Beyond sicca: high prevalence and predictors of baseline and worsening systemic involvement in patients with Sjögren's disease

Objectives

Systemic extraglandular involvement in SS has been reported in one-third of patients but may be more frequent. We aimed to evaluate systemic disease prevalence at baseline and throughout follow-up and find its predictors.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study including SS patients followed in a tertiary centre. The cumulative EULAR SS disease activity index (ESSDAI) was calculated by adding each domain's maximum score throughout follow-up. We identified independent predictors of systemic involvement (ESSDAI ≥1 at baseline and/or follow-up) through logistic regression modelling. A survival analysis was conducted to identify predictors of new/worsening ESSDAI domains.

Results

A total of 216 patients were included, most of whom had systemic involvement (86%), frequently at diagnosis (76%). Biological (53%) and articular ESSDAI domains (44%) were most commonly involved, but all were affected at least once. Around half of the patients with baseline systemic disease developed an additional/worsening domain throughout follow-up. Although most patients had low disease activity at baseline, 60% eventually reached moderately active disease. Younger age at diagnosis [odds ratio (OR) 0.95 (95% CI 0.91, 0.99)], a positive minor salivary gland biopsy [OR 4.08 (95% CI 1.40, 11.86)] and RF [OR 4.67 (95% CI 1.52, 14.33)] were independent predictors of systemic involvement. Patients with baseline constitutional involvement [hazard ratio (HR) 2.23 (95% CI 1.13, 4.40)] and RF [HR 1.89 (95% CI 1.20, 3.00)] were more likely to develop new/worsening systemic disease activity.

Conclusion

Systemic involvement is seen in most SS patients. Younger and RF and salivary gland biopsy-positive patients are at higher risk of systemic disease. Around half of patients with systemic involvement experienced aggravated disease over time, especially those with constitutional involvement or RF.

Systemic Involvement in Immunoglobulin G4-Related Ophthalmic Disease

BACKGROUND

Immunoglobulin G4-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD) poses clinical challenges due to its heterogeneous ocular and systemic manifestations. We aim to report the systemic involvement and the clinical, serological and radiological associations of a cohort of Chinese patients.

METHODS

A territory-wide, biopsy-proven, Chinese cohort. A retrospective, masked chart review of medical records, orbital images, and histopathology reports.

RESULTS

A total of 122 (65 male) patients with a follow-up of 81 ± 49 (24 to 84) months were reviewed. Ninety (74%) patients presented bilaterally. Subacute upper eyelid swelling was the commonest presentation (82/122, 67%). During follow-up, 91/122 patients (75%) underwent extra-orbital imaging including computer tomography (692 films), ultrasonography (182 films), magnetic resonance imaging (76 films) and whole body FDG-PET scan (33 films). Eighty-six (95%) of these 91 patients had extra-orbital involvement radiologically (2.7 ± 1.6 regions, range: 0 to 9). Lymph node was the most prevalent (N = 60,66%), followed by salivary gland (N = 51,56%), lung (N = 49,54%), kidney (N = 22, 24%), hepatobiliary tree (N = 18, 20%) and pancreas (N = 17, 19%). Other organs include thyroid, aorta, meninges/brain and skin. Twenty-eight (23%) patients had allergic diseases (19 asthma, 16 allergic rhinitis, and 6 eczemas). Fifty-seven (48%) patients had paranasal sinusitis. Serum eosinophilia was associated with a higher number (3.24 versus 2.52, P = 0.0304) of organ involvement. Patients with deep organ involvement was associated with a higher age of IgG4-ROD onset (70 ± 12 versus 56 ± 13, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

95% of the patients who underwent systemic imaging in our cohort had systemic organ involvement. An early physicians' assessment and radiological imaging are recommended after the diagnosis of IgG4-ROD.

Clinicopathological characteristics of cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in patients treated with TNF-α inhibitors

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The increasing use of biologics in the treatment of inflammatory diseases has led to more cases of leishmaniasis in patients subjected to iatrogenic immunosuppression. The main objective was to describe the characteristics of the patients with cutaneous (CL) or mucocutaneous (MCL) leishmaniasis who were receiving a biological therapy at the time of diagnosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A multicenter retrospective study was design based on a cohort of patients diagnosed with CL or MCL. All patients who were being treated with biologicals were included. For each case, two matched non-exposed patients were included for comparison.

RESULTS

38 patients were diagnosed with CL or MCL while being treated with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors. Leishmaniasis presented more frequently as a plaque (58.3%) with a larger median lesion size (2.5 cm), ulceration (92.1%), and required a greater median number of intralesional meglumine antimoniate infiltrations (3 doses) (P < 0.05) than in non-exposed patients. We found no systemic involvement in patients being treated with anti-TNF-α. We did not find differences regarding the treatment characteristics whether biologic therapy was modified or not.

CONCLUSIONS

Although management should be individualized, maintenance of biologic therapy does not seem to interfere with treatment of CL or MCL.

Clinical Presentations, Pathogenesis, and Therapy of Sarcoidosis: State of the Art

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease of unknown etiology characterized by the presence of noncaseating granulomas that can occur in any organ, most commonly the lungs. Early and accurate diagnosis of sarcoidosis remains challenging because initial presentations may vary, many patients are asymptomatic, and there is no single reliable diagnostic test. Prognosis is variable and depends on epidemiologic factors, mode of onset, initial clinical course, and specific organ involvement. From a pathobiological standpoint, sarcoidosis represents an immune paradox, where an excessive spread of both the innate and the adaptive immune arms of the immune system is accompanied by a state of partial immune anergy. For all these reasons, the optimal treatment for sarcoidosis remains unclear, with corticosteroid therapy being the current gold standard for those patients with significantly symptomatic or progressive pulmonary disease or serious extrapulmonary disease. This review is a state of the art of clinical presentations and immunological features of sarcoidosis, and the current therapeutic approaches used to treat the disease.

Angiokeratoma Corporis Diffusum: An Uncommon Case with Suspected Anderson Fabry Disease

Angiokeratomas are variable sized hyperkeratotic vascular papules that are characterized histologically by superficial dilated capillaries in papillary dermis with epidermal proliferation. They can occur as a single lesion to a generalized form (angiokeratoma corporis diffusum). Angiokeratoma corporis diffusum though initially synonymous with Anderson Fabry disease, is now known to occur in a variety of lysosomal enzyme deficiencies. We report a case of 22 year old male with angiokeratoma corporis diffusum associated with acroparesthesias, febrile episodes, sensorineural hearing loss and renal involvement. Histopathological evaluation showed characteristic ectatic blood vessels with vacuolated endothelial cells in papillary dermis. Based on the clinical evaluation and available investigations, we suspected him to be having to Anderson fabry disease. Resource constraints limited our ability to confirm our diagnosis with enzyme assay and electron microscopy. We report this unusual case in desire of re emphasizing the importance of clinical evaluation for reaching a diagnosis in a resource poor setting.

Systemic involvement in adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with intracranial calcifications and cysts (Labrune syndrome) with a novel mutation of the SNORD118 gene

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Although Labrune syndrome is a well-known disorder characterized by a typical neuroradiological triad, namely leukoencephalopathy, intracranial calcifications and cysts, there are no reports of systemic involvement in this disorder. This paper attempts to describe a peculiar clinical manifestation related to a novel mutation in the SNORD118 gene.

METHODS

Clinical examination, brain and total-body imaging, and neurophysiological and ophthalmological investigations were performed. Amplification of the SNORD118 gene and Sanger sequencing were integrated to investigate potential causative mutations.

RESULTS

A 69-year-old woman, with a long history of episodes of vertigo and gait imbalance, was referred to our hospital for progressive cognitive and motor deterioration. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging disclosed diffuse bilateral leukoencephalopathy in periventricular and deep white matter, widespread calcifications and numerous cysts in the brain, liver, pancreas and kidneys. The genetic analysis revealed two biallelic variants in the SNORD118 gene, one of which is novel (n.60G>C).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report of adult-onset Labrune syndrome with an unusual systemic involvement presenting a novel mutation in the SNORD118 gene.

Clinicopathological and Immunological Profile of Patients with Cutaneous Manifestations and their Relationship with Organ Involvement in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Attending a Tertiary Care Center of Eastern India

BACKGROUND

Lupus erythematosus (LE) is an autoimmune disorder with diverse clinical manifestations ranging from mild cutaneous disorder to life-threatening systemic illness and associated with varying immunological parameters.

AIM

We conducted a study in a tertiary care center of eastern India to determine the clinical pattern, immunological profile of patients with cutaneous manifestations of systemic LE (SLE) and their relationship with organ involvement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-five consecutive patients attending dermatology OPD having features consistent with cutaneous LE and fulfilling the criteria of SLE were included. After proper history taking and clinical examination, routine blood and antinuclear antibody (ANA) profile, histopathological examination, and direct immunofluorescence test were undertaken.

RESULTS

Among 55 patients, 49 were female. ANA positivity was the most common association, followed by photosensitivity, malar rash, arthritis, oral ulcer, immunological markers, renal system involvement, discoid rash, serositis, central nervous system (CNS) involvement, and least common being the hematological involvement. Vacuolar basal cell degeneration was the commonest epidermal change and upper dermal periappendageal and perivascular lymphocytic infiltration was the commonest dermal change observed on histopathological examination. On direct immunofluorescence (DIF) granular pattern was seen in majority of patients. Statistically significant risk of kidney involvement was present both when patient had bullous lesions and DIF positivity of unexposed (DIF-UE) skin. CNS involvement was seen in five patients and it was found to be significantly associated with purpuric lesions.

CONCLUSION

This study reveals cutaneous lesions and DIF testing could be reliable predictors of systemic involvement and strongly suggests DIF testing, routinely in all patients of SLE.

Skin signs in juvenile- and adult-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: clues to different systemic involvement

OBJECTIVE

We aim to explore the differences of skin signs between juvenile- and adult-onset systemic lupus erythematosus and to identify their associations to the development of systemic involvement.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of 377 systemic lupus erythematosus patients was performed.

RESULTS

In total, 171 patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus and 206 with adult systemic lupus erythematosus were studied. All patients were of Southeast Asian descent. The mean duration of follow up was 8.18 ± 6.19 and 9.36 ± 7.68 years for juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus and adult systemic lupus erythematosus, respectively. At diagnosis, most patients presented with acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, whereas chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus was twice as common in adult systemic lupus erythematosus ( p < 0.001). The mean Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus was significantly higher than that of adult systemic lupus erythematosus (14.29 ± 7.13 vs 11.27 ± 6.53). Multivariate analysis revealed the following associations in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus: acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus and non-scarring alopecia with increased risk of arthralgia, mucosal ulcers with leukopenia, cutaneous vasculitis with seizure, and finding of granular casts. On the contrary, the associations for adult systemic lupus erythematosus were oral ulcers with arthralgia and cutaneous vasculitis with myositis.

CONCLUSIONS

Cutaneous signs in systemic lupus erythematosus may signal prognostic implication. Interestingly, despite similar cutaneous lesions in systemic lupus erythematosus, different ages of onset are associated with different systemic involvement.

Violet - Colored Inguinal Located Cutaneous Tumour?

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) represents an aggressive CD30 – positive T cell lymphoma, as it is the second most common T cell lymphoma and 2% to 5% of all non - Hodgkin lymphomas. The cutaneous involvement can be primary or secondary within systemic ALCL, resembling inflammatory and other neoplastic lesions both clinically and cytologically. Various pigmented cutaneous tumours with a different origin, cutaneous metastasis and B-cell lymphoma must be carefully considered in the differential diagnostic plan. While simple surgical excision is usually curative, with good prognosis, systemic involvement must also be excluded. We present a case of a patient, with clinically unspecific single violet nodular lesion, as the only clinical manifestation of ALCL. The diagnosis was confirmed histologically, as the surgical excision was enough therapeutic management, regarding the early disease stage. Further following up with the patient is mandatory, because of the high recurrence rate. We want to emphasise the diversity of clinical manifestation of ALCL, regarding the importance of its early diagnosis and treatment.

Recurrent Cutaneous Eosinophilic Vasculitis: A Rare Entity

Recurrent cutaneous necrotizing eosinophilic vasculitis is a rare entity described by Chen et al. It has a benign course without any systemic involvement. However, often long-term treatment with systemic steroids is required. The exact etiopathogenesis remains unknown. We report a female patient, who presented with recurrent pruritic purpuric papules and plaques affecting different body parts of long duration. Disease was well controlled with low dose systemic steroids, but invariably recurred on its withdrawal. Histology revealed the features of eosinophilic vasculitis. Subsequent detailed evaluation ruled out systemic involvement, underlying diseases, and any precipitating factors. Hence, a diagnosis of recurrent cutaneous eosinophilic vasculitis was made. Patient showed excellent response to prednisolone, and on tapering the drug, it was found that she needed a maintenance dose of 5 mg/day. We did not come across any previous reports of recurrent cutaneous eosinophilic vasculitis from India.