Venous thromboembolism during systemic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases associated with myelodysplastic syndromes, chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia and myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms: a French multicentre retrospective case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML) are associated with systemic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (SIADs) in 10-30% of cases. The aims of this study were (i) to evaluate the prevalence of venous thromboembolism VTE in patients presenting with both MDS/CMML and SIADs, (ii) to describe risk factors associated with thrombosis, and (iii) to analyse the impact of VTE on overall survival and transformation to acute myeloid leukaemia in comparison to patients with MDS/CMML-associated SIADs without VTE. METHODS: This retrospective multicentre case-control study was conducted among patients with MDS/CMML and dysimmune disorders and featured in the French retrospective database of the French Network of Dysimmune Disorders Associated with Hemopathies (MINHEMON), diagnosed with MDS/CMML and dysimmune disorders. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 16 months (5-48) VTE occurred in 35 patients (21.6 %) whereas 127 patients did not. Among those with VTE, 8 patients (22.9%) experienced two or more VTE. Common prothrombotic risk factors were not significantly different in patients with or without VTE. CMML was more frequent in patients without VTE (37 % vs. 14.3%, p=0.01), whereas myelodysplasic/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN) was higher in VTE patients (20 % vs. 5.5 %, p=0.01). In a multivariate analysis, only MDS/CMML progression at the time of VTE (odds ratio 28.82, 95 % CI (5.52-530.70) was significantly associated with VTE. When treated with an anticoagulation therapy, bleeding occurred in 19.4% of cases (6/31). Overall survival was not significantly different between patients with and without VTE (p=0.68). Leukaemia-free survival between groups was not significantly different (p=0.83). CONCLUSIONS: VTE is a common complication in MDS/CMML-associated SIADSs with an increased risk of bleeding when treated by anticoagulants. In the MDS/CMML subgroup, SIADS flares and MDS/CMML progression seem to be prothrombotic risk factors.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome: central and peripheral nervous system involvements.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a common systemic autoimmune disease characterised by exocrinopathy resulting in dryness of the mouth and eyes, unexplained fatigue and diffuse pain. Neurological involvement is uncommon in pSS, involving the central nervous system in 2-5% of cases and more frequently the peripheral nervous system in 5-15% of cases. The diagnosis of pSS is to be considered when confronted with symptoms such as mouth and eye dryness, fatigue and pain, the most frequent of pSS symptoms. Objective measures of oral and eye dryness may help assert the diagnosis of pSS, as well as ACR/EULAR criteria. Differential diagnoses have to be excluded in patients exhibiting neurological symptoms, such as cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis or multiple sclerosis, before considering a neurological involvement specific to pSS. The treatment of these neurological manifestations takes into account different parameters, such as the presence of cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis, the severity of the symptoms, a rapidly progressing evolution and the failure of previous symptomatic treatments.

Analysis of risk factors for complications and adverse obstetrical outcomes in women with Takayasu arteritis: a French retrospective study and literature review.

OBJECTIVE: Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a large vessel vasculitis affecting young women of childbearing age. The outcome of pregnancies in TAK patients, factors associated with maternal and foetal complications and adverse outcomes were analysed. METHODS: All pregnancies in women with a TAK diagnosis were retrospectively included from 20 French hospitals providing care for TAK, until August 2015. RESULTS: The study consisted of 43 pregnancies in 33 women, including 29 with a pre-existing TAK diagnosis and 4 diagnosed during pregnancy. Complications were observed in 20 pregnancies (47%), including 35% with arterial hypertension (n = 15), 9% with pre-eclampsia (n = 4), 2% with HELLP syndrome (n = 1) and 14% with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR, n = 6, leading in one case to a medically indicated termination of pregnancy). There were 42 live births (98%) at a median term of 38 [27-42] weeks gestation including 9 before 37 weeks (21%). The median birth weight was 2940 [610-4310] grams. Five children (12%) required transfer to a neonatal intensive care unit. One premature boy (27 weeks gestation) died after 2 days. Treatment during pregnancy included steroids (n = 25/43; 58%), azathioprine (n = 9/43; 21%) and infliximab (n = 1/43; 2%). The risk of developing arterial hypertension during pregnancy was associated with previous chronic arterial hypertension and with an infra-diaphragmatic vasculitis injury (P = 0.01 and P = 0.04, respectively). No correlation was reported between TAK activity and any of the obstetrical complications described in the study. CONCLUSION: This study showed a high rate of adverse obstetrical complications without significant impact on live birth rates. Pregnancy did not appear to influence TAK disease activity. Key Points • We observed a high rate of adverse obstetrical complications in women with Takayasu arteritis; however, the rate of live births was high. Pregnancy did not appear to influence TA disease activity.

Vasculitis associated with myelodysplastic syndrome and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia: French multicenter case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: Our objective was to evaluate characteristics, treatment and outcome of vasculitis associated with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and chronic myelomonicytic leukemia (CMML) PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective descriptive analysis of MDS/CMML-related vasculitis and comparison with MDS/CMML patients without dysimmune features. RESULTS: Seventy patients with vasculitis and MDS/CMML were included, with median age of 71.5 [21-90] years and male/female ratio of 2.3. Vasculitis was diagnosed prior to MDS/CMML in 31 patients (44%), and after in 20 patients. In comparison with MDS/CMML without autoimmune/inflammatory features, vasculitis with MDS/MPN showed no difference in MDS/CMML subtypes distribution nor International Prognostic Scoring System and CMML-specific prognostic (IPSS/CPSS) scores. Vasculitis subtypes included Giant cell arteritis in 24 patients (34%), Behçet's-like syndrome in 11 patients (20%) and polyarteritis nodosa in 6 patients (9%). Glucocorticoids (GCs) were used as first-line therapy for MDS/CMML vasculitis in 64/70 patients (91%) and 41 (59%) received combined immunosuppressive therapies during the follow-up. After a median follow-up of 33.2 months [1-162], 31 patients (44%) achieved sustained remission. At least one relapse occurred in 43 patients (61%). Relapse rates were higher in patients treated with conventional Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug (DMARDs) (odds ratio 4.86 [95% CI 1.38 - 17.10]), but did not differ for biologics (odds ratio 0.59 [95% CI 0.11-3.20]) and azacytidine (odds ratio 1.44 [95% CI 0.21-9.76]) than under glucocorticoids. Overall survival in MDS/CMML vasculitis was not significantly different from MDS/CMML patients without autoimmune/inflammatory features (p = 0.5), but acute leukemia progression rates were decreased (log rank <0.05). CONCLUSION: This study shows no correlation of vasculitis diagnoses with subtypes and severity of MDS/CMML, and no significant impact of vasculitis on overall survival. Whereas conventional DMARDs seem to be less effective, biologics or azacytidine therapy could be considered for even low-risk MDS/CMML vasculitis.