Relationship between epicardial adipose tissue, systemic inflammatory diseases, and subclinical atheromatosis: A systematic review

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Systemic inflammatory diseases could act as an unfavorable condition in which epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) becomes harmful to cardiovascular health. The objectives were: (a) to quantitatively compare the presence of EAT between patients with systemic inflammatory diseases and controls; (b) to analyze the association between EAT and subclinical atheromatosis in individuals with systemic inflammatory diseases.

METHODS

Studies that have quantified EAT in a population with systemic inflammatory diseases compared to a control group, or that describe the association between EAT and the presence of subclinical atheromatosis in patients with systemic inflammatory diseases were included. A quantitative analysis was performed for the first objective. This systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

Twenty-one studies including 1448 patients with systemic inflammatory diseases, were considered eligible for this study. Patients with systemic inflammatory disease have a higher volume (MD: 10.4cm3 [1.8-19.1]; p<0.01), higher thickness (MD: 1.0mm [0.8-1.2]; p<0.01), and a statistically non-significant higher area (MD: 3.1cm2 [1.0-5.2]; p=0.46) of EAT compared to the control group. Most studies reported a significant association between EAT and subclinical atheromatosis in patients with different systemic inflammatory diseases.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that EAT is increased in patients with systemic inflammatory diseases compared with healthy controls, and that EAT measurement is closely correlated with subclinical atherosclerosis in these patients. The causality of this association should be tested in prospective studies.

Septic arthritis of the native hip joint: a multi-pattern, multi-outcome disease

PURPOSE

Septic arthritis of the native hip joint (SANH) is an uncommon surgical and medical emergency with few reports. The aim of this study was to determine predictors of return to theatre (RTT), complications and mortality.

METHODS

Patients with SANH were identified from January 2009 to June 2022; 50 patients and three subgroups were identified: Pyogenic (surgical washout without systemic inflammatory disease), Systemic (surgical washout with SIDs) and patients managed non-surgically. Patterns of these groups were assessed with a principal component analysis. The cumulative incidences for death, any complication and RTT for repeat washout were calculated. The predictive variables associated with outcomes were selected with univariable models and then incorporated in multivariable CoxPH regressions.

RESULTS

The 1-year cumulative incidence was 14% for mortality and 48.5% for any complication. Amongst patients managed surgically, 1-year risk of RTT was 46% in Pyogenic subgroup and 21% in Systemic subgroup. Systemic subgroup had lower complications and RTT and higher rate of sterile aspirate, compared to Pyogenic. Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) (HR = 1.41, P value = 0.03), preoperative albumin (HR = 0.81, P value = 0.009) and preoperative haemoglobin (HR = 0.95, P value = 0.02) were significantly associated with 1-year mortality. Time between symptom onset and admission > 7 days (HR = 3.15, P value = 0.042), preoperative Hb (HR = 1.05, P value = 0.016), socioeconomic deprivation (HR = 1.18, P value = 0.04) and Systemic subgroup (HR = 0.25, P value = 0.04) were significantly associated with RTT.

CONCLUSION

Mortality was well predicted by the usual parameters including CCI, albumin, but also low haemoglobin. Patients presenting in a delayed fashion were more likely to have multiple lavages.

Covid 19 in patients with systemic inflammatory diseases: impact on disease activity

INTRODUCTION

COVID-19 pandemic, an international emergency, raised concerns about the interaction of this infection and disease-modifying drugs used in the treatment of Systemic inflammatory diseases (SID). Understanding the relationship between COVID-19 and disease activity is crucial to adapt the treatment. The aim of our study was to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the disease activity of rheumatic diseases.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study, including patients with SID (rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA)). Disease activity was evaluated during the last check-up before COVID-19 and within the period of 6 months after the infection. Activity scores were assessed with Disease Activity Score (DAS28) for RA and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) for SpA. Correlation and regression coefficients were used to evaluate associations among the variables.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Totally, thirty-two patients were included; twenty followed for RA and twelve for axial SpA. The mean disease duration of the underlying rheumatic disease was 10.2 years [2-30]. RA was seropositive and erosive in 61% and 31%, respectively. Seventeen patients were on csDMARDs: 14 were on Methotrexate and three patients were on Salazopyrine. Ten patients (31%) were treated with bDMARDs; Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors were used in eight cases. Rituximab and secukinumab were prescribed for one patient each. In 70%, COVID-19 was pauci-symptomatic. A severe form with a need for hospitalization was noted in 9%. Two patients were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Overall, treatment with DMARDs was interrupted in all cases: when COVID-19 symptoms began in 82% and when PCR was positive in 18%. Both RA and axial SpA were not active after a mean period of 6 months after COVID-19 infection (p=0.818 and p=0.626, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Although our patients interrupted their DMARDs, our study demonstrates that disease activity as assessed by ASDAS and DAS28 in SpA and RA remained unchanged after COVID-19.

Microchip gel electrophoretic analysis of perchloric acid-soluble serum proteins in systemic inflammatory disorders

Perchloric acid (PCA) precipitation is a well-known method for the separation of heavily glycosylated proteins and for reducing the masking effect of major serum proteins. The aim of this study is to characterize PCA-soluble serum proteins in healthy individuals and in patients with systemic inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn's disease and sepsis. A PCA precipitation protocol was prepared and adapted to the analytical methods. After PCA treatment of the serum, the soluble proteins in the supernatant were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and by microchip gel electrophoresis (MGE). Characteristic changes of the electrophoretic patterns of the PCA-soluble fractions were observed. Four characteristic bands (at ∼11, ∼65, ∼85, and ∼120 kDa) with varying intensity were detected by MGE. The proportion of the ∼65, ∼85, and ∼120 kDa bands were significantly higher in systemic inflammatory conditions than in healthy individuals (p < 0.001), and characteristic patterns were observed in patients with acute inflammation. The marked differences in the acid-soluble protein patterns, which were observed in patients with ongoing systemic inflammation, might be a good indicator of inflammation. The MGE analysis is a fast screening and quantification method for the detection of characteristic changes among acid-soluble serum proteins.

Cardiovascular and type 2 diabetes morbidity and all-cause mortality among diverse chronic inflammatory disorders

Objectives

The present study aimed to assess the relationship between inflammatory disorders with cardiometabolic diseases and mortality within a community-based population.

Methods

The UK Biobank data were used to conduct two investigations: a cross-sectional study to estimate cardiometabolic risk and a prospective cohort study to estimate mortality risk. Binary regression analyses were used to model the association between coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, venous thromboembolism and peripheral artery disease diagnoses with seven inflammatory disorders (eg, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis (AS), systemic vasculitis, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC)). Cox proportional hazards was used to estimate all-cause and cardiovascular-related mortality.

Results

About 4% (n=19, 082) of the study population (n=5 02 641) were diagnosed with a chronic inflammatory disorder. The most common inflammatory disorder was psoriasis (n=6286), and the least common was SLE (n=654). SLE showed the strongest association with multiple (relative risk (RR) 6.36, 95% CI 4.37 to 9.25) risk of cardiometabolic diseases, followed by the RA (RR 1.70, 95% CI 1.59 to 1.83), UC (RR 1.69, 95% CI 1.51 to 1.89), AS (RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.52), vasculitis (RR 1.64, 95% CI 1.42–1.90) and psoriasis (RR 1.25, 95% 1.16 to 1.35) disorders. The magnitude of the association was higher among participants prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids drugs, with multiple cardiometabolic risk being greater within SLE (RR 12.35, 95% CI 7.18 to 21.24), followed by UC (RR 3.81, 95% CI 2.69 to 5.38), Crohn’s disease (RR 3.07, 95% CI 1.85 to 5.11), RA (RR 3.06, 95% CI 2.44 to 3.85), psoriasis (RR 2.36, 95% CI 1.88 to 2.95), AS (RR 2.25, 95% CI 1.48 to 3.41) and vasculitis (RR 1.89, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.79). Similar pattern was observed with respect to the cumulative cardiometabolic risk.

Conclusion

Inflammatory disorders are associated with heightened risk of cardiometabolic events, which may vary by anti-inflammatory therapy and duration. All-cause mortality was also higher among specific inflammatory disorders compared with the absence of inflammatory disorders.

[Cardiovascular disease and systemic inflammatory diseases]

More than a century of research has shown that atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process more than an infiltrative or thrombogenic process. It has been demonstrated epidemiologically and by imaging techniques, that systemic inflammatory diseases (in particular, but not exclusively, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus) increase the atherosclerotic process, and has a demonstrated pathophysiological basis. Furthermore, treatments to control inflammatory diseases can modify the course of the atherosclerotic process. Although there are no specific scales for assessing cardiovascular risk in patients with these diseases, cardiovascular risk is high. A number of specific risk scales are being developed, that take into account specific factors such as the degree of inflammatory activity.