Citations

Abstract Meniscal root injuries can compromise knee function and lead to early degenerative changes if not appropriately treated. Numerous techniques have been described; however, the technical difficulties in performing these repairs are well known. Furthermore, the relative strengths of various repair techniques have been examined. This article describes a single–working portal meniscal root repair technique using a double‐locking loop suture configuration with a novel suture‐passing device that offers a strong, reproducible repair construct. Technique Video video See video under supplementary data.

AbstractGenetic changes in colon cancer are known to parallel the tissue abnormalities associated with the disease, namely adenoma and adenocarcinoma. The role of microRNA dysregulation in dysplastic progression, however, is not well understood. Here, we show that miR‐182 and miR‐503 undergo sequential up‐regulation and drive the progression of colon adenoma to adenocarcinoma by cooperatively down‐regulating the tumour suppressor FBXW7. We identified that increased expression of miR‐182 is a feature of adenomas. A subsequent increase in miR‐503 expression works cooperatively with miR‐182 to induce transformation of an adenoma to adenocarcinoma. We show that introducing miR‐503 into AAC1 cells, which are derived from a benign adenoma, confers tumourigenic potential. We also demonstrated that blocking both miR‐182 and miR‐503 in HCT116 colon cancer cells resulted in increased FBXW7 expression and significantly reduced tumour size in xenograft models. We confirmed relevance of these results in patients by examining the expression levels of miR‐182 and miR‐503 in over 200 colon cancer patients with 12 year survival outcome data. Decreased patient survival was correlated with elevated expression of both miRNAs, suggesting that elevated levels of both miR‐182 and miR‐503 define a novel prognostic biomarker for colon cancer patients. In conclusion, we show that a sequential expression of miR‐182 and miR‐503 in benign adenoma cooperatively regulates the tumour suppressor FBXW7, contributing to the malignant transformation of colon adenoma to adenocarcinoma and miR‐182 and miR‐503 may prove to be novel therapeutic targets. Array data are available at: http://www.oncomir.umn.edu/ Copyright © 2014 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

ABSTRACT Small colony variants (SCVs) are naturally occurring subpopulations of bacteria. The clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with prosthetic joint infection (PJI) caused by staphylococcal SCVs are unknown. This study was a retrospective series of 113 patients with staphylococcal PJI, with prospective testing of archived sonicate fluid samples. SCVs were defined using two-investigator review. Treatment failure was defined as (i) subsequent revision surgery for any reason, (ii) PJI after the index surgery, (iii) prosthesis nonreimplantation due to ongoing infection, or (iv) amputation of the affected limb. There were 38 subjects (34%) with SCVs and 75 (66%) with only normal-phenotype (NP) bacteria. Subjects with SCVs were more likely to have been on chronic antimicrobials prior to surgery ( P = 0.048), have had prior surgery for PJI ( P = 0.03), have had a longer duration of symptoms ( P = 0.0003), and have had a longer time since joint implantation ( P = 0.007), compared to those with only NP bacteria. Over a median follow-up of 30.6 months, 9 subjects (24%) with SCVs and 23 (32%) with only NP bacteria experienced treatment failure ( P = 0.51). Subjects infected with Staphylococcus aureus were more likely to fail than were those infected with Staphylococcus epidermidis (hazard ratio [HR], 4.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.80 to 9.04). While frequently identified in subjects with PJI and associated with several potential predisposing factors, SCVs were not associated with excess treatment failure compared to NP infections in this study, where they were primarily managed with two-stage arthroplasty exchange. IMPORTANCE Bacteria with the small colony variant (SCV) phenotype are described in small case series as causing persistent or relapsing infection, but there are insufficient data to suggest that they should be managed differently than infection with normal-phenotype bacteria. In an effort to investigate the clinical importance of this phenotype, we determined whether SCVs were present in biofilms dislodged from the surfaces of arthroplasties of patients with staphylococcal prosthetic joint infection and assessed the clinical outcomes associated with detection of SCVs. We found that prosthetic joint infection caused by SCV staphylococci was associated with a longer duration of symptoms and more prior treatment for infection but not with an increased rate of treatment failure, compared to infection caused by normal-phenotype staphylococci.

Abstract There is a significant unmet medical need to develop more effective treatments for cancers of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common form of brain cancer, and successful long-term treatment has not been realized. Neuroblastomas (NB) arise in the sympathetic nervous system and are the most common extracranial solid tumor of childhood. Survival of children with disseminated, high-risk NB tumors is less than 50%, even with intensive multimodal treatment. To improve treatment outcome, inhibition of murine double minute 2 (MDM2) function in the context of front-line therapy is being explored. MDM2 is a multi-functional protein that plays a critical role in controlling cell growth and migration. MDM2 is a negative regulator of p53 and p73 and, under low stress conditions, sequesters them in the cytoplasm. However, inhibition of MDM2 interactions with p53 and p73 by the MDM2 antagonist nutlin3a can lead to activation of p53/p73-mediated cell-death in tumor cells. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the extent to which blockade of MDM2-p53/p73 interactions by nutlin3a, alone or in combination with front-line therapies, could augment cell death in GBM and NB cells with a variety of molecular profiles. Using the median effect model, we found that temozolomide (TMZ) and nutlin3a were synergistic in increasing cell death in wtp53 U87 and U373 but were predominantly additive in mtp53 U118 cells. Primary patient GBM cells were typically resistant to TMZ relative to established cell lines. However, resistance to TMZ was decreased in the presence of nutlin3a. Further, TMZ and nutlin3a were synergistic in primary GBM10 and GBM43 but not in recurrent primary IU-GBM16, IU-GBM23, IU-GBM27, and IU-GBM32 cells. Moreover, in NB cells with wtp53, nutlin3a and cisplatin were synergistic in MYCN nonamplified SK-N-SH and additive in MYCN amplified IMR5. In mtp53 NB cells, nutlin3a and cisplatin were synergistic in MYCN nonamplified SK-N-FI as well as in MYCN amplified SK-N-DZ. Nutlin3a alone produced dose-related increases in cell death of all GBM and NB cell lines irrespective of p53 status, suggesting that p53-independent mechanisms play a role in inhibition of cell growth produced by blockade of MDM2-mediated signaling. Consistent with this hypothesis, nutlin3a increased p73 protein levels in mtp53 GBM43 cells that were exposed to TMZ. Inhibition of MDM2 function also inhibited repair of TMZ-mediated DNA damage in GBM. In comet assays, nutlin3a+TMZ decreased DNA repair relative to TMZ alone in wtp53 U87 and GBM10 and in mtp53 GBM43 cells. The present results demonstrate that MDM2 is a valid therapeutic target in GBM and NB cells with varying genetic profiles. In conclusion, inhibition of MDM2 signaling by nutlin3a is generally synergistic to additive in combination with front-line chemotherapeutics used to treat cancers of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Citation Format: Harlan E. Shannon, Haiyan Wang, Shanbao Cai, Wei Michael Liu, Lawrence M. Gelbert, Aaron A. Cohen-Gadol, Jann N. Sarkaria, Lindsey D. Mayo, Karen E. Pollok. MDM2 as a therapeutic target: improving upon front-line chemotherapy for nervous system tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3435. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3435

Abstract Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) is the most common adult leukemia in the United States. Prior studies in Olmsted County, Minnesota, showed a CLL age and sex adjusted incidence rate of 6.6 per 100,000 during 1985-89. Subsequently, the definition of CLL is now based on the 2008 International Workshop on CLL (IWCLL) Guidelines. Individuals having a CLL immunophenotype by flow cytometry are classified as CLL if the absolute B-cell count (ABC) is >5 x 109/L or classified as monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) if ABC is <5 x 109/L. To assess the impact of these changes on the incidence of CLL and clinically discovered MBL, we conducted an incidence study in Olmsted County for the years 2000-2010. Methods Using diagnostic indexes available through the Rochester Epidemiology Project and the Mayo CLL database, we identified all CLL and clinically identified MBL cases from 2000-2010. Incidence rates and demographics were compared between the older National Cancer Institute-Working Groups 1996 guidelines (NCI-WG 96) defined as absolute lymphocyte count (ALC)> 5 x 109/L and the IWCLL 2008 guidelines defined as ABC > 5 x 109/L. Incidence rates were age and sex adjusted using the 2010 US white population. Time to treatment (TTT) survival analyses was from time of diagnosis to date of first treatment or last follow-up and Cox regression analysis was used. Results Using the NCI-WG 96 classification, there were 8 MBL cases and 115 CLLs in whom 61% were Rai stage 0, 34% were Rai stage 1-2, and 5% were Rai stage 3-4. Using the IWCLL 2008 classification, there were 44 MBL cases and 79 CLLs in whom 43% Rai stage 0, 49% were Rai stage 1-2 and 8% Rai stage 3-4. Median ALC at diagnosis was 8.1 x 109/L for CLL and 5.9 x 109/L for MBL. Median ABC count at diagnosis was 7.1 x 109/L for CLL and 2.8 x 109/L for MBL. The age and sex adjusted incidence rate (per 100,000) for CLL for 2000-2010 was 10.0 using NCI-WG 96 and 6.8 using IWCLL 2008. Rates for MBL were 0.66 using NCI-WG 96 and 3.5 using IWCLL 2008. The median TTT for CLL was 9.2 years using NCI-WG 96 and 6.5 years by IWCLL 2008. Discussion This study demonstrates that reclassification of CLL using the IWCLL 2008 guidelines decreases CLL incidence relative to the NCI-WG 96 criteria. For the first time, this population based study also establishes an incidence rate for clinically identified MBL. Approximately 50% of previously labeled Rai 0 CLL are now reclassified as MBL. Re-classification increases the percent of Rai stage 1-2 and decreases the percent of Rai 0 cases at diagnosis. Reclassification also substantially shortens the median TTT for newly diagnosed CLL cases classified by the 2008 criteria relative to the NCI-WG 96 criteria. In summary, the IWCLL 2008 reclassification has significant implications for incidence studies, staging, and prognosis of CLL and MBL. Citation Format: Aaron D. Norman, Timothy G. Call, Curtis A. Hanson, Neil E. Kay, Clive S. Zent, Wei Ding, James R. Cerhan, Sara J. Achenbach, Kari G. Rabe, Celine M. Vachon, Emily J. Hallberg, Tait D. Shanafelt, Susan L. Slager. Incidence of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis in Olmsted county, 2000-2010: impact of the 2008 International Workshop on CLL Guidelines. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2287. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2287

Abstract Background: The prognosis for stage III melanoma is variable, with the 5-year survival ranging from 23-87%. Previous studies have demonstrated both immune cell activation and dysfunction within the sentinel lymph node (SLN) of melanoma patients. We hypothesize that differences within the host response, specifically the immune cell profile of the SLN, may predict the heterogeneous behavior of stage III melanoma. Methods: A retrospective review of clinically node negative patients undergoing a SLN biopsy at our institution was undertaken. Thirty four SLN positive cases in which the patients also underwent a complete lymph node dissection were identified and the archived FFPE SLN blocks were obtained. A single tumor positive SLN was selected and immunohistochemistry was performed for dendritic cell markers (CD123, CD86, CD11c and HLA-DR), cytotoxic T cells (CD8), anergic T cells (PD-1) and regulatory T cells (Foxp3). Slides were digitized and analyzed for percent of the SLN staining positive for each respective marker using IHCscore. These findings were correlated with risk of further non-SLN disease in the same nodal basin as well as effect on disease-free and overall survival. Results: The SLN exhibited expression of both immune activation (CD8, CD86, and CD11c) and immune suppressive (CD123, PD-1 and Foxp3) markers. HLA-DR expression was significantly higher in females (52.07% vs. 42.32%, p=0.02). No other immune marker was associated with any baseline demographic or clinical variable. Median disease-free survival and overall survival was 6 months and not yet reached and 16 months and not yet reached for patients with and without non-SLN involvement, respectively; however, no difference was noted in any of the SLN immune markers between patients with and without non-SLN involvement. Increased CD8 expression in the SLN was associated with an improvement in disease-free survival (HR 0.94 p = 0.048) but not overall survival (HR 0.93 p = 0.07). In two variable multivariate analyses, CD8 expression remained independent for disease-free survival when adjusted for Breslow depth but not non-SLN involvement. The median disease-free survival for patients with low CD8 expression within the SLN was 19.5 months and median disease-free survival has not been reached in those with high CD8 expression in the SLN after a median of 59 months follow up (log-rank p = 0.05). Conclusion: Previous reports suggest T cell infiltration of melanoma tumors is an important prognostic factor. In this study we found that CD8 T cell accumulation within the SLN was associated with a disease-free survival advantage. Cytotoxic T cell accumulation within the SLN declines early in melanoma and the degree of CD8 depletion corresponds to the risk of disease recurrence. These findings support a key role for effector T cells in the control of melanoma progression. Citation Format: Travis E. Grotz, Aaron S. Mansfield, James W. Jakub, Svetomir N. Markovic, Tina J. Hieken. Immune cell profile of the SLN has prognostic value in stage III melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1266. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1266

Abstract Introduction: The appropriate assessment of HER2 amplification status is critical to determining which patients should receive HER2-directed therapy. An alternative to FISH is D-ISH (Ventana Medical Systems Tucson, Arizona) which utilizes chromogenic HER2 and chromosome 17 probes. Both FISH and D-ISH utilize formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) human breast cancer tissue specimens. D-ISH has two principle advantages over FISH: it can be visualized using light microscopy and after analysis the specimens can be archived. Methods: We tested 250 samples with FISH and with D-ISH. Fifty specimens were controls: 25 cases with no HER2 or CEP17anomaly and 25 cases with HER2 amplification. There were also 200 test subjects of 50 cases each of chromosome 17 aneusomy, HER2 deletion (HER2/CEP17 ratio <0.8), HER2 duplication (HER2/CEP17 ratio 1.3–1.8), and equivocal results (HER2/CEP17 ratios between 1.8 and 2.2). FISH (Abbott Molecular) and D-ISH analysis were performed using methods described in the appropriate clinical kit package inserts, with the following exception: Four cases with CEP17 and HER2 co-amplification were also included and for FISH analysis these cases were reflexed to the use of chromosome 17 control probe (D17S122). Results: Four samples failed testing by D-ISH. There was a 63% (155/246) concordance between FISH and D-ISH by anomaly (aneusomy, duplication, deletion, etc.) and an 83% concordance by amplification status (non-amplified, equivocal, and amplified). D-ISH detected 18 (62%) of F-ISH-amplified cases. D-ISH resulted in lower estimates of HER2/CEP17 ratios than FISH, and many cases that were equivocal by FISH were normal by D-ISH. D-ISH did not detect HER2 amplification in any of the four HER2 and CEP17 co-amplified cases. Conclusions: We observed a lower concordance rate between FISH and D-ISH than the ∼95% rate in the D-ISH package insert. This lower concordance rate is likely a result of how this study was designed: it was biased toward common chromosome 17 anomalies and difficult specimens. Such specimens comprise about 60% of our current clinical HER2 biomarker practice. D-ISH may underestimate the HER2/CEP17 ratio, or FISH may overestimate this ratio. D-ISH also does not reliably detect HER2 amplification when the centromere of chromosome 17 is also co-amplifed. Compared to FISH, in this study cohort D-ISH had a significant false negative rate for the detection of HER2 amplification. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr PD02-05.

Abstract Background: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare abdominal malignancy. We hypothesized that next generation exomic sequencing would identify recurrent mutations that may have prognostic or therapeutic implications. Methods and Materials: Ten patients were selected based on availability of tissue and adequate follow-up. Mutations were tested for in 236 cancer-related genes in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) slides using next-generation exomic sequencing (Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect MCL1 expression. Results: Detectable mutations were found in 80% of patients. Seventy percent harbored a KRAS mutation, most commonly involving codon 12 (G12D in four cases, and one case each of G12V, G12A and A59T). Four GNAS mutations (R201H/R201C substitutions) were also detected. MCL1 and JUN were concurrently amplified in three patients. One patient with MCL1 and JUN amplification had concurrent amplification of MYC and NFKBIA. ZNF703 was amplified in one patient. Patients with MCL1 amplification were also found to express MCL1 by IHC, but MCL1 expression was also detected in some patients without amplification. Conclusions: We are first to report MCL1 and JUN co-amplification in PMP. Expression of MCL1 may not be completely dependent upon amplification. The prognostic and therapeutic implications of these recurrent mutational events are the subject of ongoing investigation. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):A135. Citation Format: Aaron S. Mansfield, Terence Sio, Travis E. Grotz, Rondell P. Graham, Julian R. Molina, Florencia G. Que, Robert C. Miller. Concurrent MCL1 and JUN amplification in pseudomyxoma peritonei. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A135.