Systemic phenotype of sarcoidosis associated with radiological stages. Analysis of 1230 patients

BACKGROUND

To analyze the association between Scadding radiological stages of sarcoidosis at diagnosis and the disease phenotype (epidemiology, clinical presentation and extrathoracic involvement) in one of the largest cohorts of patients with sarcoidosis reported from southern Europe.

METHODS

The SARCOGEAS-Study Group includes a multicenter database of consecutive patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis according to the WASOG 1999 criteria. Extrathoracic disease at diagnosis was defined according to the 2014 instrument and the clusters proposed by Schupp et al. RESULTS: We analyzed 1230 patients (712 female, mean age 47 yrs.) who showed the following Scadding radiologic stages at diagnosis: stage 0 (n = 98), stage I (n = 395), stage II (n = 500), stage III (n = 195) and stage IV (n = 42). Women were overrepresented in patients presenting with extrathoracic/extrapulmonary disease, while the diagnosis was made at younger ages in patients presenting with BHL, and at older ages in those presenting with pulmonary fibrosis (q values <0.05). Multivariable adjusted analysis showed that patients presenting with pulmonary involvement (especially those with stages II and III) had a lower frequency of concomitant systemic involvement in some specific extrathoracic clusters (cutaneous-adenopathic/musculoskeletal, ENT and neuro-ocular/OCCC) but a higher frequency for others (hepatosplenic), in comparison with patients with extrapulmonary involvement (stages 0 and I). The presence of either BHL or fibrotic lesions did not influence the systemic phenotype of patients with pulmonary involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

The key determinant associated with a differentiated systemic phenotype of sarcoidosis at diagnosis was interstitial pulmonary involvement rather than the individual Scadding radiological stage.

Systemic activity and mortality in primary Sjögren syndrome: predicting survival using the EULAR-SS Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI) in 1045 patients

OBJECTIVE

To score systemic activity at diagnosis and correlate baseline activity with survival in a large cohort of patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (SS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We include 1045 consecutive patients who fulfilled the 2002 classification criteria for primary SS. The clinical and immunological characteristics and level of activity (EULAR-SS Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI) scores) were assessed at diagnosis as predictors of death using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis adjusted for age at diagnosis. The risk of death was calculated at diagnosis according to four different predictive models.

RESULTS

After a mean follow-up of 117 months, 115 (11%) patients died. The adjusted standardised mortality ratio for the total cohort was 4.66 (95% CI 3.85 to 5.60), and survival rates at 5, 10, 20 and 30 years were 96%, 90%, 81% and 60%, respectively. The main baseline factors associated with overall mortality in the multivariate analysis were male gender, cryoglobulins and low C4 levels. Baseline activity in the constitutional, pulmonary and biological domains was associated with a higher risk of death. High activity in at least one ESSDAI domain (HR 2.14), a baseline ESSDAI score ≥14 (HR 1.85) and more than one laboratory predictive marker (lymphopenia, anti-La, monoclonal gammopathy, low C3, low C4 and/or cryoglobulins) (HR 2.82) were associated with overall mortality; these HRs increased threefold to 10-fold when the analysis was restricted to mortality associated with systemic disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with primary SS, who present at diagnosis with high systemic activity (ESSDAI ≥14) and/or predictive immunological markers (especially those with more than one), are at higher risk of death.

Off-label use of rituximab in 196 patients with severe, refractory systemic autoimmune diseases

OBJECTIVES

To analyse the safety and efficacy of the off-label use of rituximab in patients with severe, refractory systemic autoimmune diseases.

METHODS

In 2006, the Study Group on Autoimmune Diseases of the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine created the BIOGEAS project, a multicenter study devoted to collecting data on the use of biological agents in adult patients with systemic autoimmune diseases refractory to standard therapies (failure of at least two immunosuppressive agents).

RESULTS

One hundred and ninety-six patients with systemic autoimmune diseases treated with rituximab have been included in the Registry (158 women and 38 men, mean age 43 years). Systemic autoimmune diseases included systemic lupus erythematosus (107 cases), inflammatory myopathies (20 cases), ANCA-related vasculitides (19 cases), Sjögren's syndrome (15 cases) and other diseases (35 cases). A therapeutic response was evaluable in 194 cases: 99 (51%) achieved a complete response, 51 (26%) a partial response and 44 (23%) were classified as non-responders. After a mean follow-up of 27.56+/-1.32 months, 44 (29%) out of the 150 responders patients relapsed. There were 40 adverse events reported in 33 (16%) of the 196 patients. The most frequent adverse events were infections, with 24 episodes being described in 19 patients. Thirteen (7%) patients died, mainly due to disease progression (7 cases) and infection (3 cases).

CONCLUSIONS

Although not yet licensed for this use, rituximab is currently used to treat severe, refractory systemic autoimmune diseases, with the most favourable results being observed in Sjögren's syndrome, inflammatory myopathies, systemic lupus erythematosus and cryoglobulinemia.

Long-term evolution of serum and liver viral markers in patients treated for chronic hepatitis C and sustained response

Few studies have analysed the evolution of HCV markers in chronic hepatitis C (CHC)-treated patients. We have evaluated the presence or absence of serum and liver HCV-RNA, the core antigen (HCV-cAg) and the loss of specific antibodies (anti-HCV), in long-term sustained responders (SR). One hundred and seventy-six patients (132 SR and 44 nonresponders (NR) were included in the study. HCV-RNA was determined in serum and liver by a commercial PCR-kit. HCV-Ag was determined by ELISA and specific antibodies against HCV by means of a commercial line immunoblot assay (LIA) technique. Serum HCVcAg was found positive in three (4.2%) SR and in one (4%) NR (NS). Four SR (3.6%) and 44 NR (100%) were also HCV-RNA (+) in liver tissue. Two patients were HCV-cAg (+). A good correlation was found between the serum levels of HCV-cAg and HCV-RNA (r = 0.847, P < 0.001). Specific antibodies (anti-HCV) were determined by LIA in 45 patients. A decrease was found in the number of patients who presented reactivity to bands E2 and NS4 when we compared SR with a follow-up of more than 5 years with NR and SR with a follow-up <5 years (P < 0.01 and 0.005). A good correlation was found between the HCV-cAg and HCV-RNA serum levels in CHC-treated patients (P < 0.001). Few SR (3.6%) had HCV-RNA in the liver, and HCV-cAg (1.8%) in serum. In SR with more than 5 years of follow-up a clear tendency exists in the trend to clarify the bands E2 and NS4 of anti-HCV in serum.

Long-term evolution of liver histopathology in patients with chronic hepatitis C and sustained response

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the evolution of histological changes observed in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and sustained response (SR) compared to non-responders (NR) to antiviral treatment.

METHODS

A retrospective study was performed in a total of 176 patients with CHC. These were divided into two groups: 132 SR and 44 NR. All had undergone a basal liver biopsy prior to treatment onset. A second biopsy was performed in 143 patients, 104 SR and 39 NR. Inflammatory activity and the degree of liver fibrosis was measured by Metavir units (MU). The progression and regression index of fibrosis was calculated before and after treatment. The time elapsed between the two biopsies was 5.9 +/- 0.3 years for SR and 6.6 +/- 0.3 years for NR (NS).

RESULTS

At baseline, 53% of SR patients had mild, chronic active hepatitis (CAH), while this was moderate in 43% of NR patients (p < 0.0001). The time elapsed between baseline and post-treatment liver biopsies was 5.9 +/- 0.3 years for SR subjects and 6.6 +/- 0.4 years for NR subjects (NS). After antiviral treatment 47% of SR subjects presented a normal liver or minimal changes, whilst mild CAH persisted in 34.4% and moderate CAH in 37.5% of NR subjects. Necro-inflammatory activity decreased by 50% in SR subjects and by 15% in NR subjects (p < 0.0001), and fibrosis decreased by 82% in SR subjects (p < 0.0001) and by 66% in NR subjects (p < 0.001). Fibrosis progression index was 0.14 MU/year in SR subjects and 0.21 MU/year in NR subjects (NS). Fibrosis regression index was -0.11 in SR subjects and -0.14 in NR subjects (NS).

CONCLUSIONS

In our series of patients with CHC and SR, we observed histological normalization in approximately fifty per cent of cases during long-term follow-up. NR subjects also showed improvement, especially in the fibrosis score. Both groups showed a marked regression of liver fibrosis after treatment.

Sarcoidosis in two patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon, ribavirin and amantadine

We report two patients with chronic hepatitis C, both nonresponders to a previous course of interferon (IFN), who developed or suffered an exacerbation of sarcoidosis while under treatment with IFN-alpha2a, ribavirin and amantadine. Patient 1: symptoms appeared after week 4 and treatment was withdrawn at month 9 due to severe weight loss, marked dyspnea, muscular weakness, dryness of mouth and facial paralysis. Stage III pulmonary sarcoidosis and polyneuropathy were confirmed. The patient had become steroid dependent and nine months after cessation of the treatment dyspnea and muscular weakness still persisted. She achieved a complete sustained response of hepatitis C. Patient 2: presented with a previous diagnosis of granulomatous hepatitis with chronic active hepatitis C and chronic dermatitis. The treatment exacerbated a cutaneous sarcoidosis. Furthermore, hiliar adenopathies consistent with stage I sarcoidosis became evident. Sarcoidosis responded to corticosteroids, but elevated transaminases and hepatitis C viraemia resisted. Hence, the combination of amantadine with ribavirin and IFN can develop or exacerbate subclinical sarcoidosis. A synergistic effect of these three drugs is suggested.