Browsing by Author "Magro, F"
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- Accuracy of the new rapid test for monitoring adalimumab levelsPublication . Rocha, C; Afonso, J; Lago, P; Arroja, B; Vieira, AI; Dias, CC; Magro, FThe loss of response to adalimumab (ADL) has been related to low serum concentrations at trough. Currently, most methods commercially available for the quantification of ADL are enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based, with a turnaround time of approximately 8 h, delaying the target dosage adjustment to the subsequent infusion. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the performance of the newly available rapid-test ADL quantification assay by comparing it with three established ELISA methods, using spiked samples and a set of clinical samples.
- Clinical practice in Crohn's disease in bordering regions of two countries: Different medical options, distinct surgical eventsPublication . Magro, F; Barreiro-de Acosta, M; Lago, P; Carpio, D; Cotter, J; Echarri, A; Gonçalves, R; Pereira, S; Carvalho, L; Lorenzo, A; Barros, L; Castro, J; Dias, JA; Rodrigues, S; Portela, F; Dias, C; Costa-Pereira, A; EIGA; GEDIIContemplating the multifactorial nature of Crohn's disease (CD), the purpose of this study was to compare two neighbouring CD populations from different nations and examine how clinical characteristics of patients can influence therapeutic strategies and consequently different surgical events in routine clinical practice. Cross-sectional study based on data of an on-line registry of patients with CD in northern Portugal and Galicia. Of the 1238 patients, all with five or more years of disease, 568 (46%) were male and 670 (54%) female. The Portuguese and Galician populations were similar regarding Montreal categories, age at diagnosis, and years of follow-up. Galician B2 patients were associated with immunosuppression (OR 3.6; CI 2.2-6.1) and biologic treatment (OR 1.8; CI 1.0-3.1). In both populations ileocolonic disease was associated with immunosuppression and biologic treatment and the penetrating group was linked to immunosuppression. In the north of Portugal 47% and 16% of patients, and in Galicia 63% and 33%, were treated with immunosuppressants and biologic treatment, respectively. In the north of Portugal 44% of patients classified as stricturing behavior were operated without immunomodulation, in contrast to 12% in Galicia. In the latter it was possible to maintain 16% of B2 patients and 40% of B3 patients without surgery with adequate immunosuppression and/or biologic treatment. The delta of surgeries in B2 patients was 8% and in B3 26%. CONCLUSIONS: Stratifying patients according to the Montreal classification identified similar clinical patterns in disparate geographic populations, and revealed that differing medical therapeutic practices may influence the occurrence of surgical events.
- Crohn's disease in a southern European country: Montreal classification and clinical activityPublication . Magro, F; Portela, F; Lago, P; Ramos de Deus, J; Vieira, A; Peixe, P; Ministro, P; Cremers, I; Cotter, J; Cravo, M; Tavares, L; Reis, J; Gonçalves, R; Lopes, H; Caldeira, P; Carvalho, L; Azevedo, L; Costa-Pereira, ABACKGROUND: Given the heterogeneous nature of Crohn's disease (CD), our aim was to apply the Montreal Classification to a large cohort of Portuguese patients with CD in order to identify potential predictive regarding the need for medical and/or surgical treatment. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was used based on data from an on-line registry of patients with CD. RESULTS: Of the 1692 patients with 5 or more years of disease, 747 (44%) were male and 945 (56%) female. On multivariate analysis the A2 group was an independent risk factor of the need for steroids (odds ratio [OR] 1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-2.3) and the A1 and A2 groups for immunosuppressants (OR 2.2; CI 1.2-3.8; OR 1.4; CI 1.0-2.0, respectively). An L3+L3(4) and L(4) location were risk factors for immunosuppression (OR 1.9; CI 1.5-2.4), whereas an L1 location was significantly associated with the need for abdominal surgery (P < 0.001). After 20 years of disease, less than 10% of patients persisted without steroids, immunosuppression, or surgery. The Montreal Classification allowed us to identify different groups of disease severity: A1 were more immunosuppressed without surgery, most of A2 patients were submitted to surgery, and 52% of L1+L1(4) patients were operated without immunosuppressants. CONCLUSIONS: Stratifying patients according to the Montreal Classification may prove useful in identifying different phenotypes with different therapies and severity. Most of our patients have severe disease.
- Decisões clínicas na doença de CrohnPublication . Magro, F; Correia, L; Lago, P; Macedo, G; Peixe, P; Portela, F; Ferreira, A; Gonçalves, R; et alIntroduction: Crohn s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease from gastrointestinal tract. The increase in incidence and heterogeneity of this pathology, with different presentations and prognostics leads to a constant concern in developing and improving its classification and treatment. Objectives: To establish recommendations (based on level of evidence and recommendation grades) to 5 questions considered as the clinical challenges of the therapeutic approach in Crohn s disease. Methods: The methodology adopted by the working group DC2 (Desafios Clínicos na Doença de Crohn) was based on the selection of 5 questions, by voting, and establishing recommendations to each question proposed to each subgroup. Discussion and approval of reflexions and final recommendations was carried out in a consensus meeting. Conclusion: It has been possible to base conclusions about the questions under study on evidence, being recommended: 1) having Crohn s disease under 40 years old, structuring phenotype disease and anal disease are predictive factors of bad prognostic; 2) it is possible to consider suspension of biologics in patients with endoscopic remission and normal biomarkers; 3) patients with biochemical markers of disease activity (CRP and calprotectina) have more probability of relapse; 4) in failure of biologics it is essential to assure that treatment with the first drug was optimized: with infliximab it s demonstrated that either reduction of the administration range or increasing the dose allows to recover the response in the majority of patients; as for adalimumab, patients should change from bimonthly to weekly administrations; 5) in case of Crohn s disease with intestinal surgery, use of therapeutic to reduce postoperative recurrence is indicated, particularly immunosupressors and biologics.
- Proactive therapeutic drug monitoring of infliximab: a comparative study of a new point-of-care quantitative test with two established ELISA assaysPublication . Afonso, J; Lopes, S; Gonçalves, R; Caldeira, P; Lago, P; Tavares de Sousa, H; Ramos, J; Gonçalves, AR; Ministro, P; Rosa, I; Vieira, AI; Dias, CC; Magro, FBACKGROUND: Therapeutic drug monitoring is a powerful strategy known to improve the clinical outcomes and to optimise the healthcare resources in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Currently, most of the methods commercially available for the quantification of infliximab (IFX) are ELISA-based, with a turnaround time of approximately 8 h, and delaying the target dosage adjustment to the following infusion. AIM: To validate the first point-of-care IFX quantification device available in the market - the Quantum Blue Infliximab assay (Buhlmann, Schonenbuch, Switzerland) - by comparing it with two well-established methods. METHODS: The three methods were used to assay the IFX concentration of spiked samples and of the serum of 299 inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) patients undergoing IFX therapy. RESULTS: The point-of-care assay had an average IFX recovery of 92%, being the most precise among the tested methods. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficients of the point-of-care IFX assay vs. the two ELISA-based established methods were 0.889 and 0.939. Moreover, the accuracy of the point-of-care IFX compared with each of the two reference methods was 77% and 83%, and the kappa statistics revealed a substantial agreement (0.648 and 0.738). CONCLUSIONS: The Quantum Blue IFX assay can successfully replace the commonly used ELISA-based IFX quantification kits. This point-of-care IFX assay is able to deliver the results within 15 min makes it ideal for an immediate target concentration adjusted dosing. Moreover, it is a user-friendly desktop device that does not require specific laboratory facilities or highly specialised personnel.
- Ulcerative colitis in a Southern European country: a national perspectivePublication . Portela, F; Magro, F; Lago, P; Cotter, J; Cremers, I; Deus, J; Vieira, A; Lopes, H; Caldeira, P; Barros, L; Reis, J; Carvalho, L; Gonçalves, R; Campos, MJ; Ministro, P; Duarte, MA; Amil, J; Rodrigues, S; Azevedo, L; Costa-Pereira, ABACKGROUND: The incidence, prevalence, and even the clinical behavior of ulcerative colitis (UC) are highly variable in different world regions. In previous studies, Portugal was reported as having a milder clinical behavior. The aim of this study was to apply the Montreal Classification in a large group of UC Portuguese patients in order to describe their clinical characteristics and evaluate variables potentially useful for outcome prediction. METHODS: A cross-sectional study based on data collected from a nationwide online registry was undertaken. RESULTS: In all, 2863 patients with UC were included. Twenty-one percent had ulcerative proctitis, 52% left-sided colitis, and 28% extensive colitis. Sixty percent of patients had taken steroids, 14% immunosuppressors, 1% biologicals, and 4.5% were submitted to surgery. Patients with extensive colitis had more severe activity, needing more steroids, immunosuppressors, and surgery. At the time of diagnosis 61% were less than 40 years old and 5% less than 16. Younger patients also had a more aggressive initial course. Thirty-eight percent of patients had only taken salicylates during the disease course and were characterized by a lower incidence of systemic symptoms at presentation (3.8% versus 8.8%, P < 0.001), fewer extraintestinal manifestations (7.7% versus 24.0%, P < 0.001), and a higher prevalence of proctitis (32.1% versus 10.0%). CONCLUSIONS: A more aggressive phenotype was found in extensive colitis and in the initial course of younger patients, with an increased need for steroids and immunosuppressors. In addition, a significant percentage of patients, particularly with proctitis, showed a milder clinical evolution and were maintained in remission only with salicylates.
- Ulcerative colitis in northern Portugal and Galicia in SpainPublication . Barreiro-da-Costa, M; Magro, F; Carpio, D; Lago, P; Echarri, A; Cotter, J; Pereira, S; Gonçalves, R; Lorenzo, A; Carvalho, L; Castro, J; Barros, L; Dias, JA; Rodrigues, S; Portela, F; Dias, C; Costa-Pereira, ABACKGROUND: Clinical and therapeutic patterns of ulcerative colitis (UC) are variable in different world regions. The purpose of this study was to examine two close independent southern European UC populations from 2 bordering countries and observe how demographic and clinical characteristics of patients can influence the severity of UC. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted during a 15-month period (September 2005 to December 2006) based on data of 2 Web registries of UC patients. Patients were stratified according to the Montreal Classification and disease severity was defined by the type of treatment taken. RESULTS: A total of 1549 UC patients were included, 1008 (65%) from northern Portugal and 541 (35%) from Galicia (northwest Spain). A female predominance (57%) was observed in Portuguese patients (P < 0.001). The median age at diagnosis was 35 years and median years of disease was 7. The majority of patients (53%) were treated only with mesalamine, while 15% had taken immunosuppressant drugs, and 3% biologic treatment. Most patients in both groups were not at risk for aggressive therapy. Extensive colitis was a predictive risk factor for immunosuppression in northern Portugal and Galicia (odds ratio [OR] 2.737, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.846-4.058; OR 5.799, 95% CI: 3.433-9.795, respectively) and biologic treatment in Galicia (OR 6.329, 95% CI: 2.641-15.166). Younger patients presented a severe course at onset with more frequent use of immunosuppressors in both countries. CONCLUSIONS: In a large population of UC patients from two independent southern European countries, most patients did not require aggressive therapy, but extensive colitis was a clear risk factor for more severe disease