Cat scratch disease in an immunosuppressed patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Cat scratch disease is an infectious disorder transmitted by cats that typically affects children and young adults. Immunosuppression is a well-known risk factor for the development of severe and atypical forms of the disease; hence it is under-diagnosed in patients with compromised immunity. We are reporting the first case of cat scratch disease, which presented as fever and fatigue, in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus while receiving immunosuppressant therapy after a kidney transplant.

A man with unilateral endophthalmitis: a case of disseminated nocardiosis.

We present the case of a patient with an infection by Nocardia which manifested itself with monocular endophthalmitis. Nocardia infection is not common and ocular involvement is one of the most uncommon presentations. In these cases it is very important to make an early diagnosis and intensive treatment to prevent the visual prognosis.

Association between low 25-hydroxyvitamin D, insulin resistance and arterial stiffness in nondiabetic women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to examine if there is an association between low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and insulin resistance (IR) in nondiabetic women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to evaluate its impact on arterial stiffness. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study 25(OH)D, insulin, insulin resistance measured by the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR), homocysteine, fibrinogen, characteristics of SLE, medications and pulse-wave velocity (PWV) were measured in 106 nondiabetic women with SLE and 101 matched controls. RESULTS: Women with SLE tended to have lower 25(OH)D levels (p = 0.078) and a higher frequency of 25(OH)D deficiency (defined as < 10 ng/ml) than controls (p = 0.058). Patients from the lowest quartile of the 25(OH)D range had higher PWV (p = 0.043), fasting glucose (p = 0.035), insulinemia (p ≤ 0.001), HOMA-IR (p = 0.006), C4 (p = 0.012), as well as more frequent IR (p = 0.002) and metabolic syndrome (p = 0.052) than those in the upper quartile, and no differences were found in age, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, lipid levels and renal function. In women with SLE, 25(OH)D inversely correlated with insulin (p = 0.006), HOMA-IR (p = 0.008) and C4 (p = 0.048) and tended to correlate with fibrinogen (p = 0.060) after adjustment for BMI, age, SLEDAI, prednisone dose, renal function, inflammation markers and seasonal variation, but not with PWV. In controls, 25(OH)D correlated only with homocysteine after the same adjustment, and the correlation with PWV tended to be significant after adjustment for BMI and age (r = -0.190, p = 0.10). CONCLUSION: Low 25(OH)D levels were found to be associated with increased IR in nondiabetic women with SLE independently of BMI. Low 25(OH)D levels, but not IR, could be associated with increased arterial stiffness in these patients.

Follow-up of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: what is not found in the guidelines.

A series of measures in the management of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) which usually are not found in the lupus guidelines are discussed. In the lupus patient who has been well-controlled in the long term, the dose of hydroxychloroquine should be progressively reduced, without decreasing more than approximately 600 mg per week. We recommend taking this drug in the morning in patients with insomnia, at night in those with dyspepsia and to separate the intake of the drug from the shower (and the water should be as cool as possible) in those patients with aquagenic pruritus. We do not use prednisone on alternate days and exceptionally divide the dose into ¾ before breakfast and » before dinner. Twenty to 30 min should be used per patient in every scheduled visit to assure a good clinical and human practice. We analyzed the follow-up of 112 consecutive patients from our systemic disease unit and found that 71.4% of them had symptoms that were unexplained by lupus and we only referred 8.9% of them to other specialists, probably because of our general training as internal medicine doctors. We suggest that knowing the views of SLE specialists might be of interest since, well-designed studies that would allow to progress in the understanding of this disease could be performed based on their experience.

[Recommendations on the use of belimumab in systemic lupus erythematosus. GEAS-SEMI Clinical Practice Guide]. / Recomendaciones sobre el uso de belimumab en el lupus eritematoso sistémico. Guía de Práctica Clínica GEAS-SEMI.

Biological therapies are based on the administration of various types of synthetic molecules related to the immune response. Their use has spread in recent years to the field of systemic autoimmune diseases, particularly to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Until 2011, these diseases were not included in the therapeutic indications approved by international regulatory agencies. Therefore, the use of biological therapies was restricted to clinical trials and to compassionate use for cases refractory to standard treatments (off-label use), which require the approval of the Health Ministry. In 2011, belimumab, a human monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the soluble form of the protein human B lymphocyte stimulator BlyS, was approved for use in patients with SLE. Because the clinical information on the use of this new drug in patients with SLE has only been obtained from the results of randomized trials, the Study Group of Autoimmune Diseases (GEAS) of the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (SEMI) has developed therapeutic guidelines. These guidelines are based on the current scientific evidence on the use of belimumab in SLE patients in the clinical practice.

Association study of IRAK-M and SIGIRR genes with SLE in a large European-descent population.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of genetic variants of interleukin receptor-associated kinase-M (IRAK-M) (rs11465955, rs1624395, rs1152888 and rs1370128) and single immunoglobulin IL1-1R-related molecule (SIGIRR) (rs3210908) genes in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in four independent European-descent populations. METHODS: Our study population consisted of a total of 2033 SLE patients and 2357 healthy controls from Spain, Germany, Italy and Argentina. The genotyping was performed using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system with pre-developed TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. Genetic association between the genotyped markers was determined by PLINK v1.07. RESULTS: After a meta-analysis including these four populations, a trend of association between rs11465955 (P(meta) (-analysis) = 0.06), rs1370128 (P(meta) (-analysis) = 0.07) and rs1624395 (P(meta) (-analysis) = 0.06) polymorphisms was found. However, these differences did not reach statistical significance. In addition, we did not find any association between SLE and the rs1152888 IRAK-M (P(meta) (-analysis) = 0.13) and the rs3210908 SIGIRR (P(meta) (-analysis) = 0.40) polymorphisms after the meta-analysis. No evidence of association with IRAK-M haplotypes was found. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the tested variations of IRAK-M and SIGIRR genes do not confer a relevant role in the susceptibility to SLE in European-descent populations.

Quality-of-life predictor factors in patients with SLE and their modification after cognitive behavioural therapy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the clinical and psychological factors linked to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and test the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy in changing these factors. METHODS: We evaluated 34 patients with SLE over a period of 15 months. In order to study the variables related to items of QOL and the physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component summaries of the SF-36, several multiple linear regression models were constructed. Patients were randomized and distributed into two similar groups; one of them received cognitive behavioural therapy and the other received the usual controlled care. The psychological aspects as well as the related-disease factors were evaluated four times during the study. RESULTS: Self-perceived stress (R² corrected: 0.314, t: -2.476, p < 0.021), vulnerability to stress (R² corrected: 0.448, T: -2.166, p < 0.04) and anxiety (R² corrected: 0.689, T: -7.294, p < 0.00) were predictor variables of MCS. The group of patients who received the therapy improved their level of physical role functioning, vitality, general health perceptions and mental health, compared with the group of patients who only received conventional care. CONCLUSION: QOL usually depends on multiple factors, some of which are stress and anxiety, which can be modified by a cognitive behavioural therapy, in order to obtain a significant improvement in the HRQOL, irrespective of the activity level of the disease. Frequent evaluations of the quality of life in patients with SLE and psychological treatment should also be considered.

Effects of low or medium-dose of prednisone on insulin resistance in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of low (< or =7.5 mg/day; LD-PRD group) or medium (>7.5 mg/day; MD-PRD group) doses of prednisone over the past 4 months on insulin levels and insulin resistance (IR) in SLE patients. METHODS: SLE patients were categorised in prednisone non-users (No PRD) (n=41), LD-PRD (n=71) and MD-PRD (n=16) users. We compared insulin levels, presence of increased IR using homeostasis model assessment (HOMA index), metabolic syndrome (MetS), and other clinical, metabolic and inflammatory parameters in the 3 groups. A Spearman's rho test was used to identify independent associations between daily prednisone dose, HOMA index and insulin levels and other parameters, after adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: No differences in increased IR, HOMA index and insulin between No PRD and LD-PRD were found. In contrast, the MD-PRD group was younger (p=0.001) and had higher insulin (p=0.015), higher HOMA index (p=0.019) and increased IR (OR 5.8, 95% CI (1.7-20), p=0.007) in comparison with the LD-PRD group. The HOMA index strongly correlated with body mass index (BMI) (rs=0.460, p<0.001) but not with clinical activity or inflammatory state after adjusting for confounders. Prednisone dose correlated with the HOMA index and insulin but not with inflammatory parameters (erythrocyte sedimentation rate p=0.075) after adjusting for confounder. CONCLUSIONS: Daily medium-dose prednisone use (>7.5 mg/d) but not low-dose (< or =7.5 mg/d) use increased insulin levels and IR in SLE, which may contribute to increased CV risk experienced by these patients.

Correlation of asymptomatic hyperuricaemia and serum uric acid levels with arterial stiffness in women with systemic lupus erythematosus without clinically evident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

The objective of this article was to evaluate whether serum uric acid (SUA) correlates with arterial stiffness and inflammation markers in a cohort of women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without overt atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, who attended a community hospital. One hundred and two women with SLE were assessed as part of this cross-sectional study. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured using an automatic device (Complior). C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen and homocysteine levels as well as other metabolic results were recorded. Duration and activity of SLE, damage accrual and treatments were recorded. SLE women were categorized as having or not having hyperuricaemia (HU) according to SUA levels (greater than or up to 6.2 mg/dl, respectively). A multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the independent link between SUA levels and other variables. Women with SLE and HU (n = 15, 15%) had a worse cardiovascular risk profile that included ageing, hypertension, obesity, higher total cholesterol levels, renal failure and presence of metabolic syndrome. Also, the duration of SLE was increased and damage accrual was greater. In the unadjusted analysis, SUA levels correlated with PWV, CRP, fibrinogen and homocysteine. However, in a multivariate linear regression analysis, SUA levels independently correlated with the duration of SLE, creatinine, total cholesterol and homocysteine levels but did not correlate with PWV. In conclusion, SUA was associated with arterial stiffness, but not independently of age and homocysteine levels. Nevertheless, SUA might be an ancillary indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis in SLE women without clinically evident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of chronic stress in patients with lupus erythematosus: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Chronic stress worsens the quality of life (QOL) of lupus patients by affecting their physical and psychological status. The effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioural intervention in a group of patients with lupus and high levels of daily stress was investigated. METHODS: Forty-five patients with lupus and high levels of daily stress were randomly assigned to a control group (CG) or a therapy group (TG); they received cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which consisted of ten consecutive weekly sessions. The following variables were evaluated at baseline and at 3, 9 and 15 months: (1) stress, anxiety, depression, (2) Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index, somatic symptoms, number of flares, (3) anti-nDNA antibodies, complement fractions C3 and C4 and (4) QOL. A multivariate analysis of repeated measures and various analyses of variance were carried out. RESULTS: We found a significant reduction in the level of depression, anxiety and daily stress in the TG compared to the CG and a significant improvement in QOL and somatic symptoms in the TG throughout the entire follow-up period. We did not find any significant changes in the immunological parameters. CONCLUSIONS: CBT is effective in dealing with patients suffering from lupus and high levels of daily stress as it significantly reduces the incidence of psychological disorders associated with lupus and improves and maintains patients' QOL, despite there being no significant reduction in the disease activity index.

Clinical and pathological factors related to 18F-FDG-PET positivity in the diagnosis of recurrence and/or metastasis in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND: Objectives were to analyze the relationship between a positive (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) result and clinical and tumor factors in patients treated for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and under suspicion of recurrence or metastasis, and to determine the diagnostic validity of PET in DTC patients with elevated serum thyroglobulin (Tg) and negative (131)I whole-body scan ((131)I-WBS). METHODS: We studied 50 DTC patients with elevated serum Tg and negative WBS treated with total thyroidectomy and (131)I ablation. Thyroxin treatment was withdrawn and patients were on iodine-free diet before WBS. Tg, anti-Tg antibodies, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were determined. Patients with negative WBS and elevated Tg underwent PET study 1 week later. PET findings were verified by pathology findings or other imaging techniques [computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US)] and/or 12-month follow-up. The relationship between PET findings and tumor (histological type, size, multifocality, thyroid capsular invasion, lymph-node and/or metastatic involvement) and clinical (age at diagnosis, sex, Tg, accumulated iodine dose, and recurrence time) variables was analyzed. RESULTS: PET was positive in 32/39 patients with confirmed disease (82% sensitivity) and negative in 7/11 of disease-free cases (64% specificity), a positive predictive value (PPV) of 89%. Tumor size (P < 0.05) and thyroid capsular invasion (P < 0.05) were significantly associated with positive PET study. The relationship of PET findings with Tg levels and age at diagnosis was close to significance. CONCLUSION: (18)F-FDG-PET study offers a high sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) in patients with negative WBS and Tg positive. The use of FDG-PET is strongly recommended in DTC patients with large tumors, thyroid capsule invasion or poor-prognosis variants.