Recapitulating primary immunodeficiencies with expanded potential stem cells: Proof of concept with STAT1 gain of function.

BACKGROUND: Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) often lack specific disease models and personalized management. Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-1 gain of function (GoF) is such example of an IEI with diverse clinical phenotype with unclear pathomechanisms and unpredictable response to therapy. Limitations in obtaining fresh samples for functional testing and research further highlights the need for patient-specific ex vivo platforms. OBJECTIVE: Using STAT1-GoF as an example IEI, we investigated the potential of patient-derived expanded potential stem cells (EPSC) as an ex vivo platform for disease modeling and personalized treatment. METHODS: We generated EPSC derived from individual STAT1-GoF patients. STAT1 mutations were confirmed with Sanger sequencing. Functional testing including STAT1 phosphorylation/dephosphorylation and gene expression with or without Janus activating kinase inhibitors were performed. Functional tests were repeated on EPSC lines with GoF mutations repaired by CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9) editing. RESULTS: EPSC were successfully reprogrammed from STAT1-GoF patients and expressed the same pluripotent makers as controls, with distinct morphologic differences. Patient-derived EPSC recapitulated the functional abnormalities of index STAT1-GoF patients with STAT1 hyperphosphorylation and increased expression of STAT1 and its downstream genes (IRF1, APOL6, and OAS1) after IFN-γ stimulation. Addition of ruxolitinib and baricitinib inhibited STAT1 hyperactivation in STAT1-GoF EPSC in a dose-dependent manner, which was not observed with tofacitinib. Corrected STAT1 phosphorylation and downstream gene expression were observed among repaired STAT1-GoF EPSC cell lines. CONCLUSION: This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the potential of our patient-derived EPSC platform to model STAT1-GoF. We propose this platform when researching, recapitulating, and repairing other IEI in the future.

Risk of flare and damage accrual after tapering glucocorticoids in modified serologically active clinically quiescent patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a multinational observational cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the risk of flare and damage accrual after tapering glucocorticoids (GCs) in modified serologically active clinically quiescent (mSACQ) patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Data from a 12-country longitudinal SLE cohort, collected prospectively between 2013 and 2020, were analysed. SLE patients with mSACQ defined as the state with serological activity (increased anti-dsDNA and/or hypocomplementemia) but without clinical activity, treated with ≤7.5 mg/day of prednisolone-equivalent GCs and not-considering duration, were studied. The risk of subsequent flare or damage accrual per 1 mg decrease of prednisolone was assessed using Cox proportional hazard models while adjusting for confounders. Observation periods were 2 years and censored if each event occurred. RESULTS: Data from 1850 mSACQ patients were analysed: 742, 271 and 180 patients experienced overall flare, severe flare and damage accrual, respectively. Tapering GCs by 1 mg/day of prednisolone was not associated with increased risk of overall or severe flare: adjusted HRs 1.02 (95% CI, 0.99 to 1.05) and 0.98 (95% CI, 0.96 to 1.004), respectively. Antimalarial use was associated with decreased flare risk. Tapering GCs was associated with decreased risk of damage accrual (adjusted HR 0.96, 95% CI, 0.93 to 0.99) in the patients whose initial prednisolone dosages were >5 mg/day. CONCLUSIONS: In mSACQ patients, tapering GCs was not associated with increased flare risk. Antimalarial use was associated with decreased flare risk. Tapering GCs protected mSACQ patients treated with >5 mg/day of prednisolone against damage accrual. These findings suggest that cautious GC tapering is feasible and can reduce GC use in mSACQ patients.

Multi-omics study reveals different pathogenesis of the generation of skin lesions in SLE and IDLE patients.

Lupus erythematosus (LE) is a heterogeneous, antibody-mediated autoimmune disease. Isolate discoid LE (IDLE) and systematic LE (SLE) are traditionally regarded as the two ends of the spectrum, ranging from skin-limited damage to life-threatening multi-organ involvement. Both belong to LE, but IDLE and SLE differ in appearance of skin lesions, autoantibody panels, pathological changes, treatments, and immunopathogenesis. Is discoid lupus truly a form of LE or is it a completely separate entity? This question has not been fully elucidated. We compared the clinical data of IDLE and SLE from our center, applied multi-omics technology, such as immune repertoire sequencing, high-resolution HLA alleles sequencing and multi-spectrum pathological system to explore cellular and molecular phenotypes in skin and peripheral blood from LE patients. Based on the data from 136 LE patients from 8 hospitals in China, we observed higher damage scores and fewer LE specific autoantibodies in IDLE than SLE patients, more uCDR3 sharing between PBMCs and skin lesion from SLE than IDLE patients, elevated diversity of V-J recombination in IDLE skin lesion and SLE PBMCs, increased SHM frequency and class switch ratio in IDLE skin lesion, decreased SHM frequency but increased class switch ratio in SLE PBMCs, HLA-DRB1*03:01:01:01, HLA-B*58:01:01:01, HLA-C*03:02:02:01, and HLA-DQB1*02:01:01:01 positively associated with SLE patients, and expanded Tfh-like cells with ectopic germinal center structures in IDLE skin lesions. These findings suggest a significant difference in the immunopathogenesis of skin lesions between SLE and IDLE patients. SLE is a B cell-predominate systemic immune disorder, while IDLE appears limited to the skin. Our findings provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of IDLE and other types of LE, which may direct more accurate diagnosis and novel therapeutic strategies.

SMART-SLE: serology monitoring and repeat testing in systemic lupus erythematosus-an analysis of anti-double-stranded DNA monitoring.

OBJECTIVE: Disease activity monitoring in SLE includes serial measurement of anti-double stranded-DNA (dsDNA) antibodies, but in patients who are persistently anti-dsDNA positive, the utility of repeated measurement is unclear. We investigated the usefulness of serial anti-dsDNA testing in predicting flare in SLE patients who are persistently anti-dsDNA positive. METHODS: Data were analysed from patients in a multinational longitudinal cohort with known anti-dsDNA results from 2013 to 2021. Patients were categorized based on their anti-dsDNA results as persistently negative, fluctuating or persistently positive. Cox regression models were used to examine longitudinal associations of anti-dsDNA results with flare. RESULTS: Data from 37 582 visits of 3484 patients were analysed. Of the patients 1029 (29.5%) had persistently positive anti-dsDNA and 1195 (34.3%) had fluctuating results. Anti-dsDNA expressed as a ratio to the normal cut-off was associated with the risk of subsequent flare, including in the persistently positive cohort (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.56; 95% CI: 1.30, 1.87; P < 0.001) and fluctuating cohort (adjusted HR 1.46; 95% CI: 1.28, 1.66), both for a ratio >3. Both increases and decreases in anti-dsDNA more than 2-fold compared with the previous visit were associated with increased risk of flare in the fluctuating cohort (adjusted HR 1.33; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.65; P = 0.008) and the persistently positive cohort (adjusted HR 1.36; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.71; P = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Absolute value and change in anti-dsDNA titres predict flares, including in persistently anti-dsDNA positive patients. This indicates that repeat monitoring of dsDNA has value in routine testing.

Comparison of Attainment and Protective Effects of Lupus Low Disease Activity State In Patients With Newly Diagnosed Versus Established Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS) attainment is associated with favorable outcomes in patients with recent onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Data from a 13-country longitudinal SLE cohort were collected prospectively between 2013 and 2020. An inception cohort was defined based on disease duration < 1 year at enrollment. Patient characteristics between inception and noninception cohorts were compared. Survival analyses were performed to examine the association between LLDAS attainment and damage accrual and flare. RESULTS: Of the total 4106 patients, 680 (16.6%) were recruited within 1 year of SLE diagnosis (inception cohort). Compared to the noninception cohort, inception cohort patients were significantly younger, had higher disease activity, and used more glucocorticoids, but had less organ damage at enrollment. Significantly fewer inception cohort patients were in LLDAS at enrollment than the noninception cohort (29.6% vs 52.3%, P < 0.001), but three-quarters of both groups achieved LLDAS at least once during follow-up. Limiting analysis only to patients not in LLDAS at enrollment, inception cohort patients were 60% more likely to attain LLDAS (hazard ratio 1.37, 95% CI 1.16-1.61, P < 0.001) than noninception cohort patients and attained LLDAS significantly faster. LLDAS attainment was significantly protective against flare in both the inception and noninception cohorts. A total of 88 (13.6%) inception cohort patients accrued organ damage during a median 2.2 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: LLDAS attainment is protective from flare in recent onset SLE. Significant protection from damage accrual was not observed because of low rates of damage accrual in the first years after SLE diagnosis. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03138941).

Effectiveness of Molnupiravir and Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 : A Target Trial Emulation Study.

BACKGROUND: Whether hospitalized patients benefit from COVID-19 oral antivirals is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To examine the real-world effectiveness of molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir-ritonavir in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 during the Omicron outbreak. DESIGN: Target trial emulation study. SETTING: Electronic health databases in Hong Kong. PARTICIPANTS: The molnupiravir emulated trial included hospitalized patients with COVID-19 aged 18 years or older between 26 February and 18 July 2022 (n = 16 495). The nirmatrelvir-ritonavir emulated trial included hospitalized patients with COVID-19 aged 18 years or older between 16 March and 18 July 2022 (n = 7119). INTERVENTION: Initiation of molnupiravir or nirmatrelvir-ritonavir within 5 days of hospitalization with COVID-19 versus no initiation of molnupiravir or nirmatrelvir-ritonavir. MEASUREMENTS: Effectiveness against all-cause mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, or use of ventilatory support within 28 days. RESULTS: The use of oral antivirals in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was associated with a lower risk for all-cause mortality (molnupiravir: hazard ratio [HR], 0.87 [95% CI, 0.81 to 0.93]; nirmatrelvir-ritonavir: HR, 0.77 [CI, 0.66 to 0.90]) but no significant risk reduction in terms of ICU admission (molnupiravir: HR, 1.02 [CI, 0.76 to 1.36]; nirmatrelvir-ritonavir: HR, 1.08 [CI, 0.58 to 2.02]) or the need for ventilatory support (molnupiravir: HR, 1.07 [CI, 0.89 to 1.30]; nirmatrelvir-ritonavir: HR, 1.03 [CI, 0.70 to 1.52]). There was no significant interaction between drug treatment and the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses received, thereby supporting the effectiveness of oral antivirals regardless of vaccination status. No significant interaction between nirmatrelvir-ritonavir treatment and age, sex, or Charlson Comorbidity Index was observed, whereas molnupiravir tended to be more effective in older people. LIMITATION: The outcome of ICU admission or need for ventilatory support may not capture all severe COVID-19 cases; unmeasured confounders, such as obesity and health behaviors, may exist. CONCLUSION: Molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir-ritonavir reduced all-cause mortality in both vaccinated and unvaccinated hospitalized patients. No significant reduction in ICU admission or the need for ventilatory support was observed. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Health and Medical Research Fund Research on COVID-19, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Research Grants Council, Collaborative Research Fund; and Health Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Opportunities and challenges of lupus care in Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific: A call to action.

Lupus remains a disease with a low prioritisation in the national agendas of many countries in Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, where there is a dearth of rheumatologists and limited access to new or even standard lupus treatments. There is thus an important need for education, advocacy, and outreach to prioritise lupus in these regions to ensure that patients receive the care they need. This article reviews some of the specific challenges facing the care and management of people with lupus in these regions and suggests strategies for improving patient outcomes. Specifically, we review and discuss (with a focus on the aforementioned regions) the epidemiology of lupus; economic costs, disease burden, and effects on quality of life; barriers to care related to disease assessment; barriers to effective treatment, including limitations of standard treatments, high glucocorticoid use, inadequate access to new treatments, and low adherence to medications; and strategies to improve lupus management and patient outcomes. We hope that this represents a call to action to come together and act now for the lupus community, policymakers, health authorities, and healthcare professionals to improve lupus management and patient outcomes in Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

Messenger RNA Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination With BNT162b2 Increased Risk of Bell's Palsy: A Nested Case-Control and Self-Controlled Case Series Study.

BACKGROUND: Observable symptoms of Bell's palsy following vaccinations arouse concern over the safety profiles of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. However, there are only inconclusive findings on Bell's palsy following messenger (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccination. This study aims to update the previous analyses on the risk of Bell's palsy following mRNA (BNT162b2) COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS: This study included cases aged ≥16 years with a new diagnosis of Bell's palsy within 28 days after BNT162b2 vaccinations from the population-based electronic health records in Hong Kong. Nested case-control and self-controlled case series (SCCS) analyses were used, where the association between Bell's palsy and BNT162b2 was evaluated using conditional logistic and Poisson regression, respectively. RESULTS: Totally 54 individuals were newly diagnosed with Bell's palsy after BNT162b2 vaccinations. The incidence of Bell's palsy was 1.58 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-2.07) per 100 000 doses administered. The nested case-control analysis showed significant association between BNT162b2 vaccinations and Bell's palsy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.543; 95% CI, 1.123-2.121), with up to 1.112 excess events per 100 000 people who received 2 doses of BNT162b2. An increased risk of Bell's palsy was observed during the first 14 days after the second dose of BNT162b2 in both nested case-control (aOR, 2.325; 95% CI, 1.414-3.821) and SCCS analysis (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.32-4.50). CONCLUSIONS: There was an overall increased risk of Bell's palsy following BNT162b2 vaccination, particularly within the first 14 days after the second dose, but the absolute risk was very low.

Early Treatment of High-Risk Hospitalized Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Patients With a Combination of Interferon Beta-1b and Remdesivir: A Phase 2 Open-label Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Early antiviral therapy was effective in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We assessed the efficacy and safety of combined interferon beta-1b and remdesivir treatment in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We conducted a multicentre, prospective open-label, randomized-controlled trial involving high-risk adults hospitalized for COVID-19. Patients were randomly assigned to a 5-day interferon beta-1b 16 million units daily and remdesivir 200 mg loading on day 1 followed by 100 mg daily on day 2 to 5 (combination group), or to remdesivir only of similar regimen (control group) (1:1). The primary endpoint was the time to complete alleviation of symptoms (NEWS2 = 0). RESULTS: Two-hundred and twelve patients were enrolled. The median days of starting treatment from symptom onset was 3 days. The median age was 65 years, and 159 patients (75%) had chronic disease. The baseline demographics were similar. There was no mortality. For the primary endpoint, the combination group was significantly quicker to NEWS2 = 0 (4 vs 6.5 days; hazard ratio [HR], 6.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.1-7.09; P < .0001) when compared to the control group. For the secondary endpoints, the combination group was quicker to negative nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) viral load (VL) (6 vs 8 days; HR, 8.16; 95% CI, 7.79-8.52; P < .0001) and to develop seropositive immunoglobulin G (IgG) (8 vs 10 days; HR, 10.78; 95% CI, 9.98-11.58; P < .0001). All adverse events resolved upon follow-up. Combination group (HR, 4.1 95% CI, 1.9-8.6, P < .0001) was the most significant independent factor associated with NEWS2 = 0 on day 4. CONCLUSIONS: Early treatment with interferon beta-1b and remdesivir was safe and better than remdesivir only in alleviating symptoms, and in shortening viral shedding and hospitalization with earlier seropositivity in high-risk COVID-19 patients. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT04647695.

Cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with targeted synthetic and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: A multi-centre cohort study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the cardiovascular safety of interleukin-6 inhibitors (IL-6i) and Janus Kinase inhibitors (JAKi) to tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using population-based electronic databases from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea. We identified newly diagnosed patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who received b/tsDMARDs first time. We followed patients from b/tsDMARD initiation to the earliest outcome (acute coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, venous thromboembolism and systemic embolism) or censoring events (death, transformation of b/tsDMARDs on different targets, discontinuation and study end). Using TNFi as reference, we applied generalized linear regression for the incidence rate ratio estimation adjusted by age, sex, disease duration and comorbidities. Random effects meta-analysis was used for pooled analysis. RESULTS: We identified 8689 participants for this study. Median (interquartile range) follow-up years were 1.45 (2.77) in Hong Kong, 1.72 (2.39) in Taiwan and 1.45 (2.46) in Korea. Compared to TNFi, the adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRRs) (95% confidence interval [CI]) of IL-6i in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea are 0.99 (0.25, 3.95), 1.06 (0.57, 1.98) and 1.05 (0.59, 1.86) and corresponding aIRR of JAKi are 1.50 (0.42, 5.41), 0.60 (0.26, 1.41), and 0.81 (0.38, 1.74), respectively. Pooled aIRRs showed no significant risk of cardiovascular events (CVEs) associated with IL-6i (1.05 [0.70, 1.57]) nor JAKi (0.80 [0.48, 1.35]) compared to TNFi. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in the risk of CVE among RA patients initiated with IL-6i, or JAKi compared to TNFi. The finding is consistent in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea.

Booster vaccination with inactivated whole-virus or mRNA vaccines and COVID-19-related deaths among people with multimorbidity: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity is a prevalent risk factor for COVID-19-related complications and death. We sought to evaluate the association of homologous booster vaccination using BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) or CoronaVac (Sinovac) with COVID-19-related deaths among people with multimorbidity during the initial Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Using routine clinical records from public health care facilities in Hong Kong, we conducted a territory-wide retrospective cohort study comparing people aged 18 years or older with 2 or more chronic conditions who received a homologous booster (third) dose with those who received only 2 doses, between Nov. 11, 2021, and Mar. 31, 2022. The primary outcome was death related to COVID-19. RESULTS: We included 120 724 BNT162b2 recipients (including 87 289 who received a booster), followed for a median of 34 (interquartile range [IQR] 20-63) days and 127 318 CoronaVac recipients (including 94 977 who received a booster), followed for a median of 38 (IQR 22-77) days. Among BNT162b2 recipients, booster-vaccinated people had fewer COVID-19-related deaths than those who received 2 doses (5 v. 34, incidence rate 1.3 v. 23.4 per million person-days, weighted incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.02-0.16). We observed similar results among recipients of CoronaVac booster vaccination compared with those who received only 2 doses (26 v. 88, incidence rate 5.3 v. 53.1 per million person-days, weighted IRR 0.08, 95% CI 0.05-0.12). INTERPRETATION: Among people with multimorbidity, booster vaccination with BNT162b2 or CoronaVac was associated with reductions of more than 90% in COVID-19-related mortality rates compared with only 2 doses. These results highlight the crucial role of booster vaccination for protecting vulnerable populations as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve.

Ten-year outcomes of Perioperative Anaphylaxis Workup Study in Hong Kong (PAWS-HK): Performance of diagnostic modalities.

BACKGROUND: Studies on perioperative anaphylaxis (PA) in Asia are lacking. Furthermore, allergy workup for PA has largely been limited to the "silver standard" of skin tests (ST). Using in vitro tests as an adjunct to ST may improve and overcome these diagnostic challenges. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical characteristics and diagnostic tests of patients with suspected PA through the Perioperative Anaphylaxis Workup Study in Hong Kong cohort. METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of PA over a 10-year period were recruited into the Perioperative Anaphylaxis Workup Study in Hong Kong. We reviewed the medical records, tryptase elevation, and diagnostic tests including ST, specific immunoglobulin E, and basophil activation tests (BAT). RESULTS: In 151 patients with PA, diagnosis was reached in three-fourths of the cases (113/151, 74.8%). The most common culprits identified were neuromuscular blocking agents (25.8%), ß lactams (17.2%) and chlorhexidine (13.9%). Severe anaphylaxis was associated with female sex, older age, elevated acute tryptase levels, and more cardiovascular manifestations during induction. Skin tests remained the most sensitive diagnostic modality overall (66.2%). BAT showed better performance for chlorhexidine and gelofusine anaphylaxis, with sensitivity of 80.0% and 79.6%, respectively. Specific Immunoglobulin E indicated even higher sensitivity (95.2%) than did ST (85.0%) and BAT (80.0%) for chlorhexidine anaphylaxis but performed poorly for other drugs. CONCLUSION: Neuromuscular blocking agents remain the most common culprit in PA. There was a higher prevalence of gelofusine anaphylaxis in our cohort than was seen in the literature. Skin tests remain the most sensitive testing modality. In vitro tests for chlorhexidine and gelofusine showed promising results, but more studies to further elucidate its use are warranted.

Shedding Light on Skin Autoimmunity: More than Just Skin Deep.

Our skin is the largest organ of the body and the foremost defensive barrier against the external environment [...].

COVID-19 Vaccine Allergy Safety Track (VAS-Track) pathway: real-world outcomes on vaccination rates and antibody protection.

BACKGROUND: Misdiagnosed vaccine-related "allergies" lead to unnecessary vaccine deferrals and incomplete vaccinations, leaving patients unprotected against COVID-19. To overcome limitations and queues for Allergist assessment, the "VAS-Track" pathway was developed to evaluate patients via a multi-disciplinary triage model including nurses, non-specialists, and Allergists. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the effectiveness and safety of VAS-Track and evaluate its real-world impact in terms of vaccination rates and COVID-19 protection. METHODS: Patients referred to VAS-Track between September 2021 and March 2022 were recruited. Subgroup analysis was performed with prospective pre- and post-clinic antibody levels. RESULTS: Nurse-assisted screening identified 10,412 (76%) referrals as inappropriate. 369 patients were assessed by VAS-Track. Overall, 100% of patients were recommended to complete vaccination and 332 (90%) completed their primary series. No patients reported any significant allergic reactions following subsequent vaccination. Vaccination completion rates between patients seen by non-specialists and additional Allergist review were similar (90% vs. 89%, p = 0.617). Vaccination rates were higher among patients with prior history of immediate-type reactions (odds ratio: 2.43, p = 0.025). Subgroup analysis revealed that only 20% (56/284) of patients had seropositive COVID-19 neutralizing antibody levels (≥ 15 AU/mL) prior to VAS-Track, which increased to 92% after vaccine completion (pre-clinic antibody level 6.0 ± 13.5 AU/mL vs. post-clinic antibody level 778.8 ± 337.4 AU/mL, p > 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A multi-disciplinary allergy team was able to streamline our COVID-19 VAS services, enabling almost all patients to complete their primary series, significantly boosting antibody levels and real-world COVID-19 protection. We propose similar multidisciplinary models to be further utilized, especially in the settings with limited allergy services.

Two-dose COVID-19 vaccination and possible arthritis flare among patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between COVID-19 full vaccination (two completed doses) and possible arthritis flare. METHODS: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were identified from population-based electronic medical records with vaccination linkage and categorised into BNT162b2 (mRNA vaccine), CoronaVac (inactive virus vaccine) and non-vaccinated groups. The risk of possible arthritis flare after vaccination was compared using a propensity-weighted cohort study design. We defined possible arthritis flare as hospitalisation and outpatient consultation related to RA or reactive arthritis, based on diagnosis records during the episode. Weekly prescriptions of rheumatic drugs since the launch of COVID-19 vaccination programme were compared to complement the findings from a diagnosis-based analysis. RESULTS: Among 5493 patients with RA (BNT162b2: 653; CoronaVac: 671; non-vaccinated: 4169), propensity-scored weighted Poisson regression showed no significant association between arthritis flare and COVID-19 vaccination ((BNT162b2: adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.86, 95% Confidence Interval 0.73 to 1.01); CoronaVac: 0.87 (0.74 to 1.02)). The distribution of weekly rheumatic drug prescriptions showed no significant differences among the three groups since the launch of the mass vaccination programme (all p values >0.1 from Kruskal-Wallis test). CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence does not support that full vaccination of mRNA or inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccines is associated with possible arthritis flare.

Autoimmune conditions following mRNA (BNT162b2) and inactivated (CoronaVac) COVID-19 vaccination: A descriptive cohort study among 1.1 million vaccinated people in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: Concerns regarding the autoimmune safety of COVID-19 vaccines may negatively impact vaccine uptake. We aimed to describe the incidence of autoimmune conditions following BNT162b2 and CoronaVac vaccination and compare these with age-standardized incidence rates in non-vaccinated individuals. METHODS: This is a descriptive cohort study conducted in public healthcare service settings. Territory-wide longitudinal electronic medical records of Hong Kong Hospital Authority users (≥16 years) were linked with COVID-19 vaccination records between February 23, 2021 and June 30, 2021. We classified participants into first/second dose BNT162b2 groups, first/second dose CoronaVac groups and non-vaccinated individuals for incidence comparison. The study outcomes include hospitalized autoimmune diseases (16 types of immune-mediated diseases across six body systems) within 28 days after first and second dose of vaccination. Age-standardized incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with exact 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Poisson distribution. RESULTS: This study included around 3.9 million Hong Kong residents, of which 1,122,793 received at least one dose of vaccine (BNT162b2: 579,998; CoronaVac: 542,795), and 721,588 completed two doses (BNT162b2: 388,881; CoronaVac: 332,707). Within 28 days following vaccination, cumulative incidences for all autoimmune conditions were below 9 per 100,000 persons, for both vaccines and both doses. None of the age-standardized incidence rates were significantly higher than the non-vaccinated individuals, except for an observed increased incidence of hypersomnia following the first dose of BNT162b2 (standardized IRR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.10-1.94). CONCLUSIONS: Autoimmune conditions requiring hospital care are rare following mRNA and inactivated COVID-19 vaccination with similar incidence to non-vaccinated individuals. The association between first dose BNT162b2 vaccination and immune-related sleeping disorders requires further research. Population-based robust safety surveillance is essential to detect rare and unexpected vaccine safety events.

Predictors of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease and mortality in patients with autoantibodies against melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 dermatomyositis.

OBJECTIVE: Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5)-positive DM is associated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) and high mortality. This multicentre retrospective study aimed to identify predictors of mortality and RP-ILD. METHODS: Anti-MDA5-positive DM patients were identified from the Hong Kong Myositis Registry and the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System. Clinical characteristics were reviewed. Risk factors for mortality and RP-ILD were identified. RESULTS: Among the 116 recruited patients, 100 (86.2%) had ILD, 47 (40.5%) had RP-ILD and 44 (37.9%) patients died. Cox regression analysis revealed RP-ILD [hazard ratio (HR) 9.735 (95% CI 3.905, 24.272)], age >52 years [HR 4.750 (95% CI 1.692, 13.333)], ferritin level >2800 pmol/l [HR 3.042 (95% CI 1.323, 6.997)] and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) >400 IU/l [HR 2.290 (95% CI 1.009, 5.198)] were independent predictors of mortality. With regard to RP-ILD, analyses showed that potential predictors at baseline included age >50 years [HR 2.640 (95% CI 1.277, 5.455)], LDH >300 IU/l [HR 3.189 (95% CI 1.469, 6.918)], fever [HR 1.903 (95% CI 0.956, 3.790)] and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio >7.0 [HR 1.967 (95% CI 0.942, 4.107)]. We proposed a prediction model based on fever, LDH, age and white cell count (FLAW) to stratify the risk of development of RP-ILD. The probability of RP-ILD in a patient with a score of 4 was 100%. A small internal validation cohort showed the odds of RP-ILD with FLAW scores of 0, 1, 2 and 3 were 0%, 0%, 42.9% and 75%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-MDA5-associated RP-ILD is significantly associated with poor survival rates. The FLAW model maybe useful to predict the development of RP-ILD.

The Role of the Allergist in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccine Allergy Safety: A Pilot Study on a "Hub-and-Spoke" Model for Population-Wide Allergy Service.

BACKGROUND: Hong Kong started its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program in February 2021. A territory-wide Vaccine Allergy Safety (VAS) clinic was set up to assess individuals deemed at "higher risk" of COVID-19 vaccine-associated allergies. A novel "hub-and-spoke" model was piloted to tackle the overwhelming demand of services by allowing nonallergists to conduct assessment. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcomes of the VAS hub-and-spoke model for allergy assessment. METHODS: Records of patients attending the VAS hub-and-spoke Clinics between March and August 2021 were reviewed (n = 2725). We studied the overall results between the Hub (allergist led) and Spoke (nonallergist led) Clinics. The Hub and the Hong Kong West Cluster Spoke Clinic were selected for subgroup analysis as they saw the largest number of patients (n = 1411). RESULTS: A total of 2725 patients were assessed under the VAS hub-and-spoke model. Overall, 2324 patients (85.3%) were recommended to proceed with vaccination. Allergists recommended significantly more patients for vaccination than nonallergists (odds ratio = 21.58; P < .001). Subgroup analysis revealed that 881 of 1055 (83.5%) patients received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination safely after assessment. Among those recommended vaccination, more patients assessed by allergists received their first dose of vaccination (odds ratio = 4.18; P < .001). CONCLUSION: The hub-and-spoke model has proven to be successful for the vaccination campaign. This study has illustrated the crucial role of allergists in countering vaccine hesitancy. Results from the study revealed considerable differences in outcomes between allergist-led and nonallergist-led clinics. Precise reasons for these differences warrant further evaluation. We are hopeful that the hub-and-spoke model can be similarly adapted for other allergist-integrative services in the future.

Malignancies in spondyloarthritis with and without concomitant psoriasis, and the effect of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the risk of 6 types of malignancies in spondyloarthritis (SpA) with and without psoriasis (PsO) and on disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), compared to non-specific back pain (NSBP). METHODS: Medical records were retrieved. Patients with SpA with and without PsO were identified and compared to those with NSBP. Clinical data; follow-up duration; comorbidities; dates and types of cancer diagnosed; types and duration of DMARD therapy were collected. Propensity score adjustment was used to compare the risks of malignancies between SpA, SpA with and without PsO, and NSBP. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the risk of malignancy in DMARD therapy. RESULTS: A total of 3020 patients with SpA and 2527 patients with NSBP were studied. The mean follow-up duration in patients with SpA and NSBP was 9.6 years and 13.5 years respectively. Incidence and risk of malignancies were compatible between SpA and NSBP. The incidences of various carcinomas (per 1000 patient-years) in SpA were: 1.37 for colorectal carcinoma; 0.30 for carcinoma of pancreas; 0.30 for carcinoma of stomach; and 0.91 for lymphomas. Risk of colorectal carcinoma (HR 2.46; p=0.03) and lymphomas (HR 2.86; p=0.04) was increased in SpA with concomitant PsO. DMARD therapy was not associated with increased risks of malignancies after adjustment for confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: Risk of malignancy was increased in SpA with PsO but not in other subtypes of SpA or DMARD therapy.

Conventional and Biologic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs Are Not Associated With Increase in or Progression of Cervical Neoplasia Among Patients With Spondyloarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Using a centralized electronic database, we investigated the risk of cervical neoplasia (CN) and progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) among patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) receiving disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). METHOD: A total of 951 patients with SpA were reviewed. Incidence and progression of CN and clinical data including age, ethnicity, smoking and drinking status, dates of first and last follow-up, history of psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, medications used, mean dose and duration of medications, and comorbidities were reviewed. Cox regression models were used to evaluate the individual risk of DMARDs with CN and the risk of CIN progression. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up duration of 9.2 ± 5.9 years, 34 patients had developed CN, which translates to an incidence for development of CN in patients with SpA of 3.9 per 1000 patient-years. Univariate Cox regression analyses showed no differences in clinical characteristics (psoriasis hazards ratio [HR] = 0.92, p = 0.82; inflammatory bowel disease HR = 0.05, p = 0.61; diabetes mellitus HR = 2.82, p = 0.21; chronic kidney disease HR = 0.39, p = 0.35) and medications exposure (sulfasalazine HR = 0.49, p = 0.30; methotrexate HR = 0.52, p = 0.11; leflunomide HR = 0.52, p = 0.37; adalimumab HR = 0.83, p = 0.80; certolizumab HR = 0.05, p = 0.74; etanercept HR = 0.40, p = 0.36; golimumab HR = 0.05, p = 0.32; infliximab HR = 0.05, p = 0.39; secukinumab HR = 1.00, p = 1.00; ustekinumab HR = 0.05, p = 0.78) between patients who had and had not develop CN during the study period. Progression of CIN was independently associated with higher grades of CIN lesion (HR = 6.20; p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There was low risk of development and progression of CN in patients with SpA on conventional or biologic DMARD therapy.