Impairment of regulatory T cell stability in axial spondyloarthritis: role of EZH2 and pSTAT5.

Background And Objectives: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the spine, peripheral joints, and entheses. Functional impairment of regulatory T cells (Treg) is linked to inflammatory diseases, but limited data is available regarding Treg involvement in axSpA. Treg stability refers to their ability to maintain their functions and characteristics in pro-inflammatory environments.

Reproducibility and accuracy of vessel wall MRI in diagnosing giant cell arteritis: a study with readers of varying expertise.

Objective: To evaluate the reproducibility of vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (VW-MRI) in diagnosing giant cell arteritis (GCA) among groups of radiologists with varying levels of expertise.

Methods: This institutional review board-approved retrospective single-center study recruited patients with suspected GCA between December 2014 and September 2021. Patients underwent 3 -T VW-MRI before temporal artery biopsy.

Characteristics and Prognosis of Binocular Diplopia in Patients With Giant Cell Arteritis.

Background: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a large vessel vasculitis associated with a risk of permanent ophthalmologic complications. Data about diplopia prognosis in GCA are scarce. This study was designed to better characterize diplopia in newly diagnosed GCA patients.

Use of Retinal Angiography and MRI in the Diagnosis of Giant Cell Arteritis With Early Ophthalmic Manifestations.

Background: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a vasculitis often revealed by visual signs. Diagnosis is challenging and urgent. Retinal angiography (RA) and MRI allow effective diagnosis.

Early diffusion-weighted MRI at 3 Tesla detects ischemic changes of the optic nerve in anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.

Objectives: To assess the impact of timing from visual symptoms' onset to diffusion-weighted (DW) 3 T MRI completion to detect ischemic changes of the optic disc and optic nerve in AION patients.

Methods: This IRB-approved retrospective single-center study included 3 T MRI data from 126 patients with AION and 111 controls with optic neuritis treated between January 2015 and May 2020. Two radiologists blinded to all data individually analyzed imaging.

PARACENTRAL ACUTE MIDDLE MACULOPATHY IN GIANT CELL ARTERITIS.

Purpose: To report the occurrence of paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) in giant cell arteritis (GCA), describe its features and outcomes, and identify risk factors associated with PAMM in patients with GCA.

Methods: Review of medical records of patients with GCA who were examined in the Rothschild Foundation Hospital. Patients were divided into three groups: GCA with PAMM (Group 1), GCA with ophthalmic involvement but without PAMM (Group 2), and GCA without ophthalmic involvement (Group 3).

Validation of a multimodal algorithm for diagnosing giant cell arteritis with imaging.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify which combination of imaging modalities should be used to obtain the best diagnostic performance for the non-invasive diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA).

Materials And Methods: This IRB-approved prospective single-center study enrolled participants presenting with a suspected diagnosis of GCA from December 2014 to October 2017. Participants underwent high-resolution 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), temporal and extra-cranial arteries ultrasound and retinal angiography (RA), prior to temporal artery biopsy (TAB).

High-resolution MRI demonstrates signal abnormalities of the 3rd cranial nerve in giant cell arteritis patients with 3rd cranial nerve impairment.

Objective: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of high-resolution (HR) MRI for detecting signal abnormalities of cranial nerves (CN) in giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients presenting with diplopia.

Methods: This IRB-approved retrospective single-center study included GCA patients who underwent 3-T HR MRI from December 2014 to January 2020. Two radiologists, blinded to all data, individually assessed for the presence of enhancement of the 3rd, 4th, and/or 6th CN on post-contrast HR imaging and high signal intensity on HR T2-WI, for signal abnormalities of extraocular muscles and the brainstem, and for inflammatory changes of the ophthalmic and extracranial arteries.

Implication of the deacetylase sirtuin-1 on synovial angiogenesis and persistence of experimental arthritis.

Objectives: To decipher the phenotype of endothelial cells (ECs) derived from circulating progenitors issued from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: RA and control ECs were compared according to their proliferative capacities, apoptotic profile, response to tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α stimulation and angiogenic properties. Microarray experiments were performed to identify gene candidates relevant to pathological angiogenesis.

Increased diagnostic accuracy of giant cell arteritis using three-dimensional fat-saturated contrast-enhanced vessel-wall magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T.

Objectives: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of 3D versus 2D contrast-enhanced vessel-wall (CE-VW) MRI of extracranial and intracranial arteries in the diagnosis of GCA.

Methods: This prospective two-center study was approved by a national research ethics board and enrolled participants from December 2014 to October 2017. A protocol including both a 2D and a 3D CE-VW MRI at 3 T was performed in all patients.

Involvement of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Type II in FoxP3 Stability and as a Marker of Treg Cells Specifically Expanded by Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Treatments in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: To study the involvement of Treg cells expressing tumor necrosis factor receptor type II (TNFRII) in exerting control of inflammation in experimental models and in the response to anti-TNF treatments in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Methods: The role of TNFRII in Treg cells was explored using a multilevel translational approach. Treg cell stability was evaluated by analyzing the methylation status of the Foxp3 locus using bisulfite sequencing.

Three Tesla 3D High-Resolution Vessel Wall MRI of the Orbit may Differentiate Arteritic From Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.

Background: Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION) is the most common cause of acute optic neuropathy in older patients. Distinguishing between arteritic AION (A-AION) and nonarteritic (NA-AION) is paramount for improved patient management.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate 3-dimensional high-resolution vessel wall (HR-VW) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3 T to discriminate A-AION from NA-AION.

Corneal and scleral involvement in inflammatory rheumatic disease: Rheumatologists and ophthalmologists exchanging views.

Corneal and scleral disorders related to inflammatory rheumatic diseases vary both in frequency and in severity. Sicca syndrome and its complications are the most common ocular manifestations and, together with episcleritis, can usually be managed by topical treatments. In contrast, the various forms of scleritis and peripheral ulcerative keratitis generally require systemic glucocorticoid therapy and the initiation or intensification of immunosuppressive treatment.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and rheumatoid arthritis treatments.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system due to reactivation of the JC virus (JCV). PML is extremely uncommon despite the high prevalence of the virus in the general population. No specific treatment is available, and the prognosis is bleak.

Management of severe and refractory Mooren's ulcers with rituximab.

Purpose: Management of severe and refractory Mooren's ulcers is challenging as it encompasses tectonic surgical treatment and aggressive immunosuppressive therapies. Efficacy of rituximab in the management of severe Mooren's ulcers has never been reported.

Methods: Five patients (six eyes) from the Cornea and External Disorders department at the Rothschild Ophthalmologic Foundation (Paris, France) were treated for severe Mooren's ulcer unresponsive to conventional treatments between 2008 and 2016.

Infliximab Versus Adalimumab in the Treatment of Refractory Inflammatory Uveitis: A Multicenter Study From the French Uveitis Network.

Objective: To analyze the factors associated with response to anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) treatment and compare the efficacy and safety of infliximab (IFX) and adalimumab (ADA) in patients with refractory noninfectious uveitis.

Methods: This was a multicenter observational study of 160 patients (39% men and 61% women; median age 31 years [interquartile range 21-42]) with uveitis that had been refractory to other therapies, who were treated with anti-TNF (IFX 5 mg/kg at weeks 0, 2, 6, and then every 5-6 weeks [n = 98] or ADA 40 mg every 2 weeks [n = 62]). Factors associated with complete response were assessed by multivariate analysis.

Aortic VCAM-1: an early marker of vascular inflammation in collagen-induced arthritis.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). There are limited experimental data on vascular involvement in arthritis models. To study the link between CVD and inflammation in RA, we developed a model of vascular dysfunction and articular inflammation by collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in C57Bl/6 (B6) mice.

Early phase clinical and biological markers associated with subclinical atherosclerosis measured at 7 years of evolution in an early inflammatory arthritis cohort.

Objectives: Accelerated atherosclerosis has emerged as a critical issue in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). There is a need to better understand the link between RA and atherosclerosis. Our aim was to identify parameters associated with the development of subclinical atheroma in a very early arthritis (VErA) cohort.

Targeting IL-6 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: Phase II investigational drugs.

Introduction: IL-6 is a key cytokine in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The clinical efficacy of tocilizumab (TCZ), a humanized anti-IL6-receptor mAb, confirmed the value of IL-6 blockade in this disease. A number of new anti-IL-6 biologics are currently in Phase I - III of clinical development for RA.