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Abstract Background Upadacitinib (UPA) is a selective and reversible Janus kinase inhibitor.U-ACCOMPLISH is one of two phase 3 induction trials that evaluated the safety and efficacy of UPA 45 mg once daily (QD) in adults with ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods U-ACCOMPLISH was a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (NCT03653026) that enrolled patients with moderate-to-severe UC (defined as adapted Mayo score 5–9 with centrally read endoscopic score 2–3) who had inadequate response, loss of response, or intolerance to aminosalicylates, immunosuppressants, corticosteroids and/or biologics. Patients were randomized 2:1 to UPA 45 mg QD or placebo (PBO) for 8 weeks. At week 8, responders entered the maintenance phase and non-responders entered the extended treatment period to receive open-label UPA 45 mg QD for additional 8 weeks.The primary endpoint (clinical remission per adapted Mayo Score) and ranked secondary endpoints including symptomatic, endoscopic– histologic evaluations from the 8-week PBO-controlled period are reported here. Non-responder imputation incorporating multiple imputation for missing data due to COVID-19 are reported. Results 522 patients were randomized (UPA, n=345; PBO, n=177); the intent-to-treat population included 341 patients in UPA and 174 patients in PBO group. Baseline demographics and disease characteristics were similar between groups; 50.7% and 51.1% were biologic inadequate responders in UPA and PBO groups, respectively (Table 1). A significantly higher proportion of patients receiving UPA 45 mg QD (33.5%) versus PBO (4.1%) achieved the primary endpoint (adjusted treatment difference: 29.0% [23.2, 34.7]; P<0.001). A significantly higher proportion of patients receiving UPA versus PBO also achieved all ranked secondary endpoints (all P<0.001; Figure 1).Serious adverse events were reported by 3.2% and 4.5% of patients in UPA and PBO groups, respectively (Table 2). Similar rates of serious infection were observed in both groups (0.6%); 2 events each of herpes zoster and opportunistic infection were reported in UPA group. No active tuberculosis, malignancy, adjudicated major adverse cardiovascular events, or deaths were reported in the study. One patient with venous thromboembolism (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism) and 1 patient with gastrointestinal perforation were reported in the placebo group. Conclusion In U-ACCOMPLISH, 8-week UPA 45 mg QD induction treatment led to statistically significant improvements in clinical, endoscopic, and combined endoscopic-histologic endpoints. The treatment was well tolerated, and the safety profile and AE prevalence was comparable with previous studies of UPA with no new safety signals identified.

In this study we aim to examine gene–environment interactions (GxEs) between genes involved with estrogen metabolism and environmental factors related to estrogen exposure. GxE analyses were conducted with 1970 Korean breast cancer cases and 2052 controls in the case-control study, the Seoul Breast Cancer Study (SEBCS). A total of 11,555 SNPs from the 137 candidate genes were included in the GxE analyses with eight established environmental factors. A replication test was conducted by using an independent population from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC), with 62,485 Europeans and 9047 Asians. The GxE tests were performed by using two-step methods in GxEScan software. Two interactions were found in the SEBCS. The first interaction was shown between rs13035764 of NCOA1 and age at menarche in the GE|2df model (p-2df = 1.2 × 10−3). The age at menarche before 14 years old was associated with the high risk of breast cancer, and the risk was higher when subjects had homozygous minor allele G. The second GxE was shown between rs851998 near ESR1 and height in the GE|2df model (p-2df = 1.1 × 10−4). Height taller than 160 cm was associated with a high risk of breast cancer, and the risk increased when the minor allele was added. The findings were not replicated in the BCAC. These results would suggest specificity in Koreans for breast cancer risk.

AbstractInformation about the effects of angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) therapy on the hemodynamic and cardiac structure in patients with chronic aortic regurgitation (CAR) and isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is limited.This study planned to test the hypothesis that l-arginine could further enhance the beneficial effect of an ARB, losartan, and provide a favorable effect on the natural history of CAR and ISH.Sixty patients with CAR and ISH were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind trial comparing hemodynamic and ultrasonic change in two treatment arms: losartan + l-arginine and losartan-only treated groups. Serial echocardiographic and hemodynamic studies were evaluated before and after treatment.Both groups had a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), LV end-systolic volume index (LVESVI), LV mass index (LVMI), and LV mean wall stress after 6- and 12-month treatment (p <0.01 in all comparisons). Both groups had a significant increase in LV ejection fraction and exercise duration after 6- and 12-month treatment (p < 0.01 in all comparisons). Using multivariate linear regression analysis, only losartan + l-arginine therapy achieved a significantly lower LVESVI (38.89 ± 0.23 mL/m2), LVEDVI (102.3 ± 0.3 mL/m2), LVMI (107.6 ± 0.3 g/m2), SBP (123.5 ± 1.0 mm Hg), and greater exercise duration (7.38 ± 0.02 minutes) than those of the losartan-only treated groups (p <0.01 in all comparisons).These findings suggest that early co-administrative strategy provides a beneficial approach to favorably influence the natural history of CAR.

OBJECTIVES: To compare clinical characteristics and outcomes of children admitted to the PICU for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2–related illness with or without multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. The secondary objective was to identify explanatory factors associated with outcome of critical illness defined by a composite index of in-hospital mortality and organ system support requirement. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Thirty-eight PICUs within the Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study registry from March 2020 to January 2021. PATIENTS: Children less than 18 years with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2–related illness with or without multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 394 patients, 171 (43.4%) had multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children were more likely younger (2–12 yr vs adolescents; p < 0.01), Black (35.6% vs 21.9%; p < 0.01), present with fever/abdominal pain than cough/dyspnea (p < 0.01), and less likely to have comorbidities (33.3% vs 61.9%; p < 0.01) compared with those without multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Inflammatory marker levels, use of inotropes/vasopressors, corticosteroids, and anticoagulants were higher in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children patients (p < 0.01). Overall mortality was 3.8% (15/394), with no difference in the two groups. Diagnosis of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children was associated with longer duration of hospitalization as compared to nonmultisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (7.5 d[interquartile range, 5–11] vs 5.3 d [interquartile range, 3–11 d]; p < 0.01). Critical illness occurred in 164 patients (41.6%) and was more common in patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children compared with those without (55.6% vs 30.9%; p < 0.01). Multivariable analysis failed to show an association between critical illness and age, race, sex, greater than or equal to three signs and symptoms, or greater than or equal to two comorbidities among the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children cohort. Among nonmultisystem inflammatory syndrome in children patients, the presence of greater than or equal to two comorbidities was associated with greater odds of critical illness (odds ratio 2.95 [95% CI, 1.61–5.40]; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study delineates significant clinically relevant differences in presentation, explanatory factors, and outcomes among children admitted to PICU with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2–related illness stratified by multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in promoting neuroplasticity following unilateral C2 spinal hemisection (C2SH). BDNF was administered intrathecally in rats displaying lack of ipsilateral inspiratory-related diaphragm (DIAm) EMG activity after C2SH. Acute BDNF treatment (30 min) restored eupneic DIAm EMG activity in all treated animals to 78% ± 9% of pre-C2SH level. In addition, acute BDNF treatment increased DIAm EMG amplitude during hypoxia-hypercapnia but had no effect on EMG amplitude during sighs.

Background: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a fatal acute tick-borne viral infection and a substantial emerging global public health threat. This illness has a high case fatality rate of up to 40%. The liver is one of the important target organs of the CCHF virus. Objective: The aim of this meta-analysis to evaluate the correlation between CCHF and liver injury and draw more generalized inferences about the abnormal serum markers of liver injury such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in CCHF patients. Methods: A literature search was accomplished for published eligible articles with MEDLINE/PubMed and Embase databases. All eligible observational studies and case series were included from around the world. The inclusion criteria were articles describing liver injury biomarkers AST and ALT amongst patients diagnosed with CCHF. Results: Data from 18 studies, consisting of 1238 patients with CCHF were included in this meta-analysis. The overall pooled prevalence of at least one raised liver injury biomarker was 77.95% (95% CI, I2 = 88.50%, p < 0.0001). Similarly, pooled prevalence of elevated AST and ALT was 85.92% (95% CI, I2 = 85.27%, p < 0.0001) and 64.30% (95% CI, I2 = 88.32%, p < 0.0001) respectively. Both Egger and Begg-Mazumdar’s tests detected no apparent publication bias in all three meta-analyses(p > 0.05). Conclusion: These elevated liver injury biomarkers have been identified as significant prognostic factors. Hence, Physicians must recognize and continuously monitor these biomarkers, since these aid early stratification of prognosis and the prevention of severe outcomes in infection with such a high case fatality rate.