Update from Haukeland about the RituxME study

[mango]

http://me-forskning.no/oppdatering-fra-haukeland-om-rituxme-studien/

Translated by Google:

Update from Haukeland about RituxME study

The following is an update from studiekordinator Kari Sørland

Update, RituxME study

Multi-center study RituxME completed enrollment of all 152 participants in September 2015. By the summer holidays, all patients in Bergen, Trondheim, Notodden and Oslo have completed their course of treatment, and study center in Tromsø provides final treatment in September.

As known RituxME a double blind study, meaning that neither the patient or treating know about the individual patient is receiving active medication or placebo. Blinding is maintained until the last participant has finished one year of follow-up after stopping treatment, and we will therefore be able to break the code in September 2017. The results of RituxME study will be published in a scientific paper during 2018.

Research biobank at Haukeland University Hospital has been expanded with blood tests before treatment from all participants, and together with samples from previous studies and the ongoing cyclofosfamidstudien, these blood samples a unique material for research on disease mechanisms and a possible biomarker.

There is currently a lot of activity in the laboratory at Haukeland, and it is partnered with several national and international institutions on study on including autoantibodies, immune signatures, cell metabolism and genetics, where material from the biobank included. We continue to take samples to the Biobank at fixed times their studies until the last patient has completed follow-up.

Kari Sørland
Programme coordinator

 

[Tuha]

It would be interesting to know more exactly about their research on autoantibodies, immune signatures, cell metabolism and genetics. Do we know more about?

 

[Riley]

That bio bank has the potential to be an absolute game changer.

 

[BurnA]

That bio bank has the potential to be an absolute game changer.

Yes especially when they can identify the responders, relaspers and the non repsonders once the blinding is removed.

 

[voner]

here's about a-year-old piece written for the Kalvi trust's website that I found to be packed with general information about the activities of The Haukeland team. Perhaps it has been posted here before, but it's worth rereading.

some quotes:

“We think an autoimmune response, often after an infection, somehow disrupts the body’s ability to micro-manage the bloodstream,” Fluge explains.

The researchers have conducted three autopsies of people who have suffered from ME, reports Mella. He explains that the aim is to understand the mechanism of the illness.

“Intellectually, this work is at least as interesting as observing the response to treatment. It could help to solve the whole question of treatment for these patients.”

The team calculates that 0.1-0.2 per cent of the Norwegian population are affected by ME – defined by “Canadian” criteria, which exclude the tiredness and exhaustion experienced by 10 times that number.

http://kavlifondet.no/2015/04/tackling-a-medical-mystery/

 

[mango]

Does anyone happen to have more info/details about the methods used to measure flow-mediated dilation and skin microcirculation in the RituxME endothelial dysfunction substudy (or possibly the main RituxME study)?

I've already checked the study protocol etc, but haven't been able to find what I'm looking for, i.e. the formal/medical terms for the two (or more?) ways of measuring blood circulation/endothelial function.

Bob mentioned ultrasound and "a slightly different method" in a post a while ago, and @deleder2k mentioned nitroglycerin here.

@Marky90? @Kalliope? Anyone else?

 

[Kalliope]

Does anyone happen to have more info/details about the methods used to measure flow-mediated dilation and skin microcirculation in the RituxME endothelial dysfunction substudy (or possibly the main RituxME study)?

I've already checked the study protocol etc, but haven't been able to find what I'm looking for, i.e. the formal/medical terms for the two (or more?) ways of measuring blood circulation/endothelial function.

Bob mentioned ultrasound and "a slightly different method" in a post a while ago, and @deleder2k mentioned nitroglycerin here.

@Marky90? @Kalliope? Anyone else?

This is from a powerpoint from prof. Olav Mella during his lecture in Stavanger, Norway in November last year. Is this what you were looking for, @mango ?

• Endothelia dysfunction: the capacity to expand supplying vessels according to stimuli.
  - For big vessels: FMD (measured by ultra sound) (Bergen and Notodden).
  - For small vessels: POHR analysis (Bergen)
  
  
  

 

[mango]

This is from a powerpoint from prof. Olav Mella

Ooh, super helpful! Thank you so much, I really appreciate it