein and fibrinogen. Among Tocilizumab-treated patients, the decrease in inflammatory biomarkers was delayed in non-survivors.

Non-criteria manifestations in primary antiphospholipid syndrome: a French multicenter retrospective cohort study

Background

From this retrospective study, we aimed to (1) describe the prevalence and characteristics of non-criteria features in primary antiphospholipid syndrome (p-APS) and (2) determine their prognostic value.

Methods

This retrospective French multicenter cohort study included all patients diagnosed with p-APS (Sydney criteria) between January 2012 and January 2019. We used Kaplan-Meier and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models to compare the incidence of relapse in p-APS with and without non-criteria manifestations.

Results

One hundred and seventy-nine patients with p-APS were included during the study time, with a median age of 52.50 years [39.0; 65.25] and mainly women (n = 112; 62.6%). Among them, forty-three patients (24.0%) presented at least one non-criteria manifestation during the follow-up: autoimmune cytopenias (n = 17; 39.5%), Libman Sachs endocarditis (n = 5; 11.6%), APS nephropathy (n = 4; 9.3%), livedo reticularis (n = 8; 18.6%), and neurological manifestations (n = 12; 27.9%). In comparison to p-APS without any non-criteria manifestations (n = 136), p-APS with non-criteria features had more arterial thrombosis (n = 24; 55.8% vs n = 48; 35.3%; p = 0.027) and more frequent pre-eclampsia (n = 6; 14.3% vs n = 4; 3.1%; p = 0.02). The prevalence of triple positivity was significantly increased in patients with non-criteria features (n = 20; 47.6% vs n = 25; 19.8%; p = 0.001). Patients with p-APS and non-criteria manifestations (n = 43) received significantly more additional therapies combined with vitamin K antagonists and/or antiaggregants. Catastrophic APS (CAPS) tended to be more frequent in p-APS with non-criteria features (n = 2; 5.1% vs none; p = 0.074).

The p-APS with non-criteria manifestations had significantly increased rates of relapse (n = 20; 58.8% vs 33; 33.7%; p = 0.018) in bivariate analysis, but in survival analyses, the hazard ratio (HR) of relapse was not significantly different between the two groups (HR at 1.34 [0.67; 2.68]; p = 0.40).

Conclusions

The presence of non-criteria features is important to consider, as they are associated with particular clinical and laboratory profiles, increased risk of relapse, and need for additional therapies. Prospective studies are necessary to better stratify the prognosis and the management of p-APS.