Article
Immunology
Patricia J. McLaughlin, Laura B. Odom, Peter A. Arnett, Shannon Orehek, Gary A. Thomas, Ian S. Zagon
Summary: This study investigated the effects of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) therapy on anxiety and depression levels in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) during the early months of COVID-19. The results showed that PwMS who were prescribed LDN, either alone or as an adjuvant therapy, had significantly lower self-reported anxiety and depression scores compared to those on oral disease-modifying therapies.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Annette Langer-Gould, Jessica B. Smith, Bonnie H. Li, Brandon E. Beaber, Sonu M. Brara, Julie Debacker, Allen Scott Nielsen, Samira Amirova, Oluwasheyi Ayeni
Summary: Rituximab-treated persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) have a higher likelihood of hospitalization but not death from COVID-19 compared to the non-MS population. Factors like time in months and receiving higher doses at last infusion are independent predictors of COVID-19 severity. Therefore, caution should be taken in dose and interval selection during treatment.
ANNALS OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Rajesh B. Iyer, S. Raghavendra, Javeria M. Nooraine, R. Jaychandran
Summary: Outcomes of COVID-19 in PwMS on RTX therapy can be unpredictable, with the potential for severe disease and persistent infection.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND RELATED DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Lara D. Veeken, Merel A. A. Opdam, Lise M. Verhoef, Calin Popa, Reinout van Crevel, Alfons A. den Broeder
Summary: This study aims to determine the infection incidence in a large real-life population of RA patients using RTX, with special focus on (ultra-)low dosing and time since last infusion. The results showed that the risk of infection was lower with a dose of 200 mg, and infections seemed to occur more frequently in the first two months after infusion, suggesting an association with peak concentration.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Farren Basil Shaw Briggs, Farrah J. Mateen, Hollie Schmidt, Keisha M. Currie, Heather M. Siefers, Slavka Crouthamel, Bruce F. Bebo, Julie Fiol, Michael K. Racke, Kevin C. O'Connor, Laura G. Kolaczkowski, Phyllis Klein, Sara Loud, Robert Nicholas McBurney
Summary: This study found that most multiple sclerosis patients experienced vaccine reactions after receiving SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, with pain, fatigue, headache, and malaise being the most common reactions. Patients receiving different vaccines and on different treatment regimens may have varied reactions.
NEUROLOGY-NEUROIMMUNOLOGY & NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jakob Rishovd Karlowicz, Mattias Klakegg, Jan Harald Aarseth, Lars Bo, Kjell-Morten Myhr, Hilde Marie Torgauten, Oivind Torkildsen, Stig Wergeland
Summary: This retrospective cohort study found that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with rituximab had a higher risk of hematological adverse events, including hypogammaglobulinemia, severe lymphopenia, neutropenia, and infections leading to hospitalization. The risk was higher in patients with longer treatment duration, lympho- or neutropenia, and primary progressive MS.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND RELATED DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Malin Boremalm, Peter Sundstrom, Jonatan Salzer
Summary: Rituximab is safe and effective in treating RRMS, with long-term effects on inflammatory disease activity. Disease reactivation is rare in MS patients who discontinued treatment, and low-dose rituximab (< 1000 mg yearly) is sufficient to maintain suppression of inflammatory disease activity in stable patients.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
D. Ramonfaur, J. N. Salto-Quintana, G. M. Aguirre-Garcia, N. M. Hernandez-Mata, H. Villanueva-Lozanoc, G. Torre-Amione, M. F. Martinez-Resendez
Summary: This study evaluated the relationship between cumulative steroid dose and the risk of COVID-19 associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. The findings showed that patients with higher cumulative steroid doses during hospitalization were more likely to develop CAPA. The risk of CAPA increased with a higher cumulative dose of steroids.
JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jessica B. Smith, Edlin G. Gonzales, Bonnie H. Li, Annette Langer-Gould
Summary: This study investigates the increased risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 among SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated individuals with MS who undergo rituximab treatment, as well as the association between delaying vaccination by more than 6 months after rituximab treatment and decreased risk.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Asiye Tuba Ozdogar, Cavid Baba, Turhan Kahraman, Ozge Sagici, Seda Dastan, Ozge Ertekin, Serkan Ozakbas
Summary: This study suggests that exergaming and conventional rehabilitation (CR) are effective and safe methods for improving upper extremity functions, cognitive functions, fatigue, quality of life, balance, and walking ability in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) during the hospitalization period.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND RELATED DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
L. Jennifer St.Sauver, S. Guilherme Lopes, A. Walter Rocca, Kavita Prasad, R. Michelle Majerus, H. Andrew Limper, J. Debra Jacobson, Chun Fan, M. Robert Jacobson, J. Lila Rutten, D. Aaron Norman, M. Celine Vachon
Summary: The study identified factors such as older age, male sex, non-White race, Hispanic ethnicity, obesity, and a higher number of chronic diseases associated with an increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection. The risk of severe infection varied significantly across different age groups, with younger individuals with certain chronic conditions being particularly at risk.
MAYO CLINIC PROCEEDINGS
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Bridget J. Perry, Jason Nelson, John B. Wong, David M. Kent
Summary: This study aimed to estimate the incidence and survival rate of dysphagia in ALS patients. It was found that patients with dysphagia at study entry were more likely to have bulbar onset, faster functional decline, and shorter diagnostic delays. The cumulative incidence of dysphagia was high, with 44% at 1 year and 64% at 2 years for spinal onset, and 85% and 92% for bulbar onset.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Anthony Simone, John Herald, Aiyu Chen, Rohith Nayak, Yuh-Jer Albert Shen, Ming-Sum Lee
Summary: Myocarditis is a rare event following the second or third dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination, with most cases occurring within seven days. The incidence of myocarditis following the third dose is not significantly higher than that observed after the second dose.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jeannine M. Heckmann
Summary: Observational outcomes suggest that a single low-dose rituximab infusion can be effective in refractory myasthenia gravis (MG), including patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody MG (AChR+MG), and lead to long-lasting responses.
JOURNAL OF THE NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Doryaneh Ahmadpour, Anna Kristoffersson, Mats Fredrikson, Yumin Huang-Link, Anne Eriksson, Ellen Iacobaeus, Anne-Marie Landtblom, Sara Haghighi
Summary: Neurological symptoms were found in 74% of COVID-19 patients in southeastern Sweden. The most common symptoms were headache (43%), followed by anosmia and/or ageusia (33%), confusion (28%), hallucinations (17%), dizziness (16%), sleep disorders (9%), myopathy and neuropathy (8%), and numbness and tingling (5%). Male patients had a higher representation in the ICU (73%). Risk factors for more severe COVID-19, such as hypertension, depression and anxiety, sleep disorders, cardiovascular morbidity, autoimmune diseases, chronic lung diseases, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, were identified.
Article
Rheumatology
Viktor Molander, Hannah Bower, Thomas Frisell, Benedicte Delcoigne, Daniela Di Giuseppe, Johan Askling
Summary: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) have a higher incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared to those treated with other biological disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs), especially in terms of pulmonary embolism (PE).
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sven Cnattingius, Karin Kallen, Anna Sandstrom, Henny Rydberg, Helena Mansson, Olof Stephansson, Thomas Frisell, Jonas F. Ludvigsson
Summary: The Swedish Medical Birth Register (MBR) provides high-quality pregnancy-related information on over 5 million births during five decades. It is an important resource for understanding the health of mothers and offspring in both the short and long term.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anna He, Tim Spelman, Ali Manouchehrinia, Olga Ciccarelli, Jan Hillert, Kyla McKay
Summary: Timing of disease-modifying therapy affects clinical symptoms and physical health in patients with multiple sclerosis, but does not affect overall quality of life.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Chiara Starvaggi Cucuzza, Elisa Longinetti, Nicolas Ruffin, Bjoern Evertsson, Ingrid Kockum, Maja Jagodic, Faiez Al Nimer, Thomas Frisell, Fredrik Piehl
Summary: This study aimed to determine the clinical and neuroradiologic disease activity, as well as B-cell repopulation dynamics, after implementing extended rituximab dosing in RRMS. The results showed that extended dosing intervals did not increase the risk of relapse in RRMS, and the dynamics of total B-cell and memory B-cell repopulation varied considerably.
NEUROLOGY-NEUROIMMUNOLOGY & NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Matilda Morin, Thomas Frisell, Olof Stephansson, Karin Hellgren
Summary: This study aimed to assess the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with axial spondyloarthritis and investigate how the outcomes varied over time and with anti-rheumatic treatment. The results showed increased risks of preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, elective caesarean delivery, and serious infant infection in women with axial spondyloarthritis compared to the general population. However, there was a trend of improvement in pregnancy outcomes over time, coinciding with increased use of biological DMARDs.
LANCET RHEUMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Thomas Frisell, Hannah Bower, Matilda Morin, Eva Baecklund, Daniela Di Giuseppe, Benedicte Delcoigne, Nils Feltelius, Helena Forsblad-d'Elia, Elisabet Lindqvist, Ulf Lindstroem, Johan Askling
Summary: The objective of this study was to assess and compare the incidence rates of key safety outcomes for individual targeted synthetic or biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/ts DMARDs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study found that the b/tsDMARDs currently used to treat RA have acceptable and largely similar safety profiles, but differences exist in particular concerning tolerability and specific infection risks.
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Viking Huss, Hannah Bower, Karin Hellgren, Thomas Frisell, Johan Askling, ARTIS grp
Summary: This study assessed the cancer risks associated with Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) compared to biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) in clinical practice. The results showed that, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), the short-term risk of cancers other than non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) was not higher with JAKi compared to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), but there was evidence of an increased risk for NMSC.
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
David Leppert, Mitsuru Watanabe, Sabine Schaedelin, Fredrik Piehl, Roberto Furlan, Matteo Gastaldi, Jeremy Lambert, Bjorn Evertsson, Katharina Fink, Takuya Matsushita, Katsuhisa Masaki, Noriko Isobe, Jun-ichi Kira, Pascal Benkert, Aleksandra Maceski, Eline Willemse, Johanna Oechtering, Annette Orleth, Stephanie Meier, Jens Kuhle
Summary: This study aimed to determine the differences in granulocyte activation markers (GAM) between neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and multiple sclerosis (MS), and whether they are associated with neurological impairment. The results showed that GAM and adhesion molecules were higher in acute NMOSD compared to RRMS and correlated with clinical disability scores. The composite of GAM can be used as a reliable biomarker to differentiate NMOSD from MS, including aAQP4(-) NMOSD.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Katharina Fink, Agnes Gorczyca, Peter Alping, Simon Englund, Susan Farmand, Annette M. Langer-Gould, Fredrik Piehl, Kyla McKay, Thomas Frisell, Neda Razaz
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the association between multiple sclerosis (MS) in mothers and the risks of adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. A population-based retrospective cohort study in Sweden showed that mothers with MS had a higher risk of obstetric complications and their newborns had an increased risk of preterm birth and being small for gestational age compared to MS-free mothers. However, exposure to disease-modifying therapy (DMT) during pregnancy did not lead to major adverse outcomes.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Andrei Barbulescu, Arvid Sjolander, Benedicte Delcoigne, Johan Askling, Thomas Frisell
Summary: This study compared the incidence of serious infections between different oral glucocorticoid dose patterns in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The results showed that higher doses and recent exposure to glucocorticoids are associated with an increased risk of serious infections. This study provides an explanation for the conflicting results in observational studies.
Letter
Pediatrics
Georgios Karamanis, Thomas Frisell, Mats Holmberg, Maria Halldin, Sara Sylven, Alkistis Skalkidou, Fotios C. Papadopoulos
Summary: This study investigates the occurrence of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IHH) in individuals in Sweden who are undergoing gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) treatment for gender dysphoria.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Fardowsa L. A. Yusuf, Ayesha Asaf, Ruth Ann Marrie, Ping Li, Kyla McKay, Yinshan Zhao, Feng Zhu, Colleen Maxwell, Helen Tremlett
Summary: Canada has one of the highest rates of paediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (PoMS) globally, and the prevalence, but not incidence, has increased over time. Allocation of resources to support the growing youth population with MS should be a priority.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Bruno Brochet, Alessandra Solari, Jeannette Lechner-Scott, Fredrik Piehl, Dawn Langdon, Raymond Hupperts, Krzysztof Selmaj, Francesco Patti, Luis Brieva, Eva Maria Maida, Nektaria Alexandri, Andrzej Smyk, Axel Nolting, Birgit Keller, Xavier Montalban, Eva Kubala Havrdova
Summary: Cladribine tablet treatment significantly improved the health-related quality of life in people with highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis, with good safety and tolerability.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS JOURNAL
(2023)
