Post-COVID-19 vaccine uveitis: A case series

OBJECTIVE

With the recent emergence and worldwide distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, many side effects may be underreported and possibly unknown. Cases of vaccine-associated uveitis have been linked to almost all vaccines administered in the past; however, there is scarcity of literature providing insight into post-COVID-19 vaccine-associated uveitis. This case series documents patients presenting with uveitis after administration of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines, in hope of advancing our current understanding of potential ocular complications of COVID-19 vaccines.

METHODS

Patients with ocular symptoms consistent with uveitis within 14 days after administration of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were included in this case series.

RESULTS

Eight patients with a mean age of 44.4 years (range, 19-83) were included. Six patients received a Pfizer, and 2 received a Moderna vaccine. Four patients presented after their first dose, 3 after their second dose, and 1 after both doses. The mean onset of ocular symptoms after the vaccine was 5.19 days (range, 1-14), and the mean BCVA was 0.678. Patients were diagnosed with bilateral anterior granulomatous uveitis (case 1), unilateral non-granulomatous anterior uveitis (case 2, 5-8), and bilateral non-granulomatous anterior uveitis (case 3-4).

CONCLUSIONS

The pathogenesis of vaccine-induced uveitis is not properly understood; however, the outcomes of this case series will aid in establishing a temporal association between the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines and the onset of uveitis. As the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations increases globally, it is imperative for physicians to be aware of the possible association and presentation of these ocular findings and diagnoses in order to treat patients effectively.

A175 REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE ON SWITCHING FROM ADALIMUMAB TO BIOSIMILARS IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE – AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY FROM THREE TERTIARY CARE CENTRES

Background

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the bowel which includes ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn’s disease (CD) or unspecific IBD (IBDu). Adalimumab (ADA), a humanized monoclonal IgG antibody against tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFa), is an effective treatment for IBD. Humira^TM is an anti-TNFa agent that was approved by Health Canada for the treatment of IBD. In May of 2019, the British Columbia government pharmaceutical benefit plan implemented a biosimilar initiative in May 2019, mandating a non-medical switch from Humira^TM to one of the biosimilar drugs.

Purpose

We aimed to evaluate the real-world experience on the comparative safety and effectiveness of adalimumab biosimilar therapy after a mandatory, non-medical switch.

Method

We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients with IBD who either remained on Humira^TM or were switched to an adalimumab biosimilar agent, Idacio, at three tertiary care centres. Patients’ demographic data, disease status including CRP and fecal calprotectin before and after switch, and hospital visits or admission after switch were collected. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and t-test.

Result(s)

Of the 191 patients included in the study, 145 patients underwent the provincial mandated switch from Humira^TM to a biosimilar agent, Idacio® , whereas 46 patients remained on Humira^TM. The median age at IBD diagnosis was 27 years (range 3-76 years), and at biosimilar switch was 43.5 years (15-78 years). Median disease duration prior to biosimilar switch was 13.5 years (range 0-69 years). 55.1% of patients were male, and 12.9% of patients were active smokers. CD was found in 78.9% of patients, and 19.9% of patients had UC. After biosimilar switch, adverse events, such as rash, nausea, or vomiting, were noted in 10 patients in the biosimilar group, and 7 patients required switch back to Humira^TM. All patients in the Humira^TM group stayed on that therapy. One patient stopped the biosimilar agent due to development of a new cancer requiring chemotherapy. None of the patients required IBD-related emergency department visit or hospital admission. Additionally, there was no difference in CRP or fecal calprotectin values measured before and after the biosimilar switch, and when compared to the patients who stayed on Humira^TM (p=0.48, and p=0.142, respectively).

Conclusion(s)

We conclude that the clinical benefit of Humira^TM was sustained after a non-medical switch to an adalimumab biosimilar. There was no risk of relapse, emergency visit, or hospital admission seen in this study. This is the first Canadian study to establish the safety and efficacy of switch to non-medical switch to an adalimumab biosimilar agent.

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Disclosure of Interest

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Dorsal bridge plating or transarticular screws for Lisfranc fracture dislocations: a retrospective study comparing functional and radiological outcomes

Aims

The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the functional and radiological outcomes of bridge plating, screw fixation, and a combination of both methods for the treatment of Lisfranc fracture dislocations.

Patients and Methods

A total of 108 patients were treated for a Lisfranc fracture dislocation over a period of nine years. Of these, 38 underwent transarticular screw fixation, 45 dorsal bridge plating, and 25 a combination technique. Injuries were assessed preoperatively according to the Myerson classification system. The outcome measures included the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, the validated Manchester Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ) functional tool, and the radiological Wilppula classification of anatomical reduction.

Results

Significantly better functional outcomes were seen in the bridge plate group. These patients had a mean AOFAS score of 82.5 points, compared with 71.0 for the screw group and 63.3 for the combination group (p < 0.001). Similarly, the mean Manchester Oxford Foot Questionnaire score was 25.6 points in the bridge plate group, 38.1 in the screw group, and 45.5 in the combination group (p < 0.001). Functional outcome was dependent on the quality of reduction (p < 0.001). A trend was noted which indicated that plate fixation is associated with a better anatomical reduction (p = 0.06). Myerson types A and C2 significantly predicted a poorer functional outcome, suggesting that total incongruity in either a homolateral or divergent pattern leads to worse outcomes. The greater the number of columns fixed the worse the outcome (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Patients treated with dorsal bridge plating have better functional and radiological outcomes than those treated with transarticular screws or a combination technique. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:468-74.

An incidence study of schizophrenia in India

Under a WHO collaborative study, the Chandigarh center monitored two geographically defined populations over a 2-year period. Using helping-agency-coverage and other methods along with a set of specified criteria, 268 first-onset potentially schizophrenic cases were actively identified. Of these, 232 cases could be assessed in detail which included 209 schizophrenics as per specified ICD-9 or Catego criteria. The annual incidence rates obtained were 4.4 and 3.8 per 10,000 for rural and urban areas, respectively. The rural cohort had a higher incidence for each of the three diagnostic definitions. In the urban cohort, sex and diagnostic definition did not affect the incidence. In the rural cohort, females had a lower incidence for Catego S+ and a higher incidence for other diagnostic definitions.

Surfactant protein-A inhibits lavage-induced surfactant secretion in newborn rabbits

In vitro experiments with granular pneumocytes suggest that surfactant protein-A (SP-A) inhibits secretion of pulmonary surfactant. We examined whether SP-A inhibits surfactant secretion induced by lung distention during lung lavage. Human SP-A was obtained by lung lavage in a patient with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. After centrifugation of the lavagate, the pellet was repeatedly washed with saline and then extracted with chloroform:methanol. The methanol:saline phase was separated and lyophilized to yield the SP-A product. SDS-PAGE and immunoblot analysis indicated that our preparation of SP-A had only minor contamination with human plasma proteins. To examine secretion, we used freshly killed newborn rabbit pups of 29.5 days gestation and lavaged the lungs by 10 sequential, fresh saline washes. Littermate neighbor pairs were lavaged with SP-A or human plasma protein at concentrations of 1, 6, 10, and 50 micrograms/ml, and disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) was analyzed as a marker for surfactant. The inhibition of surfactant secretion was maximal at a concentration of 10 micrograms/ml; the average yield by the last two pairs of washes, an index of surfactant secretion, was 286 +/- 41 micrograms/g dry lung weight for SP-A, compared to 405 +/- 37 micrograms/g dry lung weight for controls, an inhibition of 30% (p < 0.005). There were no changes in the volumes of returned lavage or in the concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase or DNA. To test whether SP-A increased cellular uptake of DSPC in the lungs, we prepared radioactive exogenous surfactant, lavaged it into the lungs, and monitored recovery of radioactivity by continued lavage. Recovery was the same in treated and control lungs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Relatives' expressed emotion and the course of schizophrenia in Chandigarh. A two-year follow-up of a first-contact sample

A two-year follow-up was conducted of a subsample of the Chandigarh cohort of first-contact schizophrenic patients from the WHO Determinants of Outcome project. The patients were those living with family members who had been interviewed initially to determine their levels of expressed emotion (EE). The interview was repeated for 74% of the relatives at one-year follow-up. A dramatic reduction had occurred in each of the EE components and in the global index. No rural relative was rated as high EE at follow-up. Of the patients included in the one-year follow-up, 86% were followed for two years. In contrast to the one-year findings, the global EE index at initial interview did not predict relapse of schizophrenia over the subsequent two years. However, there was a significant association between initial hostility and subsequent relapse. The better outcome of this cohort of schizophrenic patients compared with samples from the West is partly attributable to tolerance and acceptance by family members.

Expressed emotion and schizophrenia in north India. III. Influence of relatives' expressed emotion on the course of schizophrenia in Chandigarh

We conducted a one-year follow-up of patients who had made a first contact with psychiatric services in Chandigarh, North India, and had been assigned a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The expressed emotion (EE) of the patients' relatives was assessed early on. We found the same associations between the individual components of EE and relapse of schizophrenia as in previous Anglo-American studies, but only the association between hostility and relapse was statistically significant. Applying the same criteria as in the Anglo-American studies for 'high EE', we found a significant relationship between high EE and relapse rates. We conclude that the significantly better outcome of Chandigarh first-contact patients compared with a London sample is largely due to the significantly lower proportion of high-EE relatives in the North Indian sample.

Expressed emotion and schizophrenia in north India. II. Distribution of expressed emotion components among relatives of schizophrenic patients in Aarhus and Chandigarh

We measured the components of expressed emotion among two samples of relatives of first-contact patients from Aarhus (Denmark) and Chandigarh (India). The Danes were very similar in most respects to samples of British relatives, whereas the Indian relatives expressed significantly fewer critical comments, fewer positive remarks, and less over-involvement. Within the Chandigarh sample, city-dwellers were significantly more expressive than villagers of all EE components except over-involvement.

Expressed emotion and schizophrenia in north India. I. Cross-cultural transfer of ratings of relatives' expressed emotion

A bilingual rater was trained in English in a technique of assessing relatives emotional attitudes to patients, and was then required to rate material in Hindi without any further experience. This strategy revealed that the rating of critical comments, hostility and positive remarks could be transferred from English to Hindi without distortion. There were problems with the remaining two scales, over-involvement and warmth, but these were due to technical issues connected with rating and not to cross-cultural distortion.

A follow up study of hysteria

The present study undertook to examine the outcome of a group of cases who were diagnosed as hysteria, six or more years ago in a general hospital psychiatric unit and correlate various clinical factors with good or bad outcome. Of the 81 cases selected for the study, 57 (67%) could be located and followed up after a gap of 6-8 years. Majority of the cases (74%) had either no symptoms or symptoms less than before at the time of the follow up. In only 3 cases, there was evidence of an underlying organic illness which seemed to have been missed at the initial assessment. A new sub-classification of hysteria with glossary of terms used for this study is presented for future research work.