Phenotypes and genotypes of Chinese adult patients with systemic autoinflammatory diseases

The expanding clinical spectrum of autoinflammatory diseases with NOD2 variants: a case series and literature review

Objective

To assess the impact conferred by NOD2 variants on the clinical spectrum of patients with systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs) in Greece.

Methods

Consecutive patients (n=167) with confirmed SAIDs who underwent screening by next generation sequencing (NGS) targeting 26 SAID-associated genes, and carried at least one NOD2 gene variant, were retrospectively studied. The demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters were recorded.

Results

In total, 24 rare NOD2 variants in 23/167 patients (14%) were detected. Notably, 18 patients had at least one co-existing variant in 13 genes other than NOD2. Nine patients had juvenile- and 14 adult-onset disease. All patients presented with symptoms potentially induced by the NOD2 variants. In particular, the candidate clinical diagnosis was Yao syndrome (YAOS) in 12 patients (7% of the whole SAID cohort). The clinical spectrum of patients with YAOS (mean episode duration 8 days) was fever (n=12/12), articular symptoms (n=8), gastrointestinal symptoms (n=7; abdominal pain/bloating in 7; diarrhea in 4; oral ulcers in 3), serositis (n=7), and rash (n=5), while the inflammatory markers were elevated in all but one patient. Most of these patients showed a poor response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (n=7/9), colchicine (n=6/8) and/or anti-TNF treatment (n=3/4), while a complete response was observed in 6/10 patients receiving steroids and 3/5 on anti-IL1 treatment. Another 8 patients were diagnosed with either FMF (n=6) or PFAPA syndrome (n=2) presenting with prominent diarrhea (n=7), oral ulcers (n=2), periorbital swelling and sicca-like symptoms (n=1), or maculopapular rash (n=1). One patient had a clinically undefined SAID, albeit characterized by oral ulcers and diarrhea. Finally, one patient presented with chronic relapsing urticaria with periorbital edema and inflammatory markers, and another one had a Crohn-like syndrome with good response to anti-IL-1 but refractory to anti-TNF treatment.

Conclusion

NOD2 variants were detected in 1 out of 7 SAID patients and seem to have an impact on disease phenotype and treatment response. Further studies should validate combined molecular and clinical data to better understand these distinct nosological entities.

The genetic and clinical characteristics and effects of Canakinumab on cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome: a large pediatric cohort study from China

Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) comprises a group of disorders characterized by recurrent bouts of systemic inflammation related to overactivation of inflammasome. So far, neither large cases of the correlation between genotype and phenotype nor treatment strategies have been clearly stated in China. Here, we studied the clinical and genetic characteristics and their correlation from 30 CAPS patients in China. We identified the pathogenesis for novel mutations by activating NLRP3 inflammasome for peripheral cells with ATP plus LPS, compared characteristics with other case series, and analyzed treatment outcomes of these patients. The patients harbored 19 substitutions in NLRP3, and 8 of them were novel mutations. Among these novel mutations, percentages of severe musculoskeletal, ophthalmologic, and neurological symptoms were higher compared with other case serials. The correlation of phenotypes and their variants seemed different in our cases, such as T350M, S333G/I/R, and F311V (somatic mosaicism). Ten patients received Canakinumab treatment, which proved effective at alleviating musculoskeletal, neurological, auditory, visual manifestations, fever, and rash for 10-20 months follow-up. Patients treated with prednisolone or prednisolone plus thalidomide or methotrexate, tocilizumab, TNF inhibiting agents, and sirolimus achieved only partial remission. Importantly, we firstly identified somatic mosaicism mutation of F311V, which was severe. Our study extended the spectrum of genotype and phenotype and characteristics of their correlations and provided detailed responses to different treatment strategies. These data provide guidance for future diagnosis and management for CAPS.

A patient with tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome misdiagnosed as Kawasaki disease: A case report and literature review

This article reports a case of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) misdiagnosed as Kawasaki disease and summarizes the clinical features and therapeutic progress of TRAPS and the relationship between its clinical manifestations and gene mutations. We retrospectively analyzed a patient with tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 1A (TNFRSF1A) -mutated auto-inflammatory disease who was misdiagnosed with Kawasaki disease in another hospital. The clinical features and therapeutic progress of TRAPS were analyzed by combining clinical features and gene reports of this case and literature review. TRAPS onset occurred in a female pediatric patient at the age of 4 months. The child and in his father at the age of 6 years, both of whom manifested periodic fever, and recurrent rash, as well as elevated leukocytes, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) during episodes but normal between episodes. This child carried a heterozygous mutation in TNFRSF1A located in the region 6442923-6442931 on chromosome 12. The nucleic acid alteration was: c.298 (exon3) _c.306 (exon3) 291 delCTCAGCTGC, resulting in a 3 amino acid deletion p.L100_C 102del 292 (p.Leu100_Cys102del) (NM_001065). After etanercept treatment, the symptoms of fever and rash disappeared, and the levels of ESR, CRP, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and TNF-α levels were normal. Subsequently, no liver, kidney, or cardiac amyloidosis and severe etanercept-related adverse events were observed at 1-year follow-up. TRAPS pathogenesis is associated with TNFRSF1A mutation, which is characterized by periodic episodes of fever, mostly accompanied by recurrent rashes, periorbital edema, abdominal pain, and serious complications of organ amyloidosis. Moreover, etanercept can effectively alleviate the clinical symptoms and high inflammation level of TRAPS.

New retinal findings in NLRP3-associated autoinflammatory disease

PURPOSE

To determine whether the rare NLRP3-Associated Autoinflammatory Disease (NLRP3-AID) is associated with retinal changes and to assess the ocular involvement.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of 20 patients(40 eyes) diagnosed with rare NLRP3-AID at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, from April 2015 to August 2022. Patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological examination, including visual acuity, intraocular pressure examination, slit-lamp examination, fundus photography, optical coherence tomography(OCT), and fluorescence angiography (FA). Some patients also underwent optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

RESULTS

This study analyzed 40 eyes of 20 patients (11 [55.0%] male; median age, 25.0 years [range, 12-52 years]) and 13 patients (26 eyes, 65%) demonstrated ocular involvement. The most common ophthalmologic manifestation was conjunctivitis (22 eyes, 84.6%), followed by papilledema (14 eyes, 53.8%), retinopathy (10 eyes, 38.5%), optic atrophy (6 eyes, 23.1%), uveitis (4 eyes, 15.4%), reduced pupil light reflex (3 eyes, 11.5%) and cataracts (2 eyes, 7.7%). Ocular involvement was bilateral in 11 patients (55.0%). Five kinds of retinal lesions were seen in 5 patients (10 eyes, 25%) with NLRP3-AID, including peripheral retinal vascular leakage, microaneurysms, macular ischemia, macular epiretinal membrane formation and drusen.

CONCLUSIONS

Peripheral retinal vascular leakage, macular ischemia, microaneurysms and drusen are newly identified retinal findings in patients with NLRP3-AID, which suggests the importance of detailed retinal examination in these patients.

Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and Adenitis Syndrome and Syndrome of Unexplained Recurrent Fevers in Children and Adults

Children and adults with autoinflammatory disorders, who often experience recurrent fevers, rashes, cold-induced symptoms, conjunctivitis, lymphadenopathy, recurrent infections, aphthous stomatitis, and abnormal blood cell counts, may present to the allergist/immunologist because the symptoms mimic allergies and disorders of immunity. In recent years, there has been increased recognition of non-monogenic autoinflammatory disorders, including periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and adenitis syndrome and syndrome of undifferentiated recurrent fevers. For many clinical practitioners, the natural history, diagnostic criteria, differential diagnoses, and preferred therapies remain challenging because of the presumed rarity of patients and the evolving field of autoinflammation. Here, we aim to provide a practical framework for the clinical allergist/immunologist to evaluate and treat this patient population.

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis in two patients with rare systemic autoinflammatory diseases treated with anti-TNF therapy

Systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs) are a group of rare diseases characterized by recurrent or continuous inflammation, typically accompanied by genetic variants. Good responses to anti-TNF therapy were observed in SAIDs patients. However, the mechanisms underlying the disease flare and the response to TNF blocking therapy have not been fully elucidated. Here, single-cell RNA sequencing technology was used to describe the transcriptomic profile of PBMCs and PMNs in two SAID patients both before and after anti-TNF treatment. Interferon responses were involved in the disease flare. After anti-TNF therapy, clinical symptoms were alleviated while TNF and IL-1 were unexpectedly increased, indicating that these inflammatory cytokines are not positively correlated with disease activity. Trajectory analysis showed that inhibition of macrophage differentiation, rather than reduction of the inflammatory cytokines, as the potential mechanism of anti-TNF treatment response in SAIDs.

Clinical and genetic spectrum of 14 cases of NLRP3-associated autoinflammatory disease (NLRP3-AID) in China and a review of the literature

BACKGROUND

NLRP3-associated autoinflammatory disease (NLRP3-AID), caused by mutations of NLRP3, is one of the autoinflammatory diseases affecting inflammasomes. Since there are little cases of Chinese NLRP3-AID, we reported 14 Chinese NLRP3-AID patients in our center and summarized the clinical features of all Chinese patients by reviewing the literature.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients had been diagnosed as NLRP3-AID in our center. 12 different NLRP3 variants were identified, among which one is novel: p.Leu361Trp. Rash, recurrent fever, arthritis/arthralgia, uveitis, sensorineural deafness, symptoms of central neural systems (CNS), and increased inflammatory markers (including CRP, ESR, except Ferritin) were the common findings in Chinese patients. The frequencies of fever, neurological symptoms, musculoskeletal manifestations and ocular manifestations in Chinese patients might differ from that of patients from other regions. Besides, we also found clubbing fingers and optic neuritis in some NLRP3-AID patients, which were not commonly mentioned in previous reports.

CONCLUSION

In our study, we expanded the clinical spectrum as well as the genetic pathogenic variants of NLRP3-AID. We also found that there were some differences between Chinese patients and patients from other regions, and that Chinese patients were more likely to develop severe symptoms.

The 2021 EULAR/American College of Rheumatology Points to Consider for Diagnosis, Management and Monitoring of the Interleukin-1 Mediated Autoinflammatory Diseases: Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes, Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Periodic Syndrome, Mevalonate Kinase Deficiency, and Deficiency of the Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist

BACKGROUND

The interleukin-1 (IL-1) mediated systemic autoinflammatory diseases, including the cryopyrin- associated periodic syndromes (CAPS), tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD) and deficiency of the IL-1 receptor antagonist (DIRA), belong to a group of rare immunodysregulatory diseases that primarily present in early childhood with variable multiorgan involvement. When untreated, patients with severe clinical phenotypes have a poor prognosis, and diagnosis and management of these patients can be challenging. However, approved treatments targeting the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1 have been life changing and have significantly improved patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To establish evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of patients with IL-1 mediated autoinflammatory diseases to standardise their management.

METHODS

A multinational, multidisciplinary task force consisting of physician experts, including rheumatologists, patients or caregivers and allied healthcare professionals, was established. Evidence synthesis, including systematic literature review and expert consensus (Delphi) via surveys, was conducted. Consensus methodology was used to formulate and vote on statements to guide optimal patient care.

RESULTS

The task force devised five overarching principles, 14 statements related to diagnosis, 10 on therapy, and nine focused on long-term monitoring that were evidence and/or consensus-based for patients with IL-1 mediated diseases. An outline was developed for disease-specific monitoring of inflammation-induced organ damage progression and reported treatments of CAPS, TRAPS, MKD and DIRA.

CONCLUSION

The 2021 EULAR/American College of Rheumatology points to consider represent state-of-the-art knowledge based on published data and expert opinion to guide diagnostic evaluation, treatment and monitoring of patients with CAPS, TRAPS, MKD and DIRA, and to standardise and improve care, quality of life and disease outcomes.

The 2021 EULAR/American College of Rheumatology points to consider for diagnosis, management and monitoring of the interleukin-1 mediated autoinflammatory diseases: cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome, mevalonate kinase deficiency, and deficiency of the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist

BACKGROUND

The interleukin-1 (IL-1) mediated systemic autoinflammatory diseases, including the cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS), tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD) and deficiency of the IL-1 receptor antagonist (DIRA), belong to a group of rare immunodysregulatory diseases that primarily present in early childhood with variable multiorgan involvement. When untreated, patients with severe clinical phenotypes have a poor prognosis, and diagnosis and management of these patients can be challenging. However, approved treatments targeting the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1 have been life changing and have significantly improved patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To establish evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of patients with IL-1 mediated autoinflammatory diseases to standardise their management.

METHODS

A multinational, multidisciplinary task force consisting of physician experts, including rheumatologists, patients or caregivers and allied healthcare professionals, was established. Evidence synthesis, including systematic literature review and expert consensus (Delphi) via surveys, was conducted. Consensus methodology was used to formulate and vote on statements to guide optimal patient care.

RESULTS

The task force devised five overarching principles, 14 statements related to diagnosis, 10 on therapy, and nine focused on long-term monitoring that were evidence and/or consensus-based for patients with IL-1 mediated diseases. An outline was developed for disease-specific monitoring of inflammation-induced organ damage progression and reported treatments of CAPS, TRAPS, MKD and DIRA.

CONCLUSION

The 2021 EULAR/American College of Rheumatology points to consider represent state-of-the-art knowledge based on published data and expert opinion to guide diagnostic evaluation, treatment and monitoring of patients with CAPS, TRAPS, MKD and DIRA, and to standardise and improve care, quality of life and disease outcomes.

Clinical benefits of TNF-α inhibitors in Chinese adult patients with NLRP3-associated autoinflammatory disease

BACKGROUND

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3)-associated autoinflammatory disease (NLRP3-AID) is a rare, heterogeneous disease entity associated with mutations in NLRP3. Biologic therapy for NLRP3-AID yields diverse results.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to evaluate the clinical features and outcomes of Chinese adult patients with NLRP3-AID who were treated with tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors.

METHODS

Five patients with NLRP3-AID were diagnosed and treated with TNF-α inhibitors at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 2017 and 2020 and were followed up for 6 to 12 months. All patients were systematically studied for treatment outcomes, including clinical manifestations and inflammatory markers.

RESULTS

All five adult NLRP3-AID patients were Chinese Han, and four patients were males. The mean age at disease onset was 4.2 ± 4.1 years, and the mean time of diagnosis delay was 19.8 ± 6 years. All patients received TNF-α inhibitors with or without methotrexate/prednisone. During follow-up, all patients achieved remarkable clinical remission of skin lesions and polyarthritis and showed improvements in acute-phase reactants, inflammatory cytokines, patient visual analogue scale, physician global assessment and 36-item Short Form (SF-36).

CONCLUSIONS

Early diagnosis and effective therapy for NLRP3-AID are essential for avoiding irreversible organ damage. TNF-α inhibitors might serve as a therapeutic alternative for patients with NLRP3-AID who have unsatisfactory responses or no access to interleukin-1 inhibitors.

Behçet's Syndrome in a Chinese Pedigree of NLRP3-Associated Autoinflammatory Disease: A Coexistence or Novel Presentation?

Objectives:NLRP3-associated autoinflammatory disease (NLRP3-AID) and Behçet's syndrome (BS) both belong to autoinflammatory diseases and rarely co-occur. Here we reported a Chinese pedigree of NLRP3-AID presented with BS.

Methods: We recorded a Chinese pedigree of NLRP3-AID presented with BS. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to find the hereditary susceptibility gene, and Sanger sequencing was performed on a consecutive cohort of 30 BS patients. We also reviewed the English literature on vasculitis associated with NLRP3-AID.

Results: The proband was a 45-year-old Chinese Han woman. She and her 12-year-old daughter presented with recurrent fevers, cold-induced urticaria, oral, and genital ulcers, conjunctivitis, uveitis, optic atrophy, erythema nodosum, headache, and hearing loss. They were initially suspected of having BS, and both responded poorly to corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, while anti-TNF therapy was moderately effective. Pedigree analysis revealed another four relatives with similar symptoms, and a heterozygous NLRP3 gene mutation c.1316C>T, p.Ala439Val was identified by whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing. However, we did not discover NLRP3 gene mutation by Sanger sequencing in a confirmative cohort of 30 BS cases. A few case reports of vasculitis coexisting with NLRP3-AID, including a case of glomerulonephritis, and five cases of retinal vasculitis, were summarized through literature review.

Conclusions: Our study is the first report of NLRP3-AID associated with BS. The coexistence of NLRP3-AID and BS reveals the extensive heterogeneity of the pathogenesis of systemic autoinflammatory diseases and calls for specific therapeutics.

Ocular manifestations in Chinese adult patients with NLRP3-associated autoinflammatory disease

NLRP3-associated autoinflammatory disease (NLRP3-AID) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder involving multiple systems. We aim to assess the ocular manifestations of Chinese adult patients with NLRP3-AID. Twelve adult patients (> 18 years old) were diagnosed as NLRP3-AID at the Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital. All patients underwent ophthalmologic evaluation by an ophthalmologist. Clinical and genetic features of these patients were collected and compared with those from Caucasian population. A total of 7 NLRP3-AID patients (58%) 14 eyes had ocular manifestations. Five NLRP3 variants were identified, and 3 patients (43%) with severe ocular damages were all found to have the NLRP3 T348M variant. The incidences of papilledema and optic atrophy in the Chinese adult NLRP3-AID patients of moderate type were similar to those in the Caucasian NLRP3-AID patients of severe type. This is the first cohort of Chinese adult NLRP3-AID patients with ocular involvement. Ocular manifestations were diverse and even severe in NLRP3-AID, particularly in patients with the moderate phenotype, and may have relationship with genotypes. Awareness of these manifestations by rheumatologists and ophthalmologists could help to avoid the irreversible ocular damages.

Syndrome of Undifferentiated Recurrent Fever (SURF): An Emerging Group of Autoinflammatory Recurrent Fevers

Syndrome of undifferentiated recurrent fever (SURF) is a heterogeneous group of autoinflammatory diseases (AID) characterized by self-limiting episodes of systemic inflammation without a confirmed molecular diagnosis, not fulfilling the criteria for periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenopathy (PFAPA) syndrome. In this review, we focused on the studies enrolling patients suspected of AID and genotyped them with next generation sequencing technologies in order to describe the clinical manifestations and treatment response of published cohorts of patients with SURF. We also propose a preliminary set of indications for the clinical suspicion of SURF that could help in everyday clinical practice.

NLRP12 gene mutations and auto-inflammatory diseases: ever-changing evidence

Systemic auto-inflammatory diseases (SAID) are a group of rare inherited conditions characterized by a dysregulation of the immune system and associated with recurrent episodes of fever and systemic inflammation. Patients with NLRP12 variants develop a rare autosomal dominant condition known as familial cold-induced autoinflammatory syndrome (FCAS2, OMIM #611762) that has been related to several different clinical manifestations including autoimmunity and immune deficiencies. In past years, several new variants have been described; however, their clinical relevance is sometimes uncertain, especially when they have been detected in healthy subjects. To our knowledge 61 patients with NLRP12 variants have been reported so far in the literature. Here we report the case of a 33-year-old woman with a history of recurrent fever and symmetric and additive poly-arthritis, fulfilling diagnostic criteria for RA, who was found to harbour two variants in the NLRP12 gene (OMIM *609648) and provide a review of the literature on similar cases.

Neurological manifestations of autoinflammatory diseases in Chinese adult patients

OBJECTIVE

Systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs) are a group of disorders characterized by a dysregulation of innate immune system leading to multi-systemic inflammation. We aim to assess the neurological manifestations of Chinese adult patients with SAIDs.

METHODS

Eighty adult patients (≥16 years) were diagnosed as SAIDs from April 2015 to June 2019, at the center of adult autoinflammatory diseases, Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Clinical and genetic features of these patients were collected. All patients underwent neurologic, ophthalmologic and otolaryngologic evaluation.

RESULTS

Totally 31 out of 80 (38.8%) patients had neurological manifestations, including 14 familial Mediterranean fever (45.2%), 6 NLRP3-associated autoinflammatory disease (19.4%), 5 tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic fever syndrome (16.1%), 5 NLRP12-associated autoinflammatory disease (16.1%), and 1 Yao syndrome (3.2%). Twenty patients (64.5%) were adult-onset. The median time of diagnosis delay was 11.7 years (0.5-50 years). The common neurological damage included headache (28 patients, 90.3%), sensorineural hearing loss (6, 19.4%), dizziness (4, 12.9%), cerebral infarction/hemorrhage (4, 12.9%), chronic aseptic meningitis (3, 9.7%), intracranial hypertension (3, 9.7%), papilledema (3, 9.7%), optic neuritis (2, 6.5%), and hydrocephalus (1, 3.2%). Severe neurological damage was observed in 8 patients (25.8%), including brain atrophy, hydrocephalus, complete hearing loss, chronic aseptic meningitis and optic neuritis.

CONCLUSION

Neurological damage was diverse in SAIDs patients. Neurological symptoms should be fully realized by physicians, in not only pediatric but also adult patients with SAIDs. CSF analysis and brain images should be performed promptly. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are essential to avoid irreversible neurological complications.