Recent advances of oxidative stress in thromboangiitis obliterans: biomolecular mechanisms, biomarkers, sources and clinical applications.

Oxidative stress (OS) has been identified as a key factor in the development of Thromboangiitis Obliterans (TAO). The detection of OS levels in clinical and scientific research practice is mainly based on the measurement of oxidative stress such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and lipid peroxides. These markers are typically assessed through a combination of physical and chemical methods. Smoking is known to the state of OS in TAO, and OS levels are significantly increased in smokers due to inadequate antioxidant protection, which leads to the expression of apoptotic proteins and subsequent cell injury, thrombosis and limb ischemia. There, understanding the role of OS in the pathogenesis of TAO may provide insights into the etiology of TAO and a basis for its prevention and treatment.

Atypical Young-onset Dementia in Cerebral Thromboangiitis Obliterans: A Case Report.

Young-onset dementia (YOD, age at onset below 45 y) has a broad differential diagnosis. We describe a 41-year-old man with atypical manifestations of YOD syndrome in cerebral thromoboangiitis obliterans (CTAO). Extensive antemortem workup including clinical assessment, laboratory investigations, neuroimaging, and genetic testing did not elucidate a diagnosis. Postmortem neuropathologic examination revealed cortical sickle-shaped granular atrophy, resulting from numerous remote infarcts and cortical microinfarcts that mainly affected the bilateral frontal and parietal lobe, confirming CTAO. Although CTAO is a rare cause of vascular dementia, it should be considered as one of the differentials in patients with YOD with a history of heavy smoking and presence of symmetric damages of watershed-territory on neuroimaging.

Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger's Disease) in an Adolescent Male.

Arterial occlusive disease of the limb is very rare in children. Buerger's disease (BD) is a nonatherosclerotic, segmental inflammatory arteritis affecting the small and medium-sized vessels of the extremities. We report BD in a 16-year-old male presenting with arterial insufficiency of left foot and history of smoking cigarettes and cannabis for 2 years. BD was diagnosed based on history of smoking in combination with clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings. Pediatric hemato-oncologists should consider BD in the differential diagnosis in adolescents who smoke cigarettes and/or cannabis and present with vascular insufficiency of the hands and/or feet.

MiR-223 alleviates thrombus and inflammation in thromboangiitis obliterans rats by regulating NLRP3.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to observe the regulatory effects of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-223 on thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) rats, and to explore the potential regulatory mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Online database TargetScan was used to predict the downstream regulatory targets of miR-223. A total of 45 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups, including sham operation group (Sham group), Model group, and miR-223 agonist group (miR-223 mimic group). TAO model was successfully established in rats through the injection of lauric acid via the femoral artery. The content of serum thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and endothelin (ET) was measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The pathological changes in the left hind limb were detected via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Moreover, the expressions of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-1ß in the tissues of the rat left hind limb were determined via immunohistochemistry. In addition, the protein expression of Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in tissues was determined using Western blotting. RESULTS: TargetScan database predicted that NLRP3 was the downstream target gene of miR-223. Compared with the Sham group, Model group exerted significantly higher content of serum TXB2 and ET, severe lesions in the rat left hind limb, as well as significantly increased expressions of IL-6 and IL-1ß and protein expression of NLRP3 in tissues of the rat left hind limb (p<0.05). Besides, compared with the Model group, miR-223 mimic group showed remarkably lower content of serum TXB2 and ET, improved lesions in the rat left hind limb, as well as decreased expressions of IL-6 and IL-1ß and protein expression of NLRP3 in the tissues of the rat left hind limb (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MiR-223 agonist can alleviate thrombus and inflammatory response in TAO rats. The possible underlying mechanism may be related to targeted regulation on NLRP3 inflammasome expression.

Visceral bed involvement in thromboangiitis obliterans: a systematic review.

One of the challenges of thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) management is in the patients whose other vascular beds are involved and it remains a challenge to know whether to pursue invasive procedures or to continue medical treatment for such TAO patients. The aim of this review was to investigate reports of the involvement of the visceral vessels in TAO and the related clinical manifestations, management approaches and outcomes. According to our systematic review, the frequency of published articles, the organs most commonly involved were the gastrointestinal tract, the heart, the central nervous system, the eye, the kidneys, the urogenital system, the mucocutaneous zones, joints, lymphohematopoietic system and the ear. Notably, reports of the involvement of almost all organs have been made in relation to TAO. There were several reports of TAO presentation in other organs before disease diagnosis, in which the involvement of the extremities presented after visceral involvement. The characteristics of the visceral arteries looked like the arteries of the extremities according to angiography or aortography. Also, in autopsies of TAO patients, the vascular involvement of multiple organs has been noted. Moreover, systemic medical treatment could lead to the recovery of the patient from the onset of visceral TAO. This study reveals that TAO may be a systemic disease and patients should be aware of the possible involvement of other organs along with the attendant warning signs. Also, early systemic medical treatment of such patients may lead to better outcomes and reduce the overall mortality rate.

Angiogenesis induction in Buerger's disease: a disease management double-edged sword?

Due to unknown aetiology of Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO), its effectively treating is challenging. However, angiogenesis induction is one of the acceptable treatments for TAO patients. Recently, we have noticed that TAO patients who were under long-term treatment with angiogenesis-inducing medication showed considerable improvement in terms of healing chronic ulcers over the course of one to 2 years of treatment. However, some of them developed dermal gangrene despite the warming of their feet, with or without palpable pulses in the extremities, and with hair growth on the affected skin. Unfortunately, following the progression of dermal gangrene, some of these patients had to undergo amputation and limb loss.During histopathological evaluation, we detected some changes in the amputee TAO patients under long-term angiogenic medical treatment that were not present in amputee TAO patients who had not received any treatment for many years. The greatest pathological changes were observed in the microvascular of the skin, appearing as a proliferation of endothelial cells, NETosis and thrombus formation inside the vessels with proliferation of endothelial cells. The immunohistochemistry for CD31 and Ki67 as markers of vascular endothelium differentiation and cell mitosis confirmed the proliferation of endothelial cells. However, in the patients who had not received any treatment for years the typical pathology view of BD, including preserved vascular architecture with infiltration of inflammatory cells and inflammatory cells inside the thrombus, organised thrombus with recanalisation and intimal thickening was observed. Further longitudinal cohort studies regarding long-term treatment with angiogenic medications for TAO in different geographic areas are highly recommended.

Outcomes of endovascular treatment versus bypass surgery for critical limb ischemia in patients with thromboangiitis obliterans.

We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes between endovascular treatment and inframalleolar bypass surgery for critical limb ischemia (CLI) in patients with thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) and to assess the role of bypass surgery in the era of innovative endovascular treatment. Between January 2007 and December 2017, a total of 33 consecutive patients with the diagnosis of TAO presenting with CLI who underwent endovascular treatment (endovascular group, n = 22) or bypass surgery to the pedal or plantar vessels (bypass group, n = 11) were included and analyzed retrospectively. The primary endpoint was defined as a major amputation of the index limb, and the secondary endpoint was defined as graft occlusion, regardless of the number of subsequent procedures. In the bypass group, six patients (55%) had undergone previous failed endovascular procedures and/or arterial bypass surgery to the index limb before inframalleolar bypass, and two patients (18%) received microvascular flap reconstruction after bypass surgery. During the median follow-up period of 32 months (range 1-115 months), there were no significant differences in primary and secondary endpoints between the two groups although the bypass group had a higher Rutherford class than the endovascular group. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that there were similar limb salvage (P = 0.95) and graft patency rates (P = 0.39). In conclusion, endovascular treatment is a valid strategy leading to an acceptable limb salvage rate for TAO patients, and surgical bypass to distal target vessels could play a vital role in cases of previous failed endovascular treatment or extensive soft tissue loss of the foot.

Sequential intravenous allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells as a potential treatment for thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease).

Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO), also known as Buerger's Disease, is an occlusive vasculitis linked with high morbidity and amputation risk. To date, TAO is deemed incurable due to the lack of a definitive treatment. The immune system and inflammation are proposed to play a central role in TAO pathogenesis. Due to their immunomodulatory effects, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are the subject of intense research for the treatment of a wide range of immune-mediated diseases. Thus far, local intramuscular injections of autologous or allogeneic MSCs have shown promising results in TAO. However, sequential intravenous allogeneic MSC administration has not yet been explored, which we hypothesized could exert a systemic anti-inflammatory effect in the vasculature and modulate the immune response. Here, we report the first case of a TAO patient at amputation risk treated with four sequential intravenous infusions of bone marrow-derived allogeneic MSCs from a healthy donor. Following administration, there was significant regression of foot skin ulcers and improvements in rest pain, Walking Impairment Questionnaire scores, and quality of life. Sixteen months after the infusion, the patient had not required any further amputations. This report highlights the potential of sequential allogeneic MSC infusions as an effective treatment for TAO, warranting further studies to compare this approach with the more conventionally used intramuscular MSC administration and other cell-based therapies.

Autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell therapy in Chinese patients with critical limb ischemia due to thromboangiitis obliterans: 10-year results.

BACKGROUND: For patients with thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO), revascularization with bypass or angioplasty is frequently not feasible due to the poor outflow of the distal small vessels. We evaluated the long-term results of our experience treating patients with TAO with autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (ABMMNCs) to determine the safety and efficacy of ABMMNC therapy in patients with critical limb ischemia due to TAO. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review from a single university hospital vascular surgery center between January 2005 and July 2006. Patients were treated with smoking cessation and either aspirin (100 mg/day) alone or aspirin and ABMMNC injection according to patient preference. Groups were compared for demographics, clinical characteristics, and short-term and long-term results. RESULTS: Of 59 patients with TAO who were treated, 19 patients elected aspirin alone and 40 patients elected aspirin and ABMMNC injection. No patients suffered perioperative complications and 49 (83%) patients remained smoke-free for 10 years. The 10-year amputation-free survival was 85.3% (29/34) in patients treated with ABMMNCs compared to 40% (6/15) in patients treated with aspirin alone (p = 0.0019). Ulcer area (p < 0.0001), toe-brachial index (TBI; p < 0.0001), transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2; p < 0.0001), and pain score (p < 0.0001) were also significantly improved with ABMMNC treatment, although there was no difference in mean ankle-brachial index (ABI; p = 0.806). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with critical limb ischemia due to TAO, ABMMNC treatment was safe and effective. ABMMNC treatment significantly improved amputation-free survival, ulcer healing, and pain, although there is no difference in ABI compared to treatment with aspirin alone.

Administration of Adult Human Bone Marrow-Derived, Cultured, Pooled, Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Critical Limb Ischemia Due to Buerger's Disease: Phase II Study Report Suggests Clinical Efficacy.

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) due to Buerger's disease is a major unmet medical need with a high incidence of morbidity. This phase II, prospective, nonrandomized, open-label, multicentric, dose-ranging study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of i.m. injection of adult human bone marrow-derived, cultured, pooled, allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells (BMMSC) in CLI due to Buerger's disease. Patients were allocated to three groups: 1 and 2 million cells/kg body weight (36 patients each) and standard of care (SOC) (18 patients). BMMSCs were administered as 40-60 injections in the calf muscle and locally, around the ulcer. Most patients were young (age range, 38-42 years) and ex-smokers, and all patients had at least one ulcer. Both the primary endpoints-reduction in rest pain (0.3 units per month [SE, 0.13]) and healing of ulcers (11% decrease in size per month [SE, 0.05])-were significantly better in the group receiving 2 million cells/kg body weight than in the SOC arm. Improvement in secondary endpoints, such as ankle brachial pressure index (0.03 [SE, 0.01] unit increase per month) and total walking distance (1.03 [SE, 0.02] times higher per month), were also significant in the group receiving 2 million cells/kg as compared with the SOC arm. Adverse events reported were remotely related or unrelated to BMMSCs. In conclusion, i.m. administration of BMMSC at a dose of 2 million cells/kg showed clinical benefit and may be the best regimen in patients with CLI due to Buerger's disease. However, further randomized controlled trials are required to confirm the most appropriate dose. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:689-699.

Rickettsia infection could be the missing piece of the Buerger's disease puzzle.

BACKGROUND: Rickettsia was suggested as a possible etiology of Buerger's disease (BD) in the 1980s but this suggestion was never ruled out or proven. Recently, we found evidence of Rickettsia by polymerase chain reaction in 3 out of 25 biopsy samples from the amputated limb of a young man diagnosed with BD. The aim of this paper was to investigate the presence of anti-rickettsial antibodies in the sera of BD patients. METHODS: To detect the IgG class antibody against Rickettsia rickettsii, which has cross reactions with the spotted fever group (RSFG), and Rickettsia typhi, which has cross reactions with typhus fever group, the sera of patients and controls were diluted to 1:64 and analyzed by indirect micro fluorescence immunoassay (MIF). RESULTS: The MIF study showed that 26 of the 28 patients were positive for Rickettsia rickettsii antibodies and MIF had the same appearance as the positive control, which was provided with the kit. In all members of the healthy control group, Rickettsia rickettsii was negative and had the appearance of the negative control. Rickettsia typhi was negative for all patients and members of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: A species of Rickettsia associated with the RSFG, which might not be pathogenic for the entire population, may induce BD in the context of a specific genetic or environmental background. RSFG infection could explain key questions about BD, including its gender and geographical distribution, clinical manifestation, angiography pattern, and pathological findings. Evaluating antibodies against RSFG in BD patients from different countries is now highly recommended.

[Cerebral manifestations of thromboangiitis obliterans. Case report]. / Thromboangitis obliterans agyi manifesztációja.

Thromboangiits obliterans (Buerger's disease) is a non-atherosclerotic, segmental inflammatory and obliterative disease affecting small and medium sized arteries and veins. The etiology is still unknown, but it is in close relationship with tobacco use. Symptoms begin under the age of 45 years and the undulating course is typical. Patients usually present with acute and chronic ischemic or infectious acral lesions. Diagnosis is usually based on clinical and angiographic criteria and it is important to exclude autoimmune disease, thrombophilia, diabetes, and proximal embolic sources. Even though Buerger's disease most commonly involves the arteries of the extremities, the pathologic findings sometimes affect the cerebral, coronary and internal thoracic, renal and mesenteric arteries as well. The authors present the history of a patient with known Buerger's disease and acute ischemic stroke. Brain imaging detected acute and chronic ischemic lesions caused by middle cerebral non-atherosclerotic arteriopathy on the symptomatic side. Other etiology was excluded by detailed investigations. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(30), 1207-1211.

A case of refractory IgG4-related peripheral neuropathy with severe axonal damage.

A 78-year-old man presented complaining of tingling and pain. Neurological examination revealed dysesthesia and hypothermesthesia below both knees and areflexia in the lower extremities. Laboratory data revealed elevated serum levels of immunoglobulin IgG4 and para-aortic, and mesenteric lymphadenopathy was evident on plain computed tomography of the abdomen. Microscopic findings of a bone marrow biopsy specimen showed occlusion of blood vessels with IgG4-positive plasma cells. IgG4-related disease was diagnosed because the bone marrow biopsy exhibited > 10 IgG4-positive plasma cells per high-power field. Treatment was initiated with prednisolone starting at 30 mg/day, but no improvement in neurological symptoms was achieved. Sural nerve biopsy demonstrated obstructive thromboangiitis with severe loss of myelin and axons. Further investigations are needed to elucidate the relationship between obstructive thromboangiitis and steroid-resistant IgG4-related peripheral neuropathy.

[THROMBOANGIITIS OBLITERANS OVERLAPPING WITH ATHEROSCLEROTIC OCCLUSIVE ARTERIAL DISEASE: SMALL MESENTERIC ARTERY INVOLVEMENT BY THROMBOANGIITIS OBLITERANS].

INTRODUCTION: Thromboangiitis obliterans is an inflammatory occlusive vascular disease of young smokers that commonly involves the small and medium sized arteries and veins of the extremities. An important differential diagnosis of thromboangiitis obliterans is atherosclerotic arterial disease. An atypical presentation of thromboangiitis obliterans by involvement of mesenteric arteries has been described sporadically. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a patient presenting with Raynaud's phenomenon, ischemia of the upper and lower extremities, as well as mesenteric ischemia. The dramatic course of the disease advanced to gangrene of the calves and intestinal infarction. In this patient, angiographic and histologic features were consistent with thromboangiitis obliterans associated with atherosclerotic arteriopathy. DISCUSSION: A review of the literature revealed 31 reported cases of mesenteric artery involvement by thromboangiitis obliterans. The overlap between thromboangiitis obliterans and atherosclerotic arteriopathy is rare but has recently focused attention in the literature. CONCLUSION: In the differential diagnosis of mesenteric ischemia, thromboangiitis obliterans is a rare but important diagnosis that should be considered. In view of shared features of thromboangiitis obliterans and peripheral artery disease, awareness of their possible coexistence is needed in order to make the right diagnosis and offer proper treatment.