| 1. |
- Borgstrom, E. W., et al.
(author)
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CD4(+) T cell proliferative responses to PPD and CFP-10 associate with recent M. tuberculosis infection
- 2020
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In: Tuberculosis. - : Elsevier BV. - 1472-9792 .- 1873-281X. ; 123
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Interferon-gamma release assays cannot differentiate latent from active tuberculosis (TB), nor identify the recently infected with increased risk of active disease. The objective of this study was to identify biomarkers of recent infection following exposure to tuberculosis, to increase the positive predictive value for incipient TB. Contacts to patients with pulmonary TB were tested repeatedly with interferon-gamma release assays and flow-cytometry. Proliferative CD4(+) T cell responses to purified protein derivative (PPD) and 11 M. tuberculosis antigens were analysed. The individual probability of recent and remote infection was estimated using clinical data in a novel mathematical model and compared with CD4(+) responses in a prediction model. The most specific prediction of recent infection was high CD4(+) proliferative responses to CFP-10 and PPD and a low CD4(+) response to ESAT-6. CD4(+) proliferative responses to Rec85a, Rec85b and Rv1284 were also observed in recent infection, but did not reach significance in the prediction model. Conclusions: High CD4(+) proliferative responses to CFP-10 and PPD and a low response to ESAT-6 may be used as biomarkers to improve positive predictive values for recent LTBI and thus, increased risk of incipient TB. Rec85a, Rec85b and Rv1284 are also of interest to study further in this context.
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| 2. |
- Fritzell, Peter, et al.
(author)
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Cost-Effectiveness of Balloon Kyphoplasty Versus Standard Medical Treatment in Patients With Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fracture
- 2011
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In: Spine. - 0362-2436. ; 36:26, s. 2243-2251
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Study Design. A multicenter, randomized, controlled, cost-effectiveness analysis. Objective. To assess the cost-effectiveness of balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) compared with standard medical treatment (control) in patients with acute/subacute (<3 months) vertebral compression fracture (VCF) due to osteoporosis. Summary of Background Data. Patients with a VCF due to osteoporosis are common and will increase in number in an aging population, putting a substantial strain on health care. Selected patients may benefit from stabilizing the fracture with cement through BKP, a minimally invasive procedure. BKP has been reported to give good short-time clinical results, and economic modeling has suggested that the procedure could be cost-effective after 2 years compared with standard treatment. Methods. Hospitalized patients with back pain due to VCF were randomized to BKP or to control using a computer-generated random list. All costs associated with VCF and cost-effectiveness were reported primarily from the perspective of society. We used EQ-5D to assess quality of life (QoL). The accumulated quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained and costs/QALY gained were assessed using intention to treat. Results. Between February 2003 and December 2005, a total of 63 out of 67 Swedish patients were analyzed: BKP (n = 32) and control (n = 31). Societal cost per patient for BKP was SEK 160,017 (SD = 151,083) = (sic)16,668 (SD = 15,735), and for control SEK 84,816 (SD = - 40,954) = (sic) 8835 (SD = 4266), a significant difference of 75,198 (95% confidence intervals [CI] = 16,037-120,104) = (sic)7833 (95% CI = 1671-12,511). The accumulated difference in QALYs was 0.085 (95% CI = -0.132 to 0.306) in favor of BKP. Cost/QALY gained using BKP was SEK 884,682 = (sic)92,154 and US (sic)134,043. Conclusion. In this randomized controlled trial, it was not possible to demonstrate that BKP was cost-effective compared with standard medical treatment in patients treated for an acute/subacute vertebral fracture due to osteoporosis. However, sensitivity analysis indicated a certain degree of uncertainty, which needs to be considered.
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| 3. |
- Försth, Peter, et al.
(author)
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A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Fusion Surgery for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
- 2016
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In: New England Journal of Medicine. - 0028-4793 .- 1533-4406. ; 374:15, s. 1413-1423
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND The efficacy of fusion surgery in addition to decompression surgery in patients who have lumbar spinal stenosis, with or without degenerative spondylolisthesis, has not been substantiated in controlled trials.METHODS We randomly assigned 247 patients between 50 and 80 years of age who had lumbar spinal stenosis at one or two adjacent vertebral levels to undergo either decompression surgery plus fusion surgery (fusion group) or decompression surgery alone (decompression-alone group). Randomization was stratified according to the presence of preoperative degenerative spondylolisthesis (in 135 patients) or its absence. Outcomes were assessed with the use of patient-reported outcome measures, a 6-minute walk test, and a health economic evaluation. The primary outcome was the score on the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI; which ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more severe disability) 2 years after surgery. The primary analysis, which was a per-protocol analysis, did not include the 14 patients who did not receive the assigned treatment and the 5 who were lost to follow-up.RESULTS There was no significant difference between the groups in the mean score on the ODI at 2 years (27 in the fusion group and 24 in the decompression-alone group, P = 0.24) or in the results of the 6-minute walk test (397 m in the fusion group and 405 m in the decompression- alone group, P = 0.72). Results were similar between patients with and those without spondylolisthesis. Among the patients who had 5 years of follow-up and were eligible for inclusion in the 5-year analysis, there were no significant differences between the groups in clinical outcomes at 5 years. The mean length of hospitalization was 7.4 days in the fusion group and 4.1 days in the decompression-alone group (P< 0.001). Operating time was longer, the amount of bleeding was greater, and surgical costs were higher in the fusion group than in the decompression-alone group. During a mean follow-up of 6.5 years, additional lumbar spine surgery was performed in 22% of the patients in the fusion group and in 21% of those in the decompression-alone group.CONCLUSIONS Among patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, with or without degenerative spondylolisthesis, decompression surgery plus fusion surgery did not result in better clinical outcomes at 2 years and 5 years than did decompression surgery alone.
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| 4. |
- Iderberg, Hanna, et al.
(author)
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Predicting clinical outcome and length of sick leave after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis in Sweden : a multi-register evaluation
- 2019
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In: European spine journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0940-6719 .- 1432-0932. ; 28:6, s. 1423-1432
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) can be surgically treated, with variable outcome. Studies have linked socioeconomic factors to outcome, but no nation-wide studies have been performed. This register-based study, including all patients surgically treated for LSS during 2008-2012 in Sweden, aimed to determine predictive factors for the outcome of surgery.Methods: Clinical and socioeconomic factors with impact on outcome in LSS surgery were identified in several high-coverage registers, e.g., the national quality registry for spine surgery (Swespine, FU-rate 70-90%). Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to assess their effect on outcome. Two patient-reported outcome measures, Global Assessment of leg pain (GA) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), as well as length of sick leave after surgery were analyzed.Results: Clinical and socioeconomic factors significantly affected health outcome (both GA and ODI). Some predictors of a good outcome (ODI) were: being born in the EU, reporting no back pain at baseline, a high disposable income and a high educational level. Some factors predicting a worse outcome were previous surgery, having had back pain more than 2years, having comorbidities, being a smoker, being on social welfare and being unemployed.Conclusions: The study highlights the relevance of adding socioeconomic factors to clinical factors for analysis of patient-reported outcomes, although the causal pathway of most predictors' impact is unknown. These findings should be further investigated in the perspective of treatment selection for individual LSS patients. The study also presents a foundation of case mix algorithms for predicting outcome of surgery for LSS.
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| 5. |
- Lekander, Ingrid, et al.
(author)
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The Comparison of Trial Data-Based and Registry Data-Based Cost-Effectiveness of Infliximab Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis in Sweden Using a Modeling Approach
- 2013
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In: Value in Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 1098-3015. ; 16:2, s. 251-258
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To evaluate the precision of the predictive cost-effectiveness assessment based on a phase 3 clinical trial with infliximab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in Swedish clinical practice. Methods: Three patient cohorts were identified: the patients included in the infliximab trial (ATTRACT), patients initially treated with infliximab from a Swedish registry (STURE), a subset of these registry patients meeting inclusion criteria for the ATTRACT trial was the third patient cohort; two sets of assumptions in relation to the efficacy data were evaluated: "ATTRACT" (efficacy data over the duration of the trial) and "STURE" (effectiveness data over 10 years). In addition, the impact of including the placebo effect for the comparator was evaluated as a basis for the calculation of cost-effectiveness by using a modeling approach. A health economic model was utilized to estimate the cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Results: The results for the three patient cohorts ranged from cost saving to a cost per QALY gained of (sic)2,400 and (sic)24,900 to (sic)26,000 when the ATTRACT and STURE assumptions were used, respectively. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the inclusion of placebo effect had the largest effect on the results, increasing the cost per QALY gained to approximately (sic)50,000 for all patient cohorts. Conclusions: The treatment effect of infliximab measured in clinical trials and clinical practice results in comparable cost-effectiveness ratios, as calculated by using a modeling approach, whereas the assumptions made in relation to the effectiveness data and the chosen comparator have a large impact on the results. This reinforces the value of early modeling studies based on randomized clinical trial data, but assumptions made need to be carefully assessed.
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| 6. |
- Lekander, Ingrid, et al.
(author)
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The cost-effectiveness of TNF-inhibitors for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in Swedish clinical practice
- 2013
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In: European Journal of Health Economics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1618-7601 .- 1618-7598. ; 14:6, s. 863-873
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The objective was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of TNF-inhibitors for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in Swedish clinical practice, both as a first and second biological treatment, with or without the combination of conventional DMARDs. Further sub-group analysis of etanercept treatment was performed. Patient level data were obtained from three regions of the Swedish Rheumatology Registers. The dataset contained 2,558 patients who had started TNF-inhibitor treatment, 1,049 with etanercept as their first biological treatment. A total of 819 patients had switched to a second TNF-inhibitor, of which 425 to etanercept. A Markov cohort model was used in which health states of disease severity were classified according to HAQ and DAS28. Disease progression and discontinuation rates of TNF-inhibitors were based on the registry and for the comparator on published literature. Mortality, costs and utilities were based on Swedish data. The main analysis had a societal perspective over 20 years and efficacy was measured in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). TNF-inhibitor treatment was associated with an increase in QALYs and an incremental cost compared to no biological treatment. The cost per QALY gained with the three TNF-inhibitors ranged from a,not sign50,000 to a,not sign120,000, with lower estimates for TNF-inhibitors used in combination with MTX and as a first biologic. At a progression of 0.045 for the comparator, most values remain within the accepted range for cost-effectiveness. These results demonstrate that the cost per QALY for TNF-inhibitors was higher than in previous assessments based on registry data and that the results were sensitive to the HAQ progression of the comparator.
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| 7. |
- Strom, Oskar, et al.
(author)
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Long-term cost and effect on quality of life of osteoporosis-related fractures in Sweden
- 2008
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In: Acta Orthopaedica. - : Medical Journals Sweden AB. - 1745-3682 .- 1745-3674. ; 79:2, s. 269-280
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and purpose Few economic or quality-of-life studies have investigated the long-term consequences of fragility fractures. This prospective observational data collection study assessed the cost and quality of life related to hip, vertebral, and wrist fracture 13-18 months after the fracture, based on 684 patients surviving 18 months after fracture. Patients and methods Data regarding resource use and quality of life related to fractures was collected using questionnaires at 7 research centers in Sweden. Information was collected using patient records, register sources, and by asking the patient. Quality of life was estimated using the EQ-5D questionnaire. Direct and indirect costs were estimated from a societal standpoint. Results The mean fracture-related cost 13-18 months after a hip, vertebral, or wrist fracture were estimated to be (sic)2,422, (sic)3,628, and (sic)316, respectively. Between 12 and 18 months after hip, vertebral, and wrist fracture, utility increased by 0.03, 0.05, and 0.02, respectively. Compared to prefracture levels, the mean loss in quality of life between 13 and 18 months after fracture was estimated to be 0.05, 0.11, and 0.005 for hip, vertebral, and wrist fracture. Interpretation The sample of vertebral fracture patients was fairly small and included a high proportion of fractures leading to hospitalization, but the results indicate higher long-term costs and greater loss in quality of life related to vertebral fracture than previously believed.
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