Citations

Krabbe disease is an autosomal recessive leukodystrophy caused by a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme galactosylceramidase (GALC), responsible for the degradation of galactolipids, resulting in toxic psychosine accumulation and progressive demyelination of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Newborn screening (NBS) has increased recognition of later-onset Krabbe disease, although interpretation of complex GALC genotypes remains challenging, particularly in the presence of “pseudodeficiency” and modifier alleles. In this case report, we describe a child with late-infantile Krabbe disease identified through NBS with markedly reduced GALC activity and a homozygous GALC haplotype containing c.956A>G (p.Tyr319Cys; Y319C) and c.1685T>C (p.Ile562Thr; I562T), in addition to other benign variants. Retrospective analysis of the newborn screening specimen demonstrated mild psychosine elevation. Despite preserved neurodevelopment, longitudinal surveillance demonstrated progressive cerebral white matter abnormalities by 3 years and 9 months of age and psychosine elevation in erythrocytes (14 pmol/g Hb; controls < 5), prompting umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT). Following transplantation, GALC enzyme activity normalized, psychosine levels decreased, and serial neuroimaging demonstrated radiographic stability without neurologic regression at last follow-up (9 years old). This case expands the phenotypic spectrum associated with homozygosity for the p.Tyr319Cys variant and highlights the role of p.Ile562Thr in amplifying the pathogenic potential when in cis with p.Tyr319Cys. This GALC haplotype illustrates how “pseudodeficiency” and modifier alleles may collectively influence biochemical, radiologic, and clinical disease expression. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating genotype, psychosine, enzyme activity, and longitudinal neuroimaging when evaluating infants with NBS results positive for Krabbe disease.

BACKGROUND. Survey research in critical care has dramatically increased over the past 25 years, and use of surveys within Delphi methods, which provide consensus definitions for heterogeneous disease states, has similarly expanded significantly. It is crucial for survey researchers to understand the nuances of survey development and expectations of information provided by surveys, to use them correctly. Few simple sources exist to guide development considerations to generate high-quality survey research. No studies to our knowledge exist that draw parallels between the principles of survey research as a guide within the Delphi process, as one potential conduit between a steering committee and expert panel. METHODS. We present a narrative review of and framework for rigorous design of survey research, highlighting the applicability to the design of surveys administered within Delphi methods. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS. The methodologic considerations presented for survey research and Delphi methods can inform high-quality critical care research.

Abstract Background Breast cancer is etiologically heterogeneous, but which risk factors differ in their associations across tumor subtypes remains unclear. We conducted a large, pooled analysis to evaluate independent, dose-response associations between breast cancer risk factors and quantitative tumor features. Methods Analyses of 15,731 invasive breast cancers from 24 studies evaluated associations (p-trend) between reproductive and hormonal factors, body mass index (BMI), alcohol, smoking, and family history in relation to quantitative immunohistochemistry measures on tissue microarrays (ER, PR, HER2, KI67, TP53) and tumor grade. Analyses in a subset of 10 population-based studies estimated subtype-specific odds ratios (ORs) comparing cases to controls. A Bayesian False Discovery Probability (BFDP) &lt;0.2 was used to identify associations with strong statistical evidence. Results Nulliparity and later age at menopause were associated with higher ER-positivity (p-trend=0.021 and 0.001, respectively), with corresponding OR[ER+] (95% CI) = 1.49 (1.16-1.90) for nulliparous vs. parous and 1.07 (1.03-1.11) per 5 years. Current combined menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) use was associated with lower grade (p-trend&lt;0.001), with OR [grade1] = 3.37 (2.69-4.21) for current vs. never users. Higher BMI was associated with lower ER-positivity and higher grade in premenopausal women (p-trend&lt;0.001 and &lt;0.001), with OR[ER+] = 0.80 (0.74-0.87) and OR[grade1] = 0.75 (0.63-0.88) per 5 units, and with higher PR-positivity and higher grade in postmenopausal women (p-trend&lt;0.001 and &lt;0.001), with OR[PR+] = 1.08 (1.03-1.14) and OR[grade 3] = 1.10 (1.04-1.17) per 5 units. Conclusion This pooled analysis of 15,731 cases showed that nulliparity, age at menopause, MHT, and BMI have independent, dose-response associations with ER, PR, and grade, clarifying patterns of etiologic heterogeneity. Associations with HER2, KI67 and TP53, or other risk factors did not meet our threshold for strong evidence.

Abstract Aims Heart failure (HF), a major global health challenge, affects millions worldwide and poses substantial healthcare and economic burdens. It is estimated that a large proportion of those with early systolic dysfunction remain asymptomatic at a stage when guideline-directed medical therapies have been shown to prevent disease progression. To develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model capable of predicting abnormal left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) directly from static, non-gated, non-contrast chest computed tomography (CT) scans as a form of opportunistic screening, Methods and results Using a multi-institutional dataset of 34 058 paired non- contrast CT images and echocardiogram reports from two academic centres, we trained our model of classification for predicting left-ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) categories: abnormal EF (EF &lt; 50%) vs. normal on 25 948 studies. We validated the model on 8110 paired chest CT and echocardiogram results from a separate institution. The model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of 0.786 on the hold-out test set and 0.762 on external validation to detect an abnormal EF (&lt;50%). Beyond strong predictive performance, the AI model surpassed expert radiologists in both accuracy and efficiency and provided interpretable visualizations highlighting imaging features linked to reduced LVEF. Conclusion In this study, we developed and validated an AI model capable of predicting abnormal LVEF directly from static, non-gated, non-contrast chest CT scans, a novel application for an imaging modality typically used for unrelated indications as a form of opportunistic screening. This technology holds significant promise for early detection of systolic HF, reducing the diagnostic gap, and improving outcomes in asymptomatic HF patients.

Abstract Coccidioidomycosis is an invasive fungal infection that can disseminate and cause severe disease. Fosmanogepix (“gepix”), a first-in-class antifungal available via expanded access (NCT06433128), was successful in 8/11 patients (meningitis, 6/8 [75%]; nonmeningeal dissemination, 2/3 [66%]) and was well tolerated for a median treatment duration of 208 days.

Objectives: In the United States, training for physicians who manage critically ill adult patients (intensivists) evolved through parallel subspecialty critical care medicine (CCM) pathways with significant commonality. The Society of Critical Care Medicine Adult Critical Care Physician Core Knowledge and Skills Task Force aimed to delineate the common core knowledge and skills required of all intensivists. Design: A master list of content areas and procedural skills was compiled from all CCM subspecialty program requirements and blueprints of the certification examinations. Using a modified Delphi approach, participants were asked to categorize the knowledge items as “advanced knowledge is essential,” “general, but not advanced, knowledge is essential,” or “knowledge is not essential.” Procedures were categorized as “intensivist performs routinely,” “intensivist only performs in an emergency,” or “intensivist knows” about the procedure. Setting: Representatives from CCM stakeholder organizations, including accreditation and certification organizations, critical care societies, and program directors’ societies, were invited to participate. SUBJECTS: Members of the Adult Critical Care Physician Core Knowledge and Skills Task Force of the Society of Critical Care Medicine. Interventions: For the first two rounds of the modified Delphi process, Research Electronic Data Capture was used. For the third and fourth rounds, the process was completed through online meetings with Zoom (Zoom Video Corporations, San Jose, CA) utilizing Zoom’s polling feature. Measurements and Main Results: A total of 541 items were determined to be essential, with 145 requiring advanced knowledge and 323 requiring general knowledge. For 73 items, consensus regarding advanced vs. general could not be achieved, but they remained essential. Only eight items were felt to be nonessential. Of the 16 procedures, most were categorized as “intensivist performs.” Conclusions: The large number of items included in the list of essential knowledge and skills demonstrates the complexity of modern CCM. Utilization of a common framework across the subspecialties of CCM could lead to greater harmonization among the fellowship program requirements and certification examinations.

Abstract E1910 evaluated the addition of blinatumomab to chemotherapy in adults with B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The addition of blinatumomab in patients (pts) with measurable residual disease (MRD) negative (neg) B-ALL significantly improved both relapse-free and overall survival (NEJM 2024; 391: 320-33)1. Given the increasing use of blinatumomab and the E1910 backbone chemotherapy regimen, we evaluated &gt; Grade 3 toxicities on this trial in further detail. We assessed toxicity among the MRD-neg pts by age, gender, body mass index (BMI), combined cytogenetic-molecular risk, and number of cycles of blinatumomab received. We also evaluated toxicities during induction since this trial used a modified chemotherapy backbone. Methods: The eligibility, combined cytogenetic-molecular risk, and treatment have been previously described.1 All toxicities were &gt; Grade 3 by CTCAE version 4 with at least a possible relationship to treatment. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the occurrence and rates of toxicities and Fisher's exact test was used to compare differences in proportions between groups. Analysis of induction included all pts who started treatment. Analysis of Step 3 toxicities included MRD-neg pts who started treatment on the blinatumomab (n=111) or chemotherapy only arm (n=112). Results: Pt characteristics: For induction (n=488), median age was 51 years (yrs) (range 30-70); 48.6% female. Combined cytogenetic-molecular risk: favorable (13.5%); intermediate (12.9%); no risk assigned (16.2%); unfavorable (57.4%). For induction, we compared toxicities for E1910 (n=488) to pts treated on a prior young adult study (n=289) (C10403) (Blood Adv 2021; 5(2): 504-12). The incidence of hyperglycemia (8% vs. 31.1%, p&lt; 0.001), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increase (6.1% vs. 12.8%, p=0.002), alanine aminotransferase increase (ALT) (11.7% vs. 28.7%, p&lt; 0.001), and hyperbilirubinemia (11% vs. 19%, p=0.002) were significantly lower in E1910 pts. The incidence of pancreatitis (1.8%), thromboembolic events (4.5%), and febrile neutropenia (25.4%) in E1910 was similar to C10403. Toxicities in the MRD-neg pts in the blinatumomab arm (n=111): Despite a high incidence of neutropenia (74.8%) and thrombocytopenia (55.9%) in Step 3, there was a relatively low incidence of sepsis (7.2%), bacteremia (1.8%), cytokine release syndrome (CRS) (3.6%) and neurologic adverse events (0-6.3%). There was a higher incidence of neurological or psychiatric events in the blinatumomab arm (23%) versus chemotherapy arm (5%) (p &lt; 0.001) when all events were combined. There was a numerically higher incidence of ataxia (4.4% vs. %, p=0.16) and dysphasia (11.1% vs. 3%, p=0.12) in pts &gt; 55 yrs and a higher incidence of neutropenia (80.3% vs. 66.7%, p=0.12) and thrombocytopenia (62.1% vs. 46.7%, p=0.12) in the younger pts (age &lt; 55 yrs). In pts with a BMI &lt; 30 kg/m2 (vs. &gt; 30 kg/m2), there was a significantly higher incidence of leukopenia (51.7% vs. 26.4%, p=0.007) and thrombocytopenia (65.5% vs. 45.3%, p=0.037). However, this did not translate into an increased incidence of bleeding or infectious complications. By gender, females had a higher numerical incidence of AST increase (8.8% vs. 0%, p=0.057) and CRS (7% vs. 0% p=0.12); whereas males had a higher incidence of catheter- related infections (7.4% vs. 0%, p=0.05) and hyperglycemia (11.1% vs. 3.5%, p=0.16). A little more than half (56.8%) of pts received 4 cycles of blinatumomab with the remainder of pts receiving 1 (10.8%), 2 (28.8%), or 3 cycles (3.6%). Pts receiving 3-4 cycles of blinatumomab vs. 1-2 cycles of blinatumomab had a statistically higher incidence of anemia (38.8% vs. 6.8%, p&lt; 0.001), neutropenia (98.5% vs. 38.6%, p&lt; 0.001), and thrombocytopenia (83.6% vs. 13.6%, p&lt; 0.001), likely related to being on treatment for a longer period of time. Conclusions: Blinatumomab was well tolerated with no significant toxicity differences noted by age, gender, or number of cycles of blinatumomab received. Pts with a lower BMI did have an increased incidence of leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, possibly related to flat dosing of the drug. However, this did not translate into increased complications. Toxicites during induction were notably few, which suggests that this backbone with age adjustments may serve as a good backbone for future trials. Blinatumomab is being evaluated with low dose chemotherapy and other targeted agents in ongoing trials.

Abstract BACKGROUND Children exposed to poverty during frontline therapy for B-lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) experience inferior overall survival (OS), higher relapse rates, and earlier relapse than their peers. Real-world data describing treatment patterns and survival after relapse of B-ALL are lacking and, as a result, the impact of poverty following relapse remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the association of poverty exposure, proxied by insurance status, with post-relapse survival and explored potential explanatory mechanisms, including disease biology and therapy utilization. METHODS Data from Retrospective Study of Contemporary Approaches to First Relapse in B-ALL (ReCALL-1), a multicenter retrospective cohort study of patients &lt; 30 years old with first relapse of B-ALL from 2018-2022, were used. The primary exposure was poverty, proxied by insurance status at relapse, categorized as any private insurance (poverty unexposed), public-only insurance (poverty exposed), no insurance, or unknown; the latter two were not included in comparative analyses due to low numbers. The primary outcome was OS. Secondary outcomes included measurable residual disease (MRD)-negative second complete remission (CR2), relapse after CR2, non-relapse mortality (NRM), with relapse treated as a competing risk, and receipt of cellular and immunotherapies. RESULTS Among 462 patients from 31 U.S. institutions, 41% had private insurance, 47% public-only insurance, 2% no insurance, and 10% unknown. Compared to privately insured patients, those with public insurance were more likely to be Hispanic (56% vs 19%, p&lt;0.001) and have non-English preferred language (30% vs 6%, p&lt;0.001). Non-Hispanic Black patients comprised 9% of those with public insurance and 5% of those with private insurance. Disease characteristics that differed by insurance status at relapse included: Ph-like cytogenetics, more common in publicly insured (23% vs 11%, p=0.002), and infant ALL, more common in privately insured patients (10% vs 5%, p=0.06). Publicly insured patients were more likely to have experienced major organ toxicity during frontline therapy (32% vs 18%, p=0.002) and very early relapse (&lt;18m from diagnosis: 43% vs 32%, p=0.07). Other demographic and disease characteristics, including relapse site and cytomolecular features, were similar by insurance status. With a median follow-up of 51 months from relapse, 4-year OS differed by insurance (log-rank p=0.02): 72% for private vs 56% for public insurance. After adjusting for race/ethnicity and language, public insurance increased the hazard of death by 65% (aHR 1.65 95% CI 1.13-2.42, p=0.004). The association remained, but was attenuated, when unbalanced disease characteristics (time to relapse, infant ALL, Ph-like cytogenetics, prior organ dysfunction) were included (aHR 1.47, 95% CI 1.00-2.16, p=0.05). Rates of MRD-negative CR2 were similar (85% public vs 87% private). However, point estimates suggested publicly insured patients had more relapse after CR2 (44% vs 37%, p=0.42) and higher 4-year NRM (16% vs 10%, Gray's test p=0.12), though neither were significant. Treatment choices for first relapse did not differ by insurance status. Utilization of intensive reinduction (91% vs 95% for public vs private, p=0.18) and clinical trial enrollment (22% for both) were similar. Receipt of cellular therapies did not significantly differ by public vs private insurance: Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T cells (CAR-T: 38% vs 34%, p=0.41), hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT: 42% vs 47%, p=0.32). Use of blinatumomab trended higher in those with private insurance (36% vs 45%, p=0.07), and inotuzumab was similar (11% for both, p=0.87). Median time from relapse to CAR-T or HCT was comparable (to CAR-T 102 vs 100 days, to HCT 117 vs 114 days). CONCLUSION This is the first study to demonstrate differential survival by insurance type, a proxy for poverty exposure, after first relapse of B-ALL. In this large multicenter, real-world cohort, patients with public insurance had worse OS after relapse than those with private insurance. The survival disparity existed independent of other SDOH factors. Adjustment for known high-risk disease features only partially accounted for the observed differences in OS. In contrast, rates of MRD-negative CR2 and receipt of CAR-T and HCT were comparable across insurance types. These findings highlight the urgent need to identify effective interventions that will ensure equitable outcomes after relapse.