AB0523 LONG-TERM SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF UPADACITINIB IN PATIENTS WITH PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS: RESULTS AT 56 WEEKS FROM THE SELECT-PsA 1 STUDY

Background:

In the SELECT-PsA 1 study, through 24 weeks (wks), once daily upadacitinib 15 mg (UPA15) and 30 mg (UPA30) showed improvements in musculoskeletal symptoms, psoriasis, physical function, pain, fatigue, and quality of life, as well as inhibition of radiographic progression in patients (pts) with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and inadequate response or intolerance to ≥1 non-biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD).1

Objectives:

To report the efficacy and safety of UPA vs adalimumab (ADA) up to 56 wks from the ongoing long-term extension of SELECT-PsA 1.

Methods:

Pts received UPA15 or UPA30, ADA 40mg every other wk for 56 wks, or PBO through wk 24 switched thereafter to either UPA15 or UPA30 until wk 56. Efficacy endpoints as listed and defined in the Table 1 were analyzed at wk 56. Results for binary endpoints are based on non-responder imputation analysis; treatments were compared using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test. Results for non-radiographic continuous endpoints are based on mixed model repeated measures model based on as observed data. Radiographic endpoints were analyzed based on linear extrapolation. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) per 100 pt years (PY) were summarized for pts who received ≥1 dose of study drug.

Table 1.

Efficacy Endpoints at Week 56

EndpointPBO → UPA15PBO → UPA30UPA15UPA30ADAACR20, %73.074.174.474.7#68.5ACR50, %54.560.459.7*60.5#51.3ACR70, %29.935.840.6*43.7#31.2Minimal Disease Activity, %29.435.844.847.3#39.6PASI75a, %58.360.265.463.361.1PASI90a, %41.753.749.149.546.9PASI100a, %22.338.934.639.531.3Resolution of enthesitis by Leeds Enthesitis Index b, %38.145.559.358.154.0Resolution of dactylitis by Leeds Dactylitis Index c, %47.759.075.074.874.0Δ from BL in Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index d-3.1-3.1-3.3-3.2-2.8Δ from BL in modified total Sharp/van der Heijde Score (mTSS)0.44e-0.05†0.02‡-0.06

* and †, p≤0.05; for UPA15 vs ADA and PBO, respectively; # and ‡, p≤0.05; for UPA30 vs ADA and PBO, respectively.

a for pts with psoriasis affecting ≥3% of body surface area at BL. b for pts with LEI >0 at BL. c for pts with LDI >0 at BL. d for pts with psoriatic spondylitis at BL. epooled PBO.

ACR20/50/70, ≥20%/50%/70% improvement in American College of Rheumatology criteria; ADA, adalimumab; BL, baseline; PASI75/90/100, ≥75%/90%/100% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index; PBO, placebo; pts, patients; UPA, upadacitinib.

Results:

Of 1704 pts who received ≥1 dose of study drug, 1419 (83.2%) completed 56 wks of treatment on study drug. Across all treatment groups, the proportions of pts who had achieved ACR20/50/70, MDA, PASI75/90/100, resolution of enthesitis, and resolution of dactylitis were maintained or further improved from wk 241 through wk 56; these proportions were generally greater for pts originally randomized to UPA vs ADA (Table 1). At wk 56, mean change from BL in mTSS was similar with UPA15, UPA30, and ADA. Improvements in pts who switched from PBO to UPA were generally similar to those originally randomized to UPA at wk 56. Through wk 56, the rates of TEAEs and serious AEs, including serious infections, were similar in the UPA15 and ADA arms and higher with UPA30 (Figure 1). The rate of herpes zoster was higher with UPA vs ADA in a dose-dependent manner. Malignancies were reported at similar rates among all treatment groups. Adjudicated venous thromboembolic events and major adverse cardiovascular events were reported in all groups with comparable rates. Two deaths were reported with UPA15, 2 with UPA30, and 1 with ADA; 1 death was reported with PBO during the 24-wk PBO-controlled period.

Conclusion:

Efficacy responses were maintained or further improved with UPA15 and UPA30 over 56 wks and were numerically higher vs ADA. The inhibition of radiographic progression was maintained at wk 56 and was similar with UPA and ADA. At wk 56, improvements in efficacy were observed in pts who switched from PBO to UPA. No new safety findings were observed with longer exposure to UPA.

References:

[1]McInnes IB et al. Ann Rheum Dis, 2020; 79:12

Figure 1

Acknowledgements:

AbbVie and the authors thank the patients, study sites, and investigators who participated in this clinical trial. AbbVie, Inc was the study sponsor, contributed to study design, data collection, analysis & interpretation, and to writing, reviewing, and approval of final version. No honoraria or payments were made for authorship. Medical writing support was provided by Ramona Vladea, PhD of AbbVie Inc.

Disclosure of Interests:

Iain McInnes Consultant of: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi Regeneron, UCB Pharma, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi Regeneron, UCB Pharma, Koji Kato Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Marina Magrey Consultant of: UCB, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Janssen, Grant/research support from: Amgen, AbbVie, and UCB Pharma, Joseph F. Merola Consultant of: Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb, AbbVie, Dermavant, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Janssen, UCB, Celgene, Sanofi, Regeneron, Arena, Sun Pharma, Biogen, Pfizer, EMD Sorono, Avotres and Leo Pharma, Mitsumasa Kishimoto Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen-Astellas BioPharma, Asahi-Kasei Pharma, Astellas, Ayumi Pharma, BMS, Celgene, Chugai, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Kyowa Kirin, Novartis, Ono Pharma, Pfizer, Tanabe-Mitsubishi, Teijin Pharma, and UCB Pharma, Cesar Francisco Pacheco Tena Consultant of: Eli Lilly, AbbVie, Roche, Pfizer, Janssen, Astra-Zeneca, UCB, Gilead, R-Pharm, Sanofi Regeneron, Grant/research support from: Eli Lilly, AbbVie, Roche, Pfizer, Janssen, Astra-Zeneca, UCB, Gilead, R-Pharm, Sanofi Regeneron, Derek Haaland Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme, Takeda, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme, Takeda, UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Adiga Life-Sciences, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Can-Fite Biopharma, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi-Genzyme, UCB, Liang Chen Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Yuanyuan Duan Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Patrick Zueger Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Jianzhong Liu Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Ralph Lippe Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Aileen Pangan Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Frank Behrens Consultant of: Pfizer, AbbVie, Sanofi, Lilly, Novartis, Genzyme, Boehringer, Janssen, MSD, Celgene, Roche, Chugai, BMS, UCB Pharma, Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Janssen, Chugai, Celgene and Roche.

POS1035 UPADACITINIB AS MONOTHERAPY AND IN COMBINATION WITH NON-BIOLOGIC DMARDs FOR THE TREATMENT OF PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS: SUBGROUP ANALYSIS FROM TWO PHASE 3 TRIALS

Background:

Approximately 40% of PsA patients (pts) on advanced therapy are on monotherapy.1,2 Upadacitinib (UPA) showed efficacy and safety in pts with active PsA in the Phase 3 SELECT-PsA 1 and SELECT-PsA 2 clinical trials.3,4

Objectives:

Assess efficacy and safety in subgroups of pts treated with UPA as monotherapy or in combination with non-biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (non-bDMARDs).

Methods:

The SELECT-PsA program enrolled pts with prior inadequate response (IR) or intolerance to ≥1 non-bDMARD (N=1705) and prior IR or intolerance to ≥1 bDMARD (N=642). Data from both trials was integrated for pts receiving placebo (PBO), UPA 15 mg once daily (QD) and UPA 30 mg QD. Stable background treatment of ≤2 non-bDMARDs was permitted, but not required. Analysis includes UPA monotherapy vs combination therapy for endpoints: ACR20/50/70 responses and change from baseline in pain and HAQ-DI (Wk 12); Static Investigator Global Assessment of Psoriasis of 0 or 1 and at least a 2-point improvement from baseline and PASI75/90/100 responses (Wk 16); proportion of pts achieving resolution of enthesitis, dactylitis, and minimal disease activity (Wk 24). Binary outcomes, using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel-method and continuous outcomes, using mixed-effects model, were analyzed for repeated measures in the subgroups of UPA monotherapy and combination therapy. Point estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of PBO subtracted treatment effect were calculated. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were analyzed.

Results:

Of 1916 pts, 574 (30%) received monotherapy and 1342 (70%) received combination therapy; 84% in combination therapy group received MTX +/- another non-bDMARD. Both UPA monotherapy and combination therapy led to improvements in efficacy vs PBO and across endpoints, for each dose, generally consistent point estimates of PBO subtracted treatment effect and associated overlapping CIs were observed (Figure 1). Generally, frequency of AEs and serious AEs, were comparable with UPA administered as monotherapy and combination therapy (Table 1). Frequency of AEs of serious infections and hepatic disorder were lower with monotherapy while frequency of AEs leading to discontinuation of study drug were lower with combination therapy. Most hepatic disorders were transient transaminase elevations.

Conclusion:

In the SELECT PsA trials, efficacy and safety of UPA was generally consistent when administered as monotherapy or when given in combination with non-bDMARDs. Results from this analysis support the use of UPA with or without concomitant non-bDMARDs.

References:

[1]Ianculescu I and Weisman MH, Clin Exp Rheumatol 2015; 33:S94–S97.

[2]Mease PJ, et al. RMD Open 2015; 1:e0000181.

[3]McInnes IB, et al. Ann Rheum Dis, 2020; 79:12.

[4]Genovese MC, et al. Ann Rheum Dis, 2020; 79:139.

Acknowledgements:

AbbVie and the authors thank the patients, study sites, and investigators who participated in this clinical trial. AbbVie, Inc was the study sponsor, contributed to study design, data collection, analysis & interpretation, and to writing, reviewing, and approval of final version. No honoraria or payments were made for authorship. Medical writing support was provided by Ramona Vladea of AbbVie Inc.

Disclosure of Interests:

Peter Nash Speakers bureau: AbbVie, BMS, Roche, Pfizer, Janssen, Amgen, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Celgene, Consultant of: AbbVie, BMS, Roche, Pfizer, Janssen, Amgen, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Celgene, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, BMS, Roche, Pfizer, Janssen, Amgen, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Celgene, Pascal Richette Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Biogen, Janssen, BMS, Roche, Pfizer, Amgen, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, and Celgene, Consultant of: AbbVie, Biogen, Janssen, BMS, Roche, Pfizer, Amgen, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, and Celgene, Laure Gossec Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Amgen, Biogen, BMS, Celgene, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Janssen, Sandoz, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, Consultant of: Abbvie, Amgen, Biogen, BMS, Celgene, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Janssen, Sandoz, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, Grant/research support from: Abbvie, Amgen, Biogen, BMS, Celgene, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Janssen, Sandoz, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, Antonio Marchesoni Speakers bureau: AbbVie, BMS, Celgene, Eli-Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, BMS, Celgene, Eli-Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Christopher T. Ritchlin Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Janssen, Novartis, UCB, Grant/research support from: UCB, Koji Kato Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Erin McDearmon-Blondell Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Elizabeth Lesser Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Reva McCaskill Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Dai Feng Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Jaclyn Anderson Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Eric Ruderman Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Gilead, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, and Pfizer.

A multi-centre, retrospective case series of oocyte cryopreservation in unmarried women diagnosed with haematological malignancies

STUDY QUESTION

Is oocyte cryopreservation an applicable option for fertility preservation in unmarried patients with haematological malignancies?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Oocyte cryopreservation via the vitrification method is accessible and may be considered an option for fertility preservation in unmarried patients with haematological malignancies.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Haematological malignancies are most commonly observed amongst adolescent and young adult women. Although the survival rate and life expectancy of those with haematological malignancies have improved, chemotherapy and radiotherapy may impair their reproductive potential. Oocyte cryopreservation is thus an ideal option to preserve their fertility.

STUDY DESIGN SIZE DURATION

This study retrospectively evaluated 193 unmarried patients (age: 26.2 ± 0.4 years) with haematological malignancies, who consulted for oocyte cryopreservation across 20 different fertility centres in Japan between February 2007 and January 2015. The primary outcome measures were the oocyte retrievals and oocyte cryopreservation outcomes. The secondary outcome measures were the outcomes following oocyte warming for IVF.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS SETTING METHODS

The patients had commenced ovarian stimulation cycles via antagonist, agonist, natural and minimal methods for oocyte retrievals, defined according to the treatment strategy of each respective fertility centre. A vitrification method using the Cryotop safety kit was used for oocyte cryopreservation. ICSIs were used for insemination of warmed oocytes. The endometrial preparation method for embryo transfer was hormonal replacement therapy, except in the case of a patient who underwent a spontaneous ovulatory cycle.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Among 193 patients, acute myeloid leukaemia (n = 45, 23.3%) was most common, followed by acute lymphoid leukaemia (n = 38, 19.7%) and Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 30, 15.5%). In total, 162 patients (83.9%) underwent oocyte retrieval, and oocytes were successfully cryopreserved for 155 patients (80.3%). The mean number of oocyte retrieval cycles and cryopreserved oocytes were 1.7 ± 0.2 and 6.3 ± 0.4, respectively. As of December 2019, 14 patients (9.2%) had requested oocyte warming for IVF. The survival rate of oocytes after vitrification-warming was 85.2% (75/88). The rates of fertilisation and embryo development were 80.0% (60/75) and 46.7% (28/60), respectively. Ten patients (71.4%) had successful embryo transfers, and seven live births (50.0%) were achieved.

LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION

This study was limited by its retrospective nature. Additionally, there remains an insufficient number of cases regarding the warming of vitrified oocytes to reliably conclude whether oocyte cryopreservation is effective for patients with haematological malignancies. Further long-term follow-up study is required.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Oocyte retrieval and oocyte cryopreservation were accessible for patients with haematological malignancies; however, the number of oocyte retrievals may have been limited due to the initiation of cancer treatments. Acceptable embryonic and pregnancy outcomes could be achieved following oocyte warming; therefore, our results suggest that oocyte cryopreservation can be considered an option for fertility preservation in patients with haematological malignancies.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A.

Identification of six novel susceptibility loci for dyslipidemia by longitudinal exome-wide association studies in Japanese

Background

The circulating concentrations of triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol have a substantial genetic component. Although previous genome-wide association studies identified various genes and loci related to plasma lipid levels, those studies were conducted in a cross-sectional manner.

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to identify genetic variants that confer susceptibility to hypertriglyceridemia, hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia, and hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia in Japanese. We have now performed longitudinal exome-wide association studies (EWASs) to identify novel loci for dyslipidemia by examining temporal changes in serum lipid profiles.

Methods

Longitudinal EWASs (mean follow-up period, 5 years) for hypertriglyceridemia (2056 case, 3966 controls), hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia (698 cases, 5324 controls), and hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia (2769 cases, 3251 controls) were performed with Illumina Human Exome arrays. The relation of genotypes of 24,691 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that passed quality control to dyslipidemia-related traits was examined with the generalized estimating equation (GEE). To compensate for multiple comparisons of genotypes with each of the three conditions, we applied Bonferroni's correction for statistical significance of association. Replication studies with cross-sectional data were performed for hypertriglyceridemia (2685 cases, 4703 controls), hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia (1947 cases, 6146 controls), and hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia (1719 cases, 5833 controls).

Results

Longitudinal EWASs revealed that 30 SNPs were significantly (P<2.03 × 10–6 by GEE) associated with hypertriglyceridemia, 46 SNPs with hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia, and 25 SNPs with hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia. After examination of the relation of identified SNPs to serum lipid profiles, linkage disequilibrium, and results of the previous genome-wide association studies, we newly identified rs74416240 of TCHP, rs925368 of GIT2, rs7969300 of ATXN2, and rs12231744 of NAA25 as a susceptibility loci for hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia; and rs34902660 of SLC17A3 and rs1042127 of CDSN for hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia. These SNPs were not in linkage disequilibrium with those previously reported to be associated with dyslipidemia, indicating independent effects of the SNPs identified in the present study on serum concentrations of HDL-cholesterol or LDL-cholesterol in Japanese. According to allele frequency data from the 1000 Genomes project database, five of the six identified SNPs were monomorphic or rare variants in European populations. In the replication study, all six SNPs were associated with dyslipidemia-related phenotypes.

Conclusion

We have thus identified six novel loci that confer susceptibility to hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia or hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia. Determination of genotypes for these SNPs at these loci may prove informative for assessment of the genetic risk for dyslipidemia in Japanese.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Clinical aspects of pediatric Brugada syndrome

Introduction

Brugada syndrome (BrS) is an inherited arrhythmia characterized by a coved-type ST elevation and sudden death, especially in middle-aged males and more common in Asia. Mutations in SCN5A are detected in 15–20% and reported to be associated with poor prognosis. Among children, BrS is rare and the risk factors in pediatric BrS are unknown, especially in Asian population.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the risk factors for fatal arrhythmic events in Japanese pediatric patients with BrS.

Methods

We enrolled 52 Japanese children with BrS younger than 20 years, and performed genetic analysis and collected the clinical information.

Results

The mean age of initial symptoms was 10.7±5.5 years, and the mean follow-up period was 3.9±5.5 years. Ninety percent of patients were probands. No subjective symptom was confirmed in 28 of the patients, but aborted cardiac arrest (ACA) in 4, ventricular tachycardia in 4, ventricular fibrillation in 1, and syncope in 11. We identified mutations in SCN5A in 63%. There was no significant gender difference in ≤10 years, but a significant male predominance appeared in >10 years. And no gender difference was confirmed in the incidence of severe cardiac events in ≤10 years.

Conclusion

No gender difference was confirmed in ≤10 years in this study about Asian children. And being girls did not reduce the risk in ≤10 years. The frequency of SCN5A mutations was higher than adults, but decreased from childhood (68%) to adolescence (59%). In BrS, genetical and environmental factors may be more effective in childhood and adulthood, respectively.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Comparison of clinical characteristics between patients with microvascular and epicardial coronary artery spasm

Background

Coronary functional abnormalities including both epicardial and microvascular coronary artery spasm represent an important role responsible for myocardial ischemia in patients with angina and nonobstructive coronary artery disease. However, clinical characteristics associated with microvascular spasm (MVS) have not been fully evaluated.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess differences in clinical features between patients with MVS and epicardial coronary spasm.

Methods

A total of 732 consecutive patients with suspected angina who presented nonobstructive coronary arteries and underwent intracoronary acetylcholine provocation test were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Epicardial coronary spasm was defined as total or subtotal occlusion of epicardial coronary arteries accompanied by chest pain and/or ischemic electrocardiographic changes in response to acetylcholine provocation test. MVS was diagnosed when chest pain and/or ischemic electrocardiographic changes developed after administration of acetylcholine in the absence of epicardial coronary spasm. Clinical characteristics were compared between patients with MVS and epicardial coronary spasm.

Results

Of all patients, 83 patients (11%) had MVS, 367 (50%) had epicardial coronary spasm, and the other patients (39%) showed neither MVS nor epicardial coronary spasm. Patients with MVS tended to be older (65.6±12.7 vs. 63.0±12.3 years, P=0.088) and were more frequently female (60.2% vs. 41.1%, P=0.0016) in comparison with patients with epicardial coronary spasm. Patients with MVS were less likely to be smokers (8.6% vs. 22.9%, P=0.0018), while there were no significant differences in the other coronary risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus. Serum uric acid were significantly lower in patients with MVS (4.9±1.1 vs. 5.4±1.3 mg/dl, P=0.0018).

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that patients with MVS had distinctive clinical background from those with epicardial coronary spasm, suggesting different mechanisms may involve the development of MVS.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Splice site mutation of LMNA causes severe dilated cardiomyopathy via strong dominant reduction of total lamin expression

Objective

LMNA is a known causative gene of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and familial cardiac conduction disturbance (CCD). Genetic variants affecting the pre-mRNA splicing process often lead to premature stop codons and result in nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), followed by degradation of mutated alleles. The misssense variant LMNA c. 936G>C was previously reported in a French family affected by muscular dystrophy, CCD, and DCM, but no detailed analysis has been performed. We so far identified the same variant in two Japanese families affected by CCD and DCM. In this study, we investigated the molecular consequences of the variant located at the last codon of LMNA exon5 to demonstrate its pathogenicity.

Methods

Genomic DNA and total RNA were isolated from patients' peripheral blood lymphocytes or cardiac tissue. LMNA-coding exons were screened by direct sequencing. Complementary DNAs (cDNAs) were generated by reverse transcription PCR from RNA. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was performed to quantify the LMNA cDNA amount by using specific primers for lamins A and C. The protein expressions of both isoforms were analyzed by western blotting.

Results

We detected the heterozygous LMNA c.936 G>C (p. Q312H) variant at the end of exon 5 by genomic DNA sequencing in two unrelated Japanese families (figure. pedigree) affected by DCM and CCD. In a genomic database survey, we did not find the variant in either gnomAD, TogoVar, or the Human Genetic Variation Database. The two commonly used splice site predictor tools, NetGene2 and FSPLICE, estimated that this site was a splice donor site. Sequencing of cDNA demonstrated that the mutated allele was absent. By qPCR assay, we confirmed a 90% reduction in LMNA cDNA. Western blot analysis revealed that lamin A and C expression was reduced far more than 50% (figure. western blot).

Conclusions

We report a LMNA missense mutation found in two families, which disrupts a normal splicing site, leads to NMD, and resulted in severe cardiac laminopathy. The drastic reductions of lamin expression at the cDNA and protein levels suggested that other co-existing mechanisms may also have suppressed the expression of the healthy wild type allele.

Pedigree and western blot assay

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI

Identification of two genes as novel susceptibility loci for type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japanese

Background

The heritability of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been estimated to be 50% to 60%. Although genome-wide association studies identified >120 loci that confer susceptibility to T2DM, these studies were commonly conducted in a cross-sectional manner.

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to identify genetic variants that confer susceptibility to T2DM in Japanese. We have now performed longitudinal exome-wide association studies (EWASs) to identify novel loci for T2DM by examining temporal changes in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level, blood hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) content, and the prevalence of T2DM.

Methods

Longitudinal EWASs (mean follow-up period, 5 years) were performed with Illumina Human Exome-12 v1.2 DNA Analysis BeadChip or Infinium Exome-24 v1.0 BeadChip arrays and with 6,022 Japanese (755 subjects with T2DM, 5267 controls). The relation of genotypes of 24,579 SNPs that passed quality control to FPG level, blood HbA1c content, or the prevalence of T2DM was examined with the generalized estimating equation (GEE). To compensate for multiple comparisons of genotypes with each of the three parameters, we applied Bonferroni's correction for statistical significance of association.

Results

Longitudinal EWASs (GEE with adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking) revealed that rs6414624 of EVC (P<2.0×10–16 for T2DM, P=9.1×10–11 for FPG), rs78338345 of GGA3 (P<2.0×10–16 for T2DM, P=4.3×10–9 for FPG), rs10490775 of PTPRG (P<2.0×10–16 for T2DM, P=3.3×10–7 for FPG), and rs61739510 of GLT6D1 (P<2.0×10–16 for T2DM, P=5.8×10–7 for FPG) were significantly associated with the prevalence of T2DM and FPG levels; and rs11558471 in SLC30A8 with FPG level (P=1.8×10–8) and blood HbA1c content (P=1.2×10–7). After examination of the relation of identified SNPs to FPG level and blood HbA1c content, linkage disequilibrium of the SNPs, and results of the previous genome-wide association studies, we identified rs6414624 of EVC and rs78338345 of GGA3 as novel susceptibility loci for T2DM. In the identified SNPs (rs6414624 and rs7833834), FPG level, blood HbA1c content, and the prevalence of T2DM were significantly lower in homozygotes with the minor alleles than in homozygotes with the major alleles or heterozygotes. These results suggest that the minor alleles of rs6414624 and rs78338345 are protective against T2DM in Japanese. According to allele frequency data from the 1000 Genomes Project database, the minor G allele of rs78338345 of GGA3 is specifically distributed in East Asia. This suggests that the minor allele frequency may have increased in East Asian populations after the split of East Asian and non-East Asian populations.

Conclusion

We have newly identified EVC and GGA3 as susceptibility loci for T2DM in Japanese. Determination of genotypes for these SNPs at these loci may prove informative for assessment of the genetic risk for T2DM in Japanese.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Effect of protective glasses on radiation dose to eye lenses during whole breast irradiation

OBJECTIVES

The efficacy of radiotherapy for breast cancer has greatly improved owing to better irradiation methods. Radiotherapy aims to deliver therapeutic doses to predetermined target volumes while sparing surrounding healthy tissues. However, there are few reports on radiation exposure to eye lenses, and the recommended exposure limits to ocular lens have been substantially reduced in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the amount of radiation exposure to eye lenses using optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs) and determine whether wearing special protective devices to protect the eyes, as an organ at risk, during whole breast irradiation, is necessary.

METHODS

This experiment used OSLDs on water-equivalent phantom to measure the change in scattered radiation dose due to the difference of irradiation field while using 4- and 6-MV photons of TrueBeam linear accelerator. Using a total treatment dose of 50 Gy, a target was positioned to approximate the breast, and a plan was formulated to deliver 2 Gy per treatment by tangential irradiation. The mean (SD) irradiation dose at the lens position outside the irradiation field was reported.

RESULTS

The scattered radiation dose outside the irradiation field was more affected by the irradiation field size than by the radiation energy. The out-of-field irradiation dose with a larger field of view was higher than that with a smaller field of view. The use of 0.07- and 0.83-mm-thick lead shield protective glasses reduced the radiation dose by 56.1% (P < .001) and 55.6% (P < .001), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this experimental model, the amount of radiation the eye was exposed to during whole breast irradiation was determined by the distance of the eye from the radiation field edge and by wearing protective glasses. In clinical practice, the protection offered by eyeglasses may reduce the risk of long-term side effects and allow the use of higher intensive radiotherapy.

Age-related differences and vascular function test findings in patients with vasospastic angina

Background

Vasospastic angina (VSA) accounts for the majority of angina cases with no epicardial stenosis and develops amongawide range of age, which is reportedly induced by coronary functional abnormalities including endothelial dysfunction and smooth muscle hypercontraction. However, the relation of noninvasive vascular function tests to VSA remains to be fully elucidated.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess differences in clinical characteristics and findings from noninvasive vascular function tests among groups by age in patients with VSA.

Methods

We enrolled a total of 732 patients with angina who underwent intracoronary acetylcholine provocation test. VSA was defined as total or subtotal occlusion of epicardial coronary arteries accompanied by chest pain and/or ischemic electrocardiographic changes in response to acetylcholine administration. Patients with VSA were divided into 3 groups by age (young [&lt;50 years], intermediate [50–64 years], and elderly group [≥65 years]). Noninvasive vascular function test findings such as ankle-brachial index (ABI), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), andpercentage of mean arterial pressure (%MAP) were compared among groups by age in patients with VSA.

Results

Of all patients, 367 (50.1%) were diagnosed as VSA with intracoronary acetylcholine test, including 66 (18.0%), 113 (30.8%), and 188 (51.2%) patients in the young, intermediate, and elderly groups. Among groups by age, there was no significant difference in gender (female, 31.8% vs. 40.7% vs. 44.7%, P=0.19). Patients in the young group were more often smokers and alcohol drinkers than those in the intermediate and elderly groups, while the prevalence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes were lower in younger patients. A history of percutaneous coronary intervention was less frequently found in the young group compared tothe intermediate and elderly groups (7.6% vs. 16.8% vs. 20.7%, P=0.033). The baPWV was higher in the elderly group (1424±232 vs. 1537±247 vs. 1774±358 cm/s, P&lt;0.0001), while there was no difference in ABI between the 3 groups. %MAP at arms was significantly and progressively decreased with an increase in age (54.0±4.5% vs. 53.0±2.6% vs. 51.2±2.8%, P&lt;0.0001).

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that there were distinct age-related differences in clinical characteristics of patients with VSA. The higher %MAP in younger patients suggests that more impaired endothelial dysfunction may play a role in the development of VSA in this age group.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Relationship Between Coronary Fractional Flow Reserve and Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis in Moderate Stenosis of the Coronary Artery

Background: Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is used to evaluate the need for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in cases of moderate stenosis of the coronary artery. Recently, diagnostic imaging support with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis has been garnering attention. This study defines the relationship between FFR conducted for cardiac catheterization and CFD analyses conducted using coronary computed tomography (CT) for moderate stenosis, in addition to considering whether wall pressure (WP) and wall shear stress (WSS) can be used to evaluate ischemia.

Methods and Results: Cases in which FFR was measured via coronary CT and cardiac catheterization was performed within 3 months were collected retrospectively. In the CFD analysis, WP and WSS were calculated and compared with FFR. Three groups were created to compare results of CFD analysis and FFR values according to the location of the stenosis: the right coronary artery, the left anterior descending artery, and the left circumflex artery. There was a correlation between FFR and WSS according to CFD analysis for moderate stenosis of the coronary artery, with a cut-off value for treatment able to be calculated.

Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that ischemia can be evaluated by conducting CFD analysis (WSS) using coronary CT.

Exploratory open-label clinical study to determine the S-588410 cancer peptide vaccine-induced tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and changes in the tumor microenvironment in esophageal cancer patients

Cancer vaccines induce cancer-specific T-cells capable of eradicating cancer cells. The impact of cancer peptide vaccines (CPV) on the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains unclear. S-588410 is a CPV comprising five human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*24:02-restricted peptides derived from five cancer testis antigens, DEPDC1, MPHOSPH1, URLC10, CDCA1 and KOC1, which are overexpressed in esophageal cancer. This exploratory study investigated the immunologic mechanism of action of subcutaneous S-588410 emulsified with MONTANIDE ISA51VG adjuvant (median: 5 doses) by analyzing the expression of immune-related molecules, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response and T-lymphocytes bearing peptide-specific T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing in tumor tissue or blood samples from 15 participants with HLA-A*24:02-positive esophageal cancer. Densities of CD8+, CD8+ Granzyme B+, CD8+ programmed death-1-positive (PD-1+) and programmed death-ligand 1-positive (PD-L1+) cells were higher in post- versus pre-vaccination tumor tissue. CTL response was induced in all patients for at least one of five peptides. The same sequences of peptide-specific TCRs were identified in post-vaccination T-lymphocytes derived from both tumor tissue and blood, suggesting that functional peptide-specific CTLs infiltrate tumor tissue after vaccination. Twelve (80%) participants had treatment-related adverse events (AEs). Injection site reaction was the most frequently reported AE (grade 1, n = 1; grade 2, n = 11). In conclusion, S-588410 induces a tumor immune response in esophageal cancer. Induction of CD8+ PD-1+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and PD-L1 expression in the TME by vaccination suggests S-588410 in combination with anti-PD-(L)1 antibodies may offer a clinically useful therapy.Trial registration UMIN-CTR registration identifier: UMIN000023324.

A more accurate and safer method for the measurement of scattered radiation in X-ray examination rooms

Advancements in and increasing usage of complex diagnostic examinations with interventional procedures and surgeries has led to an increase in the occupational radiation doses received by physicians and other medical staff. Measuring the scattered radiation doses received by these staff is vital for the development-effective radiation protection programs. In this study, we measured scattered doses during angiography and digital breast tomosynthesis examinations with small-type dosimeters using our jungle gym (JG) method with measurement points at 50-cm intervals. The results were compared with measurements taken using the conventional ion chamber method. The JG method uses paper pipe tubes and a plastic joint structure and allows measurements at different points inside an examination room. The difference between measurements can be attributed to the radiation absorption characteristics of the components used in the JG method. A maximum radiation dose reduction of 20% was observed due to absorption by the JG components. This effect was smaller than the measurement error produced because of reproducibility issues and other limitations of the conventional method. The conventional measurement has disadvantages that are associated with the reproducibility of measurement points, equipment load, and the radiation exposure experienced by the measurer. The proposed JG method exhibits significant improvements in all these aspects. Furthermore, the measurer does not have to be present in the measurement room; therefore, the JG method is extremely safe and useful for radiation protection.

Development of a dynamic blood vessel phantom for evaluation of moving images

In coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), it is important for radiological technologists to optimize the balance between radiation dose and image quality for physicians to be able to perform CAG and PCI most effectively. Evaluation of image processing is necessary to ensure that technologists can optimally adjust image quality for clinical use to the extent that physicians require. However, few phantoms are available for evaluating fluoroscopic image processing, and this makes it necessary to adjust image quality in clinical settings while utilizing the image processing according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. In this study, we developed a dynamic phantom that mimics a pulsating coronary artery for use in image quality analysis of moving images. We also examined whether processed images (image lag) can be physically analyzed. Two issues require special attention in creating a new phantom: establishing the exact position of the simulated blood vessel in the phantom, and providing good reproducibility. The study used the rotational motion of a disk to generate images, with a circular simulated blood vessel on the rotating acrylic disk, with the center of the simulated blood vessel shifted from the center of the acrylic disk. This enabled the reproduction of translational motion of the simulated blood vessel. As a result, because this phantom has signals and afterimages at the same position (of a simulated blood vessel), a quantitative evaluation of the afterimages became possible. In the evaluation of the image processing with the angiograph, it was shown that evaluations of image lag which are typically performed in clinical settings can be performed with the dynamic blood vessel phantom.

Exposure to Asian dust within a few days of delivery is associated with placental abruption in Japan: a case-crossover study

OBJECTIVE

Asian dust is a natural phenomenon in which dust particles are transported from desert areas in China and Mongolia to East Asia. Short-term exposure to Asian dust has been associated with cardiovascular disease through mechanisms such as systemic inflammation. Because inflammation is a potential trigger of placental abruption, exposure may also lead to abruption. We examined whether exposure to Asian dust was associated with abruption.

DESIGN

A bi-directional, time-stratified case-crossover design.

SETTING AND POPULATION

From the Japan Perinatal Registry Network database, we identified 3014 patients who delivered singleton births in hospitals in nine Japanese prefectures from 2009 to 2014 with a diagnosis of placental abruption.

METHODS

Asian dust levels were measured at Light Detection and Ranging monitoring stations, and these measurements were used to define the Asian dust days. As there was no information on the onset day of abruption, we assumed this day was the day before delivery (lag1).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Placental abruption.

RESULTS

During the study period, the Asian dust days ranged from 15 to 71 days, depending on the prefecture. The adjusted odds ratio of placental abruption associated with exposure to Asian dust was 1.4 (95% confidence interval = 1.0, 2.0) for cumulative lags of 1-2 days. Even after adjustment for co-pollutant exposures, this association did not change substantially.

CONCLUSIONS

In this Japanese multi-area study, exposure to Asian dust was associated with an increased risk of placental abruption.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Exposure to environmental factors such as Asian dust may be a trigger of placental abruption.