FunMed Rheumatology Flashcards
Hypercoagulability syndrome
- High titers of Anticardiolipin (may cause false positive for syphilis), beta-2-glycoprotein 1 and lupus anticoagulant antibodies
- Must be measured on 2 occasions 12 weeks apart
- Abnormal clotting factors: PTT, Clotting time and Dilute Russell viper venom test
Antiphospholipid syndrome
During an immunization, an immunogen is used to activate the which immune response so that specific memory cells are generated.
Adjuvants are used to activate the innate immunity because activating innate immune cells is needed to fully activate the?
the adaptive immune response
adaptive immune cells
Urate-Lowering Therapy (ULT)
First-line: xanthine oxidase inhibitor?
Second-line: uricosuric agent (pee it out)?
Allopurinol (reduces purine breakdown)
Probenecid (increases urate excretion)
Identify
Occasionally seen in?
. Rheumatoid nodules
●20% of pts have subcutaneous rheumatoid nodules
●Occasionally seen in the lungs and sclerae
3rd and 4th line drugs for gout to reduce inflammation?
- Corticosteroids
Controls most attacks, significant relief:
Oral, IV, IM or intra-articular. (Since gout and and septic arthritis can coexist, joint aspiration, Gram stain, culture should be done first).
- Interleukin-1 inhibitors- off label, not responding to any other treatment.
Class of drugs that provide some symptomatic relief from RA but do not prevent erosions or alter disease progression. They are not appropriate for monotherapy and should only be used in conjunction with DMARDs.
NSAIDs
controversial
characteristics of many
treatment is directed at the clinical features and organ systems involved
MCTD
Mixed connective tissue disease/overlap syndromes
The first consideration in classifying cases of vasculitis is the
Then consider?
size of the major vessels involved: Large, Medium or Small
Then consider:
- Does the process involve arteries, veins, or both?
- What are the patient’s demographics (age, sex, ethnicity, smoking status)?
- Which organs are involved?
- Is there hypocomplementemia or other evidence of immune complex deposition?
- Is there granulomatous inflammation on tissue biopsy?
- Are antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) present?
a vasculitis of large- and medium-sized vessels that is associated with a headache, jaw claudication, polymyalgia rheumatica, visual abnormalities
Giant Cell Arteritis
Two drugs to be started as soon as the diagnosis is certain, adjusted to suppress disease activity?
Methotrexate and/or DMARDs (Disease-modifying antirheumatic)
●The most numerous of the innate immune cells.
Neutrophils
- A syndrome with several possible causes that produce small- and medium-sized vasculitis limited to the brain and spinal cord
- May present with weeks to months of headaches, encephalopathy, and multifocal strokes
Primary Angiitis of the CNS
IgA Vasculitis
AKA?
(Henoch-Schönlein Purpura)
●Lymphoma occurs in 6%, most common glandular MALT (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue)
●Most often develops between age 40 and 60
●9:1 female:male ratio
Sjogren’s syndrome
- Characterized by vasculitis of small arteries, arterioles, and capillaries
- Necrotizing lesions of both upper and lower respiratory tract, other organ manifestations
- Invariably fatal if untreated (<1 year after diagnosis)
- Most common in 4th - 5th decade
- Males = females
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
(Wegner’s Syndrome)
- Dx based on arterial inflammation (lymphocytes, histiocytes, plasma cells, giant cells) seen on temporal artery biopsy
- Often associated with:
- Fever
- Aneurysm of the thoracic aorta
- And/or stenosis of neck arteries
- 50% of cases occur with PMR
•Clinical Findings of GCA
○Some notice loss of taste and smell
Sjogren’s syndrome
- A pauci-immune nongranulomatous necrotizing vasculitis
- Affects capillaries, venules, or arterioles
- Causes glomerulonephritis and pulmonary capillaritis
- Associated with ANCA on immunofluorescence testing (directed against MPO, a constituent of neutrophil granules)
Microscopic Polyangiitis
The primary objective for treatment of RA?
Reduction of inflammation and pain
Reservation of function
Prevention of deformity
●Female, 30-40 yo
●Chronic, systemic, polyarticular, synovitis, inflammatory
●Morning stiffness >30 minutes
●MCP and PIP, nodules, ocular, (lung/heart, too)
●Anti-CCP antibodies are the most specific blood test and X-rays are diagnostic
●Methotrexate and DMARDs are used to treat. NSAIDs are for symptoms only, not to use alone!!
RA
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
AKA?
(Wegner’s Syndrome)
- General Considerations
- Most common systemic vasculitis in children, but occurs in adults as well
- More common in non-summer months
IgA Vasculitis
(Henoch-Schönlein Purpura)
○Presents antigen fragments along with with the appropriate major histocompatibility complex (MHC).
○MHC provides a checkpoint and helps immune cells distinguish between host and foreign cells.
Dendritic Cells
●Features of both innate and adaptive immunity.
●Recognize and kill virus-infected cells or tumor cells.
Natural Killer Cells
Don’t want to miss the presentation of these two crucial differentials…the appearance of the joint in these two diseases may be indistinguishable from gout, definitive diagnosis is made by?
Cellulitis
Septic arthritis
fluid analysis.
●Muscle biopsy is diagnostic
Heliotrope rash
●Other studies involve the search for occult malignancy
Dermatomyositis and polymyositis
- Laboratory Findings
-
Which form?
- Anemia and elevated ESR
-
Which form?
- Anemia and really elevated ESR (>50 mm/h)
- Elevated CRP
- Elevated alk phos (liver) in 20% of pts
PMR
GCA
●Prostaglandins play a key role in the generation of the?
●Histamine increases the __________, allowing immune cells and proteins into the tissue.
●Cytokines are proteins that?
inflammatory response
permeability of the capillaries
activate the immune response and trigger inflammation.
Gout-specific drug?
think “cold”
Colchicine - If the duration of the attack is less than 36 hours.
- Necrotizing arteritis of medium-sized vessels that has a predilection for involving the skin, peripheral nerves, mesenteric vessels (including renal arteries), heart, and brain
- Can actually involve almost any organ
Polyarteritis Nodosa
●systemic autoimmune disease manifested primarily by dysfunction of the lacrimal and salivary glands
●May be primary (isolated) or secondary (associated with other autoimmune diseases - RA most common, also SLE, primary biliary cholangitis, many others)
Sjogren’s syndrome
●a multisystem disorder, thickening of the skin, involvement of internal organs
○Arthralgias/arthritis
○GI: esophageal hypomotility; intestinal hypofunction
○Pulmonary: interstitial lung disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, alveolitis
○Cardiac: pericarditis, cardiomyopathy, conduction abnormalities
○Renal: hypertension, renal failure
ESR is usually normal; ANA almost always positive
Scleroderma/systemic sclerosis
Skin thinning and tightening, fingertip ulceration, telangiectasias
Can be drug-induced:
•Propylthiouracil, hydralazine, allopurinol, penicillamine, minocycline, and sulfasalazine —> may induce a systemic vasculitis associated with high titers of MPO-ANCA and features of microscopic polyangiitis in rare instances
Microscopic Polyangiitis
○These proteins function as carriers to present antigens on cell surfaces and signal whether a cell is a host cell or a foreign cell.
○Every person has a unique set of which of these proteins inherited from his or her parents
■In organ transplantation, these proteins of donors and recipients are matched to lower the risk of transplant rejection.
Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC)/ Human Leukocyte Antigen
MHC proteins
MHC or HLA proteins
Key Labs for RA?
Other important labs?
Anti-CCP antibodies (blood test) and rheumatoid factor (RF) + in 70–80% of patients
Sed Rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP)
●Thrombotic events can occur in arterial and/or venous circulation
○DVT, PE
○Stroke at a young age
○Recurrent pregnancy loss
■Recurrent first-trimester miscarriage
■Unexplained fetal death
■Preterm birth before 34 weeks from pre-eclampsia
Antiphospholipid syndrome
●uric acid is metabolic byproduct of
purine catabolism
- Polyarteritis nodosa
- Thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger disease)
- Primary angiitis of the central nervous system
Predominantly Medium-Vessel Vasculitides
An idiopathic systemic disorder that primarily manifests as muscle weakness
Has typical skin findings - Violaceous, “heliotrope” discoloration around eyes
Dermatomyositis and polymyositis
- Tissue biopsy usually necessary for diagnosis
- C-ANCA+ (90% of patients)
- Kidney disease often suddenly decompensates and is rapidly progressive without treatment
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
(Wegner’s Syndrome)
- Labs:
- Anemia and leukocytosis
- ESR may be elevated
- ANCA-positive for PR3 (proteinase-3) and MPO (myeloperoxidase)
- UA will show proteinuria, hematuria, and casts, +/- WBCs
- Biopsy of symptomatic skin site or involved organ essential
- Treatment: Prednisone plus Cyclophosphamide orally
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
(Wegner’s Syndrome)
○Recognize general danger or pathogen-associated patterns.
○These receptors can broadly recognize viruses, bacteria, fungi, and even non-infectious problems.
○They cannot distinguish between specific strains of bacteria or viruses.
●Toll-like receptors
●Present antigens to T cells.
●Produce antibodies to neutralize infectious microbes.
○Antibodies coat the surface of a pathogen and serve three major roles?
B Lymphocyte
neutralization, opsonization, and complement activation.
Well-demarcated color change in cold fingers
None unless associated with another condition
Sometimes toes, nose, ears
Supportive; biofeedback; calcium channel blockers
Raynaud’s phenomenon
Rare, chronic arthritis, childhood or adulthood, daily high spiking fevers, spontaneously resolve to subnormal temps, salmon-colored nonpruritic rash, sore throat, NSAIDs or prednisone “Macrophage activation syndrome” can be life-threatening
Still’s Disease
These are Differentiating Signs/Symptoms that distinguish what disease from Polymyalgia rheumatica?
New-onset unilateral headache, jaw claudication associated with chewing tough foods, diffuse mandibular discomfort, dental discomfort, sinus pain and pressure, and/or tongue pain. Blindness, diplopia, or blurry vision and an abnormally thickened, tender, erythematous, or nodular temporal artery are also found.
What would be a Differentiating Test?
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) or temporal arteritis
A positive temporal artery biopsy showing a granulomatous vasculitis confirms the diagnosis of GCA; however, results may be positive in PMR patients without GCA symptoms.
_________ in PMR is invariable; its absence excludes a diagnosis of PMR.
Morning stiffness
- Clinical onset insidious with fever, malaise, weight loss over weeks to months
- skin findings: livedo reticularis, subcutaneous nodules, skin ulcers, digital gangrene
- Nausea/vomiting common
- Acalculous cholecystitis/appendicitis
- Acute abdomen pain
Polyarteritis Nodosa