Transiently increased circulating CD39+FoxP3+ Treg cells predict the clinical response to Methotrexate in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: A subset of human circulating FoxP3+ regulatory T cells expresses CD39 (cTreg39+) and hydrolyses pro-inflammatory adenine nucleotides released at inflammatory foci, rendering the anti-inflammatory agent adenosine. Methotrexate (MTX), inhibiting ATIC, enhances the extrusion of adenine nucleotides and may help Treg39+ cells control inflammation. Therefore, we examined the relation of cTreg39+ cells with the effect of MTX in early Rheumatoid Arthritis (eRA). METHODS: Freshly isolated peripheral blood lymphocytes from 98 untreated eRA patients and 98 healthy controls (HC) were examined by cytometry. Twelve months (12m) after initiating MTX, 82 patients were clinically re-evaluated and cytometry was repeated in 40 of them. The effect of MTX on Treg cell potency was assessed in Treg/Tresp cocultures. RESULTS: The baseline (0m) cTreg39+ cell frequency was elevated in eRA above HC levels. Patients who reached low disease activity at 12 months (12m-LDA, DAS28-ESR≤ 3.2, n = 51) had presented with a significantly higher 0m cTreg39+ frequency vs those who did not (n = 31). The 0m cTreg39+ cutoff for attaining 12 m-LDA was 42.0% (Sensitivity=90.4%/Specificity=96.8%). At 12m, the cTreg39+ frequency was no longer elevated but its association with disease activity remained: it was still significantly higher in patients who had reached LDA vs those who had not. In vitro, MTX augmented the Treg39+ cell potency but had no effect on Treg39- cells. CONCLUSION: MTX cooperates with Treg39+ cells and the baseline cTreg39+ frequency predicts the response to MTX in eRA. In addition, the transiently elevated baseline cTreg39+ frequency in eRA may provide a slot for prompt MTX initiation.

Circulating Tfh cells are differentially modified by abatacept or TNF blockers, and predict treatment response in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: CD4+CXCR5+PD-1hi follicular helper T (Tfh) cells dwell in the germinal centers (GCs) of lymphoid organs and participate in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) pathogenesis; the frequency of their circulating counterparts (cTfh-frequency) is expanded in RA and correlates with the pool of GC Tfh cells. Our objective was to study the effect of abatacept (ABT) or TNF blockers (TNFb) on the cTfh-frequency in RA. METHODS: Peripheral blood was drawn from seropositive-longstanding RA patients chronically receiving csDMARDS (n = 45), TNFb (n = 59), or ABT (n = 34), and healthy controls (HC) (n = 137). Also, patients with an incomplete response to csDMARDS (n = 41) who initiated TNFb (n = 19) or ABT (n = 22), were studied at 0 and 12 months. The cTfh-frequency was examined by cytometry. RESULTS: As compared with HC, an increased cTfh-frequency was seen in seropositive-longstanding RA chronically receiving csDMARDs or TNFb but not ABT. After escalating from csDMARDs, the cTfh-frequency did not vary in patients who were given TNFb but decreased to HC levels in those given ABT. In the ABT group, the baseline cTfh-frequency was higher for patients who attained 12M remission (12Mr), vs those who remained active (12Ma): 0m cutoff for remission >0.38% (Sens. 92%, Sp. 90%), OR 25.3. Conversely, in the TNFb group, the baseline cTfh-frequency was lower for 12Mr vs 12Ma: 0m cutoff for non-remission >0.44% (Sens. 67%, Sp. 90%), OR 8.5. CONCLUSION: ABT but not TNFb, is able to curtail the cTfh-frequency in RA. A higher baseline cTfh-frequency predicts a good response to ABT but a poor response to TNFb.

Multiple vertebral fractures following discontinuation of denosumab treatment: Ten clinical cases report. / Fracturas vertebrales múltiples tras la suspensión de tratamiento con denosumab: serie de diez casos.

OBJECTIVES: Analyse clinical and bone metabolism features in a case series of patients with multiple vertebral fractures after discontinuation of denosumab (DMab). METHODS: An observational descriptive study analysing data from ten patients with multiple vertebral fractures after DMab discontinuation that were admitted to our rheumatology department between 2015 and 2018. RESULTS: There were a total of 49 spontaneous fractures after an average of 6 DMab doses and 10.9 months from discontinuation. Ninety percent had already received treatment other than DMab 7 of 10 oral bisphosphonates. After discontinuation, CTX and P1NP remained elevated and mean T-score for femoral neck and lumbar spine was lower than before treatment. The most affected vertebrae were L3, L5, D6, D7, D9 and D11. CONCLUSION: This report of ten new cases suffering multiple vertebral fractures early after discontinuation of DMab highlights the emerging concern on the subject in the scientific community and the need to clarify its pathogenic mechanism, and to support by solid evidence the new recommendations on its management.

Diagnostic validity of Doppler ultrasound in giant cell arteritis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the validity of Doppler ultrasound in the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA), using the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria and biopsy and using as gold standard the patient's definitive clinical diagnosis. METHODS: An observational, descriptive and analytical study of 451 consecutive patients with suspected GCA was conducted, and the clinical history and ultrasound findings of the patients were reviewed. The validity of ACR criteria, temporal arteritis biopsy (TAB) and Doppler ultrasound in the diagnosis of GCA was calculated using the final diagnosis of the doctor in charge as the gold standard. RESULTS: The validity and security of the diagnostic tests used were as follows: ACR criteria had 65.37% sensitivity and 62.89% specificity; positive predictive value [PPV] 70%; negative predictive value [NPV] 57.82%, likelihood ratio [LR] + 1.7619 and LR - 0.5506. Doppler ultrasonography had 91.60% sensitivity and 95.83% specificity; PPV 96.62%; NPV 89.76%, LR + 21.81 and LR - 0.0876; TA biopsy 42.86% sensitivity and 100% specificity; PPV 100%; NPV 35.71% and LR - 0.5714. CONCLUSIONS: The halo sign, especially if bilateral, is a strong predictor of GCA with a level of accuracy sufficient to recommend its introduction into clinical practice and, in our opinion, should be considered in future classification criteria sets.

The immunogenicity to the first anti-TNF therapy determines the outcome of switching to a second anti-TNF therapy in spondyloarthritis patients.

INTRODUCTION: Anti-TNF drugs have proven to be effective against spondyloarthritis (SpA), although 30% of patients fail to respond or experience adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation. In rheumatoid arthritis, the presence of anti-drug antibodies (ADA) against the first TNF inhibitor influences the outcome after switching. Our aim was to assess whether the response to a second anti-TNF drug is related to the previous development of ADA to the first anti-TNF drug SpA patients. METHODS: Forty-two SpA patients began a second anti-TNF drug after failing to respond to the first anti-TNF therapy. Clinical activity was assessed by the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) at baseline (at the beginning of the first and second anti-TNF therapy) and at 6 months after switching. The drug and ADA levels were measured by ELISA before each administration. RESULTS: All patients were treated with anti-TNF drugs and mainly due to inefficacy were switched to a second anti-TNF drug. Eleven of 42 (26.2%) developed ADA during the first biologic treatment. At baseline, no differences in ASDAS were found in patients with or without ADA to the first anti-TNF drug (3.52 ± 1.03 without ADA vs. 3.14 ± 0.95 with ADA, p = 0.399) and to the second anti-TNF drug (3.36 ± 0.94 without ADA vs. 3.09 ± 0.91 with ADA, p = 0.466). At 6 months after switching, patients with previous ADA had lower disease activity (1.62 ± 0.93 with ADA vs. 2.79 ± 1.01 without ADA, p = 0.002) and most patients without ADA had high disease activity state by the ASDAS (25 out of 31 (80.6%) without ADA vs. 3 out of 11 (27.3%) with ADA, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: In SpA the failure to respond to the first anti-TNF drug due to the presence of ADA predicts a better clinical response to a second anti-TNF drug.