Takayasu arteritis in childhood: retrospective experience from a tertiary referral centre in the United Kingdom.

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is an idiopathic large-vessel vasculitis affecting the aorta and its major branches. Although the disease rarely affects children, it does occur, even in infants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical features, disease activity, treatment and outcome of childhood TA in a tertiary UK centre

Health within the Leeds Roma Community: Final Report

This report illustrates the findings from a piece of health-related research carried out within the Roma community in Leeds in 2012. The research aimed to explore Roma community member’s health status and associated health needs. Based upon data gathered from questionnaires and focus groups with Roma community members and interview data from health professionals working with them, this report presents evidence from the data gathered. The findings reported here relate to the migrant population of Roma resident within the UK, not the indigenous Gypsy and Traveller population of the UK. UK and Irish Travellers, despite sharing common experiences to the Roma in terms of discrimination and exclusion, are a distinct community and are not of Roma origin and thus are not the focus of this report

Elicitation of expert prior opinion:application to the MYPAN trial in childhood polyarteritis nodosa

Objectives Definitive sample sizes for clinical trials in rare diseases are usually infeasible. Bayesian methodology can be used to maximise what is learnt from clinical trials in these circumstances. We elicited expert prior opinion for a future Bayesian randomised controlled trial for a rare inflammatory paediatric disease, polyarteritis nodosa (MYPAN, Mycophenolate mofetil for polyarteritis nodosa). Methods A Bayesian prior elicitation meeting was convened. Opinion was sought on the probability that a patient in the MYPAN trial treated with cyclophosphamide would achieve disease remission within 6-months, and on the relative efficacies of mycophenolate mofetil and cyclophosphamide. Expert opinion was combined with previously unseen data from a recently completed randomised controlled trial in ANCA associated vasculitis. Results A pan-European group of fifteen experts participated in the elicitation meeting. Consensus expert prior opinion was that the most likely rates of disease remission within 6 months on cyclophosphamide or mycophenolate mofetil were 74% and 71%, respectively. This prior opinion will now be taken forward and will be modified to formulate a Bayesian posterior opinion once the MYPAN trial data from 40 patients randomised 1:1 to either CYC or MMF become available. Conclusions We suggest that the methodological template we propose could be applied to trial design for other rare diseases

Development of the autoinflammatory disease damage index (ADDI)

OBJECTIVES: Autoinflammatory diseases cause systemic inflammation that can result in damage to multiple organs. A validated instrument is essential to quantify damage in individual patients and to compare disease outcomes in clinical studies. Currently, there is no such tool. Our objective was to develop a common autoinflammatory disease damage index (ADDI) for familial Mediterranean fever, cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic fever syndrome and mevalonate kinase deficiency. METHODS: We developed the ADDI by consensus building. The top 40 enrollers of patients in the Eurofever Registry and 9 experts from the Americas participated in multiple rounds of online surveys to select items and definitions. Further, 22 (parents of) patients rated damage items and suggested new items. A consensus meeting was held to refine the items and definitions, which were then formally weighted in a scoring system derived using decision-making software, known as 1000minds. RESULTS: More than 80% of the experts and patients completed the online surveys. The preliminary ADDI contains 18 items, categorised in the following eight organ systems: reproductive, renal/amyloidosis, developmental, serosal, neurological, ears, ocular and musculoskeletal damage. The categories renal/amyloidosis and neurological damage were assigned the highest number of points, serosal damage the lowest number of points. The involvement of (parents of) patients resulted in the inclusion of, for example, chronic musculoskeletal pain. CONCLUSIONS: An instrument to measure damage caused by autoinflammatory diseases is developed based on consensus building. Patients fulfilled a significant role in this process

Health within the Leeds Migrant Roma Community; An Exploration of Health Status and Needs within One UK Area

Existing evidence shows that many Roma communities have received little attention in relation to their health requirements. Evidence illustrates how Roma communities suffer from poorer health and unhealthier living conditions when compared to majority populations, with their poor health closely linked to wider social determinants. This study explored the health status and associated health needs of the Leeds Roma migrant community, a hard to reach and under-explored group across Europe. Questionnaires (n = 70) and focus groups (n = 43) with Roma community members as well as interviews with health professionals (n = 5) working with them were used. The study found language was a key barrier to accessing health care and understanding health messages. Furthermore, participant’s understandings of the health system were hindered by their different experiences within their countries of origin. Self-reports illustrated low mental well-being, high levels of stress and unhealthy lifestyles as common issues. The research also highlighted several wider determinants of health as key concerns within the Roma community including housing, employment opportunities and money. The findings of this study contribute to increasing understandings of this community’s health needs, their support requirements and the barriers faced by them. These need to be considered to inform strategies and ways of working as mechanisms to tackle health inequalities and promote health within this community

Health related quality of life measure in systemic pediatric rheumatic diseases and its translation to different languages: an international collaboration

Background: Rheumatic diseases in children are associated with significant morbidity and poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL). There is no health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scale available specifically for children with less common rheumatic diseases. These diseases share several features with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) such as their chronic episodic nature, multi-systemic involvement, and the need for immunosuppressive medications. HRQOL scale developed for pediatric SLE will likely be applicable to children with systemic inflammatory diseases.Findings: We adapted Simple Measure of Impact of Lupus Erythematosus in Youngsters (SMILEY (c)) to Simple Measure of Impact of Illness in Youngsters (SMILY (c)-Illness) and had it reviewed by pediatric rheumatologists for its appropriateness and cultural suitability. We tested SMILY (c)-Illness in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases and then translated it into 28 languages. Nineteen children (79% female, n= 15) and 17 parents participated. the mean age was 12 +/- 4 years, with median disease duration of 21 months (1-172 months). We translated SMILY (c)-Illness into the following 28 languages: Danish, Dutch, French (France), English (UK), German (Germany), German (Austria), German (Switzerland), Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Slovene, Spanish (USA and Puerto Rico), Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Argentina), Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Venezuela), Turkish, Afrikaans, Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Arabic (Egypt), Czech, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Japanese, Romanian, Serbian and Xhosa.Conclusion: SMILY (c)-Illness is a brief, easy to administer and score HRQOL scale for children with systemic rheumatic diseases. It is suitable for use across different age groups and literacy levels. SMILY (c)-Illness with its available translations may be used as useful adjuncts to clinical practice and research.Rutgers State Univ, Robert Wood Johnson Med Sch, New Brunswick, NJ 08903 USARutgers State Univ, Child Hlth Inst New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USAHosp Special Surg, New York, NY 10021 USAUniv Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USARed Cross War Mem Childrens Hosp, Cape Town, South AfricaAin Shams Univ, Pediat Allergy Immunol & Rheumatol Unit, Cairo, EgyptAin Shams Univ, Pediat Rheumatol Pediat Allergy Immunol & Rheum, Cairo, EgyptKing Faisal Specialist Hosp & Res Ctr, Riyadh 11211, Saudi ArabiaCharles Univ Prague, Prague, Czech RepublicGen Univ Hosp, Prague, Czech RepublicUniv Hosp Motol, Dept Pediat, Prague, Czech RepublicAarhus Univ, Hosp Skejby, Aarhus, DenmarkRigshosp, Juliane Marie Ctr, DK-2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkUniv Med Ctr, Dept Pediat Immunol, Utrecht, NetherlandsWilhelmina Childrens Hosp, Utrecht, NetherlandsGreat Ormond St Hosp Sick Children, Children NHS Fdn Trust, Renal Unit, London, EnglandLyon Univ, Hosp Civils Lyon, Rheumatol & Dermatol Dept, Lyon, FranceMed Univ Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, AustriaPrim Univ Doz, Bregenz, AustriaHamburg Ctr Pediat & Adolescence Rheumatol, Hamburg, GermanyAsklepios Clin Sankt, Augustin, GermanyUniv Zurich, Childrens Hosp, Zurich, SwitzerlandAristotle Univ Thessaloniki, Pediat Immunol & Rheumatol Referral Ctr, GR-54006 Thessaloniki, GreeceIsrael Meir Hosp, Kefar Sava, IsraelSanjay Gandhi Postgrad Inst Med Sci, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaSemmelweis Univ, H-1085 Budapest, HungaryAnna Meyer Hosp, Florence, ItalyUniv Siena, Res Ctr System Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Dis, I-53100 Siena, ItalyUniv Florence, Florence, ItalyOsped Pediat Bambino Gesu, IRCCS, Pediat Rheumatol Unit, Rome, ItalyUniv Genoa Pediat II Reumatol, Ist G Gaslini EULAR, Ctr Excellence Rheumatol, Genoa, ItalyUniv Cattolica Sacro Cuore, Inst Pediat, Rome, ItalyUniv Padua, Dept Pediat, Pediat Rheumatol Unit, Padua, ItalyYokohama City Univ, Sch Med, Yokohama, Kanagawa 232, JapanUniv Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Pediat, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Estadual Campinas, Dept Med, Campinas, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Dept Pediat, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniv Estado do, Adolescent Hlth Care Unit, Div Pediat Rheumatol, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Fac Med, Childrens Inst, Dept Pediat,Pediat Rheumatol Unit, São Paulo, BrazilChildrens Inst, Pediat Rheumatol Unit, São Paulo, BrazilClin Pediat I, Cluj Napoca, RomaniaInst Rheumatol, Belgrade, SerbiaUniv Childrens Hosp, Univ Med Ctr Ljubljana, Ljubljana, SloveniaHead Rheumatol Hosp Pedro Elizalde, Buenos Aires, DF, ArgentinaHosp Gen Mexico City, Mexico City, DF, MexicoHosp Infantil Mexico Fed Gomez, Mexico City, DF, MexicoHosp San Juan Dios, Barcelona, SpainHosp Univ Valle Hebron, Barcelona, SpainMt Sinai Med Ctr, New York, NY 10029 USAMt Sinai Med Ctr, Miami Beach, FL 33140 USAComplejo Hosp Univ Ruiz & Paez, Bolivar, VenezuelaHacettepe Univ, Dept Pediat, Ankara, TurkeyIstanbul Univ, Cerrahpasa Med Sch, Istanbul, TurkeyFMF Arthrit Vasculitis & Orphan Dis Res Ctr, Inst Hlth Sci, Ankara, TurkeyUniv Calgary, Dept Pediat, Alberta Childrens Hosp, Res Inst, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Pediat, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Elicitation of expert prior opinion: application to the MYPAN trial in childhood polyarteritis nodosa.

OBJECTIVES: Definitive sample sizes for clinical trials in rare diseases are usually infeasible. Bayesian methodology can be used to maximise what is learnt from clinical trials in these circumstances. We elicited expert prior opinion for a future Bayesian randomised controlled trial for a rare inflammatory paediatric disease, polyarteritis nodosa (MYPAN, Mycophenolate mofetil for polyarteritis nodosa). METHODS: A Bayesian prior elicitation meeting was convened. Opinion was sought on the probability that a patient in the MYPAN trial treated with cyclophosphamide would achieve disease remission within 6-months, and on the relative efficacies of mycophenolate mofetil and cyclophosphamide. Expert opinion was combined with previously unseen data from a recently completed randomised controlled trial in ANCA associated vasculitis. RESULTS: A pan-European group of fifteen experts participated in the elicitation meeting. Consensus expert prior opinion was that the most likely rates of disease remission within 6 months on cyclophosphamide or mycophenolate mofetil were 74% and 71%, respectively. This prior opinion will now be taken forward and will be modified to formulate a Bayesian posterior opinion once the MYPAN trial data from 40 patients randomised 1:1 to either CYC or MMF become available. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the methodological template we propose could be applied to trial design for other rare diseases