Welcome to the Autoimmunity 2021 Congress Calendar

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Displaying One Session

PARALLEL SESSIONS
Session Type
PARALLEL SESSIONS
Session Time
15:30 - 17:30
Session Icon
Pre Recorded

SHOOTING B CELL IN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES WITH RENAL INVOLVEMENT : *RITUXIMAB IN AAV: WHEN, HOW LONG AND BEYOND, *TARGETING B CELL IN LN: NOT ONLY ANTI-CD20

Session Type
PARALLEL SESSIONS
Date
30.05.2021, Sunday
Session Time
15:30 - 17:30
Room
HALL C
Lecture Time
15:30 - 15:50
Session Icon
Pre Recorded

RITUXIMAB BIOSIMILARS

Session Type
PARALLEL SESSIONS
Date
30.05.2021, Sunday
Session Time
15:30 - 17:30
Room
HALL C
Lecture Time
15:50 - 16:10
Session Icon
Pre Recorded

ENTEROVIRUS INFECTION AS A RARE BUT LIFE-THREATENING COMPLICATION AFTER THERAPY WITH ANTI-CD20-ANTIBODY IN PATIENT WITH MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA AND EOSINOPHILIC FASCIITIS

Session Type
PARALLEL SESSIONS
Date
30.05.2021, Sunday
Session Time
15:30 - 17:30
Room
HALL C
Lecture Time
16:10 - 16:20
Session Icon
Pre Recorded

Abstract

Background and Aims

We report on a 33 years old female patient who visited our clinic in September 2019 with several symptoms of unclear origin (progressive eosinophilic fasciitis on extremities, recurrent fever, strong headache and loss of hearing).

Two years before, the patient was diagnosed with high malignant follicular lymphoma (stage 4a, intermediate risk) and was treated with chemotherapy (6 cycles G-CHOP) and maintenance therapy with obinutuzumab (anti-cd20-antibody). During the therapy with obinutuzumab the patient developed recurrent high fever, myalgia, conjunctivitis and weight loss and the therapy was stopped.

Methods

As symptoms did not improve during the following months, detailed screening for cancer diseases (PET-scan, bone marrow biopsy, mamma sonography, colonoscopy), for infections (tests for tuberculosis; PCR from serum and bone marrow analysis for DNA of infectious antigens; bronchoalveolar lavage analyses) and for autoimmune diseases (rheumatic factor, ANA antibodies, complement, ANCA, genetical analysis for CAPS) was performed and all results came negative.

Results

As the patient developed new symptoms like progressive loss of hearing and strong headache, we performed MR-scan (which was normal) and liquor biopsy (pathological cell count with dominance of t-cells). Further microbiological analyses of liquor showed positive RNA-tests for enterovirus (coxsackie A9) infection. We administered a high dose of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy which stabilized the symptoms. In literature, a case of fatal disseminated infection with enterovirus in patients with follicular lymphoma under maintenance therapy with obinutuzumab was described.

Conclusions

In patients who receive anti-cd20-antibody therapy and experience recurrent fever, medical doctors should be aware of enterovirus infection as a rare but life-threatening complication.

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REGULATORY B-CELLS IN PATIENTS WITH GRANULOMATOSIS WITH POLYANGIITIS ARE REDUCED IN THE BLOOD AND FAIL TO REGULATE T CELL IFN-Y PRODUCTION

Session Type
PARALLEL SESSIONS
Date
30.05.2021, Sunday
Session Time
15:30 - 17:30
Room
HALL C
Lecture Time
16:20 - 16:30
Session Icon
Pre Recorded

Abstract

Background and Aims

Regulatory features of B-cells have gained increased attention in patients with systemic vasculitis, including granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). The aim with this study was to investigate the frequencies and phenotypes of two putative regulatory B (Breg) cell populations and assess the capacity of B-cells from GPA patients to regulate T-cell activation.

Methods

37 GPA patients (22 remission and 15 active) and 31 healthy controls (HC) were included for measurement of CD19+CD24highCD27+ (memory) and CD19+CD24highCD38high (transitional) Breg cells, and 11 GPA patients in remission and 12 HC for the functional studies of B-cells. HC were matched for age and gender.

Results

Memory Breg cells were reduced in GPA both during active disease and remission compared with HC, whereas transitional Breg cells did not differ between the groups. Memory Breg cells consisted of less CD25+ cells during both active disease and remission but expressed more PD-L1 and CD86 during remission compared with active disease and HC. B-cells from GPA patients regulated T-cell proliferation and IL-17a production but failed to regulate IFN-γ production (Fig 1). The levels of IFN-γ and the IFN-γ regulated cytokine CXCL10 were elevated in patient plasma.

abstract fig 1.jpg

Conclusions

Despite reduced levels and altered phenotypes of memory Breg cells, the capacity of GPA patient B-cells to regulate T-cell proliferation and IL-17a production was unaffected. However, we found a profound inability of patient B-cells to regulate T-cell IFN-γ production. This alteration could be important for the persistent inflammation that continues during remission and results in the chronic relapsing nature of the disease.

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UNFOLDED PROTEIN RESPONSE AND SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS: AN INSIGHT INTO GADD34 OVEREXPRESSION IN B CELLS OF LUPUS PATIENTS

Session Type
PARALLEL SESSIONS
Date
30.05.2021, Sunday
Session Time
15:30 - 17:30
Room
HALL C
Lecture Time
16:30 - 16:40
Session Icon
Pre Recorded

Abstract

Background and Aims

The implication of Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) signaling pathways in immunity and autoimmunity has been highlighted in the last ten years. However, the involvement of the PERK-mediated signaling pathway in the physiopathology of autoimmune diseases has been little explored so far. Recently, we showed that GADD34 and CHOP, key genes of the PERK-mediated pathway, are overexpressed in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and that their expression is related to the expression of type I IFN response genes. The objective of present study was to evaluate GADD34 expression in T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes and monocytes of SLE patients.

Methods

T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes and monocytes have been isolated from PBMC of SLE patients (n=25) and age and sex-matched healthy controls (n=25) by magnetic separation and the level of GADD34 gene expression was measured by quantitative PCR.

Results

In the 8 patients overexpressing GADD34 in PBMC, GADD34 was mainly expressed in B lymphocytes (7 patients) and monocytes (5 patients). Furthermore, for the 17 patient who did not overexpress GADD34 in the whole PBMC samples, GADD34 was expressed in B lymphocytes (13 patients). Therefore, GADD34 was mainly overexpressed in B lymphocytes (20 patients) of SLE patients.

Conclusions

This study is part of the French protocol GADD34_LES (2015-A00493-46) whose primary endpoint is the evaluation of the prognostic value of GADD34 expression in predicting lupus flares. The overexpression of GADD34 in B lymphocytes of SLE patients suggests the activation of UPR in cells producing autoantibodies.

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