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Corbi G, Comegna M, Vinciguerra C, Capasso A, Onorato L, Salucci AM, Rapacciuolo A, Cannavo A. Age and sex mediated effects of estrogen and Β3-adrenergic receptor on cardiovascular pathophysiology. Exp Gerontol 2024; 190:112420. [PMID: 38588751 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2024.112420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Sex differences are consistently identified in determining the prevalence, manifestation, and response to therapies in several systemic disorders, including those affecting the cardiovascular (CV), skeletal muscle, and nervous system. Interestingly, such differences are often more noticeable as we age. For example, premenopausal women experience a lower risk of CV disease than men of the same age. While at an advanced age, with menopause, the risk of cardiovascular diseases and adverse outcomes increases exponentially in women, exceeding that of men. However, this effect appears to be reversed in diseases such as pulmonary hypertension, where women are up to seven times more likely than men to develop an idiopathic form of the disease with symptoms developing ten years earlier than their male counterparts. Explaining this is a complex question. However, several factors and mechanisms have been identified in recent decades, including a role for sex hormones, particularly estrogens and their related receptors. Furthermore, an emerging role in these sex differences has also been suggested for β-adrenergic receptors (βARs), which are essential regulators of mammalian physiology. It has in fact been shown that βARs interact with estrogen receptors (ER), providing further demonstration of their involvement in determining sexual differences. Based on these premises, this review article focused on the β3AR subtype, which shows important activities in adipose tissue but with new and interesting roles in regulating the function of cardiomyocytes and vascular cells. In detail, we examined how β3AR and ER signaling are intertwined and whether there would be sex- and age-dependent specific effects of these receptor systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graziamaria Corbi
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marika Comegna
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; CEINGE-Advanced Biotechnologies - Franco Salvatore, Naples, Italy
| | - Caterina Vinciguerra
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessio Capasso
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Onorato
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Rapacciuolo
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cannavo
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
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Nayiga BK, Abrams SW, Rhayel A, Edward H, Tang A, Kho ME, Sebestien H, Smith-Turchyn J. Exploring the use of rehabilitation in individuals with head and neck cancer undergoing treatment: a scoping review. Disabil Rehabil 2024:1-21. [PMID: 38494954 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2024.2328810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Explore the use, characteristics, feasibility, and functional outcomes of rehabilitation interventions used for individuals with head and neck cancer (HNC) during treatment. Searches were conducted in four databases from Jan 2011 to Dec 31, 2022. Included studies had to include adults with HNC undergoing treatment, a rehabilitation intervention, an assessment of functional outcome(s) addressed by the International Classification of Functioning Framework (ICF) and be published in English language. Title and abstract screening, full-text review, and data extraction were completed independently, in duplicate. Descriptive statistics and a qualitative synthesis summarized findings. Twenty-seven studies were included in this review. The majority of studies were randomized controlled trials (70%). Most individuals represented in the included studies were males (92% of all participants) between 50 and 60 years of age. Interventions led by a speech language pathologist (33%) were most commonly described. Sixteen studies (59%) described primary outcomes that fit the ICF "impairment" domain. We identified few studies that explored the use, feasibility, and effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions for individuals with HNC during treatment. Future research should assess the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions on functional outcomes beyond the ICF body function and structure domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Kibuka Nayiga
- School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sophia Werden Abrams
- School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ashwak Rhayel
- School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Holly Edward
- School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ada Tang
- School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michelle E Kho
- School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hotte Sebestien
- Department of Oncology, Juravinski Cancer Centre, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jenna Smith-Turchyn
- School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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3
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Leung F, Miljanic S, Fernandes V, Tabbara N, De Castro C, Burry L, Jorgensen SC. Eligibility and enrollment of pregnant and breastfeeding women in psychiatry randomized controlled trials. Arch Womens Ment Health 2023; 26:353-359. [PMID: 37106141 PMCID: PMC10139916 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-023-01319-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
To describe the eligibility and enrollment of pregnant and breastfeeding women in psychiatry randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We screened citations published 2017-2019 in the three highest impact psychiatry and five highest impact general medicine journals. We excluded male, pediatric, geriatric, and postmenopausal-focused RCTs and publications reporting subgroup, pooled, or secondary analyses of RCTs. We reviewed appendices, protocols, and registries for additional data. In total 108 RCTs were included. Three (2.8%) permitted enrollment of pregnant women; 59/108 (55%) and 46/108 (43%) explicitly excluded pregnant women or did not report pregnancy inclusion criteria, respectively. All RCTs including pregnant women evaluated non-pharmacological interventions for depression during pregnancy or postpartum. Among RCTs excluding pregnant women, 5/59 (8.5%) provided a rationale for exclusion. Contraception and/or negative pregnancy testing were required for women with reproductive capacity in 31/59 (53%). Three (2.8%) RCTs permitted enrollment of breastfeeding women and 3/41 (7.3%) RCTs excluding breastfeeding women provided a rationale for exclusion. This study demonstrates a major gap in psychiatry research involving pregnant and breastfeeding women. A shift from exclusion by default to inclusion and integration of this population into the clinical research agenda is needed to ensure they receive evidence-based care for mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicia Leung
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Simona Miljanic
- Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Najla Tabbara
- Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Lisa Burry
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah Cj Jorgensen
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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4
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Jorgensen SCJ, Miljanic S, Tabbara N, Somanader D, Leung F, De Castro C, Tse CLY, Law J, Fernandes V, Lapinsky SE, Malhamé I, Burry L. Inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women in nonobstetrical randomized controlled trials. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2022; 4:100700. [PMID: 35914736 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2022.100700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is an urgent need to prioritize and expedite the inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women in research. Characterizing trials that have successfully included these populations could inform the design and execution of future studies. In addition, up-to-date data on their inclusion in clinical research could assist in setting benchmarks, establishing targets, and monitoring progress toward more equitable inclusion. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to characterize the eligibility and enrollment of pregnant and breastfeeding women in randomized controlled trials evaluating interventions for nonobstetrical conditions experienced by, but not limited to, these populations. STUDY DESIGN We developed a literature search in collaboration with an information specialist. We included randomized controlled trials published between 2017 and 2019 in the 5 highest-impact general medicine journals and the 3 highest-impact specialty journals in cardiovascular disease, critical care, general infectious diseases, HIV, and psychiatry. We included randomized controlled trials that evaluated screening, diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of nonobstetrical medical conditions. We excluded randomized controlled trials exclusively focused on males, pediatrics, geriatrics, oncology, or postmenopausal women, and publications reporting subgroup, pooled, or follow-up analyses of previously published randomized controlled trials. We screened titles and abstracts independently and in duplicate, with discrepancies resolved by a third reviewer. We entered data into a standardized electronic case report form. We reviewed study protocols, appendices, and trial registries for additional data. RESULTS Of the 1333 randomized controlled trials, pregnant and breastfeeding women were eligible for 13 (1.0%) and 6 (0.5%), respectively. Pregnancy and breastfeeding eligibility criteria were not addressed in 383 of 1333 (28.7%) and 710 of 1333 (53.3%) randomized controlled trials, respectively. In total, 102 of 937 (10.9%) and 33 of 617 (5.3%) randomized controlled trials that explicitly excluded pregnant and breastfeeding women documented the rationale. Most studies excluding pregnant women (542/937; 57.8%) required at least 1 method of contraception and/or pregnancy testing as part of trial participation for women with reproductive capacity. Among the 13 randomized controlled trials that allowed inclusion of pregnant women, 3 restricted eligibility to specific trimesters. Two randomized controlled trials enrolled pregnant women after the first year of the study following interim review of safety results in nonpregnant participants. Four randomized controlled trials reported the number of pregnant women enrolled, which ranged from 0.7% to 3.4% of the study population. None of the studies reported on pregnancy or perinatal outcomes. Compared with randomized controlled trials that excluded pregnant women, those including them more commonly had an infectious disease focus (12/13 [92.3%] vs 270/937 [28.8%]; p<.0001), including HIV (5/13 [38.5%] vs 96/937 [10.2%]; p=.0079), enrolled participants in sub-Saharan Africa (5/13 [38.5%] vs 111/937 [11.8%]; p=.0143), and had exclusively nonindustry sponsorship (13/13 [100%] vs 559/937 [59.7%]; p=.0025); inclusion varied by study phase, randomization level, and intervention type. CONCLUSION This study illustrates a major inequity in research involving pregnant and breastfeeding women. As new health challenges arise, including novel pandemics, and the research community mobilizes to develop therapies and innovate in patient care, it is crucial that pregnant and breastfeeding women not be left behind. Greater regulatory support, in the form of explicit requirements and incentives, will be needed to ensure these populations are integrated into the research agenda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C J Jorgensen
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Drs Jorgensen and Burry).
| | - Simona Miljanic
- Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Drs Miljanic, Tabbara, Law, Fernandes, and Burry)
| | - Najla Tabbara
- Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Drs Miljanic, Tabbara, Law, Fernandes, and Burry)
| | - Deborah Somanader
- Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Sinai Health System-University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Ms Somanader)
| | - Felicia Leung
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Ms Leung and Drs Tse and Burry)
| | - Charmaine De Castro
- Library Services, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Ms De Castro)
| | - Christopher L Y Tse
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Ms Leung and Drs Tse and Burry)
| | - Janice Law
- Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Drs Miljanic, Tabbara, Law, Fernandes, and Burry)
| | - Virginia Fernandes
- Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Drs Miljanic, Tabbara, Law, Fernandes, and Burry)
| | - Stephen E Lapinsky
- Division of Respirology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Mr Lapinsky); Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Mr Lapinsky and Dr Burry)
| | - Isabelle Malhamé
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada (Dr Malhamé); Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada (Dr Malhamé)
| | - Lisa Burry
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Drs Jorgensen and Burry); Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Drs Miljanic, Tabbara, Law, Fernandes, and Burry); Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Ms Leung and Drs Tse and Burry); Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Mr Lapinsky and Dr Burry)
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DiMeglio LA, Wood JR, Cengiz E. Women in diabetes research: stepping towards equity. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2022; 10:236-238. [PMID: 35271819 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-8587(22)00080-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Linda A DiMeglio
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA.
| | - Jamie R Wood
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Eda Cengiz
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Courvoisier N, Storari C, Lesage S, Vittoz L, Barbieux C, Peytremann-Bridevaux I, Gilles I, Calmy A. Facilitators and barriers of women's participation in HIV clinical research in Switzerland: A qualitative study. HIV Med 2022; 23:441-447. [PMID: 35178844 PMCID: PMC9305145 DOI: 10.1111/hiv.13259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Women are underrepresented in most HIV clinical trials in Western countries, but their participation remains crucial as the lack of information on sex- and gender-specific effects may hinder the safety and efficacy of antiretroviral treatments. The aim of this study was to identify barriers to and facilitators of women's participation in HIV clinical trials in Switzerland. METHODS We conducted semi-structured interviews among 20 women with HIV to explore factors associated with non-participation in clinical trials. The interviewer presented to participants a clinical trial's description and discussed it with them. Lexicometric analysis on transcribed interviews identified three themes and eight sub-themes related to the pros and cons of participation in HIV clinical trials. RESULTS Participants evoked mainly decision-making drivers, concerns for women living with HIV and treatment side-effects. They highlighted the need for extensive information provided by trusted healthcare professionals on the research process as central to the decision to enrol in HIV clinical trials. Familial responsibilities were clearly identified as barriers to their participation, but not pregnancy. Additional preoccupations were other health concerns and comorbidities and the consequences of stopping ongoing antiretroviral treatments. CONCLUSIONS To overcome the barriers to the participation of women living with HIV in clinical research in Western countries, healthcare professionals and researchers should increase women's research literacy by involving them in the study design and by tailoring clinical trials to their social roles and health concerns. Trust in professionals is a facilitator of enrolment of women living with HIV that should be maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelly Courvoisier
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Chiara Storari
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Saphir Lesage
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lucie Vittoz
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Charlotte Barbieux
- HIV/AIDS Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Peytremann-Bridevaux
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ingrid Gilles
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Calmy
- HIV/AIDS Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
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Al Subeh ZY, Alzoubi KH. Researchers' ethical perspective about women participation in research studies in Jordan. Heliyon 2021; 7:e08492. [PMID: 34917798 PMCID: PMC8645437 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Women participation in research studies has been an issue especially in developing countries with conservative cultural and religious beliefs. This study was aimed to assess researchers about ethical and cultural issues related to the women participation in research studies. A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among researchers from different health disciplines in Jordan. Results showed that to encourage females' participation in research studies, majority of the researchers (66.7%) indicated that they will always preferably consider hiring a female research assistant for studies that include female participants, especially when the study protocol involves direct contact with participants. Additionally, large proportion of researchers believed that females are more likely to avoid research studies if they involve overnight-stay outside home (87.5%), performing physical exercise (72.2%) or smoking tobacco products in non-private room at the research center (68.8%). Finally, 31.3% of researchers disagreed that women in society of Jordan have the freedom to decide on research studies participation, and 47.2% of researcher respondents indicated that females must seek the consent of male relatives, such as father, husband, brother, or other family member upon her participation in research studies. In conclusion, researchers in Jordan are considerate to cultural and religious norms. Researchers who are unfamiliar with the norms of culture must consider barriers discussed in the current study to increase the participation rate of female in their research studies.
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Characterizing the inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding people in infectious diseases randomized controlled trials: a targeted literature review. Clin Microbiol Infect 2021; 28:801-811. [PMID: 34768020 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2021.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Severe complications of infectious diseases can occur during pregnancy. Evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies are critical to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Despite this medical need, pregnant and breastfeeding people have been systematically excluded from biomedical research. The objective of this study was to characterize representation of pregnant and breastfeeding people in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating a broad range of interventions for infectious diseases. METHODS Pregnancy and breastfeeding inclusion criteria were examined in infectious diseases RCTs published between 1 January 2017, and 31 December 2019, in the top five highest impact general medicine and the top three highest impact infectious diseases and HIV journals. RESULTS Of 376 RCTs, 5.3% and 1.9% included pregnant and breastfeeding people, respectively. Justification for exclusion was documented in 36/271 (13.3%) studies that explicitly excluded pregnant people. Most studies excluding pregnant people (177/271, 65.3%) required at least one form of contraception, abstinence and/or negative pregnancy test(s) as part of participation. Only 11/271 (4.1%) studies excluding pregnant people allowed participants to continue the intervention if unintended pregnancy occurred during the study. When both pregnant and non-pregnant people were eligible, pregnant people made up <3% of participants. Only 2/48 (4.2%) vaccine studies included pregnant people; 13/234 (5.5%) drug studies included pregnant people. All studies of procedures, devices, behaviour/education and supplements/vitamins explicitly excluded or did not address pregnancy eligibility criteria. Only 2/20 (10.0%) RCTs including pregnant people collected pharmacokinetic data. DISCUSSION This study demonstrates widespread exclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding people from infectious disease RCTs.
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Rogers JR, Hripcsak G, Cheung YK, Weng C. Clinical comparison between trial participants and potentially eligible patients using electronic health record data: A generalizability assessment method. J Biomed Inform 2021; 119:103822. [PMID: 34044156 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbi.2021.103822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To present a generalizability assessment method that compares baseline clinical characteristics of trial participants (TP) to potentially eligible (PE) patients as presented in their electronic health record (EHR) data while controlling for clinical setting and recruitment period. METHODS For each clinical trial, a clinical event was defined to identify patients of interest using available EHR data from one clinical setting during the trial's recruitment timeframe. The trial's eligibility criteria were then applied and patients were separated into two mutually exclusive groups: (1) TP, which were patients that participated in the trial per trial enrollment data; (2) PE, the remaining patients. The primary outcome was standardized differences in clinical characteristics between TP and PE per trial. A standardized difference was considered prominent if its absolute value was greater than or equal to 0.1. The secondary outcome was the difference in mean propensity scores (PS) between TP and PE per trial, in which the PS represented prediction for a patient to be in the trial. Three diverse trials were selected for illustration: one focused on hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients receiving a liver transplantation; one focused on leukemia patients and lymphoma patients; and one focused on appendicitis patients. RESULTS For the HCV trial, 43 TP and 83 PE were found, with 61 characteristics evaluated. Prominent differences were found among 69% of characteristics, with a mean PS difference of 0.13. For the leukemia/lymphoma trial, 23 TP and 23 PE were found, with 39 characteristics evaluated. Prominent differences were found among 82% of characteristics, with a mean PS difference of 0.76. For the appendicitis trial, 123 TP and 242 PE were found, with 52 characteristics evaluated. Prominent differences were found among 52% of characteristics, with a mean PS difference of 0.15. CONCLUSIONS Differences in clinical characteristics were observed between TP and PE among all three trials. In two of the three trials, not all of the differences necessarily compromised trial generalizability and subsets of PE could be considered similar to their corresponding TP. In the remaining trial, lack of generalizability appeared present, but may be a result of other factors such as small sample size or site recruitment strategy. These inconsistent findings suggest eligibility criteria alone are sometimes insufficient in defining a target group to generalize to. With caveats in limited scalability, EHR data quality, and lack of patient perspective on trial participation, this generalizability assessment method that incorporates control for temporality and clinical setting promise to better pinpoint clinical patterns and trial considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Rogers
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - George Hripcsak
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States; Medical Informatics Services, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ying Kuen Cheung
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Chunhua Weng
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
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10
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Challa AP, Beam AL, Shen M, Peryea T, Lavieri RR, Lippmann ES, Aronoff DM. Machine learning on drug-specific data to predict small molecule teratogenicity. Reprod Toxicol 2020; 95:148-158. [PMID: 32428651 PMCID: PMC7577422 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Pregnant women are an especially vulnerable population, given the sensitivity of a developing fetus to chemical exposures. However, prescribing behavior for the gravid patient is guided on limited human data and conflicting cases of adverse outcomes due to the exclusion of pregnant populations from randomized, controlled trials. These factors increase risk for adverse drug outcomes and reduce quality of care for pregnant populations. Herein, we propose the application of artificial intelligence to systematically predict the teratogenicity of a prescriptible small molecule from information inherent to the drug. Using unsupervised and supervised machine learning, our model probes all small molecules with known structure and teratogenicity data published in research-amenable formats to identify patterns among structural, meta-structural, and in vitro bioactivity data for each drug and its teratogenicity score. With this workflow, we discovered three chemical functionalities that predispose a drug towards increased teratogenicity and two moieties with potentially protective effects. Our models predict three clinically-relevant classes of teratogenicity with AUC = 0.8 and nearly double the predictive accuracy of a blind control for the same task, suggesting successful modeling. We also present extensive barriers to translational research that restrict data-driven studies in pregnancy and therapeutically "orphan" pregnant populations. Collectively, this work represents a first-in-kind platform for the application of computing to study and predict teratogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anup P Challa
- Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville 37203, TN, United States; Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02115, MA, United States; National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville 20850, MD, United States; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville 37212, TN, United States.
| | - Andrew L Beam
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston 02115, MA, United States; Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02115, MA, United States
| | - Min Shen
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville 20850, MD, United States
| | - Tyler Peryea
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville 20850, MD, United States
| | - Robert R Lavieri
- Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville 37203, TN, United States
| | - Ethan S Lippmann
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville 37212, TN, United States
| | - David M Aronoff
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville 37203, TN, United States; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville 37203, TN, United States; Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville 37203, TN, United States
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Crepin S, Chiffoleau A, Gavard M, Olivier-Abbal P, Roussillon C, Ruault S, Muller C, Peyro-Saint-Paul L, Ouk T, Franceschi MP, Mouchel C, Duranton S, Petitpain N, Coubret-Dumas A. Compliance of French academic clinical trials with the Clinical Trial Facilitation and Coordination Group recommendations on contraception and pregnancy testing requirements. Clin Trials 2020; 17:314-322. [PMID: 32026710 DOI: 10.1177/1740774520903720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS The Clinical Trials Coordination and Facilitation Group has issued recommendations on contraception and pregnancy testing to help sponsors meet regulatory expectations and harmonize practices to limit embryofetal risks in clinical trials. Our objective was to assess the compliance of French academic clinical trials with these recommendations and to describe the mitigation measures required by sponsors in their trials. METHODS A cross-sectional study was performed on the French academic drug trials authorized by the national competent authority between January 2015 and June 2018. We included trials which tested systemic administration of drugs and enrolled men or women of childbearing potential. RESULTS Data from 97 trials included were compiled. One-third of the trials (23.8%-43.3%, 95% confidence interval) complied with the Clinical Trial Facilitation and Coordination Group recommendations. No improvement over time or according to embryofetotoxic status or drug duration exposure was found. Contraception was required in 56.7% of trials and was more often required in case of potentially embryofetotoxic drugs (68.5% vs 41.9%, p = 0.013) or exposure over 1 month (71.7% vs 43.8%, p = 0.006). Pregnancy testing at inclusion was required in 59.1% of trials and additional testing in 17.2%. Pregnancy testing at inclusion was more often required in trials with drug exposure above 1 month (67.4% vs 45.8%, p = 0.035). CONCLUSION French academic sponsors barely met the recommendations on contraception and pregnancy testing potentially leading to potential embryofetal risks in case of pregnancy. They need to implement these recommendations quickly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Crepin
- Unité de vigilance des essais cliniques, Service de Pharmacologie-Toxicologie et Pharmacovigilance, CHU de Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Anne Chiffoleau
- Unité de vigilance des essais cliniques, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Marylaure Gavard
- Cellule de vigilance des essais cliniques-délégation à la recherche clinique et à l'innovation-CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Pascale Olivier-Abbal
- Service de Pharmacologie Médicale et Clinique, Centre de Pharmacovigilance, de Pharmacoépidémiologie et d'Informations sur le Médicament, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Faculté de Médecine, Toulouse, France.,Direction de la Recherche et de l'Innovation, Unité de Vigilance des essais cliniques, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Toulouse, France
| | - Caroline Roussillon
- Direction de la recherche et Clinique et de l'Innovation, Unité de Sécurité et Vigilance de la Recherche Clinique, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Sophie Ruault
- Maison de la Recherche Clinique, CHU de Rouen, Rouen, France
| | - Charlotte Muller
- Vigilance des essais cliniques, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Thavarak Ouk
- Cellule Vigilance, Direction de la Recherche et de l'Innovation, CHU Lille, Lille, France
| | - Marie-Paule Franceschi
- Direction de la Recherche, des Partenariats Hospitalo-Universitaires et Internationaux, CHU de Nîmes, Université de Montpellier, Nîmes, France
| | - Catherine Mouchel
- Vigilance des essais cliniques-CIC Inserm 1414-Service de pharmacologie-CHU de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Sophie Duranton
- Unité de Vigilance des Essais Cliniques, Direction de la Recherche, CHU Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Nadine Petitpain
- Service de Pharmacologie Clinique et de Toxicologie, Centre Régional de Pharmacovigilance, CHRU de Nancy, Nancy, France
| | - Anne Coubret-Dumas
- Centre régional de pharmacovigilance, Service de Pharmacologie-Toxicologie et Pharmacovigilance, CHU de Limoges, Limoges, France
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Kaye DK. The moral imperative to approve pregnant women's participation in randomized clinical trials for pregnancy and newborn complications. Philos Ethics Humanit Med 2019; 14:11. [PMID: 31492178 PMCID: PMC6731584 DOI: 10.1186/s13010-019-0081-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is longstanding consensus on the need to include pregnant women in research. The goal of clinical research is to find highly regulated, carefully controlled, morally responsible ways to generate evidence about how to effectively and safely prevent illness or treat sick people. This manuscripts present a conceptual analysis of the ethicality of clinical trials in 3 scenarios: where the pregnant is involved in clinical trials as a participant during pregnancy for data that addresses pregnancy complications, where the pregnant woman consents to clinical trial participation for an unborn baby that has complications, to generate data on complications at this stage of life, and where the mother may consent for participation of their newborn child in clinical trials. METHODS Conceptual analysis. FINDINGS Investigators often choose to exclude pregnant women and newborns from research, even where there is possibility for them to benefit from the study intervention. Objections include vulnerability of pregnant women, altered pharmacokinetics and risk of adverse effects, with a need to balance potential maternal and fetal risks and benefits of research participation. While the objections may be valid, not performing research magnifies what should be a carefully controlled risk during research, pushing this risk into the clinical setting, and subsequently posing a challenge to clinicians who are faced with making treatment decisions for pregnant patients with limited evidence of efficacy and safety. The potential benefits of fair inclusion in clinical trials outweigh the potential risks. CONCLUSION Research involving pregnant women is necessary to provide women with effective treatment during pregnancy, to promote fetal safety (such as by avoiding the clinical use of drugs that may be harmful to the developing fetus), and to reduce avoidable harm from suboptimal care (such as from underdosing) and to provide pregnant women, their fetuses and newborns (with access to potential benefits of research participation).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Kabonge Kaye
- College of Health Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
- Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University, 1809 Ashland Avenue, Baltimore, 21205, USA.
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13
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subeh ZA, Alzoubi K. Cultural and Religious Barriers Influencing the Participation of Women in Research: A Study from Jordan. GENDER ISSUES 2019; 37:173-186. [PMID: 32863708 PMCID: PMC7453792 DOI: 10.1007/s12147-019-09235-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the general attitude toward women's participation in research studies in Jordan and determine the various cultural and religious issues that could impact the rate of inclusion of Arab and Muslim women in research studies. METHODS A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey study was conducted among Jordanian university students using a 17-item opinion questionnaire. RESULTS A total of 1265 students from different professional disciplines completed the questionnaire. The majority of the respondents (69.1%) believed that females in Jordan do not have the full autonomy to make their decision to participate in research studies. Study findings also showed that females are more likely to avoid the participation in research studies that require staying outside home or involve direct interaction between researcher and study participants. Females would prefer to deal with female research assistants when participating in research studies. CONCLUSION More efforts are required to encourage and enhance the rate of participation in research studies among women in Jordan and, probably, other Middle Eastern societies. When designing and conducting research studies in these countries, researchers should seriously consider the cultural and religious beliefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Al subeh
- Corresponding Author: Zeinab Al Subeh, MPharm, PharmD Lecturer, Clinical Pharmacy Department Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box3030 Irbid, Jordan., , Tel: +962779467523; Fax: + 962 (0) 2 7095123
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Wang SV, Schneeweiss S, Gagne JJ, Evers T, Gerlinger C, Desai R, Najafzadeh M. Using Real-World Data to Extrapolate Evidence From Randomized Controlled Trials. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2018; 105:1156-1163. [PMID: 30107034 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.1210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) provide evidence for regulatory agencies, shape clinical practice, influence formulary decisions, and have important implications for patients. However, many patient groups that are major consumers of drugs are under-represented in randomized trials. We review three methods to extrapolate evidence from trial participants to different target populations following market approval and discuss how these could be implemented in practice to support regulatory and health technology assessment decisions. Although these methods are not a substitute for less restrictive pre-approval RCTs or rigorous observational studies when sufficient data are available in the post-approval setting, they can help to fill the evidence gap that exists in the early marketing period. Early evidence using real-world data and methods for extrapolating evidence should be reported with clear explanation of assumptions and limitations especially when used to support regulatory and health technology assessment decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley V Wang
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joshua J Gagne
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Christoph Gerlinger
- Statistics and Data Insights, Bayer AG, Berlin, Germany.,Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Rishi Desai
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mehdi Najafzadeh
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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