Hepatic safety and efficacy of immunomodulatory drugs used in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS There is little data on the hepatic efficacy and safety of immunomodulatory drugs used in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), despite their established use in dermatology, rheumatology and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Our aim was to collect real-life data on the experience of expert centres in treating AIH patients with these drugs, considered unconventional for AIH management. METHODS Online survey among hepatology centres being part of the European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER). RESULTS 25 AIH patients have been reported. Ten were female, median age at diagnosis was 28 years; median follow-up was 17 months. All had initially received AIH-standard treatment. AIH-unconventional treatment was initiated for concomitant autoimmune diseases in 15 cases: nine for IBD (five vedolizumab and four ustekinumab), and one each for following diseases: autoinflammatory syndrome (tocilizumab), chronic urticaria (omalizumab), rheumatoid arthritis (abatacept), psoriasis (guselkumab), psoriatric arthritis (secukinumab, followed by ustekinumab) and alopecia (ruxolitinib). Three patients were treated with immunomodulatory drugs for side effects of previous treatments, including two patients with IBD treated with vedolizumab and ustekinumab, respectively, and one treated with belimumab. At the end of follow-up, 13 patients were in complete biochemical response, the patient on omalizumab had a relapse, and four patients with concomitant IBD had insufficient response. Seven patients were treated for lack of biochemical remission, of whom six with belimumab, all initially reaching complete biochemical response, but five relapsing during follow-up; and one with secukinumab, having concomitant rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, reaching complete biochemical response. Only the patient on abatacept received unconventional treatment as monotherapy. Side effects were reported in two patients on belimumab: one recurrent soft tissue infections, one fatigue and arthralgia. CONCLUSION Among 25 AIH patients who were treated with immunomodulatory drugs for different reasons, the majority had a fovorable course, relapse was frequent in difficult-to-treat patients who received belimumab, and four with concomitant IBD had insufficient response

Identification and evaluation of 21 novel microsatellite markers from the autumnal moth (Epirrita autumnata) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

The autumnal moth (Epirrita autumnata) is a cyclically outbreaking forest Lepidoptera with circumpolar distribution and substantial impact on Northern ecosystems. We have isolated 21 microsatellites from the species to facilitate population genetic studies of population cycles, outbreaks, and crashes. First, PCR primers and PCR conditions were developed to amplify 19 trinucleotide loci and two tetranucleotide loci in six multiplex PCR approaches and then analyzed for species specificity, sensitivity and precision. Twelve of the loci showed simple tandem repeat array structures while nine loci showed imperfect repeat structures, and repeat numbers varied in our material between six and 15. The application in population genetics for all the 21 microsatellites were further validated in 48 autumnal moths sampled from Northern Norway, and allelic variation was detected in 19 loci. The detected numbers of alleles per locus ranged from two to 13, and the observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.04 to 0.69 and 0.04 to 0.79, respectively. Evidence for linkage disequilibrium was found for six loci as well as indication of one null allele. We find that these novel microsatellites and their multiplex-PCR assays are suitable for further research on fine- and large-scale population-genetic studies of Epirrita autumnata. tri- and tetranucleotide microsatellites; multiplex PCR; Lepidoptera; population genetic

Evaluation of Tofacitinib in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and Associated Colitis : A Multicenter, Retrospective Study

Non peer reviewe

Identification and Evaluation of 21 Novel Microsatellite Markers from the Autumnal Moth (Epirrita autumnata) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

The autumnal moth (Epirrita autumnata) is a cyclically outbreaking forest Lepidoptera with circumpolar distribution and substantial impact on Northern ecosystems. We have isolated 21 microsatellites from the species to facilitate population genetic studies of population cycles, outbreaks, and crashes. First, PCR primers and PCR conditions were developed to amplify 19 trinucleotide loci and two tetranucleotide loci in six multiplex PCR approaches and then analyzed for species specificity, sensitivity and precision. Twelve of the loci showed simple tandem repeat array structures while nine loci showed imperfect repeat structures, and repeat numbers varied in our material between six and 15. The application in population genetics for all the 21 microsatellites were further validated in 48 autumnal moths sampled from Northern Norway, and allelic variation was detected in 19 loci. The detected numbers of alleles per locus ranged from two to 13, and the observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.04 to 0.69 and 0.04 to 0.79, respectively. Evidence for linkage disequilibrium was found for six loci as well as indication of one null allele. We find that these novel microsatellites and their multiplex-PCR assays are suitable for further research on fine- and large-scale population-genetic studies of Epirrita autumnata

Påvisning av brunbjørn i den nordlige delen av Pasvikdalen i 2016 ved bruk av hårfeller og DNA analyse

Brunbjørn bestanden I Pasvikdalen I Sør Varanger I Finnmark har vært overvåket med feltinnsamling av ekskrementer og hår til DNA analyse siden 2005. I 2007, 2011 og 1015 ble hårfeller systematisk plassert i det trilaterale grenseområdet i Pasvik (Norge), Enare (Finland) og Pechenga (Russland) for å bestemme mer presist et minimum antall bjørner. Vi har i 2016 brukt nøyaktig den samme metodologien med 20 hårfeller i et 5 km x km rutenett i de nordlige delene av Pasvikdalen. Dette området har ikke før vært undersøkt systematisk med hårfeller. I løpet av 2 måneder (juniaugust) samlet vi inn 77 hårprøver og identifiserte 10 ulike brunbjørner (6 hoer og 4 hanner). Av disse var det 5 bjørner som var påvist i tidligere års DNA overvåkning, mens 5 bjørner (4 hoer og 1 hann) ble påvist for første gang i dette prosjektet.The brown bear population of Pasvik in Sør-Varanger, Finnmark has been monitored with non- invasive genetic sampling, mainly feces, since 2005. Further, hair traps were systematically placed in 2007, 2011 and 2015 to more precisely determine the minimum number of bears in the trilateral, border area of Pasvik (Norway), Inari (Finland) and Pechenga (Russia). Here, we used the exact same methodology and enlarged the research area of that latter project towards the northern part of Pasvik with the exactly same grid size of 5 x 5 km. We collected over the course of two months 77 hair samples and identified 10 individual brown bears (6 females and 4 males). Of those bears, 5 were known and identified in previous monitoring efforts. The other 5 individuals were detected for the first time, including 4 females and 1 male bear. Some parts of the research area are difficult to access. Also, observations and reports on brown bear activity were very low in 2016 in Sør-Varanger. The assessment delivered new and important information to the wildlife management and improve the basis for potential counter measures in human-bear conflict situations

Resultater fra bjørnehårfeller i reinbeitedistrikt Beahceveai/Pasvik 5A/5C i 2016

Med bruk av 12 hårfeller ble det identifisert to ulike bjørn i kalvingslandet til reinbeitedistrikt 5A/5C i perioden fra 21. april til slutten av juni 2016. Data fra e- bjeller (Findmysheep), som ble båret av 100 simler, indikerte hvordan reinen brukte området i denne perioden. Ingen av de to bjørnene er kjent fra dette området før, og ingen av bjørnene som var kjent fra området i 2013, 2014 eller 2015 ble påvist i år