Risk factors for renal involvement and severe kidney disease in 2731 Chinese children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura: A retrospective study

Clinical characteristics and risk factors for kidney involvement in children with immunoglobulin A vasculitis

BACKGROUND

Immumoglobulin A (IgA) vasculitis (IgAV), formerly known as Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), is a self-limiting systemic vasculitis in children. Kidney involvement is associated with a long-term unfavorable outcome and can lead to significant morbidity. This study was conducted to describe the clinical and laboratory characteristics of childhood IgAV with kidney involvement and to identify risk factors associated with IgAV nephritis (IgAVN).

METHODS

This was an ambidirectional descriptive study of 77 children with IgAV. All demographic data, clinical features, and laboratory tests were collected from electronic medical records from January 2010 to December 2022. Risk factors for kidney involvement in IgAV were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to calculate the time to commencement of kidney involvement.

RESULTS

Twenty-five children (32.4% of the IgAV patients) developed IgAVN. The common findings in IgAV with kidney involvement were microscopic hematuria (100%), nephrotic range proteinuria (44%), and non-nephrotic range proteinuria (40%). Multivariate logistic regression showed that age greater than 10 years (adjusted hazard ratio, AHR 4.66; 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.91-11.41; p = 0.001), obesity (body mass index, BMI, z-score ≥ +2 standard deviations, SDs) (AHR 3.59; 95% CI 1.41-9.17; p = 0.007), and hypertension at onset (AHR 4.78; 95% CI 1.76-12.95; p = 0.002) were associated significantly with kidney involvement. During follow up, most IgAV patients developed nephritis within the first 9 months.

CONCLUSION

Age greater than 10 years, obesity, and hypertension at presentation were predictive factors for IgAVN. Our study emphasized that IgAV patients with risk factors should be closely monitored for at least 1 year after the onset of the disease.

Reporting the clinical spectrum of children with IgAV in a retrospective 24-year cohort: Influences of age and sex on clinical presentation

Background/aim

Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) is one of the most common types of vasculitis in children. The aims of this study were to investigate the clinical characteristics of the disease, and the effects of age and sex on the clinical course in children with IgAV.

Materials and methods

This was a retrospective study including pediatric patients diagnosed with IgAV who attended follow-ups at the pediatric rheumatology department of a tertiary healthcare institution between January 1997 and December 2020. The patients were grouped and compared according to sex and age at diagnosis (<7 years vs. ≥7 years).

Results

The study included 709 children with IgAV, 392 (55.3%) of whom were male. The mean age at diagnosis was 7.9 ± 3.2 years. The most common disease onset season was autumn (31.2%). Upper respiratory infections (27.8%) were the most common predisposing factors. Gastrointestinal system (GIS), joint, and renal involvement were observed in 52.8%, 47.5%, and 17.5% of patients, respectively. Renal involvement, GIS involvement, and disease relapse were significantly more common among those diagnosed after 7 years of age compared to those diagnosed before the age of 7 (p < 0.001, p = 0.033, and p < 0.001, respectively). Scrotal involvement and subcutaneous edema were more common among those diagnosed at younger than 7 years compared to those aged ≥7 years at diagnosis (p < 0.001 and p = 0.016, respectively). GIS involvement was more frequently seen in males compared to females (p = 0.046).

Conclusion

It was demonstrated that being ≥7 years of age at diagnosis or being a male were associated with higher likelihood of renal and GIS involvement in children with IgAV.

Proanthocyanidins: A novel approach to Henoch‑Schonlein purpura through balancing immunity and arresting oxidative stress via TLR4/MyD88/NF‑κB signaling pathway (Review)

Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), a recurrent and immunoglobulin (Ig)A-mediated vasculitis, presents not only as skin lesions but also as systemic involvement that can be life-threatening. Although the etiology of HSP remains unknown, immune imbalance and oxidative stress (OS) are primary contributors to its pathogenesis, alongside the abnormal activation of Toll-like receptor (TLR)/myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. TLRs, especially TLR4, stimulate downstream signaling molecules such as NF-κB and proinflammatory cytokines, which are released when TLRs combine with the key adapter molecule MyD88. This leads to the activation of T helper (Th) cell 2/Th17 and overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The function of regulatory T (Treg) cells is suppressed in the process. Th17/Treg imbalance then produces various inflammatory cytokines to promote proliferation and differentiation of B cells and the secretion of antibodies. IgA is secreted, and it binds to vascular endothelial surface receptors where the complex induces injury of the vascular endothelial cells. Additionally, excessive ROS creates OS that leads to an inflammatory response and vascular cell apoptosis or necrosis, thereby contributing to vascular endothelial damage and HSP occurrence. Proanthocyanidins are active compounds naturally enriched in fruits, vegetables and plants. Proanthocyanidins have diverse properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, immunoregulatory, anticarcinogenic and vascular protective effects. Proanthocyanidins are used in the management of various diseases. Proanthocyanidins regulate T cells, equilibrate immunity and arrest OS by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. Considering the pathogenesis of HSP and the properties of proanthocyanidins, the present study hypothesized that these compounds may potentially lead to HSP recovery through modulating the immune equilibrium and preventing OS by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. To the best of our knowledge, however, little is known about the positive effects of proanthocyanidins against HSP. The present review summarizes the potential of proanthocyanidins to treat HSP.

Preadolescent-versus adolescent-onset immunoglobulin A vasculitis: The impact of age on prognosis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of patients with preadolescent- and adolescent-onset immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) and to determine whether age affects IgAV outcomes in adolescents.

METHODS

Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of 333 patients diagnosed with IgAV at the Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, University of Health Sciences, Ankara City Hospital, were evaluated retrospectively. The patients were classified into two groups: preadolescents (<10 years) and adolescents (10-19 years). Subgroup analyses were also performed by grouping the adolescent patients into early, middle, and late adolescent groups.

RESULTS

Of the 333 patients, 219 (65.8%) and 114 (34.2%) were preadolescents and adolescents. Palpable purpura, renal, joint, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract involvement were detected in 333 (100%), 78 (23.4%), 79 (23.7%), and 124 (37.2%) patients, respectively; testicular involvement was observed in 25 (13.3%) of 187 male patients. The frequency of renal involvement was significantly higher in the adolescent group than in the preadolescent group at the time of diagnosis (p = 0.030). Notably, joint involvement was significantly higher in the adolescent group (p = 0.001). The need for aggressive therapy was significantly higher in the adolescent group than in the preadolescent group (p = 0.003). There was no significant difference in clinical data, demographic characteristics, and laboratory findings between the adolescent subgroups (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Immunoglobulin A vasculitis can occur at any age but the disease prognosis appears to worsen with age. The present study reported that joint involvement, kidney involvement, and the need for more aggressive treatment were higher in the adolescent group than in the preadolescent group.

Prediction of renal damage in children with IgA vasculitis based on machine learning

This article is objected to explore the value of machine learning algorithm in predicting the risk of renal damage in children with IgA vasculitis by constructing a predictive model and analyzing the related risk factors of IgA vasculitis Nephritis in children. Case data of 288 hospitalized children with IgA vasculitis from November 2018 to October 2021 were collected. The data included 42 indicators such as demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms and laboratory tests, etc. Univariate feature selection was used for feature extraction, and logistic regression, support vector machine (SVM), decision tree and random forest (RF) algorithms were used separately for classification prediction. Lastly, the performance of four algorithms is compared using accuracy rate, recall rate and AUC. The accuracy rate, recall rate and AUC of the established RF model were 0.83, 0.86 and 0.91 respectively, which were higher than 0.74, 0.80 and 0.89 of the logistic regression model; higher than 0.70, 0.80 and 0.89 of SVM model; higher than 0.74, 0.80 and 0.81 of the decision tree model. The top 10 important features provided by RF model are: Persistent purpura ≥4 weeks, Cr, Clinic time, ALB, WBC, TC, Relapse, TG, Recurrent purpura and EB-DNA. The model based on RF algorithm has better performance in the prediction of children with IgA vasculitis renal damage, indicated by better classification accuracy, better classification effect and better generalization performance.

Association between common laboratory indices and IgAV recurrence in children

Background

IgA vasculitis (IgAV) is a common type of vasculitis seen in children. IgAV recurrence can result in chronic kidney disease. We aimed to explore the association between common laboratory indices and IgAV recurrence in children, and to establish a prediction model.

Methods

This retrospective study included children with diagnosed with IgAV hospitalized in Bazhong Central Hospital, Sichuan, from January 2014 to December 2019. Children were assigned to two groups based on IgAV recurrence, and baseline clinical data were collected for comparison. A logistic regression model to predict IgAV recurrence was established. The receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted. The area under the curve (AUC) was used to detect performance of the predictive model.

Results

This study included 193 children (39 [20.2%], recurrence group; 154 [79.8%], non-recurrence group). Based on multivariate regression analysis, the duration of illness and joint involvement were independent predictors of IgAV recurrence in children (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in common laboratory indices (P > 0.05). The AUC of the prediction model was 0.766 (P < 0.001) with sensitivity of 74.4% and specificity of 68.8%.

Conclusion

Common laboratory indices were not associated with recurrence of IgAV in children.

Development and validation of nomogram prediction model for severe kidney disease in children with Henoch–Schönlein purpura: A prospective analysis of two independent cohorts—forecast severe kidney disease outcome in 2,480 hospitalized Henoch–Schönlein purpura children

This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram to forecast severe kidney disease (SKD) outcomes for hospitalized Henoch–Schönlein purpura (HSP) children. The predictive model was built based on a primary cohort that included 2,019 patients with HSP who were diagnosed between January 2009 and December 2013. Another cohort consisting of 461 patients between January 2014 and December 2016 was recruited for independent validation. Patients were followed up for 24 months in development/training and validation cohorts. The data were gathered at multiple time points after HSP (at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months) covering severe kidney disease as the severe outcome after HSP. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model was utilized to decrease data dimension and choose potentially relevant features, which included socioeconomic factors, clinical features, and treatments. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was employed to establish a novel nomogram. The performance of the nomogram was assessed on the aspects of its calibration, discrimination, and clinical usefulness. The nomogram comprised serious skin rash or digestive tract purpura, severe gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations, recurrent symptoms, and renal involvement as predictors of SKD, providing favorable calibration and discrimination in the training dataset with a C-index of 0.751 (95% CI, 0.734–0.769). Furthermore, it demonstrated receivable discrimination in the validation cohort, with a C-index of 0.714 (95% CI, 0.678–0.750). With the use of decision curve analysis, the nomogram was proven to be clinically useful. The nomogram independently predicted SKD in HSP and displayed favorable discrimination and calibration values. It could be convenient to promote the individualized prediction of SKD in patients with HSP.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict recurrence in children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura

BACKGROUND

To screen risk factors for the recurrence in children with Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP) and to develop and validate a nomogram for recurrence in children with HSP.

METHODS

During September 2019 and September 2021, 212 children with HSP were selected in this study. The children were divided into two sets in a proportion of 7:3 using R language, with the first group as the training sets and the second as the internal validation sets. The related variables were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, and a nomogram for predicting the recurrence in HSP children was established. The nomogram was evaluated by ROC curve, calibration curve and decision curve, and 1000 times bootstrap resampling method was used to verify the model internally.

RESULTS

Univariate and multivariate regression analyses identified respiratory infection, without preventive medication and diet restriction, age, allergen positive and abnormal urine routine as risk factors for the recurrence in children with HSP. Those risk factors were used to construct a predictive nomogram. The calibration curves revealed excellent accuracy of the predictive nomogram model, internally and externally.

CONCLUSIONS

We constructed and validated a clinical nomogram to predict the recurrence in children with HSP. We confirmed that respiratory tract infection, without preventive medication and diet restriction, age, allergen positive and abnormal urine routine were independent recurrence risk factors. This nomogram had a good performance in clinical decision-making.

Massive Intestinal Bleeding in an Adult with IgA Vasculitis Treated with Intravenous Immunoglobulin

We report the case of a 29-year-old adult presenting with severe IgA vasculitis, with cutaneous, urologic, and renal manifestations. The late appearance of severe gastrointestinal bleeding dominated the clinical picture, necessitating the administration of tens of units of packed cells and the augmentation of the immunosuppressive protocol. It was not until therapy with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) was introduced that the massive bleeding was controlled. We herein discuss the patient's presentation, the gastrointestinal manifestations of IgA vasculitis, the recommended treatments, and the existent evidence about IVIG therapy.

Clinical spectrum of immunoglobulin A vasculitis in children and determining the best timing of urine examination to predict renal involvement

BACKGROUND

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) vasculitis (also known as Henoch-Schonlein purpura) is the most common small vessel vasculitis of childhood. The long-term prognosis depends on renal involvement. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors associated with renal involvement in children with IgA vasculitis and to investigate the best timing of urine examination to predict the presence of renal involvement at the sixth month after the diagnosis.

METHODS

In this prospective observational study, medical records, demographic data, clinical findings, laboratory tests, and urine microscopic examinations of pediatric patients diagnosed with IgA vasculitis were evaluated to identify potential risk factors associated with renal involvement.

RESULTS

A total of 178 patients with a median age of 6 years were involved in the study. Renal involvement was found in 24 (13.5%) patients. Most of the patients (85.7%), whose urine examination was found to be abnormal at the sixth month after the diagnosis, also had abnormalities in the first month urine examination. Factors significantly associated with renal involvement were as follows: older age, presence of hematuria and or proteinuria in the first month urine examination and patients who presented the disease in the spring season. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed age ≥8 years (p = 0.005), the season of onset (p = 0.025), serum creatinine levels (p = 0.016), and abnormal urine examinations at the first-month visits (p = 0.005) significantly increased the risk of renal involvement.

CONCLUSION

This study has demonstrated that the optimal date to predict the presence of hematuria and/or proteinuria in the sixth month is the urine examination performed in the first month of the disease. Therefore, we think that patients with IgA vasculitis who show a presence of hematuria and/or proteinuria in the first-month urine examination should be followed more closely.

Risk assessment and prediction model of renal damage in childhood immunoglobulin A vasculitis

OBJECTIVES

To explore the risk factors for renal damage in childhood immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) within 6 months and construct a clinical model for individual risk prediction.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 1,007 children in our hospital and 287 children in other hospitals who were diagnosed with IgAV. Approximately 70% of the cases in our hospital were randomly selected using statistical product service soltions (SPSS) software for modeling. The remaining 30% of the cases were selected for internal verification, and the other hospital's cases were reviewed for external verification. A clinical prediction model for renal damage in children with IgAV was constructed by analyzing the modeling data through single-factor and multiple-factor logistic regression analyses. Then, we assessed and verified the degree of discrimination, calibration and clinical usefulness of the model. Finally, the prediction model was rendered in the form of a nomogram.

RESULTS

Age, persistent cutaneous purpura, erythrocyte distribution width, complement C₃, immunoglobulin G and triglycerides were independent influencing factors of renal damage in IgAV. Based on these factors, the area under the curve (AUC) for the prediction model was 0.772; the calibration curve did not significantly deviate from the ideal curve; and the clinical decision curve was higher than two extreme lines when the prediction probability was ~15-82%. When the internal and external verification datasets were applied to the prediction model, the AUC was 0.729 and 0.750, respectively, and the Z test was compared with the modeling AUC, P > 0.05. The calibration curves fluctuated around the ideal curve, and the clinical decision curve was higher than two extreme lines when the prediction probability was 25~84% and 14~73%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The prediction model has a good degree of discrimination, calibration and clinical usefulness. Either the internal or external verification has better clinical efficacy, indicating that the model has repeatability and portability.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

www.chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR2000033435.

New Insights and Challenges Associated With IgA Vasculitis and IgA Vasculitis With Nephritis-Is It Time to Change the Paradigm of the Most Common Systemic Vasculitis in Childhood?

What are the challenges ahead and how have we responded so far when it comes to the non-granulomatous systemic vasculitis, characterized mainly by deposits of IgA immune complexes in the endothelium of small blood vessels-IgA vasculitis (IgAV)? That is the question to which we tried to answer. We summarized existing knowledge about epidemiology, pathogenesis, genetics, diagnostic tests and therapy in this somewhat neglected entity in pediatric rheumatology. Since etiopathogenesis of IgA vasculitis is complex, with factors other than galactose-deficient IgA₁-containing immune complexes also being important, and may involve numerous interactions between environmental and genetic factors, genomics alone cannot explain the entirety of the risk for the disease. The incidence of IgAV and nephritis varies worldwide and may be a consequence of overlapping genetic and environmental factors. In addition to the role of the HLA class II genes, some studies have pointed to the importance of non-HLA genes, and modern geostatistical research has also indicated a geospatial risk distribution, which may suggest the strong influence of different environmental factors such as climate, pathogen load, and dietary factors. The application of modern geostatistical methods until recently was completely unknown in the study of this disease, but thanks to the latest results it has been shown that they can help us a lot in understanding epidemiology and serve as a guide in generating new hypotheses considering possible environmental risk factors and identification of potential genetic or epigenetic diversity. There is increasing evidence that an integrative approach should be included in the understanding of IgA vasculitis, in terms of the integration of genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and epigenetics. This approach could result in the discovery of new pathways important for finding biomarkers that could stratify patients according to the risk of complications, without an invasive kidney biopsy which is still the gold standard to confirm a diagnosis of nephritis, even if biopsy findings interpretation is not uniform in clinical practice. Ultimately, this will allow the development of new therapeutic approaches, especially important in the treatment of nephritis, for which there is still no standardized treatment.

Clinico-Epidemiological Profile and Outcome of Children with IgA Vasculitis in Aseer Region, Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Immunoglobulin A (IgA) vasculitis is one of the most common forms of primary vasculitis in children; it typically has a benign course but can be aggressive and require intervention. Aim of the work: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical profile and treatment modalities used for children with IgA vasculitis in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 89 children admitted to Abha Maternity and Children Hospital in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia from January 2016 to December 2020 with a confirmed diagnosis of IgA vasculitis according to the European League Against Rheumatism/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation/Pediatric Rheumatology European Society criteria. Results: Eighty-nine children had a confirmed diagnosis of IgA vasculitis, with 50 boys (56.2%) and 39 girls (43.8%; male-to-female ratio of 1.28:1) and a mean age at diagnosis of 5.87 ± 2.81 years. The mean hospital stay duration was 5.66 ± 4.72 days. Infections preceded 29.2% of the cases, with upper respiratory tract infections comprising 24.7%. Approximately 31.5% of the cases were diagnosed in summer, followed by autumn in 28% of the cases. Rash was present in 100%, arthritis in 72.2%, gastrointestinal tract involvement in 60.7%, and renal involvement in 23.5% of cases. Thrombocytosis and leukocytosis were found in 35% and 46% of all cases, and 52.3% and 47.6.25% of cases with renal involvement, respectively (OR = 2.035, 95% CI: 0.75–5.52 and OR = 1.393, 95% CI: 0.522–1.716, respectively). Approximately 26% of cases experienced relapses. Treatment was conservative in 23.6%, oral prednisolone in 23.6%, and pulse steroid in 45% of cases. Abdominal pain with lower gastrointestinal tract bleeding was the primary indication for initiating pulse steroid treatment. Conclusions: There were similarities and differences in the epidemiology and frequency of clinical manifestations of patients with IgA vasculitis compared to previous studies. Children presenting with such epidemiological and clinical profile need to be closely monitored and long-term follow-up is recommended to improve the outcomes.

Predictive Value of Laboratory Indexes on Renal Involvement in Children with Henoch-Schönlein Purpura

Objective

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is the most common vasculitis in children. Renal involvement is the main long-term complication of HSP, and presently there is no way to predict which children may have irreversible renal damage from the outset. This study aimed to explore the prediction value of laboratory indexes on renal involvement in children with HSP, which could help the early identification and intervention.

Methods

Children with HSP hospitalized at the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine from June 2019 to December 2020 were included. The demographic findings, clinical features, laboratory findings including blood routine examination, serum immunoglobulin, complement, T cell subsets levels, liver and kidney function, coagulation function were recorded. Laboratory indexes were analyzed, logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the independent predictors in HSP patients with renal involvement, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were further used to assess the value of prediction indexes, as well as the efficacy of combined diagnosis.

Results

The study included 146 HSP patients, among them, 50 patients (34.2%) had renal involvement. Age, platelet distribution width (PDW), CD3⁺ and fibrinogen (FIB) were positively correlated with renal involvement, while the levels of Immunoglobulin G (IgG), C-reactive protein (CRP), and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were negatively correlated with renal involvement. The area under the ROC Curve (AUC) of these biomarkers ranged from 0.6284 to 0.7009, and among the combinations, a combination of NLR, CRP, CD3⁺, FIB, PDW, IgG and age had the best AUC value (0.9774).

Conclusion

Age, PDW, CD3⁺, FIB, CRP, NLR and IgG were prediction indexes for renal involvement in HSP patients, and these indexes can be combined appropriately to improve the diagnostic efficacy.

Metagenomic profiling reveals dominance of gram-positive bacteria in the gut microbiome shifts associated with immunoglobulin A vasculitis (Henoch-Schönlein Purpura)

Objectives

Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV), previously known as Henoch-Schönlein purpura, is the most common vasculitis that has a classical skin manifestation of palpable purpuric rash. Factors pertinent to IgAV remain inadequately understood. Here, we aimed to examine the gut microbiome shifts associated with IgAV and its recovery.

Methods

Stool samples were collected from 10 children with IgAV (6-14 years old) before and after a multi-drug therapy, along with 9 age-matched healthy children. The samples were subjected to metagenomic analyses to investigate the taxonomic and functional shifts of the gut microbiome.

Results

The analyses revealed that compared with healthy controls, treatment-naïve patients exhibited substantial taxonomic and functional alterations of gut microbiota, including 104 IgAV-depleted species and 7 IgAV-elevated species (FDR < 0.05). After treatment, the IgAV patients displayed a partial restoration of the microbiota shifts, as the relative abundances of some biomarkers (e.g. 9 genera and 22 species) became comparable (FDR > 0.1) between the patients and healthy controls. The treatment-responsive features included Weissella, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum and three components of a putative glutamine transport system. Importantly, gram-positive bacteria accounted for over 85% of the numbers and total relative abundance of the species that were associated with IgAV and responsive to the treatment. In addition, of the 122 IgAV-depleted bacterial genes, 82 were mainly contributed by gram-positive bacteria and 12 by gram-negative bacteria.

Conclusions

Gram-positive bacteria are the main drivers underlying the gut microbiome shifts of IgAV, which may assist rational management of the disease.

Gastrointestinal involvement and its association with the risk for nephritis in IgA vasculitis

Background:

We analysed clinical and biochemical parameters in predicting severe gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations in childhood IgA vasculitis (IgAV) and the risk of developing renal complications.

Methods:

A national multicentric retrospective study included children with IgAV reviewed in five Croatian University Centres for paediatric rheumatology in the period 2009–2019.

Results:

Out of 611 children, 281 (45.99%) had at least one GI manifestation, while 42 of 281 (14.95%) had the most severe GI manifestations. Using logistic regression several clinical risk factors for the severe GI manifestations were identified: generalized rash [odds ratio (OR) 2.09 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–4.01)], rash extended on upper extremities (OR 2.77 (95% CI 1.43–5.34)] or face [OR 3.69 (95% CI 1.42–9.43)] and nephritis (IgAVN) [OR 4.35 (95% CI 2.23–8.50)], as well as lower values of prothrombin time (OR 0.05 (95% CI 0.01–0.62)], fibrinogen [OR 0.45 (95% CI 0.29–0.70)] and IgM [OR 0.10 (95% I 0.03–0.35)]] among the laboratory parameters. Patients with severe GI involvement more frequently had relapse of the disease [OR 2.14 (CI 1.04–4.39)] and recurrent rash [OR 2.61 (CI 1.27–5.38)]. Multivariate logistic regression found that the combination of age, GI symptoms at the beginning of IgAV and severity of GI symptoms were statistically significant predictors of IgAVN. Patients in whom IgAV has started with GI symptoms [OR 6.60 (95% CI 1.67–26.06)], older children [OR 1.22 (95% CI 1.02–1.46)] with severe GI form of IgAV (OR 5.90 (95% CI 1.12–31.15)] were particularly high-risk for developing IgAVN.

Conclusion:

We detected a group of older children with the onset of GI symptoms before other IgAV symptoms and severe GI form of the IgAV, with significantly higher risk for acute and chronic complications of IgAV.

Clinical spectrum and outcome of immunoglobulin A vasculitis in children: A 10-year clinical study

BACKGROUND

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) vasculitis is the most common vasculitides of childhood. The aim of this study was to characterise the disease and identify clinical and laboratory factors associated with renal involvement.

METHODS

Medical records of children aged ≤18 years with the diagnosis of IgA vasculitis according to the EULAR/PRES criteria were retrospectively reviewed for demographic data, clinical manifestations and laboratory tests. Factors associated with renal involvement were determined using multivariable logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 113 patients were involved in the study. There were 57.5% of males (male: female ratio of 1.4:1). The mean (SD) age was 7.1 (3.0) years. Most of the patients presented during the fall (37.2%) and winter (29.2%). The most common presenting complaints were skin rash (83.2%) and arthralgia (9.7%). The most frequent presentation of the skin was palpable purpuric rash, except for two patients (1.8%) presenting with blistering eruptions in the form of hemorrhagic bullae and ecchymoses of both extremities. We have encountered one patient with pulmonary-renal syndrome. Renal involvement was found in 27.4% of the patients. In the multivariate analysis, the strongest factors associated with renal involvement were older age and elevated creatinine level. Factors that improved model fit were higher platelet and lower white blood cell counts, elevated anti-streptolysin O and a history of preceding infection.

CONCLUSION

The clinical profile of the disease in our cohort was similar to other reports. However, we have encountered a few severe and rare atypical presentations. Over a quarter of children in our setting had renal involvement. Children presenting with these risk factors need to be closely monitored and long-term follow-up is recommended.

A Rare and Severe Presentation of Henoch-Schönlein Purpura in an Adolescent With Crescentic Glomerulonephritis, Arrhythmia, Acute Gastrointestinal Bleed, and Neurological Complications

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is a childhood vasculitis disorder that involves the skin, joints, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and kidneys. It is related to immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibody deposition in small blood vessels. HSP is a self-limiting disorder, but its morbidity is primarily associated with renal involvement. GI pathologies like intussusception, gastritis, duodenitis, ileitis, or ulcer have been reported to be associated with this disease. However, cardiac and neurological complications are rarely reported.

We present the case of a 16-year-old, previously healthy male who was diagnosed with HSP after presenting with a non-blanching purpuric rash in the lower extremities. The patient also had joint and abdominal pain, and swelling in the extremities. There was renal dysfunction at presentation with blood urea nitrogen (BUN) of 67 mg/dL and serum creatinine of 1.9 mg/dL. The serum albumin was low at 2 g/dL, and the patient had nephrotic range proteinuria. Urine microscopy showed red blood cell casts. A renal biopsy was performed, which showed IgA deposition in glomeruli. He was started on intravenous (IV) pulse methylprednisolone and was later prescribed oral steroids. Four weeks after the treatment initiation, he presented with syncope and acute anemia (hemoglobin of 3.5 g/dL). The fecal occult blood was positive. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) was not suggestive of gastritis, duodenitis, or ulcer. The pill-cam capsule endoscopy revealed GI bleeding from the terminal ileum near Meckel’s diverticulum. He subsequently required blood transfusions, and the bleeding eventually improved with symptomatic management. Six weeks after treatment initiation, he presented with dizziness and palpitations. The EKG showed the presence of atrial fibrillation, and he had an episode of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia on telemetry. Arrhythmia was diagnosed secondary to HSP cardiac vasculitis, and we initiated treatment with metoprolol and amiodarone. Seven weeks after the initial treatment, he had neurological clinical findings of proximal muscle weakness, tremors, and upper and lower extremity clonus. A second renal biopsy was then performed due to the presence of persistently elevated serum creatinine, which showed 75% of glomeruli with cellular crescents. He was treated with IV cyclophosphamide. Subsequently, the renal function improved. There were no other GI, cardiac, or neurological complications after six months of follow-up.

The presentation of HSP can be more severe in adolescents, and they need to be closely monitored for GI, cardiac, renal, and neurological complications after the disease occurrence. Bleeding from Meckel’s diverticulum or an episode of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia with HSP has not been previously reported to our knowledge. Arrhythmia is an exceptionally unusual occurrence in HSP, and it is usually treated with anti-arrhythmic drugs and intensification of the immunosuppressive regimen.

Predictive biomarkers of IgA vasculitis with nephritis by metabolomic analysis

BACKGROUND

IgA vasculitis (IgAV) is the most common vasculitis of childhood. Renal involvement defines late morbidity of the disease. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of the progression to kidney disease and predictive biomarkers are required for better management of IgAV and its nephritis (IgAVN).

OBJECTIVES

An untargeted metabolomics approach was performed to reveal the underlying molecular mechanism of disease pathogenesis and to define potential biomarkers from plasma samples from IgAV and IgAVN patients.

METHODS

Forty-five active IgAV patients (H) and six healthy controls (C) were enrolled in the study. Plasma samples were collected on the same day of diagnosis and before any immunosuppressive treatment was initiated. At the time of diagnosis and sample collection, none of the patients had renal involvement. We used Quadrupole Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (Q-TOF LC/MS) to investigate the alterations in plasma metabolomic profiles. Three separate pools were created: healthy controls (group C), active IgAV patients who did not develop renal involvement (group H), and patients who developed IgAVN at follow up (group N). Peak picking, grouping, and comparison parts were performed via XCMS (https://xcmsonline.scripps.edu/) software.

RESULTS

At follow-up, IgAVN developed in 6 out of 45 IgAV patients. The median time of renal involvement development is 23 days (range 5-45 days). Of these, 3 had nephritic proteinuria, one had nephrotic proteinuria, and 2 had microscopic hematuria. There were no significant differences in gender, age, clinical manifestations, and laboratory findings between the six patients who developed renal involvement and those who did not. In multivariate analysis, there was no significant association between any of the defined demographic and clinical characteristics (male sex, gastrointestinal system involvement, joint involvement, CRP, WBC, PLT) and the occurrence of renal involvement. Totally 2618 peaks were detected for group H, N, and C. Among them, 355 peaks were found to be statistically significant and reliable (p<0.05), and 155 of these peaks were found to be changed (fold change >1.5) between the groups C and H, and 66 peaks were found to be changed (fold change >1.5) between the groups H and N. The number of the peaks on the intersection of the peaks found to be different between the groups (C and H) and (H and N) was 39. Based on putative identification results, 15 putatively identified metabolites matched with 11 peaks were presented as biomarker candidates after careful evaluation with a clinical perspective.

CONCLUSION

We suggest that DHAP (18:0), prostaglandin D2/I2, porphobilinogen, 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, and N-Acetyl-4-O-acetylneuraminic acid/N-Acetyl-7-O-acetylneuraminic acid may serve as biomarkers for predicting kidney disease. Future studies with larger groups of IgAV patients are needed to validate the identified metabolic profile.

Initial manifestations and short term follow-up results of Henoch-Schönlein purpura in children: A report from two centers

OBJECTIVE:

This retrospective observational study aims to demonstrate initial signs and symptoms of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), search for risk factors for gastrointestinal and renal involvement and give short term follow-up results.

METHODS:

The files of newly diagnosed HSP patients from two pediatric rheumatology centers in the southeastern part of the country were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Demographic, clinical features and laboratory results were recorded from the files.

RESULTS:

The cohort consisted of 323 children (males: 53.6%, females: 46.4%). Median age at the time of diagnosis was 7.5 (1.8–17.3) years and the median duration of follow-up was six (3–22) months. The rash was present in all cases but was not the first symptom in 22.9% of the cases. Arthritis and abdominal pain before the development of rash were the initial symptoms in 11.8% and 11.1% of the cases, respectively. Other manifestations were subcutaneous edema (63.2%), arthralgia (57.6%), arthritis (27.6%), myalgia (17.6%), lethargy (10.2%), orchitis (7.5%) and fever (5.3%). Gastrointestinal involvement was seen in 53.3% and renal involvement in 23.5% of the cases. None of the patients developed renal impairment during the follow-up. Older age at diagnosis, necrotic rash, subcutaneous edema, abdominal pain, lethargy, myalgia, arthralgia and arthritis were significantly higher in patients with renal involvement, but none of the demographic, clinical and laboratory features was an independent risk factor for renal or gastrointestinal involvement.

CONCLUSION:

Abdominal pain, arthritis may be the first manifestation of HSP. Having constitutional symptoms, such as fever, myalgia and lethargy at the time of diagnosis, may be warning signs of a more aggressive course with gastrointestinal and renal involvement.

Obesity is associated with Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Nephritis and development of end-stage renal disease in children

Objectives: To explore the association of obesity with the occurrence of Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Nephritis (HSPN) and development of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in children with Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP).

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 446 pediatric patients with diagnosed HSP. All patients’ demographic characteristics, clinical features, and laboratory data were collected from the electronic medical records in hospitals from January 2008 to December 2014, and the prognosis was followed up till December 2018. Multivariate logistic regression and the Cox proportional hazard regression were employed for exploring the potential risk factors for occurrence of HSPN and development of ESRD, respectively.

Results: It is reported that 35.2% (n = 157) of HSP patients had HSPN. The multivariate logistic regression showed that obesity (OR = 3.82; 95% CI: 1.92–7.49; p < .01), age over 6 years old at onset (OR = 2.24; 95% CI: 1.32–4.87; p < .01) and angioedema (OR = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.25–4.02; p < .01) were significantly associated with the occurrence of HSPN. During a median follow-up of 52.0 months, 5.2% (n = 23) of HSP patients developed ESRD. The Cox proportional hazard regression indicated that obesity (HR = 3.27; 95% CI: 2.01–6.37; p < .01) and International Study of Kidney Disease of Children (ISKDC) III (HR= 2.88; 95% CI: 1.96–3.80; p < .01) were predictors for the development of ESRD in patients with HSP.

Conclusions: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of renal involvement and contributes to the development of ESRD in pediatric patients with HSP.

Rheumatic diseases in Syrian refugee children: a retrospective multicentric study in Turkey

Since the Syrian civil war in 2011, an estimated number of 3.6 million Syrian refugees crossed into Turkey, and almost half of them were children. The distribution of rheumatic diseases in Syrian refugee children is not known. The aim of this study was to describe the profile of rheumatic diseases in Syrian refugee children living in Turkey. The demographic data, clinical and laboratory findings, medications, complications and outcome results of Syrian refugee children who had visited Pediatric Rheumatology Departments of University of Health Science Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Research and Training Hospital, Ümraniye Research and Training Hospital, Şanlıurfa Research and Training Hospital, and Cengiz Gökçek Maternity and Gynecology Hospital between April 1, 2011, and September 1, 2019, were evaluated retrospectively. A total of 151 patients were included in the study. Among them, 51 patients had juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), 49 had familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), 43 had vasculitis, and 8 had connective tissue diseases. Homozygous M694V mutation was the most common mutation among FMF patients. Oligoarticular JIA (41.2%) was the most frequent type of JIA, and enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) (27.5%) was the second one. The frequency of systemic JIA was 11.8%. One patient with SLE died due to complicated meningitis. This is the first study evaluating the distribution of rheumatic diseases in Syrian refugee children. Clinical follow-up of rheumatologic diseases is difficult in Syrian refugees due to language barriers, social and cultural differences. Health care systems should be well organized to provide appropriate care to asylum seekers.

Clinical manifestations and outcomes of 420 children with Henoch Schönlein Purpura from a single referral center from Turkey: A three-year experience

Objectives: Henoch Schönlein Purpura (HSP) is the most common systemic vasculitis in childhood. We aimed to evaluate the clinical features, seasonal variation, treatment outcomes and the possible predicting factors related to outcome among a large cohort of pediatric HSP patients.Methods: We conducted a medical record review study between July 2016 and January 2019 and evaluated the clinical manifestations and potential risk factors for severe gastrointestinal (GI) involvement, biopsy-proven nephritis and relapses.Results: The study included 420 HSP patients, of which the mean age at diagnosis was 7.68 ± 3.15 years. Clinical manifestations were arthralgia and/or arthritis (n = 244, 58.1%), abdominal pain (n = 235, 56%), subcutaneous edema (n = 163, 38.8%), and renal involvement (n = 125, 29.8%). Disease recurred for at least once, in 69 (16.4%) patients and colchicine treatment yielded a favorable response in 11 of 12 relapsing patients, who did not respond to ibuprofen or steroids. Frequencies of renal involvement and biopsy-proven nephritis were higher in patients with severe GI involvement. Besides, patients with biopsy-proven nephritis had higher rates of abdominal pain, intussusception, severe GI involvement, and systemic steroid administration.Conclusion: We speculate that renal involvement, biopsy-proven nephritis and severe GI involvement can be related to each other. Colchicine may be effective in patients with relapsing disease.

[Expression of gamma-delta T cells in immune microenvironment in children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura]

OBJECTIVE

To study the role of gamma-delta T (γδ T) cells and its subsets in the immunopathogenesis of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) in children, and to provide new ideas for the treatment of HSP in children from the aspect of γδ T cell regulation.

METHODS

A total of 33 children with HSP were enrolled as the HSP group, and 21 healthy children were enrolled as the healthy control group. The percentages of γδ T cells and its subsets Vδ1⁺ T and Vδ2⁺ T cells among peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were measured, as well as the apoptosis rate of γδ T cell and plasma level of interleukin-17 (IL-17).

RESULTS

Compared with the healthy control group, the HSP group had significantly lower percentages of lymphocytes in PBMCs and Vδ2⁺ T cells in γδ T cells (P<0.05). The HSP group had significantly higher percentage of Vδ1⁺ T cells in γδ T cells and plasma level of IL-17 than the healthy control group. The HSP group had a significantly higher overall apoptosis rate of γδ T cells than the healthy control group (P<0.05), especially early apoptosis. The percentage of Vδ2⁺ T cells was positively correlated with overall apoptosis rate (r_s=0.615, P<0.05) and was negatively correlated with IL-17 level (r_s=-0.398, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Vδ1⁺/Vδ2⁺ T cell immune imbalance mediated by γδ T cells and over-activation of IL-17 may be involved in the development of HSP, among which the disturbance of immune tolerance induced by Vδ2⁺ T cells plays an important role in the pathophysiology of the disease.

The clinical spectrum of Henoch-Schönlein purpura in children: a single-center study

OBJECTIVES

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is the most common vasculitis of children. The aim of this study is to evaluate the demographic and clinic findings of patients with HSP and also to determine predictive factors for assessing the development of gastrointestinal system (GIS) and renal involvement.

METHODS

This study was performed prospectively among children with HSP who are under 18 years of age and being followed-up in the Pediatric Rheumatology Unit of Health Sciences University Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital between January 2016 and January 2018.

RESULTS

A total of 265 patients, 137 boys (51.7%) and 128 girls (48.3%), were involved to the study. The mean ± standard deviation of age at the diagnosis was 7.5 ± 3.2. The most common disease onset season was spring (31.7%). The rate of arthritis, GIS involvement, and renal involvement were 54%, 51.3%, and 29.1%, respectively. GIS bleeding was more frequent in males than females (p = 0.007). Boys over 7 years of age had significantly more common GIS bleeding (p = 0.04). Intussusception, relapse, and serious GIS involvement requiring hospitalization and steroid treatment were highly associated with severe renal involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated that patients suffering intussusception, relapse, and serious GIS involvement or requiring hospitalization and steroid treatment had tendency to present with severe renal involvement. Therefore, these patients should be followed up carefully for not overlooking renal involvement of HSP.