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Ravipati A, Elman SA. The state of artificial intelligence for systemic dermatoses: Background and applications for psoriasis, systemic sclerosis, and much more. Clin Dermatol 2024; 42:487-491. [PMID: 38909858 DOI: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2024.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been steadily integrated into dermatology, with AI platforms already attempting to identify skin cancers and diagnose benign versus malignant lesions. Although not as widely known, AI programs have also been utilized as diagnostic and prognostic tools for dermatologic conditions with systemic or extracutaneous involvement, especially for diseases with autoimmune etiologies. We have provided a primer on commonly used AI platforms and the practical applicability of these algorithms in dealing with psoriasis, systemic sclerosis, and dermatomyositis as a microcosm for future directions in the field. With a rapidly changing landscape in dermatology and medicine as a whole, AI could be a versatile tool to support clinicians and enhance access to care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Advaitaa Ravipati
- Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Scott A Elman
- Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
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2
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Zhao J, Li L, Li J, Zhang L. Application of artificial intelligence in rheumatic disease: a bibliometric analysis. Clin Exp Med 2024; 24:196. [PMID: 39174664 PMCID: PMC11341591 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-024-01453-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
The utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) in rheumatic diseases has enhanced the diagnostic accuracy of rheumatic diseases, enabled the prediction of patient outcomes, expanded treatment options, and facilitated the provision of individualized medical solutions. The research in this field has been progressively growing in recent years. Consequently, there is a need for bibliometric analysis to elucidate the current state of advancement and predominant research foci in AI applications within rheumatic diseases. Additionally, it is crucial to identify key contributors and their interrelations in this field. This study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis to investigate the current research hotspots and collaborative networks in the application of AI in rheumatic disease in recent years. A comprehensive search was conducted in Web of Science for articles on artificial intelligence in rheumatic diseases, published in SSCI and SCI-EXPANDED until January 1, 2024. Utilizing software tools like VOSviewers and CiteSpace, we analyzed various parameters including publication year, journal, country, institution, and authorship. This analysis extended to examining cited authors, generating reference and citation network graphs, and creating co-citation network and keyword maps. Additionally, research hotspots and trends in this domain were evaluated. As of January 1, 2024, a total of 3508 articles have been published on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in rheumatic disease, exhibiting a steady rise in both the annual publication frequency and rate. "Scientific Reports" emerged as the leading journal in terms of relevant publications. The United States stood out as the predominant country in terms of the volume of published papers, with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) being the most prolific and frequently cited institution. Among authors, Young Ho Lee and Valentina Pedoia were noted for their significant contributions, with Pedoia achieving the highest average citation count per publication. Machine learning emerged as a prominent and central keyword. The trend indicates a growing interest in AI research within rheumatologic diseases, with its role expected to become increasingly pivotal in the field. This study presents a comprehensive summary of research trends and developments in the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in rheumatic diseases. It offers insights into potential collaborations and prospects for future research, clarifying the research frontiers and emerging directions in recent years. The findings of this study serve as a valuable reference for scholars studying rheumatology and immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junkang Zhao
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, No. 99 Longcheng Street, Taiyuan, 030032, China
- Shanxi Academy of Advanced Research and Innovation (SAARI), No.7, Xinhua Road, Xiaodian District, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Linxin Li
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, No. 99 Longcheng Street, Taiyuan, 030032, China
| | - Jie Li
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, No. 99 Longcheng Street, Taiyuan, 030032, China
| | - Liyun Zhang
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, No. 99 Longcheng Street, Taiyuan, 030032, China.
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3
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Zhu H, Luo H, Skaug B, Tabib T, Li YN, Tao Y, Matei AE, Lyons MA, Schett G, Lafyatis R, Assassi S, Distler JHW. Fibroblast Subpopulations in Systemic Sclerosis: Functional Implications of Individual Subpopulations and Correlations with Clinical Features. J Invest Dermatol 2024; 144:1251-1261.e13. [PMID: 38147960 PMCID: PMC11116078 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.09.288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Fibroblasts constitute a heterogeneous population of cells. In this study, we integrated single-cell RNA-sequencing and bulk RNA-sequencing data as well as clinical information to study the role of individual fibroblast populations in systemic sclerosis (SSc). SSc skin demonstrated an increased abundance of COMP+, COL11A1+, MYOC+, CCL19+, SFRP4/SFRP2+, and PRSS23/SFRP2+ fibroblasts signatures and decreased proportions of CXCL12+ and PI16+ fibroblast signatures in the Prospective Registry of Early Systemic Sclerosis and Genetics versus Environment in Scleroderma Outcome Study cohorts. Numerical differences were confirmed by multicolor immunofluorescence for selected fibroblast populations. COMP+, COL11A1+, SFRP4/SFRP2+, PRSS23/SFRP2+, and PI16+ fibroblasts were similarly altered between normal wound healing and patients with SSc. The proportions of profibrotic COMP+, COL11A1+, SFRP4/SFRP2+, and PRSS23/SFRP2+ and proinflammatory CCL19+ fibroblast signatures were positively correlated with clinical and histopathological parameters of skin fibrosis, whereas signatures of CXCL12+ and PI16+ fibroblasts were inversely correlated. Incorporating the proportions of COMP+, COL11A1+, SFRP4/SFRP2+, and PRSS23/SFRP2+ fibroblast signatures into machine learning models improved the classification of patients with SSc into those with progressive versus stable skin fibrosis. In summary, the profound imbalance of fibroblast subpopulations in SSc may drive the progression of skin fibrosis. Specific targeting of disease-relevant fibroblast populations may offer opportunities for the treatment of SSc and other fibrotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honglin Zhu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; Department of Internal Medicine 3, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Hui Luo
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Brian Skaug
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Tracy Tabib
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yi-Nan Li
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany; Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Hiller Research Center, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Yongguang Tao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Alexandru-Emil Matei
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany; Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Hiller Research Center, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Marka A Lyons
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Georg Schett
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Robert Lafyatis
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Shervin Assassi
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jörg H W Distler
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany; Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Hiller Research Center, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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4
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Perurena-Prieto J, Callejas-Moraga EL, Sanz-Martínez MT, Colobran R, Guillén-Del-Castillo A, Simeón-Aznar CP. Prognostic value of anti-IFI16 autoantibodies in pulmonary arterial hypertension and mortality in patients with systemic sclerosis. Med Clin (Barc) 2024; 162:370-377. [PMID: 38302398 DOI: 10.1016/j.medcli.2023.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine the diagnostic value of anti-interferon gamma inducible protein 16 (IFI16) autoantibodies in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients negative for all tested SSc-specific autoantibodies (SSc-seronegative patients) and to evaluate the clinical significance of these autoantibodies, whether isolated or in the presence of anti-centromere autoantibodies (ACA). METHODS Overall, 58 SSc-seronegative and 66 ACA-positive patients were included in the study. All patients were tested for anti-IFI16 autoantibodies by an in-house direct ELISA. Associations between clinical parameters and anti-IFI16 autoantibodies were analysed. RESULTS Overall, 17.2% of SSc-seronegative and 39.4% of ACA-positive patients were positive for anti-IFI16 autoantibodies. Anti-IFI16 autoantibodies were found only in patients within the limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) subset. A positive association between anti-IFI16 positivity and isolated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was found (odds ratio [OR]=5.07; p=0.014) even after adjusting for ACA status (OR=4.99; p=0.019). Anti-IFI16-positive patients were found to have poorer overall survival than negative patients (p=0.032). Cumulative survival rates at 10, 20 and 30 years were 96.9%, 92.5% and 68.7% for anti-IFI16-positive patients vs. 98.8%, 97.0% and 90.3% for anti-IFI16-negative-patients, respectively. Anti-IFI16-positive patients also had worse overall survival than anti-IFI16-negative patients after adjusting for ACA status in the multivariate Cox analysis (hazard ratio [HR]=3.21; p=0.043). CONCLUSION Anti-IFI16 autoantibodies were associated with isolated PAH and poorer overall survival. Anti-IFI16 autoantibodies could be used as a supplementary marker of lcSSc in SSc-seronegative patients and for identifying ACA-positive patients with worse clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janire Perurena-Prieto
- Immunology Division, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (HUVH), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain; Translational Immunology Group, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain
| | | | - María T Sanz-Martínez
- Immunology Division, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (HUVH), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roger Colobran
- Immunology Division, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (HUVH), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain; Translational Immunology Group, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain; Department of Clinical and Molecular Genetics, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (HUVH), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Alfredo Guillén-Del-Castillo
- Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (HUVH), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Carmen P Simeón-Aznar
- Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (HUVH), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
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Herrick AL, Denton CP. Enrichment strategies for clinical trials targeting skin fibrosis and interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2023; 35:349-355. [PMID: 37729053 DOI: 10.1097/bor.0000000000000976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review gives an update on enrichment strategies for clinical trials in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) in two contexts - skin fibrosis in early diffuse cutaneous disease, and SSc-related interstitial lung disease (ILD) - focusing on reports from the last 18 months. Lessons have been learnt from recent studies, making this review timely. RECENT FINDINGS Recent trials have highlighted how patients included into trials must be carefully selected to include 'progressors', that is, those most likely to benefit from treatment, and how drug mechanism action of action will influence trial design. For skin fibrosis, current enrichment strategies are mainly on clinical grounds (including disease duration, extent of skin thickening, tendon friction rubs and anti-RNA polymerase III positivity). Gene expression signatures may play a role in the future. For ILD, current enrichment strategies (degree of lung involvement as assessed by pulmonary function and high-resolution computed tomography) may help to recruit the most informative patients, but should avoid being too stringent to be feasible or for findings to be generalizable. SUMMARY Both skin fibrosis and ILD trials are challenging in SSc. Ongoing work on enrichment strategies should help to differentiate effective new treatments from placebo with smaller sample sizes than have been included in recent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane L Herrick
- Division of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester
| | - Christopher P Denton
- Centre for Rheumatology, UCL Division of Medicine, Royal Free Campus, London, UK
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Benfaremo D, Agarbati S, Mozzicafreddo M, Paolini C, Svegliati S, Moroncini G. Skin Gene Expression Profiles in Systemic Sclerosis: From Clinical Stratification to Precision Medicine. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12548. [PMID: 37628728 PMCID: PMC10454358 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis, also known as scleroderma or SSc, is a condition characterized by significant heterogeneity in clinical presentation, disease progression, and response to treatment. Consequently, the design of clinical trials to successfully identify effective therapeutic interventions poses a major challenge. Recent advancements in skin molecular profiling technologies and stratification techniques have enabled the identification of patient subgroups that may be relevant for personalized treatment approaches. This narrative review aims at providing an overview of the current status of skin gene expression analysis using computational biology approaches and highlights the benefits of stratifying patients upon their skin gene signatures. Such stratification has the potential to lead toward a precision medicine approach in the management of SSc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devis Benfaremo
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy; (D.B.); (S.A.); (M.M.); (C.P.); (S.S.)
- Clinica Medica, Department of Internal Medicine, Marche University Hospital, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Silvia Agarbati
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy; (D.B.); (S.A.); (M.M.); (C.P.); (S.S.)
| | - Matteo Mozzicafreddo
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy; (D.B.); (S.A.); (M.M.); (C.P.); (S.S.)
| | - Chiara Paolini
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy; (D.B.); (S.A.); (M.M.); (C.P.); (S.S.)
| | - Silvia Svegliati
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy; (D.B.); (S.A.); (M.M.); (C.P.); (S.S.)
- Clinica Medica, Department of Internal Medicine, Marche University Hospital, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Gianluca Moroncini
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy; (D.B.); (S.A.); (M.M.); (C.P.); (S.S.)
- Clinica Medica, Department of Internal Medicine, Marche University Hospital, 60126 Ancona, Italy
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Yang M, Goh V, Lee J, Espinoza M, Yuan Y, Carns M, Aren K, Chung L, Khanna D, McMahan ZH, Agrawal R, Nelson LB, Shah SJ, Whitfield ML, Hinchcliff M. Clinical Phenotypes of Patients With Systemic Sclerosis With Distinct Molecular Signatures in Skin. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 2023; 75:1469-1480. [PMID: 35997480 PMCID: PMC9947190 DOI: 10.1002/acr.24998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients are classified according to degree of skin fibrosis (limited and diffuse cutaneous [lc and dc]) and serum autoantibodies. We undertook the present multicenter study to determine whether intrinsic subset (IS) classification based upon skin gene expression yields additional valuable clinical information. METHODS SSc patients and healthy participants (HPs) were classified into Normal-like, Limited, Fibroproliferative, and Inflammatory ISs using a previously trained classifier. Clinical data were obtained (serum autoantibodies, pulmonary function testing, modified Rodnan skin thickness scores [mRSS], and high-resolution chest computed tomography [HRCT]). Statistical analyses were performed to compare patients classified by IS, traditional cutaneous classification, and serum autoantibodies. RESULTS A total of 223 participants (165 SSc [115 dcSSc and 50 lcSSc] and 58 HPs) were classified. Inflammatory IS patients had higher mRSS (22.1 ± 9.9; P < 0.001) than other ISs and dcSSc patients (19.4 ± 9.4; P = 0.05) despite similar disease duration (median [interquartile range] months 14.9 [19.9] vs. 18.4 [31.6]; P = 0.48). In multivariable modeling, no significant association between mRSS and RNA polymerase III (P = 0.07) or anti-topoisomerase I (Scl-70) (P = 0.09) was found. Radiographic interstitial lung disease (ILD) was more prevalent in Fibroproliferative IS compared with other ISs (91%; P = 0.04) with similar prevalence between lcSSc and dcSSc (67% vs. 76%; P = 0.73). Positive Scl-70 antibody was the strongest ILD predictor (P < 0.001). Interestingly, all lcSSc/Fibroproliferative patients demonstrated radiographic ILD. CONCLUSIONS Classification by IS identifies patients with distinct clinical phenotypes versus traditional cutaneous or autoantibody classification. IS classification identifies subgroups of SSc patients with more radiographic ILD (Fibroproliferative), higher mRSS (Inflammatory), and milder phenotype (Normal-like) and may provide additional clinically useful information to current SSc classification systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Yang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Vivien Goh
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jungwha Lee
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Monica Espinoza
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Yiwei Yuan
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Mary Carns
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Kathleen Aren
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Lorinda Chung
- Department of Internal Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
| | - Dinesh Khanna
- University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Zsuzsanna H. McMahan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Rishi Agrawal
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Lauren Beussink Nelson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Sanjiv J Shah
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Michael L. Whitfield
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Monique Hinchcliff
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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Lescoat A, Roofeh D, Kuwana M, Lafyatis R, Allanore Y, Khanna D. Therapeutic Approaches to Systemic Sclerosis: Recent Approvals and Future Candidate Therapies. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2023; 64:239-261. [PMID: 34468946 PMCID: PMC9034469 DOI: 10.1007/s12016-021-08891-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis is the rheumatic disease with the highest individual mortality. The severity of the disease is determined by the extent of fibrotic changes to cutaneous and internal organ tissues, the most life-threatening visceral manifestations being interstitial lung disease, SSc-associated-pulmonary arterial hypertension and myocardial involvement. The heterogeneity of the disease has initially hindered the design of successful clinical trials, but considerations on classification criteria have improved patient selection in trials, allowing the identification of more homogeneous groups of patients based on progressive visceral manifestations or the extent of skin involvement with a focus of patients with early disease. Two major subsets of systemic sclerosis are classically described: limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis characterized by distal skin fibrosis and the diffuse subset with distal and proximal skin thickening. Beyond this dichotomic subgrouping of systemic sclerosis, new phenotypic considerations based on antibody subtypes have provided a better understanding of the heterogeneity of the disease, anti-Scl70 antibodies being associated with progressive interstitial lung disease regardless of cutaneous involvement. Two targeted therapies, tocilizumab (a monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-6 receptors (IL-6R)) and nintedanib (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor), have recently been approved by the American Food & Drug Administration to limit the decline of lung function in patients with SSc-associated interstitial lung disease, demonstrating that such better understanding of the disease pathogenesis with the identification of key targets can lead to therapeutic advances in the management of some visceral manifestations of the disease. This review will provide a brief overview of the pathogenesis of SSc and will present a selection of therapies recently approved or evaluated in this context. Therapies evaluated and approved in SSc-ILD will be emphasized and a review of recent phase II trials in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis will be proposed. We will also discuss selected therapeutic pathways currently under investigation in systemic sclerosis that still lack clinical data in this context but that may show promising results in the future based on preclinical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Lescoat
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Rennes University Hospital, Rennes, France
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - David Roofeh
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Masataka Kuwana
- Department of Allergy and Rheumatology, Nippon Medical School Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Robert Lafyatis
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yannick Allanore
- INSERM U1016 and CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
- Service de Rhumatologie, Hôpital Cochin, AP-HP.CUP, Paris, France
| | - Dinesh Khanna
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Vonk MC, Assassi S, Hoffmann-Vold AM. Scleroderma Skin: How Is Treatment Best Guided by Data and Implemented in Clinical Practice? Rheum Dis Clin North Am 2023; 49:249-262. [PMID: 37028833 DOI: 10.1016/j.rdc.2023.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
As skin involvement is the hall mark of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and changes of skin involvement have shown to correlate with internal organ involvement, assessing the extend of skin involvement is key. Although the modified Rodnan skin score is a validated tool used to evaluate the skin in SSc, it has its drawbacks. Novel imagine methods are promising but should be further evaluated. As for molecule markers for skin progression there are conflicting data on the predictive significance of baseline SSc skin gene expression profiles, but immune cell type signature in SSc skin correlates with progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelon C Vonk
- Department of Rheumatology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Huispost 667, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen 6500HB, the Netherlands.
| | - Shervin Assassi
- Division of Rheumatology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Anna-Maria Hoffmann-Vold
- Department of Rheumatology, Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet, Pb 4950, Nydalen, Oslo 0424, Norway
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10
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Shi B, Tsou PS, Ma F, Mariani MP, Mattichak MN, LeBrasseur NK, Chini EN, Lafyatis R, Khanna D, Whitfield ML, Gudjonsson JE, Varga J. Senescent Cells Accumulate in Systemic Sclerosis Skin. J Invest Dermatol 2023; 143:661-664.e5. [PMID: 36191640 PMCID: PMC10038878 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.09.652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Shi
- Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Ilinois, USA
| | - Pei-Suen Tsou
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Feiyang Ma
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Michael P Mariani
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Megan N Mattichak
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Nathan K LeBrasseur
- Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Eduardo N Chini
- Signal Transduction and Molecular Nutrition Laboratory, Kogod Aging Center, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA; Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Robert Lafyatis
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dinesh Khanna
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Michael L Whitfield
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | | | - John Varga
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
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11
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Differentially expressed genes in systemic sclerosis: Towards predictive medicine with new molecular tools for clinicians. Autoimmun Rev 2023; 22:103314. [PMID: 36918090 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2023.103314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare and chronic autoimmune disease characterized by a pathogenic triad of immune dysregulation, vasculopathy, and progressive fibrosis. Clinical tools commonly used to assess patients, such as the modified Rodnan skin score, difference between limited or diffuse forms of skin involvement, presence of lung, heart or kidney involvement, or of various autoantibodies, are important prognostic factors, but still fail to reflect the large heterogeneity of the disease. SSc treatment options are diverse, ranging from conventional drugs to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and predicting response is challenging. Genome-wide technologies, such as high throughput microarray analyses and RNA sequencing, allow accurate, unbiased, and broad assessment of alterations in expression levels of multiple genes. In recent years, many studies have shown robust changes in the gene expression profiles of SSc patients compared to healthy controls, mainly in skin tissues and peripheral blood cells. The objective analysis of molecular patterns in SSc is a powerful tool that can further classify SSc patients with similar clinical phenotypes and help predict response to therapy. In this review, we describe the journey from the first discovery of differentially expressed genes to the identification of enriched pathways and intrinsic subsets identified in SSc, using machine learning algorithms. Finally, we discuss the use of these new tools to predict the efficacy of various treatments, including stem cell transplantation. We suggest that the use of RNA gene expression-based classifications according to molecular subsets may bring us one step closer to precision medicine in Systemic Sclerosis.
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12
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Keyes-Elstein L, Pinckney A, Goldmuntz E, Welch B, Franks JM, Martyanov V, Wood TA, Crofford L, Mayes M, McSweeney P, Nash R, Georges G, Csuka M, Simms R, Furst D, Khanna D, St Clair EW, Whitfield ML, Sullivan KM. Clinical and Molecular Findings After Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation or Cyclophosphamide for Scleroderma: Handling Missing Longitudinal Data. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 2023; 75:307-316. [PMID: 34533286 PMCID: PMC8926930 DOI: 10.1002/acr.24785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Among individuals with systemic sclerosis (SSc) randomized to cyclophosphamide (CYC) (n = 34) or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (n = 33), we examined longitudinal trends of clinical, pulmonary function, and quality of life measures while accounting for the influence of early failures on treatment comparisons. METHODS Assuming that data were missing at random, mixed-effects regression models were used to estimate longitudinal trends for clinical measures when comparing treatment groups. Results were compared to observed means and to longitudinal trends estimated from shared parameter models, assuming that data were missing not at random. Longitudinal trends for SSc intrinsic molecular subsets defined by baseline gene expression signatures (normal-like, inflammatory, and fibroproliferative signatures) were also studied. RESULTS Available observed means for pulmonary function tests appeared to improve over time in both arms. However, after accounting for participant loss, forced vital capacity in HSCT recipients increased by 0.77 percentage points/year but worsened by -3.70/year for CYC (P = 0.004). Similar results were found for diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide and quality of life indicators. Results for both analytic models were consistent. HSCT recipients in the inflammatory (n = 20) and fibroproliferative (n = 20) subsets had superior long-term trends compared to CYC for pulmonary and quality of life measures. HSCT was also superior for modified Rodnan skin thickness scores in the fibroproliferative subset. For the normal-like subset (n = 22), superiority of HSCT was less apparent. CONCLUSION Longitudinal trends estimated from 2 statistical models affirm the efficacy of HSCT over CYC in severe SSc. Failure to account for early loss of participants may distort estimated clinical trends over the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ellen Goldmuntz
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD
| | - Beverly Welch
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD
| | | | | | | | - Leslie Crofford
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
| | - Maureen Mayes
- University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX
| | | | | | | | - M.E. Csuka
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Robert Simms
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH
| | - Daniel Furst
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA; University of Washington, Seattle, WA; University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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13
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Jin J, Liu Y, Tang Q, Yan X, Jiang M, Zhao X, Chen J, Jin C, Ou Q, Zhao J. Bioinformatics-integrated screening of systemic sclerosis-specific expressed markers to identify therapeutic targets. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1125183. [PMID: 37063926 PMCID: PMC10098096 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1125183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by extensive skin fibrosis. There are no effective treatments due to the severity, multiorgan presentation, and variable outcomes of the disease. Here, integrated bioinformatics was employed to discover tissue-specific expressed hub genes associated with SSc, determine potential competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) regulatory networks, and identify potential targeted drugs. Methods In this study, four datasets of SSc were acquired. To identify the genes specific to tissues or organs, the BioGPS web database was used. For differentially expressed genes (DEGs), functional and enrichment analyses were carried out, and hub genes were screened and shown in a network of protein-protein interactions (PPI). The potential lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network was constructed using the online databases. The specifically expressed hub genes and ceRNA network were validated in the SSc mouse and in normal mice. We also used the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to determine the diagnostic values of effective biomarkers in SSc. Finally, the Drug-Gene Interaction Database (DGIdb) identified specific medicines linked to hub genes. Results The pooled datasets identified a total of 254 DEGs. The tissue/organ-specifically expressed genes involved in this analysis are commonly found in the hematologic/immune system and bone/muscle tissue. The enrichment analysis of DEGs revealed the significant terms such as regulation of actin cytoskeleton, immune-related processes, the VEGF signaling pathway, and metabolism. Cytoscape identified six gene cluster modules and 23 hub genes. And 4 hub genes were identified, including Serpine1, CCL2, IL6, and ISG15. Consistently, the expression of Serpine1, CCL2, IL6, and ISG15 was significantly higher in the SSc mouse model than in normal mice. Eventually, we found that MALAT1-miR-206-CCL2, let-7a-5p-IL6, and miR-196a-5p-SERPINE1 may be promising RNA regulatory pathways in SSc. Besides, ten potential therapeutic drugs associated with the hub gene were identified. Conclusions This study revealed tissue-specific expressed genes, SERPINE1, CCL2, IL6, and ISG15, as effective biomarkers and provided new insight into the mechanisms of SSc. Potential RNA regulatory pathways, including MALAT1-miR-206-CCL2, let-7a-5p-IL6, and miR-196a-5p-SERPINE1, contribute to our knowledge of SSc. Furthermore, the analysis of drug-hub gene interactions predicted TIPLASININ, CARLUMAB and BINDARIT as candidate drugs for SSc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Jin
- Department of Dermatology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qinyu Tang
- Department of Dermatology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Yan
- Department of Dermatology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Miao Jiang
- Department of Dermatology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xu Zhao
- Department of Dermatology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Caixia Jin
- Department of Dermatology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Caixia Jin, ; Qingjian Ou, ; Jingjun Zhao,
| | - Qingjian Ou
- Department of Dermatology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Caixia Jin, ; Qingjian Ou, ; Jingjun Zhao,
| | - Jingjun Zhao
- Department of Dermatology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Dermatology, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Caixia Jin, ; Qingjian Ou, ; Jingjun Zhao,
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14
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Franks JM, Toledo DM, Martyanov V, Wang Y, Huang S, Wood TA, Spino C, Chung L, Denton CP, Derrett-Smith E, Gordon JK, Spiera R, Domsic R, Hinchcliff M, Khanna D, Whitfield ML. A genomic meta-analysis of clinical variables and their association with intrinsic molecular subsets in systemic sclerosis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2022; 62:19-28. [PMID: 35751592 PMCID: PMC9788818 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keac344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Four intrinsic molecular subsets (inflammatory, fibroproliferative, limited, normal-like) have previously been identified in SSc and are characterized by unique gene expression signatures and pathways. The intrinsic subsets have been linked to improvement with specific therapies. Here, we investigated associations between baseline demographics and intrinsic molecular subsets in a meta-analysis of published datasets. METHODS Publicly available gene expression data from skin biopsies of 311 SSc patients measured by DNA microarray were classified into the intrinsic molecular subsets. RNA-sequencing data from 84 participants from the ASSET trial were used as a validation cohort. Baseline clinical demographics and intrinsic molecular subsets were tested for statistically significant associations. RESULTS Males were more likely to be classified in the fibroproliferative subset (P = 0.0046). SSc patients who identified as African American/Black were 2.5 times more likely to be classified as fibroproliferative compared with White/Caucasian patients (P = 0.0378). ASSET participants sera positive for anti-RNA pol I and RNA pol III autoantibodies were enriched in the inflammatory subset (P = 5.8 × 10-5, P = 9.3 × 10-5, respectively), while anti-Scl-70 was enriched in the fibroproliferative subset. Mean modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) was statistically higher in the inflammatory and fibroproliferative subsets compared with normal-like (P = 0.0027). The average disease duration for inflammatory subset was less than fibroproliferative and normal-like intrinsic subsets (P = 8.8 × 10-4). CONCLUSIONS We identified multiple statistically significant differences in baseline demographics between the intrinsic subsets that may represent underlying features of disease pathogenesis (e.g. chronological stages of fibrosis) and have implications for treatments that are more likely to work in certain SSc populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diana M Toledo
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH
| | | | - Yue Wang
- Department of Biomedical Data Science
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH
| | - Suiyuan Huang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Tammara A Wood
- Department of Biomedical Data Science
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH
| | - Cathie Spino
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Lorinda Chung
- Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Dinesh Khanna
- Correspondence to: Michael L. Whitfield, Department of Biomedical Data Science, Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, HB 7261, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA. E-mail: ; Dinesh Khanna, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, Suite 7C27, 300 North Ingalls Street, SP C 5422, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. E-mail:
| | - Michael L Whitfield
- Correspondence to: Michael L. Whitfield, Department of Biomedical Data Science, Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, HB 7261, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA. E-mail: ; Dinesh Khanna, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, Suite 7C27, 300 North Ingalls Street, SP C 5422, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. E-mail:
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15
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Mehta BK, Espinoza ME, Franks JM, Yuan Y, Wang Y, Wood T, Gudjonsson JE, Spino C, Fox DA, Khanna D, Whitfield ML. Machine-learning classification identifies patients with early systemic sclerosis as abatacept responders via CD28 pathway modulation. JCI Insight 2022; 7:155282. [PMID: 36355434 PMCID: PMC9869963 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.155282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, the efficacy of abatacept in patients with early diffuse systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) was analyzed to test the hypothesis that patients in the inflammatory intrinsic subset would show the most significant clinical improvement. Eighty-four participants with dcSSc were randomized to receive abatacept or placebo for 12 months. RNA-Seq was performed on 233 skin paired biopsies at baseline and at 3 and 6 months. Improvement was defined as a 5-point or more than 20% change in modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) between baseline and 12 months. Samples were assigned to intrinsic gene expression subsets (inflammatory, fibroproliferative, or normal-like subsets). In the abatacept arm, change in mRSS was most pronounced for the inflammatory and normal-like subsets relative to the placebo subset. Gene expression for participants on placebo remained in the original molecular subset, whereas inflammatory participants treated with abatacept had gene expression that moved toward the normal-like subset. The Costimulation of the CD28 Family Reactome Pathway decreased in patients who improved on abatacept and was specific to the inflammatory subset. Patients in the inflammatory subset had elevation of the Costimulation of the CD28 Family pathway at baseline relative to that of participants in the fibroproliferative and normal-like subsets. There was a correlation between improved ΔmRSS and baseline expression of the Costimulation of the CD28 Family pathway. This study provides an example of precision medicine in systemic sclerosis clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhaven K. Mehta
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Department of Molecular & Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Monica E. Espinoza
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Department of Molecular & Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jennifer M. Franks
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Department of Molecular & Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Yiwei Yuan
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Department of Molecular & Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Department of Molecular & Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Tammara Wood
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Department of Molecular & Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Johann E. Gudjonsson
- Department of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence and University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Cathie Spino
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - David A. Fox
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence and University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Dinesh Khanna
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence and University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Michael L. Whitfield
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Department of Molecular & Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
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16
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Lin CMA, Cooles FAH, Isaacs JD. Precision medicine: the precision gap in rheumatic disease. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2022; 18:725-733. [PMID: 36216923 DOI: 10.1038/s41584-022-00845-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
For many oncological conditions, the application of timely and patient-tailored targeted therapies, or precision medicine, is a major therapeutic development that has provided considerable clinical benefit. However, despite the application of increasingly sophisticated technologies, alongside advanced bioinformatic and machine-learning algorithms, this success is yet to be replicated for the rheumatic diseases. In rheumatoid arthritis, for example, despite an array of targeted biologic and conventional therapeutics, treatment choice remains largely based on trial and error. The concept of the 'precision gap' for rheumatic disease can help us to identify factors that underpin the slow progress towards the discovery and adoption of precision-medicine approaches for rheumatic disease. In a rheumatic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, it is possible to identify four themes that have slowed progress, solutions to which should help to close the precision gap. These themes relate to our fundamental understanding of disease pathogenesis, how we determine treatment response, confounders of treatment outcomes and trial design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung M A Lin
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Faye A H Cooles
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - John D Isaacs
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. .,Musculoskeletal Unit, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
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17
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Jerjen R, Nikpour M, Krieg T, Denton CP, Saracino AM. Systemic sclerosis in adults. Part I: Clinical features and pathogenesis. J Am Acad Dermatol 2022; 87:937-954. [PMID: 35131402 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2021.10.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc), also referred to as systemic scleroderma or scleroderma, is a rare, complex immune-mediated connective tissue disease characterized by progressive skin fibrosis and other clinically heterogenous features. The etiopathogenesis of SSc involves vasculopathy and immune system dysregulation occurring on a permissive genetic and epigenetic background, ultimately leading to fibrosis. Recent developments in our understanding of disease-specific autoantibodies and bioinformatic analyses has led to a reconsideration of the purely clinical classification of diffuse and limited cutaneous SSc subgroups. Autoantibody profiles are predictive of skin and internal organ involvement and disease course. Early diagnosis of SSc, with commencement of disease-modifying treatment, has the potential to improve patient outcomes. In SSc, many of the clinical manifestations that present early signs of disease progression and activity are cutaneous, meaning dermatologists can and should play a key role in the diagnosis and management of this significant condition. The first article in this continuing medical education series discusses the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and pathogenesis of SSc in adults, with an emphasis on skin manifestations, the important role of dermatologists in recognizing these, and their correlation with systemic features and disease course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekka Jerjen
- Department of Dermatology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mandana Nikpour
- Department of Rheumatology, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Thomas Krieg
- Department Dermatology and Translational Matrix Biology, CMMC and CECAD, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christopher P Denton
- Division of Medicine, Centre for Rheumatology and Connective Tissues Diseases, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Rheumatology, Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amanda M Saracino
- Department of Dermatology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
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18
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Bonomi F, Peretti S, Lepri G, Venerito V, Russo E, Bruni C, Iannone F, Tangaro S, Amedei A, Guiducci S, Matucci Cerinic M, Bellando Randone S. The Use and Utility of Machine Learning in Achieving Precision Medicine in Systemic Sclerosis: A Narrative Review. J Pers Med 2022; 12:1198. [PMID: 35893293 PMCID: PMC9331823 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12081198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare connective tissue disease that can affect different organs and has extremely heterogenous presentations. This complexity makes it difficult to perform an early diagnosis and a subsequent subclassification of the disease. This hinders a personalized approach in clinical practice. In this context, machine learning (ML), a branch of artificial intelligence (AI), is able to recognize relationships in data and predict outcomes. METHODS Here, we performed a narrative review concerning the application of ML in SSc to define the state of art and evaluate its role in a precision medicine context. RESULTS Currently, ML has been used to stratify SSc patients and identify those at high risk of severe complications. Additionally, ML may be useful in the early detection of organ involvement. Furthermore, ML might have a role in target therapy approach and in predicting drug response. CONCLUSION Available evidence about the utility of ML in SSc is sparse but promising. Future improvements in this field could result in a big step toward precision medicine. Further research is needed to define ML application in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Bonomi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.B.); (S.P.); (G.L.); (E.R.); (C.B.); (A.A.); (S.G.); (M.M.C.)
| | - Silvia Peretti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.B.); (S.P.); (G.L.); (E.R.); (C.B.); (A.A.); (S.G.); (M.M.C.)
| | - Gemma Lepri
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.B.); (S.P.); (G.L.); (E.R.); (C.B.); (A.A.); (S.G.); (M.M.C.)
| | - Vincenzo Venerito
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantations, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy; (V.V.); (F.I.)
| | - Edda Russo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.B.); (S.P.); (G.L.); (E.R.); (C.B.); (A.A.); (S.G.); (M.M.C.)
| | - Cosimo Bruni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.B.); (S.P.); (G.L.); (E.R.); (C.B.); (A.A.); (S.G.); (M.M.C.)
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital of Zurich, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Florenzo Iannone
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantations, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy; (V.V.); (F.I.)
| | - Sabina Tangaro
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy;
| | - Amedeo Amedei
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.B.); (S.P.); (G.L.); (E.R.); (C.B.); (A.A.); (S.G.); (M.M.C.)
| | - Serena Guiducci
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.B.); (S.P.); (G.L.); (E.R.); (C.B.); (A.A.); (S.G.); (M.M.C.)
| | - Marco Matucci Cerinic
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.B.); (S.P.); (G.L.); (E.R.); (C.B.); (A.A.); (S.G.); (M.M.C.)
- Unit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases (UnIRAR), IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Bellando Randone
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.B.); (S.P.); (G.L.); (E.R.); (C.B.); (A.A.); (S.G.); (M.M.C.)
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19
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Guthridge JM, Wagner CA, James JA. The promise of precision medicine in rheumatology. Nat Med 2022; 28:1363-1371. [PMID: 35788174 PMCID: PMC9513842 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-01880-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) exhibit extensive heterogeneity in clinical presentation, disease course, and treatment response. Therefore, precision medicine - whereby treatment is tailored according to the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of an individual patient at a specific time - represents the 'holy grail' in SARD clinical care. Current strategies include treat-to-target therapies and autoantibody testing for patient stratification; however, these are far from optimal. Recent innovations in high-throughput 'omic' technologies are now enabling comprehensive profiling at multiple levels, helping to identify subgroups of patients who may taper off potentially toxic medications or better respond to current molecular targeted therapies. Such advances may help to optimize outcomes and identify new pathways for treatment, but there are many challenges along the path towards clinical translation. In this Review, we discuss recent efforts to dissect cellular and molecular heterogeneity across multiple SARDs and future directions for implementing stratification approaches for SARD treatment in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel M Guthridge
- Arthritis and Clinical Immunology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Catriona A Wagner
- Arthritis and Clinical Immunology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Judith A James
- Arthritis and Clinical Immunology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
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Herrick AL, Assassi S, Denton CP. Skin involvement in early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: an unmet clinical need. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2022; 18:276-285. [PMID: 35292731 PMCID: PMC8922394 DOI: 10.1038/s41584-022-00765-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) is associated with high mortality resulting from early internal-organ involvement. Clinicians therefore tend to focus on early diagnosis and treatment of potentially life-threatening cardiorespiratory and renal disease. However, the rapidly progressive painful, itchy skin tightening that characterizes dcSSc is the symptom that has the greatest effect on patients' quality of life, and there is currently no effective disease-modifying treatment for it. Considerable advances have been made in predicting the extent and rate of skin-disease progression (which vary between patients), including the development of techniques such as molecular analysis of skin biopsy samples. Risk stratification for progressive skin disease is especially relevant now that haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation is a treatment option, because stratification will inform the balance of risk versus benefit for each patient. Measurement of skin disease is a major challenge. Results from clinical trials have highlighted limitations of the modified Rodnan skin score (the current gold standard). Alternative patient-reported and other potential outcome measures have been and are being developed. Patients with early dcSSc should be referred to specialist centres to ensure best-practice management, including the management of their skin disease, and to maximize opportunities for inclusion in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane L Herrick
- Division of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
| | - Shervin Assassi
- McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas, Houston, TX, USA
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21
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Lepri G, Bellando Randone S, Matucci Cerinic M, Guiducci S. Early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis, where do we stand today? Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2022; 18:1-3. [PMID: 35023438 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2022.2015327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Lepri
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Scleroderma Unit AOUC, Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Bellando Randone
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Scleroderma Unit AOUC, Florence, Italy
| | - Marco Matucci Cerinic
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Scleroderma Unit AOUC, Florence, Italy.,Unit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases (UNIRAR), Irccs San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Serena Guiducci
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Scleroderma Unit AOUC, Florence, Italy
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22
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AIM in Rheumatology. Artif Intell Med 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-64573-1_179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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23
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Hinchcliff M, Garcia-Milian R, Di Donato S, Dill K, Bundschuh E, Galdo FD. Cellular and Molecular Diversity in Scleroderma. Semin Immunol 2021; 58:101648. [PMID: 35940960 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2022.101648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
With the increasing armamentarium of high-throughput tools available at manageable cost, it is attractive and informative to determine the molecular underpinnings of patient heterogeneity in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Given the highly variable clinical outcomes of patients labelled with the same diagnosis, unravelling the cellular and molecular basis of disease heterogeneity will be crucial to predicting disease risk, stratifying management and ultimately informing a patient-centered precision medicine approach. Herein, we summarise the findings of the past several years in the fields of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics that contribute to unraveling the cellular and molecular heterogeneity of SSc. Expansion of these findings and their routine integration with quantitative analysis of histopathology and imaging studies into clinical care promise to inform a scientifically driven patient-centred personalized medicine approach to SSc in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Hinchcliff
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, USA.
| | | | - Stefano Di Donato
- Raynaud's and Scleroderma Programme, Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Leeds, UK
| | | | - Elizabeth Bundschuh
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, USA
| | - Francesco Del Galdo
- Raynaud's and Scleroderma Programme, Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Leeds, UK.
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24
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Nevskaya T, Pope JE, Turk MA, Shu J, Marquardt A, van den Hoogen F, Khanna D, Fransen J, Matucci-Cerinic M, Baron M, Denton CP, Johnson SR. Systematic Analysis of the Literature in Search of Defining Systemic Sclerosis Subsets. J Rheumatol 2021; 48:1698-1717. [PMID: 33993109 PMCID: PMC10613330 DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.201594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem disease with heterogeneity in presentation and prognosis.An international collaboration to develop new SSc subset criteria is underway. Our objectives were to identify systems of SSc subset classification and synthesize novel concepts to inform development of new criteria. METHODS Medline, Cochrane MEDLINE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched from their inceptions to December 2019 for studies related to SSc subclassification, limited to humans and without language or sample size restrictions. RESULTS Of 5686 citations, 102 studies reported original data on SSc subsets. Subset classification systems relied on extent of skin involvement and/or SSc-specific autoantibodies (n = 61), nailfold capillary patterns (n = 29), and molecular, genomic, and cellular patterns (n = 12). While some systems of subset classification confer prognostic value for clinical phenotype, severity, and mortality, only subsetting by gene expression signatures in tissue samples has been associated with response to therapy. CONCLUSION Subsetting on extent of skin involvement remains important. Novel disease attributes including SSc-specific autoantibodies, nailfold capillary patterns, and tissue gene expression signatures have been proposed as innovative means of SSc subsetting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Nevskaya
- T. Nevskaya, MD, PhD, J.E. Pope, MD, MPH, M.A. Turk, MSc, J. Shu, MD, HBSc, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Janet E Pope
- T. Nevskaya, MD, PhD, J.E. Pope, MD, MPH, M.A. Turk, MSc, J. Shu, MD, HBSc, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew A Turk
- T. Nevskaya, MD, PhD, J.E. Pope, MD, MPH, M.A. Turk, MSc, J. Shu, MD, HBSc, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jenny Shu
- T. Nevskaya, MD, PhD, J.E. Pope, MD, MPH, M.A. Turk, MSc, J. Shu, MD, HBSc, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - April Marquardt
- A. Marquardt, DO, D. Khanna, MD, MS, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Frank van den Hoogen
- F. van den Hoogen, MD, PhD, St. Maartenskliniek and Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Dinesh Khanna
- A. Marquardt, DO, D. Khanna, MD, MS, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jaap Fransen
- J. Fransen, MSc, PhD, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Marco Matucci-Cerinic
- M. Matucci-Cerinic, MD, PhD, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine & Division of Rheumatology AOUC, Florence Italy University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Murray Baron
- M. Baron, MD, McGill University, Division Head Rheumatology, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christopher P Denton
- C.P. Denton, FRCP, PhD, University College London, Division of Medicine, London, UK
| | - Sindhu R Johnson
- S.R. Johnson, MD, PhD, Toronto Scleroderma Program, Toronto Western and Mount Sinai Hospitals, Department of Medicine, and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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25
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A Machine Learning Application to Predict Early Lung Involvement in Scleroderma: A Feasibility Evaluation. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11101880. [PMID: 34679580 PMCID: PMC8534403 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11101880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a systemic immune-mediated disease, featuring fibrosis of the skin and organs, and has the greatest mortality among rheumatic diseases. The nervous system involvement has recently been demonstrated, although actual lung involvement is considered the leading cause of death in SSc and, therefore, should be diagnosed early. Pulmonary function tests are not sensitive enough to be used for screening purposes, thus they should be flanked by other clinical examinations; however, this would lead to a risk of overtesting, with considerable costs for the health system and an unnecessary burden for the patients. To this extent, Machine Learning (ML) algorithms could represent a useful add-on to the current clinical practice for diagnostic purposes and could help retrieve the most useful exams to be carried out for diagnostic purposes. Method: Here, we retrospectively collected high resolution computed tomography, pulmonary function tests, esophageal pH impedance tests, esophageal manometry and reflux disease questionnaires of 38 patients with SSc, applying, with R, different supervised ML algorithms, including lasso, ridge, elastic net, classification and regression trees (CART) and random forest to estimate the most important predictors for pulmonary involvement from such data. Results: In terms of performance, the random forest algorithm outperformed the other classifiers, with an estimated root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.810. However, this algorithm was seen to be computationally intensive, leaving room for the usefulness of other classifiers when a shorter response time is needed. Conclusions: Despite the notably small sample size, that could have prevented obtaining fully reliable data, the powerful tools available for ML can be useful for predicting early lung involvement in SSc patients. The use of predictors coming from spirometry and pH impedentiometry together might perform optimally for predicting early lung involvement in SSc.
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26
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Abstract
With advances in information technology, the demand for using data science to enhance healthcare and disease management is rapidly increasing. Among these technologies, machine learning (ML) has become ubiquitous and indispensable for solving complex problems in many scientific fields, including medical science. ML allows the development of guidelines and framing of the evaluation system for complex diseases based on massive data. In the analysis of rheumatic diseases, which are chronic and remarkably heterogeneous, ML can be anticipated to be extremely helpful in deciphering and revealing the inherent interrelationships in disease development and progression, which can further enhance the overall understanding of the disease, optimize patients' stratification, calibrate therapeutic strategies, and predict prognosis and outcomes. In this review, the basics of ML, its potential clinical applications in rheumatology, together with its strengths and limitations are summarized.
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Abstract
From the clinical standpoint, systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by skin and internal organ fibrosis, diffuse fibroproliferative vascular modifications, and autoimmunity. Clinical presentation and course are highly heterogenous and life expectancy variably affected mostly dependent on lung and heart involvement. SSc touches more women than men with differences in disease severity and environmental exposure. Pathogenetic events originate from altered homeostasis favored by genetic predisposition, environmental cues and a variety of endogenous and exogenous triggers. Epigenetic modifications modulate SSc pathogenesis which strikingly associate profound immune-inflammatory dysregulation, abnormal endothelial cell behavior, and cell trans-differentiation into myofibroblasts. SSc myofibroblasts show enhanced survival and enhanced extracellular matrix deposition presenting altered structure and altered physicochemical properties. Additional cell types of likely pathogenic importance are pericytes, platelets, and keratinocytes in conjunction with their relationship with vessel wall cells and fibroblasts. In SSc, the profibrotic milieu is favored by cell signaling initiated in the one hand by transforming growth factor-beta and related cytokines and in the other hand by innate and adaptive type 2 immune responses. Radical oxygen species and invariant receptors sensing danger participate to altered cell behavior. Conventional and SSc-specific T cell subsets modulate both fibroblasts as well as endothelial cell dysfunction. Beside autoantibodies directed against ubiquitous antigens important for enhanced clinical classification, antigen-specific agonistic autoantibodies may have a pathogenic role. Recent studies based on single-cell RNAseq and multi-omics approaches are revealing unforeseen heterogeneity in SSc cell differentiation and functional states. Advances in system biology applied to the wealth of data generated by unbiased screening are allowing to subgroup patients based on distinct pathogenic mechanisms. Deciphering heterogeneity in pathogenic mechanisms will pave the way to highly needed personalized therapeutic approaches.
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28
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Insights Into Systemic Sclerosis from Gene Expression Profiling. CURRENT TREATMENT OPTIONS IN RHEUMATOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40674-021-00183-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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29
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Clark KEN, Campochiaro C, Csomor E, Taylor A, Nevin K, Galwey N, Morse MA, Singh J, Teo YV, Ong VH, Derrett-Smith E, Wisniacki N, Flint SM, Denton CP. Molecular basis for clinical diversity between autoantibody subsets in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis. Ann Rheum Dis 2021; 80:1584-1593. [PMID: 34230031 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-220402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Clinical heterogeneity is a cardinal feature of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Hallmark SSc autoantibodies are central to diagnosis and associate with distinct patterns of skin-based and organ-based complications. Understanding molecular differences between patients will benefit clinical practice and research and give insight into pathogenesis of the disease. We aimed to improve understanding of the molecular differences between key diffuse cutaneous SSc subgroups as defined by their SSc-specific autoantibodies METHODS: We have used high-dimensional transcriptional and proteomic analysis of blood and the skin in a well-characterised cohort of SSc (n=52) and healthy controls (n=16) to understand the molecular basis of clinical diversity in SSc and explore differences between the hallmark antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) reactivities. RESULTS Our data define a molecular spectrum of SSc based on skin gene expression and serum protein analysis, reflecting recognised clinical subgroups. Moreover, we show that antitopoisomerase-1 antibodies and anti-RNA polymerase III antibodies specificities associate with remarkably different longitudinal change in serum protein markers of fibrosis and divergent gene expression profiles. Overlapping and distinct disease processes are defined using individual patient pathway analysis. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide insight into clinical diversity and imply pathogenetic differences between ANA-based subgroups. This supports stratification of SSc cases by ANA antibody subtype in clinical trials and may explain different outcomes across ANA subgroups in trials targeting specific pathogenic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Corrado Campochiaro
- Centre for Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Diseases, UCL Division of Medicine, London, UK
| | - Eszter Csomor
- Clinical Pharmacology & Experimental Medicine, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development, Stevenage, UK
| | - Adam Taylor
- Clinical Pharmacology & Experimental Medicine, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development, Stevenage, UK
| | - Katherine Nevin
- Clinical Pharmacology & Experimental Medicine, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development, Stevenage, UK
| | - Nicholas Galwey
- Clinical Pharmacology & Experimental Medicine, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development, Stevenage, UK
| | - Mary A Morse
- Clinical Pharmacology & Experimental Medicine, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development, Stevenage, UK
| | - Jennifer Singh
- Clinical Pharmacology & Experimental Medicine, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development, Stevenage, UK
| | - Yee Voan Teo
- Clinical Pharmacology & Experimental Medicine, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development, Stevenage, UK
| | - Voon H Ong
- Centre for Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Diseases, UCL Division of Medicine, London, UK
| | - Emma Derrett-Smith
- Centre for Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Diseases, UCL Division of Medicine, London, UK
| | - Nicolas Wisniacki
- Clinical Pharmacology & Experimental Medicine, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development, Stevenage, UK
| | - Shaun M Flint
- Clinical Pharmacology & Experimental Medicine, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development, Stevenage, UK
| | - Christopher P Denton
- Centre for Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Diseases, UCL Division of Medicine, London, UK
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Mate GS, Kureshi AK, Singh BK. An Efficient CNN for Hand X-Ray Classification of Rheumatoid Arthritis. JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING 2021; 2021:6712785. [PMID: 34221300 PMCID: PMC8219419 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6712785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Hand Radiography (RA) is one of the prime tests for checking the progress of rheumatoid joint inflammation in human bone joints. Recognizing the specific phase of RA is a difficult assignment, as human abilities regularly curb the techniques for it. Convolutional neural network (CNN) is the center for hand recognition for recognizing complex examples. The human cerebrum capacities work in a high-level way, so CNN has been planned depending on organic neural-related organizations in humans for imitating its unpredictable capacities. This article accordingly presents the convolutional neural network (CNN) which has the ability to naturally gain proficiency with the qualities and anticipate the class of hand radiographs from an expansive informational collection. The reproduction of the CNN halfway layers, which depict the elements of the organization, is likewise appeared. For arrangement of the model, a dataset of 290 radiography images is utilized. The result indicates that hand X-rays are rated with an accuracy of 94.46% by the proposed methodology. Our experiments show that the network sensitivity is observed to be 0.95 and the specificity is observed to be 0.82.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gitanjali S. Mate
- Department of Electronics and Telecommunication, JSPM's Rajarshi Shahu College of Engineering, Pune 411033, India
| | - Abdul K. Kureshi
- Department of Electronics, Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadvi Technical Campus, Malegaon 423203, India
| | - Bhupesh Kumar Singh
- Arba Minch Institute of Technology, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
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31
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Pezoulas VC, Papaloukas C, Veyssiere M, Goules A, Tzioufas AG, Soumelis V, Fotiadis DI. A computational workflow for the detection of candidate diagnostic biomarkers of Kawasaki disease using time-series gene expression data. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:3058-3068. [PMID: 34136104 PMCID: PMC8178098 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.05.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike autoimmune diseases, there is no known constitutive and disease-defining biomarker for systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs). Kawasaki disease (KD) is one of the "undiagnosed" types of SAIDs whose pathogenic mechanism and gene mutation still remain unknown. To address this issue, we have developed a sequential computational workflow which clusters KD patients with similar gene expression profiles across the three different KD phases (Acute, Subacute and Convalescent) and utilizes the resulting clustermap to detect prominent genes that can be used as diagnostic biomarkers for KD. Self-Organizing Maps (SOMs) were employed to cluster patients with similar gene expressions across the three phases through inter-phase and intra-phase clustering. Then, false discovery rate (FDR)-based feature selection was applied to detect genes that significantly deviate across the per-phase clusters. Our results revealed five genes as candidate biomarkers for KD diagnosis, namely, the HLA-DQB1, HLA-DRA, ZBTB48, TNFRSF13C, and CASD1. To our knowledge, these five genes are reported for the first time in the literature. The impact of the discovered genes for KD diagnosis against the known ones was demonstrated by training boosting ensembles (AdaBoost and XGBoost) for KD classification on common platform and cross-platform datasets. The classifiers which were trained on the proposed genes from the common platform data yielded an average increase by 4.40% in accuracy, 5.52% in sensitivity, and 3.57% in specificity than the known genes in the Acute and Subacute phases, followed by a notable increase by 2.30% in accuracy, 2.20% in sensitivity, and 4.70% in specificity in the cross-platform analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios C. Pezoulas
- Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, Ioannina GR45110, Greece
| | - Costas Papaloukas
- Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, Ioannina GR45110, Greece
- Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina GR45100, Greece
| | - Maëva Veyssiere
- INSERM U976, Human Immunology, Physiopathology and Immunotherapy, Paris, France
| | - Andreas Goules
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens GR15772, Greece
| | - Athanasios G. Tzioufas
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens GR15772, Greece
| | - Vassili Soumelis
- INSERM U976, Human Immunology, Physiopathology and Immunotherapy, Paris, France
- Hôpital Saint Louis, Saint Louis Research Institute, Paris, France
| | - Dimitrios I. Fotiadis
- Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, Ioannina GR45110, Greece
- Department of Biomedical Research, FORTH (Foundation for Research & Technology)-IMBB (Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology), Ioannina GR45110, Greece
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Novel classifications for systemic sclerosis: challenging historical subsets to unlock new doors. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2021; 32:463-471. [PMID: 32941248 DOI: 10.1097/bor.0000000000000747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a severe rheumatic disease characterized by a considerable heterogeneity in clinical presentations and pathophysiological mechanisms. This variability has a substantial impact on morbidity and mortality and limits the generalizability of clinical trial results. This review aims to highlight recent studies that have proposed new innovative approaches to decipher this heterogeneity, in particular, by attempting to optimize disease classification. RECENT FINDINGS The historical dichotomy limited/diffuse subsets based on cutaneous involvement has been challenged by studies highlighting an underestimated heterogeneity between these two subtypes and showing that presence of organ damage and autoantibody profiles markedly influenced survival beyond skin extension. Advanced computational methods using unsupervised machine learning analyses of clinical variables and/or high-throughput omics technologies, clinical variables trajectories modelling overtime or radiomics have provided significant insights on key pathogenic processes that could help defining new subgroups beyond the diffuse/limited subsets. SUMMARY We can anticipate that a future classification of SSc patients will integrate innovative approaches encompassing clinical phenotypes, variables trajectories, serological features and innovative omics molecular signatures. It nevertheless seems crucial to also pursue the implementation and standardization of readily available and easy to use tools that can be used in clinical practice.
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Liu X, Wu Y, Li M, Hao J, Wang Q, Zeng X. Plasticity of Treg and imbalance of Treg/Th17 cells in patients with systemic sclerosis modified by FK506. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2021; 35:2058738421998086. [PMID: 33631989 PMCID: PMC7917869 DOI: 10.1177/2058738421998086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To determine the effects of Tacrolimus (FK506) on Treg cells and subpopulations in SSc patients and assess the ability of FK506 to modify the immune imbalance of Treg/Th17 cells. We analyzed PBMC from five SSc patients and six healthy control by flow cytometry after cultured with 0, 0.1, 1, or 10 ng/ml FK506 in vitro. The number of Treg cells decreased in SSc patients treated with FK506. The number of FrI cells were decreased in SSc following FK506 treatment. The drug did increase the frequency of FrII/Treg cells, but not FrII cells. However, FK506 significantly decreased FrIII in both SSc patients and controls. FK506 clearly decreased the numbers of Th17 cells and FoxP3+IL-17+ cells. The proliferation capacity of cells was also inhibited by FK506, which had a greater effect on FoxP3- cells than FoxP3+ cells. FK506 did inhibit the proliferation of FrIII cells, but not FrI or FrII cells. Our study provides that FK506 reduced the number of FoxP3low CD45RA- T cells (FrIII) by inhibiting its proliferation. Therefore, FK506 modifies Treg cells and the immune imbalance between Tregs and Th17 cells in SSc patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinjuan Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
| | - Mengtao Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Jianyu Hao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zeng
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
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Bonakdari H, Jamshidi A, Pelletier JP, Abram F, Tardif G, Martel-Pelletier J. A warning machine learning algorithm for early knee osteoarthritis structural progressor patient screening. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis 2021; 13:1759720X21993254. [PMID: 33747150 PMCID: PMC7905723 DOI: 10.1177/1759720x21993254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim In osteoarthritis (OA) there is a need for automated screening systems for early detection of structural progressors. We built a comprehensive machine learning (ML) model that bridges major OA risk factors and serum levels of adipokines/related inflammatory factors at baseline for early prediction of at-risk knee OA patient structural progressors over time. Methods The patient- and gender-based model development used baseline serum levels of six adipokines, three related inflammatory factors and their ratios (36), as well as major OA risk factors [age and bone mass index (BMI)]. Subjects (677) were selected from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) progression subcohort. The probability values of being structural progressors (PVBSP) were generated using our previously published prediction model, including five baseline structural features of the knee, i.e. two X-rays and three magnetic resonance imaging variables. To identify the most important variables amongst the 47 studied in relation to PVBSP, we employed the ML feature classification methodology. Among five supervised ML algorithms, the support vector machine (SVM) demonstrated the best accuracy and use for gender-based classifiers development. Performance and sensitivity of the models were assessed. A reproducibility analysis was performed with clinical trial OA patients. Results Feature selections revealed that the combination of age, BMI, and the ratios CRP/MCP-1 and leptin/CRP are the most important variables in predicting OA structural progressors in both genders. Classification accuracies for both genders in the testing stage (OAI) were >80%, with the highest sensitivity of CRP/MCP-1. Reproducibility analysis showed an accuracy ⩾92%; the ratio CRP/MCP-1 demonstrated the highest sensitivity in women and leptin/CRP in men. Conclusion This is the first time that such a framework was built for predicting knee OA structural progressors. Using this automated ML patient- and gender-based model, early prediction of knee structural OA progression can be performed with high accuracy using only three baseline serum biomarkers and two risk factors. Plain language summary Machine learning model for early knee osteoarthritis structural progression Knee osteoarthritis is a well-known debilitating disease leading to reduced mobility and quality of life - the main causes of chronic invalidity. Disease evolution can be slow and span many years; however, for some individuals, the progression/evolution can be fast. Current treatments are only symptomatic and conventional diagnosis of osteoarthritis is not very effective in early identification of patients who will progress rapidly. To improve therapeutic approaches, we need a robust prediction model to stratify osteoarthritis patients at an early stage according to risk of joint structure disease progression.We hypothesize that a prediction model using a machine learning system would enable such an early identification of individuals for whom osteoarthritis knee structure will degrade rapidly. Data were from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a National Institute of Health (United States) databank, and the robustness and generalizability of the developed model was further evaluated using osteoarthritis patients from an external cohort. Using the supervised machine learning system (support vector machine), we developed an automated patient- and gender-based model enabling an early clinical prognosis for individuals at high risk of structural progressive osteoarthritis. In brief, this model employed at baseline (when the subject sees a physician) easily obtained features consisting of the two main osteoarthritis risk factors, age and bone mass index (BMI), in addition to the serum levels of three molecules. Two of these molecules belong to a family of factors names adipokines and one to a related inflammatory factor. In brief, the model comprising a combination of age, BMI, and the ratios CRP/MCP-1 and leptin/CRP were found very robust for both genders, and the high accuracy persists when tested with an external cohort conferring the gender-based model generalizability. This study offers a new automated system for identifying early knee osteoarthritis structural progressors, which will significantly improve clinical prognosis with real time patient monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Bonakdari
- Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Afshin Jamshidi
- Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Pelletier
- Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - François Abram
- Medical Imaging Research and Development, ArthroLab Inc., Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ginette Tardif
- Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Johanne Martel-Pelletier
- Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), 900 Saint-Denis, Suite R11.412, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
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Showalter K, Spiera R, Magro C, Agius P, Martyanov V, Franks JM, Sharma R, Geiger H, Wood TA, Zhang Y, Hale CR, Finik J, Whitfield ML, Orange DE, Gordon JK. Machine learning integration of scleroderma histology and gene expression identifies fibroblast polarisation as a hallmark of clinical severity and improvement. Ann Rheum Dis 2021; 80:228-237. [PMID: 33028580 PMCID: PMC8600653 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-217840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We sought to determine histologic and gene expression features of clinical improvement in early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc; scleroderma). METHODS Fifty-eight forearm biopsies were evaluated from 26 individuals with dcSSc in two clinical trials. Histologic/immunophenotypic assessments of global severity, alpha-smooth muscle actin (aSMA), CD34, collagen, inflammatory infiltrate, follicles and thickness were compared with gene expression and clinical data. Support vector machine learning was performed using scleroderma gene expression subset (normal-like, fibroproliferative, inflammatory) as classifiers and histology scores as inputs. Comparison of w-vector mean absolute weights was used to identify histologic features most predictive of gene expression subset. We then tested for differential gene expression according to histologic severity and compared those with clinical improvement (according to the Combined Response Index in Systemic Sclerosis). RESULTS aSMA was highest and CD34 lowest in samples with highest local Modified Rodnan Skin Score. CD34 and aSMA changed significantly from baseline to 52 weeks in clinical improvers. CD34 and aSMA were the strongest predictors of gene expression subset, with highest CD34 staining in the normal-like subset (p<0.001) and highest aSMA staining in the inflammatory subset (p=0.016). Analysis of gene expression according to CD34 and aSMA binarised scores identified a 47-gene fibroblast polarisation signature that decreases over time only in improvers (vs non-improvers). Pathway analysis of these genes identified gene expression signatures of inflammatory fibroblasts. CONCLUSION CD34 and aSMA stains describe distinct fibroblast polarisation states, are associated with gene expression subsets and clinical assessments, and may be useful biomarkers of clinical severity and improvement in dcSSc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Showalter
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, USA
| | - Robert Spiera
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, USA
| | - Cynthia Magro
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Viktor Martyanov
- Molecular and Systems Biology, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Biomedical Data Science, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jennifer M Franks
- Molecular and Systems Biology, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Biomedical Data Science, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | | | | | - Tammara A Wood
- Molecular and Systems Biology, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Biomedical Data Science, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Yaxia Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, USA
| | - Caryn R Hale
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jackie Finik
- Department of Medicine, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michael L Whitfield
- Molecular and Systems Biology, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Biomedical Data Science, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Dana E Orange
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, USA
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jessica K Gordon
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, USA
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36
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AIM in Rheumatology. Artif Intell Med 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-58080-3_179-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Shi B, Wang W, Korman B, Kai L, Wang Q, Wei J, Bale S, Marangoni RG, Bhattacharyya S, Miller S, Xu D, Akbarpour M, Cheresh P, Proccissi D, Gursel D, Espindola-Netto JM, Chini CCS, de Oliveira GC, Gudjonsson JE, Chini EN, Varga J. Targeting CD38-dependent NAD + metabolism to mitigate multiple organ fibrosis. iScience 2020; 24:101902. [PMID: 33385109 PMCID: PMC7770554 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The processes underlying synchronous multiple organ fibrosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc) remain poorly understood. Age-related pathologies are associated with organismal decline in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) that is due to dysregulation of NAD+ homeostasis and involves the NADase CD38. We now show that CD38 is upregulated in patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc, and CD38 levels in the skin associate with molecular fibrosis signatures, as well as clinical fibrosis scores, while expression of key NAD+-synthesizing enzymes is unaltered. Boosting NAD+ via genetic or pharmacological CD38 targeting or NAD+ precursor supplementation protected mice from skin, lung, and peritoneal fibrosis. In mechanistic experiments, CD38 was found to reduce NAD+ levels and sirtuin activity to augment cellular fibrotic responses, while inhibiting CD38 had the opposite effect. Thus, we identify CD38 upregulation and resulting disrupted NAD+ homeostasis as a fundamental mechanism driving fibrosis in SSc, suggesting that CD38 might represent a novel therapeutic target. CD38 shows elevated expression in skin biopsies of patients with systemic sclerosis Elevated CD38 is associated with reduced NAD+ and augmented fibrotic responses Genetic loss of CD38 is associated with increased NAD+ levels and attenuated fibrosis NAD+ boosting via CD38 inhibition or NR supplementation prevents multi-organ fibrosis
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Shi
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Wenxia Wang
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Benjamin Korman
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Li Kai
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Qianqian Wang
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Jun Wei
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Swarna Bale
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Roberta Goncalves Marangoni
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Swati Bhattacharyya
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Stephen Miller
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Dan Xu
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Mahzad Akbarpour
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Paul Cheresh
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Daniele Proccissi
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Demirkan Gursel
- Pathology Core Facility, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | | | - Claudia C S Chini
- Department of Anesthesiology and Kogod Center on Aging, Mayo Clinic, Rochester 55905 MN, USA
| | - Guilherme C de Oliveira
- Department of Anesthesiology and Kogod Center on Aging, Mayo Clinic, Rochester 55905 MN, USA
| | | | - Eduardo N Chini
- Department of Anesthesiology and Kogod Center on Aging, Mayo Clinic, Rochester 55905 MN, USA
| | - John Varga
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Roofeh D, Lescoat A, Khanna D. Emerging drugs for the treatment of scleroderma: a review of recent phase 2 and 3 trials. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs 2020; 25:455-466. [PMID: 33054463 PMCID: PMC7770026 DOI: 10.1080/14728214.2020.1836156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Systemic sclerosis (SSc) has the highest case-specific mortality of all connective tissue diseases. Its underlying disease mechanism affects several organs and remains incompletely understood. Ongoing work clarifying its etiopathogenesis is helping to develop targeted therapy. AREAS COVERED Several clinical trials have evaluated the safety and efficacy of agents targeting different mechanisms of this disease. This review article reviews those mechanisms and surveys four key recent phase II or III clinical trials that are contributing to the landscape of SSc therapy. The reported trials primarily focus on patients with systemic sclerosis in the early phase of disease. EXPERT OPINION Traditional therapies for SSc center on immunosuppressive and cytotoxic agents. A new cadre of therapies is borne from improved understandings of SSc pathobiology and target the inflammatory-fibrotic pathways. Scleroderma trials have entered the initial phase of personalized medicine, recognizing molecular subsets that will improve upon cohort enrichment and maximize the measurable benefit of future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alain Lescoat
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Rennes University Hospital, Rennes, France
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Mehta BK, Espinoza ME, Hinchcliff M, Whitfield ML. Molecular "omic" signatures in systemic sclerosis. Eur J Rheumatol 2020; 7:S173-S180. [PMID: 33164732 DOI: 10.5152/eurjrheum.2020.19192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disorder characterized by immunologic, vascular, and extracellular matrix abnormalities. Variation in the proportion and/or timing of activation in the deregulated molecular pathways that underlie SSc may explain the observed clinical heterogeneity in terms of disease phenotype and treatment response. In recent years, SSc research has generated massive amounts of "omics" level data. In this review, we discuss the body of "omics" level work in SSc and how each layer provides unique insight to our understanding of SSc. We posit that effective integration of genomic, transcriptomic, metagenomic, and epigenomic data is an important step toward precision medicine and is vital to the identification of effective therapeutic options for patients with SSc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhaven K Mehta
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Monica E Espinoza
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Monique Hinchcliff
- Department of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael L Whitfield
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA.,Department of Biomedical Data Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
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Flower VA, Barratt SL, Hart DJ, Mackenzie AB, Shipley JA, Ward SG, Pauling JD. High-frequency Ultrasound Assessment of Systemic Sclerosis Skin Involvement: Intraobserver Repeatability and Relationship With Clinician Assessment and Dermal Collagen Content. J Rheumatol 2020; 48:867-876. [PMID: 33132218 DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.200234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) remains the preferred method for skin assessment in systemic sclerosis (SSc). There are concerns regarding high interobserver variability of mRSS and negative clinical trials utilizing mRSS as the primary endpoint. High-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) allows objective assessment of cutaneous fibrosis in SSc. We investigated the relationship between HFUS with both mRSS and dermal collagen. METHODS Skin thickness (ST), echogenicity, and novel shear wave elastography (SWE) were assessed in 53 patients with SSc and 15 healthy controls (HCs) at the finger, hand, forearm, and abdomen. The relationship between HFUS parameters with mRSS (n = 53) and dermal collagen (10 patients with SSc and 10 HCs) was investigated. Intraobserver repeatability of HFUS was calculated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). RESULTS HFUS assessment of ST (hand/forearm) and SWE (finger/hand) correlated with local mRSS at some sites. Subclinical abnormalities in ST, echogenicity, and SWE were present in clinically uninvolved SSc skin. Additionally, changes in echogenicity and SWE were sometimes apparent despite objectively normal ST on HFUS. ST, SWE, and local mRSS correlated strongly with collagen quantification (r = 0.697, 0.709, 0.649, respectively). Intraobserver repeatability was high for all HFUS parameters (ICCs for ST = 0.946-0.978; echogenicity = 0.648-0.865; and SWE = 0.953-0.973). CONCLUSION Our data demonstrate excellent reproducibility and reassuring convergent validity with dermal collagen content. Detection of subclinical abnormalities is an additional benefit of HFUS. The observed correlations with collagen quantification support further investigation of HFUS as an alternative to mRSS in clinical trial settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria A Flower
- V.A. Flower, Consultant Rheumatologist, MBBS, PhD, J.D. Pauling, Consultant Rheumatologist and Senior Lecturer, BMBS, PhD, Department of Rheumatology, Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bath, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath;
| | - Shaney L Barratt
- S.L. Barratt, BMBS, PhD, Department of Respiratory Medicine, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, Academic Respiratory Unit, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol
| | - Darren J Hart
- D.J. Hart, Clinical Scientist, PhD, J.A. Shipley, Clinical Scientist, PhD, Clinical Measurement and Imaging Department, Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bath
| | - Amanda B Mackenzie
- A.B. Mackenzie, Senior Lecturer, PhD, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath
| | - Jacqueline A Shipley
- D.J. Hart, Clinical Scientist, PhD, J.A. Shipley, Clinical Scientist, PhD, Clinical Measurement and Imaging Department, Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bath
| | - Stephen G Ward
- S.G. Ward, Professor, PhD, Centre for Therapeutic Innovation & Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - John D Pauling
- V.A. Flower, Consultant Rheumatologist, MBBS, PhD, J.D. Pauling, Consultant Rheumatologist and Senior Lecturer, BMBS, PhD, Department of Rheumatology, Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bath, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath
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Franks JM, Martyanov V, Wang Y, Wood TA, Pinckney A, Crofford LJ, Keyes-Elstein L, Furst DE, Goldmuntz E, Mayes MD, McSweeney P, Nash RA, Sullivan KM, Whitfield ML. Machine learning predicts stem cell transplant response in severe scleroderma. Ann Rheum Dis 2020; 79:1608-1615. [PMID: 32933919 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-217033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Scleroderma: Cyclophosphamide or Transplantation (SCOT) trial demonstrated clinical benefit of haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) compared with cyclophosphamide (CYC). We mapped PBC (peripheral blood cell) samples from the SCOT clinical trial to scleroderma intrinsic subsets and tested the hypothesis that they predict long-term response to HSCT. METHODS We analysed gene expression from PBCs of SCOT participants to identify differential treatment response. PBC gene expression data were generated from 63 SCOT participants at baseline and follow-up timepoints. Participants who completed treatment protocol were stratified by intrinsic gene expression subsets at baseline, evaluated for event-free survival (EFS) and analysed for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). RESULTS Participants from the fibroproliferative subset on HSCT experienced significant improvement in EFS compared with fibroproliferative participants on CYC (p=0.0091). In contrast, EFS did not significantly differ between CYC and HSCT arms for the participants from the normal-like subset (p=0.77) or the inflammatory subset (p=0.1). At each timepoint, we observed considerably more DEGs in HSCT arm compared with CYC arm with HSCT arm showing significant changes in immune response pathways. CONCLUSIONS Participants from the fibroproliferative subset showed the most significant long-term benefit from HSCT compared with CYC. This study suggests that intrinsic subset stratification of patients may be used to identify patients with SSc who receive significant benefit from HSCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Franks
- Molecular and Systems Biology, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.,Biomedical Data Science, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Viktor Martyanov
- Molecular and Systems Biology, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.,Biomedical Data Science, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Yue Wang
- Molecular and Systems Biology, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.,Biomedical Data Science, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Tammara A Wood
- Molecular and Systems Biology, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.,Biomedical Data Science, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Ashley Pinckney
- Rho Federal Systems Division, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Leslie J Crofford
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | | | - Daniel E Furst
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Maureen D Mayes
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunogenetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Peter McSweeney
- Rocky Mountain Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, Colorado Blood Cancer Institute, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Richard A Nash
- Rocky Mountain Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, Colorado Blood Cancer Institute, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Keith M Sullivan
- Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Michael L Whitfield
- Molecular and Systems Biology, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA .,Biomedical Data Science, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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Wang Y, Franks JM, Yang M, Toledo DM, Wood TA, Hinchcliff M, Whitfield ML. Regulator combinations identify systemic sclerosis patients with more severe disease. JCI Insight 2020; 5:137567. [PMID: 32721949 PMCID: PMC7526449 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.137567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disorder that results in skin fibrosis, autoantibody production, and internal organ dysfunction. We previously identified 4 “intrinsic” subsets of SSc based upon skin gene expression that are found across organ systems. Gene expression regulators that underlie the SSc-intrinsic subsets, or are associated with clinical covariates, have not been systematically characterized. Here, we present a computational framework to calculate the activity scores of gene expression regulators and identify their associations with SSc clinical outcomes. We found that regulator activity scores can reproduce the intrinsic molecular subsets, with distinct sets of regulators identified for inflammatory, fibroproliferative, limited, and normal-like samples. Regulators most highly correlated with modified Rodnan skin score (MRSS) also varied by intrinsic subset. We identified subgroups of patients with fibroproliferative and inflammatory SSc with more severe pathophenotypes, such as higher MRSS and increased likelihood of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Using an independent cohort, we show that the group with more severe ILD was more likely to show forced vital capacity decline over a period of 36–54 months. Our results demonstrate an association among the activation of regulators, gene expression subsets, and clinical variables that can identify patients with SSc with more severe disease. An association between the activation of regulators, gene expression subsets, and clinical variables identifies systemic sclerosis patients with more severe disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jennifer M Franks
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Monica Yang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Diana M Toledo
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Tammara A Wood
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Monique Hinchcliff
- Department of Internal Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Yale School of Medicine, Section of Allergy, Rheumatology and Immunology, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Michael L Whitfield
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
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Radic M, Frech TM. Big data in systemic sclerosis: Great potential for the future. JOURNAL OF SCLERODERMA AND RELATED DISORDERS 2020; 5:172-177. [DOI: 10.1177/2397198320929805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Since it was first used in 1997, the term “big data” has been popularized; however, the concept of big data is relatively new to medicine. Big data refers to a method and technique to systematically retrieve, collect, manage, and analyze very large and complex sets of structured and unstructured data that cannot be sufficiently processed using traditional methods of processing data. Integrating big data in rare diseases with low prevalence and incidence, like systemic sclerosis is of particular importance. We conducted a literature review of use of big data in systemic sclerosis. The volume of data on systemic sclerosis has grown steadily in the recent years; however, big data methods have not been readily used. This inexhaustible source of data needs to be used more to unleash its full potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mislav Radic
- Department of Rheumatology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Center of Excellence for Systemic Sclerosis Ministry of Health Republic of Croatia, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Centre Split, Split, Croatia
- School of Medicine, University of Split, Split, Croatia
| | - Tracy M Frech
- Department of Rheumatology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To discuss recent advances in identification of biomarkers in systemic sclerosis for disease severity, prognosis, and treatment response. RECENT FINDINGS Recent reports describe novel circulating markers of disease severity, autoantibody associations with specific manifestations including cancer, and skin gene expression-based predictors of modified Rodnan skin score progression and treatment response. Moreover, there is converging evidence that C-reactive protein and pneumoproteins such as Krebs von den Lungen-6 and chemokine ligand 18 could serve as prognostic biomarkers in systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease. SUMMARY Several novel biomarkers show promise in improving the assessment of systemic sclerosis (SSc) disease severity, prognosis, and treatment response. Their potential utility in prospective selection of patients for clinical trials and in individual patient management require additional research.
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Autoantibodies to stratify systemic sclerosis patients into clinically actionable subsets. Autoimmun Rev 2020; 19:102583. [PMID: 32553611 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2020.102583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare chronic disease of unknown etiology characterized by vascular abnormalities and fibrosis involving the skin and internal organs, especially the gastrointestinal tract, lung, heart and kidneys. Although the disease was historically stratified according to the extent of skin involvement, more recent approaches place more emphasis on patterns and extent of internal organ involvement. Despite numerous clinical trials, disease-modifying treatment options are still limited resulting in persistent poor quality of life and high mortality. This review provides an overview of autoantibodies in SSc and novel approaches to stratify the disease into clinically actionable subsets.
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Khanna D, Spino C, Johnson S, Chung L, Whitfield M, Denton CP, Berrocal V, Jennifer F, Mehta B, Molitor J, Steen VD, Lafyatis R, Simms RW, Gill A, Kafaja S, Frech TM, Hsu V, Domsic RT, Pope JE, Gordon JK, Mayes MD, Schiopu E, Young A, Sandorfi N, Park J, Hant FN, Bernstein EJ, Chatterjee S, Castelino FV, Ajam A, Wang Y, Wood T, Allanore Y, Matucci-Cerinic M, Distler O, Singer O, Bush E, Fox D, Furst DE. Abatacept in Early Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis: Results of a Phase II Investigator-Initiated, Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Arthritis Rheumatol 2020; 72:125-136. [PMID: 31342624 PMCID: PMC6935399 DOI: 10.1002/art.41055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE T cells play a key role in the pathogenesis of early systemic sclerosis. This study was undertaken to assess the safety and efficacy of abatacept in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc). METHODS In this 12-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, participants were randomized 1:1 to receive either subcutaneous abatacept 125 mg or matching placebo, stratified by duration of dcSSc. Escape therapy was allowed at 6 months for worsening disease. The coprimary end points were change in the modified Rodnan skin thickness score (MRSS) compared to baseline and safety over 12 months. Differences in longitudinal outcomes were assessed according to treatment using linear mixed models, with outcomes censored after initiation of escape therapy. Skin tissue obtained from participants at baseline was classified into intrinsic gene expression subsets. RESULTS Among 88 participants, the adjusted mean change in the MRSS at 12 months was -6.24 units for those receiving abatacept and -4.49 units for those receiving placebo, with an adjusted mean treatment difference of -1.75 units (P = 0.28). Outcomes for 2 secondary measures (Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index and a composite measure) were clinically and statistically significantly better with abatacept. The proportion of subjects in whom escape therapy was needed was higher in the placebo group relative to the abatacept group (36% versus 16%). In the inflammatory and normal-like skin gene expression subsets, decline in the MRSS over 12 months was clinically and significantly greater in the abatacept group versus the placebo group (P < 0.001 and P = 0.03, respectively). In the abatacept group, adverse events occurred in 35 participants versus 40 participants in the placebo group, including 2 deaths and 1 death, respectively. CONCLUSION In this phase II trial, abatacept was well-tolerated, but change in the MRSS was not statistically significant. Secondary outcome measures, including gene expression subsets, showed evidence in support of abatacept. These data should be confirmed in a phase III trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh Khanna
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Cathie Spino
- Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Sindhu Johnson
- Rheumatology, Mount Sinai Hospital and University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lorinda Chung
- Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Michael Whitfield
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover
| | | | | | - Franks Jennifer
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover
| | - Bhaven Mehta
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover
| | - Jerry Molitor
- Rheumatic & Autoimmune Diseases, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Virginia D. Steen
- Rheumatology, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC
| | - Robert Lafyatis
- Medicine/Division of Rheumatology, Pittsburgh University Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Robert W. Simms
- Rheumatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Anna Gill
- UCL Division of Medicine, Royal Free Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Suzanne Kafaja
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Tracy M. Frech
- Division of Rheumatology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Vivien Hsu
- Rheumatology, Robert Wood Johnson University Scleroderma Program, New Brunswick, NJ
| | - Robyn T. Domsic
- Medicine - Rheumatology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Janet E. Pope
- Department of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | | | - Maureen D. Mayes
- Rheumatology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX
| | - Elena Schiopu
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Amber Young
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Nora Sandorfi
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Jane Park
- Seattle Rheumatology Associates, Seattle, WA
| | - Faye N. Hant
- Medicine/Rheumatology & Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | | | | | | | - Ali Ajam
- Division of Rheumatology-Immunology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover
| | - Tammara Wood
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover
| | | | - Marco Matucci-Cerinic
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Oliver Distler
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ora Singer
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Erica Bush
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - David Fox
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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Abstract
Three prospective controlled clinical trials and numerous small series and case reports have confirmed that durable, drug-free remission in systemic sclerosis is possible via an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Similar results have been seen in other autoimmune diseases. The exact mechanism by which this immune "reset" was achieved in some but not all cases remains elusive, but includes major reduction of autoreactive immune competent cells, re-establishment of T- and B cell regulatory networks and normalization of tissue niche function, particularly vascular. Some aspects regarding mobilization, conditioning and graft manipulation still remain open, but clearly a significant toxicity is associated with all effective regimens at present, and therefore patient selection remains a key issue. In the hematology/oncology arena, major efforts are being made to reduce genotoxic and other collateral toxicity induced by current mobilization and conditioning protocols, which may also translate to autoimmune disease. These include developments in rapid mobilization and antibody drug conjugate conditioning technology. If effective, such low-toxicity regimens might be applied to autoimmune disease at an earlier stage before chronicity of autoimmunity has been established, thus changing the therapeutic paradigm.
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Skaug B, Khanna D, Swindell WR, Hinchcliff ME, Frech TM, Steen VD, Hant FN, Gordon JK, Shah AA, Zhu L, Zheng WJ, Browning JL, Barron AMS, Wu M, Visvanathan S, Baum P, Franks JM, Whitfield ML, Shanmugam VK, Domsic RT, Castelino FV, Bernstein EJ, Wareing N, Lyons MA, Ying J, Charles J, Mayes MD, Assassi S. Global skin gene expression analysis of early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis shows a prominent innate and adaptive inflammatory profile. Ann Rheum Dis 2019; 79:379-386. [PMID: 31767698 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-215894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Determine global skin transcriptome patterns of early diffuse systemic sclerosis (SSc) and how they differ from later disease. METHODS Skin biopsy RNA from 48 patients in the Prospective Registry for Early Systemic Sclerosis (PRESS) cohort (mean disease duration 1.3 years) and 33 matched healthy controls was examined by next-generation RNA sequencing. Data were analysed for cell type-specific signatures and compared with similarly obtained data from 55 previously biopsied patients in Genetics versus Environment in Scleroderma Outcomes Study cohort with longer disease duration (mean 7.4 years) and their matched controls. Correlations with histological features and clinical course were also evaluated. RESULTS SSc patients in PRESS had a high prevalence of M2 (96%) and M1 (94%) macrophage and CD8 T cell (65%), CD4 T cell (60%) and B cell (69%) signatures. Immunohistochemical staining of immune cell markers correlated with the gene expression-based immune cell signatures. The prevalence of immune cell signatures in early diffuse SSc patients was higher than in patients with longer disease duration. In the multivariable model, adaptive immune cell signatures were significantly associated with shorter disease duration, while fibroblast and macrophage cell type signatures were associated with higher modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS). Immune cell signatures also correlated with skin thickness progression rate prior to biopsy, but did not predict subsequent mRSS progression. CONCLUSIONS Skin in early diffuse SSc has prominent innate and adaptive immune cell signatures. As a prominently affected end organ, these signatures reflect the preceding rate of disease progression. These findings could have implications in understanding SSc pathogenesis and clinical trial design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Skaug
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunogenetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Dinesh Khanna
- Scleroderma Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - William R Swindell
- Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, Ohio, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, The Jewish Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Monique E Hinchcliff
- Department of Medicine, Section of Allergy, Rheumatology, and Immunology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Tracy M Frech
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah and Salt Lake Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Virginia D Steen
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Faye N Hant
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Jessica K Gordon
- Department of Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Ami A Shah
- Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Lisha Zhu
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - W Jim Zheng
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Browning
- Department of Microbiology, Section of Rheumatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alexander M S Barron
- Department of Microbiology, Section of Rheumatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Minghua Wu
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunogenetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Sudha Visvanathan
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc, Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA
| | - Patrick Baum
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Biberach, Germany
| | - Jennifer M Franks
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA.,Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Michael L Whitfield
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA.,Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Victoria K Shanmugam
- Division of Rheumatology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Robyn T Domsic
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Flavia V Castelino
- Division of Rheumatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elana J Bernstein
- Division of Rheumatology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Nancy Wareing
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunogenetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Marka A Lyons
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunogenetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jun Ying
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunogenetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Julio Charles
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunogenetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Maureen D Mayes
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunogenetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Shervin Assassi
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunogenetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
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Recent advances steer the future of systemic sclerosis toward precision medicine. Clin Rheumatol 2019; 39:1-4. [PMID: 31760537 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-019-04834-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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50
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Distler JHW, Györfi AH, Ramanujam M, Whitfield ML, Königshoff M, Lafyatis R. Shared and distinct mechanisms of fibrosis. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2019; 15:705-730. [DOI: 10.1038/s41584-019-0322-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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