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Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) is the etiologic agent causing the disease Corona Virus Disease 19 (COVID‐19), resulting in a worldwide pandemic. Non‐emergent endoscopy services have been disrupted as incidence and hospitalizations were rising. It is anticipated that the peak incidence may be leveling off in many parts of the world, but there is a concern for resurgence of the virus activity. Thus, it is important for endoscopy units to have plans in place during peak times of the epidemic and when resuming endoscopic services as the pandemic wanes. The global endoscopy community is faced with the challenge of providing care during this time. The WEO‐COVID guidance task force has provided this resource document based on the current evidence and consensus opinion. These World Endoscopy Organization (WEO) recommendations are meant to guide endoscopists worldwide, should be interpreted in light of specific clinical conditions and resource availability and may not apply in all situations. This guidance document does not supersede the need to check for all local regulations and legislations.

Drug resistance is an obstacle in the therapy of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Whether the physical properties such as the motility of the cells contribute to the survival of ALL cells after drug treatment has recently been of increasing interest, as they could potentially allow the metastasis of solid tumor cells and the migration of leukemia cells. We hypothesized that chemotherapeutic treatment may alter these physical cellular properties. To investigate the motility of chemotherapeutics-treated B-cell ALL (B-ALL) cells, patient-derived B-ALL cells were treated with chemotherapy for 7 days and left for 12 h without chemotherapeutic treatment. Two parameters of motility were studied, velocity and migration distance, using a time-lapse imaging system. The study revealed that compared to non-chemotherapeutically treated B-ALL cells, B-ALL cells that survived chemotherapy treatment after 7 days showed reduced motility. We had previously shown that Tysabri and P5G10, antibodies against the adhesion molecules integrins α4 and α6, respectively, may overcome drug resistance mediated through leukemia cell adhesion to bone marrow stromal cells. Therefore, we tested the effect of integrin α4 or α6 blockade on the motility of chemotherapeutics-treated ALL cells. Only integrin α4 blockade decreased the motility and velocity of two chemotherapeutics-treated ALL cell lines. Interestingly, integrin α6 blockade did not affect the velocity of chemoresistant ALL cells. This study explores the physical properties of the movements of chemoresistant B-ALL cells and highlights a potential link to integrins. Further studies to investigate the underlying mechanism are warranted.

Introduction: Multikinase inhibitors have clinical activity in radioactive iodine refractory (RAIR) differentiated thyroid cancers (DTCs) but are not curative; optimal management and salvage therapies remain unclear. This study assessed clinical effects of pazopanib therapy in RAIR-DTC patients with progressive disease, examining in parallel biomarker that might forecast/precede therapeutic response. Methods: Assessment of responses and toxicities and of any association between thyroglobulin (Tg) changes cycle 1 and RECIST (response evaluation criteria in solid tumors) response to pazopanib therapy were prospectively undertaken in Tg antibody negative RAIR-DTC patients. RECIST progressive metastatic disease <6 months preceding enrollment was required. With a sample size of 68 (assuming 23 attaining partial response [PR]), there would be 90% chance of detecting a difference of >30% when the proportion of patients attaining PR whose Tg values decrease by >50% is >50% cycle 1 (one-sided α = 0.10, two sample test of proportions). Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) change or mutational status or pretreatment were also explored as early correlates of eventual RECIST response. Results: From 2009 to 2011, 60 individuals were treated and evaluated; (one additional patient withdrew; another was found ineligible before therapy initiation); 91.7% had previous systemic therapy beyond RAI. Adverse events included one death (thromboembolic) deemed possibly pazopanib associated. Twenty-two confirmed RECIST PRs resulted (36.7%, confidence interval; CI [24.6–50.1]); mean administered 4-week cycles was 10. Among 44 fully accessible patients, the Tg nadir was greater among the 20 attaining PR (median: −86.8%; interquartile range [IQR]: −90.7% to −70.9%) compared with the 28 who did not (median: −69.0%; IQR: −78.1% to −27.7%, Wilcoxon rank-sum test: p = 0.002). However, the difference in the proportion of PRs among those whose Tg fell ≥50% after cycle 1 versus those that did not were not significantly correlated (−23.5% [CI: −55.3 to 8.3]; Fisher's exact test p -value = 0.27). RECIST response was also not correlated with/predicted by early MCV change, receipt of prior therapy, or tumor mutational status. Conclusions: This trial prospectively confirmed pazopanib to have clinical activity and manageable toxicities in patients with progressive RAIR-DTC. Response to pazopanib, however, was not robustly forecast by early associated changes in Tg or MCV, by prior therapy, or by tumor mutational status. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00625846.

TPS8554 Background: BCL-2 is an anti-apoptotic protein important for myeloma cell survival. Venetoclax (Ven) is a highly selective, potent, oral BCL-2 inhibitor, that has shown promise in clinical studies as monotherapy or in combination with other agents in patients with t(11;14)-positive relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM; Kumar et al. Blood. 2017; Costa et al. ASH 2018. Abstr. #303; Harrison et al. ASH 2019. Abstr. #142; Bahlis et al. ASH 2019. Abstr. #925; Kaufman et al. ASH 2019. Abstr. #926). Notably, t(11;14)-positive MM is more dependent on BCL-2 for cell survival, which, together with these clinical data, suggests that Ven combined with dexamethasone (Dex) may provide greater clinical benefit versus standard therapies, like pomalidomide (Pom), in this biomarker-defined patient population. This ongoing Phase 3 study (CANOVA; NCT03539744) aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of VenDex vs PomDex in t(11;14)-positive RRMM. Methods: Eligible patients (≥18 years) must have t(11;14)-positive RRMM per central lab, an ECOG performance status ≤2, received ≥2 prior lines of therapy, previously received a proteasome inhibitor, and must be refractory to lenalidomide and last line of therapy. Patients cannot have history of treatment with Ven, Pom, or other BCL-2 inhibitors. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to Ven (800 mg orally, once-daily) or Pom (4 mg orally, once-daily on days 1-21 of 28-day cycles). Patients in both groups will receive 40 mg Dex (20 mg for patients ≥75 years) once weekly. Treatment will continue until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal from study. Patients will be stratified based on age at randomization ( < 65 vs ≥65 years), prior lines of therapy (2 to 3 vs ≥4), and International Staging System stage at screening (I vs II vs III). The primary endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS) per independent review committee (IRC) assessment based on International Myeloma Working Group criteria. The final PFS analysis will be performed when approximately 147 PFS events per IRC are observed. Secondary endpoints are response rate, patient-reported outcomes, overall survival, duration of response, times to response and progression, minimal residual disease negativity rate, safety, and Ven pharmacokinetics. Approximately 244 patients will be enrolled; as of January 21, 2020, 28 patients have been randomized (from 19 sites in 12 countries) and enrollment is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT03539744 .

8547 Background: Venetoclax (Ven) is a selective, potent BCL-2 inhibitor that has synergistic activity with bortezomib (B) and dexamethasone (d). In the Phase 3 BELLINI trial, addition of Ven to Bd significantly improved median progression-free survival (PFS) and response rates, including minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity, but resulted in increased mortality vs placebo (Pbo). Here, we determine whether MRD negativity was associated with longer PFS and OS in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients treated with Ven+Bd in the BELLINI dataset. Methods: In BELLINI (NCT02755597), RRMM patients (pts) sensitive or naïve to proteasome inhibitors with 1-3 prior lines of therapy were randomized 2:1 to Ven (800 mg) or Pbo plus B (1.3 mg/m2) and d (20 mg). Next-gen sequencing MRD assessments were done on bone marrow aspirates at the time of suspected CR/sCR, and 6- and 12-months post confirmation of CR/sCR. Patients with a missing or indeterminate assessment were considered MRD positive. Evaluation of MRD in biomarker-defined subgroups (cytogenetics and BCL2 expression) was also performed and will be presented. Results: In total, 291 pts were randomized; 194 to Ven, 97 to Pbo. As of 13 Sep 2019, the median follow-up was 29 months. Ven + Bd demonstrated significantly higher MRD negativity rates ( < 10−5), including a higher proportion of pts achieving sustained MRD negativity (Table). In the Ven arm, the median (m)PFS was not reached for MRD negative pts vs 16.2 months for MRD positive pts (HR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.10-0.54, p < 0.001). While the mOS was not reached in the Ven arm, OS was significantly longer for MRD negative vs MRD positive pts (HR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.08-0.80, p = 0.0194). Conclusions: The addition of Ven to Bd resulted in deep and durable responses, including higher rates of MRD negativity. MRD negativity in the context of Ven was associated with prolonged survival in patients with RRMM, consistent with the broader MRD body of evidence with other therapies in MM. Clinical trial information: NCT02755597 . [Table: see text]

8509 Background: Venetoclax (Ven) is a selective, potent, oral BCL-2 inhibitor. In the Phase 3 BELLINI trial, addition of Ven to bortezomib (B) + dexamethasone (d) significantly improved response rates and progression-free survival (PFS) vs placebo (Pbo) and showed significant efficacy in patients (pts) with either t(11;14) or BCL2high gene expression. Here we present updated safety and efficacy data from the prespecified second interim overall survival (OS) analysis. Methods: In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind study (NCT02755597), pts with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) with 1-3 prior lines of therapy were randomized 2:1 to Ven (800 mg) or Pbo in combination with B (1.3 mg/m2) and d (20 mg). The primary endpoint was PFS; key secondary endpoints included overall response and overall survival (OS). Results: 291 pts were randomized; 194 to Ven, 97 to Pbo. Pt characteristics were well balanced among arms. In the Ven arm, median age was 66, 17% had high-risk cytogenetics, 11% had t(11;14), and 34% had BCL2high gene expression. As of 13 Sept 2019, 59 pts were still on study, 45 (23%) Ven vs 14 (14%) Pbo. At a median follow-up of 28.6 months, there were 64 (33%) deaths in the Ven arm vs 24 (25%) in Pbo. At the initial data cutoff (26 Nov 2018), PFS HR was 0.63 (0.44,0.90) and OS HR was 2.03 (1.04,3.95). Table shows updated PFS and OS. Most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) with Ven were diarrhea (59%), nausea (37%), and constipation (35%). Most common grade 3/4 AEs (Ven/Pbo) were neutropenia (21%/8%), thrombocytopenia (15%/30%), anemia (16%/15%), diarrhea (15%/12%), and pneumonia (18%/13%). Serious AEs occurred in 54% Ven and 52% Pbo pts. 24% discontinued Ven due to AEs vs 12% Pbo. There were 14 treatment-emergent deaths in the Ven arm and 1 in Pbo. Conclusions: The addition of Ven to Bd significantly improves PFS but resulted in increased mortality vs Pbo in the total population. Greatest PFS improvement with Ven was observed in pts with t(11;14) or BCL2high gene expression, where Ven shows a favorable benefit-risk profile. The study continues for final OS analysis. Clinical trial information: NCT02755597 . [Table: see text]

In the past year, there have been numerous advances in our understanding of arrhythmia mechanisms, diagnosis, and new therapies. We have seen advances in basic cardiac electrophysiology with data suggesting that secretoneurin may be a biomarker for patients at risk of ventricular arrhythmias, and we have learned of the potential role of an NPR-C (natriuretic peptide receptor-C) in atrial fibrosis and the role of an atrial specific 2-pore potassium channel TASK-1 as a therapeutic target for atrial fibrillation. We have seen studies demonstrating the role of sensory neurons in sleep apnea–related atrial fibrillation and the association between bariatric surgery and atrial fibrillation ablation outcomes. Artificial intelligence applied to electrocardiography has yielded estimates of age, sex, and overall health. We have seen new tools for collection of patient-centered outcomes following catheter ablation. There have been significant advances in the ability to identify ventricular tachycardia termination sites through high-density mapping of deceleration zones. We have learned that right ventricular dysfunction may be a predictor of survival benefit after implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. We have seen further insights into the role of His bundle pacing on improving outcomes. As our understanding of cardiac laminopathies advances, we may have new tools to predict arrhythmic event rates in gene carriers. Finally, we have seen numerous advances in the treatment of arrhythmias in patients with congenital heart disease.

Background and Aims Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is diagnosed by clinical criteria, although several objective scores facilitate risk stratification. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as biomarkers for many diseases and are also implicated in the pathogenesis of AH. Therefore, we investigated whether plasma EV concentration and sphingolipid cargo could serve as diagnostic biomarkers for AH and inform prognosis to permit dynamic risk profiling of AH subjects. Approach and Results EVs were isolated and quantified from plasma samples from healthy controls, heavy drinkers, and subjects with end‐stage liver disease (ESLD) attributed to cholestatic liver diseases and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, decompensated alcohol‐associated cirrhosis (AC), and AH. Sphingolipids were quantified by tandem mass spectroscopy. The median plasma EV concentration was significantly higher in AH subjects (5.38 × 1011/mL) compared to healthy controls (4.38 × 1010/mL; P < 0.0001), heavy drinkers (1.28 × 1011/mL; P < 0.0001), ESLD (5.35 × 1010/mL; P < 0.0001), and decompensated AC (9.2 × 1010/mL; P < 0.0001) disease controls. Among AH subjects, EV concentration correlated with Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease score. When EV counts were dichotomized at the median, survival probability for AH subjects at 90 days was 63.0% in the high‐EV group and 90.0% in the low‐EV group (log‐rank P value = 0.015). Interestingly, EV sphingolipid cargo was significantly enriched in AH when compared to healthy controls, heavy drinkers, ESLD, and decompensated AC (P = 0.0001). Multiple sphingolipids demonstrated good diagnostic and prognostic performance as biomarkers for AH. Conclusions Circulating EV concentration and sphingolipid cargo signature can be used in the diagnosis and differentiation of AH from heavy drinkers, decompensated AC, and other etiologies of ESLD and predict 90‐day survival permitting dynamic risk profiling.