Citations

Background: The use of evidence-based therapies to treat cardiovascular comorbidities and risk factors in patients with AF in outpatient clinical practice has not been well characterized. Methods: Using a large, community-based registry of patients with AF in the United States, the prevalence of cardiovascular comorbidities and corresponding use of evidence-based therapies were determined. Results: Among 9,589 enrolled patients with AF, the median age was 75 years; 57.8% were male; 10.7% were non-white; 69.9% had Medicare or Medicaid; 31.8% had coronary heart disease, 32.2% had heart failure, 13.0% had peripheral vascular disease, and 29.5% had diabetes mellitus. Among eligible patients, 62.8% of 3,612 were prescribed an antiplatelet agent, 72.1% of 4,674 were prescribed a β-blocker, 59.7% of 5,121 were prescribed an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker, 15.7% of 624 were prescribed an aldosterone antagonist, 70.1% of 6,914 were prescribed a statin, 94.7% of 8,329 were prescribed an antihypertensive, 58.3% of 504 had an ICD, and 44.5% of 9,589 received all indicated evidence-based therapies ( Table ). Conclusion: Cardiovascular comorbidities and risk factors in patients with AF are often inadequately treated with evidence-based therapies in the outpatient practice setting, underscoring opportunities to improve care for patients with AF.

Abstract Introduction We investigated the longitudinal relationship between cortical amyloid deposition, anxiety, and depression and the risk of incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods We followed 1440 community‐dwelling, cognitively unimpaired individuals aged ≥ 50 years for a median of 5.5 years. Clinical anxiety and depression were assessed using Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventories (BAI, BDI‐II). Cortical amyloid beta (Aβ) was measured by Pittsburgh compound B positron emission tomography (PiB‐PET) and elevated deposition (PiB+) was defined as standardized uptake value ratio ≥ 1.48. We calculated Cox proportional hazards models with age as the time scale, adjusted for sex, education, and medical comorbidity. Results Cortical Aβ deposition (PiB+) independent of anxiety (BAI ≥ 10) or depression (BDI‐II ≥ 13) increased the risk of MCI. There was a significant additive interaction between PiB+ and anxiety (joint effect hazard ratio 6.77; 95% confidence interval 3.58–12.79; P = .031) that is, being PiB+ and having anxiety further amplified the risk of MCI. Discussion Anxiety modified the association between PiB+ and incident MCI.

Background Acute changes in GFR can occur after initiation of interventions targeting progression of CKD. These acute changes complicate the interpretation of long-term treatment effects. Methods To assess the magnitude and consistency of acute effects in randomized clinical trials and explore factors that might affect them, we performed a meta-analysis of 53 randomized clinical trials for CKD progression, enrolling 56,413 participants with at least one estimated GFR measurement by 6 months after randomization. We defined acute treatment effects as the mean difference in GFR slope from baseline to 3 months between randomized groups. We performed univariable and multivariable metaregression to assess the effect of intervention type, disease state, baseline GFR, and albuminuria on the magnitude of acute effects. Results The mean acute effect across all studies was −0.21 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 (95% confidence interval, −0.63 to 0.22) over 3 months, with substantial heterogeneity across interventions (95% coverage interval across studies, −2.50 to +2.08 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 ). We observed negative average acute effects in renin angiotensin system blockade, BP lowering, and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor trials, and positive acute effects in trials of immunosuppressive agents. Larger negative acute effects were observed in trials with a higher mean baseline GFR. Conclusion The magnitude and consistency of acute GFR effects vary across different interventions, and are larger at higher baseline GFR. Understanding the nature and magnitude of acute effects can help inform the optimal design of randomized clinical trials evaluating disease progression in CKD.

OBJECTIVE Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) results in significant morbidity. The duration of symptoms prior to surgical intervention may be associated with postoperative surgical outcomes and functional recovery. The authors’ objective was to investigate whether delayed surgical treatment for DCM is associated with worsened postoperative outcomes. METHODS Data from 1036 patients across 14 surgical centers in the Quality Outcomes Database were analyzed. Baseline demographic characteristics and findings of preoperative and postoperative symptom evaluations, including duration of symptoms, were assessed. Postoperative functional outcomes were measured using the Neck Disability Index (NDI) and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale. Symptom duration was classified as either less than 12 months or 12 months or greater. Univariable and multivariable regression were used to evaluate for the associations between symptom duration and postoperative outcomes. RESULTS In this study, 513 patients (49.5%) presented with symptom duration < 12 months, and 523 (50.5%) had symptoms for 12 months or longer. Patients with longer symptom duration had higher BMI and higher prevalence of anxiety and diabetes (all p < 0.05). Symptom duration ≥ 12 months was associated with higher average baseline NDI score (41 vs 36, p < 0.01). However, improvements in NDI scores from baseline were not significantly different between groups at 3 months (p = 0.77) or 12 months (p = 0.51). Likewise, the authors found no significant differences between groups in changes in mJOA scores from baseline to 3 months or 12 months (both p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Surgical intervention resulted in improved mJOA and NDI scores at 3 months, and this improvement was sustained in both patients with short and longer initial symptom duration. Patients with DCM can still undergo successful surgical management despite delayed presentation.

Abstract Background: Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is a potentially curative treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). While many factors influence the outcomes of allo-HCT in these leukemias, the independent impact of ABO mismatching between the patient and donor remains unclear. Methods: Using the CIBMTR database, we identified adults aged ≥18 years with AML or ALL who underwent allo-HCT from HLA-matched sibling donor (MSD) or 8/8 matched unrelated donor (MUD) between 2008-2018. We excluded patients who underwent transplant from a mismatched donor source or who received an ex-vivo T-cell depleted graft. Patients were stratified into cohorts based on ABO status (match, minor mismatch, major mismatch, bidirectional mismatch). Outcomes such as overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS), non-relapse mortality (NRM), relapse, incidence of acute graft versus host disease (GVHD), chronic GVHD, neutrophil engraftment, platelet engraftment and graft failure were evaluated. Survival analysis was done using Kaplan-Meier method and significant predictors were evaluated using Cox-proportional hazard regression method. Multivariate regression model included main effect (ABO status) and covariates (patient age, gender match, disease type, disease status, HCT-CI, Karnofsky performance status, donor type, conditioning intensity/use of TBI, stem cell source, GVHD prophylaxis, ATG/alemtuzumab use, transplant year). Results: Of 4946 patients who met the study criteria, 2741 patients (55.4%) were ABO matched, 1030 patients (20.8%) had minor ABO mismatch, 899 patients (18.1%) had major ABO mismatch and 276 patients (5.6%) had bidirectional ABO mismatch. Graft manipulation for ABO incompatibility was performed in 900 patients (minor ABO mismatch=532; major ABO mismatch=226; bidirectional mismatch=142), however, the information on individual graft manipulation techniques was limited. In multivariable analysis (table 1), major ABO mismatch significantly affected the OS, platelet engraftment and primary graft failure. Compared to ABO matched allo-HCT, major ABO mismatched allo-HCT was associated with worse OS (major mismatch - HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05-1.29; p=0.005), inferior platelet engraftment (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.77-0.90; p=&lt;0.001), and higher risk of primary graft failure [4.5% (major mismatch) vs. 3.2% (ABO matched) - HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.12-2.30, p=0.01]. There was a significant interaction between the ABO status and graft type (peripheral blood vs. bone marrow) for the acute GVHD grades 2-4 model, and they are presented separately (table 1). Bidirectional ABO mismatch also significantly impacted the outcomes such as acute GVHD grades 2-4 (in bone marrow stem cell subgroup, HR 0.50, 95%CI 0.27-0.93, p=0.02) in addition to a trend towards inferior survival and NRM (p-value not significant). Other outcomes such as relapse (p=0.41), acute GVHD grades 3-4 (p=0.13), and chronic GVHD (p=0.30) were not significantly influenced by the ABO status. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that pre-transplant ABO status is an independent predictor of survival and other post-transplant outcomes in a large cohort of patients with AML and ALL undergoing allo-HCT in the recent era. This demonstrates the importance of considering ABO status in the donor selection algorithms and potential strategies to mitigate its adverse impact. Due to the limited information available on graft manipulation strategies, the impact of graft manipulation techniques on the outcomes could not be evaluated and needs to be investigated in future studies. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Guru Murthy: Techspert: Consultancy; Guidepoint: Consultancy; Cancerexpertnow: Honoraria; Qessential: Consultancy; TG therapeutics: Other: Advisory board; Cardinal Health Inc.: Honoraria. Devine: Magenta Therapeutics: Current Employment, Research Funding; Tmunity: Current Employment, Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy, Research Funding; Johnsonand Johnson: Consultancy, Research Funding; Orca Bio: Consultancy, Research Funding; Be the Match: Current Employment; Vor Bio: Research Funding; Kiadis: Consultancy, Research Funding. Farhadfar: Incyte: Consultancy. Sharma: Vertex Pharmaceuticals/CRISPR Therapeutics: Other: Salary support paid to institution; Novartis: Other: Salary support paid to institution; Spotlight Therapeutics: Consultancy; Medexus Inc: Consultancy; CRISPR Therapeutics: Other, Research Funding; Vindico Medical Education: Honoraria. Stefanski: Novartis: Honoraria. Pulsipher: Equillium: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Adaptive: Research Funding; Jasper Therapeutics: Honoraria. Shaw: mallinkrodt: Other: payments; Orca bio: Consultancy.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, epidemiology, and associated risk factors of bloodstream infection (BSI) in patients who had previously undergone cardiac valve repair. Methods A population-based study that included 7 counties in southeastern Minnesota using the expanded Rochester Epidemiology Project (e-REP) for adults (≥18 years) who underwent valve repair between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2018 was conducted. Electronic health records were screened for development of BSI and infective endocarditis (IE) from the date of valve repair through 30 July 2020. A 1:4 nested case-control analysis was performed to determine an association, if any, of male sex, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and county of residence with BSI. Results A total of 335 patients underwent valve repair, of whom 28 (8.3%) developed an index case of BSI, with 14 episodes occurring within 1 year of surgery. The median age of patients with BSI was 70 years, and 79% were male. The crude incidence of BSI was 1671 cases per 100000 person-years and Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen. Case-control analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between CCI and incidence of BSI (P &lt; .001). Only 4 (14.3%) patients developed IE concurrent with the onset of BSI, and no patients developed IE subsequent to BSI. Conclusions The crude incidence of BSI following valve repair was higher in our e-REP cohort than previous population-based studies, and half of the BSI cases occurred within 1 year of surgery. Patients with a higher CCI at baseline were at increased risk of subsequent BSI.

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is a devastating primary brain tumor known for its heterogeneity with a median survival of 15 months. Clinical imaging remains the primary modality to assess brain tumor response, but it is nearly impossible to distinguish between tumor growth and treatment response. Ki67 is a marker of active cell proliferation that shows inter- and intra-patient heterogeneity and should change under many therapies. In this work, we assessed the utility of a semi-supervised deep learning approach for regionally predicting high-vs-low Ki67 in GBM patients based on MRI. We used both labeled and unlabeled datasets to train the model. Labeled data included 114 MRI-localized biopsies from 43 unique GBM patients with available immunohistochemistry Ki67 labels. Unlabeled data included nine repeat routine pretreatment paired scans of newly-diagnosed GBM patients acquired within three days. Data augmentation techniques were utilized to enhance the size of our data and increase generalizability. Data was split between training, validation, and testing sets using 65-15-20 percent ratios. Model inputs were 16x16x3 patches around biopsies on T1Gd and T2 MRIs for labeled data, and around randomly selected patches inside the T2 abnormal region for unlabeled data. The network was a 4-conv layered VGG-inspired architecture. Training objective was accurate prediction of Ki67 in labeled patches and consistency in predictions across repeat unlabeled patches. We measured final model accuracy on held-out test samples. Our promising preliminary results suggest potential for deep learning in deconvolving the spatial heterogeneity of proliferative GBM subpopulations. If successful, this model can provide a non-invasive readout of cell proliferation and reveal the effectiveness of a given cytotoxic therapy dynamically during the patient's routine follow up. Further, the spatial resolution of our approach provides insights into the intra-tumoral heterogeneity of response which can be related to heterogeneity in localization of therapies (e.g. radiation therapy, drug dose heterogeneity).

Abstract BACKGROUND EGFR is amplified in over 50% of glioblastoma and 20-30% have EGFRvIII mutations. Neratinib is a potent inhibitor of EGFR/HER2 approved for metastatic HER2+ breast cancer. To efficiently evaluate the potential impact of neratinib on overall survival (OS) in newly-diagnosed glioblastoma and to simultaneously develop information regarding potential genomic biomarker associations, neratinib was included as an arm on the Individualized Screening Trial of Innovative Glioblastoma Therapy (INSIGhT) trial. INSIGhT is a phase II platform trial using response adaptive randomization and deep genomic profiling to more efficiently test experimental agents in MGMT unmethylated glioblastoma and accelerate identification of novel therapies for phase III testing. Initial randomization was equal between neratinib, control, and two other experimental arms but subsequent randomization was adapted based on efficacy as determined by progression-free survival (PFS). We report preliminary results for the neratinib arm. METHODS Patients with newly diagnosed MGMT-unmethylated glioblastoma were randomized to receive either radiotherapy with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide or standard radiochemotherapy followed by adjuvant neratinib (240 mg daily). Treatment continued until progression or development of unacceptable toxicities. The primary endpoint was OS. Association between neratinib efficacy and EGFR amplification was also investigated. RESULTS There were 144 patients (70 control; 74 neratinib). Neratinib was reasonably well-tolerated with no new toxicity signals identified. PFS was compared (HR 0.84; p=0.38, logrank test – not significant) between the neratinib (median 6.05 months) and control (median 5.82 months) arms. For patients EGFR pathway activation the PFS HR was 0.53 (p-value=0.03 – significant, median PFS: neratinib, 6.21 months, control, 5.26 months). However, there was no significant improvement in OS in EGFR amplified/mutated patients (HR 1.05; p-value 0.87) between neratinib (median 14.2) compared to the control arm (median 14.6). CONCLUSION Neratinib prolonged PFS in the EGFR positive subpopulation but there was no overall PFS benefit, or any OS improvement.

The human species D Ad26 is being investigated as a low-seroprevalence vector for oncolytic virotherapy and gene-based vaccination against HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. However, there is debate in the literature about its tropism and receptor utilization, which directly influence its efficiency for certain applications. This work was aimed at determining which receptor(s) this virus uses for infection and its role in virus biology, vaccine efficacy, and, importantly, vaccine safety.

AbstractIntroductionMotoric cognitive risk (MCR), a clinical syndrome characterized by slow gait speed and subjective cognitive complaints, has been associated with dementia risk. The neuropathological features underlying MCR remain poorly understood.MethodsThe Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) community‐based cohort study classified participants using standardized criteria as MCR+/– and mild cognitive impairment (MCI)+/– at study baseline (2011–2013). We examined the 5‐year dementia risk and baseline brain structural/molecular abnormalities associated with MCR+ and MCI+ status.ResultsOf 5023 nondemented participants included, 204 were MCR+ and 1030 were MCI+. Both MCR+ and MCI+ participants demonstrated increased dementia risk. The pattern of structural brain abnormalities associated with MCR+ differed from that of MCI+. Whereas MCI+ was associated with comparatively smaller volumes in brain regions vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease pathology, MCR+ status was associated with smaller volumes in frontoparietal regions and greater white matter abnormalities.DiscussionMCR may represent a predementia syndrome characterized by prominent white matter abnormalities and frontoparietal atrophy.