Citations

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is now an approved alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis. As the clinical adoption of TAVR expands, it remains important to identify predictors of mortality after TAVR. We aimed to evaluate the impact of sex differences in aortic valve calcium score (AVCS) on long-term mortality following TAVR in a large patient sample. Methods: We included consecutive patients who successfully underwent TAVR for treatment of severe native aortic valve stenosis from June 2010 to May 2021 across all US Mayo Clinic sites with follow-up through July 2021. AVCS values were obtained from preoperative computed tomography of the chest. Additional clinical data were abstracted from medical records. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox-proportional hazard regression models were employed to evaluate the effect of AVCS on long-term mortality. Results: A total of 2543 patients were evaluated in the final analysis. Forty-one percent were women, median age was 82 years (Q1: 76, Q3: 86), 18.4% received a permanent pacemaker following TAVR, and 88.5% received a balloon expandable valve. We demonstrate an increase in mortality risk with higher AVCS after multivariable adjustment ( P <0.001). When stratified by sex, every 500-unit increase in AVCS was associated with a 7% increase in mortality risk among women (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.07 [95% CI, 1.02–1.12]) but not in men. Conclusions: We demonstrate a notable sex difference in the association between AVCS and long-term mortality in a large TAVR patient sample. This study highlights the potential value of AVCS in preprocedural risk stratification, specifically among women undergoing TAVR. Additional studies are needed to validate this finding.

Introduction: Clue cells result from aberrant vaginal microflora and are associated with an increased vaginal pH, which can allow colonization of uropathogens in the vaginal introitus, increasing the risk for urinary tract infections (UTI). We sought to determine whether clue cells on vaginal wet preparation in the emergency department (ED) are associated with emergency physician diagnoses of UTIs and positive urine cultures. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis examining a dataset of women (≥18 years of age) who received both a genital wet preparation and urine testing in the ED. Both chi-square and multivariable regression analysis were performed. Results: We analyzed 14,952 encounters. On both univariable and multivariable analyses, emergency physicians diagnosed significantly fewer clue cell-positive women with a UTI (10.9% diagnosed with UTI vs 13.1% without UTI) (P <.001). Women with clue cells on vaginal wet preparation were not more likely to have a positive urine culture or have a urine culture growing Escherichia coli. Pregnant women with clue cells on vaginal wet preparation were not more likely to have a UTI or have a positive urine culture. Conclusion: Emergency physicians diagnosed significantly fewer women with UTIs when they found clue cells on vaginal wet preparation. Clue cells on vaginal wet preparation were not associated with an increased likelihood of a positive urine culture or having E. coli growing in the urine.

Abstract Background Cache Valley virus (CVV) is a mosquito-borne virus that is a rare cause of disease in humans. In the fall of 2020, a patient developed encephalitis 6 weeks following kidney transplantation and receipt of multiple blood transfusions. Methods After ruling out more common etiologies, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was performed. We reviewed the medical histories of the index kidney recipient, organ donor, and recipients of other organs from the same donor and conducted a blood traceback investigation to evaluate blood transfusion as a possible source of infection in the kidney recipient. We tested patient specimens using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the plaque reduction neutralization test, cell culture, and whole-genome sequencing. Results CVV was detected in CSF from the index patient by mNGS, and this result was confirmed by RT-PCR, viral culture, and additional whole-genome sequencing. The organ donor and other organ recipients had no evidence of infection with CVV by molecular or serologic testing. Neutralizing antibodies against CVV were detected in serum from a donor of red blood cells received by the index patient immediately prior to transplant. CVV neutralizing antibodies were also detected in serum from a patient who received the co-component plasma from the same blood donation. Conclusions Our investigation demonstrates probable CVV transmission through blood transfusion. Clinicians should consider arboviral infections in unexplained meningoencephalitis after blood transfusion or organ transplantation. The use of mNGS might facilitate detection of rare, unexpected infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients.

Abstract Obesity and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represent two intermingling epidemics driving perhaps the greatest unmet health problem in cardiovascular medicine in the 21st century. Many patients with HFpEF are either overweight or obese, and recent data have shown that increased body fat and its attendant metabolic sequelae have widespread, protean effects systemically and on the cardiovascular system leading to symptomatic HFpEF. The paucity of effective therapies in HFpEF underscores the importance of understanding the distinct pathophysiological mechanisms of obese HFpEF to develop novel therapies. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular features of the obese phenotype of HFpEF, how increased adiposity might pathophysiologically contribute to the phenotype, and how these processes might be targeted therapeutically.

Background: Osteochondral autograft transplant (OAT) is often used to treat large osteochondral lesions of the talus and is generally associated with good outcomes. The addition of adjuncts such as cartilage extracellular matrix with bone marrow aspirate concentrate (ECM-BMAC) may further improve the OAT procedure but have not been thoroughly studied. We hypothesized that the placement of ECM-BMAC around the OAT graft would improve radiographic and patient-reported outcomes following OAT. Methods: Patients who received OAT, with ECM-BMAC or BMAC alone, were screened and their charts were reviewed. For patients who did receive ECM-BMAC, the mixture was spread around the edges of the OAT plug and into any surrounding areas of cartilage damage. Survey and radiographic data were collected. Average follow-up in both groups was over 2 years. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were scored using the Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Tissue (MOCART) system. Outcomes were compared statistically between groups. Results: Patients treated with ECM-BMAC (n = 34) demonstrated significantly greater improvement of scores in the FAOS categories Symptoms (17 vs −3; P = .02) and Sports Activities (40 vs 7; P = .02), and the MOCART category Subchondral Lamina ( P = .008) compared to those treated with BMAC alone (n = 30). They also experienced significantly lower rates of postoperative cysts (53% vs 18%, P = .04) and edema (94% vs 59%, P = .02). Conclusion: The addition of ECM-BMAC to OAT was associated with improved imaging and clinical outcomes compared to OAT with BMAC alone.

Abstract Purpose: The identification of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes by hereditary cancer testing poses great challenges for the clinical management of variant carriers. The ACMG/AMP (American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics/Association for Molecular Pathology) variant classification framework, which incorporates multiple sources of evidence, has the potential to establish the clinical relevance of many VUS. We sought to classify the clinical relevance of 133 single-nucleotide substitution variants encoding missense variants in the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of BRCA2 by incorporating results from a validated functional assay into an ACMG/AMP-variant classification model from a hereditary cancer–testing laboratory. Experimental Design: The 133 selected VUS were evaluated using a validated homology-directed double-strand DNA break repair (HDR) functional assay. Results were combined with clinical and genetic data from variant carriers in a rules-based variant classification model for BRCA2. Results: Of 133 missense variants, 44 were designated as non-functional and 89 were designated as functional in the HDR assay. When combined with genetic and clinical information from a single diagnostic laboratory in an ACMG/AMP-variant classification framework, 66 variants previously classified by the diagnostic laboratory were correctly classified, and 62 of 67 VUS (92.5%) were reclassified as likely pathogenic (n = 22) or likely benign (n = 40). In total, 44 variants were classified as pathogenic/likely pathogenic, 84 as benign/likely benign, and 5 remained as VUS. Conclusions: Incorporation of HDR functional analysis into an ACMG/AMP framework model substantially improves BRCA2 VUS re-classification and provides an important tool for determining the clinical relevance of individual BRCA2 VUS.

8028 Background: Ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), a chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy with 2 B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)–targeting single-domain antibodies, led to early, deep, and durable responses in the phase 1b/2 CARTITUDE-1 study (NCT03548207) in heavily pretreated patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). At ̃1-year (y) median follow-up (MFU), overall response rate (ORR) was 97%; 67% of pts achieved stringent complete response (sCR). 1-y progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 77% and 89%, respectively (Berdeja 2021). Updated results 2-y post last patient in (LPI) will be presented (̃30-month total MFU). Here, we report CARTITUDE-1 results at 21.7-month MFU. Methods: Eligible pts with RRMM received ≥3 prior lines of therapy (LOT) or were refractory to a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and immunomodulatory drug (IMiD) and had received a PI, IMiD, and anti-CD38 antibody. Bridging therapy was permitted after apheresis. Pts received a single cilta-cel infusion (target dose 0.75×106 CAR+ viable T cells/kg) 5–7 days after lymphodepletion. Primary objectives were to evaluate cilta-cel safety and efficacy. Response was assessed per International Myeloma Working Group criteria by independent review committee and minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity at 10-5 by next-generation sequencing. Results: As of July 22, 2021, 97 pts (59% male; median age 61 y) received cilta-cel. Pts had a median of 6 (range 3–18) prior LOT; 84% were penta-drug exposed, 88% were triple-class refractory, 42% were penta-drug refractory, and 99% were refractory to last LOT. ORR was 97.9% (95% CI 92.7–99.7), 94.9% achieved very good partial response, and 82.5% achieved sCR. Median times to first response, best response, and ≥CR were 1.0, 2.6, and 2.9 months (m), respectively; median duration of response was not reached (NR). Of 61 pts evaluable for MRD, 92% were MRD negative (10-5), sustained for ≥6 m in 44% (27/61) and ≥12 m in 18% (11/61). 2-y PFS was 60.5% (95% CI 48.5–70.4). Median PFS and OS were NR. 2-y PFS rates in pts with sustained MRD negativity for ≥6 m and ≥12 m were 91% and 100%, respectively. There were no new safety signals or new events of CAR-T cell neurotoxicity, movement and neurocognitive treatment-emergent adverse events, or treatment-related deaths since 1-y MFU. 15 second primary malignancies were reported in 11 pts over ̃2-y MFU. Conclusions: At ̃2-y MFU, a single cilta-cel infusion led to deepening and durable responses in heavily pretreated pts with RRMM with a manageable safety profile. Follow-up is ongoing, and landmark 2-y post LPI data (̃8 m additional follow-up; ̃30 m total MFU) will be presented. Further investigations of cilta-cel are ongoing in earlier LOT and outpatient settings across the CARTITUDE program (NCT04133636, NCT04181827, NCT04923893). Clinical trial information: NCT03548207.

e19078 Background: Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), including polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), and myelofibrosis (MF), experience chronic disease-related symptoms. Surveying these patients while incorporating the MPN-Symptom Assessment Form (SAF) gains valuable insight. Independent surveys evaluating symptoms among MPN patients have seen disproportionate participation among females compared to males (upwards of 4:1). Though the general MPN patient population is roughly gender balanced, epidemiological studies show the occurrence of MPN types differ between men and women (MPN [%male]: PV [65%], ET [33%], MF [50%]. Mehta, et al. Leuk & Lymph 2014). In-clinic evaluations and international MPN surveys of disease-related symptoms suggest women report higher symptom burden on average compared to men, despite MPN type [Emanuel, et al. JCO 2012. Geyer, et al. Haematol 2017]. Further, a recent study across cancer trials showed women had a 34% increased risk of reporting severe symptoms [Unger, et al. JCO 2022]. This study aimed to evaluate gender imbalance in survey participation among MPN patient surveys and investigate its potential to overestimate symptom burden if gender is ignored. Methods: Five anonymous web-based surveys were used to assess the impact of disproportionate gender participation. The MPN-10 assessing the 10 most clinically meaningful SAF items was present in these surveys and generated the Total Symptom Score (TSS). Survey responses with no self-reported gender or ≥5 missing MPN-10 symptoms were excluded. Raking weights based on expected MPN population were applied at the survey- and MPN type-level. Relative bias of mean TSS was calculated to evaluate over- and underestimation due to this participation imbalance. Relative bias <5% is commonly acceptable. Results: There were 4962 survey participants total and 74% were female (Table). Epidemiologically expected gender frequency by MPN type was not seen (MPN [%male]: PV [31%], ET [15%], MF [37%]). The gender participation imbalance accounted for a 3.1% overestimation of overall TSS. This also resulted in a 6.8% underestimation of the mean difference in TSS between genders, across MPNs. Conclusions: Overall bias due to gender participation imbalance was relatively low. However, analyses considering gender differences were more impacted. Anonymous surveys should seek to reduce participation bias during the survey design phase. More research is needed to evaluate gender and other participation biases in surveys across cancer domains.[Table: see text]

e16260 Background: Therapeutic inhibition of constitutive signaling mediated by mutated KRAS in PDAC remains a challenge except for modest success reported with KRAS G12C inhibition. A combinatorial strategy utilizing simultaneous MEK and autophagy inhibition holds therapeutic promise based on mechanism of action and preclinical data. We described characteristics and outcomes of patients (pts) treated with MEK-inh and HCQ at our institution. Methods: Ten KRAS-mutated advanced PDAC pts were treated with trametinib-HCQ (n = 9) or cobimetinib-HCQ (n = 1) off label due to lack of standard treatment options or toxicity concerns with cytotoxic systemic therapy. Trametinib dose was 2 mg once daily orally, Cobimetinib dose was 20 mg BID orally for 3/4 weeks cycles. HCQ was started at 200 mg BID and up-titrated weekly to 600 mg BID. Description of baseline and treatment (tx) characteristics, safety and efficacy is provided. Results: Median age at diagnosis was 61.3 years, and 7 pts were female. The number of prior lines of tx were 0/1/2/3/4 in 3/2/1/2/2 pts, respectively. KRAS mutations were: G12R/G12D/G12V/Q61H in 6/2/1/1 pts. Median overall survival was 6.6 months (m) in all pts, and 6.6/1.7 m in KRAS G12R/other KRAS (p = 0.31). Median progression-free survival was 5.7/6.2/1.5 m in all/ KRAS G12R/other KRAS (p = 0.16). Among 8 pts with evaluable response, 1 (12%) had partial response ( KRAS G12R) and 4 (50%) stable disease (3/4 KRAS G12R) as best response with disease control rate of 63%/80%/33% in total/ KRAS G12R/other KRAS (p = 0.29). Toxicity data are summarized in table 1. Conclusions: MEK-inh-HCQ demonstrated modest efficacy and manageable toxicities among KRAS G12R PDAC pts. Unlike G12D and G12V mutations in the KRAS gene, G12R is defective of conductive interactions for both PI3Ka and NF1. This ultimately results in a weakened signal being shunted through MAPK cascade and provides a unique opportunity where MEK inh can ablate signaling without the alternate pathways and WT-RAS isoforms compensating. Furthermore, as activation of PI3Ka is known to suppress autophagy, its lack of activation by KRAS G12R further sensitizes cells to HCQ. The combination therapy MEK-inh-HCQ is therefore mechanistically-rationale and warrants the further investigation of KRAS G12R as an actionable biomarker.[Table: see text]