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Objective To provide evidence‐based and expert guidance for the treatment and management of non‐renal systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); treatment and management of lupus nephritis are addressed in a separate guideline. Methods Clinical questions for treatment and management of SLE were developed in the PICO format (population, intervention, comparator, and outcome). Systematic literature reviews were developed for each PICO question, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology was used to assess evidence quality and formulate recommendations. The Voting Panel achieved a consensus of ≥70% agreement on the direction (for or against) and strength (strong or conditional) of each recommendation. Results We present recommendations and ungraded, consensus‐based good practice statements for the treatment and management of SLE that are applicable to pediatric and adult patients. Recommendations emphasize uniform treatment with hydroxychloroquine, limiting duration of glucocorticoid use, and early introduction of conventional and/or biologic immunosuppressive therapies to achieve and maintain control of SLE inflammation (remission or a low level of disease activity), reduce SLE‐related morbidity and mortality, and minimize medication‐related toxicities. Conclusion This guideline presents direction regarding treatment and management of SLE and provides a foundation for well‐informed, shared clinician–patient decision‐making. These recommendations should not be used to limit or deny access to therapies, as treatment decisions may vary due to the unique clinical situation and personal preferences of each person with SLE.

Abstract Context Evidence supports osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) as an effective manual therapy, although it remains underutilized by Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs). Objectives Understanding barriers preventing the broader adoption of OMM is essential to expanding access to it as a noninvasive treatment option. We set out to survey both DOs and non-DO clinicians to identify perceived barriers to OMM. Methods Survey items were adapted from prior studies utilizing an iterative refinement process that included cycles of pilot testing with revisions. Participants were recruited internally from Mayo Clinic Midwest – a large, multistate, healthcare system in the Midwest region of the United States – utilizing internal email. Participants were given a descriptive survey that was developed with support from the Mayo Clinic Survey Research Center. Results The survey was sent out to a total of 952 individuals, including 184 DOs and 768 non-DO clinicians (MD, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery [MBBS], nurse practitioners, and physician assistants). Respondents included 76 DOs (41.3 % response rate) and 91 non-DOs (11.8 % response rate). Of the 76 DO respondents, 21 (27.6 %) reported utilizing OMM clinically. Commonly reported barriers include time limitations, poor public perception, and lack of training in residency, and time is allocated to other professional interests. Conclusions Within a large health system that includes primary care and specialty care, few DOs practice OMM, citing time constraints, lack of residency training, and competing professional interests as primary barriers. These challenges might successfully be addressed through targeted osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) education in residency programs, enhanced compensation, and improved referral pathways.

ImportanceStudies suggest that everolimus may reduce the risk of rejection, cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) after heart transplant. Everolimus use is controversial because of data demonstrating higher infection deaths when everolimus is introduced de novo after transplant. It is unclear whether everolimus is safe and effective when initiated at 6 months posttransplant in children, a population in which median graft survival is limited to 15 years and randomized clinical trials are lacking.ObjectiveTo evaluate the safety and efficacy of everolimus combined with low-dose tacrolimus to prevent major adverse transplant events (MATEs) in children after heart transplant.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsMulticenter, randomized, open-label, clinical trial enrolling 211 patients who were alive 6 months after pediatric heart transplant at 25 US sites from February 2018 to August 2020. The last date of follow-up was April 17, 2023.InterventionsParticipants were randomized to receive everolimus and low-dose tacrolimus (n = 107) or standard-dose tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (n = 104) for 30 months.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary efficacy end point was the MATE-3 score at 30 months, a validated composite ordinal end point including acute cellular rejection, CAV, and CKD. The primary safety end point was the MATE-6 score, encompassing the MATE-3 score plus antibody-mediated rejection, infection, and posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder.ResultsAmong 211 children randomized, the mean age was 8.2 (SD, 6.3) years, 97 (46%) underwent transplant for congenital heart disease, and 49 (23%) were treated for rejection before 6 months. At 30 months, the mean MATE-3 score did not differ between the 2 treatment groups (mean difference, −0.32; 95% CI, −0.90 to 0.20; P = .16). The mean MATE-6 score was no higher in the everolimus group than in the mycophenolate group (baseline-adjusted mean difference, −0.40; 95% CI, −1.81 to 0.93), meeting the success criterion for safety (noninferiority margin <3). There were no differences in graft survival, MATE-free survival, or freedom from any individual MATE. Everolimus was associated with greater improvement in estimated glomerular filtration rate at 12 months (mean difference, 10.5 mL/min/1.73 m2; 95% CI, 1.09-19.91 mL/min/1.73 m2) and a lower incidence of CMV infection (hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.26-0.93).Conclusions and RelevanceAmong 6-month pediatric heart transplant survivors, everolimus and low-dose tacrolimus did not differ from tacrolimus and mycophenolate in preventing the composite of cellular rejection, CAV, and CKD at 30 months. However, everolimus and low-dose tacrolimus appear to be safe based on the total burden of 6 MATEs and may be associated with improved kidney function and less CMV infection.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03386539

Abstract The idea that it might be possible to prevent some forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia has finally come of age. The hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene accounts for ∼10% of all amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 10%–15% of all frontotemporal dementia diagnoses, with the two clinical syndromes co-manifesting in a significant number of patients. As a result, clinically unaffected carriers of pathogenic C9orf72 repeat expansions are currently the largest identifiable population at significantly elevated risk for both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, and in whom it might be possible to prevent the emergence of clinically manifest disease. Strategies for the design of disease prevention trials among clinically unaffected C9orf72 carriers have begun to emerge separately in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia fields. However, recognition of the need to define neurodegenerative diseases based on biology underscores the need to consider all potential clinical manifestations of a C9orf72 repeat expansion together, rather than the traditional siloed approach of focusing on only amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or only frontotemporal dementia. Indeed, emerging clinical and biological markers that might be used to quantify pre-symptomatic disease progression and to predict the short-term risk of phenoconversion to clinically manifest disease are shared across the phenotypic spectrum. Given the anticipated progress in the development of therapeutic strategies to target the C9orf72 repeat expansion, and the enthusiasm for prevention trials among the unaffected C9orf72 repeat expansion carrier population, now is the time to begin work on the design of disease prevention trials. To this end, The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration and The ALS Association supported a multi-stakeholder workshop (in Washington D.C., June 2024) to unify efforts to design a prevention trial for the population at elevated genetic risk for the phenotypic spectrum of C9orf72 disease. Here we describe recommendations emanating from this workshop for the selection of outcome measures, delineation of eligibility criteria, optimal use of biomarkers and digital health technologies, potential analytic frameworks and relevant regulatory considerations related to C9orf72 disease prevention trials. We also emphasize the importance of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia communities working together in partnership with the C9orf72 repeat expansion carrier community, the regulatory authorities and the broader drug development community.

Abstract Background and Aims Truncating variants in the TTN gene (TTNtv) are the most common genetic cause of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) but also occur as incidental findings in the general population. This study investigated factors associated with the clinical manifestation of TTNtv. Methods An international multicentre retrospective observational study was performed in families with TTNtv-related DCM. Shared frailty models were used to estimate associations of variant characteristics with lifetime risk of DCM, and logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for individual-level clinical risk factor profiles (cardiac conditions, cardiovascular comorbidities, lifestyle) and DCM. Results A total of 3158 subjects in 1043 families with TTNtv-related DCM were studied. TTNtv-positive subjects were 21-fold more likely to develop DCM [OR, 21.21; 95% confidence interval (CI), 14.80–30.39]. Disease onset was earlier in males, but was similar for TTNtv of different types and locations. The presence of clinical risk factors was associated with earlier DCM onset (OR, 3.41; 95% CI, 2.06–5.64), with a prior history of atrial fibrillation having a two-fold increased odds of DCM (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.27–3.32). The prevalence of clinical risk factors increased with age; however, the strength of the DCM association was greatest for young-onset (<30 years) disease (OR, 4.75; 95% CI, 2.35–9.60). Administration of beta-adrenergic receptor or renin-angiotensin system-blocking drugs prior to overt DCM was associated with 87% reduced odds of DCM (OR, .13; 95% CI, .08–.23). Conclusions Disease onset in TTNtv-associated familial DCM is dependent on individual patient context and is potentially modifiable by risk factor management and prophylactic therapeutic intervention.

Abstract The Centiloid scale is the standard for Amyloid (Aβ) PET quantification, widely used in research, clinical settings, and trial stratification. However, variability between tracers and scanners remains a challenge. This study introduces DeepSUVR, a deep learning method to correct Centiloid quantification, by penalising implausible longitudinal trajectories during training. The model was trained using data from 2,098 participants (6,762 Aβ PET scans) in AIBL/ADNI and validated using 15,806 Aβ PET scans from 10,543 participants across 10 external datasets. DeepSUVR increased correlation between tracers, and reduced variability in the Aβ-negatives. It showed the strongest association with cognition, highest AUC against visual reads and best longitudinal consistency between studies. DeepSUVR also increased the effect size for detecting lower Centiloid increase per year in the A4 study. DeepSUVR advances Aβ PET quantification, outperforming standard approaches, which is particularly important for consistent decision making and to detect subtle and early changes in clinical interventions.

Importance Tau positron emission tomography (PET) allows in vivo detection of neurofibrillary tangles, a core neuropathologic feature of Alzheimer disease (AD). Objective To provide estimates of the frequency of tau PET positivity and its associated risk of clinical outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants Longitudinal study using data pooled from 21 cohorts, comprising a convenience sample of 6514 participants from 13 countries, collected between January 2013 and June 2024. Cognitively unimpaired individuals and patients with a clinical diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), AD dementia, or other neurodegenerative disorders were included. Exposures Tau PET with flortaucipir F 18, amyloid-β (Aβ) PET, and clinical examinations. Tau PET scans were visually rated as positive according to a US Food and Drug Administration– and European Medicines Agency–approved method, designed to indicate the presence of advanced neurofibrillary tangle pathology (Braak stages V-VI). Main Outcomes and Measures Frequency of tau PET positivity and absolute risk of clinical progression (eg, progression to MCI or dementia). Results Among the 6514 participants (mean age, 69.5 years; 50.5% female), median follow-up time ranged from 1.5 to 4.0 years. Of 3487 cognitively unimpaired participants, 349 (9.8%) were tau PET positive; the estimated frequency of tau PET positivity was less than 1% in those aged younger than 50 years, and increased from 3% (95% CI, 2%-4%) at 60 years to 19% (95% CI, 16%-24%) at 90 years. Tau PET positivity frequency estimates increased across MCI and AD dementia clinical diagnoses (43% [95% CI, 41%-46%] and 79% [95% CI, 77%-82%] at 75 years, respectively). Most tau PET–positive individuals (92%) were also Aβ PET positive. Cognitively unimpaired participants who were positive for both Aβ PET and tau PET had a higher absolute risk of progression to MCI or dementia over the following 5 years (57% [95% CI, 45%-71%]) compared with both Aβ PET–positive/tau PET–negative (17% [95% CI, 13%-22%]) and Aβ PET–negative/tau PET–negative (6% [95% CI, 5%-8%]) individuals. Among participants with MCI at the time of the tau PET scan, an Aβ PET–positive/tau PET–positive profile was associated with a 5-year absolute risk of progression to dementia of 70% (95% CI, 59%-81%). Conclusions and Relevance In a large convenience sample, a positive tau PET scan occurred at a nonnegligible rate among cognitively unimpaired individuals, and the combination of Aβ PET positivity and tau PET positivity was associated with a high risk of clinical progression in both preclinical and symptomatic stages of AD. These findings underscore the potential of tau PET as a biomarker for staging AD pathology.

1114 Background: While treatment and management of TNBC has improved, there is a need for novel prognostic biomarkers to better inform outcomes and guide therapeutic options. ILF2 is a poorly characterized protein with pleiotropic functions that is highly expressed in TNBC. Here we evaluated the associations of ILF2 with 1) genomic and transcriptomic data, 2) tumor microenvironment (TME), and 3) clinical outcomes in TNBC. Methods: 15,544 breast cancer (BC) samples, including 3,038 TNBC, were tested by NGS (592, NextSeq; WES, NovaSeq) and WTS (NovaSeq; Caris Life Sciences, Phoenix, AZ). ILF2 -high (H) and ILF2 -low(L) TNBC were defined by respective quartiles. Immune cell fractions were estimated by WTS deconvolution (Quantiseq). Real world overall survival (OS) was obtained from insurance claims and calculated from tissue collection to last contact using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Statistical significance was determined by chi-square, Fisher’s exact, and Mann-Whitney U test with p-values adjustments (q < .05). Results: ILF2 expression (median Log2(TPM+1) was higher (all q < .05) in key subgroups: ductal compared to lobular carcinoma (6.4 vs 6.0); primary compared to metastatic BC (6.4 vs 6.3); African American compared to White (6.4 vs 6.3); basal compared to luminal A, luminal B, HER2 PAM50 subtypes (6.9 vs 5.8, 6.3, 6.3); and TNBC compared to HR+HER2+, HR-HER2+, HR+HER2- subtypes (6.7 vs 6.3, 6.4, 6.2). Biopsied tissues from primary TNBC (pTNBC) and metastatic TNBC (mTNBC) patients were stratified into ILF2- H and ILF2- L groups. In both mTNBC and pTNBC, ILF2- H groups had 1) higher percentage of young patients (age < 50) (pTNBC: 35.5% vs 19.8%; mTNBC: 28.1% vs 17.3%; all q < .05); 2) higher mutation frequency of TP53 (pTNBC: 94.5% vs 79.6%; mTNBC: 92.4% vs 74.4%), but lower frequencies for PIK3CA ( pTNBC: 5.1% vs 23.4% , mTNBC: 8.8% vs 27.4%), CDH1 ( pTNBC: 0.8% vs 6.1%; mTNBC: 2.8% vs 12.2%; all q < .05); 3) higher infiltration of NK cells (pTNBC: 3% vs 2.6%; mTNBC: 2.8% vs 2.6%), but lower infiltration of M2 Mφ (pTNBC: 2.5% vs 3.3%; mTNBC: 2.6% vs 3.2%) and Tregs (pTNBC: 1.5% vs 1.9%; mTNBC: 1.4% vs 1.7%; all q < .05); 4) higher expression levels of immune checkpoint ( CD274, PDCD1LG2, CTLA4, LAG3, HAVCR2, FOXP3, IDO1, CD276 , FC: 1.2-3.1; all q < .05), stem cell genes (C D44, NANOG, POU5F1, KLF4, ALDH1A1 , FC: 1.4-2.4; all q < .05), and drug efflux genes ( ABCC3, ABCC11, ABCC2, ABCB1, ABCG2, ABCC1 , FC: 1.1-4.5; all q < .05) compared to ILF2- L group. In pTNBC, ILF2- H had significantly shorter OS vs ILF2- L group (22.3 vs 28.9 months, HR 1.2 [95% CI 1-1.5], p = .03), but no significant differences were observed between mTNBC ILF2 groups (HR 1.1 [95% CI 0.93-1.3], p = .2). Conclusions: ILF2 -H TNBC patients showed differential genomic and transcriptomic alterations that relate to therapy resistance, immune suppressive TME, and shorter OS. Further studies are warranted to validate the effects of ILF2 upregulation on therapeutic efficacy.

1107 Background: Chronic stress-mediated β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) signaling promotes tumor growth via immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment (TME) in preclinical models. Blockade of β2-AR has shown higher survival benefit in patients with TNBC in observational studies compared to other breast cancer (BC) subtypes. However, the molecular and immunological features associated with ADRB2 (gene for β2-AR) gene expression in TNBC are unknown, prompting this investigation. Methods: 3,038 TNBC samples were analyzed via NGS (592-gene panel, NextSeq; WES/WTS, NovaSeq; Caris Life Sciences, Phoenix, AZ). Immune cell fractions were calculated by deconvolution of WTS: Quantiseq. TNBC ADRB2 -high(H) and ADRB2 -low(L) RNA expression were classified as above or below the 50 th percentile, respectively. Real-world overall survival (OS) was obtained from insurance claims and calculated from tissue collection to last contact using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Statistical significance was assessed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests with multiple comparison adjustments (q < 0.05). Results: ADRB2 gene expression was lowest in TNBC (median (TPM: 1.6) compared to N = 453 HR-HER2+ (1.9), N = 629 HR+HER2+ (2.0) and N = 4,918 HR+HER2- (2.2) BC (all q < 0.05). African American or Black patients (N = 670) had lower expression of ADRB2 compared to European American or White (N = 1,412) TNBC patients (1.3 vs 1.7, q < 0.05). ADRB2 -H TNBC had higher mutation frequency of PIK3CA (21% vs 15.4%), CDH1 (7% vs 3.5%), NF1 (8% vs 4%), AKT1 (3.5% vs 2.1%), but lower frequency of TP53 (81.6% vs 87.5%), NOTCH1 (2.5% vs 4.5%) and NOTCH3 (4.4% vs 11.7%) compared to ADRB2 -L, all q < 0.05. ADRB2 -H had greater PD-L1 (22C3) positivity (39.1% vs 30.2%, q < 0.05), higher % of B cells (4.5 vs 3.4), M1 Mφ (3.4 vs 2.8), M2 Mφ (3.9 vs 2.2), Tregs (2.2 vs 1.3), NK cells (3.1 vs 2.6), DC (3.1 vs 2.9), CD8 + T cells (0.9 vs 0.2), all q < 0.05. ADRB2 -H TNBC had higher T-cell inflamed score (95 vs -80), IFN γ score (-0.23 vs -0.37), MAPK activation score (-0.46 vs -1.7), all q < 0.05; and higher expression of immune checkpoint genes ( CD274, PDCD1, PDCD1LG2, CTLA4, LAG3, HAVCR2, FOXP3, IDO1, TNFSF14, TIGIT, BTLA, CEACAM1, CD47, CD274 ; fold change: 1.6-3.7, all q < 0.05). ADRB2 -H tumors had higher expression of genes related to inflammatory response, IFNγ response, IL6-JAK-STAT3 signaling (normalized enrichment score (NES): 1.9 – 2.1), while ADRB2 -L had enrichment of MYC targets V1, MYC targets V2, E2F targets and G2M checkpoint (NES: 2.5 – 4.2), all FDR < 0.01. ADRB2 -H TNBC had better OS (mOS: 23.6 vs 18.6 months; HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.73-0.89, p < 0.0001) compared to ADRB2 -L. Conclusions: High ADRB2 expression in TNBC is associated with better survival and an immune enriched TME, elevated immune checkpoints and other targetable vulnerabilities. Future studies are needed to investigate ADRB2 as a potential stress biomarker and therapeutic target.

1106 Background: TNBC, although an aggressive breast cancer (BC) subtype, is highly immunogenic and the only BC subtype where the ICI pembrolizumab is approved. However, predictive biomarkers for pembrolizumab benefit are limited. The chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10 attract CD8 + T cells into the tumor microenvironment (TME) and are associated with chemotherapy benefit, but little is known about their role in prediciting pembrolizumab benefit in TNBC. We investigated the association of CXCL9 , CXCL10 and their cognate receptor CXCR3 with TME and ICI efficacy. Methods: 3,038 TNBC samples were analyzed via NGS (592-gene panel, NextSeq; WES/WTS, NovaSeq; Caris Life Sciences, Phoenix, AZ). Tumor mutational burden (TMB) totaled somatic mutations per tumor (high > 10 mt/MB). Immune cell fractions were estimated using WTS deconvolution (Quantiseq). CXCL9 / CXCL10 / CXCR3 -high (H) and -low (L) tumors were classified by RNA expression above or below the 50th percentile. Real-world overall survival (OS) was derived from insurance claims and calculated from start of pembrolizumab to last contact using Kaplan-Meier. Statistical significance was assessed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney U with multiple comparison adjustments (q < .05). Results: TNBC expressed higher levels of CXCL9 and CXCL10 (median (TPM): 5.3 and 14.7) compared to N = 1,082 HER2+ (4.8 and 10.3, p < 0.05) and N = 4,918 HR+HER2- (2.7 and 7, q < .05) BC. CXCR3 expression was higher in TNBC compared to HR+HER2- (1.9 vs 1.7, q < .05), but no difference when compared to HER2+ (1.9 vs 2, q = 0.97) BC. CXCL9 / CXCL10 / CXCR3 -H TNBC had higher median OS post pembrolizumab [ CXCL9 -H vs -L: 26.5 vs 15.7 months (mo), HR: 0.65 (95% CI 0.5-0.84); CXCL10 -H vs -L: 26.0 vs 20.6 mo, HR 0.74 (0.57-0.95); CXCR3 -H vs -L: 32.6 vs 18.3 mo, HR 0.68 (0.52-0.88), all p < 0.05 ]. CXCL9 -H, CXCL10 -H and CXCR3 -H had higher PD-L1 positivity (22C3), TMB high, higher T cell inflamed score, TP53 mutations, elevated B and CD8 + T cells infiltration, but not neutrophils, and higher expression of immune checkpoint genes (Table). Conclusions: High CXCL9 / CXCL10 / CXCR3 expression is associated with longer survival in patients with TNBC post pembrolizumab, and characterized by an immune-enriched TME. Further investigation is needed to evaluate this chemokine axis in TNBC and its potential as a therapeutic target to enhance ICI efficacy. TME characteristics by CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCR3 expression. CXCL9 CXCL10 CXCR3 High Low q-value High Low q-value High Low q-value PD-L1 % 54 14 <.05 54 14.7 <.05 49 19 <.05 TMB high % 14.3 8 <.05 12.6 9.7 <.05 12.4 9.8 <.05 B cell (median %) 4.4 3.5 <.05 4.3 3.6 <.05 5 3.4 <.05 CD8+T cell (median %) 1.2 0 <.05 1 0 <.05 1.3 0 <.05 Neutrophil (median %) 4.2 4.5 <.05 4.2 4.4 <.05 4.2 4.3 0.2 T cell inflamed score 100 -84 <.05 98 -84 <.05 108 -100 <.05 CTLA4 (median TPM) 3.2 0.7 <.05 3 0.8 <.05 3.4 0.7 <.05 LAG3 (median TPM) 6.6 2.1 <.05 6.9 2 <.05 6.8 2 <.05 TP53 mutation % 88 81 <.05 90.5 78.6 <.05 86 83 0.08