Outcome and prognosis of isolated carotid vasculitis

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prognosis and outcome of patients with isolated carotid vasculitis.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective multicenter study of 36 patients (median age at diagnosis was 37 [IQR 27-45] years and 11 [31 %] patients were men) with initial presentation as isolated carotid vasculitis. Study endpoints included vascular complications, relapses, and progression to large vessel vasculitis (i.e. Giant cell arteritis or Takayasu).

RESULTS

The most frequent involvement was the left internal carotid artery (39 %), and 81 % had stenosis. After a median follow-up of 32 months [IQR 12-96], 21 (58 %) patients had a vascular event, including 31 % of new onset vascular lesions and 25 % of stroke/transient ischemic attack. Patients with stroke had less carotidynia at diagnosis (33 % vs 74 %, p = 0.046), higher significant carotid stenosis (i.e. > 50 %) (89 % vs. 30 %, p = 0.026) and higher severe carotid stenosis (i.e. >70 %) (67 % vs 19 %, p = 0.012), compared to those without stroke. Twenty (52 %) patients experienced relapses. High CRP at diagnosis was associated with relapses (p = 0.022). At the end of follow-up, 21 (58 %) patients were classified as having Takayasu arteritis, 13 (36 %) as isolated carotid vasculitis, and two (6 %) as giant cell arteritis.

CONCLUSION

Carotid vasculitis may occur as a topographically limited lesion and is associated with significant rate of vascular complications.

[Gastrointestinal tract involvement in systemic sclerosis]

Gastrointestinal tract involvement in systemic sclerosis concerns more than 90% of patients but is of heterogeneous clinical expression. It can involve the entire intestinal tract and be responsible for multifactorial malnutrition, which is frequent in this disease. It is a major source of deterioration in the quality of life and can even be life-threatening. Management is complex and multidisciplinary, ranging from simple hygienic and dietary measures, to specialized endoscopic or surgical interventional procedures, also including medical treatments, particularly proton pump inhibitors and prokinetics, with potential side effects. Ongoing research for new diagnostic and therapeutic tools promises to improve the management and prognosis of these patients.

[Characteristics of patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension treated with prostanoids: A multicenter retrospective study]

INTRODUCTION

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe complication of connective tissue disease (CTD). Data on use of prostanoids in this particular subset of patients are lacking. We aimed to describe the characteristics of patients with PAH-CTD treated with prostanoids and the outcomes under treatment.

METHODS

In this multicenter retrospective study, all patients treated with prostanoids since 2006 were included. Data on PAH and CTD were collected at the time of prostanoid introduction and under treatment.

RESULTS

Twenty-one patients were included, of whom 20 (95%) had limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis. Nineteen patients were treated with oral monotherapy or combination before addition of prostanoid. Treprostinil was the most used molecule (57% of patients). At the time of prostanoid introduction, 90% of patients were considered at high risk for death. Among patients who had right heart catheterization during follow-up, there was no significant difference in haemodynamics. No extrarespiratory worsening of the CTD was reported. The 1-year survival under prostanoid was 62%. In univariate analysis, NYHA functional class was associated with survival under treatment.

CONCLUSION

This study provides original data on use of prostanoids in a cohort consisting mainly of systemic sclerosis. It underlines the difficulty to achieve a standardized assessment in this subset of patients. Safety profile was comparable with data reported in idiopathic PAH.

[Monocentric study on pharmaceuticals taken by patients to treat systemic sclerosis]

INTRODUCTION

Pharmaceutical prescription in systemic sclerosis is guided by national and international recommendations. This study's primary objective was to describe and analyze these prescriptions among patients of our cohort. We also aimed to assess drug compliance among our patients.

METHODS

This is a monocentric observational study on two cohorts of patients with systemic sclerosis; a primary cohort comprising ambulatory patients, who were prospectively included, with exhaustive prescription's data collection; and a secondary cohort included patients asked to fill in a self-questionnaire on treatment compliance.

RESULTS

The main cohort included 157 patients, including 31 cases of diffuse systemic sclerosis. A vasodilator drug for Raynaud's phenomenon was prescribed in 75 patients (47.9%) and a specific treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension in 10 patients (6.4%). Immuno-modulators/immunosuppressants was prescribed in 62 patients (39.5%), who received prednisone (n=37, 23.6%), mycophenolate mofetil (n=14, 8.9%), hydroxychloroquine (n=12, 7.6%) and colchicine (n=22, 14%). Treatment for "gastro-intestinal tract involvement" was prescribed for 106 patients (67.5%) and treatment of a scleroderma renal crisis with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor for 6 patients (3.8%). Among the 42 patients in the secondary cohort, 21.4% reported a good compliance, mostly older patients (P=0.045) or those who had not experienced adverse events (P=0.009).

CONCLUSION

This study provides original real-life data illustrating the heterogeneity of prescription habits in systemic sclerosis. As previously reported, treatment compliance was insufficient.

OP0146 LONG TERM OUTCOME AND PROGNOSIS FACTORS OF ISOLATED AORTITIS

Background:

Aortitis is a group of disorders characterized by the inflammation of the aorta. The most common causes of aortitis are the large-vessel vasculitis i.e. giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu arteritis (TA). However, aortitis may be isolated. Because of the wide variation in the course of aortitis, predicting outcome is challenging. The optimal management strategy of isolated aortitis (IA) is still unclear as IA is poorly defined, with data consisting of small retrospective and case control studies.

Objectives:

To assess the long-term outcome and prognosis factors for vascular complications in patients with isolated aortitis.

Methods:

Retrospective multicenter study of 353 patients with non-infectious aortitis including 136 giant cell arteritis (GCA), 96 Takayasu arteritis (TA) and 73 isolated aortitis (IA). Factors associated with event-free survival, vascular event-free survival and revascularization-free survival were assessed. Risk factors for vascular complications were identified in multivariate analysis.

Results:

After a median follow up of 52 months, vascular complications were observed in 32.3 %, revascularization in 30 % and death in 7.6%. The 5-year cumulative incidence of vascular complications was 58% (41; 71), 20% (13; 29), and 19 % (11; 28) in IA, GCA and TA, respectively. In multivariate analysis, IA [HR, 1.85 (1.19 to 2.88), p=0.017] and male gender [1.77 (1.26 to 2.49), p<0.0001] were independently associated with vascular events. The 5-year surgery-free survival was 45% (31; 65), 71% (62; 81) and 76% (68; 86) in IA, TA and GCA, respectively.

Conclusion:

IA has a worse vascular prognosis than GCA and TA. Sixty percent of IA patients will experience a vascular complication within 5 years from diagnosis.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Giant cell arteritis-related aortitis with positive or negative temporal artery biopsy: a French multicentre study

Objective: To compare the clinical presentation and outcome of giant cell arteritis (GCA)-related aortitis according to the results of temporal artery biopsy (TAB).Method: Patients with GCA-related aortitis diagnosed between 2000 and 2017, who underwent TAB, were retrospectively included from a French multicentre database. They all met at least three American College of Rheumatology criteria for the diagnosis of GCA. Aortitis was defined by aortic wall thickening > 2 mm on computed tomography scan and/or an aortic aneurysm, associated with an inflammatory syndrome. Patients were divided into two groups [positive and negative TAB (TAB+, TAB-)], which were compared regarding aortic imaging characteristics and aortic events, at aortitis diagnosis and during follow-up.Results: We included 56 patients with TAB+ (70%) and 24 with TAB- (30%). At aortitis diagnosis, patients with TAB- were significantly younger than those with TAB+ (67.7 ± 9 vs 72.3 ± 7 years, p = 0.022). Initial clinical signs of GCA, inflammatory parameters, and glucocorticoid therapy were similar in both groups. Coronary artery disease and/or lower limb peripheral arterial disease was more frequent in TAB- patients (25% vs 5.3%, p = 0.018). Aortic wall thickness and type of aortic involvement were not significantly different between groups. Diffuse arterial involvement from the aortic arch was more frequent in TAB- patients (29.1 vs 8.9%, p = 0.03). There were no differences between the groups regarding overall, aneurism-free, relapse-free, and aortic event-free survival.Conclusion: Among patients with GCA-related aortitis, those with TAB- are characterized by younger age and increased frequency of diffuse arterial involvement from the aortic arch compared to those with TAB+, without significant differences in terms of prognosis.

Survival and prognosis factors in systemic sclerosis: data of a French multicenter cohort, systematic review, and meta-analysis of the literature

BACKGROUND

Data on survival and prognosis factors in incident cohorts are scarce in systemic sclerosis (SStc). To describe survival, standardized mortality ratio (SMR), and prognosis factors in systemic sclerosis (SSc), we analyzed a multicenter French cohort of incident patients and performed a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis.

METHODS

A multicenter, French cohort study was conducted between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2013. Patients were followed-up until July 1, 2016. A systematic review of the literature was carried out in MEDLINE and EMBASE up to July 2017. Meta-analysis was performed using all available data on SMR and hazard ratios of prognosis factors.

RESULTS

A total of 625 patients (493 females, 446 lcSSc) were included. During the study period, 104 deaths (16.6%) were recorded and 133 patients were lost to follow-up. Overall survival rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years from diagnosis were 98.0%, 92.5%, 85.9%, and 71.7% respectively in the French cohort. Overall SMR was 5.73 (95% CI 4.68-6.94). Age at diagnosis > 60 years, diffuse cutaneous SSc, scleroderma renal crisis, dyspnea, 6-min walking distance (6MWD), forced vital capacity < 70%, diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide < 70%, pulmonary hypertension (PH), telangiectasia, valvular disease, malignancy, anemia, and CRP > 8 mg/l were associated with a poorer survival after adjustment. Eighteen studies (11,719 patients) were included in the SMR meta-analysis and 36 studies (26,187 patients) in the prognosis factor analysis. Pooled SMR was 3.45 (95%CI 3.03-3.94). Age at disease onset, male sex, African origin, diffuse cutaneous SSc, anti-Scl70 antibodies, cardiac and renal involvement, interstitial lung disease, PH, and malignancy were significantly associated with a worse prognosis. Anti-centromere antibodies were associated with a better survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, our study highlights a high mortality rate in SSc patients and confirms previously described prognosis factors related to skin extension and organ involvement while identifying additional prognosis factors such as autoantibody status, telangiectasia, 6MWD, and valvular disease.

[Hemolytic disorders and venous thrombosis: An update]

Many factors can contribute to the risk of venous thrombosis observed in hemolytic diseases. Some mechanisms are related to hemolysis by itself, while others seem more specific to each disease. Despite recent advances in the quantification of this risk and in understanding its physiopathology, the association of hemolysis with venous thrombosis is often unknown. The purpose of this general review is to clarify the main pro-thrombotic mechanisms during hemolysis and to synthesize the clinical data currently available. We will focus on the main types of hemolytic pathologies encountered in current practice, namely paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, hemoglobinopathies, auto-immune hemolytic anemia and thrombotic microangiopathies.