Untimely TGFß responses in COVID-19 limit antiviral functions of NK cells.

SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded RNA virus that causes COVID-19. Given its acute and often self-limiting course, it is likely that components of the innate immune system play a central part in controlling virus replication and determining clinical outcome. Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes with notable activity against a broad range of viruses, including RNA viruses1,2. NK cell function may be altered during COVID-19 despite increased representation of NK cells with an activated and adaptive phenotype3,4. Here we show that a decline in viral load in COVID-19 correlates with NK cell status and that NK cells can control SARS-CoV-2 replication by recognizing infected target cells. In severe COVID-19, NK cells show defects in virus control, cytokine production and cell-mediated cytotoxicity despite high expression of cytotoxic effector molecules. Single-cell RNA sequencing of NK cells over the time course of the COVID-19 disease spectrum reveals a distinct gene expression signature. Transcriptional networks of interferon-driven NK cell activation are superimposed by a dominant transforming growth factor-ß (TGFß) response signature, with reduced expression of genes related to cell-cell adhesion, granule exocytosis and cell-mediated cytotoxicity. In severe COVID-19, serum levels of TGFß peak during the first two weeks of infection, and serum obtained from these patients severely inhibits NK cell function in a TGFß-dependent manner. Our data reveal that an untimely production of TGFß is a hallmark of severe COVID-19 and may inhibit NK cell function and early control of the virus.

[Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology (GKJR) diagnosis and treatment optimization board-New ways to the diagnosis and treatment of complex diseases : An analysis after 2 years testing in practice]. / GKJR(Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie)-Diagnose- und Therapieoptimierungsboard ­ neue Wege zu Diagnose und Therapie komplexer Erkrankungen : Eine Analyse nach 2 Jahren Praxistest.

With the diagnosis and treatment optimization board, the Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology (GKJR) has developed a new format for expert-based discussion of rare and complex diseases. So far, 32 cases, predominantly from the areas of hyperinflammation, systemic lupus erythematosus, myositis and nonbacterial osteomyelitis, could be discussed in 8 conferences. The digital format enabled a high number of participants and the involvement of national and international experts. Rare diseases increasingly present modern medicine with challenges, which the GKJR meets with the new format.

[Monogenic variants in Laccase domain-containing 1 (LACC1) as the cause of juvenile arthritis]. / Monogene Varianten in "laccase domain-containing 1" (LACC1) als Ursache einer juvenilen Arthritis.

Monogenic mutations in laccase domain-containing 1 (LACC1) are associated with clinical pictures that mimic severe courses of polyarticular or systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The diseases are characterized by an early onset during the first year of life, a familial clustering and a high inflammatory activity. The courses are mostly difficult to influence and often lead to sequelae. In this article four cases from two families are presented in which the homozygous mutation p.T276fs* in LACC1 was detected. The children initially suffered from polyarticular or systemic forms of juvenile arthritis. Of the patients two are currently being treated with tocilizumab and methotrexate and one female patient without a basis treatment is currently only receiving local repeated intra-articular steroids. A fourth female patient underwent an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation due to a relapse of an acute lymphatic leukemia. Since then, no further inflammatory symptoms have occurred. The cases presented are compared with the other 50 courses published to date. In addition, recent studies investigating the influence of LACC1 mutations, particularly on macrophage function, are summarized.

Pathogenesis, immunology, and immune-targeted management of the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) or pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS): EAACI Position Paper.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare, but severe complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It develops approximately 4 weeks after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and involves hyperinflammation with multisystem injury, commonly progressing to shock. The exact pathomechanism of MIS-C is not known, but immunological dysregulation leading to cytokine storm plays a central role. In response to the emergence of MIS-C, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) established a task force (TF) within the Immunology Section in May 2021. With the use of an online Delphi process, TF formulated clinical statements regarding immunological background of MIS-C, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and the role of COVID-19 vaccinations. MIS-C case definition is broad, and diagnosis is made based on clinical presentation. The immunological mechanism leading to MIS-C is unclear and depends on activating multiple pathways leading to hyperinflammation. Current management of MIS-C relies on supportive care in combination with immunosuppressive and/or immunomodulatory agents. The most frequently used agents are systemic steroids and intravenous immunoglobulin. Despite good overall short-term outcome, MIS-C patients should be followed-up at regular intervals after discharge, focusing on cardiac disease, organ damage, and inflammatory activity. COVID-19 vaccination is a safe and effective measure to prevent MIS-C. In anticipation of further research, we propose a convenient and clinically practical algorithm for managing MIS-C developed by the Immunology Section of the EAACI.

Update of evidence- and consensus-based guidelines for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) by the German Society of Pediatric and Juvenile Rheumatic Diseases (GKJR): New perspectives on interdisciplinary care.

BACKGROUND: New therapeutic strategies for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) have evolved within the past ten years, and as a result, an update of the 2011 recommendations of the German management guidelines was initiated. METHODS: A systemic literature review was performed, overarching principles were proposed and pre-selected via an online survey followed by two multidisciplinary consensus conferences. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments were discussed, statements were proposed and ultimately agreed upon by nominal group technique (NGT). RESULTS: 12 overarching therapeutic principles, as well as 9 recommendations on pharmacological and 5 on non-pharmacological treatments for JIA were agreed upon. CONCLUSION: This report summarizes the recent update of the interdisciplinary, consensus-based German guidelines on the management of JIA. The multi- and interdisciplinary participation of all caregivers was central for this patient-focused update. With these guidelines, physicians can choose an evidence-based approach, which allows better tailored treatment in this vulnerable cohort of children and adolescents.

Antigen-driven PD-1+ TOX+ BHLHE40+ and PD-1+ TOX+ EOMES+ T lymphocytes regulate juvenile idiopathic arthritis in situ.

T lymphocytes accumulate in inflamed tissues of patients with chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs) and express pro-inflammatory cytokines upon re-stimulation in vitro. Further, a significant genetic linkage to MHC genes suggests that T lymphocytes play an important role in the pathogenesis of CIDs including juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). However, the functions of T lymphocytes in established disease remain elusive. Here we dissect the transcriptional and the clonal heterogeneity of synovial T lymphocytes in JIA patients by single-cell RNA sequencing combined with T cell receptor profiling on the same cells. We identify clonally expanded subpopulations of T lymphocytes expressing genes reflecting recent activation by antigen in situ. A PD-1+ TOX+ EOMES+ population of CD4+ T lymphocytes expressed immune regulatory genes and chemoattractant genes for myeloid cells. A PD-1+ TOX+ BHLHE40+ population of CD4+ , and a mirror population of CD8+ T lymphocytes expressed genes driving inflammation, and genes supporting B lymphocyte activation in situ. This analysis points out that multiple types of T lymphocytes have to be targeted for therapeutic regeneration of tolerance in arthritis.

Outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection among children and young people with pre-existing rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

OBJECTIVES: Some adults with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) are at increased risk of COVID-19-related death. Excluding post-COVID-19 multisystem inflammatory syndrome of children, children and young people (CYP) are overall less prone to severe COVID-19 and most experience a mild or asymptomatic course. However, it is unknown if CYP with RMDs are more likely to have more severe COVID-19. This analysis aims to describe outcomes among CYP with underlying RMDs with COVID-19. METHODS: Using the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology COVID-19 Registry, the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry, and the CARRA-sponsored COVID-19 Global Paediatric Rheumatology Database, we obtained data on CYP with RMDs who reported SARS-CoV-2 infection (presumptive or confirmed). Patient characteristics and illness severity were described, and factors associated with COVID-19 hospitalisation were investigated. RESULTS: 607 CYP with RMDs <19 years old from 25 different countries with SARS-CoV-2 infection were included, the majority with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA; n=378; 62%). Forty-three (7%) patients were hospitalised; three of these patients died. Compared with JIA, diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus, mixed connective tissue disease, vasculitis, or other RMD (OR 4.3; 95% CI 1.7 to 11) or autoinflammatory syndrome (OR 3.0; 95% CI 1.1 to 8.6) was associated with hospitalisation, as was obesity (OR 4.0; 95% CI 1.3 to 12). CONCLUSIONS: This is the most significant investigation to date of COVID-19 in CYP with RMDs. It is important to note that the majority of CYP were not hospitalised, although those with severe systemic RMDs and obesity were more likely to be hospitalised.

Evaluation of SIGLEC1 in the diagnosis of suspected systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the diagnostic accuracy of SIGLEC1, a surrogate marker of type I IFN, with established biomarkers in an inception cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: SIGLEC1 was analysed by flow cytometry in 232 patients referred to our institution with suspected SLE between October 2015 and September 2020. RESULTS: SLE was confirmed in 76 of 232 patients (32.8 %) according to the 2019 EULAR/ACR classification criteria and their SIGLEC1 values were significantly higher compared with patients without SLE (P <0.0001). A sensitivity of 98.7 %, a specificity of 82.1 %, a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.2 % and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 72.8 % were calculated for SIGLEC1. Adjusted to the highest reported prevalence of SLE, the NPV and PPV were >99.9 % and 0.1 %, respectively. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and DeLong testing, the area under the curve (AUC) for SIGLEC1 (AUC = 0.95) was significantly higher than for ANA (AUC = 0.88, P = 0.031), C3 (AUC = 0.83, P = 0.001) and C4 (AUC = 0.83, P = 0.002) but not for anti-dsDNA antibodies (AUC = 0.90, P = 0.163). CONCLUSION: IFN-I pathway activation is detectable in almost all newly diagnosed SLE patients. Thus, a negative test result for SIGLEC1 is powerful to exclude SLE in suspected cases.

Myositis-specific autoantibodies and their associated phenotypes in juvenile dermatomyositis: data from a German cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To describe a German cohort of patients with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and to evaluate clinical manifestations, disease course and prognosis in JDM patients with a certain myositis-specific autoantibody. METHODS: Cross-sectional data on patients with JDM documented in the National Paediatric Rheumatologic Database in Germany between 2014 and 2016 were analysed. In a subgroup of the cohort, MSAs were determined with a commercial multiplex array, and a retrospective chart review was conducted to specify the clinical phenotype and patient outcome. RESULTS: The total cohort consisted of 196 patients with JDM (mean age 12.2±4.0 years, mean disease duration 5.1±3.8 years, 70% female). Apart from typical skin changes and muscle weakness, 41% of patients also had arthritis and/or contractures, 27% had calcinosis and approximately 10% had interstitial lung disease. Immunoblot testing was performed on the sera of 91 (46%) patients, detecting MSAs in 44% of patients. Patient groups with specific MSAs differed in clinical characteristics such as calcinosis, dysphagia, and lung and joint involvement. The extent of muscle weakness evaluated by the Childhood Myositis Assessment Scale was significantly associated with an increased level of creatine kinase. Patients with anti-MDA5 were particularly affected by polyarthritis of the small joints. After 5 years, 51 patients of the MSA cohort (56.0%) achieved an inactive disease state, 12/51 (23.5%) were off therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with JDM in Germany show a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations that can be grouped into homogeneous groups using MSA, which also helps to predict the course and prognosis of the disease.

[Autoinflammation-differences between children and adults]. / Autoinflammation ­ Unterschiede bei Kindern und Erwachsenen.

Autoinflammatory diseases present as multisystemic inflammation and often manifest in early childhood. In contrast, in a few diseases, e.g., the recently described VEXAS (vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X­linked, autoinflammatory, somatic) syndrome, the first symptoms occur exclusively in adulthood. This article describes how the phenotypic expression and severity of individual autoinflammatory diseases differ depending on age. Furthermore, differences in the development of organ damage in children and adults are pointed out. In addition to the hereditary periodic fever syndromes, the clinical picture of deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2, the interferonopathies, periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and adenitis syndrome as well as VEXAS and Schnitzler syndromes are highlighted.

[How T lymphocytes coordinate rheumatic inflammation]. / Wie T-Lymphozyten rheumatische Entzündung koordinieren.

Helper T (Th) cells play a decisive role in triggering and maintaining chronic rheumatic inflammation. Via secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and expression of costimulatory cell surface molecules, Th lymphocytes coordinate the recruitment and activation of effector cells, which are ultimately responsible for the immunopathology and tissue destruction. However, therapeutic approaches aimed at eliminating Th cells were unsuccessful due to their lack of selectivity. At the German Rheumatism Research Center (Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum, DRFZ), we are working to improve the understanding of the Th cells involved in chronic inflammatory reactions. Based on this understanding, our aim is to develop novel treatment strategies that selectively target the pathogenic Th lymphocytes causing rheumatic inflammation. The current article summarizes the DRFZ's research activities on this subject.

Canakinumab improves patient-reported outcomes in children and adults with autoinflammatory recurrent fever syndromes: results from the CLUSTER trial.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of canakinumab on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), work/school and social life of patients with autoinflammatory recurrent fever syndromes, including colchicine-resistant familial Mediterranean fever, mevalonate kinase deficiency, and tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome, in the CLUSTER trial. METHODS: HRQoL of patients who received canakinumab 150 mg or 300 mg every four weeks in the CLUSTER trial (n=173) was assessed at baseline and Weeks 17 and 41. For children we used the Child Health Questionnaire - Parent Form 50 (CHQ-PF50), including psychosocial (PsS) and physical (PhS) component summary scores. For adults, the Short-Form-12 (SF-12) Health Survey was used, including physical (PFS) and mental (PCS) component summary scores. The Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) was used to determine the impact of treatment on work/school, social and family life. RESULTS: The results obtained were remarkably consistent in both paediatric and adult patients across the three disease cohorts. At baseline, median scores for physical components were relatively low (26-29 for PhS and 34-38 for PFS); they improved to values similar to those expected in the general population by Week 17, and this improvement was sustained at Week 41, when median PhS scores were 47-50 and PFS 44-54. Psychosocial and mental scores also improved from baseline to Week 17 and 41, with scores comparable to the general population. Notable improvements were also observed in the SDS scale. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with three inherited autoinflammatory syndromes experienced sustained improvements on their HRQoL, work/school, and social life on treatment with canakinumab.

Consumer perspective on healthcare services for juvenile idiopathic arthritis: results of a multicentre JIA inception cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate healthcare services for patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) from the parent-proxy perspective and to identify factors associated with perceived deficits in care. METHODS: Patients with JIA from 11 paediatric rheumatology units were enrolled in an inception cohort within the first 12 months after diagnosis. Healthcare services were assessed using The Child Healthcare Questionnaire on satisfaction, utilisation and needs. Factors associated with deficits in care were identified by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Data from parents of 835 JIA-patients were included in the analysis. At the assessment (4.7 months after diagnosis), 85% of the patients received drug treatment, and 50% had received multi-professional care. The most frequently used services were physiotherapy (84%), occupational therapy (23%), and telephone counselling (17%). Almost one-third of families reported that they had not received the services that they needed, with health education being the most frequently reported need. Most parents (93%) were satisfied with the overall healthcare provided for their children, especially regarding doctors' behaviour. However, approximately 1 in 3 consumers were dissatisfied with the time to JIA diagnosis and the school services. The lower the child's quality of life, the higher the chance was that the child and the family received multi-professional care, perceived unmet needs, and were dissatisfied with care. CONCLUSIONS: According to parents' experience and satisfaction with their child's care, performance at the system level can be further improved by diagnosing JIA earlier, providing additional information at disease onset, and ensuring that the child's social environment is taken into account.

SIGLEC1 (CD169) is a sensitive biomarker for the deterioration of the clinical course in childhood systemic lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND: To analyse the validity of membrane-bound SIGLEC1 (CD169) as a sensitive biomarker for monitoring disease activity in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: 27 children and adolescents with SLE were followed for a mean of 13.5 months. During consecutive routine visits SLEDAI-2k, C3, C4 and ds-DNA values were determined. Additionally, expression of SIGLEC1 on monocytes was determined by flow cytometry. The amount of PE-labelled CD169 mAb bound per monocyte was analyzed using QuantiBRITE™ PE tubes. Associations between biomarkers and the clinical course were investigated by regression analysis. RESULTS: In general, SIGLEC1 expression is high on SLE-derived monocytes (mean 6 359 (SD 6 056) molecules/monocyte, cut-off 2 500 molecules/monocyte), all patients with newly diagnosed SLE exhibit elevated expression (mean 13366 (SD 7 750) molecules/monocyte). Changes (Δ) in SIGLEC1 levels during the clinical course is the only biomarker that significantly correlates with the change in SLEDAI-2k (betaST = 0.28, p = 0.001). At follow-up visit, a clinically important worsening was experienced by 47.6% of patients with a Δ SIGLEC1 > 2 151 molecules/cell (OR 5.31) and 72.4% with a Δ SIGLEC1 > 756 molecules/cell (OR 8.90). Conversely, 36.4% of patients with a Δ SIGLEC1 < -2 818 molecules/cell (OR 4.16, percentiles as cut-off criteria) and 50.0% of patients with a Δ SIGLEC1 < -1 370 molecules/cell (OR 3.55, application of Youden index) showed clinical improvement. SIGLEC1 expression correlates inversely with the amount of therapeutically applied hydroxychloroquine (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SIGLEC1 expression on monocytes is a sensitive biomarker for adjusting disease activity in childhood SLE and represents a promising and easily applicable tool for disease monitoring.

Spectrum of Genetic Autoinflammatory Diseases Presenting with Cutaneous Symptoms.

Autoinflammatory diseases comprise a group of chronic disabling entities characterized by inflammation without the presence of infectious agents, auto-antibodies or antigen-specific T-cells. Many autoinflammatory diseases are caused by monogenic defects, which lead to disturbed immune signalling with release of proinflammatory mediators. In addition to interleukin-1ß and interleukin-18, interferons play a key role in the pathophysiology of these disorders. Patients with autoinflammatory diseases show a broad variety of clinical symptoms, including skin involvement. Wheals, pustules and ulcerative lesions are the most common cutaneous findings observed. Knowledge of the clinical presentation of autoinflammatory diseases is crucial for establishing the diagnosis and guiding appropriate treatment. This review focuses on the dermatological findings in selected autoinflammatory disorders based on their distinct pathomechanisms.

Classification criteria for autoinflammatory recurrent fevers.

BACKGROUND: Different diagnostic and classification criteria are available for hereditary recurrent fevers (HRF)-familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic fever syndrome (TRAPS), mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD) and cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS)-and for the non-hereditary, periodic fever, aphthosis, pharyngitis and adenitis (PFAPA). We aimed to develop and validate new evidence-based classification criteria for HRF/PFAPA. METHODS: Step 1: selection of clinical, laboratory and genetic candidate variables; step 2: classification of 360 random patients from the Eurofever Registry by a panel of 25 clinicians and 8 geneticists blinded to patients' diagnosis (consensus ≥80%); step 3: statistical analysis for the selection of the best candidate classification criteria; step 4: nominal group technique consensus conference with 33 panellists for the discussion and selection of the final classification criteria; step 5: cross-sectional validation of the novel criteria. RESULTS: The panellists achieved consensus to classify 281 of 360 (78%) patients (32 CAPS, 36 FMF, 56 MKD, 37 PFAPA, 39 TRAPS, 81 undefined recurrent fever). Consensus was reached for two sets of criteria for each HRF, one including genetic and clinical variables, the other with clinical variables only, plus new criteria for PFAPA. The four HRF criteria demonstrated sensitivity of 0.94-1 and specificity of 0.95-1; for PFAPA, criteria sensitivity and specificity were 0.97 and 0.93, respectively. Validation of these criteria in an independent data set of 1018 patients shows a high accuracy (from 0.81 to 0.98). CONCLUSION: Eurofever proposes a novel set of validated classification criteria for HRF and PFAPA with high sensitivity and specificity.

In silico validation of the Autoinflammatory Disease Damage Index.

INTRODUCTION: Autoinflammatory diseases can cause irreversible tissue damage due to systemic inflammation. Recently, the Autoinflammatory Disease Damage Index (ADDI) was developed. The ADDI is the first instrument to quantify damage in familial Mediterranean fever, cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, mevalonate kinase deficiency and tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome. The aim of this study was to validate this tool for its intended use in a clinical/research setting. METHODS: The ADDI was scored on paper clinical cases by at least three physicians per case, independently of each other. Face and content validity were assessed by requesting comments on the ADDI. Reliability was tested by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) using an 'observer-nested-within-subject' design. Construct validity was determined by correlating the ADDI score to the Physician Global Assessment (PGA) of damage and disease activity. Redundancy of individual items was determined with Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: The ADDI was validated on a total of 110 paper clinical cases by 37 experts in autoinflammatory diseases. This yielded an ICC of 0.84 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.89). The ADDI score correlated strongly with PGA-damage (r=0.92, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.95) and was not strongly influenced by disease activity (r=0.395, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.55). After comments from disease experts, some item definitions were refined. The interitem correlation in all different categories was lower than 0.7, indicating that there was no redundancy between individual damage items. CONCLUSION: The ADDI is a reliable and valid instrument to quantify damage in individual patients and can be used to compare disease outcomes in clinical studies.

The German version of the Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR).

The Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR) is a new parent/patient reported outcome measure that enables a thorough assessment of the disease status in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). We report the results of the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the parent and patient versions of the JAMAR in the German language. The reading comprehension of the questionnaire was tested in 10 JIA parents and patients. The participating centres were asked to collect demographic and clinical data along the JAMAR questionnaire in 100 consecutive JIA patients or all consecutive patients seen in a 6-month period and to administer the JAMAR to 100 healthy children and their parents. The statistical validation phase explored descriptive statistics and the psychometric issues of the JAMAR: the three Likert assumptions, floor/ceiling effects, internal consistency, Cronbach's alpha, interscale correlations, test-retest reliability, and construct validity (convergent and discriminant validity). A total of 319 JIA patients (2.8% systemic, 36.7% oligoarticular, 23.5% RF negative polyarthritis, and 37% other categories) and 100 healthy children were enrolled in eight centres. The JAMAR components discriminated well healthy subjects from JIA patients. All JAMAR components revealed good psychometric performances. In conclusion, the German version of the JAMAR is a valid tool for the assessment of children with JIA and is suitable for use both in routine clinical practice and in clinical research.

Diagnostic criteria for cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS).

Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) is a rare, heterogeneous disease entity associated with NLRP3 gene mutations and increased interleukin-1 (IL-1) secretion. Early diagnosis and rapid initiation of IL-1 inhibition prevent organ damage. The aim of the study was to develop and validate diagnostic criteria for CAPS. An innovative process was followed including interdisciplinary team building, item generation: review of CAPS registries, systematic literature review, expert surveys, consensus conferences for item refinement, item reduction and weighting using 1000Minds decision software. Resulting CAPS criteria were tested in large cohorts of CAPS cases and controls using correspondence analysis. Diagnostic models were explored using sensitivity analyses. The international team included 16 experts. Systematic literature and registry review identified 33 CAPS-typical items; the consensus conferences reduced these to 14. 1000Minds exercises ranked variables based on importance for the diagnosis. Correspondence analysis determined variables consistently associated with the diagnosis of CAPS using 284 cases and 837 controls. Seven variables were significantly associated with CAPS (p<0.001). The best diagnosis model included: Raised inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein/serum amyloid A) plus ≥two of six CAPS-typical symptoms: urticaria-like rash, cold-triggered episodes, sensorineural hearing loss, musculoskeletal symptoms, chronic aseptic meningitis and skeletal abnormalities. Sensitivity was 81%, specificity 94%. It performed well for all CAPS subtypes and regardless of NLRP3 mutation. The novel approach integrated traditional methods of evidence synthesis with expert consensus, web-based decision tools and innovative statistical methods and may serve as model for other rare diseases. These criteria will enable a rapid diagnosis for children and adults with CAPS.

Development of the autoinflammatory disease damage index (ADDI).

OBJECTIVES: Autoinflammatory diseases cause systemic inflammation that can result in damage to multiple organs. A validated instrument is essential to quantify damage in individual patients and to compare disease outcomes in clinical studies. Currently, there is no such tool. Our objective was to develop a common autoinflammatory disease damage index (ADDI) for familial Mediterranean fever, cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic fever syndrome and mevalonate kinase deficiency. METHODS: We developed the ADDI by consensus building. The top 40 enrollers of patients in the Eurofever Registry and 9 experts from the Americas participated in multiple rounds of online surveys to select items and definitions. Further, 22 (parents of) patients rated damage items and suggested new items. A consensus meeting was held to refine the items and definitions, which were then formally weighted in a scoring system derived using decision-making software, known as 1000minds. RESULTS: More than 80% of the experts and patients completed the online surveys. The preliminary ADDI contains 18 items, categorised in the following eight organ systems: reproductive, renal/amyloidosis, developmental, serosal, neurological, ears, ocular and musculoskeletal damage. The categories renal/amyloidosis and neurological damage were assigned the highest number of points, serosal damage the lowest number of points. The involvement of (parents of) patients resulted in the inclusion of, for example, chronic musculoskeletal pain. CONCLUSIONS: An instrument to measure damage caused by autoinflammatory diseases is developed based on consensus building. Patients fulfilled a significant role in this process.