Recovery of Adrenal Function after Long-Term Glucocorticoid Therapy for Giant Cell Arteritis: A Cohort Study

Objectives: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a chronic systemic vasculitis of large and medium-sized arteries, for which long-term glucocorticoid (GC) treatment is needed. During GC withdrawal patients can suffer adrenal insufficiency. We sought to determine the time until recovery of adrenal function after long-term GC therapy, and to assess the prevalence and predictors for secondary adrenal insufficiency. Subjects and Design: 150 patients meeting the ACR criteria for GCA between 1984 and 2012 were analyzed. All received the same GC treatment protocol. The low-dose ACTH stimulation test was repeated annually until adrenal recovery. Biographical, clinical and laboratory data were collected prospectively and compared. Results: At the first ACTH test, 74 (49%) patients were non-responders: of these, the mean time until recovery of adrenal function was 14 months (max: 51 months). A normal test response occurred within 36 months in 85 % of patients. However, adrenal function never recovered in 5 % of patients. GC of>15 mg/day at 6 months, GC of>9.5 mg/day at 12 months, treatment duration of>19 months, a cumulative GC dose of>8.5 g, and a basal cortisol concentration of <386 nmol/L were all statistically associated with a negative response in the first ACTH test (p <0.05). Conclusion: Adrenal insufficiency in patients with GCA, treated long-term with GC, was frequent but transitory

Venous thrombosis in patients with giant cell arteritis: Features and outcomes in a cohort study

International audienceOBJECTIVES:To describe the features and outcomes of patients with giant cell arteritis who developed venous thrombosis.METHODS:Inception cohort study including 428 newly diagnosed patients of giant cell arteritis from 1976 to 2014. Clinical and biological data and outcomes were analysed by comparing patients with and without venous thrombosis.RESULTS:Twenty-six patients (6%) developed venous thrombosis, 12 of whom presented with pulmonary embolism. The mean time between the onset of giant cell arteritis symptoms and venous thrombosis occurrence was 248.8±215.0 days. No difference was observed between the two groups in clinical or laboratory data collected at diagnosis. The mean time from the start of prednisone to venous thrombosis diagnosis was 187.7±217.0 days. The average dose of prednisone at venous thrombosis onset was 21.5mg/day. The venous thrombosis group had a higher number of glucocorticoid-related adverse effects (mean, 3.1 vs 1.1; P<0.0001), a higher mortality rate (58% vs 33%, P=0.01) and a higher proportion of deaths occurring during glucocorticoid treatment (31% vs 14%, P=0.03). Death was related to venous thrombosis in four patients.DISCUSSION:The occurrence of overt venous thrombosis is more than anecdotal among patients treated for giant cell arteritis. Venous thrombosis does not rely on the active phase of giant cell arteritis, but could be associated with long-term use of glucocorticoids. Because venous thrombosis may be associated with an increased mortality risk in patients with giant cell arteritis, a high index of suspicion should be applied in appropriate settings, especially in patients experiencing multiple glucocorticoid-related adverse effects

Flow chart of the study population.

<p>GCA: giant cell arteritis, T1 to T4: ACTH tests 1–4.</p

Dissertatio historica de initiis monarchiae Babyloniorum, quam, cum cons. ampliss. Colleg. Philos. in Reg. Acad. Upsal. sub praesidio ... Jacobi Arrhenii ... publico examini modeste subjicit Petrus Hagberg Gestr. In audit. Gustav. maj. ad d. 25. Maji. Anni MDCCV.

International audienceBackground : The incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes (T1D) incidence is rising in many countries, supposedlybecause of changing environmental factors, which are yet largely unknown. The purpose of the study was tounravel environmental markers associated with T1D. Methods : Cases were children with T1D from the French Isis-Diab cohort. Controls were schoolmates or friends ofthe patients. Parents were asked to fill a 845-item questionnaire investigating the child’s environment before diagnosis.The analysis took into account the matching between cases and controls. A second analysis used propensity scoremethods. Results : We found a negative association of several lifestyle variables, gastroenteritis episodes, dental hygiene, hazelnutcocoa spread consumption, wasp and bee stings with T1D, consumption of vegetables from a farm and death of a petby old age. Conclusions : The found statistical association of new environmental markers with T1D calls for replication in othercohorts and investigation of new environmental areas

Additional file 1: of Association of environmental markers with childhood type 1 diabetes mellitus revealed by a long questionnaire on early life exposures and lifestyle in a case–control study

The questionnaire used in the current study. (PDF 620 kb