Characteristics of coexisting localized scleroderma and inflammatory arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Localized scleroderma (LS), including morphea and linear scleroderma, is an autoimmune disease where excessive subcutaneous collagen deposits lead to thickening, scarring, and fibrosis of the tissues. LS coexisting with inflammatory arthritis is less well-described but has been reported in as many as 20% of 53 LS patients in a recent cohort. Herein, we describe a cohort of 8 children with both LS and inflammatory arthritis. The objective of this study is to determine the characteristics of inflammatory arthritis in children with LS and their response to treatment regimens. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was completed on patients less than 19 years of age who were diagnosed with either morphea or linear scleroderma at the Children of Alabama center from 2004-2018. Patients were identified using ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnostic codes. Records were reviewed for additional diagnostic codes, exams, and laboratory findings confirming coexisting inflammatory arthritis and LS. RESULTS: A total of 87 patients with a diagnosis of either morphea or linear scleroderma were identified. Eight (9%) had coexisting inflammatory arthritis according to the diagnostic codes with documented active arthritis. Median age of initial rheumatic disease diagnosis was 7.5 years. A majority of patients with both LS and inflammatory arthritis were female (62.5%). Half of the patients (n=4, 50%) had LS lesions over arthritic joints. All of the identified patients were diagnosed with a form of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The JIA diagnoses varied widely in 3 (37.5%) patients with rheumatoid factor (RF) negative polyarticular JIA, 2 (25%) with oligoarticular JIA, 2 (25%) with psoriatic JIA, and 1 (12.5%) with enthesitis-related JIA. The timing of onset of LS and inflammatory arthritis varied widely. Three (37.5%) patients had LS lesions preceding clinical arthritis, and three (37.5%) had arthritis before the appearance of LS. Two (25%) patients had both LS and arthritis at the time of diagnosis. All patients received methotrexate (MTX) during their disease course with only 3 (37.5%) receiving systemic steroids during treatment. All 8 patients showed resolution of LS lesions. However, 6 of the 8 patients demonstrated active arthritis on combination MTX and TNFi therapy. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of pediatric LS, 9% of patients had coexisting inflammatory arthritis. The characteristics of this cohort varied widely. All patients received MTX initially and showed a resolution of LS lesions. However, in the majority of patients, the arthritis failed to respond to MTX and TNFi combination therapy. These results suggest that inflammatory arthritis coexisting with LS may be less likely to respond to traditional inflammatory arthritis or JIA therapies.

Benefit of Anakinra in Treating Pediatric Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the benefit of the recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist anakinra in treating pediatric patients with secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)/macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) associated with rheumatic and nonrheumatic conditions. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all anakinra-treated patients with secondary HLH/MAS was performed at Children's of Alabama from January 2008 through December 2016. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and genetic characteristics, outcomes data, and information on concurrent treatments were collected from the records and analyzed using appropriate univariate statistical approaches to assess changes following treatment and associations between patient variables and outcomes. RESULTS: Forty-four patients with secondary HLH/MAS being treated with anakinra were identified in the electronic medical records. The median duration of hospitalization was 15 days. The mean pretreatment serum ferritin level was 33,316 ng/ml and dropped to 14,435 ng/ml (57% decrease) within 15 days of the start of anakinra treatment. The overall mortality rate in the cohort was 27%. Earlier initiation of anakinra (within 5 days of hospitalization) was associated with reduced mortality (P = 0.046), whereas thrombocytopenia (platelet count <100,000/µl) and STXBP2 mutations were both associated with increased mortality (P = 0.008 and P = 0.012, respectively). In considering patients according to their underlying diagnosis, those with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) had the lowest mortality rate, with no deaths among the 13 systemic JIA patients included in the study (P = 0.006). In contrast, those with an underlying hematologic malignancy had the highest mortality rate, at 100% (n = 3). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that anakinra appears to be effective in treating pediatric patients with non-malignancy-associated secondary HLH/MAS, especially when it is given early in the disease course and when administered to patients who have an underlying rheumatic disease.

Ferritin to Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Ratio: Simple Measure to Identify Macrophage Activation Syndrome in Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a life-threatening complication of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA). Early diagnosis is critical. Classification criteria for MAS in sJIA perform less well in the setting of cytokine-directed therapies. The goal herein was to explore a simple ratio of serum ferritin to the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) for diagnosis of MAS in the setting of sJIA, and to assess ferritin alone as a screening tool for identifying MAS of multiple etiologies. METHODS: Data from a large international cohort of sJIA patients with and without MAS, and from hospitalized patients with systemic infection (SI), were assessed for the ferritin:ESR ratio and ferritin alone to identify MAS among sJIA patients. Moreover, data from a smaller cohort of MAS patients associated with multiple etiologies and febrile hospitalized controls were explored. For both cohorts and controls, receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs) for the ferritin:ESR ratio and ferritin alone were constructed, and areas under the curves (AUCs) were calculated. The Youden index was used to determine the optimal ferritin:ESR ratio and ferritin alone cut points for diagnosis. RESULTS: A ferritin:ESR ratio of 21.5 was 82% sensitive and 78% specific for diagnosing sJIA-MAS versus active sJIA without MAS. Ferritin alone with a set sensitivity of 95% (screening tool) had an 89.3% specificity of identifying all-cause MAS versus febrile hospitalized children. CONCLUSION: The ferritin:ESR ratio is a practical tool for diagnosing MAS among sJIA patients, and serum ferritin alone is a remarkable screening tool for identifying MAS among febrile hospitalized children.

Patterns of B Cell Repletion Following Rituximab Therapy in a Pediatric Rheumatology Cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between demographic characteristics, disease characteristics, the number of rituximab (RTX) rounds, and concurrent immunosuppression on B cell level repletion following RTX therapy. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 112 children who met inclusion criteria and were treated with RTX at a single institution was performed. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were extracted and compared. CD19 levels were reviewed at 6 and 12 months post-RTX with depletion defined as fewer than 10 cells/µL and complete repopulation to normal levels defined as 170 cells/µL or more. RESULTS: Among patients with CD19 levels, 48% of patients remained depleted at 6 months, 89% were repleted with 10 cells/µL or more by 12 months, and 46% remained below normal levels at 12 months following infusion. There was no significant association between the number of RTX rounds or underlying disease and persistent depletion below normal levels at 12 months following RTX infusion. Depletion at 6 months was associated with a 79% chance of persistent depletion below normal levels at 12 months. The association between concurrent cyclophosphamide (CYC) and repletion of 10 cells/µL or more at 6 (P = 0.091) and 12 months (P = 0.087) trended toward significance with no significant association between CYC and persistent depletion below normal levels. CONCLUSION: RTX therapy for pediatric rheumatic diseases is well-tolerated and results in variable repletion and normalization of B cell numbers at 6 and 12 months. B cell repletion in children is variable and independent of underlying disease and of the number of RTX infusions.

Comparison of second-line therapy in IVIg-refractory Kawasaki disease: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Evidence remains contradictory regarding second-line therapy in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) refractory to initial intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). The objective of this study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of three treatments [i.e. a second IVIg infusion, methylprednisolone (IVMP), and infliximab (IFX)] in patients with refractory KD. METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.gov using predefined MeSH terms was performed from 1990 through 2017. Relevance screening was performed by two independent reviewers. Inclusion criteria included English-only, original clinical data. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Fever resolution, coronary lesions, and adverse event outcomes were extracted and pooled for analysis. RESULTS: Of the 388 patients included from the 8 studies analyzed, a majority received a second IVIg dose (n = 263, 68%). Fever resolution was comparable between IVIg (72%) and IVMP (73%). IFX (88%) significantly increased fever resolution by approximately 20% compared to IVIg re-dose (RR 1.2; [95% CI: 1.1-1.4]; p = 0.03) and IVMP (RR 1.2; [95% CI: 1.0-1.5]; p = 0.04). Clinical significance of differences in coronary outcomes remains unclear. CONCLUSIONS: This combined analysis was limited due to variability in design and data reporting methods between the studies and risk of bias. In the absence of a clinical trial, IFX monotherapy as second-line treatment should be considered in patients who fail to respond to initial IVIg. This conclusion is based on a systematic review of the literature with pooled outcome data analysis suggesting IFX is more effective in fever resolution compared to a second IVIg dose and IVMP.

The Immunology of Macrophage Activation Syndrome.

Synonymous with secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a term used by rheumatologists to describe a potentially life-threatening complication of systemic inflammatory disorders, most commonly systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Clinical and laboratory features of MAS include sustained fever, hyperferritinemia, pancytopenia, fibrinolytic coagulopathy, and liver dysfunction. Soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha chain (sCD25) and sCD163 may be elevated, and histopathology often reveals characteristic increased hemophagocytic activity in the bone marrow (and other tissues), with positive CD163 (histiocyte) staining. A common hypothesis as to the pathophysiology of many cases of MAS proposes a defect in lymphocyte cytolytic activity. Specific heterozygous gene mutations in familial HLH-associated cytolytic pathway genes (e.g., PRF1, UNC13D) have been linked to a substantial subset of MAS patients. In addition, the pro-inflammatory cytokine environment, particularly IL-6, has been shown to decrease NK cell cytolytic function. The inability of NK cells and cytolytic CD8 T cells to lyse infected and otherwise activated antigen presenting cells results in prolonged cell-to-cell (innate and adaptive immune cells) interactions and amplification of a pro-inflammatory cytokine cascade. The cytokine storm results in activation of macrophages, causing hemophagocytosis, as well as contributing to multi-organ dysfunction. In addition to macrophages, dendritic cells likely play a critical role in antigen presentation to cytolytic lymphocytes, as well as contributing to cytokine expression. Several cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor, interferon-gamma, and numerous interleukins (i.e., IL-1, IL-6, IL-18, IL-33), have been implicated in the cytokine cascade. In addition to broadly immunosuppressive therapies, novel cytokine targeted treatments are being explored to dampen the overly active immune response that is responsible for much of the pathology seen in MAS.

Rituximab treatment for chronic steroid-dependent Henoch-Schonlein purpura: 8 cases and a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) is a small vessel vasculitis that is characterized by non-thrombocytopenic purpura, abdominal pain, arthritis, and glomerulonephritis. Typically, HSP is self-limited requiring only supportive care, but more severe cases may require corticosteroid (CS) treatment. Rarely, a subset of these patients has persistent rash, arthritis, abdominal involvement, or renal disease despite treatment with CS, or has disease recurrence on CS tapering. Refractory HSP has been effectively treated with a variety of CS sparing therapies. For life-threatening refractory HSP, the B cell depleting agent, rituximab (RTX), has been reported as beneficial for children with substantial renal or central nervous system involvement. However, RTX use for children with less severe HSP, but chronic CS dependent disease refractory to CS sparing immunomodulatory agents, has been less well explored. Herein, we describe 8 children treated with RTX for chronic refractory HSP and report a reduction in recurrent hospitalizations and eventual CS discontinuation. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of eight children who were treated with RTX for chronic CS dependent HSP during the years 2006-2014 at a single institution. A chart review of the electronic medical record was performed to determine the presenting symptoms, the type and duration of treatment received, and the number of hospitalizations prior to and after RTX. The number of hospitalizations and oral corticosteroid burden were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: Prior to receiving RTX, seven patients had at least one hospitalization for HSP (median 1.5, range 0-3). Following RTX, only two patients were hospitalized, each a single time for recurrent abdominal pain. The median oral CS burden was 0.345 mg/kg/day before RTX and 0 mg/kg/day at 6 months (p = 0.078), 1 year (p = 0.0625), and 2 years (p = 0.03) following RTX infusion. Seven out of eight children met remission criteria, defined as no active rash, arthritis, nephritis (hematuria and proteinuria), or gastrointestinal distress following RTX. No serious adverse events were noted. CONCLUSION: Overall, RTX effectively reduced the number of hospital admissions and oral CS burden. RTX also helped most all children achieve clinical remission. RTX appears to be an effective and safe alternative for chronic CS dependent and immunomodulatory refractory childhood HSP.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Oligoarthritis and Polyarthritis.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) comprises a group of heterogeneous diseases further divided into various categories based on shared clinical presentation, laboratory markers, and disease prognosis. Extra-articular complications include uveitis and growth abnormalities. Disease course and prognosis vary with respect to each JIA category and subsequently guide respective treatment. Over the past few decades, considerable treatment advances have significantly reduced the morbidity associated with childhood arthritis. Nevertheless, the treatments are not curative; many children continue to have active disease into adulthood. Emphasis is placed on the initiation of early aggressive therapy in hopes of delaying disease progression and inducing remission.

Anaphylaxis to etanercept in two children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Anti-tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) medications have revolutionized the care of children and adults with chronic arthritis. They are quick acting, highly effective, and remarkably safe, particularly in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Anti-TNFα agents come in 2 basic varieties: monoclonal antibodies to TNFα (e.g., infliximab, adalimumab) and a fusion protein containing a TNF receptor (etanercept). Although hypersensitivity reactions are not uncommon with some of the TNFα antibodies (e.g., infliximab), there are only rare reports of anaphylaxis to subcutaneous injections of etanercept in adults with rheumatoid arthritis. Herein, we report 2 cases of anaphylaxis in children with JIA after etanercept injections. Although rare, pediatricians need to be aware of this potentially dangerous occurrence.