Citations

5543 Background: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are widely used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Emerging evidence suggests that these agents may have potential anti-tumor activity as GLP-1 signaling may influence pathways involved in cell proliferation and inflammation. Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy, and obesity represents a well-established, modifiable risk factor that may adversely affect oncologic outcomes through chronic inflammation and metabolic dysregulation. Our study aims to evaluate the impact of GLP-1 receptor agonists on outcomes among patients with endometrial cancer and comorbid obesity. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network, covering January 2000 to December 2025, encompassing data from 168 global healthcare organizations. Patients aged 18 and above with endometrial cancer and comorbid obesity were identified and then stratified into two groups based on treatment with GLP1 agonists or not. The two groups were then propensity-matched based on age, ethnicity, medical comorbidities, and stage of cancer. Outcomes were assessed for five years from treatment initiation and included overall mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic stroke; development of peritoneal, lymph node, and visceral metastases; sepsis, pancreatitis, and ED visits. Time-to-event analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: After propensity matching, 6352 patients were included in each cohort with balanced baseline characteristics. Our analysis found that patients with endometrial cancer and comorbid obesity who received GLP-1 agonists had a significantly lower risk of overall mortality (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.39-0.51, p-value <0.001), development of peritoneal metastases (Risk Difference [RD]: -2.16%, 95% CI: -2.74% to -1.58%, p-value <0.001), nodal metastases (RD: -0.41%, 95% CI: -0.72% to -0.09%, p-value =0.01), visceral metastases (RD: -3.76%, 95% CI: -4.60% to -2.93%, p-value =0.01), and sepsis with and without shock (RD: -1.42%, 95% CI: -2.14% to -0.70%, p-value <0.001) compared to patients who did not receive GLP-1 agonists. There was no statistically significant difference in the rates of MI, ischemic stroke, ED visits, and pancreatitis between the two cohorts. Conclusions: In this large real-world analysis, patients with endometrial cancer and comorbid obesity who received GLP-1 agonists had lower rates of overall mortality; peritoneal, lymph node, and visceral metastases, and sepsis with or without shock. Additional longitudinal cohort studies are imperative to explore the associations between these agents and inform clinical practice guidelines in this patient population.

4559 Background: Baseline QOL has been linked to survival in mRCC therapy clinical trials (Cella, 2024); however, there is a paucity of prospectively collected real-world QOL data across front-line management strategies. We used data from ODYSSEY to examine the relationship between baseline QOL and early death. Methods: ODYSSEY is a multi-site, prospective observational study of 468 US pts with mRCC. Pts must have mRCC (any histology); have no prior systemic therapy (ST) or be within 3 months of starting ST; and follow up at a PCORnet study site. Exclusion criteria include treatment for cancer except mRCC. The primary objective is to determine patterns of change in QOL and symptom burden of pts with mRCC. Early death was defined as death within 12 months post-enrollment. All pts with non-missing FKSI-19 or FKSI-DRS at enrollment were included. Cumulative event probabilities as a function of time were stratified by either < or ≥ median QoL value and plotted as a step function vs time since enrollment to create cumulative event curves. To determine association between QoL at enrollment and early death, separate Cox proportional hazards models (unadjusted and adjusted) for time-to-first-event as a function of baseline QoL were fit. The adjusted model controlled for the following baseline covariates: IMDC risk (favorable vs intermediate or poor), histology (clear cell vs non). Results: As of 1/5/26, 468 pts were enrolled; 425 had non-missing FKSI-19 or FKSI-DRS at enrollment (329 immediate ST, 96 deferred ST [DST]). ST included 129 IO-IO, 108 IO-TKI, 92 Other. DST included 57 Active Surveillance, 22 Local Therapy Planned, 17 Other/Missing. 209 and 190 pts have < median FKSI-19 (score = 59) and FKSI-DRS (score = 29), respectively; 216 and 235 pts have ≥ median FKSI-19 and FKSI-DRS, respectively. Those below the median have lower rates of nephrectomy, worse IMDC risk and KPS, shorter time since RCC diagnosis, and higher rates of bone metastasis (all p<0.05). Cumulative event probabilities for death at 12 months are 21% and 7% in those < and ≥ median baseline FKSI-19, respectively; and 21% and 7% in those < and ≥ median baseline FKSI-DRS, respectively. For FKSI-19, the unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) for early death is 0.55 (95% CI: 0.43 – 0.70; p<0.001) and adjusted HR is 0.65 (0.49 – 0.85; p = 0.002) per 1 SD higher score. For FKSI-DRS, the unadjusted HR for early death is 0.57 (95% CI: 0.46 – 0.71; p<0.001) and adjusted HR is 0.66 (0.51 – 0.86; p =0.002) per 1 SD higher score (higher score indicates better QOL). Conclusions: Across management strategies in our ODYSSEY cohort of systemic therapy naïve mRCC patients, better baseline QOL was associated with better survival. This is to our knowledge the largest reported real world mRCC cohort with prospectively collected PROs. Future analyses will focus on association of outcomes with longitudinal PROs. Clinical trial information: NCT04919122 .

ABSTRACT HLA‐B*08:345Q differs from HLA‐B*08:238 by one nucleotide substitution, introducing a premature stop codon in exon 5.

Abstract Rationale Interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) are abnormal findings on chest CT scans that may represent early-stages of interstitial lung disease. The presence of fibrosis (traction bronchiectasis and/or honeycombing) identifies those with ILA at an increased risk for mortality, however, determining who will progress remains a challenge, and the role of blood-based biomarkers in ILA risk-stratification is unknown. Methods Data from four prospective cohort studies were used to identify associations between plasma proteins measured with DNA aptamers (SomaScan) and ILA, fibrosis, and mortality. The Genetic Epidemiology of COPD Study (COPDGene) was used to identify protein associations, and findings were replicated by meta-analysis of the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik study (AGES-Reykjavik), SubPopulations and InteRmediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS), and Framingham Heart Study (FHS). Protein associations with ILA and with fibrotic ILA compared to non-fibrotic ILA were performed using multivariable logistic regression; among those with ILA, Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify protein associations with mortality. Models were adjusted for age, gender, race, BMI, smoking status, pack-year smoking history, and for mortality, COPD. Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate p-values &lt;0.05 were considered significant. Results 524 (10.7%) of 4,899 COPDGene participants had ILA, of whom 57 (10.9%) had fibrosis; of 8,146 AGES-Reykjavik, SPIROMICS and FHS participants included in the meta-analysis, 666 (8.2%) had ILA, of whom 198 (29.7%) had fibrosis. In COPDGene, 230 proteins were associated with ILA; the most significant of which were SFTPD (adjusted odds ratio per standard deviation [SD] of protein [OR]=2.21, p = 3.7E-41) and SFTPB (OR = 1.82, p = 7.9E-37). In the meta-analysis, 159 of the ILA-associated proteins were replicated. Of the 230 ILA-associated proteins in COPDGene, 9 were associated with fibrosis, and 5 of these 9 proteins were associated with mortality among those with ILA. The 5 proteins associated with all three outcomes were WFDC2 (ORILA=1.90, p = 2.6E-34; ORFibrosis=2.00, p = 0.0001; adjusted hazards of mortality per SD of protein [HR]=1.59, p = 3.4E-05), GDF15 (ORILA=1.67, p = 3.6E-23; ORFibrosis=1.78, p = 0.0006; HR = 1.63, p = 1.4E-06), SCGB3A1 (ORILA=1.52, p = 4.5e-14; ORFibrosis=1.80, p = 0.0002; HR = 1.25, p = 0.02), TREM1 (ORILA=1.44, p = 1.4e-14; ORFibrosis=1.62, p = 0.001; HR = 1.25, p = 0.02) ICAM5 (ORILA=1.42, p = 1.2e-11; ORFibrosis=1.79, p = 0.0001; HR = 1.31, p = 0.002). In the meta-analysis, 6 of the 9 fibrosis-associated proteins and all 5 ILA mortality-associated proteins replicated. Conclusion This represents the first plasma proteomic screen demonstrating reproducible biomarker associations not only with ILA presence, but also with measures of severity and adverse outcomes. These results provide compelling targets for further study, including their prospective evaluation as clinical biomarkers for early disease identification and prognostication. This abstract is funded by: Multiple Sources

Background: Although donor and recipient characteristics are used to estimate graft failure risk, they remain limited in predicting early acute rejection. We developed and validated a next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay targeting the pre-transplant immunologic profile to predict early acute rejection following kidney transplantation. Methods: This prospective, international study enrolled 321 kidney transplant participants across 13 sites, forming discovery and validation cohorts. Peripheral blood was collected prior to transplant and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months post-transplant, with protocol biopsies performed at 3 and 12 months, as well as any indication biopsies. Biopsies were assessed by a blinded central pathologist according to the 2019 Banff criteria. The pre-transplant risk assessment (PTRA™) test to evaluate RNA expression of a 29-gene signature algorithm designed to predict early acute rejection risk was clinically validated utilizing 122 deceased donor kidney transplant recipients. Results: PTRA classified 31 of 122 participants (25%) as high-risk and 91 (75%) as low-risk. There were 9 early acute rejection events in the first 60 days post-transplant: 6/31 (19%) in the high-risk group and 3/91 (3%) in the low-risk group. PTRA discrimination for early acute rejection at 60 days post-transplant yielded an AUC of 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 64.4 to 91.5), p<0.001. A cut-off of ≤45 was defined as low-risk and >45 as high-risk for early acute rejection within 60 days post-transplant. Sensitivity 0.67 (95% CI: 0.36 to 0.97), specificity 0.78 (95% CI: 0.70 to 0.86), positive predictive value 0.19 (95% CI: 0.05 to 0.33), and negative predictive value 0.97 (95% CI: 0.93 to 1.00). The odds ratio comparing patients identified as high- vs low-risk by PTRA was 7.04 (95% CI: 1.64 to 30.2), p=0.009. Conclusions: This study validates the ability of PTRA to stratify kidney transplant recipients as high- or low-risk for early acute rejection using a pre-transplant transcriptomic profile, with implications for graft health and personalized treatment management.

Autoimmune diseases arise when B and T lymphocytes lose tolerance to self. Yet in most disorders, the underlying molecular determinants, including autoantibodies, epitopes and lymphocyte clones that drive tissue injury remain undefined. Rapid-onset obesity with hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation and autonomic dysregulation (ROHHAD) is a rare and often fatal pediatric neuroendocrine syndrome with strong evidence of antigen-driven paraneoplastic autoimmunity, including association with the intracellular autoantigen ZSCAN1. However, the effector immune circuit and the epitope-level determinants operating within the hypothalamus and brainstem have remained unknown. To address this challenge in ROHHAD and more broadly in autoimmune disease, we developed the Autoimmune Epitope and immunoGlobulin/Immune-receptor identification System (AEGIS), an integrated framework that links immune repertoires to their cognate self-epitopes. AEGIS combines B cell and T cell receptor profiling from sites of tissue injury with high-resolution epitope mapping, direct sequencing of antigen-specific autoantibodies, in silico antibody-antigen folding, selection, and T cell antigen discovery. Applied to a deeply phenotyped child with ROHHAD, AEGIS revealed a compartmentalized, clonally restricted immune response in which brain-deposited IgG and expanded cerebrospinal fluid B cell and CD4 T cell clonotypes converged on shared ZSCAN1 epitopes, resolved to minimal determinants and peptide-MHC ligands. These findings provide a clone- and epitope-linked mechanistic map of ROHHAD autoimmunity and establish a generalizable framework for identifying candidate pathogenic clones and antigens across diverse autoimmune diseases.

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhagic risk in dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) is largely determined by venous anatomy, but the contribution of systemic cardiovascular factors and their medical therapy remains poorly defined. This study examined associations between cardiovascular risk factors and antithrombotic use and hemorrhagic presentation, angiographic obliteration, and early functional outcomes after treatment. METHODS: We analyzed 1350 adults with intracranial dAVFs from the international Consortium for Dural Arteriovenous Fistula Outcomes Research registry, which retrospectively accrued cases across 14 centers in 4 countries between 1990 and 2017. Demographics, cardiovascular comorbidities, antithrombotic use, angioarchitectural features, treatment strategies, and follow-up outcomes were collected from prospectively maintained databases. Primary end points were hemorrhagic presentation, angiographic obliteration, and 90-day functional status after treatment. Univariable and multivariable logistic regressions were performed with model-specific adjustments. RESULTS: Hemorrhage occurred in 375 patients (27.8%) and was most strongly associated with high-grade dAVF classification and male sex; antithrombotic therapy was associated with lower odds of hemorrhagic presentation. Other cardiovascular risk factors showed no independent relationship with bleeding. Angiographic obliteration was achieved in 621 of 845 patients (73.5%). Hemorrhagic onset, high dAVF grade, and surgical treatment were independently associated with angiographic obliteration, whereas smoking and embolization demonstrated only nonsignificant trends after adjustment. At 90 days, 934 patients (88.9%) were functionally independent. Baseline modified Rankin Scale score was the strongest factor associated with 90-day functional outcome, while neither cardiovascular comorbidities nor treatment modality independently influenced functional status. CONCLUSIONS: In this large multicenter dAVF cohort, hemorrhagic presentation was most strongly associated with venous angioarchitecture. Male sex and antithrombotic therapy were also independently associated with hemorrhagic presentation. Angiographic obliteration was common, particularly among surgically treated lesions, and 90-day functional outcome was most strongly associated with baseline functional status.

PURPOSE Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer. Early-stage, high-risk patients with TNBC are treated with chemotherapy and pembrolizumab per the KEYNOTE-522 regimen. This report examines real-world clinical effectiveness and toxicity of this regimen. METHODS This 19-site retrospective analysis included all patients who received at least one dose of the KEYNOTE-522 regimen. Safety, efficacy, and health care encounters were collected. RESULTS 675 patients from 19 sites in the United States who received chemotherapy and pembrolizumab for early-stage TNBC were included. 547 (81.0%) patients underwent surgery and 250 (54.7%) patients had a pathologic complete response (pCR). No baseline characteristics were predictive of pCR status. 224 patients (33.2%) had an adverse drug event resulting in ≥1 dose reduction of chemotherapy and were significantly more likely to have residual disease. Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were observed in 388 (57.5%) patients and grade 3+ irAEs were observed in 176 (26.1%) patients. There was no difference in pCR status between provider's choice chemotherapy schedules. There was no difference of pCR rate between Black and White patients (55.6% v 51.6%, P = .489). White patients were significantly more likely to have any grade and grade 3+ irAEs. Older patients (age ≥65 years) had similar pCR rates compared with younger patients; however, older patients were significantly more likely to have grade 3+ irAEs. CONCLUSIONS In this multi-institutional real-world cohort, we observed a lower pCR rate, higher rates of toxicity, frequent emergency health care utilization, and the reporting of rare irAEs at higher frequency than the KEYNOTE-522 regimen. These findings have important implications for clinical management of patients with early-stage TNBC and warrant further validation with real-world data sets.

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is commonly associated with dysfunctional mitochondrial homeostasis. PINK1, a S/T kinase mutated in early-onset PD, generates phosphoserine 65 ubiquitin (pS65Ub) on damaged mitochondria facilitating their removal. Here, we show that pS65Ub translocates into the nucleus after generation at damaged mitochondria and is directly attached to substrates by resident E3 ligases. Histone H2A is a major substrate and is modified at lysine 119 (H2AK119) by the polycomb silencer, E3 ligase RING1B. At nucleosomes, pS65Ub simultaneously suppresses RING1B and potentiates H2A deubiquitinases USP16 and USP21. Epigenetic profiling and RNA sequencing reveal that pS65Ub is enriched at the promoters of poorly expressed yet dynamically regulated genes and is associated with H2AK119ub depletion. Functionally, we show that pS65Ub enrichment drives polycomb target gene expression, which accelerates the maturation of dopaminergic neurons. Importantly, post-mortem PD brains exhibit elevated nuclear pS65Ub, potentially linking nuclear pS65Ub accumulation with disease pathogenesis. Together, these data indicate that pS65Ub generated at damaged mitochondria regulates fundamental cellular processes at distant sites.

Post-transplant thrombotic microangiopathy (PT-TMA) is a serious and underrecognized complication of kidney transplantation, associated with substantially reduced allograft survival. Its heterogeneous presentations, ranging from systemic to renal-limited forms, and multifactorial etiologies complicate timely diagnosis and management. Complement activation is central across all etiologies, either as a primary driver of disease in recurrent complement-mediated TMA (also known as atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome or aHUS) or as an amplifier in de novo PT-TMA (dnTMA). Accurate diagnosis requires a combination of clinical assessment, laboratory evaluation, and histopathologic examination, with particular attention to complement abnormalities, donor/recipient risk factors, and potential triggers. Management must be individualized, encompassing supportive care, optimization of immunosuppression, complement blockade, and plasmapheresis in select cases. Histologic features and clinical risk factors can guide prognosis, and scoring systems provide valuable tools for risk stratification. Despite advances in therapy, long-term outcomes remain suboptimal, particularly in antibody-mediated rejection (AMR)-related cases. Ongoing research is essential to clarify the optimal context for the use of anti-complement therapy, and to develop effective prophylactic and therapeutic strategies while maintaining adequate immunosuppression.