Intravenous cyclophosphamide in acute exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease: A propensity-matched analysis using a nationwide inpatient database

Treatment of acute exacerbation in interstitial lung disease secondary to autoimmune rheumatic diseases: More questions than answers

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a relevant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). In the last years, an acute exacerbation (AE) - defined as an acute, clinically significant respiratory deterioration characterized by evidence of new widespread alveolar abnormality - has been reported to occur in virtually all ILD types, including ARD-ILD. The aim of this review is to describe the available and investigational treatments in patients affected by AE-ARD-ILD in light of the very low quality of evidence available. Currently, management consists of efforts to identify reversible triggers of respiratory decline, such as drugs effective in ARDs and infections, including opportunistic infections, together with supportive treatments. AE-ILD, AE-ARD-ILD and acute respiratory distress syndrome share histopathologically similar findings of diffuse alveolar damage in most cases. Identification of triggers and risk factors might contribute to early diagnosis and treatment of AE-ILD, before the alveolar damage becomes irreversible. In patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, the role of steroids and immunosuppressants remains controversial. Also, many uncertainties characterize the management of AE-ARD-ILD because of the lack of evidence and of an unquestionable effective therapy. At this time, no effective evidence-based therapeutic strategies for AE-ARD-ILD are available. In clinical practice, AE-ARD-ILD is often empirically treated with high-dose systemic steroids and antibiotics, with or without immunosuppressive drugs. Randomized controlled trials are needed to better understand the efficacy of current and future drugs for the treatment of this clinical relevant condition.

2023 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Guideline for the Treatment of Interstitial Lung Disease in People with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases

OBJECTIVE

We provide evidence-based recommendations regarding the treatment of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in adults with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs).

METHODS

We developed clinically relevant population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes questions. A systematic literature review was then performed, and the available evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology. A panel of clinicians and patients reached consensus on the direction and strength of the recommendations.

RESULTS

Thirty-five recommendations were generated (including two strong recommendations) for first-line SARD-ILD treatment, treatment of SARD-ILD progression despite first-line ILD therapy, and treatment of rapidly progressive ILD. The strong recommendations were against using glucocorticoids in systemic sclerosis-ILD as a first-line ILD therapy and after ILD progression. Otherwise, glucocorticoids are conditionally recommended for first-line ILD treatment in all other SARDs.

CONCLUSION

This clinical practice guideline presents the first recommendations endorsed by the American College of Rheumatology and American College of Chest Physicians for the treatment of ILD in people with SARDs.

2023 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Guideline for the Treatment of Interstitial Lung Disease in People with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases

OBJECTIVE

We provide evidence-based recommendations regarding the treatment of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in adults with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs).

METHODS

We developed clinically relevant population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes questions. A systematic literature review was then performed, and the available evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology. A panel of clinicians and patients reached consensus on the direction and strength of the recommendations.

RESULTS

Thirty-five recommendations were generated (including two strong recommendations) for first-line SARD-ILD treatment, treatment of SARD-ILD progression despite first-line ILD therapy, and treatment of rapidly progressive ILD. The strong recommendations were against using glucocorticoids in systemic sclerosis-ILD as a first-line ILD therapy and after ILD progression. Otherwise, glucocorticoids are conditionally recommended for first-line ILD treatment in all other SARDs.

CONCLUSION

This clinical practice guideline presents the first recommendations endorsed by the American College of Rheumatology and American College of Chest Physicians for the treatment of ILD in people with SARDs.

Novel Therapeutic Approaches in Connective Tissue Disease-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

Connective tissue diseases (CTD) comprise a group of autoimmune diseases that can affect multiple organs in the body including the lungs. The most common form of pulmonary involvement is interstitial lung disease (ILD). CTD-associated ILD (CTD-ILD) can take one of several courses including nonprogressive, chronically progressive, or rapidly progressive. Chronically and rapidly progressive patterns are associated with increased mortality. Limited randomized controlled trial data are available for treatment of CTD-ILD, with most data coming from systemic sclerosis-related ILD. The current first-line treatment for all CTD-ILD is immunosuppression with consideration of antifibrotics, stem cell transplant, and lung transplant in progressive disease. In this article, we review data for ILD treatment options in systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, myositis, and primary Sjögren's syndrome-related ILDs.

Overview of Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease and Its Treatment

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common pulmonary complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), causing significant morbidity and mortality. Optimal treatment for RA-ILD is not yet well defined. Reliable prognostic indicators are largely byproducts of prior ILD progression, including low or decreasing forced vital capacity and extensive or worsening fibrosis on imaging. In the absence of validated tools to predict treatment response, decisions about whether to initiate or augment treatment are instead based on clinical judgment. In general, treatment should be initiated in patients who are symptomatic, progressing, or at high risk of poor outcomes. Retrospective data suggest that mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, and rituximab are likely effective therapies for RA-ILD. Abatacept is also emerging as a potential first-line treatment option for patients with RA-ILD. Further, recent data demonstrate that immunosuppression may be beneficial even in patients with a usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern on imaging, suggesting that immunosuppression should be considered irrespective of imaging pattern. Recent randomized controlled trials have shown that antifibrotic medications, such as nintedanib and likely pirfenidone, slow forced vital capacity decline in RA-ILD. Consideration can be given to antifibrotic initiation in patients progressing despite immunosuppression, particularly in patients with a UIP pattern. Future research directions include developing tools to predict which patients will remain stable from patients who will progress, discriminating patients who will respond to treatment from nonresponders, and developing algorithms for starting immunosuppression, antifibrotics, or both as first-line therapies.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and fibrotic diseases

Fibrosis, a common cause and serious outcome of organ failure that can affect any organ, is responsible for up to 45% of all deaths in various clinical settings. Both preclinical models and clinical trials investigating various organ systems have shown that fibrosis is a highly dynamic process. Although many studies have sought to gain understanding of the mechanism of fibrosis progression, their findings have been mixed. In recent years, increasing evidence indicates that neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are involved in many inflammatory and autoimmune disorders and participate in the regulation of fibrotic processes in various organs and systems. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the role of NETs in fibrosis development and progression and their possibility as therapeutic targets.

Potential Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease Treatment and Computational Approach for Future Drug Development

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by swelling in at least one joint. Owing to an overactive immune response, extra-articular manifestations are observed in certain cases, with interstitial lung disease (ILD) being the most common. Rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the interstitial space, which causes fibrosis and the scarring of lung tissue. Controlling inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis in RA-ILD is important because they are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Pirfenidone and nintedanib are specific drugs against idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and showed efficacy against RA-ILD in several clinical trials. Immunosuppressants and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) with anti-fibrotic effects have also been used to treat RA-ILD. Immunosuppressants moderate the overexpression of cytokines and immune cells to reduce pulmonary damage and slow the progression of fibrosis. DMARDs with mild anti-fibrotic effects target specific fibrotic pathways to regulate fibrogenic cellular activity, extracellular matrix homeostasis, and oxidative stress levels. Therefore, specific medications are required to effectively treat RA-ILD. In this review, the commonly used RA-ILD treatments are discussed based on their molecular mechanisms and clinical trial results. In addition, a computational approach is proposed to develop specific drugs for RA-ILD.

Incidence, risk factors, and prognosis of acute exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Acute exacerbation (AE) is a devastating complication of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) and leads to high mortality. This study aimed to investigate the incidence, risk factors, and prognosis of acute exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (AE-RA-ILD).

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Medline were searched through 8 February 2023. Two independent researchers selected eligible articles and extracted available data. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale was used to assess the methodological quality of studies used for meta-analysis. The incidence and prognosis of AE-RA-ILD were investigated. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs were calculated to explore the risk factors of AE in RA-ILD.

RESULTS

Twenty-one of 1,589 articles were eligible. A total of 385 patients with AE-RA-ILD, of whom 53.5% were male, were included. The frequency of AE in patients with RA-ILD ranged from 6.3 to 55.6%. The 1-year and 5-year AE incidences were 2.6-11.1% and 11-29.4%, respectively. The all-cause mortality rate of AE-RA-ILD was 12.6-27.9% at 30 days and 16.7-48.3% at 90 days. Age at RA diagnosis (WMD: 3.61, 95% CI: 0.22-7.01), male sex (OR: 1.60, 95% CI:1.16-2.21), smoking (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.08-2.08), lower forced vital capacity predicted (FVC%; WMD: -8.63, 95% CI: -14.68 to - 2.58), and definite usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern (OR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.15-3.22) were the risk factors of AE-RA-ILD. Moreover, the use of corticosteroids, methotrexate, and biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, was not associated with AE-RA-ILD.

CONCLUSION

AE-RA-ILD was not rare and had a poor prognosis. Age at RA diagnosis, male sex, smoking, lower FVC%, and definite UIP pattern increased the risk of AE-RA-ILD. The use of medications, especially methotrexate and biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, may not be related to AE-RA-ILD.

REGISTRATION

CRD42023396772.

Simiao pill attenuates collagen-induced arthritis and bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice by suppressing the JAK2/STAT3 and TGF-β/Smad2/3 signalling pathway

ETHNOPHAMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Simiao Pill (SM) as a classic prescription of traditional Chinese medicine treatment of damp-heat arthralgia, the earliest from 'Cheng Fan Bian Du ', written by the Qing Dynasty doctor Zhang Bingcheng. Previous studies have shown that SM has obvious curative effect on rheumatoid arthritis, which provides a basis for the application of SM in rheumatoid arthritis related complications.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Interstitial lung disease (ILD), as the most severe complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lacks effective clinical treatments and a corresponding animal model. Simiao pill (SM) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription extensively used as a complementary and alternative treatment for RA. However, the effect and mechanism of SM on RA-ILD have not yet been reported. This study aimed to investigate an appropriate animal model that can simulate RA-ILD, and the efficacy, safety, and mechanism of SM on RA-ILD.

METHODS

Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model were combined to construct the CIA-BLM model. After the intervention of SM, the protective effects of SM on RA-ILD were determined by detecting the CIA mouse arthritis index (AI), Spleen index, and the extent of pulmonary fibrosis. The joint inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis were detected by immunohistochemistry, H&E staining, safranin- O fast green Sirius red staining, trap staining, and Masson staining. Finally, the mechanism was verified by Western blot and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Our work showed that SM significantly reduced joint swelling, arthritis index, pulmonary fibrosis score, and spleen index in CIA mice. The pathological examination results indicated Si-Miao Pill suppressed inflammation, pulmonary fibrosis, bone erosion, and cartilage degradation of the ankle joint. Besides, SM up-regulated expressions of E-cadherin, whereas down-regulated expressions of α-SMA. Further studies confirmed that SM regulated JAK2/STAT3 and TGF-β/SMAD2/3.

CONCLUSION

SM can not only effectively improve joint inflammation by JAK2/STAT3 Pathway but also inhibit pulmonary fibrosis by TGF-β/SMAD2/3. The fibrosis induced by CIA-BLM model was more stable and obvious than that induced by CIA model alone.

Unmet needs and perspectives in rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease: A critical review

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by synovitis as the most common clinical manifestation, and interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) represents one of the most common and potentially severe extra-articular features. Our current understanding of the mechanisms and predictors of RA-ILD is limited despite the demonstration that an early identification of progressive fibrosing forms is crucial to provide timely treatment with antifibrotic therapies. While high resolution computed tomography is the gold standard technique for the diagnosis and follow-up of RA-ILD, it has been hypothesized that serum biomarkers (including novel and rare autoantibodies), new imaging techniques such as ultrasound of the lung, or the application of innovative radiologic algorithms may help towards predicting and detecting early forms of diseases. Further, while new treatments are becoming available for idiopathic and connective tissue disease-associated forms of lung fibrosis, the treatment of RA-ILD remains anecdotal and largely unexplored. We are convinced that a better understanding of the mechanisms connecting RA with ILD in a subgroup of patients as well as the creation of adequate diagnostic pathways will be mandatory steps for a more effective management of this clinically challenging entity.

Interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis: A multidisciplinary problem in rheumatology and pulmonology

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an immune-mediated rheumatic disease (IMRDs) characterized by chronic erosive arthritis and systemic damage to internal organs, leading to early disability and reduced life expectancy in patients. A particularly important place among the systemic manifestations of RA is occupied by interstitial lung diseases (ILD) – the most severe form of pulmonary pathology in RA, defined as RA-ILD, which is pathogenetically associated with risk factors (smoking, etc.) and autoimmune mechanisms underlying RA. RA-ILD is a subtype of RA characterized by a severe course and a poor prognosis и неблагоприятным прогнозом. The review presents new data regarding risk factors and biomarkers for RA-ILD; modern diagnostic capabilities based on the use of functional lung tests, high-resolution computed tomography, ultrasound examination of the lungs. Particular attention is paid to the efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapy, including methotrexate, biologics, JAK inhibitors, and antifibrotic therapy. An algorithm for the pharmacotherapy of RA-ILD has been proposed.

Pathogenesis, clinical features, and treatment strategy for rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that primarily affects the joints. The emergence of highly effective anti-rheumatic drugs such as biologic agents and janus kinase inhibitors has dramatically improved the management of the disease by preventing irreversible joint destruction and disability. This disease can manifest the serious extra-articular involvements including interstitial lung disease, which has the significant impact on the patients' morbidity and mortality. However, treatment strategy specific for rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) has not been yet established. Therefore, understanding the pathogenesis and clinical features of RA-ILD is critical to provide the better management and improve the prognosis of the patients. Accumulation of evidence suggest that it is essentially important to achieve remission or at least low disease activity of arthritis to prevent new emergence, progression, or acute exacerbation of RA-ILD. RA-ILD patients frequently show high titers of autoantibodies including rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibody, and the excessive formation of tertiary lymphoid organs is found in the local affected lungs, indicating the adaptive immune response as a key pathogenic inducer. In this regard, non-TNF inhibitors targeting adaptive immune responses such as abatacept and rituximab were reported to be promising for the stabilization and improvement of RA-ILD. Nintedanib, an anti-fibrotic agent, was shown to be effective for reducing the decline of forced vital capacity in RA-ILD. In this review, we summarized the current evidence in the pathogenesis, clinical features, and treatments for RA-ILD and provide future prospects.

Acute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease associated with rheumatic disease

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with rheumatic diseases, such as connective-tissue diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic vasculitis. Some patients with ILD secondary to rheumatic disease (RD-ILD) experience acute exacerbations, with sudden ILD progression and high mortality during or immediately after the exacerbation, and a very low 1-year survival rate. In the ILD subtype idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), an acute exacerbation is defined as acute worsening or development of dyspnoea associated with new bilateral ground-glass opacities and/or consolidations at high-resolution CT, superimposed on a background pattern consistent with fibrosing ILD. However, acute exacerbation in RD-ILD (AE-RD-ILD) currently has no specific definition. The aetiology and pathogenesis of AE-RD-ILD remain unclear, but distinct triggers might include infection, mechanical stress, microaspiration and DMARD treatment. At this time, no effective evidence-based therapeutic strategies for AE-RD-ILD are available. In clinical practice, AE-RD-ILD is often empirically treated with high-dose systemic steroids and antibiotics, with or without immunosuppressive drugs. In this Review, we summarize the clinical features, diagnosis, management and prognosis of AE-RD-ILD, enabling the similarities and differences with acute exacerbation in IPF to be critically assessed.