Rheumatoid Arthritis: Zabraniecki L

Fournié B, Margarit-Coll N, Champetier de Ribes TL, Zabraniecki L, Jouan A, Vincent V, Chiavassa H, Sans N, Railhac JJ. · Service de Clinique de Rhumatologie, CHU de Purpan, TSA 40031, 31059 Toulouse cedex 9, France. · Joint Bone Spine. · Pubmed #16942893 No free full text.

Abstract: We prospectively compared power Doppler ultrasound findings in 25 fingers with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 25 fingers with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Erosive synovitis and tenosynovitis were seen in both groups. Extrasynovial changes were found in 21/24 (84%) fingers with PsA versus none of the fingers with RA. Of the 21 PsA fingers exhibiting extrasynovial changes, 15 (15/25, 60%) also had synovial changes. The extrasynovial changes reflected enthesitis or soft tissue inflammation, with the main patterns being capsular enthesophyte, juxtaarticular periosteal reaction, enthesopathy at the site of deep flexor tendon insertion on the distal phalanx, and subcutaneous soft tissue thickening of the finger pad or entire finger. In four fingers, ultrasonograhy showed pseudotenosynovitis, an underrecognized abnormality characterized by diffuse inflammation of the digital soft tissues. Pseudotenosynovitis may play a pivotal role in dactylitis (sausage digit), which is defined as diffuse uniform swelling of the entire finger. Our findings suggest that inflammation of the fibrous skeleton of the finger may lead to the clinical and radiological features that distinguish PsA from RA of the finger.

Godinho F, Godfrin B, El Mahou S, Navaux F, Zabraniecki L, Cantagrel A. · Department of Rheumatology, Rangueil Hospital, Toulouse, France. · Clin Exp Rheumatol. · Pubmed #15144127 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To analyse the safety of leflunomide plus infliximab combination therapy, in adult rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. PATIENTS: A retrospective study of 17 adult patients with active RA (DAS 28 = 5.94 +/- 0.88 at baseline) who were treated with a combination of leflunomide plus infliximab after failure of treatment with other DMARDs. 13 patients were treated for a minimum of 3 months with leflunomide without toxicity before beginning infliximab. Treatment was begun simultaneously with both drugs in 4 patients. Side effects (clinical and biological) and efficacy (DAS 28) were evaluated at each infliximab infusion (3 mg/kg at week 0, 2, 6 and then every 8 weeks). RESULTS: Thirteen patients experienced 20 types of side effects and 8 of them stopped the combination therapy. The causes of discontinuation were congestive heart failure (1 case), hypertension with thoracic pain (2 cases), eczematous skin patches (2 cases) and neutropenia (3 cases). No death was registered. Nine RA patients continuted the therapy with a median follow-up of 22 weeks. Only 4 of them experienced no side effects. Eight patients were positive for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and 1 for double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies at study entry. After treatment, 13 and 5 patients tested positive respectively for ANAs and dsDNA antibodies. There was no relationship between discontinuation and ANA/dsDNA positivity. CONCLUSION: In this cohort, adverse events were not very different from those seen in patients on either treatment alone and the combination of leflunomide plus infliximab did not appear to be as badly tolerated as described in a previous study.

Fournié B, Crognier L, Arnaud C, Zabraniecki L, Lascaux-Lefebvre V, Marc V, Ginesty E, Andrieu V, Dromer C, Fournié A. · Rheumatology Department, Purpan Teaching Hospital, Toulouse, France. · Rev Rhum Engl Ed. · Pubmed #10567972 No free full text.

Abstract: Psoriatic arthritis probably owes to its radioclinical presentation its position as the most controversial and poorly understood of all major chronic inflammatory joint diseases. Differentiating psoriatic arthritis from ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis remains difficult. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a statistical analysis aimed at identifying clinical, radiological, and laboratory criteria for classifying psoriatic arthritis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 260 patients were studied retrospectively, including 100 cases with psoriatic arthritis and 160 controls with ankylosing spondylitis meeting Amor's criteria (n = 80) or with rheumatoid arthritis meeting American College of Rheumatology criteria (n = 80). Mean disease duration was five years. Thirty-nine variables were recorded for each patient. Multiple logistic regression and discriminant analysis were used to select the classification criteria. RESULTS: Each of the two statistical methods selected the same nine criteria. After assigning a weighting coefficient to each of these criteria, sensitivity and specificity were better with the multiple logistic regression model (95% and 98%, respectively) than with the discriminant analysis model. CONCLUSION: Our classification criteria require further evaluation in multicenter prospective studies.

Lassoued S, Zabraniecki L, Marin F, Billey T. · Service de Rhumatologie, Centre Hospitalier, Cahors, France. · Semin Arthritis Rheum. · Pubmed #17067660 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: To present the data supporting the possible relationship of ocular toxoplasmosis to antitumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A Medline search was performed using the words "toxoplasmosis, anti-TNF-alpha antagonists, chorioretinitis." We report 2 RA patients who developed ocular toxoplasmosis while receiving anti-TNF-alpha therapy. RESULTS: In addition to our patients with toxoplasmic chorioretinitis, there are 2 published cases of cerebral toxoplasmosis during treatment with anti-TNF-alpha agents. CONCLUSION: The risk of serious toxoplasmic infection during anti-TNF-alpha therapy for RA should be recognized.

Latour F, Zabraniecki L, Dromer C, Brouchet A, Durroux R, Fournié B. · Rheumatology Clinic, CHU Purpan, Toulouse, France. · Joint Bone Spine. · Pubmed #11808986 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Synovial angiogenesis is at the epicenter of rheumatoid pannus development and is largely dependent on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We sought to determine whether the VEGF level in rheumatoid synovial tissue is a marker for disease severity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twelve patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) underwent a clinical and radiological evaluation at the time of a synovial biopsy done during joint surgery required by RA progression (T1) and, on average, 10 years later (T2). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect and quantitate VEGF in the synovial biopsy taken at T1. RESULTS: VEGF labeling was seen on endothelial cells and macrophages in all 12 synovial biopsies. The amount of endothelial-cell VEGF labeling (assessed semi-quantitatively) was significantly correlated with Larsen score progression during the 10-year follow-up. The amounts of endothelial cell or macrophage VEGF labeling was not correlated with the joint count, radiological stage of the biopsied joint or progression of this stage, Larsen scores at T1 or T2, presence of rheumatoid factor, or presence of extra-articular manifestations. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the amount of VEGF in the rheumatoid synovium may be a marker for joint destruction in patients with RA.