Deaths induced by compassionate use of hydroxychloroquine during the first COVID-19 wave: an estimate

BACKGROUND

During the first wave of COVID-19, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was used off-label despite the absence of evidence documenting its clinical benefits. Since then, a meta-analysis of randomised trials showed that HCQ use was associated with an 11% increase in the mortality rate. We aimed to estimate the number of HCQ-related deaths worldwide.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We estimated the worldwide in-hospital mortality attributable to HCQ use by combining the mortality rate, HCQ exposure, number of hospitalised patients, and the increased relative risk of death with HCQ. The mortality rate in hospitalised patients for each country was calculated using pooled prevalence estimated by a meta-analysis of published cohorts. The HCQ exposure was estimated using median and extreme estimates from the same systematic review. The number of hospitalised patients during the first wave was extracted from dedicated databases. The systematic review included 44 cohort studies (Belgium: k = 1, France: k = 2, Italy: k = 12, Spain: k = 6, Turkey: k = 3, USA: k = 20). HCQ prescription rates varied greatly from one country to another (range 16-84%). Overall, using median estimates of HCQ use in each country, we estimated that 16,990 HCQ-related in-hospital deaths (range 6267-19256) occurred in the countries with available data. The median number of HCQ-related deaths in Belgium, Turkey, France, Italy, Spain, and the USA was 240 (range not estimable), 95 (range 92-128), 199 (range not estimable), 1822 (range 1170-2063), 1895 (range 1475-2094) and 12739 (3244- 15570), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Although our estimates are limited by their imprecision, these findings illustrate the hazard of drug repurposing with low-level evidence.

Peripheral but not axial muscle mass is associated with early mortality in bone metastatic lung cancer patients at diagnosis

OBJECTIVES

Identification of sarcopenia is a key issue in oncology. Several methods may be used to evaluate muscle mass in patients. Routine cancer follow-up computed tomography (CT) provides axial muscle mass whereas whole-body densitometry (DEXA) measures appendicular lean mass (ALM). Up to now, no studies have assessed, in cancer patients, the correlation between CT and DEXA muscle mass indicators and compared their prognostic value.

METHODS

We included patients with synchronous bone metastases from lung adenocarcinoma at diagnosis. Diagnosis was confirmed by bone biopsy. Skeletal muscle area was determined semi-automatically on initial CT scan at the T7, T12, and L3 vertebral level using Osirix® software. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was calculated as the ratio of muscle area to height squared. Standardised ALM/height squared data were obtained by DEXA assessment within a 30-day window of CT.

RESULTS

A total of 65 patients were included; 47 (72%) were male. Mean±SD age was 65±11.4years. DEXA was available for 46 patients. The performance status was good (<1) for 39 patients. SMI indicators were significantly correlated with each other (rho from 0.3 to 0.7) but moderately correlated with ALM (rho from 0.1 to 0.7). ALM had a good discriminatory ability on 6-month survival (AUC 0.87 [0.76; 0.97]). ALM was associated with early mortality (<6months) (HR=0.29, 95% CI [0.15; 0.57]; P<0.001) but not with later mortality (>6months). In contrast, no significant effect was found for SMI.

CONCLUSIONS

Peripheral muscle mass (standardized ALM by DEXA) but not axial muscle mass (SMI assessed by CT) was associated with early mortality (<6months) suggesting that cancer-induced muscle loss would affect differently appendicular muscles and axial muscles.

Réponse sérologique après vaccination contre le coronavirus chez les patients atteints de rhumatisme inflammatoire chronique traités par DMARDs : une étude de cohorte et revue systématique avec méta-analyse

Introduction

La vaccination contre le coronavirus constitue l’une des pierres angulaires dans la gestion de la crise sanitaire liée au COVID-19. Alors que la vaccination confère une protection efficace chez les sujets immunocompétents, son immunogénicité dans la population atteinte de rhumatisme inflammatoire chronique (RIC) n’est pas clairement établie.

Patients et méthodes

Nous avons conduit une étude monocentrique rétrospective évaluant la réponse sérologique après deux doses de vaccination contre le coronavirus chez des patients adultes atteints de RIC et traités par traitements ciblés ou biologiques (n = 123). Les titres d’anticorps IgG dirigés contre la protéine spike du coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) ont été mesurés après la seconde dose de vaccin. De plus, nous avons conduit une recherche systématique jusqu’au 31 septembre 2021 dans les bases de données PUBMED, preprint et littérature grise non encore publiée des études observationnelles des taux sérologiques après vaccination chez des patients atteints de RIC traités par médicaments ciblés ou biologiques (numéro d’enregistrement PROSPERO : CRD42021259410). Les études rapportant la taille d’échantillon, la date, le pays d’origine, le taux de séroconversion ont été incluses. Nous avons ensuite conduit une méta-analyse afin d’identifier des facteurs associés à la séroconversion.

Résultats

Sur nos 123 patients (âge médian 66 ans écart interquartile [EI] 57–75), 69,9 % ont séroconverti après 2 doses de vaccination. Les patients ayant eu une séroconversion étaient plus âgés que ceux qui n’en ont pas eu. Les patients traités par rituximab sont ceux qui ont le moins répondu à la vaccination. Nous avons identifié 20 études de séroprévalence en plus de notre cohorte, représentant un total de 4423 patients dans 11 pays. La méta-analyse a confirmé un impact négatif sur le taux de séroconversion du rituximab et dans une moindre mesure de l’abatacept, du léflunomide et du méthotrexate.

Conclusion

Le rituximab diminue la réponse sérologique à la vaccination contre le SARS-CoV-2 chez les patients atteints de RIC. Ce travail suggère également un impact négatif de l’abatacept, du méthotrexate ou du léflunomide particulièrement en cas d’association à un médicament biologique.

Réponse sérologique après vaccination contre le coronavirus chez les patients atteints de rhumatisme inflammatoire chronique traités par DMARDs : étude de cohorte et revue systématique avec méta-analyse

Introduction

La vaccination contre le coronavirus constitue l’une des pierres angulaires dans la gestion de la crise sanitaire liée au COVID-19. Alors que la vaccination confère une protection efficace chez les sujets immunocompétents, son immunogénicité dans la population atteinte de rhumatisme inflammatoire chronique (RIC) n’est pas clairement établie.

Méthodes

Nous avons conduit une étude monocentrique rétrospective évaluant la réponse sérologique après deux doses de vaccination contre le coronavirus chez des patients adultes atteints de RIC et traités par traitements ciblés ou biologiques (n = 123). Les titres d’anticorps IgG dirigés contre la protéine spike du coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) ont été mesurés après la seconde dose de vaccin. De plus, nous avons conduit une recherche systématique jusqu’au 31 septembre 2021 dans les bases de données PUBMED, preprint et littérature grise non encore publiée des études observationnelles des taux sérologiques après vaccination chez des patients atteints de RIC traités par médicaments ciblés ou biologiques (numéro d’enregistrement PROSPERO : CRD42021259410). Les études rapportant la taille d’échantillon, la date, le pays d’origine, le taux de séroconversion ont été incluses. Nous avons ensuite conduit une méta-analyse afin d’identifier des facteurs associés à la séroconversion.

Résultats

Sur nos 123 patients (âge médian 66 ans écart interquartile (EI) 57–75), 69,9 % ont séroconverti après 2 doses de vaccination. Les patients ayant eu une séroconversion étaient plus âgés que ceux qui n’en ont pas eu. Les patients traités par rituximab sont ceux qui ont le moins répondu à la vaccination. Nous avons identifié 20 études de séroprévalence en plus de notre cohorte, représentant un total de 4423 patients dans 11 pays. La méta-analyse a confirmé un impact négatif sur le taux de séroconversion du rituximab et dans une moindre mesure de l’abatacept, du léflunomide et du méthotrexate.

Conclusion

Le rituximab diminue la réponse sérologique à la vaccination contre le SARS-Cov2 chez les patients atteints de RIC. Ce travail suggère également un impact négatif de l’abatacept, du méthotrexate ou du léflunomide particulièrement en cas d’association à un médicament biologique.

Case report of arthritis caused by Legionella anisa and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Legionella spp. is recognized as a common cause of community acquired pneumonia, with Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 being the most prevalent. At least 70 species are described so far but few are identified in pathogenic conditions. Data on extrapulmonary infections are scarce.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 73-yar-old male with chronic lymphoid leukemia was hospitalized for an insidious wrist arthritis. Ultrasound of the wrist showed a carpal and radiocarpal fluid effusion with positive Doppler signal. While routine bacterial cultures remained sterile, 16S rRNA PCR identified Legionella anisa. Ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice a day for a period of six weeks improved arthritis with full recovery at the end of the treatment.

CONCLUSION

Legionella non pneumophila are a rare cause of septic arthritis especially found in immunosuppressed patients and identification of species could help clinician to adapt antibiotherapy.

Serum total periostin is an independent marker of overall survival in bone metastases of lung adenocarcinoma

More than 35% of lung adenocarcinoma patients have bone metastases at diagnosis and have a poor survival. Periostin, a carboxylated matrix protein, mediates lung cancer cell dissemination by promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and is involved in bone response to mechanical stress and bone formation regulation. This suggests that periostin may be used as a biomarker to predict survival in lung cancer patients. Serum periostin was assessed at diagnosis in a prospective cohort of 133 patients with lung adenocarcinoma of all stages. Patients were divided into localized and bone metastatic groups. Both groups were matched to healthy controls. Survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were conducted in the total population and in bone metastatic group. The median serum periostin level was higher in bone metastatic (n = 67; median: 1752 pmol/L) than in the localized group (n = 66; 861 pmol/L; p < 0.0001). Patients with high periostin (>median) had a poorer overall survival in the whole population (33.3 weeks vs. NR; p < 0.0001) and the bone metastatic group (24.4 vs. 66.1 weeks; p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, patients with high periostin had increased risk of death (HR = 2.09, 95%CI [1.06-4.13]; p = 0.03). This was also found in the bone metastatic group (HR = 3.62, 95%CI [1.74-7.52]; p = 0.0005). Immunohistochemistry on bone metastasis biopsies showed periostin expression in the bone matrix and nuclear and cytoplasmic staining in cancer cells. Serum periostin was an independent survival biomarker in all-stage and in bone metastatic lung adenocarcinoma patients. IHC data suggest that periostin might be induced in cancer cells in bone metastatic niche in addition to bone microenvironment expression.

[Rheumatic immune adverse events related to immune checkpoint inhibitors-(IrAEs related to ICI)]

New anti-cancer therapeutics have been developed in the recent years and dramatically change prognosis and patient management. Either used alone or in combination, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), such as anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD1/PD-(L)1, act by removing T-cell inhibition to enhance their antitumor response. This change in therapeutic targets leads to a break in immune-tolerance and a unique toxicity profile resulting in immune complications. These side effects, called Immune-Related Adverse Events (IrAEs), can affect all organs, with a wide range of clinical and biological presentations and severity. Various rheumatic and musculoskeletal manifestations have been reported in the literature, ranging from mild arthralgia, polymyalgia rheumatica, to genuine serodefined rheumatoid arthritis and myositis. Tolerance studies suggest some correlations between IrAEs occurrence and tumor response. Assessment of patient musculoskeletal status prior to the start of the ICI is warranted. Management of rheumatic IrAEs does not usually request ICI discontinuation, exception for myositis or very severe forms where it should be discussed. Treatment relies on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or low dose glucocortioids (<20mg per day). Dose should be adjusted according to severity. The use of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), either conventional and/or biological should be very cautious and result from a shared decision between oncologist and rheumatologist to best manage dysimmunitary complications without hampering the antitumor efficacy of ICI.

Peptidylarginine Deiminase Autoimmunity and the Development of Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibody in Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Hapten-Carrier Model

Objective

The presence of autoantibodies to citrullinated proteins (ACPAs) often precedes the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Citrullines are arginine residues that have been modified by peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs). PAD4 is the target of autoantibodies in RA. ACPAs could arise because PAD4 is recognized by T cells, which facilitate the production of autoantibodies to proteins bound by PAD4. We previously found evidence for this hapten–carrier model in mice. This study was undertaken to investigate whether there is evidence for this model in humans.

Methods

We analyzed antibody response to PAD4 and T cell proliferation in response to PAD4 in 41 RA patients and 36 controls. We tested binding of 65 PAD4 peptides to 5 HLA–DR alleles (DRB1*04:01, *04:02, *04:04, *01:01, and *07:01) and selected 11 PAD4 peptides for proliferation studies using samples from 22 RA patients and 27 controls. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from an additional 10 RA patients and 7 healthy controls were analyzed by flow cytometry for CD3, CD4, CD154, and tumor necrosis factor expression after PAD4 stimulation.

Results

Only patients with RA had both antibodies and T cell responses to PAD4. T cell response to peptide 8, a PAD4 peptide, was associated with RA (P = 0.02), anti‐PAD4 antibodies (P = 0.057), and the shared epitope (P = 0.05).

Conclusion

ACPA immunity is associated with antibodies to PAD4 and T cell responses to PAD4 and PAD4 peptides. These findings are consistent with a hapten–carrier model in which PAD4 is the carrier and citrullinated proteins are the haptens.

Long term treatment with abatacept or tocilizumab does not increase Epstein-Barr virus load in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - A three years retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is a widely disseminated lymphotropic herpes virus implicated in benign and malignant disorders. In transplant patients, immunosuppressive drugs (cyclosporine) diminish control of EBV replication, potentially leading to lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD). Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have impaired control of EBV infection and have EBV load ten times higher than controls. As post transplant patients, patients with RA have increased risk of developing lymphomas. Immunosuppressive drugs used to treat RA (conventional disease modifying drugs cDMARDs or biologics bDMARDs) could enhance the risk of developing LPD in RA patients. We have previously shown that long term treatment with Methotrexate and/or TNF alpha antagonists does not increase EBV load in RA. Our objective was to monitor the Epstein-Barr Virus load in RA patients treated with Abatacept (CTLA4 Ig), a T cell coactivation inhibitor, and Tocilizumab, an anti IL6 receptor antibody.

METHODS

EBV load in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 55 patients under Abatacept (in 34% associated with Methotrexate) and 35 patients under Tocilizumab (in 37% associated with Methotrexate) was monitored for durations ranging from 6 months to 3 years by real time PCR. The influences of treatment duration and disease activity score 28 (DAS28) index on EBV load were analyzed.

RESULTS

Abatacept did not significantly modify EBV load over time. Tocilizumab significantly diminished EBV load over time. No patient (of 90) developed EBV associated lymphoma.

CONCLUSION

Long term treatment with Abatacept or Tocilizumab does not increase EBV load in the PBMNCs of patients with RA.

[Should one choose the nail or the plate in treating a leg fracture?]

The authors have analysed the results of 126 tibial fractures treated by blind nailing with reaming and 112 tibial fractures treated by plating. They noted 5 septic complications after nailing, after plating, one non-union after nailing and 12 after plating, 3 malunions after nailing and 2 after plating. The cases treated by nailing united earlier. The Authors conclude that nailing is a more fiable technique than plating, and that the only fractures which should be plated are those which are not fit for nailing.