Citations

SUMMARY Aging is accompanied by profound changes in bladder function, leading to increased urinary frequency and incontinence that impair quality of life in humans and are recapitulated in mouse models. Bladder filling and emptying rely on precise mechanosensory feedback, yet how aging alters this sensory control remains unclear. PIEZO ion channels convert mechanical forces into cellular signals essential for bladder fullness sensation. Using inducible smooth-muscle specific Piezo1 deletion, we find that loss of Piezo1 attenuates aging-related bladder dysfunction. Dietary enrichment with margaric acid, a membrane-active fatty acid previously shown to inhibit PIEZO channels, reduced urinary dysfunction in aged mice. In humans, genotype–phenotype analyses reveal an association between a PIEZO1 gain-of-function variant and early-onset neuromuscular bladder dysfunction. Together, these findings define a smooth-muscle, PIEZO1-mediated mechanosensory basis for aging-related bladder dysfunction and introduce a non-invasive strategy for targeting PIEZO channels in vivo .

Background: Ketamine and esketamine ((es)ketamine) rapidly reduce depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation (SI) in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but whether early SI improvement during the acute phase of the treatment predicts reduced suicide-associated emergency department (SAED) visits over the longer term remains unclear. Objectives: To examine whether early improvements in SI, measured using item 12 of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology – Self Reported (QIDS-SR), following (es)ketamine treatment are associated with SAED visits over 6 months Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Individuals with TRD who had available data on SI measured using the QIDS-SR during the acute phase, as well as data on SAED visits over 6 months, were included. Participants were classified based on changes in SI as resolved, partially improved, or unchanged/worsened using the QIDS-SR item 12 during acute treatment (up to six intravenous (IV) or eight intranasal (IN) treatments) and were followed for SAED visits. Results: Among 96 patients with SI data, 73 (76%) had baseline SI. Following acute-phase treatment, 36 (49%) achieved SI resolution, 14 (19%) partially improved, and 23 (32%) were unchanged/worsened. During the 6-month follow-up, 8 (11%) had post-acute SAED visits. While not statistically significant, patients with resolved SI had lower odds of post-acute ED visits (OR = 0.16, p = 0.12). Kaplan–Meier estimates of SAED visit-free survival across three SI change groups trended toward significance ( p = 0.066), suggesting lower cumulative healthcare (ED) utilization in more favorable change groups. Secondary analysis among 57 patients who received IV ketamine and had baseline SI showed that, after two infusions, 33 (47.2%) demonstrated a reduction in SI. Early SI improvement (⩾50% reduction in SI) was associated with a lower likelihood of any post-treatment SAED visit at 6 months after adjusting for pre-treatment SAED (OR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.02–0.98, p = 0.047), corresponding to numbers needed to treat of 4.3. Conclusion: Early SI changes may have prognostic implications, though larger studies are needed to confirm clinical significance.

ABSTRACT Metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL)-producing Enterobacterales are a global public health concern. Infections caused by these pathogens are often hard to treat, with few effective agents currently available. While aztreonam-avibactam only recently gained U.S. and European regulatory approval, laboratories have implemented laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) using existing aztreonam and ceftazidime-avibactam reagents. We sought to compare the performance of four phenotypic methods, up to three reagent manufacturers, and two media manufacturers. One hundred two MBL-producing Enterobacterales isolates were evaluated at two sites (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] and Johns Hopkins University [JHU] School of Medicine). The performance of four methods was evaluated: broth disk elution (BDE), disk stacking (DS), gradient diffusion strip stacking (SS), and a strip-to-disk proximity (strip-disk) method, which were compared to reference broth microdilution (rBMD) tested in parallel. Respective category agreement for CDC and JHU was 92.2% and 96.1% for BDE, 51%–76.5% and 31%–49% for DS, 71.6%–86.3% and 83.3%–86.3% for SS, and 82.4%–87.3% and 80%–89.2% for the strip-disk method. The SS essential agreement ranged from 46.1% to 62.7% for JHU and 54.9% to 92.2% for CDC. Interlaboratory reproducibility was 93.1% for rBMD, 92.2% for BDE, 47.1%–53.1% for DS, 76.5%–80% for SS, and 87.3%–88.9% for strip-disk. BDE was the only method that exceeded acceptable performance of >90% accuracy and reproducibility. DS had the lowest and most variable performance between sites and among the different disk manufacturers used. LDTs for combination testing can be highly variable, and further work is needed to improve standardization and harmonization to achieve accurate and reliable results for clinical purposes. IMPORTANCE Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales are classified as an urgent public health threat in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2019 Antibiotic Resistance Threats Report. Among the most concerning resistance mechanisms are carbapenemase enzymes encoded on mobile genetic elements, which can spread rapidly between bacteria. Of the various carbapenemases, metallo-beta-lactamases are particularly challenging, as they confer resistance to nearly all beta-lactams, and current treatment options remain limited. While aztreonam-avibactam has been U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for treating certain infections with limited or no alternative treatment options, no FDA-cleared susceptibility test is yet available. In this context, laboratory-developed methods, such as combination testing of aztreonam and ceftazidime-avibactam, play a critical role in guiding therapy. Our study evaluates several of the more common laboratory-developed tests compared to reference broth microdilution and found that broth disk elution was the most accurate; in contrast, other methods had variable performance, some demonstrating limited reliability and being prone to overcalling resistance.

Abstract Background Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) can cause severe illness requiring intensive care, but factors associated with critical illness among hospitalized patients are incompletely described. Method We performed a retrospective multicenter cohort study of adults hospitalized with PCR-confirmed HGA at Mayo Clinic Rochester and affiliated Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Minnesota and Wisconsin from 2014 through 2024. Patients who required ICU-level care were compared with those managed on general medical wards using exploratory univariate analyses (Fisher exact and Kruskal–Wallis tests). Results Among 101 hospitalized patients, 12 (12%) required ICU-level care. Symptoms documented at hospital presentation/admission were more frequent in ICU patients, including vomiting (64% vs 30%) and abdominal pain (55% vs 26%). On admission, ICU patients had lower sodium (mean 128.8 vs 132.3 mmol/L) and higher total bilirubin (mean 1.3 vs 0.8 mg/dL). Platelet nadir during hospitalization was lower in ICU patients (mean 54.8 × 109/L vs 84.1 × 109/L). Peak ferritin, measured in a subset, was markedly higher in ICU patients (median 21 666 vs 961 µg/L). The composite endpoint of HGA-related complications or serious treatment-related adverse events occurred more often in ICU patients (75% vs 17%); one death occurred in the ICU group. Conclusions In hospitalized adults with HGA, ICU-level care was associated with gastrointestinal symptoms at presentation/admission, admission hyponatremia and hyperbilirubinemia, lower platelet nadir, and marked hyperferritinemia when measured. Because these findings were derived from univariate group-level comparisons with substantial overlap between groups, they should be viewed as hypothesis-generating rather than individually predictive or sufficient as stand-alone triage criteria.

Abstract Background Older adults remain underrepresented in prospective trials of immunotherapy for advanced lung cancer. To estimate pembrolizumab adverse events, we conducted a multicenter, nonrandomized, open-label phase 2 trial of oncologist-choice first-line pembrolizumab with or without chemotherapy for older adults with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Methods Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology A171901 enrolled patients aged 70 years and older with stage IV or recurrent lung adenocarcinoma starting oncologist’s choice of first-line pembrolizumab with or without carboplatin and pemetrexed. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients experiencing a solicited grade 3 or greater adverse event within 6 months. Secondary endpoints included overall survival, quality of life, and association of a geriatric assessment toxicity risk score with severe adverse events. Results Among 95 evaluable patients, 43 (45.3%) received pembrolizumab and 52 (54.7%) received pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy. Median age was 77 years (range = 70-92 years); 11.6% had an E Performance Status of 2 or higher. During 6 months of treatment, 25.6% (95% CI = 13.5% to 41.2%) experienced a solicited grade 3 or greater adverse event in the monotherapy group and 42.3% (95% CI = 28.7% to 56.8%) in the combination group. Median overall survival was 16.4 months (95% CI = 10.1 to not estimable) with monotherapy and 29.9 months (95% CI = 16.4 to not estimable) with combination therapy. Quality of life worsened during treatment. The geriatric assessment toxicity risk score was not associated with severe adverse events with pembrolizumab with or without chemotherapy. Conclusions Older adults with advanced lung adenocarcinoma receiving pembrolizumab with or without chemotherapy had comparable adverse event rates to those in prior registration trials that excluded medically frail patients. These findings can inform shared decision making and support inclusion of older adults in future trials. Clinical Trial NCT04533451 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04533451)

Abstract Genetic counseling assistants (GCAs) support genetic counselors (GCs) and genetics clinic workflows, but their potential roles in pretest genetic counseling for rare diseases have not been explored. A pilot within the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine's Genetic Testing and Counseling Clinic (GTAC), which offers predefined tests for patients with rare disease, explored the impact of GCA pretest education on appointment time and patient questions. After training, GCAs met GTAC patients prior to the GC to provide scripted information on genetics concepts, the visit purpose, and the test including result types and disclosure plans. Data from the pilot and a control group were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics and two‐sided t ‐tests. Patient cohort characteristics did not differ between the two models. When a GCA provided pretest education, the GC spent an average of 11.2 minutes less with the patient during their session compared to visits completed solely by the GC ( p < 0.0001). Total appointment time was not impacted by GCA education. Questions asked to GCAs were often not within GCA scope to answer (72.7%), and some patients asked repetitive questions to both the GC and GCA (63.2%). Reduction in GC time per patient could lead to increased accessibility by allowing additional patients to be seen in a day. Similar models may support GCA professional development while allowing GCs to remove repetitive education from their genetic counseling sessions, leading to less burnout and/or increased job satisfaction. Impact on administrative workflows, access, revenue, patient satisfaction and outcomes and GC/GCA satisfaction and benefits can continue to be explored when trialing models incorporating GCAs in pretest education roles.

Introduction Female distance runners are at elevated risk for impaired bone remodeling due to high mechanical loading, potential low energy availability, and sustained inflammatory stress. Collagen peptide (CP) supplementation has been proposed as a nutritional strategy to support type I collagen synthesis and modulate osteoimmune signaling; however, evidence in premenopausal endurance athletes is limited. This pilot randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial examined the effects of four weeks of high-dose CP supplementation on markers of bone metabolism and inflammatory activity in endurance-trained premenopausal women. Methods Twenty-two participants (18–35 years; ≥35 miles/week [&gt;56km/week]) were randomized to CP (INT; 20 g/day) or isocaloric maltodextrin (CON). Pre- and post-intervention assessments, conducted in the early follicular phase, included serum procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (P1NP), plasma C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-1), serum soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (sRANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG), the sRANKL/OPG ratio, and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Repeated-measures ANCOVAs were performed, adjusting for accumulated running distance and vitamin D status. Results A significant group × time interaction was observed for P1NP ( p = 0.04), with increases in INT and no change in CON. No significant interaction was observed for CTX-1 ( p = 0.13). Significant interactions were also observed for sRANKL ( p = 0.046) and IL-6 ( p = 0.03). No significant interaction effects were detected for sRANKL, OPG, or the sRANKL/OPG ratio. Discussion Short-term CP supplementation increased a marker of bone formation, altered osteoclast-related signaling, and reduced IL-6 in endurance-trained premenopausal women. These findings support the potential for CP-mediated modulation of bone turnover and inflammatory activity and warrant further investigation in larger, adequately powered trials incorporating structural bone outcomes.