Renal involvement in ANCA associated vasculitis

Kidney is involved in upto 75–80% of various ANCA associated vasculitis (AAV) and remains the major cause of mortality and morbidity. The classic clinical presentation is that of rapidly progressive renal failure with cresenteric glomerulonephritis being its pathologic correlate. ANCA positivity has been implicated in the pathogenesis and is useful for diagnosis.The treatment of renal AAV involves the use of steroids in combination with other immunosuppressive agents like cyclophosphamide to induce remission followed by maintenance therapy with a less potent agent like azathioprine. Plasmapharesis has a definite role especially in presence of renal failure while Rituximab is emerging as a promising alternative for remission induction.     

急进性肾炎Ⅲ型与原发性小血管炎

为了解急进性肾炎（ＲＰＧＮ）Ⅲ型患者的病理、临床以及发病机制的特点。对我院肾内科近３年来收治的本病患者的临床病理资料进行了回顾性研究。结果发现：８例ＲＰＧＮⅢ型患者中５例抗中性粒细胞胞浆抗体（ＡＮＣＡ）阳性，主要为核周型。与ＲＰＧＮⅢ型ＡＮＣＡ阴性组患者相比，ＡＮＣＡ阳性组发病年龄较晚，多数患者有发热、关节痛等肾外表现，血清Ｃ反应蛋白阳性、γ球蛋白升高、大多数血沉更快（＞１００ｍｍ／１ｈ）。病理检查可见肾小球局灶节段性纤维素样坏死，多数患者经积极治疗后肾功能明显好转，并脱离透析，预后较好。支持多数ＲＰＧＮⅢ型是以肾脏受累为主要表现的小血管炎的观点。     

Mutation analysis for 25 Y-STR markers in Japanese population

In this study, we analyzed DNA samples from 213 Japanese father son pairs with 25 Y-chromosome short tandem repeat (Y-STR) (DYS576, DYS389I, DYS635, DYS389II, DYS627, DYS460, DYS458, DYS19, YGATAH4, DYS448, DYS391, DYS456, DYS390, DYS438, DYS392, DYS518, DYS570, DYS437, DYS385, DYS449, DYS393, DYS439, DYS481, DYF387S1, and DYS533) markers using the Yfiler™ Plus PCR amplification kit. We calculated Y-STR mutation rates for each locus to evaluate the efficacy of the 25 Y-STR markers for paternity testing and forensic identification using samples from male relatives. Six rapidly mutating Y-STR markers (DYS576, DYS627, DYS518, DYS570, DYS449 and DYF387S1), previously reported to have high mutation rates (>1.0 × 10⁻²), are included in the 25 Y-STR markers, but our findings revealed that the mutation rates for all Y-STR markers except for DYS576 and DYS458 were lower than 1.0 × 10⁻². Therefore, the use of these 25 Y-STR markers may be useful for forensic identification in the Japanese population.     

Mycobacterium chelonae bloodstream infection induced by osteomyelitis of toe: A case report

Mycobacterium chelonae is a rapidly growing mycobacterium that has the potential to cause refractory infections in humans. Mycobacteremia resulting from the organism is extremely rare, and its clinical features are yet to be uncovered. We herein present a case of M. chelonae bloodstream infection involving an immunocompromised older patient. A 79-year-old woman, on a long-term treatment with prednisolone plus tacrolimus for rheumatoid arthritis, visited our outpatient department complaining of deteriorating pain and swelling at her right 1st toe. Laboratory parameters showed elevated C-reactive protein and leukocytosis, and magnetic resonance imaging indicated osteomyelitis at the proximal phalanx of her right 1st toe. Considering the refractory course, the infected toe was immediately amputated. M. chelonae was isolated from bacterial cultures of the resected tissue and blood (BD BACTEC™ FX blood culture system, Becton Dickinson, Sparks, MD, USA), leading to a diagnosis of disseminated M. chelonae infection. We treated the patient with an antibiotic combination of clarithromycin, minocycline, and imipenem (2 weeks), which was converted to oral therapy of clarithromycin, doxycycline, and levofloxacin. This case highlighted the potential pathogenesis of M. chelonae to cause mycobacteremia in an immunocompromised patient.     

"Triple-positive" renal limited vasculitis presenting with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis: A case report

Rationale: Coexistence of anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) in a case of glomerulonephritis is often identified as a "double-positive" disease. Interestingly, the majority of "double positive" ANCA is myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA and some of the MPO-ANCA positive cases showed intrarenal arteritis, suggesting an ANCA-associated kidney lesion. Proteinase 3-ANCA positive diseases are also rarely reported. Patients positive for all three antibodies, i.e., triple-positive patients, are extremely rare.Patient's Concern: A 53 year-old female presented with anasarca and oliguria of 2 months' duration. Diagnosis: Pauci-immune type renal limited crescentic glomerulonephritis positive for MPO-ANCA, proteinase 3-ANCA, and anti-GBM antibody (triple-positive). Interventions: Intravenous high dose cyclophosphamide, oral azathioprine, intravenous methylprednisolone, and plasma exchange as per British Health Professionals in Rheumatology Guidelines. Outcomes: After one-month follow-up, anasarca and proteinuria were lessened, serum creatinine was normalized, titers of MPO-ANCA levels were decreased, and anti-GBM antibody levels were normalized. Lessons: Triple-positive renal limited vasculitis is rare and response to combined immunosuppressive therapy and plasma exchange can contribute to successful remission.     

Therapeutic Plasma Exchange for the Treatment of Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis

Abstract: Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) has been widely accepted as a successful means of removing the antiglomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) antibodies that result in the rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) of Goodpasture's syndrome. TPE has also been investigated as a means of removing the immune complexes associated with the glomerulonephritides of systemic lupus erythematosus, IgA nephropathy, Henoch Schönlein purpura, and cryoglobulinemia. Recently, an antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of RPGN associated with such diseases such as Wegener's granulomatosis and periarteritis nodosa. ANCA has also been found in many cases of RPGN formally considered to be idiopathic. The identification of this autoantibody has given new credence to the possibility that TPE may be beneficial in the treatment of these diseases. This article reviews the data regarding the use of TPE for RPGN.     

血清YKL-40在诊断抗黑色素瘤分化相关基因5阳性皮肌炎合并严重肺损伤中的价值

目的:研究血清及支气管肺泡灌洗液(bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, BALF)中YKL-40(chitinase-3-like-1 protein)在抗黑色素瘤分化相关基因5(anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5, MDA5)阳性皮肌炎(dermatomyositis, DM)合并严重肺损伤中的价值,严重肺损伤包括快速进展间质性肺病(rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease, RP-ILD)和肺部感染。方法:选择2013—2018年中日友好医院风湿免疫科住院的抗MDA5阳性DM患者的病例资料进行回顾性分析,收集患者的人口学信息,临床、实验室及影像学检查资料,应用酶联免疫吸附法检测患者血清和BALF中YKL-40水平。绘制受试者工作特征(receiver operating characteristic, ROC)曲线,计算曲线下面积(area under the curve, AUC),评估血清YKL-40对肺损伤的诊断效能。间质性肺病(interstitial lung disease, ILD)由胸部高分辨率CT(high-resolution CT, HRCT)证实。RP-ILD定义为呼吸道症状在3个月内进行性加重,出现呼吸困难和低氧血症,或胸部HRCT显示ILD较之前加重或出现新的ILD。肺部感染经痰、血液、BALF、肺穿刺活检样本检验出病原体确诊。结果:共收集到168例抗MDA5阳性DM患者病例,其中154例合并ILD,66例(39.3%)表现为RP-ILD。经病原学依据证实合并肺部感染患者70例。合并RP-ILD患者中39例(59.1%)合并肺部感染,而非RP-ILD患者仅31例(30.4%)合并肺部感染。RP-ILD合并肺部感染的发生率高于非RP-ILD合并肺部感染者(P<0.001)。血清YKL-40水平在RP-ILD合并肺部感染组高于RP-ILD未合并肺部感染组、非RP-ILD合并肺部感染组和非RP-ILD未合并肺部感染组[83(42~142) vs. 42(21~91) vs. 43(24~79) vs. 38(22~69), P<0.01]。血清YKL-40诊断抗MDA5阳性DM患者RP-ILD合并肺部感染的敏感性、特异性及AUC分别为75%、67%、0.72,其诊断同时存在RP-ILD和肺部感染的抗MDA5阳性DM患者的AUC较诊断仅有RP-ILD和仅有肺部感染者的AUC高,且差异有统计学意义(0.72 vs. 0.54和0.55, Z=2.10和2.11, P<0.05)。结论:抗MDA5阳性DM患者合并RP-ILD和肺部感染预后差,血清YKL-40水平对这类患者同时合并RP-ILD和肺部感染有一定的诊断价值。     

原发性干燥综合征相关急进性肺间质病变（1例报告并文献复习）

目的提高对原发性干燥综合征相关急进性肺间质病变临床特征认识。方法结合1例原发性干燥综合征相关性肺间质病变临床资料进行文献复习。结果患者,女,62岁,因咳嗽气喘5 d入院,诊断：①急进性肺间质病变,呼吸衰竭。②原发性干燥综合征。强的松治疗有效。结论原发性干燥综合征相关急进性肺间质病变是一种少见严重并发症,胸部HRCT对急进性肺间质病变诊断和疗效评估起重要作用。早期诊断,积极免疫抑制治疗能改善预后。