A Natural Astragalus-Based Nutritional Supplement Lengthens Telomeres in a Middle-Aged Population: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Telomeres are ribonucleoprotein structures that form a protective buffer at the ends of chromosomes, maintaining genomic integrity during the cell cycle. A decrease in average telomere length is associated with with age and with aging-related diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. In this study, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial over six months to compare the effects of the Astragalus-based supplement versus a placebo on telomere length (TL) in 40 healthy volunteers (mean age 56.1 ± 6.0 years). Twenty subjects received the supplement, and 20 received placebo capsules. All participants completed the study, and no adverse side effects were reported at six months. Subjects taking the Astragalus-based supplement exhibited significantly longer median TL (p = 0.01) and short TL (p = 0.004), along with a lower percentage of short telomeres, over the six-month period, while the placebo group showed no change in TL. This trial confirmed that the supplement significantly lengthens both median and short telomeres by increasing telomerase activity and reducing the percentage of short telomeres (<3 Kbp) in a statistically and possibly clinically significant manner. These results align with a previous open prospective trial, which found no toxicity associated with the supplement's intake. These findings suggest that this Astragalus-based supplement warrants further investigation for its potential benefits in promoting health, extending life expectancy, and supporting healthy aging.

Long-term efficacy of immunoglobulins in small fiber neuropathy related to Sjögren's syndrome.

The most common peripheral nervous system manifestations in Sjogren's syndrome are small fiber sensory neuropathies (SFPN) and axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathies. Currently, treatment in small fiber neuropathy is mainly symptomatic and based on anti-depressors and anti-epileptics. The benefit of treatment with polyvalent immunoglobulins for SFPN has been reported in small series of patients, although transient in several cases. The medium-to-long-term effects of polyvalent immunoglobulins (Ig) in SFPN in patients with Sjogren's syndrome who are refractory to conventional treatments remain an unmet medical need. We present our experience related to the persistent improvement of Ig in a case series of SFPN in Sjogren's syndrome and relevant data in the literature regarding the benefits of immunoglobulins, for this indication.

Recovering autonomy is a key advantage of home-based immunoglobulin therapy in patients with myositis: A qualitative research study.

Immunoglobulins are 2nd or 3rd-line treatments in dermatomyositis (DM) or polymyositis (PM) refractory to high-dose corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. Immunoglobulins (2 g/kg/mo) are usually administered intravenously (IVIg) once a month and the patients stay at hospital for a few days. Recently, subcutaneous injections (SCIg) were proposed 2 to 3 times per week, in some dysimmune diseases. SCIg are administered at home preferably by the patient or by a nurse. We investigated the needs and attitudes of DM and PM patients with experience of IVIg and SCIg.Seven patients (6 PM and 1 DM) from a single center participated in a focus group (N = 6) or underwent in-depth interview (N = 1). Six had the experience of both IVIg at hospital and SCIg at home; 1 has received only IVIg at hospital. Verbatim was recorded and transcribed for further content analysis and computer-aided textual analysis.Clinical profiles and stories were heterogeneous. At diagnosis, muscle weakness, severe pain, and fatigue were at the forefront of patients' complaints impairing daily life. Patients reported considerable improvement with immunoglobulins. SCIg were described as easy, less disruptive for daily life, well tolerated, and less time-consuming. SCIg self-administration at home restored the feeling of autonomy and control.Interviews of DM and PM patients revealed that recovering autonomy and control was a central advantage of home-based SCIg that were efficient, well tolerated, and perceived as a good compromise between treatment burden and efficacy.

Withdrawal of low-dose prednisone in SLE patients with a clinically quiescent disease for more than 1 year: a randomised clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy to prevent flares of maintenance versus withdrawal of 5 mg/day prednisone in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with clinically quiescent disease. METHODS: A monocentric, 12-month, superiority, open-label, randomised (1:1) controlled trial was conducted with 61 patients continuing 5 mg/day prednisone and 63 stopping it. Eligibility criteria were SLE patients who, during the year preceding the inclusion, had a clinically inactive disease and a stable SLE treatment including 5 mg/day prednisone. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patient experiencing a flare defined with the SELENA-SLEDAI flare index (SFI) at 52 weeks. Secondary endpoints included time to flare, flare severity according to SFI and British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) index and increase in the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) damage index (SDI). RESULTS: Proportion of patients experiencing a flare was significantly lower in the maintenance group as compared with the withdrawal group (4 patients vs 17; RR 0.2 (95% CI 0.1 to 0.7), p=0.003). Maintenance of 5 mg prednisone was superior with respect to time to first flare (HR 0.2; 95% CI 0.1 to 0.6, p=0.002), occurrence of mild/moderate flares using the SFI (3 patients vs 12; RR 0.2 (95% CI 0.1 to 0.8), p=0.012) and occurrence of moderate/severe flares using the BILAG index (1 patient vs 8; RR 0.1 (95% CI 0.1 to 0.9), p=0.013). SDI increase and adverse events were similar in the two treatment groups. Subgroup analyses of the primary endpoint by predefined baseline characteristics did not show evidence of a different clinical response. CONCLUSION: Maintenance of long term 5 mg prednisone in SLE patients with inactive disease prevents relapse. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02558517; Results.

[Use of intravenous and subcutaneous human immunoglobulins]. / Utilisation des immunoglobulines humaines intraveineuses et sous-cutanées.

Immunoglobulin preparations are medicines derived from blood used as a replacement therapy for immunodeficiencies or as an immunomodulator. While they are generally well-tolerated, side effects, rarely severe, can nevertheless occur when administered intravenously. They are usually related to an excessive perfusion rate. The recent arrival of safer products administered subcutaneously represents progress in the treatment of patients.

Coagulation Parameters in Adult Patients With Type-1 Gaucher Disease.

BACKGROUND: Gaucher disease is a rare inborn error of lysosomal metabolism, characterized by lysosomal storage of the ß-glucosylceramide. Bleedings observed in type-1 Gaucher disease (GD1) are commonly attributed to a low platelet count, but they can also occur when the platelet count is normal or slightly low. Abnormal platelet function has been described and deficiencies in coagulation factors too, such as factors II, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, and von Willebrand factor. However, studies are few in number, involving few patients and having varying conclusions. The aim of this study was to analyze clotting factor deficiencies in a larger cohort of French patients with GD1. METHODS: This is an observational national study. The coagulation parameters were collected during routine GD1 monitoring and described retrospectively. RESULTS: We highlighted low levels of various coagulation factors in 46% of the patients with GD1. The most frequent coagulation abnormalities encountered were factor V, X, XI, and XII deficiencies. Deficits were usually mild and coagulation abnormalities tended to be more frequent in non-splenectomized patients. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, frequent and varied coagulation abnormalities were found in a high proportion of GD1 patients.

Assessment of renal function in patients with myositis and treated with subcutaneous immunoglobulin: a series of 24 cases.

Immunoglobulin (Ig) therapy is used to treat a wide range of immunodeficiencies and autoimmune diseases; While, its clinical benefit has been demonstrated in several studies, Ig therapy is associated with a risk of systemic adverse effects. As such, Onset of renal impairment, including acute renal failure, osmotic nephrosis and renal insufficiency, after immunoglobulin administration is rare, but is one of the most significant concerns related to intravenous Ig use at immunomodulatory doses. However, only few studies have investigated the safety of subcutaneous Ig (SCIg) in relation to these rare conditions. The aim of this prospective study is to describe the safety of SCIg (Gammanorm), specifically with regards to renal function, in inflammatory myopathies including mainly polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM) and inclusion body myositis (IBM). Twenty-four cases were included: 10 patients with PM, 6 with IBM, 5 with DM, 2 with mixed connective-tissue disease (MCTD) and 1 patient with scleromyositis. SCIg was given two to three times per week at 2 g/kg/month in all patients. Patients were treated for a mean duration of 24.6 ± 11.4 months (range 8-37 months) and received a median of 78 SCIg infusions. Renal function was stable over the study period in all patients. High-dose SCIg was well tolerated; the treatment was not withdrawn during the first year in any patient for safety issues. These results suggest that the use of high-dose SCIg is generally feasible and safe in patients with inflammatory myopathies.

Efficacy and patient satisfaction in the use of subcutaneous immunoglobulin immunotherapy for the treatment of auto-immune neuromuscular diseases.

We reviewed the efficacy of SCIg administration in terms of muscle strength maintenance and patient satisfaction comparing with IVIg in the treatment of auto-immune neuromuscular diseases. A systematic review was conducted, and identified studies from databases (PUBMED, EMBASE, EBSCO, Web of Science and Google Scholar) which were analyzed. The methodological quality of the selected publications was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data were extracted from a total of 11 studies Fixed and random-effect model meta-analyses were performed. For the maintenance of muscle strength, Overall Neuropathy Limitations Scale (ONLS) data from 100 patients diagnosed with multifocal mononeuropathy (MMN) or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) were pooled together. Switching to subcutaneous immunoglobulin administration led to a significant improvement (fixed effects model, p = 0.002). In data collected using the Medical Research Council Scale for Muscle Strength data from 140 patients with a wider range of disorders, a small but significant improvement in overall strength was observed in the SCIg group (p < 0.0001). In addition, the results of two studies measuring health-related quality of life and patient satisfaction were pooled. Data from 49 patients suffering from MMN, CIDP, and a variety of different myopathies demonstrated a small but significant increase in the mean 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) scores (p < 0.0001). A highly significant difference was revealed when comparing data from 119 patients' responses to the Life Quality Index questionnaire (LQI) assessing patient satisfaction (p < 0.0001). This is the first analysis showing that SCIg is more effective than IVIg in improving Patient Reported Outcomes in auto-immune neuromuscular disease. These results should permit a broad range of patients to self-administer immunoglobulin treatments at home, potentially improving patient acceptability while reducing hospital visits and healthcare costs for the treatment of chronic auto-immune neuropathies.

Inclusion body myositis and human immunodeficiency virus type 1: A new case report and literature review.

Prevalence of muscle disease in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is less than 1% of patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Sporadic inclusion body myositis (IBM) is observed in a few cases of patients infected by retroviruses such as HIV-1. A Caucasian man was diagnosed with HIV when he was 30 years old. The viral load was undetectable and CD4 cell count was 600/mm3 when the diagnosis of inclusion body myositis was confirmed. Histological findings were typical of IBM. The treatment consisted of immunoglobulin therapy for three years without effect. Twenty-two patients were found in the English and French literature. They are younger than those who suffer from IBM without HIV (median age = 47, range: 30 to 59), and they are mostly men with considerable serum creatine kinase (CK) elevation (median CK level = 1322 IU/L, range: 465 to 10270), most of them were treated with Zidovudine.

Prevalence of autoantibodies in the course of Gaucher disease type 1: A multicenter study comparing Gaucher disease patients to healthy subjects.

OBJECTIVES: Type 1 Gaucher disease may be related to the presence of autoantibodies. Their clinical significance is questioned. Primary endpoint was to compare the prevalence of autoantibodies in type 1 Gaucher disease patients with healthy subjects, seeking correlations with autoimmune characteristics. Secondary endpoints were to determine whether patients with autoantibodies reported autoimmunity-related symptoms and if genotype, splenectomy or treatment influenced autoantibodies presence. METHODS: Type 1 Gaucher disease patients and healthy volunteers were included in this national multicenter exploratory study. Autoantibodies presence was compared in both groups and assessed regarding to genotype, splenectomy, Gaucher disease treatment and autoimmunity-related symptoms. RESULTS: Twenty healthy subjects and 40 type 1 Gaucher disease patients were included. Of the studied group: 15 patients undergone splenectomy, 37 were treated either with enzyme replacement therapy (34) or with substrate reduction therapy (3), 25 were homozygous/heterozygous for the N370S mutation. In type 1 Gaucher disease group (studied group), 52% had positive autoantibodies versus 26% in control group. Antiphospholipid antibodies were more frequent in the studied group (30% vs. 5%), but without correlation to thrombosis, osteonecrosis or bone infarcts. In the studied group, antinuclear antibodies were more frequent (25% vs. 16%). None of the patients with autoantibodies had clinical manifestations of autoimmune diseases. Autoantibodies were not correlated with treatment, genotype, or splenectomy, except for anticardiolipid, more frequent in splenectomized patients. CONCLUSIONS: In type 1 Gaucher disease, autoantibodies were more frequent compared to a healthy population. However, they were not associated with an increased prevalence of clinical active autoimmune diseases.

A cohort of French pediatric patients with primary immunodeficiencies: are patient preferences regarding replacement immunotherapy fulfilled in real-life conditions?

OBJECTIVE: To assess quality of life and satisfaction regarding immunoglobulin-replacement therapy (IgRT) treatment according to the route (intravenous Ig [IVIg] or subcutaneous Ig [SCIg]) and place of administration (home-based IgRT or hospital-based IgRT). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Children 5-15 years old treated for primary immunodeficiency disease (PIDD) with IgRT for ≥3 months were included in a prospective, noninterventional cohort study and followed over 12 months. Quality of life was assessed with the Child Health Questionnaire - parent form (CHQ-PF)-50 questionnaire. Satisfaction with IgRT was measured with a three-dimensional scale (Life Quality Index [LQI] with three components: factor I [FI], treatment interference; FII, therapy-related problems; FIII, therapy settings). RESULTS: A total of 44 children (9.7±3.2 years old) receiving IgRT for a mean of 5.6±4.5 years (median 4.1 years) entered the study: 18 (40.9%) were receiving hospital-based IVIg, two (4.6%) were receiving home-based IVIg, and 24 (54.6%) were treated by home-based SCIg. LQI FIII was higher for home-based SCIg than for hospital-based IVIg (P=0.0003), but there was no difference for LQI FI or LQI FII. LQI FIII significantly improved in five patients who switched from IVIg to SCIg during the follow-up when compared to patients who pursued the same regimen (either IVIg or SCIg). No difference was found on CHQ-PF50 subscales, LQI FI, or LQI FII. CONCLUSION: Home-based SCIg gave higher satisfaction regarding therapy settings than hospital-based IVIg. No difference was found on other subscales of the LQI or CHQ-PF50 between hospital-based IVIG and home-based SCIG.

Subcutaneous immunoglobulins for the treatment of a patient with antisynthetase syndrome and secondary chronic immunodeficiency after anti-CD20 treatment: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Antisynthetase syndrome is a rare and debilitating multiorgan disease characterized by inflammatory myopathy, interstitial lung disease, cutaneous involvement, and frequent chronic inflammation of the joints. Standard treatments include corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. In some cases, treatment resistance may develop. Administration of immunoglobulins intravenously is recommended in patients with drug-resistant antisynthetase syndrome. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we describe the case of a 56-year-old woman of Algerian origin. She is the first case of a patient with multidrug-resistant antisynthetase syndrome featuring pulmonary involvement and arthropathy, and chronic secondary immune deficiency with recurrent infections, after anti-CD20 treatment, in which her primary antisynthetase syndrome-related symptoms and secondary immune deficiency were treated successfully with subcutaneous administration of immunoglobulin. The administration of immunoglobulin subcutaneously was introduced at a dose of 2 g/kg per month and was well tolerated. Clinical improvement was observed within 3 months of initiation of subcutaneous administration of immunoglobulin. After 22 months of treatment, she showed a significant improvement in terms of muscle strength, pulmonary involvement, arthralgia, and immunodeficiency. Her serum creatine phosphokinase and C-reactive protein levels remained normal. Finally, she was compliant and entirely satisfied with the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these observations suggest that administration of immunoglobulin subcutaneously may be a useful therapeutic approach to tackle steroid-refractory antisynthetase syndrome while ensuring minimal side effects and improved treatment compliance. This treatment also allowed, in our case, for the regression of the chronic immunodeficiency secondary to rituximab treatment.

Management of adverse events in the treatment of patients with immunoglobulin therapy: A review of evidence.

Immunoglobulin (IG) therapy is actually used for a broad range of diseases including primary and secondary immunodeficiency disorders, and autoimmune diseases. This therapy is available for intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) administration. The efficacy of the IG therapy has been demonstrated in numerous studies and across different diseases. Generally, IG infusions are well tolerated; however some well-known adverse reactions, ranging from mild to severe, are associated with the therapy. The most common adverse reactions including headache, nausea, myalgia, fever, chills, chest discomfort, skin and anaphylactic reactions, could arise immediately during or after the infusion. Delayed events could be more severe and include migraine headaches, aseptic meningitis, haemolysis renal impairment and thrombotic events. This paper reviews all the potential adverse events related to IG therapy and establishes a comprehensive guideline for the management of these events. Moreover it resumes the opinions and clinical experience of expert endorsers on the utilization of the treatment. Published data were classified into levels of evidence and the strength of the recommendation was given for each intervention according to the GRADE system.

Long-term subcutaneous immunoglobulin use in inflammatory myopathies: A retrospective review of 19 cases.

Subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIg) therapy is indicated in primary and secondary immunodeficiency diseases. Its use in practice is being extended to autoimmune diseases. Few studies investigated the feasibility and safety of SCIg in these rare conditions. The aim was to describe the use of SCIg in inflammatory myopathies including polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM) and inclusion body myositis (IBM), in real-life settings. This case series was based upon a retrospective data collection. The primary objective was to assess the feasibility of the SCIg injections for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and adherence to high doses. Secondary objectives included safety and efficacy. Nineteen cases were identified: 7 patients were diagnosed with PM, 7 with IBM, 2 with DM, and 3 with myositis associated with connective tissue disease. Patients were treated and followed-up for a mean duration of 18.8 months (range 4.5-42). They received a median of 64 SCIg infusions and a total of 1215 infusions. Out of 14 patients, 10 showed an improvement in muscle strength, and 7 out of 11 showed an improvement in muscle disability scale. Two patients were lost to follow-up. Few slight adverse reactions were reported including mainly mild headaches and local skin reactions. Any serious adverse event was reported. These results suggest that the use of high-dose SCIg is feasible, beneficial and safe in patients with inflammatory myopathies. SCIg could be an alternative of IVIg in patients with difficult venous access or with insufficient response, and in patients preferring home care setting.

Subcutaneous Immunoglobulin Use in Inclusion Body Myositis: A Review of 6 Cases.

INTRODUCTION: Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a slowly progressive degenerative inflammatory disorder affecting both proximal and distal muscles. Immunosuppressive therapies are generally ineffective in the treatment of this disorder, and most patients are resistant to steroid therapy. Some benefits with mild improvement were observed with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), particularly in patients with severe dysphagia. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to describe the use of subcutaneous Ig (SCIg) in patients with IBM and to assess its feasibility. RESULTS: This report reviews 6 cases of IBM treated with SCIg in clinical practice. All patients had received prior treatments for IBM, including immunosuppressive agents and IVIg. SCIg was administered over a long period of time, ranging from 4.5 to 27 months. No patient discontinued the SCIg because of a treatment-related event or safety issues. The 6 cases showed an improvement in muscle strength and resolution of dysphagia. For 2 patients, this improvement persisted for approximately 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: SCIg might be proposed as an alternative therapy to patients with IBM who are resistant to corticoids and immunosuppressive therapies. Our findings suggest that treatment with SCIg (Gammanorm 16.5%, Octapharma AB) is feasible and safe in patients with IBM.

Corrigendum to "high-dose subcutaneous immunoglobulins for the treatment of severe treatment-resistant polymyositis".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2014/458231.].

Prevalence of sarcopenia among healthy ambulatory subjects: the sarcopenia begins from 45 years.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Sarcopenia has been indicated as a reliable marker of frailty and poor prognosis among the oldest individuals. There are only few data on sarcopenia in healthy general population. We evaluated the prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with functional and clinical status in a population of healthy ambulatory subjects over 45 years living at home, in Paris (France). METHODS: This study was conducted selecting all ambulatory participants (n = 1,445) aged 45 years and older from October 2008 to September 2011, consulting in the Institute of Physiology (Institut de Jaeger) from Paris (France) for a functional and muscular evaluation, and did not have limitations to moderate physical exercise. All were healthy people. All subjects performed a medical examination, associated with evaluation of muscle mass (body composition assessment using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) and of muscle function (by hand grip strength). Diagnosis of sarcopenia required the documentation of low muscle mass with low muscle strength according to the current international consensus definition of sarcopenia. RESULTS: From 1,421 participants (553 males and 868 females) definitively enrolled, 221 subjects (135 females and 86 males) (15.5 %) were identified as sarcopenic. Results from multivariate logistic regression models showed that sarcopenia was inversely associated with BMI with those participants with BMI higher than 22 kg/m(2) showing a lower risk of sarcopenia relative to those with BMI less than 21 kg/m(2) (OR 0.72; 95 % CI 0.60-0.91). Similarly, probability of sarcopenia was lower among subjects involved in leisure physical activities for 3 h or more per week (OR 0.45; 95 % CI 0.24-0.93). According to the category of age [45-54; 55-64; 65-74; 75-84 and 85 years or more], the prevalence of sarcopenia in women increase from 9.1; 12.7; 14.5; 19.4; to 33.3 %, respectively. For the men, the percentage of sarcopenia increase with aging from 8.6; 15.6; 13.6; 63.8 to 45.5 %, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that among healthy ambulatory subjects over 45 years living at home, sarcopenia is frequent, even to the youngest subjects of the studied population, taking place from 9 % from 45 years, until 64.3 % for the subjects over 85 years. Our findings support the hypothesis that muscle mass and function are associated with BMI and physical activity, whatever the age of the subject.

Functional outcome and prognostic factors in anti-Jo1 patients with antisynthetase syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: The aims of this present study were firstly to assess the outcome, including functional course, in anti-Jo1 positive patients with antisynthetase syndrome (ASS), and secondly to determine predictive parameters of poor outcome in these patients. METHODS: The medical records of 86 consecutive anti-Jo1 patients with ASS were reviewed in 4 academic centers. RESULTS: 13 patients (15.1%) achieved remission of ASS, whereas 55 (63.9%) improved and 18 (20.9%) deteriorated in their clinical status. Both steroid and cytotoxic drugs could be discontinued in only 4.7% of patients. ASS was associated with decreased quality of life at long-term follow-up: only 69.2% of patients considered to be in remission experienced a return to previous normal activities; and 24.7% of other patients with non-remitting ASS still had a marked reduction of activities (as shown by the disability scale of the Health Assessment Questionnaire). Decreased quality of life was further due to calcinosis cutis (8.1%) and adverse effects of steroid therapy (36%). Factors associated with ASS deterioration were older age, pulmonary and esophageal involvement, calcinosis cutis and cancer. Higher anti-Jo1 levels were further associated with disease severity in ASS patients. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows high morbidity related to ASS. Furthermore, we suggest that patients with predictive factors of ASS deterioration may require more aggressive therapy. Our findings also suggest that in anti-Jo1 patients with severe esophageal manifestations, combined high dose steroids and intravenous immunoglobulins might be proposed as the first line therapy. Finally, as cancer occurred in 14% of anti-Jo1 patients, our findings underscore that the search for cancer should be performed in these patients.

HTLV-1-associated inflammatory myopathies: low proviral load and moderate inflammation in 13 patients from West Indies and West Africa.

BACKGROUND: The Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the causative agent of several inflammatory diseases, including HTLV-1-associated inflammatory myopathies (HAIM). Little is known about the virological and immunological characteristics of this viral disease. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the histological and virological features of HAIM patients, in order to better understand the pathogenetic mechanisms and unravel new biological markers of this disease. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective study on 13 patients with HAIM, based on blood and muscle samples. We included blood samples from HTLV-1-infected individuals without myopathy as controls. Muscle biopsies were used for a broad immunohistological evaluation of tissue damage and inflammation, as well as identification of infected cells through in situ hybridization. DNA extracted from patients' PBMC was used to identify the virus genotype by sequencing and to assess the proviral load by quantitative PCR. Anti-viral antibodies in plasma samples were titrated by indirect immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Patients originate from HTLV-1 endemic areas, the West Indies and West Africa. Histological alterations and inflammation in patients muscles were mostly moderate, with classical features of idiopathic myositis and rare HTLV-1-infected infiltrating cells. In all patients, HTLV-1 belonged to the A subtype, transcontinental subgroup. Anti-HTLV-1 antibodies titers were high, but the proviral load was not elevated compared to asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers. CONCLUSION: We show here that muscle inflammation is moderate in HAIM, and accompanied by a low HTLV-1 proviral load, suggesting that the pathogenetic events do not exactly mirror those of other HTLV-1-associated inflammatory diseases.

Aldolase predicts subsequent myopathy occurrence in systemic sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: Myopathy related to systemic sclerosis (Myo-SSc) is a disabling and unpredictable complication of SSc. We assessed the predictive value of serum aldolase, creatine kinase (CK), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and C-reactive protein (CRP) to estimate the risk of developing Myo-SSc. METHODS: We enrolled 137 SSc patients without proximal muscle weakness in a prospective monocentric study to follow them longitudinally over a four-year period. The risk of occurrence of Myo-SSc was ascertained according to the European NeuroMuscular Centre criteria and was analyzed according to levels of plasma aldolase, CK, transaminase enzymes and CRP at inclusion. Performance of each parameter to predict Myo-SSc occurrence was assessed and compared with the others. RESULTS: The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) of plasma aldolase for Myo-SSc occurrence prediction was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.67 to 0.94, P < 0.001), which was higher than that of plasma CK (0.75, P = 0.01), and that of ALT (0.63, P = 0.04). AST and CRP had no predictive value for Myo-SSc occurrence. The best cut-off of aldolase for prediction of Myo-SSc occurrence within three years after inclusion was 9 U/L and higher than the upper normality limit (7 U/L), unlike that of CK and ALT. Myo-SSc occurred more frequently in patients whose plasma aldolase was higher than 9 U/L. Adjusted Hazard Ratio for patients with aldolase > 9 U/L was 10.3 (95% CI: 2.3 to 45.5), P < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Increased plasma aldolase level accurately identified SSc patients with high risk to develop subsequent Myo-SSc. This could help initiate appropriate treatment when the disabling muscle damage is still in a reversible stage.