"Hurts less, lasts longer"; a qualitative study on experiences of young people receiving high-dose subcutaneous injections of benzathine penicillin G to prevent rheumatic heart disease in New Zealand.

BACKGROUND: Four-weekly intramuscular (IM) benzathine penicillin G (BPG) injections to prevent acute rheumatic fever (ARF) progression have remained unchanged since 1955. A Phase-I trial in healthy volunteers demonstrated the safety and tolerability of high-dose subcutaneous infusions of BPG which resulted in a much longer effective penicillin exposure, and fewer injections. Here we describe the experiences of young people living with ARF participating in a Phase-II trial of SubCutaneous Injections of BPG (SCIP). METHODOLOGY: Participants (n = 20) attended a clinic in Wellington, New Zealand (NZ). After a physical examination, participants received 2% lignocaine followed by 13.8mL to 20.7mL of BPG (Bicillin-LA®; determined by weight), into the abdominal subcutaneous tissue. A Kaupapa Maori consistent methodology was used to explore experiences of SCIP, through semi-structured interviews and observations taken during/after the injection, and on days 28 and 70. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Low levels of pain were reported on needle insertion, during and following the injection. Some participants experienced discomfort and bruising on days one and two post dose; however, the pain was reported to be less severe than their usual IM BPG. Participants were 'relieved' to only need injections quarterly and the majority (95%) reported a preference for SCIP over IM BPG. CONCLUSIONS: Participants preferred SCIP over their usual regimen, reporting less pain and a preference for the longer time gap between treatments. Recommending SCIP as standard of care for most patients needing long-term prophylaxis has the potential to transform secondary prophylaxis of ARF/RHD in NZ and globally.

Patient preferences for prophylactic regimens requiring regular injections in children and adolescents: a systematic review and thematic analysis.

BACKGROUND: At present, limited literature exists exploring patient preferences for prophylactic treatment of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Given low treatment completion rates to this treatment in Australia, where the burden of disease predominantly affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, an improved understanding of factors driving patient preference is required to improve outcomes. Due to limited available literature, this review sought to explore treatment preferences for conditions for which the findings might be generalisable to the ARF/RHD context. OBJECTIVE: Explore treatment preferences of patients, parents/caregivers and healthcare providers towards regular injection regimens in paediatric and adolescent populations for any chronic condition. Findings will be applied to the development of benzathine penicillin G (BPG) prophylactic regimens that are informed by treatment preferences of patients and their caregivers. This in turn should contribute to optimisation of successful BPG delivery. METHODS: A systematic review of databases (Medline, Embase and Global Health) was conducted using a search strategy developed with expert librarian input. Studies were selected using a two-stage process: (1) title and abstract screen and (2) full text review. Data were extracted using a reviewer-developed template and appraised using the JBI Critical Appraisal tool. Data were synthesised according to a thematic analytical framework. RESULTS: 1725 papers were identified by the database search, conducted between 12 February 2022 and 8 April 2022, and 25 were included in the review. Line-by-line coding to search for concepts generated 20 descriptive themes. From these, five overarching analytical themes were derived inductively: (1) ease of use, (2) tolerability of injection, (3) impact on daily life, (4) patient/caregiver agency and (5) home/healthcare interface. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this review may be used to inform the development of preference-led regular injection regimens for paediatric and adolescent patient cohorts-specifically for BPG administration in ARF/RHD secondary prophylaxis. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Patient, parent and health personnel preferences towards regular injection regimes in paediatric and adolescent populations-a protocol for a systematic review. PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021284375. Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021284375.

Eliminate all risks: A call to reexamine the link between canine scabies and rheumatic heart disease.

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and acute rheumatic fever (ARF) disproportionately affect individuals in low-resource settings. ARF is attributed to an immune response to Group A Streptococcus (GAS) following GAS pharyngitis and potentially GAS impetigo in which infection can be initiated by scabies infestation. The burden of ARF and RHD in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia is among the highest globally. Following recent calls to include dog management programs in ARF and RHD prevention programs, we believe it is timely to assess the evidence for this, particularly since previous recommendations excluded resources to prevent zoonotic canine scabies. While phylogenetic analyses have suggested that the Sarcoptes mite is host specific, they have differed in interpretation of the strength of their findings regarding species cross-over and the need for canine scabies control to prevent human itch. Given that there is also indication from case reports that canine scabies leads to human itch, we propose that further investigation of the potential burden of zoonotic canine scabies and intervention trials of canine scabies prevention on the incidence of impetigo are warranted. Considering the devastating impacts of ARF and RHD, evidence is required to support policy to eliminate all risk factors.

Adult-onset acute rheumatic fever with chorea and carditis.

Rheumatic fever is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries, and it usually occurs at a young age. Adult-onset acute rheumatic fever is a rare condition and usually represents a recurrence of childhood-onset disease. We report a case of an elderly man presenting with rheumatic carditis and rheumatic chorea subsequently diagnosed with adult-onset rheumatic fever.

Group A Streptococcus Infections.

Group A Streptococcus causes a variety of clinical manifestations, including pharyngitis and skin and soft tissue infections as well as more invasive disease. There are also multiple nonsuppurative complications of group A Streptococcus infection, including acute rheumatic fever and poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. Pediatricians should be able to diagnose and treat the various presentations of the infection.

Nursing practices to optimise rheumatic fever prevention in a high-risk country: An integrative review.

BACKGROUND: New Zealand is one of the last high-income countries in the world experiencing significant rates of rheumatic fever. Nurses play a crucial role in rheumatic fever prevention; however, little is understood as to how nurses can best achieve this. AIM: To explore nursing practices that optimise rheumatic fever prevention. DESIGN: An integrative review. METHODS: Four electronic databases (CINAHL, SCOPUS, Medline via, and Ovid) were searched for peer-reviewed empirical articles published from 2013 to 2023. Grey literature (guidelines/reports) was also sourced. Critical appraisal was applied using the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tools and the Joanna Briggs Critical Appraisal checklist. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101, thematic analysis method was used to generate themes. RESULTS: Seven research articles and three national reports were included. Four themes-in-depth nursing knowledge and improving prophylaxis adherence, cultural competency, and therapeutic nurse-patient relationships-were found. CONCLUSION: While nursing knowledge and ways to improve injection adherence are essential, being culturally receptive and developing therapeutic relationships are equally important. Without strong and trusting relationships, it is difficult to deliver care required for prevention success. IMPLICATIONS TO CARE: When working with vulnerable populations it is important to be culturally receptive in all interactions with patients and their families. IMPACT: New Zealand has high rates of rheumatic fever, especially among vulnerable populations such as Pacific Islanders and Maori. Nurses are often frontline primary care providers who, when skilled with the right tools, can help reduce the prevalence of this disease. REPORTING METHOD: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis flow chart. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution was required for this research.

Streptococcal infection and autoimmune diseases.

Excessive activation of immune cells by environmental factors, such as infection or individual genetic risk, causes various autoimmune diseases. Streptococcus species are gram-positive bacteria that colonize the nasopharynx, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract, and skin. Group A Streptococcus (GAS) species cause various symptoms, ranging from mild infections, such as tonsillitis and pharyngitis, to serious infections, such as necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. The contribution of GAS infections to several autoimmune diseases, including acute rheumatic fever, vasculitis, and neuropsychiatric disorders, has been studied. In this review, we focus on the association between streptococcal infections and autoimmune diseases, and discuss current research on the mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of autoimmune diseases.

The serological immunogenicity of the third and fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccine in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases on different biologic or targeted DMARDs: a Swedish nationwide study (COVID-19-REUMA).

Studies investigating the immunogenicity of additional COVID-19 vaccine doses in immunosuppressed patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) are still limited. The objective was to explore the antibody response including response to omicron virus subvariants (sBA.1 and sBS.2) after third and fourth COVID-19 vaccine doses in Swedish IRD patients treated with immunomodulating drugs compared to controls. Antibody levels to spike wild-type antigens (full-length protein and S1) and the omicron variants sBA.1 and sBA.2 (full-length proteins) were measured. A positive response was defined as having antibody levels over cut-off or ≥fourfold increase in post-vaccination levels for both antigens. Patients with arthritis, vasculitis, and other autoimmune diseases (n = 414), and controls (n = 61) receiving biologic/targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) with or without conventional synthetic DMARDs participated. Of these, blood samples were available for 370 patients and 52 controls after three doses, and 65 patients and 15 controls after four doses. Treatment groups after three vaccine doses were rituximab (n = 133), abatacept (n = 22), IL6r inhibitors (n = 71), JAnus Kinase inhibitors (JAK-inhibitors) (n = 56), tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNF-inhibitors) (n = 61), IL12/23/17 inhibitors (n = 27), and controls (n = 52). The percentage of responders after three and four vaccine doses was lower in rituximab-treated patients (59% and 57%) compared to controls (100%) (P < 0.001). After three doses, the percentage of responders in all other groups was 100%, including response to omicron sBA.1 and sBA.2. In rituximab-treated patients, higher baseline immunoglobulin G (IgG) and longer time-period between rituximab and vaccination predicted better response. In this Swedish nationwide study including IRD patients three and four COVID-19 vaccine doses were immunogenic in patients treated with IL6r inhibitors, TNF-inhibitors, JAK-inhibitors, and IL12/23/17-inhibitors but not in rituximab. As >50% of rituximab patients responded to vaccines including omicron subvariants, these patients should be prioritized for additional vaccine doses. IMPORTANCE: Results from this study provide further evidence that additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines are immunogenic and result in satisfactory antibody response in a majority of patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) receiving potent immunomodulating treatments such as biological or targeted disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) given as monotherapy or combined with traditional DMARDs. We observed that rituximab treatment, both as monotherapy and combined with csDMARDs, impaired antibody response, and only roughly 50% of patients developed a satisfactory antibody response including response to omicron subvariants after the third vaccine. In addition, higher IgG levels at the last rituximab course before the third vaccine dose and a longer time after the last rituximab treatment increased the chance of a satisfactory antibody response. These results indicate that rituximab-treated patients should be prioritized for additional vaccine doses. CLINICAL TRIALS: EudraCT (European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Clinical Trials Database) with number 2021-000880-63.

Manifestations of Rheumatic Carditis, Regression of Valvular Regurgitation, and Independent Predictors of Mitral Regurgitation Improvement After Rheumatic Carditis in Thai Children.

Background: Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) with carditis can lead to the development of rheumatic heart disease in children and young adults. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the manifestations of rheumatic carditis, clinically significant regression of valvular regurgitation as assessed by echocardiography, and the independent predictors of mitral regurgitation (MR) improvement after rheumatic carditis in Thai children. Method: Children diagnosed with rheumatic carditis during 2005-2020 at Siriraj Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand) were retrospectively enrolled. Trivial, and mild regurgitation were grouped as non-clinically significant (NCS) regurgitation. Valvular regression was defined moderate-severe regurgitation improving to NCS regurgitation. Results: Eighty-one patients (mean age: 10 years, range: 8-12 years) were included. At presentation, 59 (72.8%) patients had combined mitral regurgitation (MR) and aortic regurgitation (AR), 20 (24.6%) patients had MR alone, and 2 (2.4%) patients had AR alone. Concerning severity, 28 (34.6%) and 30 (37%) patients presented with severe and moderate MR, respectively. Severe and moderate AR was found in 9 (11.1%) and 16 (19.8%) patients, respectively. At the one-year follow-up, 43.4% of moderate-severe MR, and 41.7% of moderate-severe AR improved to NCS regurgitation. Multivariate analysis revealed high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (p = 0.01) and severe carditis (p = 0.05) at presentation to be independent predictors of MR improvement. Conclusion: Thai children with rheumatic carditis had a high incidence of valvular regurgitation; however, the valvular damage was improved in most patients. High ESR and severe carditis independently predict MR improvement.

A foodborne outbreak of Group A streptococcus: an under-recognised method of spread.

Foodborne transmission of Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a rare cause of pharyngitis outbreaks. This report details a GAS outbreak in New Zealand that was associated with a foodborne route of transmission. This outbreak was relevant in the New Zealand context given the high incidence of rheumatic fever (RF).

The gut microbiome in systemic lupus erythematosus: lessons from rheumatic fever.

For more than a century, certain bacterial infections that can breach the skin and mucosal barriers have been implicated as common triggers of autoimmune syndromes, especially post-infection autoimmune diseases that include rheumatic fever and post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. However, only in the past few years has the importance of imbalances within our own commensal microbiota communities, and within the gut, in the absence of infection, in promoting autoimmune pathogenesis become fully appreciated. A diversity of species and mechanisms have been implicated, including disruption of the gut barrier. Emerging data suggest that expansions (or blooms) of pathobiont species are involved in autoimmune pathogenesis and stimulate clonal expansion of T cells and B cells that recognize microbial antigens. This Review discusses the relationship between the gut microbiome and the immune system, and the potential consequence of disrupting the community balance in terms of autoimmune development, focusing on systemic lupus erythematosus. Notably, inter-relationships between expansions of certain members within gut microbiota communities and concurrent autoimmune responses bear features reminiscent of classical post-infection autoimmune disease. From such insights, new therapeutic opportunities are being considered to restore the balance within microbiota communities or re-establishing the gut-barrier integrity to reinforce immune homeostasis in the host.

Silent Acute Rheumatic Fever Unmasked by Using Handheld Echocardiography for Febrile Children Presenting in a Rheumatic Heart Disease-Endemic Area.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the burden of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) among children living in low-income countries who present to the hospital with febrile illness and to determine the role of handheld echocardiography (HHE) in uncovering subclinical carditis as a major manifestation of ARF. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study carried at the Pediatric Hospital in Al Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan, from September 2022 to January 2023 and including febrile children 3 through 18 years of age with or without clinical features of ARF and without another cause for their fever (not excluding malaria). History, examination, blood investigations, and HHE were done. ARF was diagnosed according to the Jones criteria. Clinical ARF was diagnosed if there was a major clinical Jones criterion and silent ARF if the only major Jones criteria was subclinical carditis. RESULTS: The study cohort included 400 children with a mean age of 9 years. Clinical ARF was diagnosed in 95 patients (95/400, 24%), most of whom presented with a joint major manifestation (88/95, 93%). Among the 281 children who did not present with a clinical manifestation of ARF, HHE revealed rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in 44 patients (44/281, 16%); 31 of them fulfilled criteria for silent ARF (31/281, 11%). HHE increased the detection of ARF by 24%. HHE revealed mild RHD in 41 of 66 (62%) and moderate or severe RHD in 25 of 66 (38%) patients. Both sensitivity and specificity of HHE compared with standard echocardiography were 88%. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant burden of ARF among febrile children in Sudan. HHE increased the sensitivity of diagnosis, with 11% of children having subclinical carditis as their only major manifestation (ie, silent ARF). RHD-prevention policies need to prioritize decentralization of echocardiography to improve ARF detection.

Preventive Interventions to Reduce the Burden of Rheumatic Heart Disease in Populations at Risk: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a devastating yet preventable condition that disproportionately affects low-middle-income countries and indigenous populations in some high-income countries. Various preventive interventions have been implemented across the globe, but evidence for the effectiveness of these measures in reducing the incidence or prevalence of acute rheumatic fever and RHD is scattered. This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of preventive interventions and identify the strategies used to reduce the burden of RHD. METHODS AND RESULTS: A comprehensive search was conducted to identify relevant studies on RHD prevention interventions including interventions for primordial, primary, and secondary prevention. Effectiveness measures for the interventions were gathered when available. The findings indicate that school-based primary prevention services targeting the early detection and treatment of Group A Streptococcus pharyngitis infection with penicillin have the potential to reduce the incidence of Group A Streptococcus pharyngitis and acute rheumatic fever. Community-based programs using various prevention strategies also reduced the burden of RHD. However, there is limited evidence from low-middle-income countries and a lack of rigorous evaluations reporting the true impact of the interventions. Narrative synthesis was performed, and the methodological quality appraisal was done using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review underscores the importance of various preventive interventions in reducing the incidence and burden of Group A Streptococcus pharyngitis, acute rheumatic fever, and RHD. Rigorous evaluations and comprehensive analyses of interventions are necessary for guiding effective strategies and informing public health policies to prevent and reduce the burden of these diseases in diverse populations. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/; Unique identifier: CRD42020170503.

Evaluating the risk of ischemic stroke at a young age in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases: a population-based cohort study in Taiwan.

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated an increased incidence of ischemic stroke among patients with certain autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs). However, the associations between young stroke and AIIRDs have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of ischemic stroke among young patients with AIIRDs. Methods: The National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan was utilized to establish cohorts of patients with AIIRDs diagnosed between 2004 and 2015, who were compared with 1,000,000 control participants. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate the hazard ratio of ischemic stroke and young ischemic stroke for individual AIIRDs after adjustment for relative risk factors. Results: During the study period, a total of 64,120 patients with AIIRDss and 1,000,000 control patients were identified. The overall mean follow-up time was 5.33 years. There were 223 (0.8%) and 1,923 (0.3%) young ischemic stroke-related hospitalizations among patients with AIIRDs and controls, respectively. The incidence rate of young ischemic stroke was 0.08 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 0.08 in patients with Sjögren's syndrome, 0.26 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, 0.17 in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myositis, 0.24 in patients with systemic sclerosis, 0.05 in patients with Behçet's disease, and 0.44 in patients with systemic vasculitis, versus 0.05 per 100 person-years in the general population. The adjusted hazard ratios for young ischemic stroke were 1.07 (95% CI 0.70-1.43) for rheumatoid arthritis, 1.39 (95% CI 0.94-2.06) for Sjögren's syndrome, 5.79 (95% CI 4.68-7.17) for systemic lupus erythematosus, 2.07 for idiopathic inflammatory myositis (95% CI 0.98-4.38), 2.79 for systemic sclerosis (95% CI 1.38-5.63), 0.82 for Behçet's disease (95% CI 0.26-2.55), and 4.15 (95% CI 1.96-8.82) for systemic vasculitis. Conclusions: Patients younger than 50 years with systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, or systemic vasculitis have a significantly elevated risk of developing ischemic stroke. Further research is needed to elucidate the pathogenesis of accelerated atherosclerosis in these AIIRDs.

Outcome following acute and recurrent rheumatic fever.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatic carditis is the leading cause of permanent disability caused by damage of the cardiac valve. This study aimed to determine the outcome and predictors of valve surgery in patients with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and recurrent rheumatic fever (RRF). METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients diagnosed with ARF and RRF between 2006 and 2021. The predictors of valve surgery were analysed using multivariable Cox proportional regression. RESULTS: The median age of patients with ARF and RRF (n=92) was 11 years (range 5-18). Seventeen patients (18%) were diagnosed with RRF. The most common presenting symptoms included clinical carditis (87%), heart failure (HF) (63%), fever (49%) and polyarthralgia (24%). Patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatic carditis (88%) were given prednisolone. After treatment, the severity of valvular regurgitation was reduced in 52 patients (59%). Twenty-three patients (25%) underwent valve surgery. The incidence of HF, RRF, severe mitral regurgitation on presentation, left ventricular enlargement and pulmonary hypertension was greater in the surgical group than in the non-surgical group. Recurrent rheumatic fever (hazard ratio 7.9, 95% CI 1.9-33.1), tricuspid regurgitation (TR) gradient ≥ 42 mmHg (HR 6.3, 95%CI 1.1-38.7) and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) ≥6 cm (HR 8.7, 95% CI 2.1-35.9) were predictors of valve surgery (multivariable Cox proportional regression analysis). CONCLUSION: Clinical carditis was the most common presenting symptom in patients with ARF and RRF. The majority of patients responded positively to prednisolone. These findings highlight the predictors of valve surgery following ARF, including RRF, TR gradient ≥ 42 mmHg and LVEDD ≥ 6 cm.Abbreviations: ARF: acute rheumatic fever; CRP: C-reactive protein; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; GAS: group A beta-haemolytic Streptococcus; HF: heart failure; HR: hazard ratio; LVEDD: left ventricular end-diastolic dimension; MR: mitral regurgitation; RHD: rheumatic heart disease; RRF: recurrent rheumatic fever; TR: tricuspid regurgitation.