Orphan or Rare Diseases

An Integrated Pipeline for Phenotypic Characterization, Clustering and Visualization of Patient Cohorts in a Rare Disease-Oriented Clinical Data Warehouse

Fri, 2024-08-23 06:00

Stud Health Technol Inform. 2024 Aug 22;316:1785-1789. doi: 10.3233/SHTI240777.

ABSTRACT

Rare diseases pose significant challenges due to their heterogeneity and lack of knowledge. This study develops a comprehensive pipeline interoperable with a document-oriented clinical data warehouse, integrating cohort characterization, patient clustering and interpretation. Leveraging NLP, semantic similarity, machine learning and visualization, the pipeline enables the identification of prevalent phenotype patterns and patient stratification. To enhance interpretability, discriminant phenotypes characterizing each cluster are provided. Users can visually test hypotheses by marking patients exhibiting specific keywords in the EHR like genes, drugs and procedures. Implemented through a web interface, the pipeline enables clinicians to navigate through different modules, discover intricate patterns and generate interpretable insights that may advance rare diseases understanding, guide decision-making, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

PMID:39176563 | DOI:10.3233/SHTI240777

Categories: Literature Watch

Modern pathogenetic treatment of rare demyelinating diseases

Fri, 2024-08-23 06:00

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2024;124(7. Vyp. 2):33-36. doi: 10.17116/jnevro202412407233.

ABSTRACT

Rare demyelinating diseases are a group of diseases whose pathogenesis is based on the process of demyelination. This group of diseases includes acute multiple encephalomyelitis (ADEM), opticoneuromyelitis spectrum diseases (NMOSD) and anti-myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-associated diseases (MOG-antibodies-associated diseases - MOGAD). Recently, new biological drugs for pathogenetic therapy have been developed, which have shown their effectiveness and good tolerability in comparison with therapy with first- and second-line drugs. Aim of the study - analysis of modern possibilities of pathogenetic treatment of patients with ADEM, seronegative and seropositive patients with NMOSD. The analysis was carried out on the basis of English-language publications in PubMed published over the past five years. This review summarizes current ideas about the possibilities of pathogenetic treatment of rare diseases. The advantages of using ravulizumab over other representatives of a new biological therapy associated with the use of monoclonal antibodies are shown. The analyzed data allow us to conclude that there is a significant development of pathogenetic treatment options for ZSONM. However, the effectiveness of new therapeutic biological drugs is still limited due to the lack of a large amount of clinical data to confirm, which creates the need to continue analyzing the experience of their use.

PMID:39175237 | DOI:10.17116/jnevro202412407233

Categories: Literature Watch

Framework for Multistakeholder Patient Registries in the Field of Rare Diseases: Focus on Neurogenetic Diseases

Thu, 2024-08-22 06:00

Neurology. 2024 Sep 24;103(6):e209743. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000209743. Epub 2024 Aug 22.

ABSTRACT

Progress in genetic diagnosis and orphan drug legislation has opened doors to new therapies in rare neurogenetic diseases (RNDs). Innovative therapies such as gene therapy can improve patients' quality of life but come with academic, regulatory, and financial challenges. Registries can play a pivotal role in generating evidence to tackle these, but their development requires multidisciplinary knowledge and expertise. This study aims to develop a practical framework for creating and implementing patient registries addressing common challenges and maximizing their impact on care, research, drug development, and regulatory decision making with a focus on RNDs. A comprehensive 3-step literature and qualitative research approach was used to develop the framework. A qualitative systematic literature review was conducted, extracting guidance and practices leading to the draft framework. Subsequently, we interviewed representatives of 5 established international RND registries to add learnings from hands-on experiences to the framework. Expert input on the draft framework was sought in digital multistakeholder focus groups to refine the framework. The literature search; interviews with 5 registries; and focus groups with patient representatives (n = 4), clinicians (n = 6), regulators, health technology assessment (HTA) bodies and payers (n = 7), industry representatives (n = 7), and data/information technology (IT) specialists (n = 5) informed development of the framework. It covers the interests of different stakeholders, purposes for data utilization, data aspects, IT infrastructure, governance, and financing of rare disease registries. Key principles include that data should be rapidly accessible, independent, and trustworthy. Governance should involve multiple stakeholders. In addition, data should be highly descriptive, machine-readable, and accessible through a shared infrastructure and not spread over multiple isolated repositories. Sustainable and independent financing of registries is deemed important but remains challenging because of a lack of widely supported funding models. The proposed framework will guide stakeholders in establishing or improving rare disease registries that fulfill requirements of academics and patients as well as regulators, HTA bodies, and commercial parties. There is a need for more clarity regarding quality requirements for registries in regulatory and HTA context. In addition, independent financing models for registries should be developed, as well as well-defined policies on technical uniformity in health data.

PMID:39173102 | DOI:10.1212/WNL.0000000000209743

Categories: Literature Watch

Epigenetic Therapy in a Rare Ovarian Cancer - A Double-Edged Sword

Wed, 2024-08-21 06:00

N Engl J Med. 2024 Aug 22;391(8):770-772. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2407971.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:39167815 | DOI:10.1056/NEJMc2407971

Categories: Literature Watch

Familial Hypocalciuric hypercalcemia in an infant: diagnosis and management quandaries

Tue, 2024-08-20 06:00

J Bone Miner Res. 2024 Aug 20:zjae137. doi: 10.1093/jbmr/zjae137. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH) is typically a benign condition characterized by elevated serum calcium, low urinary calcium excretion, and non-suppressed circulating levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), usually requiring no intervention. FHH is inherited in an autosomal-dominant manner. Three subtypes are described, representing variants in genes with critical roles in extracellular calcium-sensing. FHH1, due to heterozygous inactivating variants in the calcium-sensing receptor gene (CASR) accounts for the majority of cases. FHH2, due to variants in GNA11, encoding the α-subunit of the downstream signaling protein, G11, is the rarest form of FHH. FHH3, resulting from variants in AP2S1, may present with a more pronounced phenotype than FHH1 or FHH2. We describe herein a newborn girl presenting with in utero femoral fractures, hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, and elevated circulating PTH. She was diagnosed with mild hyperparathyroidism and provided supplemental phosphate upon hospital discharge. However, serum calcium and PTH remained elevated at 5 months of age. The combination of low-calcium formula and cinacalcet improved the biochemical profile. No pathogenic variants in the coding region of CASR were identified; subsequent whole exome sequencing revealed a G->T transition at c.44 (p.R15L) in AP2S1. Family studies identified this variant in the father and an affected brother. The mother was unexpectedly found to be hypocalcemic and was diagnosed with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism. This case demonstrates successful treatment of FHH3 using a low-calcium formula to limit dietary calcium availability and cinacalcet to modify PTH levels.

PMID:39163488 | DOI:10.1093/jbmr/zjae137

Categories: Literature Watch

Child with ultra-rare disease gets a treatment just for her

Fri, 2024-08-16 06:00

Nature. 2024 Aug;632(8026):711. doi: 10.1038/d41586-024-02611-2.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:39152343 | DOI:10.1038/d41586-024-02611-2

Categories: Literature Watch

Utility of Genome Sequencing After Nondiagnostic Exome Sequencing in Unexplained Pediatric Epilepsy

Fri, 2024-08-16 06:00

medRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Aug 9:2024.08.08.24307445. doi: 10.1101/2024.08.08.24307445.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder of childhood. Identifying genetic diagnoses underlying epilepsy is critical to developing effective therapies and improving outcomes. Most children with non-acquired (unexplained) epilepsy remain genetically unsolved, and the utility of genome sequencing after nondiagnostic exome sequencing is unknown.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic (primary) and clinical (secondary) utility of genome sequencing after nondiagnostic exome sequencing in individuals with unexplained pediatric epilepsy.

DESIGN: This cohort study performed genome sequencing and comprehensive analyses for 125 participants and available biological parents enrolled from August 2018 to May 2023, with data analysis through April 2024 and clinical return of diagnostic and likely diagnostic genetic findings. Clinical utility was evaluated.

SETTING: Pediatric referral center.

PARTICIPANTS: Participants with unexplained pediatric epilepsy and previous nondiagnostic exome sequencing; biological parents when available.

EXPOSURES: Short-read genome sequencing and analysis.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Primary outcome measures were the diagnostic yield of genome sequencing, defined as the percentage of participants receiving a diagnostic or likely diagnostic genetic finding, and the unique diagnostic yield of genome sequencing, defined as the percentage of participants receiving a diagnostic or likely diagnostic genetic finding that required genome sequencing. The secondary outcome measure was clinical utility of genome sequencing, defined as impact on evaluation, treatment, or prognosis for the participant or their family.

RESULTS: 125 participants (58 [46%] female) were enrolled with median age at seizure onset 3 [IQR 1.25, 8] years, including 44 (35%) with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. The diagnostic yield of genome sequencing was 7.2% (9/125), with diagnostic genetic findings in five cases and likely diagnostic genetic findings in four cases. Among the solved cases, 7/9 (78%) required genome sequencing for variant detection (small copy number variant, three noncoding variants, and three difficult to sequence small coding variants), for a unique diagnostic yield of genome sequencing of 5.6% (7/125). Clinical utility was documented for 4/9 solved cases (44%).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: These findings suggest that genome sequencing can have diagnostic and clinical utility after nondiagnostic exome sequencing and should be considered for patients with unexplained pediatric epilepsy.

PMID:39148850 | PMC:PMC11326351 | DOI:10.1101/2024.08.08.24307445

Categories: Literature Watch

Rare diseases: we need to think about climate change too

Fri, 2024-08-16 06:00

Lancet Neurol. 2024 Sep;23(9):857-858. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(24)00333-8.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:39152020 | DOI:10.1016/S1474-4422(24)00333-8

Categories: Literature Watch

Bridging the palliative care gap for people with rare diseases

Fri, 2024-08-16 06:00

Lancet Glob Health. 2024 Sep;12(9):e1398. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00311-5.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:39151974 | DOI:10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00311-5

Categories: Literature Watch

Combination of loco-regional radiotherapy with a TIM-3 aptamer improves survival in diffuse midline glioma models

Thu, 2024-08-15 06:00

JCI Insight. 2024 Aug 15:e175257. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.175257. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Pediatric diffuse midline gliomas (DMG) with H3-K27M-altered are aggressive brain tumors that arise during childhood. Despite advances in genomic knowledge and the significant number of clinical trials testing new targeted therapies, patient outcomes are still insufficient. Immune checkpoint blockades with small molecules, such as aptamers, are opening new therapeutic options that represent hope for this orphan disease. Here, we demonstrated that a TIM-3 aptamer as monotherapy increased the immune infiltration and elicited a strong specific immune response with a tendency to improve the overall survival of treated DMG-bearing mice. Importantly, combining TIM-3 Apt with radiotherapy increased the overall median survival and led to long-term survivor mice in two pediatric DMG orthotopic murine models. Interestingly, TIM-3 aptamer administration increased the number of myeloid populations and the pro-inflammatory ratios of CD8: Tregs in the tumor microenvironment as compared to non-treated groups after radiotherapy. Importantly, the depletion of T-cells led to a major loss of the therapeutic effect achieved by the combination. This work uncovers TIM-3 targeting as an immunotherapy approach to improve the radiotherapy outcome in DMGs and offers a strong foundation for propelling a phase I clinical trial using radiotherapy and TIM-3 blockade combination as a treatment for these tumors.

PMID:39146023 | DOI:10.1172/jci.insight.175257

Categories: Literature Watch

Time to diagnosis for a rare disease: managing medical uncertainty. A qualitative study

Wed, 2024-08-14 06:00

Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2024 Aug 14;19(1):297. doi: 10.1186/s13023-024-03319-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: People with a rare disease commonly experience long delays from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis. Rare diseases are challenging to diagnose because they are clinically heterogeneous, and many present with non-specific symptoms common to many diseases. We aimed to explore the experiences of people with myositis, primary immunodeficiency (PID), and sarcoidosis from symptom onset to diagnosis to identify factors that might impact receipt of a timely diagnosis.

METHODS: This was a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Our approach was informed by Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). We applied the lens of uncertainty management theory to tease out how patients experience, assess, manage and cope with puzzling and complex health-related issues while seeking a diagnosis in the cases of rare diseases.

RESULTS: We conducted interviews with 26 people with a rare disease. Ten participants had been diagnosed with a form of myositis, 8 with a primary immunodeficiency, and 8 with sarcoidosis. Time to diagnosis ranged from 6 months to 12 years (myositis), immediate to over 20 years (PID), and 6 months to 15 years (sarcoidosis). We identified four themes that described the experiences of participants with a rare disease as they sought a diagnosis for their condition: (1) normalising and/or misattributing symptoms; (2) particularising by clinicians; (3) asserting patients' self-knowledge; and (4) working together through the diagnosable moment.

CONCLUSIONS: Managing medical uncertainty in the time before diagnosis of a rare disease can be complicated by patients discounting their own symptoms and/or clinicians discounting the scale and impact of those symptoms. Persistence on the part of both clinician and patient is necessary to reach a diagnosis of a rare disease. Strategies such as recognising pattern failure and accommodating self-labelling are key to diagnosis.

PMID:39143641 | DOI:10.1186/s13023-024-03319-2

Categories: Literature Watch

How to customize common data models for rare diseases: an OMOP-based implementation and lessons learned

Wed, 2024-08-14 06:00

Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2024 Aug 14;19(1):298. doi: 10.1186/s13023-024-03312-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Given the geographical sparsity of Rare Diseases (RDs), assembling a cohort is often a challenging task. Common data models (CDM) can harmonize disparate sources of data that can be the basis of decision support systems and artificial intelligence-based studies, leading to new insights in the field. This work is sought to support the design of large-scale multi-center studies for rare diseases.

METHODS: In an interdisciplinary group, we derived a list of elements of RDs in three medical domains (endocrinology, gastroenterology, and pneumonology) according to specialist knowledge and clinical guidelines in an iterative process. We then defined a RDs data structure that matched all our data elements and built Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) processes to transfer the structure to a joint CDM. To ensure interoperability of our developed CDM and its subsequent usage for further RDs domains, we ultimately mapped it to Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) CDM. We then included a fourth domain, hematology, as a proof-of-concept and mapped an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) dataset to the developed CDM.

RESULTS: We have developed an OMOP-based rare diseases common data model (RD-CDM) using data elements from the three domains (endocrinology, gastroenterology, and pneumonology) and tested the CDM using data from the hematology domain. The total study cohort included 61,697 patients. After aligning our modules with those of Medical Informatics Initiative (MII) Core Dataset (CDS) modules, we leveraged its ETL process. This facilitated the seamless transfer of demographic information, diagnoses, procedures, laboratory results, and medication modules from our RD-CDM to the OMOP. For the phenotypes and genotypes, we developed a second ETL process. We finally derived lessons learned for customizing our RD-CDM for different RDs.

DISCUSSION: This work can serve as a blueprint for other domains as its modularized structure could be extended towards novel data types. An interdisciplinary group of stakeholders that are actively supporting the project's progress is necessary to reach a comprehensive CDM.

CONCLUSION: The customized data structure related to our RD-CDM can be used to perform multi-center studies to test data-driven hypotheses on a larger scale and take advantage of the analytical tools offered by the OHDSI community.

PMID:39143600 | DOI:10.1186/s13023-024-03312-9

Categories: Literature Watch

Burden of rare genetic disorders in India: twenty-two years' experience of a tertiary centre

Tue, 2024-08-13 06:00

Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2024 Aug 13;19(1):295. doi: 10.1186/s13023-024-03300-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Rare disorders comprise of ~ 7500 different conditions affecting multiple systems. Diagnosis of rare diseases is complex due to dearth of specialized medical professionals, testing labs and limited therapeutic options. There is scarcity of data on the prevalence of rare diseases in different populations. India being home to a large population comprising of 4600 population groups, of which several thousand are endogamous, is likely to have a high burden of rare diseases. The present study provides a retrospective overview of a cohort of patients with rare genetic diseases identified at a tertiary genetic test centre in India.

RESULTS: Overall, 3294 patients with 305 rare diseases were identified in the present study cohort. These were categorized into 14 disease groups based on the major organ/ organ system affected. Highest number of rare diseases (D = 149/305, 48.9%) were identified in the neuromuscular and neurodevelopmental (NMND) group followed by inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) (D = 47/305; 15.4%). Majority patients in the present cohort (N = 1992, 61%) were diagnosed under IEM group, of which Gaucher disease constituted maximum cases (N = 224, 11.2%). Under the NMND group, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (N = 291/885, 32.9%), trinucleotide repeat expansion disorders (N = 242/885; 27.3%) and spinal muscular atrophy (N = 141/885, 15.9%) were the most common. Majority cases of β-thalassemia (N = 120/149, 80.5%) and cystic fibrosis (N = 74/75, 98.7%) under the haematological and pulmonary groups were observed, respectively. Founder variants were identified for Tay-Sachs disease and mucopolysaccharidosis IVA diseases. Recurrent variants for Gaucher disease (GBA:c.1448T > C), β-thalassemia (HBB:c.92.+5G > C), non-syndromic hearing loss (GJB2:c.71G > A), albinism (TYR:c.832 C > T), congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CYP21A2:c.29-13 C > G) and progressive pseudo rheumatoid dysplasia (CCN6:c.298T > A) were observed in the present study.

CONCLUSION: The present retrospective study of rare disease patients diagnosed at a tertiary genetic test centre provides first insight into the distribution of rare genetic diseases across the country. This information will likely aid in drafting future health policies, including newborn screening programs, development of target specific panel for affordable diagnosis of rare diseases and eventually build a platform for devising novel treatment strategies for rare diseases.

PMID:39138584 | DOI:10.1186/s13023-024-03300-z

Categories: Literature Watch

Gene therapy for ultrarare diseases: a geneticist's perspective

Tue, 2024-08-13 06:00

J Biomed Sci. 2024 Aug 13;31(1):79. doi: 10.1186/s12929-024-01070-1.

ABSTRACT

Gene therapy has made considerable strides in recent years. More than 4000 protein-coding genes have been implicated in more than 6000 genetic diseases; next-generation sequencing has dramatically revolutionized the diagnosis of genetic diseases. Most genetic diseases are considered very rare or ultrarare, defined here as having fewer than 1:100,000 cases, but only one of the 12 approved gene therapies (excluding RNA therapies) targets an ultrarare disease. This article explores three gene supplementation therapy approaches suitable for various rare genetic diseases: lentiviral vector-modified autologous CD34+ hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, systemic delivery of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to the liver, and local AAV delivery to the cerebrospinal fluid and brain. Together with RNA therapies, we propose a potential business model for these gene therapies.

PMID:39138523 | DOI:10.1186/s12929-024-01070-1

Categories: Literature Watch

Novel CDKL5 targets identified in human iPSC-derived neurons

Tue, 2024-08-13 06:00

Cell Mol Life Sci. 2024 Aug 13;81(1):347. doi: 10.1007/s00018-024-05389-8.

ABSTRACT

CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD) is a debilitating epileptic encephalopathy disorder affecting young children with no effective treatments. CDD is caused by pathogenic variants in Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-Like 5 (CDKL5), a protein kinase that regulates key phosphorylation events in neurons. For therapeutic intervention, it is essential to understand molecular pathways and phosphorylation targets of CDKL5. Using an unbiased phosphoproteomic approach we identified novel targets of CDKL5, including GTF2I, PPP1R35, GATAD2A and ZNF219 in human iPSC-derived neuronal cells. The phosphoserine residue in the target proteins lies in the CDKL5 consensus motif. We validated direct phosphorylation of GTF2I and PPP1R35 by CDKL5 using complementary approaches. GTF2I controls axon guidance, cell cycle and neurodevelopment by regulating expression of neuronal genes. PPP1R35 is critical for centriole elongation and cilia morphology, processes that are impaired in CDD. PPP1R35 interacts with CEP131, a known CDKL5 phospho-target. GATAD2A and ZNF219 belong to the Nucleosome Remodelling Deacetylase (NuRD) complex, which regulates neuronal activity-dependent genes and synaptic connectivity. In-depth knowledge of molecular pathways regulated by CDKL5 will allow a better understanding of druggable disease pathways to fast-track therapeutic development.

PMID:39136782 | DOI:10.1007/s00018-024-05389-8

Categories: Literature Watch

ADRENOCORTICAL CARCINOMA: AN ORPHAN MALIGNANCY: FROM THE PATIENT TO THE BENCH AND BACK

Tue, 2024-08-13 06:00

Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 2024;134:113-122.

ABSTRACT

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an orphan cancer with 35% five-year survival that has been unchanged for last five decades. Patients often present with severe hypercortisolism or with mass effects. The only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug for ACC is mitotane, an insecticide derivative, which provides only limited additional months of survival, but with toxicities. Little progress in the field has occurred due to a lack of preclinical models. We recently developed new human ACC in vitro and in vivo research models. We produced the first two new ACC cell lines for the field, CU-ACC1 and CU-ACC2, which we have distributed for global collaborations. In addition, we developed 10 ACC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) and two humanized ACC-PDX models to test new therapeutics and examine the mechanism of mitotane action in combination with immunotherapy. These new preclinical models allow us to identify novel targets and test new therapeutics for our patients with adrenal cancer.

PMID:39135585 | PMC:PMC11316896

Categories: Literature Watch

Rare developmental disorder caused by variants in a small RNA gene

Mon, 2024-08-12 06:00

Nature. 2024 Aug;632(8026):747-748. doi: 10.1038/d41586-024-02434-1.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:39134763 | DOI:10.1038/d41586-024-02434-1

Categories: Literature Watch

Genomic Landscape of Branchio-Oto-Renal Syndrome through Whole-Genome Sequencing: A Single Rare Disease Center Experience in South Korea

Sat, 2024-08-10 06:00

Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jul 26;25(15):8149. doi: 10.3390/ijms25158149.

ABSTRACT

Branchio-oto-renal (BOR) and branchio-otic (BO) syndromes are characterized by anomalies affecting the ears, often accompanied by hearing loss, as well as abnormalities in the branchial arches and renal system. These syndromes exhibit a broad spectrum of phenotypes and a complex genomic landscape, with significant contributions from the EYA1 gene and the SIX gene family, including SIX1 and SIX5. Due to their diverse phenotypic presentations, which can overlap with other genetic syndromes, molecular genetic confirmation is essential. As sequencing technologies advance, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is increasingly used in rare disease diagnostics. We explored the genomic landscape of 23 unrelated Korean families with typical or atypical BOR/BO syndrome using a stepwise approach: targeted panel sequencing and exome sequencing (Step 1), multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) with copy number variation screening (Step 2), and WGS (Step 3). Integrating WGS into our diagnostic pipeline detected structure variations, including cryptic inversion and complex genomic rearrangement, eventually enhancing the diagnostic yield to 91%. Our findings expand the genomic architecture of BOR/BO syndrome and highlight the need for WGS to address the genetic diagnosis of clinically heterogeneous rare diseases.

PMID:39125727 | DOI:10.3390/ijms25158149

Categories: Literature Watch

Uncovering the hidden socioeconomic impact of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and paving the way for other rare childhood diseases: an international, cross-disciplinary, patient-centered approach (PAVE Consortium)

Thu, 2024-08-08 06:00

Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2024 Aug 9;22(1):74. doi: 10.1186/s12969-024-01012-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) refers to a heterogeneous group of rheumatic conditions in children. Novel drugs have greatly improved disease outcomes; however, outcomes are impacted by limited awareness of the importance of early diagnosis and adequate treatment, and by differences in access across health systems. As a result, patients with JIA continue to be at risk for short- and long-term morbidity, as well as impacts on virtually all aspects of life of the child and family.

MAIN BODY: Literature on the socioeconomic burden of JIA is largely focused on healthcare costs, and the impact of JIA on patients, families, and communities is not well understood. High quality evidence on the impact of JIA is needed to ensure that patients are receiving necessary support, timely diagnostics, and adequate treatment, and to inform decision making and resource allocation. This commentary introduces the European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases: Producing an Arthritis Value Framework with Economic Evidence: Paving the Way for Rare Childhood Diseases (PAVE) project, which will co-develop a patient-informed value framework to measure the impact of JIA on individuals and on society. With a patient-centered approach, fundamental to PAVE is the involvement of three patient advocacy organizations from Canada, Israel, and Europe, as active research partners co-designing all project phases and ensuring robust patient and family engagement. The framework will build on the findings of projects from six countries: Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Israel, and Belgium, exploring costs, outcomes (health, well-being), and unmet needs (uveitis, mental health, equity).

CONCLUSION: This unique international collaboration will combine evidence on costs (from family to societal), outcomes (clinical, patient and family outcomes), and unmet needs, to co-design and build a framework with patients and families to capture the full impact of JIA. The framework will support the development of high-quality evidence, encompassing economic and clinical considerations, unmet needs, and patient perspectives, to inform equitable resource allocation, health system planning, and quality of care better aligned with the needs of children with JIA, their families, and communities. Knowledge gained from this novel approach may pave the way forward to be applied more broadly to other rare childhood diseases.

PMID:39118107 | DOI:10.1186/s12969-024-01012-z

Categories: Literature Watch

Kidney involvement in rare hereditary diseases

Tue, 2024-08-06 06:00

Ter Arkh. 2024 Jul 7;96(6):559-564. doi: 10.26442/00403660.2024.06.202722.

ABSTRACT

Various rare inherited disorders can be associated with kidney involvement, including glomerulopathies, tubulopathies, multiple cysts, congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract, urolithiasis, malignant and benign tumors. Genetic nephropathy should be always considered in children, adolescents and young patients with the kidneys or urinary tract disorders and/or patients with positive family anamnesis. Extrarenal manifestations can be a valuable clue for diagnosis of certain hereditary diseases, e.g. neurosensory deafness in Alport syndrome or photofobia in nephropathic cystinosis. Diagnosis of monogenic inherited diseases should be verified by genetic testing. Specific drugs are available for treatment of certain hereditary diseases involving kidney, e.g. Fabry disease, cystinosis, primary hyperoxaluria I type and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome.

PMID:39106495 | DOI:10.26442/00403660.2024.06.202722

Categories: Literature Watch

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