Pulmonary hypertension in connective tissue diseases: What every CTD specialist should know - but is afraid to ask!

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a possible complication of connective tissue diseases (CTDs), especially systemic sclerosis (SSc), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). It is defined by an elevation of the mean pulmonary arterial pressure above 20mmHg documented during a right heart catheterization (RHC). Due to their multiorgan involvement, CTDs can induce PH by several mechanisms, that are sometimes intricated: pulmonary vasculopathy (group 1) affecting arterioles (pulmonary arterial hypertension, PAH) and possibly venules (pulmonary veno-occlusive-like disease), left-heart disease (group 2), chronic lung disease (group 3) and/or chronic thromboembolic PH (group 4). PH suspicion is often raised by clinical manifestations (dyspnea, fatigue), echocardiographic data (increased peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity), isolated decrease in DLCO in pulmonary function tests, and/or unexplained elevation of BNP/NT-proBNP. Its formal diagnosis always requires a hemodynamic confirmation by RHC. Strategies for PH screening and RHC referral have been extensively investigated for SSc-PAH but data are lacking in other CTDs. Therapeutic management of PH depends of the underlying mechanism(s): PAH-approved therapies in group 1 PH (with possible use of immunosuppressants, especially in case of SLE or MCTD); management of an underlying left-heart disease in group 2 PH; management of an underlying chronic lung disease in group 3 PH; anticoagulation, pulmonary endartectomy, PAH-approved therapies and/or balloon pulmonary angioplasty in group 4 PH. Regular follow-up is mandatory in all CTD-PH patients.

Steroid hormones in systemic sclerosis: associations with disease characteristics and modifications during scleroderma renal crisis.

OBJECTIVE: The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and glucocorticoids (GCs) are involved in vascular remodeling and fibrosis, but have not been extensively studied in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Our aim was to investigate the RAAS and GC hormones in SSc patients. METHODS: Serum levels of renin (dosage and activity), aldosterone and its precursors (DOC, B, 18-OH-DOC, 18-OH-B), and GCs (cortisol, cortisone, 11-deoxycortisol, 18-OH-F) were assessed in 122 SSc patients and 52 healthy controls. After applying stringent inclusion criteria aimed at ensuring accurate hormone assessments (exclusion of interfering drugs, strict sampling conditions), we analyzed RAAS hormones in 61 patients, and GCs in 96 patients. Hormone levels were compared between patients and controls; and associations with disease characteristics were assessed in patients. RESULTS: Regarding RAAS hormones, SSc patients displayed significantly lower aldosterone levels (although within normal range), similar renin levels, and higher B levels than controls. Abnormal RAAS hormone levels were associated with a more severe SSc phenotype (lung and skin fibrosis, heart and pulmonary vascular involvements, inflammation). Regarding GC hormones, SSc patients had higher levels of cortisol, 11-desoxycortisol (precursor) and 18-OH-F (metabolite) but lower levels of cortisone (inactive counterpart) than controls.RAAS hormone levels were assessed in 5 SSc patients before and during scleroderma renal crisis (SRC): concentrations varied considerably between patients, but consistently included normal/increased aldosterone levels and elevated renin levels. CONCLUSION: RAAS and GC hormones are abnormally produced in SSc patients, especially in patients with severe SSc and during SRC. This could suggest a participation of these hormonal systems in SSc pathogenesis.

Atteintes coronariennes et artérite a cellules géantes : à propos de 2 cas et revue de la littérature.

INTRODUCTION: Coronaritis is a rare but serious complication of giant-cell arteritis (GCA), with an estimated prevalence of less than 1%, however difficult to establish, and of early onset. METHODS: We describe 2 cases of GCA presenting with coronaritis and present a review of the literature on this complication. RESULTS: The first patient presented with stable angina on common trunk coronaritis with ostial stenosis. Corticosteroid combined with tocilizumab from the outset resulted in improvement. Angioplasty was performed at 6months with good outcome. The second patient presented with asymptomatic tritruncular ostial coronaritis. Corticosteroid allowed clinic-biological improvement of GCA. Two years later, he presented relapse with an acute coronary syndrome, with favorable evolution after angioplasty, increase of corticosteroids and addition of tocilizumab. CONCLUSION: Patients presented were successfully treated with corticosteroids combined with tocilizumab and angioplasty of their coronary stenoses. Efficacy of tocilizumab in GCA has not been evaluated especially on coronaritis due to the rarity of this complication. Our experience and the cases reported in the literature suggest good results of angioplasty in this indication. Studies with long-term follow-up will be necessary to evaluate the risk of restenosis.

[Telomeropathies: A study of 15 cases]. / Téloméropathies de recrutement hématologique : étude de 15 cas.

INTRODUCTION: Telomeres are composed of a repeated sequence of double-stranded nucleotides TTAGGG and numerous proteins including the Shelterin complex. Their main role is to maintain the stability of the genome during cell replication through a mechanism of copying the repeted sequence by the telomerase complexe. All the diseases involving a deregulation of this complex are now grouped together under the term telomeropathies. They are difficult to diagnose and manage. Our objective was to describe the clinico-biological characteristics and treatments used, in patients affected by telomeropathies previously seen by an hematologist followed at the Lille University Hospital Center. METHODS: This is a retrospective, single-center study carried out within the department of internal medicine-clinical immunology, Reference center for rare autoimmune and systemic diseases at Lille University Hospital Center between 2005 and 2020 including all patients followed for telomeropathy. RESULTS: Probands and relatives were included. Fifteen patients were studied from 10 independant families. Sixty percent had an heterozygous TERC gene mutation. Sixty seven percent had haematological diseases including macrocytosis, anemia and/or thrombocytopenia, 20 % had a fibrotic hepatic disease, 27 % had a fibrotic pulmonary disease. Lymphocyte immunophenotyping showed a double negative T lymphocyte population with γδ TCR expression in 5 (33 %) patients. Forty-seven percent of the patients had not received any treatment. Twenty-seven percent were on androgen therapy. Twenty percent had received cyclosporine and 13 % anti-lymphocyte serum in the context of initial misdiagnosis. CONCLUSION: It is important to be aware of the complexity of telomeropathies, a differential diagnosis of immune aplastic anemia, in order to optimize management and avoid inappropriate treatments. Allografting of hematopoietic stem cells is the only potentially curative treatment. Our analysis found particularities in immunophenotyping lymphocyte not previously described to our knowledge, whose physiopathological imputability remains to be demonstrated.

[Impact of disease on daily activities, emotions and quality of life of patients with hereditary angioedema]. / Impact de l'angiœdème héréditaire sur les activités de la vie quotidienne, la sphère émotionnelle et la qualité de vie des patients.

INTRODUCTION: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is characterized by recurrent attacks of swelling of various locations and severity. An impaired quality of life of patients with HAE has been reported by several studies. We aimed at examining the overall impact of the disease in patients followed for type I HAE, particularly its impact on daily life activities, emotions and quality of life. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to patients consulting for type I HAE, collecting demographics, disease characteristics, impact on professional life, Hospital Anxiety and Depression score (HAD), SF-36 score and the McMaster Toronto Arthritis Patient Preference Disability Questionnaire (MACTAR). RESULTS: The 33 patients included reported an average of 5.17 attacks over the last year. Stress was the main trigger A long-term treatment was reported by 58% of patients, 72% received specific treatment in the event of a serious attack. Sick days were reported by 33% of patients during their studies, and by 34% during work. One patient suffered from depressive symptoms and ten from anxious symptoms, according to the HAD score. The areas most impacted on the SF-36 score were general health and vitality. The mean score for MACTAR was low. CONCLUSION: HAE still has a significant impact on the daily and emotional lives of patients, despite the availability of prophylactic and crisis treatments.

Raising rare disease awareness using red flags, role play simulation and patient educators: results of a novel educational workshop on Raynaud phenomenon and systemic sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: As lack of awareness of rare diseases (RDs) among healthcare professionals results in delayed diagnoses, there is a need for a more efficient approach to RD training during academic education. We designed an experimental workshop that used role-play simulation with patient educators and focused on teaching "red flags" that should raise the suspicion of an RD when faced with a patient with frequently encountered symptoms. Our objective was to report our experience, and to assess the improvement in learners' knowledge and the satisfaction levels of the participants. RESULTS: The workshop consisted of 2 simulated consultations that both started with the same frequent symptom (Raynaud phenomenon, RP) but led to different diagnoses: a frequent condition (idiopathic RP) and an RD (systemic sclerosis, SSc). In the second simulated consultation, the role of the patient was played by a patient educator with SSc. By juxtaposing 2 seemingly similar situations, the training particularly highlighted the elements that help differentiate SSc from idiopathic RP. When answering a clinical case exam about RP and SSc, students that had participated in the workshop had a higher mean mark than those who had not (14 ± 3.7 vs 9.6 ± 5.5 points out of 20, p = 0.001). Participants mostly felt "very satisfied" with this training (94%), and "more comfortable" about managing idiopathic RP and SSc (100%). They considered the workshop "not very stressful" and "very formative" (both 71%). When asked about the strengths of this training, they mentioned the benefits of being put in an immersive situation, allowing a better acquisition of practical skills and a more interactive exchange with teachers, as well as the confrontation with a real patient, leading to a better retention of semiological findings and associating a relational component with this experience. CONCLUSIONS: Through the use of innovative educational methods, such as role-play simulation and patient educators, and by focusing on teaching "red flags", our workshop successfully improved RP and SSc learning in a way that satisfied students. By modifying the workshop's scenarios, its template can readily be applied to other clinical situations, making it an interesting tool to teach other RDs.

[Exploring illness perceptions of lupus patients for a motivational environment in therapeutic education]. / Exploration des dimensions de la personne lupique pour un environnement motivationnel en éducation thérapeutique du patient.

PURPOSE: Therapeutic education (TE) intends to help patients with systemic lupus erythematosus to better understand their disease and to improve their quality of life. The objective of this study was to assess illness perceptions of the person to provide a motivational environment for TE. METHODS: Systemic lupus erythematosus patients followed in the department of internal medicine in Lille university hospital responded to a questionnaire assessing five dimensions of the person as proposed by Giordan: the cognitive (knowledge), perceptual (fatigue and pain), affective (anxious and depressive symptoms), infra-cognitive (intimate reasoning) and metacognitive (worldview) dimensions. The quality of life was also evaluated. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-four patients (114 women (92%); mean age 44.3±14.3 years) responded to the questionnaire. Regarding the cognitive dimension: quantity of information at the time of diagnosis was considered insufficient for 57 patients (46%). The median adherence evaluated by a scale had a median 97mm [88-100]. Regarding the perceptual dimension: pain was assessed at 59mm [44-78] and fatigue at 66mm [50-79] at visual scales. Regarding the affective dimension: prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 67% (83/124) and 28% (35/124) for depressive symptoms. Regarding the infra-cognitive dimension 78 patients (63%) had an external control place. Concerning the metacognitive dimension, systemic lupus erythematosus had repercussions on professional and family life. The quality of life was impacted. CONCLUSION: Multiple dimensions of systemic lupus erythematosus patient have to be considered for an optimal motivational environment for the practice of TE.

Role of B cells in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an orphan disease characterized by progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Aside from vasculopathy and fibrotic processes, its pathogenesis involves an aberrant activation of immune cells, among which B cells seem to play a significant role. Indeed, B cell homeostasis is disturbed during SSc: the memory subset is activated and displays an increased susceptibility to apoptosis, which is responsible for their decreased number. This chronic loss of B cells enhances bone marrow production of the naïve subset that accounts for their increased number in peripheral blood. This permanent activation state can be explained mainly by two mechanisms: a dysregulation of B cell receptor (BCR) signaling, and an overproduction of B cell survival signals, B cell activating factor (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL). These disturbances of B cell homeostasis induce several functional anomalies that participate in the inflammatory and fibrotic events observed during SSc: autoantibody production (some being directly pathogenic); secretion of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokines (interleukin-6); direct cooperation with other SSc-involved cells [fibroblasts, through transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling, and T cells]. These data justify the evaluation of anti-B cell strategies as therapeutic options for SSc, such as B cell depletion or blockage of B cell survival signaling.

Persistent triple antiphospholipid antibody positivity as a strong risk factor of first thrombosis, in a long-term follow-up study of patients without history of thrombosis or obstetrical morbidity.

Introduction The long-term risk of first thrombosis and benefit of prophylaxis in antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) carriers without history of thrombosis or obstetrical morbidity is poorly known. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term rate and risk factors associated with a first thrombosis in those patients. Patients and methods After a prior study ended in December 2005 and was already published, we extended the follow-up period of our cohort of aPL carriers. Results Ninety-eight of the 103 patients of the previous study were included. The annual first thrombosis rate was 2.3% per patient-year during a median of 13 years (6-17). None of the baseline characteristics was predictive of risk of first thrombosis, but persistent aPL over time were associated with an increased risk. The stronger association was found in triple aPL-positive carriers: OR 3.38 (95% CI: 1.24-9.22). Of note, conversely to our previous findings, no benefit of aspirin prophylaxis was observed. Conclusion The risk of first thrombosis in aPL carriers without history of thrombosis or obstetrical morbidity was significant, persisted linearly over time and was associated with persistent aPL. This risk was especially increased in triple aPL-positive carriers, in whom a close follow-up seems to be necessary. Nevertheless, the benefit of aspirin prophylaxis remained unclear.