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Background: Limited information is available for patients with breast cancer (BC) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), especially among underrepresented racial/ethnic populations. Methods: This is a COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) registry-based retrospective cohort study of females with active or history of BC and laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection diagnosed between March 2020 and June 2021 in the US. Primary outcome was COVID-19 severity measured on a five-level ordinal scale, including none of the following complications, hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, and all-cause mortality. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression model identified characteristics associated with COVID-19 severity. Results: 1383 female patient records with BC and COVID-19 were included in the analysis, the median age was 61 years, and median follow-up was 90 days. Multivariable analysis revealed higher odds of COVID-19 severity for older age (aOR per decade, 1.48 [95% CI, 1.32–1.67]); Black patients (aOR 1.74; 95 CI 1.24–2.45), Asian Americans and Pacific Islander patients (aOR 3.40; 95 CI 1.70–6.79) and Other (aOR 2.97; 95 CI 1.71–5.17) racial/ethnic groups; worse ECOG performance status (ECOG PS ≥2: aOR, 7.78 [95% CI, 4.83–12.5]); pre-existing cardiovascular (aOR, 2.26 [95% CI, 1.63–3.15])/pulmonary comorbidities (aOR, 1.65 [95% CI, 1.20–2.29]); diabetes mellitus (aOR, 2.25 [95% CI, 1.66–3.04]); and active and progressing cancer (aOR, 12.5 [95% CI, 6.89–22.6]). Hispanic ethnicity, timing, and type of anti-cancer therapy modalities were not significantly associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes. The total all-cause mortality and hospitalization rate for the entire cohort was 9% and 37%, respectively however, it varied according to the BC disease status. Conclusions: Using one of the largest registries on cancer and COVID-19, we identified patient and BC-related factors associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes. After adjusting for baseline characteristics, underrepresented racial/ethnic patients experienced worse outcomes compared to non-Hispanic White patients. Funding: This study was partly supported by National Cancer Institute grant number P30 CA068485 to Tianyi Sun, Sanjay Mishra, Benjamin French, Jeremy L Warner; P30-CA046592 to Christopher R Friese; P30 CA023100 for Rana R McKay; P30-CA054174 for Pankil K Shah and Dimpy P Shah; KL2 TR002646 for Pankil Shah and the American Cancer Society and Hope Foundation for Cancer Research (MRSG-16-152-01-CCE) and P30-CA054174 for Dimpy P Shah. REDCap is developed and supported by Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research grant support (UL1 TR000445 from NCATS/NIH). The funding sources had no role in the writing of the manuscript or the decision to submit it for publication. Clinical trial number: CCC19 registry is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04354701 .

ImportanceIncreased white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume is a common magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) finding in both autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease (ADAD) and late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD), but it remains unclear whether increased WMH along the AD continuum is reflective of AD-intrinsic processes or secondary to elevated systemic vascular risk factors.ObjectiveTo estimate the associations of neurodegeneration and parenchymal and vessel amyloidosis with WMH accumulation and investigate whether systemic vascular risk is associated with WMH beyond these AD-intrinsic processes.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cohort study used data from 3 longitudinal cohort studies conducted in tertiary and community-based medical centers—the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN; February 2010 to March 2020), the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI; July 2007 to September 2021), and the Harvard Aging Brain Study (HABS; September 2010 to December 2019).Main Outcome and MeasuresThe main outcomes were the independent associations of neurodegeneration (decreases in gray matter volume), parenchymal amyloidosis (assessed by amyloid positron emission tomography), and vessel amyloidosis (evidenced by cerebral microbleeds [CMBs]) with cross-sectional and longitudinal WMH.ResultsData from 3960 MRI sessions among 1141 participants were included: 252 pathogenic variant carriers from DIAN (mean [SD] age, 38.4 [11.2] years; 137 [54%] female), 571 older adults from ADNI (mean [SD] age, 72.8 [7.3] years; 274 [48%] female), and 318 older adults from HABS (mean [SD] age, 72.4 [7.6] years; 194 [61%] female). Longitudinal increases in WMH volume were greater in individuals with CMBs compared with those without (DIAN: t = 3.2 [P = .001]; ADNI: t = 2.7 [P = .008]), associated with longitudinal decreases in gray matter volume (DIAN: t = −3.1 [P = .002]; ADNI: t = −5.6 [P < .001]; HABS: t = −2.2 [P = .03]), greater in older individuals (DIAN: t = 6.8 [P < .001]; ADNI: t = 9.1 [P < .001]; HABS: t = 5.4 [P < .001]), and not associated with systemic vascular risk (DIAN: t = 0.7 [P = .40]; ADNI: t = 0.6 [P = .50]; HABS: t = 1.8 [P = .06]) in individuals with ADAD and LOAD after accounting for age, gray matter volume, CMB presence, and amyloid burden. In older adults without CMBs at baseline, greater WMH volume was associated with CMB development during longitudinal follow-up (Cox proportional hazards regression model hazard ratio, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.72-4.03; P < .001).Conclusions and RelevanceThe findings suggest that increased WMH volume in AD is associated with neurodegeneration and parenchymal and vessel amyloidosis but not with elevated systemic vascular risk. Additionally, increased WMH volume may represent an early sign of vessel amyloidosis preceding the emergence of CMBs.

Abstract Disclosure: S. Fansa: None. W. Ghusn: None. E. Tama: None. B. Nicolalde: None. D. Anazco: None. S. D'Andre: None. S. Faubion: None. C. Shufelt: None. A. Acosta: None. M.D. Hurtado: None. Background: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) block estrogen synthesis and are used as adjuvant treatment for breast cancer. AIs are associated with weight gain that can lead to increased cardiometabolic risk, thereby affecting health and survivorship quality in these patients. The role of anti-obesity medications (AOMs) in patients using AIs has not been studied. We sought to investigate weight loss outcomes to AOMs in patients taking AIs for breast cancer treatment. Methods: This is a matched case-control retrospective cohort study of breast cancer survivors on AI using FDA-approved AOMs (AI/AOM group). We compared their weight loss outcomes with a group of female patients with obesity, without a history of breast cancer or AI use, on AOMs (AOM group). We matched patients by age and body mass index (BMI). Exclusion criteria: AOM initiation prior to AI therapy, ≤3 months of AOM use, history of bariatric surgery, active malignancy, or pregnancy. Primary endpoint: total body weight loss % (TBWL%) at 12 months. Secondary endpoints: TBWL% at 3 and 6 months and % of patients achieving categorical TBWL ≥5%, ≥10% and ≥15% at 12 months. We used Pearson χ2 and unpaired t-test to compare baseline characteristics and outcomes between groups, and univariate analyses to estimate the contribution of variables to TBWL% in the AI/AOM group. We present results as mean ± standard deviation. Results: We included 99 patients: 63 in the AI/AOM group (63.5±10 years, BMI 34.4±7.0 kg/m2) and 36 in the AOM group (60.4±8.7 years, BMI 36.3±6.9 kg/m2). Liraglutide, semaglutide and phentermine were the only AOMs used. There was no difference in the frequency of use of these three AOMs among both groups (p= 0.1). AI/AOM group had a lower TBWL% compared to the AOM group during follow-up: 3.7± 4.3% vs. 5.6 ± 4.1% (p= 0.03) at 3 months, 3.9± 4.3% vs. 9.5± 4.7% (p< 0.0001) at 6 months, and 5.2± 5.3% vs. 10.5± 6.8% (p< 0.0001) at 12 months. Although the AI/AOM group was more likely to use lower doses of AOMs (p= 0.0004), TBWL% differences persisted among groups at 12 months after adjusting for AOM dosing (p< 0.0001). There was no difference in nutritional and behavioral modification sessions among groups (p=0.06 and p=0.9, respectively). At 12 months, the percentage of patients achieving ≥5%, ≥10%, and ≥15% TBWL was greater in the AOM group compared to the AI/AOM group: ≥5% TBWL, 85.7% vs. 50.0% (p< 0.0001); ≥10%, 57.1 vs. 20.0% (p< 0.0001); and ≥15%, 28.6 vs. 5.0% (p< 0.0001); respectively. We found no predictors of TBWL% at 12 months in the AI/AOM group. Conclusion: Weight loss outcomes in breast cancer survivors on AIs taking AOMs are poorer compared to patients without breast cancer history and not taking AIs. Studies are needed to assess the mechanisms behind the different weight loss response to AOMs in women taking AIs, which we hypothesize may relate to AIs’ anti-estrogenic effect on lean and fat mass. Presentation: Friday, June 16, 2023

AbstractBackgroundTobacco use is associated with adverse outcomes among patients diagnosed with cancer. Socioeconomic determinants influence access and utilization of tobacco treatment; little is known about the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage (NSD) and tobacco assessment, assistance, and cessation among patients diagnosed with cancer.MethodsA modified Cancer Patient Tobacco Use Questionnaire (C‐TUQ) was administered to patients enrolled in nine ECOG‐ACRIN clinical trials. We examined associations of NSD with (1) smoking status, (2) receiving tobacco cessation assessment and support, and (3) cessation behaviors. NSD was classified by tertiles of the Area Deprivation Index. Associations between NSD and tobacco variables were evaluated using logistic regression.ResultsA total of 740 patients completing the C‐TUQ were 70% male, 94% White, 3% Hispanic, mean age 58.8 years. Cancer diagnoses included leukemia 263 (36%), lymphoma 141 (19%), prostate 131 (18%), breast 79 (11%), melanoma 69 (9%), myeloma 53 (7%), and head and neck 4 (0.5%). A total of 402 (54%) never smoked, 257 (35%) had formerly smoked, and 81 (11%) were currently smoking. Patients in high disadvantaged neighborhoods were approximately four times more likely to report current smoking (odds ratio [OR], 3.57; 95% CI, 1.69–7.54; p = .0009), and more likely to report being asked about smoking (OR, 4.24; 95% CI, 1.64–10.98; p = .0029), but less likely to report receiving counseling (OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.02–0.58; p = .0086) versus those in the least disadvantaged neighborhoods.ConclusionsGreater neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with smoking but less cessation support. Increased cessation support in cancer care is needed, particularly for patients from disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Abstract Lithium is the gold standard treatment for bipolar disorder (BD). However, its mechanism of action is incompletely understood, and prediction of treatment outcomes is limited. In our previous multi-omics study of the Pharmacogenomics of Bipolar Disorder (PGBD) sample combining transcriptomic and genomic data, we found that focal adhesion, the extracellular matrix (ECM), and PI3K-Akt signaling networks were associated with response to lithium. In this study, we replicated the results of our previous study using network propagation methods in a genome-wide association study of an independent sample of 2,039 patients from the International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen) study. We identified functional enrichment in focal adhesion and PI3K-Akt pathways, but we did not find an association with the ECM pathway. Our results suggest that deficits in the neuronal growth cone and PI3K-Akt signaling, but not in ECM proteins, may influence response to lithium in BD.

Adipose tissue plays a central role in the regulation of plasma triglyceride (TG) and fatty acid (FA) levels, whose elevation is associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Circulating TGs are hydrolyzed by lipoprotein lipase (LPL), releasing FAs that are taken up by adipocytes. Conversely, lipolytic action of adipose tissue triglyceride lipase (ATGL) mobilizes intracellular TG storage, supplying FAs via circulation for utilization by other tissues. However, how intracellular lipolysis influences intravascular lipolysis and atherosclerotic development remains largely unknown. Herein, the current study aimed to explore the role of G0S2, a selective protein inhibitor of ATGL, in this particular context. When treated with a Western diet and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting LDLR, mice with a global ablation of G0S2 exhibited a significantly reduced lesion formation in aorta and brachiocephalic artery than their wild type (WT) littermates. Despite of little to no impact on hypercholesterolemia, total plasma and lipoprotein-specific TG content were normalized in G0S2 -/- mice. While it did not elicit any effects on intestinal lipid adsorption and hepatic TG secretion, the G0S2 ablation resulted in considerable elevation of LPL activity and protein levels in both plasma and adipose tissue. Accordingly, these G0S2 -/- mice showed a greatly improved TG clearance upon an oral lipid challenge. Interestingly, transplantation of G0S2 -/- adipose tissue increased circulating LPL in the WD-treated WT mice, which subsequently displayed a profound reduction of plasma TG levels as well as alleviation of hepatic steatosis. By studying adipose tissue explants and primary adipocytes, we observed that the G0S2 ablation led to markedly improved insulin sensitivity, resulting in increased FOXO1 phosphorylation and decreased expression of the LPL inhibitor ANGPTL4. Together, our data indicate that in the absence of G0S2, upregulation of adipose tissue LPL plays an important role in the clearance of circulating TGs and alleviation of diet-induced hypertriglyceridemia and atherosclerosis. We thus conclude that adipocyte G0S2 acts as a critical switch of both intracellular and vascular lipolysis.