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This article discusses a study on the effectiveness of combination maintenance therapy with mepolizumab (MEP) and azathioprine (AZA) for eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), a disease that affects various organs in the body. The study found that adding MEP to the treatment regimen resulted in higher remission rates and lower doses of glucocorticoids (GCs). Some patients were even able to discontinue GCs altogether. The findings suggest that MEP and AZA may be an effective combination therapy for severe EGPA, but further research is needed to fully understand its impact. The study was supported by a research grant and the authors have no conflicts of interest. [Extracted from the article]

Objectives Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody-positive DM is characterized by rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease and has a poor prognosis. We aimed to investigate whether anti-MDA5 antibody titres and cytokine levels predict clinical course, and evaluate changes in both parameters before and after diagnosis. Methods This was a retrospective, single-centre study in 38 patients with anti-MDA5 antibody-positive DM. We compared clinical characteristics and laboratory data at diagnosis between patients in the treatment response (n  = 23) and non-response (n  = 15) groups, and between those in the relapse (n  = 5) and non-relapse (n  = 24) groups. We also measured serum anti-MDA5 antibody titres and cytokine levels before and after diagnosis. Results The non-response group was older, had a higher ground-glass opacity score, lower PaO2/FiO2, higher CRP level, and higher anti-MDA5 antibody titre than the response group. No cytokines significantly differed between groups at diagnosis. The relapse group had a significantly higher anti-MDA5 antibody titre than the non-relapse group. In the survivor group, the anti-MDA5 antibody titre and levels of IFN-α, IFN-γ, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), IL-6, IL-33, CRP, and ferritin were significantly lower 6 months post-treatment than at diagnosis. Macrophage-associated cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8, IL-18 and MCP-1 increased after anti-MDA5 antibody positivity in three patients who were anti-MDA5 antibody-positive before diagnosis. Conclusion The anti-MDA5 antibody titre at diagnosis may predict the clinical course. Levels of macrophage-associated cytokines significantly declined at 6 months post-treatment, and they may have increased after anti-MDA5 antibody titre positivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lupus enteritis is classified into the colon poly-ulcerative type and the small intestine ischemic serositis type. Colon poly-ulcerative lupus enteritis is a disease that is mainly due to mesenteric arteritis. In recent years, 18 F-FDG PET/CT has been frequently used to assess the extent of the disease in patients with systemic vasculitis. We present the case report of 18 F-FDG PET/CT results in a 57-year-old woman with colon poly-ulcerative lupus enteritis., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: none declared., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)