Effects of repeated infliximab therapy on serum lipid profile in patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) frequently display an atherogenic lipid profile which has been linked with inflammation. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a pivotal pro-inflammatory cytokine in RA may be involved in the development of the disturbed lipid metabolism. We investigated whether infliximab, an anti-TNF-alpha therapy, may modify the lipid profile.

[Spondylarthropathies and anti-TNFalpha drugs].

Purpose: Spondylarthropathies are a heterogeneous group of disorders including ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease, and undifferentiated spondylarthropathies. These diseases are characterised by inflammation in the spine, sacroiliac joints, entheses, peripheral joints, and a strong association with HLA-B27; they may cause severe destruction and/or ankylosis in a minority of patients. Conventional treatment includes non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroid injections, and DMARDs such as sulfasalazine in patients with peripheral arthritis.

Myocardial contractility is early affected in systemic sclerosis: a tissue Doppler echocardiography study.

Aims: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disorder characterized by frequent myocardial involvement. Alteration in left ventricular (LV) function is reported to be rare; however, it may be underestimated by conventional measurements. Our aim was to prospectively investigate LV function in SSc patients, using Tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE), a modern and accurate method of assessing myocardial function.

Prevalence of Barrett's esophagus in systemic sclerosis.

Objective: The esophagus is the most commonly affected gastrointestinal area in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Patients with SSc frequently develop gastroesophageal reflux, esophageal injury, and sometimes, intestinal metaplasia, or Barrett's esophagus (BE), which may increase the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. This study sought to determine the prevalence of BE and esophageal adenocarcinoma in a cohort of SSc patients.

Systemic sclerosis and gastric MALT lymphoma.

Case-report: A 76-year-old woman was admitted for evaluation of esophagitis complicating limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis. Endoscopy showed persistent grade III esophagitis and an erythematous antral lesion found upon biopsy to be a lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). Tests were positive for Helicobacter pylori.

[Ossification of the common posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine and spinal cord compression in a patient from Senegal].

Introduction: Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine is a rare cause medullar compression.

Observation: A 50-year-old man from Senegal was referred with recent-onset mechanical lumbar pain with proximal motor deficiency of the lower limbs and somatosensory disorders. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed layered medullar compression, due to anterior cervical and mixed anterior and posterior thoracic ossification.

Prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies in systemic sclerosis and association with primitive pulmonary arterial hypertension and endothelial injury.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: Autoantibodies against cardiolipin (aCL) and beta2-glycoprotein 1 (beta2-GPI) were detected by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assays (ELISAs) in successively hospitalised SSc patients admitted during a 24-month period. These patients were compared to patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Disseminated extrapulmonary tuberculosis revealed by humeral osteomyelitis with chronic unremarkable pain.

Disseminated extrapulmonary tuberculosis is uncommon, particularly among immunocompentent individuals. We report the case of a 38-year-old woman from the Ivory Coast who had osteomyelitis in the right humerus, a cold abscess in the pectoralis major muscle, T11 spondylitis, deep lymphadenopathies, peritoneal nodules, and hepatitis. She had no evidence of immune deficiency, and her only risk factor for tuberculosis was her origin from an endemic area.

Increased plasma soluble CD40 ligand concentrations in systemic sclerosis and association with pulmonary arterial hypertension and digital ulcers.

Background: Increased expression of CD40L has been reported on activated CD4+ T lymphocytes in systemic sclerosis. CD40L can be expressed in soluble form (sCD40L).

Objective: To compare sCD40L concentrations in patients with systemic sclerosis and healthy controls.

Evaluation of the effect of nifedipine upon myocardial perfusion and contractility using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and tissue Doppler echocardiography in systemic sclerosis.

Background: Primary myocardial involvement due to microcirculation impairment is common in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) were recently shown to be more sensitive than conventional methods for the respective assessment of myocardial perfusion and contractility. Previous studies have suggested that dihydropyridine-type calcium channel blockers mitigate both myocardial perfusion and function abnormalities.

Autoantibody induction in patients with refractory spondyloarthropathy treated with infliximab and methotrexate.

Objectives: Induction of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) has been reported in patients taking infliximab to treat refractory spondyloarthropathy, without concomitant methotrexate therapy. We investigated antibody induction in patients with spondyloarthropathy treated with both infliximab and methotrexate.

Methods: In 33 patients meeting ESSG criteria for spondyloarthropathy, infliximab was given (infusions at weeks 0, 2, 6, 14, 22, and 30) in combination with methotrexate (10-25 mg/week).

Nifedipine protects against overproduction of superoxide anion by monocytes from patients with systemic sclerosis.

We have reported previously that dihydropyridine-type calcium-channel antagonists (DTCCA) such as nifedipine decrease plasma markers of oxidative stress damage in systemic sclerosis (SSc). To clarify the cellular basis of these beneficial effects, we investigated the effects in vivo and in vitro of nifedipine on superoxide anion (O2*-) production by peripheral blood monocytes. We compared 10 healthy controls with 12 patients with SSc, first after interruption of treatment with DTCCA and second after 2 weeks of treatment with nifedipine (60 mg/day).

Induction of autoantibodies in refractory rheumatoid arthritis treated by infliximab.

Objectives: To investigate autoantibody induction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with infliximab.

Methods: We included 59 refractory RA patients treated with infliximab in combination with low-dose prednisone and methotrexate or leflunomide. We tested the sera of the patients for antinuclear antibodies (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti double-stranded DNA antibodies (anti dsDNA), anti-histone and anti-extractable nuclear antigen antibodies (aENA) at baseline and before infusion at weeks 6 and 30.

Tolerance and short term efficacy of rituximab in 43 patients with systemic autoimmune diseases.

Objective: To assess the tolerance and efficacy of rituximab in patients with various autoimmune diseases seen in daily rheumatological practice.

Methods: 866 rheumatology and internal medicine practitioners were contacted by e-mail to obtain the files of patients treated with rituximab for systemic autoimmune diseases. Patients with lymphoma were analysed if the evolution of the autoimmune disease could be evaluated.

Lack of association of eNOS (G894T) and p22phox NADPH oxidase subunit (C242T) polymorphisms with systemic sclerosis in a cohort of French Caucasian patients.

Objective: To assess the influence of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase polymorphisms on the susceptibility of patients to and clinical expression of systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: Seventy-seven French Caucasian patients with SSc were studied. Patients and ethnically matched controls (n=49) were genotyped, by restriction enzyme digestion of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, for G894T polymorphism in exon 7 of the eNOS gene and for C242T polymorphism of the gene encoding the p22(phox) NADPH oxidase subunit.

High prevalence of right ventricular systolic dysfunction in early systemic sclerosis.

Objective: To assess right ventricular (RV) function in patients with early systemic sclerosis (SSc) and the acute effects of calcium channel blockers on RV ejection fraction (RVEF).

Methods: Forty-two consecutive patients with SSc with less than 5 years' disease duration and normal pulmonary arterial pressure (35 women, 7 men; mean age 54.3 +/- 9.

Increased prevalence of ocular glaucomatous abnormalities in systemic sclerosis.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases, vasospasm, and dysimmunity have been implicated in normal tension glaucoma (NTG).

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of ocular abnormalities suggestive of glaucoma damage in systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: 61 patients with SSc (mean (SD) age 56.

Multiple spontaneous visceral hematomas revealing polyarteritis nodosa.

Polyarteritis nodosa is a rare life-threatening disease characterized by necrotizing vasculitis of small and median arteries. We describe the exceptional case of a 28-year-old man with successive spontaneous visceral hematomas of the kidney, bladder, and liver. Arteriography was performed for a recent spontaneous hepatic hematoma and a microaneurysm was detected, allowing the diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa and prescription of appropriate treatment.

Nifedipine decreases sVCAM-1 concentrations and oxidative stress in systemic sclerosis but does not affect the concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor or its soluble receptor 1.

Microvascular injury, oxidative stress, and impaired angiogenesis are prominent features of systemic sclerosis (SSc). We compared serum markers of these phenomena at baseline and after treatment with nifedipine in SSc patients. Forty successive SSc patients were compared with 20 matched healthy subjects.

IgG reactivity with a 100-kDa tissue and endothelial cell antigen identified as topoisomerase 1 distinguishes between limited and diffuse systemic sclerosis patients.

We have analyzed antibody (Ab) reactivities of patients with limited systemic sclerosis (SSc) and anti-centromere Ab, patients with diffuse SSc and anti-topoisomerase 1 (anti-topo 1) Ab, patients with diffuse SSc without anti-topo 1 or anti-centromere Ab and age- and gender-matched healthy controls with normal human tissue and endothelial cell (EC) antigens. IgG reactivities with tissue antigens differed significantly between patients with anti-topo 1 Ab and patients with anti-centromere Ab. One 100-kDa band identified as topoisomerase 1 in macrovascular and microvascular EC extracts was recognized by IgG from patients with anti-topo 1 Ab and 50% of patients without specific Ab.

Acute and sustained effects of dihydropyridine-type calcium channel antagonists on oxidative stress in systemic sclerosis.

Purpose: To evaluate the potential antioxidant properties of dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonists in systemic sclerosis.

Methods: Forty-two patients with systemic sclerosis were included (mean [+/- SD] age, 54 +/- 12 years; mean disease duration, 8 +/- 7 years). Plasma markers of oxidative stress (carbonyl residues, advanced oxidation protein products, malondialdehyde, nitrosothiols, and total thiol groups) were determined 72 hours after the discontinuation of usual dihydropyridine treatment (with either nifedipine or nicardipine), shortly after reinitiation of treatment, and 9 to 12 months later (long-term treatment) in 19 of the patients.

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide as a diagnostic marker of early pulmonary artery hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis and effects of calcium-channel blockers.

Objective: To evaluate N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) as a marker of early pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and to study changes in the levels of this marker following treatment with dihydropyridine-type calcium-channel blocker (DTCCB) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: We evaluated 40 consecutive SSc patients who had been hospitalized for followup care (mean +/- SD age 56 +/- 11 years and mean +/- SD duration of cutaneous disease 9 +/- 9 years; 27 with limited cutaneous and 13 with diffuse cutaneous disease) but who had no clinical symptoms of heart failure and had a normal left ventricular ejection fraction. At baseline, 10 patients had PAH, defined as a systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) >40 mm Hg, as measured by echocardiography.

Sacral inflammatory pseudotumor revealed by paraneoplastic syndrome.

There is still debate on whether inflammatory pseudotumor should be considered benign or malignant. This lesion has only been reported twice in bone, apart from cases complicating foreign body reaction to joint replacement arthroplasty. We report here a third case, localized at the sacrum.

Anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha therapy in fifteen patients with AA amyloidosis secondary to inflammatory arthritides: a followup report of tolerability and efficacy.

Objective: Because anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF) has emerged as a highly effective treatment for numerous inflammatory arthritides, which are a common cause of AA amyloidosis, we retrospectively evaluated the safety and efficacy of anti-TNF in a nationwide study.

Methods: The rheumatology departments of all French teaching hospitals were contacted by mail to obtain the files of patients with histologically proven secondary AA amyloidosis and renal involvement who were treated with anti-TNF. Efficacy was assessed as a sustained decrease in 24-hour proteinuria and a stable/improved glomerular filtration rate (GFR).