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Heslinga M, Teunissen C, Agca R, van der Woude D, Huizinga T, van Laar J, den Broeder A, Lems W, Nurmohamed M. NT-proBNP and sRAGE levels in early rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol 2022; 52:243-249. [PMID: 35274588 DOI: 10.1080/03009742.2022.2042975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Several biomarkers of cardiovascular function are found to be increased in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with some suggesting a relationship with disease activity and improvement with adequate anti-rheumatic treatment. Promising biomarkers include N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and the soluble receptor form of advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE). The objective of this study was to investigate associations between NT-proBNP and sRAGE levels and markers of inflammation and disease activity in early RA patients and their changes during (effective) anti-rheumatic treatment. METHOD Data from 342 consecutive early RA patients participating in the 'Parelsnoer' cohort were used. At baseline and after 6 months' disease activity, NT-proBNP and sRAGE levels were assessed. RESULTS After 6 months, NT-proBNP decreased from 83 pmol/L (mean) at baseline to 69 pmol/L at follow-up (p < 0.001), while sRAGE increased from 997 pg/mL to 1125 pg/mL (p < 0.001). A larger decrease in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or C-reactive protein (CRP) was associated with larger changes in NT-proBNP and sRAGE. For every point decrease in ESR, there was a 1.7-point decrease in NT-proBNP and a 2.2-point increase in sRAGE. For CRP, these values were 1.7 and 2.7, respectively (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Suppressing inflammation, independently of achieving remission, increases sRAGE levels and decreases NT-proBNP levels significantly. Whether this translates into a decrease in incident cardiovascular disease remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Heslinga
- Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center
- Reade, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C Teunissen
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - R Agca
- Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center
- Reade, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - D van der Woude
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Twj Huizinga
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - J van Laar
- Department of Rheumatology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - A den Broeder
- Department of Rheumatology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - W Lems
- Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Nurmohamed
- Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center
- Reade, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Affiliation(s)
- S O'Reilly
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - J van Laar
- Clinical Rheumatology Department, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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de Hair M, Jurgens M, Lafeber F, Jacobs J, van Laar J. THU0123 Is a High Contribution of Tender Joint Count and VAS General Health to the DAS28 Associated with Poor Clinical Response to Treatment in Early DMARD-Naïve RA Patients?: Table 1. Ann Rheum Dis 2015. [DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-eular.4613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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O’Reilly S, Chiechomska M, Oakley F, van Laar J. A3.5 IL-13-mediated STAT6 dependant modulation of fibrosis and effects of MIR135B. Ann Rheum Dis 2015. [DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-207259.76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Jordan S, Distler J, Maurer B, Huscher D, Allanore Y, van Laar J, Distler O. FRI0265 Rituximab improves skin fibrosis and prevents worsening of lung function in patients with systemic sclerosis in the eustar cohort. Ann Rheum Dis 2014. [DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2012-eular.2722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Maas C, Tromp JM, van Laar J, Thijssen R, Elias JA, Malara A, Krippner-Heidenreich A, Silke J, van Oers MH, Eldering E. CLL cells are resistant to smac mimetics because of an inability to form a ripoptosome complex. Cell Death Dis 2013; 4:e782. [PMID: 23990022 PMCID: PMC3763465 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2013.305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2013] [Revised: 07/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the lymph node (LN) environment, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells display increased NF-κB activity compared with peripheral blood CLL cells, which contributes to chemoresistance. Antagonists of cellular inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (cIAPs) can induce apoptosis in various cancer cells in a tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα)-dependent manner and are in preclinical development. Smac-mimetics promote degradation of cIAP1 and cIAP2, which results in TNFR-mediated apoptosis via formation of a ripoptosome complex, comprising RIPK1, Fas-associated protein with death domain, FLICE-like inhibitory protein and caspase-8. CD40 stimulation of CLL cells in vitro is used as a model to mimic the LN microenvironment and results in NF-κB activation and TNFα production. In this study, we investigated the response of CLL cells to smac-mimetics in the context of CD40 stimulation. We found that treatment with smac-mimetics results in cIAP1 and cIAP2 degradation, yet although TNFα is produced, this did not induce apoptosis. Despite the presence of all components, the ripoptosome complex did not form upon smac-mimetic treatment in CLL cells. Thus, CLL cells seem to possess aberrant upstream NF-κB regulation that prevents ripoptosome formation upon IAP degradation. Unraveling the exact molecular mechanisms of disturbed ripoptosome formation may offer novel targets for treatment in CLL.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Maas
- Department of Hematology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Ciechomska M, van Laar J. THU0054 Role of Fra-2 in TLR8-Mediated TIMP-1 Production in Systemic Sclerosis. Ann Rheum Dis 2013. [DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-eular.582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Baraliakos X, Braun J, Laurent D, Baeten D, van der Heijde D, Sieper J, Emery P, McInnes I, van Laar J, Landewe R, Wordsworth P, Wollenhaupt J, Kellner H, Wright A, Vandenhende F, Radford K, Borah B, Hueber W. FRI0420 Long term inhibition of IL-17a with secukinumab reduces spinal inflammation but has no influence on fatty lesions as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Ann Rheum Dis 2013. [DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-eular.1547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Johnson S, Naden R, Fransen J, van den Hoogen F, Pope J, Baron M, Matucci-Cerinic M, Tyndall A, Distler O, Denton C, Gabrielli A, van Laar J, Mayes M, Steen V, Seibold J, Clements P, Medsger T, Carreira P, Riemekasten G, Khanna D. AB0840 Scleroderma classification criteria: Disease-specific methods for valid case comparisons. Ann Rheum Dis 2013. [DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2012-eular.840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Nihtyanova S, Ong V, Black C, Denton C, Lutalo P, Shattles W, Jones H, Nouri R, Hepburn A, Chard M, Horwood N, Lynn M, Duke O, Kiely P, Zouita L, Davies U, Hughes R, Lloyd M, Nikitorowicz Buniak J, Shiwen X, Abraham D, Denton C, Black C, Stratton R, Hugle T, Schuetz P, Daikeler T, Tyndall A, Matucci-Cerinic M, Walker UA, van Laar JM, Pauling JD, Flower V, McHugh N, Liu S, Leask A, Nikitorowicz Buniak J, Aden N, Denton C, Abraham D, Stratton R, Khan K, Hoyles R, Shiwen X, Ong V, Abraham D, Denton C, Bhagat S, Drummond T, Goh C, Busch R, Hall F, Meyer P, Moinzadeh P, Krieg T, Hellmich M, Brinckmann J, Neumann E, Mueller-Ladner U, Kreuter A, Dumitresco D, Rosenkranz S, Hunzelmann N, Binai N, Huegle T, van Laar J, Shiwen X, Sonnylal S, Tam A, Jones H, Stratton R, Leask A, Norman J, Denton C, de Crombrugghe B, Abraham D, Chighizola CB, Luigi Meroni P, Coghlan G, Denton C, Ong V, Newton F, Shiwen X, Denton C, Abraham D, Stratton R, Derrett-Smith EC, Dooley A, Baliga R, Hobbs A, MacAllister R, Abraham D, Denton C, Futema M, Pantelidis P, Renzoni E, Schreiber BE, Ong V, Coghlan GJ, Denton C, Wells AU, Welsh K, Abraham D, Fonseca C, Futema M, Ponticos M, Pantelidis P, Wells A, Denton C, Abraham D, Fonseca C, Denton C, Guillevin L, Krieg T, Schwierin B, Rosenberg D, Silkey M, Matucci-Cerinic M, Parapuram S, Shi-wen X, Denton C, Abraham D, Leask A, Nihtyanova S, Ahmed Abdi B, Khan K, Abraham D, Denton C, Khan K, Denton C, Xu S, Ong V. Scleroderma and related disorders: 223. Long Term Outcome in a Contemporary Systemic Sclerosis Cohort. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/ker033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Denton C, Hoyles R, Coghlan G, van Laar J. Current therapeutic options for systemic sclerosis: IP81. Current Challenges in Scleroderma. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/ker063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Ickinger C, Musenge E, Tikly M, Barnes J, Donnison C, Scott M, Bartholomew P, Rynne M, Hamilton J, Saravanan V, Heycock C, Kelly C, de la Torre I, Moura RA, Leandro M, Edwards J, Cambridge G, de la Torre I, Leandro M, Edwards J, Cambridge G, Daniels LE, Gullick NJ, Rees JD, Kirkham BW, Daniels LE, Gullick NJ, Kirkham BW, Rees J, Scott IC, Johnson D, Scott DL, Kingsley G, Ma MH, Cope AP, Scott DL, Kirkham BW, Brode S, Nisar MK, Ostor AJ, Gullick NJ, Oakley SP, Rees JD, Jones T, Mistlin A, Panayi GS, Kirkham BW, El Miedany Y, Palmer D, Porkodi R, Rajendran P, Waller R, Williamson L, Collins D, Price E, Juarez MJ, El Miedany Y, El Gaafary M, Youssef S, Palmer D, El Miedany Y, El Gaafary M, Palmer D, El Miedany Y, El Gaafary M, Palmer D, El Miedany Y, Palmer D, Cramp F, Hewlett S, Almeida C, Kirwan J, Choy E, Chalder T, Pollock J, Christensen R, Mirjafari H, Verstappen S, Bunn D, Edlin H, Charlton-Menys V, Pemberton P, Marshall T, Wilson P, Lunt M, Symmons D, Bruce IN, Bell C, Rowe IF, Jayakumar K, Norton SJ, Dixey J, Williams P, Young A, Kurunadalingam H, Parwaiz I, Kumar K, Howlett K, Hands B, Raza K, Pitzalis C, Buckley C, Kelly S, Filer A, Wheater G, Hogan VE, Onno Teng Y, Tekstra J, Tuck SP, Lafeber FP, Huizinga TW, Bijlsma JW, Francis RM, Datta HK, van Laar J, Pratt AG, Charles PJ, Choudhury M, Wilson G, Venables PJ, Isaacs J, Raza K, Kumar K, Stack R, Kwiatkowska B, Rantapaa-Dahlqvist S, Saxne T, Sidiropoulos P, Kteniadaki E, Misirlaki C, Mann H, Vencovsky J, Ciurea A, Tamborrini G, Kyburz D, Bastian H, Burmester GR, Detert J, Buckley CD, Sheehy C, Shipman A, Stech I, Mukhtyar C, Atzeni F, Sitia S, Tomasoni L, Gianturco L, Ricci C, Sarzi-Puttini P, De Gennaro Colonna V, Turiel M, Galloway J, Low A, Mercer LK, Dixon W, Ustianowski A, Watson K, Lunt M, Fisher B, Plant D, Lundberg K, Charles PJ, Barton A, Venables P, Pratt AG, Lorenzi AR, Wilson G, Platt PN, Isaacs J. Rheumatoid arthritis - clinical aspects: 134. Predictors of Joint Damage in South Africans with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/ker029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Binai N, Hugle T, van Laar J. Role of ET-1 and GM-CSF on the differentiation potential of monocytes in systemic sclerosis. Ann Rheum Dis 2011. [DOI: 10.1136/ard.2010.149104.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Gessner A, Huigens C, Stanly T, Huegle T, van Laar J. TIMP-1 production by monocytes may contribute to SSc skin fibrosis. Ann Rheum Dis 2011. [DOI: 10.1136/ard.2010.149104.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Gorlova O, Martin JM, Rueda B, Koeleman BPC, Ying J, Teruel M, Diaz-Gallo LM, Broen JC, Vonk MC, Simeon CP, Alizadeh BZ, Coenen MJH, Voskuyl AE, Schuerwegh AJ, van Riel PLCM, Vanthuyne M, van ‘t Slot R, Italiaander A, Ophoff RA, Hunzelmann N, Fonollosa V, Ortego-Centeno N, González-Gay MA, García-Hernández FJ, González-Escribano MF, Airo P, van Laar J, Worthington J, Hesselstrand R, Smith V, De Keyser F, Houssiau F, Chee MM, Madhok R, Shiels P, Westhovens R, Kreuter A, de Baere E, Witte T, Padyukov L, Nordin A, Scorza R, Lunardi C, Lie BA, Hoffmann-Vold AM, García de la Peña P, Carreira P, Varga J, Hinchcliff M, Lee AT, Gourh P, Amos CI, Riemekasten G, Herrick A, Beretta L, Fonseca C, Denton CP, Gregersen PK, Agarwal S, Assassi S, Tan FK, Arnett FC, Radstake TRDJ, Mayes MD, Martin J. Identification of novel genetic markers associated with the clinical phenotypes of systemic sclerosis through a genome wide association strategy. Lab Invest 2010. [PMCID: PMC3007743 DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-8-s1-o1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Bonte-Mineur F, Verzijl A, Huygen F, van Laar J. Applying salve in complex regional pain syndrome. Case Reports 2009; 2009:bcr08.2008.0812. [DOI: 10.1136/bcr.08.2008.0812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Rueda B, Broen J, Simeon C, Hesselstrand R, Diaz B, Suárez H, Ortego-Centeno N, Riemekasten G, Fonollosa V, Vonk MC, van den Hoogen FHJ, Sanchez-Román J, Aguirre-Zamorano MA, García-Portales R, Pros A, Camps MT, Gonzalez-Gay MA, Coenen MJH, Airo P, Beretta L, Scorza R, van Laar J, Gonzalez-Escribano MF, Nelson JL, Radstake TRDJ, Martin J. The STAT4 gene influences the genetic predisposition to systemic sclerosis phenotype. Hum Mol Genet 2009; 18:2071-7. [PMID: 19286670 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddp119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of STAT4 gene in the genetic predisposition to systemic sclerosis (SSc) susceptibility or clinical phenotype. A total of 1317 SSc patients [896 with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) and 421 with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc)] and 3113 healthy controls, from an initial case-control set of Spanish Caucasian ancestry and five independent cohorts of European ancestry (The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Italy and USA), were included in the study. The rs7574865 polymorphism was selected as STAT4 genetic marker. We observed that the rs7574865 T allele was significantly associated with susceptibility to lcSSc in the Spanish population [P = 1.9 x 10(-5) odds ratio (OR) 1.61 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.29-1.99], but not with dcSSc (P = 0.41 OR 0.84 95% CI 0.59-1.21). Additionally, a dosage effect was observed showing individuals with rs7574865 TT genotype higher risk for lcSSc (OR 3.34, P = 1.02 x 10(-7) 95% CI 2.11-5.31). The association of the rs7574865 T allele with lcSSc was confirmed in all the replication cohorts with different effect sizes (OR ranging between 1.15 and 1.86), as well as the lack of association of STAT4 with dcSSc. A meta-analysis to test the overall effect of the rs7574865 polymorphism showed a strong risk effect of the T allele for lcSSc susceptibility (pooled OR 1.54 95% CI 1.36-1.74; P < 0.0001). Our data show a strong and reproducible association of the STAT4 gene with the genetic predisposition to lcSSc suggesting that this gene seems to be one of the genetic markers influencing SSc phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Rueda
- Instituto de Parasitologia y Biomedicina Lopez-Neyra (CSIC), Granada, Spain
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Binks M, Passweg JR, Furst D, McSweeney P, Sullivan K, Besenthal C, Finke J, Peter HH, van Laar J, Breedveld FC, Fibbe WE, Farge D, Gluckman E, Locatelli F, Martini A, van den Hoogen F, van de Putte L, Schattenberg AV, Arnold R, Bacon PA, Emery P, Espigado I, Hertenstein B, Hiepe F, Kashyap A, Kötter I, Marmont A, Martinez A, Pascual MJ, Gratwohl A, Prentice HG, Black C, Tyndall A. Phase I/II trial of autologous stem cell transplantation in systemic sclerosis: procedure related mortality and impact on skin disease. Ann Rheum Dis 2001; 60:577-84. [PMID: 11350846 PMCID: PMC1753658 DOI: 10.1136/ard.60.6.577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Systemic sclerosis (SSc, scleroderma) in either its diffuse or limited skin forms has a high mortality when vital organs are affected. No treatment has been shown to influence the outcome or significantly affect the skin score, though many forms of immunosuppression have been tried. Recent developments in haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have allowed the application of profound immunosuppression followed by HSCT, or rescue, to autoimmune diseases such as SSc. METHODS Results for 41 patients included in continuing multicentre open phase I/II studies using HSCT in the treatment of poor prognosis SSc are reported. Thirty seven patients had a predominantly diffuse skin form of the disease and four the limited form, with some clinical overlap. Median age was 41 years with a 5:1 female to male ratio. The skin score was >50% of maximum in 20/33 (61%) patients, with some lung disease attributable to SSc in 28/37 (76%), the forced vital capacity being <70% of the predicted value in 18/36 (50%). Pulmonary hypertension was described in 7/37 (19%) patients and renal disease in 5/37 (14%). The Scl-70 antibody was positive in 18/32 (56%) and the anticentromere antibody in 10% of evaluable patients. Peripheral blood stem cell mobilisation was performed with cyclophosphamide or granulocyte colony stimulating factor, alone or in combination. Thirty eight patients had ex vivo CD34 stem cell selection, with additional T cell depletion in seven. Seven conditioning regimens were used, but six of these used haemoimmunoablative doses of cyclophosphamide +/- anti-thymocyte globulin +/- total body irradiation. The median duration of follow up was 12 months (3-55). RESULTS An improvement in skin score of >25% after transplantation occurred in 20/29 (69%) evaluable patients, and deterioration in 2/29 (7%). Lung function did not change significantly after transplantation. One of five renal cases deteriorated but with no new occurrences of renal disease after HSCT, and the pulmonary hypertension did not progress in the evaluable cases. Disease progression was seen in 7/37 (19%) patients after HSCT with a median period of 67 (range 49-255) days. Eleven (27%) patients had died at census and seven (17%) deaths were considered to be related to the procedure (direct organ toxicity in four, haemorrhage in two, and infection/neutropenic fever in one). The cumulative probability of survival at one year was 73% (95% CI 58 to 88) by Kaplan-Meier analysis. CONCLUSION Despite a higher procedure related mortality rate from HSCT in SSc compared with patients with breast cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the marked impact on skin score, a surrogate marker of mortality, the trend towards stabilisation of lung involvement, and lack of other treatment alternatives justify further carefully designed studies. If future trials incorporate inclusion and exclusion criteria based on this preliminary experience, the predicted procedure related mortality should be around 10%.
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Abstract
Improvements on a procedure for the determination of thiodiglycol in urine are presented. This procedure is based on the conversion of thiodiglycol to mustard gas with concentrated HCl followed by headspace analysis. With deuterated thiodiglycol as the internal standard, more accurate quantitative analyses are possible. Residual amounts of chlorine in the water used for preparation of standard solutions posed problems, and the reaction between chlorine and thiodiglycol in water has been studied. The possible formation of mustard gas from thiodiglycol and sodium chloride was also investigated. The modified procedure was applied to urine samples of several Iranian patients who were victims of an alleged attack with mustard gas and who were treated in European hospitals in 1986. With the exception of one relatively high value (330 ng/mL), the thiodiglycol concentrations were in the same range (10 to 100 ng/mL) as those found during an investigation in 1984. The urine of 20 male controls contained thiodiglycol amounts not above 20 ng/mL. The combined data obtained in 1984 and 1986 (25 Iranian patients and 25 controls) show statistically significant differences. Approximately 80% of the Iranian patients had levels above the 95% confidence limit calculated from the control group.
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Affiliation(s)
- E R Wils
- Prins Maurits Laboratory, TNO, Rijswijk, The Netherlands
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