Direct Immunofluorescence Results of the Skin Biopsy and Frequency of Systemic Involvement in Children with Henoch-Schonlein Purpura

Comparison of clinical and laboratory data of adult patients with cutaneous IgA vasculitis and non-IgA vasculitis

BACKGROUND

Immune complex vasculitides may be subdivided into adult IgA small vessel vasculitis (aIgA-SVV; i.e. adult Henoch-Schönlein purpura) and non-IgA-SVV (hypersensitivity vasculitis, etc.).

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the clinical and laboratory parameters of inpatients fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for aIgA-SVV and non-IgA-SVV.

METHODS

Twenty-nine adults aged ≥ 20 years with aIgA-SVV [according to the European League Against Rheumatism/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation/Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (EULAR/PRINTO/PRES) criteria] and 53 adults with non-IgA-SVV (according to the 2012 revised International Chapel Hill Consensus Conference Nomenclature of Vasculitides) were compared with respect to a variety of clinical and laboratory parameters by uni- and multivariable analyses.

RESULTS

Compared with patients with aIgA-SVV, the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio was significantly higher in patients with non-IgA-SVV. Serum C3 levels and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration in patients with non-IgA-SVV were significantly lower compared with patients with aIgA-SVV. Proteinuria and haematuria were significantly more common in patients with aIgA SVV, and were significantly correlated with systemic immune-inflammation biomarkers only in patients with aIgA-SVV. In patients with aIgA-SVV, higher lactate dehydrogenase and C-reactive protein were strong independent predictors for the presence of proteinuria and proteinuria. In patients with non-IgA-SVV, female sex was a protective factor for proteinuria, while skin lesions on the upper extremities proved to be a significant independent predictor of haematuria.

CONCLUSIONS

We detected several clinical and laboratory differences between patients with aIgA-SVV and non-IgA-SVV. Distinct predictors for renal involvement were not observed in either group, indicating that aIgA-SVV and non-IgA-SVV are similar conditions but do not appear to represent the same entity.

Juvenile primary Sjogren's syndrome with cutaneous involvement

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to analyze the clinical characteristics of juvenile primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) with cutaneous involvement.

METHODS

We investigated the clinical and immunological characteristics of 37 children with pSS. All the patients met the 2012 American College of Rheumatology Classification Criteria for Sjogren's syndrome.

RESULTS

The cutaneous involvement presented in 19 children (excluding drug eruption), 16 (84.2%) female patients, and 3 (15.8%) male patients, with a mean age of 11 ± 2.68 years, 17 of whom (89.5%) had cutaneous lesions as the first symptom, with a median time of 12 months (1 day to 4 years) before the diagnosis of pSS. The cutaneous lesions included 12 cases of palpable purpura (63.2%), 5 cases of urticaria (26.3%), 2 cases of xeroderma (10.5%), 1 case of skin ulcer, 1 case of erythema nodosum, 1 case of livedo reticularis, 1 case of Raynaud's phenomenon, and 1 case of hard erythema. Children with cutaneous lesions had a higher prevalence of articular involvement (42.1% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.016), fever (47.4% vs. 5.6%, P = 0.004), ESR > 50 mm/h (47.4% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.016), and a lower prevalence of thrombocytopenia (0% vs. 27.8%, P = 0.013) and methylprednisolone pulse treatment (0% vs. 13.5%, P = 0.013), compared with pSS without cutaneous involvement.

CONCLUSION

More than half (51.3%) of the children with juvenile pSS presented with cutaneous lesions; the main cutaneous involvement was palpable purpura. Children with cutaneous lesions were more likely to have fever and arthritis, were more likely to have stronger inflammatory response, and were less likely to have serious complications. In many cases, the cutaneous lesion could be the first symptom of juvenile pSS, which could easily lead to a misdiagnosis. The possibility of pSS should be considered for children with skin lesions such as palpable purpura and urticaria, and further examinations should be carried out. Key Points • Cutaneous lesions of juvenile pSS are not uncommon and often present as the first symptom. • Palpable purpura was the most common skin lesion in juvenile pSS, followed by urticaria. • Juvenile pSS with skin lesions does not increase the risk of serious complications such as blood system damage. • Skin lesions in juvenile pSS patients may easily cause misdiagnosis.