Citations

Remote monitoring has the potential to improve patient care and satisfaction while reducing the cost of care and burden on the healthcare system for Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and Atrial Fibrillation (AF) patients. However, the device must be convenient and easy for the population to use correctly. In this study, human factors and qualitative researchers evaluated the use of a remote cardiac monitoring device during a clinical trial with 74 CHF and AF patients. Human factors usability concerns centered on device use and the information presented in the manual. The key themes identified during the qualitative analysis were related to patient education. These findings were incorporated into device design, user manual, or education material updates. This study illustrates how these methods can infuse patient experience into device design to inform continued quality improvement and usability refinement specifically in devices to aid CHF and AF patients without added burden.

An autoantibody target on brain microvascular endothelial cells in patients with neuromyelitis optica may be exploited to manipulate blood-brain barrier permeability.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of CT colonography versus optical colonoscopy for neoplastic involvement at the surgical anastomosis 1 year after curative-intent colorectal cancer resection. DESIGN, SETTING, PATIENTS, AND INTERVENTIONS: Two hundred one patients (mean age, 58.6 years; 117 men, 84 women) underwent same-day contrast-enhanced CT colonography and colonoscopy approximately 1 year (mean, 12.1 months; median, 11.9 months) after colorectal cancer resection as part of a prospective, multicenter trial. All patients enrolled were without clinical evidence of disease and considered low risk for recurrence (stage I–III). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Suspected neoplastic lesions within 5 cm of the colonic anastomosis were recorded at CT colonography, with subsequent colonoscopy performed for the same, with segmental unblinding of colonography findings. Anastomotic region biopsy or polypectomy was performed at the endoscopist’s discretion. RESULTS: None of the 201 patients had intraluminal anastomotic cancer recurrence or advanced neoplasia (or metachronous cancers). CT colonography detected extramural perianastomotic recurrence in 2 patients (1.0%); neither was detected at colonoscopy. Only 2 patients (1.0%; 2/201) were called positive at CT colonography for intraluminal anastomotic nondiminutive lesions (7- to 8-mm polyps), which were confirmed at colonoscopy but nonneoplastic at histopathology. At optical colonoscopy, the anastomosis was deemed abnormal and/or biopsied in 10.0% (20/201), yielding only 1 nondiminutive benign neoplasm (7-mm tubular adenoma). LIMITATIONS: The lack of luminal cancer recurrence in our lower-risk cohort precludes assessment of sensitivity for detection, rendering the study underpowered in this regard. Potential cost savings of combined CT/CT colonography over the standard CT/colonoscopy approach were not assessed. CONCLUSIONS: Relevant intraluminal anastomotic pathology appears to be very uncommon 1 year after colorectal cancer resection in lower-risk cohorts. Unlike colonoscopy, diagnostic contrast-enhanced CT colonography effectively evaluates both the intra- and extraluminal aspects of the anastomosis. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A471.

OBJECTIVEIn this analysis the authors compare the characteristics of smokers to nonsmokers using demographic, socioeconomic, and comorbidity variables. They also investigate which of these characteristics are most strongly associated with smoking status. Finally, the authors investigate whether the association between known patient risk factors and disability outcome is differentially modified by patient smoking status for those who have undergone surgery for lumbar degeneration.METHODSA total of 7547 patients undergoing degenerative lumbar surgery were entered into a prospective multicenter registry (Quality Outcomes Database [QOD]). A retrospective analysis of the prospectively collected data was conducted. Patients were dichotomized as smokers (current smokers) and nonsmokers. Multivariable logistic regression analysis fitted for patient smoking status and subsequent measurement of variable importance was performed to identify the strongest patient characteristics associated with smoking status. Multivariable linear regression models fitted for 12-month Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores in subsets of smokers and nonsmokers was performed to investigate whether differential effects of risk factors by smoking status might be present.RESULTSIn total, 18% (n = 1365) of patients were smokers and 82% (n = 6182) were nonsmokers. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, the factors significantly associated with patients’ smoking status were sex (p < 0.0001), age (p < 0.0001), body mass index (p < 0.0001), educational status (p < 0.0001), insurance status (p < 0.001), and employment/occupation (p = 0.0024). Patients with diabetes had lowers odds of being a smoker (p = 0.0008), while patients with coronary artery disease had greater odds of being a smoker (p = 0.044). Patients’ propensity for smoking was also significantly associated with higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class (p < 0.0001), anterior-alone surgical approach (p = 0.018), greater number of levels (p = 0.0246), decompression only (p = 0.0001), and higher baseline ODI score (p < 0.0001). In a multivariable proportional odds logistic regression model, the adjusted odds ratio of risk factors and direction of improvement in 12-month ODI scores remained similar between the subsets of smokers and nonsmokers.CONCLUSIONSUsing a large, national, multiinstitutional registry, the authors described the profile of patients who undergo lumbar spine surgery and its association with their smoking status. Compared with nonsmokers, smokers were younger, male, nondiabetic, nonobese patients presenting with leg pain more so than back pain, with higher ASA classes, higher disability, less education, more likely to be unemployed, and with Medicaid/uninsured insurance status. Smoking status did not affect the association between these risk factors and 12-month ODI outcome, suggesting that interventions for modifiable risk factors are equally efficacious between smokers and nonsmokers.

Abstract Background: Accumulating epidemiological studies positively associate healthy body mass index (BMI) and higher physical activity with lowered risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. Many of the proposed biomarkers underlying these associations, such as insulin, inflammatory markers, steroid hormones, and adipokines, are produced or regulated by adipose tissue. However, the biological impact of lifestyle factors at the level of the breast tissue, particularly adipose tissue in the breast, is unclear and may play a role in the etiology of breast cancer. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, we examined the impact of demographic and lifestyle factors on histological features of breast adipose tissue. Women (age) undergoing reduction mammoplasty surgery were consented to collection of their cancer-free breast tissue at the time of surgery. An adipose rich section of the sample was dissected under sterile conditions and formalin fixed. Samples were sectioned at 7 µm thickness and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The stained sections were imaged and mean adipocyte size was determined as diameter (µm) from 3 randomly selected areas at 10X magnification and each sample was scored by two independent assessors using Image J software. BMI status documented at the time of surgery was abstracted form medical records. A subset of women completed an additional visit where percent total body fat was measured by air displacement plethysmography and aerobic fitness (VO2peak) was measured by a maximal graded exercise test with expired gas collection. The association between adipocyte size and demographic/lifestyle factors was examined using multivariate linear regression adjusted for age and menopausal status. Results: Participants (n=42) were primarily Caucasian (77%) and pre/peri-menopausal (62%), with a mean age of 44.6±12.9 years (range 19-70) and mean BMI of 27.7±5.1 kg/m2 (range 19.1-37.4). Adipocyte size was associated with BMI (per 5 kg/m2 increase, β = 5.6±2.15, p=0.01) and number of pregnancies (β = 6.04±2.34, p=0.02), but not age (β = 0.1±0.3, p=0.81). In the subset of participants who completed an additional study visit (n=9), there was a trend towards an inverse association between adipocyte size and aerobic fitness (per 2 ml/kg/min of O2 consumption, β = -3.54±1.52, p=0.07) and percent body fat (per 2% increase, β = 1.94±1.28, p=0.17) in unadjusted analyses. Conclusion: Higher BMI is associated with larger adipocyte size in adipose tissue taken from the breast, suggesting a biological role for body composition in influencing gross histological features of adipocytes and its behavior that would impact the health of the mammary gland. A better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying the observed epidemiological associations are needed to guide the development of intervention strategies and the most effective public health messages for breast cancer prevention. Citation Format: Kristin L. Campbell, Nagarajan Kannan, Sarah E. Neil-Sztramko, Connie J. Eaves, Jonathan P. Little, Ilona Csizmadi, David Zhu, Sarah Sayyari, Kelcey Bland, James D. Johnson. Influence of lifestyle factors on adipocyte size in human breast tissue [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4258. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4258

Abstract Background: The increased number of T-lymphocytes residing in the tumors of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients is consistently shown to predict better survival of CRC patients independent of stage. In addition to tumor itself, T-lymphocytes also infiltrate normal tissues adjacent to tumors; however, little is known about how the inter-individual T-cell variability in tumor-adjacent tissues affects CRC prognosis. Our goal was to characterize total T-cells in colorectal tumor and tumor-adjacent tissues and study their associations with all-cause and CRC-specific survival in the Iowa Women’s Health Study. Methods: We constructed tissue microarrays and quantified CD3 antibody staining (Clone F.7.238; Dako), an established marker for total T-cells, in paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 463 women diagnosed with incident CRC from 1986-2002 (mean age at diagnosis was 74 years). Up to 3 tumor and 3 tumor-adjacent cores were immunostained for each person. An experienced pathologist quantified CD3+ T cells in each area using 4 categories: non-detected, mild (1-10 cells per 0.28 mm2); moderate (11-29 cells per 0.28 mm2); and strong infiltration (≥30 cells per 0.28 mm2). The obtained scores were averaged over all quantified cores for each person. Cox regression was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI for all-cause and CRC mortality in relation to (1) tumor score; (2) tumor-adjacent score; and (3) the ratio of tumor to tumor-adjacent score, hereafter called Score ratio. All scores were categorized in quartiles. The final model adjusted for age at diagnosis, SEER stage, tumor grade, body mass and smoking history. Results: During follow-up for a maximum of 25 years, 67% of participants diagnosed with CRC died (~30% died from CRC). There was a weak but significant correlation between CD3 tumor and tumor-adjacent scores (Spearman coefficient: r=0.15, p=0.02). CD3 tumor score was inversely associated with stage and was higher in those with proximal colon cancer, and for MSI-high, CIMP-high and BRAF-mutated tumors. The HRs (95%CI) for the highest versus lowest category of CD3 tumor score were 0.61 (0.44-0.84) (p-trend=0.003) for all-cause mortality and 0.27 (0.15-0.48) (p-trend &lt;0.0001) for CRC-specific mortality. The tumor-adjacent score was not associated with any characteristics or death. The associations between the Score ratio and all-cause and CRC survival mirrored those for the tumor score but were weaker. The HRs (95%CI) for the highest versus lowest quartile of the Score ratio were 0.70 (0.45-1.09) (p-trend=0.09) for all-cause and 0.45 (0.23-0.87) (p-trend=0.003) for CRC-specific mortality. Conclusions. Based on data from prospectively identified CRC cases in the IWHS cohort, colorectal tumor T-cell infiltration is associated with improved survival. Further investigation is needed to determine the T-cell subtypes that are most predictive of CRC survival outcomes. Citation Format: Anna E. Prizment, Robert A. Vierkant, Thomas C. Smyrk, Lori S. Tillmans, Heather H. Nelson, Charles F. Lynch, Stephen N. Thibodeau, Timothy R. Church, James R. Cerhan, Kristin E. Anderson, Paul J. Limburg. Associations between total T-lymphocytes and colorectal cancer survival in a prospective cohort study of older women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2247. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2247

Abstract Background: Many cancers share specific genetic risk factors, including both rare high-penetrance mutations and common SNPs identified through genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, little is known about the overall shared heritability across cancers. Quantifying the extent to which two distinct cancers share genetic origin will give insights to shared biological mechanisms underlying cancer and inform design for future genetic association studies. Methods: In this study, we estimated the pair-wise genetic correlation between six cancer types (breast, colorectal, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate) using cancer-specific GWAS summary statistics data based on 66,958 case and 70,665 control subjects of European ancestry. We also estimated genetic correlations between cancers and 14 noncancer diseases and traits. Results: After adjusting for 15 pair-wise genetic correlation tests between cancers, we found significant (P &lt; 0.003) genetic correlations between pancreatic and colorectal cancer (rg = 0.55, P = 0.003), lung and colorectal cancer (rg = 0.31, P = 0.001). We also found suggestive genetic correlations between lung and breast cancer (rg = 0.27, P = 0.009), and colorectal and breast cancer (rg = 0.22, P = 0.01). In contrast, we found no evidence that prostate cancer shared an appreciable proportion of heritability with other cancers. After adjusting for 84 tests studying genetic correlations between cancer types and other traits (Bonferroni-corrected P value: 0.0006), only the genetic correlation between lung cancer and smoking remained significant (rg = 0.41, P = 1.03 × 10−6). We also observed nominally significant genetic correlations between body mass index and all cancers except ovarian cancer. Conclusions: Our results highlight novel genetic correlations and lend support to previous observational studies that have observed links between cancers and risk factors. Impact: This study demonstrates modest genetic correlations between cancers; in particular, breast, colorectal, and lung cancer share some degree of genetic basis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(9); 1427–35. ©2017 AACR.

Purpose The purpose of this cadaveric study was to compare standard and modified coracoid transfer procedures, bicortical and tricortical iliac crest autografts, and tibial plafond and glenoid allografts with respect to glenoid surface curvature restoration. Methods Computed tomography scans of 8 cadaveric shoulders were acquired in 9 conditions: (1) intact, (2) 25% width defect, (3) classic Latarjet, (4) modified congruent‐arc Latarjet, (5) tricortical iliac crest inner table, (6) outer table, (7) bicortical iliac crest, (8) distal tibia, and (9) glenoid allograft. Outcome measures included articular surface area, width, depth, axial and coronal radius of curvature, and subchondral articular step‐off, analyzed in bone and soft‐tissue window. Results Reconstruction of the articular surface area was optimal with the glenoid allograft (99.4%), classic Latarjet (97.4%), and iliac crest bicortical graft (93.2%). Depth was best restored by the congruent‐arc Latarjet (101.0%), tibial (98.9%), and glenoid (95.3%) allografts. Axial curvature was closely matched by the glenoid allograft (97.5%), classic Latarjet (108.7%), and iliac bicortical graft (91.2%). Coronal curvature was most accurately restored by the glenoid allograft (102.6%), the tibial allograft (115.0%), and the classic Latarjet (55.9%). The articular step‐off was smallest using the glenoid allograft. Conclusions Overall, glenoid allografts most accurately restored articular geometry. Alternative grafts provided restoration of some parameters but not others. Classic Latarjet performed well in axial and coronal curvature on average but exhibited large variability. Tibial allograft produced the poorest results in axial curvature, despite excellent coronal curvature reconstruction. The congruent‐arc Latarjet did not restore the axial curvature accurately and overcorrected coronal curvature. Graft geometry must be weighed against availability, morbidity, and the role of additional stabilizers. Clinical Relevance Accurate graft morphology may help prevent postoperative osteoarthritis. Grafts differ significantly regarding geometric parameters. The findings of this study will help surgeons select the most appropriate graft for glenoid reconstruction.