Citations

Racial minorities remain underrepresented among allied health providers. Pathway programs address this gap by fostering career exposure and mentorship for underrepresented students. A pilot program was designed to increase underrepresented minority (URM) students entering health professions through career exploration and mentorship. High school students were enrolled into a pre-post survey study through a healthcare magnet school having higher proportions of economically disadvantaged students. Career exploration included healthcare presentations and skills sessions. Students were matched with mentors based on career interests. 22 students participated. The program facilitated career exploration sessions, mentor-mentee meetings, and workshops with diverse healthcare professionals. Participants reported increased likelihood towards pursuing healthcare careers. Preliminary findings suggest similar pilot pathway programs may increase URM student interest in healthcare careers.

A 46-year-old female was admitted to the hospital for confusion, cognitive decline, and hallucinations with alcohol withdrawal. Her history was notable for Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and family history of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Comprehensive workup was unrevealing for metabolic encephalopathy, infection, or nutritional deficiencies. Phosphatidyl ethanol level was 1181, indicating severe alcohol misuse. Phospho-Tau 217 testing raised suspicion of AD and FDG-PET scan confirmed patterns consistent with early onset AD. AUD can precipitate earlier or more severe onset of AD. Phospho-Tau 217 can be a useful screening marker to identify people at risk of AD to prompt intensive treatment.

Interlobular septal thickening (ILST) is a feature on chest computed tomography (CT) that is characterized by abnormal widening of the interlobular septa, which are thin connective tissues that separate secondary pulmonary lobules within the lung parenchyma. They contain pulmonary venules and lymphatic vessels. On CT, these septa are normally not visible in healthy patients. However, various pulmonary pathologic conditions can lead to ILST. If present, ILST can be categorized into 3 different patterns based on its morphologic appearance: smooth, nodular, and irregular/fibrotic. Each pattern occurs from different disease processes with little overlap. In this pictorial essay, we review common and rare etiologies for each type of ILST. For each disease, we discuss relevant pathophysiology, epidemiology, risk factors, symptoms, physical exam findings, labs, and management. Subsequently, we present the ILST features along with the distribution (eg, unilateral, bilateral, central, peripheral) and ancillary imaging findings that can support the diagnosis. Finally, characteristic and high-resolution figures are presented.

Purpose: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are increasingly recognized to have a hereditary predilection, yet the prevalence and clinical relevance of pathogenic germline variants (PGVs) in unselected patients with NEN remain poorly defined. This prospective, multicenter study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and clinical utility of PGVs through universal multigene panel testing in a diverse cohort of patients with NENs. Patients and Methods: Between 2018 and 2024, we enrolled unselected patients with NENs from 3 Mayo Clinic Cancer Centers. Germline genetic testing was performed using a next-generation sequencing panel of up to 84 cancer predisposition genes. Patients were not selected based on age, disease stage, ethnicity, or family history. Variants were classified as PGVs, variants of uncertain significance (VUS), or negative. Clinical and demographic data were analyzed descriptively. Results: Among 88 patients, PGVs were identified in 15.9% (n=14), most frequently in high- or moderate-penetrance genes including MEN1 , CHEK2 , MITF , and MUTYH . PGVs were most commonly found in pancreatic NENs [n=12/55 (21.8%)], followed by small bowel NENs [n=2/20 (10%)], with no PGVs detected in lung NENs. Mismatch repair (MMR) gene alterations were identified in 5.7% of patients, including 1 MLH1 PGV and 4 MSH2/MSH6 VUS, 2 of which demonstrated MMR deficiency by protein testing. VUS were reported in 34.1% of patients. Notably, 35.7% of PGV-positive patients did not meet current NCCN or ACMG testing criteria, and 53.9% had PGVs in genes outside of cancer-specific guideline recommendations. Conclusions: Universal germline testing in unselected patients with NEN identified clinically relevant PGVs in over 15% of cases. These findings support broader genetic testing approaches to guide treatment, enhance familial risk assessment, and inform cascade testing—regardless of traditional clinical selection criteria.

INTRODUCTION: Alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) is a severe condition with high short-term mortality. Identifying key predictors of poor outcomes is critical for guiding therapeutic strategies. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), a key determinant of tissue perfusion and systemic hemodynamics, may play a pivotal role in prognosis. METHODS: We analyzed a multicenter, prospective cohort of 323 patients hospitalized with AH, with validation in an independent cohort of 290 patients. Survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves and compared with the log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios for mortality, adjusted for Model for end stage liver disease score. Mechanistic insights were explored through assessment of cardiovascular biomarkers. RESULTS: A baseline MAP <80 mm Hg was associated with significantly higher mortality at both 28 days (27.3% vs 8.0%) and 90 days (40.3% vs 15.6%; P < 0.001 for both). This association persisted after adjusting for Model for end stage liver disease score, age, and baseline hepatic encephalopathy. The incidence of infections during follow-up was similar across MAP groups (27.6% vs 22.8%), but acute kidney injury occurred more frequently in the MAP <80 mm Hg group (62% vs 38%, P < 0.001). In the validation cohort, patients with MAP <80 mm Hg also demonstrated significantly lower 28-day transplant-free survival. Although B-type natriuretic peptide and plasma renin levels were altered in patients with AH, they did not correlate with MAP values. DISCUSSION: A baseline MAP <80 mm Hg is an independent predictor of short-term and mid-term mortality in patients with AH. Strategies aimed at restoring hemodynamic stability may improve outcomes in this high-risk population.

LBA10509 Background: The MCED test (Galleri) detects a shared cancer signal from cell-free DNA in blood and predicts a cancer signal origin (CSO) to guide diagnostic (dx) workup. PF2 (NCT05155605) is a large, prospective, multicenter, interventional study of the MCED test’s performance and safety in a diverse US intended-use population. Methods: PF2 enrolled participants aged ≥50y without clinical suspicion of cancer or cancer diagnosis/treatment within 3y of enrollment. Primary objectives were MCED performance and safety in terms of dx testing triggered by a positive (cancer signal detected) MCED test result. Participants with a positive MCED test underwent targeted dx workup guided by the predicted CSO(s). Participant-reported anxiety was assessed with the State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results: PF2 enrolled 35,878 participants; 32,007 with a 12m cancer assessment were analyzable for performance. Of 287 (0.9%) with a positive MCED test, 173 were diagnosed with cancer within 12m, for a cancer detection rate of 0.5% (95% CI 0.5-0.6%) and positive predictive value of 60.3% (54.5-65.8%). Specificity was 99.6% (99.6-99.7%). 12m episode sensitivity was 69.8% (62.8-76.0%) in a prespecified subgroup of 12 cancers responsible for ⅔ of US cancer deaths, 66.2% (55.1-75.8%) in a subgroup of 6 aggressive cancers with low 5y survival, and 39.3% (34.9-44.0%) across all cancers. Overall CSO prediction accuracy was 91.3% (86.2-94.7%) across all cancers. The MCED test detected 151 new primary and 22 recurrent cancers; additional cancers detected by screening were those with USPSTF A/B (n=31) and C (n=60) recommended screening. Of 151 MCED-detected new primaries, 80 (53.0%) were clinical stage I-II; 107 (70.9%) were stage I-III. Of 80 MCED-detected stage I-II cancers, 71.2% had no USPSTF A/B screening recommendation. Of 35,335 participants analyzable for safety, 213 (0.6%) had invasive procedure(s) to evaluate a positive MCED test result, of which 90% were nonsurgical and 1.8x more likely for participants with vs without cancer diagnosis. Most (87.6%) had a CSO-guided dx evaluation. There were 5 study-related adverse events during the time of dx workup; none were serious. Anxiety temporarily increased for participants with a positive MCED test and cancer diagnosed, and returned to baseline by 12m. Of participants with a positive MCED test, median time from test result to dx resolution was 48d (95% CI 43-56). Few participants (7/63 [11.1%]) had cancer found by dx PET/CT after a targeted dx workup that did not reveal cancer. Conclusion: The MCED test demonstrated robust performance with a favorable safety profile. When MCED testing was added to USPSTF A/B screening, 6.5x more cancers were detected by screening, most at early stages. The diverse, representative PF2 participant population supports the generalizability of these findings to the US intended-use population. Clinical trial information: NCT05155605 .

BACKGROUND: The EARLY TAVR trial (Evaluation of TAVR Compared to Surveillance for Patients with Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis) demonstrated that early transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was superior to clinical surveillance (CS) in asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis. The relative impact of early TAVR versus CS strategy by age is unknown. METHODS: The study population of the EARLY TAVR trial was stratified into 4 age groups: 65 to 69 years (n=141), 70 to 74 years (n=263), 75 to 79 years (n=250), and ≥80 years (n=247). Associations between age and the trial primary end point of death, stroke, or unplanned cardiovascular hospitalization; the composite end point of death, stroke, or heart failure hospitalization; and its individual components were examined. Interaction tests evaluated whether the treatment effect of early TAVR versus CS differed by age. RESULTS: No interaction was detected between age and the treatment effect of early TAVR versus CS for the composites or individual outcomes. We observed lower stroke rates with early TAVR compared with CS in the youngest (65–69 years, absolute risk reduction, 13%; P =0.008) and oldest (≥80 years; absolute risk reduction, 12.3%; P =0.029) age groups. The absolute difference in heart failure hospitalization rates between the early TAVR and CS arms at 2 years was greatest in the oldest patients (≥80 years, 9.1%; 75–79 years, 5.9%; 70–74 years, 5.1%; 65–69 years, 4.4%). In the CS group, time to conversion to AVR was similar across all age groups (median, 11 months; P =0.73). Approximately one-third of younger patients (65–69 years) in the CS arm presented with acute valve syndrome at the time of conversion, the frequency of which tended to increase with age ( P =0.06). CONCLUSIONS: In the EARLY TAVR trial, the relative benefit of early TAVR over CS was consistent among all age groups. The greatest absolute reduction in stroke rate with early TAVR compared with CS appeared in the youngest and oldest groups, whereas reduction in heart failure hospitalization was most pronounced in the oldest patients. These data suggest that early TAVR should be considered in all age groups above 65 years. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT03042104.

Abstract Skull bone marrow (BM) is a recently identified site for immune activation responsive to CNS insults. The extent to which adaptive immunity is generated through skull BM is poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated how skull BM supports the early expansion of antiviral CD8 T cells during acute neurotropic virus infection. Virus antigen-specific CD8 T cells were rapidly identified in skull BM at a rate comparable to lymphoid compartments during acute Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis viral (TMEV) infection. We therefore employed MHC class I conditional knockout mice and demonstrated the necessity of CD11c+ antigen-presenting cells (APCs) for the generation of various subsets of TMEV-specific CD8 T cells in skull BM. Importantly, the early expansion of skull BM-derived antiviral T cells was impeded by FTY720 treatment and restored upon shared circulation with a mouse exhibiting intact antigen presentation by CD11c+ APCs. Additionally, TMEV-specific CD8 T cells were retained in skull BM during both chronic CNS infection and long after infection has been resolved. Overall, we determined that skull BM responds to acute neurotropic viral infection through the rapid recruitment of virus-specific CD8 T cells primed in the periphery before serving as a reservoir for immunologic memory.