Large granular lymphocyte leukemia with pure red cell aplasia associated with autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy: an unfortuitous association?

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is a recessively inherited monogenic disease caused by a mutation in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene. AIRE plays a major role in central (thymic) immune tolerance. In the absence of AIRE, autoimmunity develops that is especially targeted at endocrine tissues. T-cell large granular lymphocyte (T-LGL) leukemia is a monoclonal lymphoproliferative disease characterized by persistent and indolent lymphocytosis. Autoimmune manifestations, such as rheumatoid arthritis or autoimmune cytopenia, are also common. We report the case of a patient with APECED, who presented with pure red cell aplasia associated with T-LGL leukemia. The association of T-LGL leukemia and APECED is very rare and may not be fortuitous. The immunological mechanisms of this association are discussed.

Pulmonary fibrosis associated with ANCA-positive vasculitides. Retrospective study of 12 cases and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical presentation of the association between pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and systemic vasculitis related to antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA-V). METHODS: 12 patients (three female, mean age 70.7 years) with ANCA-V associated with "idiopathic" PF were studied retrospectively. RESULTS: ANCA-V and PF were diagnosed simultaneously in eight cases; PF occurred earlier in three cases and during ANCA-V follow-up in one. No patient had intra-alveolar haemorrhage (IAH). ANCA were myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA in all cases. Seven patients had blood eosinophilia at diagnosis. Two patients died during ANCA-V induction therapy. The respiratory status of five patients worsened and three of them died from exacerbation of end-stage respiratory failure. The five remaining patients had a stable respiratory status. CONCLUSION: The association of PF and ANCA-V does not seem to be fortuitous, even though their clinical evolutions are clearly not related. PF was the major cause of death.

[Pulmonary arterial hypertension related to systemic sclerosis in 2008]. / L'hypertension artérielle pulmonaire de la sclérodermie systémique en 2008.

Systemic sclerosis-related pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe disease affecting about 1000 patients in France. In 2008, all scleroderma patients are screened for PAH by a yearly cardiac Doppler ultrasonography. The pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis-related PAH is poorly known but it seems that besides common arteriolar remodeling (media hypertrophy, intimal thickening, endothelial proliferation), venular lesions suggesting obstructive venous disease and inflammatory lesions may be also be involved. Prostacyclin and analogues, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (sildenafil) and endothelin-1 receptor antagonists are proposed as specific treatments for systemic sclerosis-related PAH. Unlike bosentan, which is non-selective, inhibiting both ETA and ETB receptors, sodium sitaxentan is highly selective for ETA receptors; this could favor pulmonary vasodilation.

Churg-Strauss syndrome revealed by granulomatous acute pericarditis: two case reports and a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a necrotizing systemic vasculitis with extravascular granulomas and eosinophilic infiltrates of small vessels. CSS is usually revealed by nonspecific signs of necrotizing vasculitis in a context of late-onset asthma and blood eosinophilia. It is considered a systemic vasculitis with the highest prevalence of cardiac involvement and can lead to rapid-onset heart failure due to specific cardiomyopathy. Pericardial effusion may also occur during CSS and is usually well tolerated. OBJECTIVE: The objective of these case reports was to indicate that CSS may present as tamponade, with or without other visceral involvement. METHODS: Among CSS patients treated during the past 10 years at 2 French university hospitals, we have identified and described 2 cases revealed by tamponade with pericardial biopsy-proven granulomatous vasculitis. We have also reviewed the international medical literature in PubMed on cardiac involvement in CSS. RESULTS: The first case report describes a 66-year-old man who had an isolated cardiac tamponade with both inflammatory syndrome and eosinophilia. Long-term remission was obtained with corticosteroids. The second case report describes a 46-year-old woman whose CSS presented with tamponade and associated central nervous system and myocardial involvement. Remission was obtained with corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide. In both cases, CSS was assessed by histological analysis of a pericardial sample. CONCLUSIONS: CSS may present as isolated cardiac tamponade. Whereas pericarditis with myocardial injury warrants immunosuppressive therapy, isolated pericarditis without other visceral involvement of poor prognosis only requires corticosteroid therapy.

[Screening of abdominal aortic involvement using Doppler sonography in active giant cell (temporal) arteritis at the time of diagnosis. A prospective study of 30 patients]. / Dépistage de l'atteinte aortique abdominale par échographie-doppler au diagnostic de maladie de Horton. Etude prospective de 30 patients.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory involvement of extracranial large-sized arteries occurs in 10-20% of patients with giant cell (temporal) arteritis. Aortic involvement may reveal giant cell arteritis or occur as a late-onset complication, and represents one of the most serious manifestation of the disease with the risk of aortic dissection and/or aneurysm rupture. The thoracic aorta is more frequently involved but abdominal aortitis may also occur in giant cell arteritis. To date, few data are available about abdominal aorta changes at the initial stage of giant cell arteritis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective monocentric study was conducted between May 1998 and May 2002, and included 30 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis. Standard clinical and biological data were collected. Each patient underwent an abdominal aortic Doppler-sonography that looked for aneurysm, ectasia, thickening of the vascular wall, and hypoechoic halo around the aorta. RESULTS: Among the 30 patients of this study (25 women, 5 men, mean age 68.5 years), 4 (13%) had an abdominal aortic aneurysm, with a low diameter (23 to 27 mm), measuring 2 to 5.5 cm in length. A vascular wall thickening superior or equal to 3 mm was noted in 17 patients (68%). A 4 to 8 mm periaortic hypoechoic halo was found in 10 patients (33%). This halo was present in 3 out of the 4 patients with aneurysm. CONCLUSION: Aortic involvement is a potentially serious complication of giant cell arteritis. The question of a systematic screening of this complication remains open to discussion. Our study shows that Doppler sonography may detect morphological abnormalities on the abdominal aorta at the initial stage of giant cell arteritis. These abnormalities comprise mild aneurysms, thickening of the vascular wall and periaortic halo, which could correspond to inflammatory locations of the disease. Complementary studies are needed to assess their specificity and their seriousness.

Systemic medium-sized vessel vasculitis associated with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical aspects of systemic vasculitis associated with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). METHODS: In this retrospective study, 8 patients suffering from systemic vasculitis associated with CMML are described. The French and English literature on systemic vasculitis associated with myelodysplasia was reviewed. RESULTS: All 8 patients had a systemic medium-sized vessel vasculitis which fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for polyarteritis nodosa in the setting of active CMML. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) were negative in 7 patients. One patient had cytoplasmic ANCA by indirect immunofluorescence without antiproteinase 3 or antimyeloperoxydase antibodies on the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. At presentation, 6 patients had fever of unknown origin, 5 had polymyalgia rheumatica, 3 had sensory hearing loss, and 4 had eosinophilia. None had viral infection or drug-associated vasculitis. Diagnostic procedures included renal or hepatic angiography in 6 patients which showed microaneurysms in 4, skin and temporal artery biopsy in 2 which showed vasculitis, and 1 postmortem examination which showed gastroduodenal arteritis. All patients were treated with corticosteroids, and 7 received immunosuppressive drugs. Death was attributable to vasculitis in 2 cases, infection in 3, and other vasculitis-related causes in 2. In a review of the French-English literature, we found 11 similar cases of ANCA-negative systemic vasculitis, generally associated with refractory anemia, with or without blast excess. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic ANCA-negative polyarteritis nodosa-type vasculitis seems closely associated to CMML. Clinical presentation is nonspecific, and systemic vasculitis should be suspected when a patient with myelodysplasia develops atypical manifestations. Renal, gastrointestinal, or hepatic angiography are useful diagnostic procedures when more invasive biopsies should be avoided because of low platelet count. The prognosis of CMML-associated systemic vasculitis is poor.

Henoch-Schönlein purpura associated with Toxocara canis infection.

We describe a case of Henoch-Schönlein purpura in the onset of Toxocara canis infection. The diagnosis was made in a 17-year-old boy based on the association of palpable purpura, oligoarthritis, acute abdominal pain, microhematuria, and cutaneous vasculitis. Toxocariasis, suggested by hypereosinophilia and domestic contact with a puppy, was confirmed by anti-Toxocara IgG and IgE and Western blot. Complete spontaneous resolution occurred within a few days. Transient presence of antinuclear antibodies and the absence of larvae in the skin biopsy favor an immunologic parasite induced disorder. A hypersensitivity vasculitis to Toxocara canis is suggested.

Systemic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody vasculitis associated with lymphoid neoplasia.

Two cases of systemic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) vasculitis in the setting of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy type T cell lymphoma are reported. The two patients had fever of unknown origin associated with cutaneous vasculitis and "pulmonary-renal syndrome" with alveolar haemorrhage. Despite anti-infectious treatments, steroids, and chemotherapy, the vasculitis had a fatal paraneoplastic course in several weeks. When infection is excluded in patients with malignancy, atypical features should be promptly investigated for systemic vasculitis, and an ANCA test performed.

Captopril and aspirin in treatment of renal microangiopathy in primary antiphospholipid syndrome.

Treatment of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is controversial. We report a case of renal microangiopathy in a 40-year-old woman with APS. The nephropathy was isolated without signs of disseminated thrombotic microangiopathy or progressive systemic sclerosis. Similarities with sclerodermatous kidney and an increase in plasma renin activity led us to initiate treatment with aspirin and captopril, with excellent control of the renal syndrome. We believe this therapeutic regimen may be an effective means of treating the renal microangiopathy of APS.

Prevalence of rheumatic manifestations and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in haematological malignancies. A prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) and rheumatic manifestations associated with chronic haematological malignancies. METHODS: Two groups of patients were prospectively studied (group I: 60 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and group II: 140 patients with lymphoid malignancies) for clinical 'immune' manifestations and ANCA. RESULTS: In the myelodysplastic group, six patients had ANCA-negative systemic medium-size vasculitis, one had systemic vasculitis with cytoplasmic ANCA, one relapsing polychondritis, one giant cell arteritis, one polymyalgia rheumatica, one polyarthritis and two fasciitis. In group II, two patients had ANCA-negative systemic vasculitis, two had leucocytoclastic vasculitis associated with tuberculosis, two had polyarthritis, one polymyalgia rheumatica and one giant cell arteritis. Six sera were ANCA-positive with perinuclear pattern in four cases, atypical pattern in one and cytoplasmic pattern in one. Two sera had anti-myeloperoxidase (MPO) specificity, and others had no known specificity; none had anti-proteinase 3 (PR3) specificity. Global prevalence of ANCA in our cohort was 3%, similar to the French general population. CONCLUSION: Polyarteritis nodosa-type systemic vasculitis and polymyalgia rheumatica were the most frequent findings (18%) in myelodysplastic syndromes and particularly in chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia. ANCA were not helpful for the diagnosis of vasculitis. Vasculitis associated with infection, in particular tuberculosis, must be ruled out.

Value of autoantibodies to beta(2)-glycoprotein 1 in the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To define the specificity and positive predictive value of anti-beta(2)-glycoprotein 1 (anti-beta(2)GP1) antibodies for the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). METHODS: We determined the presence of anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies and anti-beta(2)-glycoprotein 1 (anti-beta(2)GP1) immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM in 191 consecutive sera from 191 patients and reviewed clinical data separately. aCL IgG and IgM were detected separately using commercial ELISA kits. Anti-beta(2)GP1 antibodies were detected with an in-house ELISA using beta(2)GP1. RESULTS: Seven patients were diagnosed as having APS and 184 as having other diseases. Thirty-six patients were aCL-positive and 12 were anti-beta(2)GP1-positive, seven of these 12 were APS patients. The specificity for anti-beta(2)GP1 in our population was 97%, with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 58%. Among the aCL-positive patients, specificity was 90% and PPV 70-87%. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that anti-beta(2)GP1 antibodies have a higher specificity and PPV than aCL for APS. The PPV of anti-beta(2)GP1 was greater in aCL-positive than in all patients. We conclude that screening for anti-beta(2)GP1 antibodies in aCL-positive patients increases the specificity and the PPV of aCL testing. In addition, we show that there is no need to screen for anti-beta(2)GP1 antibodies in the absence of aCL antibodies and in the absence of strong clinical suspicion of APS.