Algorithm to improve the diagnosis of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes associated with SOX1 antibodies

Cell-based assay; Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes; Small-cell lung cancerAssaig basat en cèl·lules; Síndromes neurològiques paraneoplàstiques; Càncer de pulmó de cèl·lules petitesEnsayo basado en células; Síndromes neurológicos paraneoplásicos; Cáncer de pulmón de células pequeñasSOX1 antibodies (SOX1-abs) are associated with paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). In many clinical laboratories SOX1-abs are determined by commercial line blots without confirmation by cell-based assay (CBA) with HEK293 cells expressing SOX1. However, the diagnostic yield of commercial line blots is low and the accessibility to the CBA, that is not commercially available, limited. Here, we evaluated if the addition of the band intensity data of the line blot and the immunoreactivity in a tissue-based assay (TBA) improve the diagnostic performance of the line blot. We examined serum of 34 consecutive patients with adequate clinical information that tested positive for SOX1-abs in a commercial line blot. Samples were also assessed by TBA and CBA. SOX1-abs were confirmed by CBA in 17 (50%) patients, all (100%) had lung cancer (SCLC in 16) and 15/17 (88%) had a PNS. In the remaining 17 patients the CBA was negative and none had PNS associated with lung cancer. TBA was assessable in 30/34 patients and SOX1-abs reactivity was detected in 15/17 (88%) with positive and in 0/13 (0%) with negative CBA. Only 2 (13%) of the 15 TBA-negative patients were CBA-positive. The frequency of TBA-negative but CBA-positive increased from 10% (1/10) when the band intensity of the line blot was weak to 20% (1/5) in patients with a moderate or strong intensity band. Confirmation by CBA should be mandatory for samples (56% in this series) not assessable (4/34; 12%) or negative in the TBA (15/34; 44%).This study was funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III - Subdirección General de Evaluación y Formento de la Investigación Sanitaria and co-funded by European Union, FIS (PI21/00255, RR-G)

Evaluating the cost-utility of a direct transfer to angiosuite protocol within 6 h of symptom onset in suspected large vessel occlusion patients

Catalonia healthcare; Cost-utility; Large vessel occlusionSanitat de Catalunya; Cost-utilitat; Oclusió de grans vasosSanidad de Cataluña; Coste-utilidad; Oclusión de grandes vasosIntroduction A direct transfer to angiosuite (DTAS) protocol has shown to be effective and safe by shortening in-hospital workflows and encouraging long-term outcome benefits. To implement DTAS at a new facility, a large organizational effort is necessary. We performed a cost-utility analysis and budget impact analysis (BIA) of the operation of a new angiosuite, primarily dedicated to stroke patients, that allows facilities to approximate the cost implications of utilizing a DTAS pathway. Methods Sixty-one patients who underwent endovascular treatment (EVT) following DTAS were matched for baseline variables to 117 patients who underwent a conventional imaging protocol at a hospital in Catalonia, Spain. An economic model, based on actual data from these patients, was developed to assess the short- and long-term clinical and economic implications of DTAS. In the BIA, the DTAS scenario was gradually implemented for 20% of patients each year until reaching a plateau at 80% of patients in the DTAS pathway. Initial investment and additional organizational costs, €4 million, were taken into consideration to compare the budget impact of the DTAS scenario with no organizational changes over five years. Results DTAS was associated with better patient functional independence rates (mRS 0–2: 50.9% vs. 41.0%) and a quality-adjusted life-years gain of 0.82 per patient. Despite the additional initial investment, DTAS development was associated with an estimated 10.2% reduction (€14.7 million) of the total costs (€144.5 million). Cost savings were mainly due to long-term associated costs related to patient disability (€13.2 million). Limitations The study relies on data obtained from a single-center, and therefore it may be difficult to generalize the findings Conclusions Our economic model predicts that the implementation of a DTAS program is cost-effective compared with no organizational changes. Our model also predicts better clinical outcomes for patients in terms of functional independence and quality-adjusted life years.This study was sponsored by Medtronic