Implementering av Legemiddelinnkjøpsamarbeid (LIS)-anbefalinger ved multippel sklerose

Bakgrunn: De siste 18 årene har et økende antall kostbare immunmodulerende medikamenter blitt tilgjengelig i Norge for bruk ved multippel sklerose (MS). De regionale helseforetakene (RHFene) inngikk i 2007 en avtale vedrørende legemiddelinnkjøpsamarbeid (LIS). LIS-MS spesialistgruppen gir anbefalinger for preparatvalg ved oppstart eller endring av behandling ut fra kostnadsberegninger basert på godkjente indikasjoner og nasjonale retningslinjer for behandling av MS. Laveste gjennomsnittlige behandlingskostnad gir grunnlag for preparatvalg. RHFene har vedtatt å benytte LIS-anbefalingene som instruks i egne helseforetak. Avvik fra anbefalingene skal begrunnes og dokumenteres i pasientenes journal. Denne oppgaven hadde som mål å belyse hvordan LIS-anbefalingene for MS-behandling er blitt implementert de siste årene ved en av Norges største MS-klinikker. Dernest ønsket vi å studere implikasjoner av LIS-anbefalingene for pasientene og spesialisthelsetjenesten og diskutere dette i et klinisk samt et helsepolitisk perspektiv. Metode: I kvalitets-registeret over MS-pasienter ved nevrologisk avdeling ved på Oslo universitetssykehus (OUS), identifiserte vi 174 MS-pasienter som startet med immunmodulerende førstelinje MS-behandling for første gang i perioden januar 2011-september 2014. Data ble innhentet ved gjennomgang av pasientenes journaler. Kliniske parametere, data om medikamentbruk, bivirkninger og seponerings-årsaker ble analysert med deskriptiv statistikk. Tid til medikamentbytte første, andre, tredje og fjerde gang for de mest brukte medikamentene ble sammenlignet ved deskriptive analyser og i Kaplan-Meier levetidsanalyser og Log Rank test. Resultater: Mer enn halvparten (55,2 %) av pasientene startet behandling med Extavia® eller Betaferon® (interferon β-1b), slik LIS-MS spesialistgruppen har anbefalt i studieperioden. Copaxone® (glatirameracetat) var det første MS-medikamentet som ble brukt blant 33,3 % av pasientene, og mindre andeler av pasientene startet med andre preparater. Medikament-valget var begrunnet i journalen, slik retningslinjen sier. I løpet av studieperioden sluttet 59 % av de som startet med Extavia® og 80 % av de som starter med Betaferon® med disse medikamentene. I overkant av 50 % sluttet med det alternative førstelinje medikamentet Copaxone®. Det var ingen signifikant forskjell i behandlingslengden mellom Extavia®, Betaferon® og Copaxone®, som gjennomsnittlig var mellom 18 og 24 måneder. Pasientene hadde hyppig kjente bivirkninger av alle tre behandlingene. Det hyppigste var influensa-symptomer ved Extavia® og Betaferon® (55 %) og reaksjoner på injeksjonsstedet ved Copaxone (53 %). Tilsvarende ble behandlingen avbrutt på grunn av influensa-symptomer i 13 % av tilfellene og på grunn av reaksjoner på innstikks-stedet hos 14 %. Attakker eller endringer på MRI-bilder førte til seponering hos 23 % av pasientene, likt fordelt i disse to behandlingsgruppene. Ønske om å bruke et annet medikament ble angitt som seponeringsårsak hos 22 %, uavhengig av bivirkninger. Tilsammen byttet 64 % av pasientene medikament i løpet av studieperioden minst en gang. Det var også mange pasienter som startet med andre typer medikamenter i løpet av studieperioden (n=229), og de fleste av disse (81,2 %) startet med tablett-behandlinger. Konklusjon: Studien bekrefter at MS-klinikken på OUS har implementert MS-LIS-anbefalingene, i og med at den største andelen av pasientene startet med Extavia®- eller Betaferon®-injeksjoner. En relativt stor andel begynte med det alternative førstelinje-medikamentet Copaxone®. Medikamentvalgene var begrunnet i journalene, slik instruksen tilsier. Pasientene hadde hyppig kjente bivirkninger av disse tre medikamentene. Flertallet sluttet eller skiftet til andre medikamenter i løpet av observasjonsperioden, delvis på grunn av bivirkninger, terapi-svikt eller ønske om å bruke et annet preparat. Man bør derfor vurdere å inkludere kostnader for pasienter og helsevesen ved medikamentbytter i kostnadsanalysene ved LIS-anbefalinger ved MS. En økende andel pasienter startet med perorale medikamenter ved medikament-skiftet, parallelt med at disse kom på det norske markedet. Dette gir støtte til den endrede praksisen som ble innført ved LIS-anbefalingen for 2015, der tablett-behandling med Aubagio® likestilles med injeksjonsbehandling med Extavia®, til tross for at tablett-behandlingen er nesten dobbelt så dyr. Studien støtter også argumenter for større grad av persontilpassede medikamentvalg. Resultater av den pågående fullstendige metodevurderingen vedrørende bruk av legemidler ved MS i Norge vil være avgjørende for fremtidige LIS-anbefalinger for MS-behandling

Identification of Human NK17/NK1 Cells

Background: Natural killer (NK) cells have both cytolytic and immunoregulatory functions. We recently described that these cells release the inflammatory cytokines IL-17 and IFN-c. However, the precise identity of the NK cell subset(s) that secrete these cytokines is not known. Methodology/Principal Findings: To isolate the cells secreting IL-17 and IFN-c, we took advantage of the findings that Th17/Th1 cells express chemokine receptors. Therefore, CD56 + NK cells were stained with antibodies against various chemokine receptors and intracellularly with antibodies toward IL-17 and IFN-c. Consequently, we identified previously unrecognized subset of NK cells generated from normal human peripheral blood after activation with IL-2 but not PMA plus ionomycin. The cells are characterized by the expression of CD56 + and CCR4 +, produce IL-17 and IFN-c and are consequently named NK17/NK1 cells. They also express CD161, NKp30, NKp44, NKp46, NKG2D, CD158, CCL22, IL-2Rb and the common c chain but not CD127 or IL-23R. Further, they possess T-bet and RORct transcription factors. Antibodies to IL-1b, IL-6, IL-21, or TGF-b1 do not inhibit IL-2-induced generation of NK17/NK1 cells, suggesting that IL-2 has the capacity to polarize these cells. Notably, NK17/NK1 cells are abundant in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) without activation, and are generated from the peripheral blood of these patients after activation with IL-2

Enhancement of cranial nerves in Lyme neuroborreliosis: incidence and correlation with clinical symptoms and prognosis

Purpose Symptoms of cranial neuritis are a common presentation of Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB). Imaging studies are scarce and report contradictory low prevalence of enhancement compared to clinical studies of cranial neuropathy. We hypothesized that MRI enhancement of cranial nerves in LNB is underreported, and aimed to assess the prevalence and clinical impact of cranial nerve enhancement in early LNB. Methods In this prospective, longitudinal cohort study, 69 patients with acute LNB were examined with MRI of the brain. Enhancement of cranial nerves III–XII was rated. MRI enhancement was correlated to clinical fndings of neuropathy in the acute phase and after 6 months. Results Thirty-nine of 69 patients (57%) had pathological cranial nerve enhancement. Facial and oculomotor nerves were most frequently afected. There was a strong correlation between enhancement in the distal internal auditory canal and parotid segments of the facial nerve and degree of facial palsy (gamma=0.95, p<.01, and gamma=0.93, p<.01), despite that 19/37 nerves with mild-moderate enhancement in the distal internal auditory canal segment showed no clinically evident palsy. Oculomotor and abducens nerve enhancement did not correlate with eye movement palsy (gamma=1.00 and 0.97, p=.31 for both). Sixteen of 17 patients with oculomotor and/or abducens nerve enhancement had no evident eye movement palsy. Conclusions MRI cranial nerve enhancement is common in LNB patients, but it can be clinically occult. Facial and oculomotor nerves are most often afected. Enhancement of the facial nerve distal internal auditory canal and parotid segments correlate with degree of facial palsy.publishedVersio

Quantitative proteomic analyses of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells reveal differentially expressed proteins in multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune, neuroinflammatory disease, with an unclear etiology. However, T cells play a central role in the pathogenesis by crossing the blood–brain-barrier, leading to inflammation of the central nervous system and demyelination of the protective sheath surrounding the nerve fibers. MS has a complex inheritance pattern, and several studies indicate that gene interactions with environmental factors contribute to disease onset. Methods In the current study, we evaluated T cell dysregulation at the protein level using electrospray liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to get novel insights into immune-cell processes in MS. We have analyzed the proteomic profiles of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells purified from whole blood from 13 newly diagnosed, treatment-naive female patients with relapsing–remitting MS and 14 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Results An overall higher protein abundance was observed in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from MS patients when compared to healthy controls. The differentially expressed proteins were enriched for T-cell specific activation pathways, especially CTLA4 and CD28 signaling in CD4+ T cells. When selectively analyzing proteins expressed from the genes most proximal to > 200 non-HLA MS susceptibility polymorphisms, we observed differential expression of eight proteins in T cells between MS patients and healthy controls, and there was a correlation between the genotype at three MS genetic risk loci and protein expressed from proximal genes. Conclusion Our study provides evidence for proteomic differences in T cells from relapsing–remitting MS patients compared to healthy controls and also identifies dysregulation of proteins encoded from MS susceptibility genes.publishedVersio

Enhancement of cranial nerves in Lyme neuroborreliosis: incidence and correlation with clinical symptoms and prognosis

Purpose Symptoms of cranial neuritis are a common presentation of Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB). Imaging studies are scarce and report contradictory low prevalence of enhancement compared to clinical studies of cranial neuropathy. We hypothesized that MRI enhancement of cranial nerves in LNB is underreported, and aimed to assess the prevalence and clinical impact of cranial nerve enhancement in early LNB. Methods In this prospective, longitudinal cohort study, 69 patients with acute LNB were examined with MRI of the brain. Enhancement of cranial nerves III–XII was rated. MRI enhancement was correlated to clinical findings of neuropathy in the acute phase and after 6 months. Results Thirty-nine of 69 patients (57%) had pathological cranial nerve enhancement. Facial and oculomotor nerves were most frequently affected. There was a strong correlation between enhancement in the distal internal auditory canal and parotid segments of the facial nerve and degree of facial palsy (gamma = 0.95, p < .01, and gamma = 0.93, p < .01), despite that 19/37 nerves with mild-moderate enhancement in the distal internal auditory canal segment showed no clinically evident palsy. Oculomotor and abducens nerve enhancement did not correlate with eye movement palsy (gamma = 1.00 and 0.97, p = .31 for both). Sixteen of 17 patients with oculomotor and/or abducens nerve enhancement had no evident eye movement palsy. Conclusions MRI cranial nerve enhancement is common in LNB patients, but it can be clinically occult. Facial and oculomotor nerves are most often affected. Enhancement of the facial nerve distal internal auditory canal and parotid segments correlate with degree of facial palsy.publishedVersio

Genetic Association of Multiple Sclerosis with the Marker rs391745 near the Endogenous Retroviral Locus HERV-Fc1: Analysis of Disease Subtypes

We have previously described the occurrence of multiple sclerosis (MS) to be associated with human endogenous retroviruses, specifically the X-linked viral locus HERV-Fc1. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible association of the HERV-Fc1 locus with subtypes of MS. MS patients are generally subdivided into three categories: Remitting/Relapsing and Secondary Progressive, which together constitute Bout Onset MS, and Primary Progressive. In this study of 1181 MS patients and 1886 controls we found that Bout Onset MS was associated with the C-allele of the marker rs391745 near the HERV-Fc1 locus (p = 0.003), while primary progressive disease was not. The ability to see genetic differences between subtypes of MS near this gene speaks for the involvement of the virus HERV-Fc1 locus in modifying the disease course of MS

Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal MRI Brain Scans Reveal Accelerated Brain Aging in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system. By combining longitudinal MRI-based brain morphometry and brain age estimation using machine learning, we tested the hypothesis that MS patients have higher brain age relative to chronological age than healthy controls (HC) and that longitudinal rate of brain aging in MS patients is associated with clinical course and severity. Seventy-six MS patients [71% females, mean age 34.8 years (range 21–49) at inclusion] were examined with brain MRI at three time points with a mean total follow up period of 4.4 years (±0.4 years). We used additional cross-sectional MRI data from 235 HC for case-control comparison. We applied a machine learning model trained on an independent set of 3,208 HC to estimate individual brain age and to calculate the difference between estimated and chronological age, termed brain age gap (BAG). We also assessed the longitudinal change rate in BAG in individuals with MS. MS patients showed significantly higher BAG (4.4 ± 6.6 years) compared to HC (Cohen's D = 0.69, p = 4.0 × 10−6). Longitudinal estimates of BAG in MS patients showed high reliability and suggested an accelerated rate of brain aging corresponding to an annual increase of 0.41 (SE = 0.15) years compared to chronological aging (p = 0.008). Multiple regression analyses revealed higher rate of brain aging in patients with more brain atrophy (Cohen's D = 0.86, p = 4.3 × 10−15) and increased white matter lesion load (WMLL) (Cohen's D = 0.55, p = 0.015). On average, patients with MS had significantly higher BAG compared to HC. Progressive brain aging in patients with MS was related to brain atrophy and increased WMLL. No significant clinical associations were found in our sample, future studies are warranted on this matter. Brain age estimation is a promising method for evaluation of subtle brain changes in MS, which is important for predicting clinical outcome and guide choice of intervention

Assessment of cognitive function, structural brain changes and fatigue 6 months after treatment of neuroborreliosis

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