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2.
Ann Rheum Dis ; 2024 Sep 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39153835

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: CD19-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy can induce long-term drug-free remission in patients with autoimmune diseases (AIDs). The efficacy of CD19-CAR T-cell therapy is presumably based on deep tissue depletion of B cells; however, such effect has not been proven in humans in vivo. METHODS: Sequential ultrasound-guided inguinal lymph node biopsies were performed at baseline and after CD19-CAR T-cell therapy in patients with AIDs. Results were compared with lymph node biopsies from rituximab (RTX)-treated AID patients with absence of peripheral B cells. Conventional and immunohistochemistry staining were performed on lymph node tissue to assess architecture as well the number of B cells, follicular dendritic cells (FDCs), plasma cells, T cells and macrophages. RESULTS: Sequential lymph node biopsies were analysed from five patients with AID before and after CD19-CAR T-cell therapy and from five patients with AID after RTX treatment. In addition, non-lymphoid organ biopsies (colon, kidney and gallbladder) from three additional patients with AID after CD19-CAR T-cell therapy were analysed. CD19+ and CD20+ B cells were completely depleted in the lymph nodes after CD19-CAR T-cell therapy, but not after RTX treatment. Plasma cells, T cells and macrophages in the lymph nodes remained unchanged. Follicular structures were disrupted and FDCs were depleted in the lymph nodes after CD19-CAR T-cell therapy, but not after RTX. Non-lymphoid organs were completely depleted of B cells. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrates complete B-cell depletion in secondary lymphoid tissues of patients with AIDs following CD19-CAR T-cell therapy combined with standard lymphodepleting therapy.

3.
J Med Internet Res ; 26: e55542, 2024 Jul 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39042425

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs) is often delayed due to unspecific symptoms and a shortage of rheumatologists. Digital diagnostic decision support systems (DDSSs) have the potential to expedite diagnosis and help patients navigate the health care system more efficiently. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of a mobile artificial intelligence (AI)-based symptom checker (Ada) and a web-based self-referral tool (Rheport) regarding IRDs. METHODS: A prospective, multicenter, open-label, crossover randomized controlled trial was conducted with patients newly presenting to 3 rheumatology centers. Participants were randomly assigned to complete a symptom assessment using either Ada or Rheport. The primary outcome was the correct identification of IRDs by the DDSSs, defined as the presence of any IRD in the list of suggested diagnoses by Ada or achieving a prespecified threshold score with Rheport. The gold standard was the diagnosis made by rheumatologists. RESULTS: A total of 600 patients were included, among whom 214 (35.7%) were diagnosed with an IRD. Most frequent IRD was rheumatoid arthritis with 69 (11.5%) patients. Rheport's disease suggestion and Ada's top 1 (D1) and top 5 (D5) disease suggestions demonstrated overall diagnostic accuracies of 52%, 63%, and 58%, respectively, for IRDs. Rheport showed a sensitivity of 62% and a specificity of 47% for IRDs. Ada's D1 and D5 disease suggestions showed a sensitivity of 52% and 66%, respectively, and a specificity of 68% and 54%, respectively, concerning IRDs. Ada's diagnostic accuracy regarding individual diagnoses was heterogenous, and Ada performed considerably better in identifying rheumatoid arthritis in comparison to other diagnoses (D1: 42%; D5: 64%). The Cohen κ statistic of Rheport for agreement on any rheumatic disease diagnosis with Ada D1 was 0.15 (95% CI 0.08-0.18) and with Ada D5 was 0.08 (95% CI 0.00-0.16), indicating poor agreement for the presence of any rheumatic disease between the 2 DDSSs. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the largest comparative DDSS trial with actual use of DDSSs by patients. The diagnostic accuracies of both DDSSs for IRDs were not promising in this high-prevalence patient population. DDSSs may lead to a misuse of scarce health care resources. Our results underscore the need for stringent regulation and drastic improvements to ensure the safety and efficacy of DDSSs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Register of Clinical Trials DRKS00017642; https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00017642.


Subject(s)
Artificial Intelligence , Rheumatology , Humans , Female , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , Rheumatology/methods , Adult , Cross-Over Studies , Rheumatic Diseases/diagnosis , Internet , Aged , Referral and Consultation/statistics & numerical data
4.
RMD Open ; 10(2)2024 Jun 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38862244

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To assess the presence and anatomical distribution of activated fibroblasts in the joints and entheses of patients with psoriasis with arthralgia and to test how fibroblast activation visualised by 68gallium-labelled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor-04 (68Ga-FAPI-04)-positron emission tomography (PET)/CT correlates with clinical tenderness, musculoskeletal ultrasound findings and progression to psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study in patients with psoriasis and arthralgia who underwent clinical and ultrasound evaluation and whole-body PET/CT imaging with 68Ga-FAPI-04. 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake at synovial and entheseal sites was assessed by maximal standardised uptake values (SUVmax) and PET/CT Joint Index (JI); logistic regression models were used to investigate its correlation with clinical and ultrasound findings. Survival analyses were performed on patients with at least 6 months of follow-up. RESULTS: 36 patients with psoriasis were enrolled. 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake was found in 318 (7.9%) joints and 369 (7.3%) entheses in 29 (80.6%) participants, with a mean SUVmax (SD) of 3.2 (1.8) for joints and 2.9 (1.6) for entheses. Large joints and the lower limbs were predominantly affected. A significant positive relationship was found between 68Ga-FAPI-04-PET/CT signal intensity and the 68 tender joint count (SUVmax: p<0.001; PET/CT-JI: p<0.001) and tender entheses count (SUVmax: p<0.001; PET/CT-JI: p=0.002). No correlations were found with ultrasound findings (SUVmax: p=0.969; PET/CT-JI: p=0.720). Patients with relevant synovio-entheseal 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake showed a statistically significant higher risk of developing PsA (p=0.02), independent of ultrasound findings. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with psoriasis presenting with arthralgia show localised signs of resident tissue activation in joints and entheses, which are associated with higher risk of developing PsA.


Subject(s)
Arthritis, Psoriatic , Fibroblasts , Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography , Psoriasis , Humans , Arthritis, Psoriatic/pathology , Arthritis, Psoriatic/diagnostic imaging , Male , Female , Middle Aged , Psoriasis/pathology , Adult , Prospective Studies , Fibroblasts/metabolism , Synovial Membrane/pathology , Synovial Membrane/diagnostic imaging , Aged , Ultrasonography , Disease Progression
5.
J Clin Invest ; 134(10)2024 Mar 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38747285

ABSTRACT

Transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) signaling is a core pathway of fibrosis, but the molecular regulation of the activation of latent TGF-ß remains incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate a crucial role of WNT5A/JNK/ROCK signaling that rapidly coordinates the activation of latent TGF-ß in fibrotic diseases. WNT5A was identified as a predominant noncanonical WNT ligand in fibrotic diseases such as systemic sclerosis, sclerodermatous chronic graft-versus-host disease, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, stimulating fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition and tissue fibrosis by activation of latent TGF-ß. The activation of latent TGF-ß requires rapid JNK- and ROCK-dependent cytoskeletal rearrangements and integrin αV (ITGAV). Conditional ablation of WNT5A or its downstream targets prevented activation of latent TGF-ß, rebalanced TGF-ß signaling, and ameliorated experimental fibrosis. We thus uncovered what we believe to be a novel mechanism for the aberrant activation of latent TGF-ß in fibrotic diseases and provided evidence for targeting WNT5A/JNK/ROCK signaling in fibrotic diseases as a new therapeutic approach.


Subject(s)
Cell Transdifferentiation , Fibroblasts , Myofibroblasts , Transforming Growth Factor beta , Wnt-5a Protein , Fibrosis , Fibroblasts/drug effects , Fibroblasts/metabolism , Fibroblasts/pathology , Myofibroblasts/metabolism , Myofibroblasts/pathology , Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism , Wnt-5a Protein/metabolism , Wnt-5a Protein/pharmacology , Scleroderma, Systemic/metabolism , Scleroderma, Systemic/pathology , Graft vs Host Disease/metabolism , Graft vs Host Disease/pathology , Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis/metabolism , Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis/pathology , MAP Kinase Kinase 4/metabolism , rho-Associated Kinases/metabolism , Ligands , Skin/metabolism , Skin/pathology , Humans , Animals , Mice , Cells, Cultured , Up-Regulation
6.
Biomedicines ; 12(3)2024 Feb 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38540158

ABSTRACT

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a known promoter of tumor development and is associated with poor clinical outcome for various cancer types. Being specifically expressed in pathological conditions including multiple types of fibrosis and cancers, FAP is an optimal target for diagnostics and treatment. Treatment strategies utilizing the unique proteolytic activity of FAP are emerging, thus emphasizing the importance of biomarkers to directly assess FAP activity. FAP is a type II transmembrane serine protease that has been shown to cleave collagens and other ECM components. In this study, we developed an ELISA assay (C3F) targeting a circulating type III collagen fragment derived from FAP cleavage to reflect FAP activity. We demonstrated that C3F was specific to the neoepitope of the cleavage site and that the fragment was generated through FAP cleavage of type III collagen. We measured C3F in serum from a cohort of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (n = 109) matched to healthy subjects (n = 42) and a cohort of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) (n = 17) matched to healthy subjects (n = 19). We found that C3F was significantly elevated in patients with NSCLC and in patients with SpA compared to healthy controls (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0015, respectively). These findings suggest that C3F is a promising non-invasive biomarker reflecting FAP activity, which may aid in understanding tumor heterogeneity and potentially FAP-targeted therapies.

7.
RMD Open ; 10(1)2024 Feb 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38341194

ABSTRACT

It is known that metabolic shifts and tissue remodelling precede the development of visible inflammation and structural organ damage in inflammatory rheumatic diseases such as the inflammatory arthritides. As such, visualising and measuring metabolic tissue activity could be useful to identify biomarkers of disease activity already in a very early phase. Recent advances in imaging have led to the development of so-called 'metabolic imaging' tools that can detect these changes in metabolism in an increasingly accurate manner and non-invasively.Nuclear imaging techniques such as 18F-D-glucose and fibroblast activation protein inhibitor-labelled positron emission tomography are increasingly used and have yielded impressing results in the visualisation (including whole-body staging) of inflammatory changes in both early and established arthritis. Furthermore, optical imaging-based bedside techniques such as multispectral optoacoustic tomography and fluorescence optical imaging are advancing our understanding of arthritis by identifying intra-articular metabolic changes that correlate with the onset of inflammation with high precision and without the need of ionising radiation.Metabolic imaging holds great potential for improving the management of patients with inflammatory arthritis by contributing to early disease interception and improving diagnostic accuracy, thereby paving the way for a more personalised approach to therapy strategies including preventive strategies. In this narrative review, we discuss state-of-the-art metabolic imaging methods used in the assessment of arthritis and inflammation, and we advocate for more extensive research endeavours to elucidate their full field of application in rheumatology.


Subject(s)
Arthritis , Humans , Arthritis/diagnostic imaging , Arthritis/etiology , Inflammation , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Positron-Emission Tomography , Molecular Imaging
8.
Nat Immunol ; 25(4): 682-692, 2024 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38396288

ABSTRACT

Fibroblasts are important regulators of inflammation, but whether fibroblasts change phenotype during resolution of inflammation is not clear. Here we use positron emission tomography to detect fibroblast activation protein (FAP) as a means to visualize fibroblast activation in vivo during inflammation in humans. While tracer accumulation is high in active arthritis, it decreases after tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-17A inhibition. Biopsy-based single-cell RNA-sequencing analyses in experimental arthritis show that FAP signal reduction reflects a phenotypic switch from pro-inflammatory MMP3+/IL6+ fibroblasts (high FAP internalization) to pro-resolving CD200+DKK3+ fibroblasts (low FAP internalization). Spatial transcriptomics of human joints indicates that pro-resolving niches of CD200+DKK3+ fibroblasts cluster with type 2 innate lymphoid cells, whereas MMP3+/IL6+ fibroblasts colocalize with inflammatory immune cells. CD200+DKK3+ fibroblasts stabilized the type 2 innate lymphoid cell phenotype and induced resolution of arthritis via CD200-CD200R1 signaling. Taken together, these data suggest a dynamic molecular regulation of the mesenchymal compartment during resolution of inflammation.


Subject(s)
Arthritis , Immunity, Innate , Humans , Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 , Interleukin-6/metabolism , Lymphocytes/metabolism , Inflammation/metabolism , Fibroblasts/metabolism
9.
Chest ; 165(1): 132-145, 2024 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37582424

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary involvement is the leading cause of death in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and may manifest as interstitial lung disease (ILD), pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), or in combination of both (ILD with pulmonary hypertension [ILD-PH]). The aim of this analysis was to determine prevalence, clinical characteristics, and survival of these different forms within the registry of the German Network for Systemic Sclerosis. RESEARCH QUESTION: Does SSc-associated ILD-PH or ILD without PH affect survival differently, and are there any risk factors that have an additional impact? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Clinical data of 5,831 patients with SSc were collected in the German Network for Systemic Sclerosis registry. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to compare overall survival in patients with SSc-associated ILD-PH and ILD without PH with patients without pulmonary involvement and those with PAH. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the influence of pulmonary involvement and other potential predictors on patient survival. RESULTS: Clinical data of 3,257 patients with a mean follow-up time of 3.45 ± 1.63 years have been included in our analysis. At baseline, ILD was present in 34.5%, whereas PH without ILD had a lower prevalence with 4.5%. At the end of follow-up, 47.6% of patients with SSc had ILD, 15.2% had ILD-PH, and 6.5% had PAH. ILD was more frequent in the diffuse cutaneous form (57.3%), whereas PAH did not differ significantly between SSc subtypes. Significant differences in baseline characteristics between PAH vs ILD-PH vs ILD without PH were found for age at diagnosis, sex, SSc subsets, antibody status, FVC, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide, and therapy. Overall survival at 5 years was 96.4% for patients without pulmonary involvement and differed significantly between patients with ILD without PH, PAH, and being worst in patients with ILD-PH. Female sex (hazard ratio [HR], 0.3), higher BMI (HR, 0.9), and higher diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide values (HR, 0.98) were associated with a lower mortality risk. INTERPRETATION: ILD is the most prevalent pulmonary involvement in SSc, whereas the combination of ILD and PH is associated with the most detrimental survival.


Subject(s)
Hypertension, Pulmonary , Lung Diseases, Interstitial , Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension , Scleroderma, Systemic , Humans , Female , Hypertension, Pulmonary/epidemiology , Hypertension, Pulmonary/etiology , Hypertension, Pulmonary/drug therapy , Cohort Studies , Carbon Monoxide , Scleroderma, Systemic/diagnosis , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/etiology , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/complications , Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension/complications , Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension/complications
10.
Eur J Immunol ; 54(1): e2350633, 2024 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37799110

ABSTRACT

In COVID-19, hyperinflammatory and dysregulated immune responses contribute to severity. Patients with pre-existing autoimmune conditions can therefore be at increased risk of severe COVID-19 and/or associated sequelae, yet SARS-CoV-2 infection in this group has been little studied. Here, we performed single-cell analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with three major autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, or multiple sclerosis) during SARS-CoV-2 infection. We observed compositional differences between the autoimmune disease groups coupled with altered patterns of gene expression, transcription factor activity, and cell-cell communication that substantially shape the immune response under SARS-CoV-2 infection. While enrichment of HLA-DRlow CD14+ monocytes was observed in all three autoimmune disease groups, type-I interferon signaling as well as inflammatory T cell and monocyte responses varied widely between the three groups of patients. Our results reveal disturbed immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with pre-existing autoimmunity, highlighting important considerations for disease treatment and follow-up.


Subject(s)
Autoimmune Diseases , COVID-19 , Humans , SARS-CoV-2 , Leukocytes, Mononuclear , Multiomics , Autoimmunity , Single-Cell Analysis
12.
medRxiv ; 2023 Oct 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37873414

ABSTRACT

Psoriasis is a common, debilitating immune-mediated skin disease. Genetic studies have identified biological mechanisms of psoriasis risk, including those targeted by effective therapies. However, the genetic liability to psoriasis is not fully explained by variation at robustly identified risk loci. To move towards a saturation map of psoriasis susceptibility we meta-analysed 18 GWAS comprising 36,466 cases and 458,078 controls and identified 109 distinct psoriasis susceptibility loci, including 45 that have not been previously reported. These include susceptibility variants at loci in which the therapeutic targets IL17RA and AHR are encoded, and deleterious coding variants supporting potential new drug targets (including in STAP2, CPVL and POU2F3). We conducted a transcriptome-wide association study to identify regulatory effects of psoriasis susceptibility variants and cross-referenced these against single cell expression profiles in psoriasis-affected skin, highlighting roles for the transcriptional regulation of haematopoietic cell development and epigenetic modulation of interferon signalling in psoriasis pathobiology.

14.
Nat Commun ; 14(1): 4601, 2023 08 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37528070

ABSTRACT

Microglial activation during neuroinflammation is crucial for coordinating the immune response against neuronal tissue, and the initial response of microglia determines the severity of neuro-inflammatory diseases. The CD83 molecule has been recently shown to modulate the activation status of dendritic cells and macrophages. Although the expression of CD83 is associated with early microglia activation in various disease settings, its functional relevance for microglial biology has been elusive. Here, we describe a thorough assessment of CD83 regulation in microglia and show that CD83 expression in murine microglia is not only associated with cellular activation but also with pro-resolving functions. Using single-cell RNA-sequencing, we reveal that conditional deletion of CD83 results in an over-activated state during neuroinflammation in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model. Subsequently, CD83-deficient microglia recruit more pathogenic immune cells to the central nervous system, deteriorating resolving mechanisms and exacerbating the disease. Thus, CD83 in murine microglia orchestrates cellular activation and, consequently, also the resolution of neuroinflammation.


Subject(s)
Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental , Mice , Animals , Microglia/metabolism , Neuroinflammatory Diseases , Central Nervous System/metabolism , Macrophages/metabolism , Mice, Inbred C57BL
15.
Rheumatol Int ; 43(10): 1905-1911, 2023 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37486433

ABSTRACT

We aimed to investigate (1) student-led clinics and (2) electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) to accelerate diagnosis and treatment of patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Patients with suspected axSpA completed an initial student-led clinic visit (T-1) prior to their planned actual rheumatologist visit (T0). Acceleration of patient appointment and NSAID therapy start, availability of diagnostic findings, and treatment response at T0 were evaluated. Beginning at T-1, patients completed electronic BASDAI questionnaires every 2 weeks. Concordance of paper-based and electronic BASDAI was evaluated. Patient acceptance of ePRO reporting and student-led clinics was measured using the net promoter score (NPS). 17/36 (47.2%) included patients were diagnosed with axSpA. Student-led clinics (T-1) significantly accelerated patient appointments by more than 2 months (T0, T-1, p < 0.0001) and axSpA guideline-conform NSAID treatment (p < 0.0001). At T0, diagnostic workup was completed for all patients and 7/17 (41.2%) axSpA patients presented with a clinically important improvement or were in remission. 34/36 (94.4%) patients completed at least 80% of the ePROs between T-1 and T0. Electronic and paper-administered BASDAI correlated well (r = 0.8 p < 0.0001). Student-led clinics and ePROs were well accepted by patients with NPS scores of + 62.0% (mean ± SD 9.2/10.0 ± 0.9) and + 30.5% (mean ± SD 8.0/10.0 ± 1.7), respectively. In conclusion, student-led clinics and ePRO monitoring were well accepted, accelerated diagnostic workup and treatment in patients with axSpA.


Subject(s)
Axial Spondyloarthritis , Spondylarthritis , Spondylitis, Ankylosing , Humans , Spondylitis, Ankylosing/drug therapy , Spondylarthritis/diagnosis , Spondylarthritis/drug therapy , Prospective Studies , Pilot Projects , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use
16.
Rheumatology (Oxford) ; 62(9): 3067-3074, 2023 09 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36708008

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs frequently in patients with SSc. We investigated whether the presence of GERD and/or the use of anti-acid therapy, specifically proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), are associated with long-term outcomes, especially in SSc-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). METHODS: We retrospectively analysed patients with SSc and SSc-ILD from the German Network for Systemic Sclerosis (DNSS) database (2003 onwards). Kaplan-Meier analysis compared overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with GERD vs without GERD (SSc and SSc-ILD), and PPI vs no PPI use (SSc-ILD only). Progression was defined as a decrease in either percentage predicted forced vital capacity of ≥10% or single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide of ≥15%, or death. RESULTS: It was found that 2693/4306 (63%) registered patients with SSc and 1204/1931 (62%) with SSc-ILD had GERD. GERD was not associated with decreased OS or decreased PFS in patients in either cohort. In SSc-ILD, PPI use was associated with improved OS vs no PPI use after 1 year [98.4% (95% CI: 97.6, 99.3); n = 760 vs 90.8% (87.9-93.8); n = 290] and after 5 years [91.4% (89.2-93.8); n = 357 vs 70.9% (65.2-77.1); n = 106; P < 0.0001]. PPI use was also associated with improved PFS vs no PPI use after 1 year [95.9% (94.6-97.3); n = 745 vs 86.4% (82.9-90.1); n = 278] and after 5 years [66.8% (63.0-70.8); n = 286 vs 45.9% (39.6-53.2); n = 69; P < 0.0001]. CONCLUSION: GERD had no effect on survival in SSc or SSc-ILD. PPIs improved survival in patients with SSc-ILD. Controlled, prospective trials are needed to confirm this finding.


Subject(s)
Gastroesophageal Reflux , Lung Diseases, Interstitial , Scleroderma, Systemic , Humans , Retrospective Studies , Prospective Studies , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/etiology , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/complications , Scleroderma, Systemic/complications , Scleroderma, Systemic/drug therapy , Gastroesophageal Reflux/complications , Gastroesophageal Reflux/drug therapy , Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Lung
17.
Rheumatology (Oxford) ; 62(2): 841-849, 2023 02 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35699479

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the metabolic characteristics of arthritis and enthesitis using multispectral opto-acoustic tomography (MSOT), a technology using near-infrared multispectral laser to stimulate tissues and detect the emitted acoustic energy, enabling non-invasive quantification of tissue components in vivo based on differential absorbance at multiple wavelengths. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study in patients with RA or PsA and healthy controls (HCs). Participants underwent clinical, ultrasonographic and MSOT examination of MCP and wrist joints as well as the entheses of the common extensor tendon at the lateral humeral epicondyles and of the patellar, quadriceps and Achilles tendon. MSOT-measured haemoglobin (Hb), oxygen saturation, collagen and lipid levels were quantified and scaled mean differences between affected and unaffected joints and entheses were calculated as defined by clinical examination or ultrasonography using linear mixed effects models. RESULTS: We obtained 1535 MSOT and 982 ultrasonography scans from 87 participants (34 PsA, 17 RA, 36 HCs). Entheseal tenderness was not associated with significant metabolic changes, whereas enthesitis-related sonographic changes were associated with increased total Hb, oxygen saturation and collagen content. In contrast, the presence of arthritis-related clinical and sonographic findings showed increased Hb levels, reduced oxygen saturation and reduced collagen content. Synovial hypertrophy was associated with increased lipid content in the joints. CONCLUSION: MSOT allows determination of distinct metabolic differences between arthritis and enthesitis in a non-invasive setting in humans in vivo.


Subject(s)
Arthritis, Psoriatic , Enthesopathy , Humans , Arthritis, Psoriatic/diagnostic imaging , Cross-Sectional Studies , Inflammation/diagnostic imaging , Ultrasonography , Enthesopathy/diagnostic imaging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Lipids
18.
Rheumatol Int ; 43(3): 495-502, 2023 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36214864

ABSTRACT

Early and effective discrimination (triage) of patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) and other diseases (non-IRD) is essential for successful treatment and preventing damage. The aim of this study was to investigate diagnostic delays and pre-diagnosis treatment in patients newly presenting to rheumatology outpatient clinics. A total of 600 patients newly presenting to one university hospital and two non-academic centers were included. Time from onset of symptoms to rheumatology consultation "total delay" as well as medical treatment before consultation were recorded. Median time from symptom onset to rheumatologist appointment (total delay) was 30 weeks. Median time to online search, first physician appointment request and first physician appointment was 2, 4 and 5 weeks, respectively. Total delay was significantly shorter for IRD patients compared to non-IRD patients, 26 vs 35 weeks (p = 0.007). Only 17.7% of all patients and 22.9% of IRD patients had a delay of less than 12 weeks. Total delay was significantly lower in patients seen in non-academic centers compared to the university center, 20 vs 50 weeks (p < 0.0001). 32.2% of IRD patients received medical treatment that eased their symptoms prior to the rheumatology appointment. These findings highlight the persistent diagnostic delays in rheumatology; however, they also suggest that current triage strategies effectively lead to earlier appointments for IRD patients. Improvement of triage methods and pre-diagnosis treatment could decrease overall burden of disease in IRD patients.


Subject(s)
Rheumatic Diseases , Rheumatology , Humans , Delayed Diagnosis , Rheumatic Diseases/diagnosis , Rheumatologists , Referral and Consultation
19.
Materials (Basel) ; 15(23)2022 Dec 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36500053

ABSTRACT

The measurement of the biomechanical properties of the skin is of great interest since these properties play an important role in the development of several diseases such as skin cancer and systemic sclerosis. In this direction, several diagnostic tools have been developed to analyze the mechanical properties of the skin. Optical coherence elastography (OCE) is one of the emerging imaging techniques used for the characterization of the mechanical properties of the tissue quantitatively. In systemic sclerosis patients, the measurement of the mechanical properties of the deeper skin layers is desirable compared to the superficial layers. There are several variants of OCE that exist, but it is still not clear which method is more suitable for the measurement of the mechanical properties of the deeper tissue. In this work, we tested three common methods, the pulsed excitation method, the continuous wave excitation method, and the resonant frequency method, for the measurement of the mechanical properties of the deeper layers in the tissue. We found out that the pulsed wave excitation method provides the most reliable measurements in the shortest possible time compared to the other two methods.

20.
J Nucl Med ; 63(12): 1786-1792, 2022 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36109182

ABSTRACT

Fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP-α) is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein that is overexpressed in activated fibroblasts such as those in the stroma of tumors or in the fibrotic processes accompanying various benign diseases. The recent development and clinical implementation of radiolabeled quinolone-based tracers suitable for PET that act as FAP inhibitors (FAPIs) have opened a new perspective in molecular imaging. Although multiple studies have investigated the use of FAPI imaging in cancer, evidence concerning its use in nonmalignant diseases is still scarce. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of FAPI imaging in nonmalignant diseases to clarify the current and potential role of this class of molecules in nuclear medicine.


Subject(s)
Gelatinases , Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography , Gelatinases/metabolism , Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography/methods , Serine Endopeptidases/metabolism , Molecular Imaging , Fibroblasts/pathology
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