Neutrophilic Epitheliotropism is a Histopathological Clue to Neutrophilic Urticarial Dermatosis.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophilic urticarial dermatosis (NUD) comprises a particular autoinflammatory condition within the spectrum of aseptic neutrophilic dermatoses characterized by a distinct urticarial eruption clinically and a neutrophilic dermatosis histopathologically. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we reviewed skin biopsies of lesional skin of patients seen in our outpatient clinic for autoimmune dermatoses and in allergy department from 1982 to 2014 that fulfilled these criteria. METHODS: A total of 77 biopsies from 50 patients were analyzed histopathologically. Included were cases of Schnitzler syndrome, Still disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome, primary biliary cirrhosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and those that had signs of systemic inflammation not otherwise specified, that is, fever, arthritis, leukocytosis, and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. A control cohort was defined as including a total of 70 biopsies from 50 patients comprising neutrophilic urticaria (pressure-induced and not pressure-induced), conventional urticaria, lupus erythematosus expressing neutrophils, and exanthematous drug reaction of macular type expressing neutrophils. RESULTS: Skin biopsies of NUD revealed a perivascular and interstitial neutrophilic infiltrate focally extending into the epithelia of epidermis, hair follicles, sebaceous and sweat glands, a feature which we termed neutrophilic epitheliotropism. This neutrophilic epitheliotropism proved to be of high sensitivity (83.1%) and lower specificity (74.3%). The histological findings could be substantiated by immunohistochemical markers for leukocytes (elastase and myeloperoxidase), in particular in cases where neutrophils showed uncharacteristic band-like nuclei. CONCLUSIONS: Neutrophilic epitheliotropism is a new sensitive and specific histopathological clue for NUD, a histopathological reaction pattern within the spectrum of neutrophilic dermatoses that needs to be differentiated from conventional urticaria.

Disease progression in systemic sclerosis-overlap syndrome is significantly different from limited and diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Systemic sclerosis (SSc)-overlap syndromes are a very heterogeneous and remarkable subgroup of SSc-patients, who present at least two connective tissue diseases (CTD) at the same time, usually with a specific autoantibody status. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether patients, classified as overlap syndromes, show a disease course different from patients with limited SSc (lcSSc) or diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc). METHODS: The data of 3240 prospectively included patients, registered in the database of the German Network for Systemic Scleroderma and followed between 2003 and 2013, were analysed. RESULTS: Among 3240 registered patients, 10% were diagnosed as SSc-overlap syndrome. Of these, 82.5% were female. SSc-overlap patients had a mean age of 48±1.2 years and carried significantly more often 'other antibodies' (68.0%; p<0.0001), including anti-U1RNP, -PmScl, -Ro, -La, as well as anti-Jo-1 and -Ku antibodies. These patients developed musculoskeletal involvement earlier and more frequently (62.5%) than patients diagnosed as lcSSc (32.2%) or dcSSc (43.3%) (p<0.0001). The onset of lung fibrosis and heart involvement in SSc-overlap patients was significantly earlier than in patients with lcSSc and occurred later than in patients with dcSSc. Oesophagus, kidney and PH progression was similar to lcSSc patients, whereas dcSSc patients had a significantly earlier onset. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the concept that SSc-overlap syndromes should be regarded as a separate SSc subset, distinct from lcSSc and dcSSc, due to a different progression of the disease, different proportional distribution of specific autoantibodies, and of different organ involvement.

Intravenous sphingosylphosphorylcholine protects ischemic and postischemic myocardial tissue in a mouse model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.

HDL, through sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), exerts direct cardioprotective effects on ischemic myocardium. It remains unclear whether other HDL-associated sphingophospholipids have similar effects. We therefore examined if HDL-associated sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC) reduces infarct size in a mouse model of transient myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. Intravenously administered SPC dose-dependently reduced infarct size after 30 minutes of myocardial ischemia and 24 hours reperfusion compared to controls. Infarct size was also reduced by postischemic, therapeutical administration of SPC. Immunohistochemistry revealed reduced polymorphonuclear neutrophil recruitment to the infarcted area after SPC treatment, and apoptosis was attenuated as measured by TUNEL. In vitro, SPC inhibited leukocyte adhesion to TNFα-activated endothelial cells and protected rat neonatal cardiomyocytes from apoptosis. S1P3 was identified as the lysophospholipid receptor mediating the cardioprotection by SPC, since its effect was completely absent in S1P3-deficient mice. We conclude that HDL-associated SPC directly protects against myocardial reperfusion injury in vivo via the S1P3 receptor.

High-density lipoproteins and their constituent, sphingosine-1-phosphate, directly protect the heart against ischemia/reperfusion injury in vivo via the S1P3 lysophospholipid receptor.

BACKGROUND: All treatments of acute myocardial infarction are aimed at rapid revascularization of the occluded vessel; however, no clinical strategies are currently available to protect the heart from ischemia/reperfusion injury after restitution of blood flow. We hypothesized that some of the cholesterol transport-independent biological properties of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) implied in atheroprotection may also be beneficial in settings of acute myocardial reperfusion injury. METHODS AND RESULTS: In an in vivo mouse model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion, we observed that HDL and its sphingolipid component, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), dramatically attenuated infarction size by approximately 20% and 40%, respectively. The underlying mechanism was an inhibition of inflammatory neutrophil recruitment and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in the infarcted area. In vitro, HDL and S1P potently suppressed leukocyte adhesion to activated endothelium under flow and protected rat neonatal cardiomyocytes against apoptosis. In vivo, HDL- and S1P-mediated cardioprotection was dependent on nitric oxide (NO) and the S1P3 lysophospholipid receptor, because it was abolished by pharmacological NO synthase inhibition and was completely absent in S1P3-deficient mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that HDL and its constituent, S1P, acutely protect the heart against ischemia/reperfusion injury in vivo via an S1P3-mediated and NO-dependent pathway. A rapid therapeutic elevation of S1P-containing HDL plasma levels may be beneficial in patients at high risk of acute myocardial ischemia.

Clinical complexity of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis infections amongst travelers.

The protozoan parasite Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is one of the main causes of cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in South America. Here, we describe three cases of L. (V.) braziliensis infection which were acquired during travelling in Bolivia, Peru or Paraguay and illustrate the phenotypic heterogeneity and therapeutic complexity of the disease. Two patients presented with unusual clinical manifestations, i.e. with prominent regional lymphadenopathy ("bubonic leishmaniasis") and with simultaneously emerged skin and mucosal lesions, respectively. Both patients insufficiently responded to oral treatment with miltefosine; resolution of the lesions was only achieved after a course of intravenous liposomal amphotericin B.

Targeting the neurokinin receptor 1 with aprepitant: a novel antipruritic strategy.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pruritus is a global clinical problem with a high impact on the quality of life and lack of specific therapies. It is an excruciating and frequent symptom of e.g. uncurable renal, liver and skin diseases which often does not respond to conventional treatment with e.g. antihistamines. Therefore antipruritic therapies which target physiological mechanisms of pruritus need to be developed. Substance P (SP) is a major mediator of pruritus. As it binds to the neurokinin receptor 1 (NKR1), we evaluated if the application of a NKR1 antagonist would significantly decrease chronic pruritus. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Twenty hitherto untreatable patients with chronic pruritus (12 female, 8 male; mean age, 66.7 years) were treated with the NKR1 antagonist aprepitant 80 mg for one week. 16 of 20 patients (80%) experienced a considerable reduction of itch intensity, as assessed by the visual analog scale (VAS, range 0 to 10). Considering all patients, the mean value of pruritus intensity was significantly reduced from 8.4 VAS points (SD +/-1.7) before treatment to 4.9 VAS points (SD +/-3.2) (p<0.001, CI 1.913-5.187). Patients with dermatological diseases (e.g. atopic diathesis, prurigo nodularis) had the best profit from the treatment. Side-effects were mild (nausea, vertigo, and drowsiness) and only occurred in three patients. CONCLUSIONS: The high response rate in patients with therapy refractory pruritus suggests that the NKR1 antagonist aprepitant may indeed exhibit antipruritic effects and may present a novel, effective treatment strategy based on pathophysiology of chronic pruritus. The results are promising enough to warrant confirming the efficacy of NKR1 antagonists in a randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Management of cutaneous vascular complications in systemic scleroderma: experience from the German network.

Major cutaneous vascular complications of systemic sclerosis (SSc) are secondary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and digital ulcers. Even though SSc is a rare disease, timely and appropriate management of its vascular complications is mandatory for reducing the rate of major impairment. It should therefore be aware to physicians from different specialties. We evaluated the diagnostic and therapeutic approach toward secondary RP and ulceration in SSc patients at 28 German clinical centers at the time of initiation of the German network for Systemic Scleroderma (DNSS). We retrieved data via questionnaires and from the DNSS patient registry. Management of RP and ulcerations in SSc were heterogeneous at initiation of the network, reflecting a sometimes insufficient use of the diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities. As such, (1) calcium channel blockers were the first line therapy in most centers; but often in insufficient dosages, and (2) only 21.2% of patients with acral ulceration had received prostacyclins when recruited into the network. The sometimes insufficient care of vascular complications of SSc in Germany revealed the need for their standardized management, e.g. within a network for SSc and for consensus on a diagnostic or therapeutic algorithm.