Factors Affecting the Ability to Discontinue Oral Corticosteroid Use in Patients with EGPA Treated with Anti-Interleukin-5 Therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) and some with severe eosinophilic asthma require continuous long-term oral corticosteroid (OCS) treatment for disease control. The anti-interleukin-5 agent, mepolizumab, has recently become available for the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma and EGPA, with promising results and safety profiles. The proportion of patients with EGPA who discontinued oral steroids was 18% in the MIRRA trial. To compare patients with EGPA who were able to discontinue steroids with mepolizumab with those who could not. METHODS: Twenty patients with EGPA treated with mepolizumab were evaluated at Osaka Habikino Medical Center. The OCS dose, asthma control test score, fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels, peripheral eosinophil count, and spirometric parameters were evaluated before and after treatment. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in the mean OCS dose from a prednisolone equivalent of 8.88 ± 4.99 mg/day to 3.18 ± 3.47 mg/day (p < 0.001). In this study, 40% of patients discontinued oral steroids. The most common reason for the failure to discontinue steroids in patients was poor asthma control. The percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s significantly improved in patients with EGPA who could discontinue steroids after receiving mepolizumab. CONCLUSION: In this real-world study, treatment with mepolizumab for EGPA was associated with a significant reduction in OCS use; however, poor asthma control was identified as an inhibiting factor for steroid reduction.

ANCA-associated vasculitides: Recommendations of the French Vasculitis Study Group on the use of immunosuppressants and biotherapies for remission induction and maintenance.

Treatment of vasculitides associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies (ANCA) (AAVs) has evolved dramatically in recent years, particularly since the demonstration of rituximab efficacy as remission induction and maintenance therapy for granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis. In 2013, the French Vasculitis Study Group (FVSG) published recommendations for its use by clinicians. Since then, new data have made it possible to better specify and codify prescription of rituximab to treat AAVs. Herein, the FVSG Recommendations Committee, an expert panel comprised of physicians with extensive experience in the treatment and management of vasculitides, presents its consensus guidelines based on literature analysis, the results of prospective therapeutic trials and personal experience.

Clinical Characteristics of Peripheral Neuropathy in Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis: A Retrospective Single-Center Study in China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinical features, independent associated factors, treatment, and outcome of patients with peripheral neuropathy (PN) in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 110 EGPA patients from 2007 to 2019 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The independent factors associated with PN in EGPA were analyzed with univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. RESULTS: In EGPA with PN, paresthesia and muscle weakness were observed in 82% and 33% of patients, respectively. Both the upper and lower limbs were involved in 51% of patients. 30% of EGPA patients had symmetrical multiple peripheral neuropathy, whereas only 16.4% presented with mononeuritis multiplex. Compared to patients without PN, patients with PN had a higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS), and positivity of myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (MPO-ANCA). Regarding manifestations, patients with PN tended to develop weight loss and arthritis or joint pain. Notably, ANCA positivity, arthritis or joint pain, and higher BVAS were found to be independent associated factors for PN in EGPA. Patients with PN more frequently need glucocorticoid pulses and intravenous infusion of cyclophosphamide. With the longest follow-up of 11.0 years, we found that age and cardiac involvement were risk factors for survival, and female was the protective factor. CONCLUSION: PN in EGPA frequently displays with symmetrical multiple peripheral neuropathy in China. Positive ANCA, arthritis or joint pain, and higher BVAS are the independent associated factors of PN in EGPA. Glucocorticoids with immunosuppressants are vital therapeutic strategy.

Efficacy of conventional immunosuppressants in relapsing or refractory eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis: evidence from a Canadian single-centre cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the efficacy of conventional immunosuppressants in disease control of relapsing or refractory eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) compared to recently published mepolizumab and rituximab studies. METHODS: A retrospective analysis from the Toronto Vasculitis Clinic was conducted. Patients with relapsing or refractory EGPA with similar entry criteria as the main mepolizumab (MIRRA) or rituximab (case-series) studies, who were started on conventional immunosuppressants, were assessed for remission at 24- and 52-weeks. Remission was defined as a Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score of 0 and a prednisone dose of ≤4mg/day, ≤7.5mg/day, corresponding to the mepolizumab trial, or any prednisone dose per day, as in the rituximab study. RESULTS: Among 110 cohort patients, 24 with relapsing or refractory EGPA met eligibility criteria. Conventional immunosuppressants used were methotrexate (n=15), azathioprine (n=8) or leflunomide (n=1). Remission rates at 24-weeks were 8.3% with prednisone ≤4mg/day (vs. 28.0% in the mepolizumab trial); 41.6% with prednisone ≤7.5mg/day (vs. 45% in the mepolizumab trial) and 62.5% with any prednisone dose (vs. 34% in the rituximab study). Remission at 52-weeks was 50.0% with any prednisone dose (vs. 49% in the rituximab study), whereas sustained remission at week 52 (as of week 24) was 4.2% with prednisone ≤4mg/day (vs. 19% in the mepolizumab trial), and 33.3% with prednisone ≤7.5mg/day (vs. 24% in the mepolizumab trial). CONCLUSIONS: Though our study was small and retrospective, rates of remission observed with conventional immunosuppressants were substantial. This should be kept in mind when interpreting results of placebo-controlled or retrospective studies on biologics in EGPA.

Eficacia y seguridad de rituximab en pacientes adultos con granulomatosis con poliangeítis o poliangeítis microscópica no tributarios de tratamiento con ciclofosfamida / Efficacy and safety of rituximab in adult patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis or microscopic polyangiitis not subject to treatment with cyclophosphamide

INTRODUCCIÓN: La granulomatosis con poliangeítis (GPA, conocida anteriormente como granulomatosis de Wegener) y la poliangeítis microscópica (PAM) son dos formas de vasculitis autoinmunes asociadas a autoanticuerpos citoplásmicos antineutrófilos (ANCA), de ahí su denominación de vasculitis ANCA-positivas. La prevalencia de la GPA es de 13 por 100,000 personas en el Reino Unido (2008), de cinco a 16 por 100,000 personas en el norte de Europa y de tres por 100,000 personas en Estados Unidos. Para la PAM, se ha reportado una incidencia general en un rango de 2.7 a 94 por millón, siendo algo más frecuente en hombres respecto a mujeres (razón de 1.8:1) y en adultos de 50 a más años. No se tienen datos sobre la prevalencia o incidencia de estas vasculitis en población peruana. En cuanto a la terapia para la GPA o PAM, está se enfoca en dos momentos: inducción de la remisión (con terapia inmunosupresora inicial) y mantenimiento de la remisión (con terapia inmunosupresora durante un período variable con la finalidad de prevenir recaída de la enfermedad). La terapia inmunosupresora busca lograr la remisión completa de la enfermedad, definida como la ausencia de enfermedad activa (ausencia de cualquier manifestación clínica que se considere secundaria a una vasculitis activa en curso). Para la fase de inducción de la remisión de la vasculitis, en EsSalud se dispone de ciclofosfamida 1g en ampolla y de ciclofosfamida 50 mg en tableta. A pesar de ello, existe la necesidad de disponer de una alternativa específica para la inducción de la remisión de la enfermedad en pacientes que presentan refractariedad, recaída o contraindicación a la terapia con ciclofosfamida. OBJETIVO: Evaluar la eficacia y seguridad de rituximab en combinación con glucocorticoides en pacientes adultos con granulomatosis con poliangeítis o poliangeítis microscópica no tributarios de tratamiento con ciclofosfamida para la inducción de la completa remisión de la enfermedad. TECNOLOGÍA SANITARIA DE INTERÉS: Rituximab: Rituximab (MabThera®, Roche) es un anticuerpo monoclonal quimérico murino/humano que se une al antígeno CD20 (expresado en los linfocitos pre-B y B maduros, presente en más del 95 % de todos los linfomas no-Hodgkin de células B). Rituximab actuaría a través de la lisis celular mediada por citotoxicidad dependiente del complemento, por la citotoxicidad celular dependiente de anticuerpos mediada por uno o más receptores Fcγ de la superficie de los granulocitos, macrófagos y células NK) y por inducción de la muerte celular por apoptosis (European Medicines Agency 2016). METODOLOGÍA: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática de literatura con el objetivo de identificar evidencia sobre la eficacia y seguridad de rituximab en pacientes adultos con granulomatosis con poliangeítis o poliangeítis microscópica no tributarios de tratamiento con ciclofosfamida.  Para la identificación de documentos de interés para el presente dictamen, se buscó evidencia disponible en las siguientes bases de datos bibliográficas: PubMed, The Cochrane Library y LILACS. Adicional a ello, se realizó una búsqueda en sitios web pertenecientes a grupos que realizan evaluaciones de tecnologías sanitarias y guías de práctica clínica, incluyendo The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), el portal BRISA (Base Regional de Informes de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud de las Américas) y sitios web de organizaciones internacionales en reumatología. Por último, se llevó a cabo una búsqueda manual en el portal ClinicalTrials.gov del National Institutes of Health. RESULTADOS: se presenta los documentos incluidos según su tipo: Guías de práctica clínica (GPC), Evaluaciones de tecnologías sanitarias (ETS), Revisiones sistemáticas (RS), Ensayos clínicos. CONCLUSIONES: Las GPC de EULAR/ERA-EDTA y Harigai et al., indican que las terapias de glucocorticoides más ciclofosfamida o rituximab son alternativas para el paciente con vasculitis ANCA-positiva. La GPC de EULAR/ERA-EDTA, brinda como recomendación específica para la población con refractariedad a ciclofosfamida cambiar la terapia a rituximab, no dando una recomendación para el paciente con contraindicación de uso de ciclofosfamida. La GPC realizada por Harigai et al., no brinda una recomendación específica para la población de interés. Sobre las ETS de SMC y NICE, se señala que el empleo de rituximab es útil para inducir la remisión en paciente con vasculitis ANCA-positivas. SMC señala que no hay evidencia para recomendar el uso rutinario de rituximab en los regímenes de inducción o mantenimiento en pacientes con GPA o PAM, siendo que puede considerarse como alternativa para el tratamiento de la vasculitis refractaria o para el tratamiento de la vasculitis cuando los agentes convencionales están contraindicados (ciclofosfamida). Bajo la evidencia encontrada, NICE recomienda el uso de rituximab para inducir la remisión en adultos con vasculitis ANCA-positivas sólo si un tratamiento adicional con ciclofosfamida superaría la dosis máxima acumulable de ciclofosfamida, o la ciclofosfamida está contraindicada o no es tolerada, la persona desea preservar fertilidad, o la enfermedad ha permanecido activa o ha progresado a pesar de un curso de ciclofosfamida de tres a seis meses, o la persona tiene una lesión maligna uroepitelial.  Como evidencia de ensayos clínicos se incluyó al estudio RAVE, un ensayo clínico fase III, multicéntrico, aleatorizado, doble ciego, doble dummy (doble simulación), de grupos paralelos, que tuvo como objetivo comparar que el tratamiento con rituximab más glucocorticoides fuera no inferior o fuera superior al tratamiento con ciclofosfamida diaria más glucocorticoides para la inducción de remisión y permitiría la interrupción de la prednisona a los seis meses de tratamiento en pacientes con vasculitis ANCA positivas de tipo GPA y PAM. La no inferioridad fue evaluada comparando el límite inferior del intervalo de confianza del 95,1% para la diferencia media de tratamiento a −20 puntos porcentuales. El estudio RAVE se incluyó como evidencia indirecta dado que el ensayo no fue desarrollado para evaluar. específicamente la tecnología en la población de la pregunta PICO planteada para esta evaluación (paciente no tributario de terapia con ciclofosfamida). Como hallazgos, se encontró una diferencia de 11 puntos porcentuales en el desenlace primario de interés (remisión completa de la enfermedad, definido por BVAS/WG de 0 y la finalización exitosa de la reducción de la prednisona a los seis meses), siendo que esta diferencia cumplió con ser estadísticamente significativa para demostrar no inferioridad (p<0.001) en el grupo de rituximab en comparación con el de ciclofosfamida. No se demostró superioridad de rituximab en comparación a ciclofosfamida para la remisión completa de la enfermedad. Para el grupo de pacientes que había presentado recaída previa al ingreso al estudio, se encontró una mayor proporción de pacientes con remisión completa en comparación al grupo de ciclofosfamida. No se encontró diferencias en la discapacidad o calidad de vida entre ambos brazos de estudio. En cuanto a la seguridad, no se encontró diferencias entre los grupos de estudio en la presencia de eventos grado ≥3 o adversos serios. Existen limitaciones para la interpretabilidad de los resultados del estudio RAVE, como una falta de justificación del punto de corte para declarar no inferioridad (limitando la interpretabilidad de la relevancia clínica de los resultados del estudio RAVE) y el no reporte del límite inferior del IC al 95% para el desenlace final del estudio y únicamente reportándose el valor p, siendo este valor el empleado por los autores para declarar no inferioridad. De esta forma, con la evidencia disponible del único ensayo (estudio RAVE), se tiene que la eficacia y seguridad de rituximab más glucocorticoides es no inferior a la terapia con ciclofosfamida + glucocorticoides en pacientes con GPA o PAM. Adicionalmente, existiría un beneficio de brindar terapia con rituximab en los pacientes con refractariedad previa a la terapia con ciclofosfamida. Las agencias SMC y NICE señalan que el nicho terapéutico de rituximab estaría en pacientes que presentan recaída, intolerancia o contraindicación a la inducción de la remisión con ciclofosfamida. En EsSalud, no se dispone de una alternativa terapéutica para pacientes con GPA o PAM no tributarios de ciclofosfamida para la inducción de la remisión de la enfermedad, existiendo un vacío terapéutico, y que la institución cuenta con experiencia para el uso de rituximab en otras condiciones clínicas. Por lo expuesto, el Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación­ IETSI aprueba el uso de rituximab para la inducción de la remisión en pacientes adultos con granulomatosis con poliangeítis o poliangeítis microscópica no tributarios de tratamiento con ciclofosfamida, según lo establecido en el Anexo N°1. La vigencia del presente dictamen preliminar es de un año a partir de la fecha de publicación. Así, la continuación de dicha aprobación estará sujeta a la evaluación de los resultados obtenidos y de nueva evidencia que pueda surgir en el tiempo.

Case of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's granulomatosis) manifested with asymptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage.

A 46-year-old man, who had had sinusitis, developed bilateral omalgia, petechiae on his lower extremities and a congested right eye. A blood test detected elevated serum C-reactive protein level. Computed tomography incidentally found an acute lesion of thalamic hemorrhage without neurological symptoms and no specific therapy was given at the time. Thereafter, he developed vertigo, vomiting and pneumonia for which antibiotics were ineffective. He was referred and admitted to our hospital. Further, aural and renal lesions, and presence of serum proteinase 3-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA) confirmed his diagnosis of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's) (GPA). With corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide therapy, his symptoms disappeared in two months along with faded PR3-ANCA. Afterward he showed neither new cerebral lesion nor symptom. This is a rare case of GPA manifested with asymptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. It should be noted that GPA could cause various manifestations in central nervous system such as a fatal or an asymptomatic hemorrhagic lesion, which might respond to immunosuppressive therapy.

Granulomatosis de Wegener, abordaje diagnóstico y terapéutico / Wegener's granulomatosis: diagnosis and treatment

La granulomatosis de Wegener es una vasculitis sistémica, necrosante y granulomatosa que afecta el tracto respiratorio superior e inferior y el riñón; es la vasculitis anticuerpos anticitoplasma del neutrófilo (ANCA) positiva más frecuente. El diagnóstico se basa en las manifestaciones clínicas, la biopsia de los órganos afectados y la presencia de ANCA en el suero. Los criterios de clasificación según el Colegio Americano de Reumatología son inflamación oral o nasal, alteraciones en la radiografía de tórax (nódulos, infiltrado pulmonar fijo, cavitaciones), anormalidades urinarias (hematuria), biopsia con infiltrado granulomatoso. El tratamiento se divide en dos fases: de inducción a la remisión y de mantenimiento. En la primera es necesario el uso de terapia inmunosupresora intensiva: ciclofosfamida más esteroides para controlar la actividad de la enfermedad (tres a seis meses). En la fase de mantenimiento, menos intensa, se emplean inmunosupresores como azatioprina, metotrexate, micofenolato de mofetilo, entre otros; su objetivo es mantener la remisión y disminuir los efectos adversos asociados a la ciclofosfamida. El etanercept no ha sido útil para la fase de mantenimiento. El rituximab y la 15-desoxipergualina son terapias alternativas en casos refractarios.

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a systemic, necrotizing and granulomatous vasculitis that affects the upper and lower respiratory tract and the kidney. It is the most common antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) vasculitis. The diagnosis of WG is based on clinical manifestations, histological findings and the presence of ANCA in serum. The American College of Rheumatology criteria includes: oral and nasal inflammation, abnormal chest radiography (nodules, fixed infiltrates, or cavities, urinary sediment (hematuria), and granulomatous inflammation on biopsy. Treatment of WG is divided into 2 phases, induction of remission (IR), followed by a maintenance phase (MP). In the IR it is necessary to use immunosuppressive intensive therapy (cyclophosphamide plus steroids) and the MP is a less intensive therapy in which immunosuppressors (IS) such as azathioprine, methotrexate, mycophenolate of mofetil, among others, may be employed. Their purpose is to keep remission and lower the adverse effects associated with IS. Etanercept has not been proven successfully for the MP. Rituximab and 15-dexopergualin constitute promising the rapies for refractory WG.

Severe hemorrhagic cystitis associated with prolonged oral cyclophosphamide therapy: case report and literature review.

Severe hemorrhagic cystitis associated with oral cyclophosphamide (CYP) therapy has rarely been reported in the past 20 years, probably because this condition has largely disappeared because of the use of shorter courses of CYP, either oral or IV. Herein, we describe a patient who received 309 g of oral CYP over a 4-year period to treat Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) that initially involved brain, lung, and kidney. She came under our care for the first time when she presented with a one-day history of oliguria and passing blood clots. Severe hemorrhagic cystitis was present. It eventually required cystectomy. Despite her massive CYP exposure her kidney biopsy showed acute crescentic glomerulonephritis. She survived her acute illness only to die 2 months later of acute leukemia. This patient is a reminder that severe hemorrhagic cystitis from oral CYP still exists, and that WG can be resistant to even toxic doses of oral CYP. Alternative therapies are discussed.

Terapia biológica con anticuerpos anti factor de necrosis tumoral, ¿ampliando el espectro de sus indicaciones? / Biological therapy with anti-TNF antibodies. Extending the spectrum of its indications?

El factor de necrosis tumoral alfa (TNFα) es un mediador fundamental en la respuesta inflamatoria de muchas enfermedades. Los anticuerpos anti-TNFalfa (infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab) bloquean su acción, impidiendo la respuesta inflamatoria y el daño que produce. En este trabajo revisamos el tratamiento de algunas enfermedades en las que se está experimentando con estos fármacos, como son: colitis ulcerosa, sarcoidosis, enfermedad injerto contra huésped, enfermedad de Still del adulto, algunas vasculitis sistémicas, lupus eritematoso sistémico y enfermedad de Behçet (AU)

Tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) is a main mediator in the inflammatory answer of many diseases. The anti-TNFalpha antibodies (infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab) block their action, preventing the inflammatory answer and the damage it produces. In this paper, we review the treatment of some diseases in which these drugs are experimentally used. These are: ulcerative colitis, sarcoidosis, graft-versus-host disease, adult Still's disease, some systemic vasculitis, systemic lupus erythematosus and Behçet disease (AU)

[Treatment of ANCA-associated vascularitides]. / Traitement des vascularites systémiques associées aux ANCA.

Treatment for ANCA-associated vasculitides is now well defined, but must be adjusted for each patient according to the type of vasculitis, its precise form (e.g., limited versus systemic Wegener's granulomatosis) and severity, and patients' characteristics, such as age and renal function. The therapeutic decision must also take into account the risk of adverse events inherent to each treatment. The efficacy of adequate induction treatment has been demonstrated: more than 80% of patients now achieve remission. Relapse rates nonetheless remain high, especially in Wegener's granulomatosis. Patients with microscopic polyangiitis or Churg-Strauss syndrome with no poor prognostic factors can be treated with corticosteroids alone, with immunosuppressants added only in case of treatment failure. Patients with Wegener's granulomatosis or microscopic polyangiitis or Churg-Strauss syndrome and one or more poor prognostic factors must receive a combination of corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, mainly intravenous pulsed cyclophosphamide. Plasma exchange is indicated as an adjuvant therapy for patients with severe renal involvement. Once remission is achieved, maintenance therapy can replace cyclophosphamide by a less toxic immunosuppressive drug, such as azathioprine or methotrexate. For these latter patients, the optimal duration of induction therapy remains to be determined, but should not be shorter than 18 months. Conversely, there is no need to prescribe high-dose corticosteroids for months. Prednisone must be started at 1 mg/kg/d then rapidly tapered so that patients are not receiving more than 15 mg/d after 3-4 months of therapy. Biological therapies also appear to have a place in the therapeutic armamentarium for ANCA-associated systemic vasculitides, at least for patients whose disease is refractory to conventional therapy. However, the precise indications for anti-TNFalpha or anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies and their optimal regimens (doses and durations) have not yet been defined. Anti-IL5, interferon-alpha and anti-IgE monoclonal antibodies might also be useful for Churg-Strauss syndrome. These biologics must be prescribed extremely cautiously and only in trial settings, especially in view of the adverse effects, few but severe, recently been reported with them.

Biological therapies: new treatment options for ANCA-associated vasculitis?

Biological therapies enable us to apply highly selective targeting components to modulate the immune response. Until now, a few controlled studies investigated the efficacy of TNF-alpha blocking agents in systemic vasculitis have been carried out, but, in general, they were falling short of expectations. However, there is conducive evidence that TNF-alpha blockers are advantageous in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, at least in selected disease stages. Likewise, although the efficacy of the monoclonal CD20 antibody rituximab in ANCA-associated vasculitis is obvious, the effect on predominantly granulomatous disease activity in Wegener's granulomatosis is less clear. In addition, interferon-alpha is used for induction treatment particularly in Churg-Strauss syndrome. Even though the effectiveness and safety of short-term administration was confirmed by case series, severe side effects after long-term treatment relativized the initial results. This review presents the recent data on the use of biologicals in vasculitis and appraises the knowledge in the clinical context.

Treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases with biologic agents: opportunities and risks for the elderly.

The treatment armamentarium in rheumatic inflammatory diseases has drastically increased in the last years. Earlier uses of conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), along with the arrival of newer therapies including the so-called "biologic" agents, have provided better long-term outcomes for patients suffering from these illnesses. Biologic agents have shown efficacy for several diseases and failed in others. Due to a high prevalence of some of these diseases in the elderly population, this age group may also benefit, although treatment will have to be tailored to its special needs. In this mini review, we will discuss the use of these medications in rheumatic diseases with a significant prevalence in the elderly, their proven and potential uses, and the considerations that need to be taken into account when using them in this population.

Wegener's granulomatosis: is biologic therapy useful?

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a complex autoimmune disorder that has been transformed from a uniformly lethal process to a chronic disease with a relapsing-remitting course. In the setting of frequent relapses, the need to manage cumulative disease damage and drug toxicities has spurred the identification and development of new potent and directed therapies. Biologic agents, which offer the potential for remission-induction and drug-sparing approaches to treat WG, have been studied in several small, open-label clinical series and one large, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. This article discusses the results of these trials and the potential of these biologic agents to treat WG.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for Wegener's granulomatosis with cyclophosphamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis.

A 49-year-old man with Wegener's granulomatosis, who had been treated with cyclophosphamide, was admitted to our hospital experiencing gross hematuria. The hemorrhage was refractory to multiple conventional treatments. It progressed but later was resolved after a course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

A role for methotrexate in the management of non-infectious orbital inflammatory disease.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of methotrexate for patients with non-infectious orbital inflammatory disease who fail to respond to systemic corticosteroids and/or orbital irradiation. METHODS: The medical records of patients with non-infectious orbital inflammatory disease who were treated with methotrexate at Oregon Health Sciences University between June 1993 and June 2000 were examined. Methotrexate was administered at a median maximum dose of 20 mg per week (range 15-25 mg per week) in conjunction with folate supplementation. Patients were followed with regular ophthalmic examinations, as well as serum liver enzyme levels and blood cell counts. Clinical signs of regression of the orbital inflammation, visual acuity, dosage and duration of methotrexate therapy, requirement for concurrent corticosteroid administration, and adverse drug reactions were recorded. RESULTS: The study cohort included 14 patients (24 eyes) with diagnoses including non-specific orbital inflammation (n=7), Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (n=1), thyroid orbitopathy (n=3), Wegener's granulomatosis (n=1), sarcoidosis (n=1), and Erdheim-Chester disease (n=1). In all cases, methotrexate was commenced as a corticosteroid sparing agent. 10 patients (71%) completed a 4 month therapeutic trial of methotrexate. Median duration of treatment for the nine (64%) patients who experienced clinical benefit was 25 months (range 10-47 months). Six responders were ultimately able to cease methotrexate, including the single patient who required concurrent long term corticosteroid therapy. Complications included fatigue, gastrointestinal disturbance, hair thinning and mild, reversible serum liver enzyme elevation. Two patients (14%) discontinued treatment because of adverse effects. CONCLUSION: Methotrexate is a well tolerated immunosuppressive medication which may benefit patients with recalcitrant non-infectious orbital inflammatory disease.