Three years follow-up report of two diffuse connective tissue disease cases caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: To report on two patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) combined with diffuse connective tissue disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection followed for nearly 3 years, in order to understand the long-term effects on the patients' immune system. Both patients were male, aged 81-82 years, and were hospitalized with fever on January 29, 2020 and February 10, 2020, respectively. Both were diagnosed with COVID-19 after positive SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. After receiving anti-infection treatment, cough suppressants, ex‐pectorants, and symptomatic supportive treatment, their body temperature returned to normal and two consecutive PCR tests were negative for SARS-CoV-2, and they were discharged from hospital. However, due to recurring fevers and varying degrees of rheumatic disease-related symptoms, both patients were readmitted to the hospital, indicating the presence of positive auto‐ antibodies and organ involvement. One patient recovered from COVID-19 with recurrent fever, joint pain, muscle aches and subcutaneous nodules, and was subsequently diagnosed with undifferentiated connective tissue disease. The other patient developed recurrent fever, mouth ulcers and rash after recovery from COVID-19 and was subsequently diagnosed with anti neutro phil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). The patient was treated with glucocorticoids and immunosuppres sive drugs and the symptoms resolved rapidly and subsequent laboratory and imaging examinations showed stable condition. However, due to self-termination of medication, their symptoms quickly relapsed, and further treatment with glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents resulted in sustained stability of their condition. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate and hyper‐sensitive C-reactive protein remained within normal limits, and lung CT scans showed stable lesions with partial absorption.SARS-CoV-2 infection may have long-term effects on patients' immune systems, leading to abnormal immune responses and diffuse connective tissue disease. This suggests that regular follow-up observation of immune system-related diseases may be necessary for elderly patients with COVID-19.

Standardized diagnosis and treatment of undifferentiated connective tissue disease and mixed connective tissue disease / 中华内科杂志

Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (CTD) usually refers to patients who are presented with certain symptoms and signs related to CTD, and positive serological evidence of autoimmune diseases but don′t fulfill any of the classification criteria for a certain CTD. Mixed CTD refers to patients who are presented with one or more clinical manifestations such as hand swelling, synovitis, myositis, Raynaud′s phenomenon, and acrosclerosis. Patients with mixed CTD always have high-titer anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) of speckled pattern and high-titer anti-U 1 ribonuclear protein (RNP) antibody in serum, while with negative anti-Sm antibody. The update of diagnosis and treatment of undifferentiated CTD and mixed CTD lags behind other established CTD. There is a lack of evidence from randomized controlled trials or guidelines/recommendations on the treatment of undifferentiated CTD or mixed CTD. At present, the conventional therapy is mainly adopted according to the specific clinical manifestations of the disease. The standardized diagnosis and treatment of undifferentiated CTD and mixed CTD were drafted by the Chinese Rheumatology Association based on the previous guidelines and the progress of available evidence, so as to improve the management of these patients in China.

Enfermedad indiferenciada del tejido conectivo con progresión a esclerosis sistémica / Undifferentiated disease of the connective tissue with progression to systemic sclerosis

La enfermedad indiferenciada del tejido conectivo es una condición de etiología desconocida que comparte características clínicas, patológicas y de laboratorio de varias colagenosis, sin cumplir los criterios del Colegio Americano de Reumatología para el diagnóstico de una enfermedad reumática específica y muchos pacientes evolucionan a condiciones definidas a lo largo del tiempo tales como Lupus, Esclerosis sistémica progresiva, Enfermedad de Sjögren entre otros. Antecedentes: Linfoma Hodgkin diagnosticado desde 2012 para lo cual recibió múltiples esquemas de quimioterapia. Las muestras de ganglio y médula ósea se habían enviado al laboratorio de Inmunopatologia de la Universidad de Stanford y allí no se apreciaron hallazgos compatibles con enfermedad linfoproliferativa. Enfermedad actual: Mujer de 27 años de edad con cuadro clínico de 1 mes de evolución, caracterizado por edema blando en miembros inferiores acompañado de edema palpebral matutino; concomitantemente presenta aumento de temperatura intermitente sin patrón especifico y dolor osteomuscular generalizado con limitación para la deambulación. Se ingresa. Al examen físico, regulares condiciones clínicas. En la piel se aprecia engrosamiento cutáneo importante. Se realizó biopsia cutánea y los hallazgos fueron compatibles con Esclerosis Sistémica(AU)

Undifferentiated connective tissue disease is a condition of unknown etiology that shares clinical, pathological and laboratory characteristics of several collagenopathies that do not meet the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology for the diagnosis of a specific disease; a large number of patients evolve to conditions defined over time such as Lupus, Systemic Sclerosis, Sjogren's Disease, among others. Past history: Hodgkin lymphoma was diagnosed since 2012 for which she received multiple chemotherapy schemes. A gland biopsy was sent to the Stanford University, as well as a bone marrow sample, and lymphoma was discarded. Present history: this 27-year-old female consulted for edema in lower limbs present during one month, accompanied by eyelid edema in the mornings; also fever without a specific pattern, myalgias and arthralgias. On physical examination, the skin was thickened and limb edema was present. A skin biopsy was performed, and the findings were consistent with Systemic Sclerosis. The patient is receiving cyclophosphamide and Azathioprine and leading her normal life(AU)

The Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Presenting with Raynaud's Disease and Digital Necrosis

Necrosis of the upper extremity occurs rarely in type 2 diabetic patients compared to lower extremity necrosis. We report a 69-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes mellitus who presented with necrosis of the left 5th finger tip. The patient had primary biliary cirrhosis accompanied by necrosis of the fingertip due to severe Raynaud's phenomenon. Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a typical autoimmune disease, which can in rare cases be accompanied by autoimmune symptoms including sicca symptom and Raynaud's phenomenon. Furthermore, autoimmune diseases, such as systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) can be associated. Although every type of vascular etiology should be considered as a cause of digital necrosis, Raynaud's phenomenon is usually not considered in diabetes. We report this case of finger tip necrosis due to severe Raynaud's phenomenon accompanied by PBC and UCTD in a diabetic patient.

Capacidad de las células Hep-2, Hep-2000® Inmunofluorescencia y Hep-2000® Colorzyme, en la determinación de ANAS y SSA/Ro en la evaluación inicial en pacientes con Enfermedad del Tejido Conectivo no Diferenciada / Capacity of cells Hep-2, Hep-2000® Immunofluorescence and Hep-2000® Colorzyme, in the determination of ANAS and SSA/Ro, in the initial evaluation of patients with Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease

Introducción: la presencia de anticuerpos antinucleares (ANAS) ha sido tradicionalmente asociada a enfermedades del tejido conectivo; su determinación se constituye en una importante herramienta en el diagnóstico de estas entidades. Para su evaluación, se han utilizado métodos de inmunofluoresencia (IFI) que emplean como sustrato las células Hep-2. En los últimos años, se han generado nuevos sustratos celulares a partir de la manipulación genética de las iniciales denominados Hep-2000®. Estas permiten la identificación del antígeno Ro de manera simultánea. La incorporación reciente de métodos enzimáticos para la lectura de la prueba, ha generado una nueva técnica llamada Colorzyme que permite el uso del microscopio de luz, constituyéndose en una alternativa económica y funcional en comparación con la IFI convencional. Objetivo: el presente estudio pretende establecer la capacidad para detectar ANAS en los sustratos: Hep-2 y Hep-2000® por las técnicas de IFI y Colorzyme, en un grupo de pacientes con Enfermedad del Tejido Conectivo no Diferenciada (ETCND). Adicionalmente comparó la detección del antígeno Ro en los sustratos Hep-2000® con los resultados obtenidos por la técnica de ENAS ELISA tradicional. Materiales y métodos: se analizaron 26 pacientes con ETCND a quienes se les determinó ANAS por las técnicas: Hep-2 IFI; Hep-2000® IFI; Hep-2000 Colorzyme y ENAS por ELISA Screening (con especificidad para los autoantígenos Sm, RNP, SS-A/Ro, SS-B/La, Scl-70 y Jo-1). Resultados: los resultados encontrados por las técnicas revelan un mayor rendimiento diagnóstico (ANAS positivos) en las células Hep-2000®: 23 (88%) por IFI y 21 (81%) Colorzyme, comparadas con 20 (76%) del sustrato Hep-2 IFI. Todos los patrones “clásicos” IFI estuvieron representados en la técnica de Hep-2 IFI; en la técnica de Hep-2000® IFI no se observó el patrón homogéneo, por Colorzyme no se observaron los patrones nucleolar ni el citoplasmático. En todas las técnicas la forma predominante de presentación fue el patrón moteado fino: 50% Colorzyme, 42,9 % para Hep-2000® IFI y 34,6% para Hep-2 IFI. En general se obtuvieron buenas correlaciones en los resultados entre las técnicas Hep-2000® IFI y la enzimática (r=0,74 p<0,000) con una concordancia 0,71 (Cohen K, p<0,000), mas no así con Hep-2 que fue de 0,21 (p<0,03). Las correlaciones entre los patrones de IFI (r=0,6 p<0,000) y las diluciones (r=0,75 p<0,000) fueron mejores entre los sustratos Hep-2000®, comparadas con las células Hep-2 (r=0,5 p<0,003). Para establecer la capacidad de identificación del autoantígeno Ro de las técnicas Hep-2000®, se compararon los resultados obtenidos con los de la técnica específica de ELISA para SSA-Ro. Las células Hep-2000® mostraron una sensibilidad del 66% por IFI y del 33% Colorzyme. Conclusiones: la utilización de células Hep-2 sigue siendo una buena alternativa para la determinación de ANAS. Sin embargo, las células Hep- 2000® pueden considerarse un sustrato útil y confiable en nuestro medio, tanto por color como IFI. La técnica por color facilita su realización al abolir el uso de IFI, recurso tecnológico escaso en muchas instituciones. Los resultados negativos para Ro deben ser interpretados con cautela pacientes con ETCND, en algunos de estos casos es posible se requiera de la confirmación por otros métodos.

Introduction: The presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANAS) has been traditionally associated to conective tissue diseases. and their determination is an important tool in the diagnose of these entities. In the last years the Cells Hep-2 has been used .in the Inmunofluoresencia technique (IFI),. New cellular sustratos has been generated by genetic manipulation, denominated Hep-2000®. These allow the identification of the antigen Ro in the same procedure. The recent incorporation of enzymatic methods for the reading of the test, has generated a new technique called Colorzyme, This allows the use of the microscope of light that become the procedure in an economical and functional alternative in comparison with the conventional IFI. Objective: The present study pretend to establish the capacity of detection of ANAS in sustratos: Hep-2 and Hep-2000® for IFI and Colorzyme, in a group of patients with No Differentiated Conective Tissue Disease (NDCTD). Additionally compares the detection of the antigen Ro in Hep-2000® cells and confront the results obtained by the ENAS-ELISA technique . Materials and methods: The presence of ANAS were analyzed in the serum of 26 patients with NDCTD by the techniques: Hep-2 IFI; Hep-2000® IFI; Hep-2000 Colorzyme® and ENAS for ELISA Screening (with specificity for the auto antigens Sm, RNP, SS-A/Ro, SS-B/La, Scl-70 and Jo-1). Results: Hep-2000®: demonstrated a better capacity in order to found ANAS: 23 (88%) for IFI and 21 (81%) for Colorzyme, compared with 20 (76%) of Hep-2 IFI. All the patterns «classic¼ IFI was represented in the Hep-2 cells IFI; Hep-2000 IFI the homogeneous pattern was not observed. In Colozyme tecnique the nucleolar and citoplasmic patron was not observed. In all the techniques the predominant form of presentation was the speckle-fine pattern: 50% Colorzyme, 42.9% for Hep-2000® IFI and 34.6% for Hep-2 IFI Good correlations were obtained in the results among the technique Hep-2000® IFI and the Colorzyme (r=0.74 p <0.000) but not in the Hep-2 IFI substrate: 0.21 (p <0.03). The correlations among the patterns of IFI (r=0.6 p <0.000) and the dilutions (r=0.75 p <0.000) were better among the Hep-2000® substrates, compared with the Hep-2 cells (r=0.5

Bee-Stinging Therapy for Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease:A Report of 40 Cases / 广州中医药大学学报

[Objective] To evaluate the effect and safety of bee-stinging therapy in treating undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD). [Methods] Forty cases of UCTD were treated with bee-stinging therapy (qd or qod) for two treatment course, each course lasting 15 times. The symptoms of morning stiffness (MS), joint pain (JP) and articular swelling (AS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) and side effects were observed before and after treatment. [Results] After treatment, clinical symptoms and ESR and CRP were significantly improved (P