Citations

Abstract Patients with rare genetic disorders often wait years for a correct diagnosis, highlighting the urgent need for early and efficient triage for those at risk. Electronic health records (EHRs) are rich in useful information, yet the extent to which this data is sufficient to generate prediagnostic signals is uncertain. We trained machine learning models on billing codes and phenotypes extracted from clinical notes and applied these across eight conditions in a longitudinal cohort of roughly 3 million patient records from the Mayo Clinic, seeking early identification of conditions. The number of patients identified early varied by condition, ranging from 10% to 89% at 99% specificity. Median lead times exceeded one year prior to the first diagnostic billing code for most conditions, including Fabry disease (1,408 days), hereditary angioedema (2,755 days), neurofibromatosis type 1 (1,067 days), and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (2,320 days). We show that ML models trained on EHR data can prioritize patients for clinician review and confirmatory genetic testing and that the integration of diverse phenotypic data sources provides superior predictive value.

Abstract Background Sarcopenia is common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and contributes to adverse outcomes. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is the most common genetic cause of COPD, but its impact on skeletal muscle remains to be determined. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 487,207 participants in the UK Biobank with available SERPINA1 genotyping. Associations between AAT genotypes and measures of skeletal muscle mass were determined using multivariable linear and logistic regression models. Models adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, genetic principal components, lung function (FEV₁% predicted), and liver fibrosis risk (FIB-4). We determined that the Z-allele was associated with sarcopenia and mortality using regression models and mediation analysis. Results Compared with PI*MM individuals, carriers of the Z allele (PI*MZ, PI*SZ, PI*ZZ) demonstrated significantly lower fat free mass index (FFMI) and appendicular skeletal muscle index (ASMI), as well as higher odds of sarcopenia by binary definition. Associations persisted after adjustment for lung and liver function. A dose-dependent relationship was observed, with the greatest reductions in muscle mass and highest sarcopenia associated with PI*ZZ individuals (adjusted OR for FFMI-defined sarcopenia 2.02, 95% CI 1.16-3.32). Each additional Z allele was associated with increased mortality risk (adjusted OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.02-1.16), with sarcopenia mediating a modest proportion (∼2.6%) of this association. Conclusions. The SERPINA1 Z allele is associated with reduced muscle mass and increased risk for sarcopenia independent of lung and liver disease. Our findings expand the phenotypic spectrum of AATD-related diseases to include skeletal muscle as a modifiable target for intervention.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation can provide noninvasive measures of cortical excitability and plasticity, but relationships between these measures and clinically observable features of autism are not fully characterized. Nineteen autistic participants aged 15 to 40 years were included in the analysis of a left primary motor cortex continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) biomarker protocol. Motor evoked potentials were measured at baseline and at seven assessments from 5 to 60 min after stimulation. Linear mixed-effects models evaluated whether clinical measures moderated the post-stimulation motor evoked potential log-response ratio over time. Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Attenuated Behavior Questionnaire (ABQ) analyses were restricted to the same 15 participants with caregiver-informant assessments. Catatonia severity, social impairment, ABQ Motor Total, ABQ Total, and cognitive ability did not significantly moderate the post-stimulation response. ABC Inappropriate Speech was associated with progressively greater post-stimulation facilitation (standardized Time-by-Inappropriate Speech interaction: beta = +0.688, SE = 0.210, 95% CI +0.276 to +1.099; Holm-adjusted P = .008 across eight informant-rated models). Two individual speech-related items ("Talks excessively" and "Talks to self loudly") survived false-discovery-rate correction. An exploratory eight-item ABC phenotype showed a large descriptive in-sample association (beta = +0.904, SE = 0.200, P less than .001) and directionally positive held-out performance. However, full-pipeline permutation tests were nonsignificant for both Pearson (r = .357, two-sided empirical P = .360) and Spearman correlations (rho = .446, two-sided empirical P = .261). Caregiver-rated inappropriate speech may be associated with altered post-cTBS motor cortical facilitation in autism. The candidate phenotype remains hypothesis-generating and requires independent validation.

Cholangiopathies comprise a heterogeneous group of chronic liver diseases characterised by progressive bile duct injury, ductular reaction and fibrotic remodelling. Despite distinct aetiologies, these disorders share common cellular stressors that ultimately converge on cholangiocyte dysfunction and loss. In this context, programmed cell death has emerged as a central mechanism linking epithelial stress, immune activation and the development of biliary fibrosis. A range of regulated cell death pathways, including apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis and autophagy-dependent cell death, can be triggered in cholangiocytes in a disease-dependent and context-dependent manner. Growing evidence suggests that these pathways rarely act in isolation. Instead, they intersect through shared molecular nodes, forming integrated cell death programmes such as PANoptosis. Importantly, it is becoming clear that not only overt cell death but also sublethal activation of death-related signalling can perpetuate cholangiocyte dysfunction and fuel chronic disease progression. Current therapeutic strategies, such as ursodeoxycholic acid and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonists, mainly aim to modify bile composition and improve biochemical parameters. However, they do not directly target the molecular networks governing cholangiocyte death, which may partly explain their limited impact on fibrosis and long-term outcomes. In this review, we synthesise current knowledge on regulated cell death mechanisms in cholangiopathies, highlight key conceptual and technical challenges that complicate their interpretation and therapeutic targeting, and discuss how sublethal death signalling may connect with senescence to sustain cholangiopathy progression and shape therapeutic perspectives.

Purpose: Obesity is a major public health concern, and fat comprises a substantial portion of the orbital volume. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and orbital fat volume, and to assess whether BMI is associated with radiographic proptosis. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 99 orbits from patients who underwent orbital CT imaging between January 1 and December 31, 2018. Patients with systemic diseases affecting the orbits were excluded. When applicable, only the healthy orbit was analyzed. Subjects were evenly stratified into normal-weight, overweight, and obese groups by BMI. Using Visage Imaging Software, orbital structure volumes were measured. Orbital fat volume was calculated by subtracting extraocular muscle, globe, and optic nerve volumes from the total orbital volume. Multivariable linear regression, adjusted for age, gender, and race, assessed associations between BMI and orbital measurements. Results: Among individuals with BMI 17 to 25, total orbital volume increased by 1.20 cm 3 and orbital fat volume by 1.05 cm 3 per unit BMI. For BMI >25, both increased at a flatter slope. Obese patients had nearly double the orbital fat volume of normal-weight patients (10.7 vs. 5.4 cm 3 , p < 0.001). Radiographic proptosis trended higher in obese patients by 1.7 mm ( p = 0.114). Males had larger orbital structures and greater mean proptosis than females. Conclusions: Total orbital and fat volumes increased with BMI, particularly in the normal-to-overweight range. These findings support the need to update normative proptosis data and suggest weight loss may aid in managing mild symptomatic proptosis.

Abstract The apolipoprotein E ε4 ( APOE4 ) allele is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD), yet the mechanistic underpinnings by which it alters human microglial function remain poorly understood. Here, we utilize CRISPR/Cas9-engineered isogenic human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia-like cells (iMGs) expressing APOE3 or APOE4 to systematically interrogate genotype-dependent effects on microglial proteomes and their secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs) under basal and fibrillar amyloid-β (fAβ)-challenged conditions. Quantitative proteomics revealed that APOE4 iMGs exhibit downregulated RNA processing, impaired phagocytosis, and exacerbated pro-inflammatory signaling, particularly upon fAβ exposure. Functionally, APOE4 iMGs demonstrated increased NF-κB activation, enhanced neuronal apoptosis and tau pathology in 2D and 3D co-culture systems. Interestingly, APOE4 iMGs released greater amount of EVs enriched in proteasomal components over APOE3 iMG. Integrated proteomic analyses further highlighted APOE4 -specific selective packaging of EV cargo linked to neuron-glia communication, inflammatory signaling, and proteostasis dysregulation, suggesting a potent, non-cell-autonomous mechanism driving neuronal damage. Consistently, these APOE4 iMGEVs were preferentially internalized by neurons, leading to disrupted neuronal proteostasis, impaired neuronal firing, and increased tau phosphorylation, particularly under pathological stress. Notably, pharmacologic inhibition of NF-κB in APOE4 iMGs reduced EV cargo-loading of proteasomal molecules and mitigated iMGEV-driven neuronal dysfunction and tau pathology. These findings establish a mechanistic link between APOE4 , dysregulated microglial homeostasis, and microglial EV-mediated propagation of proteostatic dysfunction and neurodegeneration, advancing our understanding of how APOE4 contributes to AD pathogenesis.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the association of long-term, continuous tirzepatide use with cardiometabolic risk parameters and estimated 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in real-world practice. Methods This multicenter retrospective observational study included 1,028 adults with overweight or obesity who received weekly subcutaneous tirzepatide for at least 12 months within the Mayo Clinic Health System from June 2022 through May 2024. ASCVD risk analyses included 275 individuals with complete baseline and 12-month follow-up data. Outcomes were changes in cardiometabolic parameters, estimated 10-year ASCVD risk, and ASCVD risk category. Results At 12 months, median total body weight loss (TBWL) was 12.6%. Fasting glucose, HbA1c, triglycerides, and alanine aminotransferase decreased by 19.5%, 16.0%, 8.5%, and 10.6%, respectively, whereas HDL cholesterol increased by 11.3% (all P &lt; .001). Mean 10-year ASCVD risk did not change significantly overall (mean relative change, −3.7%; P = .18), but changes differed by TBWL category (ANOVA, P &lt; .001). ASCVD risk decreased among individuals achieving 10%–20% TBWL (−9.6%; P = .009) and &gt;20% TBWL (−14.2%; P = .005), but not among those achieving &lt;10% TBWL (+7.7%; P = .22). Low-risk prevalence increased from 38.3% to 46.4% (P &lt; .001), with 11.7% transitioning from higher-risk categories to low risk. Main findings Continuous tirzepatide use for at least 12 months was associated with clinically meaningful improvements in cardiometabolic parameters. Reductions in estimated 10-year ASCVD risk were observed among individuals achieving at least 10% TBWL, supporting greater weight loss as an important marker of cardiovascular risk improvement.

Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias are leading causes of death worldwide. While socioeconomic status (SES) is a critical determinant, its impact on mortality after diagnosis remains understudied. Objective To investigate the roles of neighborhood-level and individual-level SES in predicting mortality risk among older adults with incident dementia. Methods We analyzed data from 924 participants with incident dementia from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (N = 6909), a cohort with clinical follow-up visits every 15 months. We assessed mortality risk using Cox's time-varying survival regression, adjusting for time-fixed and time-varying covariates. Primary predictors were neighborhood-level SES (Area Deprivation Index [ADI]) and individual-level SES (housing-based SES index [HOUSES], education, and occupation). We also applied a random survival forest model to assess the predictive contribution of SES indicators and identify influential predictors. Results 857 participants (92.7%) died, with a median time from dementia diagnosis to death of 29 months (IQR: 12–54). Lower SES measured by HOUSES was associated with increased mortality risk (HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.07–1.52). Conversely, ADI, education, and occupation were not associated with mortality. Male sex, older age, congestive heart failure and diabetes were associated with higher mortality risk. In predictive analysis, HOUSES ranked among the top 10 contributors to mortality risk. Conclusions Among older adults with dementia, lower HOUSES was associated with higher mortality risk beyond neighborhood-level deprivation, education, and occupation. Integrating this housing-based individual-level SES measure into dementia care planning may help identify patients with greater socioeconomic vulnerability and inform mortality risk stratification.