Familial Mediterranean fever, mevalonate kinase deficiency (also known as the hyperimmunoglobulinemia D syndrome), and the tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) are ...monogenic autoinflammatory diseases characterized by recurrent fever flares.
We randomly assigned patients with genetically confirmed colchicine-resistant familial Mediterranean fever, mevalonate kinase deficiency, or TRAPS at the time of a flare to receive 150 mg of canakinumab subcutaneously or placebo every 4 weeks. Patients who did not have a resolution of their flare received an add-on injection of 150 mg of canakinumab. The primary outcome was complete response (resolution of flare and no flare until week 16). In the subsequent phase up to week 40, patients who had a complete response underwent a second randomization to receive canakinumab or placebo every 8 weeks. Patients who underwent a second randomization and had a subsequent flare and all other patients received open-label canakinumab.
At week 16, significantly more patients receiving canakinumab had a complete response than those receiving placebo: 61% vs. 6% of patients with colchicine-resistant familial Mediterranean fever (P<0.001), 35% versus 6% of those with mevalonate kinase deficiency (P=0.003), and 45% versus 8% of those with TRAPS (P=0.006). The inclusion of patients whose dose was increased to 300 mg every 4 weeks yielded a complete response in 71% of those with colchicine-resistant familial Mediterranean fever, 57% of those with mevalonate kinase deficiency, and 73% of those with TRAPS. After week 16, an extended dosing regimen (every 8 weeks) maintained disease control in 46% of patients with colchicine-resistant familial Mediterranean fever, 23% of those with mevalonate kinase deficiency, and 53% of those with TRAPS. Among patients who received canakinumab, the most frequently reported adverse events were infections (173.3, 313.5, and 148.0 per 100 patient-years among patients with colchicine-resistant familial Mediterranean fever, those with mevalonate kinase deficiency, and those with TRAPS, respectively), with a few being serious infections (6.6, 13.7, and 0.0 per 100 patient-years).
In this trial, canakinumab was effective in controlling and preventing flares in patients with colchicine-resistant familial Mediterranean fever, mevalonate kinase deficiency, and TRAPS. (Funded by Novartis; CLUSTER ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02059291 .).
Abstract
Objectives
Chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) or chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is an autoinflammatory disorder characterized by sterile bone osteolytic lesions. ...The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic data and clinical, instrumental and therapeutic features at baseline in a large series of CNO/CRMO patients enrolled in the Eurofever registry.
Methods
A web-based registry collected retrospective data on patients affected by CRMO/CNO. Both paediatric and adult centres were involved.
Results
Complete baseline information on 486 patients was available (176 male, 310 female). The mean age of onset was 9.9 years. Adult onset (>18 years of age) was observed in 31 (6.3%) patients. The mean time from disease onset to final diagnosis was 1 year (range 0-15). MRI was performed at baseline in 426 patients (88%), revealing a mean number of 4.1 lesions. More frequent manifestations not directly related to bone involvement were myalgia (12%), mucocutaneous manifestations (5% acne, 5% palmoplantar pustulosis, 4% psoriasis, 3% papulopustular lesions, 2% urticarial rash) and gastrointestinal symptoms (8%). A total of 361 patients have been treated with NSAIDs, 112 with glucocorticoids, 61 with bisphosphonates, 58 with MTX, 47 with SSZ, 26 with anti-TNF and 4 with anakinra, with a variable response.
Conclusion
This is the largest reported case series of CNO patients, showing that the range of associated clinical manifestations is rather heterogeneous. The study confirms that the disease usually presents with an early teenage onset, but it may also occur in adults, even in the absence of mucocutaneous manifestations.
: Autoinflammatory diseases are characterised by fever and systemic inflammation, with potentially serious complications. Owing to the rarity of these diseases, evidence-based guidelines are lacking. ...In 2012, the European project Single Hub and Access point for paediatric Rheumatology in Europe (SHARE) was launched to optimise and disseminate regimens for the management of children and young adults with rheumatic diseases, facilitating the clinical practice of paediatricians and (paediatric) rheumatologists. One of the aims of SHARE was to provide evidence-based recommendations for the management of the autoinflammatory diseases cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS), tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) and mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD). These recommendations were developed using the European League Against Rheumatism standard operating procedure. An expert committee of paediatric and adult rheumatologists was convened. Recommendations derived from the systematic literature review were evaluated by an online survey and subsequently discussed at a consensus meeting using Nominal Group Technique. Recommendations were accepted if more than 80% agreement was reached. In total, four overarching principles, 20 recommendations on therapy and 14 recommendations on monitoring were accepted with ≥80% agreement among the experts. Topics included (but were not limited to) validated disease activity scores, therapy and items to assess in monitoring of a patient. By developing these recommendations, we aim to optimise the management of patients with CAPS, TRAPS and MKD.
Interleukin-1 is pivotal in the pathogenesis of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). We assessed the efficacy and safety of canakinumab, a selective, fully human, anti-interleukin-1β ...monoclonal antibody, in two trials.
In trial 1, we randomly assigned patients, 2 to 19 years of age, with systemic JIA and active systemic features (fever; ≥2 active joints; C-reactive protein, >30 mg per liter; and glucocorticoid dose, ≤1.0 mg per kilogram of body weight per day), in a double-blind fashion, to a single subcutaneous dose of canakinumab (4 mg per kilogram) or placebo. The primary outcome, termed adapted JIA ACR 30 response, was defined as improvement of 30% or more in at least three of the six core criteria for JIA, worsening of more than 30% in no more than one of the criteria, and resolution of fever. In trial 2, after 32 weeks of open-label treatment with canakinumab, patients who had a response and underwent glucocorticoid tapering were randomly assigned to continued treatment with canakinumab or to placebo. The primary outcome was time to flare of systemic JIA.
At day 15 in trial 1, more patients in the canakinumab group had an adapted JIA ACR 30 response (36 of 43 84%, vs. 4 of 41 10% in the placebo group; P<0.001). In trial 2, among the 100 patients (of 177 in the open-label phase) who underwent randomization in the withdrawal phase, the risk of flare was lower among patients who continued to receive canakinumab than among those who were switched to placebo (74% of patients in the canakinumab group had no flare, vs. 25% in the placebo group, according to Kaplan-Meier estimates; hazard ratio, 0.36; P=0.003). The average glucocorticoid dose was reduced from 0.34 to 0.05 mg per kilogram per day, and glucocorticoids were discontinued in 42 of 128 patients (33%). The macrophage activation syndrome occurred in 7 patients; infections were more frequent with canakinumab than with placebo.
These two phase 3 studies show the efficacy of canakinumab in systemic JIA with active systemic features. (Funded by Novartis Pharma; ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT00889863 and NCT00886769.).
To evaluate the response to treatment of autoinflammatory diseases from an international registry and an up-to-date literature review.
The response to treatment was studied in a web-based registry in ...which clinical information on anonymised patients with autoinflammatory diseases was collected retrospectively as part of the Eurofever initiative. Participating hospitals included paediatric rheumatology centres of the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trial Organisation network and adult centres with a specific interest in autoinflammatory diseases. The following diseases were included: familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS), tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-receptor associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD), pyogenic arthritis pustulosis acne (PAPA) syndrome, deficiency of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (DIRA), NLRP12-related periodic fever and periodic fever aphthosis pharyngitis adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome. Cases were independently validated by experts for each disease. A literature search regarding treatment of the abovementioned diseases was also performed using Medline and Embase.
22 months from the beginning of the enrolment, complete information on 496 validated patients was available. Data from the registry in combination with evidence from the literature confirmed that colchicine is the treatment of choice for FMF and IL-1 blockade for DIRA and CAPS. Corticosteroids on demand probably represent a valid therapeutic strategy for PFAPA, but also for MKD and TRAPS. Patients with poorly controlled MKD, TRAPS, PAPA or FMF may benefit from IL-1 blockade; anti-TNF treatment may represent a possible valuable alternative.
In the absence of high-grade evidence, these results could serve as a basis for therapeutic guidelines and to identify candidate drugs for future therapeutic trials.
To report on the demographic data from the first 18 months of enrollment to an international registry on autoinflammatory diseases in the context of the Eurofever project.
A web-based registry ...collecting baseline and clinical information on autoinflammatory diseases and related conditions is available in the member area of the PRINTO web-site. Anonymised data were collected with standardised forms.
1880 (M:F=916:964) individuals from 67 centers in 31 countries have been entered in the Eurofever registry. Most of the patients (1388; 74%), reside in western Europe, 294 (16%) in the eastern and southern Mediterranean region (Turkey, Israel, North Africa), 106 (6%) in eastern Europe, 54 in Asia, 27 in South America and 11 in Australia. In total 1049 patients with a clinical diagnosis of a monogenic autoinflammatory diseases have been enrolled; genetic analysis was performed in 993 patients (95%): 703 patients have genetically confirmed disease and 197 patients are heterozygous carriers of mutations in genes that are mutated in patients with recessively inherited autoinflammatory diseases. The median diagnosis delay was 7.3 years (range 0.3-76), with a clear reduction in patients born after the identification of the first gene associated with autoinflammatory diseases in 1997.
A shared online registry for patients with autoinflammatory diseases is available and enrollment is ongoing. Currently, there are data available for analysis on clinical presentation, disease course, and response to treatment, and to perform large scale comparative studies between different conditions.
The Language Letters Matthew Hofer, Michael Golston / Matthew Hofer, Michael Golston
2019
eBook
Bruce Andrews and Charles Bernstein released the first issue of the poetics newsletter L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E in 1978, launching language-centered writing. The Language Letters reveals Language poetry in ...its nascent stage, with letters written by Andrews, Bernstein, Ron Silliman, and others in intense and intimate conversation regarding poetry and poetics; the contemporary poetry and arts scenes; publication venues, journals, and magazines; and issues of community, camaraderie, and friendship. The editors have included two critical introductions, two interviews with Bernstein and Andrews, and appendices that include a previously unpublished essay on Larry Eigner by Robert Grenier and short biographies of the major authors. Written between 1970 and 1978, these letters detail the development of the concepts and styles that came to define one of the most influential movements in post-1960s writing. Scholars, writers, and students of poetry will find this collection essential to understanding this important period of literary history.
PSTPIP1 (proline-serine-threonine phosphatase-interactive protein 1)-associated myeloid-related proteinemia inflammatory (PAMI) syndrome, previously known as Hyperzincemia/Hypercalprotectinemia ...(Hz/Hc) syndrome, is a recently described, rare auto-inflammatory disorder caused by specific deleterious variants in the PSTPIP1 gene (p.E250K and p.E257K). The disease is characterized by chronic systemic inflammation, cutaneous and osteoarticular manifestations, hepatosplenomegaly, anemia, and neutropenia. Increased blood levels of MRP 8/14 and zinc distinguish this condition from other PSTPIP1-associated inflammatory diseases (PAID). The aim of this systematic review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the disease phenotype, course, treatment, and outcome based on reported cases. This systematic review adheres to the PRISMA guidelines (2020) for reporting. A literature search was performed in Embase, Medline, and Web of Science on 13 October 2022. The quality of the case reports and case series was assessed using the JBI checklists. Out of the 43 included patients with PAMI syndrome, there were 24 females and 19 males. The median age at onset was 3.9 years. The main clinical manifestations included anemia (100%), neutropenia (98%), cutaneous manifestations (74%), osteoarticular manifestations (72%), splenomegaly (70%), growth failure (57%), fever (51%), hepatomegaly (56%), and lymphadenopathy (39%). Systemic inflammation was described in all patients. Marked elevation of zinc and MRP 8/14 blood levels were observed in all tested patients. Response to treatment varied and no consistently effective therapy was identified. The most common therapeutic options were corticosteroids (N = 30), anakinra (N = 13), cyclosporine A (N = 11), canakinumab (N = 6), and anti-TNF (N = 14). Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has been recently reported to be successful in five patients. Our review highlights the key characteristics of PAMI syndrome and the importance of considering this disease in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with early-onset systemic inflammation and cytopenia.
Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disease caused by mutations of the MEFV gene. We analyse the impact of ethnic, environmental and genetic factors on the severity of disease ...presentation in a large international registry.
Demographic, genetic and clinical data from validated paediatric FMF patients enrolled in the Eurofever registry were analysed. Three subgroups were considered: (i) patients living in the eastern Mediterranean countries; (ii) patients with an eastern Mediterranean ancestry living in western Europe; (iii) Caucasian patients living in western European countries. A score for disease severity at presentation was elaborated.
Since November 2009, 346 FMF paediatric patients were enrolled in the Eurofever registry. The genetic and demographic features (ethnicity, age of onset, age at diagnosis) were similar among eastern Mediterranean patients whether they lived in their countries or western European countries. European patients had a lower frequency of the high penetrance M694V mutation and a significant delay of diagnosis (p<0.002). Patients living in eastern Mediterranean countries had a higher frequency of fever episodes/year and more frequent arthritis, pericarditis, chest pain, abdominal pain and vomiting compared to the other two groups. Multivariate analysis showed that the variables independently associated with severity of disease presentation were country of residence, presence of M694V mutation and positive family history.
Eastern Mediterranean FMF patients have a milder disease phenotype once they migrate to Europe, reflecting the effect of environment on the expression of a monogenic disease.
Über uns Menschen Hofer, Michael
2014, 201403, 2010-01-01, Letnik:
3
eBook
Auch wenn der Mensch zunehmend mehr von sich weiß, heißt das nicht, dass er sich besser versteht. Wer bin ich? - Ein Mensch. Aber: Was ist damit gesagt? Jeder und jede sieht sich vor solche Fragen ...gestellt. Philosophie beginnt mit jedem Menschen von neuem.Die Beiträge in diesem Band erörtern Begriffe und Themen, die für eine Selbstvergewisserung von uns Menschen relevant und - im besten Sinne des Wortes - fragwürdig sind: »Evolution«, »Kultur«, »Gesundheit, Krankheit, Tod«, »Freiheit«, »das Absolute« und »Kunst«. Zwei Fragerichtungen werden dabei verfolgt: Was ist unter dem jeweiligen Begriff zu verstehen? Und: Welche Bedeutung hat das Themenfeld für uns Menschen?
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