Citations

Total kidney volume (TKV) is a valuable readout in preclinical studies for autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive polycystic kidney diseases (ADPKD and ARPKD). Since conventional TKV assessment by manual contouring of kidney areas in all images is time-consuming, we developed a template-based semiautomatic image segmentation method (SAM) and validated it in three commonly used ADPKD and ARPKD models. SAM-based TKV measurements were fast, highly reproducible, and accurate across mouse and rat ARPKD and ADPKD models.

Abstract Aims An artificial intelligence-enabled electrocardiogram (AI-ECG) is a promising tool to detect patients with aortic stenosis (AS) before developing symptoms. However, functional, structural, or haemodynamic components reflected in AI-ECG responsible for its detection are unknown. Methods and results The AI-ECG model that was developed at Mayo Clinic using a convolutional neural network to identify patients with moderate–severe AS was applied. In patients used as the testing group, the correlation between the AI-ECG probability of AS and echocardiographic parameters was investigated. This study included 102 926 patients (63.0 ± 16.3 years, 52% male), and 28 464 (27.7%) were identified as AS positive by AI-ECG. Older age, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and heart failure were more common in the positive AI-ECG group than in the negative group (P < 0.001). The AI-ECG was correlated with aortic valve area (ρ = −0.48, R2 = 0.20), peak velocity (ρ = 0.22, R2 = 0.08), and mean pressure gradient (ρ = 0.35, R2 = 0.08). The AI-ECG also correlated with left ventricular (LV) mass index (ρ = 0.36, R2 = 0.13), E/e′ (ρ = 0.36, R2 = 0.12), and left atrium volume index (ρ = 0.42, R2 = 0.12). Neither LV ejection fraction nor stroke volume index had a significant correlation with the AI-ECG. Age correlated with the AI-ECG (ρ = 0.46, R2 = 0.22) and its correlation with echocardiography parameters was similar to that of the AI-ECG. Conclusion A combination of AS severity, diastolic dysfunction, and LV hypertrophy is reflected in the AI-ECG to detect AS. There seems to be a gradation of the cardiac anatomical/functional features in the model and its identification process of AS is multifactorial.

Abstract Background Current guidelines recommend endoscopic resection of visible and endoscopically resectable colorectal colitis-associated neoplasia (CAN) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, patients with high risk CAN are often not amenable to conventional resections techniques and a consensus approach for the endoscopic management of these lesions is presently lacking. This Delphi study aims to reach consensus amongst experts on the endoscopic management of these lesions. Methods A three-round modified Delphi process was conducted to reach consensus amongst worldwide IBD and/or endoscopy experts (n=18) from three continents. Experts were chosen based on the extensive clinical experience with IBD and/or EMR/ESD in patients with IBD, and the authorship on multiple peer-reviewed publications on CAN, the endoscopic resection of CAN and/or EMR/ESD. Consensus was considered if ≥ 75% agreed or disagreed. Quality of evidence was assessed by the criteria of the Cochrane Collaboration group. Results Consensus was reached on all statements (n=14). Experts agreed on a definition for CAN and high-risk CAN (HR-CAN). Consensus was reached on the examination of the colon with enhanced endoscopic imaging prior to resection, the endoscopic resectability of a HR-CAN lesion and endoscopic assessment and standard report of CAN lesions. In addition, experts agreed on type of resections of HR-CAN (< 20mm, >20 mm, with or without good lifting), endoscopic success (technical success and outcomes), histologic assessment and follow-up in HR-CAN. Conclusion This is the first step in developing international consensus-based recommendations for endoscopic management of (HR-)CAN. Although the quality of available evidence was considered low, consensus was reached on several aspects of the management of (HR-)CAN. The present work and proposed standardization might benefit future studies.

Abstract We conducted a multi-center study to analyze factors predicting survival among patients with TP53-mutated (m) AML receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) in the recent era. Among 370 patients, 68 (18%) patients were bridge to allo-HSCT. The median age of the patients was 63 years (range, 33–75), 82% of patients had complex cytogenetics and 66% of patients had multi-hit TP53m. Forty three percent received myeloablative conditioning (MAC) and 57% received reduced intensity conditioning (RIC). The incidence of acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) was 37% and chronic GVHD was 44%. The median event-free survival (EFS) from the time of allo-HSCT was 12.4 months (95% CI: 6.24–18.55) and median overall survival (OS) was 24.5 months (95% CI: 21.80-27.25). In multivariate analysis utilizing variables that showed significance in univariate analysis, complete remission at day 100 post allo-HSCT retained significance for EFS (HR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.10–0.57, p = 0.001) and OS (HR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.10–0.50, p = < 0.001). Similarly, occurrence of chronic GVHD retained significance for EFS (HR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.09–0.46, p = < 0.001) and OS (HR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.15–0.75, p = 0.007). Our report suggests that allo-HSCT offers the best opportunity to improve long-term outcome among patients with TP53m AML.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and specimen quality of lymph node biopsies prepared through a novel automated system for automated fixation, drying and staining compared to standard slide preparation method. Methods: We performed a prospective, single-center study of patients undergoing endobronchial ultrasound. Samples were split into conventional standard of care (SOC) slide preparation and preparation using the device (ASP). Pathologists compared the SOC slides to the slides prepared by the automated system and assessed the following metrics: nuclear and cytoplasmic quality, presence of debris/artifact, staining quality, creation of a monolayer, and ease of adequacy/diagnosis assessment. A score between 1 (lowest quality) and 3 (highest quality) was assigned to the above metrics. Results: 60 patients were recruited. One to three lymph nodes were sampled for each patient with a total of 73 samples collected. The mean scores of each assessment category showed no statistical difference between the two preparation techniques except for improved monolayer creation in the ASP samples. All samples showed diagnostic equivalency between the automated slides and conventional slides except for one which was reported to be suspicious on the ASP sample and atypical on the SOC. Conclusion: Study results suggest that slides prepared by the automated system are of adequate quality for adequacy assessment with diagnostic concordance when compared to SOC slides.

AbstractAimsAn artificial intelligence algorithm detecting age from 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) has been suggested to reflect ‘physiological age’. An increased physiological age has been associated with a higher risk of cardiac mortality in the non-transplant population. We aimed to investigate the utility of this algorithm in patients who underwent heart transplantation (HTx).Methods and resultsA total of 540 patients were studied. The average ECG ages within 1 year before and after HTx were used to represent pre- and post-HTx ECG ages. Major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) was defined as any coronary revascularization, heart failure hospitalization, re-transplantation, and mortality. Recipient pre-transplant ECG age (mean 63 ± 11 years) correlated significantly with recipient chronological age (mean 49 ± 14 years, R = 0.63, P &lt; 0.0001), while post-transplant ECG age (mean 54 ± 10 years) correlated with both the donor (mean 32 ± 13 years, R = 0.45, P &lt; 0.0001) and the recipient ages (R = 0.38, P &lt; 0.0001). During a median follow-up of 8.8 years, 307 patients experienced MACE. Patients with an increase in ECG age post-transplant showed an increased risk of MACE [hazard ratio (HR): 1.58, 95% confidence interval (CI): (1.24, 2.01), P = 0.0002], even after adjusting for potential confounders [HR: 1.58, 95% CI: (1.19, 2.10), P = 0.002].ConclusionElectrocardiogram age-derived cardiac ageing after transplantation is associated with a higher risk of MACE. This study suggests that physiological age change of the heart might be an important determinant of MACE risk post-HTx.

Objective We investigated prolonged COVID-19 symptom duration, defined as lasting 28 days or longer, among people with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). Methods We analysed data from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance Vaccine Survey (2 April 2021–15 October 2021) to identify people with SARDs reporting test-confirmed COVID-19. Participants reported COVID-19 severity and symptom duration, sociodemographics and clinical characteristics. We reported the proportion experiencing prolonged symptom duration and investigated associations with baseline characteristics using logistic regression. Results We identified 441 respondents with SARDs and COVID-19 (mean age 48.2 years, 83.7% female, 39.5% rheumatoid arthritis). The median COVID-19 symptom duration was 15 days (IQR 7, 25). Overall, 107 (24.2%) respondents had prolonged symptom duration (≥28 days); 42/429 (9.8%) reported symptoms lasting ≥90 days. Factors associated with higher odds of prolonged symptom duration included: hospitalisation for COVID-19 vs not hospitalised and mild acute symptoms (age-adjusted OR (aOR) 6.49, 95% CI 3.03 to 14.1), comorbidity count (aOR 1.11 per comorbidity, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.21) and osteoarthritis (aOR 2.11, 95% CI 1.01 to 4.27). COVID-19 onset in 2021 vs June 2020 or earlier was associated with lower odds of prolonged symptom duration (aOR 0.42, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.81). Conclusion Most people with SARDs had complete symptom resolution by day 15 after COVID-19 onset. However, about 1 in 4 experienced COVID-19 symptom duration 28 days or longer; 1 in 10 experienced symptoms 90 days or longer. Future studies are needed to investigate the possible relationships between immunomodulating medications, SARD type/flare, vaccine doses and novel viral variants with prolonged COVID-19 symptoms and other postacute sequelae of COVID-19 among people with SARDs.