[Clinicopatological variants and risk factors for chronic kidney disease in rheumatoid arthritis].

Recent studies have shown a high risk of chronic kidney disease and associated cardiovascular complications in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which determines the prognosis. However, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in RA has not been established in the Russians. AIM: Study was to examine the prevalence, risk factors and histological variants of CKD in RA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 180 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were observed in the Tareev clinic of nephrology, for the period from 2014 to 2019 years. Age, gender, duration of RA, drug therapy, ESR, CRP, DAS28, renal function, proteinuria, histological variants were analyzed. Of the common population risk factors for CKD arterial hypertension, weight index, serum lipids and glucose levels were also assessed. RESULTS: The prevalence of CKD in RA was 19.7%. Age, presence and stage of arterial hypertension, an increase in body mass index, as well as high rates of disease activity ESR, CRP, DAS28 score and duration of RA were risk factors of CKD in RA. Age, duration of the disease, stage of AH and hypercholesterolemia were risk factors in multifactorial regression analysis. Amyloidosis was the most common histologic pattern (50.0%), followed by chronic glomerulonephritis (30.4%) and tubulo-interstitial nephritis (19.6%). Among chronic glomerulonephritis mesangial glomerulonephritis was the most frequent. Renal amyloidosis was associated with a duration of RA, presence of systemic symptoms and CRP level. An isolated decrease in GFR of less than 60 ml/min was detected in 31 (36.0%) out of 86 patients. Сonclusion. The risk factors for CKD in patients with RA are activity and duration of the disease In addition to common population factors. Amyloidosis was the most common histologic pattern associated with duration of RA and inflammatory proteins levels.

[Late-onset rheumatoid arthritis in a patient with successfully treated IgA nephropathy]. / Pozdnii debiut revmatoidnogo artrita u patsienta s uspeshno lechennoi IgA-nefropatiei.

The paper describes a rare clinical case of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that developed in a patient 9 years after diagnosing IgA nephropathy. Kidney disease was characterized by a stable course with moderate urinary syndrome, hypertension, and reduced renal function. Immunosuppressive therapy using glucocorticosteroids and then mycophenolic acid led to remission of nephritis and recovery of renal function. However, the absence of nephritis activity and discontinuation of immunosuppressants was responsible for articular syndrome. The diagnosis of RA is based on its characteristic radiological patterns and immunological characteristics after ruling out a number of systemic diseases and infections. The common pathogenetic components of IgA nephropathy and RA, including the role of rheumatoid factor IgA, are discussed.

[Difficulties in the differential diagnosis of kidney injury in a patient with infective endocarditis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies]. / Trudnosti differentsial'noi diagnostiki porazheniia pochek u bol'nogo infektsionnym éndokarditom, assotsiirovannym s antineitrofil'nymi tsitoplazmaticheskimi antitelami.

Infective endocarditis (IE) may be accompanied by the production of a broad spectrum of autoantibodies, including antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). ANCA detection creates difficulties in the differential diagnosis of IE, especially in relation to kidney injury, the determination of the mechanism of which is important for choosing a treatment policy and estimating a prognosis. The paper describes a clinical case of a 57-year-old man who was found to have higher proteinase-3 (PR-3) ANCA titers along with the symptoms of anemia, purpura, and kidney injury during his hospitalization; echocardiography revealed vegetation on the aortic valve. IE was diagnosed; 2-week antibiotic therapy was ineffective; there was progressive aortic insufficiency necessitating aortic valve replacement. In the postoperative period, there was progression of renal failure and higher PR-3 ANCA titers, which made it possible to regard kidney injury as a manifestation of ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis. Intensive immunosuppressive therapy with intravenous and oral prednisolone was initiated, which showed positive effects in reducing proteinuria, erythrocyturia, serum creatinine levels, and simultaneously PR-3 ANCA titers. The paper gives the data available in the literature on the frequency of an association of IE with ANCA, the clinical features, diagnostic criteria, and treatment approaches. It discusses the mechanisms of ANCA formation in patients with IE.

[Takayasu's disease in an IgG4-positive patient with tuberculosis, pulmonary hemorrhage, recurrent myocarditis, and transient bilateral visual impairments]. / Bolezn' Takayasu u IgG4-pozitivnogo patsienta s tuberkulezom, legochnym krovotecheniem, retsidiviruyushchim miokarditom i prekhodyashchimi dvustoronnimi zritel'nymi narusheniyami.

Takayasu's disease (nonspecific aortoarteritis) affects the absolute majority of 20-40-year-old women; its most common manifestations include aortic arch branch lesions. The specific features of the described case is the male gender of the patient, signs of mesenchymal dysplasia, a concurrence of tuberculosis, pulmonary hemorrhage, and myocarditis at onset, the presence of IgG4, peculiar ocular symptomatology, and its rapid regression after initiation of therapy.

[Severe adverse events from treatment with genetically engineered biological agents in patients with rheumatic diseases].

AIM: To assess the risk of severe adverse events (AEs) within 6 months after treatment with biological agents in patients with rheumatic diseases (RD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The 6-month open-label trial included 107 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides, systemic lupus erythematosus, and other RDs who received genetically engineered biological agents (GEBAs), primarily rituximab (n = 66) and infliximab (n = 31). RESULTS: The majority of patients were noted to have improvements, including complete and partial remission in 62 (57.9%) and 42 (39.3%), respectively. There were mild or moderate AEs in 22 (20.6%) of the 107 patients, severe AEs in 6 (5.6%): grade IV neutropenia in 2 patients (after the use of rituximab), severe infusion reactions in 2 (after the administration of infliximab and rituximab), and systemic infections in 2 (fatal nocardial sepsis after rituximab treatment and unspecified sepsis after infliximab treatment). CONCLUSION: The rate of serious AEs, mainly infusion AEs and infections during treatment with infliximab, rituximab, and other GEBAs proved to be relatively low in patients with different RDs. At the same time, the use of biological agents could lower RD activity in the presence of severe visceral injuries refractory to conventional immunosuppressive therapy.