TY  - JOUR
A1  - Fröhlich, Matthias
A1  - Serfling, Sebastian
A1  - Higuchi, Takahiro
A1  - Pomper, Martin G.
A1  - Rowe, Steven P.
A1  - Schmalzing, Marc
A1  - Tony, Hans-Peter
A1  - Gernert, Michael
A1  - Strunz, Patrick-Pascal
A1  - Portegys, Jan
A1  - Schwaneck, Eva-Christina
A1  - Gadeholt, Ottar
A1  - Weich, Alexander
A1  - Buck, Andreas K.
A1  - Bley, Thorsten A.
A1  - Guggenberger, Konstanze V.
A1  - Werner, Rudolf A.
T1  - Whole-Body [\(^{18}\)F]FDG PET/CT Can Alter Diagnosis in Patients with Suspected Rheumatic Disease
JF  - Diagnostics
N2  - The 2-deoxy-d-[\(^{18}\)F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is widely utilized to assess the vascular and articular inflammatory burden of patients with a suspected diagnosis of rheumatic disease. We aimed to elucidate the impact of [\(^{18}\)F]FDG PET/CT on change in initially suspected diagnosis in patients at the time of the scan. Thirty-four patients, who had undergone [\(^{18}\)F]FDG PET/CT, were enrolled and the initially suspected diagnosis prior to [18F]FDG PET/CT was compared to the final diagnosis. In addition, a semi-quantitative analysis including vessel wall-to-liver (VLR) and joint-to-liver (JLR) ratios was also conducted. Prior to [\(^{18}\)F]FDG PET/CT, 22/34 (64.7%) of patients did not have an established diagnosis, whereas in 7/34 (20.6%), polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) was suspected, and in 5/34 (14.7%), giant cell arteritis (GCA) was suspected by the referring rheumatologists. After [\(^{18}\)F]FDG PET/CT, the diagnosis was GCA in 19/34 (55.9%), combined GCA and PMR (GCA + PMR) in 9/34 (26.5%) and PMR in the remaining 6/34 (17.6%). As such, [\(^{18}\)F]FDG PET/CT altered suspected diagnosis in 28/34 (82.4%), including in all unclear cases. VLR of patients whose final diagnosis was GCA tended to be significantly higher when compared to VLR in PMR (GCA, 1.01 ± 0.08 (95%CI, 0.95–1.1) vs. PMR, 0.92 ± 0.1 (95%CI, 0.85–0.99), p = 0.07), but not when compared to PMR + GCA (1.04 ± 0.14 (95%CI, 0.95–1.13), p = 1). JLR of individuals finally diagnosed with PMR (0.94 ± 0.16, (95%CI, 0.83–1.06)), however, was significantly increased relative to JLR in GCA (0.58 ± 0.04 (95%CI, 0.55–0.61)) and GCA + PMR (0.64 ± 0.09 (95%CI, 0.57–0.71); p < 0.0001, respectively). In individuals with a suspected diagnosis of rheumatic disease, an inflammatory-directed [\(^{18}\)F]FDG PET/CT can alter diagnosis in the majority of the cases, particularly in subjects who were referred because of diagnostic uncertainty. Semi-quantitative assessment may be helpful in establishing a final diagnosis of PMR, supporting the notion that a quantitative whole-body read-out may be useful in unclear cases.
KW  - giant cell arteritis
KW  - GCA
KW  - [18F]FDG PET/CT
KW  - vasculature
KW  - inflammation
KW  - polymyalgia rheumatica
KW  - PMR
KW  - vasculitis
Y1  - 2021
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-250227
SN  - 2075-4418
VL  - 11
IS  - 11
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Gernert, Michael
A1  - Tony, Hans-Peter
A1  - Schwanek, Eva Christina
A1  - Gadeholt, Ottar
A1  - Fröhlich, Matthias
A1  - Portegys, Jan
A1  - Strunz, Patrick-Pascal
A1  - Schmalzing, Marc
T1  - Lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood are disturbed in systemic sclerosis patients and can be changed by immunosuppressive medication
JF  - Rheumatology International
N2  - Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a severe chronic disease with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. SSc displays disturbed lymphocyte homeostasis. Immunosuppressive medications targeting T or B cells can improve disease manifestations. SSc clinical manifestations and immunosuppressive medication in itself can cause changes in lymphocyte subsets. The aim of this study was to investigate peripheral lymphocyte homeostasis in SSc with regards to the immunosuppression and to major organ involvement. 44 SSc patients and 19 healthy donors (HD) were included. Immunophenotyping of peripheral whole blood by fluorescence-activated cell sorting was performed. Cytokine secretions of stimulated B cell cultures were measured. SSc patients without immunosuppression compared to HD displayed lower γδ T cells, lower T helper cells (CD3+/CD4+), lower transitional B cells (CD19+/CD38++/CD10+/IgD+), lower pre-switched memory B cells (CD19+/CD27+/IgD+), and lower post-switched memory B cells (CD19+/CD27+/IgD-). There was no difference in the cytokine production of whole B cell cultures between SSc and HD. Within the SSc cohort, mycophenolate intake was associated with lower T helper cells and lower NK cells (CD56+/CD3-). The described differences in peripheral lymphocyte subsets between SSc and HD generate further insight in SSc pathogenesis. Lymphocyte changes under effective immunosuppression indicate how lymphocyte homeostasis in SSc might be restored.
KW  - mycophenolate
KW  - systemic sclerosis
KW  - scleroderma
KW  - memory B cells
KW  - B cell culture
KW  - cytokines
KW  - γδ T cells
KW  - immunophenotyping
Y1  - 2022
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-266482
SN  - 1437-160X
VL  - 42
IS  - 8
ER  -