Mycophenolate mofetil in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis--a retrospective analysis

Experience of mycophenolate mofetil in 10 patients with autoimmune-related interstitial lung disease demonstrates promising effects

BACKGROUND

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a frequent manifestation of connective tissue disease (CTD), especially systemic sclerosis (SSc), polymyositis-dermatomyositis, and rheumatoid arthritis. ILD related to CTDs heralds a poor prognosis and is associated with high mortality and 60% of patients have evidence of ILD. Cyclophosphamide (CYC) is extensively used in SSc ILD with moderate initial response but a poor long-term outcome, and is associated with significant toxicity.

RESULTS

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was administered to 10 patients with autoimmune-related ILD: 4 with SSc, 3 with rheumatoid arthritis, 2 with polymyositis, and 1 with systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren syndrome. Five patients received remote CYC infusion. Ten patients had improvement in alveolitis, symptoms (cough, dyspnea, and chest discomfort), perceived quality of life and activity levels. Four of 5 patients discontinued oxygen. Two of 8 repeat high-resolution computed tomography improved, 6 stabilized, none worsened. Pulmonary function testing in 1 of 9 patients showed worsening, 3 with improvement and 5 stabilized. Serial echocardiograms revealed no new pulmonary arterial hypertension and no worsening of preexisting pulmonary arterial hypertension. Very importantly, averaged prednisone dose decreased from 58 to 1.4 mg without worsening.

CONCLUSION

MMF is safe, well tolerated, and allows reduction or discontinuation of prednisone without worsening of symptoms or objective progression of disease. MMF is less toxic and its targeted antifibrotic properties make it a potentially more effective agent than CYC that may supplant it as a first-line agent or provide sensible post-CYC maintenance or synergistic strategy in the treatment of CTD-ILD.

Experience with rituximab in scleroderma: results from a 1-year, proof-of-principle study

Objective. To assess the efficacy of rituximab (RTX) in SSc.

Methods. Fourteen patients with SSc were evaluated. Eight patients were randomized to receive two cycles of RTX at baseline and 24 weeks [each cycle consisted of four weekly RTX infusions (375 mg/m²)] in addition to standard treatment, whereas six patients (control group) received standard treatment alone. Lung involvement was assessed by pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and chest high-resolution CT (HRCT). Skin involvement was assessed both clinically and histologically.

Results. There was a significant increase of forced vital capacity (FVC) in the RTX group compared with baseline (mean ± s.d.: 68.13 ± 19.69 vs 75.63 ± 19.73, at baseline vs 1-year, respectively, P = 0.0018). The median percentage of improvement of FVC in the RTX group was 10.25%, whereas that of deterioration in the controls was 5.04% (P = 0.002). Similarly, diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (DL_CO) increased significantly in the RTX group compared with baseline (mean ± s.d.: 52.25 ± 20.71 vs 62 ± 23.21, at baseline vs 1-year respectively, P = 0.017). The median percentage of improvement of DL_CO in the RTX group was 19.46%, whereas that of deterioration in the control group was 7.5% (P = 0.023). Skin thickening, assessed with the Modified Rodnan Skin Score (MRSS), improved significantly in the RTX group compared with the baseline score (mean ± s.d.: 13.5 ± 6.84 vs 8.37 ± 6.45 at baseline vs 1-year, respectively, P < 0.001).

Conclusion. Our results indicate that RTX may improve lung function in patients with SSc. To confirm our encouraging results we propose that larger scale, multicentre studies with longer evaluation periods are needed.

Current concepts in disease-modifying therapy for systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease: lessons from clinical trials

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the leading cause of mortality in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), which is also known as scleroderma. Two randomized clinical trials in patients with SSc-related ILD have shown that oral or intravenous cyclophosphamide is associated with modest but significant or near-significant improvements in lung function, dyspnea, and physical function. In addition, the Scleroderma Lung Study and an observational study showed that baseline forced vital capacity less than 70% and moderate fibrosis on thoracic high-resolution CT are predictors of response to cyclophosphamide therapy and/or survival, whereas active alveolitis on bronchoalveolar lavage is not. Newer therapies for SSc patients with ILD include mycophenolate mofetil, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (imatinib, dasatinib), and anti-interleukin-13 monoclonal antibody. Several uncontrolled trials have reported favorable results of mycophenolate mofetil in SSc-related ILD. A randomized double-blind controlled trial by the Scleroderma Lung Study Research Group is currently comparing the efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil versus oral cyclophosphamide.

High frequency of corticosteroid and immunosuppressive therapy in patients with systemic sclerosis despite limited evidence for efficacy

Introduction

In systemic sclerosis (SSc) little evidence for the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive therapy exists. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which SSc patients are treated with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents.

Methods

Data on duration and dosage of corticosteroids and on the type of immunosuppressive agent were analyzed from 1,729 patients who were registered in the German Network for Systemic Scleroderma (DNSS).

Results

A total 41.3% of all registered SSc patients was treated with corticosteroids. Corticosteroid use was reported in 49.1% of patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc and 31.3% of patients with limited cutaneous SSc (P < 0.0001). Among patients with overlap disease characteristics, 63.5% received corticosteroids (P < 0.0001 vs. limited cutaneous SSc). A total 16.1% of the patients received corticosteroids with a daily dose ≥ 15 mg prednisone equivalent. Immunosuppressive therapy was prescribed in 35.8% of patients. Again, among those patients with overlap symptoms, a much higher proportion (64.1%) was treated with immunosuppressive agents, compared with 46.4% of those with diffuse cutaneous SSc sclerosis and 22.2% of those with limited cutaneous SSc (P < 0.0001). The most commonly prescribed drugs were methotrexate (30.5%), cyclophosphamide (22.2%), azathioprine (21.8%) and (hydroxy)chloroquine (7.2%). The use of these compounds varied significantly between medical subspecialties.

Conclusions

Despite limited evidence for the effectiveness of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents in SSc, these potentially harmful drugs are frequently prescribed to patients with all forms of SSc. Therefore, this study indicates the need to develop and communicate adequate treatment recommendations.

Treatment of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias

The idiopathic interstitial pneumonias can be grouped, for treatment purposes, into primary inflammatory disorders, fibrotic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (in which inflammation is thought to precede and progress to fibrosis) as well as the most common of the idiopathic interstitial pneumonia subgroups, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Over the past decade, there have been several paradigm shifts in the understanding of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias and their treatment. In particular, we highlight changes in the use of prognostic markers, clinical trial end points and the understanding of pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. We outline a practical approach to the treatment of these three patient groups.

Systemic sclerosis: an update for clinicians

Recent advances in the management of systemic sclerosis highlight the importance of early diagnosis and assessment, before irreversible tissue injury has occurred. This review will discuss diagnosis, subtyping, and the major clinical features and their management.

Oral cyclophosphamide for active scleroderma lung disease: a decision analysis

BACKGROUND

Results from the recent Scleroderma Lung Study (SLS) show that oral cyclophosphamide (CYC) is better than placebo in preventing the progression of scleroderma-related interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) at 12 mo but is associated with adverse events. Also, the long-term balance of risk and benefit remains unclear.

METHODS

The authors evaluate the risk-benefit tradeoffs using a Markov decision analytic model to project the quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) for strategies of CYC versus no CYC in SSc-ILD. The base case examined a 50-y-old woman with SSc of 1.5 y, SSc-ILD with moderate ventilatory restriction. The authors analyze the decision to treat with 1 y of daily CYC versus no SSc-ILD-specific therapy. Based on 2-y data from the SLS, the authors assume CYC resulted in no survival benefit and only a transient beneficial impact on pulmonary function. They explore the impact of changes in model parameters through sensitivity analyses, including the efficacy of CYC in preventing progression of lung disease and SSc-ILD- related death. Results. In the base-case analysis, CYC-treated patients fared worse, with a small loss of 0.21 QALYs (16.84 v. 17.15). CYC remained inferior across sensitivity analyses for most variables. In analyses assuming a survival benefit with CYC, CYC resulted in a clinically significant gain (18.17 v. 17.15 QALYs).

CONCLUSIONS

CYC therapy for 1 y results in a small loss in QALYs compared with no CYC for SSc-ILD. The lack of a beneficial impact on survival and the transience of CYC's impact on decline in pulmonary function drive this conclusion.

[Therapy of systemic sclerosis]

The therapy of systemic sclerosis (SSc) remains a challenge for dermatology, rheumatology, internal medicine, and other disciplines. Organ involvement, above all kidney and lungs, is a key therapeutic issue. The current developments in organ-specific therapy are the main topic of the article. Finally, possibilities of disease-modifying drugs and value of HSCT are discussed.

Effect of mycophenolate mofetil on pulmonary function in scleroderma-associated interstitial lung disease

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine the effectiveness of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in scleroderma- associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD).

METHODS

We retrospectively identified patients who met criteria for systemic sclerosis, had evidence of SSc-ILD on chest CT, received > 1 g/d of MMF for >or= 6 months, and had pulmonary function data available. Vital capacity (VC) and diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (Dlco) at treatment onset were compared with VC and Dlco values 12 months before and 12 months after treatment onset. Twelve-month values were imputed from regression lines generated using all VC and Dlco measurements made in the 24-month period either prior to or following treatment onset.

RESULTS

Among 13 patients who met inclusion criteria, MMF was associated with a significant improvement in VC (mean, + 159 mL; confidence interval [CI], + 30 to + 289 mL; and + 4% of the predicted normal value; CI, + 2 to + 7%) after 12 months of treatment. In contrast, patients had a significant decrease in VC (mean, - 239 mL; CI, - 477 to - 0.5 mL; and - 5% of the predicted normal value; CI, - 11 to - 0.3%) in the 12 months prior to MMF treatment. Dlco did not change significantly during MMF treatment (mean, + 1% of the predicted normal value; CI, - 2 to + 5%) but decreased significantly in the 12 months prior to treatment (mean, - 5% of the predicted normal value; CI, - 10 to - 1%).

CONCLUSION

These retrospective data suggest MMF improves VC in patients with SSc-ILD.

Treatment of Autoimmune Disease with Rabbit Anti-T Lymphocyte Globulin: Clinical Efficacy and Potential Mechanisms of Action

The rabbit anti-T lymphocyte globulins (rATGs) are immune-suppressive anti-T cell agents with beneficial effects in solid organ and hematological transplantation. The present review evaluates the potential mechanisms of rATGs and their impact on pilot and exploratory studies of diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (scleroderma-SSc), inclusion body myositis (IBM), vasculitis, and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The rATGs are associated with improvements in well-defined parameters of clinical autoimmunity: insulin usage, tissue inflammation, and systemic organ functions. Meta-analysis of a retrospective database of SSc, N = 196 and two prospective randomized pilot studies; IBM, N = 11 and T1DM, N = 17 shows a two- to ninefold increase in the relative response to treatments with intravenous infusions of rATG. The rATGs deplete T cells and are associated with increases in the percentage of CD25+ T cell subsets. This may underlie the apparent long-lasting immunomodulation associated with these agents. The future optimization of rATG adjunct therapy requires statistically powered-controlled prospective trials of rATG dose-finding and timing of administration. The potential mechanisms of rATGs:depletion of autoreactive T cells, generation CDCD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), and the acquisition of regulatory immune cell functions, need to be examined in patients prior to rATG infusion and at time intervals following rATG treatment to identify those mechanisms relevant to the improvement of their clinical outcome.

New therapeutic strategies in the management of systemic sclerosis

The pathogenic process of systemic sclerosis targets the skin and internal organs, and involves sequential or concomitant abnormalities in blood vessel function, immunity and subsequent fibroblast function. These characteristics are disease specific and may partly explain the unresolved therapeutic strategies that must take into account not only these various biological abnormalities, but also the complexities of the various abnormalities throughout the duration of the disease. However, recent epidemiological data have revealed a decrease in excess mortality, which may be mostly due to the use of cardiovascular drugs. This article deals with present and possible future therapeutic options.

Mycophenolate mofetil: What is its place in the treatment of autoimmune rheumatic diseases?

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is a new immunosuppressant recently introduced in the treatment of autoimmune conditions. The greatest experience with the use of MMF has been achieved in the treatment of proliferative lupus glomerulonephritis. However, MMF has also been used to control SLE extra-renal manifestations as well as other autoimmune rheumatic diseases such as idiopathic inflammatory arthropathies, inflammatory myopathies, systemic sclerosis, and systemic vasculitis. MMF seems to be well tolerated and effective and could be considered a useful alternative to standard immunosuppressants for the treatment of autoimmune rheumatic disorders. However, further studies are needed in order to determine its real place in the treatment of these conditions. In this paper, the use of MMF in different autoimmune rheumatic diseases is reviewed and discussed.