Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation of patients with aggressive relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: Danish nation-wide experience.

BACKGROUND: Autologous hematopoietic stem cell treatment (AHSCT) is considered an effective treatment option for patients with aggressive relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Still there are few randomized and controlled studies of AHSCT to shed light on the safety and efficacy of the treatment, and therefore experiences from single centers are important. AIM: To describe the Danish experience with AHSCT regarding patient characteristics, safety, and efficacy. METHOD: Nationwide retrospective single center study of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with AHSCT. RESULTS: A total of 32 patients were treated with AHSCT from May 2011 to May 2021. Seven were treated with carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine arabinoside, and melphalan (BEAM) as well as antithymocyte globulin (ATG). Twenty-five patients were treated with cyclophosphamide (CY) and ATG. In the whole cohort, relapse-free survival (RFS) was 77% (95% CI: 64-94%), worsening-free survival (WFS) was 79% (95% CI: 66-96%), MRI event-free survival (MFS) was 93% (95% CI: 85-100%), and no evidence of disease (NEDA-3) was 69% (95% CI: 54-89%) at the end of year two post-AHSCT. We had no treatment related mortality and only few severe adverse events (AEs). CONCLUSION: AHSCT of patients with aggressive RRMS was an effective and relatively safe treatment with few serious AEs and no mortality in Danish patients.

Duration of Mentoring Relationship Predicts Child Well-Being: Evidence from a Danish Community-Based Mentoring Program.

While a substantial body of literature suggests that lasting community mentoring relationships can have a range of positive effects on youths, little is known about these effects in the Nordic welfare context, where community mentees may have lower risk profiles compared to many previous samples. This study explores how the duration (length) of child mentoring relationships predicts parental perceptions of child well-being among 197 children served by Denmark's most extensive community-based youth mentoring program. We find that children who have had a mentor for at least one year are perceived to have significantly higher well-being. In contrast, we find no significant differences in well-being between children who had mentors for less than one year and children on a waiting list. Previous research, conducted in primarily North American contexts, finds that longer mentoring relationships substantially improve school behavior and reduce risk taking. Our results add to the literature by indicating that a minimum mentoring relationship duration of one year appears to be similarly important in promoting well-being for youths involved in community-based mentoring programs in a Nordic welfare context.

[Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation of patients with multiple sclerosis].

Immunosuppression with chemotherapy followed by autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation has proven to be an effective long-term treatment for younger patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and clinical as well as radiological evidence of high disease activity. The conditioning regimen can be of either high, intermediate or low intensity. Due to the safety profile and favourable efficacy measures, the low intensity regimen cyclophosphamide + anti-thymocyte globulin is currently used in Denmark as standard regimen.