Increased use of genetic health care in Iceland 2012-2017

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadINNGANGUR Formleg erfðaráðgjafareining hefur verið starfrækt á Landspítala við Hringbraut frá árinu 2006. Samhliða hefur áhugi og þörf á erfðalæknisfræði í almennri heilbrigðisþjónustu aukist til muna. Í þessari grein er starfsemi og útkoma erfðarannsókna hjá erfða- og sameindalæknisfræðideild Landspítala á 5 ára tímabili (2012-2017) tekin saman. Sérstaklega var horft til fjölda einstaklinga, ástæðu komu, ástæðu erfðarannsókna án aðkomu erfðaráðgjafar Landspítala og eins var nýtni (heildarhlutfall rannsókna sem skila jákvæðri niðurstöðu) erfðarannsókna skoðuð. AÐFERÐIR Gögn um komur voru fengin upp úr sjúkraskrárkerfi erfðaráðgjafar, Shire og Sögu/Heilsugátt. NIÐURSTAÐA Fjöldi þeirra sem sóttu þjónustu erfðaráðgjafareiningarinnar jókst árlega allt tímabilið. Ástæður fyrir erfðaráðgjöf reyndust vera krabbameinstengdar í tveimur þriðju hlutum tilfella. Aðrir komu vegna fjölskyldulægra sjúkdóma sem eru algengir á Íslandi, ýmist sjúkdóma sem erfast ríkjandi (dæmi: vöðvaspennuvisnun og ofvaxtarhjartavöðvasjúkdómur) eða vegna víkjandi sjúkdóma (dæmi: mænuvöðvarýrnun og GM1-ganglio-síðkvilli). Algengast var að fólk færi í erfðarannsókn án aðkomu erfðaráðgjafar Landspítala vegna meðhöndlanlegra sjúkdóma, svo sem arfgengrar járnofhleðslu og bláæðasegatilhneigingar. Nýtni erfðarannsókna var metin fyrir a) leit að þekktum meinvaldandi breytingum, b) leit að meinvaldandi breytingum í stökum genum (eingenarannsóknir), c) fjölgenarannsóknir og d) tákn- og heilerfðamengisrannsóknir. Leit að þekktri breytingu skilaði jákvæðri niðurstöðu í 33% tilvika og leit í stöku geni í 46% tilvika. Nýtni fjölgenarannsókna vegna krabbameina var lægri (20%) samanborið við aðrar fjölgenarannsóknir (40%). Þá var nýtni tákn- og heilerfðamengisrannsókna 46%.INTRODUCTION: A genetic counselling unit at Landspitali hospital (LSH) was established in 2006. Meanwhile, genetic testing has become an integral part of general health care. In this article we detail the outcome of genetic testing at the Department of Genetic and Molecular Medicine (DGM) at Landspitali over a five year period (2012-2017). Factors that were analyzed for the time period were: Number of patients, reason for referral, reason for genetic testing without genetic counselling and yield (proportion of positive tests) of genetic testing. METHODS: Data was analysed from two medical record databases, Shire and Saga, used by the DGM in the time period. RESULTS: The number of individuals coming for genetic counselling increased every year over the time period. Reasons for referral were cancer-related in two-thirds of cases. Other reasons for referral included various other familial disorders. Most common were autosomal dominant disorders like myotonic dystrophy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and autosomal recessive disorders like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and GM1- gangliosidosis. Most common reasons for genetic testing outside of the LSH GC unit was because of managable diseases like hemochromatosis and F5/Prothrombin-related thrombophilia. Yield of genetic testing was assessed for a) known mutation testing / carrier testing, b) single gene testing, c) gene panel testing and d) whole genome and whole exome sequencing. Known mutation testing was positive in 33% of cases and single gene testing in 46% of cases. The yield of gene panel testing for cancer was found to be lower (20%) than gene panel testing for other disorders (40%). The yield of whole exome and whole genome sequencing was 46%

A descriptive study of the surge response and outcomes of ICU patients with COVID-19 during first wave in Nordic countries.

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink belowBackground: We sought to provide a description of surge response strategies and characteristics, clinical management and outcomes of patients with severe COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU) during the first wave of the pandemic in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Methods: Representatives from the national ICU registries for each of the five countries provided clinical data and a description of the strategies to allocate ICU resources and increase the ICU capacity during the pandemic. All adult patients admitted to the ICU for COVID-19 disease during the first wave of COVID-19 were included. The clinical characteristics, ICU management and outcomes of individual countries were described with descriptive statistics. Results: Most countries more than doubled their ICU capacity during the pandemic. For patients positive for SARS-CoV-2, the ratio of requiring ICU admission for COVID-19 varied substantially (1.6%-6.7%). Apart from age (proportion of patients aged 65 years or over between 29% and 62%), baseline characteristics, chronic comorbidity burden and acute presentations of COVID-19 disease were similar among the five countries. While utilization of invasive mechanical ventilation was high (59%-85%) in all countries, the proportion of patients receiving renal replacement therapy (7%-26%) and various experimental therapies for COVID-19 disease varied substantially (e.g. use of hydroxychloroquine 0%-85%). Crude ICU mortality ranged from 11% to 33%. Conclusion: There was substantial variability in the critical care response in Nordic ICUs to the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic, including usage of experimental medications. While ICU mortality was low in all countries, the observed variability warrants further attention. Keywords: COVID-19; Nordic; SARS-CoV2; mortality.NordForsk (Nordic COVID-19 Activities) Finnish Society of Intensive Car

Re-emergence of enterovirus D68 in Europe after easing the COVID-19 lockdown, September 2021.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadWe report a rapid increase in enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infections, with 139 cases reported from eight European countries between 31 July and 14 October 2021. This upsurge is in line with the seasonality of EV-D68 and was presumably stimulated by the widespread reopening after COVID-19 lockdown. Most cases were identified in September, but more are to be expected in the coming months. Reinforcement of clinical awareness, diagnostic capacities and surveillance of EV-D68 is urgently needed in Europe. Keywords: acute flaccid myelitis; enterovirus; enterovirus D68; respiratory infection; surveillance; typing

Reply to "Caution in underrepresentation of older adults in clinical trials on COVID-19 vaccines".

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X-linked serotonin 2C receptor is associated with a non-canonical pathway for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadSudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy is a leading cause of epilepsy-related mortality, and the analysis of mouse Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy models is steadily revealing a spectrum of inherited risk phenotypes based on distinct genetic mechanisms. Serotonin (5-HT) signalling enhances post-ictal cardiorespiratory drive and, when elevated in the brain, reduces death following evoked audiogenic brainstem seizures in inbred mouse models. However, no gene in this pathway has yet been linked to a spontaneous epilepsy phenotype, the defining criterion of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. Most monogenic models of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy invoke a failure of inhibitory synaptic drive as a critical pathogenic step. Accordingly, the G protein-coupled, membrane serotonin receptor 5-HT2C inhibits forebrain and brainstem networks by exciting GABAergic interneurons, and deletion of this gene lowers the threshold for lethal evoked audiogenic seizures. Here, we characterize epileptogenesis throughout the lifespan of mice lacking X-linked, 5-HT2C receptors (loxTB Htr2c). We find that loss of Htr2c generates a complex, adult-onset spontaneous epileptic phenotype with a novel progressive hyperexcitability pattern of absences, non-convulsive, and convulsive behavioural seizures culminating in late onset sudden mortality predominantly in male mice. RNAscope localized Htr2c mRNA in subsets of Gad2+ GABAergic neurons in forebrain and brainstem regions. To evaluate the contribution of 5-HT2C receptor-mediated inhibitory drive, we selectively spared their deletion in GAD2+ GABAergic neurons of pan-deleted loxTB Htr2c mice, yet unexpectedly found no amelioration of survival or epileptic phenotype, indicating that expression of 5-HT2C receptors in GAD2+ inhibitory neurons was not sufficient to prevent hyperexcitability and lethal seizures. Analysis of human Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy and epilepsy genetic databases identified an enrichment of HTR2C non-synonymous variants in Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy cases. Interestingly, while early lethality is not reflected in the mouse model, we also identified variants mainly among male Sudden Infant Death Syndrome patients. Our findings validate HTR2C as a novel, sex-linked candidate gene modifying Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy risk, and demonstrate that the complex epilepsy phenotype does not arise solely from 5-HT2C-mediated synaptic disinhibition. These results strengthen the evidence for the serotonin hypothesis of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy risk in humans, and advance current efforts to develop gene-guided interventions to mitigate premature mortality in epilepsy.United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke (NINDS) Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy Blue Bird Circle Foundation for Pediatric Researc

The CRTAC1 Protein in Plasma Is Associated With Osteoarthritis and Predicts Progression to Joint Replacement: A Large-Scale Proteomics Scan in Iceland.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadObjective: Biomarkers for diagnosis and progression of osteoarthritis (OA) are lacking. This study was undertaken to identify circulating biomarkers for OA that could predict disease occurrence and/or progression to joint replacement. Methods: Using the SomaScan platform, we measured 4,792 proteins in plasma from 37,278 individuals, of whom 12,178 individuals had OA and 2,524 had undergone joint replacement. We performed a case-control study for identification of potential protein biomarkers for hip, knee, and/or hand OA, and a prospective study for identification of biomarkers for joint replacement. Results: Among the large panel of plasma proteins assessed, cartilage acidic protein 1 (CRTAC1) was the most strongly associated with both OA diagnosis (odds ratio 1.46 [95% confidence interval 1.41-1.52] for knee OA, odds ratio 1.36 [95% confidence interval 1.29-1.43] for hip OA, and odds ratio 1.33 [95% confidence interval 1.26-1.40] for hand OA) and progression to joint replacement (hazard ratio 1.40 [95% confidence interval 1.30-1.51] for knee replacement and hazard ratio 1.31 [95% confidence interval 1.19-1.45] for hip replacement). Patients with OA who were in the highest quintile of risk of joint replacement, based on known risk factors (i.e., age, sex, and body mass index) and plasma CRTAC1 level, were 16 times more likely to undergo knee replacement within 5 years of plasma sample collection than those in the lowest quintile, and 6.5 times more likely to undergo hip replacement. CRTAC1 was not associated with other types of inflammatory arthritis. A specific protein profile was identified in those patients who had undergone joint replacement prior to plasma sample collection. Conclusion: Through a hypothesis-free approach, we identified CRTAC1 in plasma as a novel promising candidate biomarker for OA that is both associated with occurrence of OA and predictive of progression to joint replacement. This biomarker might also be useful in the selection of suitable patients for clinical trial enrollment.deCODE genetics, Inc./Amgen Inc

Can ultrasound on admission in active labor predict labor duration and a spontaneous delivery?

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadBackground: Identifying predictive factors for a normal outcome at admission in the labor ward would be of value for planning labor care, timing interventions, and preventing labor dystocia. Clinical assessments of fetal head station and position at the start of labor have some predictive value, but the value of ultrasound methods for this purpose has not been investigated. Studies using transperineal ultrasound before labor onset show possibilities of using these methods to predict outcomes. Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether ultrasound measurements during the first examination in the active phase of labor were associated with the duration of labor phases and the need for operative delivery. Study design: This was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study at Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland. Nulliparous women at ≥37 weeks' gestation with a single fetus in cephalic presentation and in active spontaneous labor were eligible for the study. The recruitment period was from January 2016 to April 2018. Women were examined by a midwife on admission and included in the study if they were in active labor, which was defined as regular contractions with a fully effaced cervix, dilatation of ≥4 cm. An ultrasound examination was performed by a separate examiner within 15 minutes; both examiners were blinded to the other's results. Transabdominal and transperineal ultrasound examinations were used to assess fetal head position, cervical dilatation, and fetal head station, expressed as head-perineum distance and angle of progression. Duration of labor was estimated as the hazard ratio for spontaneous delivery using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analysis. The hazard ratios were adjusted for maternal age and body mass index. The associations between study parameters and mode of delivery were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: Median times to spontaneous delivery were 490 minutes for a head-perineum distance of ≤45 mm and 682 minutes for a head-perineum distance of >45 mm (log-rank test, P=.009; adjusted hazard ratio for a shorter head-perineum distance, 1.47 [95% confidence interval, 0.83-2.60]). The median durations were 506 minutes for an angle of progression of ≥93° and 732 minutes for an angle of progression of <93° (log-rank test, P=.008; adjusted hazard ratio, 2.07 [95% confidence interval, 1.15-3.72]). The median times to delivery were 506 minutes for nonocciput posterior positions and 677 minutes for occiput posterior positions (log-rank test, P=.07; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.52 [95% confidence interval, 0.96-2.38]) Median times to delivery were 429 minutes for a dilatation of ≥6 cm and 704 minutes for a dilatation of 4 to 5 cm (log-rank test, P=.002; adjusted hazard ratio, 3.11 [95% confidence interval, 1.68-5.77]). Overall, there were 75 spontaneous deliveries; among those deliveries, 16 were instrumental vaginal deliveries (1 forceps delivery and 15 ventouse deliveries), and 8 were cesarean deliveries. Head-perineum distance and angle of progression were associated with a spontaneous delivery with area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of 0.68 (95% confidence interval, 0.55-0.80) and 0.67 (95% confidence interval, 0.55-0.80), respectively. Ultrasound measurement of cervical dilatation or position at inclusion was not significantly associated with spontaneous delivery. Conclusion: Ultrasound examinations showed that fetal head station and cervical dilatation were associated with the duration of labor; however, measurements of fetal head station were the variables best associated with operative deliveries. Keywords: angle of progression; delivery time; fetal head station; head-perineum distance; labor; transperineal ultrasound.Icelandic Centre for Researc

Peroxidasin Enhances Basal Phenotype and Inhibits Branching Morphogenesis in Breast Epithelial Progenitor Cell Line D492.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadThe human breast is composed of terminal duct lobular units (TDLUs) that are surrounded by stroma. In the TDLUs, basement membrane separates the stroma from the epithelial compartment, which is divided into an inner layer of luminal epithelial cells and an outer layer of myoepithelial cells. Stem cells and progenitor cells also reside within the epithelium and drive a continuous cycle of gland remodelling that occurs throughout the reproductive period. D492 is an epithelial cell line originally isolated from the stem cell population of the breast and generates both luminal and myoepithelial cells in culture. When D492 cells are embedded into 3D reconstituted basement membrane matrix (3D-rBM) they form branching colonies mimicking the TDLUs of the breast, thereby providing a well-suited in vitro model for studies on branching morphogenesis and breast development. Peroxidasin (PXDN) is a heme-containing peroxidase that crosslinks collagen IV with the formation of sulfilimine bonds. Previous studies indicate that PXDN plays an integral role in basement membrane stabilisation by crosslinking collagen IV and as such contributes to epithelial integrity. Although PXDN has been linked to fibrosis and cancer in some organs there is limited information on its role in development, including in the breast. In this study, we demonstrate expression of PXDN in breast epithelium and stroma and apply the D492 cell line to investigate the role of PXDN in cell differentiation and branching morphogenesis in the human breast. Overexpression of PXDN induced basal phenotype in D492 cells, loss of plasticity and inhibition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition as is displayed by complete inhibition of branching morphogenesis in 3D culture. This is supported by results from RNA-sequencing which show significant enrichment in genes involved in epithelial differentiation along with significant negative enrichment of EMT factors. Taken together, we provide evidence for a novel role of PXDN in breast epithelial differentiation and mammary gland development. Keywords: Branching morphogenesis; D492; Mammary gland; Mammary stem cells; Peroxidasin; p63.Icelandic Science and Technology Policy Grant of Excellence 152144051 Icelandic Cancer Society group for basic research of breast cancer in Icelan

Flares after hydroxychloroquine reduction or discontinuation: results from the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) inception cohort.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadObjectives: To evaluate systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) flares following hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) reduction or discontinuation versus HCQ maintenance. Methods: We analysed prospective data from the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) cohort, enrolled from 33 sites within 15 months of SLE diagnosis and followed annually (1999-2019). We evaluated person-time contributed while on the initial HCQ dose ('maintenance'), comparing this with person-time contributed after a first dose reduction, and after a first HCQ discontinuation. We estimated time to first flare, defined as either subsequent need for therapy augmentation, increase of ≥4 points in the SLE Disease Activity Index-2000, or hospitalisation for SLE. We estimated adjusted HRs (aHRs) with 95% CIs associated with reducing/discontinuing HCQ (vs maintenance). We also conducted separate multivariable hazard regressions in each HCQ subcohort to identify factors associated with flare. Results: We studied 1460 (90% female) patients initiating HCQ. aHRs for first SLE flare were 1.20 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.38) and 1.56 (95% CI 1.31 to 1.86) for the HCQ reduction and discontinuation groups, respectively, versus HCQ maintenance. Patients with low educational level were at particular risk of flaring after HCQ discontinuation (aHR 1.43, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.87). Prednisone use at time-zero was associated with over 1.5-fold increase in flare risk in all HCQ subcohorts. Conclusions: SLE flare risk was higher after HCQ taper/discontinuation versus HCQ maintenance. Decisions to maintain, reduce or stop HCQ may affect specific subgroups differently, including those on prednisone and/or with low education. Further study of special groups (eg, seniors) may be helpful. Keywords: autoimmune diseases; epidemiology; hydroxychloroquine; systemic lupus erythematosus.Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Fonds de Recherche du Quebec Sante (FRQS) Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Singer Family Fund for Lupus Research Arthritis Society Chair in Rheumatic Diseases at the University of Calgary Lupus UK West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)/Wellcome Trust Birmingham Clinical Research Facility tier 1 Canada Research Chair on Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases Bio & Medical Technology Development Programme of the National Research Foundation of the Republic of Korea United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - US

Hepatitis B virus elimination status and strategies in circumpolar countries, 2020.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global health threat. The World Health Organization (WHO) established a goal to eliminate HBV infection as a public health threat by 2030, and defined targets for key interventions to achieve that goal. We evaluated HBV burden and relevant national recommendations for progress towards WHO targets in circumpolar countries. Viral hepatitis experts of circumpolar countries were surveyed regarding their country's burden of HBV, achievement of WHO targets and national public health authority recommendations for HBV prevention and control. Eight of nine circumpolar countries responded. All countries continue to see new HBV infections. Data about HBV prevalence and progress in reaching WHO 2030 elimination targets are lacking. No country was able to report data for all seven WHO target measures. All countries have recommendations targeting the prevention of mother-to-child transmission. Only the USA and Greenland recommend universal birth dose vaccination. Four countries have recommendations to screen persons at high risk for HBV. Existing recommendations largely address prevention; however, recommendations for universal birth dose vaccination have not been widely introduced. Opportunities remain for the development of trackable targets and national elimination planning to screen and treat for HBV to reduce incidence and mortality. Keywords: Circumpolar Viral Hepatitis Working Group; Hepatitis B infection; elimination; policy survey; public health policy; vaccination recommendation