Consensus standards of healthcare for adults and children with inflammatory bowel disease in the UK

OBJECTIVE

Symptoms and clinical course during inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) vary among individuals. Personalised care is therefore essential to effective management, delivered by a strong patient-centred multidisciplinary team, working within a well-designed service. This study aimed to fully rewrite the UK Standards for the healthcare of adults and children with IBD, and to develop an IBD Service Benchmarking Tool to support current and future personalised care models.

DESIGN

Led by IBD UK, a national multidisciplinary alliance of patients and nominated representatives from all major stakeholders in IBD care, Standards requirements were defined by survey data collated from 689 patients and 151 healthcare professionals. Standards were drafted and refined over three rounds of modified electronic-Delphi.

RESULTS

Consensus was achieved for 59 Standards covering seven clinical domains; (1) design and delivery of the multidisciplinary IBD service; (2) prediagnostic referral pathways, protocols and timeframes; (3) holistic care of the newly diagnosed patient; (4) flare management to support patient empowerment, self-management and access to specialists where required; (5) surgery including appropriate expertise, preoperative information, psychological support and postoperative care; (6) inpatient medical care delivery (7) and ongoing long-term care in the outpatient department and primary care setting including shared care. Using these patient-centred Standards and informed by the IBD Quality Improvement Project (IBDQIP), this paper presents a national benchmarking framework.

CONCLUSIONS

The Standards and Benchmarking Tool provide a framework for healthcare providers and patients to rate the quality of their service. This will recognise excellent care, and promote quality improvement, audit and service development in IBD.

Integration of groundwater into China's south-north water transfer strategy

Groundwater supplies fresh water for drinking and irrigation and sustains the health of ecosystems. Although the serious consequences caused by unsustainable depletion of groundwater have been widely reported, restricting pumping in exhausted aquifers requires identifying alternative water sources, determining how much water can be made accessible to avert the groundwater crisis and formulating water allocation regulations to achieve regional water sustainability. It is perceived that groundwater management needs integrated action considering environmental and socioeconomic systems; however, how a coupled socio-environmental system can be captured and quantified, and how this scientific evaluation is elicited and structured in policy making and implementation processes are still unclear. Here, we propose an integrated quantification framework and a revised policy-making procedure after examining the detailed planning for the groundwater pumping control policy as part of China's South-to-North Water Transfer Project and identifying the shortcomings of the policy. This quantification framework represents the iterative feedback loops between environmental and socioeconomic systems and provides both high-resolution and aggregated indications, that serve as instruments to evaluate the change in the water resource system and the rationality of water allocation plans through projections. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that integrated management needs the participation of scientists and the public, particularly in the discussion of formulating policy drafts among central and local stakeholders, which is helpful for sound decision making and coordination among science, policy making and practice.

Abstract P6-18-10: A phase 1b/2 study of ribociclib plus trastuzumab for the treatment of advanced, treatment-refractory HER2-positive breast cancer

Introduction:

Despite the success of anti-HER2 therapy, acquired resistance usually develops in the metastatic setting. CDK4/6 pathway activity has been identified as a mediator of this resistance, and in preclinical studies the combination of CDK4/6 and HER2 blockade can be more effective than either therapy alone. We conducted a single-arm phase 1b/2 study of the CDK4/6 inhibitor ribociclib given with trastuzumab or T-DM1 to subjects with advanced, treatment-refractory HER2-positive breast cancer. The results of the trastuzumab cohort are presented below. The primary objective was to determine the clinical benefit rate (CBR) at 24 weeks, and secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse events.

Methods: Individuals with locally advanced or metastatic, measurable HER2-positive breast cancer were eligible. All subjects must have previously received trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and T-DM1 as (neo)adjuvant or metastatic therapy. There was no limit on the number of prior lines of treatment. Patients with previous CDK4/6 inhibitor exposure, QTcF > 450msec on EKG, or without stable brain metastases were excluded. An initial safety run-in phase (with dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) monitoring) included six subjects who received trastuzumab (8mg/kg loading then 6mg/kg IV three-weekly) and ribociclib 400mg PO daily on a continuous schedule (cycle length 21 days). The study had a two-stage design. The first stage required 20 patients, at least 6 of whom must have demonstrated clinical benefit (CR+PR+ SD>24 weeks) in order to recruit 15 more patients to the second stage. All patients with accessible disease underwent metastatic tumor biopsies at baseline and C2D1.

Results: 13 patients were enrolled (6 in the safety run-in and 7 in the expansion cohort). One patient was found to have HER2-negative disease and did not receive treatment. Patient characteristics are shown in Table 1 No DLTs were observed during the safety run-in phase, and ribociclib was thus used at 400mg po daily for the expansion cohort. Grade 3/4 toxicities were observed in 5 patients (41.7%) and included neutropenia (n=2), and fatigue, pain, and muscle weakness (all n=1). No patient demonstrated QTc prolongation >480 msec, or grade 3/4 LFTs. 1/12 patients ((8.3%); 95% CI 0.2%-38.5%) achieved stable disease>24 weeks; no objective responses were observed, and median PFS was 41.5 days. The trastuzumab portion of study was closed early due to limited clinical activity observed (the T-DM1 with ribociclib cohort remains open).

Table 1Age (median, range)50.5 (42 - 71)Number of prior lines of systemic therapy for metastatic disease (median, range)5.5 (0-14)Number with Hormone receptor-positive disease (%)8 (67 %)Number of metastatic sites (median, range)2.5 (2 - 5)

Conclusions: The combination of trastuzumab and ribociclib (400mg daily continuous schedule) is safe, with no new safety signals observed. The limited activity seen in this heavily pretreated population suggests that future efforts to incorporate CDK4/6 inhibition should be limited to a less extensively treat population.

Citation Format: Goel S, Spring L, Rees R, Andrews C, Tahara RK, Mayer EL, Bardia A, Winer EP, Tolaney SM. A phase 1b/2 study of ribociclib plus trastuzumab for the treatment of advanced, treatment-refractory HER2-positive breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-18-10.

A multicentre study of the precision and accuracy of the TruSlice and TruSlice Digital histological dissection devices

BACKGROUND

Five key factors enabling a good surgical grossing technique include a flat uniformly perpendicular specimen cutting face, appropriate immobilisation of the tissue specimen during grossing, good visualisation of the cutting tissue face, sharp cutting knives and the grossing knife action. TruSlice and TruSlice Digital are new innovative tools based on a guillotine configuration. The TruSlice has plastic inserts whilst the TruSlice Digital has an electronic micrometre attached: both features enable these dissection factors to be controlled. The devices were assessed in five hospitals in the UK.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 267 fixed tissue samples from 23 tissue types were analysed, principally the breast (n = 32) skin (30), rectum (28), colon (27) and cervix (17). Precision and accuracy were evaluated by measuring the defined thickness, and the consistency of achieving the defined thickness of tissue samples taken respectively. Both parameters were expressed as a total percentage of compliance for the cohort of samples accessed.

RESULTS

Overall, the mean (standard deviation) score for precision was 81 (11) % whilst the accuracy score was 82 (11) % (both p < 0.05, chi-squared test), although this varied with type of tissue. Accuracy and precision were strongly correlated (r_p = 0.83, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The TruSlice Digital devices offer an assured precision and accuracy performance which is reproducible across an assortment of tissue types. The use of a micrometre to set tissue slice thickness is innovative and should comply with laboratory accreditation requirements, alleviating concerns of how to tackle issues such as the 'measurement of uncertainty' at the grossing bench.

Electrical switching of an antiferromagnet

Antiferromagnets are hard to control by external magnetic fields because of the alternating directions of magnetic moments on individual atoms and the resulting zero net magnetization. However, relativistic quantum mechanics allows for generating current-induced internal fields whose sign alternates with the periodicity of the antiferromagnetic lattice. Using these fields, which couple strongly to the antiferromagnetic order, we demonstrate room-temperature electrical switching between stable configurations in antiferromagnetic CuMnAs thin-film devices by applied current with magnitudes of order 10(6) ampere per square centimeter. Electrical writing is combined in our solid-state memory with electrical readout and the stored magnetic state is insensitive to and produces no external magnetic field perturbations, which illustrates the unique merits of antiferromagnets for spintronics.

Cross Lineage Rearrangement in Feline Enteropathy-Associated T-cell Lymphoma

Feline enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL) type II is characterized by infiltration of the small intestinal mucosa with small T-cells with variable epitheliotropism and is often difficult to differentiate from inflammation. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to assess antigen receptor rearrangements (PARR) amplifies the T- (T-cell receptor gamma, TCRG) or B-cell (immunoglobulin heavy chain, IGH) antigen receptor genes and is used to differentiate EATL from inflammation. However, PARR does not determine lymphocyte phenotype, and clonal rearrangement of either or both the TCRG or IGH genes may be detected in neoplastic T-cells. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of cross lineage rearrangement in feline EATL type II. Using a diagnostic algorithm combining histology, immunohistochemistry, and PARR testing, 8 of 92 cases diagnosed as EATL type II at Michigan State University between January 2013 and June 2014 showed cross lineage rearrangement (8.7%). PARR for the IGH gene facilitates the diagnosis of cases histologically highly suggestive of EATL type II in which polyclonal rearrangement of the TCRG gene is detected.

A pilot study of the effects of the somatostatin analog pasireotide in postoperative dumping syndrome

BACKGROUND

Dumping syndrome is characterized by distinct pathophysiological features such as postprandial increase in hematocrit (HT) and pulse rate (PR) and delayed hypoglycemia (HG). Treatment is based on dietary measures and somatostatin analogs (SA), but current SAs have incomplete efficacy, possibly through limited affinity for various somatostatin receptor subtypes. We evaluated the effect of pasireotide, a novel SA with high affinity for 4/5 human somatostatin receptors, on pathophysiological events and symptoms in dumping.

METHODS

Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study of nine patients (six women, 47 ± 4 years) with postoperative dumping. Baseline measurements included oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT), abdominal ultrasound, and dumping symptom severity score (DSSS). Patients were treated for 2 weeks with placebo or pasireotide 300 μg s.c. t.i.d. with a 1-week wash-out in a randomized fashion. On day 13 and 14 of each treatment OGTT, DSSS, and solid and liquid gastric emptying (GE) were obtained.

KEY RESULTS

Baseline OGTT was pathological in all patients based on PR (n = 5), HT (n = 1) or HG (n = 7). Compared to placebo, pasireotide suppressed the increase in PR (17.1 ± 2.8 vs 8.2 ± 3.5 bpm; p < 0.05) and late HG (nadir glycemia 55.6 ± 4.3 vs 83.3 ± 9.5 mg/dL; p = 0.007), increased peak glycemia (294.1 ± 33.3 vs 221.0 ± 23.1 mg/dL; p = 0.001) and delayed GE of solids (t1/2 83 ± 23 vs 43 ± 9 min; p = 0.05) and liquids (t1/2 70 ± 10 vs 40 ± 4 min, p = 0.05). The differences in DSSS did not reach statistical significance. Two patients dropped out because of adverse gastrointestinal events under pasireotide.

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES

Pasireotide affects pathophysiological features of both early and late dumping syndrome.

Tarantal A, Andrews C, O'Connor S, Vallejo A, Darville T. Resistance of rhesus monkeys to homotypic challenge after Chlamydia trachoma tis genital tract infection (MPF2P.816)

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent sexually transmitted bacterial infection for which a vaccine is needed. Here, 2 groups of 5 female rhesus monkeys were infected with either plasmid-cured attenuated CTD153 or wildtype virulent C. trachomatis D/UW-3/Cx, and then challenged with D/UW-3/Cx. Cervical infection was monitored, blood and cervical secretions were collected at intervals for T cell and antibody assays and genital tissues were harvested at wk 12 for histopathology. Results showed 3/5 monkeys infected with D/UW-3/Cx or CTD153 were resistant to challenge. However, 2/5 in each group were susceptible to challenge and 2 monkeys primarily infected with CTD153 exhibited prolonged challenge infections. No chronic genital tract pathology was observed. Serum anti-elementary body (EB) IgG was detected in all; mucosal anti-EB IgG/IgA were detected only in the 2 with prolonged infection. Bioassays showed enhanced proliferation in CD4 and CD8 central (TCM) and effector (TEM) memory compartments, and IFNγ production in response to EB at wk 4, that declined to baseline by wk 12. In vivo expansion of CD4 TCM, CD8 TEM, and NKG2A cells at wk 4 coincided with infection resolution in 8/10. T cell proliferative responses to EB were highest in monkeys with prolonged infection. Three reinfection-resistant monkeys shared Mamu-DRB1*03 and DRB1*10. Resistance to chlamydial reinfection is likely linked to MHC II and driven by chlamydial antigens minimally expressed by inactivated EBs.

The XperCount, a fast and cost-effective method for the enumeration of organisms in environmental media

Not available

Expanding the phenotypic spectrum of ECEL1-related congenital contracture syndromes

Using a combination of homozygosity mapping and whole-exome sequencing (WES), we identified a novel missense c.1819G>A mutation (G607S) in the endothelin-converting enzyme-like 1 (ECEL1) gene in a consanguineous pedigree of Turkish origin presenting with a syndrome of camptodactyly, scoliosis, limited knee flexion, significant refractive errors and ophthalmoplegia. ECEL1 mutations were recently reported to cause recessive forms of distal arthrogryposis. This report expands on the molecular basis and the phenotypic spectrum of ECEL1-associated congenital contracture syndromes.

Treatment adherence with vildagliptin compared to sulphonylurea as add-on to metformin in Muslim patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus fasting during Ramadan

OBJECTIVE

To assess treatment adherence to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor vildagliptin compared with sulphonylureas (SU) in Muslim patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were fasting during Ramadan in the UK.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This prospective, observational cohort study was conducted in four UK centres. Patients already taking vildagliptin (50 mg twice a day) or an SU as add-on therapy to metformin were followed up for ≤16 weeks. They were asked to record all missed doses of anti-diabetes medications.

RESULTS

Of the 72 patients enrolled (vildagliptin, n = 30; SU, n = 41; not allocated to treatment, n = 1), 59 (81.9%) completed the study (vildagliptin, n = 23; SU, n = 36), including one patient in the SU arm who completed but failed to provide information on missed doses; all patients in the SU arm were taking gliclazide. In the vildagliptin arm one patient (4.3%) missed a total of four doses while in the SU arm 10 patients (27.8%) missed a total of 266 doses (mean [SD] number of doses missed per patient: 26.6 [16.5]). The mean (SD) proportions of doses missed during fasting were 0.2% (0.9) and 10.4% (21.7) in the vildagliptin and SU arms, respectively, with a significant mean between-group difference of -10.2% (95% CI: -19.3%, -1.1%; p = 0.0292). There were no patients in the vildagliptin arm who missed more than 20% of OAD doses compared with 19.4% in the SU arm (p = 0.0358). Of the patients receiving an SU, 15 (42%) collectively reported 34 hypoglycaemic events (HEs) and one grade 2 HE; of these, fewer were non-adherent (n = 6, 40%) than adherent (n = 9, 60%). No patients reported HEs in the vildagliptin arm.

CONCLUSION

During Ramadan fasting, treatment with vildagliptin resulted in better treatment adherence compared with SU in Muslim patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Study limitations are the sample size and the lack of diet and exercise data.

Ranibizumab for the treatment of choroidal neovascularisation secondary to pathological myopia: interim analysis of the REPAIR study

AIMS

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab in patients with choroidal neovascularisation secondary to pathological myopia (myopic CNV). Data are from a pre-planned, 6-month interim analysis.

METHODS

Phase II, open-label, single arm, multicentre, 12-month study, recruiting patients (aged ≥18 years) with active primary or recurrent subfoveal or juxtafoveal myopic CNV, with a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) score of 24-78 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters in the study eye and a diagnosis of high myopia of at least -6 dioptres. Patients received 0.5 mg ranibizumab administered intravitreally to the study eye, followed by monthly injections given as needed (based on a predefined algorithm) for up to 11 months.

RESULTS

At 6 months, mean BCVA improved from baseline by 12.2 letters, as did central macular thickness (in this interim analysis defined as a measure of either central subfield macular thickness or centre point macular thickness) from baseline by 108 μm in the 48 study eyes of 48 patients. Fewer patients had centre-involving intraretinal oedema (13.0% vs 91.5%), intraretinal cysts (10.9% vs 57.4%), or subretinal fluid (13.0% vs 66.0%) at 6 months than at baseline. Patients received a mean of 1.9 retreatments, were satisfied with ranibizumab treatment, and well being was maintained. No new safety signals were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Results from the planned interim analysis support the role of ranibizumab in the treatment of myopic CNV, with excellent efficacy achieved with a low number of injections and few serious adverse events.

Ranibizumab for the treatment of choroidal neovascularisation secondary to pathological myopia: interim analysis of the REPAIR study

AIMS

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab in patients with choroidal neovascularisation secondary to pathological myopia (myopic CNV). Data are from a pre-planned, 6-month interim analysis.

METHODS

Phase II, open-label, single arm, multicentre, 12-month study, recruiting patients (aged ≥18 years) with active primary or recurrent subfoveal or juxtafoveal myopic CNV, with a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) score of 24-78 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters in the study eye and a diagnosis of high myopia of at least -6 dioptres. Patients received 0.5 mg ranibizumab administered intravitreally to the study eye, followed by monthly injections given as needed (based on a predefined algorithm) for up to 11 months.

RESULTS

At 6 months, mean BCVA improved from baseline by 12.2 letters, as did central macular thickness (in this interim analysis defined as a measure of either central subfield macular thickness or centre point macular thickness) from baseline by 108 μm in the 48 study eyes of 48 patients. Fewer patients had centre-involving intraretinal oedema (13.0% vs 91.5%), intraretinal cysts (10.9% vs 57.4%), or subretinal fluid (13.0% vs 66.0%) at 6 months than at baseline. Patients received a mean of 1.9 retreatments, were satisfied with ranibizumab treatment, and well being was maintained. No new safety signals were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Results from the planned interim analysis support the role of ranibizumab in the treatment of myopic CNV, with excellent efficacy achieved with a low number of injections and few serious adverse events.