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Background: Rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is a major complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but effective treatment remains an unmet need in its management. Our aim was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of abatacept for RA-ILD. Methods: This observational retrospective study included patients with RA-ILD treated with abatacept between 2012 and 2021. Indices of RA disease activity and interstitial lung disease (Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using C-reactive Protein [DAS28-CRP], Simplified Disease Activity Index [SDAI], Clinical Disease Activity Index [CDAI], serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 levels, % forced vital capacity [%FVC], and semi-quantified chest high-resolution computed tomography scores) were evaluated before and 1 year after the start of abatacept administration. Results: Overall, 38 patients were included. DAS28-CRP, SDAI, and CDAI were significantly improved (all with p < 0.0001). Total ground-glass opacity scores were decreased in both patients with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP)-like patterns and with non-UIP-like patterns (p = 0.008 and <0.002, respectively). Total fibrosis scores were also decreased in the UIP-like pattern group (p < 0.042). The %FVC remained stable. Conclusions: Abatacept significantly improves RA disease activity and reduces pulmonary inflammation in patients with RA-ILD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: A standard mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis has been created by intratracheal or intraperitoneal administration of bleomycin. However, a difficulty presented by this traditional method is its high mortality rate of more than 50% after bleomycin administration. In this study, we aimed to establish a unilateral lung disease model and to assess its feasibility and usefulness., Materials and Methods: After 6-week-old C57BL/6 mice were anesthetized, a 1.7Fr microcatheter was advanced into the trachea using an otoscope. Then, 1.0 mg/kg of bleomycin was injected into bilateral lung at the trachea (n=13) or unilateral lung (n=14) after advancing the microcatheter to the left main bronchus under fluoroscopy. Body weight change and survival of bilateral and unilateral lung disease group mice at day 28 were compared using Mann-Whitney and log-rank tests. Lungs were extracted and evaluated using Masson trichrome staining., Results: Body weights decreased 75.7%±14.0% in the bilateral lung disease group, but were greater, 94.1%±11.4%, in the unilateral lung disease group (p=0.03). Overall survival rates at day 28 were 30.8% and 85.7% in the bilateral and unilateral lung disease groups, respectively. Survival was significantly better in the unilateral lung disease model (p=0.01). Histological evaluation confirmed collagen deposition only in the bleomycin injected lung in the unilateral lung disease model., Conclusion: Establishing both a healthy and a diseased lung in the same individual model was feasible, achieving lessened body weight loss and more favorable survival. This technique allows for a more efficacious research design, where both the efficacy and adverse effects of a pharmaceutical agent can be evaluated in a single animal., (Copyright © 2025, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Lymphatic ascites is an infrequent complication observed in patients who have undergone lymphadenectomy as part of their surgical treatment for gynecological cancer. Previous research has suggested that intranodal lymphangiography can effectively manage lymphatic leakage. However, its efficacy diminishes for ascites with substantial fluid accumulation. This case report presents a patient who underwent lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) for ascites that was unresponsive to lymphangiography and sclerotherapy. A 70-year-old woman required weekly ascites punctures after surgical treatment of ovarian cancer. Lymphoscintigraphy revealed lymphatic leakage originating from the right pelvic lymphatic vessel. Intranodal lymphangiography was performed from the inferior lateral inguinal region, followed by embolization with 33% NBCA. Despite these measures, recurrence of ascites and lower limb lymphedema were observed. LVA was conducted at 149 days after the primary operation. Before the LVA, indocyanine green was injected into the lateral and medial ankles, first and fourth toe web spaces, and lower abdomen. The indocyanine green lymphography revealed several linear patterns extending from the dorsum of the foot and the lower abdomen to the inguinal lymph node. Among these, the lymphatic vessels leading to the inferior lateral inguinal lymph node were chosen for the LVA. Eight anastomoses were executed at the right thigh, right lower leg, and right lower abdomen. The patient was discharged at 1 day postoperatively. A computed tomography examination conducted at 20 days post-LVA revealed no accumulation of ascites. To improve the success rate of LVA for ascites, a treatment strategy based on lymphatic territories is required., Competing Interests: The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.)