Subclinical Pulmonary Hypertension in Childhood Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Associated with Minor Disease Manifestations.

The aim of this study was to evaluate pulmonary hypertension (PH) in 852 childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) patients. This was a large multicenter study conducted in 10 Pediatric Rheumatology Services of São Paulo state, Brazil. PH was defined as systolic pulmonary artery pressure >35 mmHg and/or measurement of the mean pulmonary artery pressure >25 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure >15 mmHg by transthoracic echocardiogram. Demographic data, clinical manifestations, disease activity score (SLEDAI-2K), disease damage score (SLICC/ACR-DI) and treatments were also evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using Bonferroni correction (p < 0.002). PH was observed in 17/852 (2%) cSLE patients. Effort dyspnea occurred in 3/17, chest pain in 1/17 and right ventricle dysfunction in 3/17 cSLE patients. None had pulmonary thromboembolism or antiphospholipid syndrome. Further comparison between 17 cSLE with PH and 85 cSLE control patients without PH with similar disease duration [15 (0-151) vs. 15 (0-153) months, p = 0.448], evaluated at the last visit, revealed higher frequencies of fever (47 vs. 9%, p < 0.001), reticuloendothelial manifestations (41 vs. 7%, p < 0.001) and serositis (35 vs. 5%, p = 0.001) in the former group. Frequencies of renal and neuropsychiatric involvements and antiphospholipid syndrome, as well as the median of SLEDAI-2K and SLICC/ACR-DI scores, were comparable in both groups (p > 0.002). Normal transthoracic echocardiography was evidenced in 9/17 (53%), with median cSLE duration of 17.5 months (1-40) after PH standard treatment. PH was a rare manifestation of cSLE occurring in the first two years of disease. The majority of patients were asymptomatic with mild lupus manifestations. The underlying mechanism seemed not to be related to pulmonary thromboembolism and/or antiphospholipid syndrome.

Pancreatitis Subtypes Survey in 852 Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Pancreatitis is a rare and a life-threatening systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) manifestation in childhood-onset SLE (cSLE). The objective of this study was to systematically classify pancreatitis in cSLE according to the International Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis and determine the overall prevalence, clinical features, laboratory, and first episode outcomes. METHODS: A multicenter cohort study in 10 pediatric rheumatology centers, including 852 patients with cSLE. RESULTS: Pancreatitis was diagnosed in 22 of 852 (2.6%) patients with cSLE. It was classified as acute pancreatitis in 20 (91%), acute recurrent pancreatitis in 2 (9%), and none of them had chronic pancreatitis. None of them had gallstones, traumatic pancreatitis, or reported alcohol/tobacco use. The comparison of patients with pancreatitis (first episode) and without this complication revealed a shorter disease duration (1 [0-10] vs 4 [0-23] years, P < 0.0001) and higher median of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (21 [0-41] vs 2 [0-45], P < 0.0001). The frequencies of fever (P < 0.0001), weight loss (P < 0.0001), serositis (P < 0.0001), nephritis (P < 0.0001), arterial hypertension (P < 0.0001), acute renal failure (P < 0.0001), macrophage activation syndrome (P < 0.0001), and death (P = 0.001) were also higher in patients with pancreatitis. The frequencies of intravenous methylprednisolone use (P < 0.0001) and the median of prednisone dose (55 [15-60] vs 11 [1-90] mg/day, P < 0.0001) were significantly higher in patients with pancreatitis. Of note, the 2 patients with acute recurrent pancreatitis had 2 episodes, with pain-free interval of 1 and 4 years. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first study characterizing pancreatitis using the International Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis standardized definitions in patients with cSLE showing that the predominant form is acute pancreatitis seen in association with glucocorticoid treatment and active severe disease.

Anti-RO/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies: Association with mild lupus manifestations in 645 childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND: To our knowledge there are no studies assessing anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB autoantibodies in a large population of childhood-systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study performed in 10 Pediatric Rheumatology services, São Paulo state, Brazil. Anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 645 cSLE patients. RESULTS: Anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies were evidenced in 209/645 (32%) and 102/645 (16%) of cSLE patients, respectively. Analysis of cSLE patients with and without anti-Ro/SSA antibodies revealed higher frequencies of malar rash (79% vs. 71%, p=0.032), photosensitivity (73% vs. 65%, p=0.035), cutaneous vasculitis (43% vs. 35%, p=0.046) and musculoskeletal involvement (82% vs. 75%, p=0.046) in spite of long and comparable disease duration in both groups (4.25 vs. 4.58years, p=0.973). Secondary Sjögren syndrome was observed in only five patients with this antibody (2.5% vs. 0%, p=0.0035), two of them with concomitant anti-La/SSB. The presence of associated autoantibodies: anti-Sm (50% vs. 30%, p<0.0001), anti-RNP (39% vs. 21%, p<0.0001) and anti-ribossomal P protein (46% vs. 21%, p=0.002) was also significantly higher in patients with anti-Ro/SAA antibodies. Further evaluation of cSLE patients with the presence of anti-La/SSB antibodies compared to those without these autoantibodies showed that the frequency of alopecia (70% vs. 51%, p=0.0005), anti-Sm (59% vs. 31%, p<0.0001) and anti-RNP (42% vs. 23%, p<0.0001) were significantly higher in the former group. CONCLUSIONS: Our large multicenter cohort study provided novel evidence in cSLE that anti-Ro/SSA and/or anti-La/SSB antibodies were associated with mild manifestations, particularly cutaneous and musculoskeletal. Secondary Sjögren syndrome was rarely observed in these patients, in spite of comparable frequencies of anti-Ro/SSA and/or anti-La/SSB reported for adult SLE.

Association between rheumatic fever and Takayasu's arteritis - Case report.

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) and rheumatic fever are diseases that can start with cardiac features, making the diagnosis difficult. There are reports of association of RF with Takayasu's arteritis beginning with cardiac involvement in pediatric patients. The aim of this study is to report the possible association of RF and TA in patients with cardiac abnormalities. We describe the case of an adolescent initially diagnosed with RF who progressed with changes that allowed making the diagnosis of TA. TA and RF are two important causes of valve involvement that may have systemic manifestations.

Macrophage activation syndrome: A severe and frequent manifestation of acute pancreatitis in 362 childhood-onset compared to 1830 adult-onset systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

OBJECTIVE: We previously reported a case series of acute pancreatitis (AP) and macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) in childhood (cSLE) patients; however, there are no data regarding the comparison of AP and MAS in large populations of cSLE and adult SLE (aSLE). METHODS: A study included 362 cSLE and 1830 aSLE patients. MAS was diagnosed according to preliminary diagnostic guidelines and AP according to the presence of abdominal pain or vomiting associated to an increase of pancreatic enzymes and/or pancreatic radiological abnormalities. Demographic data, clinical features, SLEDAI-2K, SLICC/ACR-DI, and treatment were assessed. RESULTS: Age in MAS patients was significantly lower compared with those without this complication [15 (8.8-55) vs. 33.5 (10.2-45.7) years, p = 0.007]. The frequencies of fever (94% vs. 37%, p = 0.001), leucopenia (82% vs. 19%, p = 0.0001), thrombocytopenia (65% vs. 19%, p = 0.013), hypertriglyceridemia (87% vs. 42%, p = 0.037), and hyperferritinemia (93% vs. 37%, p = 0.011) were also more frequently observed in AP patients with MAS compared in AP patients without MAS. Fever and hyperferritinemia concomitantly were more frequent in the former group (86% vs. 12%, p = 0.0015). Higher and significant frequency of AP in cSLE compared to aSLE patients [12/362 (3.3%) vs. 20/1830 (1.1%), p = 0.003], with similar AP duration [22 (6-60) vs. 15 (4-90) days, p = 0.534]. MAS (85% vs. 30%, p = 0.003) and death by MAS complication (31% vs. 0%, p = 0.017) were significantly higher in children compared with aSLE. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides novel data demonstrating that MAS occur in the majority of cSLE with AP with a higher mortality compared to aSLE. In addition, we identified in AP patients, a cluster of MAS clinical and laboratorial parameters more associated with this complication.

Chronic arthritis in systemic lupus erythematosus: distinct features in 336 paediatric and 1830 adult patients.

The objectives of this study are to assess the frequency of chronic arthritis and compare the clinical and laboratory features in a large population of childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) and adult-onset (aSLE) patients. This historical study evaluated 336 cSLE and 1830 aSLE patients. Chronic arthritis was defined as synovitis of at least 6 weeks of duration. Rhupus was characterised as the association of SLE and chronic inflammatory arthritis with erosion and positive rheumatoid factor. Jaccoud's arthropathy is a non-erosive subluxation leading to severe deformity of the hands and feet. Data were compared using Student's t test or the Mann-Whitney test for continuous variables. For categorical variables, differences were assessed by Fisher's exact test and Pearson chi-square. Frequencies of chronic arthritis were similar in cSLE and aSLE (2.4 vs. 3.8%, p = 0.261). The median time from disease onset to appearance of chronic arthritis was shorter in cSLE (0 vs. 10 years, p < 0.001), and the median of age at chronic arthritis diagnosis was [10.8 (4.2-14.6) vs. 40 (21-67), p < 0.001]. The children presented with more chronic polyarthritis than the adults (75 vs. 32%, p = 0.024), a higher median number of joints with arthritis [8.5 (1-18) vs. 3 (1-9), p = 0.017] and a higher number of joints with limitation [1.5(0-24) vs. 0(0-4), p = 0.004]. The chronic arthritis diagnosis frequencies of hepatomegaly (25 vs. 0%, p = 0.009), splenomegaly (25 vs. 0%, p = 0.009), pericarditis (25 vs. 0%, p = 0.009), nephritis (37 vs. 3% , p = 0.006), haematuria (37 vs. 1.4%, p = 0.002), lupus anticoagulant (40 vs. 1.6%, p = 0.012), anticardiolipin IgM (40 vs. 1.5%, p = 0.012) and median Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) [10.5(1-20) vs. 6(4-16), p = 0.029] were higher in cSLE. Frequency of rhupus, (12 vs. 17%, p = 1.0), Jaccoud's arthropathy (0 vs. 17%, p = 0.343) and treatments were similar in cSLE and aSLE. We determined that chronic arthritis in SLE has distinct features in children, with very early onset, polyarticular involvement and association with active disease. We further demonstrated in this series that a proportion of chronic arthritis involvement in SLE is manifested as rhupus and Jaccoud's arthropathy.

Higher Prevalence and Distinct Features of Herpes Zoster Infection in Children than Adults with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Herpes zoster infection was significantly more often observed in children (10%, N = 362) than in adults (4%, N = 1830). At herpes zoster infection diagnosis, disease activity score (8 vs. 3, P = 0.002) was higher in children, and fever (43% vs. 12%, P < 0.0001), nephritis (45% vs. 25%, P = 0.038), anti-double-stranded DNA autoantibodies (76% vs. 15%, P < 0.0001) and low C4 (48% vs. 22%, P = 0.017) were more often observed in children versus adults. Post herpetic neuralgia was less common in children than adults (3% vs. 24%, P =0.005).

Association between rheumatic fever and takayasu's arteritis - case report / Associação entre febre reumática e arterite de Takayasu - Relato de caso

ABSTRACT Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) and rheumatic fever are diseases that can start with cardiac fea-tures, making the diagnosis difficult. There are reports of association of RF with Takayasu’sarteritis beginning with cardiac involvement in pediatric patients. The aim of this study isto report the possible association of RF and TA in patients with cardiac abnormalities. Wedescribe the case of an adolescent initially diagnosed with RF who progressed with changesthat allowed making the diagnosis of TA. TA and RF are two important causes of valveinvolvement that may have systemic manifestations.

RESUMO A arterite de Takayasu (AT) e a febre reumática (FR) são doenças que podem ter início commanifestação cardíaca, o que dificulta o diagnóstico. Há relatos de associação de FR com AT que se inicia com comprometimento cardíaco na faixa etária pediátrica. O objetivo deste estudo é relatar a possibilidade da associação de FR e AT em paciente com alteração cardíaca. Descrevemos o caso de uma adolescente diagnosticada inicialmente como FR que apresentou na evolução alterações que permitiram o diagnóstico de AT. A AT e a FR são duas causas importantes de envolvimento valvular que podem apresentar manifestações sistêmicas.