Low P-Selectin Glycoprotein Ligand-1 Expression in Neutrophils Associates with Disease Activity and Deregulated NET Formation in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the generation of anti-DNA autoantibodies due to exposure of immune cells to excessive amounts of extracellular DNA. Lack of P-selectin in mice induces the development of a lupus-like syndrome and patients with cutaneous lupus have reduced P-selectin expression in skin vessels. Using flow cytometry we analyzed in healthy donors and patients the expression of P-selectin Glycoprotein Ligand-1 (PSGL-1) in circulating neutrophils and the implication of PSGL-1/P-selectin interaction in neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) generation. We found a statistical significance that neutrophils from active SLE patients have a reduced expression of PSGL-1 and low levels of PSGL-1 in neutrophils from SLE patients associated with the presence of anti-dsDNA antibodies, clinical lung involvement, Raynaud's phenomenon, and positive lupus anticoagulant. PSGL-1 is present along the DNA in the NET. In healthy donors, neutrophil interaction with immobilized P-selectin triggers Syk activation, increases the NETs percentage and reduces the amount of DNA extruded in the NETs. In active SLE patients, neutrophil interaction with P-selectin does not activate Syk or reduce the amount of DNA extruded in the NETs, that might contribute to increase the extracellular level of DNA and hence, to disease pathogenesis.

Cogan syndrome: Descriptive analysis and clinical experience of 7 cases diagnosed and treated in two third level hospitals. / Síndrome de Cogan: análisis descriptivo y experiencia clínica de 7 casos diagnosticados y tratados en 2 hospitales de tercer nivel.

OBJECTIVE: Cogan's syndrome (CS) is an inflammatory disease classified as variable vessel vasculitis. It is a rare disease with few published series, and therefore we reviewed our experience in the last ten years in two centres. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Description of 7 diagnosed cases of CS, according to the classification criteria (typical or atypical), their clinical manifestations, treatments used and their complications. A comparative analysis was performed with the series and cases described in the literature. RESULTS: Seven cases were included, three men and four women, with a mean age at diagnosis of 43 years, and an average disease duration of 47 months. Five patients met the typical characteristics according to the 1980 classical criteria, the rest being atypical cases, one due to the absence of interstitial keratitis and another due to a period between the onset of ocular and auditory-vestibular clinical symptoms greater than two years. All received immunosuppressants, methotrexate being the most commonly used, followed by azathioprine. In 5 cases, biological drugs were used, infliximab in 4 times and 2 tocilizumab. One patient died from bacterial endocarditis and septic shock. CONCLUSION: The characteristics of the series presented are like those published to date, with clinical differences mainly in the involvement of large vessels. Given the low frequency, it seems necessary to create multicentre records to improve the evidence regarding the management of patients with CS.

Baseline serum RANKL levels may serve to predict remission in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with TNF antagonists.

AIMS: The objective of this study was to investigate whether baseline receptor activator for nuclear factor kappaB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) serum (s) levels can predict the therapeutic response to TNF antagonists (a-TNF). METHODS: We studied 75 rheumatoid arthritis patients (81% female) with a longstanding refractory disease. The variables of disease activity, physical function and sRANKL and sOPG levels were determined before and after both 12-14 and 28-30 weeks of a-TNF therapy (65 adalimumab, 10 infliximab). Remission was defined by a 28 joint count disease activity score (DAS28) /=1.2 at both 3- and 7-month follow-up visits. RESULTS: In most patients, disease activity was severe, as reflected by a baseline DAS28 score of 5.9+/-1 (mean+/-SD), an HAQ of 1.6 (1.1 to 2.1) (median (interquartile range (IQR))) and a CRP 15 mg/l (IQR: 9 to 24). The sRANKL levels and RANKL/OPG ratio in patients that achieved remission were significantly lower at baseline than in the remaining patients at both 3 and 7 months of follow-up. The sOPG levels correlated with the HAQ and the physician's disease assessment and diminished significantly after a-TNF treatment. However, no significant association was detected between the therapeutic response profile and sOPG levels. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that in patients receiving a-TNF treatment, lower serum levels of RANKL and RANKL/OPG ratio may serve to predict remission.

Síndrome de Cogan: análisis descriptivo y experiencia clínica de 7 casos diagnosticados y tratados en 2 hospitales de tercer nivel / Cogan syndrome: Descriptive analysis and clinical experience of 7 cases diagnosed and treated in two third level hospitals

Objetivo: El síndrome de Cogan (SC) es una enfermedad inflamatoria clasificada como vasculitis de vaso variable. Se trata de una enfermedad rara con escasas series publicadas, por lo que revisamos nuestra experiencia en 2 centros en los últimos 10 años. Material y métodos: Descripción de 7 casos diagnosticados de SC, atendiendo a los criterios de clasificación (típico o atípico), sus manifestaciones clínicas, tratamientos utilizados y sus complicaciones. Se realizó un análisis comparativo con las series y casos descritos en la literatura. Resultados: Se incluyeron 7 casos, 3 varones y 4 mujeres, con una edad media al diagnóstico de 43 años, y un tiempo de evolución medio de 47 meses. Cinco pacientes cumplían las características típicas según los criterios clásicos de 1980, siendo el resto casos atípicos, uno por ausencia de queratitis intersticial y otro por un periodo entre la aparición de clínica ocular y auditivo-vestibular mayor de 2 años. Todos recibieron inmunosupresores, siendo el más utilizado el metotrexato, seguido de la azatioprina. En 5 casos se utilizaron fármacos biológicos: infliximab en 4 ocasiones y en 2 tocilizumab. Un paciente falleció por endocarditis bacteriana y shock séptico. Conclusión: Las características de la serie presentada son similares a las publicadas hasta ahora, con diferencias clínicas fundamentalmente en la afectación de grandes vasos. Ante la escasa casuística, parece necesario la creación de registros multicéntricos para mejorar la evidencia en cuanto al manejo de pacientes con SC.(AU)

Objective: Cogan's syndrome (CS) is an inflammatory disease classified as variable vessel vasculitis. It is a rare disease with few published series, and therefore we reviewed our experience in the last ten years in two centres. Materials and methods: Description of 7 diagnosed cases of CS, according to the classification criteria (typical or atypical), their clinical manifestations, treatments used and their complications. A comparative analysis was performed with the series and cases described in the literature. Results: Seven cases were included, three men and four women, with a mean age at diagnosis of 43 years, and an average disease duration of 47 months. Five patients met the typical characteristics according to the 1980 classical criteria, the rest being atypical cases, one due to the absence of interstitial keratitis and another due to a period between the onset of ocular and auditory-vestibular clinical symptoms greater than two years. All received immunosuppressants, methotrexate being the most commonly used, followed by azathioprine. In 5 cases, biological drugs were used, infliximab in 4 times and 2 tocilizumab. One patient died from bacterial endocarditis and septic shock. Conclusion: The characteristics of the series presented are like those published to date, with clinical differences mainly in the involvement of large vessels. Given the low frequency, it seems necessary to create multicentre records to improve the evidence regarding the management of patients with CS.(AU)

Independent Candidate Serum Protein Biomarkers of Response to Adalimumab and to Infliximab in Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Exploratory Study.

Response to treatment of rheumatoid arthritis shows large inter-individual variability. This heterogeneity is observed with all the anti-rheumatic drugs, including the commonly used TNF inhibitors. It seems that drug-specific and target-specific factors lead individual patients to respond or not to a given drug, although this point has been challenged. The search of biomarkers distinguishing responders from non-responders has included shotgun proteomics of serum, as a previous study of response to infliximab, an anti-TNF antibody. Here, we have used the same study design and technology to search biomarkers of response to a different anti-TNF antibody, adalimumab, and we have compared the results obtained for the two anti-TNF drugs. Search of biomarkers of response to adalimumab included depletion of the most abundant serum proteins, 8-plex isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) labeling, two-dimensional liquid chromatography fractionation and relative quantification with a hybrid Orbitrap mass spectrometer. With this approach, 264 proteins were identified in all the samples with at least 2 peptides and 95% confidence. Nine proteins showed differences between non-responders and responders (P < 0.05), representing putative biomarkers of response to adalimumab. These results were compared with the previous study of infliximab. Surprisingly, the non-responder/responder differences in the two studies were not correlated (rs = 0.07; P = 0.40). This overall independence with all the proteins showed two identifiable components. On one side, the putative biomarkers of response to either adalimumab or infliximab, which were not shared and showed an inverse correlation (rs = -0.69; P = 0.0023). On the other, eight proteins showing significant non-responder/responder differences in the analysis combining data of response to the two drugs. These results identify new putative biomarkers of response to treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and indicate that they are notably drug-specific.

Interleukin 15 levels in serum may predict a severe disease course in patients with early arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is thought to be involved in the physiopathological mechanisms of RA and it can be detected in the serum and the synovial fluid of inflamed joints in patients with RA but not in patients with osteoarthritis or other inflammatory joint diseases. Therefore, the objective of this work is to analyse whether serum IL-15 (sIL-15) levels serve as a biomarker of disease severity in patients with early arthritis (EA). METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS: Data from 190 patients in an EA register were analysed (77.2% female; median age 53 years; 6-month median disease duration at entry). Clinical and treatment information was recorded systematically, especially the prescription of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Two multivariate longitudinal analyses were performed with different dependent variables: 1) DAS28 and 2) a variable reflecting intensive treatment. Both included sIL-15 as predictive variable and other variables associated with disease severity, including rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA). Of the 171 patients (638 visits analysed) completing the follow-up, 71% suffered rheumatoid arthritis and 29% were considered as undifferentiated arthritis. Elevated sIL-15 was detected in 29% of this population and this biomarker did not overlap extensively with RF or ACPA. High sIL-15 levels (ß Coefficient [95% confidence interval]: 0.12 [0.06-0.18]; p<0.001) or ACPA (0.34 [0.01-0.67]; p = 0.044) were significantly and independently associated with a higher DAS28 during follow-up, after adjusting for confounding variables such as gender, age and treatment. In addition, those patients with elevated sIL-15 had a significantly higher risk of receiving intensive treatment (RR 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.18-2.7; p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with EA displaying high baseline sIL-15 suffered a more severe disease and received more intensive treatment. Thus, sIL-15 may be a biomarker for patients that are candidates for early and more intensive treatment.

[The therapeutic blockade of TNF reduces serum levels of interleukin 15 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis]. / El bloqueo terapéutico del factor de necrosis tumoral disminuye la concentración sérica de interleucina 15 en pacientes con artritis reumatoide.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of the TNF blocking agents (aTNF) on the serum levels of interleukin 15 (IL-15). To determine whether baseline IL15 serum levels or their response to aTNF therapy can predict the clinical response to this treatment. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We studied 75 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis that were selected to start aTNF therapy. Serum samples were obtained at baseline visit and after three months of aTNF treatment. Measurement of IL-15 serum concentration was performed through immune-enzyme assay. We collected the clinical and analytical parameters needed to calculate DAS28 both at baseline and final visit, as well as sociodemographic variables and other such as rheumatoid factor, previous disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD), etc. We defined remission as a DAS28 < 2.6 and clinical response when the decrease in DAS28 value was higher than 1.2. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between IL-15 serum level and the number of previous DMARD. We also detected a significant decrease in the concentration of serum IL-15 after three months of treatment with aTNF. However, neither the baseline IL-15 serum level nor the decrease in the concentration of IL-15 were associated with a specific pattern of response to aTNF. CONCLUSIONS: Our data seem to support previous in vitro findings suggesting that TNF is involved in the regulation of IL-15 expression. Nevertheless, the measurement of IL-15 serum levels does not seem to be a useful tool to select those patients that should be treated with aTNF therapy.

El bloqueo terapéutico del factor de necrosis tumoral disminuye la concentración sérica de interleucina 15 en pacientes con artritis reumatoide / The therapeutic blockade of TNF reduces serum levels of interleukin 15 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objetivo: Analizar el efecto de la terapia con agentes inhibidores del factor de necrosis tumoral (TNF) en la concentración sérica de interleucina 15 (IL-15) y determinar si los valores basales de ésta o su variación con el tratamiento predicen la respuesta clínica a los anti-TNF. Pacientes y método: Se estudió a 75 pacientes con artritis reumatoide que iban a iniciar tratamiento con anti-TNF. Se recogieron muestras de suero previas y a los 3 meses de tratamiento. La concentración de IL-15 se cuantificó mediante enzimoinmunoanálisis. Tanto en la visita basal como en la final se recogieron parámetros clínicos y analíticos que permitieran calcular el DAS28. También se recogieron variables sociodemográficas y otras relacionadas con la enfermedad, como factor reumatoide, número de fármacos previos, etc. Se definió remisión como un DAS28 < 2,6 y respuesta clínica relevante, como una disminución del DAS28 > 1,2. Resultados: La concentración de IL-15 se relacionó de forma significativa con un mayor uso de fármacos modificadores de la enfermedad durante el seguimiento de los pacientes. También se observó una disminución significativa de la IL-15 a los 3 meses de tratamiento con anti-TNF. Sin embargo, los valores basales de IL-15 y su disminución con el tratamiento no se relacionaron con la respuesta a los anti-TNF o la consecución de remisión clínica. Conclusiones: Nuestros datos parecen confirmar los obtenidos in vitro, que indican que el TNF está implicado en la modulación de la expresión de IL-15. No obstante, la medición de la concentración sérica de IL-15 no parece ser de utilidad para seleccionar a los pacientes candidatos a terapia anti-TNF (AU)

Objective: To analyze the effect of the TNF blocking agents (aTNF) on the serum levels of interleukin 15 (IL-15). To determine whether baseline IL15 serum levels or their response to aTNF therapy can predict the clinical response to this treatment. Patients and method: We studied 75 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis that were selected to start aTNF therapy. Serum samples were obtained at baseline visit and after three months of aTNF treatment. Measurement of IL-15 serum concentration was performed through immune-enzyme assay. We collected the clinical and analytical parameters needed to calculate DAS28 both at baseline and final visit, as well as sociodemographic variables and other such as rheumatoid factor, previous disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD), etc. We defined remission as a DAS28 < 2.6 and clinical response when the decrease in DAS28 value was higher than 1.2. Results: There was a significant correlation between IL-15 serum level and the number of previous DMARD. We also detected a significant decrease in the concentration of serum IL-15 after three months of treatment with aTNF. However, neither the baseline IL-15 serum level nor the decrease in the concentration of IL-15 were associated with a specific pattern of response to aTNF. Conclusions: Our data seem to support previous in vitro findings suggesting that TNF is involved in the regulation of IL-15 expression. Nevertheless, the measurement of IL-15 serum levels does not seem to be a useful tool to select those patients that should be treated with aTNF therapy (AU)