Use of B-Cell-Depleting Therapy in Women of Childbearing Potential With Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder.

Purpose of Review: There is considerable heterogeneity in the use of B-cell depletion in women of childbearing age, likely driven at least in part by the discrepancy between the product labels and what is known about the physiology of IgG1, including breastmilk and placental transfer. Recent Findings: We provide practical considerations on the use of this medication class in women of childbearing potential. We discuss prepregnancy planning including vaccinations, safety of B-cell depletion during pregnancy, and postpartum considerations including breastfeeding. Summary: B-cell-depleting monoclonal antibodies have shown to be effective for prepregnancy and postpartum prevention of inflammatory activity in MS and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. B-cell-depleting therapies are large IgG1 monoclonal antibodies, which have minimal transfer across the placenta and into breastmilk. Consideration of risks and benefits of these therapies should be considered in counseling women planning pregnancy and postpartum.

Glucocorticoids for therapeutic immunosuppression: Clinical pearls for the practicing neurologist.

Given widespread use of glucocorticoid therapy in neurologic disease, understanding glucocorticoid pharmacology and risk is paramount for the practicing neurologist. While dosing and tapering regimens vary depending on the neurological disease and indication being treated, there are important general principles of glucocorticoid prescribing and monitoring that can guide clinical decision-making. Glucocorticoid-related toxicities can occur across multiple organ systems, including hypertension; dyslipidemia; weight gain; hyperglycemia; osteoporosis and avascular necrosis; myopathy; gastrointestinal bleeding; infection; and neuropsychiatric effects with sleep, mood disturbance and cognition. This narrative review provides a practical framework for safe and responsible prescribing of this therapeutic class of medications, including appreciation of immunosuppressive consequences, risk mitigation strategies, dosing and tapering, and recognition of adrenal insufficiency and glucocorticoid withdrawal.

MELAS: Monitoring treatment with magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND: To assess the utility of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) as a biomarker of response to L-arginine in mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS). AIMS: To describe a case of MELAS treated with L-arginine that showed improvement clinically and on serial MRS METHODS: MRS was performed on a 1.5-Tesla scanner to evaluate a MELAS patient before, during, and after intravenous (IV) L-arginine therapy for the treatment of stroke-like episodes. L-arginine was infused at a dose of 500 mg/kg daily for 7 days followed by oral arginine therapy. RESULTS: The patient had clinical improvement after treatment with IV L-arginine. MRS performed before, during, and after treatment with IV L-arginine showed significant improvement in brain lactate and increase in the N-acetylaspartate/Choline (NAA/Cho) ratio compared to pre-treatment baseline. CONCLUSION: Serial MRS imaging showed significant improvement in lactate peaks and NAA/Cho ratios that corresponded with clinical improvement after L-arginine therapy. Given this correlation between radiologic and clinical improvement, MRS may be a useful biomarker assessing response to treatment in MELAS.

The excess cost of interisland transfer of intracerebral hemorrhage patients.

BACKGROUND: Currently, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients from neighbor islands are air transported to a higher-level facility on Oahu with neuroscience expertise. However, the majority of them do not receive subspecialized neurosurgical procedures (SNP) upon transfer. Hence, their transfer may potentially be considered as excess cost. METHODS: Consecutive ICH patients hospitalized at a tertiary center on Oahu between 2006 and 2013 were studied. Subspecialized neurosurgical procedure was defined as any neurosurgical procedure or conventional cerebral angiogram. Total excess cost was estimated as the cost of interisland transfer multiplied by the number of interisland transfer patients who did not receive any SNP. RESULTS: Among a total of 825 patients, 100 patients (12%) were transferred from the neighbor islands. Among the neighbor-island patients, 69 patients (69%) did not receive SNP, which translates to $1035000 of excess cost over an 8-year period (approximately $129375/y). Multivariable analyses showed age (odds ratio [OR], 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94-0.96), lack of hypertension (OR, 1.62; 95% CI: 1.002-2.61), initial Glasgow Coma Scale (OR, 0.94; 95% CI: 0.89-0.98), lobar hemorrhage (OR, 2.74; 95% CI: 1.59-4.71), cerebellar hemorrhage (OR, 5.47; 95% CI: 2.78-10.76), primary intraventricular hemorrhage (OR, 4.40; 95% CI: 1.77-10.94), and any intraventricular hemorrhage (OR, 2.47l 95% CI: 1.53-3.97) to be independent predictors of receiving SNP. CONCLUSION: Approximately two-thirds of ICH patients who were air transferred did not receive SNP. Further study is needed to assess the cost-effectiveness of creating a triage algorithm to optimally select ICH patients who would benefit from air transport to a higher-level facility.

Gender Disparities among Intracerebral Hemorrhage Patients from a Multi-ethnic Population.

BACKGROUND: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a hemorrhagic stroke with high morbidity and mortality. Recent studies have shown that minorities such as Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) with ICH are significantly younger compared to whites. However, the interaction of race and gender, and its impact on observed disparities among a multi-ethnic population in Hawai'i, have not been studied. METHODS: Consecutive ICH patients (whites, Asians or NHOPI), who were hospitalized at a single tertiary center on O'ahu between 2006 and 2013 were retrospectively studied. Clinical characteristics were compared between men and women among the entire cohort, and within the major racial groups. RESULTS: A total of 791 patients (NHOPI 19%, Asians 65%, whites 16%) were studied. Overall, men were younger than women (62±16 years vs 67±18 years respectively, P < .0001). Among whites, ages of men and women were similar (men: 67±14 years vs women: 67±17 years, P = .86). However, among Asians, men were significantly younger than women (men: 63±16 years vs women: 70±17 years, P < .0001). Among NHOPI, ages of men and women were similar (men: 53±15 years vs women: 56±17 years, P = .34), although NHOPI group overall had significantly younger age compared to whites and Asians (NHOPI: 54±16 years vs whites: 67±15 years, P < .0001; vs Asians: 66±17, P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, men have younger age of ICH presentation than women. However, this observed gender difference was most significant among Asians, but not among whites or NHOPI.