Serum Biomarkers of Vascular Involvement in Childhood Uveitis.

Purpose: Nonanterior uveitis frequently involves the retinal vasculature; however, no molecular markers associated with the retinal vascular disease are currently known. In this study, we aimed to identify serum biomarker signatures associated with retinal vascular involvement in noninfectious pediatric uveitis. Methods: We performed a 384-plex targeted proteomic analysis of serum samples of 154 noninfectious pediatric uveitis patients diagnosed with nonanterior uveitis (n = 74), idiopathic chronic anterior uveitis (iCAU, n = 36), or juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (JIA-U, n = 44), as well as 22 noninflammatory pediatric controls. Data on retinal vascular involvement (i.e., papillitis, cystoid macular edema, retinal vasculitis, or retinal capillary leakage on optical coherence tomography and/or fluorescein angiography) were used to stratify cases in the nonanterior uveitis group. Results: In the analysis of nonanterior uveitis, we identified nine proteins significantly associated with retinal vascular involvement, including F13B, MYOM3, and PTPN9. These proteins were enriched through pathway enrichment analysis for the coagulation cascade. Comparing cases and controls, we identified 63 differentially expressed proteins, notably proteins involved in platelet biology and complement cascades, which could be primarily attributed to differences in serum proteomes between anterior uveitis and nonanterior uveitis groups. Conclusions: Serum proteins related to the coagulation and complement cascade are associated with retinal vascular involvement in pediatric uveitis patients. Our results indicate involvement of mediators that could interact with the microcirculation in pediatric uveitis and might serve as potential biomarkers in personalized medicine in the future. Translational Relevance: Our targeted proteomics analysis in serum of pediatric uveitis patients indicates involvement of mediators that could interact with the microcirculation in pediatric uveitis and might serve as potential biomarkers in personalized medicine in the future.

Involvement of the systemic microcirculation in pediatric uveitis.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric uveitis is a severe inflammatory ocular condition that can lead to sight-threatening complications and can negatively impact quality of life. The retinal microcirculation is often affected in intermediate uveitis and panuveitis. Here, we examined the extraocular (i.e., systemic) microcirculation in pediatric uveitis cases and healthy controls using nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC). METHODS: We performed NFC in 119 children with noninfectious uveitis and 25 healthy pediatric controls, and assessed the following parameters: capillary density (number of capillaries/mm), dilated capillaries (apex > 20 µm), avascular area, the presence of microhemorrhages, and capillary morphology. Differences in NFC parameters between cases and controls were calculated using regression analysis after adjusting for age and sex. RESULTS: The mean (± SD) age of the patient group was 13.7 (± 3) years, with 56% females; 46%, 18%, and 36% of cases presented as anterior uveitis, intermediate uveitis, and panuveitis, respectively, with an overall mean disease duration of 4.7 (± 4.0) years. Compared to the control group, the pediatric uveitis cases had a significantly higher number of dilated capillaries/mm and a higher prevalence of ramified capillaries. Moreover, compared to the control group the intermediate uveitis cases had a significantly higher number of dilated capillaries, whereas the anterior uveitis cases had a lower capillary density and a higher prevalence of ramified capillaries. CONCLUSIONS: Children with uveitis without systemic disease can present with changes in systemic microcirculation. These changes vary amongst the subtypes of uveitis.

Data from the European registry for patients with McArdle disease (EUROMAC): functional status and social participation.

BACKGROUND: The European registry for individuals with GSD5 and other muscle glycogenosis (EUROMAC) was launched to register rare muscle glycogenosis in Europe, to facilitate recruitment for research trials and to learn about the phenotypes and disseminate knowledge about the diseases. A network of twenty collaborating partners from eight European countries and the US contributed data on rare muscle glycogenosis in the EUROMAC registry. METHODS: Following the initial report on demographics, neuromuscular features and comorbidity (2020), we here present the data on social participation, previous and current treatments (medication, supplements, diet and rehabilitation) and limitations. Furthermore, the following questionnaires were used: Fatigue severity scale (FSS), WHO Disability Assessment Scale (DAS 2.0), health related quality of life (SF36) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). RESULTS: Of 282 participants with confirmed diagnoses of muscle glycogenosis, 269 had GSD5. Of them 196 (73%) completed all questionnaires; for the others, the data were incomplete. The majority, 180 (67%) were currently working. Previous medical treatments included pain medication (23%) and rehabilitation treatment (60%). The carbohydrate-rich diet was reported to be beneficial for 68%, the low sucrose diet for 76% and the ketogenic diet for 88%. Almost all participants (93%) reported difficulties climbing stairs. The median FSS score was 5.22, indicating severe fatigue. The data from the WHODAS and IPAQ was not of sufficient quality to be interpreted. CONCLUSIONS: The EUROMAC registry have provided insight into the functional and social status of participants with GSD5: most participants are socially active despite limitations in physical and daily life activities. Regular physical activity and different dietary approaches may alleviate fatigue and pain.

The Role of the Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness on OCT in the Evaluation of Papillitis in Childhood Uveitis.

PURPOSE: To investigate the diagnostic value of using retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measured on optical coherence tomography (OCT-RNFL) to diagnose papillitis in pediatric uveitis. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Demographic and clinical data were collected retrospectively for 257 children with uveitis (with 455 affected eyes). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to compare fluorescein angiography (FA, the diagnostic gold standard for papillitis) to OCT-RNFL in a subgroup of 93 patients. An ideal cut-off value for OCT-RNFL was then determined by calculating the highest Youden index. Finally, a multivariate analysis was applied to the clinical ophthalmological data. RESULTS: Based on a subset of 93 patients who underwent both OCT-RNFL and FA, the ideal cut-off OCT-RNFL for diagnosing papillitis was >130 µm, with 79% sensitivity and 85% specificity. Among the entire cohort, the prevalence of OCT-RNFL >130 µm was 19% (27/141), 72% (26/36), and 45% (36/80) in patients with anterior uveitis, intermediate uveitis, and panuveitis, respectively. Our multivariate analysis of the clinical data revealed that OCT-RNFL >130 µm was associated with a higher prevalence of cystoid macular edema, active uveitis, and optic disc swelling on fundoscopy, with odds ratios of 5.3, 4.3, and 13.7, respectively (all P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: OCT-RNFL can be a useful noninvasive additional imaging tool for diagnosing papillitis in pediatric uveitis with relatively high sensitivity and specificity. OCT-RNFL was >130 µm in approximately one-third of all children with uveitis and was particularly prevalent in cases of intermediate uveitis and panuveitis.

Methotrexate therapy associated with a reduced rate of new-onset uveitis in patients with biological-naïve juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of methotrexate (MTX) therapy on new-onset uveitis in patients with biological-naïve juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). METHODS: In this matched case-control study, we compared MTX exposure between cases with JIA-associated chronic uveitis (JIA-U) and patients with JIA and without JIA-U at the time of matching (controls). Data were collected from electronic health records of the University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands. Cases with JIA-U were matched 1:1 to JIA control patients based on JIA diagnosis date, age at JIA diagnosis, JIA subtype, antinuclear antibodies status and disease duration. The effect of MTX on JIA-U onset was analysed using a multivariable time-varying Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Ninety-two patients with JIA were included and characteristics were similar between cases with JIA-U (n=46) and controls (n=46). Both ever-use of MTX and exposure years were lower in cases with JIA-U than in controls. Cases with JIA-U significantly more often discontinued MTX treatment (p=0.03) and out of those who did, 50% afterwards developed uveitis within 1 year. On adjusted analysis, MTX was associated with a significantly reduced new-onset uveitis rate (HR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.17 to 0.75). No different effect was observed between a low (<10 mg/m2/week) and standard MTX dose (≥10 mg/m2/week). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates an independent protective effect of MTX on new-onset uveitis in patients with biological-naïve JIA. Clinicians might consider early initiation of MTX in patients at high uveitis risk. We advocate more frequent ophthalmologic screening in the first 6-12 months after MTX discontinuation.

Exploring Imaging Characteristics Associated With Disease Activity in Idiopathic Multifocal Choroiditis: A Multimodal Imaging Approach.

PURPOSE: To identify characteristics on multimodal imaging (MMI) in idiopathic multifocal choroiditis (MFC) that can identify inflammatory activity and distinguish choroidal neovascularization (CNV) activity from inflammatory activity. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: MMI consisted of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (angiography) (SD-OCT(A)), fundus autofluorescence, fundus photography, infrared imaging, fluorescein angiography (FA), and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). MMI characteristics obtained during active and inactive disease were compared within the same lesion. Secondly, MMI characteristics were compared between active inflammatory lesions with and without CNV activity. RESULTS: Fifty patients (110 lesions) were included. In 96 lesions without CNV activity, the mean focal choroidal thickness was increased during the active disease (205 µm) compared to the inactive disease (180 µm) (P ≤ .001). Lesions with inflammatory activity typically demonstrated moderately reflective material located in the sub-retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and/or in the outer retina with disruption of the ellipsoid zone. During the inactive stage of the disease, the material disappeared or became hyperreflective and indistinguishable from the RPE. During the active stage of the disease, the area of hypoperfusion in the choriocapillaris significantly increased as visualized on both ICGA and SD-OCTA. CNV activity in 14 lesions was associated with subretinal material with a mixed reflectivity and hypotransmission of light to the choroid on SD-OCT and leakage on FA. SD-OCTA identified vascular structures in all active CNV lesions and in 24% of lesions without CNV activity (showing old, quiescent CNV membranes). CONCLUSION: Inflammatory activity in idiopathic MFC was associated with several MMI characteristics, including focally increased choroidal thickness. These characteristics can guide clinicians in the challenging process of the evaluation of disease activity in idiopathic MFC patients.

Clinical Course and Outcome in Pediatric Idiopathic Chronic Anterior Uveitis.

PURPOSE: To examine the clinical course and outcome in children with idiopathic chronic anterior uveitis (iCAU), and to compare the results with those of age-matched children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (JIA-U). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Data regarding ocular complications, visual acuity, and systemic treatment were retrospectively collected for 2 patient groups that were matched regarding age and year of uveitis diagnosis. Outcome was evaluated using survival analysis. RESULTS: The iCAU and JIA-U groups included 48 patients with 83 affected eyes and 48 patients with 73 affected eyes, respectively. Multivariate analyses showed that iCAU was associated with a higher prevalence of posterior synechiae (adjusted hazard rate [aHR] = 3.63; P < .001) and cataract surgery (aHR = 2.90; P = .006). Baseline visual acuity was worse in the iCAU group compared to the JIA-U group (20/25 vs 20/20, respectively; P < .001), but improved in the iCAU group after 5 years (20/20 vs 20/20, respectively; P = .052). At the 5-year follow-up, the younger children with iCAU (≤8 years of age at diagnosis) had a higher prevalence of posterior synechiae (aHR = 2.56; P = .007), secondary glaucoma (aHR = 16.0; P = .020), and cataract surgery (aHR = 4.79; P = .004) compared to older children with iCAU (≥9 years at diagnosis). CONCLUSIONS: Vision-threatening ocular complications are more common in children with iCAU compared to children with JIA-U, particularly in cases in which the onset of uveitis occurred at ≤8 years of age. However, the long-term vision of these children can be improved with adequate treatment.

Clinical benefits and potential risks of adalimumab in non-JIA chronic paediatric uveitis.

PURPOSE: To describe the treatment results with adalimumab in chronic paediatric uveitis, not associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). METHODS: Medical records of children with non-JIA-uveitis were reviewed retrospectively. Children without an underlying systemic disease were pre-screened with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to exclude white matter abnormalities/demyelination. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were pre-screened with brain MRI, of whom adalimumab was contraindicated in six patients (23%) with non-anterior uveitis. Forty-three patients (81 eyes) were included. Disease inactivity was achieved in 91% of the patients after a median of three months (3-33). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved from 0.16 ± 0.55 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) at baseline to 0.05 ± 0.19 logMAR at 24 months (p = 0.015). The median dosage of systemic corticosteroids was reduced to 0 mg/day at 24 months of follow-up (versus 10 mg/day at baseline; p < 0.001). Adalimumab was discontinued in thirteen children due to ineffectiveness (n = 8), side effects (n = 1), long-term inactivity of uveitis (n = 3) or own initiative (n = 1). Relapse of uveitis occurred in 19 (49%) patients, 5 (26%) of them without an identifiable cause. CONCLUSION: Adalimumab is effective in the treatment of non-JIA-uveitis in paediatric patients by achieving disease inactivity in the majority of the patients, improving BCVA and decreasing the dose of corticosteroids. Adverse events and side effects are limited. Pre-screening with MRI of the brain is recommended in paediatric patients with intermediate and panuveitis.

Data from the European registry for patients with McArdle disease and other muscle glycogenoses (EUROMAC).

BACKGROUND: The European registry for patients with McArdle disease and other muscle glycogenoses (EUROMAC) was launched to register rare muscle glycogenoses in Europe, to facilitate recruitment for research trials and to learn about the phenotypes and disseminate knowledge about the diseases through workshops and websites. A network of twenty full and collaborating partners from eight European countries and the US contributed data on rare muscle glycogenosis in the EUROMAC registry. After approximately 3 years of data collection, the data in the registry was analysed. RESULTS: Of 282 patients with confirmed diagnoses of muscle glycogenosis, 269 had McArdle disease. New phenotypic features of McArdle disease were suggested, including a higher frequency (51.4%) of fixed weakness than reported before, normal CK values in a minority of patients (6.8%), ptosis in 8 patients, body mass index above background population and number of comorbidities with a higher frequency than in the background population (hypothyroidism, coronary heart disease). CONCLUSIONS: The EUROMAC project and registry have provided insight into new phenotypic features of McArdle disease and the variety of co-comorbidities affecting people with McArdle disease. This should lead to better management of these disorders in the future, including controlling weight, and preventive screening for thyroid and coronary artery diseases, as well as physical examination with attention on occurrence of ptosis and fixed muscle weakness. Normal serum creatine kinase in a minority of patients stresses the need to not discard a diagnosis of McArdle disease even though creatine kinase is normal and episodes of myoglobinuria are absent.

Negative effects of submandibular botulinum neurotoxin A injections on oral motor function in children with drooling due to central nervous system disorders.

AIM: The aims of this study were: (1) to determine the incidence and nature of adverse effects on oral motor function after first injections of botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT-A) in submandibular glands for excessive drooling in children with central nervous system disorders; and (2) to identify independent predictors of these adverse effects. METHOD: A cohort study involved 209 children (123 males, 86 females, aged 4-27y, median 8y 4mo), who received submandibular BoNT-A injections for drooling. Adverse effects were categorized into swallowing, eating, drinking, articulation, and other problems. Univariable logistic regression was used to study differences in patients with and without adverse effects. Possible predictors were identified using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Transient adverse effects occurred in 33% of the 209 BoNT-A treatments. Almost 80% of these were mild, versus 8.7% severe. Approximately 54% of the adverse effects spontaneously resolved within 4 weeks; 3% still existed after 32 weeks. A diagnosis of cerebral palsy, higher range of BoNT-A dosage, and a pre-treatment drooling quotient <18% were found to be independent predictors of adverse effects. INTERPRETATION: Before using submandibular BoNT-A injections for drooling, potential adverse effects should be discussed. Oral motor function needs to be monitored, because existing dysphagia may be worsened. The identified clinical predictors could be helpful to optimize patient selection.