Citations

Abstract Purpose The aim of the study was to appraise the current evidence on the optimal serum level for lamotrigine (LAM) in the treatment of mood disorders (major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder). Methods Major databases were searched for randomized controlled trials, open-label trials, and observational studies reporting serum LAM levels in adult patients treated with LAM for mood disorders. Results A total of 814 abstracts were screened and 24 articles were selected for full-text review. Seven studies (226 bipolar disorder and 17 major depressive disorder patients) including 1 randomized controlled trial (n = 43), 3 prospective (n = 53), and 3 retrospective (n = 147) studies met the study criteria with a study duration range from 6 to 96 weeks. Lamotrigine daily dosage varied from 25 to 425 mg/d among the studies. Studies reported inconsistent findings between LAM concentration and efficacy. Three studies did not identify a relationship between LAM levels and a significant improvement in mood symptoms. Two studies (n = 99) reported higher response rates with LAM serum levels of greater than 3.25 μg/mL and 1 study (n = 25) reported a wide therapeutic window of 5 to 11 μg/mL. Overall, LAM was well tolerated with no major significant adverse effects. Conclusions Most studies showed a minimum LAM threshold level of 3 μg/mL in patients with mood disorders; however, the data are inconsistent regarding the therapeutic range for LAM. Based on the pooled data, there is inconsistent evidence to make conclusive recommendations on therapeutic LAM serum levels for mood improvement. Further studies including larger sample sizes are required to address this relevant clinical question.

TNFRSF13B encodes the transmembrane activator and CAML interactor (TACI) receptor, which drives plasma cell differentiation. Although TNFRSF13B supports host defense, dominant-negative TNFRSF13B alleles are common in humans and other species and only rarely associate with disease. We reasoned that the high frequency of disruptive TNFRSF13B alleles reflects balancing selection, the loss of function conferring advantage in some settings. Testing that concept, we investigated how a common human dominant-negative variant, TNFRSF13B A181E, imparts resistance to enteric pathogens. Mice engineered to express mono- or biallelic A144E variants of tnrsf13B , corresponding to A181E, exhibited a striking resistance to pathogenicity and transmission of Citrobacter rodentium , a murine pathogen that models enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli , and resistance was principally owed to natural IgA deficiency in the intestine. In WT mice with gut IgA and in mutant mice reconstituted with enteric IgA obtained from WT mice, IgA induces LEE expression of encoded virulence genes, which confer pathogenicity and transmission. Taken together, our results show that C . rodentium and most likely other enteric organisms appropriated binding of otherwise protective antibodies to signal induction of the virulence program. Additionally, the high prevalence of TNFRSF13B dominant-negative variants reflects balancing selection.

AbstractAimsLong‐term lithium therapy (LTLT) has been associated with kidney insufficiency in bipolar disorder (BD). We aimed to investigate the risk factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD) development and progression among BD patients receiving LTLT.MethodsWe included adult patients with BD on LTLT (≥1 year) who were enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Bipolar Biobank, Rochester, Minnesota. We reviewed electronic medical records to extract information related to lithium therapy and kidney‐related data to assess changes in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). CKD severity was assessed based on eGFR.ResultsAmong 154 patients who received LTLT, 41 patients (27%) developed CKD, of whom 20 (49%) patients continued lithium (continuers) and 19 (46%) discontinued it (discontinuers). The median time to stage 3 CKD development was 21.7 years from the start of Li treatment. Type‐2 diabetes mellitus and benzodiazepine use were independent predictors for CKD development in the survival analysis, after controlling for age. The subsequent CKD progression rate did not differ between continuers and discontinuers (mean GFR 48.6 vs. 44.1, p = 0.13) at the end of follow‐up duration (mean duration: 3.5 ± 4.4 years for continuers and 4.9 ± 5.3 years for discontinuers).ConclusionCKD was observed in one fourth of patients with BD receiving LTLT. There was no significant difference in the progression of CKD among Li continuers versus discontinuers, at the mean follow‐up duration of 4.2 years, after the CKD diagnosis. Progression of CKD could be influenced by existing comorbidities and may not necessarily be due to lithium alone.

Introduction: Iberdomide (IBER; CC-220) is a potent, novel cereblon (CRBN) E3 ligase modulator (CELMoD) agent under investigation in a phase 1/2 dose-escalation study for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) (CC-220-MM-001; NCT02773030). IBER modulates CRBN to induce ubiquitination and proteasome-dependent degradation of Ikaros/Aiolos, resulting in antimyeloma and immunomodulatory activity. Compared with immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs); IBER binds to CRBN with 20-fold higher affinity and is more efficient at degrading Ikaros/Aiolos. Additionally, IBER can overcome IMiD drug resistance. Here, we compare the preclinical activity of IBER versus IMiD drugs + proteasome inhibitors (PIs), and assess the pharmacodynamic (PD) activity of IBER in patients treated with IBER + dexamethasone (DEX), IBER + DEX + bortezomib (BORT), and IBER + DEX + carfilzomib (CFZ). Methods: MM cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy volunteers were analyzed. Cell lines treated with PIs (BORT and CFZ) were pulsed with drug for 1 h, and then treated with clinically relevant concentrations of lenalidomide (LEN; 1 μM), pomalidomide (POM; 300 nM), or IBER (20 nM). Biomarker data for PD analyses were obtained from blood samples of patients enrolled in the IBER + DEX, IBER + DEX + BORT, and IBER + DEX + CFZ cohorts of the CC-220-MM-001 study. Degradation of Ikaros/Aiolos in peripheral blood was analyzed on Cycle (C) 1 Day (D) 1, pre-dose, and post IBER/IBER + PI dose by flow cytometry. Immune profiling was evaluated by flow cytometry from peripheral blood at C1D1, C2D15, C4D1, and C4D15. Results : Proteasome inhibition in cell lines after 1 h pulse of PI was maintained after washout. However, substrate degradation by IBER was affected only minimally by combination with PIs, and was more potent than by LEN or POM. These results correlate with synergistic antiproliferative activity and more potent tumoricidal activity in cell lines treated with IBER + PI than IMiD + PI combinations. Furthermore, ex vivo treatment of PBMCs with IBER + PIs minimally affected cytokine induction by IBER. Analysis of patient samples from the CC-220-MM-001 study confirmed preclinical observations showing minimal inhibition of IBER PD with the addition of PIs to the treatment regimen. In patient T cells, Ikaros and Aiolos protein levels decreased by > 50% and > 70%, respectively, with IBER + DEX, and by > 30% and > 45% (at lower IBER doses) with IBER + DEX + BORT or IBER + DEX + CFX. In all cohorts, the nadir of substrate expression was determined to be 6 h. After repeated dosing (mid-C1) patients treated with IBER + PIs showed > 70% decreases in both Ikaros and Aiolos expression. Furthermore, immune profiling of patients showed that the addition of PIs to the IBER treatment regimen did not inhibit immune-stimulatory activity of IBER, including induction of NK and T cell proliferation. Conclusions: Preclinically, IBER induced substrate degradation in the presence of PIs, and treatment with IBER + PIs resulted in substantially increased tumoricidal activity. Deeper substrate degradation and increased apoptosis were also observed when PIs were combined with IBER versus IMiD drugs. Clinically, IBER led to rapid decreases in substrate levels, even in the presence of PIs, and levels were reduced further with repeated dosing, suggesting that concurrent administration of PIs minimally affects proteasomal degradation of substrates mediated by IBER. Furthermore, increases in NK and T cell proliferation in IBER-treated patients were consistent whether or not they also received a PI, further confirming that IBER has immune-stimulatory activity in combination with PIs. These data support continued clinical development of IBER in combination with PIs for the treatment of MM. Disclosures Amatangelo: Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Bjorklund:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Kang:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment. Mukhopadhyay:Bristol Myers Squibb: Other: Contract scientist, Research & Early Development. Jiménez Nuñez:CITRE, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company: Current Employment. Wong:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Pierceall:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Lonial:Merck: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Personal fees; Genentech: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Sanofi: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Personal fees, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Personal fees, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Personal fees; Takeda: Consultancy, Other: Personal fees, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Personal fees; GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Personal fees; Abbvie: Consultancy; Millennium: Consultancy, Honoraria; JUNO Therapeutics: Consultancy; TG Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Onyx: Honoraria. van de Donk:Bristol Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bayer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Popat:GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company); AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company); Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria. Jagannath:BMS, Janssen, Karyopharm, Legend Biotech, Sanofi, Takeda: Consultancy. Zonder:Caelum: Consultancy; Intellia: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Personal fees; Alnylam: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Personal fees; Oncopeptide: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Personal fees; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Personal fees; Prothena: Consultancy; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Personal fees; BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Personal fees. Minnema:Celgene: Other: travel support, Research Funding; Servier: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Speakers Bureau. Oriol:GlaxoSmithKline: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Larsen:Janssen Oncology: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Badros:Amgen: Consultancy; University of Maryland: Current Employment. Rodriguez-Otero:Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria; GlaxoSmithKline: Consultancy, Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Medscape: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene/Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company); Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company); Oncopeptides: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite: Consultancy, Honoraria; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria. Sonneveld:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Skyline Dx: Honoraria, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Nguyen:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Hong:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment. Sorrell:Children's Oncology Group: Other: Non-member; Previous Study Chair AAML08B1; Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment. Thakurta:Oxford University: Other: visiting professor; Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company.

AbstractObjectivesTo assess the Usefulness of oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT) in patients with coronary artery aneurysm (CAA).BackgroundData on the most adequate antithrombotic CAA management is lacking.MethodsPatients included in CAAR (Coronary Artery Aneurysm Registry, Clinical Trials.gov: NCT02563626) were selected. Patients were divided in OAT and non‐OAT groups, according to anticoagulation status at discharge and 2:1 propensity score matching with replacement was performed. The primary endpoint of the analysis was a composite and mutual exclusive endpoint of myocardial infarction, unstable angina (UA), and aneurysm thrombosis (coronary ischemic endpoint). Net adverse clinical events, major adverse cardiovascular events, their single components, cardiovascular death, re‐hospitalizations for heart failure, stroke, aneurysm thrombosis, and bleeding were the secondary ones.ResultsOne thousand three hundred thirty‐one patients were discharged without OAT and 211 with OAT. In the propensity‐matched sample (390 patients in the non‐OAT group, 195 patients in the OAT group), after 3 years of median follow‐up (interquartile range 1–6 years), the rate of the primary endpoint (coronary ischemic endpoint) was significantly less in the OAT group as compared to non‐OAT group (8.7 vs. 17.2%, respectively; p = .01), driven by a significant reduction in UA (4.6 vs. 10%, p < .01) and aneurysm thrombosis (0 vs. 3.1%, p = .03), along with a non‐significant reduction in MI (4.1 vs. 7.7%, p = .13). A non‐significant increase in bleedings, mainly BARC type 1 (55%), was found in the OAT‐group (10.3% in the non‐OAT vs. 6.2% in the OAT group, p = .08).ConclusionOAT decreases the composite endpoint of UA, myocardial infarction, and aneurysm thrombosis in patients with CAA, despite a non‐significant higher risk of bleeding.

We identified a potentially novel homozygous duplication involving the promoter region and exons 1–4 of the gene encoding type 2 cardiac ryanodine receptor ( RYR2 ) that is responsible for highly penetrant, exertion-related sudden deaths/cardiac arrests in the Amish community without an overt phenotype to suggest RYR2- mediated catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT). Homozygous RYR2 duplication (RYR2-DUP) induced pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) were generated from 2 unrelated patients. There was no difference in baseline Ca 2+ handling measurements between WT-iPSC-CM and RYR2-DUP-iPSC-CM lines. However, compared with WT-iPSC-CMs, both patient lines demonstrated a dramatic reduction in caffeine-stimulated and isoproterenol-stimulated (ISO-stimulated) Ca 2+ transient amplitude, suggesting RyR2 loss of function. There was a greater than 50% reduction in RYR2 transcript/RyR2 protein expression in both patient iPSC-CMs compared with WT. Delayed afterdepolarization was observed in the RYR2-DUP-iPSC-CMs but not in the WT-iPSC-CMs. Compared with WT-iPSC-CMs, there was significantly elevated arrhythmic activity in the RYR2-DUP-iPSC-CMs in response to ISO. Nadolol, propranolol, and flecainide reduced erratic activity by 8.5-fold, 6.8-fold, and 2.4-fold, respectively, from ISO challenge. Unlike the gain-of-function mechanism observed in RYR2- mediated CPVT, the homozygous multiexon duplication precipitated a dramatic reduction in RYR2 transcription and RyR2 protein translation, a loss of function in calcium handling, and a calcium-induced calcium release apparatus that is insensitive to catecholamines and caffeine.

Objective Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between evening chronotype, a proxy marker of circadian system dysfunction, and disordered eating behavior and poor dietary habits in individuals with bipolar disorder (BD). Methods In this cross‐sectional study, we evaluated 783 adults with BD. Chronotype was determined using item 5 from the reduced Morningness‐Eveningness Questionnaire. The Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale (EDDS) and the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants—Shortened Version (REAP‐S) were used to assess disordered eating behavior and dietary habits respectively. General linear models and logistic regression models were utilized to evaluate differences between chronotype groups. Results Two hundred and eight (27%) BD participants self‐identified as having evening chronotypes. Compared to non‐evening types, evening types were younger ( P < 0.01) and, after controlling for age, had higher mean EDDS composite z‐scores ( P < 0.01); higher rates of binge‐eating (BE) behavior ( P = 0.04), bulimia nervosa ( P < 0.01), and nocturnal eating binges ( P < 0.01); and a higher body mass index ( P = 0.04). Compared to non‐evening types, evening chronotypes had a lower REAP‐S overall score ( P < 0.01) and scored lower on the ‘healthy foods’ and ‘avoidance of unhealthy food’ factors. Evening types also skipped breakfast more often ( P < 0.01), ate less fruit ( P = 0.02) and vegetables ( P = 0.04), and consumed more fried foods ( P < 0.01), unhealthy snacks ( P = 0.02), and soft drinks ( P = 0.01). Conclusions Our findings suggest that the circadian system plays a role in the disordered eating and unhealthy dietary behaviors observed in BD patients. The circadian system may therefore represent a therapeutic target in BD‐associated morbidity that warrants further investigation.

AbstractA novel group of S100‐ and CD34‐positive spindle cell tumors with distinctive stromal and perivascular hyalinization harboring recurrent gene fusions involving kinases includingRAF1,BRAF,NTRK1/2/3, andREThave been recently reported. To our knowledge, no such cases harboringALKrearrangements have been identified. We report a previously healthy 41‐year‐old male with a 12‐cm intramuscular shoulder mass. The tumor was composed of bland‐appearing spindled to epithelioid cells, arranged in a patternless pattern in a background of loose myxoid stroma containing striking amianthoid‐like stromal collagen and perivascular rings. In accordance with the previously reported tumors, the tumor cells showed diffuse immunopositivity with S100 and CD34, while lacking SOX10 expression. Targeted RNA‐based next‐generation sequencing identified a novel serine/threonine‐protein phosphatase PP1‐beta‐catalytic subunit (PPP1CB)‐ALKfusion gene. Although ALK break‐apart was not detected by FISH, likely due to a paracentric inversion of chromosome 2, the presence of the fusion was confirmed by Sanger sequencing showing a 10‐bp linker between exon 6 ofPPP1CBand intron 19 ofALKwhile maintaining reading frame. Subsequent ALK‐1 immunostain exhibited diffuse cytoplasmic staining in the tumor cells. Our case expands the molecular genetic spectrum of the distinctive group of spindle cell tumors with CD34/S100+ immunophenotype, supporting the important role of various kinases as drivers of oncogenesis. Awareness of this entity including its unique morphologic and immunophenotypic features as well as its interchangeable kinase gene fusions is crucial for correct classification and potential targeted therapy, particularly in aggressive subsets.

Circulating growth hormone (GH) concentrations increase during pregnancy in mice and remain pituitary-derived. Whether abundance or activation of the GH secretagogue ghrelin increase during pregnancy, or in response to dietary octanoic acid supplementation, is unclear. We therefore measured circulating GH profiles in late pregnant C57BL/6J mice and in aged-matched non-pregnant females fed with standard laboratory chow supplemented with 5% octanoic or palmitic (control) acid ( n = 4–13/group). Serum total and acyl-ghrelin concentrations, stomach and placenta ghrelin mRNA and protein expression, Pcsk1 (encoding prohormone convertase 1/3) and Mboat4 (membrane bound O-acyl transferase 4) mRNA were determined at zeitgeber (ZT) 13 and ZT23. Total and basal GH secretion were higher in late pregnant than non-pregnant mice ( P < 0.001), regardless of diet. At ZT13, serum concentrations of total ghrelin ( P = 0.004), but not acyl-ghrelin, and the density of ghrelin-positive cells in the gastric antrum ( P = 0.019) were higher, and gastric Mboat4 and Pcsk1 mRNA expression were lower in pregnant than non-pregnant mice at ZT23. In the placenta, ghrelin protein was localised mostly to labyrinthine trophoblast cells. Serum acyl-, but not total, ghrelin was lower at mid-pregnancy than in non-pregnant mice, but not different at early or late pregnancy. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 5% octanoic acid did not increase activation of ghrelin in female mice. Our results further suggest that increases in maternal GH secretion throughout murine pregnancy are not due to circulating acyl-ghrelin acting at the pituitary. Nevertheless, time-dependent increased circulating total ghrelin could potentially increase ghrelin action in tissues that express the acylating enzyme and receptor.