Publications by authors named "Desmond Chee"

Introduction: A substantial proportion of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on intravenous infliximab require dose intensification. Accessing additional intravenous infliximab is labour-intensive and expensive, depending on insurance and pharmaceutical reimbursement. Observational data suggest that subcutaneous infliximab may offer a convenient and safe alternative to maintain disease remission in patients requiring dose-intensified infliximab.

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Article Synopsis
  • Anti-drug antibodies linked to treatment failure in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients on anti-TNF agents were analyzed in a large UK study involving 1058 participants.
  • The study found that patients who developed antibodies to their first anti-TNF drug were more likely to also develop antibodies to their second anti-TNF drug, indicating a potential pattern of immunogenicity across different treatments.
  • Introducing an immunomodulator when switching anti-TNF therapies boosted treatment persistence in patients with immunogenicity, suggesting that combined therapies may enhance outcomes in IBD management.
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Anti tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs increase the risk of serious respiratory infection and impair protective immunity following pneumococcal and influenza vaccination. Here we report SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced immune responses and breakthrough infections in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, who are treated either with the anti-TNF antibody, infliximab, or with vedolizumab targeting a gut-specific anti-integrin that does not impair systemic immunity. Geometric mean [SD] anti-S RBD antibody concentrations are lower and half-lives shorter in patients treated with infliximab than vedolizumab, following two doses of BNT162b2 (566.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Data from over 11,000 patients showed that those on infliximab and adalimumab had lower seroprevalence rates for SARS-CoV-2 compared to those on vedolizumab, indicating potential differences in immune response.
  • * Higher rates of seropositivity were found in patients with undetectable anti-TNF drug levels, suggesting that the presence of these drugs may hinder the body’s ability to produce antibodies after infection.
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  • The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a shift to telemedicine for patients with chronic inflammatory disorders, highlighting a need for innovative methods of remote therapeutic drug monitoring, such as low-volume intracapillary blood sampling done at home.* -
  • A study comparing patient-led intracapillary sampling (fingerpricks) to traditional venepuncture found that the new method was equivalent in measuring drug levels and was well-accepted by patients, with 69% preferring it over traditional methods.* -
  • During the first UK lockdown, requests for therapeutic drug monitoring of adalimumab decreased significantly, while those for infliximab remained stable; over 75% of patients successfully returned two blood samples within 14 days for analysis
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Objective: Delayed second dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccination trades maximal effectiveness for a lower level of immunity across more of the population. We investigated whether patients with inflammatory bowel disease treated with infliximab have attenuated serological responses to a single dose of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Design: Antibody responses and seroconversion rates in infliximab-treated patients (n=865) were compared with a cohort treated with vedolizumab (n=428), a gut-selective anti-integrin α4β7 monoclonal antibody.

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Objective: Antitumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs impair protective immunity following pneumococcal, influenza and viral hepatitis vaccination and increase the risk of serious respiratory infections. We sought to determine whether infliximab-treated patients with IBD have attenuated serological responses to SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Design: Antibody responses in participants treated with infliximab were compared with a reference cohort treated with vedolizumab, a gut-selective anti-integrin α4β7 monoclonal antibody that is not associated with impaired vaccine responses or increased susceptibility to systemic infections.

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Background: Colonoscopic surveillance in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) leads to earlier detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) and reduces CRC-associated mortality. However, it is limited by poor adherence in practice.

Aim: To identify missed opportunities to detect IBD-associated CRC at our hospital METHODS: We undertook root-cause analyses to identify patients with missed opportunities to diagnose IBD-associated CRC.

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Background: Delay in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is common and contemporary UK studies are lacking.

Aim: To determine factors associated with, and the consequences of, a prolonged time to diagnosis in IBD.

Methods: This quality improvement study included 304 adults with a new IBD diagnosis made between January 2014 and December 2017 across 49 general practices (GP) and gastroenterology secondary care services.

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Background: Tofacitinib is a partially selective Janus kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of refractory moderate to severe ulcerative colitis [UC]. We sought to define the effectiveness and adverse effects of tofacitinib in a real-world cohort.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of 134 patients with UC [64% male; median age 37 years [range 16-81]; 83% of patients had previously received at least one biologic] treated with tofacitinib from October 2018 to October 2019 in four UK centres.

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Objective: Consistent use of imatinib is critical for treatment success in chronic myeloid leukemia, yet perfect adherence to the prescribed clinical regimen is reported to be as low as 14%. This study aimed to understand patients' experiences of chronic myeloid leukemia with a qualitative approach, including identified facilitators and barriers to adherence, drawing on patients' and health professionals' perspectives, recording comments made by patients and health professionals involved with the same treatment team.

Method: We recruited patients with chronic myeloid leukemia prescribed imatinib therapy and health professionals involved in their treatment from a specialized cancer center.

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Background/purpose: Capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation (CM-AVM) is a new autosomal dominant disorder with cutaneous capillary malformations (CM) and high-flow cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM). Patients may have Parkes-Weber syndrome. This study determined if cutaneous CM are a significant indicator of CM-AVM in children with cerebral bleeds.

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