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Additional file 1:. Supplementary figure 1. Scores used for histopathological assessment of intestinal and articular lesions. Supplementary figure 2. Impact of administration of low-dose rhIL-2 on Treg. B27-rats (n = 3/group) were injected i.p. daily for 5 consecutive days with PBS, 2,000 or 5,000 IU rhIL-2. At day 7, (a) the total number of cells, (b) the frequency of Treg, (c) the frequency of Teff, (d) ratio of Teff to Treg, (e) IL-10, (f) IL-17 intracellular production, (g) ratio of IL-17 to IL-10 intracellular cytokines production by Tregs, (h) Treg markers expression in LN from B27-rats were determined. Values represent the mean of 3 rats/group. *p < 0.05. Supplementary figure 3. Impact of administration of low-dose rhIL-2 on Treg. B27-rats (n = 3/group) were injected i.p. daily for 5 consecutive days with PBS, 2,000 or 5,000 IU rhIL-2. At day 7, (a) the total number of cells, (b) ratio of Teff to Treg, (c) ratio of IL-17 to IL-10 intracellular cytokines production by Tregs and (d) Treg markers expression in spleen from B27-rats were determined. Values represent the mean of 3 rats/group. *p < 0.05

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and utility of image fusion (Easy-TIPS) obtained from pre-procedure CT angiography and per-procedure real-time fluoroscopy for portal vein puncture during transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement.Eighteen patients (15 men, 3 women) with a mean age of 63 years (range: 48-81 years; median age, 65 years) were included in the study. All patients underwent TIPS placement by two groups of radiologists (one group with radiologists of an experience3 years and one with an experience≥3 years) using fusion imaging obtained from three-dimensional computed tomography angiography of the portal vein and real-time fluoroscopic images of the portal vein. Image fusion was used to guide the portal vein puncture during TIPS placement. At the end of the procedure, the interventional radiologists evaluated the utility of fusion imaging for portal vein puncture during TIPS placement. Mismatch between three-dimensional computed tomography angiography and real-time fluoroscopic images of the portal vein on image fusion was quantitatively analyzed. Posttreatment CT time, number of the puncture attempts, total radiation exposure and radiation from the retrograde portography were also recorded.Image fusion was considered useful for portal vein puncture in 13/18 TIPS procedures (72%). The mean posttreatment time to obtain fusion images was 16.4minutes. 3D volume rendered CT angiography images was strictly superimposed on direct portography in 10/18 procedures (56%). The mismatch mean value was 0.69cm in height and 0.28cm laterally. A mean number of 4.6 portal vein puncture attempts was made. Eight patients required less than three attempts. The mean radiation dose from retrograde portography was 421.2dGy.cmFusion imaging resulting from image fusion from pre-procedural CT angiography is feasible, safe and makes portal puncture easier during TIPS placement.

To determine whether disease manifestations at baseline would combine according to distinguishable ordered phenotypes in patients with early inflammatory back pain (IBP) suggestive of spondyloarthritis (SpA).Baseline clinical and demographic characteristics as well as imaging features and biologic data on patients included in the French multicenter Devenir des Spondyloarthropathies Indifferérenciées Récentes cohort were analyzed by multiple correspondence analysis and cluster analysis to identify subgroups of patients based on shared characteristics.Cluster analysis allowed us to classify the 679 patients with no missing data into 2 major groups-one with a predominance of isolated axial manifestations and the other with associated peripheral symptoms. The application of the same analysis to selected subsets of the cohort, such as HLA-B27-positive and -negative patients and patients fulfilling the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society classification criteria for axial SpA, resulted again in an optimal division of the samples into 2 recurrent clusters of patients similar to those observed in the whole cohort.Cluster analysis of SpA manifestations among patients with early IBP highly suggestive of SpA allowed us to clearly identify at baseline 2 different clinical phenotypes-one with predominant axial manifestations and the other with predominant peripheral manifestations. Ongoing follow-up will allow us to determine whether these clusters correspond to different patterns of disease severity.

International audience; Objective: To evaluate if contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can improve the detection and quantification of the vascularization of mild enthesitis in spondyloarthritis (SpA) and to evaluate the influence of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on such detection.Methods: Fourteen patients with mildly active SpA were evaluated at 3 consecutive visits: at baseline while undergoing NSAID treatment (V1), after 1 week of stopping NSAIDs (V2), and after 1 week of resuming NSAIDs (V3). At each visit, enthesitis was evaluated clinically and by power Doppler US (PDUS). A selected enthesis with a doubtful PDUS vascularization signal was studied by CEUS in 2 steps: (1) using a dedicated technology that preserves microbubbles (Contrast Tuned Imaging technology [CEUS-CnTI]) and (2) using high PD (CEUS-PD) to destroy microbubbles. A linear mixed model statistical analysis, taking visits and contrast agent as fixed factors and the patient as a random factor, was used.Results: Disease activity and PDUS findings increased between V1 and V2 and then decreased between V2 and V3. As compared with PDUS alone, CEUS-PD and CEUS-CnTI each detected 1 supplementary vascularized enthesis at V1, CEUS-PD detected 1 vascularized enthesis and CEUS-CnTI detected 3 vascularized entheses at V2, and CEUS-PD and CEUS-CnTI each detected 2 vascularized entheses at V3. The mean inflammation score was increased by the use of CEUS (P = 0.04). This score increased between V1 and V2 (P = 0.03 by CEUS-PD and P = 0.01 by CEUS-CnTI) and decreased between V2 and V3.Conclusion: CEUS improved the detection of enthesitis in SpA patients by confirming all doubtful enthesitis signals and confirming the absence of enthesis vascularization. The use of NSAIDs influenced the detection of vascularization.