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PR interval (PR) prolongation is a predictor of atrial fibrillation, a common cardiac arrhythmia, and is an established risk factor for pacemaker implantation, heart failure, stroke, and all-cause mortality. Previous genome-wide association studies in European (EU) and African (AA) descent populations have identified multiple loci associated with PR. However, it is unclear whether these loci are relevant in other racial groups, including Hispanic/Latinos (HL). Extending studies to include admixed populations such as HL also provides the potential to narrow regions associated with PR and identify population specific variants. Therefore, we evaluated 1,135 SNPs from four previously identified PR loci ( SCN5A, SCN10A, CAV1-CAV2, and TBX5-TBX3 ), fine-mapped on the Illumina Metabochip for association with PR. Associations were examined using linear regression assuming an additive genetic model and adjusting for global ancestry and clinical covariates (age, sex, RR interval, body mass index, height, systolic blood pressure) in 11,800 HL participants from participating studies of the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) consortia. Three of the four loci ( SCN5A, SCN10A, and CAV1-CAV2 ) generalized to HL populations ( P <7.1E-4 based on the number of SNPs correlated at r 2 >0.2 with EU-identified index SNPs). At each of these loci, we identified SNPs with stronger evidence of association with PR than the EU-identified index SNP when examined in the HL population ( SCN5A : rs7374540; SCN10A : rs6801957; CAV-CAV2 : rs717957). Conditional analyses also identified two additional independent SNPs at each of the three generalized loci ( SCN5A : rs3796387, rs9861242; SCN10A : rs10428132, rs7433723; CAV1-CAV2 : rs3801995, rs3807994), representing potential secondary signals. Furthermore, linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns in Hispanics enabled the narrowing of the regions flanking the EU-identified index SNPs. For example, at the CAV1-CAV2 locus, HL LD patterns indicated that seven SNPs were in LD with rs3807989, the EU-identified index SNP, compared to 17 SNPs that were in LD with rs3807989 when applying EU LD patterns, reducing the size of the region by 71 kilobases. Finally, we examined evidence for population specific signals outside of the specific regions identified in EU populations which were associated with PR in Hispanics by focusing on SNPs uncorrelated with the EU index signals. At all four loci, multiple SNPs had evidence of association independent of the signals examined based on EU results. In conclusion, the same genetic loci that influence PR in European descent populations are also important in Hispanic populations, although we detected evidence for population specific SNPs. These results emphasize the importance of examining genetic associations in diverse populations in order to narrow the genomic interval for future functional interrogation.

Human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 (HIV-1 and HIV-2) diagnostic testing algorithms recommended by the Centers for Disease Control involve up to three tests and rely mostly on detection of viral antigen and host antibody responses. HIV-1 p24 antigen/HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody-reactive specimens are confirmed with an immunochromatographic HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody differentiation assay, and negative or indeterminate results from the differentiation assay are resolved by an HIV-1-specific nucleic acid amplification test (NAT).

Background: Patients with cerebral cavernous angiomas with symptomatic hemorrhage (CASH) have high risk of disability from recurrent bleeding. Candidate medications to prevent rebleeding in CASH lesions will require multisite clinical trials with standardized data collection. Objective: To report the prevalence and baseline cohort features in CASH patients and establish a research network infrastructure for trials. Methods: This prospective observational cohort study includes adults with radiologically verified CASH lesion within 1-year of consent. Exclusions include prior or planned surgical intervention, spinal location, or prior brain irradiation. Six sites enrolled patients into the screening and clinical assessment portion of the study starting July 2018. Patients also had the option to participate in the follow up biomarker validation at 4 sites. Baseline demographics, clinical and imaging information, and outcomes (mRS, PROMIS-29, NIHSS, and EuroQol-5D) were collected. Biomarker imaging included dynamic contrast enhanced quantitative perfusion (DCEQP) and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) that correlated with symptomatic bleeding. Descriptive statistics were performed and one-sample t-test was used to compare whether mean T-scores for PROMIS-29 domains differed significantly from a reference population. Results: As of May 2020, 849 CASH patients were screened of whom 110 (13%) were eligible and enrolled; 73 also enrolled into the biomarker validation study. Average age at enrollment was 46±16 years at a mean of 4.4 months after symptom onset; 53% were female, 41% were familial, and 43% of CASH lesions were brainstem location. At enrollment, 90% of the cohort had independent functional outcome (mRS ≤ 2 and NIHSS <5). Perceived health problems affecting QoL were reported in >30% (EuroQol-5D). CASH cases had significantly worse anxiety but better depression and social satisfaction scores compared to a general population (all P<0.01). Baseline DCEQP and QSM measures did not differ significantly across sites. Conclusion: We demonstrate feasibility of multisite recruitment of CASH patients and report prevalence of baseline features that will aid in design of clinical trials and inclusion of appropriate outcome measures.

Abstract Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death, yet its genetic determinants are not fully elucidated. We report a multi-ethnic genome-wide association study of CAD involving nearly a quarter of a million cases, incorporating the largest cohorts to date of Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics from the Million Veteran Program with existing studies including CARDIoGRAMplusC4D, UK Biobank, and Biobank Japan. We verify substantial and nearly equivalent heritability of CAD across multiple ancestral groups, discover 107 novel loci including the first nine on the X-chromosome, identify the first eight genome-wide significant loci among Blacks and Hispanics, and demonstrate that two common haplotypes are largely responsible for the risk stratification at the well-known 9p21 locus in most populations except those of African origin where both haplotypes are virtually absent. We identify 15 loci for angiographically derived burden of coronary atherosclerosis, which robustly overlap with the strongest and earliest loci reported to date for clinical CAD. Phenome-wide association analyses of novel loci and externally validated polygenic risk scores (PRS) augment signals from the insulin resistance cluster of risk factors and consequences, extend previously established pleiotropic associations of loci with traditional risk factors to include smoking and family history, and confirm a substantially reduced transferability of existing PRS to Blacks. Downstream integrative genomic analyses reinforce the critical role of endothelial, fibroblast, and smooth muscle cells within the coronary vessel wall in CAD susceptibility. Our study highlights the value of a multi-ethnic design in efficiently characterizing the genetic architecture of CAD across all human populations.

OBJECTIVE Surgical treatment for degenerative spondylolisthesis has been proven to be clinically challenging and cost-effective. However, there is a range of thresholds that surgeons utilize for incorporating fusion in addition to decompressive laminectomy in these cases. This study investigates these surgeon- and site-specific factors by using the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD). METHODS The QOD was queried for all cases that had undergone surgery for grade 1 spondylolisthesis from database inception to February 2019. In addition to patient-specific covariates, surgeon-specific covariates included age, sex, race, years in practice (0–10, 11–20, 21–30, > 30 years), and fellowship training. Site-specific variables included hospital location (rural, suburban, urban), teaching versus nonteaching status, and hospital type (government, nonfederal; private, nonprofit; private, investor owned). Multivariable regression and predictor importance analyses were performed to identify predictors of the treatment performed (decompression alone vs decompression and fusion). The model was clustered by site to account for site-specific heterogeneity in treatment selection. RESULTS A total of 12,322 cases were included with 1988 (16.1%) that had undergone decompression alone. On multivariable regression analysis clustered by site, adjusting for patient-level clinical covariates, no surgeon-specific factors were found to be significantly associated with the odds of selecting decompression alone as the surgery performed. However, sites located in suburban areas (OR 2.32, 95% CI 1.09–4.84, p = 0.03) were more likely to perform decompression alone (reference = urban). Sites located in rural areas had higher odds of performing decompression alone than hospitals located in urban areas, although the results were not statistically significant (OR 1.33, 95% CI 0.59–2.61, p = 0.49). Nonteaching status was independently associated with lower odds of performing decompression alone (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.19–0.97, p = 0.04). Predictor importance analysis revealed that the most important determinants of treatment selection were dominant symptom (Wald χ2 = 34.7, accounting for 13.6% of total χ2) and concurrent diagnosis of disc herniation (Wald χ2 = 31.7, accounting for 12.4% of total χ2). Hospital teaching status was also found to be relatively important (Wald χ2 = 4.2, accounting for 1.6% of total χ2) but less important than other patient-level predictors. CONCLUSIONS Nonteaching centers were more likely to perform decompressive laminectomy with supplemental fusion for spondylolisthesis. Suburban hospitals were more likely to perform decompression only. Surgeon characteristics were not found to influence treatment selection after adjustment for clinical covariates. Further large database registry experience from surgeons at high-volume academic centers at which surgically and medically complex patients are treated may provide additional insight into factors associated with treatment preference for degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Abstract INTRODUCTION Because treatment and clinical management decisions for children with NF1-OPG remain challenging, we sought to establish evidence-based guidelines. We prospectively enrolled children with newly-diagnosed NF1-OPGs, and gathered standardized clinical neuro-oncology and ophthalmology assessments. METHODS Only children with NF1 and newly diagnosed OPGs, confirmed by central review, were eligible. Indications for obtaining the initial MRI, as well as factors associated with the decision to treat with chemotherapy or observe without treatment, were obtained. Quantitative visual acuity (VA), other ophthalmic features, and imaging were captured at standard time points. Goal enrollment is 250 subjects. RESULTS One-hundred thirty-three children (52% female) from 20 institutions met inclusion criteria, and were included in this preliminary analysis. Eighty-six percent of subjects were able to perform quantitative VA testing at enrollment. The most common reasons for the diagnostic MRI included screening related to NF1 diagnosis (36.8%), ophthalmologic concerns (29.3%), and non-ophthalmologic concerns (24.8%), such as headache. To date, twenty subjects have initiated treatment with chemotherapy, twelve (9%) at the time of the initial OPG diagnosis. Median age at OPG diagnosis was 3.1 years. Age and sex distribution were similar in subjects immediately entering the observation and treatment arms (median age 3.0 versus 3.5 years, respectively). CONCLUSION Most children with NF1-OPGs are observed at time of their initial OPG diagnosis, rather than treated. Importantly, a large proportion of children are able to complete quantitative VA testing at enrollment. Once enrollment is complete, these data will help to establish evidence-based guidelines for clinical management of NF1-OPGs.

BACKGROUND Aneuploidy, defined by abnormal copy number changes of chromosomes, contributes to genome instability in multiple myeloma and has potential prognostic impact. Previous research has explored transcriptional pathways affected by aneuploidy. We aim to evaluate aneuploidy, clinical prognosis, and gene expression in RRMM patients (pts) who participated in MMRF (Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation) sequencing study at University of Michigan. We further used gene set analysis to identify enrichment and variation of genetic pathways associated with aneuploidy and overall survival (OS). This was a pilot study in view of applying similar methods to larger populations. METHODS DNA and RNA materials were obtained from 51 RRMM pts at the time of disease relapse. Targeted sequencing was performed with the Onco1700 panel and RNA sequencing was performed with a capture protocol using Agilent SureSelect All Exon V4, followed by paired end sequencing. Copy number variation (CNV) was estimated using an in-house pipeline using matched normal samples. Arm-level aneuploidy was defined as copy number status (gain, loss or neutral) with maximal proportion for each chromosomal arm. Aneuploidy score was determined by total number of arm-level CNV aberrations, with the median score defining high and low aneuploidy groups. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier (KM) and Cox regression. RNA-seq libraries were aligned with STAR aligner to the hg38 reference and read quantification were performed with featureCounts. We used gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) to obtain genetic pathway-level summaries for 50 hallmark pathways representative of cancer from the GSEA Molecular Signatures Database (https://www.gsea-msigdb.org/). Supervised GSEA was performed, based on differential analyses comparing gene expression profiles between high versus low aneuploidy groups to identify the differences in genetic pathways in RRMM pts. Unsupervised GSVA was applied to RNAseq count data of RRMM and newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) pts from the MMRF CoMMpass study (797 pts). Univariate Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify pathways having significant association with OS. RESULTS Arm scale aneuploidy analysis revealed high frequency of gains and losses in multiple chromosomes (Figure 1). RRMM pts with high aneuploidy scores had worse OS (median 15.9 months since study enrollment) compared to those with low scores (median not reached, p=0.027). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that high aneuploidy score is persistently associated with poor OS (hazard ratio (HR): 3.9, p=0.006), adjusting for t(4;14) and t(11;14). Hyperdiploidy (any whole chromosome carrying &gt;2 copies) was identified in chromosomes 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 19, 21, with frequency &gt;20%. Pts with hyperdiploidy had better OS via KM (p=0.04). Using RNAseq gene expression data and GSEA analysis, we found enrichment of gene markers involving the pathways for targets of E2F transcription factors (Normalized Enrichment Score (NES) = 2.07), G2-M checkpoint in the cell division cycle (NES = 1.87), MYC proto-oncogene (NES = 1.93 and 1.85), and DNA repair (NES = 1.68) in RRMM pts with high aneuploidy compared against those with low scores (Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted p-value &lt;0.001 for all pathways, Figure 2). GSVA analysis revealed 21 genetic pathways associated with survival in NDMM and RRMM pts, with 8, 2, and 11 pathways associated with OS in NDMM only, RRMM only, and both, respectively (Figure 3). Enrichment of several biological pathways involved with cellular growth, cell cycle regulation, and stress response (E2F, G2-M, MYC, DNA repair, mTORC1 signaling, UV radiation, mitotic spindle assembly, unfolded protein response, and peroxisome) are associated with poor survival (HR&gt;1) in both NDMM and RRMM pts. Downregulation of KRAS signaling pathway is associated with better survival (HR&lt;1) in both groups. CONCLUSION Aneuploidy, adjusted for chromosomal translocations, is an independent adverse prognostic factor for RRMM. Aneuploidy is correlated with dysregulation of major biological pathways involving cell cycle regulation, cellular division, oncogenes, and DNA damage repair. The majority of common pathways shared between RRMM and NDMM are linked to or reflective of genomic instability, and may explain association with poor survival. Disclosures Talpaz: IMAGO: Consultancy; Takeda: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Ye:Janssen: Research Funding; Portola: Research Funding; Millennium: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Research Funding; Nektar: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding.

AbstractAn unprecedented global pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has quickly overwhelmed the health care systems worldwide. While there is an absence of consensus among the community in how to manage solid organ transplant recipients and donors, a platform provided by the American Society of Transplantation online community “Outstanding Questions in Transplantation,” hosted a collaborative multicenter, multinational discussions to share knowledge in a rapidly evolving global situation. Here, we present a summary of the discussion in addition to the latest published literature.