Can we predict kidney involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus? A retrospective cohort study with independent validation.

OBJECTIVES: To discern predictive factors for incident kidney involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Patients with SLE from the 'Attikon' Lupus cohort were monitored for lupus nephritis (LN), defined by kidney histology and/or classification criteria. Demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline were compared against patients who did not develop LN. LN-free survival curves were generated by Kaplan-Meier. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify independent predictors of LN. Independent validation was performed in the University of Crete Lupus registry. RESULTS: Among the 570 patients in the derivation cohort, 59 exhibited LN as their initial presentation, while an additional 66 developed LN during the follow-up period (collectively, 21.9% incidence). In the latter group, baseline factors predictive of subsequent kidney involvement were male sex (multivariable-adjusted [a]HR 4.31, 95% CI: 1.82-10.2), age of SLE diagnosis below 26 years (aHR 3.71, 95% CI: 1.84-7.48), high anti-dsDNA titre (aHR 2.48, 95% CI: 1.03-5.97) and low C3 and/or C4 (although not statistically significant, aHR 2.24, 95% CI: 0.83-6.05, p= 0.11). A combination of these factors at time of diagnosis conferred an almost 90-fold risk compared with serologically inactive, older, female patients (aHR 88.77, 95% CI : 18.75-420.41), signifying a very high-risk group. Independent validation in the Crete Lupus registry showed concordant results with the original cohort. CONCLUSION: Male sex, younger age and serologic activity at SLE diagnosis are strongly associated with subsequent kidney involvement. Vigilant surveillance and consideration of early use of disease-modifying drugs is warranted in these subsets of patients.

Sustained cell-mediated but not humoral responses in rituximab-treated rheumatic patients after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.

OBJECTIVES: B-cell depleting monoclonal antibodies are associated with increased COVID-19 severity and impaired immune response to vaccination. We aimed to assess the humoral and cell mediated (CMI) immune response after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in rituximab (RTX)-treated rheumatic patients. METHODS: Serum and whole blood samples were collected from RTX-treated rheumatic patients 3-6 months after last vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Serum was tested by ELISA for quantitative detection of anti-spike SARS-CoV-2 IgG. Cell-mediated variant-specific SARS-CoV-2 immunity (CMI) was assessed by interferon-γ release assay Covi-FERON FIA. Patients were interviewed for breakthrough COVID-19 infection (BTI) 3 months post sampling. RESULTS: Sixty patients were studied after a median (IQR) of 179 (117-221.5) days from last vaccine to sampling. Forty (66.7%) patients had positive Covi-FERON and 23 (38.3%) had detectable anti-spike IgG. Covi-FERON positive patients had lower median RTX cumulative dose [6 (4-10.75) vs 11 (6.75-14.75) grams, (P = 0.019)]. Patients with positive anti-spike IgG had received fewer RTX cycles [2 (2-4) vs 6 (4-8), P = 0.002] and cumulative dose [4 (3-7) vs 10 (6.25-13) grams, P = 0.002] and had shorter time from last vaccination to sampling [140 (76-199) vs 192 (128-230) days, P = 0.047]. Thirty-seven percent were positive only for Covi-FERON and 7% only for anti-spike IgG. Twenty (33.3%) BTI occurred post sampling, exclusively during Omicron variant predominance. The proportion of patients with CMI response against Delta variant was lower in patients who experienced BTI (25% vs 55%, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Four out of ten RTX-treated vaccinated patients show lasting cell-mediated immune response despite undetectable anti-spike antibodies. Cumulative RTX dose affects both humoral and cell-mediated responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Cell-mediated immune responses call for attention as a vaccine efficacy marker against SARS-CoV-2.

The Effect of a Ketogenic Diet versus Mediterranean Diet on Clinical and Biochemical Markers of Inflammation in Patients with Obesity and Psoriatic Arthritis: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

The effect of different diet patterns on psoriasis (PSO) and psoriatic arthritis (PSA) is unknown. Τhe aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Mediterranean diet (MD) and Ketogenic diet (KD), in patients with PSO and PSA. Twenty-six patients were randomly assigned to start either with MD or KD for a period of 8 weeks. After a 6-week washout interval, the two groups were crossed over to the other type of diet for 8 weeks. At the end of this study, MD and KD resulted in significant reduction in weight (p = 0.002, p < 0.001, respectively), in BMI (p = 0.006, p < 0.001, respectively), in waist circumference (WC) (p = 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively), in total fat mass (p = 0.007, p < 0.001, respectively), and in visceral fat (p = 0.01, p < 0.001, respectively), in comparison with baseline. After KD, patients displayed a significant reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) (p = 0.04), Disease Activity Index of Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) (p = 0.004), interleukin (IL)-6 (p = 0.047), IL-17 (p = 0.042), and IL-23 (p = 0.037), whereas no significant differences were observed in these markers after MD (p > 0.05), compared to baseline. The 22-week MD-KD diet program in patients with PSO and PSA led to beneficial results in markers of inflammation and disease activity, which were mainly attributed to KD.

Relapses are common in severe hematologic systemic lupus erythematosus and may be prevented by early institution of immunosuppressive agents: Α real-life single-center study.

BACKGROUND: Hematologic manifestations are common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), either at initial presentation or during the course of the disease, but data regarding their natural history are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of severe hematological manifestations in a large cohort of lupus patients. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of patients in the "Attikon" lupus cohort who had a history of a severe hematologic manifestation, defined as autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) with hemoglobin < 8 g/dL, thrombocytopenia with platelet count < 30,000/mm3, Evans syndrome with hemoglobin < 8 g/dL, and/or platelet count < 30,000/mm3, neutropenia with < 500 neutrophils/mm3, thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA)/thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)-like syndrome, or macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). Demographic and clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: From over 300 patients with hematologic manifestations, 41 qualified as severe (70.7% women, mean [SD] age at SLE diagnosis 42.6 [18.0] years). Hematologic manifestations preceded SLE diagnosis in 13 patients (31.7%), was concomitant to SLE diagnosis in 16 patients (39%), and occurred during the course of the disease in 12 (29.3%) patients, with a mean (SD) disease duration of 8.7 (5.5) years. Thrombocytopenia was the most common severe hematological manifestation (56.1%), followed by AIHA (17.1%) and TTP-like syndrome (12.2%). For initial treatment, all patients were treated with glucocorticoids (GC), while rituximab and cyclophosphamide were the most frequently used immunosuppressive agents. Following initial treatment, relapse occurred in 22 patients (53.7%). Compared to patients that did not relapse, those that relapsed had less often received concomitant immunosuppressive agents following treatment of initial episode (n = 17/23, 73.9% vs 5/17, 29.4%, p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Severe hematologic disease in SLE has a high risk of relapse, which may be mitigated by the early institution of GC-sparing agents.

From first symptoms to diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus: mapping the journey of patients in an observational study.

OBJECTIVES: Although increased awareness for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has reduced diagnostic delay, the average time from symptom onset to diagnosis is still long, potentially resulting in adverse outcomes. We mapped the journey of lupus patients from onset of symptoms to disease diagnosis. METHODS: We carried out an observational study of 275 SLE patients with disease duration <6 years. Data were collected from patient charts, interviews and in-person clinical visits. Total delay was divided in i) time from symptom onset to rst physician visit, ii) time from rst visit to assessment by rheumatologist, and iii) time from initial rheumatologist assessment to nal diagnosis. Early diagnosis was de ned as diagnosis within 6 months from symptom onset. RESULTS: Most common initial symptoms were arthritis/arthralgia (74.5%) and rashes (61.8%). Median (IQR) total delay between symptom onset and SLE diagnosis was 24 (54) months. An "early" diagnosis was achieved only in 28.4% of patients, while 55.6% were diagnosed after 12 months, with patients consulting an average of 3 different physicians before reaching diagnosis. Oral ulcers (OR 3.55; 95% CI 1.45-8.70) and malar rash (OR 1.99; 95% CI 1.00-3.94) as initial symptoms, and rst medical assessment by orthopaedic (OR 5.18; 95% CI 1.47-18.20) were independently associated with a delayed diagnosis. The latter was also associated with increased SDI at the time of diagnosis (OR 2.42; 95% CI 1.03-5.69), attributed mainly to neuropsychiatric and thrombotic events. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of SLE is delayed by more than 6 months in three quarters of patients and is associated with more damage accrual.

Comparable or higher prevalence of comorbidities in antiphospholipid syndrome vs rheumatoid arthritis: a multicenter, case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: Evidence on comorbidity prevalence in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and its difference from high comorbidity burden rheumatic diseases is limited. Herein, we compare multiple comorbidities between APS and RA. METHODS: A total of 326 patients from the Greek APS registry [237 women, mean age 48.7 (13.4) years, 161 primary APS (PAPS), 165 SLE-APS] were age/sex matched (1:2 ratio) with 652 patients from a Greek multicentre RA cohort of 3115 patients. Prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, stroke, coronary artery disease (CAD), osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), depression and neoplasms were compared between APS and RA patients using multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: Ηyperlipidemia and obesity (ΒΜΙ ≥ 30 kg/m2) were comparable while hypertension, smoking, stroke and CAD were more prevalent in APS compared with RA patients. Osteoporosis and depression were more frequent in APS, while DM, COPD and neoplasms did not differ between the two groups. Comparison of APS subgroups to 1:2 matched RA patients revealed that smoking and stroke were more prevalent in both PAPS and SLE-APS vs RA. Hypertension, CAD and osteoporosis were more frequent only in SLE-APS vs RA, whereas DM was less prevalent in PAPS vs RA. Hyperlipidaemia was independently associated with CV events (combined stroke and CAD) in PAPS and SLE-APS, while CS duration was associated with osteoporosis in SLE-APS. CONCLUSION: Comorbidity burden in APS (PAPS and SLE-APS) is comparable or higher than that in RA, entailing a high level of diligence for CV risk prevention, awareness for depression and CS exposure minimization.

Incidence, risk factors and validation of the RABBIT score for serious infections in a cohort of 1557 patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Predicting serious infections (SI) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is crucial for the implementation of appropriate preventive measures. Here we aimed to identify risk factors for SI and to validate the RA Observation of Biologic Therapy (RABBIT) risk score in real-life settings. METHODS: A multi-centre, prospective, RA cohort study in Greece. Demographics, disease characteristics, treatments and comorbidities were documented at first evaluation and one year later. The incidence of SI was recorded and compared with the expected SI rate using the RABBIT risk score. RESULTS: A total of 1557 RA patients were included. During follow-up, 38 SI were recorded [incidence rate ratio (IRR): 2.3/100 patient-years]. Patients who developed SI had longer disease duration, higher HAQ at first evaluation and were more likely to have a history of previous SI, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. By multivariate analysis, longer disease duration (IRR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.005, 1.1), history of previous SI (IRR: 4.15; 95% CI: 1.7, 10.1), diabetes (IRR: 2.55; 95% CI: 1.06, 6.14), chronic lung disease (IRR: 3.14; 95% CI: 1.35, 7.27) and daily prednisolone dose ≥10 mg (IRR: 4.77; 95% CI: 1.47, 15.5) were independent risk factors for SI. Using the RABBIT risk score in 1359 patients, the expected SI incidence rate was 1.71/100 patient-years, not different from the observed (1.91/100 patient-years; P = 0.97). CONCLUSION: In this large real-life, prospective study of RA patients, the incidence of SI was 2.3/100 patient-years. Longer disease duration, history of previous SI, comorbidities and high glucocorticoid dose were independently associated with SI. The RABBIT score accurately predicted SI in our cohort.

The association of bullous pemphigoid with dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors: a ten-year prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Bullous pemphigoid is the most common bullous chronic autoimmune skin disease. Recent studies have suggested dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors as possible predisposing agents of bullous pemphigoid. The objective of our study was to prospectively estimate the association between gliptins and the development of bullous pemphigoid. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study which included all patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven bullous pemphigoid in the Dermatology Department of our hospital between April 1, 2009 and December 31,2019. The diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid was based on specific clinical, histological and immunological features. RESULTS: Overall 113 consecutive patients (age 75 ± 13 years, 62 females) with the diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid were enrolled. Seventy-six patients (67.3%) suffered from type 2 Diabetes and 52 (46%) were treated with dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors. The most frequent prescribed gliptin was vildagliptin, being administered to 45 cases (39.8% of total patients enrolled, 86.5% of the patients treated with gliptins). Gliptins were withdrawn immediately after the diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid, which together with steroid administration led to remission of the rash. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that treatment with dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors, especially vildagliptin, is significantly associated with an increased risk of bullous pemphigoid development.

How does the joint dermatology-rheumatology clinic benefit both patients and dermatologists?

Psoriasis (Pso) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are chronic and debilitating diseases which often develop in the same patient and are linked to a wide range of comorbid conditions. Dermatologists and rheumatologists need to cooperate in combined clinics, especially when they deal with severe, recalcitrant disease, and multiple comorbidities. The clinical and research benefits of this collaboration have been previously described to contribute to a better and more sustainable health care system. To apply a more holistic approach of patients with Pso and PsA, we established the first dual care clinic in Greece, for Pso and PsA patients, based at Attikon General University Hospital. Hereby, we describe the infrastructure and operation of a combined Pso and PsA clinic (PPAC), in the national health care system of Greece, and its impact on the management of Pso and PsA. The PPAC is a single-day joint clinic, held once a week, which consists of three dermatologists and three rheumatologists. We present the results of 185 newly diagnosed patients between December 2018 and January 2019. Mean age of onset of Pso was 34 ± 16 years old and 47 ± 12 years old for PsA. Most patients suffered from severe plaque Pso (144/185, 78%) and asymmetric oligoarticular arthritis (59/185, 32%), for which they were receiving treatment with biologic agents (105/185, 57%). Many required monitoring for hypertension (74/185, 40%), dyslipidemia (69/185, 37%), diabetes (17/185, 9%), and depression (20/185, 11%). Patients reported high levels of care satisfaction (visual analogue scale: 86 ± 11.5), using the PPAC facility, compared to different referrals between specialties. This is the first joint dermatology-rheumatology clinic in Greece, providing comprehensive care in patients with Pso and PsA. Our results support the concept of combined clinics delivering better integrated care for such patients.

Real world data from the use of secukinumab in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis, including scalp and palmoplantar psoriasis: A 104-week clinical study.

Several clinical studies demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the interleukin-17 inhibitor secukinumab in the systemic treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis, as well as psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adults, whereas real-world data is limited. A single-center clinical study was performed to evaluate in real-world practice the efficacy of secukinumab up to Week 104 of treatment in moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis, including scalp and palmoplantar involvement, according to Physician Global Assessment (PGA), PASI75/90/100 and scalp, and palmoplantar PGA. Drug survival, the safety profile of secukinumab, and patient's quality of life were also assessed during a 2-year observation period. Out of 83 patients included, 56.3% were biologic-naïve, and 94% had scalp, 25.3% palmoplantar, and 43.9% joint involvement. At Week 16, PASI75/PASI90/PASI100 were observed in 83.8/70.0/46.3%, respectively. Scalp and palmoplantar PGA were rapidly improved, with 98.7 and 95.5%, respectively, reaching clear/almost clear skin at Week 16. After 104 weeks, drug survival was 74.5%. A significant improvement of the quality of life was observed. Biologic-naïve patients without coexisting PsA benefited the most. Real-world data demonstrated secukinumab efficacious in chronic plaque psoriasis, including specific locations such as scalp and palmoplantar psoriasis with a safety profile similar to that in clinical trials.

Churg-Strauss syndrome masquerading as an acute coronary syndrome.

Churg-Strauss Syndrome (CSS) is a rare vasculitis with multiorgan involvement. Cardiac manifestations are common causing serious complications. We report a case of CSS masquerading as a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction with heart failure. CSS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of an acute coronary syndrome(ACS)with normal coronary arteries when history of asthma, peripheral eosinophilia and multisystemic involvement is present.

Dysphagia Caused by Chronic Laryngeal Edema.

A rare case of a young female with chronic diffuse laryngeal edema causing severe swallowing difficulty is presented. The patient was previously treated with antibiotics and steroids with no improvement. Diagnosis was made with biopsy of the epiglottis under local anesthesia in the office.

Paraneoplastic dermatomyositis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome related to immunotherapy.

Paraneoplastic syndromes such as dermatomyositis, often emerge as the initial clinical manifestation across various cancer types and are characterized by the development of B-cell responses targeting cancer-cell antigens that cross-react with normal skin and muscle cells. While these syndromes may alleviate following antineoplastic intervention, their response to immunotherapy remains elusive due to the exclusion of patients with autoimmune phenomena from clinical trials. In this report, we present the case of a female patient with advanced urothelial cancer presenting with dermatomyositis, who subsequently underwent treatment with anti-PD1 immunotherapy and experienced the onset of Stevens-Johnson syndrome. We discuss these two autoimmune entities and provide a comprehensive review of the existing literature to elucidate similar associations.

Dermatomyositis, an inflammatory disorder that causes a skin rash, might be the first sign that someone has cancer. But when scientists test new cancer treatments, they often don't include people with this skin problem. So, we do not know much about how safe or effective these treatments are for them. Here's a story about someone who had bladder cancer and dermatomyositis. They received a treatment called immunotherapy, but it caused a serious problem called Stevens-Johnson syndrome. We also found similar cases in medical papers.

Persistence on subcutaneous tocilizumab as monotherapy or in combination with synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis patients in Greece (EMBRACE study): a multicenter, post-marketing, non-interventional, observational trial.

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic, inflammatory disease affecting multiple organs and causing physical disability over time. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to evaluate treatment persistence to subcutaneous tocilizumab (TCZ-SC). Additionally, treatment effects on persistence and their associations with clinical and patient-reported outcomes were assessed. METHOD: We performed a multicenter, non-interventional, 52-week observational study on 222 patients with moderate or severe RA. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by using disease activity score for 28 joints (DAS28) and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response, and patients' perceptions were evaluated by using Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, and patient global assessment (PtGA) of disease activity. Safety was assessed throughout the study. RESULTS: The mean age of the overall cohort was 62.2 ± 12.3 years, and 83.8% were females. Persistence to TCZ-SC was 89.6% at week 24 and 85.1% at week 52 in the overall cohort with slightly increased persistence in the combination group. At week 52, changes from the baseline were - 2.68 in DAS28, - 0.76 in HAQ, - 43.21 in VAS pain, and - 41.66 in PtGA (p < 0.0001 for all). Moderate and good EULAR response was achieved in 83.2% of patients. Non-serious and serious adverse events occurred in 18.5% and 3.2% of the participants, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The current study confirms the favorable safety and effectiveness of TCZ-SC as well as its acceptability by RA patients in Greece, with sustained high persistence rates up to 52 weeks. TCZ-SC offers a sustainable treatment response in RA. Key Points • Based upon clinical and patient-reported outcomes, TCZ-SC is a highly effective and safe treatment modality in patients with moderate-to-severe RA. • Persistence to TCZ-SC was high throughout the study, both as monotherapy and in combination with csDMARDs. • TCZ-SC is effective both as monotherapy and when used in combination with other csDMARDs regardless of the line of treatment.

Severe eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis responding to a combination of rituximab and mepolizumab.

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), formerly known as Churg-Strauss Syndrome, is a multisystem antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) positive vasculitis, characterized by the presence of chronic rhinosinusitis, asthma and prominent peripheral blood eosinophilia. Although the most commonly involved organ is the lung, followed by the skin, EGPA can affect any organ system. Herein, we present the complicated case of an 18-year-old male patient with severe life-threatening EGPA, with central nervous system, cardiac and gasterointestinal involvement, which was resistant to initial treatment with glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide. The patient responded well, achieving complete remission after the addition of rituximab and mepolizumab to glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide.

Investigating the role of "Immature Myeloid Cells" as Drivers of Inflammation and Disease Persistence in Psoriatic Arthritis.

Background: Despite the development of treatments targeting T cell co-stimulation and cytokines TNF, IL-12/23, and IL-17, less than half of patients within clinical trials achieve high levels of clinical response. This fact, as well as the absence of prognostic biomarkers represents major unmet clinical needs that necessitate further investigation of the disease pathophysiology. Myeloid cells are critical components of PsA inflammatory mechanisms, being a highly prevalent immune population in biopsies of PsA target tissues, such as the skin and the synovium. Through their antigen-presenting capacity and their pro-angiogenic and pro-inflammatory properties myeloid cells could contribute to persistent inflammation in PsA leading to treatment-resistant disease. To this end, we have recently shown the expansion of monocytes in the blood of PsA patients compared to healthy subjects. Importantly, we have also identified an immature myeloid cell population in patients with highly active, refractory disease, indicating the presence of an "emergency myelopoiesis" process in PsA. Aim of the study: In this research protocol, we aim to decipher the pro-inflammatory "myeloid signature" in patients with active PsA and explore the role of immature myeloid cells in disease pathophysiology and their potential as prognostic biomarkers. Methods: To address this, we will isolate and analyse monocytes and immature myeloid cells from PsA patients -before and after a 6-month treatment course- focusing on differences between responders and non-responders. In this context, we will perform a thorough phenotypic and functional analysis of these cells, identify their expression signature in an already established whole blood RNA-seq dataset and investigate their presence in target tissues, such as the skin and synovial fluid. Anticipated benefits: This study will elucidate the role of myeloid cells in disease propagation by further defining the involvement of immature myeloid cells in PsA.

Churg-Strauss syndrome-associated heart failure and left ventricular thrombosis.

We present a case of a 47-year-old woman with a history of asthma and mononeuritis who presented with shortness of breath and fatigue. Heart failure was diagnosed and echocardiography revealed large floating thrombi attached to the left ventricular walls. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed evidence of myocarditis and angiitis. Blood count revealed eosinophilia. She was diagnosed with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis or Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) according to recently updated criteria. Medical management with specific aetiology (anticoagulation or immunosuppression) and heart failure treatment resulted in clinical improvement. We further discuss the diagnostic approach of CSS with cardiovascular complications and therapeutic management.

Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction in Asymptomatic Patients with Severe Psoriasis.

Severe psoriasis is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk, which may be independent of the traditional risk factors. Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) has been shown to predict a poor cardiovascular prognosis in the general population and in patients with psoriasis. In this study, we assessed the prevalence and predictors of CMD in a large cohort of patients with psoriasis without clinical cardiovascular disease. A total of 503 patients with psoriasis were enrolled and underwent transthoracic Doppler echocardiography to evaluate coronary microcirculation. Of these, 55 patients were excluded from the analyses because of missing data. Of the 448 patients in this study, 31.5% showed CMD. Higher PASI, longer disease duration, the presence of psoriatic arthritis, and hypertension were independently associated with CMD. An increase of 1 point of PASI and 1 year of psoriasis duration were associated with a 5.8% and 4.6% increased risk of CMD, respectively. In our study, CMD was associated with the severity and duration of psoriasis. This supports the role of systemic inflammation in CMD and suggests that the coronary microcirculation may represent an extracutaneous site involved in the immune-mediated injury of psoriasis. We should diagnose and actively search for CMD in patients with severe psoriasis.

Real-world data show high efficacy of IL23 inhibitors guselkumab and risankizumab in psoriatic arthritis and difficult-to-treat areas.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are chronic inflammatory skin and joint diseases requiring effective therapies. Although clinical studies have shown the efficacy of IL-23 inhibitors, real-world data are limited. METHODS: We conducted a single-center retrospective Greek study enrolling patients with psoriatic arthritis and moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis being treated at our multidisciplinary psoriasis outpatient clinic. Our aim was to investigate the efficacy and safety of IL-23 inhibitors guselkumab and risankizumab. Additionally, we sought to determine the clinical characteristics affecting treatment response. Primary endpoints were the evaluation of absolute Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (aPASI) and Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) at week 24. RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients (55.9% male, 69.5% early onset) with a mean age of 51.7 years were included. Twenty-four patients (40.7%) had a concomitant psoriatic arthritis. Obesity was the main comorbidity (49.2%) with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 31.3 kg/m2 . Additional comorbidities were hypertension (44.1%), dyslipidemia (32.2%), and diabetes (18.6%). Only eight patients (13.6%) were naïve to previous systemic treatments, whereas 40 patients (67.8%) were bio-experienced. A statistically significant improvement of aPASI and DAPSA was demonstrated after 4, 16, and 24 weeks of treatment (P < 0.05). IL23 blockers were also efficacious in difficult-to-treat areas. Clinical outcome was affected from previous treatment with biologics. Treatment response was the same between guselkumab and risankizumab (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This real-world study confirms the efficacy and safety of guselkumab and risankizumab in psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis reported from clinical trials.

Additive prognostic value of longitudinal myocardial deformation to SCORE2 in psoriasis.

Aims: Psoriasis has been associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk. We investigated whether markers of CV function and their change after treatment have a prognostic value for adverse outcomes. Methods and results: In a prospective study, at baseline and after 6 months of treatment with biological agents, we assessed in 298 psoriasis patients (i) left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) and (ii) carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), to evaluate their prognostic value for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including coronary artery disease, stroke, hospitalization for heart failure, and all-cause death over a 4-year follow-up period. During follow-up, 26 (8.7%) MACEs were recorded. By univariate analysis, decreasing absolute GLS values [hazard ratio (HR): 0.73, P < 0.001], decreasing GLS change after treatment (HR: 0.53, P = 0.008), and increasing PWV values (HR: 1.16, P = 0.049) were associated with adverse outcomes. Baseline GLS and its change post-treatment remained independent predictors of adverse events after adjusting for several confounders (P < 0.05). The addition of baseline GLS and its absolute change post-treatment to SCORE2 increased Harrell's C from 0.882 to 0.941. By multivariable analysis, for each 1% increase in absolute baseline GLS values, the risk of MACE decreased by 33% and for each 1% absolute increase of GLS post-treatment compared with the baseline value, the risk of MACE decreased by 58%. Conclusion: Global longitudinal strain has an independent and additive prognostic value to SCORE2 for adverse CV events in psoriasis, providing timely decision-making for intensive anti-inflammatory treatment and aggressive modification of risk factors to reduce CV risk.