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INTRODUCTION: Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) patients are at an elevated risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Currently, there are no well-validated biomarkers to assess this risk in this population. Previous research in different cohorts has linked serum levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and its polymorphisms to accelerated atherosclerosis and a marker of poor prognosis in CVD. Thus, we assessed this protein as a potential biomarker of CVD in TAK patients. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the serum levels of OPG and its SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) in TAK patients and healthy controls, and to associate these parameters with clinical data. METHODS: This bicentric cross-sectional study included TAK patients who were compared with healthy individuals (control group). The serum levels of OPG and the frequency of OPG SNPs [1181G > C (rs2073618), 245 A > C (rs3134069), 163T > C (rs3102735), and 209 C > T (rs3134070)] were compared between the both groups and associated with clinical data. RESULTS: In total, 101 TAK patients and 93 controls were included in the study. The serum levels of OPG (3.8 ± 1.9 vs. 4.3 ± 1.8pmol/L, respectively; P = 0.059), and its four polymorphisms were comparable between both groups. In an additional analysis of only TAK patients, serum OPG levels and its four genes were not associated with any CVD parameters, except for higher OPG levels among patients without dyslipidemia. CONCLUSION: No significant differences were observed in serum OPG levels or in the genotype frequencies of OPG SNPs between the patient and control groups. Similarly, no correlation was found between laboratory parameters and clinical data on CVD risk in TAK patients.

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BACKGROUND: Various studies have suggested interleukin 6 (IL-6) as a potential biomarker for detecting disease activity in Takayasu arteritis. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to assess differences in IL-6 levels in patients with active (aTA) and inactive Takayasu arteritis (iTA), as well as healthy controls (HCs), using validated activity scores. Study quality and the risk of bias were assessed using STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) and the Newcastle-Ottawa and Joanna Briggs checklist, respectively. For the meta-analysis, we pooled the raw mean IL-6 levels in each group and then estimated and pooled the crude mean differences between the groups. We applied a random-effects model in all analyses. RESULTS: Of the 93 eligible articles, 10 were included after removing duplicates and studies that met the exclusion criteria. Overall, 1825 patients with a mean age ranging from 24 to 40.6 years were included. The pooled levels of IL-6 increased depending on disease activity as follows: HCs: 3.08 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.88-5.28), iTA: 7.21 (3.61-10.82), and aTA: 22.67 (12.44-32.91) pg/mL. Patients with aTA had higher IL-6 levels than HCs (21.52 [95% CI, -0.43 to 43.47]) and those with iTA (16.69 [95% CI, 5.32-28.06]), whereas IL-6 levels were not different between HCs and patients with iTA (3.62 [95% CI, -13.18 to 20.42]). CONCLUSIONS: Interleukin 6 levels are significantly increased in patients with aTA compared with those with iTA and HCs but not in patients with iTA compared with HCs. More studies are needed to establish the IL-6 cutoff value for assessing disease activity.

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BACKGROUND: Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a vasculitis that affects the aorta and its branches and causes stenosis, occlusion, and aneurysms. Up to 60% of TA patients are associated with cardiac involvement which confers a poor prognosis. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) analysis is an echocardiographic technique that can detect the presence of subclinical systolic dysfunction. Hence, this study aimed to describe the prevalence of subclinical systolic dysfunction in patients with TA using the GLS method and to correlate this finding with disease activity using the ITAS-2010 (Indian Takayasu Activity Score). METHODS: Thirty patients over 18 years of age who met the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1990 criteria for TA were included. The sample was submitted for medical record review, clinical and echocardiographic evaluation, and application of ITAS-2010. The cutoff for systolic dysfunction was GLS > - 20%. RESULTS: Of the 30 patients analyzed, 25 (83.3%) were female, and the mean age was 42.6 years (± 13.2). The median time since diagnosis was 7.5 years [range, 3-16.6 years], and the type V angiographic classification was the most prevalent (56.7%). Regarding echocardiographic findings, the median ejection fraction (EF) was 66% [61-71%] and the GLS was - 19.5% [-21.3 to -15.8%]. Although half of the participants had reduced GLS, only two had reduced EF. Eleven patients (33.%) met the criteria for activity. An association was found between disease activity and reduced GLS in eight patients (P = 0.02) using the chi-square test. CONCLUSION: GLS seems to be an instrument capable of the early detection of systolic dysfunction in TA. The association between GLS and disease activity in this study should be confirmed in a study with a larger sample size.

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Abstract Background Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a vasculitis that affects the aorta and its branches and causes stenosis, occlusion, and aneurysms. Up to 60% of TA patients are associated with cardiac involvement which confers a poor prognosis. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) analysis is an echocardiographic technique that can detect the presence of subclinical systolic dysfunction. Hence, this study aimed to describe the prevalence of subclinical systolic dysfunction in patients with TA using the GLS method and to correlate this finding with disease activity using the ITAS-2010 (Indian Takayasu Activity Score). Methods Thirty patients over 18 years of age who met the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1990 criteria for TA were included. The sample was submitted for medical record review, clinical and echocardiographic evaluation, and application of ITAS-2010. The cutoff for systolic dysfunction was GLS > - 20%. Results Of the 30 patients analyzed, 25 (83.3%) were female, and the mean age was 42.6 years (± 13.2). The median time since diagnosis was 7.5 years [range, 3-16.6 years], and the type V angiographic classification was the most prevalent (56.7%). Regarding echocardiographic findings, the median ejection fraction (EF) was 66% [61-71%] and the GLS was - 19.5% [-21.3 to -15.8%]. Although half of the participants had reduced GLS, only two had reduced EF. Eleven patients (33.%) met the criteria for activity. An association was found between disease activity and reduced GLS in eight patients (P = 0.02) using the chi-square test. Conclusion GLS seems to be an instrument capable of the early detection of systolic dysfunction in TA. The association between GLS and disease activity in this study should be confirmed in a study with a larger sample size.

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Objectives: This study aims to investigate latent tuberculosis using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus method in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TA). Patients and methods: This case-control study included 22 patients with TA (3 males, 19 females; median age: 36.5 years; IQR, 32 to 50 years), 22 healthy individuals (3 males, 19 females; median age: 38.5 years; IQR, 32.5 to 50 years), and 66 patients with diffuse connective tissue diseases (DCTDs) (4 males, 62 females; median age: 41 years; IQR, 29.8 to 54 years). Two control groups were formed: (i) age- and sex-matched healthy individuals and (ii) patients with other DCTDs. Epidemiological data were collected, and the QFT-Plus test was performed. The QFT-plus positivity was compared among the groups. Results: A higher prevalence of QFT-Plus positive cases was observed in the TA group (8/22) than in the healthy control group (1/22) (p=0.020) or in the group with other DCTDs (3/66) (p=0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in the past pulmonary tuberculosis prevalence between the TA and DCTD groups (p=0.013). Conclusion: The prevalence of latent tuberculosis in TA patients (36.4%) was higher than that in both control groups and higher than the prevalence of latent tuberculosis among the general Brazilian population. Although a positive association was found, it is not possible to establish a direct cause-effect relationship. Given the increasing use of anti-cytokine therapies in TA, it is necessary to thoroughly screen patients with TA before initiating immunosuppressive therapy to avoid tuberculosis reactivation.

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Necrotizing sarcoid granulomatosis (NSG) is a rare and under-recognized cause of granulomatous disease, described as a variant of typical nodular sarcoidosis. It can be asymptomatic when the patient has a single pulmonary nodule or may be accompanied by cough, fever, and dyspnea, or even symptoms due to the involvement of other organs such as the eyes, liver, and central nervous system. The histopathological analysis is essential for the differential diagnosis of other infectious and non-infectious causes of granuloma and to determine the appropriate treatment. NSG is characterized by the presence of a granuloma with extensive coagulative necrosis associated with the occurrence of vasculitis. We present the case of a patient diagnosed with NSG who had an unusual outcome with recurrent pulmonary thromboembolisms followed by hemodynamic instability and death.

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Rheumatoid vasculitis (RV) is one of the most severe extra-articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis, with significant morbidity and mortality, requiring aggressive treatment with corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressants. Recently, biological drugs were included in its therapeutic armamentarium. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review on the use of biological drugs in the treatment of RV. A systematic literature review was performed based on PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) recommendations and searching articles in MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane, SciELO, Scopus, and Virtual Health Library electronic databases. Secondary references were also evaluated. The methodological quality of the selected studies was evaluated by the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) criteria. Altogether, five articles, assessing the use of biological drugs, were included. Globally, 35 patients participated in the studies, of which 21 were treated with rituximab (RTX) in cycles of 1000 mg every 2 weeks; 9 used infliximab 5 mg/kg; 3 used infliximab 3 mg/kg; and 2 used etanercept 25 mg twice/week. In general, an improvement in clinical picture, reduction of the mean daily dose of corticosteroids, and improvement in the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score was achieved by the end of the treatment. Complete remission occurred in almost 70% of the cases. The adverse effect rate was 34%, mainly due to infections. There were two deaths, one due to sepsis and the other due to uncontrolled vasculitis, after the biological drug withdrawal, following the development of sepsis. Based on the results of the present review, we believe that the use of biological therapy such as RTX and anti-tumor necrosis factor α can be beneficial in treating this complication.

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Necrotizing sarcoid granulomatosis (NSG) is a rare and under-recognized cause of granulomatous disease, described as a variant of typical nodular sarcoidosis. It can be asymptomatic when the patient has a single pulmonary nodule or may be accompanied by cough, fever, and dyspnea, or even symptoms due to the involvement of other organs such as the eyes, liver, and central nervous system. The histopathological analysis is essential for the differential diagnosis of other infectious and non-infectious causes of granuloma and to determine the appropriate treatment. NSG is characterized by the presence of a granuloma with extensive coagulative necrosis associated with the occurrence of vasculitis. We present the case of a patient diagnosed with NSG who had an unusual outcome with recurrent pulmonary thromboembolisms followed by hemodynamic instability and death.

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BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The epidemiology of vasculitis is variable in different geographic areas, and this issue has not been approached in Brazil yet. The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of vasculitis in specialized centers in Brazil. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed in 9 vasculitis outpatient clinics from 6 different states mainly from the Southeast and the Northeast regions of Brazil between 2015 and 2017. Diagnosis and/or classification criteria for Behçet disease (BD), Takayasu arteritis (TA), giant cell arteritis (GCA), polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), and cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CryoVas) were used to include patients with at least 6 months of follow-up in this hospital-based survey. RESULTS: A total of 1233 patients with systemic vasculitis were included from the Southeast region. Behçet disease was the most frequent vasculitis (35.0%) followed by TA (26.4%), GPA (16.2%), PAN (5.8%), GCA (5.8%), EGPA (4.3%), MPA (3.4%), and CryoVas (3.0%). Up to 7.8% of vasculitis patients had a juvenile onset, and the frequency of vasculitides found in children and adolescents was as follows: TA (52.6%), BD (24.7%), GPA (12.4%), and PAN (10.3%). No cases of EGPA, MPA, and CryoVas were diagnosed before the age of 18 years. As a comparator, 103 vasculitis patients were included in the Northeast of Brazil where TA was found in 36.9% and BD in 31.1% of vasculitis cases. No GCA cases were found in the Northeast part of Brazil. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to the epidemiology of vasculitis in Asia, BD and TA are the most frequent vasculitis in Southeastern Brazilian referral centers.

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Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a granulomatous vasculitis of large vessels with unknown aetiopathogenesis. An association between TA and tuberculosis (TB) has been suggested by several authors. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature on the association of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) infection in patients with TA. The research was conducted using the PUBMED/Medline and LILACS databases including studies published until June 2019 and using the descriptors "takayasu arteritis", "tuberculosis", "mycobacterium tuberculosis", "purified protein derivate" (PPD), "mantoux test", "quantiferon tb gold", and "interferon gamma release assay" (IGRA). A total of 113 publications were found, but only 38 publications were included after the pre-established criteria were applied. The results were divided into (1) active TB in adolescents with TA: 13 cases; (2) active TB in adults with TA: 116 cases, with a prevalence ranging from 6.3 to 20%, including a South Korean study of 267 cases of TA that found a prevalence of active TB of 17.7%; (3) latent TB in TA patients: the most widely used method was PPD, and only one study compared PPD with IGRA; the prevalence ranged from 20 to 82%; (4) findings that indicate TB in arterial biopsy or autopsies: 5 studies, with different results ranging from an absence of MT DNA in the aortic tissue to 70% positivity; and (5) immunological studies that evaluated the presence of antimycobacterial antibodies and heat shock proteins in TA patients. Although most of the studies show a high prevalence of TB, it is not possible to establish a causal relationship. We suggest that greater care be taken with latent TB screening in patients who are TA candidates for immunosuppressive therapy.

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Diagnosis of synovitis/tenosynovitis by physical examination can be difficult. Ultrasound (US) can be an effective tool for the evaluation of joint involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study will describe musculoskeletal findings by US in SLE patients and the evaluation of their correlation with physical examination. SLE patients underwent clinical/sonographic evaluation of hand/wrists. In total, 896 joints were evaluated: at least 1 change on physical examination was found in 136 joints and at least 1 US abnormality was found in 65 of 896 joints. Out of the 65 joints with US changes, only 13 had findings on physical examination. Conversely, 111 joints had tenderness on physical examination with no sonographic abnormalities. Tenosynovitis was statistically significant more frequently with joint edema (41%) (p = 0.0003). US can detect musculoskeletal changes in only a minority of symptomatic SLE patients. Clinical findings may be related to some reasons that cannot be explained using US.

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