Clinical cardiac involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: a systematic review

Quantification of left atrial strain in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy using cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking

BACKGROUND

Left atrial (LA) dysfunction is involved in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). Multiparametric cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) strain imaging is a feasible and reproducible tool for examining global and regional LA functions, as well as left ventricular (LV) function in IIM patients.

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and reproducibility of LA strain occurrence and strain rate for LA function assessment using CMR in IIM cases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 36 IIM and 42 healthy control cases were included. Baseline ventricular function was comparatively assessed in both groups. LA strain occurrence and strain rate were examined by cine cardiac magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] utilizing an in-house semiautomated technique. LA global function indexes were quantitated, including reservoir, conduit, and booster-pump functions.

RESULTS

A total of 78 participants were enrolled in this study. There was no significant difference in left/right ventricular routine functions between IIM patients and control individuals (p>0.05); the same results (p>0.05) was also observed between patients with high hs-cTnI and normal. However, LV mass index had significant difference (p1=0.003, p2<0.01). Compared with IIM patients and control individuals, only total strain (εs) (p4=0.046) and passive strain (εe) (p4=0.002) showed significant difference, and in cases with high hs-cTnI and normal hs-cTnI, there are differences for εs (p3=0.012) and εe (p4=0.047). The strongest association was found between εe and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) (r=0.581, p<0.01).

CONCLUSION

IIM cases have altered LA reservoir and conduit functions, and LA strain could reflect LA function.

Advances in the diagnosis of myocarditis in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: an overview of diagnostic tests

Cardiac involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) purports to worse clinical outcomes, and therefore early identification is important. Research has focused on blood biomarkers and basic investigations such as ECG and echocardiography, which have the advantage of wide availability and low cost but are limited in their sensitivity and specificity. Imaging the myocardium to directly look for inflammation and scarring has therefore been explored, with a number of new methods for doing this gaining wider research interest and clinical availability. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) with contemporary multiparametric mapping techniques and late gadolinium enhancement imaging, is an extremely valuable and increasingly used non-invasive imaging modality for the diagnosis of myocarditis. The recently updated CMR-based Lake Louise Criteria for the diagnosis of myocarditis incorporate the newer T1 and T2 mapping techniques, which have greatly improved the diagnostic accuracy for IIM myocarditis.18F-FDG-PET/CT is a well-utilized imaging modality in the diagnosis of malignancies in IIM, and it also has a role for the diagnosis of myocarditis in multiple systemic inflammatory diseases. Endomyocardial biopsy, however, remains the gold standard technique for the diagnosis of myocarditis and is necessary for the diagnosis of specific cases of myocarditis. This article provides an overview of the important tests and imaging modalities that clinicians should consider when faced with an IIM patient with potential myocarditis.

The diagnostic value of sST2 for myocardial fibrosis in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies in subclinical stage of cardiac involvement

OBJECTIVE

Myocardial fibrosis occurs in the early subclinical stage of cardiac involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) is known to have an immunomodulatory impact during autoimmune disease development. The current study investigated the diagnostic value of sST2 for myocardial fibrosis during early stage of cardiac involvement in IIM.

METHODS

A total of 44 IIM patients with normal heart function and 32 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. Serum sST2 levels were measured by ELISA and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters for myocardial fibrosis [native T1, extracellular volume (ECV), late-gadolinium enhancement (LGE)] and oedema (T2 values) were analysed.

RESULTS

IIM patients had significantly higher sST2 levels than HCs [67.5 ng/ml (s.d. 30.4)] vs 14.4 (5.5), P < 0.001] and levels correlated positively with diffuse myocardial fibrosis parameters, native T1 (r = 0.531, P = 0.000), ECV (r = 0.371, P = 0.013) and focal myocardial fibrosis index and LGE (r = 0.339, P = 0.024) by Spearman's correlation analysis. sST2 was an independent predictive factor for diffuse and focal myocardial fibrosis after adjustment for age, gender, BMI and ESR. Risk increased ≈15.4% for diffuse [odds ratio (OR) 1.154 (95% CI 1.021, 1.305), P = 0.022] and 3.8% for focal [OR 1.038 (95% CI 1.006, 1.072), P = 0.020] myocardial fibrosis per unit increase of sST2. Cut-off values for diagnosing diffuse and focal myocardial fibrosis were sST2 ≥51.3 ng/ml [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.942, sensitivity = 85.7%, specificity = 98.9%, P < 0.001] and 53.3 ng/ml (AUC = 0.753, sensitivity = 87.5%, specificity = 58.3%, P < 0.01), respectively.

CONCLUSION

sST2 showed a marked elevation during the subclinical stage of cardiac involvement in IIM and has potential as a biomarker for predicting diffuse and focal myocardial fibrosis in IIM.

Dermatomyositis: Practical Guidance and Unmet Needs

Dermatomyositis is a heterogeneous idiopathic inflammatory myopathy associated with various cutaneous manifestations and variable presence of myositis, interstitial lung disease, and other visceral organ involvement. An accurate diagnosis of dermatomyositis requires correlating clinical examination findings with serological and histological findings. Familiarity with pathognomonic and common cutaneous manifestations of dermatomyositis, which are highlighted here, can be especially helpful in making an accurate diagnosis. Additionally, evaluating patients for presence of myositis-specific autoantibodies can further support or refute a dermatomyositis diagnosis. When present, myositis-specific autoantibodies can also help guide workups for various dermatomyositis-associated manifestations, as each is associated with relatively distinct clinical characteristics. Evaluating patients for various systemic manifestations often relies on expert opinion recommendations; however, societal guideline statements concerning the evaluation of some manifestations have recently been described. Although malignancy-associated dermatomyositis is a well-accepted subtype, there is limited evidence to support extensive malignancy screening has a favorable benefit-risk ratio in most dermatomyositis patients. However, recent research has uncovered novel associations between dermatomyositis and malignancy, suggesting the possibility of identifying high-risk subsets of dermatomyositis patients in whom malignancy screening may have a high value. Treatment for dermatomyositis has remained largely unchanged over the past several decades. Although many dermatomyositis patients can be effectively treated with current options, either as monotherapy or with combination regimens, there is a need for more targeted and effective DM therapies, in general, and for MDA5(+) dermatomyositis-associated rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease. Fortunately, significant current and emerging research activities evaluating various novel medications for dermatomyositis provide hope for exciting future advances in patients with this intriguing immune-mediated disease.

Associations between anti-mitochondrial antibodies and cardiac involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy patients : A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this study are to analyze the association between anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA) and cardiac involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) and to evaluate the diagnostic value of AMA for cardiac involvement in IIM patients.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive search in PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library to identify English-language studies published before November 19, 2021. Stata 12.0 software (Stata Corp., College Station, TX, USA) was used for the statistical analyses. We used the sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve to evaluate the diagnostic value of AMA for cardiac involvement in IIM patients. Statistical heterogeneity of studies was assessed using the I2 statistic with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).

RESULTS

Seven studies were included in the final analyses, with a total of 2308 IIM patients (including 171 AMA-positive and 2137 AMA-negative patients). The pooled sensitivity of AMA for cardiac involvement in IIM patients was 0.29 (95% CI: 0.19-0.43) and specificity was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.88-0.96). The pooled PLR was 3.9 (95% CI: 2.82-5.38), NLR was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.66-0.88), and the diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 5 (95% CI: 3-7). The area under the SROC curve was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.72-0.79).

CONCLUSION

The overall diagnostic value of AMA may not be very high for cardiac involvement in IIM patients.

Cardiac arrest in seronegative idiopathic inflammatory myopathy: a case report

Background

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are autoimmune diseases that are characterized by muscle injury. These disorders can cause cardiomyopathy and heart failure, myocarditis, and arrhythmias. However, only a few cases of cardiac arrest as a result of IIMs have been previously reported.

Case summary

A 46-year-old male presented with an out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest. A diagnosis of IIM had been made through a muscle biopsy performed 2 years before presentation. The patient had a positive anti-nuclear antibody but negative myositis-specific antibodies. His initial symptoms of IIM were mild and consisted of myalgias. His only cardiac symptoms were minor palpitations that occurred 3 years prior to the cardiac arrest, with a negative Holter monitor test result at that time. His cardiac catheterization was normal. He was suspected to have myocarditis, and a rheumatologist was consulted, following which the patient was initiated on intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated evidence of chronic myocarditis and an ejection fraction of 44%. He was initiated on goal-directed medical therapy for heart failure. A VVI implantable cardioverter defibrillator was implanted for secondary prevention. He was discharged and prescribed additional immunosuppression including further IVIG infusions, prednisone taper and rituximab infusions.

Discussion

Our case demonstrates that cardiac arrest in IIM is not only plausible, but can be the first major cardiac manifestation of the disease. When a diagnosis of IIM is made, patients require a thorough assessment of cardiac symptomatology and a low threshold for additional cardiac investigations.

Cardiovascular manifestations in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

Cardiovascular involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) is an understudied area which is gaining increasing recognition in recent times. Recent advances in imaging modalities and biomarkers have allowed the detection of subclinical cardiovascular manifestations in IIM. However, despite the availability of these tools, the diagnostic challenges and underestimated prevalence of cardiovascular involvement in these patients remain significant. Notably, cardiovascular involvement remains one of the leading causes of mortality in patients with IIM. In this narrative literature review, we outline the prevalence and characteristics of cardiovascular involvement in IIM. Additionally, we explore investigational modalities for early detection of cardiovascular involvement, as well as newer approaches in screening to facilitate timely management. Key points • Cardiac involvement in IIM in majority cases is subclinical and a major cause of mortality. • Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is sensitive for detection of subclinical cardiac involvement.

Value of the HFA-PEFF diagnostic algorithms for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction to the inflammatory myopathy population

OBJECTIVES

The HFA-PEFF score has been validated to hold great diagnostic and prognostic utility for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) is recognized as one of the potential etiologies underlying HFpEF. Here, we intended to investigate the real prevalence of HFpEF in IIM via the HFA-PEFF score and explore the prognostic value of this score.

METHODS

Two hundred twenty IIM patients were enrolled for assessment. The cohort was divided into low, intermediate and high tertiles of the HFA-PEFF score. Spearman's correlation analysis was used to explore the association between the score and disease activity. Chi-square test was applied to investigate the distribution discrepancy of HFA-PEFF tertiles among patients with different myositis-specific antibodies (MSAs) or myositis-associated antibodies (MAAs). Univariate and multivariate ordinal regression analyses were performed to screen risk factors for high HFA-PEFF scores. Survival curves were obtained using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests.

RESULTS

In total, 79 (35.9%), 107 (48.6%) and 34 (15.5%) patients were rated low, intermediate and high probability of HFpEF, respectively. The HFA-PEFF score correlated well with disease activity. Patients with positive AMA-M2 scored higher in the HFA-PEFF score (p = 0.011). During follow-up, patients with positive AMA-M2 or anti-SRP antibody developed an inclination towards concentric hypertrophy on echocardiography. Additionally, palpitation symptom, AMA-M2 positivity and elevated serum levels of LDH, cTnI were independent risk factors for high HFA-PEFF scores. Finally, a high-tertile HFA-PEFF score was related to lower overall survival rate (p < 0.001). Patients with positive AMA-M2 had poorer outcomes (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

HFpEF was prevailing in IIM patients according to the HFA-PEFF score. The HFA-PEFF score correlated well with disease activity and held significant prognostic value. Patients with AMA-M2 antibody were prone to have poor outcomes.

Cardiac involvement in polymyositis and dermatomyositis: diagnostic approaches

Polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) are rare idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM). Myocardial involvement in patients with IIM is an unfavorable prognostic factor and one of the most common cause of mortality in this group of patients. The purpose of this review is to present current knowledge on cardiovascular manifestations observed in IIM. Data published in English until December 2021 were selected. Clinical symptoms suggesting cardiac involvement are non-specific and require a differential diagnosis in accordance with cardiological guidelines. Troponin I is specific to cardiac injury and should be preferred to other markers to evaluate the myocardium in IIM. Abnormalities in electrocardiography are common in IIM, especially non-specific changes of the ST-T segment. In standard echocardiography left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is reported frequently. New diagnostic technologies can reveal clinically silent myocardial abnormalities. However, the prognostic value of subclinical impairment of myocardial function require further studies.

The rise and fall of troponin in a patient with polymyositis

Troponins are an excellent sensitive marker for myocardial ischaemic damage. However, there are several non-ischaemic cardiac and non-cardiac reasons for troponin elevation. Many cases of troponin T elevation and some troponin I cases have been reported in the literature due to inflammatory muscle disease. Here, we report a woman in her 50s who initially presents with fatigue and weakness, and is found to have elevated troponin T. The patient was appropriately worked up for cardiac causes with ECG and echocardiogram. She had positive antinuclear antibodies, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody and myositis panel. The elevation of troponins was attributed to polymyositis and treated with methotrexate and prednisone with recovery of patient's symptoms. This article emphasises the struggle of diagnosis in a patient with no reported medical history, having low to moderate risk of silent myocardial infarction.

The poor performance of cardiovascular risk scores in identifying patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies at high cardiovascular risk

Framingham risk score (FRS), systematic coronary risk evaluation (SCORE), the 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk algorithm (ASCVD), and their modified risk scores are the most common cardiovascular risk scores. The aim of this case-control study was to evaluate the performance of cardiovascular risk scores in detecting carotid subclinical atherosclerosis (SCA) in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). A total of 123 IIMs patients (71.5% female, mean age 50 ± 14 years) and 123 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were included in this study. Carotid SCA was more prevalent in IIMs patients compared with controls (77.2 vs 50.4%, P < 0.001). Moreover, patients with carotid SCA+ had older age, and all risk scores were significantly higher in IIMs patients with SCA+ compared to subjects with SCA- (all P < 0.001). According to FRS, SCORE, and ASCVD risk scores, 77.9, 96.8, and 66.7% patients with SCA+ were classified as low risk category, respectively. The modified scores also demonstrated a modest improvement in sensitivity. Notably, by adopting the optimal cutoff values, these risk scores had good discrimination on patients with SCA+, with area under curves of 0.802-0.893. In conclusion, all cardiovascular risk scores had a poor performance in identifying IIMs patients at high cardiovascular risk.

Predictive model of diabetes mellitus in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

Objectives

Cardiovascular diseases are the common cause of death in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). Diabetes mellitus was associated with higher cardiovascular mortality, but few studies focused on the risk of diabetes mellitus in IIMs patients. Our study is aimed at developing a predictive model of diabetes mellitus in IIMs patients.

Methods

A total of 354 patients were included in this study, of whom 35 (9.9%) were diagnosed as new-onset diabetes mellitus. The predictive nomogram was drawn based on the features selected by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, univariate logistic regression, multivariable logistic regression, and clinical relationship. The discriminative capacity of the nomogram was assessed by C-index, calibration plot, and clinical usefulness. The predictive model was verified by the bootstrapping validation.

Results

The nomogram mainly included predictors such as age, gender, hypertension, uric acid, and serum creatinine. This predictive model demonstrated good discrimination and calibration in primary cohort (C-index=0.762, 95% CI: 0.677-0.847) and validation cohort (C-index=0.725). Decision curve analysis indicated that this predictive model was clinically useful.

Conclusions

Clinicians can assess the risk of diabetes mellitus in IIMs patients by using this prediction model, and preventive measures should be taken early for high-risk patients, ultimately reducing the adverse cardiovascular prognosis.

Multimodality Screening For (Peri)Myocarditis In Newly Diagnosed Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Cardiac involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM or "myositis") is associated with an approximate 4% mortality, but standardised screening strategies are lacking.

OBJECTIVE

We explored a multimodality screening on potentially reversible cardiac involvement -i.e. active (peri)myocarditis -in newly diagnosed IIM.

METHODS

We included adult IIM patients from 2017 to 2020. At time of diagnosis, patients underwent cardiac evaluation including laboratory biomarkers, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). Based on 2019 consensus criteria for myocarditis, an adjudication committee made diagnoses of definite, probable, possible or no (peri)myocarditis. We explored diagnostic values of sequentially added diagnostic modalities by Constructing Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis in patients with definite/probable versus no (peri)myocarditis.

RESULTS

We included 34 IIM patients, in whom diagnoses of definite (six, 18%), probable (two, 6%), possible (11, 32%), or no (peri)myocarditis (15, 44%) were adjudicated. CART-analysis showed high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (cut-off value < 2.3 times the upper limit of normal (xULN)) ruled out (peri)myocarditis with a sensitivity of 88%, while high-sensitivity troponin I (cut-off value > 2.9 xULN for females and > 1.8 xULN for males) ruled in (peri)myocarditis with a specificity of 100%. Applying high-sensitivity cardiac troponins with these cut-off values in a diagnostic algorithm without and with a CMR to the total population of 34 patients demonstrated a diagnostic accuracy for a clear diagnosis of probable/definite or no (peri)myocarditis of 59% and 68%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

A diagnostic algorithm for detection of (peri)myocarditis in adult IIM may consist of sequential testing with high-sensitivity cardiac troponins and CMR.

Electrocardiogram-Artificial Intelligence and Immune-Mediated Necrotizing Myopathy: Predicting Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Clinical Outcomes

Objective

To characterize the utility of an existing electrocardiogram (ECG)-artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm of left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) in immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM).

Patients and Methods

A retrospective cohort observational study was conducted within our tertiary-care neuromuscular clinic for patients with IMNM meeting European Neuromuscular Centre diagnostic criteria (January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2020). A validated AI algorithm using 12-lead standard ECGs to detect LVD was applied. The output was presented as a percent probability of LVD. Electrocardiograms before and while on immunotherapy were reviewed. The LVD-predicted probability scores were compared with echocardiograms, immunotherapy treatment response, and mortality.

Results

The ECG-AI algorithm had acceptable accuracy in LVD prediction in 74% (68 of 89) of patients with IMNM with available echocardiograms (discrimination threshold, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.6-0.87). This translates into a sensitivity of 80.0% and specificity of 62.8% to detect LVD. Best cutoff probability prediction was 7 times more likely to have LVD (odds ratio, 6.75; 95% CI, 2.11-21.51; P=.001). Early detection occurred in 18% (16 of 89) of patients who initially had normal echocardiograms and were without cardiorespiratory symptoms, of which 6 subsequently advanced to LVD cardiorespiratory failure. The LVD probability scores improved for patients on immunotherapy (median slope, −3.96; R = −0.12; P=.002). Mortality risk was 7 times greater with abnormal LVD probability scores (hazard ratio, 7.33; 95% CI, 1.63-32.88; P=.009).

Conclusion

In IMNM, an AI-ECG algorithm assists detection of LVD, enhancing the decision to advance to echocardiogram testing, while also informing on mortality risk, which is important in the decision of immunotherapy escalation and monitoring.

Subclinical systolic and diastolic myocardial dysfunction in polyphasic polymyositis/dermatomyositis: a 2-year longitudinal study

Background

Cardiac involvement in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality risk; however, little is known about the progression of cardiac dysfunction and long-term data are scarce. In the present work, we intended to prospectively study echocardiographic parameters in patients with IIM for 2 years.

Methods

Twenty-eight IIM patients (41.9±1.6 years) without cardiovascular symptoms were enrolled. Patients with monophasic/polyphasic disease patterns were studied separately and compared to age-matched healthy individuals. Conventional echocardiographic and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) parameters of systolic [LV: ejection fraction (EF), mitral annulus systolic movement (MAPSE), lateral s′) and diastolic left (mitral inflow velocities, lateral anulus velocities: e′, a′, E/e′) and right ventricular function (fractional area change: FAC, tricuspid annulus plane systolic excursion: TAPSE) were measured at the time of the diagnosis and 2 years later.

Results

Subclinical LV systolic dysfunction is characterized by reduced lateral s′ (10.4 vs. 6.4 cm/s, p<0.05), EF (62.6±0.6%, vs. 51.7±0.7%) and MAPSE (18.5±0.6 vs. 14.5±0.6 mm) could be observed in IIM patients with polyphasic disease course 2 years after diagnosis compared to controls. Furthermore, diastolic LV function showed a marked deterioration to grade I diastolic dysfunction at 2 years in the polyphasic group (lateral e′: 12.9 ±0.6, vs. 7.4±0.3 cm/s; lateral a′: 10.7±0.3, vs. 17.3±0.8 cm/s; p<0.05) supported by larger left atrium (32.1±0.6 vs. 37.8±0.6 mm; p<0.05]. TDI measurements confirmed subclinical RV systolic dysfunction in polyphasic patients 2 years after diagnosis (FAC: 45.6±1.8%, vs. 32.7±1.4%; TAPSE: 22.7±0.5, vs. 18.1±0.3 mm; p<0.05). Similar, but not significant tendencies could be detected in patients with monophasic disease patterns. Polyphasic patients showed significantly (p<0.05) worse results compared to monophasic patients regarding EF (51.7±0.7% vs. 58.1±0.6%), lateral s′ (6.4±0.4 cm/sec vs. 8.6±0.4 cm/s,), left atrium (37.8±0.6 mm vs. 33.3±0.8 mm), FAC (32.7±1.4% vs. 41.0±1.6%) and TAPSE (18.1±0.3 mm vs. 21.3±0.7 mm).

Conclusions

Significant subclinical cardiac dysfunction could be detected in IIM patients with polyphasic disease course 2 years after diagnosis, which identifies them as a high-risk population. TDI is a useful method to detect echocardiographic abnormalities in IIM complementing conventional echocardiography and can recognize the high cardiac risk.

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance in Rheumatology to Detect Cardiac Involvement Since Early and Pre-clinical Stages of the Autoimmune Diseases: A Narrative Review

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) encompass multisystem disorders, and cardiovascular involvement is a well-known feature of autoimmune and inflammatory rheumatic conditions. Unfortunately, subclinical and early cardiovascular involvement remains clinically silent and often undetected, despite its well-documented impact on patient management and prognostication with an even more significant effect on severe and future MACE events as the disease progresses. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), today, commands a unique position of supremacy versus its competition in cardiac assessment and is the gold standard for the non-invasive evaluation of cardiac function, structure, morphology, tissue characterization, and flow with the capability of evaluating biventricular function; myocardium for edema, ischemia, fibrosis, infarction; valves for thickening, large masses; pericardial inflammation, pericardial effusions, and tamponade; cardiac cavities for thrombosis; conduction related abnormalities and features of microvascular and large vessel involvement. As precise and early detection of cardiovascular involvement plays a critical role in improving the outcome of rheumatic and autoimmune conditions, our review aims to highlight the evolving role of CMR in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic sclerosis (SSc), limited sclerosis (LSc), adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD), polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) (formerly Churg-Strauss syndrome), and DRESS syndrome (DS). It draws attention to the need for concerted, systematic global interdisciplinary research to improve future outcomes in autoimmune-related rheumatic conditions with multiorgan, multisystem, and cardiovascular involvement.

Skeletal Muscle Disorders: A Noncardiac Source of Cardiac Troponin T

BACKGROUND

Cardiac troponin (cTn) T and cTnI are considered cardiac specific and equivalent in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. Previous studies suggested rare skeletal myopathies as a noncardiac source of cTnT. We aimed to confirm the reliability/cardiac specificity of cTnT in patients with various skeletal muscle disorders (SMDs).

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled patients presenting with muscular complaints (≥2 weeks) for elective evaluation in 4 hospitals in 2 countries. After a cardiac workup, patients were adjudicated into 3 predefined cardiac disease categories. Concentrations of cTnT/I and resulting cTnT/I mismatches were assessed with high-sensitivity (hs-) cTnT (hs-cTnT-Elecsys) and 3 hs-cTnI assays (hs-cTnI-Architect, hs-cTnI-Access, hs-cTnI-Vista) and compared with those of control subjects without SMD presenting with adjudicated noncardiac chest pain to the emergency department (n=3508; mean age, 55 years; 37% female). In patients with available skeletal muscle biopsies, TNNT/I1-3 mRNA differential gene expression was compared with biopsies obtained in control subjects without SMD.

RESULTS

Among 211 patients (mean age, 57 years; 42% female), 108 (51%) were adjudicated to having no cardiac disease, 44 (21%) to having mild disease, and 59 (28%) to having severe cardiac disease. hs-cTnT/I concentrations significantly increased from patients with no to those with mild and severe cardiac disease for all assays (all P<0.001). hs-cTnT-Elecsys concentrations were significantly higher in patients with SMD versus control subjects (median, 16 ng/L [interquartile range (IQR), 7-32.5 ng/L] versus 5 ng/L [IQR, 3-9 ng/L]; P<0.001), whereas hs-cTnI concentrations were mostly similar (hs-cTnI-Architect, 2.5 ng/L [IQR, 1.2-6.2 ng/L] versus 2.9 ng/L [IQR, 1.8-5.0 ng/L]; hs-cTnI-Access, 3.3 ng/L [IQR, 2.4-6.1 ng/L] versus 2.7 ng/L [IQR, 1.6-5.0 ng/L]; and hs-cTnI-Vista, 7.4 ng/L [IQR, 5.2-13.4 ng/L] versus 7.5 ng/L [IQR, 6-10 ng/L]). hs-cTnT-Elecsys concentrations were above the upper limit of normal in 55% of patients with SMD versus 13% of control subjects (P<0.01). mRNA analyses in skeletal muscle biopsies (n=33), mostly (n=24) from individuals with noninflammatory myopathy and myositis, showed 8-fold upregulation of TNNT2, encoding cTnT (but none for TNNI3, encoding cTnI) versus control subjects (n=16, P_Wald<0.001); the expression correlated with pathological disease activity (R=0.59, P_t-statistic<0.001) and circulating hs-cTnT concentrations (R=0.26, P_t-statistic=0.031).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with active chronic SMD, elevations in cTnT concentrations are common and not attributable to cardiac disease in the majority. This was not observed for cTnI and may be explained in part by re-expression of cTnT in skeletal muscle.

REGISTRATION

URL: https://www.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov; Unique identifier: NCT03660969.

Using multi-parametric quantitative MRI to screen for cardiac involvement in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) is a group of heterogeneous autoimmune systemic diseases, which not only involve skeletal muscle but also myocardium. Cardiac involvement in IIM, which eventually develops into heart failure, is difficult to identify by conventional examinations at early stage. The aim of this study was to investigate if multi-parametric cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging can screen for early cardiac involvement in IIM, compared with clinical score (Myositis Disease Activity Assessment Tool, MDAAT). Forty-nine patients of IIM, and 25 healthy control subjects with comparable age-range and sex-ratio were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent CMR examination, and multi-slice short-axis and 4-chamber cine MRI were acquired to evaluate biventricular global circumferential strain (GCS) and global longitudinal strain (GLS). Native T1 and T2 mapping were performed, and post-contrast T1 mapping and LGE were acquired after administration of contrast. A CMR score was developed from native T1 mean and T2 mean for the identification of cardiac involvement in the IIM cohort. Using contingency tables MDAAT and CMR were compared and statistically analyzed using McNemar test. McNemar’s test revealed no significant difference between CMR score and MDAAT (p = 0.454). CMR score had potential to screen for early cardiac involvement in IIM patients, compared to MDAAT.

[Dermatomyositis and juvenile dermatomyositis]

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an inflammatory multisystem disease of unknown etiology, which can already occur in children but first onset can also be in older adulthood. Myalgia and muscle weakness can occur later in the course of the disease or even be completely absent in some forms. Classical signs on the skin include heliotrope rash, facial erythema, Gottron's papules and nailfold capillary abnormalities. For the diagnosis, screening for the presence of myositis-specific autoantibodies has become increasingly more relevant. Muscle enzymes may be elevated but not in approximately one third of patients. In the absence of typical clinical or serologic findings, additional examination methods such as nailfold capillaroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, electromyography, skin or muscle biopsies may help to establish the diagnosis. Depending on the clinical and serological subtype, additional screening for gastrointestinal or cardiopulmonary involvement should be considered. In adults, an age-appropriate tumor screening should also be performed. Apart from corticosteroids as induction therapy, biologics and small molecule inhibitors are gaining in importance in addition to conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and intravenous immunoglobulins. The prognosis for DM and juvenile DM (JDM) has improved. Most patients recover at least to some extent; however, a few patients die and a minority develop persisting muscle atrophy or severe calcinosis.

Seronegative immune-mediated necrotising myopathy complicated by fulminant myocarditis resulting in cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest

A woman in her late 30s recently diagnosed with viral myopericarditis presented with 1 month of worsening fatigue, diffuse myalgias and chest pain radiating to her back. While undergoing work-up for chest wall myositis, she rapidly decompensated, developing heart failure and acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure. Her clinical course was complicated by cardiac arrest and severe cardiogenic shock requiring intra-aortic balloon pump support.

Managing myocarditis in a patient with newly diagnosed dermatomyositis

A woman in her 20s presented with chest pain, dyspnoea, arthralgia, muscle weakness and skin discolouration. She was diagnosed with dermatomyositis. During her admission, she developed pleuritic chest pain and shortness of breath accompanied by a significant troponin I rise. Her echocardiogram showed a hyperdynamic left ventricle with a trivial pericardial effusion; there were no regional wall motion abnormalities. Gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepantaacetic-enhanced cardiac MRI showed extensive myocarditis. She was started on corticosteroids and azathioprine which led to an improvement of symptoms and biochemical markers.

ECG Changes Through Immunosuppressive Therapy Indicate Cardiac Abnormality in Anti-MDA5 Antibody-Positive Clinically Amyopathic Dermatomyositis

Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody, a dermatomyositis (DM)-specific antibody, is strongly associated with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) who are anti-MDA5 antibody positive [anti-MDA5 (+)] often experience chest symptoms during the active disease phase. These symptoms are primarily explained by respiratory failure; nevertheless, cardiac involvement can also be symptomatic. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate cardiac involvement in anti-MDA5 (+) DM. A total of 63 patients with IIM who underwent electrocardiography (ECG) and ultrasound cardiography (UCG) during the active disease phase from 2016 to 2021 [anti-MDA5 (+) group, n = 21; anti-MDA5-negative (-) group, n = 42] were enrolled in the study, and their clinical charts were retrospectively reviewed. The ECG and UCG findings were compared between the anti-MDA5 (+) and anti-MDA5 (-) groups. All anti-MDA5 (+) patients had DM with ILD. The anti-MDA5 (+) group showed more frequent skin ulcerations and lower levels of leukocytes, muscle enzymes, and electrolytes (Na, K, Cl, and Ca) than the anti-MDA5 (-) group. According to the ECG findings obtained during the active disease phase, the T wave amplitudes were significantly lower for the anti-MDA5 (+) group than for the anti-MDA5 (-) group (I, II, and V4-6 lead; p < 0.01; aVF and V3, p < 0.05). However, the lower amplitudes were restored during the remission phase. Except for the E wave, A wave and Sep e', the UCG results showed no significant differences between the groups. Four patients with anti-MDA5 (+) DM had many leads with lower T wave and cardiac abnormalities (heart failure, diastolic dysfunction, myocarditis) on and after admission. Though anti-MDA5 (+) patients clinically improved after immunosuppressive therapy, some of their ECG findings did not fully recover in remission phase. In conclusion, anti-MDA5 (+) DM appears to show cardiac involvement (electrical activity and function) during the active phase. Further studies are necessary to clarify the actual cardiac condition and mechanism of these findings in patients with anti-MDA5 (+) DM.

Predictive Value of Echocardiographic Strain for Myocardial Fibrosis and Adverse Outcomes in Autoimmune Diseases

Background

Myocardial fibrosis is an important pathophysiologic mechanism of cardiac involvement that leads to increased mortality in patients with autoimmune diseases (AIDs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between myocardial strain from speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) and fibrosis on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and to further explore their prognostic implications in patients with AIDs.

Methods

We prospectively included 102 AIDs patients with clinically suspected cardiac involvement and 102 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. Patients underwent CMR for evaluation of myocardial fibrosis by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and T1 mapping. A semiquantitative evaluation based on the extent of LGE was used to calculate the total (tLGEs) and segmental (sLGEs) LGE score. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) was evaluated by STE in all subjects. All patients were regularly followed up every 6 months. The primary endpoint was the composite incidence of all-cause death and cardiovascular hospitalization.

Results

Compared to healthy controls, AIDs patients had impaired GLS (−17.9 ± 5.1% vs. −21.2 ± 2.5%, p &lt; 0.001). LGE was detected in 70% of patients. Patients with LGE presented worse GLS (−17.1 ± 5.3% vs. −19.6 ± 4.1%, p = 0.018) than those without LGE. On multivariate logistic analysis, GLS ≥ −15% was an independent predictor of LGE presence (OR = 4.98, 95%CI 1.35–18.33, p = 0.016). Moreover, a marked and stepwise impairment of segmental longitudinal strain (−19.3 ± 6.6 vs. −14.9 ± 6.5 vs. −8.9 ± 6.3, p &lt; 0.001) was observed as sLGEs increased. During a median follow-up time of 25 months, 6 patients died, and 14 patients were hospitalized for cardiovascular reasons. Both GLS ≥ −15% (HR 3.56, 95%CI 1.28–9.86, p = 0.015) and tLGEs ≥ 6 (HR 4.13, 95%CI 1.43–11.92, p = 0.009) were independently associated with the primary endpoint.

Conclusions

In AIDs patients, impaired myocardial strain on STE could reflect the presence and extent of myocardial fibrosis and provide incremental prognostic value in addition to LGE in the prediction of adverse outcomes.

Electrophysiological, structural, and functional disorders in patients with inflammatory cardiomyopathy secondary to inflammatory myopathy

Background

Inflammatory cardiomyopathy (IC) is a syndrome with chronic myocarditis and cardiac remodeling. This study aimed to explore predicting factors of adverse outcomes in patients with IC secondary to idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM‐IC).

Methods

By means of a single‐center retrospective study, 52 patients with IIM‐IC at Peking Union Medical College Hospital were identified from January 1999 to June 2019. Electrocardiogram and echocardiography data were analyzed for the primary outcome (defined as all‐cause death) and secondary outcomes (defined as re‐hospitalization of heart failure and all‐cause death), using regression and survival analysis.

Results

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, Q‐wave abnormality, left ventricular conduction abnormalities, and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (≤40%) were 65.4%, 67.3%, 67.3%, 61.6%, and 50.5%. After a median follow‐up of 2 years (IQR 0.8–3.0), 26 cases were readmitted due to heart failure. Twenty‐two deaths were recorded, including 20 cardiogenic deaths. Among the patients with adverse events, the incidence of poor R‐wave progression, low‐voltage of the limb leads, Q‐wave abnormality, QRS duration >130 ms, left ventricular enlargement, and impaired systolic function were higher. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that Q‐wave abnormality, limb leads low‐voltage, LVEF ≤40%, and left ventricular end‐diastolic dimension >60 mm were correlated with shorter survival. However, multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that only Q‐wave abnormality (HR = 12.315) and LVEF ≤40% (HR = 5.616) were independent risk factors for all‐cause death.

Conclusion

Q‐wave abnormality and reduced LVEF are predictive of poor prognosis in patients with IIM‐IC.

Coronary Heart Disease and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients With Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives:

It is well-established that the association between atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) and connective tissue diseases (CTDs), but the relationship between coronary heart disease (CHD) and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) remains controversial yet. The aim of this meta-analysis is to systematically evaluate the risk of CHD in IIMs patients. In addition, we explore differences in traditional cardiovascular risk factors between IIMs patients and controls.

Methods:

We searched Pubmed, EMBASE and Cochrane databases to identify relevant observational studies published in English up to August 2021. Pooled relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using the generic inverse variance method for the risk of CHD. A meta-proportion analysis was conducted to assess differences in cardiovascular risk factors between two groups.

Results:

A total of 15 studies met inclusion criteria: seven studies focused on CHD and nine studies focused on traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The results demonstrated that IIMs patients had a higher risk of CHD (RR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.40–3.42). Hypertension (OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.28–1.61), diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.55–1.81) and dyslipidemia (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.19–1.84) were more prevalent in IIMs patients compared with controls. However, there was a significant heterogeneity among studies assessing the risk of CHD and hypertension. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that definition of CHD, country and sample size may be potential sources of heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

IIMs patients were at increased risk of CHD, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors appeared more prevalent in IIMs patients. This systemic review offers the proof that early appropriate interventions could reduce cardiovascular-associated morbidity and mortality in IIMs patients.

Myocarditis in systemic immune-mediated diseases: Prevalence, characteristics and prognosis. A systematic review

Many systemic immune-mediated diseases (SIDs) may involve the heart and present as myocarditis with different histopathological pictures, i.e. lymphocytic, eosinophilic, granulomatous, and clinical features, ranging from a completely asymptomatic patient to life-threatening cardiogenic shock or arrhythmias. Myocarditis can be part of some SIDs, such as sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, antiphospholipid syndrome, dermato-polymyositis, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis and other vasculitis syndromes, but also of some organ-based immune-mediated diseases with systemic expression, such as chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. The aim of this review is to describe the prevalence, main clinical characteristics and prognosis of myocarditis associated with SIDs.

[Clinical and immunological characteristics of 88 cases of overlap myositis]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical and immunological characteristics of overlap myositis (OM) patients.

METHODS

The data of 368 patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) admitted to Peking University People's Hospital from January 2004 to August 2020 were analyzed retrospectively, including demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics (including fever, Gottron' s sign/papules, Heliotrope rash, V-sign, Shawl sign, Mechanic' s hands, skin ulceration, periungual erythema, subcutaneous calcinosis, dysphagia, myalgia, myasthenia, arthritis, Raynaud' s phenomenon, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension and myocardial involvement), laboratory characteristics, immunological characteristics [including antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factors, myositis-associated autoantibodies (MAAs) and myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs)] and survival. The clinical and immunological characteristics and prognostic differences of OM and non-OM were compared. The Kaplan-Meier and Log Rank methods were used to analyze the survival.

RESULTS

A total of 368 patients were included. 23.9% (88/368) of IIMs patients were OM patients. Among the 88 OM patients, 85.2% (75/88) of them were female, and the median interval between disease onset and diagnosis was 13.5 months. The incidence of overlapped connective tissue diseases in the OM patients was dermatomyositis (DM) in 60.2%, polymyositis (PM) in 3.4%, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) in 2.3% and anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS) in 34.1%. Compared with the non-OM patients, the proportion of the females in the OM patients was higher (85.2% vs. 72.1%, P=0.016), the OM patients had longer disease duration [13.5(4.5, 48.0) months vs. 4.0(2.0, 12.0) months, P < 0.001]. As for clinical characteristics, compared with the non-OM patients, the incidence of V-sign (25.0% vs. 44.6%, P=0.001) and periungual erythema (8.0% vs. 19.6%, P=0.013) were lower; the incidence of Raynaud's phenomenon (14.8% vs. 1.8%, P < 0.001), interstitial pneumonia (88.6% vs. 72.1%, P=0.001), pulmonary hypertension (22.7% vs. 7.5%, P < 0.001) and myocardial involvement (18.2% vs. 9.3%, P=0.033) were higher. As for immunological characteristics, compared with the non-OM patients, the incidence of elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (31.8% vs. 45.0%, P=0.035) was lower and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) (58.0% vs. 44.6%, P=0.037) was higher; the positive rates of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) (85.1% vs. 63.4%, P=0.001) and rheumatoid factors (RF) (40.2% vs. 17.8%, P < 0.001) and anti-Ro-52 (71.6% vs. 56.1%, P=0.038) in serum were higher. There was no significant difference in the survival between the OM patients and non-OM patients.

CONCLUSION

Pulmonary hypertension and myocardial involvement were frequently observed in OM.

Kardiale Beteiligungen bei rheumatologischen Erkrankungen – eine Übersicht

Rheumatische Erkrankungen gehen mit einem erhöhten kardiovaskulären Risiko einher, können darüber hinaus jedoch im Bereich aller kardialen Strukturen zu spezifischen entzündlichen Veränderungen führen. Symptome wie Dyspnoe, Tachykardie und Leistungsminderung stehen patientenseitig im Vordergrund, wenngleich kardiale Beteiligungen nicht selten asymptomatisch verlaufen. Diagnostisch werden neben der klinischen Untersuchung und laborchemischen Verfahren apparative Diagnostiken wie Echokardiografie und Kardio-MRT aber auch invasive Verfahren wie die Herzkatheteruntersuchung und Myokardbiopsie angewendet. Die Therapie richtet sich nach der Grunderkrankung, den betroffenen kardialen Strukturen und reicht von einer medikamentösen Therapie bis zu interventionell-operativem Vorgehen.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), also known as myositis, are a heterogeneous group of autoimmune disorders with varying clinical manifestations, treatment responses and prognoses. Muscle weakness is usually the classical clinical manifestation but other organs can be affected, including the skin, joints, lungs, heart and gastrointestinal tract, and they can even result in the predominant manifestations, supporting that IIM are systemic inflammatory disorders. Different myositis-specific auto-antibodies have been identified and, on the basis of clinical, histopathological and serological features, IIM can be classified into several subgroups - dermatomyositis (including amyopathic dermatomyositis), antisynthetase syndrome, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy, inclusion body myositis, polymyositis and overlap myositis. The prognoses, treatment responses and organ manifestations vary among these groups, implicating different pathophysiological mechanisms in each subtype. A deeper understanding of the molecular pathways underlying the pathogenesis and identifying the auto-antigens of the immune reactions in these subgroups is crucial to improving outcomes. New, more homogeneous subgroups defined by auto-antibodies may help define disease mechanisms and will also be important in future clinical trials for the development of targeted therapies and in identifying biomarkers to guide treatment decisions for the individual patient.

Underdiagnosis of cardiopulmonary involvement in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

Objectives

In the course of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies internal organs, including heart and lungs, can be involved. Cardiopulmonary complications significantly alter the course of the disease, leading to poorer prognosis. A lack of clear guidelines on the assessment of internal organ involvement in the course of myositis increases the risk of underdiagnosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence of clinical symptoms indicative of cardiovascular and pulmonary involvement in patients with myositis, and the impact of these ailments on daily living.

Material and methods

A self-designed online survey was distributed via online support groups and community forums for patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. The questionnaire contained inquiries about demographical data, clinical symptoms, including symptoms indicative of cardiopulmonary involvement, as well as the standardised Health Assessment Questionnaire. Respondents were divided according to concomitant diseases into a subgroup diagnosed with cardiopulmonary diseases and a subgroup without such comorbidities. The prevalence of cardiopulmonary symptoms was compared between the subgroups. The impact of cardiopulmonary symptoms on the degree of disability and daily functioning was assessed.

Results

In total, 370 patients were included in the study group. The most commonly symptoms included dyspnoea during exercise, palpitations and ankle oedema during daily activities. Cardiopulmonary symptoms were frequent in respondents diagnosed with cardiopulmonary diseases and in patients declaring no comorbidities of the heart and lungs. Intensity of chest pain, tolerance of physical activity, and fatigue were comparable in both of the study subgroups. The degree of disability was higher in respondents with concomitant cardiovascular and/or pulmonary comorbidities, but only dry cough and ankle oedema impacted the results.

Conclusions

Clinical symptoms indicative of heart and lung involvement occur frequently in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies; however, cardiopulmonary complications seem to be relatively rarely detected. Active screening for cardiopulmonary involvement is recommended.

Cardiovascular events in adult polymyositis and dermatomyositis: a meta-analysis of observational studies

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to review whether polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) patients have an increased cardiovascular (CV) risk, including ischaemic heart disease (IHD), cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), and venous thromboembolism (VTE).

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane database for relevant studies from inception to February 2021.

RESULTS

Twenty-two studies comprising 25,433 patients were included. With PM/DM versus general populations, the risk was significantly increased for CV events (relative risk (RR)=2.37, 95%CI:1.86-3.02). The RR of CV events for males with PM/DM was higher than for females (RR = 1.43; 95%CI:1.17-1.74). PM/DM patients followed for one to five years had a significantly higher CV risk than those followed for five to ten years (RR = 3.51, 95%CI:1.95-6.32). The risk was increased for North Americans (RR = 4.28, 95%CI:2.57-7.11), Europeans (RR = 2.29, 95%CI:1.58-3.31), and Asians (RR = 2.03, 95%CI:1.41-2.90). Our meta-analysis found that the elevated CV event risk was related to PM (RR = 2.35, 95%CI:1.51-3.66) and DM (RR = 2.55, 95%CI:1.66-3.93). Subgroup analyses showed that the risk was significantly increased for IHD (RR = 1.76, 95%CI:1.40-2.21), CVA morbidity (RR = 1.31, 95%CI:1.03-1.67), and ischaemic stroke (IS) (RR = 1.47, 95%CI:1.26-1.73), with no statistically significant increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke mortality (RR = 1.43, 95%CI:0.92-2.21). The CV event risk was increased for VTE (RR = 4.60, 95%CI:3.17-6.66), deep venous thrombosis (DVT) (RR = 5.53, 95%CI:3.25-9.39), and pulmonary embolism (PE) (RR = 5.26, 95%CI:2.62-10.55).

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis found that PM/DM patients had a ∼2.37 times increased CV risk, particularly males diagnosed in the previous five years. PM/DM may be an independent risk factor for developing IHD, IS, DVT, and PE.

Left ventricle diastolic dysfunction in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: A meta-analysis and systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Recent studies have confirmed that heart failure is one of the most important causes of death in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). Left ventricle diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is closely associated with heart failure. Our aim is to determine if the prevalence of LVDD is increased in IIM patients.

METHODS

We performed a time- and language-restricted literature search to identify studies conducted to compare the echocardiographic parameters in IIM patients and controls. Mean differences were used to calculate the effect sizes of the echocardiographic parameters.

RESULTS

A total of 13 studies met the inclusion criteria and comprised a total of 227 juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) patients, 391 adult IIM patients, and 550 controls. The adult IIM patients had lower mitral annular early diastolic velocity (e') and peak of early diastolic flow velocity/peak of late diastolic flow velocity (E/A) ratio compared to controls. The mean left atrial dimension and E/e' ratio was higher in adult IIM patients as compared to controls. Similarly, in JDM patients, the decreased e' was also observed.

CONCLUSION

Patients with IIM were more likely to have echocardiographic parameters indicative of diastolic dysfunction. The early heart assessments should be performed in IIM patients.

Changes in total body fat and body mass index among children with juvenile dermatomyositis treated with high-dose glucocorticoids

OBJECTIVE

High-dose glucocorticoids (GC) remain the primary therapy to induce remission in Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM). Studies of the natural history of GC associated weight gain in children are very limited, especially in the JDM population. This study aims to measure BMI changes in a cohort of JDM subjects over 60 months and to examine the changes in body composition by DXA.

METHODS

We included all subjects with JDM who had 5 years of follow-up data and multiple DXA studies. BMI and total body fat (TBF) percentiles were calculated based on the CDC published percentile charts. To study the natural history of weight gain and TBF, we assessed the data at four-time points (T0 = baseline, T1 > 1.5 years, T2 = 1.51-3.49 years, T3 = 3.5-5 years).

RESULTS

68 subjects (78% female, 70% white) were included in this retrospective study. Paired T-test showed a significant increase in the mean BMI percentile by 17.5 points (P = 0.004) after the initiation of medical treatment, followed by a gradual decrease over the study period. However, the TBF percentile did not change over the study period. TBF in the last visit (T3) had a strong correlation with the T1 BMI, and T1 TBF percentile (correlation coefficients 0.63, 0.56 P < 0.001, 0.002 respectively). Also, there was a positive correlation (correlation coefficients 0.39, P = 0.002) between the TBF percentile and muscle DAS but not the skin DAS.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the BMI percentile decreased throughout the study, the TBF percentile remained high until the end of the study (60 months). This finding raises the concern that some of the reduction in the BMI percentile could reflect a drop in the lean body mass from muscle wasting rather than actual fat loss.

Ventricular arrhythmia predicts poor outcome in polymyositis/dermatomyositis with myocardial involvement

OBJECTIVE

Myocardial involvement (MCI) is known to increase morbidity and mortality in polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM). This study aims to investigate whether complicating with ventricular arrhythmia (VA) predicts poor outcomes in patients with PM/DM-related myocardial involvement (PM/DM-MCI).

METHODS

We reviewed all PM/DM-MCI patients admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from October 1997 to April 2019. VA and the other possible risk factors for the composite endpoint, including death from any cause and rehospitalization for cardiac causes, were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 75 PM/DM-MCI patients (44 PM and 31 DM) were enrolled, of which 27 (36%) met the composite endpoint during a median follow-up of 24 months. Independent prognostic factors for the composite endpoint include VA [HR 4.215, 95% CI (1.737, 10.230)], NT-proBNP > 3415 pg/ml [HR 2.606, 95% CI (1.203, 5.646)], interstitial lung disease [HR 2.688, 95% CI (1.209, 5.978)], and anti-cardiac remodelling therapy [HR 0.302, 95% CI (0.115, 0.792)]. The 3-year event-free survival rate of patients without VA was significantly higher than that of patients with VA (63.3% vs 40.7%, P = 0.034). Skin lesions [OR 0.163, 95% CI (0.051, 0.523)] and positive antimitochondrial antibody [OR 3.484, 95% CI (1.192, 10.183)] were independent predictors of VA.

CONCLUSION

VA provides prognostic insights for PM/DM-MCI patients and predicts poor outcome. Polymyositis and positive antimitochondrial antibody are closely associated with the presence of VA in PM/DM-MCI.

Defining cardiac involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Recent advances in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and other diagnostic techniques have made it easier to identify subclinical cardiac inflammation and dysfunction in the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM). Herein, we systematically review the literature regarding cardiac involvement in IIM.

METHODS

We searched Medline and EMBASE from 1990-2020 using keywords related to IIM and cardiac disease. We included English language studies in adults with any immune-mediated, inflammatory muscle pathology.

RESULTS

We identified 10425 potentially relevant abstracts, of which 29 were included. Most frequently these included patients with polymyositis or dermatomyositis without symptomatic myocarditis. Five categories of cardiac investigation were used in these patients: cardiac enzyme testing, electrocardiography (ECG), transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), CMR and nuclear medicine testing. Patients with clinical myocarditis had universally abnormal cardiac troponin levels and ECG. Elevated cardiac troponin T was more common than troponin I (cTnI) and may correlate with disease activity, whereas cTnI was more specific for cardiac involvement. Non-specific ECG changes were common. The major finding on TTE was abnormal ejection fraction. Gross systolic dysfunction was unusual, but subclinical systolic dysfunction was reported in several studies. Abnormal diastolic function was common and may be associated with disease duration. Late gadolinium enhancement (reflecting regional necrosis or scar) and abnormal myocardial mapping parameters (reflecting myocardial inflammation, fibrosis and oedema) were frequently identified on CMR, suggesting significant subclinical myocardial pathology (despite typically normal ejection fraction).

CONCLUSION

Abnormal cardiac investigations are commonly found in asymptomatic IIM patients, which has potential prognostic and treatment implications.

Myocardial involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: a multi-center cross-sectional study in the CRDC-MYO Registry

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the associated factors of myocardial involvements (MIs) in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs).

METHODS

In this multi-center cross-sectional study, 1946 patients with IIMs were enrolled from Chinese Rheumatism Data Center-Myositis Registry (CRDC-MYO). A total of 108 (5.5%) patients were identified with MIs, including congestive heart failure (n = 67, 62.0%), and severe arrhythmias (n = 61, 56.5%). The other 1838 IIM patients without IMs were set as the control group. Clinical features were collected including age, gender, comorbidities, clinical symptoms, clinical signs of both IIMs and MIs, lab findings including myositis-specific antibodies (MSAs) and myositis-associated antibodies (MAAs), echocardiogram, and radiological exams. Multivariate logistic analysis was used to explore independent associated factors of MIs in patients with IIMs.

RESULTS

Several independent associated factors were identified in multi-variate logistic regression, including positivity for anti-mitochondrial antibody-subtype 2 (AMA-M2) (OR 5.194, 95% CI 2.509-10.753, P < 0.001), elevation of creatine kinase (CK) (OR 2.611, 95% CI 1.312-5.198, P = 0.006), elevation of C-reactive protein (CRP) (OR 2.150, 95% CI 1.211-3.818, P = 0.001), and pulmonary hypertension (OR 4.165, 95% CI 1.765-9.882, P = 0.009). AMA-M2 and pulmonary hypertension were the most consistent associated factors in the polymyositis subgroup and the dermatomyositis/clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS

MIs are rare but serious complication of IIMs could lead to congestive heart failure and severe arrhythmias. IIM patients with AMA-M2 positivity, elevation of CK and CRP, and pulmonary hypertension are more likely to develop MI complications. Key Points • This study investigated the independent associated factors for clinically significant myocardial involvements among idiopathic inflammatory myopathies in a large-scale, nation-wide multi-center cross-sectional study.

Time-Dependent Analysis of Risk of New-Onset Heart Failure Among Patients With Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis

OBJECTIVE

To determine the risk and time trends of heart failure (HF) leading to hospitalization in individuals newly diagnosed as having polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) relative to non-PM/DM controls at the general population level.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from a nationwide insurance database in Taiwan. Patients with incident PM/DM and without a history of HF were selected between 2000 and 2013. Unmatched and propensity score-matched cohorts were established separately. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for the risk of HF in the unmatched cohort. In the propensity score-matched cohort, general population controls were selected and matched at a 1:1 ratio to the patients with PM/DM based on propensity scores, which accounted for the confounding factors of age, sex, index date (year) of first diagnosis, comorbidities, and medication usage. The cumulative incidence of HF was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. A stratified Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate the HR for the risk of HF events at different follow-up time points among patients with PM/DM compared with non-PM/DM controls in the propensity score-matched cohort.

RESULTS

In the unmatched cohort, the study assessed 2,025 patients with PM/DM and 196,109 general population controls. Results of multivariable Cox regression analysis, adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, and medication usage, revealed a greater risk of HF leading to hospitalization in the PM/DM group than in the control group (adjusted HR 3.29, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 2.60-4.18). After matching based on propensity score, a total of 1,997 pairs of PM/DM patients and general population controls were identified. In this propensity score-matched cohort, the cumulative incidence of HF in patients with PM/DM at 3 years, 5 years, and 10 years was 3.3%, 4.4%, and 7.4%, respectively. The absolute difference in HF risk in the PM/DM group compared with the control group was 1.8% at 3 years, 2.1% at 5 years, and 3.0% at 10 years. Compared with general population controls, patients with PM/DM exhibited an augmented risk of HF (HR 2.06, 95% CI 1.36-3.12). Analyses stratified according to follow-up time point revealed that the increased risk of HF persisted for up to 10 years after the PM/DM diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that the risk of HF leading to hospitalization was increased in patients with PM/DM throughout the study period, supporting the need for greater vigilance in the monitoring of patients with PM/DM for the development of this potentially lethal complication.

Necrotizing myopathy presenting as congestive heart failure and life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias: a case report

Background

Necrotizing autoimmune myopathy is a rare subtype of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy; however, it can be associated with fatal cardiac manifestations.

Case summary

A 58-year-old female patient was referred for congestive heart failure with dysrhythmia. Electrocardiograms showed ventricular arrhythmias of various QRS complex morphologies and coupling intervals with beat-to-beat differences. Despite optimal medical therapy for heart failure, the patient was admitted for the progression of dyspnoea and generalized motor weakness. The burden of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia gradually increased, and ventricular fibrillation eventually occurred. In view of a differential diagnosis of an inflammatory myocardial diseases such as sarcoidosis, a cardiac biopsy was performed. However, pathologic examinations revealed only necrotic muscle fibres without granuloma. Further examinations revealed proximal dominant motor weakness, an elevated serum creatinine-phosphokinase level, myogenic potentials on needle electromyography, and biceps muscle biopsy findings that were compatible with necrotizing autoimmune myopathy. High-dose steroid therapy improved the patient's motor weakness, including her respiratory impairment, and successfully suppressed ventricular arrhythmias.

Discussion

This case suggests that intensive immunosuppressive therapy with high-dose steroid could be useful in the necrotizing autoimmune myopathy manifested as congestive heart failure and life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.

Rare presentation of antisynthetase syndrome complicated by myocarditis resulting in sustained ventricular tachycardia

We report a complex case of a 66-year-old female patient with a diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) that was later correctly identified as an antisynthetase syndrome. This was only diagnosed after an episode of sustained ventricular tachycardia secondary to myocarditis. In this case report, we focus on the clinical features of this rare autoimmune condition and aim to provide useful tips to both general medical professionals and cardiologists to achieve correct differential diagnosis according to the updated international guidelines and recommendations. Early diagnosis is especially important due to the possible arrhythmogenic complications and the high mortality and morbidity associated with ILD and cardiac abnormalities.

Immunotherapy reversed myopathy but not cardiomyopathy in a necrotizing autoimmune myopathy patient with positive anti-SRP and MDA-5 autoantibodies

Background

Necrotizing autoimmune myopathy (NAM) is pathologically characterized by myofiber necrosis and regeneration with paucity or absence of inflammatory cells in muscle biopsy. Two autoantibodies, namely anti-signal recognition particle (SRP)-antibodies and anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR)-antibodies, are typically specific with NAM. Anti-SRP-positive NAM can be associated with cardiomyopathy which responds well to immunotherapy. Here we reported an anti-SRP-antibody and anti-MDA5-antibody NAM patient who developed severe cardiomyopathy after gaining significant improvement of myopathy and subsequently accepted heart transplantation.

Case presentation

A NAM case with both positive anti-SRP and MDA-5 antibodies who gained significant improvement of the skeletal muscle weakness with immunotherapy, but 3 years later he developed severe dilated cardiomyopathy and at last received heart transplantation. Myocardial biopsy showed disarranged and atrophic myofibers, remarkable interstitial fibrosis without inflammatory infiltrates. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed increased polyubiquitin-binding protein p62/SQSTM1 protein expression and the positive staining of cleaved-caspase 3 in a few cardiomyocytes. After the transplantation, the patient was symptom-free on oral prednisone (10 mg/day) and tacrolimus (2 mg/day).

Conclusions

We described the first case of anti-SRP and anti-MAD5 positive NAM who had received heart transplantation because of cardiopathy. Though the myopathy had been clinically improved after immunotherapy, the cardiomyopathy remained progressive and lethal. The processes of dysfunctional autophagy and augmented apoptosis were putatively pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cardiac damage in anti-SRP and anti-MAD5 positive NAM.

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Mapping and Strain Assessment for the Diagnosis of Cardiac Involvement in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy Patients With Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction

PURPOSE

The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) mapping and strain analysis in the identification of cardiac involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In all, 38 IIM patients who underwent CMR examination at our institution were retrospectively included. Twenty-three age-matched healthy individuals served as controls. Mapping parameters including native T1, extracellular volume (ECV), and T2 mapping and strain parameters including global radial strain, global circumferential strain, and global longitudinal strain were measured semiautomatically using a dedicated processing software. All the mapping and strain values were compared between patients and controls.

RESULTS

Late gadolinium enhancement was only present in IIM patients (n=17, 44.7%). IIM patients showed higher native T1 (1346 vs. 1269 ms, P<0.001), ECV (31.1% vs. 27.4%, P<0.01), and higher T2 (44.4 vs. 39.2 ms, P<0.001) values compared with controls. The global radial strain (36.7% vs. 46.9%, P<0.001), global circumferential strain (-21.2% vs. -24.1%, P<0.01), and global longitudinal strain (-13.6% vs. -15.6%, P<0.05) values were significantly reduced compared with controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Native T1, ECV, T2 values, and global strain values may hold promise for the detection of subclinical myocardial involvement in IIM patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

Clinical Characteristics, Treatment, and Outcomes in Patients with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy Concomitant with Heart Failure

This study sought to evaluate clinical features, treatment patterns, and outcomes of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) complicated by heart failure (HF). Thirty-two patients with IIM-HF admitted to the Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 1999 and January 2018 were retrospectively reviewed, including 14 patients with polymyositis, 11 with dermatomyositis, and 7 with overlap syndrome. Survivors and no-survivors were compared on clinical characteristics and treatment. Although systemic symptoms were variable, all patients presented with elevated troponin I. Rapid atrial arrhythmia was the most frequent arrhythmia. Systolic dysfunction and restrictive diastolic dysfunction were typical presentations in echocardiography. Twenty-nine patients were followed up for a median of 2.8 years (0.1 month to 11 years). We recorded 13 deaths of cardiogenic cause, 1 of serious IIM, and 3 of infective complications. The median survival time from diagnosis of IIM-HF to all-cause mortality was 8.4 months (range from 1 month to 5 years). Both all-cause deaths and cardiogenic deaths were more reported in the methotrexate-alone group than in the combination therapy group (6/7 versus 3/10, P = 0.050; 5/6 versus 2/9, P = 0.041). Combination therapy including methotrexate (HR = 0.188, 95%CI 0.040-0.871, P = 0.033) and taking β-receptor blockers (HR = 0.249, 95%CI 0.086-0.719, P = 0.010) was associated with reduced risk of all-cause deaths. In conclusion, elevated troponin I, atrial arrhythmia, and systolic and restrictive diastolic dysfunction are typical characteristics of IIM-HF. Combined immunosuppression that includes methotrexate and β-receptor blockers seems to be important to improve survival.

Cardiac and Respiratory Complications of Necrotizing Autoimmune Myopathy

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the cardiorespiratory abnormalities in patients with necrotizing autoimmune myopathy (NAM).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Cardiopulmonary features of patients with NAM evaluated in our neuromuscular clinic (January 1, 2004, to September 20, 2018) were reviewed retrospectively with respect to autoantibody status and history of cardiac disease. Clinical characteristics and laboratory findings were compared among patient subgroups.

RESULTS

We identified 109 patients with NAM: 36 anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase autoantibody (anti-HMGCR Ab)-positive, 18 anti-signal recognition particle antibody (anti-SRP Ab)-positive (3 dual anti-HMGCR/anti-SRP Ab-positive), and 58 seronegative. Median age at diagnosis was 60 years (range, 18-86 years). Forty-three patients had dyspnea at presentation and 32 patients had preexisting risk for cardiac disease (10 coronary artery disease and 28 hypertension). The electrocardiogram was abnormal in 55 of 86 patients (33 without cardiac risk factors), including prolonged corrected QT interval (QTc) (n=31), conduction blocks (n=19), and atrial or ventricular ectopic beats (n=10). Echocardiography was abnormal in 34 of 72 patients, including 19 of 45 without preexisting cardiac disease risks. Echocardiographic abnormalities included left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (n=31) and systolic dysfunction (n=8). The left ventricular diastolic dysfunction improved in 4 of 11 patients after treatment. Pulmonary function testing showed changes suggestive of neuromuscular respiratory muscle weakness in 51 of 66 patients and reduced carbon monoxide diffusing capacity in 11 of 35 patients. However, only 6 patients had radiographic evidence of interstitial lung disease (2 anti-HMGCR Ab-positive and 4 seronegative). Overnight oximetry revealed desaturations in 24 of 38 patients. Six patients required mechanical ventilation and 7 required noninvasive ventilatory support.

CONCLUSION

Most patients with NAM exhibited cardiac and respiratory muscle dysfunction. Immunotherapy can improve echocardiographic abnormalities. Interstitial lung disease was rarely identified. Formal evaluation of cardiac and respiratory status should be integral in assessment of patients with NAM.

Echocardiographic study of juvenile dermatomyositis patients: new insights from speckle-tracking-derived strain

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate subclinical left ventricle (LV) systolic dysfunction in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) using two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2DST). Possible associations between LV deformation impairment and disease activity/cumulative damage were also evaluated.

METHODS

Thirty-five consecutive JDM patients without cardiac symptoms and 35 healthy volunteers were enrolled. Clinical data were collected from medical records, and echocardiograms were performed by a pediatric cardiologist, unaware of patients' conditions.

RESULTS

Patients and controls had similar age (12.6 ± 0.7 vs.12.5 ± 0.6; p = 0.97) and gender (11F:24M vs.11F:24M; p = 1.0). Median of JDM duration was 4.6 (0.04-17.6) years, and only 6/35 (17%) had active disease (disease activity score (DAS > 3)). Conventional echocardiogram revealed preserved LV ejection fraction (EF) (≥ 55%) in all individuals. In JDM, 2DST identified reduction of LV longitudinal [-22(-17.2 to -27.9) % vs. -23(-20.8 to -27.4) %; p = 0.028)] and circumferential -23.9 ± 2.8% vs. -26.7 ± 2.9%; p = 0.0002) strain. Lower longitudinal strain was associated with DAS >3 -19.9(-17.2 to -26.5)% vs. -22.1-18.9 to -27.9)%; p = 0.046], MDI extent > 0 [-19(-17.2 to -22.5)% vs. -22.1-19.2 to -27.9)%; p = 0.0008], MDI severity > 0 [-19(-17.2 to -22.1)% vs. -22.3(-20.3 to -27.9)%; p = 0.0001] and calcinosis[-20.6(-17.2 to -23)% vs. -22.3(-20.3 to -27.9)%; p = 0.03]. Lower circumferential strain was associated with MDI extent > 0 (-22.1 ± 3.87% vs. -24.4 ± 2.3%; p = 0.039), MDI severity > 0 (-21.7 ± 3% vs. 24.7 ± 2.3%; p = 0.004) and calcinosis (-22.5 ± 3.3% vs. -24.8 ± 2.1%; p = 0.02). There was a negative correlation between longitudinal strain and cumulative dose of prednisone (r = -0.44; p = 0.009) and methotrexate (r = -0.33; p = 0.0008).

CONCLUSIONS

LV 2DST detected early systolic myocardial compromise in asymptomatic pediatric JDM patients, with preserved EF. Longitudinal strain impairment was associated with disease activity and cumulative damage, whereas circumferential strain impairment was associated exclusively with cumulative damage.

KEY POINTS

• Serious cardiac involvement is rare but has been associated with death in juvenile dermatomyositis. • Two-dimensional speckle tracking stands out for the identification of subclinical myocardial compromise in juvenile dermatomyositis. • Longitudinal strain impairment is associated with disease activity and cumulative damage, whereas circumferential strain impairment is associated exclusively with cumulative damage.

Management of Myocarditis in Myositis: Diagnosis and Treatment

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To provide a summary of the current knowledge on myocarditis in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs).

RECENT FINDINGS

There is increasing epidemiological knowledge about heart involvement generally and myocarditis specifically in IIMs. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) plays an important role in this regard. Myocarditis occupies an important place in the spectrum of pathologies that involve the myocardium in patients with IIMs. Nevertheless, its full impact still remains to be elucidated. A larger cooperation between rheumatologists and cardiologists in the clinical, as well as in the research field, is necessary to expand our knowledge in the area.

Similar risk of cardiovascular events in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy and rheumatoid arthritis in the first 5 years after diagnosis

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the incidence of cardiovascular (CV) events in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) compared to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the general population. To explore the contribution of traditional CV risk factors to any difference observed.

METHODS

A retrospective matched population-based cohort study was conducted using UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) from 1987 to 2013. The incidence of CV events was calculated for each cohort over time and compared using Cox proportional hazards models. Multivariable analyses were used to adjust for traditional CV risk factors.

RESULTS

A total of 603 patients with IIM 4047 RA and 4061 healthy controls were included. The rate of CV events in IIM was significantly greater than healthy controls [hazard ratio (HR) 1.47 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18-1.83)] and remained significant after adjustment for CV risk factors [HR 1.38 (95% CI 1.11-1.72)]. Risk was similar between IIM and RA [HR 1.01 (95% CI 0.78-1.31)]. The rate of myocardial infarction [HR 1.61 (95% CI 1.27-2.04)] but not stroke [HR 0.92 (95% CI 0.59-1.44)] was significantly greater in IIM compared to healthy controls. After the first 5 years, the rate of CV events for RA remained significantly greater compared to the control group, but appeared to return to that of the healthy controls in the IIM group.

CONCLUSION

IIM is associated with an increased risk of CV events in the first 5 years after diagnosis similar to that of RA. Beyond 5 years, the risk appears to return to that of the general population in IIM but not RA. Key Points • The excess risk of cardiovascular events in IIM is similar to that found in RA. • The excess risk of cardiovascular events is greatest in the first 5 years after diagnosis.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced myositis, the earliest and most lethal complication among rheumatic and musculoskeletal toxicities

BACKGROUND

In addition to restoring anti-tumor immune responses, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) may also induce immune-related adverse events (irAE) that can affect any organ. We aim to determine the spectrum, timing, clinical features, and fatalities of rheumatic and musculoskeletal immune-related adverse events (RMS-irAE) associated with ICI.

PATIENTS METHODS

We performed an observational, retrospective, pharmacovigilance study using the World Health Organization international pharmacovigilance database, VigiBase, from inception to January 2019. RMS-irAE reporting rate on ICI versus full database was performed using disproportionality analysis with computation of reporting-odds-ratios (ROR) and a Bayesian disproportional estimate (information component, IC). IC₀₂₅ (lower end of the IC 95% credibility interval) >0 is deemed significant.

RESULTS

We identified 1288 RMS-irAE significantly associated with ICI: polymyalgia rheumatica (n = 76, ROR = 14.6 [11.6-18.4], IC₀₂₅ = 3.34), sarcoidosis (n = 94; ROR = 9.6 [7.9-11.9]; IC₀₂₅ = 2.85), Sjogren's syndrome (n = 49; ROR = 6.9 [5.2-9.2]; IC₀₂₅ = 2.24), myositis (n = 465; ROR = 4.9 [4.5-5.4]; IC₀₂₅ = 2.12), arthritis (n = 606; ROR = 1.4 [1.3-1.5]; IC₀₂₅ = 0.34) and scleroderma (n = 17; ROR = 2.0 [1.2-3.2]; IC₀₂₅ = 0.17). Arthritis, myositis, and Sjogren's syndrome were over-reported in patients treated with ICI combination versus those treated with ICI monotherapy (ROR = 1.6-2.9, p < .05) and more frequently reported on anti-PD1/PDL1 monotherapy vs. anti-CTLA4 monotherapy (2.1-4.4, p < .05). Median time to onset occurred early for myositis (31 days [19.2-57.8]) and was the most delayed for scleroderma (395 days [323.8-457.2], p < .0001). The fatality rate for RMS-irAE ranged from 24% for myositis (n = 106/441) (up to 56.7% with concurrent myocarditis) to [0-6.7%] for other RMS-irAE (p < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians should be aware of the spectrum of RMS-irAE. Myositis can be particularly life-threatening, particularly when associated with myocarditis.