Tubulointerstitial nephritis with monotypic lympho-plasmacytic infiltrates in a patient with primary Sjögren's syndrome accompanied by IgA-type monoclonal gammopathy.

BACKGROUND: Although most cases of tubulointerstitial nephritis in paraproteinemia are monoclonal light chain deposition-mediated, interstitial nephritis as neoplastic interstitial cell infiltration has rarely been described. On the other hand, lympho-plasma-cell-rich tubulointerstitial nephritis, in which the infiltrative cells are usually polytypic, is often evident in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Herein we present a rare case of pSS in a patient who had been diagnosed as having IgA kappa-type monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and developed tubulointerstitial nephritis with monotypic (IgA kappa) lympho-plasmacytic infiltrates. CASE PRESENTATION: A 74-year-old Japanese woman with pSS who had been diagnosed as having IgA kappa-type MGUS developed progressive renal dysfunction. Renal biopsy revealed tubulointerstitial nephritis with abundant plasma cell-rich mononuclear cell infiltrates without atypia. Immunohistochemical staining for immunoglobulins and light chains showed that most infiltrates were positive for IgA and kappa. Most of the infiltrative cells were positive for CD38 and CD138, and cells positive for CD 19 and CD 45 were also widely evident. Electron microscopy and immunofluorescence studies revealed no apparent immunological deposits in the glomeruli and tubules. Bone marrow and whole-body radiological examinations revealed no findings suggestive of multiple myeloma or lymphoma. Renal function improved rapidly with prednisolone 40 mg daily and has been maintained at the same level on low-dose prednisolone and azathioprine for 18 months. CONCLUSION: Tubulointerstitial nephritis with monotypic cell infiltrates, without immunological deposits, is a quite rare histological picture in MGUS, and might be a unique renal manifestation in patients with pSS.

Initial predictors of poor survival in myositis-associated interstitial lung disease: a multicentre cohort of 497 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To identify initial predictors of poor survival in patients with PM/DM-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD). METHODS: We established a multicentre retrospective cohort of incident cases of PM/DM-associated ILD from 44 institutions across Japan (Multicentre Retrospective Cohort of Japanese Patients with Myositis-associated ILD, JAMI). Inclusion criteria were an onset age ⩾16 years; PM/DM or clinically amyopathic DM according to the published criteria; imaging evidence of ILD; and availability of serum samples for assays of autoantibodies such as anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 and anti-aminoacyl tRNA synthetase. We collected demographic data and clinical characteristics recorded at the time of diagnosis, as well as follow-up survival data. Predictors of ILD-related mortality were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: JAMI enrolled a cohort of 497 patients with PM (15%), classic DM (32%) and clinically amyopathic DM (53%). During the observation period (median 20 months), 76 died of respiratory insufficiency directly related to ILD. Univariate analysis revealed several initial parameters associated with ILD mortality, including demographic, clinical, laboratory, imaging and autoantibody variables. We used multivariate analysis with a stepwise selection of parameters to generate an appropriate predictive model, and identified the following independent risk factors for ILD mortality: age at onset ⩾60 years [hazard ratio (HR) = 4.3, 95% CI: 2.4, 7.5], CRP ⩾1 mg/dl (HR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.5, 4.8), peripheral capillary oxygen saturation <95% (HR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2, 3.4) and anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody (HR = 7.5, 95% CI: 2.8, 20.2). CONCLUSION: We established a large cohort of incident cases of PM/DM-associated ILD, and successfully identified independent predictors of short-term ILD mortality.

Comparison of clinical and laboratory features of patients with and without allergic conditions in IgG4-related disease: A single-center experience in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to compare the clinical and laboratory features of Japanese patients with IgG4-related disease, with and without allergic conditions. METHODS: We retrospectively examined the clinical and laboratory features and clinical courses of 51 patients with definitively diagnosed IgG4-RD, collected from Nagaoka Red Cross Hospital between January 2004 and August 2017, with reference to the presence of allergic conditions. RESULTS: Among these patients, 43% had allergic conditions. In the allergy group, the proportion of females was significantly higher, the age at diagnosis was significantly lower, and upper body organ involvement was predominant in comparison with the non-allergy group. There was no significant inter-group difference in the absolute number of peripheral blood eosinophils, the levels of serum IgG4 and IgE, the response to steroid, or the proportion of patients who relapsed. CONCLUSION: The present findings suggest that there may be some differences in the clinical features of IgG4-RD patients according to the allergic conditions that are present, although eosinophilia and high serum levels of IgE and IgG4 are common features regardless of allergy.

Dysfunction of TRIM21 in interferon signature of systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES: TRIM21 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase for interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) that are involved in innate and acquired immunity. Here, we evaluated the role of TRIM21 in the interferon (IFN) signature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Twenty SLE patients and 24 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. We analyzed mRNA expression of TRIM21, type I IFN, and IFN-inducible genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC). The protein levels of IRFs were assessed by Western blotting in PBMCs cultured with or without MG-132. RESULTS: The expression of TRIM21 mRNA and protein was significantly higher in SLE PBMCs as compared to healthy controls. There was a correlation between TRIM21 mRNA expression and SLE activities. In contrast to a negative correlation between mRNA expression level of TRIM21 and those of type I IFNs in healthy controls, we found a positive correlation between them in anti-TRIM21 antibody-positive SLE patients. Neither positive nor negative correlation was observed in the autoantibody-negative SLE patients. Western-blotting analysis revealed impaired ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of IRFs in SLE PBMCs. CONCLUSION: Our study showed ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of IRFs was impaired in anti-TRIM21 antibody-dependent and -independent fashions, leading to amplification of IFN signature in SLE.

Musculoskeletal ultrasonography delineates ankle symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To clarify the use of musculoskeletal ultrasonography (US) of ankle joints in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Consecutive RA patients with or without ankle symptoms participated in the study. The US, clinical examination (CE), and patients' visual analog scale for pain (pVAS) for ankles were assessed. Prevalence of tibiotalar joint synovitis and tenosynovitis were assessed by grayscale (GS) and power Doppler (PD) US using a semi-quantitative grading (0-3). The positive US and CE findings were defined as GS score ≥2 and/or PD score ≥1, and joint swelling and/or tenderness, respectively. Multivariate analysis with the generalized linear mixed model was performed by assigning ankle pVAS as a dependent variable. RESULTS: Among a total of 120 ankles from 60 RA patients, positive ankle US findings were found in 21 (35.0%) patients. The concordance rate of CE and US was moderate (kappa 0.57). Of the 88 CE negative ankles, US detected positive findings in 9 (10.2%) joints. Multivariate analysis revealed that ankle US, clinical disease activity index, and foot Health Assessment Questionnaire, but not CE, was independently associated with ankle pVAS. CONCLUSION: US examination is useful to illustrate RA ankle involvement, especially for patients who complain ankle pain but lack CE findings.

Enormous Aneurysm in Coronary Artery Fistula With Immunoglobulin G4-Related Disease.

We report the first case of coronary artery fistula with aneurysmal change in a patient with immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD). This case revealed concomitant coronary artery dilation, pericardial inflammatory nodules, and coronary-pulmonary fistula aneurysm in addition to several IgG4-RD lesions. Each of these features was located in close proximity to the thickened pericardium. These lesions might result from inflammation of the pericardial space, which extended to the coronary-pulmonary artery vessels, leading to aneurysmal formation. This case will enhance our understanding of the pathological mechanisms of IgG4-RD inflammation.

Dysregulated heme oxygenase-1low M2-like macrophages augment lupus nephritis via Bach1 induced by type I interferons.

BACKGROUND: Innate immunity including macrophages (Mϕ) in lupus nephritis (LN) has been gaining attention, but roles of Mϕ in LN remain uncertain. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was performed to determine CD68, CD163, heme oxygenase (HO)-1 (a stress-inducible heme-degrading enzyme with anti-inflammatory property), pSTAT1, and CMAF-expressing Mϕ in the glomeruli of patients with LN. Effects of type I interferons on the expression levels of CD163, HO-1, BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1; a transcriptional HO-1 repressor), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 by human M2-like Mϕ, which were differentiated in vitro from peripheral monocytes with macrophage colony-stimulating factor, were assessed by RT-PCR and immunocytostaining. Clinical manifestations, anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA), and local HO-1 expression were compared in Bach1-deficient and wild-type MRL/lpr mice. RESULTS: The number of glomerular M2-like Mϕ correlated with the amounts of proteinuria in patients with LN. Unlike monocyte-derived M2-like Mϕ, HO-1 expression was defective in the majority of glomerular M2-like Mϕ of patients with LN. Stimulation of human M2-like Mϕ with type I interferons led to reduced HO-1 expression and increased Bach1 and IL-6 expression. Bach1-deficient MRL/lpr mice exhibited increased HO-1 expression in kidneys, prolonged survival, reduced urine proteins, and serum blood urea nitrogen levels, but serum anti-dsDNA antibody levels were comparable. Increased expression of CD163 and HO-1 was found in peritoneal Mϕ from Bach1-deficient MRL/lpr mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that dysregulated M2-like Mϕ play a proinflammatory role in LN. Bach1 is a potential therapeutic target that could restore the anti-inflammatory property of M2 Mϕ.

The predictive prognostic factors for polymyositis/dermatomyositis-associated interstitial lung disease.

BACKGROUND: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the principal cause of death in polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM). Here we investigated prognostic factors for death and serious infection in PM/DM-ILD using the multicenter database. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed baseline demographic, clinical and laboratory findings, treatment regimens and outcomes in patients with PM/DM-ILD. The distribution of ILD lesions was evaluated in four divided lung zones of high-resolution computed tomography images. RESULTS: Of 116 patients with PM/DM-ILD, 14 died within 6 months from the diagnosis. As independent risk factors for early death, extended ILD lesions in upper lung fields (odds ratio (OR) 8.01, p = 0.016) and hypocapnia (OR 6.85, p = 0.038) were identified. Serious infection was found in 38 patients, including 11 patients who died of respiratory or multiple infections. The independent risk factors were high serum KL-6 (OR 3.68, p = 0.027), high initial dose of prednisolone (PSL) (OR 4.18, p = 0.013), and combination immunosuppressive therapies (OR 5.51, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The present study shows the progression of ILD at baseline is the most critical for survival and that infection, especially respiratory infection, is an additive prognostic factor under the potent immunosuppressive treatment.

Regional cerebral glucose metabolism in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVES: Depression is frequently observed in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE) patients often exhibit cerebral hypometabolism, but the association between cerebral metabolism and depression remains unclear. To elucidate the features of cerebral metabolism in SLE patients with depression, we performed brain 18F-fluoro-d-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) on SLE patients with and without major depressive disorder. METHODS: We performed brain FDG-PET on 20 SLE subjects (5 male, 15 female). The subjects were divided into two groups: subjects with major depressive disorder (DSLE) and subjects without major depressive disorder (non-DSLE). Cerebral glucose metabolism was analyzed using the three-dimensional stereotactic surface projection (3D-SSP) program. Regional metabolism was evaluated by stereotactic extraction estimation (SEE), in which the whole brain was divided into segments. RESULTS: Every SLE subject exhibited cerebral hypometabolism, in contrast to the normal healthy subjects. Regional analysis revealed a significantly lower ER in the left medial frontal gyrus (p=0.0055) and the right medial frontal gyrus (p=0.0022) in the DSLE group than in the non-DSLE group. CONCLUSION: Hypometabolism in the medial frontal gyrus may be related to major depressive disorder in SLE. Larger studies are needed to clarify this relationship.

Continuous evolution of clinical phenotype in 578 Japanese patients with Behçet's disease: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that the phenotypes of Behçet's disease (BD) in Japan are changing. To ask whether the evolution of BD holds true in recent-onset cases in Japan, we performed a retrospective study. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 578 patients with BD who met the 1987 revised diagnostic criteria of the Behçet's disease research committee of Japan. The patients were divided into three groups based on the date of disease onset. We compared the demography, clinical features, and treatments among them with or without adjustment for the observation period. Patients having oral ulcers, genital ulcers, regional skin involvement, and uveitis are categorized as having complete-type BD, and the associated factors were determined by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Male patients had a higher propensity for uveitis and central nervous system (CNS) involvement, whereas female patients had higher rates of genital ulcers and arthritis. We found a significant trend in reduction of complete-type, genital ulcer, HLA-B51 carriers, and increment of gastrointestinal BD over time. Multiple regression analysis identified HLA-B51 positivity, earlier date of disease onset, and younger age of onset as independently associated with complete-type BD. Although treatments had been also chronologically changed, the causative relationship between therapeutic agents and phenotypical changes was not determined from the study. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that phenotypical evolution was characterized by decreased incidence of the complete type and increment of gastrointestinal involvement in Japanese patients with BD during the last 30 years.