Organ involvement in Argentinian systemic sclerosis patients with "late" pattern as compared to patients with "early/active" pattern by nailfold capillaroscopy.

Changes in nailfold capillaroscopy in systemic sclerosis patients could be related to the disease severity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether patients with "late" scleroderma (SD) pattern have more organ involvement than patients with "early/active" SD pattern. Forty-six Argentinian patients (44 women and 2 men), with a diagnosis of systemic sclerosis, were distributed in two groups based on the presence of late and early/active patterns. Organ involvement was assessed as follows: pulmonary function by chest radiography, high-resolution chest tomography (HRCT), lung volume tests, and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO); esophageal involvement by manometry; and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) by Doppler echocardiography and six-minute walk test. Honeycombing of the lungs evaluated by HRCT was more frequently present in patients with late pattern compared with early/active patients (p = 0.01). We also found statistically significant differences in lung volume tests (p = 0.03) and DLCO (p = 0.02) between the two SD pattern groups. Esophageal manometry showed a significantly higher frequency of motility disorders in the group with late pattern (p = 0.0024). In this study, patients with late pattern had higher frequency of pulmonary and esophageal involvement compared with patients with early/active pattern.

[Primary Sjögren's syndrome: Expression of NF-κB in minor salivary glands]. / Síndrome de Sjögren primario: expresión del factor NF-κB en glándula salival menor.

PURPOSE: To evaluate nuclear NF-κ B translocation in minor salivary glands (mSG) of human primary Sjögren Syndrome (pSS). METHODS: Lip biopsies' mSG were done in 24 female patients with pSS from the Rheumatology Service of Rivadavia Hospital. Glands were stained with H&E and immunostained for NF-κ B. Specimens were classified according to the Chisholm and Masson score. RESULTS: The biopsies (H&E staining) showed lymphoplasmocitic infiltrates, forming periacini and periductal focuses which number depending on the stage of the disease. In stages III and IV there was acini destruction and, in some cases, fibrosis. In the biopsies with a diagnosis of sialadenitis we observed interstitially-dispersed lymphoplasmocitic elements and also polimorphonuclear neutrophils. The lip biopsies' mSG of patients with clinical-serological diagnosis of pSS showed nuclear translocation of NF-κ B in lymphocytes of focal infiltrates and in the acini epithelium adjacent to the infiltrates. In distal acini and ductal structures from the infitrates we did not observe nuclear translocation. However, in SSp patients with sialadenitis interstitial lymphocytes with nuclear translocation were observed but neither in the acini or the ducts. SSp patients with normal glands did not show nuclear translocation of NF-κ B factor either in the acini or in the ducts. CONCLUSIONS: These results allow us to infer the importance of lymphocyte-epithelium interaction on the activation of NF-κ B in human pSS.

Síndrome de Sjögren primario: expresión del factor NF-kB en glándula salival menor / Primary Sjögren's syndrome: expression of NF-kB in minor salivary glands

Objetivo. Evaluar la translocación nuclear del factor NF-kB en las glándulas salivales menores de pacientes con síndrome de Sjögren primario (SSp). Métodos. Se realizaron biopsias de glándulas salivares menores en 24 pacientes mujeres con diagnóstico de SSp del Servicio de Reumatología del Hospital Rivadavia. Las glándulas fueron teñidas con H&E y la inmunohistoquímica para NF-kB, fueron clasificados de acuerdo con la puntuación de Chisholm y Masson. Resultados. Las biopsias de pacientes con SSp (H&E) mostraron infiltrados linfoplasmocitarios, formando focos periacinares y periductales cuyo número depende del estadio de la enfermedad. En las fases III y IV se observa la destrucción de los acinos y, en algunos casos, fibrosis. En las biopsias con diagnóstico de sialoadenitis observamos elementos linfoplasmocitarios intersticiales dispersos y también neutrófilos polimorfonucleares. Las biopsias de labio de pacientes con diagnóstico clínico serológico de SSp mostraron la translocación nuclear de NF-kB en los linfocitos de infiltración focal y en el epitelio de los acinos adyacentes a los infiltrados. En acinos y en las estructuras ductales alejadas de los infiltrados, no observamos translocación nuclear. Sin embargo, en pacientes con sialoadenitis se observaron linfocitos intersticiales con translocación nuclear pero no en acinos y ductos. Los pacientes con SSp con glándula normal no mostraron translocación nuclear del factor NF-kB, ni en acinos ni en el conducto. Conclusiones. Estos resultados nos permiten inferir la importancia de la interacción linfocitosepitelio y, la activación del factor NF-kB en pacientes con diagnóstico de SSp (AU)

Purpose. To evaluate nuclear NF-kB translocation in minor salivary glands (mSG) of human primary Sjögren Syndrome (pSS). Methods. Lip biopsies’ mSG were done in 24 female patients with pSS from the Rheumatology Service of Rivadavia Hospital. Glands were stained with H&E and immunostained for NF-kB. Specimens were classified according to the Chisholm and Masson score. Results. The biopsies (H&E staining) showed lymphoplasmocitic infiltrates, forming periacini and periductal focuses which number depending on the stage of the disease. In stages III and IV there was acini destruction and, in some cases, fibrosis. In the biopsies with a diagnosis of sialadenitis we observed interstitially-dispersed lymphoplasmocitic elements and also polimorphonuclear neutrophils. The lip biopsies’ mSG of patients with clinical-serological diagnosis of pSS showed nuclear translocation of NF-kB in lymphocytes of focal infiltrates and in the acini epithelium adjacent to the infiltrates. In distal acini and ductal structures from the infitrates we did not observe nuclear translocation. However, in SSp patients with sialadenitis interstitial lymphocytes with nuclear translocation were observed but neither in the acini or the ducts. SSp patients with normal glands did not show nuclear translocation of NF-kB factor either in the acini or in the ducts. Conclusions. These results allow us to infer the importance of lymphocyte-epithelium interaction on the activation of NF-kB in human pSS (AU)