A case of Henoch-Schonlein Purpura with dilated coronary arteries

Clinical characteristics and risk factors of cardiac involvement in pediatric immunoglobulin A vasculitis: A 7-year retrospective study from a single tertiary medical center

Immunoglobulin A vasculitis(IgAV) is the most common form of systemic vasculitis affecting children. To date, cardiac involvement in pediatric IgAV has not been fully investigated and its prevalence may be underestimated. This study aims to reveal the clinical and laboratory characteristics of cardiac involvement in pediatric IgAV and further determine its risk factors. A total of 1451 children with IgAV were recruited between January 2016 and December 2022. According to the severity of cardiac involvement, the patients were divided into the myocarditis/suspected myocarditis group, cardiac abnormalities group, and non-cardiac involvement group. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics were retrospectively extracted from the individual data collected in the medical records. Among the 1451 pediatric IgAV patients, 179 (12.3%) were identified with cardiac involvement, including 154 (10.6%) with cardiac abnormalities and 25 (1.7%) with myocarditis/suspected myocarditis. Cardiac involvement in pediatric IgAV mainly manifested as elevated cardiac biomarker levels (n = 162), electrocardiogram abnormalities (n = 46), and echocardiogram/chest X-ray abnormalities (n = 15); however, cardiac-related symptoms were only observed in 15.1% of patients with cardiac involvement. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that interval from disease onset to diagnosis > 7 days (OR, 2.157; 95% CI, 1.523-3.057; p < 0.001), IgAV with multi-organ involvement (OR, 1.806; 95% CI, 1.242-2.627; p = 0.002), and elevated D-dimer levels (OR, 1.939; 95% CI, 1.259-2.985; p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for cardiac involvement in pediatric IgAV. The length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the myocarditis/suspected myocarditis group compared with the other two groups (p < 0.05).     Conclusion: This study suggests that cardiac involvements in pediatric IgAV is non-negligible, and cardiac involvement is associated with interval from disease onset to diagnosis > 7 days, IgAV with multi-organ involvement, and elevated D-dimer levels. Severe cardiac involvement may affect the prognosis of pediatric IgAV. What is Known: • Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) is the most common form of systemic vasculitis affecting children and adolescents, which exhibits diverse clinical manifestations. Cases of severe IgAV complicated by cardiac involvement have been anecdotally reported. What is New: • The present study suggests that cardiac involvements in pediatric IgAV is non-negligible, and cardiac involvement is associated with interval from disease onset to diagnosis > 7 days, IgAV with multi-organ involvement, and elevated D-dimer levels. Severe cardiac involvement may affect the prognosis of pediatric IgAV.

Cardiac involvement and cardiovascular risk factors in pediatric primary systemic vasculitides

Pediatric primary systemic vasculitides are a complex group of diseases. Vasculitis subgroups are mainly determined according to the size of the predominantly affected vessels. In patients with primary systemic vasculitis, the location of vascular involvement, the size of the vessels, the extent of vascular damage, and the underlying pathology determine the disease phenotype and severity. Cardiac involvement is rare in some pediatric vasculitis, such as IgA vasculitis and polyarteritis nodosa, while it is more common in some others like Kawasaki disease and Takayasu arteritis. On the other hand, chronic inflammation in the setting of systemic vasculitis forms a major cardiovascular risk factor. Accelerated atherosclerosis and the tendency to thrombosis are the main issues determining the cardiovascular risks in pediatric systemic vasculitis. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential in these patients to minimize morbidity and mortality. In this review, we aimed to raise physicians' awareness of cardiac involvement and cardiovascular risks in pediatric patients with primary systemic vasculitis.

Henoch-Schönlein Purpura /IgA Vasculitis Complicated by Coronary Artery Aneurysm: A Case Report and Literature Review

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP)/ IgA vasculitis (IgAV) is the most common form of systemic vasculitis in children and often involves the skin, gastrointestinal tract, joints, and kidneys, though cardiac involvement rarely occurs. We report on a 6-year-old male child with HSP/IgAV who had renal and cardiac involvement at the initial stage of the disease and in whom we found an extremely rare coronary artery aneurysm. After administration of glucocorticoid combined with mycophenolate mofetil, the renal involvement improved, but the coronary artery aneurysm remained. Pursuant to this case, we retrieved information on other cases of HSP/IgAV complicated with cardiac involvement from the PubMed database, and excluded cases of cardiac involvement accompanied by Kawasaki disease, polyarteritis nodosa, rheumatic fever, Takayasu arteritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, or sepsis. We then analyzed gender, age, cardiac involvement, renal involvement, treatment, and prognoses. To date, 24 cases of HSP/IgAV complicated with cardiac involvement have been reported. Among them, there were 22 male and 2 female patients, with the onset age ranging from 3 to 71 years old. A total of 10 children (including the child we examined) and 14 adults were identified, and 17 patients (70.8%) had HSP/IgAV complicated with renal involvement. The majority of patients were treated with glucocorticoid and/or immunosuppressants or biological agents, 4 patients died (16.7%), 8 patients were completely relieved (33.3%), and 3 patients had unknown prognoses. This article suggests that HSP/IgAV complicated with cardiac involvement may result in a poor prognosis and early treatment may therefore be essential. Our case revealed that glucocorticoid does not prevent the occurrence of renal and cardiac involvement in HSP/IgAV patients. If HSP/IgAV is complicated with coronary artery dilation, the therapeutic effect of glucocorticoid combined with immunosuppressants is not satisfactory, and early administration of biological agents or IVIG may be an effective therapeutic regimen.

Intravenous γ Globulin for Intractable Abdominal Pain due to IgA Vasculitis

IgA vasculitis (formerly known as Henoch–Schönlein purpura or anaphylactoid purpura) is a usually benign vasculitis that affects children of school age. The disease is characterized by the tetrad of palpable purpura, arthralgia/arthritis, abdominal pain, and hematuria. Treatment of IgA vasculitis is mainly supportive, with administration of simple analgesics. Corticosteroids have been shown to reduce and/or ameliorate the occurrence of abdominal pain which may be severe. We present two children with IgA vasculitis and severe abdominal pain despite corticosteroid administration, who responded promptly to intravenous γ globulin (IVIg) with complete resolution of their symptoms and review of the relevant medical literature. Given the toxicity and/or need for long-term administration of other second-line immunosuppressive therapies in corticosteroid-resistant IgA vasculitis, such as rituximab, cyclosporine, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, or colchicine, we propose that IVIg may be a useful and safe treatment option, although randomized controlled clinical trials are needed in order to clarify its role in the treatment of abdominal pain in IgA vasculitis.

Myocarditis and intracardiac thrombus due to Henoch-Schönlein purpura: case report and literature review

Cardiac involvement is very rare in patients with Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP). In this case study, we present an 8-year-old girl presenting with HSP-induced myocarditis and thrombus in the right atrium and HSP nephritis. To date, 15 cases of HSP-related cardiac involvement have been reported in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. These cases, together with our case, are included in this review. We excluded those patients with other rheumatologic diseases (acute rheumatic fever, acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis, Kawasaki disease) accompanied by HSP. Three were children and 13 were adults and all were male except our case. This review revealed tachyarrhythmia, chest pain, dyspnea, murmur, and heart failure as the major signs. Cardiac tests, electrocardiogram (ECG), and imaging methods (echocardiography in all patients, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in three, cardiac biopsy in one, and post-mortem necropsy in three) showed that the cardiac involvements were pericardial effusion, intra-atrial thrombus, myocarditis, coronary artery changes, myocardial ischemia, infarction and necrosis, subendocardial hemorrhage, and left ventricular dilatation. Kidney involvement was not observed in three patients. As the treatment, high-dose prednisolone and cyclophosphamide, oral corticosteroid, azathioprine, nadroparin calcium, ACE inhibitors, calcium antagonists, beta-blockers, and diuretics were used. Eleven patients (all three children and eight of the adults) had a complete cardiac recovery. Cardiac involvement in adults was more likely to be fatal. Death (three patients), ischemia, and infarct have been reported only in adults. We suggested that early and aggressive treatment can be life-saving. MRI examination is effective at identifying cardiac involvement.

Intestinal Permeability and IgA Provoke Immune Vasculitis Linked to Cardiovascular Inflammation

Recent experimental data and clinical, genetic, and transcriptome evidence from patients converge to suggest a key role of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD). However, the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of cardiovascular lesions during KD vasculitis are still unknown. Here, we investigated intestinal barrier function in KD vasculitis and observed evidence of intestinal permeability and elevated circulating secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in KD patients, as well as elevated sIgA and IgA deposition in vascular tissues in a mouse model of KD vasculitis. Targeting intestinal permeability corrected gut permeability, prevented IgA deposition and ameliorated cardiovascular pathology in the mouse model. Using genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of IL-1β signaling, we demonstrate that IL-1β lies upstream of disrupted intestinal barrier function, subsequent IgA vasculitis development, and cardiac inflammation. Targeting mucosal barrier dysfunction and the IL-1β pathway may also be applicable to other IgA-related diseases, including IgA vasculitis and IgA nephropathy.

Coronary artery dilation associated with anti-synthetase syndrome in an adolescent

BACKGROUND

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are a group of systemic autoimmune disorders primarily affecting skeletal muscle. Pediatric coronary artery dilation is frequently discussed in Kawasaki disease. However, it has yet to be reported in the IIMs or antisynthetase syndrome. We report a unique case of a patient with IIM, antisynthetase syndrome and coronary artery dilation.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report an adolescent presenting with joint symptoms, fever, and eye swelling with a clinical diagnosis of Juvenile Dermatomyositis. He subsequently developed diastolic hypotension with evidence of coronary artery dilation. He received steroids and immunoglobulin and followed by immunosuppressants with mild improvement in his symptoms. The adolescent later developed dyspnea and cough with CT lungs evident for cystic changes; lung biopsy showed interstitial fibrosis and inflammation, and muscle biopsy was abnormal as well. The anti-pl-12 antibody was positive. Following several weeks of treatment, an echocardiogram showed improvement in coronary artery dilation. His joint symptoms, muscle strength and respiratory symptoms have also improved.

CONCLUSIONS

Coronary artery dilation is not well understood in IIMs or antisynthetase syndrome. Pathobiology of coronary artery involvement, its treatment and prognosis, and association with IIM and antisynthetase syndrome needs further exploration.