The risk of depression, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in patients with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis

BACKGROUND

Sparse information is available concerning mental health issues in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate risk of depression, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in patients with psoriasis, PsA and AS, respectively, compared with the general population.

METHODS

This population-based cohort study analysed 36 214 psoriasis patients, 5138 PsA patients and 1878 AS patients who were frequency-matched with a general population cohort. Annual incidence rate of depression, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt was calculated separately for psoriasis, PsA and AS.

RESULTS

There was an increased risk of depression in the three cohorts; adjusted IRR: psoriasis, 1.14 (95% CI, 1.11, 1.17); PsA, 1.22 (95% CI, 1.16, 1.29); AS, 1.34 (95% CI, 1.23, 1.47). There was no significantly increased risk for suicidal ideations or suicide attempt among psoriasis, PsA or AS patients.

LIMITATIONS

Patients were not excluded if previously diagnosed with depression, suicidal ideation or suicide attempt. Suicide attempt and completed suicide analyses were not adjusted for presence of depression. Use of systemic psoriasis treatment to measure severe psoriasis could lead to psoriasis severity misclassification.

CONCLUSION

The risk of depression, but not suicidal ideation or suicide attempt, was significantly increased in patients with psoriasis, PsA and AS.

Evaluation of hepatitis C testing in men who have sex with men, and associated risk behaviours, in Manchester, UK

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of newly diagnosed hepatitis C virus (HCV) and associated risk behaviours among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Manchester.

METHOD

A survey among MSM attending four genitourinary medicine clinics in Manchester was carried out over 9 months in 2013. Participants were asked about recent sexual behaviour, recreational drug use and HIV status. All men were offered an HCV test.

RESULTS

Overall, 2030 MSM completed a questionnaire and accepted an HCV test. Of whom, 0.9% (18) were newly diagnosed with HCV, including 1.8% (13/735) of HIV-positive MSM, 0.7% (3/440) of MSM of unknown HIV status and 0.2% (2/855) of HIV-negative MSM. HCV positivity was significantly associated with HIV status (p<0.001). When compared with HIV-negative MSM, HIV-positive MSM had higher rates of sharing snorting drug equipment, injecting drugs/'slamming' and using recreational drugs (all p<0.05) but lower rates of five or more sexual partners and insertive unprotected anal intercourse (p<0.05). MSM newly diagnosed with HCV had significantly higher prevalence of unprotected sex, sex with someone HCV positive, fisting, group sex, ever injecting drugs/'slamming' and recreational drug use (p<0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

In this survey, HIV-positive MSM had significantly different drug use behaviour which may explain the higher HCV burden. However, HCV was also associated with HIV-negative MSM engaging in high-risk sexual practices. All MSM attending sexual health clinics must have a risk assessment and HCV screening should be offered based on the risk. Further studies are warranted to explore the interplay between HCV and HIV risk associated with drug use versus sexual practices.

Attitudes of the general public towards the disclosure of individual research results and incidental findings from biobank genomic research in Australia

BACKGROUND

Over the past decade, managing the disclosure of findings of genomic research has been the subject of extensive scientific, ethical and legal commentary and is a major challenge for biobanks.

AIMS

To examine views of the general Australian public about the disclosure of individual research results (IRR) and incidental findings (IF) from biobank genomic research.

METHODS

A national computer assisted telephone interview was conducted amongst a representative sample of (n = 800) adult residents across each Australian State and Territory.

RESULTS

The majority of the Australian general public would be interested in receiving IRR and IF if they allowed their blood/tissue to be used in research; 94.4% (n = 800) reported that they would like to receive 'specific information obtained from your sample that may be important to your health or treatment', and 83.4% their 'potential genetic risk of an inherited disease'. Although fewer desired to receive 'any IF that were not directly related to your (potential) diagnosed condition' (70.0%), most would still like to receive IF. A latent class analysis on the desire to receive (or not) all types of results revealed differences in preferences in the information they wished to receive.

CONCLUSION

The majority of Australians desire to receive most information arising from research involving their tissue, including IRR and IF. Differences in the extent and type of information they desire to receive are noted. Biobanks must establish strategies to identify information needs of donors, assess research data and communicate with donors and donor families. Processes need to take account of differences in donor preferences and in the clinical or research context(s).

Mesenchymal stromal cell-derived extracellular vesicles rescue radiation damage to murine marrow hematopoietic cells

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been shown to reverse radiation damage to marrow stem cells. We have evaluated the capacity of MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) to mitigate radiation injury to marrow stem cells at 4 h to 7 days after irradiation. Significant restoration of marrow stem cell engraftment at 4, 24 and 168 h post irradiation by exposure to MSC-EVs was observed at 3 weeks to 9 months after transplant and further confirmed by secondary engraftment. Intravenous injection of MSC-EVs to 500cGy exposed mice led to partial recovery of peripheral blood counts and restoration of the engraftment of marrow. The murine hematopoietic cell line, FDC-P1 exposed to 500cGy, showed reversal of growth inhibition, DNA damage and apoptosis on exposure to murine or human MSC-EVs. Both murine and human MSC-EVs reverse radiation damage to murine marrow cells and stimulate normal murine marrow stem cell/progenitors to proliferate. A preparation with both exosomes and microvesicles was found to be superior to either microvesicles or exosomes alone. Biologic activity was seen in freshly isolated vesicles and in vesicles stored for up to 6 months in 10% dimethyl sulfoxide at -80 °C. These studies indicate that MSC-EVs can reverse radiation damage to bone marrow stem cells.

Response of 33 UK patients with infantile-onset Pompe disease to enzyme replacement therapy

BACKGROUND

Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for infantile-onset Pompe disease has been commercially available for almost 10 years. We report the experience of its use in a cohort treated at three specialist lysosomal treatment centres in the UK.

METHODS

A retrospective case-note review was performed, with additional data being gathered from two national audits on all such patients treated with ERT. The impact on the outcome of various characteristics, measured just prior to the initiation of ERT (baseline), was evaluated using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Thirty-three patients were identified; 13/29 (45%) were cross-reactive immunological material (CRIM) negative, and nine were immunomodulated. At baseline assessment, 79% were in heart failure, 66% had failure to thrive and 70% had radiological signs of focal pulmonary collapse. The overall survival rate was 60%, ventilation-free survival was 40% and 30% of patients were ambulatory. Median follow-up of survivors was 4 years, 1.5 months (range 6 months to 13.5 years). As with previous studies, the CRIM status impacted on all outcome measures. However, in this cohort, baseline failure to thrive was related to death and lack of ambulation, and left ventricular dilatation was a risk factor for non-ventilator-free survival.

CONCLUSION

The outcome of treated patients remains heterogeneous despite attempts at immunomodulation. Failure to thrive at baseline and left ventricular dilation appear to be associated with poorer outcomes.

Changes in gait which occur before and during the adolescent growth spurt in children treated by selective dorsal rhizotomy

This paper presents long term follow up results from 17 children (6 girls, 11 boys, GMFCS levels II-IV), treated by means of selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR). The particular focus is on the effect of the adolescent growth spurt on patients who had previously undergone SDR. The children were all assessed using 3D gait analysis, in combination with clinical examination at three time points-before SDR surgery (PRE), after SDR surgery when pre-adolescent (POST1) and post-adolescence (POST2). The total follow up period to POST2 was 8 years 6 months for girls and 9 years 5 months for boys. All children maintained or improved their GMFCS level. Positive changes in ranges of motion and gait were observed at POST1 and these were generally maintained over adolescence to POST2. The mean Gait Profile Score (GPS) had improved by 3.2 points (14.7-11.5) at POST1, with a non-significant deterioration of 0.3 over the adolescent growth spurt. These positive results reflect the total package of care for the children, involving careful pre-operative selection by a multidisciplinary team and post-operative management including intensive physiotherapy and maintenance in tuned ankle foot orthoses. Fifty-nine per cent of children had some additional orthopaedic surgery, mostly bony procedures. The overall benefits arising from their management need to be considered in the light of the likely deterioration experienced by this patient group. The results of this study support the use of SDR as part of a management strategy for carefully selected children with cerebral palsy with the aim of optimizing gait at skeletal maturity.

A study of primary teeth restored by intracoronal restorations in children participating in an undergraduate teaching programme at Cork University Dental School and Hospital, Ireland

AIM

To study the outcomes for restored primary molar teeth; to examine outcomes in relation to tooth type involved, intracoronal restoration complexity and to the material used.

DESIGN

Retrospective study of primary molar teeth restored by intracoronal restorations. A series of restored primary molar teeth for children aged 6-12 years was studied. The principal outcome measure was failure of initial restoration (re-restoration or extraction). Three hundred patient records were studied to include three equal groups of primary molar teeth restored with amalgam, composite or glass ionomer, respectively. Restorative materials, the restoration type, simple (single surface) or complex (multi-surface) restoration, and tooth notation were recorded. Subsequent interventions were examined. Data were coded and entered into a Microsoft Excel database and analysis undertaken using SPSS v.18. Statistical differences were tested using the Chi square test of statistical significance.

RESULTS

Of the 300 teeth studied, 61 restoration failures were recorded with 11 of those extracted. No significant differences were found between outcomes for upper first, upper second, lower first or lower second primary molars. Outcomes for simple primary teeth restored by intracoronal restorations were significantly better than those for complex intracoronal restorations (P = 0.042). Teeth originally restored with amalgam accounted for 19.7% of the 61 failures, composite for 29.5%, while teeth restored with glass ionomer represented 50.8% of all restoration failures. The differences were significant (P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

The majority (79.7%) of the 300 restored primary teeth studied were successful, and 3.7% teeth were extracted. Restorations involving more than one surface had almost twice the failure rate of single surface restorations. The difference was significant. Significant differences in failure rates for the three dental materials studied were recorded. Amalgam had the lowest failure rate while the failure rate with glass ionomer was the highest.