Treatment with pembrolizumab or nivolumab may benefit patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), investigators reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Three research teams described 10 cases in which patients with PML received pembrolizumab or nivolumab.

In one study, researchers administered pembrolizumab to eight adults with PML. Five patients had clinical improvement or stabilization, whereas 3 patients did not. Among the patients with clinical improvement, treatment led to reduced JC viral load in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and increased CD4+ and CD8+ anti–JC virus activity in vitro. Among patients without clinical improvement, treatment did not meaningfully change viral load or antiviral cellular immune response.

In a separate letter, researchers in Germany described an additional patient with PML who had clinical stabilization and no disease progression on MRI after treatment with pembrolizumab.

In another letter, researchers in France described a patient with PML whose condition improved after treatment with nivolumab.

“Do pembrolizumab and nivolumab fit the bill for treatment of PML? The current reports are encouraging but suggest that the presence of JC virus–specific T cells in the blood is a prerequisite for their use,” said Igor J. Koralnik, MD, of the department of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, in an accompanying editorial. “A controlled trial may be needed to determine whether immune checkpoint inhibitors are indeed able to keep JC virus in check in patients with PML.”


 

Reinvigorating T cells

Both monoclonal antibodies target programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), which inhibits T-cell proliferation and cytokine production when it binds its associated ligand, Dr. Koralnik said. Pembrolizumab and nivolumab block this inhibition and have been used to spur T-cell activity against tumors in patients with cancer.

PML, an often fatal brain infection caused by the JC virus in patients with immunosuppression, has no specific treatment. Management hinges on “recovery of the immune system, either by treating the underlying cause of immunosuppression or by discontinuing the use of immunosuppressive medications,” said Dr. Koralnik.
 

Pembrolizumab

Prior studies have found that PD-1 expression is elevated on T lymphocytes of patients with PML. To determine whether PD-1 blockade with pembrolizumab reinvigorates anti–JC virus immune activity in patients with PML, Irene Cortese, MD, of the National Institutes of Health’s Neuroimmunology Clinic and her research colleagues administered pembrolizumab at a dose of 2 mg/kg of body weight every 4-6 weeks to eight adults with PML. The patients received 1-3 doses, and each patient had a different underlying condition.

In all patients, treatment induced down-regulation of PD-1 expression on lymphocytes in CSF and peripheral blood, and five of the eight patients had clinical stabilization or improvement. Of the other three patients who did not improve, one had stabilized prior to treatment and remained stable. The other two patients died from PML.
 

Additional reports

Separately, Sebastian Rauer, MD, of Albert Ludwigs University in Freiburg, Germany, and his colleagues reported that a patient with PML whose symptoms culminated in mutism in February 2018 began speaking again after receiving five infusions of pembrolizumab over 10 weeks. “In addition, the size and number of lesions on MRI decreased, and JCV was no longer detectable in CSF,” Dr. Rauer and his colleagues wrote. “The patient has remained stable as of the end of March 2019, with persistent but abating psychomotor slowing, aphasia, and disorientation.”

Finally, Ondine Walter, of Toulouse (France) University Hospital and colleagues described the case of a 60-year-old woman with PML who received nivolumab on a compassionate-use basis. Two weeks after treatment, JC viral load in CSF and blood had decreased. “Starting 8 weeks after the initiation of nivolumab therapy, the patient’s neurologic symptoms and signs stabilized, and subsequently she showed improved alertness, and the ptosis and hemiplegia abated.”
 

Reason for caution

Prior studies, however, give reasons for caution when considering the potential use of immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat PML, Dr. Koralnik noted. In one case, a patient developed an inflammatory form of PML known as immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome after receiving nivolumab (J Neurovirol. 2019 March 12. doi: 10.1007/s13365-019-00738-x). In addition, researchers have reported a case of PML that occurred after 1 year of nivolumab treatment, and four cases of PML related to nivolumab have been reported in pharmacovigilance databases (Emerg Infect Dis. 2018;24:1594-6). The cost and safety profiles of the medications also may be considerations, Dr. Koralnik said.

The study by Dr. Cortese and colleagues was funded by the National Institutes of Health, and the authors had no relevant disclosures. Some of the research letter authors disclosed grants and personal fees from pharmaceutical companies.

jremaly@mdedge.com

SOURCES: Cortese I et al. N Engl J Med. 2019 Apr 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1815039; Rauer S et al. N Engl J Med. 2019 Apr 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1817193; Walter O et al. N Engl J Med. 2019 Apr 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1816198; Koralnik IJ. N Engl J Med. 2019 Apr 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMe1904140.

Treatment with pembrolizumab or nivolumab may benefit patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), investigators reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Three research teams described 10 cases in which patients with PML received pembrolizumab or nivolumab.

In one study, researchers administered pembrolizumab to eight adults with PML. Five patients had clinical improvement or stabilization, whereas 3 patients did not. Among the patients with clinical improvement, treatment led to reduced JC viral load in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and increased CD4+ and CD8+ anti–JC virus activity in vitro. Among patients without clinical improvement, treatment did not meaningfully change viral load or antiviral cellular immune response.

In a separate letter, researchers in Germany described an additional patient with PML who had clinical stabilization and no disease progression on MRI after treatment with pembrolizumab.

In another letter, researchers in France described a patient with PML whose condition improved after treatment with nivolumab.

“Do pembrolizumab and nivolumab fit the bill for treatment of PML? The current reports are encouraging but suggest that the presence of JC virus–specific T cells in the blood is a prerequisite for their use,” said Igor J. Koralnik, MD, of the department of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, in an accompanying editorial. “A controlled trial may be needed to determine whether immune checkpoint inhibitors are indeed able to keep JC virus in check in patients with PML.”


 

Reinvigorating T cells

Both monoclonal antibodies target programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), which inhibits T-cell proliferation and cytokine production when it binds its associated ligand, Dr. Koralnik said. Pembrolizumab and nivolumab block this inhibition and have been used to spur T-cell activity against tumors in patients with cancer.

PML, an often fatal brain infection caused by the JC virus in patients with immunosuppression, has no specific treatment. Management hinges on “recovery of the immune system, either by treating the underlying cause of immunosuppression or by discontinuing the use of immunosuppressive medications,” said Dr. Koralnik.
 

Pembrolizumab

Prior studies have found that PD-1 expression is elevated on T lymphocytes of patients with PML. To determine whether PD-1 blockade with pembrolizumab reinvigorates anti–JC virus immune activity in patients with PML, Irene Cortese, MD, of the National Institutes of Health’s Neuroimmunology Clinic and her research colleagues administered pembrolizumab at a dose of 2 mg/kg of body weight every 4-6 weeks to eight adults with PML. The patients received 1-3 doses, and each patient had a different underlying condition.

In all patients, treatment induced down-regulation of PD-1 expression on lymphocytes in CSF and peripheral blood, and five of the eight patients had clinical stabilization or improvement. Of the other three patients who did not improve, one had stabilized prior to treatment and remained stable. The other two patients died from PML.
 

Additional reports

Separately, Sebastian Rauer, MD, of Albert Ludwigs University in Freiburg, Germany, and his colleagues reported that a patient with PML whose symptoms culminated in mutism in February 2018 began speaking again after receiving five infusions of pembrolizumab over 10 weeks. “In addition, the size and number of lesions on MRI decreased, and JCV was no longer detectable in CSF,” Dr. Rauer and his colleagues wrote. “The patient has remained stable as of the end of March 2019, with persistent but abating psychomotor slowing, aphasia, and disorientation.”

Finally, Ondine Walter, of Toulouse (France) University Hospital and colleagues described the case of a 60-year-old woman with PML who received nivolumab on a compassionate-use basis. Two weeks after treatment, JC viral load in CSF and blood had decreased. “Starting 8 weeks after the initiation of nivolumab therapy, the patient’s neurologic symptoms and signs stabilized, and subsequently she showed improved alertness, and the ptosis and hemiplegia abated.”
 

Reason for caution

Prior studies, however, give reasons for caution when considering the potential use of immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat PML, Dr. Koralnik noted. In one case, a patient developed an inflammatory form of PML known as immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome after receiving nivolumab (J Neurovirol. 2019 March 12. doi: 10.1007/s13365-019-00738-x). In addition, researchers have reported a case of PML that occurred after 1 year of nivolumab treatment, and four cases of PML related to nivolumab have been reported in pharmacovigilance databases (Emerg Infect Dis. 2018;24:1594-6). The cost and safety profiles of the medications also may be considerations, Dr. Koralnik said.

The study by Dr. Cortese and colleagues was funded by the National Institutes of Health, and the authors had no relevant disclosures. Some of the research letter authors disclosed grants and personal fees from pharmaceutical companies.

jremaly@mdedge.com

SOURCES: Cortese I et al. N Engl J Med. 2019 Apr 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1815039; Rauer S et al. N Engl J Med. 2019 Apr 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1817193; Walter O et al. N Engl J Med. 2019 Apr 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1816198; Koralnik IJ. N Engl J Med. 2019 Apr 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMe1904140.

Treatment with pembrolizumab or nivolumab may benefit patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), investigators reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Three research teams described 10 cases in which patients with PML received pembrolizumab or nivolumab.

In one study, researchers administered pembrolizumab to eight adults with PML. Five patients had clinical improvement or stabilization, whereas 3 patients did not. Among the patients with clinical improvement, treatment led to reduced JC viral load in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and increased CD4+ and CD8+ anti–JC virus activity in vitro. Among patients without clinical improvement, treatment did not meaningfully change viral load or antiviral cellular immune response.

In a separate letter, researchers in Germany described an additional patient with PML who had clinical stabilization and no disease progression on MRI after treatment with pembrolizumab.

In another letter, researchers in France described a patient with PML whose condition improved after treatment with nivolumab.

“Do pembrolizumab and nivolumab fit the bill for treatment of PML? The current reports are encouraging but suggest that the presence of JC virus–specific T cells in the blood is a prerequisite for their use,” said Igor J. Koralnik, MD, of the department of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, in an accompanying editorial. “A controlled trial may be needed to determine whether immune checkpoint inhibitors are indeed able to keep JC virus in check in patients with PML.”


 

Reinvigorating T cells

Both monoclonal antibodies target programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), which inhibits T-cell proliferation and cytokine production when it binds its associated ligand, Dr. Koralnik said. Pembrolizumab and nivolumab block this inhibition and have been used to spur T-cell activity against tumors in patients with cancer.

PML, an often fatal brain infection caused by the JC virus in patients with immunosuppression, has no specific treatment. Management hinges on “recovery of the immune system, either by treating the underlying cause of immunosuppression or by discontinuing the use of immunosuppressive medications,” said Dr. Koralnik.
 

Pembrolizumab

Prior studies have found that PD-1 expression is elevated on T lymphocytes of patients with PML. To determine whether PD-1 blockade with pembrolizumab reinvigorates anti–JC virus immune activity in patients with PML, Irene Cortese, MD, of the National Institutes of Health’s Neuroimmunology Clinic and her research colleagues administered pembrolizumab at a dose of 2 mg/kg of body weight every 4-6 weeks to eight adults with PML. The patients received 1-3 doses, and each patient had a different underlying condition.

In all patients, treatment induced down-regulation of PD-1 expression on lymphocytes in CSF and peripheral blood, and five of the eight patients had clinical stabilization or improvement. Of the other three patients who did not improve, one had stabilized prior to treatment and remained stable. The other two patients died from PML.
 

Additional reports

Separately, Sebastian Rauer, MD, of Albert Ludwigs University in Freiburg, Germany, and his colleagues reported that a patient with PML whose symptoms culminated in mutism in February 2018 began speaking again after receiving five infusions of pembrolizumab over 10 weeks. “In addition, the size and number of lesions on MRI decreased, and JCV was no longer detectable in CSF,” Dr. Rauer and his colleagues wrote. “The patient has remained stable as of the end of March 2019, with persistent but abating psychomotor slowing, aphasia, and disorientation.”

Finally, Ondine Walter, of Toulouse (France) University Hospital and colleagues described the case of a 60-year-old woman with PML who received nivolumab on a compassionate-use basis. Two weeks after treatment, JC viral load in CSF and blood had decreased. “Starting 8 weeks after the initiation of nivolumab therapy, the patient’s neurologic symptoms and signs stabilized, and subsequently she showed improved alertness, and the ptosis and hemiplegia abated.”
 

Reason for caution

Prior studies, however, give reasons for caution when considering the potential use of immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat PML, Dr. Koralnik noted. In one case, a patient developed an inflammatory form of PML known as immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome after receiving nivolumab (J Neurovirol. 2019 March 12. doi: 10.1007/s13365-019-00738-x). In addition, researchers have reported a case of PML that occurred after 1 year of nivolumab treatment, and four cases of PML related to nivolumab have been reported in pharmacovigilance databases (Emerg Infect Dis. 2018;24:1594-6). The cost and safety profiles of the medications also may be considerations, Dr. Koralnik said.

The study by Dr. Cortese and colleagues was funded by the National Institutes of Health, and the authors had no relevant disclosures. Some of the research letter authors disclosed grants and personal fees from pharmaceutical companies.

jremaly@mdedge.com

SOURCES: Cortese I et al. N Engl J Med. 2019 Apr 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1815039; Rauer S et al. N Engl J Med. 2019 Apr 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1817193; Walter O et al. N Engl J Med. 2019 Apr 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1816198; Koralnik IJ. N Engl J Med. 2019 Apr 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMe1904140.

For older, less fit patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who may not be able to withstand the rigors of autologous stem cell transplants (ASCT), induction chemotherapy followed by radioimmunotherapy (RIT) consolidation with ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin) was associated with good response rates and promising progression-free and overall survival rates, according to results of a phase 2 prospective study.

Wikimedia Commons/TexasPathologistMSW/CC-ASA 4.0 International

RIT consolidation improved the complete response rate following first-line therapy from 41% to 91%, reported Wojciech Jurczak, MD, PhD, from the department of hematology at the Uniwersytet Jagiellonski in Krakow, Poland, and colleagues.

In the patients who received RIT following first-line induction, median progression-free survival was 3.3 years, and median overall survival was 6.5 years.

“The achieved responses are durable. Although, several novel agents and targeted therapies alone or in combination are currently being studied and developed in both the upfront and relapsed settings, RIT constitutes a valid and underused option especially in the first-line setting,” they wrote in a study published in Leukemia & Lymphoma.

The investigators enrolled 46 patients with clinical stage III to IV MCL who were either ineligible for, or unwilling to undergo, ASCT. The cohort included 34 patients with newly diagnosed advanced MCL and 12 with chemo-sensitive MCL in first relapse.

Patients were assigned to induction with six cycles of chemotherapy, with or without rituximab. Patients then underwent consolidation with RIT if they had confirmed reductions of the maximal lymph node diameter below 3 cm, their longest spleen measurement was below 15 cm, and bone marrow infiltration was less than 20%.

The chemotherapy regimens included either CVP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone), CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), FC (fludarabine and cyclophosphamide), or FCM (FC plus mitoxantrone). Additionally, 27 of the 46 patients received rituximab, which was not considered the standard of care in Poland when the study began in 2005 and was delivered based on availability.

Of the 34 patients who received first-line chemotherapy, 20 received FC or FCM (with or without rituximab), and 14 received CHOP or CVP (with or without rituximab). In this group, 14 patients (41%) had a complete response, and 20 (95%) had a partial response. Of the 12 patients treated after first relapse, two (17%) had a complete response and 10 (83%) had partial response after induction.

RIT consolidation was performed 3-5 weeks after the last chemotherapy cycle. Patients with cytopenias after chemotherapy could wait an additional 3 weeks, during which they would receive a bridging dose of rituximab at the standard 375 mg/m² dose. The patients received two doses of rituximab 250 mg/m² administered 7 days then 24 hours prior to intravenous injection of ⁹⁰Y-labeled ibritumomab tiuxetan. The radiation doses delivered were 0.4 mCi/kg for patients with normal platelet counts and 0.3 mCi/kg for those with platelet counts from 100,000 to 150,000 cells/mm³. The maximum dose was 32.0 mCi.

The longest follow-up was out to slightly more than 8 years.

For the patients who received RIT after first-line induction, the complete response rate was 91%, and the partial response rate was 9%, compared with 41% complete response and 59% partial response after induction. In this group, the median progression-free survival was 3.3 years, and the median overall survival was 6.5 years.

For the patients who received RIT consolidation after first relapse and second chemotherapy regimen, the complete response rate was 75% and the partial response rate was 25%, compared with 17% and 83% at the end of second induction therapy. In this group, the median progression-free survival was 1.8 years (P less than .05, compared with patients treated after first-line responses), and the median overall survival was 2.2 years (P less than .05).

At 8 years of follow-up, 30% of patients who received RIT consolidation following first-line therapy were alive.

Adverse events included cytopenias in the majority of patients (77%), which were grade 1 or 2 in severity in 43% and grade 3 or 4 in 34%. Grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia and leukopenia occurred more frequently in patients treated with fludarabine-based regimens, and the thrombocytopenias in these patients lasted longer and required more platelet transfusions than those in CHOP- or CVP-treated patients. Two patients who underwent RIT following FCM induction died from prolonged thrombocytopenia, resulting in hemorrhagic strokes.

Among all patients, 22 patients developed infections following RIT consolidation. Five patients, all of whom had received fludarabine, required hospitalization for the treatment of the infections. There were no infection-related deaths, however.

Five patients developed the myelodysplastic syndrome, with a median onset time of 26 months. Of these patients, four had received fludarabine, and one had undergone a prior ASCT.

The trial was sponsored by Schering AG. Dr. Jurczak reported speakers bureau participation and research funding from multiple companies, not including Schering AG.

SOURCE: Jurczak W et al. Leuk Lymphoma. 2019 Apr 9. doi: 10.1080/10428194.2019.1602261.

For older, less fit patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who may not be able to withstand the rigors of autologous stem cell transplants (ASCT), induction chemotherapy followed by radioimmunotherapy (RIT) consolidation with ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin) was associated with good response rates and promising progression-free and overall survival rates, according to results of a phase 2 prospective study.

Wikimedia Commons/TexasPathologistMSW/CC-ASA 4.0 International

RIT consolidation improved the complete response rate following first-line therapy from 41% to 91%, reported Wojciech Jurczak, MD, PhD, from the department of hematology at the Uniwersytet Jagiellonski in Krakow, Poland, and colleagues.

In the patients who received RIT following first-line induction, median progression-free survival was 3.3 years, and median overall survival was 6.5 years.

“The achieved responses are durable. Although, several novel agents and targeted therapies alone or in combination are currently being studied and developed in both the upfront and relapsed settings, RIT constitutes a valid and underused option especially in the first-line setting,” they wrote in a study published in Leukemia & Lymphoma.

The investigators enrolled 46 patients with clinical stage III to IV MCL who were either ineligible for, or unwilling to undergo, ASCT. The cohort included 34 patients with newly diagnosed advanced MCL and 12 with chemo-sensitive MCL in first relapse.

Patients were assigned to induction with six cycles of chemotherapy, with or without rituximab. Patients then underwent consolidation with RIT if they had confirmed reductions of the maximal lymph node diameter below 3 cm, their longest spleen measurement was below 15 cm, and bone marrow infiltration was less than 20%.

The chemotherapy regimens included either CVP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone), CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), FC (fludarabine and cyclophosphamide), or FCM (FC plus mitoxantrone). Additionally, 27 of the 46 patients received rituximab, which was not considered the standard of care in Poland when the study began in 2005 and was delivered based on availability.

Of the 34 patients who received first-line chemotherapy, 20 received FC or FCM (with or without rituximab), and 14 received CHOP or CVP (with or without rituximab). In this group, 14 patients (41%) had a complete response, and 20 (95%) had a partial response. Of the 12 patients treated after first relapse, two (17%) had a complete response and 10 (83%) had partial response after induction.

RIT consolidation was performed 3-5 weeks after the last chemotherapy cycle. Patients with cytopenias after chemotherapy could wait an additional 3 weeks, during which they would receive a bridging dose of rituximab at the standard 375 mg/m² dose. The patients received two doses of rituximab 250 mg/m² administered 7 days then 24 hours prior to intravenous injection of ⁹⁰Y-labeled ibritumomab tiuxetan. The radiation doses delivered were 0.4 mCi/kg for patients with normal platelet counts and 0.3 mCi/kg for those with platelet counts from 100,000 to 150,000 cells/mm³. The maximum dose was 32.0 mCi.

The longest follow-up was out to slightly more than 8 years.

For the patients who received RIT after first-line induction, the complete response rate was 91%, and the partial response rate was 9%, compared with 41% complete response and 59% partial response after induction. In this group, the median progression-free survival was 3.3 years, and the median overall survival was 6.5 years.

For the patients who received RIT consolidation after first relapse and second chemotherapy regimen, the complete response rate was 75% and the partial response rate was 25%, compared with 17% and 83% at the end of second induction therapy. In this group, the median progression-free survival was 1.8 years (P less than .05, compared with patients treated after first-line responses), and the median overall survival was 2.2 years (P less than .05).

At 8 years of follow-up, 30% of patients who received RIT consolidation following first-line therapy were alive.

Adverse events included cytopenias in the majority of patients (77%), which were grade 1 or 2 in severity in 43% and grade 3 or 4 in 34%. Grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia and leukopenia occurred more frequently in patients treated with fludarabine-based regimens, and the thrombocytopenias in these patients lasted longer and required more platelet transfusions than those in CHOP- or CVP-treated patients. Two patients who underwent RIT following FCM induction died from prolonged thrombocytopenia, resulting in hemorrhagic strokes.

Among all patients, 22 patients developed infections following RIT consolidation. Five patients, all of whom had received fludarabine, required hospitalization for the treatment of the infections. There were no infection-related deaths, however.

Five patients developed the myelodysplastic syndrome, with a median onset time of 26 months. Of these patients, four had received fludarabine, and one had undergone a prior ASCT.

The trial was sponsored by Schering AG. Dr. Jurczak reported speakers bureau participation and research funding from multiple companies, not including Schering AG.

SOURCE: Jurczak W et al. Leuk Lymphoma. 2019 Apr 9. doi: 10.1080/10428194.2019.1602261.

For older, less fit patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who may not be able to withstand the rigors of autologous stem cell transplants (ASCT), induction chemotherapy followed by radioimmunotherapy (RIT) consolidation with ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin) was associated with good response rates and promising progression-free and overall survival rates, according to results of a phase 2 prospective study.

Wikimedia Commons/TexasPathologistMSW/CC-ASA 4.0 International

RIT consolidation improved the complete response rate following first-line therapy from 41% to 91%, reported Wojciech Jurczak, MD, PhD, from the department of hematology at the Uniwersytet Jagiellonski in Krakow, Poland, and colleagues.

In the patients who received RIT following first-line induction, median progression-free survival was 3.3 years, and median overall survival was 6.5 years.

“The achieved responses are durable. Although, several novel agents and targeted therapies alone or in combination are currently being studied and developed in both the upfront and relapsed settings, RIT constitutes a valid and underused option especially in the first-line setting,” they wrote in a study published in Leukemia & Lymphoma.

The investigators enrolled 46 patients with clinical stage III to IV MCL who were either ineligible for, or unwilling to undergo, ASCT. The cohort included 34 patients with newly diagnosed advanced MCL and 12 with chemo-sensitive MCL in first relapse.

Patients were assigned to induction with six cycles of chemotherapy, with or without rituximab. Patients then underwent consolidation with RIT if they had confirmed reductions of the maximal lymph node diameter below 3 cm, their longest spleen measurement was below 15 cm, and bone marrow infiltration was less than 20%.

The chemotherapy regimens included either CVP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone), CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), FC (fludarabine and cyclophosphamide), or FCM (FC plus mitoxantrone). Additionally, 27 of the 46 patients received rituximab, which was not considered the standard of care in Poland when the study began in 2005 and was delivered based on availability.

Of the 34 patients who received first-line chemotherapy, 20 received FC or FCM (with or without rituximab), and 14 received CHOP or CVP (with or without rituximab). In this group, 14 patients (41%) had a complete response, and 20 (95%) had a partial response. Of the 12 patients treated after first relapse, two (17%) had a complete response and 10 (83%) had partial response after induction.

RIT consolidation was performed 3-5 weeks after the last chemotherapy cycle. Patients with cytopenias after chemotherapy could wait an additional 3 weeks, during which they would receive a bridging dose of rituximab at the standard 375 mg/m² dose. The patients received two doses of rituximab 250 mg/m² administered 7 days then 24 hours prior to intravenous injection of ⁹⁰Y-labeled ibritumomab tiuxetan. The radiation doses delivered were 0.4 mCi/kg for patients with normal platelet counts and 0.3 mCi/kg for those with platelet counts from 100,000 to 150,000 cells/mm³. The maximum dose was 32.0 mCi.

The longest follow-up was out to slightly more than 8 years.

For the patients who received RIT after first-line induction, the complete response rate was 91%, and the partial response rate was 9%, compared with 41% complete response and 59% partial response after induction. In this group, the median progression-free survival was 3.3 years, and the median overall survival was 6.5 years.

For the patients who received RIT consolidation after first relapse and second chemotherapy regimen, the complete response rate was 75% and the partial response rate was 25%, compared with 17% and 83% at the end of second induction therapy. In this group, the median progression-free survival was 1.8 years (P less than .05, compared with patients treated after first-line responses), and the median overall survival was 2.2 years (P less than .05).

At 8 years of follow-up, 30% of patients who received RIT consolidation following first-line therapy were alive.

Adverse events included cytopenias in the majority of patients (77%), which were grade 1 or 2 in severity in 43% and grade 3 or 4 in 34%. Grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia and leukopenia occurred more frequently in patients treated with fludarabine-based regimens, and the thrombocytopenias in these patients lasted longer and required more platelet transfusions than those in CHOP- or CVP-treated patients. Two patients who underwent RIT following FCM induction died from prolonged thrombocytopenia, resulting in hemorrhagic strokes.

Among all patients, 22 patients developed infections following RIT consolidation. Five patients, all of whom had received fludarabine, required hospitalization for the treatment of the infections. There were no infection-related deaths, however.

Five patients developed the myelodysplastic syndrome, with a median onset time of 26 months. Of these patients, four had received fludarabine, and one had undergone a prior ASCT.

The trial was sponsored by Schering AG. Dr. Jurczak reported speakers bureau participation and research funding from multiple companies, not including Schering AG.

SOURCE: Jurczak W et al. Leuk Lymphoma. 2019 Apr 9. doi: 10.1080/10428194.2019.1602261.

The use of nitrous oxide in dermatology and dermatologic surgery is becoming more common. When used properly, with meticulous patient monitoring, it is safe and effective. In my practice, I have used it for procedures as simple as a skin biopsy. While we have excellent topical numbing options for pain control, nitrous oxide works well as an anxiolytic and can help calm the patient who is nervous or has a fear of needles.

Nitrous oxide is a tasteless gas synthesized and released by cells. Inhalational nitrous oxide is absorbed from the lungs and diffuses into plasma, where it acts on the central nervous system as an anxiolytic and analgesic by blocking the NMDA receptor. It has a quick onset of action and short duration, is easily titrated, and has a low side effect profile.

Initially used to provide pain relief during labor in the late 1800s, nitrous oxide is now rarely used in the United States as inhalational analgesia during surgery or labor; however, use in dentistry and pediatrics is common. In a recent review of PubMed and Cochrane databases by Brotzman et al., eight studies on the use of nitrous oxide in dermatology were identified. Studies reported favorable safety and efficacy of nitrous oxide in providing analgesia during dermatologic procedures, which included facial rejuvenation, hair transplantation, and pediatric procedures. Several other studies also discussed the use of nitrous oxide in combination with tumescent anesthesia for venous ablation and liposuction. All adverse effects were limited to the time of inhalation and included euphoria, laughter, nausea, dizziness, and vertigo. There are no studies reviewing the risk of nitrous oxide used during CO₂ resurfacing procedures.

In five of the eight studies, vital signs and oxygen saturation were recorded during the period of inhalation. Almost all patients maintained adequate oxygen saturation and vitals also remained stable in these five studies, except for a slight increase in systolic and diastolic arterial pressure after ulcer debridement. In four of the eight studies, a 50% nitrous oxide/50% oxygen mixture delivered through an on-demand valve activated by a patient’s inspired breaths was used to minimize the risk of oversedation and to prevent hypoxia.

Contraindications for using nitrous oxide are pregnancy (in patients, health care providers, and assistants). Relative contraindications include nasal obstruction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, active cystic fibrosis, recent tympanic membrane surgery, and claustrophobia. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, occupational exposure to nitrous oxide can lead to adverse effects that include reduced fertility and spontaneous abortion, as well as neurologic, renal, and hepatic diseases. The consensus of the majority of the studies in the PubMed/Cochrane review is that nitrous oxide provided a significant reduction in pain during dermatologic procedures, with mild and transient adverse effects. The effects dissipated quickly and thus patients could drive themselves home. But studies remain limited, and more well designed, randomized clinical trials are needed to provide clinical guidelines, safety monitoring protocols, and evidence for the use of nitrous oxide in dermatology. In my opinion, when more data are available, it will become one of the mainstays of analgesia in dermatologic procedures, particularly for pediatric, Mohs, and facial rejuvenation procedures.
 

Dr. Talakoub Dr. Wesley and are cocontributors to this column. Dr. Talakoub is in private practice in McLean, Va. Dr. Wesley practices dermatology in Beverly Hills, Calif. This month’s column is by Dr. Talakoub. Write to them at dermnews@mdedge.com. They had no relevant disclosures.

Sources

Brotzman EA et al. Dermatol Surg. 2018 May;44(5):661-9.

“Controlling Exposures to Nitrous Oxide During Anesthetic Administration,” National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/94-100/default.html).
 

The use of nitrous oxide in dermatology and dermatologic surgery is becoming more common. When used properly, with meticulous patient monitoring, it is safe and effective. In my practice, I have used it for procedures as simple as a skin biopsy. While we have excellent topical numbing options for pain control, nitrous oxide works well as an anxiolytic and can help calm the patient who is nervous or has a fear of needles.

Nitrous oxide is a tasteless gas synthesized and released by cells. Inhalational nitrous oxide is absorbed from the lungs and diffuses into plasma, where it acts on the central nervous system as an anxiolytic and analgesic by blocking the NMDA receptor. It has a quick onset of action and short duration, is easily titrated, and has a low side effect profile.

Initially used to provide pain relief during labor in the late 1800s, nitrous oxide is now rarely used in the United States as inhalational analgesia during surgery or labor; however, use in dentistry and pediatrics is common. In a recent review of PubMed and Cochrane databases by Brotzman et al., eight studies on the use of nitrous oxide in dermatology were identified. Studies reported favorable safety and efficacy of nitrous oxide in providing analgesia during dermatologic procedures, which included facial rejuvenation, hair transplantation, and pediatric procedures. Several other studies also discussed the use of nitrous oxide in combination with tumescent anesthesia for venous ablation and liposuction. All adverse effects were limited to the time of inhalation and included euphoria, laughter, nausea, dizziness, and vertigo. There are no studies reviewing the risk of nitrous oxide used during CO₂ resurfacing procedures.

In five of the eight studies, vital signs and oxygen saturation were recorded during the period of inhalation. Almost all patients maintained adequate oxygen saturation and vitals also remained stable in these five studies, except for a slight increase in systolic and diastolic arterial pressure after ulcer debridement. In four of the eight studies, a 50% nitrous oxide/50% oxygen mixture delivered through an on-demand valve activated by a patient’s inspired breaths was used to minimize the risk of oversedation and to prevent hypoxia.

Contraindications for using nitrous oxide are pregnancy (in patients, health care providers, and assistants). Relative contraindications include nasal obstruction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, active cystic fibrosis, recent tympanic membrane surgery, and claustrophobia. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, occupational exposure to nitrous oxide can lead to adverse effects that include reduced fertility and spontaneous abortion, as well as neurologic, renal, and hepatic diseases. The consensus of the majority of the studies in the PubMed/Cochrane review is that nitrous oxide provided a significant reduction in pain during dermatologic procedures, with mild and transient adverse effects. The effects dissipated quickly and thus patients could drive themselves home. But studies remain limited, and more well designed, randomized clinical trials are needed to provide clinical guidelines, safety monitoring protocols, and evidence for the use of nitrous oxide in dermatology. In my opinion, when more data are available, it will become one of the mainstays of analgesia in dermatologic procedures, particularly for pediatric, Mohs, and facial rejuvenation procedures.
 

Dr. Talakoub Dr. Wesley and are cocontributors to this column. Dr. Talakoub is in private practice in McLean, Va. Dr. Wesley practices dermatology in Beverly Hills, Calif. This month’s column is by Dr. Talakoub. Write to them at dermnews@mdedge.com. They had no relevant disclosures.

Sources

Brotzman EA et al. Dermatol Surg. 2018 May;44(5):661-9.

“Controlling Exposures to Nitrous Oxide During Anesthetic Administration,” National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/94-100/default.html).
 

The use of nitrous oxide in dermatology and dermatologic surgery is becoming more common. When used properly, with meticulous patient monitoring, it is safe and effective. In my practice, I have used it for procedures as simple as a skin biopsy. While we have excellent topical numbing options for pain control, nitrous oxide works well as an anxiolytic and can help calm the patient who is nervous or has a fear of needles.

Nitrous oxide is a tasteless gas synthesized and released by cells. Inhalational nitrous oxide is absorbed from the lungs and diffuses into plasma, where it acts on the central nervous system as an anxiolytic and analgesic by blocking the NMDA receptor. It has a quick onset of action and short duration, is easily titrated, and has a low side effect profile.

Initially used to provide pain relief during labor in the late 1800s, nitrous oxide is now rarely used in the United States as inhalational analgesia during surgery or labor; however, use in dentistry and pediatrics is common. In a recent review of PubMed and Cochrane databases by Brotzman et al., eight studies on the use of nitrous oxide in dermatology were identified. Studies reported favorable safety and efficacy of nitrous oxide in providing analgesia during dermatologic procedures, which included facial rejuvenation, hair transplantation, and pediatric procedures. Several other studies also discussed the use of nitrous oxide in combination with tumescent anesthesia for venous ablation and liposuction. All adverse effects were limited to the time of inhalation and included euphoria, laughter, nausea, dizziness, and vertigo. There are no studies reviewing the risk of nitrous oxide used during CO₂ resurfacing procedures.

In five of the eight studies, vital signs and oxygen saturation were recorded during the period of inhalation. Almost all patients maintained adequate oxygen saturation and vitals also remained stable in these five studies, except for a slight increase in systolic and diastolic arterial pressure after ulcer debridement. In four of the eight studies, a 50% nitrous oxide/50% oxygen mixture delivered through an on-demand valve activated by a patient’s inspired breaths was used to minimize the risk of oversedation and to prevent hypoxia.

Contraindications for using nitrous oxide are pregnancy (in patients, health care providers, and assistants). Relative contraindications include nasal obstruction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, active cystic fibrosis, recent tympanic membrane surgery, and claustrophobia. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, occupational exposure to nitrous oxide can lead to adverse effects that include reduced fertility and spontaneous abortion, as well as neurologic, renal, and hepatic diseases. The consensus of the majority of the studies in the PubMed/Cochrane review is that nitrous oxide provided a significant reduction in pain during dermatologic procedures, with mild and transient adverse effects. The effects dissipated quickly and thus patients could drive themselves home. But studies remain limited, and more well designed, randomized clinical trials are needed to provide clinical guidelines, safety monitoring protocols, and evidence for the use of nitrous oxide in dermatology. In my opinion, when more data are available, it will become one of the mainstays of analgesia in dermatologic procedures, particularly for pediatric, Mohs, and facial rejuvenation procedures.
 

Dr. Talakoub Dr. Wesley and are cocontributors to this column. Dr. Talakoub is in private practice in McLean, Va. Dr. Wesley practices dermatology in Beverly Hills, Calif. This month’s column is by Dr. Talakoub. Write to them at dermnews@mdedge.com. They had no relevant disclosures.

Sources

Brotzman EA et al. Dermatol Surg. 2018 May;44(5):661-9.

“Controlling Exposures to Nitrous Oxide During Anesthetic Administration,” National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/94-100/default.html).
 

PHILADELPHIA – Eileen Barrett, MD, explained why she volunteers and gave examples of ways she has used her physician training and other expertise to help several communities.

“I think what we get out of it is the feeling of our commitment to our sense of purpose and mission, and you just feel great when you’re giving, and then you meet these really remarkable people who do really, really remarkable things. ... It’s tremendously inspiring,” Dr. Barrett said in a video interview at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians. She is a hospitalist at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, and serves on the ACP Board of Regents.

In addition, Dr. Barrett has done disaster relief work in West Africa, provided patient care to refugees in a hospital on the Thailand side of the Thailand-Myanmar border, and even helped bring organization to a public radio station in rural New Mexico.

She also described some opportunities available to internists who are trying to get their feet wet in volunteering that are available through the organizations, Health Volunteers Overseas and the Maven Project.

klennon@mdedge.com

PHILADELPHIA – Eileen Barrett, MD, explained why she volunteers and gave examples of ways she has used her physician training and other expertise to help several communities.

“I think what we get out of it is the feeling of our commitment to our sense of purpose and mission, and you just feel great when you’re giving, and then you meet these really remarkable people who do really, really remarkable things. ... It’s tremendously inspiring,” Dr. Barrett said in a video interview at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians. She is a hospitalist at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, and serves on the ACP Board of Regents.

In addition, Dr. Barrett has done disaster relief work in West Africa, provided patient care to refugees in a hospital on the Thailand side of the Thailand-Myanmar border, and even helped bring organization to a public radio station in rural New Mexico.

She also described some opportunities available to internists who are trying to get their feet wet in volunteering that are available through the organizations, Health Volunteers Overseas and the Maven Project.

klennon@mdedge.com

PHILADELPHIA – Eileen Barrett, MD, explained why she volunteers and gave examples of ways she has used her physician training and other expertise to help several communities.

“I think what we get out of it is the feeling of our commitment to our sense of purpose and mission, and you just feel great when you’re giving, and then you meet these really remarkable people who do really, really remarkable things. ... It’s tremendously inspiring,” Dr. Barrett said in a video interview at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians. She is a hospitalist at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, and serves on the ACP Board of Regents.

In addition, Dr. Barrett has done disaster relief work in West Africa, provided patient care to refugees in a hospital on the Thailand side of the Thailand-Myanmar border, and even helped bring organization to a public radio station in rural New Mexico.

She also described some opportunities available to internists who are trying to get their feet wet in volunteering that are available through the organizations, Health Volunteers Overseas and the Maven Project.

klennon@mdedge.com

Most modes of delivery for cognitive-behavioral therapy appear to be effective interventions for the acute symptoms of depression, with the exception of unguided self-help therapy, a study has found.

In the study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers reported the results of a network meta-analysis of 155 trials involving 15,191 participants who were treated with one of five cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) delivery formats: individual, group, telephone, guided, and unguided self-help.

In general, CBT delivered individually, in a group, by guided self-help, or by telephone were all significantly more effective at improving the severity of depression than unguided, self-administered CBT, and significantly more effective than the controls of waiting list or usual care.

However, even unguided self-help CBT was more effective than the waiting list, although not more effective than care as usual.

“This study suggests that group, telephone, and guided self-help treatments are effective interventions that may be considered as alternatives to individual CBT,” wrote Pim Cuijpers, PhD, who is affiliated with the Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and his coauthors. “Applying effective and acceptable CBT in a range of different formats will make CBT easier to implement, disseminate, and deliver across different settings and diverse patient populations.”

In terms of acceptability, individual-, group-, and telephone-delivered CBT were all equally acceptable. The analysis showed that guided self-help had lower acceptability than individual or group therapy, care as usual, and the waiting list, while unguided self-help therapy was less acceptable than being on a waiting list.

The authors said it was not clear why guided self-help CBT showed lower acceptability, compared with the other CBT formats.

“Maybe the absence of direct contact with a professional makes it easier to stop the treatment because there is less personal relationship pressure to continue with the treatment or the study,” they wrote.

The analysis also explored the long-term effectiveness of different delivery methods, although the authors cautioned that this was based on small numbers of comparisons. They found significantly greater long-term effectiveness associated with individual, group, guided self-help, and telephone CBT, compared with usual care, but telephone CBT was less effective than individual CBT.

Two authors reported receiving personal fees from private industry outside of the submitted work, and one reported receiving grants and support from the National Institute for Health Research.

SOURCE: Cuijpers P et al. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019 Apr 17. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0268.
 

Most modes of delivery for cognitive-behavioral therapy appear to be effective interventions for the acute symptoms of depression, with the exception of unguided self-help therapy, a study has found.

In the study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers reported the results of a network meta-analysis of 155 trials involving 15,191 participants who were treated with one of five cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) delivery formats: individual, group, telephone, guided, and unguided self-help.

In general, CBT delivered individually, in a group, by guided self-help, or by telephone were all significantly more effective at improving the severity of depression than unguided, self-administered CBT, and significantly more effective than the controls of waiting list or usual care.

However, even unguided self-help CBT was more effective than the waiting list, although not more effective than care as usual.

“This study suggests that group, telephone, and guided self-help treatments are effective interventions that may be considered as alternatives to individual CBT,” wrote Pim Cuijpers, PhD, who is affiliated with the Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and his coauthors. “Applying effective and acceptable CBT in a range of different formats will make CBT easier to implement, disseminate, and deliver across different settings and diverse patient populations.”

In terms of acceptability, individual-, group-, and telephone-delivered CBT were all equally acceptable. The analysis showed that guided self-help had lower acceptability than individual or group therapy, care as usual, and the waiting list, while unguided self-help therapy was less acceptable than being on a waiting list.

The authors said it was not clear why guided self-help CBT showed lower acceptability, compared with the other CBT formats.

“Maybe the absence of direct contact with a professional makes it easier to stop the treatment because there is less personal relationship pressure to continue with the treatment or the study,” they wrote.

The analysis also explored the long-term effectiveness of different delivery methods, although the authors cautioned that this was based on small numbers of comparisons. They found significantly greater long-term effectiveness associated with individual, group, guided self-help, and telephone CBT, compared with usual care, but telephone CBT was less effective than individual CBT.

Two authors reported receiving personal fees from private industry outside of the submitted work, and one reported receiving grants and support from the National Institute for Health Research.

SOURCE: Cuijpers P et al. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019 Apr 17. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0268.
 

Most modes of delivery for cognitive-behavioral therapy appear to be effective interventions for the acute symptoms of depression, with the exception of unguided self-help therapy, a study has found.

In the study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers reported the results of a network meta-analysis of 155 trials involving 15,191 participants who were treated with one of five cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) delivery formats: individual, group, telephone, guided, and unguided self-help.

In general, CBT delivered individually, in a group, by guided self-help, or by telephone were all significantly more effective at improving the severity of depression than unguided, self-administered CBT, and significantly more effective than the controls of waiting list or usual care.

However, even unguided self-help CBT was more effective than the waiting list, although not more effective than care as usual.

“This study suggests that group, telephone, and guided self-help treatments are effective interventions that may be considered as alternatives to individual CBT,” wrote Pim Cuijpers, PhD, who is affiliated with the Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and his coauthors. “Applying effective and acceptable CBT in a range of different formats will make CBT easier to implement, disseminate, and deliver across different settings and diverse patient populations.”

In terms of acceptability, individual-, group-, and telephone-delivered CBT were all equally acceptable. The analysis showed that guided self-help had lower acceptability than individual or group therapy, care as usual, and the waiting list, while unguided self-help therapy was less acceptable than being on a waiting list.

The authors said it was not clear why guided self-help CBT showed lower acceptability, compared with the other CBT formats.

“Maybe the absence of direct contact with a professional makes it easier to stop the treatment because there is less personal relationship pressure to continue with the treatment or the study,” they wrote.

The analysis also explored the long-term effectiveness of different delivery methods, although the authors cautioned that this was based on small numbers of comparisons. They found significantly greater long-term effectiveness associated with individual, group, guided self-help, and telephone CBT, compared with usual care, but telephone CBT was less effective than individual CBT.

Two authors reported receiving personal fees from private industry outside of the submitted work, and one reported receiving grants and support from the National Institute for Health Research.

SOURCE: Cuijpers P et al. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019 Apr 17. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0268.
 

Researchers used a machine learning algorithm to identify a molecular signature for usual interstitial pneumonia in patients with suspected idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, according to recent research published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

The results of the molecular test, called the Envisia Genomic Classifier (Veracyte; San Francisco), had a high positive predictive value of proven usual interstitial pneumonia, and could be used in place of surgical lung biopsy to confirm a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), wrote Ganesh Raghu, MD, director at the Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases and professor of medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle, and his colleagues.* The Envisia Genomic Classifier recently received final Medicare local coverage determination for IPF diagnosis, according to a recent press release by Veracyte.

“IPF is often challenging to distinguish from other [interstitial lung disease], but timely and accurate diagnosis is critical so that patients with IPF can access therapies that may slow progression of the disease, while avoiding potentially harmful treatments,” Dr. Raghu stated in a press release. “Our results with molecular classification through machine learning [the Envisia classifier] are promising and, along with clinical information and radiological features in high-resolution CT imaging, physicians through multidisciplinary discussions, may be able to utilize the molecular classification as a diagnostic tool to make a more informed and confident diagnoses.”

The researchers prospectively recruited 237 patients from 29 centers in the United States and Europe who were evaluated with the Bronchial Sample Collection for a Novel Genomic Test for suspected interstitial lung disease and who underwent surgical biopsy, transbronchial biopsy, or cryobiopsy for sample collection. They used histopathology and RNA sequence data from 90 patients to create a training data set of an unusual interstitial pneumonia pattern for the machine learning algorithm.

The classifier found usual interstitial pneumonia diagnoses in 49 patients; the test had a specificity of 88% (95% confidence interval, 70%-98%) and a sensitivity of 70% (95% CI, 47%-87%). Of 42 patients with inconsistent or possible usual interstitial pneumonia identified from high-resolution CT imaging, there was a positive predictive value of 81% (95% CI, 54%-96%). When multidisciplinary teams made diagnoses with the molecular classifier data, there was a clinical agreement of 86% (95% CI, 78%-92%) with diagnoses made using histopathology data. In 18 cases of IPF, there was an improvement in diagnostic confidence using the molecular classifier data, with 89% of diagnoses designated as high confidence, compared with 56% of cases based on histopathologic data (P = .0339). In 48 patients with nondiagnostic pathology or nonclassifiable fibrosis histopathology, 63% of diagnoses with the molecular classifier data were high confidence, compared with 42% using histopathologic data (P = .0412).

This study was funded by Veracyte, creator of the Envisia Genomic Classifier. Some authors reported relationships with Veracyte and other companies.

SOURCE: Raghu G et al. Lancet Respir Med. 2019 Apr 1. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(19)300.

Correction, 4/25/19: An earlier version of this article misstated how the Envisia Genomic Classifier could be used. The Envisia test is not intended to replace high-resolution chest CT (HRCT). It is used when HRCT is inconclusive to help prevent patients from having to undergo invasive diagnostic procedures.

Researchers used a machine learning algorithm to identify a molecular signature for usual interstitial pneumonia in patients with suspected idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, according to recent research published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

The results of the molecular test, called the Envisia Genomic Classifier (Veracyte; San Francisco), had a high positive predictive value of proven usual interstitial pneumonia, and could be used in place of surgical lung biopsy to confirm a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), wrote Ganesh Raghu, MD, director at the Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases and professor of medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle, and his colleagues.* The Envisia Genomic Classifier recently received final Medicare local coverage determination for IPF diagnosis, according to a recent press release by Veracyte.

“IPF is often challenging to distinguish from other [interstitial lung disease], but timely and accurate diagnosis is critical so that patients with IPF can access therapies that may slow progression of the disease, while avoiding potentially harmful treatments,” Dr. Raghu stated in a press release. “Our results with molecular classification through machine learning [the Envisia classifier] are promising and, along with clinical information and radiological features in high-resolution CT imaging, physicians through multidisciplinary discussions, may be able to utilize the molecular classification as a diagnostic tool to make a more informed and confident diagnoses.”

The researchers prospectively recruited 237 patients from 29 centers in the United States and Europe who were evaluated with the Bronchial Sample Collection for a Novel Genomic Test for suspected interstitial lung disease and who underwent surgical biopsy, transbronchial biopsy, or cryobiopsy for sample collection. They used histopathology and RNA sequence data from 90 patients to create a training data set of an unusual interstitial pneumonia pattern for the machine learning algorithm.

The classifier found usual interstitial pneumonia diagnoses in 49 patients; the test had a specificity of 88% (95% confidence interval, 70%-98%) and a sensitivity of 70% (95% CI, 47%-87%). Of 42 patients with inconsistent or possible usual interstitial pneumonia identified from high-resolution CT imaging, there was a positive predictive value of 81% (95% CI, 54%-96%). When multidisciplinary teams made diagnoses with the molecular classifier data, there was a clinical agreement of 86% (95% CI, 78%-92%) with diagnoses made using histopathology data. In 18 cases of IPF, there was an improvement in diagnostic confidence using the molecular classifier data, with 89% of diagnoses designated as high confidence, compared with 56% of cases based on histopathologic data (P = .0339). In 48 patients with nondiagnostic pathology or nonclassifiable fibrosis histopathology, 63% of diagnoses with the molecular classifier data were high confidence, compared with 42% using histopathologic data (P = .0412).

This study was funded by Veracyte, creator of the Envisia Genomic Classifier. Some authors reported relationships with Veracyte and other companies.

SOURCE: Raghu G et al. Lancet Respir Med. 2019 Apr 1. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(19)300.

Correction, 4/25/19: An earlier version of this article misstated how the Envisia Genomic Classifier could be used. The Envisia test is not intended to replace high-resolution chest CT (HRCT). It is used when HRCT is inconclusive to help prevent patients from having to undergo invasive diagnostic procedures.

Researchers used a machine learning algorithm to identify a molecular signature for usual interstitial pneumonia in patients with suspected idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, according to recent research published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

The results of the molecular test, called the Envisia Genomic Classifier (Veracyte; San Francisco), had a high positive predictive value of proven usual interstitial pneumonia, and could be used in place of surgical lung biopsy to confirm a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), wrote Ganesh Raghu, MD, director at the Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases and professor of medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle, and his colleagues.* The Envisia Genomic Classifier recently received final Medicare local coverage determination for IPF diagnosis, according to a recent press release by Veracyte.

“IPF is often challenging to distinguish from other [interstitial lung disease], but timely and accurate diagnosis is critical so that patients with IPF can access therapies that may slow progression of the disease, while avoiding potentially harmful treatments,” Dr. Raghu stated in a press release. “Our results with molecular classification through machine learning [the Envisia classifier] are promising and, along with clinical information and radiological features in high-resolution CT imaging, physicians through multidisciplinary discussions, may be able to utilize the molecular classification as a diagnostic tool to make a more informed and confident diagnoses.”

The researchers prospectively recruited 237 patients from 29 centers in the United States and Europe who were evaluated with the Bronchial Sample Collection for a Novel Genomic Test for suspected interstitial lung disease and who underwent surgical biopsy, transbronchial biopsy, or cryobiopsy for sample collection. They used histopathology and RNA sequence data from 90 patients to create a training data set of an unusual interstitial pneumonia pattern for the machine learning algorithm.

The classifier found usual interstitial pneumonia diagnoses in 49 patients; the test had a specificity of 88% (95% confidence interval, 70%-98%) and a sensitivity of 70% (95% CI, 47%-87%). Of 42 patients with inconsistent or possible usual interstitial pneumonia identified from high-resolution CT imaging, there was a positive predictive value of 81% (95% CI, 54%-96%). When multidisciplinary teams made diagnoses with the molecular classifier data, there was a clinical agreement of 86% (95% CI, 78%-92%) with diagnoses made using histopathology data. In 18 cases of IPF, there was an improvement in diagnostic confidence using the molecular classifier data, with 89% of diagnoses designated as high confidence, compared with 56% of cases based on histopathologic data (P = .0339). In 48 patients with nondiagnostic pathology or nonclassifiable fibrosis histopathology, 63% of diagnoses with the molecular classifier data were high confidence, compared with 42% using histopathologic data (P = .0412).

This study was funded by Veracyte, creator of the Envisia Genomic Classifier. Some authors reported relationships with Veracyte and other companies.

SOURCE: Raghu G et al. Lancet Respir Med. 2019 Apr 1. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(19)300.

Correction, 4/25/19: An earlier version of this article misstated how the Envisia Genomic Classifier could be used. The Envisia test is not intended to replace high-resolution chest CT (HRCT). It is used when HRCT is inconclusive to help prevent patients from having to undergo invasive diagnostic procedures.

SAN FRANCISCO – Adolescents and young adults diagnosed with SLE during childhood constitute a special subgroup with “very, very low” quality of life and poor treatment adherence – and therein lies the importance of introducing interventions beyond simply prescribing appropriate medications, Hermine I. Brunner, MD, asserted at an international congress on systemic lupus erythematosus.

Bruce Jancin/MDedge News

Pilot studies conducted by her research group as well as others suggest that brief cognitive-behavioral interventions, web-based patient and caregiver education, and social media interactions significantly improve the fatigue and depression, poor quality of life, and lack of adherence to medication that are pervasive in young patients with SLE, according to Dr. Brunner, director of the division of rheumatology and professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati and scientific director of the Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group.

“Don’t misunderstand: I don’t think we can treat lupus simply with a psychological intervention at the bedside. However, I think doctors would be well advised to offer both psychological interventions and medication when they see young lupus patients, because without the psychological intervention the patients may not feel sufficiently at ease to take their medication. They will not get the benefit of the medications you’ve prescribed,” she said.

Patients with SLE take an average of eight medications daily. Their medication adherence rate is comparable to that of patients with diabetes or many other chronic diseases: that is to say, lousy. When investigators at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, utilized an electronic monitoring system to chart adherence to prescribed oral medications in adults with SLE, they found that over the course of 2 years of follow-up only one-fourth of them had an adherence rate of 80% or better, which is the standard definition of adherence (Lupus. 2012 Oct;21[11]:1158-65).

Treatment adherence is particularly problematic in adolescents and young adults with SLE. They often have great difficulty in mastering the self-management skills required to stay on top of their disease when they have so much else going on during what is a vulnerable and challenging period of development, even for healthy youths.
 

The texting intervention

Dr. Brunner and her colleagues at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center recognized the scope of the nonadherence problem early on. Years ago they started sending text messaging reminders of pending clinic visits to their patients who had a poor track record of showing up for appointments.

“We texted patients 2 weeks before their scheduled visit, 1 week before, and then again the day before the visit,” she explained.

This simple intervention resulted in a 47% reduction in missed appointments, compared with a control group. Also, text recipients were more likely to cancel appointments instead of simply not showing up, an important benefit from a practice management and scheduling standpoint (J Rheumatol. 2012 Jan;39[1]:174-9). Disappointingly, however, the text messaging intervention had no impact on adherence to prescribed use of hydroxychloroquine. This led the investigators to conduct a deeper dive into the roots of the nonadherence problem in childhood-onset lupus.
 

Disease control, quality of life

Dr. Brunner and her coworkers conducted an in-depth assessment of health-related quality of life in 50 patients with childhood-onset SLE over the course of 6 months. The results were surprising.

“When we looked at the correlation between disease control and quality of life, actually there was none,” according to the pediatric rheumatologist.

Instead, the investigators found that young patients with persistently low quality of life despite objectively measured good disease control scored high for fatigue and depressive symptoms (Lupus. 2018 Jan;27[1]:124-33). This led Dr. Brunner and her coinvestigators to consider developing a practical behavioral intervention to address these potentially modifiable predictors of impaired health-related quality of life in their patient population.

The need for novel approaches was highlighted in focus groups conducted by the investigators, in which patients and their primary caregivers emphasized that current therapeutic strategies don’t adequately address key problems of living with lupus, especially the prominent fatigue, pain, and depressed mood that hamper daily function and personal relationships. Patients said they don’t feel an immediate benefit from taking their medications, so why bother? And parents expressed frustration about how difficult it is to get their teenagers to understand the consequences of nonadherence when they’re at an age when they don’t yet even grasp the concept of their own mortality (Lupus. 2019 Mar. doi: 10.1177/0961203319839478. These observations spurred the Cincinnati investigators to develop a modified cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) protocol, known as TEACH, which they believe is the first CBT intervention to specifically target psychological problems in young people with childhood-onset SLE.
 

The TEACH program

TEACH (Treatment and Education Approach for Childhood-Onset Lupus) is a six-session program that teaches patients and caregivers self-advocacy, relaxation techniques, how to improve sleep hygiene, the importance of engaging in planned pleasant activities, and why taking medications matters. The program content differs depending upon whether the patient is an adolescent or young adult.

Results of a recently published small feasibility study were highly encouraging, showing that 83% of people who enrolled in the program completed it. Posttreatment assessment showed that patients had a marked decrease in depressive symptoms as measured by both the Children’s Depression Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory. They also showed a significant reduction in fatigue. However, while favorable trends in terms of reduced pain and anxiety symptoms were noted, they didn’t achieve statistical significance (Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2019 Feb 18. doi: 10.1186/s12969-019-0307-8). The next step in this project is a planned controlled randomized trial.
 

A web-based medication adherence program

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University took a different approach. They created a publicly available educational website, www.facinglupustogether.com, aimed at improving self-management skills – and especially medication adherence – in teens and young adults with SLE.

The website contains eight modules: Making the transition and taking charge of my medications, Learning about lupus, Learning about lupus medications, Managing symptoms of lupus, How do I handle lupus and my family, How do I handle lupus and my friends, Lupus and stress, and My personal goals and how I will achieve them. Each takes about 10 minutes to complete.

In a pilot study, 37 patients tackled one module per week and were randomized to respond to questions about the weekly topic either in a journal or by discussing the key points in an online social media forum with other young people with SLE. The idea was to create an intervention that capitalizes on the excellent social media skills possessed by today’s youth. And indeed, incorporation of social media proved to be a winning strategy. Medication adherence for hydroxychloroquine in the group randomized to social media participation jumped from 50% in the 3 months prior to starting the program to 92% in the first 3 months post completion, whereas medication adherence didn’t change significantly in the other study arm. The social media group also experienced significant improvements in self-efficacy, sense of community, acceptance of illness, optimism and control over the future, and other measures of empowerment. The control group did not show significant change in any of these domains (Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2018 Mar 14. doi: 10.1186/s12969-018-0232-2).

The TEACH study was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The web-based medication adherence program pilot study was supported by the Lupus Foundation of America. What the two approaches share in common is a conviction that, when it comes to addressing pain, fatigue, diminished quality of life, and poor medication adherence in young patients with SLE: “Our medication prescription alone doesn’t do it,” Dr. Brunner said.

She reported having no financial conflicts regarding her presentation.

bjancin@mdedge.com

SAN FRANCISCO – Adolescents and young adults diagnosed with SLE during childhood constitute a special subgroup with “very, very low” quality of life and poor treatment adherence – and therein lies the importance of introducing interventions beyond simply prescribing appropriate medications, Hermine I. Brunner, MD, asserted at an international congress on systemic lupus erythematosus.

Bruce Jancin/MDedge News

Pilot studies conducted by her research group as well as others suggest that brief cognitive-behavioral interventions, web-based patient and caregiver education, and social media interactions significantly improve the fatigue and depression, poor quality of life, and lack of adherence to medication that are pervasive in young patients with SLE, according to Dr. Brunner, director of the division of rheumatology and professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati and scientific director of the Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group.

“Don’t misunderstand: I don’t think we can treat lupus simply with a psychological intervention at the bedside. However, I think doctors would be well advised to offer both psychological interventions and medication when they see young lupus patients, because without the psychological intervention the patients may not feel sufficiently at ease to take their medication. They will not get the benefit of the medications you’ve prescribed,” she said.

Patients with SLE take an average of eight medications daily. Their medication adherence rate is comparable to that of patients with diabetes or many other chronic diseases: that is to say, lousy. When investigators at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, utilized an electronic monitoring system to chart adherence to prescribed oral medications in adults with SLE, they found that over the course of 2 years of follow-up only one-fourth of them had an adherence rate of 80% or better, which is the standard definition of adherence (Lupus. 2012 Oct;21[11]:1158-65).

Treatment adherence is particularly problematic in adolescents and young adults with SLE. They often have great difficulty in mastering the self-management skills required to stay on top of their disease when they have so much else going on during what is a vulnerable and challenging period of development, even for healthy youths.
 

The texting intervention

Dr. Brunner and her colleagues at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center recognized the scope of the nonadherence problem early on. Years ago they started sending text messaging reminders of pending clinic visits to their patients who had a poor track record of showing up for appointments.

“We texted patients 2 weeks before their scheduled visit, 1 week before, and then again the day before the visit,” she explained.

This simple intervention resulted in a 47% reduction in missed appointments, compared with a control group. Also, text recipients were more likely to cancel appointments instead of simply not showing up, an important benefit from a practice management and scheduling standpoint (J Rheumatol. 2012 Jan;39[1]:174-9). Disappointingly, however, the text messaging intervention had no impact on adherence to prescribed use of hydroxychloroquine. This led the investigators to conduct a deeper dive into the roots of the nonadherence problem in childhood-onset lupus.
 

Disease control, quality of life

Dr. Brunner and her coworkers conducted an in-depth assessment of health-related quality of life in 50 patients with childhood-onset SLE over the course of 6 months. The results were surprising.

“When we looked at the correlation between disease control and quality of life, actually there was none,” according to the pediatric rheumatologist.

Instead, the investigators found that young patients with persistently low quality of life despite objectively measured good disease control scored high for fatigue and depressive symptoms (Lupus. 2018 Jan;27[1]:124-33). This led Dr. Brunner and her coinvestigators to consider developing a practical behavioral intervention to address these potentially modifiable predictors of impaired health-related quality of life in their patient population.

The need for novel approaches was highlighted in focus groups conducted by the investigators, in which patients and their primary caregivers emphasized that current therapeutic strategies don’t adequately address key problems of living with lupus, especially the prominent fatigue, pain, and depressed mood that hamper daily function and personal relationships. Patients said they don’t feel an immediate benefit from taking their medications, so why bother? And parents expressed frustration about how difficult it is to get their teenagers to understand the consequences of nonadherence when they’re at an age when they don’t yet even grasp the concept of their own mortality (Lupus. 2019 Mar. doi: 10.1177/0961203319839478. These observations spurred the Cincinnati investigators to develop a modified cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) protocol, known as TEACH, which they believe is the first CBT intervention to specifically target psychological problems in young people with childhood-onset SLE.
 

The TEACH program

TEACH (Treatment and Education Approach for Childhood-Onset Lupus) is a six-session program that teaches patients and caregivers self-advocacy, relaxation techniques, how to improve sleep hygiene, the importance of engaging in planned pleasant activities, and why taking medications matters. The program content differs depending upon whether the patient is an adolescent or young adult.

Results of a recently published small feasibility study were highly encouraging, showing that 83% of people who enrolled in the program completed it. Posttreatment assessment showed that patients had a marked decrease in depressive symptoms as measured by both the Children’s Depression Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory. They also showed a significant reduction in fatigue. However, while favorable trends in terms of reduced pain and anxiety symptoms were noted, they didn’t achieve statistical significance (Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2019 Feb 18. doi: 10.1186/s12969-019-0307-8). The next step in this project is a planned controlled randomized trial.
 

A web-based medication adherence program

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University took a different approach. They created a publicly available educational website, www.facinglupustogether.com, aimed at improving self-management skills – and especially medication adherence – in teens and young adults with SLE.

The website contains eight modules: Making the transition and taking charge of my medications, Learning about lupus, Learning about lupus medications, Managing symptoms of lupus, How do I handle lupus and my family, How do I handle lupus and my friends, Lupus and stress, and My personal goals and how I will achieve them. Each takes about 10 minutes to complete.

In a pilot study, 37 patients tackled one module per week and were randomized to respond to questions about the weekly topic either in a journal or by discussing the key points in an online social media forum with other young people with SLE. The idea was to create an intervention that capitalizes on the excellent social media skills possessed by today’s youth. And indeed, incorporation of social media proved to be a winning strategy. Medication adherence for hydroxychloroquine in the group randomized to social media participation jumped from 50% in the 3 months prior to starting the program to 92% in the first 3 months post completion, whereas medication adherence didn’t change significantly in the other study arm. The social media group also experienced significant improvements in self-efficacy, sense of community, acceptance of illness, optimism and control over the future, and other measures of empowerment. The control group did not show significant change in any of these domains (Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2018 Mar 14. doi: 10.1186/s12969-018-0232-2).

The TEACH study was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The web-based medication adherence program pilot study was supported by the Lupus Foundation of America. What the two approaches share in common is a conviction that, when it comes to addressing pain, fatigue, diminished quality of life, and poor medication adherence in young patients with SLE: “Our medication prescription alone doesn’t do it,” Dr. Brunner said.

She reported having no financial conflicts regarding her presentation.

bjancin@mdedge.com

SAN FRANCISCO – Adolescents and young adults diagnosed with SLE during childhood constitute a special subgroup with “very, very low” quality of life and poor treatment adherence – and therein lies the importance of introducing interventions beyond simply prescribing appropriate medications, Hermine I. Brunner, MD, asserted at an international congress on systemic lupus erythematosus.

Bruce Jancin/MDedge News

Pilot studies conducted by her research group as well as others suggest that brief cognitive-behavioral interventions, web-based patient and caregiver education, and social media interactions significantly improve the fatigue and depression, poor quality of life, and lack of adherence to medication that are pervasive in young patients with SLE, according to Dr. Brunner, director of the division of rheumatology and professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati and scientific director of the Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group.

“Don’t misunderstand: I don’t think we can treat lupus simply with a psychological intervention at the bedside. However, I think doctors would be well advised to offer both psychological interventions and medication when they see young lupus patients, because without the psychological intervention the patients may not feel sufficiently at ease to take their medication. They will not get the benefit of the medications you’ve prescribed,” she said.

Patients with SLE take an average of eight medications daily. Their medication adherence rate is comparable to that of patients with diabetes or many other chronic diseases: that is to say, lousy. When investigators at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, utilized an electronic monitoring system to chart adherence to prescribed oral medications in adults with SLE, they found that over the course of 2 years of follow-up only one-fourth of them had an adherence rate of 80% or better, which is the standard definition of adherence (Lupus. 2012 Oct;21[11]:1158-65).

Treatment adherence is particularly problematic in adolescents and young adults with SLE. They often have great difficulty in mastering the self-management skills required to stay on top of their disease when they have so much else going on during what is a vulnerable and challenging period of development, even for healthy youths.
 

The texting intervention

Dr. Brunner and her colleagues at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center recognized the scope of the nonadherence problem early on. Years ago they started sending text messaging reminders of pending clinic visits to their patients who had a poor track record of showing up for appointments.

“We texted patients 2 weeks before their scheduled visit, 1 week before, and then again the day before the visit,” she explained.

This simple intervention resulted in a 47% reduction in missed appointments, compared with a control group. Also, text recipients were more likely to cancel appointments instead of simply not showing up, an important benefit from a practice management and scheduling standpoint (J Rheumatol. 2012 Jan;39[1]:174-9). Disappointingly, however, the text messaging intervention had no impact on adherence to prescribed use of hydroxychloroquine. This led the investigators to conduct a deeper dive into the roots of the nonadherence problem in childhood-onset lupus.
 

Disease control, quality of life

Dr. Brunner and her coworkers conducted an in-depth assessment of health-related quality of life in 50 patients with childhood-onset SLE over the course of 6 months. The results were surprising.

“When we looked at the correlation between disease control and quality of life, actually there was none,” according to the pediatric rheumatologist.

Instead, the investigators found that young patients with persistently low quality of life despite objectively measured good disease control scored high for fatigue and depressive symptoms (Lupus. 2018 Jan;27[1]:124-33). This led Dr. Brunner and her coinvestigators to consider developing a practical behavioral intervention to address these potentially modifiable predictors of impaired health-related quality of life in their patient population.

The need for novel approaches was highlighted in focus groups conducted by the investigators, in which patients and their primary caregivers emphasized that current therapeutic strategies don’t adequately address key problems of living with lupus, especially the prominent fatigue, pain, and depressed mood that hamper daily function and personal relationships. Patients said they don’t feel an immediate benefit from taking their medications, so why bother? And parents expressed frustration about how difficult it is to get their teenagers to understand the consequences of nonadherence when they’re at an age when they don’t yet even grasp the concept of their own mortality (Lupus. 2019 Mar. doi: 10.1177/0961203319839478. These observations spurred the Cincinnati investigators to develop a modified cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) protocol, known as TEACH, which they believe is the first CBT intervention to specifically target psychological problems in young people with childhood-onset SLE.
 

The TEACH program

TEACH (Treatment and Education Approach for Childhood-Onset Lupus) is a six-session program that teaches patients and caregivers self-advocacy, relaxation techniques, how to improve sleep hygiene, the importance of engaging in planned pleasant activities, and why taking medications matters. The program content differs depending upon whether the patient is an adolescent or young adult.

Results of a recently published small feasibility study were highly encouraging, showing that 83% of people who enrolled in the program completed it. Posttreatment assessment showed that patients had a marked decrease in depressive symptoms as measured by both the Children’s Depression Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory. They also showed a significant reduction in fatigue. However, while favorable trends in terms of reduced pain and anxiety symptoms were noted, they didn’t achieve statistical significance (Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2019 Feb 18. doi: 10.1186/s12969-019-0307-8). The next step in this project is a planned controlled randomized trial.
 

A web-based medication adherence program

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University took a different approach. They created a publicly available educational website, www.facinglupustogether.com, aimed at improving self-management skills – and especially medication adherence – in teens and young adults with SLE.

The website contains eight modules: Making the transition and taking charge of my medications, Learning about lupus, Learning about lupus medications, Managing symptoms of lupus, How do I handle lupus and my family, How do I handle lupus and my friends, Lupus and stress, and My personal goals and how I will achieve them. Each takes about 10 minutes to complete.

In a pilot study, 37 patients tackled one module per week and were randomized to respond to questions about the weekly topic either in a journal or by discussing the key points in an online social media forum with other young people with SLE. The idea was to create an intervention that capitalizes on the excellent social media skills possessed by today’s youth. And indeed, incorporation of social media proved to be a winning strategy. Medication adherence for hydroxychloroquine in the group randomized to social media participation jumped from 50% in the 3 months prior to starting the program to 92% in the first 3 months post completion, whereas medication adherence didn’t change significantly in the other study arm. The social media group also experienced significant improvements in self-efficacy, sense of community, acceptance of illness, optimism and control over the future, and other measures of empowerment. The control group did not show significant change in any of these domains (Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2018 Mar 14. doi: 10.1186/s12969-018-0232-2).

The TEACH study was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The web-based medication adherence program pilot study was supported by the Lupus Foundation of America. What the two approaches share in common is a conviction that, when it comes to addressing pain, fatigue, diminished quality of life, and poor medication adherence in young patients with SLE: “Our medication prescription alone doesn’t do it,” Dr. Brunner said.

She reported having no financial conflicts regarding her presentation.

bjancin@mdedge.com