Methotrexate and lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis.

Panminerva Med. 2016 Oct 06;:

Authors: Conway R, Carey JJ

Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common chronic inflammatory disease affecting many tissues and resulting in substantial morbidity and increased mortality. Arthritis is the most notable clinical feature, but extra-articular features can have devastating consequences. Pulmonary manifestations are common in RA, with high rates of disease related lung disease and a propensity to pulmonary infections. Respiratory illness remains a leading cause of death among RA populations. Modern medicine greatly reduces the illness burden among patients with RA, particularly through the use of disease-modifying medications. Methotrexate is recommended as the first-line treatment of RA as it effectively reduces disease activity, morbidity and mortality. However it has long been implicated as a causative agent in lung disease. The evidence for a cause and effect relationship in modern populations is contentious, but critically important. Increasing recognition of the importance and prevalence of interstitial lung disease in RA, and recent studies on the incidence of lung disease among RA and non-RA populations have cast doubt on the role of methotrexate as a causative agent. A correct understanding of the complex pulmonary disease processes in RA is crucial if we are to improve outcomes in this patient group. In this article we will discuss the epidemiology and characteristics of lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis and its possible relationship to methotrexate use.

PMID: 27711025 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Related Articles

Bronchoscopy assessment of acute respiratory failure in interstitial lung disease.

Respirology. 2016 Oct 6;:

Authors: Arcadu A, Moua T

Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Acute respiratory failure (ARF) in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Recommended assessment for acute exacerbation (AE) of ILD includes exclusion of secondary causes via fibreoptic bronchoscopy. Our aim is to assess the role of bronchoscopy during ARF-ILD.
METHODS: Consecutive ILD patients (2002-2014) hospitalized with ARF who underwent bronchoscopy were included. Baseline demographics, underlying ILD diagnoses and presenting clinical features were reviewed. Characteristics of bronchoscopy including diagnostic findings, management and complications were collated.
RESULTS: One hundred and six patients accounted for 119 unique bronchoscopies. Sixteen (13%) were abnormal (12 infections and 4 haemorrhages). Baseline presenting clinical features did not differ between those with and without abnormal findings. About half were performed in an intensive care unit (ICU) (53%), with 25% of bronchoscopies performed in a general floor setting resulting in ICU transfer; 71% of whom resulted in immediate mechanical ventilation. Overall management of ARF in those with positive bronchoscopy findings was similar to those without, resulting in similar in-hospital mortality.
CONCLUSION: Bronchoscopy in the clinical assessment of ARF-ILD is often performed with only a 13% yield in this large retrospective cohort. As management and in-hospital mortality were similar, routine diagnostic bronchoscopy in ARF-ILD should be further studied given its low yield and high procedural risk.

PMID: 27712021 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Is there any superiority among diagnostic methods in organizing pneumonia in terms of clinical features of the patients?

Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2016;12:1473-1479

Authors: Kavakli K, Ocal N, Dogan D, Cicek AF, Isik H, Gurkok S

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Organizing pneumonia (OP) can be idiopathic or secondary to some clinical situations. If an etiological cause is not present, this phenomenon is called cryptogenic OP. Secondary OP is associated with various diseases that are known to induce the OP.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features of the cases with OP and compare the patients diagnosed by bronchoscopic transbronchial biopsy with patients diagnosed by surgical lung biopsy.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Medical records of 41 patients diagnosed with OP between 2004 and 2014 were reviewed retrospectively.
RESULTS: Totally, 41 patients with OP were identified. In all, 39.02% of the cases were diagnosed by bronchoscopic methods, and 60.97% of the cases were diagnosed by surgical procedures. Although the frequency of ground glass opacities, consolidations, and micronodules was higher in the group diagnosed by bronchoscopy, mass-like lesions were more common in the cases diagnosed by surgery. Bronchoscopy, performed in 30 patients totally, had a diagnostic efficacy of 53.33%. Diagnostic value of bronchoscopy was significantly higher in cryptogenic OPs. Although diffuse radiological pattern was more common in "successful bronchoscopy" group, frequency of focal pattern was higher in "failed bronchoscopy" group. Ground glass opacity in successful bronchoscopy group and mass-like lesions in failed bronchoscopy group reached significant differences.
CONCLUSION: There were significant differences between the diagnostic procedures in terms of radiological patterns. This is the first study about the relationship between the diagnostic methods and the characteristics of OP.

PMID: 27713632 [PubMed - in process]

New role of biomarkers: mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin, the biomarker of organ failure.

Ann Transl Med. 2016 Sep;4(17):329

Authors: Valenzuela-Sánchez F, Valenzuela-Méndez B, Rodríguez-Gutiérrez JF, Estella-García Á, González-García MÁ

Abstract
Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) has a good biomarker profile: its half-life is several hours, and its plasma concentrations can be determined in clinical practice, it is essentially irrelevant, but proportionally represents the levels and activity of adrenomedullin (ADM). ADM synthesis is widely distributed in tissues, including bone, adrenal cortex, kidney, lung, blood vessels and heart. Its fundamental biological effects include vasodilator, positive inotropic, diuretic, natriuretic and bronchodilator. It has been described high levels in septic patients, interacting directly with the relaxation of vascular tone, triggering hypotension of these patients. It is also found high levels in other diseases such as hypertension, heart failure, respiratory failure, renal failure, cirrhosis and cancer. MR-proADM has been identified as a prognostic marker, stratifying the mortality risk in patients with sepsis in emergency department (ED) and ICU. Evolutionary MR-proADM levels and clearance marker to the 2nd-5th days of admission help to determine the poor performance and the risk of mortality in patients with severe sepsis admitted to the ICU. The MR-proADM levels are more effective than procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels to determine an unfavorable outcome and the risk of mortality in patients with sepsis admitted to the ICU. It has also proved useful in patients diagnosed with organ dysfunction of infectious etiology. MR-proADM levels are independent of the germ conversely it is related to the magnitude of organ failure and therefore severity. We consider advisable incorporating the MR-proADM the panel of biomarkers necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients admitted to the ICU with severe sepsis. The combined PCT and MR-proADM levels could represent a valid tool in the clinical practice to timely identify patients with bacterial infections and guide the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis and septic shock.

PMID: 27713887 [PubMed - in process]