Hepatitis B virus induced cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-mediated vasculitis causing subarachnoid hemorrhage, acute transverse myelitis, and nephropathy: a case report

Rehabilitation of a young girl with acute transverse myelitis and prolonged lower motor neuron features: a longitudinal case report over 12 months

Background

This report describes an effective rehabilitation programme for a 13-year-old girl, diagnosed with acute transverse myelitis, as an example of best clinical practice.

Case description

Miss A was admitted to the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital in Dhaka, where she was diagnosed with acute transverse myelitis, in September 2018. She was discharged and referred for intensive rehabilitation over 3 months as an outpatient at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed in Bangladesh. The therapy team conducted a baseline assessment before starting treatment, which included the following outcome measures: the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury Scale; Spinal Cord Independence Measure; and the Spinal Cord Injury Functional Ambulation Inventory. After 3 months, Miss A was discharged home to continue with a home exercise programme supported by her parents. Outcome measurements were repeated at 3-, 6- and 12-month time points.

Results

Miss A regained muscle power in her legs and normal sensation in S4/5 dermatomes, in addition to regaining voluntary anal muscle contraction. Her mobility and transfers improved so that she was able to transfer in and out of her wheelchair independently and use two elbow crutches to walk short distances outdoors.

Conclusions

This report shows that it is possible for a child who had been severely disabled by acute transverse myelitis to make substantial physical improvements up to 12 months after diagnosis when provided with effective rehabilitation. It also identifies that rehabilitation can provide multiple benefits and value for the individual patient, family, community and society.

A Rare Case of Pulmonary-Renal Syndrome With Triple-Seropositive for Myeloperoxidase-Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasm Antibody (MPO-ANCA), Proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA and Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane (GBM) Antibodies

Anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease and anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis are the main causes of pulmonary-renal syndrome (PRS). The concurrence of both ANCA - myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proteinase 3 (PR3) - and anti-GBM antibodies has been described, although positivity for all three antibodies has rarely been reported. The natural history of triple-positive patients as well as the best therapeutic approach remains unknown. We describe a case of an 80-year-old woman that presented to the emergency department with a 3-month history of progressive fatigue, malaise and anorexia, and 5 weeks of cough with blood-streaked sputum and progressive peripheral edema. Through the complementary study, a rare diagnosis of PRS with triple-seropositive for both ANCA (MPO and PR3) and anti-GBM antibodies was made in a patient with untreated chronic hepatitis B virus infection. She was treated with glucocorticoid, cyclophosphamide, plasma exchange and entecavir, with pulmonary recovery. Renal function did not improve. After 2 years, the patient is still in dialysis, but did not have relapse of alveolar hemorrhage and ANCA and anti-GBM antibody titers remain negative. The authors intend to warn to PRS, in particular this rare cause, since delaying diagnosis can lead to significant morbidity and mortality for patients.

Hepatitis B virus infection associated with polyarteritis nodosa and microscopic polyangiitis

We reported a unique case with the coexistence of classic and cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) in hepatitis virus-associated vasculitis. A 77-year-old Asian man presented with extremity weakness and weight loss found to have bilateral foot drop and rash on his hands and legs. Labs reveal positive for hepatitis B core antibody and perinuclear-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (p-ANCA), decreased C3 and C4 levels. Skin biopsy of rash shows medium vessel vasculitis suggesting PAN. Interestingly, renal biopsy showed features of necrotising medium-sized arteritis consistent with PAN and focal crescentic glomerulonephritis consistent with MPA. The patient was treated with 1 g of solumedrol daily for 3 days, followed by oral steroids and cyclophosphamide treatment for vasculitis, and entecavir for chronic hepatitis B infection, resulting in resolution of symptoms. The patient has not had a relapse at 6 months.

Hepatitis B Virus-associated Vasculitis: Multiple Cavitary Masses in the Lung Mimicking Granulomatous Polyangiitis

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the main causes of polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). We herein report a rare case of HBV-associated vasculitis presenting with multiple pulmonary nodules, mimicking granulomatous polyangiitis (GPA), with no abnormalities of the ear, nose, or kidney. A surgical lung biopsy revealed geographic necrosis surrounded by palisading granuloma and capillaritis. Because the HBV surface antigen was positive with a serum HBV-DNA level of 2.9 log10 copies/mL, we first treated the patient with entecavir and 2 weeks of prednisone 50 mg/day. The pulmonary nodules resolved, and seroconversion was observed after one month.

Hepatitis B virus infected patients show increased risk of cerebral aneurysm rupture: A retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

The mechanism responsible for cerebral aneurysm (CA) formation and rupture remains unclear. Some studies showed vascular involvement could be observed in systemic vasculitis caused by Hepatitis B. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the possibility by which hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection might be associated with CA.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We retrospectively studied patient details and serological markers of HBV infection among 229 patients presenting with CA on admission to the Neurosurgery Department at Beijing Tiantan Hospital between March 2016 and February 2017. Clinical data, radiologic findings and clinical features of HBV infection were analyzed by SPSS. The results showed a significant association between HBsAg positive (p = 0.014), anti-HBc positive (p = 0.045) and CA rupture. Univariate analysis revealed patients that were HBsAg positive (OR: 4.828; 95% CI: 1.363-17.099; p = 0.015) and anti-HBc positive (OR: 1.804; 95% CI: 1.010-3.223; p = 0.046) were associated with CA rupture. Compared with other confounding risk factors for rupture in the statistical analysis, HBsAg positive status (OR: 4.085; 95% CI: 1.011-16.513; p = 0.048) remained positively associated with CA rupture.

CONCLUSIONS

Observation showed that HBsAg positivity was associated with CA rupture.

Asymmetrical Dimethylarginine Levels in Hepatitis B Virus-Positive Patients

BACKGROUND

High asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels have been associated with endothelial dysfunction and contribute to the development of several diseases. However, data on the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) and ADMA are limited. The aim of our study was to explore the relationship between ADMA and HBV by comparing the ADMA levels in patients with chronic active hepatitis B (CHB), inactive HBV carriers (carriers), and healthy volunteers (controls).

METHODS

The participants were divided into three groups: 90 patients with CHB, 90 HBV carriers, and 90 controls. Serum ADMA levels were quantified using an ELISA kit (Cusabio, Wuhan, China). The data were analyzed using an ANOVA or the Kruskal-Wallis test as appropriate, with P<0.05 considered significant.

RESULTS

Serum ADMA levels were significantly higher in patients with CHB (228.35±91.10 ng/mL) than in HBV carriers (207.80±75.80 ng/mL) and controls (207.61±89.10 ng/mL) (P=0.049). The clinical scores of the patients were positively correlated with ADMA levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The elevated serum ADMA levels in patients with CHB confirm that HBV plays a role in vasculitis. Further investigation of the mechanisms contributing to the high levels of ADMA in CHB may contribute toward development of new treatment modalities.

HBsAg-negative and anti-HBc-positive in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a retrospective pilot study

We examined whether resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV), and affected AAV activity at diagnosis and prognosis during the follow-up. We reviewed the electronic medical records of 153 AAV patients, and included 91 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative patients having results of both antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) and surface antigen (anti-HBs). We collected clinical and laboratory data, Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS) and five factor scores (FFS) at diagnosis and relapse rates during the follow-up. We divided patients into the two groups according to the presence of anti-HBc and compared variables between them in patients with AAV or those with each variant. The mean age and follow-up duration were 59.8 ± 15.2-year-old and 48.0 ± 47.5 months. Fifty patients (54.9%) had anti-HBc, and 61 patients (67.0%) had anti-HBs. Only thirty-six (39.6%) patients had ever experienced relapse after remission. There were no remarkable differences between HBsAg-negative AAV patients with and without anti-HBc. However, in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) patients, patients with HBs-negative/anti-HBc-positive (resolved HBV infection) showed the higher initial mean BVAS and FFS (2009) than those without. Patients having anti-HBc exhibited significantly increased risk of relapse of EGPA than those having not (RR 16.0). Also, EGPA patients with HBs-negative/anti-HBc-positive showed meaningfully lower cumulative relapse-free survival rates than those without during the follow-up duration (p = 0.043). In conclusion, resolved HBV infection may importantly influence vasculitis activity at diagnosis and subsequently relapse after remission in EGPA patients.

Infection-associated vasculitides

Vasculitides are disorders characterized by inflammation of the vessel walls, often caused by autoimmunity, but sometimes as a result of microbial invasion. Almost all types of microbes including bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi have been incriminated in the pathogenesis of vasculitis. Accurate etiological diagnosis is important since immunosuppressive treatment may lead to further deterioration if infection is the cause of vasculitis. Clinical features sometimes provide clues to the etiology. Further evaluation requires a focused and cost-effective plan of laboratory investigation. The investigations aim at establishing the diagnosis of vasculitis and identify the causative organism. An accurate diagnosis of vasculitis optimally requires histological examination and imaging. For infection-associated vasculitis, the identification of the organism requires studies of stained specimens, cultures, and/or detection of antigens and antibodies. Ideally, the treatment involves administration of an appropriate antimicrobial. In non-self-limiting types of vasculitides, glucocorticoids are needed when the symptoms are progressive, with vital organs involvement, and sometimes, when there is no antimicrobial agent of proven efficacy against the incriminated agent. Additional immunosuppressive agents or interventions must be considered when the disease is severe and/or post-infective immune mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis, e.g., severe HBV- or HCV-associated vasculitides. Available preventative vaccinations are also crucial. The incidence of HBV-associated vasculitides dramatically decreased following HBV vaccination campaigns, and other infection-associated vasculitides may as well in the future.