Autoimmune Disorders - RA, Lupus, Scl, SS, Spondylo, etc. Flashcards
If a pt is experiencing back pain related to RA, it is most likely to be isolated to which vertebrae?
C1, C2, C3
*in OA, the spine is much more heavily involved than in RA; and damage to the cervical spine usually occurs after several years of disease
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
A chronic multi-system disease mediated by auto-immune mechanisms. Characterized by persistent inflammatory synovitis (peripheral joints, symmetric distribution) which erodes cartilage and bone.
The disease has a variable course.
What constitutes the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis?
> =6 points on the classification scale, which includes points for the following categories:
- Joint distribution (how many large and how many small joints involved)
- serology (negative/low positive/high positive of RF and ACPA)
- symptom duration (>6wks)
- acute phase reactants (abnormal CRP and/or ESR)
Describe the characteristic laboratory features of rheumatoid arthritis.
- Rheumatoid Factor (RF): usually IgM type Ab directed against the Fc portion of IgG; not specific for RA
- Anti-CCP Ab: anti-cyclic-citrullinated peptide antibody produced by synovial B cells; more specific for RA
- ANA: seen in 20% of RA pts
- Abnormal CRP and/or ESR
Describe the characteristic systemic clinical features of rheumatoid arthritis.
fatigue, anorexia, weight loss, weakness, generalized aching and stiffness, low-grade fever
Describe the characteristic articular (local) clinical features of rheumatoid arthritis.
- swelling, warmth, erythema, and pain in the affected joints
- stiffest for at least 30min in the morning
- insidious onset, can begin as intermittent
- not usually migratory but appears in one joint (typically large peripheral joints like the knee), persists, and develops into persistent polyarthritis (characteristically involving wrist and proximal hand)
- synovial fluid analysis reveals exudative yellow fluid, elevated WBCs/neutrophils, and reduced viscosity
- weakened tissues and supporting structures such as ligaments, joint capsules
- may lead to fibrosis of tissues including muscles
- muscle atrophy from inflammation and disuse
- joint deformities under normal forces of muscular traction
Describe the characteristic extra-articular clinical features of rheumatoid arthritis.
skin - rheumatoid nodules, vasculitis
ocular - keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eyes), xerostomia (dry mouth), episcleritis and scleritis (like skin nodules but on sclera) (due to lymphocytic infiltration of glands)
Cardiorespiratory - fibrosis, pulm nodules, pleuritis with pleural effusion (common), pericarditis, valve nodules
Neurologic - cervical myelopathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar tunnel syndrome (Guyon’s canal)
Summarize current thoughts on what factors contribute to development of rheumatoid arthritis.
Genetics (60%) and Environmental (rest). Gene-environment interactions may be multiplicative or additive in RA risk.
Genetics: there are >35 risk loci, with HLA-DRB1 (DR4) contributing ~30% genetic risk, other inflammatory genes (TNF-AIP3, STAT4, IL2RB) ~5% risk
Describe the role of HLA-DRB1/DR4 in the pathogenesis of RA.
HLA-DR4 selectively binds and presents antigen (arthritogenic peptide) to T cells, results in selection of autoreactive T cells in thymus
Describe the autoimmune nature of RA, including the role of antibodies, T cell cytokines, and MP/fibroblast cytokines.
Autoabs may include RF, ACPA which may attack joint antigens like type 2 collagen, or systemic antigens like glucose phosphate isomerase. These Abs contribute to synovitis by local complement activation.
T cell cytokines including IFN-gamma and IL-17 are present in low levels in RA synovium. T cells can contribute to synovial inflammation via antigen- independent mechanisms such as direct cell-cell contact with macrophages.
Macrophage and fibroblast cytokines are abundant in RA synovium. These include TNF, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, IL-18, GM-CSF, and IL-33 which serve to recruit inflammatory cells to the joint.
RA classically involves which joints?
Most characteristic is WRIST and PROXIMAL HAND followed by:
Shoulder
Elbow
Hip
Knee
* joint involvement tends to be symmetrical
Describe catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome.
Multiple thromboses of medium and small arteries occurring over several days
What distinguishes drug induced Lupus from SLE?
No nephritis usually seen in Drug induced lupus.
Describe the histological manifestation of SLE in the skin.
Superficial and deep perivascular inflammation and mucin in the reticular dermis. Also seen is edema. Vasculitis with fibrinoid necrosis may also be present.
Describe the immunofluorescent manifestations of SLE in the skin.
Shows deposition of immunoglobulin and complement along the dermoepidermal junction. This is not diagnostic of SLE, and is also found in scleroderma and dermatomyositis.
You see moderate lupus on a kidney biopsy. What do you see that tells you it is lupus?
Wire-loop thickening of glomerular capillaries.
Describe the immunofluorescent pattern of lupus nephritis.
IgG deposits in a granular pattern
Describe the earliest pathological changes in Systemic Sclerosis, which also persist throughout the disease.
changes in endothelial cell function with increased apoptosis, upregulation of MHC class II and ICAM-1 expression on endothelial cells.
Describe a serious GI complication of SSc.
Gut dismotility* and telangectasias. Upper GI dysmotility more common. Lower dysmotility has bad prognosis.
*Collagen replacement of vascular and enteric smooth muscle results in hypomotility, lumen dilatation, tensile rigidity and eventual loss of organ functions.
What two conditions contribute to the majority of deaths in SSc?
Interstitial lung disease and PAH together account for 60% of mortality in pts with SSc.
Describe linear scleroderma.
Linear scleroderma is a limited cutaneous manifestation of SSc (not systemic). that presents as a linear streak that crosses dermatomes and is associated with atrophy of muscle, underlying bone and rarely the brain called “ en coup de sabre”.
Mixed connective tissue disease is most commonly associated with antibodies to:
U1-RNP
In general, this Ab predicts lack of severe CNS and renal involvement.
The absence of this condition, highly typical of MCTD, would suggest the need to consider another Dx.
Raynaud’s phenomenon
25% of MCTD pts develop this type of renal involvement:
Membranous glomerulopathy
Proliferative glomerulonephritis is uncommon in MCTD.
Describe the commonest CNS problems seen in MCTD.
trigeminal neuralgia & sensorineural hearing loss
What is the commonest cause of death in MCTD pts?
PAH
Describe the histology of SSc.
**Dead giveaway: Loss of Dermal-epidermal papillary projections (rete pegs). Dermal-epidermal interface is a straight line. This is due to underlying excessive deposition of collagen, deep fibrosis, and perivascular lymphohistiocytic infiltration. Also, loss of hair follicles and glands.
Describe the histological appearance of a renal glomerulus in SSc.
Shrunken, lacking inflammatory cells or proliferative changes. Also seen histologically will be interstitial fibrosis presenting as increases spacing between renal tubules in transverse section.
Describe the clinical hallmarks of Sjogren’s syndrome (SS).
xerostomia, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, and parotid gland swelling.
What Abs are we going to test for when Dxing Sjogren’s?
serum ANAs including: anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B