Collating the voice of people with autoimmune diseases: Methodology for the Third Phase of the COVAD Studies.

INTRODUCTION: The growing recognition of holistic patient care highlights the various factors shaping the quality of life of individuals with autoimmune and rheumatic diseases (AIRDs). Beyond the traditional disease measures, there is an emerging acknowledgment of the less-explored aspects, including subjective well-being, social determinants of health, comorbidities, mental health, and medication adherence. Moreover, digital health services have empowered patients to engage actively in decision-making alongside clinicians. To explore these domains within the context of AIRDs, the "Collating the Voice of People with Autoimmune Diseases" COVAD survey was conceived, a successor of the previous two COVAD surveys. In this document, we present the study protocol in comprehensive detail. METHODS: The COVAD-3 survey is a cross-sectional patient self-reported e-survey incorporating multiple widely accepted scales/scores to assess various aspects of patients' lifestyles objectively. To ensure the survey's accuracy and usability across diverse regions, it will be translated into multiple languages and subjected to rigorous vetting and pilot testing. It will be distributed by collaborators via online platforms and data will be collected from patients with AIRDs, and healthy individuals over eight months. Data analysis will focus on outcome measures related to various social, demographic, economic, and psychological factors. CONCLUSION: With the increasing awareness to adopt a holistic treatment approach encompassing all avenues of life, the COVAD-3 survey aims to gain valuable insights into the impact of social, demographic, economic, and psychological determinants of health on the subjective well-being in patients with AIRDs, which will contribute to a better understanding of their overall health and well-being.

Non-surgical local treatments of digital ulcers in systemic sclerosis: a systematic literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Digital ulcers (DUs) are difficult to treat in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and systemic (i.e., pharmacological) therapy is currently considered the 'standard of care'. Our aim was to examine the safety and efficacy of local, non-surgical treatment for SSc-DUs. METHODS: A systematic literature review (SLR) of original research articles up to August, 29 2022 was performed according to the PICO framework. References were independently screened by two reviewers and risk of bias was assed using validated tools. Due to study heterogeneity narrative summaries are used to present data. RESULTS: Among 899 retrieved references, 14 articles were included (2 randomised trials (RTs), and 12 observational (OBS) studies). The most frequently studied procedure (5 studies) was botulin A toxin (hand or single finger) injection with a reported healing rate (HR) of 71%-100%. Amniotic and hydrocolloid membranes were examined in one study each and associated with a good HR. Tadalafil 2% cream was studied in a single study with a reduction in the number of DUs. Vitamin E gel was associated with a reduction in ulcer healing time. Low-level light therapy, hydrodissection and corticosteroid injection, extracorporeal shock wave (ESW) and photobiomodulation were evaluated in a single study each and showed a positive trend. Dimethyl sulfoxide was associated with significant local toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: A range of non-surgical, local treatments for SSc-DUs have been explored and showed efficacy to some extent. We have identified methodological flaws that should be avoided in the design of future studies to explore locally-acting treatments for SSc-DUs.

New paradigm in the treatment of myositis-associated interstitial lung disease.

INTRODUCTION: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the leading cause of mortality in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies or myositis. Clinical characteristics, including the course of ILD, rate of progression, radiological and pathohistological morphologies, extent and distribution of inflammation and fibrosis, responses to treatment, recurrence rate, and prognosis, are highly variable among myositis patients. A standard practice for ILD management in myositis patients has not yet been established. AREAS COVERED: Recent studies have demonstrated the stratification of patients with myositis-associated ILD into more homogeneous groups based on the disease behavior and myositis-specific autoantibody (MSA) profile, leading to better prognoses and prevention of the burden of organ damage. This review introduces a new paradigm in the management of myositis-associated ILD based on research findings from relevant literature selected by a search of PubMed as of January 2023, as well as expert opinions. EXPERT OPINION: Managing strategies for myositis-associated ILD are being established to stratify patients based on the severity of ILD and the prediction of prognosis based on the disease behavior and MSA profile. The development of a precision medicine treatment approach will provide benefits to all relevant communities.

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study of lenabasum in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: RESOLVE-1 design and rationale.

OBJECTIVES: The multi-systemic, heterogenous nature of diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) presents challenges in designing clinical studies that can demonstrate a treatment effect on overall disease burden. We describe the design of the first Phase 3 study in dcSSc patients where the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Combined Response Index in diffuse cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis (CRISS) score was chosen prospectively as the primary outcome. The CRISS measures key clinical disease parameters and patient-reported outcomes (PROs). METHODS: RESOLVE-1 is a Phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of dcSSc patients evaluating the efficacy and safety of lenabasum. Patients ≥18 years of age with dc-SSc and disease duration ≤6 years were eligible. Patients could continue stable background therapy for dcSSc, including stable immunosuppressive therapies. They were randomised to lenabasum 5 or 20 mg twice daily or placebo. The primary efficacy outcome was the mean change from baseline to 52 weeks in the ACR CRISS score. RESULTS: The study enrolled 365 patients over 1.5 years at 77 sites in 13 countries in North America, Europe, Israel, and Asia-Pacific, with the last patient first visit on May 1, 2019. CONCLUSIONS: RESOLVE-1 is the first Phase 3 interventional study to date in dcSSc to prospectively use the ACR CRISS as the primary efficacy outcome. Eligibility criteria allowed background therapy as might occur in clinical practice. This approach also facilitated timely patient enrolment. RESOLVE-1 provides a novel study design that may be used for future Phase 3 dcSSc studies to assess the holistic efficacy of therapy.

Anti-MDA5 antibody-positive rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonia without cutaneous manifestations.

A 47-year-old man was referred to our hospital with a 1-month history of fever and dyspnea after inhalation of insecticide in a confined space. We diagnosed rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonia. High-dose methylprednisolone, tacrolimus, and intermittent infusion of cyclophosphamide were administered. His condition rapidly deteriorated; therefore, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy was performed. Unfortunately, he died 69 days after admission. Although typical skin findings suggestive of dermatomyositis were absent, anti-melanoma differentiation-associate gene (anti-MDA5) antibody was positive. Our findings suggest that in patients with hyperferritinemia and rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) demonstrating random ground glass shadows and peripheral consolidations by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) even if skin manifestations related to dermatomyositis are not complicated, we should assume anti-MDA5 antibody-positive interstitial pneumonia.

High-dose intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonitis accompanied by anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody-positive amyopathic dermatomyositis.

Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody-positive amyopathic dermatomyositis (ADM) associated with rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonitis (RPIP) frequently has a poor prognosis and optimal treatment is not well defined. Here, we report a 62-year-old Japanese man with anti-MDA5 antibody-positive ADM associated with RPIP presented with progressive shortness of breath, Heliotrope rash, Gottron's papules, arthralgia, and fatigue but no sign of muscle weakness. Laboratory investigation revealed serum levels of the following biomarkers: ferritin, 1393 ng/mL; Krebs von der Lungen-6, 1880 U/mL; and creatine kinase, 85 U/L. Computed tomography (CT) images showed diffuse ground-glass opacity in both lung fields. Because anti-MDA5 was positive, we made a diagnosis of ADM associated with RPIP and initiated treatment. Following five courses of combination therapy with prednisolone, cyclosporine A, and intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVCY), IVCY treatment was switched to high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin therapy (IVIg) because of the reactivation of interstitial pneumonia with an increased serum ferritin level. Additional treatment with IVIg improved RPIP, with normalization of anti-ADM antibody levels. Therefore, IVIg mayt be a new candidate treatment for anti-MDA5 antibody-positive ADM associated with RPIP.

Clinical and immunological predictors of prognosis for Japanese patients with thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis.

There are no immunological markers to predict the prognosis of thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis (MG). Clinical and immunological factors associated with thymoma recurrence or MG relapse were examined by logistic analyses in 56 Japanese patients with thymoma-associated MG. Patients with anti-Kv1.4 antibodies showed higher frequencies of thymoma recurrence and MG relapse compared to those without. Anti-Kv1.4 antibody, Masaoka stage 4, World Health Organization type B3, and adjuvant radiotherapy were associated with thymoma recurrence. Multivariate analyses showed that anti-Kv1.4 antibody was the only independent factor associated with MG relapse. Anti-Kv1.4 antibody is a useful predictor of the prognosis of thymoma-associated MG.