ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Peripheral nerve system (PNS) involvement is common in Fabry's disease (FD), predominantly affecting the small nerve fibers that are difficult to investigate with conventional electrophysiological methods. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients followed for Fabry's disease underwent a prospective series of electroneurophysiological explorations, including a study of the cardiac parasympathetic autonomic nervous system (ANS) and electrochemical skin conductance (ESC) tests. Data were compared with those obtained in 18 matched healthy controls. RESULTS: All patients had at least one clinical sign suggestive of neuropathy: 16 reported an acrosyndrome and 12 had dyshidrosis. Cold hypoesthesia was found in 15 patients and heat hypoesthesia in 13. Electroneurophysiological investigations and study of the cardiac parasympathetic ANS were normal in all patients. The ESC was significantly lower in FD patients compared with controls. CONCLUSION: PNS involvement is common in FD and should be suspected in patients exhibiting an acrosyndrome, dyshidrosis and/or cold hypoesthesia. Conventional electrophysiological investigations are normal. New techniques, such as ESC, provide early diagnosis of small fiber involvement that currently requires more sophisticated tests difficult to apply in routine practice.
Subject(s)
Fabry Disease/complications , Peripheral Nerves/physiopathology , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/complications , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/diagnosis , Adult , Aged , Case-Control Studies , Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological , Electrophysiological Phenomena , Fabry Disease/diagnosis , Fabry Disease/physiopathology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young AdultABSTRACT
With "checkpoint inhibitors" targeting PD1/PD-1-ligands or CTLA-4/CD28 pathways, immunotherapy has profoundly modified therapeutic strategies in oncology. First approved in refractory metastatic neoplasms (melanoma and lung adenocarcinoma), it is now being tested broadly in other cancers and/or as adjuvant treatment. For a significant proportion of patients, immunotherapy is responsible for "immunological" events, identified as Immune-Related Adverse Events (irAEs). Owing to the increasing number of prescriptions, identification and management of specific immunological side effects is crucial and requires close collaboration between oncologists and internists and/or other organ specialists. Within irAEs, we propose to individualize the induced autoimmunity by the term "Opportunistic Autoimmunity Secondary to Cancer Immunotherapy" (OASI). The aims of this article are (1) to present the different available checkpoint inhibitors and the OASIs reported with these treatments and (2) to propose practical recommendations for diagnosis, pre-therapeutic assessment and management of OASIs. The need for predictive biomarkers of OASIs occurrence will also be discussed.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Monoclonal/adverse effects , Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects , Autoimmune Diseases/chemically induced , Autoimmunity/drug effects , Immunotherapy/adverse effects , Neoplasms/therapy , Autoimmune Diseases/immunology , Cell Cycle Checkpoints/drug effects , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/diagnosis , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/epidemiology , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/therapy , Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Humans , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Neoplasms/immunologyABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The vascular disorders in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) result from various mechanisms and presentations (inflammatory disease or vasculitis, atherosclerosis). CASE REPORT: We report on a 34-year-old man with cutaneous, articular, neurological and nephrologic SLE. He presented with catastrophic haemorrhage on microaneurysm rupture of the left hepatic artery. After blood transfusions and immunosuppressive treatments, his condition improves. CONCLUSION: Uncommon complication in SLE patients, digestive vasculitis with microaneurysms may occur as in polyarteritis nodosa. In the literature, we identified 10 additional cases of hepatic microaneurysms in SLE patients. The main issue is an earlier diagnosis in order to give appropriate treatment and improve prognosis.
