Clinico-epidemiological characteristics of adolescents and young adults living with HIV in Ghana

Introduction: sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a boom in the number of adolescents and young adults living with HIV (AYALHIV). Existing HIV intervention programs are mainly for children and adults living with HIV, with little attention paid to AYALHIV. Characterizing this population is necessary for planning, and designing, AYALHIV-centered HIV intervention programs. Methods: a retrospective single-center, hospital-based chart review was conducted at the largest HIV clinic in Ghana. We examined routinely collected data for AYALHIV (aged 10-24 years) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for at least 1 year and in active care from 1st January to 31st December 2019. Data was collected using a structured data extraction form. The Chi-square and the Student´s t-test were used to compare characteristics between adolescents and young adults. Results: of 252 AYALHIV, 68% (172/252) were adolescents with a median age of 17 years (IQR 13-19); 32% were young adults with a median age of 22 years (IQR: 20-24). Most (56.7% (143/252)) AYALHIV were female. Almost 40% were orphans. Eighty-six percent of AYALHIV had HIV type I infection. The commonest mode of HIV acquisition among adolescents was vertical transmission (70.5%) and that among young adults was via unprotected sex (31.3%). 88% of AYALHIV were on non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors-based regimen. The viral suppression rate among AYALHIV was 78%. Conclusion: the study shows there is a growing population of AYALHIV most of which are adolescents. About two-fifths were orphans. Policymakers and HIV programs should ensure AYALHIV-centred interventions are developed for this vulnerable population.

Desafíos en el empleo de los medicamentos huérfanos

Las enfermedades raras son aquellas que tienen baja prevalencia y que, por lo tanto, el desarrollo de medicamentos para tratarlas no es rentable para las empresas farmacéuticas debido a la baja demanda. A pesar de que ya se cuenta con diferentes políticas públicas alrededor del mundo para incentivar a las industrias farmacéuticas a investigar estos medicamentos, conocidos como medicamentos huérfanos, su desarrollo conlleva muchas dificultades en las evaluaciones clínicas y el precio final para el público es muy elevado. Si bien en años recientes se ha planteado el uso de tecnología de impresión en 3D para producir estos medicamentos o incluso recurrir a otros medicamentos previamente aprobados para tratar enfermedades raras, existe un historial de mal uso de las legislaciones por parte de las empresas con el fin de generar beneficios comerciales, por lo que estas políticas deben reforzarse para que cumplan su propósito; ayudar a una población muy vulnerable. El objetivo del presente texto es exponer los resultados de una revisión documental sobre el panorama científico y sociopolítico en el que se encuentra el problema de las enfermedades raras y los medicamentos huérfanos, así como las posibles soluciones que se están desplegando para abordarlo. Deriva de un estudio que se desarrolla en el momento actual en la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, de Ciudad de México.

The strange illnesses are those that have low prevalence and that, therefore, the development of medications to treat them is not profitable for the pharmaceutical companies due to the drop demands. Although it is already counted with different political public around the world to motivate to the pharmaceutical industries to investigate these medications, well-known as orphan medications, their development bears many difficulties in the clinical evaluations and the final price for the public it is very high. Although in recent years he/she has thought about the use of impression technology in 3D to produce these medications or even to appeal to other medications previously approved to treat strange illnesses, a record of wrong use of the legislations exists on the part of the companies with the purpose of generating commercial benefits, for what these politicians should be reinforced so that they complete its purpose; to help a very vulnerable population. The objective of the present text is to expose the results of a documental revision on the scientific and sociopolitical panorama in which is the problem of the strange illnesses and the orphan medications, as well as the possible solutions that they are spreading to approach it. It derives of a study that is developed in the current moment in the Metropolitan Autonomous University, of Mexico City.

Estratégias de Avaliação de Tecnologias em Saúde (ATS) para medicamentos para doenças raras: uma revisão rápida de escopo / Health Technology Assessment (HTA) strategies for drugs in rare diseases: a rapid scope review

A Avaliação de Tecnologias em Saúde (ATS) considera os domínios de benefícios clínicos, perfil epidemiológico, inovação, custo-efetividade, ética e de equidade no processo de decisão dos gestores em saúde. No contexto dos medicamentos para doenças raras, é desafiador o trabalho da ATS, dada a baixa disponibilidade de evidências robustas e o alto custo unitário das tecnologias. O objetivo da revisão foi analisar as estratégias disponíveis de avaliação das demandas de incorporação de medicamentos para o tratamento de doenças raras em sistemas de saúde. Foi realizada uma revisão rápida com busca estruturada na base de dados MEDLINE (via PubMed), Cochrane Library e Health Systems Evidence. Incluíram-se estudos sobre estratégias de avaliação de medicamentos utilizados para tratamento de doenças raras. Adicionalmente, foram realizadas buscas nas Agências de ATS do Brasil, Austrália, Nova Zelândia, Canadá, Reino Unido, França, Estados Unidos e Alemanha. A síntese dos resultados foi qualitativa com o agrupamento dos achados nos seguintes eixos temáticos: Segurança e efetividade, Custo-efetividade, Impacto orçamentário e Perspectiva da sociedade. Foram identificadas 267 publicações, sendo selecionadas 16 das bases de dados indexadas e 7 da literatura cinzenta. Com a análise dos documentos, pode-se concluir que a adoção de critérios específicos harmonizada com o atual modelo de ATS é um possível caminho a ser seguido no contexto dos medicamentos para doenças raras. Concomitante a isso, abordagens no sentido de incentivo a pesquisa e produção de dados de mundo real e a criação de comitês específicos para tratativa do tema nas agências de ATS apresentam-se como alternativa para lidar com as fragilidades no contexto de doenças raras.

The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) considers evidence regarding clinical benefits, epidemiological profile, innovation, cost-effectiveness, ethics and equity in its assessment process to support managers' decisions. In the context of drugs in rare diseases, the work of the ATS is challenging given the low availability of evidence and the high cost of technologies. The objective of the review was to analyze the available strategies for evaluating the demands for incorporating drugs for the treatment of rare diseases in health systems. A rapid review was performed with a structured search in the MEDLINE database (via PubMed), the Cochrane Library and Health Systems Evidence. Studies on strategies for evaluating drugs used to treat rare diseases were included and, additionally, searches were carried out in ATS Agencies in Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, France, United States and Germany. The synthesis of the results was qualitative, grouping the major ones into thematic axes: Safety and effectiveness, Cost-effectiveness, Budgetary impact and Society's perspective. 267 publications were identified, 16 selected from indexed databases and 7 from gray literature. With the analysis of the documents, it can be concluded that the adoption of specific criteria harmonized with the current ATS model is a possible path to be followed in the context of drugs for rare diseases. At the same time, approaches to encourage research and the creation of specific committees to deal with the issue in HTA agencies would complement actions towards the consolidation of this work.

Enfermedades raras en la infancia. Visión gastroenterológica / Rare Diseases in Childhood. Gastroenterological View

Introducción: Las enfermedades raras conforman las afecciones de baja prevalencia que asociadas a los medicamentos huérfanos representan un problema sanitario y social mundial. Objetivo: Revisar los aspectos más sobresalientes relacionados con las enfermedades raras, con una visión gastroenterológica, y su repercusión en la infancia. Métodos: Se realizaron búsquedas no estructuradas de publicaciones en español e inglés en PubMed, Google Scholar, Scimago, SciELO, desde enero 2010 hasta agosto 2021. Se usaron los términos: enfermedades raras, conceptualización, prevalencia, epidemiología, medicamentos huérfanos y ética. Análisis y síntesis de la información: Se revisaron las enfermedades raras en la infancia, criterios conceptuales, epidemiología global, enfermedades más reconocidas con énfasis en gastroenterología. Se destacó la prevalencia, vínculo genético, importancia social, dilema diagnóstico y categorías; repercusión de los tratamientos con medicamentos huérfanos, sus costos y problemas éticos. Se resaltó la incidencia de enfermedades digestivas y el valor de la endoscopia y la biopsia en el diagnóstico. Conclusiones: Se documentaron las enfermedades raras en la infancia, y se analizaron como problema mundial, sanitario y social. El desarrollo de la técnica y de la ciencia, resultaron contribuciones decisivas que variaron criterios sobre diferentes afecciones catalogadas como raras(AU)

Introduction: Rare diseases are the conditions of low prevalence associated with orphan drugs and they represent a global health and social problem. Objective: To review the most outstanding aspects related to rare diseases, with a gastroenterological view, and their impact on childhood. Methods: Unstructured searches for publications in Spanish and English in PubMed, Google Scholar, Scimago, SciELO were conducted, from January 2010 to August 2021. The terms rare diseases, conceptualization, prevalence, epidemiology, orphan drugs and ethics were used. Analysis and synthesis of information: Rare diseases in childhood, conceptual criteria, global epidemiology, and the most well-known diseases with emphasis on gastroenterology were reviewed. Prevalence, genetic link, social importance, diagnostic dilemma and categories, also the impact of orphan drug treatments, their costs and ethical problems were highlighted. The incidence of digestive diseases and the value of endoscopy and biopsy in diagnosis were highlighted. Conclusions: Rare diseases in childhood were documented and analyzed as a global health and social problem. The development of technique and science were decisive contributions that varied criteria on different conditions classified as rare(AU)

One case of developmental epileptic encephalopathy caused by NR4A2 gene variation and literature review / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of a child with developmental epileptic encephalopathy caused by NR4A2 gene mutation, and to summarize the clinical phenotypes and genotypes to improve the clinician′s understanding of this disease. Methods:The clinical data of a child with developmental epileptic encephalopathy admitted to Linyi People′s Hospital in August 2022 were collected, video electroencephalogram, craniocerebral magnetic resonance imaging and family whole exon sequencing were improved, and the suspected mutation sites were verified by Sanger sequencing. Relevant literature was consulted to summarize the clinical phenotypes and genetic characteristics of nervous system diseases caused by NR4A2 gene. Results:It was found that there was a heterozygous missense mutation at the locus c.866G>A (p.A289H) of NR4A2 gene in the child, which was a de novo mutation, and both parents were wild type. According to the American Society of Medical Genetics and Genomics variation classification, it was assessed as a suspected pathogenic variation. Through literature review, there were 16 related cases reported internationally, with clinical phenotypes including mental retardation/mental retardation, language disorders, seizures, muscle tone changes and different psychological and behavioral problems. Conclusions:The NR4A2 gene is not only associated with dopa responsive disorders, but also with neurological development, intellectual impairment, language development delay, and epilepsy. The mutation of NR42A gene c.866G>A (p.A289H) is the genetic cause of the patient, and the detection of this locus expands the NR4A2 gene spectrum. NR4A2 gene is one of the pathogenic genes of developmental epileptic encephalopathy.

Comments on research status and future of rare diseases in China / 中国热带医学

@#Rare diseases, also known as "orphan diseases", refer to diseases with very low incidence. Countries and regions define rare diseases according to epidemiological standards, economic standards of rare drugs and disease severity. The World Health Organization (WHO) has suggested the prevalence rate of less than 6.5 to 10 per 10 000 people to define rare diseases. In May 2018, "China's First List of Rare Diseases" was released, including 121 rare diseases. Most rare diseases are hereditary diseases with early onset, severe disease, and poor prognosis. About 75% of rare genetic diseases occur in the neonatal period or childhood, which are important part of human birth defects and brings a huge burden to society and families. The effective prevention and treatment of rare diseases is one of the important goals of building a "Healthy China". With the development of molecular biology technology and the continuous research and development of advanced medical products in the field of gene therapy, the level of clinical diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases has risen to a new level, which provides a possibility for the cure of some rare diseases. In China, most rare diseases rely on imported drugs, which cost a lot and bring heavy economic burden to patients. Improving the medical insurance system for rare diseases has become a difficult point in the current medical reform. This paper mainly discusses the definition of rare diseases, the research status, efforts and future development direction of rare diseases in China, in order to deepen the understanding and response of medical workers and the whole society to rare diseases.

Research advances in pharmacotherapy for rare diseases in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

There are more than 7 000 rare diseases and approximately 475 million individuals with rare diseases globally, with children accounting for two-thirds of this population. Due to a relatively small patient population and limited financial resources allocated for drug research and development in pharmaceutical enterprises, there are still no drugs approved for the treatment of several thousands of these rare diseases. At present, there are no drugs for 95% of the patients with rare diseases, and consequently, the therapeutic drugs for rare diseases have been designated as orphan drugs. In order to guide pharmaceutical enterprises to strengthen the research and development of orphan drugs, various nations have enacted the acts for rare disease drugs, promoted and simplified the patent application process for orphan drugs, and provided scientific recommendations and guidance for the research and development of orphan drugs. Since there is a relatively high incidence rate of rare diseases in children, this article reviews the latest research on pharmacotherapy for children with rare diseases.

Research on the supply guarantee system of orphan drugs in South Korea from the perspective of accessibility and its enlightenment / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To systematically introduce the supply guarantee system of orphan drugs in South Korea， and to provide reference for improving the accessibility of orphan drugs in China. METHODS The basic characteristics and practical experience of supply guarantee system of orphan drugs in South Korea were summarized by studying the marketing incentive mechanism， reserve supply mechanism and emergency use mechanism. Then， based on the research on the current situation and existing problems of orphan drug supply in China， specific suggestions were put forward to improve the accessibility of orphan drugs in China. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS South Korea has effectively improved the accessibility of orphan drugs through orphan drug identification channels and supporting incentive policies， relying on the reserve supply mechanism and the import route for emergency use. Therefore， it is suggested that China should guarantee the normal supply of orphan drugs from three aspects： improving the recognition and incentive policy of orphan drugs， building a full-time management department of orphan drugs， and optimizing the temporary import path.

Current Status and Prospect of Orphan Drugs for Rare Skin Diseases in China / 罕见病研究

Rare diseases are characterized by extremely low incidence rate and small number of patients in total. The drugs used to treat rare diseases are called orphan drugs. Currently, 450 kinds of rare skin diseases have been identified, most of which lack in effective treatments. Supported by the policy-making from the country and pushed by all sectors of the society, drugs for rare skin diseases have been emerging continuously recently in China. This paper reviews the current accessibility of the orphan drugs for skin rare diseases that have been approved in China and in other countries and regions for a better understanding of rare dermatosis and orphan drugs for the diseases.

Exploring the Accessibility by Using the Hydroxycobalamin Preparations of High Concentration in Treating Methylmalonic Acidemia / 罕见病研究

Methylmalonic acidemia(MMA) is one of the common diseases in hereditary organic acid metabolism disorder. The disorder is mainly treated by using vitamin B12 which comes in various forms.The use of the methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin in China cannot meet the needs of children with MMA. Parenteral use of hydroxocobalamin of high concentration has significant advantages in the treatment of MMA. But, the accessibility to hydroxocobalamin is challenging now.Through the supervision and adjustment of hydroxocobalamin, we explored the strategy of using the drugs. Meanwhile, we are considering the oral use of the hydroxocobalamin as supplement to treatment. Solving the challenges of the hydrococobalamin is helpful to meet the treatment of MMA and to provide a new possibility for the use of medication for rare diseases. The improvement in policy and supervision measures will facilitate the development, involvement, and production of hydroxocobalamin, so that the patients will have a good chance of access to the treatment.

Current Status of Drug Development and Implementation for Diseases Included in the Second Catalog of Rare Diseases / 罕见病研究

The National Health Commission of the People′s Republic of China and six other departments jointly released the Second Catalog of Rare Diseases, which expanded the definition of rare diseases in China. The expansion of the catalog means greater attention to rare diseases at the national level, and is also expected to accelerate the launch of relevant rare disease drugs and benefit more rare disease patients. When the new rare disease catalog released, it is necessary to quickly sort out the availability of drugs and find out the base number for the advancement of subsequent relevant measures. This paper searched official medical information websites and medical databases such as the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE), and foreign drug regulatory agencies, and sorted out and summarized the subject categories of diseases included in the Second Catalog of Rare Diseases, the corresponding global research and development and implementation of drugs, as well as the medical insurance access situation in China, elaborates on the differences in the accessibility of orphan drugs at home and abroad. As China′s prevention, treatment and protection of rare diseases has reached a new point, plans and prospects are made for the introduction of relevant policies in the future, as well as the promotion of research and development and protection and other key tasks.

Recent advances in deorphanization of GPR35 and its functions in related diseases / 药学学报

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest family of membrane proteins and are the target of approximately half of all therapeutic drugs. There are ～300 orphan GPCRs, which have great potential in drug development. G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35), a rhodopsin-like orphan GPCR, is widely involved in immune regulation, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, as well as other diseases, suggesting its great potential as a therapeutic target in a variety of diseases. However, the current research on GPR35 is insufficient, including the true endogenous ligand has not been confirmed, the molecular mechanism of its role in disease is not fully understood, and there is a lack of effective intervention strategies targeting GPR35. This article summarizes the deorphatization of GPR35, GPR35-related signaling pathways and their association with various diseases, in order to provide a reference for in-depth study of GPR35 in diseases and development of drugs targeting GPR35.

Erythrocyte membrane-associated protein inhibiting Th17 cell differentiation via IL-6 / STAT3 / ROR-γt signaling pathway in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice / 解剖学报

Objective To explore the effect of exogenous and endogenous erythrocyte membrane-associated protein (ERMAP) on helper T cell 17 (Th17) cell differentiation through interleukin 6 / signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 / retionoid-related orphan nuclear receptor-γt(IL-6 / STAT3 / ROR-γt) signal pathway in the mouse model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) . Methods Using flow cytometry to verify the function of ERMAP-Ig fusion protein at different concentrations; Agarose gel electrophoresis was performed to identify ERMAP knockout mice. Flow cytometry was performed to detect the effect of ERMAP-Ig fusion protein on Th17 cell differentiation in vitro. Forty 6-week-old normal C57BL / 6 mice were randomly divided into 2 groups to establish EAE models, control-Ig and ERMAP-Ig groups, with 20 mice in each group; Clinical scores were recorded; Flow cytometry was performed to detect Th17 cell differentiation in EAE mice in vivo. Forty 6-week-old identified wild-type and ERMAP knockout mice were divided into 2 groups to establish EAE models. Identified wild-type and ERMAP knockout mice were divided into 2 groups to establish EAE models, ERMAP

The development status and path of rare disease treatment and orphan drugs in China / 中国药理学通报

Rare diseases are a group of diseases with low incidence, complex conditions, difficulty in diagnosis and poor treatment accessibility. With the growing attention on rare diseases in China in recent years, relevant policies are gradually improved, rapid progress have been made in the treatment of rare diseases and the development of orphan drugs, but there are still challenges. Based on the development status of rare disease treatment and orphan drugs, this paper elaborates on the development path of rare disease diagnosis, and provides reference for the rare disease treatment, orphan drug development and policy formation in China.

Impacto clínico de un grupo de discusión multidisciplinaria en el diagnóstico de fibrosis pulmonar idiopática en Colombia / Clinical impact of a multidisciplinary discussion group on the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in Colombia

Resumen Introducción: la fibrosis pulmonar idiopática (FPI) es una enfermedad pulmonar intersticial (EPID) de mal pronóstico, considerada huérfana en Colombia. Un diagnóstico correcto tiene implicaciones para el paciente y los costos de atención. Los grupos de discusión multidisciplinaria (GDM) se consideran el estándar de oro en el diagnóstico. No hay estudios previos en Colombia de la experiencia de un GDM. Objetivos: evaluar el impacto de un GDM en una institución de cuarto nivel en Bogotá en cambio de diagnóstico de pacientes con EPID y la concordancia entre el diagnóstico inicial y final de FPI. Material y métodos: pacientes con EPID evaluados entre 2015-2018 por el GDM conformado por neumólogos, radiólogo, patólogo y reumatólogos. Criterios ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT de diagnóstico de FPI. Descripción del cambio en el diagnóstico y concordancia entre el diagnóstico inicial y del GDM en FPI. Resultados: de 165 pacientes con EPID se cambió el diagnóstico en 35.2%. En 77.3% pacientes con diagnóstico inicial de FPI y en 6.7% con diagnóstico inicial diferente a FPI el GDM confirmó FPI. Al descartar FPI, los principales diagnósticos fueron neumonitis de hipersensibilidad en fase crónica (29.4%) y neumonía intersticial no específica (23.5%). El índice kappa entre el diagnóstico inicial y final de FPI fue 0.71 (0.60-0.82). Conclusiones: el GDM en EPID tuvo un importante impacto clínico demostrado por un alto porcentaje de cambió del diagnóstico de remisión. Se descartó el diagnóstico inicial de FPI en un porcentaje significativo de pacientes y se ratificó en un grupo menor sin esta sospecha clínica inicial. (Acta Med Colomb 2022; 47. DOI:https://doi.org/10.36104/amc.2022.2017).

Abstract Introduction: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an interstitial lung disease (ILD) with a poor prognosis, considered an orphan disease in Colombia. An accurate diagnosis has implications for the patient and healthcare costs. Multidisciplinary discussion groups (MDGs) are considered the gold standard for diagnosis. There are no prior studies in Colombia on the experience of an MDG. Objectives: to evaluate the impact of an MDG in a quaternary care institution in Bogotá on the change in the diagnosis of patients with ILD and the concordance between the initial and final diagnosis of IPF. Materials and methods: patents with ILD evaluated from 2015-2018 by the MDG made up of pulmonologists, a radiologist, a pathologist and rheumatologists. The ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT diagnostic criteria for IPF. A description of changes in the diagnosis and the agreement between the initial diagnosis and the MDG diagnosis of IPF. Results: out of 165 patients with ILD, the diagnosis was changed in 32.5%. The MDG confirmed IPF in 77.3% of patients with an initial diagnosis of ILD and 6.7% of those with a different initial diagnosis. When IPF was ruled out, the main diagnoses were chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (24.8%) and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (23.5%). The Kappa index between the initial and final IPF diagnoses was 0.71 (0.60-0.82). Conclusions: the MDG on ILD had a significant clinical impact evidenced by a high percentage of change in the referral diagnosis. The initial diagnosis of IPF was ruled out in a significant percentage of patients and confirmed in a smaller group which did not have this initial clinical suspicion. (Acta Med Colomb 2022; 47. DOI:https://doi.org/10.36104/amc.2022.2017).

Doenças raras no Congresso Nacional brasileiro: análise da atuação parlamentar / Rare diseases in the Brazilian National Congress: analysis of parliamentary action / Enfermedades raras en el Congreso Nacional brasileño: análisis de la actuación parlamentaria

Políticas públicas que atendam a população de doenças raras no Brasil são cada vez mais discutidas, seja para acesso aos medicamentos, para atenção multidisciplinar, alternativas terapêuticas ou representatividade. Apesar de o Ministério da Saúde ter publicado em 2014 a Portaria nº 199, que instituiu a Política Nacional de Atenção Integral às Pessoas com Doenças Raras, aprovando as Diretrizes para Atenção Integral às Pessoas com Doenças Raras no âmbito do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), essa população segue desamparada frente às peculiaridades de seus tratamentos. Neste cenário, associações de pacientes passaram a buscar espaços de representação política, provocando cada vez mais iniciativas legislativas no Congresso Nacional com vistas a alternativas para os milhões de brasileiros que vivem ou convivem com doenças raras. Por meio de uma pesquisa documental qualitativa, o artigo considera todos os projetos apresentados até agosto de 2020 com foco neste tema, identificando os principais parlamentares que atuam nele, as características biográficas comuns entre eles, em qual etapa do ciclo de políticas públicas o tema está no Congresso Nacional e, com isso, pretende identificar um possível caminho para a consolidação de uma política. Observou-se que a atuação em doenças raras independe de alinhamento político partidário, sendo uma pauta compartilhada por grupos antagônicos, mas que enfrenta o desafio de apenas 18 parlamentares terem sidos os responsáveis por 50% de todas as matérias legislativas já apresentadas sobre isso. Além disso, observou-se também que os parlamentares preferem impulsionar o debate e dar visibilidade ao tema do que investir em novas tentativas de mudanças legais e regulatória.

Public policies that serve the Brazilian population with rare diseases are increasingly discussed, either regarding access to medicines, multidisciplinary care, therapeutic alternatives, or representativeness. Although the Brazilian Ministry of Health published in 2014 the Ordinance n. 199, which instituted the Brazilian National Policy of Integral Care for People with Rare Diseases and approving the Guidelines for Integral Care to People with Rare Diseases under the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS), this population remains unaided regarding the peculiarities of their treatments. In this scenario, patient associations began to seek spaces for political representation, increasingly provoking legislative initiatives in the Brazilian National Congress, seeking for alternatives for the millions of Brazilians living with rare diseases. By using a qualitative documentary research, the study considers all projects presented until August 2020 on this topic, identifying the main parliamentarians involved, their biographical characteristics, and at which stage of the public policy cycle this topic is in the Brazilian National Congress; thus, identifying a possible path for the consolidation of a policy. We observed that the actions regarding rare diseases are independent of any political party alignment, being an agenda shared by antagonistic groups. This agenda, however, faces the challenge of having only 18 parliamentarians responsible for 50% of all the legislative matters already presented. Furthermore, we also observed that parliamentarians prefer to boost the debate and give visibility to the subject than to invest in new attempts at legal and regulatory changes.

Las políticas públicas que asisten a la población que sufre enfermedades raras en Brasil son cada vez más discutidas, ya sea en cuanto al acceso a medicamentos, a la atención multidisciplinaria, a alternativas terapéuticas o a la representatividad. Aunque el Ministerio de Salud brasileño publicó la Ordenanza nº 199 en el 2014, que estableció la Política Nacional de Atención Integral a las Personas con Enfermedades Raras, y aprobando las Directrices para la Atención Integral a las Personas con Enfermedades Raras en el ámbito del Sistema Único de Salud (SUS), esta población permanece impotente ante las peculiaridades de sus tratamientos. En este escenario, las asociaciones de pacientes comenzaron a buscar espacios de representación política, dando lugar a cada vez más iniciativas legislativas en el Congreso Nacional brasileño con vistas a alternativas para los millones de brasileños que viven o conviven con enfermedades raras. Por medio de una investigación documental cualitativa, este artículo considera todos los proyectos presentados hasta agosto del 2020 centrados en este tema, identificando a los principales parlamentarios que actúan en él, las características biográficas comunes entre ellos, en qué etapa del ciclo de políticas públicas se encuentra el tema en el Congreso Nacional brasileño y, con ello, identificar un posible camino para la consolidación de una política. Se observó que la actuación relacionada con enfermedades raras no depende de la alineación político-partidista, ya que es una agenda compartida por grupos antagónicos, pero que se enfrenta al desafío de que solo 18 parlamentarios hayan sido los responsables del 50% de todos los asuntos legislativos que ya se presentaron al respecto. Además, también se observó que los parlamentarios prefieren impulsar el debate y dar visibilidad al tema que invertir en nuevos intentos de cambios legales y regulatorios.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of ROR1 antigen in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To detect the expression of receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) antigen in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and evaluate its diagnostic value and explore its correlation with the abnormalities of genetics and molecular biology.Methods:All of 209 newly diagnosed B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (B-CLPD) patients who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Provincial People′s Hospital) from November 2020 to November 2021 were collected retrospectively, including 70 cases of CLL with typical phenotype, 16 cases of CLL with atypical phenotype, 14 cases of MCL, and 109 cases of other types of B-CLPD. Multi-parameter flow cytometry (FCM) was used to detect the expression levels of ROR1 in tumor cells of 209 patients. And then the diagnostic value of ROR1 in CLL patients and its correlation with the genetic and molecular biological abnormalities were analyzed by c2 test and fourfold table assessment.Results:The positive expression rate of ROR1 in CLL patients was significantly higher than that in non-CLL patients (78%>11%, P<0.001); there was no significant difference of ROR1 expression between typical phenotype CLL and atypical phenotype CLL (81%>63%, P>0.05). The positive expression rate of ROR1 in atypical phenotype CLL was significantly higher than that in MCL (63%>21%, P<0.05). Additionally, there was significant difference in detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities between ROR1 +CLL group and ROR1 -CLL group. The detection rate of complex karyotype in ROR1 +CLL group was higher than that in ROR1 -CLL group (34%>14%, P<0.05). The CLL patients over 60 years old had higher ROR1 positive rate ( P<0.05). Conclusions:ROR1 can be helpful in the diagnosis of CLL, especially in the differential diagnosis of atypical phenotype CLL, MCL and other types of B-CLPD. Patients with ROR1 positive expression were older and more likely to detect complex chromosomal karyotypes.

Effect of pomegranate peel polyphenols on mTOR/HIF-1α/IL-17 signaling pathway in a rat auriclular model of acne / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To explore the anti-inflammatory effect of pomegranate peel polyphenols on a rat auriclular model of acne and its mechanism of action.Methods:Totally, 36 specific-pathogen-free SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: blank group, model group, low-, medium- and high-dose pomegranate peel polyphenol groups and positive control group. In all groups except the blank group, 0.5 ml of 100% oleic acid was applied to the openings of bilateral auricular ducts once a day for 3 consecutive weeks, followed by subcutaneous injections of 50 μl of Propionibacterium acnes suspension at the oleic acid-applied sites once a day for 3 consecutive days, so as to establish a rat auriclular model of acne. After the model was confirmed to be successfully established by naked eyes, the low-, medium-, high-dose pomegranate peel polyphenol groups were topically treated with 0.5 mg of 1.4%, 2.8%, 5.6% (mass fraction) pomegranate peel polyphenol ointment respectively, the positive control group was topically treated with 0.5 mg of clindamycin hydrochloride gel, and the blank group and model group were topically treated with the same amount of distilled water. All the topical treatments were performed twice a day for 2 consecutive weeks. Twenty-four hours after the last topical treatment, abdominal aortic blood samples were collected, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted to detect the serum level of interleukin 17 (IL-17) in rats; rat auricular tissues were resected, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe histopathological changes of the skin tissues in each group, and immunohistochemical study to determine the expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) , hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) , and retinoic acid-related orphan receptor-γt (RORγt) in local tissues. Data meeting the assumptions of homogeneity of variances were analyzed by using one-way analysis of variance, and those that did not meet the assumptions of homogeneity of variances were analyzed by using Kruskal-Wallis H test; multiple comparisons were performed by using least significant difference- t test. Results:Compared with the model group, the pomegranate peel polyphenol groups and positive control group showed marked improvement in cysts, desquamation, crusts and epidermal keratinization, and reduced infiltration with inflammatory factors in the dermis at the modeling site. The serum level of IL-17 was significantly lower in the low-, medium- and high-dose pomegranate peel polyphenol groups (61.03 ± 5.99 ng/L, 55.35 ± 2.24 ng/L, 54.35 ± 4.29 ng/L, respectively) , positive control group (48.11 ± 4.07 ng/L) and blank group (42.10 ± 5.62 ng/L) than in the model group (70.24 ± 3.30 ng/L; t = 3.12, 5.34, 5.70, 8.29, 10.54, respectively, all P<0.05) . Immunohistochemical study revealed that the HIF-1α expression level was significantly lower in the low-, medium- and high-dose pomegranate peel polyphenol groups (0.29 ± 0.05, 0.29 ± 0.03, 0.33 ± 0.02, respectively) and positive control group (0.30 ± 0.01) than in the model group (0.41 ± 0.04; t = 4.89, 5.50, 3.62, 5.21, respectively, all P<0.05) ; the RORγt expression level was significantly lower in the low- and high-dose pomegranate peel polyphenol groups (0.28 ± 0.02, 0.31 ± 0.04, respectively) than in the model group (0.35 ± 0.02, t = 3.68, 2.18, respectively, both P<0.05) ; there was no significant difference in the mTOR expression level among these groups ( P = 0.119) . Conclusion:Pomegranate peel polyphenols could improve inflammatory reactions in the rat auriclular model of acne, which may be related to the down-regulation of HIF-1α/RORγt signaling pathway.

Discovery of exogenous ligands for orphan receptor BRS-3 from Chinese herbs / 中国中药杂志

Bombesin receptor subtype-3(BRS-3) is an orphan receptor in the bombesin receptor family. Its signal transduction mechanism and biological function have attracted much attention. Seeking the ligand for BRS-3 is of great significance for exploring its function. Considering the fact that the activation of BRS-3 receptor can induce the change in intracellular Ca~(2+) concentration, the fluo-rometric imaging plate reader(FLIPR) was utilized for ligand screening at the cellular level. Among more than 400 monomeric compounds isolated from Chinese herbs, yuanhunine from Corydalis Rhizoma and sophoraisoflavanone A and licoriphenone from Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma antagonized BRS-3 to varying degrees. It was confirmed in HEK293 cells expressing BRS-3 that yuanhunine, sophoraisoflavanone A, and licoriphenone inhibited the calcium current response after the activation of BRS-3 by [D-Phe~6,β-Ala~(11),Phe~(13),Nle~(14)]bombesin-(6-14) in a dose-dependent manner with the IC_(50) values being 8.58, 4.10, and 2.04 μmol·L~(-1), respectively. Further study indicated that yuanhunine and sophoraisoflavanone A exhibited good selectivity for BRS-3. In this study, it was found for the first time that monomers derived from Chinese herbs had antagonistic activity against orphan receptor BRS-3, which has provided a tool for further study of BRS-3 and also the potential lead compounds for new drug discovery. At the same time, it provides reference for the research and development of innovative drugs based on the active ingredients of Chinese herbs.

Practice of the Qualification and Recognition for Orphan Drugs in the World and its Inspiration / 罕见病研究

We have analyzed the current status of recognization and qualification of orphan drugs in China and abroad, looking at the aspects of the authority institutions, identification and qualification process, and the number of orphan drugs identified and available in the market. By comparing and analyzing horizontally the differences in orphan drugs identification between representative developed countries vs. some developing countries, we discuss the inadequacy of orphan drugs supervision in China. We introduce the advanced experience from the developed countries and some developing countries to provide suggestions for the identification and management of orphan drugs, hoping to speed up the process of development and market availability of orphan drugs and to maximize patient's accessibility to treatment in China.