Repertoire analyses reveal T cell antigen receptor sequence features that influence T cell fate.

T cells acquire a regulatory phenotype when their T cell antigen receptors (TCRs) experience an intermediate- to high-affinity interaction with a self-peptide presented via the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Using TCRß sequences from flow-sorted human cells, we identified TCR features that promote regulatory T cell (Treg) fate. From these results, we developed a scoring system to quantify TCR-intrinsic regulatory potential (TiRP). When applied to the tumor microenvironment, TiRP scoring helped to explain why only some T cell clones maintained the conventional T cell (Tconv) phenotype through expansion. To elucidate drivers of these predictive TCR features, we then examined the two elements of the Treg TCR ligand separately: the self-peptide and the human MHC class II molecule. These analyses revealed that hydrophobicity in the third complementarity-determining region (CDR3ß) of the TCR promotes reactivity to self-peptides, while TCR variable gene (TRBV gene) usage shapes the TCR's general propensity for human MHC class II-restricted activation.

Deconstruction of rheumatoid arthritis synovium defines inflammatory subtypes.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a prototypical autoimmune disease that causes joint inflammation and destruction1. There is currently no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, and the effectiveness of treatments varies across patients, suggesting an undefined pathogenic diversity1,2. Here, to deconstruct the cell states and pathways that characterize this pathogenic heterogeneity, we profiled the full spectrum of cells in inflamed synovium from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. We used multi-modal single-cell RNA-sequencing and surface protein data coupled with histology of synovial tissue from 79 donors to build single-cell atlas of rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue that includes more than 314,000 cells. We stratified tissues into six groups, referred to as cell-type abundance phenotypes (CTAPs), each characterized by selectively enriched cell states. These CTAPs demonstrate the diversity of synovial inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, ranging from samples enriched for T and B cells to those largely lacking lymphocytes. Disease-relevant cell states, cytokines, risk genes, histology and serology metrics are associated with particular CTAPs. CTAPs are dynamic and can predict treatment response, highlighting the clinical utility of classifying rheumatoid arthritis synovial phenotypes. This comprehensive atlas and molecular, tissue-based stratification of rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue reveal new insights into rheumatoid arthritis pathology and heterogeneity that could inform novel targeted treatments.

Synovial Tissue Insights into Heterogeneity of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common rheumatic and autoimmune diseases. While it can affect many different organ systems, RA primarily involves inflammation in the synovium, the tissue that lines joints. Patients with RA exhibit significant clinical heterogeneity in terms of presence or absence of autoantibodies, degree of permanent deformities, and most importantly, treatment response. These clinical characteristics point to heterogeneity in the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of RA, an area that several recent studies have begun to address. RECENT FINDINGS: Single-cell RNA-sequencing initiatives and deeper focused studies have revealed several RA-associated cell populations in synovial tissues, including peripheral helper T cells, autoimmunity-associated B cells (ABCs), and NOTCH3+ sublining fibroblasts. Recent large transcriptional studies and translational clinical trials present frameworks to capture cellular and molecular heterogeneity in RA synovium. Technological developments, such as spatial transcriptomics and machine learning, promise to further elucidate the different types of RA synovitis and the biological mechanisms that characterize them, key elements of precision medicine to optimize patient care and outcomes in RA. This review recaps the findings of those recent studies and puts our current knowledge and future challenges into scientific and clinical perspective.

Greater glucagon-like peptide-1 responses to oral glucose are associated with lower central and peripheral blood pressures.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are globally the leading cause of death and hypertension is a significant risk factor. Treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists has been associated with decreases in blood pressure and CVD risk. Our aim was to investigate the association between endogenous GLP-1 responses to oral glucose and peripheral and central haemodynamic measures in a population at risk of diabetes and CVD. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 837 Danish individuals from the ADDITION-PRO cohort (52% men, median (interquartile range) age 65.5 (59.8 to 70.7) years, BMI 26.1 (23.4 to 28.5) kg/m2, without antihypertensive treatment and known diabetes). All participants received an oral glucose tolerance test with measurements of GLP-1 at 0, 30 and 120 min. Aortic stiffness was assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV). The associations between GLP-1 response and central and brachial blood pressure (BP) and PWV were assessed in linear regression models adjusting for age and sex. RESULTS: A greater GLP-1 response was associated with lower central systolic and diastolic BP of - 1.17 mmHg (95% confidence interval (CI) - 2.07 to - 0.27 mmHg, P = 0.011) and - 0.74 mmHg (95% CI - 1.29 to - 0.18 mmHg, P = 0.009), respectively, as well as lower brachial systolic and diastolic BP of - 1.27 mmHg (95% CI - 2.20 to - 0.33 mmHg, P = 0.008) and - 1.00 (95% CI - 1.56 to - 0.44 mmHg, P = 0.001), respectively. PWV was not associated with GLP-1 release (P = 0.3). Individuals with the greatest quartile of GLP-1 response had clinically relevant lower BP measures compared to individuals with the lowest quartile of GLP-1 response (central systolic BP: - 4.94 (95% CI - 8.56 to - 1.31) mmHg, central diastolic BP: - 3.05 (95% CI - 5.29 to - 0.80) mmHg, brachial systolic BP: - 5.18 (95% CI - 8.94 to - 1.42) mmHg, and brachial diastolic BP: - 2.96 (95% CI - 5.26 to - 0.67) mmHg). CONCLUSION: Greater glucose-stimulated GLP-1 responses were associated with clinically relevant lower central and peripheral blood pressures, consistent with beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system and reduced risk of CVD and mortality. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00237549. Retrospectively registered 10 October 2005.

A Compilation of Serum Concentrations of 12 Antipsychotic Drugs in a Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Setting.

BACKGROUND: No comprehensive collection of routine therapeutic drug monitoring data for antipsychotic drugs has been published. METHODS: In this compilation, data on 12 antipsychotics are presented. The drugs included are amisulpride (n = 506), aripiprazole (n = 1610), clozapine (n = 1189), flupentixol (n = 215), haloperidol (n = 390), olanzapine (n = 10,268), perphenazine (n = 1065), quetiapine (n = 5853), risperidone (n = 3255), sertindole (n = 111), ziprasidone (n = 1235), and zuclopenthixol (n = 691). Because only one sample per patient is included, the number of patients equals the number of samples. For each drug, median serum concentrations as well as that of the 10th and 90th percentiles are given for a range of daily doses. Comparisons are made between males and females, between patients younger than 65 years and 65 years and older, and between those treated with a low and a high dose of each drug. The concentration-to-dose (C/D) ratio is the primary variable used in these comparisons. Coefficients of variation (CVs) for the serum concentrations of each drug within and between subjects are presented. RESULTS: In general, the C/D ratios were higher in females than in males, higher in those 65 years and older than in younger subjects, and lower in those treated with higher doses than in those treated with lower doses. CVs between individuals were larger than within subjects, and the CVs were highest for the drugs with short elimination half-lives. CONCLUSIONS: For each antipsychotic drug, the results presented can serve as a reference tool for pharmacokinetic interpretation of the individual patient's serum drug level. The compiled serum concentrations and the C/D ratios can support the physician's decision when individualizing dosing and determining treatment strategies for a specific patient.

New satellite-based estimates show significant trends in spring phenology and complex sensitivities to temperature and precipitation at northern European latitudes.

Recent climate warming has altered plant phenology at northern European latitudes, but conclusions regarding the spatial patterns of phenological change and relationships with climate are still challenging as quantitative estimates are strongly diverging. To generate consistent estimates of broad-scale spatially continuous spring plant phenology at northern European latitudes (> 50° N) from 2000 to 2016, we used a novel vegetation index, the plant phenology index (PPI), derived from MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. To obtain realistic and strong estimates, the phenology trends and their relationships with temperature and precipitation over the past 17 years were analyzed using a panel data method. We found that in the studied region the start of the growing season (SOS) has on average advanced by 0.30 day year-1. The SOS showed an overall advancement rate of 2.47 day °C-1 to spring warming, and 0.18 day cm-1 to decreasing precipitation in spring. The previous winter and summer temperature had important effects on the SOS but were spatially heterogeneous. Overall, the onset of SOS was delayed 0.66 day °C-1 by winter warming and 0.56 day °C-1 by preceding summer warming. The precipitation in winter and summer influenced the SOS in a relatively weak and complex manner. The findings indicate rapid recent phenological changes driven by combined seasonal climates in northern Europe. Previously unknown spatial patterns of phenological change and relationships with climate drivers are presented that improve our capacity to understand and foresee future climate effects on vegetation.

Evidence of a liver-alpha cell axis in humans: hepatic insulin resistance attenuates relationship between fasting plasma glucagon and glucagonotropic amino acids.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The secretion of glucagon is controlled by blood glucose and inappropriate secretion of glucagon contributes to hyperglycaemia in diabetes. Besides its role in glucose regulation, glucagon regulates amino acid metabolism in hepatocytes by increasing ureagenesis. Disruption of this mechanism causes hyperaminoacidaemia, which in turn increases glucagon secretion. We hypothesised that hepatic insulin resistance (secondary to hepatic steatosis) via defective glucagon signalling/glucagon resistance would lead to impaired ureagenesis and, hence, increased plasma concentrations of glucagonotropic amino acids and, subsequently, glucagon. METHODS: To examine the association between glucagon and amino acids, and to explore whether this relationship was modified by hepatic insulin resistance, we studied a well-characterised cohort of 1408 individuals with normal and impaired glucose regulation. In this cohort, we have previously reported insulin resistance to be accompanied by increased plasma concentrations of glucagon. We now measure plasma levels of amino acids in the same cohort. HOMA-IR was calculated as a marker of hepatic insulin resistance. RESULTS: Fasting levels of glucagonotropic amino acids and glucagon were significantly and inversely associated in linear regression models (persisting after adjustment for age, sex and BMI). Increasing levels of hepatic, but not peripheral insulin resistance (p > 0.166) attenuated the association between glucagon and circulating levels of alanine, glutamine and tyrosine, and was significantly associated with hyperaminoacidaemia and hyperglucagonaemia. A doubling of the calculated glucagon-alanine index was significantly associated with a 30% increase in hepatic insulin resistance, a 7% increase in plasma alanine aminotransferase levels, and a 14% increase in plasma γ-glutamyltransferase levels. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: This cross-sectional study supports the existence of a liver-alpha cell axis in humans: glucagon regulates plasma levels of amino acids, which in turn feedback to regulate the secretion of glucagon. With hepatic insulin resistance, reflecting hepatic steatosis, the feedback cycle is disrupted, leading to hyperaminoacidaemia and hyperglucagonaemia. The glucagon-alanine index is suggested as a relevant marker for hepatic glucagon signalling.

Metabolite ratios as potential biomarkers for type 2 diabetes: a DIRECT study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Circulating metabolites have been shown to reflect metabolic changes during the development of type 2 diabetes. In this study we examined the association of metabolite levels and pairwise metabolite ratios with insulin responses after glucose, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and arginine stimulation. We then investigated if the identified metabolite ratios were associated with measures of OGTT-derived beta cell function and with prevalent and incident type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We measured the levels of 188 metabolites in plasma samples from 130 healthy members of twin families (from the Netherlands Twin Register) at five time points during a modified 3 h hyperglycaemic clamp with glucose, GLP-1 and arginine stimulation. We validated our results in cohorts with OGTT data (n = 340) and epidemiological case-control studies of prevalent (n = 4925) and incident (n = 4277) diabetes. The data were analysed using regression models with adjustment for potential confounders. RESULTS: There were dynamic changes in metabolite levels in response to the different secretagogues. Furthermore, several fasting pairwise metabolite ratios were associated with one or multiple clamp-derived measures of insulin secretion (all p < 9.2 × 10-7). These associations were significantly stronger compared with the individual metabolite components. One of the ratios, valine to phosphatidylcholine acyl-alkyl C32:2 (PC ae C32:2), in addition showed a directionally consistent positive association with OGTT-derived measures of insulin secretion and resistance (p ≤ 5.4 × 10-3) and prevalent type 2 diabetes (ORVal_PC ae C32:2 2.64 [ß 0.97 ± 0.09], p = 1.0 × 10-27). Furthermore, Val_PC ae C32:2 predicted incident diabetes independent of established risk factors in two epidemiological cohort studies (HRVal_PC ae C32:2 1.57 [ß 0.45 ± 0.06]; p = 1.3 × 10-15), leading to modest improvements in the receiver operating characteristics when added to a model containing a set of established risk factors in both cohorts (increases from 0.780 to 0.801 and from 0.862 to 0.865 respectively, when added to the model containing traditional risk factors + glucose). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: In this study we have shown that the Val_PC ae C32:2 metabolite ratio is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and measures of insulin secretion and resistance. The observed effects were stronger than that of the individual metabolites and independent of known risk factors.

Selection in Europeans on Fatty Acid Desaturases Associated with Dietary Changes.

FADS genes encode fatty acid desaturases that are important for the conversion of short chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to long chain fatty acids. Prior studies indicate that the FADS genes have been subjected to strong positive selection in Africa, South Asia, Greenland, and Europe. By comparing FADS sequencing data from present-day and Bronze Age (5-3k years ago) Europeans, we identify possible targets of selection in the European population, which suggest that selection has targeted different alleles in the FADS genes in Europe than it has in South Asia or Greenland. The alleles showing the strongest changes in allele frequency since the Bronze Age show associations with expression changes and multiple lipid-related phenotypes. Furthermore, the selected alleles are associated with a decrease in linoleic acid and an increase in arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids among Europeans; this is an opposite effect of that observed for selected alleles in Inuit from Greenland. We show that multiple SNPs in the region affect expression levels and PUFA synthesis. Additionally, we find evidence for a gene-environment interaction influencing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels between alleles affecting PUFA synthesis and PUFA dietary intake: carriers of the derived allele display lower LDL cholesterol levels with a higher intake of PUFAs. We hypothesize that the selective patterns observed in Europeans were driven by a change in dietary composition of fatty acids following the transition to agriculture, resulting in a lower intake of arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, but a higher intake of linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid.

Common variants in the hERG (KCNH2) voltage-gated potassium channel are associated with altered fasting and glucose-stimulated plasma incretin and glucagon responses.

BACKGROUND: Patients with long QT syndrome due to rare loss-of-function mutations in the human ether-á-go-go-related gene (hERG) have prolonged QT interval, risk of arrhythmias, increased secretion of insulin and incretins and impaired glucagon response to hypoglycemia. This is caused by a dysfunctional Kv11.1 voltage-gated potassium channel. Based on these findings in patients with rare variants in hERG, we hypothesized that common variants in hERG may also lead to alterations in glucose homeostasis. Subsequently, we aimed to evaluate the effect of two common gain-of-function variants in hERG (rs36210421 and rs1805123) on QT interval and plasma levels of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), insulin and glucagon during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). We used two population-based cohorts for evaluation of the effect of common variants in hERG on QT-interval and circulation levels of incretins, insulin and glucagon. The Danish population-based Inter99 cohort (n = 5895) was used to assess the effect of common variants on QT-interval. The Danish ADDITION-PRO cohort was used (n = 1329) to study genetic associations with levels of GLP-1, GIP, insulin and glucagon during an OGTT. RESULTS: Carriers of either the minor A-allele of rs36210421 or the minor G-allele of rs1805123 had ~ 2 ms shorter QT interval per risk allele (p = 0.025 and p = 1.9 × 10- 7). Additionally, both variants were associated with alterations in pancreatic and gut hormone release among carriers. The minor A- allele of rs36210421 was associated with increased GLP-1 and decreased GIP response to oral glucose stimulation, whereas the minor G-allele of rs1805123 is associated with decreased fasting plasma insulin and glucagon release. A genetic risk score combining the two gene variants revealed reductions in glucose-stimulated GIP, as well as suppressed glucagon response to increased glucose levels during an OGTT. CONCLUSIONS: Two common missense polymorphisms of the Kv11.1 voltage-gated hERG potassium channel are associated with alterations in circulating levels of GIP and glucagon, suggesting that hERG potassium channels play a role in fasting and glucose-stimulated release of GIP and glucagon. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT00289237 ). Trial retrospectively registered at February 9, 2006. Studies were approved by the Ethical Committee of the Central Denmark Region (journal no. 20080229) and by the Copenhagen County Ethical Committee (KA 98155).

An imidazole based H-Phe-Phe-NH2 peptidomimetic with anti-allodynic effect in spared nerve injury mice.

The dipeptide amide H-Phe-Phe-NH2 (1) that previously was identified as a ligand for the substance P 1-7 (SP1-7) binding site exerts intriguing results in animal models of neuropathic pain after central but not after peripheral administration. The dipeptide 1 is derived from stepwise modifications of the anti-nociceptive heptapeptide SP1-7 and the tetrapeptide endomorphin-2 that is also binding to the SP1-7 site. We herein report a strong anti-allodynic effect of a new H-Phe-Phe-NH2 peptidomimetic (4) comprising an imidazole ring as a bioisosteric element, in the spare nerve injury (SNI) mice model after peripheral administration. Peptidomimetic 4 was stable in plasma, displayed a fair membrane permeability and a favorable neurotoxic profile. Moreover, the effective dose (ED50) of 4 was superior as compared to gabapentin and morphine that are used in clinic.

Genetic evidence of a causal effect of insulin resistance on branched-chain amino acid levels.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Fasting plasma levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are associated with insulin resistance, but it remains unclear whether there is a causal relation between the two. We aimed to disentangle the causal relations by performing a Mendelian randomisation study using genetic variants associated with circulating BCAA levels and insulin resistance as instrumental variables. METHODS: We measured circulating BCAA levels in blood plasma by NMR spectroscopy in 1,321 individuals from the ADDITION-PRO cohort. We complemented our analyses by using previously published genome-wide association study (GWAS) results from the Meta-Analyses of Glucose and Insulin-related traits Consortium (MAGIC) (n = 46,186) and from a GWAS of serum BCAA levels (n = 24,925). We used a genetic risk score (GRS), calculated using ten established fasting serum insulin associated variants, as an instrumental variable for insulin resistance. A GRS of three variants increasing circulating BCAA levels was used as an instrumental variable for circulating BCAA levels. RESULTS: Fasting plasma BCAA levels were associated with higher HOMA-IR in ADDITION-PRO (ß 0.137 [95% CI 0.08, 0.19] p = 6 × 10-7). However, the GRS for circulating BCAA levels was not associated with fasting insulin levels or HOMA-IR in ADDITION-PRO (ß -0.011 [95% CI -0.053, 0.032] p = 0.6 and ß -0.011 [95% CI -0.054, 0.031] p = 0.6, respectively) or in GWAS results for HOMA-IR from MAGIC (ß for valine-increasing GRS -0.012 [95% CI -0.069, 0.045] p = 0.7). By contrast, the insulin-resistance-increasing GRS was significantly associated with increased BCAA levels in ADDITION-PRO (ß 0.027 [95% CI 0.005, 0.048] p = 0.01) and in GWAS results for serum BCAA levels (ß 1.22 [95% CI 0.71, 1.73] p = 4 × 10-6, ß 0.96 [95% CI 0.45, 1.47] p = 3 × 10-4, and ß 0.67 [95% CI 0.16, 1.18] p = 0.01 for isoleucine, leucine and valine levels, respectively) and instrumental variable analyses in ADDITION-PRO indicated that HOMA-IR is causally related to higher circulating fasting BCAA levels (ß 0.73 [95% CI 0.26, 1.19] p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Our results suggest that higher BCAA levels do not have a causal effect on insulin resistance while increased insulin resistance drives higher circulating fasting BCAA levels.

Photoperiod- and temperature-mediated control of phenology in trees - a molecular perspective.

Contents 511 I. 511 II. 512 III. 513 IV. 513 V. 517 VI. 517 VII. 521 VIII. 521 Acknowledgements 521 References 521 SUMMARY: Trees growing in boreal and temperate regions synchronize their growth with seasonal climatic changes in adaptive responses that are essential for their survival. These trees cease growth before the winter and establish a dormant state during which growth cessation is maintained by repression of responses to growth-promotive signals. Reactivation of growth in the spring follows the release from dormancy promoted by prolonged exposure to low temperature during the winter. The timing of the key events and regulation of the molecular programs associated with the key stages of the annual growth cycle are controlled by two main environmental cues: photoperiod and temperature. Recently, key components mediating photoperiodic control of growth cessation and bud set have been identified, and striking similarities have been observed in signaling pathways controlling growth cessation in trees and floral transition in Arabidopsis. Although less well understood, the regulation of bud dormancy and bud burst may involve cell-cell communication and chromatin remodeling. Here, we discuss current knowledge of the molecular-level regulation of the annual growth cycle of woody trees in temperate and boreal regions, and identify key questions that need to be addressed in the future.

Comparing Methods for Estimating Direct Costs of Adverse Drug Events.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate how direct health care costs resulting from adverse drug events (ADEs) and cost distribution are affected by methodological decisions regarding identification of ADEs, assigning relevant resource use to ADEs, and estimating costs for the assigned resources. METHODS: ADEs were identified from medical records and diagnostic codes for a random sample of 4970 Swedish adults during a 3-month study period in 2008 and were assessed for causality. Results were compared for five cost evaluation methods, including different methods for identifying ADEs, assigning resource use to ADEs, and for estimating costs for the assigned resources (resource use method, proportion of registered cost method, unit cost method, diagnostic code method, and main diagnosis method). Different levels of causality for ADEs and ADEs' contribution to health care resource use were considered. RESULTS: Using the five methods, the maximum estimated overall direct health care costs resulting from ADEs ranged from Sk10,000 (Sk = Swedish krona; ~€1,500 in 2016 values) using the diagnostic code method to more than Sk3,000,000 (~€414,000) using the unit cost method in our study population. The most conservative definitions for ADEs' contribution to health care resource use and the causality of ADEs resulted in average costs per patient ranging from Sk0 using the diagnostic code method to Sk4066 (~€500) using the unit cost method. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated costs resulting from ADEs varied considerably depending on the methodological choices. The results indicate that costs for ADEs need to be identified through medical record review and by using detailed unit cost data.

Variants in KCNQ1 are associated with susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus.

We carried out a multistage genome-wide association study of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japanese individuals, with a total of 1,612 cases and 1,424 controls and 100,000 SNPs. The most significant association was obtained with SNPs in KCNQ1, and dense mapping within the gene revealed that rs2237892 in intron 15 showed the lowest Pvalue (6.7 x 10(-13), odds ratio (OR) = 1.49). The association of KCNQ1 with type 2 diabetes was replicated in populations of Korean, Chinese and European ancestry as well as in two independent Japanese populations, and meta-analysis with a total of 19,930 individuals (9,569 cases and 10,361 controls) yielded a P value of 1.7 x 10(-42) (OR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.34-1.47) for rs2237892. Among control subjects, the risk allele of this polymorphism was associated with impairment of insulin secretion according to the homeostasis model assessment of beta-cell function or the corrected insulin response. Our data thus implicate KCNQ1 as a diabetes susceptibility gene in groups of different ancestries.

Adherence to antidepressants among women and men described with trajectory models: a Swedish longitudinal study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study are to analyse adherence to antidepressant treatment over 2 years in Sweden among women and men who initiated treatment with citalopram and to identify groups at risk of non-adherence using trajectory models. METHODS: The study population, including individuals 18-85 years who initiated citalopram use between 1 July 2006 and 30 June 2007, was identified in the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register and followed for 2 years. Adherence was estimated with continuous measure of medication acquisition (CMA) and group-based trajectory modelling, a method which describes adherence patterns over time by estimating trajectories of adherence and the individual's probability of belonging to a specific trajectory. RESULTS: The study population included 54,248 individuals, 64 % women. Mean CMA was 52 % among women and 50 % among men (p < 0.001). Five different adherence patterns (Trajectories) were identified. Similar proportion of women and men belonged to each Trajectory. Around 29 % of the women and 27 % of the men belonged to the Trajectory which showed full adherence throughout the 2-year study period. The other four Trajectories showed adherence that declined to different degrees and at different stages in time. Having low socioeconomic status was more common among individuals in Trajectories showing declining adherence than in the adherent Trajectory. CONCLUSIONS: Using trajectory modelling, five Trajectories describing different patterns of adherence to citalopram treatment over time were identified. A large proportion discontinued treatment early and having low socioeconomic status increased the risk of being non-adherent.

Potentially inappropriate prescribing and adverse drug reactions in the elderly: a population-based study.

PURPOSE: Potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs) criteria are widely used for evaluating the quality of prescribing in elderly. However, there is limited evidence on their association with adverse drug reactions (ADRs) across healthcare settings. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of PIPs, defined by the Screening Tool of Older Persons' potentially inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) criteria, in the Swedish elderly general population and to investigate the association between PIPs and occurrence of ADRs. METHOD: Persons ≥65 years old were identified from a random sample of 5025 adults drawn from the Swedish Total Population Register. A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 813 elderly with healthcare encounters in primary and specialised healthcare settings during a 3-month period in 2008. PIPs were identified from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, medical records and health administrative data. ADRs were independently identified by expert reviewers in a stepwise manner using the Howard criteria. Multivariable logistic regression examined the association between PIPs and ADRs. RESULTS: Overall, 374 (46.0 %) persons had ≥1 PIPs and 159 (19.5 %) experienced ≥1 ADRs during the study period. In total, 29.8 % of all ADRs was considered caused by PIPs. Persons prescribed with PIPs had more than twofold increased odds of experiencing ADRs (OR 2.47; 95 % CI 1.65-3.69). PIPs were considered the cause of 60 % of ADRs affecting the vascular system, 50 % of ADRs affecting the nervous system and 62.5 % of ADRs resulting in falls. CONCLUSION: PIPs are common among the Swedish elderly and are associated with increased odds of experiencing ADRs. Thus, interventions to decrease PIPs may contribute to preventing ADRs, in particular ADRs associated with nervous and vascular disorders and falls.

The impact of a changed legislation on reporting of adverse drug reactions in Sweden, with focus on nurses' reporting.

PURPOSE: In March 2007, a legislative amendment was issued in Sweden compelling nurses to report all suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to the national pharmacovigilance system. The aims of this study were to describe the status of ADR reporting, before and after the implementation of the legislative changes, and to describe the general characteristics of suspected ADRs reported by nurses. METHODS: The Swedish pharmacovigilance system during the study period constituted six regional centres responsible for the handling of all spontaneous ADR reports within their region. In this study, we identified all individual ADR reports from 2005 and 2010, analysed in depth the ADR reports from two regional centres and collated information about the reporter and the nature of the reported ADR. RESULTS: From the two regional centres, a total of 898 and 1074 reports were submitted in 2005 and 2010 respectively. Nurses submitted 31% (275 reports) of the reports in 2005 and 24% (260 reports) in 2010. Nurses' reporting of serious ADRs was 3% (seven reports) in 2005 and 7% (17 reports) in 2010 with reporting of unlabelled ADRs at 4% (11 reports) in 2005 and 17% (45 reports) in 2010. Most of the serious and/or unlabelled reactions were related to vaccine administration (14 reports in 2005 and 36 reports in 2010). CONCLUSIONS: The overall ADR reporting by nurses did not appear to increase after the change in reporting legislation. The proportion of serious and/or unlabelled ADRs reported by nurses did however appear to increase during the same period. Taken together, our data suggests that further pro-active measures should be considered in order to involve nurses in the reporting of suspected ADRs.

Enhanced science-stakeholder communication to improve ecosystem model performances for climate change impact assessments.

In recent years, climate impact assessments of relevance to the agricultural and forestry sectors have received considerable attention. Current ecosystem models commonly capture the effect of a warmer climate on biomass production, but they rarely sufficiently capture potential losses caused by pests, pathogens and extreme weather events. In addition, alternative management regimes may not be integrated in the models. A way to improve the quality of climate impact assessments is to increase the science-stakeholder collaboration, and in a two-way dialog link empirical experience and impact modelling with policy and strategies for sustainable management. In this paper we give a brief overview of different ecosystem modelling methods, discuss how to include ecological and management aspects, and highlight the importance of science-stakeholder communication. By this, we hope to stimulate a discussion among the science-stakeholder communities on how to quantify the potential for climate change adaptation by improving the realism in the models.

Process-based models not always better than empirical models for simulating budburst of Norway spruce and birch in Europe.

Budburst models have mainly been developed to capture the processes of individual trees, and vary in their complexity and plant physiological realism. We evaluated how well eleven models capture the variation in budburst of birch and Norway spruce in Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom and Finland. The comparison was based on the models performance in relation to their underlying physiological assumptions with four different calibration schemes. The models were not able to accurately simulate the timing of budburst. In general the models overestimated the temperature effect, thereby the timing of budburst was simulated too early in the United Kingdom and too late in Finland. Among the better performing models were three models based on the growing degree day concept, with or without day length or chilling, and an empirical model based on spring temperatures. These models were also the models least influenced by the calibration data. For birch the best calibration scheme was based on multiple sites in either Germany or Europe, and for Norway spruce the best scheme included multiple sites in Germany or cold years of all sites. Most model and calibration combinations indicated greater bias with higher spring temperatures, mostly simulating earlier than observed budburst.