THE ROLE OF CHEST CT IN DECIPHERING INTERSTITIAL LUNG INVOLVEMENT: SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS VERSUS COVID-19

Respiratory failure in systemic sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) can lead to dyspnea and respiratory failure through multiple mechanisms, making a precise diagnosis particularly challenging, especially amid the current COVID-19 pandemic. In this report, we present a case involving a 26-year-old female who had previously undiagnosed SSc. She experienced acute respiratory failure necessitating orotracheal intubation. Following an extensive evaluation, the patient exhibited skin thickening, kidney failure, thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic anemia, and an antinuclear antibody with a nuclear fine speckled pattern at a titer of 1:320. A diagnosis of SSc complicated by scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) was established. The patient's condition improved after undergoing hemodialysis, receiving an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, and undergoing cyclophosphamide treatment. Subsequently, she demonstrated sustained improvement during a follow-up period of 20 months.

Doubts and concerns about COVID-19 uncertainties on imaging data, clinical score, and outcomes

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 is a pandemic disease affecting predominantly the respiratory apparatus with clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic to respiratory failure. Chest CT is a crucial tool in diagnosing and evaluating the severity of pulmonary involvement through dedicated scoring systems. Nonetheless, many questions regarding the relationship of radiologic and clinical features of the disease have emerged in multidisciplinary meetings. The aim of this retrospective study was to explore such relationship throughout an innovative and alternative approach.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study included 550 patients (range 25-98 years; 354 males, mean age 66.1; 196 females, mean age 70.9) hospitalized for COVID-19 with available radiological and clinical data between 1 March 2021 and 30 April 2022. Radiological data included CO-RADS, chest CT score, dominant pattern, and typical/atypical findings detected on CT examinations. Clinical data included clinical score and outcome. The relationship between such features was investigated through the development of the main four frequently asked questions summarizing the many issues arisen in multidisciplinary meetings, as follows 1) CO-RADS, chest CT score, clinical score, and outcomes; 2) the involvement of a specific lung lobe and outcomes; 3) dominant pattern/distribution and severity score for the same chest CT score; 4) additional factors and outcomes.

RESULTS

1) If CT was suggestive for COVID, a strong correlation between CT/clinical score and prognosis was found; 2) Middle lobe CT involvement was an unfavorable prognostic criterion; 3) If CT score < 50%, the pattern was not influential, whereas if CT score > 50%, crazy paving as dominant pattern leaded to a 15% increased death rate, stacked up against other patterns, thus almost doubling it; 4) Additional factors usually did not matter, but lymph-nodes and pleural effusion worsened prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study outlined those radiological features of COVID-19 most relevant towards disease severity and outcome with an innovative approach.

Coadministration of 3'5-dimaleamylbenzoic acid and quercetin decrease pulmonary fibrosis in a systemic sclerosis model

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by microvascular compromise and fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis, a prominent pulmonary complication in SSc, results in impaired lung function due to excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components. This study aimed to investigate the effects of coadministration of 3'5-dimaleamylbenzoic acid (AD) and quercetin (Q) on key events in the development and maintenance of pulmonary fibrosis in a bleomycin (BLM)-induced SSc mouse model. The model was induced in CD1 mice through BLM administration using osmotic mini pumps. Subsequently, mice were treated with AD (6 mg/kg) plus Q (10 mg/kg) and sacrificed at 21 and 28 days post BLM administration. Histopathological analysis was performed by hematoxylin and eosin staining and Masson's trichrome staining. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the expression of proliferation, proinflammatory, profibrotic and oxidative stress markers. The coadministration of AD and Q during the fibrotic phase of the BLM-induced SSc model led to attenuated histological alterations and pulmonary fibrosis, reflected in the recovery of alveolar spaces (30 %, p < 0.01) and decreased collagen deposits (50 %, p < 0.001). This effect was achieved by decreasing the expression of the proliferative markers cyclin D1 (87 %, p < 0.0001) and PCNA (43 %, p < 0.0001), inflammatory markers COX-2 (71 %, p < 0.0001) and iNOS (84 %, p < 0.0001), profibrotic markers α-SMA (80 %, p < 0.0001) and TGF-β (81 %, p < 0.0001) and the lipid peroxidation marker 4-HNE (43 %, p < 0.01). The antifibrotic effect of this combined therapy is associated with the regulation of proliferation, inflammation and oxidative stress, mechanisms involved in the development and progression of the fibrotic process. Our novel therapeutic strategy is the first approach to propose the use of the combination of prooxidant and antioxidant compounds as a potential strategy for SSc-associated pulmonary fibrosis.

Effect of hydrogen/oxygen therapy for ordinary COVID-19 patients: a propensity-score matched case-control study

BACKGROUND

Hydrogen/oxygen therapy contribute to ameliorate dyspnea and disease progression in patients with respiratory diseases. Therefore, we hypothesized that hydrogen/oxygen therapy for ordinary coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients might reduce the length of hospitalization and increase hospital discharge rates.

METHODS

This retrospective, propensity-score matched (PSM) case-control study included 180 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from 3 centers. After assigned in 1:2 ratios by PSM, 33 patients received hydrogen/oxygen therapy and 55 patients received oxygen therapy included in this study. Primary endpoint was the length of hospitalization. Secondary endpoints were hospital discharge rates and oxygen saturation (SpO₂). Vital signs and respiratory symptoms were also observed.

RESULTS

Findings confirmed a significantly lower median length of hospitalization (HR = 1.91; 95% CIs, 1.25-2.92; p < 0.05) in the hydrogen/oxygen group (12 days; 95% CI, 9-15) versus the oxygen group (13 days; 95% CI, 11-20). The higher hospital discharge rates were observed in the hydrogen/oxygen group at 21 days (93.9% vs. 74.5%; p < 0.05) and 28 days (97.0% vs. 85.5%; p < 0.05) compared with the oxygen group, except for 14 days (69.7% vs. 56.4%). After 5-day therapy, patients in hydrogen/oxygen group exhibited a higher level of SpO₂ compared with that in the oxygen group (98.5%±0.56% vs. 97.8%±1.0%; p < 0.001). In subgroup analysis of patients received hydrogen/oxygen, patients aged < 55 years (p = 0.028) and without comorbidities (p = 0.002) exhibited a shorter hospitalization (median 10 days).

CONCLUSION

This study indicated that hydrogen/oxygen might be a useful therapeutic medical gas to enhance SpO₂ and shorten length of hospitalization in patients with ordinary COVID-19. Younger patients or those without comorbidities are likely to benefit more from hydrogen/oxygen therapy.

Use of data mining approaches to explore the association between type 2 diabetes mellitus with SARS-CoV-2

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Corona virus causes respiratory tract infections in mammals. The latest type of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona-viruses 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Corona virus spread in humans in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and their biochemical and hematological factors with the level of infection with COVID-19 to improve the treatment and management of the disease.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

This study was conducted on a population of 13,170 including 5780 subjects with SARS-COV-2 and 7390 subjects without SARS-COV-2, in the age range of 35-65 years. Also, the associations between biochemical factors, hematological factors, physical activity level (PAL), age, sex, and smoking status were investigated with the COVID-19 infection.

RESULT

Data mining techniques such as logistic regression (LR) and decision tree (DT) algorithms were used to analyze the data. The results using the LR model showed that in biochemical factors (Model I) creatine phosphokinase (CPK) (OR: 1.006 CI 95% (1.006,1.007)), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (OR: 1.039 CI 95% (1.033, 1.047)) and in hematological factors (Model II) mean platelet volume (MVP) (OR: 1.546 CI 95% (1.470, 1.628)) were significant factors associated with COVID-19 infection. Using the DT model, CPK, BUN, and MPV were the most important variables. Also, after adjustment for confounding factors, subjects with T2DM had higher risk for COVID-19 infection.

CONCLUSION

There was a significant association between CPK, BUN, MPV and T2DM with COVID-19 infection and T2DM appears to be important in the development of COVID-19 infection.

COVID-19 and protection of vaccination in patients with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease

OBJECTIVES

Data on COVID-19 in patients with interstitial lung disease are scarce and whether SARS-CoV-2 may trigger interstitial lung disease progression remains unknown. We aimed to analyze outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease, including possible thoracic radiographic progression.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

All 43 patients with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease followed in our center (mean ± SD, 55.2 ± 11.6 years, 36 female) with confirmed SARS-CoV2 infection up to 1 September 2022 were analyzed. Individual interstitial lung disease extent on high resolution CT (HRCT) performed before (up to 3 months) and after COVID-19 (2-5 months) was compared.

RESULTS

At SARS-CoV-2 infection, 9/43 patients were unvaccinated, whereas 5, 26, and 3 had received 2, 3, or 4 doses of an mRNA vaccine, respectively. Thirty-one patients were either on monotherapy with immunosuppressives (mycophenolate, n = 7; cyclophosphamide, n = 2; methotrexate, n = 10; tocilizumab, n = 7; rituximab, n = 1; etanercept, n = 1), or their combinations (n = 3). Eight patients (20%), of whom four unvaccinated, required hospitalization for pneumonia and three (7%) died of acute respiratory failure (n = 2, both unvaccinated) or cardiac arrest. Lack of vaccination was the only independent predictor for hospitalization (OR = 7.98, 95% CI: 1.25-51.09) and marginally for death (OR = 32.7, 95% CI: 0.97-1110.98), regardless of the presence of diffuse systemic sclerosis, interstitial lung disease extent greater than 20% or immunosuppressive treatment. In 22 patients with available HRCT pairs (vaccinated = 20), the interstitial lung disease extent before COVID-19 (20.4%± 17.8%) remained unchanged (22.4% ± 18.5%) in all but one patient.

CONCLUSION

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is of outmost importance for every systemic sclerosis patient with interstitial lung disease. COVID-19 does not seem to promote progression of systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease in vaccinated patients, but further studies are warranted.

A multicenter evaluation of a deep learning software (LungQuant) for lung parenchyma characterization in COVID-19 pneumonia

BACKGROUND

The role of computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis and characterization of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia has been widely recognized. We evaluated the performance of a software for quantitative analysis of chest CT, the LungQuant system, by comparing its results with independent visual evaluations by a group of 14 clinical experts. The aim of this work is to evaluate the ability of the automated tool to extract quantitative information from lung CT, relevant for the design of a diagnosis support model.

METHODS

LungQuant segments both the lungs and lesions associated with COVID-19 pneumonia (ground-glass opacities and consolidations) and computes derived quantities corresponding to qualitative characteristics used to clinically assess COVID-19 lesions. The comparison was carried out on 120 publicly available CT scans of patients affected by COVID-19 pneumonia. Scans were scored for four qualitative metrics: percentage of lung involvement, type of lesion, and two disease distribution scores. We evaluated the agreement between the LungQuant output and the visual assessments through receiver operating characteristics area under the curve (AUC) analysis and by fitting a nonlinear regression model.

RESULTS

Despite the rather large heterogeneity in the qualitative labels assigned by the clinical experts for each metric, we found good agreement on the metrics compared to the LungQuant output. The AUC values obtained for the four qualitative metrics were 0.98, 0.85, 0.90, and 0.81.

CONCLUSIONS

Visual clinical evaluation could be complemented and supported by computer-aided quantification, whose values match the average evaluation of several independent clinical experts.

KEY POINTS

We conducted a multicenter evaluation of the deep learning-based LungQuant automated software. We translated qualitative assessments into quantifiable metrics to characterize coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia lesions. Comparing the software output to the clinical evaluations, results were satisfactory despite heterogeneity of the clinical evaluations. An automatic quantification tool may contribute to improve the clinical workflow of COVID-19 pneumonia.

The prognostic value of gastroesophageal reflux disorder in interstitial lung disease related hospitalizations

Background

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common comorbidity in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). We built and validated a model using the national inpatient sample (NIS) database to assess the contributory role of GERD in ILD-related hospitalizations mortality.

Methods

In this retrospective analysis, we extracted ILD-related hospitalizations data between 2007 and 2019 from the NIS database. Univariable logistic regression was used for predictor selection. Data were split into the training and validation cohorts (0.6 and 0.4, respectively). We used decision tree analysis (classification and regression tree, CART) to create a predictive model to explore the role of GERD in ILD-related hospitalizations mortality. Different metrics were used to evaluate our model. A bootstrap-based technique was implemented to balance our training data outcome to improve our model metrics in the validation cohort. We conducted a variance-based sensitivity analysis to evaluate GERD's importance in our model.

Findings

The model had a sensitivity of 73.43%, specificity of 66.15%, precision of 0.27, negative predictive value (NPV) of 93.62%, accuracy of 67.2%, Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC) of 0.3, F1 score of 0.4, and area under the curve (AUC) for the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.76. GERD did not predict survival in our cohort. GERD contribution to the model was ranked the eleventh among twenty-nine variables included in this analysis (importance of 0.003, normalized importance of 5%). GERD was the best predictor in ILD-related hospitalizations who didn’t receive mechanical ventilation.

Interpretations

GERD is associated with mild ILD-related hospitalization. Our model-performance measures suggest overall an acceptable discrimination. Our model showed that GERD does not have a prognostic value in ILD-related hospitalization, indicating that GERD per se might not have any impact on mortality in hospitalized ILD patients.

Active regression model for clinical grading of COVID-19

Background

In the therapeutic process of COVID-19, the majority of indicators that physicians have for assisting treatment have come from clinical tests represented by proteins, metabolites, and immune levels in patients' blood. Therefore, this study constructs an individualized treatment model based on deep learning methods, aiming to realize timely intervention based on clinical test indicator data of COVID-19 patients and provide an important theoretical basis for optimizing medical resource allocation.

Methods

This study collected clinical data from a total of 1,799 individuals, including 560 controls for non-respiratory infectious diseases (Negative), 681 controls for other respiratory virus infections (Other), and 558 coronavirus infections (Positive) for COVID-19. We first used the Student T-test to screen for statistically significant differences (Pvalue<0.05); we then used the Adaptive-Lasso method stepwise regression to screen the characteristic variables and filter the features with low importance; we then used analysis of covariance to calculate the correlation between variables and filter the highly correlated features; and finally, we analyzed the feature contribution and screened the best combination of features.

Results

Feature engineering reduced the feature set to 13 feature combinations. The correlation coefficient between the projected results of the artificial intelligence-based individualized diagnostic model and the fitted curve of the actual values in the test group was 0.9449 which could be applied to the clinical prognosis of COVID-19. In addition, the depletion of platelets in patients with COVID-19 is an important factor affecting their severe deterioration. With the progression of COVID-19, there is a slight decrease in the total number of platelets in the patient's body, particularly as the volume of larger platelets sharply decreases. The importance of plateletCV (count*mean platelet volume) in evaluating the severity of COVID-19 patients is higher than the count of platelets and mean platelet volume.

Conclusion

In general, we found that for patients with COVID-19, the increase in mean platelet volume was a predictor for SARS-Cov-2. The rapid decrease of platelet volume and the decrease of total platelet volume are dangerous signals for the aggravation of SARS-Cov-2 infection. The analysis and modeling results of this study provide a new perspective for individualized accurate diagnosis and treatment of clinical COVID-19 patients.

Repeated Lung Ultrasound versus Chest X-ray-Which One Predicts Better Clinical Outcome in COVID-19?

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether changes in repeated lung ultrasound (LUS) or chest X-ray (CXR) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients can predict the development of severe disease and the need for treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU). In this prospective monocentric study, COVID-19 patients received standardized LUS and CXR at day 1, 3 and 5. Scores for changes in LUS (LUS score) and CXR (RALE and M-RALE) were calculated and compared. Intra-class correlation was calculated for two readers of CXR and ROC analysis to evaluate the best discriminator for the need for ICU treatment. A total of 30 patients were analyzed, 26 patients with follow-up LUS and CXR. Increase in M-RALE between baseline and follow-up 1 was significantly higher in patients with need for ICU treatment in the further hospital stay (p = 0.008). Both RALE and M-RALE significantly correlated with LUS score (r = 0.5, p < 0.0001). ROC curves with need for ICU treatment as separator were not significantly different for changes in M-RALE (AUC: 0.87) and LUS score (AUC: 0.79), both being good discriminators. ICC was moderate for RALE (0.56) and substantial for M-RALE (0.74). The present study demonstrates that both follow-up LUS and CXR are powerful tools to track the evolution of COVID-19, and can be used equally as predictors for the need for ICU treatment.

Optimal time for COVID-19 vaccination in rituximab-treated dermatologic patients

Background

By depleting circulating B lymphocytes, rituximab time-dependently suppresses coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines’ humoral immunogenicity for a prolonged period. The optimal time to vaccinate rituximab-exposed immune-mediated dermatologic disease (IMDD) patients is currently unclear.

Objective

To estimate the vaccination timeframe that equalized the occurrence of humoral immunogenicity outcomes between rituximab-exposed and rituximab-naïve IMDD patients.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study recruited rituximab-exposed and age-matched rituximab-naïve subjects tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific immunity post-vaccination. Baseline clinical and immunological data (i.e., immunoglobulin levels, lymphocyte immunophenotyping) and SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity levels were extracted. The outcomes compared were the percentages of subjects who produced neutralizing antibodies (seroconversion rates, SR) and SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG levels among seroconverters. The outcomes were first analyzed using multiple regressions adjusted for the effects of corticosteroid use, steroid-spearing agents, and pre-vaccination immunological status (i.e., IgM levels, the percentages of the total, naïve, and memory B lymphocytes) to identify rituximab-related immunogenicity outcomes. The rituximab-related outcome differences with a 95% confidence interval (CI) between groups were calculated, starting by including every subject and then narrowing down to those with longer rituximab-to-vaccination intervals (≥3, ≥6, ≥9, ≥12 months). The desirable cut-off performances were &lt;25% outcome inferiority observed among rituximab-exposed subgroups compared to rituximab-naïve subjects, and the positive likelihood ratio (LR+) for the corresponding outcomes ≥2.

Findings

Forty-five rituximab-exposed and 90 rituximab-naive subjects were included. The regression analysis demonstrated a negative association between rituximab exposure status and SR but not with SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG levels. Nine-month rituximab-to-vaccination cut-off fulfilled our prespecified diagnostic performance (SR difference between rituximab-exposed and rituximab-naïve group [95%CI]: -2.6 [-23.3, 18.1], LR+: 2.6) and coincided with the repopulation of naïve B lymphocytes in these patients.

Conclusions

Nine months of rituximab-to-vaccination interval maximize the immunological benefits of COVID-19 vaccines while avoiding unnecessary delay in vaccination and rituximab treatment for IMDD patients.

Genetic predisposition between coronavirus disease 2019 and rheumatic diseases: A 2-sample Mendelian randomization study

OBJECTIVE

The causalities between the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the risk of rheumatic diseases remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the causal effect of COVID-19 on rheumatic disease occurrence.

METHODS

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), acquired from published genome-wide association studies, were used to perform 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) on cases diagnosed with COVID-19 (n = 13 464), rheumatic diseases (n = 444 199), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA, n = 15 872), gout (n = 69  374), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, n = 3094), ankylosing spondylitis (n = 75 130), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC, n = 11 375) and primary Sjögren's syndrome (n = 95 046). Three MR methods were used in the analysis based on different heterogeneity and pleiotropy using the Bonferroni correction.

RESULTS

The results revealed a causality between COVID-19 and rheumatic diseases with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.010 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.006-1.013; P = .014). In addition, we observed that COVID-19 was causally associated with an increased risk of JIA (OR 1.517; 95%CI, 1.144-2.011; P = .004), PBC (OR 1.370; 95%CI, 1.149-1.635; P = .005), but a decreased risk of SLE (OR 0.732; 95%CI, 0.590-0.908; P = .004). Using MR, 8 SNPs were identified to associate with COVID-19 and recognized as significant variables. None of them were previously reported in any other diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to use MR to explore the impact of COVID-19 on rheumatic diseases. From a genetic perspective, we found that COVID-19 could increase the risk of rheumatic diseases, such as PBC and JIA, but decrease that of SLE, thereby suggesting a potential surge in the disease burden of PBC and JIA following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lung fibrosis: Post-COVID-19 complications and evidences

BACKGROUND

COVID 19, a lethal viral outbreak that devastated lives and the economy across the globe witnessed non-compensable respiratory illnesses in patients. As been evaluated in reports, patients receiving long-term treatment are more prone to acquire Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF). Repetitive damage and repair of alveolar tissues increase oxidative stress, inflammation and elevated production of fibrotic proteins ultimately disrupting normal lung physiology skewing the balance towards the fibrotic milieu.

AIM

In the present work, we have discussed several important pathways which are involved in post-COVID PF. Further, we have also highlighted the rationale for the use of antifibrotic agents for post-COVID PF to decrease the burden and improve pulmonary functions in COVID-19 patients.

CONCLUSION

Based on the available literature and recent incidences, it is crucial to monitor COVID-19 patients over a period of time to rule out the possibility of residual effects. There is a need for concrete evidence to deeply understand the mechanisms responsible for PF in COVID-19 patients.

Thiopurine therapy in inflammatory bowel disease in the pandemic era: Safe or unsafe?

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative colitis (UC) are the two major types affecting millions across the globe. Various immunomodulatory drugs consisting of small molecules (thiopurines, methotrexate and tofacitinib) and biologics are used to treat IBD. Thiopurines (TP) are widely used in the treatment of IBD and it plays an important role both alone and in combination with anti-TNF agents as IBD maintenance therapy. Although the advent of biologics therapy has significantly advanced the management of IBD, TP remains the mainstay of treatment in resource-limited and low economic settings. However, the recently commenced pandemic has raised uncertainty over the safety of the use of immunosuppressant drugs such as TP among healthcare care providers and patients, as there is a scarcity of data on whether IBD patients are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection or more prone to its severe outcomes.

AIM

This review aims to encapsulate evidence on the risk of COVID-19 infection and its severe prognosis in IBD patients on TP. Additionally, it also evaluates the role of TP in inhibiting the viral protease, a potential drug target, essential for the replication and pathogenesis of the virus.

CONCLUSION

Emerging evidence suggests that TP therapy is safe during the current pandemic and does not carry an elevated risk when used as monotherapy or in combination with other IBD drugs. In-vitro studies demonstrate that TP is a potential therapeutic for present and future betacoronavirus pandemics.

Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Scleroderma and Scleroderma Mimics

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are the standard of care for various malignancies and have been associated with a wide spectrum of complications that are phenotypically akin to primary autoimmune diseases. While the literature on these toxicities is growing, there is a paucity of data regarding ICI-associated scleroderma which can carry significant morbidity and limit the ability to continue effective ICI therapy. Our review aimed to analyze the current literature on ICI-associated systemic scleroderma (ICI-SSc) and key scleroderma mimics. Cases of ICI-SSc had notable differences from primary SSc, such as fewer vascular features and less seropositivity (such as scleroderma-specific antibodies and antinuclear antibodies). We found that patients with a diagnosis of SSc prior to the start of ICI can also experience flares of pre-existing disease after ICI treatment used for their cancer. Regarding scleroderma mimics, several cases of ICI-eosinophilic fasciitis have also been described with variable clinical presentations and courses. We found no cases of scleroderma mimics: ICI-scleromyxedema or ICI-scleroedema. There is a critical need for multi-institutional efforts to collaborate on developing a patient database and conducting robust, prospective research on ICI-scleroderma. This will ultimately facilitate more effective clinical evaluations and management for ICI-scleroderma.

SARS-CoV-2-Specific T Cell Responses in Immunocompromised Individuals with Cancer, HIV or Solid Organ Transplants

Adaptive immune responses play an important role in the clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 infection. While evaluations of the virus-specific defense often focus on the humoral response, cellular immunity is crucial for the successful control of infection, with the early development of cytotoxic T cells being linked to efficient viral clearance. Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 induces both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses and permits protection from severe COVID-19, including infection with the currently circulating variants of concern. Nevertheless, in immunocompromised individuals, first data imply significantly impaired SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses after both natural infection and vaccination. Hence, these high-risk groups require particular consideration, not only in routine clinical practice, but also in the development of future vaccination strategies. In order to assist physicians in the guidance of immunocompromised patients, concerning the management of infection or the benefit of (booster) vaccinations, this review aims to provide a concise overview of the current knowledge about SARS-CoV-2-specific cellular immune responses in the vulnerable cohorts of cancer patients, people living with HIV (PLWH), and solid organ transplant recipients (SOT). Recent findings regarding the virus-specific cellular immunity in these differently immunocompromised populations might influence clinical decision-making in the future.

Human epididymis protein 4 as a clinical biomarker in identifying interstitial lung disease in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

OBJECTIVE

Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) can differentiate interstitial lung disease from patients with some rheumatic diseases. However, the clinical utility of HE4 in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) remains unclear.

METHODS

80 IIM patients and 91 age and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Clinical and laboratory data were recorded at baseline and 12 weeks. HE4 was tested by the method of electrochemical luminescence.

RESULTS

Compared to HCs, the levels of HE4 significantly elevated in IIM patients. Patients with elevated HE4 had a higher interstitial lung disease (ILD) prevalence. Among patients with ILD, histological patterns of organizing pneumonia had higher HE4 levels than non-specific interstitial pneumonia. Further, there was a positive correlation between HE4 and the semi-quantitative CT grade (r = 0.778, p < 0.001) and a negative relation between HE4 and the percentage of forced vital capacity (p < 0.001) and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLco) (p = 0.001). An optimal cut-off value of HE4 (79.6 pmol/L) for distinguishing IIM-ILD was analyzed by ROC analysis with an AUC of 0.733 (p = 0.002). Regression analysis revealed that elevated HE4 independently identified IIM-related ILD (OR 34.8, 95 %CI, 3.58-338.14, p = 0.002). With the improvement after treatment, serum HE4 levels were significantly decreased (p = 0.006), accompanied by improved DLco% (p = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum HE4 was significantly elevated in patients with IIM and may be utilized as a serum biomarker to evaluate the disease severity and prognosis of IIM-related ILD.

Nintedanib: a review of the properties, function, and usefulness to minimize COVID-19-induced lung injury

INTRODUCTION

In severe COVID-19 patients, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-induced lung injury regularly causes a pulmonary fibrotic phase. There is no approved therapy for the COVID-19-induced pulmonary fibrosis. However, administration of an anti-fibrotic agent, in the early acute phase of the severe COVID-19 with ARDS, may improve the infection outcomes.

AREAS COVERED

In this review, the main characteristics of nintedanib and its usefulness to treat COVID-19-induced fibrosis were studied. In July 2022, a literature search was performed from PubMed, Google Scholar, and the WHO databases for studies focusing on the properties, function, efficacy, and safety of nintedanib against different lung injuries.

EXPERT OPINION

Nintedanib interferes with lung fibrosis and tumor angiogenesis by targeting multiple receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Loss of RTKs activity leads to blocking downstream signaling cascades and inhibiting the proliferation and migration of lung fibroblasts. Targeting RTKs may be useful in the treatment of COVID-19 lung fibrosis. Nintedanib may be a superior agent compared to pirfenidone for the treatment of COVID-19 ARDS-related pulmonary fibrosis. Investigation of the efficacy and safety of nintedanib in the early stages of COVID-19-induced ARDS is critical since it may decrease the oxygen dependency and degree of lung fibrosis after the hospital discharge.

Cardiac Involvement in Children Affected by COVID-19: Clinical Features and Diagnosis

COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) in children is usually mild. However, multiple organ disorders associated with SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2) have been detected with poor respiratory symptoms. Cardiac changes are noted in 17% to 75% of cases, which are associated with diagnostic difficulties in high-risk groups for the development of complications that are associated with myocardial damage by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The objective of this review is to identify the most significant symptoms of cardiac involvement affected by COVID-19, which require in-depth examination. The authors analyzed publications from December 2019 to the October 2022, which were published in accessible local and international databases. According to the analysis data, the main sign of myocardial involvement was increasing as cardiomarkers in the patient's blood, in particular troponin I or troponin T. Many authors noted that the increased level of CRP (C-reactive protein) and NT-proBNP, which are accompanied by changes in the ECG (electrocardiogram) and EchoCG (echocardiography), as a rule, were nonspecific. However, the identified cardiac functional dysfunctions affected by SARS-CoV-2, required an cardiac MRI. The lack of timely diagnosis of myocardial involvements, especially in children at high risk for the development of complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 myocardial injury, can lead to death. The direct damage of the structural elements of myocardial blood vessels in patients with severe hypoxic changes resulted from respiratory failure caused by SARS-CoV-2 lung damage, with the development of severe acute diffuse alveolar damage and cell-mediated immune response and myocardial involvement affected by SARS-CoV-2 damage. In this article, the authors introduce a clinical case of a child who dead from inflammatory myocardities with COVID-19 in a background of congenital heart disease and T-cell immunodeficiency.

Correlation between Microvascular Damage and Internal Organ Involvement in Scleroderma: Focus on Lung Damage and Endothelial Dysfunction

BACKGROUND

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an incurable connective tissue disease characterized by decreased peripheral blood perfusion due to microvascular damage and skin thickening/hardening. The microcirculation deficit is typically secondary to structural vessel damage, which can be assessed morphologically and functionally in a variety of ways, exploiting different technologies.

OBJECTIVE

This paper focuses on reviewing new studies regarding the correlation between microvascular damage, endothelial dysfunction, and internal organ involvement, particularly pulmonary changes in SSc.

METHODS

We critically reviewed the most recent literature on the correlation between blood perfusion and organ involvement.

RESULTS

Many papers have demonstrated the link between structural microcirculatory damage and pulmonary involvement; however, studies that have investigated correlations between microvascular functional impairment and internal organ damage are scarce. Overall, the literature supports the correlation between organ involvement and functional microcirculatory impairment in SSc patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Morphological and functional techniques appear to be emerging biomarkers in SSc, but obviously need further investigation.

Prognostic Analysis of Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia in Interstitial Lung Disease Patients: A Retrospective Clinical Study

(1) Background: The clinical characteristics and the prognostic factors of HIV-negative Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) patients (non-HIV-PJP) with interstitial lung disease (ILD) remain unclear. Our objectives were to describe the clinical characteristics and to explore the prognostic factors of non-HIV-ILD-PJP patients. (2) Methods: The enrolled patients in this retrospective study were stratified based on the presence or absence of ILD and fibrotic ILD (FILD). The log-rank test and Cox regression models were used to analyze the prognostic factors. (3) Results: Among 378 non-HIV-PJP patients, there were 133 patients with ILD-PJP, and 70 patients were classified as having FILD-PJP. The all-cause mortality rate for the ILD-PJP group is higher than that of the ILD-PJP group (57.9% vs. 38.4%, p < 0.001). However, the all-cause mortality is similar between the FILD-PJP group and non-FILD-PJP group. Preexisting ILD (HR: 2.156, p = 0.003) and honeycomb appearance on the chest HRCT (HR = 16.3, p < 0.001) are independent survival risk factors for ILD-PJP. Non-invasive ventilation is an independent survival risk factor for ILD-PJP patients (HR = 928.56, p < 0.01) and FILD-PJP patients (HR = 33.86, p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: Pre-existing ILD and honeycomb appearance on the chest HRCT are independent survival risk factors for PJP patients. Non-invasive ventilation is associated with poor survival for both ILD-PJP and FILD-PJP patients.

Small airways dysfunction in patients with systemic sclerosis and interstitial lung disease

BACKGROUND

A number of studies report small airways involvement in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Furthermore, small airways dysfunction is increasingly recognized in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) of idiopathic or autoimmune etiology. The objectives of this study were to evaluate small airways function in SSc patients with ILD and explore the effect of treatment on small airways function by using conventional and contemporary pulmonary function tests (PFTs).

METHODS

This single-center, prospective, observational study included a total of 35 SSc patients, with and without ILD based on HRCT scan, evaluated by a special radiologist blindly. Clinical data were collected from all patients who were also assessed for HRCT findings of small airways disease. Small airways function was assessed by classic spirometry, measurement of diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, body plethysmography, single breath nitrogen washout (N2SBW) and impulse oscillometry (IOS). The prevalence of small airways dysfunction according to R5-R20, phase III slopeN2SBW and CV/VC methodologies was calculated in the total SSc population. Pulmonary function tests were compared between: (a) SSc-ILD and non-ILD patients and (b) two time points (baseline and follow up visit) in a subset of SSc-ILD patients who received treatment for ILD and were re-evaluated at a follow up visit after 12 months.

RESULTS

Phase III slopeN2SBW and R5-R20 showed the highest diagnostic performance for detecting small airways dysfunction among SSc patients (61 and 37.5%, respectively). Twenty three SSc patients were found with ILD and 14 of them had a 12-month follow up visit. SSc-ILD patients compared to those without ILD exhibited increased phase III slopeN2SBW ≥120% (p = 0.04), R5-R20 ≥0.07 kPa/L/s (p = 0.025), airway resistance (Raw) (p = 0.011), and special airway resistance (sRaw) (p = 0.02), and decreased specific airway conductance (sGaw) (p = 0.022), suggesting impaired small airways function in the SSc-ILD group. Radiographic features of SAD on HRCT were observed in 22% of SSc-ILD patients and in none of SSc-non-ILD patients. Comparison of PFTs between baseline and follow-up visit after 12 months in the 14 SSc-ILD treated patients, showed improvement of phase III slopeN2SBW (p = 0.034), R5-R20 (p = 0.035) and Raw (p = 0.044) but not sRaw and sGaw parameters.

CONCLUSION

Phase III slopeN2SBW and R5-R20 may reveal small airways dysfunction in SSc associated ILD before structural damage and may be partially improved in a subset of patients receiving treatment for ILD.

Changing the Patient's Position: Pitfalls and Benefits for Radiation Dose and Image Quality of Computed Tomography in Polytrauma

For computed tomography (CT), representing the diagnostic standard for trauma patients, image quality is essential. The positioning of the patient’s arms next to the abdomen causes artifacts and is also considered to increase radiation exposure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of various positionings during different CT examination steps on the extent of artifacts as well as radiation dose using iterative reconstruction (IR). 354 trauma-CTs were analyzed retrospectively. All datasets were reconstructed using IR and three different examination protocols were applied. Arm elevation led to a significant improvement of the image quality across all examination protocols (p < 0.001). Variation in arm positioning during image acquisition did not lead to a reduction of radiation dose (p = 0.123). Only elevation during scout acquisition resulted in the reduction of radiation exposure (p < 0.001). To receive high-quality CT images, patients should be placed with elevated arms for the trunk scan, as artifacts remain even with the IR. Arm repositioning during the examination itself had no effect on the applied radiation dose because its modulation refers to the initial scout obtained. In order to achieve a dose effect by different positioning, a two-scout protocol (dual scout) should be used.

Proton pump inhibitors in systemic sclerosis: a reappraisal to optimise treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is associated with significant morbidity in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Although the introduction of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) into clinical care have represented a major achievement in the management of oesophago-gastric problems in SSc, PPIs are seldom fully effective in SSc patients, and the utilization of maximum PPI dosages is a very frequent clinical practice. However, currently there is little evidence currently to support the empiric use of PPIs in SSc which is especially relevant in regard to safety concerns of long-term exposure with have been raised in the general population. The purpose of this viewpoint is to highlight the significant beneficial impact of PPIs on GERD in SSc, while considering the potential adverse effects in this patient population. Furthermore, we highlight the unmet needs of SSc patients with GERD, and also propose an agenda for future research to optimise the safe and effective use of PPIs in SSc.

Characteristics of Long COVID: Cases from the First to the Fifth Wave in Greater Tokyo, Japan

Purpose: Approximately 25–60% of COVID-19 patients develop long-term sequelae of the condition known as long COVID. This study aimed to examine sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of long COVID in Japan. Methods: The data of long COVID patients, defined as those who were symptomatic after 28 days from onset, were collected in an outpatient clinic in Tokyo, Japan between 6 January 2020 and 2 October 2021 (N = 1891). Information on age, sex, employment, infection waves, vaccination, impairment in activities of daily living, and symptoms were obtained from electronic medical records. We used linear regression to analyze the association of patients characteristics with performance status. Results: The mean number of days from onset was 77.6 (SD: 71.3). Female, those who had their work hours reduced, on leave, dismissed or retired or not working, were associated with lower performance status. Fatigue, depressive symptom, brain fog, dyspnea, palpitation, body pain, loss of appetite, fever—but not headache, insomnia, loss of smell, loss of taste, hair loss, or cough—were associated with the lower performance status. Conclusion: Sex and employment status were associated with lower performance status in long COVID patients. Studies are needed to elucidate the full picture of the characteristics of long COVID patients.

Frequency, proportion of PF-ILD, and prognostic factors in patients with acute exacerbation of ILD related to systemic autoimmune diseases

BACKGROUND

Acute exacerbation (AE) of systemic autoimmune disease-related interstitial lung diseases (SAID-ILD) is less common than AE of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and the details of AE-SAID-ILD have not been elucidated, but the prognosis is similarly devastating. This study was undertaken to determine the incidences of AE-ILD in each SAID and to elucidate the proportion of progressive fibrosing (PF)-ILD in AE-SAID-ILD.

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed data for patients with SAID-ILD who were diagnosed and observed at our hospital between 1999 and 2020.

RESULTS

Two hundred and thirty-two patients with SAID-ILD were enrolled, with a mean observation period of 100.2 months. AE-SAID-ILD was found in 25 patients (10.78%), mainly in patients with RA (17 patients, 68%) and elderly male patients with a smoking history. The overall incidence of AE-SAID-ILD was 1.29%/person-year, and the incidence for each SAID was as follows: RA 2.193, microscopic polyarteritis (MPA) 3.203, systemic sclerosis (SSc) 2.277, primary Sjögren syndrome 0.426, and polymyositis/dermatomyositis 0.222. The incidence of AE of RA/MPA/SSc-ILD was significantly higher than that of other AE-SAID-ILD (p < 0.001). Five of 25 patients (20%) fulfilled the criteria for PF-ILD. The 90-day survival rate was 48.0%, and a higher neutrophil count at AE (HR 13.27, 95%CI 2.447-246, p = 0.001) and early commencement of long-duration direct haemoperfusion with a polymyxin B-immobilised fibre column (HR 0.105, 95%CI 0.005-0.858, p = 0.035) were significant prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of AE-SAID-ILD was significantly higher in patients with RA, MPA, or SSc than in patients with other SAID. Furthermore, even in patients with AE-SAID-ILD, the proportion of PF-ILD just before AE was not high (20%).

Could an Increased Percentage of Immature Granulocytes Accompanying Dyspepsia Predict COVID-19?

Background and Aim: Although vaccination practices continue at a fast pace around the world, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) still threatens people’s lives. In this study, we aimed to determine the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in patients who do not have the typical symptoms of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but only present with dyspepsia, and to investigate the role of immature granulocytes in the early diagnosis of these patients. Material and Methods: Adult and pediatric patients suffering from dyspepsia were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups, ‘‘positive’’ and ‘‘negative’’, based on their SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction test results. Immature granulocyte count (IG), immature granulocyte percentage (IG%), C-reactive protein (CRP), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) values were recorded. Results: A total of 238 patients, including 25 (10.5%) pediatric and 213 (89.5%) adult patients, were included in the study. A total of 2 (8%) pediatric patients and 17 (7.9%) adult patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The IG, IG%, and CRP parameters were significantly higher in the SARS-CoV-2-positive patients compared to the SARS-CoV-2-negative patients. The optimal cut-off value predictive of COVID-19 infection was determined to be ≥0.650 (sensitivity: 52.6% and specificity: 95.5%, p = 0.001) for IG%. Conclusions: It should be noted that dyspepsia may also be a COVID-19 symptom. IG% values, which can be determined with a hemogram test, a cheap and easily accessible test, may be a warning in the early detection of patients who do not have the typical symptoms of COVID-19.

Positive Autoantibody Is Associated with Malignancies in Patients with Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias

Various autoantibodies are associated with clinical outcomes in patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs). We retrospectively analyzed the association between autoantibodies and malignancies in IIP patients. Comprehensive analyses of autoantibodies were performed using immunoprecipitation and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in 193 consecutive IIP patients. Cancer-related factors were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. In total, 22 of 193 patients (11.4%) with IIP had malignant disease. In univariate analysis, positivity for any autoantibody (odds ratio (OR), 3.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2-7.7; p = 0.017) and antinuclear antibody titer ≥1:320 (OR, 3.4; CI, 1.2-9.8; p = 0.024) were significantly associated with malignancies. Positive anti-aminoacyl tRNA synthetase (ARS) (OR, 3.7; CI, 0.88-15.5; p = 0.074) and anti-Ro52 antibody (OR, 3.2; CI, 0.93-11.2; p = 0.065) tended to be associated with malignancies. In multivariate analysis, independent risk factors were male sex (OR, 3.7; CI, 1.0-13.5; p = 0.029) and positivity for any autoantibody (OR, 3.9; CI, 1.5-10.1; p = 0.004) in model 1, and male sex (OR, 3.9; CI, 1.0-15.3; p = 0.049), antinuclear antibody titer ≥1:320 (OR, 4.2; CI, 1.4-13.3; p = 0.013), and positivity for anti-ARS antibody (OR, 6.5; CI, 1.2-34.1; p = 0.026) in model 2. Positivity for any autoantibody, antinuclear and anti-ARS antibodies, and male sex were independent risk factors for malignancies in IIP patients. Testing autoantibodies in IIP patients might help the early diagnosis of malignancies.

Diagnostic Efficacy of CT Examination on Early Detection of Lung Cancer during Pandemic of COVID-19

Background: Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, routine CT examination was recommended to hospitalized patients at some hospitals and discovered lung cancer patients at an early stage. This study aimed to investigate the detection efficacy of routine CT examination on early diagnosis of lung cancer, especially on pathological characteristics. Methods: The epidemic of COVID-19 outbreak in January 2020 in China, and routine CT examination was recommended to hospitalized patients in June 2020 and ended in July 2021. Based on the time points, we compared the diagnosis efficacy between three periods: pre-period, peri-period, and the period of routine CT examination. Results: During the period of routine CT examination, more early stages of lung cancer were detected and the tumor size was reduced to 2.14 cm from 3.21 cm at pre-period (p = 0.03). The proportion of lung adenocarcinoma and early stage adenocarcinoma was increased by 12% and 30% in the period of routine CT examination, with referral to the pre-period of CT examination (p < 0.05). A total of 61% of diagnosed patients had the wild type of TP53 gene during the period of routine CT examination, compared to 45% of patients at the pre-period of CT examination (p = 0.001). The median Ki-67 index was 15% among patients diagnosed at the period of routine CT examination and increased to 35% at the pre-period of CT examination (p < 0.001). The period of routine CT examination was associated with a 78% higher probability of detecting an early stage of adenocarcinoma (OR = 1.78, 95%CI 1.03, 3.08) but no significant association was observed for squamous cell carcinoma. From the pre-period to the period of routine CT examination, the proportion of female patients and non-smoking patients increased by 57% and 44%, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Routine CT examination could detect more lung cancer at an early stage, especially for adenocarcinoma, and detect patients with less aggressive features. Further studies were warranted to confirm the findings.

Prone Positioning Decreases Inhomogeneity and Improves Dorsal Compliance in Invasively Ventilated Spontaneously Breathing COVID-19 Patients—A Study Using Electrical Impedance Tomography

Background: We studied prone positioning effects on lung aeration in spontaneously breathing invasively ventilated patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: changes in lung aeration were studied prospectively by electrical impedance tomography (EIT) from before to after placing the patient prone, and back to supine. Mixed effect models with a random intercept and only fixed effects were used to evaluate changes in lung aeration. Results: fifteen spontaneously breathing invasively ventilated patients were enrolled, and remained prone for a median of 19 [17 to 21] hours. At 16 h the global inhomogeneity index was lower. At 2 h, there were neither changes in dorsal nor in ventral compliance; after 16 h, only dorsal compliance (βFe +18.9 [95% Confidence interval (CI): 9.1 to 28.8]) and dorsal end-expiratory lung impedance (EELI) were increased (βFe, +252 [95% CI: 13 to 496]); at 2 and 16 h, dorsal silent spaces was unchanged (βFe, –4.6 [95% CI: –12.3 to +3.2]). The observed changes induced by prone positioning disappeared after turning patients back to supine. Conclusions: in this cohort of spontaneously breathing invasively ventilated COVID-19 patients, prone positioning decreased inhomogeneity, increased lung volumes, and improved dorsal compliance.

Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) in a Patient Suffering from Post-COVID Syndrome with Dyspnea: A Case Report

Background: Long-term health consequences following COVID-19 disease constitute an increasing problem worldwide. A considerable number of patients still suffer from various symptoms, most commonly dyspnea, months or even years after the acute infection. In these patients, a classical pulmonary function test often yields no significant findings. Subsequently, treating those patients is a challenge for any physician as there are currently no evidence-based treatment plans. Case and methods: We reported the case of a 58-year-old patient who was still suffering from resting dyspnea six months after severe COVID-19 pneumonia. The dyspnea was so pronounced that the patient was supplied with home oxygen, which they used as needed. The regional distribution of ventilation in the lungs was studied twice utilizing noninvasive electrical impedance tomography (EIT). The first examination showed distinct inhomogeneities of regional ventilation, a regional ventilation delay (RVD) of 15%, and pronounced pendelluft phenomena. Seven weeks after treatment with budesonide and physical therapy, the patient reported a clear subjective improvement in complaints. Accordingly, the regional distribution of ventilation also improved. Conclusion: Electrical impedance tomography might be a promising method to assess lung function in post-COVID patients; however, controlled and larger studies are necessary.

Exome sequencing link mutation in RGPD4 with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease and the low level of testosterone—an exploration study

Background

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most common and potentially most devastating manifestation of SSc in pulmonary involvement. However, the mechanism for systemic sclerosis-associated ILD (SSc-ILD) is unclear. This work aims to explore the potential candidates for SSc-ILD upon whole exome sequencing (WES) and attempts to analyze the possible pathogenesis of SSc-ILD from the perspective of the genetic level.

Materials

Variants were confirmed by whole exome sequencing (WES), and SKAT analysis was employed to explore the most differential variants. Targeted variants were performed in biological functions, associated with clinical manifestations, and the probable change of downstream.

Results

By WES and SKAT analysis of SSc with and without ILD, only the variants of RGPD4 achieved statistical power (P < 2.51 × 10^-6, P-FDR = 0.025, OR = 15.95). A total of 20 rare functional variants (missense, truncating, splicing) were tested for the RGPD4 gene, and five truncating and damaging missense variants were identified. Carriers showed the older inclusion age (P = 0.02) and the higher frequency use of prednisone (P=0.02) compared to the non-carriers. Further analysis illustrated that carriers showed lower levels of TES in comparison to non-carriers but did not reach statistical difference (P = 0.08). In bivariate correlation analysis, we analyzed the relationship between the mutant status of RGPD4 and the levels of sex hormones after adjusting for age confounders. Only the level of TES showed a negative correlation with the mutant status (B = -0.509, P = 0.037).

Conclusion

The variants of RGPD4 might contribute to the ILD development of SSc and might also be a causative factor of lower TES among SSc-ILD, which provided insight to a better understanding of pathobiology of SSc-ILD, and androgen hormone supplement might be a therapeutic target in this debilitating disease.

Skin thickness affects the result of tuberculin skin test in systemic sclerosis

Background

Skin thickness is a prominent clinical feature of systemic sclerosis (SSc), but there is no consensus on the cut-off for a positive tuberculin skin test (TST) size and the limitation of the TST for a diagnosis of tuberculosis in SSc. We aimed to identify the cut-off size of an indurated TST and the sensitivity and specificity of the test for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in SSc patients.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of 168 adult Thai SSc patients was conducted. The TST was done using 0.1 ml of purified protein derivatives via intradermal injection. The test was interpreted 72 h after testing.

Results

The median age was 57.2 years. The majority (71.8%) had the diffuse cutaneous SSc subset. All the patients had a BCG vaccination at birth, and 17 (10.1%) had a tuberculosis infection. An indurated skin reaction size of 20 mm had the highest specificity for tuberculosis (99.3%: 95%CI 96.4–100) (ROC 0.53). The skin thickness—assessed using the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS)—had a significant negative correlation with the reaction size (Rho -0.23; p = 0.003).

Conclusion

The TST is not sufficiently sensitive for detecting TB infection in SSc patients, albeit a skin induration of ≥ 15 mm indicates a high specificity for tuberculosis infection. A high mRSS resulted in a smaller skin reaction size when using the TST, which has limited utility as a diagnostic for tuberculosis among SSc patients with severe skin thickness.

The manuscript was presented as a poster presentation at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology EULAR 2019 Madrid 12–15 June 2019. (Ann Rheum Dis. 2019;78(suppl 2): abstract FRI0347) http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-eular.1456

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41927-022-00278-8.

The associations of radiological features of high-resolution computed tomography with the outcomes of transbronchial cryobiopsy in interstitial lung diseases: A cohort study

Background

Transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBCB) is a critical procedure in the diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases (ILD). The associations between high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) features and outcomes of TBCB were unknown.

Methods

This study was conducted as a single-center prospective cohort study between September 2018 and January 2020 (NCT04047667). HRCT was obtained before performing TBCB. The clinical and radiological characteristics, complications, pathological and multidisciplinary discussion (MDD) diagnoses were recorded. The relationships between HRCT features and outcomes of TBCB were analyzed.

Results

TBCB was performed on 216 ILD patients. The radiological features usually interstitial pneumonia (UIP) or probable UIP, indeterminate for UIP, ground-glass opacities (GGO) and cysts were found in 55 (25.5%), 38 (17.6%), 84 (38.9%) and 9 (4.2%) patients, respectively. And 118 (54.6%) patients had high HRCT score (involved lung proportion ≥50%) in the biopsied lobe. Multivariate analysis suggested radiological probable UIP pattern may be an independent risk factor for moderate bleeding (OR = 4.304; 95% CI: 1.383–13.393; P = 0.012), while GGO may be a protective factor from moderate bleeding (OR = 0.173, 95% CI: 0.043–0.687; P = 0.013). The pathological diagnostic yield in patients presenting cysts on HRCT was significantly lower than others (44.4 vs. 87.9%; P = 0.009). While performing TBCB in the lobe with high HRCT score increased pathological diagnostic yield (91.5 vs. 79.6%; P = 0.022). Neither pneumothorax nor MDD diagnostic yields were found to be associated with HRCT features.

Conclusions

HRCT features were associated with moderate bleeding and pathological diagnosis. Pre-TBCB assessments of HRCT pattern and scores were helpful for bronchoscopists to make a better patient selection and procedure planning.

Long-Term Efficacy and Low Adverse Events of Methylprednisolone Pulses Combined to Low-Dose Glucocorticoids for Systemic Sclerosis: A Retrospective Clinical Study of 10 Years’ Follow-Up

Background

Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) have poor prognosis without cure methods. We began, 10 years ago, to relieve active SSc using short-term intravenous high-dose methylprednisolone pulse (MP-Pulse) and then maintain remission using long-term and low-dose oral glucocorticoids (LTLD-GC).

Methods

Total 46 of SSc patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and induration of skin during January 2006 to December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively, who were followed up for 10 years or more. The patients were treated with MP-Pulse (15 mg/kg/day, 4 days/week, for 2 weeks) with (n=21) or without (n=25) LTLD-GC (prednisone 5–10 mg/day or methylprednisolone 4–8 mg/day). The biographic and clinical data, including occurrence of infection or any adverse reactions, were collected at baseline, 6 months, 1 year, and annually through 10 years after treatment.

Results

From baseline to 10 years, compared with MP-Pulse alone, MP-Pulse/LTLD-GC significantly reduced skin and lung fibrosis and improved lung function: Rodnan skin score (mRSS: 22.1±12.4 to 8.16±2.5, P<0.001), forced vital capacity (FVC: 71.7% to 89.83%, P<0.001), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1: 75.7% to 87.88%, P<0.001), diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO: 63.4% to 87.73%, P<0.001), and high-resolution chest computerized tomography scan (HRCT score: 3.96±2.81 to 1.42±0.83, P<0.001). None of the 46 patients had femoral head necrosis, compression fracture, death, or life-threatening adverse events.

Conclusion

These outcomes indicate that intravenous MP-Pulse combined with oral LTLD-GC could achieve significant remission and better long-term (10 years) efficacy without severe adverse effects in SSc patients with ILD and induration of skin.

Systemic sclerosis in the time of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic represents one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. In addition to the general effect on society and health-care systems, patients with systemic sclerosis and their physicians face specific challenges related to the chronic nature of their disease, the involvement of multiple organs, and the use of immunosuppressive treatments. Data from registries and single centre cohorts indicate that the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 does not seem to increase substantially in people with systemic sclerosis; conversely, severe COVID-19 outcomes are seen more frequently in these patients than in the general population. Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is therefore highly recommended for patients with systemic sclerosis; however, no specific recommendations are available regarding the different vaccine platforms. Both patients and physicians should be aware that the effectiveness of vaccines might be reduced in patients taking immunosuppressive therapy, because antibody responses might be blunted, specifically in patients treated with rituximab and mycophenolate mofetil.

Influence of CT Image Matrix Size and Kernel Type on the Assessment of HRCT in Patients with SSC-ILD

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a frequent complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc), and its early detection and treatment may prevent deterioration of lung function. Different vendors have recently made larger image matrices available as a post-processing option for computed tomography (CT), which could facilitate the diagnosis of SSc-ILD. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the effect of matrix size on lung image quality in patients with SSc by comparing a 1024-pixel matrix to a standard 512-pixel matrix and applying different reconstruction kernels. Methods: Lung scans of 50 patients (mean age 54 years, range 23−85 years) with SSc were reconstructed with these two different matrix sizes, after determining the most appropriate kernel in a first step. Four observers scored the images on a five-point Likert scale regarding image quality and detectability of clinically relevant findings. Results: Among the eight tested kernels, the Br59-kernel (sharp) reached the highest score (19.48 ± 3.99), although differences did not reach statistical significance. The 1024-pixel matrix scored higher than the 512-pixel matrix HRCT overall (p = 0.01) and in the subcategories sharpness (p < 0.01), depiction of bronchiole (p < 0.01) and overall image impression (p < 0.01), and lower for the detection of ground-glass opacities (GGO) (p = 0.04). No significant differences were found for detection of extent of reticulations/bronchiectasis/fibrosis (p = 0.50) and image noise (p = 0.09). Conclusions: Our results show that with the use of a sharp kernel, the 1024-pixel matrix HRCT, provides a slightly better subjective image quality in terms of assessing interstitial lung changes, whereby GGO are more visible on the 512-pixel matrix. However, it remains to be answered to what extent this is related to the improved representation of the smallest structures.

Prognostic Predictive Characteristics in Patients With Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: Limited data are available regarding the entire spectrum of interstitial lung disease with a progressive fibrosing feature. We investigated the prevalence and prognostic predictive characteristics in patients with PF-ILD.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with fibrosing ILD who were investigated between 1 January 2015 and 30 April 2021. We recorded clinical features and outcomes to identify the possible risk factors for fibrosing progression as well as mortality.

Results: Of the 579 patients with fibrosing ILD, 227 (39.21%) met the criteria for progression. Clubbing of fingers [odds ratio (OR) 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03 to 2.24, p = 0.035] and a high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT)-documented usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP)-like fibrotic pattern (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.86, p = 0.001) were risk factors for fibrosis progression. The mortality was worse in patients with PF with hypoxemia [hazard ratio (HR) 2.08, 95% CI 1.31 to 3.32, p = 0.002], in those with baseline diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) % predicted &lt;50% (HR 2.25, 95% CI 1.45 to 3.50, p &lt; 0.001), or in those with UIP-like fibrotic pattern (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.71, p &lt; 0.001).

Conclusion: Clubbing of fingers and an HRCT-documented UIP-like fibrotic pattern were more likely to be associated with progressive fibrosing with varied prevalence based on the specific diagnosis. Among patients with progressive fibrosing, those with hypoxemia, lower baseline DLCO% predicted, or UIP-like fibrotic pattern showed poor mortality.

Severe COVID-19 ARDS Treated by Bronchoalveolar Lavage with Diluted Exogenous Pulmonary Surfactant as Salvage Therapy: In Pursuit of the Holy Grail?

Background: Severe pneumonia caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by inflammatory lung injury, progressive parenchymal stiffening and consolidation, alveolar and airway collapse, altered vascular permeability, diffuse alveolar damage, and surfactant deficiency. COVID-19 causes both pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (COVID-19 ARDS). COVID-19 ARDS is characterized by severe refractory hypoxemia and high mortality. Despite extensive research, the treatment of COVID-19 ARDS is far from satisfactory. Some treatments are recommended for exhibiting some clinically positive impacts on COVID-19 patients although there are already several drugs in clinical trials, some of which are already demonstrating promising results in addressing COVID-19. Few studies have demonstrated beneficial effects in non-COVID-19 ARDS treatment of exogenous surfactant, and there is no evidence-based, proven method for the procedure of surfactant administration. Aim: The aim of this work is to underline the key role of ATII cells and reduced surfactant levels in COVID-19 ARDS and to emphasize the rational basis for exogenous surfactant therapy in COVID-19 ARDS, providing insights for future research. Methods: In this article, we describe and support via the literature the decision to administer large volumes of surfactant to two patients via bronchoalveolar lavage to maximize its distribution in the respiratory tract. Results: In this study, we report on two cases of COVID-19 ARDS in patients who have been successfully treated with diluted surfactants by bronchoalveolar lavage, followed by a low-dose bolus of surfactant. Conclusion: Combining the administration of diluted, exogenous pulmonary surfactant via bronchoalveolar lavage along with the standard therapy for SARS-CoV-2-induced ARDS may be a promising way of improving the management of ARDS.

Vincristine Promotes Transdifferentiation of Fibroblasts Into Myofibroblasts via P38 and ERK Signal Pathways

Background: Vincristine (VCR) is used in the clinic as an anti-tumor drug. VCR can cause pulmonary fibrosis (PF), leading to respiratory failure. The transformation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts may play a key role in PF. The present study attempted to reveal the molecular mechanism of VCR-induced PF and the possible involvement of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway.

Methods: Human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HELFs) were treated with different concentrations of VCR. Inhibitors of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38 MAPK were added to HELFs. Cell proliferation state was assessed using cell counting kit-8 and by directly counting the number of cells. The expressions of vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were investigated using western blot and immunofluorescence analyses. Activation of ERK and P38 was estimated by the expression of phosphorylated p38 MAPK (p-p38), p38 MAPK, phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) and ERK1/2 using western blot analysis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to estimate the level of collagen I in cell culture supernatants.

Results: Results showed that VCR promoted cellular proliferation, secretion of collagen I and the expression of vimentin and α-SMA. High expression of p-p38 and p-ERK1/2 was associated with the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. MAPK inhibitors SB203580 and PD98059 suppressed the expression of the above proteins.

Conclusion: Our study revealed that VCR could promote the differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts by regulating the MAPK signal pathway, which may be a promising way to treat VCR-induced PF.

Angiogenic T Cells: Potential Biomarkers for the Early Diagnosis of Interstitial Lung Disease in Autoimmune Diseases?

(1) Background: We explored, for the first time, the contribution of angiogenic T cells (TAng) in interstitial lung disease associated to autoimmune disease (AD-ILD+) as potential biomarkers of the disease, evaluating their role in the underlying vasculopathy and lung fibrosis. Additionally, the relationship of TAng with clinical manifestations and cellular and molecular endothelial dysfunction-related biomarkers was assessed. (2) Methods: We included 57 AD-ILD+ patients (21 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-ILD+, 21 with systemic sclerosis (SSc)-ILD+ and 15 with other AD-ILD+) and three comparative groups: 45 AD-ILD− patients (25 RA-ILD− and 20 SSc-ILD−); 21 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients; 21 healthy controls (HC). TAng were considered as CD3+CD184+CD31+ by flow cytometry. (3) Results: A similar TAng frequency was found between AD-ILD+ and IPF, being in both cases lower than that observed in AD-ILD− and HC. A lower TAng frequency was associated with negative Scl-70 status and lower FEV1/FVC ratio in SSc-ILD+, as well as with men in RA-ILD+ and non-specific interstitial pneumonia radiological pattern in other AD-ILD+. No relationship between TAng and endothelial progenitor cells, endothelial cells and vascular endothelial growth factor gene expression and protein levels was disclosed. (4) Conclusions: Our findings suggest TAng as potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of ILD in AD.

Paraclinical Aspects in Systemic Sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic inflammatory disease with an autoimmune substrate that affects the skin and a large number of internal organs. The chronic inflammatory process is sustained by a wide range of cytokines and chemokines, which are discharged by inflammatory cells, with fibrosis and nail bed vascular changes (disorganized vasculature architecture with microhemorrhages, megacapillaries and areas without capillaries). Confocal microscopy contributes to the understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in chronic inflammation and mainly targets the field of research. Coherent optical tomography, capillaroscopy, and skin biopsy are useful for the differential diagnosis of SSc with other sclerodermoid syndromes. The immunological profile is a classification criterion for SSc and directs the diagnosis to the two subsets of the disease. Multisystemic damage requires evaluation with the help of a set of investigations specific to each affected organ, such as: diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, forced vital capacity, 6-minute walk test, high-resolution computed tomography standard and reduced sequential, cardiac ultrasound and right cardiac catheterization. The current possibilities of diagnosis, treatment and monitoring are permanently adapting to new medical discoveries.

Different Methods to Improve the Monitoring of Noninvasive Respiratory Support of Patients with Severe Pneumonia/ARDS Due to COVID-19: An Update

The latest guidelines for the hospital care of patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related acute respiratory failure have moved towards the widely accepted use of noninvasive respiratory support (NIRS) as opposed to early intubation at the pandemic onset. The establishment of severe COVID-19 pneumonia goes through different pathophysiological phases that partially resemble typical acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and have been categorized into different clinical-radiological phenotypes. These can variably benefit on the application of external positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) during noninvasive mechanical ventilation, mainly due to variable levels of lung recruitment ability and lung compliance during different phases of the disease. A growing body of evidence suggests that intense respiratory effort producing excessive negative pleural pressure swings (Ppl) plays a critical role in the onset and progression of lung and diaphragm damage in patients treated with noninvasive respiratory support. Routine respiratory monitoring is mandatory to avoid the nasty continuation of NIRS in patients who are at higher risk for respiratory deterioration and could benefit from early initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation instead. Here we propose different monitoring methods both in the clinical and experimental settings adapted for this purpose, although further research is required to allow their extensive application in clinical practice. We reviewed the needs and available tools for clinical-physiological monitoring that aims at optimizing the ventilatory management of patients affected by acute respiratory distress syndrome due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

Spontaneous Pneumo-Mediastinum in a Post-COVID-19 Patient with Systemic Sclerosis

Pulmonary involvement is the most common cause of death among patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is particularly problematic to manage in SSc patients since they may experience a more severe evolution of COVID-19 due to the pre-existent interstitial lung disease (ILD) and the administration of immunosuppressive treatments. In addition, the remarkable radiological similarities between SSc-ILD and COVID-19 complicate the differential diagnosis between these two entities. Herein, we present the first case of spontaneous pneumo-mediastinum in a post-COVID-19 patient with SSc. In our patient, both smoking and pulmonary fibrosis could lead to cyst formation, which possibly spontaneously broke and caused pneumo-mediastinum. Moreover, megaesophagus perforation due to the smooth muscle atrophy, replacement with fibrosis, and achalasia may extend into the mediastinum or pleural space and has also been described as a rare case of spontaneous pneumo-pericardium. Finally, spontaneous pneumo-mediastinum and pneumothorax have been recently reported as an established complication of severe COVID-19 pneumonia and among COVID-19 long-term complication. This case report underlines that the worsening of respiratory symptoms in SSc patients, especially when recovered from COVID-19, requires further investigations for ruling out other tentative diagnoses besides the evolution of the SSc-ILD.

An Overview of Different Techniques for Improving the Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension Secondary in Systemic Sclerosis Patients

In systemic sclerosis (SSc) mortality is mainly linked to lung involvement which is characterized by interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH). In SSc, PH may be due to different etiologies, including ILD, chronic thromboembolic disease, pulmonary veno-occlusive disease, and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The main tool to screen PAH is transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), which has a sensitivity of 90%, even if definitive diagnosis should be confirmed by right heart catheterization (RHC). The radiological evaluation (i.e., HRTC) plays an important role in defining the possible causes and in monitoring the evolution of lung damage. For PAH, identifying individuals who have borderline elevation of pulmonary arterial pressure needs to be appropriately managed and followed. In the past few years, the strategy for the management of PAH has significantly evolved and new trials are underway to test other therapies. This review provides an overview of the tools to evaluate PAH in SSc patients and on treatment options for these patients.

High-Resolution Computed Tomography and Lung Ultrasound in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis: Which One to Choose?

Imaging plays a pivotal role in systemic sclerosis for both diagnosis management of pulmonary complications, and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is the most sensitive technique for the evaluation of systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). Indeed, several studies have demonstrated that HRCT helps radiologists and clinicians to make a correct diagnosis on the basis of recognised typical patterns for SSc-ILD. Most SSc patients affected by ILD have a non-specific interstitial pneumonia pattern (NISP) on HRCT scan, whilst a minority of cases fulfil the criteria for usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). Moreover, several recent studies have demonstrated that lung ultrasound (LUS) is an emergent tool in SSc diagnosis and follow-up, although its role is still to be confirmed. Therefore, this article aims at evaluating the role of LUS in SSc screening, aimed at limiting the use of CT to selected cases.

Laser Speckle Contrast Analysis: Functional Evaluation of Microvascular Damage in Connective Tissue Diseases. Is There Evidence of Correlations With Organ Involvement, Such as Pulmonary Damage?

Laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) is a non-contact technique able to quantify peripheral blood perfusion (PBP) over large skin areas. LASCA has been used to study hand PBP in several clinical conditions. These include systemic sclerosis (SSc) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and LASCA showed that PBP was significantly lower in these conditions than in healthy subjects (HS). Moreover, it has been demonstrated that LASCA is a safe technique also able to monitor digital ulcer perfusion and their evolution in SSc patients, during systemic and local treatment. The use of LASCA, coupled with reactivity tests is commonplace in the field of microvascular function research. Post-occlusive hyperemia reactivity (POHR) and local thermal hyperemia, associated with laser techniques are reliable tests in the evaluation of perfusion in SSc patients. Other studies used laser speckled techniques, together with acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside iontophoresis, as specific tests of endothelium function. In conclusion, LASCA is a safe, non-contact reliable instrument for the quantification of PBP at skin level and can also be associated with reactivity tests to monitor disease progression and response to treatment in different connective tissue diseases.