Modelling disease activity in juvenile dermatomyositis: A Bayesian approach

Juvenile dermatomyositis is the most common form of the juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies characterised by muscle and skin inflammation, leading to symmetric proximal muscle weakness and cutaneous symptoms. It has a fluctuating course and varying prognosis. In a Bayesian framework, we develop a joint model for four longitudinal outcomes, which accounts for within individual variability as well as inter-individual variability. Correlations among the outcome variables are introduced through a subject-specific random effect. Moreover, we exploit an approach similar to a hurdle model to account for excess of a specific outcome in the response. Clinical markers and symptoms are used as covariates in a regression set-up. Data from an ongoing observational cohort study are available, providing information on 340 subjects, who contributed 2725 clinical visits. The model shows good performance and yields efficient estimations of model parameters, as well as accurate predictions of the disease activity parameters, corresponding well to observed clinical patterns over time. The posterior distribution of the by-subject random intercepts shows a substantial correlation between two of the outcome variables. A subset of clinical markers and symptoms are identified as associated with disease activity. These findings have the potential to influence clinical practice as they can be used to stratify patients according to their prognosis and guide treatment decisions, as well as contribute to on-going research about the most relevant outcome markers for patients affected by juvenile dermatomyositis

JAK inhibitors: a potential treatment for JDM in the context of the role of interferon-driven pathology

Juvenile Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIM) are a group of rare diseases that are heterogeneous in terms of pathology that can include proximal muscle weakness, associated skin changes and systemic involvement. Despite options for treatment, many patients continue to suffer resistant disease and lasting side-effects. Advances in the understanding of the immunopathology and genetics underlying IIM may specify new therapeutic targets, particularly where conventional treatment has not achieved a clinical response. An upregulated type I interferon signature is strongly associated with disease and could be a prime target for developing more specific therapeutics. There are multiple components of the IFN pathway that could be targeted for blockade therapy.Downstream of the cytokine receptor complexes are the Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway, which consists of JAK1-3, TYK2, and STAT1-6. Therapeutic inhibitors have been developed to target components of this pathway. Promising results have been observed in case studies reporting the use of the JAK inhibitors, Baricitinib, Tofacitinib and Ruxolitinib in the treatment of refractory Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM). There is still the question of safety and efficacy for the use of JAK inhibitors in JDM that need to be addressed by clinical trials. Here we review the future for the use of JAK inhibitors as a treatment for JDM

A survey to understand the feelings towards and impact of COVID-19 on the households of juvenile dermato myositis patients from a parent or carer perspective

Objectives: This aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of how parents and carers feel about the effects and impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown and how this impacted upon their child/young person with JDM. / Method: We approached 139 participants from the JDM Cohort Biomarker Study (JDCBS), with specific consent to approach electronically for research studies. A secure electronic questionnaire with study introduction was sent to participants for their parents and carers around the UK to complete. It consisted of 20 questions about the impact of the pandemic on their child or young person’s clinical care. Data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. / Results: There were 76 (55%) responses to the survey. More than 50% of participants were actively being treated for their JDM at the point of survey completion as recorded by their parent or carer. More than 40% attested to disrupted treatment owing to COVID-19. The biggest impact upon clinical care was cancellation of appointments, initiating virtual appointments and extension of time between blood tests. Parents and carers expressed their own feelings of worry, concern and anxiety, but also those of their child or young person. / Conclusion: Families who have a child or young person with JDM have been affected by COVID-19. Qualitative comments highlight that it has been a very difficult time. Further investigation is required into this area and could be compared with research on the effects of COVID-19 on other patient groups with chronic disease

Clinical signs and symptoms in a joint model of four disease activity parameters in juvenile dermatomyositis: a prospective, longitudinal, multicenter cohort study

BACKGROUND: It is currently impossible to predict the prognosis of patients with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). The aim of this study was to find clinical features most strongly associated with outcome variables in JDM as a first step towards tailor-made treatment. METHODS: In a large, prospectively followed, multicenter cohort study of 340 patients with JDM, each contributing multiple visits, a Bayesian model of disease activity was developed, using the four continuous outcome variables creatine kinase (CK), childhood myositis assessment score (CMAS), manual muscle testing of 8 muscle groups (MMT8) and the physician's global assessment of disease activity (PGA). Covariates were clinical signs and symptoms. Correlations among visits of the same patient were resolved by introducing subject-specific random effects. RESULTS: Myalgia and dysphonia were associated with worse disease activity according to all outcome variables. Periorbital rash, rash on the trunk, rash over large joints, nail fold changes and facial swelling were associated with higher PGA. Notably, periorbital rash was also associated with higher CK and lower CMAS and nail fold changes with lower CMAS. Contractures were associated with lower CMAS and MMT8 and higher PGA. Patients with higher CMAS exhibited a higher MMT8 as well. PGA had the highest probability among the four outcome variables of being abnormal even if the other three outcome variables were normal. CONCLUSIONS: The signs and symptoms associated with disease activity could be used to stratify patients and adapt treatment plans to disease activity. The correlation between CMAS and MMT8 and the unique information captured by PGA implied that PGA should be maintained as an outcome variable, whereas CMAS and MMT8 might be simplified

Systemic and Tissue Inflammation in Juvenile Dermatomyositis: From Pathogenesis to the Quest for Monitoring Tools

Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM) is a systemic immune-mediated disease of childhood, characterized by muscle weakness, and a typical skin rash. Other organ systems and tissues such as the lungs, heart, and intestines can be involved, but may be under-evaluated. The inflammatory process in JDM is characterized by an interferon signature and infiltration of immune cells such as T cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells into the affected tissues. Vasculopathy due to loss and dysfunction of endothelial cells as a result of the inflammation is thought to underlie the symptoms in most organs and tissues. JDM is a heterogeneous disease, and several disease phenotypes, each with a varying combination of affected tissues and organs, are linked to the presence of myositis autoantibodies. These autoantibodies have therefore been extensively studied as biomarkers for the disease phenotype and its associated prognosis. Next to identifying the JDM phenotype, monitoring of disease activity and disease-inflicted damage not only in muscle and skin, but also in other organs and tissues, is an important part of clinical follow-up, as these are key determinants for the long-term outcomes of patients. Various monitoring tools are currently available, among which clinical assessment, histopathological investigation of muscle and skin biopsies, and laboratory testing of blood for specific biomarkers. These investigations also give novel insights into the underlying immunological processes that drive inflammation in JDM and suggest a strong link between the interferon signature and vasculopathy. New tools are being developed in the quest for minimally invasive, but sensitive and specific diagnostic methods that correlate well with clinical symptoms or reflect local, low-grade inflammation. In this review we will discuss the types of (extra)muscular tissue inflammation in JDM and their relation to vasculopathic changes, critically assess the available diagnostic methods including myositis autoantibodies and newly identified biomarkers, and reflect on the immunopathogenic implications of identified markers

Comparative Effectiveness of Adalimumab vs Tofacitinib in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis in Australia

Importance: There is a need for observational studies to supplement evidence from clinical trials, and the target trial emulation (TTE) framework can help avoid biases that can be introduced when treatments are compared crudely using observational data by applying design principles for randomized clinical trials. Adalimumab (ADA) and tofacitinib (TOF) were shown to be equivalent in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a randomized clinical trial, but to our knowledge, these drugs have not been compared head-to-head using routinely collected clinical data and the TTE framework. Objective: To emulate a randomized clinical trial comparing ADA vs TOF in patients with RA who were new users of a biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (b/tsDMARD). Design, Setting, and Participants: This comparative effectiveness study emulating a randomized clinical trial of ADA vs TOF included Australian adults aged 18 years or older with RA in the Optimising Patient Outcomes in Australian Rheumatology (OPAL) data set. Patients were included if they initiated ADA or TOF between October 1, 2015, and April 1, 2021; were new b/tsDMARD users; and had at least 1 component of the disease activity score in 28 joints using C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) recorded at baseline or during follow-up. Intervention: Treatment with either ADA (40 mg every 14 days) or TOF (10 mg daily). Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was the estimated average treatment effect, defined as the difference in mean DAS28-CRP among patients receiving TOF compared with those receiving ADA at 3 and 9 months after initiating treatment. Missing DAS28-CRP data were multiply imputed. Stable balancing weights were used to account for nonrandomized treatment assignment. Results: A total of 842 patients were identified, including 569 treated with ADA (387 [68.0%] female; median age, 56 years [IQR, 47-66 years]) and 273 treated with TOF (201 [73.6%] female; median age, 59 years [IQR, 51-68 years]). After applying stable balancing weights, mean DAS28-CRP in the ADA group was 5.3 (95% CI, 5.2-5.4) at baseline, 2.6 (95% CI, 2.5-2.7) at 3 months, and 2.3 (95% CI, 2.2-2.4) at 9 months; in the TOF group, it was 5.3 (95% CI, 5.2-5.4) at baseline, 2.4 (95% CI, 2.2-2.5) at 3 months, and 2.3 (95% CI, 2.1-2.4) at 9 months. The estimated average treatment effect was -0.2 (95% CI, -0.4 to -0.03; P = .02) at 3 months and -0.03 (95% CI, -0.2 to 0.1; P = .60) at 9 months. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, there was a modest but statistically significant reduction in DAS28-CRP at 3 months for patients receiving TOF compared with those receiving ADA and no difference between treatment groups at 9 months. Three months of treatment with either drug led to clinically relevant average reductions in mean DAS28-CRP, consistent with remission

Identification and prediction of novel classes of long-term disease trajectories for patients with juvenile dermatomyositis using growth mixture models

OBJECTIVES: Uncertainty around clinical heterogeneity and outcomes for patients with JDM represents a major burden of disease and a challenge for clinical management. We sought to identify novel classes of patients having similar temporal patterns in disease activity and relate them to baseline clinical features. METHODS: Data were obtained for n = 519 patients, including baseline demographic and clinical features, baseline and follow-up records of physician's global assessment of disease (PGA), and skin disease activity (modified DAS). Growth mixture models (GMMs) were fitted to identify classes of patients with similar trajectories of these variables. Baseline predictors of class membership were identified using Lasso regression. RESULTS: GMM analysis of PGA identified two classes of patients. Patients in class 1 (89%) tended to improve, while patients in class 2 (11%) had more persistent disease. Lasso regression identified abnormal respiration, lipodystrophy and time since diagnosis as baseline predictors of class 2 membership, with estimated odds ratios, controlling for the other two variables, of 1.91 for presence of abnormal respiration, 1.92 for lipodystrophy and 1.32 for time since diagnosis. GMM analysis of modified DAS identified three classes of patients. Patients in classes 1 (16%) and 2 (12%) had higher levels of modified DAS at diagnosis that improved or remained high, respectively. Patients in class 3 (72%) began with lower DAS levels that improved more quickly. Higher proportions of patients in PGA class 2 were in DAS class 2 (19%, compared with 16 and 10%). CONCLUSION: GMM analysis identified novel JDM phenotypes based on longitudinal PGA and modified DAS

Efficacy and Safety of Cyclophosphamide Treatment in Severe Juvenile Dermatomyositis Shown by Marginal Structural Modeling

OBJECTIVE: In patients with severe or refractory juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), second-line treatments may be required. Cyclophosphamide (CYC) is used to treat some connective tissue diseases, but evidence of efficacy in JDM is limited. This study aimed to describe clinical improvement in JDM patients treated with CYC and model efficacy of CYC compared to patients not treated with CYC. METHODS: Clinical data on skin, global and muscle disease were analyzed from patients recruited to the Juvenile Dermatomyositis Cohort and Biomarker Study. Clinical improvement following CYC treatment was described using unadjusted analysis. Marginal structural models (MSMs) were used to model treatment efficacy and adjust for confounding by indication. RESULTS: Compared to CYC start, there were reductions at 6, 12 and 24 months in skin disease (p=1.3×10-10 ), global disease (p=2.4×10-8 ), and muscle disease (p=8.0×10-10 ) for n=56 patients treated with CYC in unadjusted analysis. Limited evidence suggested reduction in glucocorticoid dose (p=0.047) in patients treated with CYC. MSM analysis showed reduced global disease and skin disease in patients who started CYC treatment over 12 months ago compared to patients never or not yet treated with CYC. In these patients, modified disease activity score for skin disease was 1.19 units lower (p=0.0085) and physician's global assessment was 0.66 units lower (p=0.027). Minor adverse events were reported in 3 patients within 1 year of stopping CYC. CONCLUSION: CYC is efficacious with no short-term side-effects seen in this study. Improvements in skin, global and muscle disease were observed. Further studies are required to evaluate longer-term side-effects. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Sex and Pubertal Differences in the Type 1 Interferon Pathway Associate With Both X Chromosome Number and Serum Sex Hormone Concentration

Type 1 interferons (IFN) are an antiviral cytokine family, important in juvenile onset systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE) which is more common in females, around puberty. We report that plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) from healthy females produced more type 1 IFN after toll like receptor (TLR) 7 signaling than males, even before puberty, but that puberty itself associated with increased production of type 1 IFN. A unique human model allows us to show that this was related to X chromosome number, and serum testosterone concentration, in a manner which differed depending on the number of X chromosomes present. In addition, we have showed that pDC were more activated in females overall, and immune cell TLR7 gene expression was higher in females after puberty. Therefore, sex hormones and X chromosome number were associated individually and interactively with the type 1 IFN response, which contributes to our understanding of why females are more likely to develop an IFN mediated disease like jSLE after puberty

Favourable antibody responses to human coronaviruses in children and adolescents with autoimmune rheumatic diseases

Background: Differences in humoral immunity to coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), between children and adults remain unexplained and the impact of underlying immune dysfunction or suppression unknown. Here, we sought to examine the antibody immune competence of children and adolescents with prevalent inflammatory rheumatic diseases, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE), against the seasonal human coronavirus (HCoV)-OC43 that frequently infects this age group. // Methods: Sera were collected from JIA (n=118), JDM (n=49) and JSLE (n=30) patients, and from healthy control (n=54) children and adolescents, prior to the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. We employed sensitive flow cytometry-based assays to determine titres of antibodies that reacted with the spike and nucleoprotein of HCoV-OC43 and cross-reacted with the spike and nucleoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, and compared with respective titres in sera from patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and adolescents (MIS-C). // Findings: Despite immune dysfunction and immunosuppressive treatment, JIA, JDM and JSLE patients maintained comparable or stronger humoral responses than healthier peers, dominated by IgG antibodies to HCoV-OC43 spike, and harboured IgG antibodies that cross-reacted with SARS-CoV-2 spike. In contrast, responses to HCoV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2 nucleoproteins exhibited delayed age-dependent class-switching and were not elevated in JIA, JDM and JSLE patients, arguing against increased exposure. // Conclusions: Consequently, autoimmune rheumatic diseases and their treatment were associated with a favourable ratio of spike to nucleoprotein antibodies