Cardiovascular magnetic resonance in the diagnosis and management of cardiac and vascular involvement in the systemic vasculitides

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Patients With Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitides: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to review the available literature on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) findings in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides (AAV), evaluate its diagnostic utility, and assess its potential as a screening tool.

METHODS

We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to March 29, 2023, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. English-language studies involving adult patients diagnosed with AAV-eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA)-using recognized classification criteria were included. Studies had to report specific cMRI parameters in at least three patients. Three independent reviewers conducted study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment.

RESULTS

Of 2,251 studies, 30 met the inclusion criteria, encompassing 1,149 patients with AAV (87% with EGPA, 13% with GPA, and 0.3% with MPA). The mean patient age was 52 ± 5 years, with 50.4% being female. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 55.6% ± 11.3%, and 29% of patients had an LVEF less than 50%. Myocardial fibrosis, indicated by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), was present in 49% of patients, with predominantly subendocardial or endocardial (23%), intramyocardial (14%), and subepicardial (10%) patterns. Patients in remission (26%), when compared to those not in remission (74%), exhibited higher proportions of LGE (55% vs 47%) and glucocorticoid use (77% vs 68%), despite similar rates of abnormal electrocardiograms (44% vs 42%).

CONCLUSION

This systematic review reveals a high prevalence of myocardial fibrosis detected by cMRI in patients with AAV, even during remission. Significant subclinical cardiac involvement may be missed by conventional diagnostic methods, underscoring the utility of cMRI during routine evaluation.

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis - Advances in pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a rare disease characterized by eosinophil-rich granulomatous inflammation and necrotizing vasculitis, pre-dominantly affecting small-to-medium-sized vessels. It is categorized as a primary antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAVs) but also shares features of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES); therefore, both vessel inflammation and eosinophilic infiltration are suggested to cause organ damage. This dual nature of the disease causes variable clinical presentation. As a result, careful differentiation from mimicking conditions is needed, especially from HES, given the overlapping clinical, radiologic, and histologic features, and biomarker profile. EGPA also remains a diagnostic challenge, in part because of asthma, which may pre-dominate for years, and often requires chronic corticosteroids (CS), which can mask other disease features. The pathogenesis is still not fully understood, however, the interaction between eosinophils and lymphocytes B and T seems to play an important role. Furthermore, the role of ANCA is not clear, and only up to 40% of patients are ANCA-positive. Moreover, two ANCA-dependent clinically and genetically distinct subgroups have been identified. However, a gold standard test for establishing a diagnosis is not available. In practice, the disease is mainly diagnosed based on the clinical symptoms and results of non-invasive tests. The unmet needs include uniform diagnostic criteria and biomarkers to help distinguish EGPA from HESs. Despite its rarity, notable progress has been made in understanding the disease and in its management. A better understanding of the pathophysiology has provided new insights into the pathogenesis and therapeutic targets, which are reflected in novel biological agents. However, there remains an ongoing reliance on corticosteroid therapy. Therefore, there is a significant need for more effective and better-tolerated steroid-sparing treatment schemes.

Long-term cardiovascular outcomes and temporal trends in patients diagnosed with ANCA-associated vasculitis: a Danish nationwide registry study

OBJECTIVES

To examine long-term cardiovascular outcomes and temporal trends among patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) using Danish nationwide registries.

METHODS

Using a cohort design, we examined patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (ICD-10: DM31.3) and microscopic polyangiitis (ICD-10: DM3.17) in Denmark from 1996-2018. Hazard ratios (HRs) of cardiovascular outcomes were compared between patients with AAV and age and gender-matched controls. Counterfactual G-estimation of HRs was performed to estimate 5-year absolute risks. Temporal trends were obtained by grouping cohorts into evenly distributed tertiles according to inclusion year.

RESULTS

A total of 2306 patients with AAV (median age: 62.9yrs, 52.6% male) were matched with 6918 controls. Median follow-up was 9.5yrs. Patients with AAV had a higher rate of ischaemic heart disease [HR 1.86 (1.62-2.15)], myocardial infarction [HR 1.62 (1.26-2.09)], coronary angiogram [HR 1.64 (1.37-1.96)], percutaneous coronary intervention [HR 1.56 (1.17-2.07)] and ventricular arrhythmias/implantable-cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)-implantations [HR 2.04 (1.16-3.57)]. Similarly, an increased rate of heart failure [HR 2.12 (1.77-2.54)], deep vein thrombosis [HR 3.13 (2.43-4.05)], pulmonary embolism [HR 4.04 (3.07-5.32)], atrial fibrillation [HR 2.08 (1.82-2.39)], ischaemic stroke [HR 1.58 (1.31-1.90)] and in-hospital cardiac arrest [HR 2.27 (1.49-3.48)] was observed. The 5-year risk of all outcomes were significantly higher (excluding ventricular arrhythmia/ICD-implantations). For temporal trends among patients with AAV, a decreased 3-year risk of cardiovascular mortality was observed over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with AAV are at increased risk of heart failure, atrial-/ventricular arrhythmias, venous thrombotic events, ischaemic stroke and myocardial infarction. Furthermore, patients with AAV were more frequently examined with coronary procedures and underwent more coronary revascularizations. No temporal changes in ischaemic cardiovascular outcomes were observed, albeit the cardiovascular mortality has decreased over time.

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging Patterns in Rare Cardiovascular Diseases

Rare cardiovascular diseases (RCDs) have low incidence but major clinical impact. RCDs' classification includes Class I-systemic circulation, Class II-pulmonary circulation, Class III-cardiomyopathies, Class IV-congenital cardiovascular diseases (CVD), Class V-cardiac tumors and CVD in malignancy, Class VI-cardiac arrhythmogenic disorders, Class VII-CVD in pregnancy, Class VIII-unclassified rare CVD. Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) is useful in the diagnosis/management of RCDs, as it performs angiography, function, perfusion, and tissue characterization in the same examination. Edema expressed as a high signal in STIRT2 or increased T2 mapping is common in acute/active inflammatory states. Diffuse subendocardial fibrosis, expressed as diffuse late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), is characteristic of microvascular disease as in systemic sclerosis, small vessel vasculitis, cardiac amyloidosis, and metabolic disorders. Replacement fibrosis, expressed as LGE, in the inferolateral wall of the left ventricle (LV) is typical of neuromuscular disorders. Patchy LGE with concurrent edema is typical of myocarditis, irrespective of the cause. Cardiac hypertrophy is characteristic in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), cardiac amyloidosis (CA) and Anderson-Fabry Disease (AFD), but LGE is located in the IVS, subendocardium and lateral wall in HCM, CA and AFD, respectively. Native T1 mapping is increased in HCM and CA and reduced in AFD. Magnetic resonance angiography provides information on aortopathies, such as Marfan, Turner syndrome and Takayasu vasculitis. LGE in the right ventricle is the typical finding of ARVC, but it may involve LV, leading to the diagnosis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Tissue changes in RCDs may be detected only through parametric imaging indices.

Organ Manifestation and Systematic Organ Screening at the Onset of Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) are often associated with the involvement of various organs. However, data regarding organ manifestation and organ spread are rare. To close this knowledge gap, this cross-sectional study was initiated to evaluate the extent of solid organ manifestations in newly diagnosed IRD patients, and to present a structured systematic organ screening algorithm.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study included 84 patients (63 women, 21 men) with newly diagnosed IRD. None of the patients received any rheumatic therapy. All patients underwent a standardised organ screening programme encompassing a basic screening (including lungs, heart, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract) and an additional systematic screening (nose and throat, central and peripheral nervous system) on the basis of clinical, laboratory, and immunological findings.

RESULTS

Represented were patients with connective tissue diseases (CTD) (72.6%), small-vessel vasculitis (16.7%), and myositis (10.7%). In total, 39 participants (46.5%) had one or more organ manifestation(s) (one organ, 29.7%; two organs, 10.7%; ≥three organs, 6.0%). The most frequently involved organs were the lungs (34.5%), heart (11.9%), and kidneys (8.3%). Lastly, a diagnostic algorithm for organ manifestation was applied.

CONCLUSION

One-half of the patients presented with a solid organ involvement at initial diagnosis of IRD. Thus, in contrast to what has been described in the literature, organ manifestations were already present in a high proportion of patients at the time of diagnosis of IRD rather than after several years of disease. Therefore, in IRD patients, systematic organ screening is essential for treatment decisions.

The Role of Cardiac Imaging in the Evaluation of Cardiac Involvement in Systemic Diseases

For systemic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis, systemic vasculitis, myopathies, and mixed connective tissue diseases, cardiac disease is a major contributing factor for morbidity and mortality. The cardiovascular manifestations are the result of various pathophysiological components, which complicate management. Furthermore, the signs and symptoms can be subtle and missed due to the complex nature of the underlying condition. As a result, various imaging approaches play an imperative role in diagnosis and prognosis. The evolving role of these modalities could lead to risk stratification and improved therapies in the future. In conclusion, our review article will highlight the role of cardiac imaging in the evaluation of cardiac involvement for systemic diseases.

Effect of Biologics on Cardiovascular Inflammation: Mechanistic Insights and Risk Reduction

It is increasingly recognized that atherosclerosis and consequently cardiovascular disease (CVD) are closely linked with inflammatory processes. The latter is in the center of the pathogenic mechanism underlying autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD). It follows then, that optimal control of inflammation in ARDs may lead to a decrease of the accompanied CVD risk. Major trials (eg, CANTOS, CIRT), aimed at examining the possible benefits of immunomodulatory treatments in CVD, demonstrated conflicting results. On the other hand, substantial evidence is accumulating about the possible beneficial effects of biologic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) in patients with ARDs, particularly those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It seems that bDMARDs (some more than others) alter the lipid profile in RA patients but do not adversely affect, in most cases, the TC/HDL ratio. Favorable effects are noted for arterial stiffness and endothelial function. This is reflected in the lower risk for CVD events, seen in observational studies of RA patients treated with bDMARDs. It should be stressed that more data exist for the TNF-inhibitors than for other bDMARDs, such as tocilizumab, abatacept and rituximab. As regards the spondyloarthropathies (SpA), data are less robust. For TNF-inhibitors, effects appear to be on par with those seen in RA but no conclusions can be drawn for newer biologic drugs used in SpA (eg, IL-17 blockers). Finally, there is accumulating evidence for a beneficial effect of immunosuppressive treatment in cardiac inflammation and function in several ARDs. Introduction of newer therapeutic options in clinical practice seem to have a positive impact on CVD in the setting of ARD. This is probably due to better control of inflammation, but direct improvement in vascular pathology is also a valid hypothesis. Most data are derived from observational studies and, therefore, randomized controlled trials are needed to assess the possible favorable effect of bDMARDs on CVD outcomes.

Myocardial involvement characteristics by cardiac MR imaging in patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis

OBJECTIVE

Myocardial involvement is frequently observed in polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) but typically remains subclinical. This study aimed to investigate characteristics of myocardial involvement and compare differences between patients with PM and DM by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging.

METHODS

From March 2017 to December 2019, a total of 17 PM and 27 DM patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. In all patients, clinical assessment and CMR examination were performed. CMR parameters, including left ventricular (LV) morphologic and functional parameters and CMR tissue characterization imaging parameters, such as native T1, T2, extracellular volume (ECV), and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were analyzed.

RESULTS

Patients in both PM and DM groups, elevated global native T1 and ECV values were observed. Global ECV values were higher in the PM group when compared to the DM group (33.24 ± 2.97% vs. 30.36 ± 4.20%; P = 0.039). Furthermore, patients in PM and DM groups showed a different positive segment distribution of LGE, native T1 and ECV, whereas the number of positive segments in PM patients was greater compared to that in DM patients. No significant differences in LV morphological and functional parameters were observed between patients in PM and DM groups and most were in normal range.

CONCLUSION

CMR tissue characterization imaging could detect early myocardial involvement in PM and DM patients without overt LV dysfunction. Furthermore, characteristics of myocardial involvement were different between PM and DM patients with more serious seen in PM patients.

The role of peripheral eosinophilia in diagnosing lung disorders: experience from a single pneumonological center

Background

Eosinophilia is rare but one of the important reasons to refer patients to pneumonological centers. Determining etiology of eosinophilia has practical implications for therapeutic intervention and disease prognosis. The study aimed to determine the role of peripheral eosinophilia in the diagnosis of lung disorders.

Methods

In this retrospective study were included 46 patients diagnosed with peripheral eosinophilia with coexisting respiratory symptoms and/or radiologically detected lung lesions. All patients underwent standard diagnostic procedures, including a detailed clinical history review, physical examination, routine laboratory tests with basal cardiological examinations, and serological tests to detect parasites and allergies. Other procedures carried out depended on the symptoms of each patient. The relation between eosinophil counts in the blood and patients’ clinical manifestation was investigated to identify the degree of eosinophilia requiring immediate diagnostic procedures and treatment. Statistical analyses were performed using scientific computation libraries in the Python programming language, SciPy, v. 1.3.1. Briefly, the following tests were used: parametric Kruskal-Wallis H test, an independent t-test, ANOVA, the Shapiro- Wilk test, Fisher’s and Chi-squared tests, and the Holm-Bonferroni method.

Results

Severe eosinophilia (≥5,000 cells/μl) was associated with extrapulmonary involvement and constitutional symptoms. Skin, heart, and pleural diseases were more frequent in these patients than in patients with mild or moderate eosinophilia (p=0.010, p=0.040, and p=0.007, respectively), and only these patients showed signs of kidney disease (p=0.006). Vasculitis was significantly more frequent in the severe eosinophilia group (p=0.048) than in the other two groups. In patients with moderate eosinophilia (1,500-5,000 cells/μl), extrapulmonary symptoms were less common, although signs of cardiac involvement were confirmed in 44% of subjects. In this group, vasculitis was the most commonly observed disease (42% of cases). Mild eosinophilia (<1,500 cells/μl) was mainly associated with airway disease. In this group, vasculitis and interstitial lung diseases were identified, but most were not typically connected with eosinophilia.

Conclusions

Identification of peripheral eosinophilia may essentially determine diagnostic procedures in patients with lung disorders and may be a useful indicator of disease etiology.