OP0061 Update of Eular Recommendations for the Treatment of Systemic Sclerosis

Connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease

Connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) represents a group of systemic autoimmune disorders characterized by immune-mediated organ dysfunction. Systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, idiopathic inflammatory myositis, and Sjögren's syndrome are the most common CTDs that present with pulmonary involvement, as well as with interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features. The frequency of CTD-ILD varies according to the type of CTD, but the overall incidence is 15%, causing an important impact on morbidity and mortality. The decision of which CTD patient should be investigated for ILD is unclear for many CTDs. Besides that, the clinical spectrum can range from asymptomatic findings on imaging to respiratory failure and death. A significant proportion of patients will present with a more severe and progressive disease, and, for those, immunosuppression with corticosteroids and cytotoxic medications are the mainstay of pharmacological treatment. In this review, we summarized the approach to diagnosis and treatment of CTD-ILD, highlighting recent advances in therapeutics for the various forms of CTD.

Mycophenolic acid drug monitoring in patients with systemic sclerosis associated with diffuse skin and/or pulmonary involvement: A monocentric and retrospective French study

OBJECTIVE

To explore pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship between mycophenolic acid area under the curve and clinical response at 1 year on skin involvement or interstitial lung disease in patients with systemic sclerosis.

METHOD

Retrospective, monocentric study based on French Scleroderma Database in patients receiving mycophenolate mofetil who experienced a limited sampling strategy to estimate individual mycophenolic acid area under the curve plus two pulmonary function tests and skin evaluation after 1 month and 1 year. Efficacy criterions were variations of modified Rodnan skin score, forced vital capacity, and diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide at 1 year.

RESULTS

We included 52 patients; mean age was 49 years (range 17-79), and 36 (69%) were females. Fifty patients (96%) had skin sclerosis, 39 (75%) had diffuse skin involvement with a median modified Rodnan skin score of 14 (0-38). Thirty-eight (76%) had interstitial lung disease, with median forced vital capacity and diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide of 81% (37-127) and 56% (28-103) from predicted values, respectively. Twenty-five (51%) patients had pulmonary fibrosis. Mycophenolate mofetil was given for 10 months (0-173) at a median dose of 2000 mg/day (500-3000). In the entire population, no relationship was found between area under the curve and modified Rodnan skin score (p = 0.085), forced vital capacity (p = 0.80), or diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide (p = 0.72) variations at 1 year.

CONCLUSION

In this retrospective study, we failed to document any relationship between mycophenolic acid area under the curve and skin involvement or interstitial lung disease evolution. Routine monitoring of mycophenolic acid in systemic sclerosis patients treated with mycophenolate mofetil cannot be recommended based on our results.

Evidence for increase in finger blood flow, evaluated by laser Doppler flowmetry, following iloprost infusion in patients with systemic sclerosis: a week-long observational longitudinal study

OBJECTIVES

Iloprost plays an important role in the treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP), but has transient vasodilatory effects owing to its very short half-time. We aimed to evaluate short- and medium-term haemodynamic effects of iloprost by measuring dorsal finger microvessel blood flow using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF), in patients with RP associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

METHOD

In 24 consecutive SSc patients with RP (disease duration 10.5 ± 1.3 years), LDF with heating probes was used to measure blood flow in four fingers by occlusive and heating tests, at baseline, after 3 consecutive days of iloprost infusion, and at 24 h and 7 days after last iloprost infusion. Nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) patterns of microvascular damage were investigated. Sixteen healthy controls were studied to compare baseline flows.

RESULTS

Compared to controls, SSc patients showed significantly impaired axon reflex vasoregulation and nitric oxide responses at baseline (p = 0.001 and p = 0.03, respectively). After iloprost, a prompt but transient significant improvement in endothelial-dependent vasodilation (occlusive test) was seen only in SSc patients with an 'active' NVC pattern (p ≤ 0.05). The iloprost effects vanished within 7 days after the last infusion. No significant differences were found, in the whole study, between patients with and without digital ulcers.

CONCLUSIONS

Microcirculatory blood flow increases following 3 days of iloprost infusion but fades shortly after treatment. Although iloprost is effective in reducing the severity of RP in SSc, the most suitable regimen and timing to obtain longer lasting vasodilatory benefits remain to be established.

Diagnosis and Management of Systemic Sclerosis: A Practical Approach

Systemic sclerosis is a devastating multisystem rheumatologic condition that is characterized by autoimmunity, tissue fibrosis, obliterative vasculopathy and inflammation. Clinical presentation and course of the condition vary greatly, which complicates both diagnosis and corresponding treatment. In this regard, recent advances in disease understanding, both clinically and biochemically, have led to newer classification criteria for systemic sclerosis that are more inclusive than ever before. Still, significant disease modifying therapies do not yet exist for most patients. Therefore, organ-based management strategies are employed and research has been directed within this paradigm focusing on either the most debilitating symptoms, such as Raynaud's phenomenon, digital ulcers and cutaneous sclerosis, or life-threatening organ involvement such as interstitial lung disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension. The current trends in systemic sclerosis diagnosis, evidence-based treatment recommendations and potential future directions in systemic sclerosis treatment are discussed.

[Digital ulcers in systemic sclerosis : A retrospective heath service study analysing treatment with bosentan and other vasoactive therapies]

BACKGROUND

Digital ulcers (DU) affect up to 60 % of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and have a considerable impact on quality of life and morbidity. It is unclear to what extent authorised medicines are used, and if therapy guidelines are implemented in everyday practice.

METHOD

This retrospective health care study examined current standards of treatment for therapy and prevention of SSc-associated DU in an online survey with 83 physicians. Additionally, data from 161 case studies of SSc patients with DU were analysed, and the effect of DU treatment on the course of the disease determined.

RESULTS

For treatment and prevention of active DU, physicians predominantly indicated topical therapies, calcium channel blockers, iloprost and endothelin receptor antagonists. According to the case studies, 90 % of episodes with acute DU were treated with bosentan and iloprost in mono- or combination therapy. Preventive treatment was only administered during 50 % of episodes without DU, even after three or more phases with active DU. For the prevention of new DU, bosentan was used in mono- or combination therapy in 57 % of episodes without DU. Bosentan therapy during prevention shortened the following acute phase by 32 %. Additionally, continuous treatment with bosentan in acute and prevention phases reduced the duration of the following acute phase and increased the time to onset of new DU by 16 %. Moreover, bosentan stabilised the number of new DU.

CONCLUSION

In summary, these data confirm the efficacy of bosentan in preventing new DU when used in DU-free episodes and possibly also in phases of acute DU. Therapy recommendations for the treatment of DU are currently not fully implemented. In the future, even more attention should be paid to DU therapy.

Systemic sclerosis and localized scleroderma--current concepts and novel targets for therapy

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a high morbidity and mortality. Skin and organ fibrosis are key manifestations of SSc, for which no generally accepted therapy is available. Thus, there is a high unmet need for novel anti-fibrotic therapeutic strategies in SSc. At the same time, important progress has been made in the identification and characterization of potential molecular targets in fibrotic diseases over the recent years. In this review, we have selected four targeted therapies, which are tested in clinical trials in SSc, for in depths discussion of their preclinical characterization. Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulators such as riociguat might target both vascular remodeling and tissue fibrosis. Blockade of interleukin-6 might be particularly promising for early inflammatory stages of SSc. Inhibition of serotonin receptor 2b signaling links platelet activation to tissue fibrosis. Targeting simultaneously multiple key molecules with the multityrosine kinase-inhibitor nintedanib might be a promising approach in complex fibrotic diseases such as SSc, in which many partially independent pathways are activated. Herein, we also give a state of the art overview of the current classification, clinical presentation, diagnostic approach, and treatment options of localized scleroderma. Finally, we discuss whether the novel targeted therapies currently tested in SSc could be used for localized scleroderma.