Feature tracking cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to assess cardiac manifestations of systemic diseases.

Feature-tracking cardiac magnetic resonance (FT-CMR), with the ability to quantify myocardial deformation, has a unique role in the evaluation of subclinical myocardial abnormalities. This review aimed to evaluate the clinical use of cardiac FT-CMR-based myocardial strain in patients with various systemic diseases with cardiac involvement, such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer-therapy-related toxicities, amyloidosis, systemic scleroderma, myopathies, rheumatoid arthritis, thalassemia major, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We concluded that FT-CMR-derived strain can improve the accuracy of risk stratification and predict cardiac outcomes in patients with systemic diseases prior to symptomatic cardiac dysfunction. Furthermore, FT-CMR is particularly useful for patients with diseases or conditions which are associated with subtle myocardial dysfunction that may not be accurately detected with traditional methods. Compared to patients with cardiovascular diseases, patients with systemic diseases are less likely to undergo regular cardiovascular imaging to detect cardiac defects, whereas cardiac involvement in these patients can lead to major adverse outcomes; hence, the importance of cardiac imaging modalities might be underestimated in this group of patients. In this review, we gathered currently available data on the newly introduced role of FT-CMR in the diagnosis and prognosis of various systemic conditions. Further research is needed to define reference values and establish the role of this sensitive imaging modality, as a robust marker in predicting outcomes across a wide spectrum of patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in pediatric patients with autoimmune disorders.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in pediatric patients with autoimmune disorders is an area of particular concern since autoimmune diseases can increase the risk of complications from the virus. However, as the infection rates were significantly higher in adults compared to children, this at-risk group of children was relatively underrepresented in COVID-19 research. The underlying inflammatory basis of autoimmune diseases and medications that affect the immune system, such as corticosteroids, could increase the risk of severe infection in this group of patients. COVID-19 could reportedly lead to a variety of alterations in the immune system. These alterations are plausibly dependent on the underlying immune-mediated diseases or prior use of immunomodulatory drugs. Patients administrating immunomodulatory agents, especially those with severe immune system dysregulation, can experience severe symptoms of COVID-19. Nonetheless, receiving immunosuppressive medications can benefit patients by preventing cytokine storm syndromes and lung tissue damage, threatening outcomes of COVID-19. CONCLUSION: In this review, we sought to evaluate the currently available literature on the impact of autoimmune disease and its related therapeutic approaches on the COVID-19 infection course of disease in children and reflect on the gaps in the evidence and the need for further research in this field. WHAT IS KNOWN: • The majority of children infected with COVID-19 demonstrate mild to moderate clinical manifestations compared to adults, whereas those children with pre-existing autoimmune conditions are at a greater risk for severe symptoms. •There is currently limited understanding of the pathophysiology and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in pediatric patients with autoimmune disorders due to scattered reports and inadequate evidence. WHAT IS NEW: • Generally, children with autoimmune disorders have more unfavorable outcomes than healthy children; yet, the severity is not extreme, and is highly dependent on their autoimmune disease type and severity, as well as the medication they are taking.

Immune checkpoint inhibition in COVID-19: risks and benefits.

INTRODUCTION: Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) is a novel cancer immunotherapy, which is administered in patients with metastatic, refractory, or relapsed solid cancer types. Since the initiation of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many studies have reported a higher severity and mortality rate of COVID-19 among patients with cancer in general. AREAS COVERED: The immunomodulatory effects of ICI can modify the patients' immune system function in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. There is controversy over whether the severity of COVID-19 in cancer patients who previously received ICI compared to other patients with cancer has increased. There is evidence that the upregulation of immune checkpoint molecules in T cells, lymphopenia, and inflammatory cytokine secretion are associated with the severity of COVID-19 symptoms. EXPERT OPINION: ICI can interrupt the T cell exhaustion and depletion by interrupting the inhibitory signaling of checkpoint molecules in T cells, and augments the immune system response in COVID-19 patients with lymphopenia. However, ICI may also increase the risk of cytokine release syndrome. ICI can be considered not only as a cancer immunotherapy but also as immunotherapy in COVID-19. More studies are needed to assess the safety of ICI in COVID-19 patients with or without cancer.