Experimental Life-Cycle of Varestrongylus eleguneniensis (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae) in a Captive Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) and a Muskox (Ovibos moschatus moschatus)

The life-cycle of a recently described protostrongylid lungworm, Varestrongylus eleguneniensis, which infects caribou, muskoxen, and moose from Arctic and boreal regions of North America, was completed experimentally for the first time. A native North American slug species, Deroceras laeve, was infected with the first-stage larvae (L1) isolated from the feces of wild muskoxen to generate third-stage larvae (L3). These were administered to a captive reindeer calf (250 L3) and an adult captive muskox (380 L3). The prepatent periods for the reindeer and muskox were 56 and 72 days, respectively. Patency lasted for only 19 days in the reindeer, and fecal larval counts were very low (0.09-1.53 larvae per gram of feces). Patency in the muskox was at least 210 days, and likely over 653 days, and the fecal larval counts were higher (0.06-17.8 larvae per gram of feces). This work provides the first experimental completion of the life-cycle of V. eleguneniensis.

Expanding the search for significant EGFR mutations in NSCLC outside of the tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) with next-generation sequencing (NGS)

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Background: While conventional organization of EGFR mutations in NSCLC includes classic lesions sensitive to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and variants localized to TKD in exons 18-21, NGS raises the prospect of identifying clinically relevant variants in extra-TKD regulatory regions. Methods: Patients (pts) with lung cancer who received tumor profiling with NGS from 2013-2015 via Caris were identified. EGFR mutations were arranged based upon their known distribution relative to the TKD. In silico analysis was performed with PolyPhen-2 (Harvard) to predict nsSNPs’ pathogenicity. Results: 259 pts (248 NSCLC, 11 SC) had median age 65 years (26-85); 50% female; 64% white, 34% black; 73% with ≥20 pack-years (py), 12% non-smokers; 53% of samples were metastases. 65% NSCLC were adenocarcinoma (A), 21% squamous (S), 8% large-cell; 87% stage IV, 12% III. 44 EGFR variants were seen in 40 pts (15%; 39 NSCLC, 1 SC). While 32 pts had TKD lesions demonstrable through standard testing, 8 had extra-TKD mutations (8/44), of which 5 were extracellular domain (ECD), 1 juxtamembrane (JM) and 2 carboxy terminal (CT). Aside from pathogenic ECD mutation G598V, 5/7 extra-TKD nsSNPs were predicted-damaging (pnsSNP) with in silico (Table 1). 7/7 extra-TKD nsSNP+ pts smoked (6/7 ≥20 py) and all 6 NSCLC pts were stage IV; 50% A, 17% S; 83% male. The pt with JM R675Q had erlotinib, 150 mg daily, added following progression of stage IV NSCLC on carboplatin and paclitaxel and had a partial response for 4 months. No other pt received EGFR-directed therapy. Conclusions: 2% NSCLC cases in our cohort had EGFR pnsSNPs located outside of the TKD, representing >18% of all EGFR mutations. Extra-TKD variants should be characterized collaboratively to determine TKI sensitivity and additional therapeutic targets. [Table: see text]

Distribution and pathogenicity of nsSNPs in receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (pts)

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Background: Non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) in RTKs can alter kinase activity and are not exclusive to the tyrosine kinase domain (TKD). In NSCLC, EGFR lesions were previously identified using TKD-limited tests; however, next-generation sequencing (NGS) enables the entire protein sequence of many RTKs to be interrogated. Methods: We analyzed all nsSNPs in 28 RTKs in lung cancer pts who received tumor profiling with Caris NGS from 2013-2015. Mutations were classified by location including the TKD, extracellular domain (ECD), transmembrane domain (TM), juxtamembrane domain (JM), and carboxy-terminal (CT) regions. nsSNPs underwent in silico analysis using PolyPhen-2 (Harvard) to predict pathogenicity. Results: 167 pts (156 NSCLC, 11 SC) were identified with a median age 65 (range 26-85); 51% male; 65% white, 31% black; 77% ≥20 pack-years (py), 11% non-smokers; 52% samples tested were metastases. NSCLC pts were 63% adenocarcinoma, 22%, squamous, 8% large-cell; 81% stage IV, 14% III; 17 were EGFR+, 6 BRAF+, 3 HER2+, 3 ROS1 rearranged and 1 MET exon 14. A total 300 nsSNPs (286 NSCLC, 14 SC) were found in 28 RTKs, excluding EGFR. 123/156 NSCLC pts (79%) and 9/11 SC (82%) had ≥1 RTK lesion with median 2 (range 0-8); 143/300 (48%) nsSNPs were predicted-damaging (pnsSNP) by in silico and 89 pts (53%) had ≥1 pnsSNP (median 1; range 0-5). 28/28 RTKs had ≥3 mutations, with median 11 (range 3-23), and 26/28 contained ≥1 pnsSNP (median 5; range 0-14). RTKs in NSCLC with the most frequent nsSNPs were EPHA3 (14/23 variants were pnsSNP), EPHA5 (11/17), EPHB1 (10/11), RET (9/11), ERBB4 (8/12), ALK (7/16), NTRK3 (7/15), ROS1 (6/22) and FLT1 (6/15). 6/14 lesions in SC pts were pnsSNPs in ERBB3, ERBB4, FGFR1, FLT1, RET and ROS1. nsSNPs were found along RTKs: 57% were ECD (72/172 pnsSNP), 26% TKD (47/77), 10% CT (14/29), 6% JM (8/18) and 1% TM (2/4). 6/6 SC pnsSNPs were ECD. 67% BRAF+ and ROS1-rearranged, 59% EGFR+, 33% HER2+ and 0/1 MET exon 14 pts had ≥1 pnsSNP. Conclusions: Nearly 80% NSCLC and SC pts had ≥1 nsSNP in 28 RTKs, excluding EGFR, with 48% pnsSNPs by in silico analysis. As > 70% nsSNPs were extra-TKD lesions, further characterization is needed to identify kinase-effecting variants and their potential clinical significance.

A window into living with an undiagnosed disease: illness narratives from the Undiagnosed Diseases Network

BACKGROUND

Patients' stories of their illnesses help bridge the divide between patients and providers, facilitating more humane medical care. Illness narratives have been classified into three types: restitution (expectation of recovery), chaos (suffering and loss), and quest (unexpected positive effect from illness). Undiagnosed patients have unique illness experiences and obtaining their narratives would provide insights into the medical and emotional impact of living with an undiagnosed illness. Adults and children with undiagnosed diseases apply to be evaluated by the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN). Written illness narratives from 40 UDN applicants, including 20 adult probands who applied for themselves and 20 parents who applied for their children, were analyzed for: 1) narrative content and 2) narrative type.

RESULTS

Narrative content: could be grouped into three themes: 1) Expectations of the UDN: the majority felt they had no further healthcare options and hoped the UDN would provide them with a diagnosis, with the adults expecting to return to their previously healthy life and the parents wanting information to manage their child's healthcare. 2) Personal medical information: the narratives reported worsening of symptoms and some offered opinions regarding the cause of their illness. The proband narratives had few objective findings, while parental narratives had detailed objective information. 3) Experiences related to living with their undiagnosed illness: frustration at being undiagnosed was expressed. The adults felt they had to provide validation of their symptoms to providers, given the lack of objective findings. The parents worried that something relevant to their child's management was being overlooked. Narrative type: All the narratives were of the chaos type, but for different reasons, with the probands describing loss and suffering and the parents expressing fear for their child's future. The parental narratives also had elements of restitution and quest, with acceptance of "a new normal", and an emphasis on the positive aspects of their child's illness which was absent from the probands.

CONCLUSIONS

These narratives illustrate the chaos that coexists with being undiagnosed. The differences between the proband and parental narratives suggest that these two groups have different needs that need to be considered during their evaluation and management.

Growth, morphometrics, and nutrient content of farmed eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin), in New Hampshire, USA

When harvested, oysters represent a removal from the ecosystem of nutrients such as nitrogen (N) and carbon (C). A number of factors potentially affect nutrient content, but a quantitative understanding across the geographic range of the eastern oysters is lacking. The present study was designed to quantify the relationships among various metrics of farmed eastern oysters near its northern geographic range focusing on nutrient content. Hatchery-reared oysters were deployed in polyethylene bags at six sites, and were measured on multiple occasions from 2010-2012. A quadratic polynomial fit to the combined datasets for shell height indicated that on average a 'cocktail' size oyster (63 mm shell height) would be reached after 2 yr, and 'regular' size (76 mm) would require 3 yr. There were significant differences in growth rates and oyster nutrient content among the sites; means for %N in soft tissue ranged from 6.9 to 8.6, and 0.07 to 0.18 in shell. Percent N in soft tissue and shell were highest at two sites at the mouths of rivers with elevated dissolved inorganic N concentrations in the water. Grand means (all sites, seasons and years combined) of soft tissue N and C for regular size oysters were 7.3% and 38.5%, respectively; and for shell N and C were 0.13% and 12.0%, respectively. Our study extends the range of data on nutrient content of the eastern oyster to northern New England, and indicates that oyster size, seasonality, and nutrient concentration in ambient water potentially affect %N and %C content of oysters.

Splenorenal Arterial Bypass: Description of Technique and Case Example in an Instance of Renal Revascularization during Adrenalectomy for Adrenocortical Carcinoma

We present a patient with a 16 cm adrenocortical carcinoma that underwent a left adrenalectomy en bloc with resection of the involved segment of the left renal artery. A splenectomy and splenorenal bypass was performed to revascularize the left kidney. To our knowledge, this is the first instance in the literature of a splenorenal arterial bypass being reported for renal revascularization during an extirpative oncologic procedure. A 64-year-old male patient, with history significant for adrenocortical carcinoma, status post prior right adrenalectomy with partial right nephrectomy, presented for an elective left adrenalectomy. Preoperative work-up revealed an 11.4 × 13.2 × 16 cm left adrenal mass, most consistent with an adrenocortical carcinoma. At the time of surgery, the mass was found to be intimately adherent to the aorta at the takeoff of the left renal artery. Moreover, the left renal artery appeared to be coursing directly through the mass. The involved segment of the left renal artery was resected en bloc with the tumor. Because of concerns for a small and likely poorly functioning right renal remnant, a decision was made to attempt to salvage the left kidney. This was accomplished by performing a splenectomy and constructing a splenorenal bypass. Serial Duplex Doppler renal ultrasound studies were obtained over the first three postoperative days and demonstrated improved arterial waveforms. Serum creatinine reached a peak level of 3.76 mg/dL on postoperative day 3, and then began to slowly trend down to 3.37 mg/dL on the day of discharge (postoperative day7).

Factors Affecting Choice of Community Residential Care Setting

To investigate factors associated with residents’ choice of type of Medicaid-funded community residential care setting in western Washington State. Method: Prospective cohort design including residents new to any of three setting types (264 residents entering 170 different facilities), using data from state and Medicaid databases and in-person interviews. The authors used analysis of variance and multinomial logistic regression to examine bivariate associations and estimate effects of resident and facility characteristics on choice of facility type at baseline. Results: Several resident characteristics appear to be associated with choice of community residential care setting, including age, marital status, education, functional status, and reported memory and behavior problems. Facility policies differ significantly among types of facilities and also appear to be associated with choice of setting. Discussion: Selection processes operate in choice of community residential care setting, with residents choosing facility type based on the fit of their needs with facility characteristics.

An analysis of the association between prostate cancer risk loci, PSA levels, disease aggressiveness and disease-specific mortality

BACKGROUND

Genome-wide association studies have identified multiple single-nucleotide polymorphsims (SNPs) associated with prostate cancer (PCa). Although these SNPs have been clearly associated with disease risk, their relationship with clinical outcomes is less clear. Our aim was to assess the frequency of known PCa susceptibility alleles within a single institution ascertainment and to correlate risk alleles with disease-specific outcomes.

METHODS

We genotyped 1354 individuals treated for localised PCa between June 1988 and December 2007. Blood samples were prospectively collected and de-identified before being genotyped and matched to phenotypic data. We investigated associations between 61 SNPs and disease-specific end points using multivariable analysis and also determined if SNPs were associated with PSA at diagnosis.

RESULTS

Seven SNPs showed associations on multivariable analysis (P<0.05), rs13385191 with both biochemical recurrence (BR) and castrate metastasis (CM), rs339331 (BR), rs1894292, rs17178655 and rs11067228 (CM), and rs11902236 and rs4857841 PCa-specific mortality. After applying a Bonferroni correction for number of SNPs (P<0.0008), the only persistent significant association was between rs17632542 (KLK3) and PSA levels at diagnosis (P=1.4 × 10(-5)).

CONCLUSIONS

We confirmed that rs17632542 in KLK3 is associated with PSA at diagnosis. No significant association was seen between loci and disease-specific end points when accounting for multiple testing. This provides further evidence that known PCa risk SNPs do not predict likelihood of disease progression.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Lung Cancer Surgical Stage: An STS Database Study

BACKGROUND

Racial and ethnic differences in lung cancer care have been previously documented. These differences may be related to access to care, cultural differences, or fewer patients presenting with operable lung cancer. The relationship between race and pathologic stage of patients who undergo lung cancer resection has not been defined. This study estimates racial disparities in lung cancer stage among patients who undergo surgical resection.

METHODS

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database was queried for patients who underwent resection of non-small cell lung cancer and had complete pathologic staging and racial identification. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Study end point was the pathologic stage and we evaluated its association with the racial and ethnic origins of the patients.

RESULTS

Of 19,173 eligible patients with non-small cell lung cancer of known pathological stage who underwent surgery between 2002 and 2008, the majority were Caucasian (17,148, 89.4%), 1,502 (7.8%) were African-American, 273 (1.4%) were Asian, and 250 (1.3%) were Hispanic. In univariate analysis, significantly more Caucasian and African-American patients underwent resection of stage I/II lung cancer (13,929, 81.2% and 1,217, 81%, respectively) as compared with the Asian (207, 75.2%) and Hispanic (188, 75.8%) patients (p = 0.007). Stage at operation did not differ between Caucasians and African-Americans. Multivariate analysis confirmed these findings (p = 0.03) after adjustment for age, gender, tobacco use, diabetes, and year of surgery.

CONCLUSION

Within the STS database, patients identified as Asian or Hispanic had a significantly higher pathologic stage at the time of resection than Caucasian or African-American patients. The causes of these differences in the treatment of potentially curable lung cancer are unknown and require further investigation.