Agreement between local and central anti-synthetase antibodies detection: results from the Classification Criteria of Anti-Synthetase Syndrome project biobank

OBJECTIVES

The CLASS (Classification Criteria of Anti-Synthetase Syndrome) project is a large international multicentre study that aims to create the first data-driven anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD) classification criteria. Identifying anti-aminoacyl tRNA synthetase antibodies (anti-ARS) is crucial for diagnosis, and several commercial immunoassays are now available for this purpose. However, using these assays risks yielding false-positive or false-negative results, potentially leading to misdiagnosis. The established reference standard for detecting anti-ARS is immunoprecipitation (IP), typically employed in research rather than routine autoantibody testing. We gathered samples from participating centers and results from local anti-ARS testing. As an "ad-interim" study within the CLASS project, we aimed to assess how local immunoassays perform in real-world settings compared to our central definition of anti-ARS positivity.

METHODS

We collected 787 serum samples from participating centres for the CLASS project and their local anti-ARS test results. These samples underwent initial central testing using RNA-IP. Following this, the specificity of ARS was reconfirmed centrally through ELISA, line-blot assay (LIA), and, in cases of conflicting results, protein-IP. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio and positive and negative predictive values were evaluated. We also calculated the inter-rater agreement between central and local results using a weighted κ co-efficient.

RESULTS

Our analysis demonstrates that local, real-world detection of anti-Jo1 is reliable with high sensitivity and specificity with a very good level of agreement with our central definition of anti-Jo1 antibody positivity. However, the agreement between local immunoassay and central determination of anti-non-Jo1 antibodies varied, especially among results obtained using local LIA, ELISA and "other" methods.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study evaluates the performance of real-world identification of anti-synthetase antibodies in a large cohort of multi-national patients with ASSD and controls. Our analysis reinforces the reliability of real-world anti-Jo1 detection methods. In contrast, challenges persist for anti-non-Jo1 identification, particularly anti-PL7 and rarer antibodies such as anti-OJ/KS. Clinicians should exercise caution when interpreting anti-synthetase antibodies, especially when commercial immunoassays test positive for non-anti-Jo1 antibodies.

Social inequalities and gender differences in health care management of acute ischemic strokes in France

INTRODUCTION

There are regional disparities in access to stroke units in France. Several studies have shown that living in disadvantaged areas is associated with higher frequency of stroke, worse severity at presentation, increased level of dependency, and higher mortality rates. However, few studies have explored the association between an individual's socioeconomic characteristics and stroke care. Our study aimed to determine if living standards are associated with stroke unit access for patients admitted to hospital for acute ischemic stroke.

METHODS

Using the EDP-Santé French administrative database, we selected all patients admitted to hospital for acute ischemic stroke between 2014 and 2017. Acute ischemic stroke corresponded to hospital stay with ICD-10 codes I63 or I64 as the main diagnosis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify if standard of living was associated with likelihood of admission to a stroke unit.

RESULTS

We identified 14 123 acute-care episodes, corresponding to 335 273 episodes in the general population when appropriately weighted. Of these, 52.9 % were admitted to a stroke unit. Being in the first (i.e., poorest) living standard quartile was associated with lower likelihood of admission to a stroke unit compared with the fourth (i.e., wealthiest) quartile, and was associated with a higher likelihood of paralysis and language disorder, and death at 1 year.

CONCLUSION

A low living standard was associated with lower likelihood of admission to a stroke unit as well as a greater chance of paralysis and aphasia at the end of hospitalization and a higher possibility of death at 1 year after stroke. Greater access to stroke units in disadvantaged people should be promoted.

Postprocedural Antiplatelet Treatment after Emergent Carotid Stenting in Tandem Lesions Stroke: Impact on Stent Patency beyond Day 1

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Postprocedural dual-antiplatelet therapy is frequently withheld after emergent carotid stent placement during stroke thrombectomy. We aimed to assess whether antiplatelet regimen variations increase the risk of stent thrombosis beyond postprocedural day 1.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective review was undertaken of all consecutive thrombectomies for acute stroke with tandem lesions in the anterior circulation performed in a single comprehensive stroke center between January 9, 2011 and March 30, 2020. Patients were included if carotid stent patency was confirmed at day 1 postprocedure. The group of patients with continuous dual-antiplatelet therapy from day 1 was compared with the group of patients with absent/discontinued dual-antiplatelet therapy.

RESULTS

Of a total of 109 tandem lesion thrombectomies, 96 patients had patent carotid stents at the end of the procedure. The early postprocedural stent thrombosis rate during the first 24 hours was 14/96 (14.5%). Of 82 patients with patent stents at day 1, in 28 (34.1%), dual-antiplatelet therapy was either not initiated at day 1 or was discontinued thereafter. After exclusion of cases without further controls of stent patency, there was no significant difference in the rate of subacute/late stent thrombosis between the 2 groups: 1/50 (2%) in patients with continuous dual-antiplatelet therapy versus 0/22 (0%) in patients with absent/discontinued dual-antiplatelet therapy (P = 1.000). In total, we observed 88 patient days without any antiplatelet treatment and 471 patient days with single antiplatelet treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Discontinuation of dual-antiplatelet therapy was not associated with an increased risk of stent thrombosis beyond postprocedural day 1. Further studies are warranted to better assess the additional benefit and optimal duration of dual-antiplatelet therapy after tandem lesion stroke thrombectomy.

Stroke Thrombectomy in Patients with COVID-19: Initial Experience in 13 Cases

We performed a retrospective review in both comprehensive stroke units of a region affected early by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, between March 1 and April 26, 2020, including patients with COVID-19 who underwent mechanical thrombectomy for ischemic stroke. We identified 13 cases, representing 38.2% of 34 thrombectomies performed during this period. We observed increased mortality and a high incidence of thrombotic complications during hospitalization. Given the high rate of infected patients, systematic use of full personal protection measures seems justified.

Impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on acute stroke pathways - insights from the Alsace region in France

Background and purpose

To date, no study has attempted to quantify the impact of the COVID‐19 outbreak on the incidence and treatment of acute stroke.

Methods

This was a retrospective review of acute stroke pathway parameters in all three stroke units in the Alsace region during the first month of the outbreak (1–31 March 2020), using the similar period from 2019 as a comparator. A secondary detailed analysis of all stroke alerts and stroke unit admissions was performed in the centre with the largest case volume.

Results

Compared to the same period in 2019, in March 2020 there were 39.6% fewer stroke alerts and 33.3% fewer acute revascularization treatments [40.9% less intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and 27.6% less mechanical thrombectomy (MT)]. No marked variation was observed in the number of stroke unit admissions (−0.6%). The proportion of patients with acute revascularization treatments (IVT or MT) out of the total number of stroke unit admissions was significantly lower in March 2020 (21.3%) compared to 2019 (31.8%), P = 0.034. There were no significant differences in time delays or severity of clinical symptoms for patients treated by IVT or MT, nor in the distribution of final diagnosis amongst stroke alerts and stroke unit admissions.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the overall incidence of stroke remained the same, but fewer patients presented within the therapeutic time window. Increased public awareness and corrective measures are needed to mitigate the deleterious effects of the COVID‐19 outbreak on acute stroke care.

Predictors and Clinical Impact of Delayed Stent Thrombosis after Thrombectomy for Acute Stroke with Tandem Lesions

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are very few published data on the patency of carotid stents implanted during thrombectomies for tandem lesions in the anterior circulation. We aimed to communicate our experience of stenting in the acute setting with systematic follow-up of stent patency and discuss predictors and clinical repercussions of delayed stent thrombosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective study of stroke thrombectomies in a single center between January 2009 and April 2018. Patient files were reviewed to extract patient characteristics, procedural details, imaging studies, and clinical information. Predictors of delayed stent thrombosis and clinical outcome at discharge were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

We identified 81 patients treated for tandem lesions: 63 (77.7%) atheromas, 17 (20.9%) dissections, and 1 (1.2%) carotid web. TICI 2b-3 recanalization was achieved in 70 (86.4%) cases. Thirty-five patients (43.2%) were independent (mRS score ≤ 2) at discharge. Among 73 patients with intracranial recanalization and patent stents at the end of the procedure, delayed stent thrombosis was observed in 14 (19.1%). Among 59 patients with patent stents, 44 had further imaging controls (median, 105 days; range, 2-2407 days) and 1 (1.6%) had 50% in-stent stenosis with no retreatment. Stent occlusion rates were 11/39 (28.2%) for periprocedural aspirin treatment versus 3/34 (8.8%) for aspirin and clopidogrel (P = .04). Delayed stent thrombosis was independently associated with higher admission NIHSS scores (OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.01-1.28), diabetes (OR, 6.07; 95% CI, 1.2-30.6), and the presence of in-stent thrombus on the final angiographic run (OR, 6.2; 95% CI, 1.4-27.97). Delayed stent thrombosis (OR, 19.78; 95% CI, 2.78-296.83), higher admission NIHSS scores (OR, 1.27, 95% CI, 1.12-1.51), and symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation (OR, 23.65; 95% CI, 1.85-3478.94) were independent predictors of unfavorable clinical outcome at discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed a non-negligible rate of delayed stent thrombosis with significant negative impact on clinical outcome. Future studies should systematically measure and report stent patency rates.

[Recurrent ischemic strokes revealing Lyme meningovascularitis]

INTRODUCTION

Infectious vascularitis is an unusual cause of ischemic stroke (IS). We report a case of Lyme meningovascularitis complicated with multiple IS.

CASE REPORT

A 64-year-old man, without any cardiovascular risk factor, was admitted for a right hemiparesia with a left thalamic hypodensity on the initial cerebral CT scan. No cause for this presumed IS could be identified. Later, the patient developed cognitive impairment and a bilateral cerebellar syndrome. Multiple infarcts and multiple intracranial stenosis were seen on cerebral MRI with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Cerebrospinal fluid tests showed meningitis and positive Lyme serology with an intrathecal specific anti-Borrelia antibody index. Antibiotic treatment was followed by good biological and partial clinicoradiological outcome.

CONCLUSION

The diagnosis of Lyme neuroborreliosis should be entertained as a possible cause of IS in highly endemic zones.

Œdème cérébral vasogénique par syndrome de reperfusion post-endartérectomie carotidienne

INTRODUCTION

Reperfusion (or hyperperfusion) syndrome may be a possible complication of carotid artery endarterectomy or angioplasty.

OBSERVATION

We report the case of a 54-year-old man who underwent a right carotid endarterectomy for an asymptomatic carotid stenosis and developed reperfusion syndrome a few days after surgery. The symptoms were marked by a prolonged partial epileptic status and then left hemiplegia lasting several days. Brain MRI with Diffusion sequences was normal, whereas there was a right frontoparietal hypersignal in FLAIR sequences, suggesting the presence of brain vasogenic oedema. Clinical and neuroradiological outcomes were good, confirming the relative good prognosis attributed to vasogenic brain oedema in previous similar publications. This condition may be misdiagnosed as cytotoxic brain oedema, another possible complication of carotid endarterectomy, whose management and prognosis are different.

CONCLUSION

When a focal neurological deficit or epileptic seizures follow carotid artery endarterectomy, it is important to consider reperfusion syndrome. MRI (with FLAIR and Diffusion sequences) will show a vasogenic brain oedema, with a better prognosis than what can be expected with cytotoxic oedema.

Chronic periodontal disease is associated with single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the human TLR-4 gene

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease affecting the connective tissue surrounding the teeth leading to tooth loss. Pathogens associated with periodontitis interact with Toll-like receptors (TLRs) to induce cytokines causing and aggravating disease. We screened 197 individuals suffering from generalized periodontitis for the presence of Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile of TLR-4 as well as Arg753Gln of TLR-2 in comparison to matched controls. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TLR-4 were elevated among patients (odd's ratio 3.650, 95% CI 1.573-8.467, P < or = 0.0001), while no difference was observed for TLR-2. TLR-4 SNPs were correlated with chronic periodontitis (odd's ratio 5.562, 95% CI 2.199-14.04, P < or = 0.0001), but not with aggressive periodontitis. This observation was confirmed employing a group of periodontally healthy probands over 60 years of age. These data demonstrate that genetic variants of TLR-4 may act as risk factors for the development of generalized chronic periodontitis in humans.