Reed, Griffin

Background/Objective: Dietary, supplement, and activity exposures have only been studied in spondyloarthritis (SpA) with retrospective studies. We aimed to determine the association of diet, supplements, and physical activity with incident SpA. Patients and Methods: We performed a case-control study in the Mayo Clinic Biobank from 2009 through 2015, matching criteria-confirmed incident SpA cases to controls 1:5 on age, sex, recruitment year, and location. Questionnaires assessed 16 dietary, 29 supplement, and leisure-time/work activity exposures. Logistic regression models calculated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% CIs of SpA for each exposure, adjusting for covariates. Sensitivity analyses were conducted within HLA-B27-positive patients, and those with baseline questionnaires completed 5+ years before index. Results: We identified 73 cases of incident SpA matched with 365 controls (mean age: 60, 70% females). No dietary or activity exposures were associated with SpA overall. However, among HLA-B27-positive individuals, non-diet soft drink consumption was associated with increased risk of SpA (aOR: 4.82, 95% CI: 1.29-18.1), whereas caffeinated coffee was associated with decreased risk (aOR: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.04-0.89). Zinc was associated with increased risk of SpA (aOR: 4.16, 95% CI: 1.19-14.6), as were B vitamins in the HLA-B27-positive subgroup (aOR: 4.21, 95% CI: 1.04-17.1). In the 5-year sensitivity analysis, low leisure-time physical activity plus high work physical activity was associated with increased risk of SpA (relative excess risk due to interaction: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.03-0.98). Conclusions: Due to small sample size and multiple comparisons, the risk factors we identified (non-diet soft drinks, B vitamins, and zinc) should be considered hypothesis-generating and warrant further investigation.

The objectives of this article are to present a case of type II cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, explain why mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is an unusual cause of type II cryoglobulins and to discuss the aetiology, epidemiology, pathophysiology and treatment of cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. A 67-year-old woman presented with 4 months of weight loss, intermittent epistaxis and a purpuric skin rash. Prior to presentation, she was found to have an elevated rheumatoid factor. Further investigation revealed an acute kidney injury and elevated type II cryoglobulins suspicious for cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, which was confirmed by kidney biopsy. Additional workup for the weight loss included biopsy of newly found splenomegaly. Pathology revealed MALT lymphoma, a rare cause of type II cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. Successful medical therapy required treating the underlying malignancy with rituximab and high-dose steroids. After initial resolution of symptoms with this regimen, the patient’s vasculitis worsened, which was thought to be secondary to undertreatment of the lymphoma. Bendamustine was added to further treat the lymphoma, after which the patient recovered and was able to discharge without recurrence of symptoms at 6 months.