The role of gut microbiota in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disease in childhood, with prevalence of 16–150 cases per 100,000 children. The etiopathogenesis of JIA is a challenge incorporating a complex network with only 18% attributed to genetic factors. The remaining part should therefore be explained by non-hereditary factors. Given that around 70% of the immune cells are located in the gut, the potential role of the gut microbiota in the etiopathogenesis of JIA has been recently investigated. The aim of this review is to discuss the complexity of the link between gut microbiota and JIA, the different methods for identifying bacteria, the shape-up of the microbiota from birth to adulthood. The objectives are to discuss various pathways involved in this process: changes in the microbiota contents in healthy individuals and JIA patients, increased gut permeability, influence on T-cell differentiation and proliferation. Factors that have been associated with dysbiosis: diet, pathogens and drug use, are discussed. JIA is not a benign disease, it is a chronic disease and an important cause of short- and long-term disability-significant joint contractures, leg-length inequalities and uveitis, which can lead to impaired vision. It is known that at least one-third of children will have ongoing active disease into their adult years, and many will have some limitation in their daily life activities. A deeper understanding of the pathways by which disturbances in the microbiome may evolve to disease may open doors to the development of new treatment or prevention strategies in the future

Absolute Monocyte and Platelet Counts May Provide Additional Prognostic Information in Primary Gastric Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma Patients Treated with Rituximab and CHOP

Introduction: Primary gastric diffuse large B cell lymphoma (PG-DLBCL) is the most common histological subtype of primary gastric lymphoma. The standard of care of PG-DLBCL patients is the combination rituximab-based immunochemotherapy (R-CHOP). Re-cently, different host-related factors have been shown to have significant prognostic significance in non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, data regarding their prognostic contribution to PG-DLBCL are limited. Aim: To assess the prognostic impact of a panel of simple, cost-effective laboratory variables which are easy to apply in routine labora-tory use for R-CHOP-treated PG-DLBCL patients in an attempt to identify those among them that are high-risk category.Materials and methods: We retrospectively assessed the possible prognostic impact of different laboratory markers in 42 R-CHOP treated PG-DLBCL patients treated between 2004 and 2014 and followed at a single institution.Results: The estimated 5-year overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of the whole group were 80.9% and 78%, respectively. The absolute monocyte and platelet counts in univariate analysis predicted PFS and OS when analyzed as continuous and dichotomized variables. On multivariate analysis performed with factors included in the stage-modified International Prognostic Index (m-IPI), the absolute monocyte and platelet counts remained independent predictors of PFS and OS. Therefore, the absolute monocyte and platelet counts were combined to generate a prognostic index that identified patients with an especially poor overall survival. Conclusions: This prognostic index was independent of the m-IPI and could provide additional prognostic information for better stratification of these patients

Pathomorphological Diagnostic Criteria for Focal Cortical Dysplasias and Other Common Epileptogenic Lesions—Review of the Literature

Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) represents a heterogeneous group of morphological changes in the brain tissue that can predispose the development of pharmacoresistant epilepsy (recurring, unprovoked seizures which cannot be managed with medications). This group of neurological disorders affects not only the cerebral cortex but also the subjacent white matter. This work reviews the literature describing the morphological substrate of pharmacoresistant epilepsy. All illustrations presented in this study are obtained from brain biopsies from refractory epilepsy patients investigated by the authors. Regarding classification, there are three main FCD types, all of which involve cortical dyslamination. The 2022 revision of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) FCD classification includes new histologically defined pathological entities: mild malformation of cortical development (mMCD), mild malformation of cortical development with oligodendroglial hyperplasia in frontal lobe epilepsy (MOGHE), and “no FCD on histopathology”. Although the pathomorphological characteristics of the various forms of focal cortical dysplasias are well known, their aetiologic and pathogenetic features remain elusive. The identification of genetic variants in FCD opens an avenue for novel treatment strategies, which are of particular utility in cases where total resection of the epileptogenic area is impossible

Vertical Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Miscarriage in the Second Trimester: Report of an Immunohistochemically Proven Case

It is an acknowledged fact that SARS-CoV-2 exhibits tropism for the human placenta. A possible mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells is via angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, which are expressed in trophoblasts, endothelial cells, and macrophages. The present study describes a case of spontaneous miscarriage in the 20th gestational week after maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. The placenta and various fetal organs were examined for structural alterations and expression of the viral nucleocapsid protein and several immune cell markers via immunohistochemistry (IHC). Histopathological examination of the placenta revealed acute chorioamnionitis, acute subamnionic placentitis, multiple intervillous thrombi, increased fibrinoid deposition, and necrotic changes of the chorionic villi. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein regions predominantly in the syncytiotrophoblast. Staining of the placental tissue for different markers helped elucidate the distribution of immune cells. Pathomorphological examination of the fetal organs demonstrated changes in microcirculation with the presence of sludge phenomenon and diapedesis haemorrhages, mostly in the lungs, brain, and myocardium. IHC staining of fetal organs revealed expression of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein, which was detected to the highest extent in the brain, lungs, and liver. The findings of the present report support the hypothesis of possible vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from mother to fetus

Kawasaki disease – experience of Pediatric University Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria, 1993–2014. Part I: clinical manifestations

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a vasculitis syndrome causing coronaritis in young children. As a result of the vascular damage, coronary lesions (CL), ectasia and aneurysms form in 20%–25% of the untreated children. The assessment of KD is difficult and challenging because of the lack of specific diagnostic or laboratory criteria. This is a retrospective study of 107 patients for a period of 21 years (1993–2014). In the cohort, 30.8% of patients had CL (19.6% had coronary aneurysms and 11.2% had significant coronary dilatations). The number of CL was high compared to that reported in international studies, although 45% of children were treated by modern protocols. In an attempt to analyse the reasons for the high coronary risk, the aim of this study was to investigate the clinical aspects of the disease and to establish the diagnostic problems causing diagnosis delay, which is subsequently related to increased coronary risk. The high incidence of the observed CL was associated with the failure of recognizing the disease, delayed diagnosis and, subsequently, lack of correct treatment. The analysis of the clinical presentation indicated significant correlation of gastrointestinal syndrome with typical and atypical KD. The incidence of the gastrointestinal syndrome correlated with the typical KD symptoms (p = 0.030), suggesting that it could be considered as a further diagnostic criterion

Kawasaki disease – experience of Pediatric University Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria, 1993–2014. Part II: cardiovascular manifestations and treatment

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a childhood vasculitis syndrome and the coronary arteries are the main target of the vascular damage. The outcome is formation of coronary lesions (CL) that develop in 20%–25% of untreated children. KD is the leading cause of myocardial infarction in infancy. Its consequences among young people are acute coronary syndrome and susceptibility to early atherosclerosis, if the disease were to remain unrecognized. We investigated the cardiac manifestations during the acute phase of the disease, the values of the fever, C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and the therapeutic factors that created increased coronary risk in our cohort of patients. The study is retrospective (1993–2014). In the cohort (n = 107), 30.8% had coronary lesions, including 19.6% coronary aneurysms and 11.2% significant dilatations. We found association between myocarditis, papillary and left ventricular dysfunction in the acute phase of KD and the risk of coronary aneurysms (p < 0.001). The expressively elevated CRP levels and the persistent fever during the early subacute phase correlated significantly with coronary risk (p < 0.002). The treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) reduced the risk of coronary aneurysms 4.8 times (p < 0.002). A follow-up was performed in 53 children with coronary lesions during the first year of the disease. A longitudinal follow-up was performed in 38 patients. Their results indicate that cardiac monitoring is obligatory for all patients who have experienced KD

STING-associated vasculopathy with onset in infancy: the first case in Bulgaria and review of the literature

AbstractWe report a clinical case of a 4-year-and-10-month-old boy whose first symptoms (fever and tachypnoea) were noticed at the age of 6 months. In the upcoming months, skin acral violaceous plaques developed. Failure to thrive and growth impairment were detected. In the journey to find the correct diagnosis, a lot of diseases were suspected. The final diagnosis was suggested after more than 2 years since the first symptoms had appeared. A multi-detector computed tomography of the chest with low radiation dose protocol showed signs of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Next-Generation Sequencing was done, and it revealed a pathogenic heterozygous N154S mutation (NM_198282.4 (Stimulator of IFN genes STING1):c.461A > G (p.Asn154Ser)) in STING1 gene. Treatment with JAK-inhibitor baricitinib was started at the age of 3 years and 10 months. The presence of cutaneous vasculopathy, lung involvement, laboratory signs of inflammation, recurrent fevers and failure to thrive should indicate STING1 gene analysis. STING-associated vasculopathy of infantile-onset (SAVI) is one of the newly identified type I interferonopathies. SAVI is characterized by systemic inflammation via the overproduction of type I IFN due to heterozygous gain-of-function mutations in STING1. The onset of the symptoms of SAVI is usually early in infancy with recurrent fevers accompanied by increased acute phase reactants and ulcerating skin lesions

Trajectories of disease courses in the inception cohort of newly diagnosed patients with JIA (ICON-JIA): the potential of serum biomarkers at baseline

Objective!#!Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a heterogeneous group of inflammatory joint disorders with a chronic-remitting disease course. Treat-to-target approaches have been proposed but monitoring disease activity and predicting the response to treatment remains challenging.!##!Methods!#!We analyzed biomarkers and their relationship to outcome within the first year after JIA diagnosis in the German Inception Cohort of Newly diagnosed patients with JIA (ICON-JIA). CRP, CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, G-CSF, IL-6, IL-17A, IL-18, MCP-1, MIP-1α, MMP-3, S100A8/A9, S100A12, TNFα, and TWEAK were measured at baseline and 3 months later.!##!Results!#!Two-hundred-sixty-six JIA patients with active disease at baseline were included, with oligoarthritis and rheumatoid factor-negative polyarthritis representing the most frequent categories (72.9%). Most biomarkers were elevated in JIA compared to healthy pediatric controls. Patients with systemic JIA had higher CRP, S100A8/A9 and S100A12 levels compared to other JIA categories. Baseline levels of TWEAK, G-CSF and IL-18 were lower in oligoarthritis patients with disease extension within 1 year. Increased baseline levels of CRP, S100A8/A9, S100A12 and ESR were associated with the subsequent addition of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Higher baseline ESR, G-CSF, IL-6, IL-17A and TNF levels indicated an increased risk for ongoing disease activity after 12 months.!##!Conclusion!#!Our data demonstrate that elevated baseline levels of CRP, S100A8/A9 and S100A12 as well as increased ESR are associated with the necessity to escalate therapy during the first 12 month of follow-up. Furthermore, biomarkers related to Th17 activation may inform on future disease course in previously treatment-naïve JIA patients