Contraceptive Attitudes and Beliefs of Women With Sickle Cell Disease: A Qualitative Study

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to qualitatively explore factors influencing contraceptive use in women living with sickle cell disease (SCD).

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a semi-structured qualitative study using data from interviews with reproductive-aged women with SCD. The Theory of Planned Behavior, which describes an individual's attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control as drivers of a health behavior, served as a framework for data collection and thematic analysis.

RESULTS

We analyzed interviews from 20 participants. Attitudes toward contraception showed skepticism regarding hormonal contraception and concern about adverse effects of contraception related to SCD. The role of subjective norms in contraceptive choice depended on whether participants possessed trusted sources of information, such as health care providers, family, and friends, or whether they relied on themselves alone in their contraceptive decision-making. The influence of health care providers was complicated by inconsistent and sometimes conflicting counseling. Finally, with regard to participants' perceived control in their contraceptive choices, some were motivated to alleviate menstrual pain or prevent SCD-related pregnancy risks, but many reported feeling disempowered in contraceptive decision-making settings because of their demographic characteristics or pressure from health care providers.

CONCLUSIONS

Women living with SCD are influenced by many factors similar to those documented for other populations when making decisions about contraception. However, SCD amplifies both the importance and risks of contraception and may also complicate individuals' autonomy and contraceptive access. Hematology and reproductive health providers should recognize the risk of coercion, maximize patients' reproductive agency, and coordinate reproductive health counseling for patients with SCD.

Sex as an Independent Risk Factor for Venous Thromboembolism in Sickle Cell Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) affects up to 25% of individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD), but risk factors are not well characterized. We sought to measure the prevalence of VTE among SCD patients in our health system and to describe the relationship between medical history, biological sex, and VTE. We performed a retrospective chart review of SCD patients who visited an outpatient hematology clinic within Penn Medicine between June 2014 and June 2019. Demographics and medical history were compared across those with and without a history of VTE. We developed a logistic regression model to describe factors independently associated with VTE. Of 597 patients with SCD who were identified, 147 (24.6%) had a history of VTE; 100 were female and 47 were male. In the regression model, female sex was independently associated with history of VTE (odds ratio 1.91, 95% confidence interval 1.26-2.91), as were pulmonary hypertension, hydroxyurea use, and history of stroke. Among females only, 49.7% were parous and 18.8% had used oral contraceptives, and these proportions did not differ by history of VTE. One-quarter of the SCD patients in our health system had a history of VTE, confirming significantly higher rates than in the general population. Females had twice the odds of VTE compared to males, highlighting an important sex disparity in SCD disease outcomes and raising questions regarding optimal pregnancy and contraceptive care for females with SCD.

The role of novel immunotherapies in non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Immunotherapy is an evolving modality in the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Vaccinations with patient-specific tumor-derived antigens have been developed to strengthen immune response to tumor. The success of rituximab, a monoclonal antibody for CD20 on malignant B-cells, fueled further immunotherapy research. The power of the immune system to fight hematologic malignancies is seen in allogeneic stem cell transplant, where donor T cells attack residual malignant cells in the recipient. Now, three innovative therapeutic immunotherapy classes (I) adoptive cellular therapy; (II) immune-checkpoint inhibitors; and (III) novel antibody therapies show promising results in non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Genetically engineered T cells, CAR T cells, obtained remissions in lymphomas refractory to conventional chemotherapy. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors, such as nivolumab and pembrolizumab revolutionized the treatment of many solid tumors, and unprecedented results are now reported in relapsed/refractory lymphoma. Building on the success of rituximab, additional therapeutic monoclonal antibodies were developed for lymphoma treatment. Antibodies have recently been further engineered with multiple binding sites to directly engage both tumor and T cells. There are exciting early clinical trial results for the first bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE), blinatumomab, as well as promising ongoing studies for dual antibody molecules, Dual-Affinity Re-Targeting (DART) proteins. This review highlights these three immunotherapy classes for relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphomas and discusses the mechanism of action, clinical efficacy, and toxicities of each.

Premature cell senescence and T cell receptor-independent activation of CD8+ T cells in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

OBJECTIVE

CD8+ T cells lacking CD28 were originally reported to be a characteristic feature of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), but the relevance of these unusual cells to this disease remains to be elucidated. Because of recent evidence that loss of CD28 cells is typical of terminally differentiated lymphocytes, the aim of this study was to examine functional subsets of CD8+ T cells in patients with JIA.

METHODS

Blood and/or waste synovial fluid samples were collected from children with a definite diagnosis of JIA (n = 98). Deidentified peripheral blood (n = 33) and cord blood (n = 13) samples from healthy donors were also collected. CD8+ and CD4+ T cells were screened for novel receptors, and where indicated, bioassays were performed to determine the functional relevance of the identified receptor.

RESULTS

JIA patients had a naive T cell compartment with shortened telomeres, and their entire T cell pool had reduced proliferative capacity. They had an overabundance of CD31+CD28(null) CD8+ T cells, which was a significant feature of oligoarticular JIA (n = 62) as compared to polyarticular JIA (n = 36). CD31+ CD28(null) CD8+ T cells had limited mitotic capacity and expressed high levels of the senescence antigens histone γH2AX and/or p16. Ligation of CD31, which was independent of the T cell receptor (TCR), sufficiently induced tyrosine phosphorylation, vesicle exocytosis, and production of interferon-γ and interleukin-10.

CONCLUSION

These data provide the first evidence of cell senescence, as represented by CD31+CD28(null) CD8+ T cells, in the pathophysiology of JIA. Activation of these unusual cells in a TCR-independent manner suggests that they are maladaptive and could be potential targets for immunotherapy.