Views and opinions of the general public about the reimbursement of expensive medicines in the Netherlands.

Objectives: Solidarity-based healthcare systems are being challenged by the incremental costs of new and expensive medicines for cancer and rare diseases. To regulate reimbursement of such drugs, the Dutch government introduced a policy instrument known as the Coverage Lock (CL) in 2015. Little is known about the public opinion regarding such policy instruments and their consequences, i.

Patient-specific responses to splice-modifying treatments in spinal muscular atrophy fibroblasts.

The availability of three therapies for the neuromuscular disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) highlights the need to match patients to the optimal treatment. Two of these treatments (nusinersen and risdiplam) target splicing of , but treatment outcomes vary from patient to patient. An incomplete understanding of the complex interactions among SMA genetics, SMN protein and mRNA levels, and gene-targeting treatments, limits our ability to explain this variability and identify optimal treatment strategies for individual patients.

Brain magnetic resonance imaging of patients with spinal muscular atrophy type 2 and 3.

Background And Objective: Proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by deficiency of the ubiquitously expressed survival motor neuron protein. Although primarily a hereditary lower motor neuron disease, it is probably also characterized by abnormalities in other organs. Brain abnormalities and cognitive impairment have been reported in severe SMA.

The Role of Complement Activation in IgM M-Protein-Associated Neuropathies.

Background And Objectives: Polyneuropathy associated with an immunoglobulin M (IgM) monoclonal gammopathy is characterized by slowly progressive, predominantly distal sensorimotor deficits, sensory ataxia, and electrophysiologic features of demyelination. IgM antibodies against myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) are present in serum from most patients. Nerve damage most likely results from the concerted action of binding of anti-MAG antibodies to nerves, followed by complement activation.

Complement activation by IgM autoantibodies linked to immune-mediated neuropathies depends on C2.

Background And Purpose: Complement factor C2 is a potential therapeutic target in immune-mediated neuropathies. However, literature suggests that classical complement pathway activation may proceed to C3 in the absence of C2, a so-called "C2 bypass." Here, we evaluated a C2 bypass mechanism during complement activation by pathogenic human IgM from patients with immune-mediated neuropathies.

Feasibility and Reproducibility of Isokinetic Dynamometry in Children with Neuromuscular Diseases.

High-precision measurement tools are needed to measure relevant changes in strength and power in children with neuromuscular diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility (i), reproducibility (ii), and validity (iii) of isokinetic dynamometry in this population. Isometric and isokinetic knee and elbow flexion and extension were measured twice on the same day.

Patient-reported daily functioning after SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations in autoimmune neuromuscular diseases.

Background And Purpose: There are concerns for safety regarding SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for patients with autoimmune neuromuscular disease. We compared daily functioning using disease-specific patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) before and after SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations.

Methods: In this substudy of a prospective observational cohort study (Target-to-B!), patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN), and idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 were included.

Exploring functional strength changes during nusinersen treatment in symptomatic children with SMA types 2 and 3.

The Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale-Expanded (HFMSE) is a validated outcome measure for monitoring changes in functional strength in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The objective of this study was to explore changes in HFMSE item-scores in children with SMA types 2 and 3a treated with nusinersen over a period of six to twenty months. We stratified patients according to motor ability (sitting and walking), and calculated numbers and percentages for each specific improvement (positive score change) or decrease (negative score change) for the total group and each subgroup and calculated frequency distributions of specific score changes.

IgM anti-GM2 antibodies in patients with multifocal motor neuropathy target Schwann cells and are associated with early onset.

Background: Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) is a rare, chronic immune-mediated polyneuropathy characterized by asymmetric distal limb weakness. An important feature of MMN is the presence of IgM antibodies against gangliosides, in particular GM1 and less often GM2. Antibodies against GM1 bind to motor neurons (MNs) and cause damage through complement activation.

A 21-bp deletion in the complement regulator CD55 promotor region is associated with multifocal motor neuropathy and its disease course.

Background And Aims: To further substantiate the role of antibody-mediated complement activation in multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) immunopathology, we investigated the distribution of promotor polymorphisms of genes encoding the membrane-bound complement regulators CD46, CD55, and CD59 in patients with MMN and controls, and evaluated their association with disease course.

Methods: We used Sanger sequencing to genotype five common polymorphisms in the promotor regions of CD46, CD55, and CD59 in 133 patients with MMN and 380 controls. We correlated each polymorphism to clinical parameters.

Natural History of Mandibular Function in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Types 2 and 3.

Background: Hereditary proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is characterized by abnormal alpha motor neuron function in brainstem and spinal cord. Bulbar dysfunction, including limited mouth opening, is present in the majority of patients with SMA but it is unknown if and how these problems change during disease course.

Objective: In this prospective, observational, longitudinal natural history study we aimed to study bulbar dysfunction in patients with SMA types 2 and 3.

Monitoring Nusinersen Treatment Effects in Children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy with Quantitative Muscle MRI.

Background: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by deficiency of survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. Intrathecal nusinersen treatment increases SMN protein in motor neurons and has been shown to improve motor function in symptomatic children with SMA.

Objective: We used quantitative MRI to gain insight in microstructure and fat content of muscle during treatment and to explore its use as biomarker for treatment effect.

Electrophysiological and Imaging Biomarkers to Evaluate Exercise Training in Patients with Neuromuscular Disease: A Systematic Review.

Exercise therapy as part of the clinical management of patients with neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) is complicated by the limited insights into its efficacy. There is an urgent need for sensitive and non-invasive quantitative muscle biomarkers to monitor the effects of exercise training. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review was to critically appraise and summarize the current evidence for the sensitivity of quantitative, non-invasive biomarkers, based on imaging and electrophysiological techniques, for measuring the effects of physical exercise training.

Innovating spinal muscular atrophy models in the therapeutic era.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a severe, monogenetic, neuromuscular disease. A thorough understanding of its genetic cause and the availability of robust models has led to the development and approval of three gene-targeting therapies. This is a unique and exciting development for the field of neuromuscular diseases, many of which remain untreatable.

Feasibility and tolerability of multimodal peripheral electrophysiological techniques in a cohort of patients with spinal muscular atrophy.

Objective: Electrophysiological techniques are emerging as an aid in identifying prognostic or therapeutic biomarkers in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), but electrophysiological assessments may be burdensome for patients. We, therefore, assessed feasibility and tolerability of multimodal peripheral non-invasive electrophysiological techniques in a cohort of patients with SMA.

Methods: We conducted a single center, longitudinal cohort study investigating the feasibility and tolerability of applying multimodal electrophysiological techniques to the median nerve unilaterally.

Multifocal motor neuropathy is not associated with altered innate immune responses to endotoxin.

Objective: Antibody- and complement-mediated peripheral nerve inflammation are central in the pathogenesis of MMN. Here, we studied innate immune responses to endotoxin in patients with MMN and controls to further our understanding of MMN risk factors and disease modifiers.

Methods: We stimulated whole blood of 52 patients with MMN and 24 controls with endotoxin and collected plasma.

Impact of contractures on daily functioning in adolescents with spinal muscular atrophy: a qualitative study.

Purpose: Exploring the impact of contractures in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) on daily functioning and participation and the impact of received contracture management.

Methods: We included 14, non-ambulant AYA with SMA types 2/3 (10 females and 4 males), aged 16-30 years. Interviews focused on two topics: perceived impact of contractures on daily functioning and of previous contracture management.

Dietary Supplementation of Inulin Contributes to the Prevention of Estrogen Receptor-Negative Mammary Cancer by Alteration of Gut Microbial Communities and Epigenetic Regulations.

Breast cancer (BC) is among the most frequently diagnosed malignant cancers in women in the United States. Diet and nutrition supplementation are closely related to BC onset and progression, and inulin is commercially available as a health supplement to improve gut health. However, little is known with respect to inulin intake for BC prevention.

Primary SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: long-term humoral immune responses and effects on disease activity.

Background: Patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) on immunosuppressants (ISPs) may have impaired long-term humoral immune responses and increased disease activity after SARS-CoV-2 infection. We aimed to investigate long-term humoral immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 and increased disease activity after a primary SARS-CoV-2 infection in unvaccinated IMID patients on ISPs.

Methods: IMID patients on active treatment with ISPs and controls (i.

Factors Affecting the Gut Microbiome in Pediatric Intestinal Failure.

Background: There is little data on gut microbiome and various factors that lead to dysbiosis in pediatric intestinal failure (PIF). This study aimed to characterize gut microbiome in PIF and determine factors that may affect microbial composition in these patients.

Methods: This is a single-center, prospective cohort study of children with PIF followed at our intestinal rehabilitation program.

Longitudinal prospective cohort study to assess peripheral motor function with extensive electrophysiological techniques in patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA): the SMA Motor Map protocol.

Background: Hereditary spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disorder with a wide range in severity in children and adults. Two therapies that alter splicing of the Survival Motor Neuron 2 (SMN2) gene, i.e.