Regulatory T cells in spondyloarthropathies: genetic evidence, functional role, and therapeutic possibilities

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a very specialized subset of T lymphocytes: their main function is controlling immune responses during inflammation. T-regs involvement in autoimmune and immune-mediated rheumatic diseases is well-described. Here, we critically review the up-to-date literature findings on the role of Tregs in spondyloarthropathies, particularly in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a polygenic inflammatory rheumatic disease that preferentially affects the spine and the sacroiliac joints. Genetics discoveries helped in elucidating pathogenic T-regs gene modules and functional involvement. We highlight T-regs tissue specificity as crucial point, as T-regs might have a distinct epigenomic and molecular profiling depending on the different site of tissue inflammation. Furthermore, we speculate about possible therapeutic interventions targeting, or enhancing, Treg cells in spondyloarthropathies.

Lymphadenopathy in the rheumatology practice: a pragmatic approach

Lymphadenopathy is a common clinical finding and diagnostic challenge within general medicine and rheumatology practice. It may represent a primary manifestation of an underlying immune-mediated disease or indicate an infectious or neoplastic complication requiring differing management. Evaluating lymphadenopathy is of particular relevance in rheumatology, given that lymph node enlargement is a common finding within the clinical spectrum of several well-known rheumatologic disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Sjögren syndrome. In addition, lymphadenopathy represents a hallmark manifestation of rare immunological diseases such as Castleman disease and IgG4-related disease that must be considered in the differential diagnosis because effective targeted treatments can now impact the prognosis of these conditions. In this review we present an overview of the clinical significance of lymphadenopathy in common and rare rheumatologic diseases and propose a practical approach to lymphadenopathy in the rheumatology practice. Differential diagnosis of Castleman disease and therapeutic options for this condition of increasing rheumatologic interest will be discussed in detail.

Proteomic aptamer analysis reveals serum biomarkers associated with disease mechanisms and phenotypes of systemic sclerosis

Background

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune connective tissue disease that affects multiple organs, leading to elevated morbidity and mortality with limited treatment options. The early detection of organ involvement is challenging as there is currently no serum marker available to predict the progression of SSc. The aptamer technology proteomic analysis holds the potential to correlate SSc manifestations with serum proteins up to femtomolar concentrations.

Methods

This is a two-tier study of serum samples from women with SSc (including patients with interstitial lung disease - ILD - at high-resolution CT scan) and age-matched healthy controls (HC) that were first analyzed with aptamer-based proteomic analysis for over 1300 proteins. Proposed associated proteins were validated by ELISA first in an independent cohort of patients with SSc and HC, and selected proteins subject to further validation in two additional cohorts.

Results

The preliminary aptamer-based proteomic analysis identified 33 proteins with significantly different concentrations in SSc compared to HC sera and 9 associated with SSc-ILD, including proteins involved in extracellular matrix formation and cell-cell adhesion, angiogenesis, leukocyte recruitment, activation, and signaling. Further validations in independent cohorts ultimately confirmed the association of specific proteins with early SSc onset, specific organ involvement, and serum autoantibodies.

Conclusions

Our multi-tier proteomic analysis identified serum proteins discriminating patients with SSc and HC or associated with different SSc subsets, disease duration, and manifestations, including ILD, skin involvement, esophageal disease, and autoantibodies.

Autoinflammatory manifestations in adult patients

Autoinflammatory diseases represent a family of immune-mediated conditions characterized by the unchecked activation of innate immunity. These conditions share common clinical features such as recurrent fever, inflammatory arthritis, and elevation of acute phase reactants, in the absence of an identified infectious etiology, generally without detectable serum autoantibodies, with variable response to glucocorticoids and in some cases colchicine, which represented the mainstay of treatment until cytokine blockade therapies became available. The first autoinflammatory diseases to be described were monogenic disorders caused by missense mutations in inflammasome components and were recognized predominantly during childhood or early adulthood. However, the progress of genetic analyses and a more detailed immunological phenotyping capacity led to the discovery a wide spectrum of diseases, often becoming manifest or being diagnosed in the adult population. The beneficial role of targeting hyperinflammation via interleukin 1 in complex non-immune-mediated diseases is a field of growing clinical interest. We provide an overview of the autoinflammatory diseases of interest to physicians treating adult patients and to analyze the contribution of hyperinflammation in non-immune-mediated diseases; the result is intended to provide a roadmap to orient scientists and clinicians in this broad area.

27 PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN POST-OPERATIVE ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: A COHORT STUDY IN 53.387 PATIENTS

Introduction

Post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF) represents the most common arrhythmia in the post-operative setting, with a peak incidence from day 0 to 5 after surgery and it represents a main cause of morbidity, mortality, length of stay, thromboembolic events and stroke. Cardiothoracic surgery has the highest rates of POAF, while data about other surgeries are contrasting amongst various studies. Aim of this study was to detect POAF onset in the 28 days after surgery and to better assess its predictors, especially the role of inflammation.

Methods

This is a retrospective single center cohort study of 53.387 patients undergoing surgery from January 2016 to January 2020. Patients were classified in four groups according to types of surgery performed: (I) orthopedic surgery, (II) not thoracic nor abdominal surgery, (III) abdominal and esophageal surgery and (IV) lung and cardiovascular surgery. Kaplan–Meier estimates were used to draw the cumulative incidence curves by surgery groups; finally, they were compared with a log-rank test. Furthermore, multivariable Cox proportional hazards (PH) models of prognostic factors were used. Confounders were selected according to a review of the literature, statistical relevance, and consensus opinion by an expert group of physicians and methodologists. After fitting the model, the PH assumption was examined on the basis of Schoenfeld residual.

Results

The primary endpoint of AF onset occurred in 570 patients (1.1%) with a mean incidence after surgery of 3.4±2.6 days. 90 patients died (0.17%) after an average of 13.7±8.4 days.

The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the lowest 28-day event-free survival in group IV and the highest in group I (log-ranks test p=0.0001). In patients who developed AF, levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) were higher than the others (mean 0,70+0.03 log10 mg/dL versus mean 0,40+0.01 log10 mg/dl; p <0.0001) with higher levels in group III and group IV. In the univariable Cox regression, CRP was a strong predictor of AF (HR per 1 unit increase in log-scale, 2.64; 95% C.I,1.74–4.0; p<0.0001). This was confirmed at the multivariable analysis, adjusting for confounding factors like age, gender, length of stay in hospital and group of surgery (adjusted HR per 1 mg/dL increase in log-scale, 1.81; 95% CI,1.18–2.79; p = 0.007). Other strong predictors of POAF were age (HR per 1 year increase, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.04–1.08; p< 0.0001) and surgery of group III and IV (HR, 23.62; 95% CI, 5.65–98.73; p< 0.0001 and HR,6.26; 95% CI, 1.48–26.49; p 0.013, respectively).The PH assumption was not violated (p=0.12).

Conclusions

POAF represents a frequent complication of surgery and major burden for healthcare. Inflammation may represent a major driver in its pathophysiology, especially in non-cardiac surgery, in which manipulation of cardiac tissue is avoided. This may explain the poor response to antiarrhythmic drugs and its self-limiting nature, which expires when post-operative inflammation turns off.

CMR-driven immunosuppressive therapy in systemic sclerosis patients with suspected myocarditis: a single-center experience

Background

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) myocarditis is common, but often underrecognized due to absence of symptoms at early stages. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) is the imaging modality of choice for detection of SSc myocarditis. Current guidelines recommend CMR in case of alterations in first level cardiologic diagnostic tests. Immunosuppressive therapy is only indicated for patients with organ involvement, i.e. most frequently heart and lung, or with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis.

Purpose

To explore the impact of CMR in the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway of SSc patients.

Methods

Of 286 SSc patients referred to our hospital, we retrospectively enrolled patients who received CMR during an observational period of 6 years (2016–2022). Exclusion criteria were previous immunosuppressive therapy and cardiopathy from other cause. Clinical data including Holter-ECG performed within 90 days from CMR were available.

Results

39 patients (67 [58–72] years; females 87%) were identified. 15 patients were excluded due to previous immunosuppressive therapy (9), lack of information on therapy (3), cardiopathy from other causes (3). 24 patients were finally included in the study.

14 patients (58%) did not show myocardial inflammation at CMR (LVEF 65.5 [61–69]%, LVEDV 114.5 [92–141] ml, T2 ratio 1.6 [1.4–1.9]). 1 patient presented with mid-wall inferior late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) indicative of previous myocarditis. 1 patient received immunosuppressive therapy due to SSc lung involvement in follow-up. In this group premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) during 24-hours Holter-ECG were rare (29 [3–48]). When measured, high-sensitivity Troponin I (hsTnI) was 2.4 [0.8–5] ng/L.

10 patients (42%) showed myocardial inflammation at CMR: LVEF 60 [56–65] %, LVEDV 137,5 [122–166] ml, T2 ratio 2.1 [1.7–2.3], T1 mapping 1022.5 [1010–1036] msec and T2 mapping 50.5 [50–52] msec. Myocardial LGE with non-ischemic pattern was seen in 6 patients. The number of PVCs at 24-hours Holter-ECG was collectively higher in these patients (354 [1–4245]). When measured, hsTnI was 8 [6–18] ng/L. With detection of myocardial inflammation at CMR all 10 patients eventually received immunosuppressive therapy (mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or azathioprine in case of MMF intolerance).

At follow-up CMR performed 4 [3–6] months later on therapy various parameter differences were observed: LVEF (+2 [−2; 4] %), T1 mapping (−23 [−27; −12] msec), T2 mapping (−2 [−4; −1] msec), T2 ratio (−0.5 [−0.6; −0,2]). Of 6 patients with LGE, 4 displayed LGE persistence at follow-up.

Conclusions

In our experience, CMR was the tool of choice for diagnosis and therapeutic management in SSc patients with suspected cardiac involvement. SSc myocarditis patients tended to display more arrhythmic burden at Holter-ECG and higher cardiac biomarkers. Our data suggest to intensify first level cardiological screening, in order to identify suitable candidates to CMR.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Dose-Dependent Impairment of the Immune Response to the Moderna-1273 mRNA Vaccine by Mycophenolate Mofetil in Patients with Rheumatic and Autoimmune Liver Diseases

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Moderna-1273 mRNA vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 in patients with immune-mediated diseases under different treatments. Anti-trimeric spike protein antibodies were tested in 287 patients with rheumatic or autoimmune diseases (10% receiving mycophenolate mofetil, 15% low-dose glucocorticoids, 21% methotrexate, and 58% biologic/targeted synthetic drugs) at baseline and in 219 (76%) 4 weeks after the second Moderna-1273 mRNA vaccine dose. Family members or caretakers were enrolled as the controls. The neutralizing serum activity against SARS-CoV-2-G614, alpha, and beta variants in vitro and the cytotoxic T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 peptides were determined in a subgroup of patients and controls. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody development, i.e., seroconversion, was observed in 69% of the mycophenolate-treated patients compared to 100% of both the patients taking other treatments and the controls (p < 0.0001). A dose-dependent impairment of the humoral response was observed in the mycophenolate-treated patients. A daily dose of >1 g at vaccination was a significant risk factor for non-seroconversion (ROC AUC 0.89, 95% CI 0.80−98, p < 0.0001). Moreover, in the seroconverted patients, a daily dose of >1 g of mycophenolate was associated with significantly lower anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers, showing slightly reduced neutralizing serum activity but a comparable cytotoxic response compared to other immunosuppressants. In non-seroconverted patients treated with mycophenolate at a daily dose of >1 g, the cytotoxic activity elicited by viral peptides was also impaired. Mycophenolate treatment affects the Moderna-1273 mRNA vaccine immunogenicity in a dose-dependent manner, independent of rheumatological disease.