Yearly Archives: 2024

Birdshot research news – July 2024

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We recently received details of some new research on birdshot from Jonas Kuiper and colleagues. Jonas says: ‘We’ve identified a new immune cell involved in birdshot which helps us better understand how the immune system’s communication gets mixed up in this condition. It also connects with the HLA-A29 and ERAP1/2 genes.’ This paper is not an easy read, but it shows how research is gradually uncovering what is going on in the many processes involved in birdshot. 

Single-cell profiling identifies a CD8bright CD244bright Natural Killer cell subset that reflects disease activity in HLA-A29-positive birdshot chorioretinopathy

Pulak R. Nath, Mary Maclean, Vijay Nagarajan, Jung Wha Lee, Mehmet Yakin, Aman Kumar, Hadi Nadali, Brian Schmidt, Koray D. Kaya, Shilpa Kodati, Alice Young, Rachel R. Caspi, Jonas J. W. Kuiper and H. Nida Sen 

 https://shorturl.at/gqc0l

Research news from July 2021

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Although this paper was published three years ago, we have now included it in our Birdshot research papers section of the website, under Birdshot overviews. The paper provides a useful and interesting ‘where we are now’ review of the history of diagnosis, testing and treating birdshot uveitis. The authors emphasise the importance of, among other things: early diagnosis; imaging, especially the use of indocyanine green angiography; and the need for early and prolonged intensive treatment.

HLA-A29 Birdshot Retinochoroiditis in Its 5th Decade: Selected Glimpses into the Intellectual Meanderings and Progresses in the Knowledge of a Long-Time Misunderstood Disease

July 2021

Papadia M, Pavésio C, Fardeau C, Neri P, Kestelyn PG, Papasavvas I, Herbort CP

HLA-A29 Birdshot Retinochoroiditis in Its 5th Decade: Selected Glimpses into the Intellectual Meanderings and Progresses in the Knowledge of a Long-Time Misunderstood Disease (abstract)

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine to be offered in UK from September 2024

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Immunisation against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) will be offered by the NHS in UK for the first time from September 1st 2024 to those turning 75 years of age. 

It will be a year-round offer for those aged 75, alongside a catchup programme for those aged 75 – 79 years of age. The vaccines offered for these age groups are called Abrysvo and Arexvy. 

The Abrysvo vaccine will also be offered to pregnant women from the 28th week of pregnancy.

Abrysvo and Arexvy are not ‘live’ vaccines, so they can be given to people who are taking immunosuppressant treatment. Note that the response to any permitted vaccine is likely to be less than expected if a person is on immunosuppressant treatment.  More information: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv/

Flu and COVID-19 booster UK NHS Autumn 2024 campaign

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The UK’s national booking service for the Autumn 2024 annual flu vaccine and COVID-19 Autumn booster vaccine opens to the public on Monday September 23rd. You may be contacted by your GP practice earlier than this to make a booking. 

You may not be automatically contacted by your GP practice to be offered these immunisations and you may have to ask about receiving them, particularly if you have started immunosuppressant treatment in the last 12 months. 

The main UK flu and COVID-19 vaccination campaign starts on Thursday October 3rd. 

The last date for receiving both vaccines is Friday December 20th, but you may be able to get the flu vaccine until Monday March 31st 2025. 

Flu vaccine

As well as pregnant women and children being offered flu vaccine from September 1st, the following groups are being offered flu vaccine from October 3rd:

  • Age 65 and over (50 and over in Northern Ireland)
  • Age 18 to 65 in a ‘clinical risk group’ – this includes people on immunosuppressant treatment and/or on doses of 20mg/day or more of prednisolone for more than one month
  • Close contacts of immunocompromised people
  • Residents in long-stay care homes 
  • Carers who get Carer’s Allowance or who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
  • Frontline health and social care staff 

For more information, see: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/flu-vaccine/ 

In Scotland, the eligible groups for flu vaccine are wider. See: https://www.nhsinform.scot/flu-vaccine 

In Northern Ireland, see: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/flu-vaccine

COVID-19 vaccine

An Autumn COVID-19 booster is being offered to the following groups:

  • Age 65 or over
  • Age 6 months to 64 years in a ‘clinical risk group’ – this includes people on immunosuppressant treatment and/or on doses of 20mg/day or more of prednisolone for more than one month
  • Residents in care homes for older adults
  • Frontline health and social care staff

Eligibility is the same across all countries of UK – England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland.

Note that there appears to be no offer of COVID-19 vaccine this year to those aged 12 to 64 who are household contacts of people on immunosuppressant treatment. 

For more information on UK COVID-19 immunisation, see: https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2024/08/02/whos-eligible-for-the-2024-covid-19-vaccine-or-autumn-booster/

BIRD-SET study

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Would you like to take part in research to improve birdshot treatment and tests? Do you attend either Moorfields Eye Hospital, London or University Hospitals Birmingham (Queen Elizabeth Hospital) for your eye care? If you answered ‘yes’ to both those questions, you will be interested to hear about the new BIRD-SET research study. BUS is delighted to support Dr Colin Chu, the BIRD-SET study leader.

About BIRD-SET

The Birdshot Dataset Study (BIRD-SET) has just opened. It will run until the end of 2024. 

All patients with a diagnosis of birdshot who attend either Moorfields Eye Hospital or University Hospitals Birmingham – Queen Elizabeth Hospital will be invited to join the study.

The aim is to generate one of the largest combined research datasets in birdshot. This will greatly advance understanding of the condition and how patients respond to treatment. 

How does it work?

There are three parts to the BIRD-SET study, but not everyone who is enrolled will do all three parts.

Part one of BIRD-SET is for all who are taking part. First, they will be invited to provide a saliva sample for genetic sequencing. Next, they will be asked for a blood sample to be donated to the biobank held by the NIHR BioResource Rare Disease Study. This will be used for future research. Finally, there is the opportunity to contribute their medical history and eye imaging data to the Birdshot-ABC Study. This existing study aims to share birdshot clinical data and eye images anonymously to generate quality standards and improve the care of birdshot in the UK.

BIRD-SET’s second part is for those who are starting new immunosuppressant treatments. They will be asked to provide an additional blood sample. This is to trial a new test that could allow doctors to predict whether individuals will respond to a medication before they start it.

The third part of BIRD-SET is to test a new non-invasive imaging technique that could identify how well the retina is functioning in birdshot. This new kind of imaging could supplement or replace current monitoring tests such as fluorescein angiography or electroretinography (ERG).

Funding

The BIRD-SET study is receiving support from Regeneron Genetics Centre LLC, USA, Moorfields Eye Charity and NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology. The chief investigator is Dr Colin Chu (Moorfields and UCL) and the principal investigator at Birmingham is Dr Balini Balasubramaniam (UHB). If you are a patient and would be interested in receiving more information to participate, please email alexis.wormall1@nhs.net.

What if I don’t go to Moorfields or Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham?

Unfortunately BIRD-SET is only available for patients at Moorfields and UHB. However you may be able to take part in the NIHR BioResource study at one of the other centres closer to you by asking if you can be recruited to the Rare Disease Birdshot study. Please see https://bioresource.nihr.ac.uk/centres-programmes/ and https://bioresource.nihr.ac.uk/centres-programmes/rare-diseases-bioresource/