Melinda Nagy-Vincze

Aims/Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) vaccinations have been proven to be generally safe in healthy populations. However, the data on vaccine safety in patients with type 1 diabetes are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and severity of short‐term (<7‐day) adverse vaccination events (AEs) and their risk factors among type 1 diabetes patients. Materials and Methods This study analyzed data from the COVID‐19 vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases (COVAD) survey database (May to December 2021; 110 collaborators, 94 countries), comparing <7‐day COVID‐19 vaccine AE among type 1 diabetes patients and healthy controls (HCs). Descriptive statistics; propensity score matching (1:4) using the variables age, sex and ethnicity; and multivariate analyses were carried out. Results This study analyzed 5,480 completed survey responses. Of all responses, 5,408 were HCs …

DEAR EDITOR, Vaccination against coronavirus disease 2 (COVID-19) is known to reduce adverse infection outcomes in the general population. However, most COVID-19 vaccination studies have excluded immunosuppressed individuals and those with systemic autoimmune diseases (SAIDs), including idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), leading to a lack of safety data for this patient group. Studies of self-reported adverse drug events (ADEs) following vaccination against COVID-19 have yielded conflicting results, with either higher or comparable adverse events in IIMs vs healthy controls (HCs)[1, 2]. This could potentially be explained by the effect of coexistent comorbidities on ADEs in these patients, especially comorbid autoimmune conditions, an area that remains understudied.The COVID-19 Vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases (COVAD) study is an ongoing international collaborative study involving …

Background The approved COVID-19 vaccines showed clear safety and efficacy in reduction of severe SARS-CoV-2 disease. Patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) were not well represented in these vaccine trials and there are limited data in the literature about development of confirmed disease flare after COVID-19 vaccination.Objectives To evaluate frequency, features and outcome of disease relapses in patients with IIM following SARS–CoV-2 vaccination.Methods A cohort of 176 IIM patients (mean age:57.6 years, 117 females, 59 males, 106 PM, 70 DM) were interviewed after the 3rd wave of COVID-19 pandemic and prospectively followed. Relapses were determined using the IMACS disease state criteria, outcome of the flares with myositis response criteria, calculating the total improvement score (TIS).Results A total of 146 (82.9%) patients received vaccination and 17/146 (11.6%) patients …

DEAR EDITOR, Patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) represent a high-risk group for adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs), and post COVID-19 vaccination disease flares have been speculated. However, data on vaccineassociated adverse events (ADEs) in the antenatal period and APOs in this vulnerable group are virtually non-existent, limiting physicians’ ability to make informed choices [1–3]. We analysed the long-term (> 7 days) vaccine-related ADEs, post-vaccination disease flares, COVID-19 infections, current health status and patient-reported outcomes in six fully vaccinated pregnant/lactating women with IIMs, in a descriptive subanalysis of the ongoing multicentre second COVID-19 Vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases (COVAD) study (involving 157 collaborators, 106 countries)[4]. We extracted 9201 total complete responses on 20 June 2022, which included responses from 6787 (73.8 …

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are systemic autoimmune diseases with immune-mediated muscle inflammation, characteristic skin symptoms and the presence of various organ involvements. Due to the heterogeneity of the disease, diagnostics and treatment strategies are extremely complex, which can be challenging even to doctors experienced in immunology. During the assessment of organ involvements, a thorough physical examination must be performed, as well as numerous laboratory and imaging tests. As treatment glucocorticoids and several immunosuppressive drugs are applied in order to achieve and maintain remission. Countless information is available in the literature about certain drug groups used during the therapy and their exact indications, but very few studies systematize their use from the point of view of organ manifestations. Based on this approach, the summary describes the …

ObjectivePandemic caused by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) determines the life of clinicians and patients since 2 years. We have a lot of information about disease course, treatment and protection against virus, but less on the prognosis of infection in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM). Also few data are available on triggered humoral response and side effects after vaccination.

Introduction Pruritus is a common excruciating symptom in systemic autoimmune diseases like dermatomyositis (DM) but pathogenesis is not fully understood. We intended to investigate targeted expression analysis of candidate molecules involved in the development of pruritus in lesional versus non-lesional skin samples of patients affected with active DM. We looked for correlations between the investigated pruriceptive signaling molecules, disease activity and itching sensation of DM patients. Methods Interleukins (IL-33, IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) and ion channels belonging to the transient receptor potential (TRP) family were analyzed. The expression of TNF-α, PPAR-γ, IL-33, IL-6 and TRP channels in lesional DM skin was evaluated by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry and was compared with non-lesional DM skin samples. Pruritus, disease activity and damage of DM was evaluated by the 5-D itch scale and Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index (CDASI), respectively. Statistical analysis was performed with IBM SPSS 28 software. Results Seventeen active DM patients participated in the study. We could show that itching score was positively correlated with CDASI activity score (Kendall’s tau-b=0.571; p=0.003). TNF-α gene expression was significantly higher in lesional DM skin than non-lesional DM skin (p=0.009) and differed in the subgroups of patients with different itch intensity (p=0.038). The mRNA expression of lesional IL-6 correlated positively with 5-D itch and CDASI activity score (Kendall’s tau-b= 0.585; p=0.008 and 0.45; p=0.013 …

adult; antibody response; antibody titer; breakthrough infection; clinical assessment; clinical significance; cohort analysis; conference abstract; coronavirus disease 2019; drug tolerability; electrochemiluminescence immunoassay; female; hospitalization; human; immunosuppressive treatment; incidence; infection complication; infection rate; major clinical study; male; myositis; nonhuman; outcome assessment; physician; prevention; prospective study; questionnaire; recurrent disease; relapse; risk assessment; risk factor; seroconversion; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; steroid therapy; vaccination; vaccinee; autoantibody; endogenous compound; Jo 1 antibody; SARS-CoV-2 vaccine; steroid; virus spike protein