Prevalence of Nasal Colonization with Staphylococcus aureus in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objetive: Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and nasal carriers of Staphylococcus aureus have an increased risk of developing infections caused by S. aureus. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of S. aureus nasal colonization in patients with RA and its relationship to RA treatments. METHODS: Two hundred and seven patients with RA and 37 healthy controls were prospectively included in a cross-sectional study. A nasal secretion sample was collected by swab from both anterior nostrils and was referred to the hospital's microbiology department for culturing. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients (168 women, 78%) was 61 ± 12 years old. The mean disease duration was 13 ± 10 years. Seventy-six percent of the patients were positive for Rheumatoid Factor (RF), and 71% were positive for Anti-citrullinated Peptides Antibodies (ACPA). Seventy percent had joint erosions. The mean DAS28 was 3.1 ± 2.2. S. aureus nasal colonization was found in 36% of the RA patients and 35% of the controls. Three patients and no controls were resistant to oxacilin/ mupirocin. The patients who were positive for ACPA had a higher prevalence of S. aureus colonization (43% vs. 17%; p < 0.05). The colonization prevalence in the patients treated with glucocorticoids was 32% (n: 133); methotrexate and/or leflunomide, 37% (n: 167); anti-TNF agents, 46% (n: 54), p < 0.05 versus patients not treated with anti-TNF agents; rituximab, 22% (n: 18); tocilizumab, 39% (n: 18). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of S. aureus nasal colonization in patients with RA does not appear to be greater than that of the general population. Anti-TNF agents might confer a higher prevalence of colonization.

The value of repeat biopsy in lupus nephritis flares.

Whether a repeat renal biopsy is helpful during lupus nephritis (LN) flares remains debatable. In order to analyze the clinical utility of repeat renal biopsy in this complex situation, we retrospectively reviewed our series of 54 LN patients who had one or more repeat biopsies performed only on clinical indications. Additionally, we reviewed 686 well-documented similar cases previously reported (PubMed 1990-2015).The analysis of all patients reviewed showed that histological transformations are common during a LN flare, ranging from 40% to 76% of cases. However, the prevalence of transformations and the clinical value of repeat biopsy vary when they are analyzed according to proliferative or nonproliferative lesions.The great majority of patients with class II (78% in our series and 77.5% in the literature review) progressed to a higher grade of nephritis (classes III, IV, or V), resulting in worse renal prognosis. The frequency of pathological conversion in class V is lower (33% and 43%, respectively) but equally clinically relevant, since almost all cases switched to a proliferative class. Therefore, repeat biopsy is highly advisable in patients with nonproliferative LN at baseline biopsy, because these patients have a reasonable likelihood of switch to a proliferative LN that may require more aggressive immunosuppression.In contrast, the majority of patients (82% and 73%) with proliferative classes in the reference biopsy (III, IV or mixed III/IV + V), remained into proliferative classes on repeat biopsy. Although rebiopsy in this group does not seem as necessary, it is still advisable since it will allow us to identify the 18% to 20% of patients that switch to a nonproliferative class. In addition, consistent with the reported clinical experience, repeat biopsy might also be helpful to identify selected cases with clear progression of proliferative lesions despite the initial treatment, for whom it is advisable to intensify inmunosuppression. Thus, our experience and the literature data support that repeat biopsy also brings more advantges than threats in this group.The results of the repeat biopsy led to a change in the immunosuppresive treatment in more than half of the patients on average, intensifying it in the majority of the cases, but also reducing it in 5% to 30%.

Prevalence of ischemic complications in patients with giant cell arteritis presenting with apparently isolated polymyalgia rheumatica.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency and type of giant cell arteritis (GCA)-related ischemic complications in a series of patients with GCA who, for a substantial period of time (i.e., at least 3 mo), lacked vascular symptoms and presented with apparently isolated polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). METHODS: Retrospective follow-up study of an unselected population of 167 patients with GCA diagnosed from 1985 to 2014. RESULTS: In all, 18 patients (11%) developed GCA on a background of a prior history of PMR. They were diagnosed as having isolated PMR because they did not have clinical evidence of GCA at diagnosis and exhibited a prompt and complete response to low-dose steroid therapy. However, during the course of treatment, 17 patients later experienced an arteritic relapse with the development of typical craniofacial symptoms, and one patient developed signs of upper extremity vascular insufficiency, resulting in the diagnosis of large-vessel GCA. The median time to GCA diagnosis from the initiation of low-dose steroid therapy was 9 ± 14.4 mo (range: 3-39). At the time of GCA diagnosis, severe ischemic complications were observed in 50% (9/18) of the patients. Of these patients 22% (4/18) were considered to have "true" occlusive disease (i.e., permanent visual loss, stroke, and/or limb claudication). Late inflammation of the aorta and its branches occurred in 4 (22%) of the patients during long-term follow-up. CONCLUSION: Patients with GCA presenting with apparently isolated PMR have a significant risk of developing transient or permanent disease-related ischemic complications; these complications occurred in 50% of the cases.