Rheumatoid Arthritis: Augé B

Toussirot E, Robinet E, Saas P, Chabod J, Augé B, Cozma G, Tiberghien P, Roudier J, Wendling D. · Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Jean Minjoz, Bd Fleming, F-25030 Besançon cédex, France. · Autoimmunity. · Pubmed #16891218 No free full text.

Abstract: The Escherichia Coli bacterial extract (OM-89) is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We evaluated the immunological changes induced by oral administration of OM-89 in 12 RA patients (polyclonal T cell reactivity to PHA, T cell precursor frequencies specific for OM-89 and Tetanus toxoid (TT), a control antigen and the release of Th1 (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha), Th2 (IL-4) and T regulatory 1 cell (Tr1) (IL-10) cytokines in the supernatants of PBMC cultures. Stimulation index in response to PHA decreased at month 3 as well as T cell precursor frequencies specific for TT with similar trends for OM-89-specific T cell precursor frequencies. OM-89 induced a strong production of IL-10, a significant decrease in IL-4 production while TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma production tended to decrease during the study.Our results suggest that OM-89 has immunomodulatory properties by inducing changes in PBMC cytokines release suggestive of an induced Tr1 response to OM-89.

Magy N, Bresson-Hadni S, Augé B, Toussirot E, Wendling D. · Service de rhumatologie, hôpital Jean-Minjoz, CHU, Besançon, France. · Rev Med Interne. · Pubmed #10874767 No free full text.

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Attout H, Toussirot E, Augé B, Chavot D, Wendling D. · Rheumatology Department, J. Minjoz Teaching Hospital, Besançon, France. · Rev Rhum Engl Ed. · Pubmed #10327497 No free full text.

Abstract: We report on two new patients with both rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. In one patient, the first manifestations of multiple sclerosis occurred eight years after onset of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis without extraarticular manifestations. The other patient had a 20-year history of multiple sclerosis when she developed seropositive, nodular rheumatoid arthritis. Neither patient had evidence of systemic lupus erythematosus. A lip biopsy was done in one patient, with normal results; the other patient was free of clinical symptoms of sicca syndrome and had a negative Schirmer's test. The paucity of similar cases in the literature is surprising since multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis are both autoimmune diseases and share many pathophysiologic and etiologic features. Although chance alone may explain the occurrence of both conditions in the same patient, the existence of shared etiologic factors should in theory increase the likelihood of the association.