Association of Preoperative Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy With Cardiopulmonary Instability and Organ Injury After High-Risk Surgery

OBJECTIVES

To assess the relationship between prior exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and the risk of postoperative complications in cancer patients.

DESIGN

Single-center retrospective cohort study.

INTERVENTIONS

The main exposure was treatment with an FDA-approved ICI within 6 months before surgery.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Exposure to ICIs and covariates was determined from the electronic health record. The primary outcome was a composite of postoperative complications, including prolonged pressor or oxygen dependence, kidney injury, or myocardial injury. Secondary outcomes included each subcomponent of the primary outcome. Of 7674 subjects with cancer admitted to the ICU after surgery, 247 were exposed to one or more ICIs in the 6 months before surgery. After propensity score matching, 197 ICI-exposed subjects were matched to 777 nonexposed. The composite outcome occurred in 70 of 197 (35.5%) ICI-exposed subjects and 251 of 777 (32.3%) nonexposed. There was no difference between exposed and nonexposed groups in the primary composite outcome (odds ratio [OR], 1.12; 95% CI, 0.80-1.58) by conditional logistic regression. Risk of the secondary outcome of prolonged pressor dependence was significantly higher in ICI-exposed subjects (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.01-2.67). Risks of oxygen dependence (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.75-1.73), kidney injury (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.77-1.71), and myocardial injury (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.00-3.10) were not significantly different. There was no difference between groups in the time to hospital discharge alive (p = 0.62).

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to ICIs within 6 months before high-risk surgery was not associated with the composite outcome of cardiopulmonary instability or organ injury in patients with cancer. The potential for an association with the secondary outcomes of cardiac instability and injury is worthy of future study.

Levels of Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 Are Elevated in Persons With Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder: The Role of Modifiable Factors

Background

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a diverse set of enzymes associated with inflammation. MMP-9 is of particular interest because it has been associated with autoimmune and cardiopulmonary disorders, tobacco smoking, and obesity, prevalent in psychiatric populations.

Methods

Sensitive enzyme immunoassays measured MMP-9 in blood samples from 1121 individuals (mean age = 35.6 [SD = 13.0] years; 47.7% male; 440 with schizophrenia, 399 with bipolar disorder, and 282 without a psychiatric disorder). We estimated the odds of diagnosis associated with MMP-9, demographic variables, tobacco smoking, and obesity, and also the partial explained variance using regression methods. We also determined the association between psychiatric medications and MMP-9 levels.

Results

Individuals with elevated MMP-9 levels had higher odds of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder compared with the nonpsychiatric group adjusted for demographic variables. Partial correlation analyses indicated the demographic-adjusted variance associated with MMP-9, smoking, obesity, and their interaction explained 59.6% for schizophrenia and 39.9% for bipolar disorder. Levels of MMP-9 were substantially lower in individuals receiving valproate, particularly relatively high doses.

Conclusions

Individuals with higher levels of MMP-9 have significantly higher odds of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Individuals receiving valproate had substantially lower levels of MMP-9, possibly related to its ability to inhibit histone deacetylation. A substantial portion of the variance in clinical disorders associated with MMP-9 can be attributed to smoking or obesity. Interventions to reduce smoking and obesity might reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with elevated MMP-9 levels and improve the health outcomes of individuals with these disorders.

Polyethylene Glycol Fusion Restores Axonal Continuity and Improves Return of Function in a Rat Median Nerve Denervation Model

BACKGROUND

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) can fuse severed closely-apposed axolemmas and restore axonal continuity. We evaluated the effects of PEG-fusion on functional recovery in a rodent forelimb model of peripheral nerve injury.

METHODS

The median nerves of male Lewis rats (n=5 per group) were transected and repaired with standard suture repair (SR), SR with PEG (PEG), or SR with PEG and 1% methylene blue (PEG+MB); a sham surgery group was also included. Proximal stimulation produced compound nerve (CAPS) and muscle (CMAPs) action potentials recorded distally. The contralateral limb of each animal acted as an internal control for grip strength measurements.

RESULTS

CAPs and CMAPs immediately returned in all PEG and PEG+MB animals, but not in SR animals. PEG and PEG+MB groups demonstrated earlier return of function by post-operative day (POD) 7 (62.6 ±7.3% and 50.9 ±6.7% of contralateral limb grip strength, respectively) compared to SR group, in which minimal return of function was not measurable until POD 21. At POD 98, the PEG group grip strength recovered to 77.2 ±2.8% while the PEG+MB grip strength recovered to 79.9 ±4.4%, compared to 34.9 ±1.8% recovery in the SR group (p<0.05). The PEG and PEG+MB groups reached 50% of the Sham group grip strength on POD 3.8 and 6.3, respectively, whereas the SR group did not reach 50% grip strength recovery of the Sham group throughout the study period.

CONCLUSION

PEG-fusion plus neurorrhaphy with or without methylene blue re-established axonal continuity, shortened recovery time, and augmented functional recovery compared to suture neurorrhaphy alone.

Surveillance and treatment of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (aka. STOP HCC): protocol for a prospective cohort study of high-risk patients for HCC using GALAD-score

BACKGROUND

Vietnam and Saudi Arabia have high disease burden of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Early detection in asymptomatic patients at risk for HCC is a strategy to improve survival outcomes in HCC management. GALAD score, a serum-based panel, has demonstrated promising clinical utility in HCC management. However, in order to ascertain its potential role in the surveillance of the early detection of HCC, GALAD needs to be validated prospectively for clinical surveillance of HCC (i.e., phase IV biomarker validation study). Thus, we propose to conduct a phase IV biomarker validation study to prospectively survey a cohort of patients with advanced fibrosis or compensated cirrhosis, irrespective of etiologies, using semi-annual abdominal ultrasound and GALAD score for five years.

METHODS

We plan to recruit a cohort of 1,600 patients, male or female, with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis (i.e., F3 or F4) and MELD ≤ 15, in Vietnam and Saudi Arabia (n = 800 each). Individuals with a liver mass ≥ 1 cm in diameter, elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (≥ 9 ng/mL), and/or elevated GALAD score (≥ -0.63) will be scanned with dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and a diagnosis of HCC will be made by Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LiRADS) assessment (LiRADS-5). Additionally, those who do not exhibit abnormal imaging findings, elevated AFP titer, and/or elevated GALAD score will obtain a dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI annually for five years to assess for HCC. Only MRI nearest to the time of GALAD score measurement, ultrasound and/or AFP evaluation will be included in the diagnostic validation analysis. MRI will be replaced with an abdominal computed tomography scan when MRI results are poor due to patient conditions such as movement etc. Gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced MRI will not be carried out in study sites in both countries. Bootstrap resampling technique will be used to account for repeated measures to estimate standard errors and confidence intervals. Additionally, we will use the Cox proportional hazards regression model with covariates tailored to the hypothesis under investigation for time-to-HCC data as predicted by time-varying biomarker data.

DISCUSSION

The present work will evaluate the performance of GALAD score in early detection of liver cancer. Furthermore, by leveraging the prospective cohort, we will establish a biorepository of longitudinally collected biospecimens from patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis to be used as a reference set for future research in early detection of HCC in the two countries.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Name of the registry: ClinicalTrials.gov Registration date: 22 April 2022 Trial registration number: NCT05342350 URL of trial registry record.

Female-specific risk factors of parity and menopause age and risk of carotid plaque: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

Female-specific factors of grand multiparity (≥5 births) and early menopause age are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, mechanisms are incompletely understood. Carotid plaque is a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and associated with increased CVD risk. We evaluated the association of female-specific factors with plaque burden.

METHODS

We included 2,313 postmenopausal women in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, free of clinical CVD, whose parity and menopause age were ascertained by questionnaires and carotid plaque measured by ultrasound at baseline and 10 years later. Parity was categorized as nulliparity (reference), 1-2, 3-4 and ≥5 live births. Menopause age was categorized as <45, 45-49, 50-54 (reference) and ≥55 years. Multivariable regression was performed to evaluate the association of parity and menopause age with carotid plaque presence (yes/no) and extent [carotid plaque score (CPS)].

RESULTS

The mean age was 64±9 years; 52.3% had prevalent carotid plaque at baseline. Compared to nulliparity, grand multiparity was significantly associated with prevalent carotid plaque after adjustment for CVD risk factors (prevalence ratio 1.17 (95% CI 1.03-1.35)) and progression of CPS over 10 years [percent difference 13% (95% CI 3-23)]. There was not any significant association of menopause age with carotid plaque presence or progression in fully-adjusted models.

CONCLUSION

In a multiethnic cohort, grand multiparity was independently associated with carotid plaque presence and progression. Early menopause, a known risk factor for CVD, was not captured by carotid plaque in this study. These findings may have implications for refining CVD risk assessment in women.

A phase II study of Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibition for the prevention of anaphylaxis

BACKGROUNDIgE-mediated anaphylaxis is a potentially fatal systemic allergic reaction for which there are no currently FDA-approved preventative therapies. Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) is an essential enzyme for IgE-mediated signaling pathways and is an ideal pharmacologic target to prevent allergic reactions. In this open-label trial, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of acalabrutinib, a BTK inhibitor that is FDA approved to treat some B cell malignancies, in preventing clinical reactivity to peanut in adults with peanut allergy.METHODSAfter undergoing graded oral peanut challenge to establish their baseline level of clinical reactivity, 10 patients had a 6-week rest period, then received 4 standard doses of 100 mg acalabrutinib twice daily and underwent repeat food challenge. The primary endpoint was the change in patients' threshold dose of peanut protein to elicit an objective clinical reaction.RESULTSAt baseline, patients tolerated a median of 29 mg of peanut protein before objective clinical reaction. During subsequent food challenge on acalabrutinib, patients' median tolerated dose significantly increased to 4,044 mg (range 444-4,044 mg). 7 patients tolerated the maximum protocol amount (4,044 mg) of peanut protein with no clinical reaction, and the other 3 patients' peanut tolerance increased between 32- and 217-fold. 3 patients experienced a total of 4 adverse events that were considered to be possibly related to acalabrutinib; all events were transient and nonserious.CONCLUSIONAcalabrutinib pretreatment achieved clinically relevant increases in patients' tolerance to their food allergen, thereby supporting the need for larger, placebo-controlled trials.TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicalTrials.gov NCT05038904FUNDINGAstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, the Ludwig Family Foundation, and NIH grants AI143965 and AI106043.

Evaluating Injury Severity in Neonatal Encephalopathy Using Automated Quantitative Electroencephalography Analysis: A Pilot Study

Quantitative analysis of electroencephalography (qEEG) is a potential source of biomarkers for neonatal encephalopathy (NE). However, prior studies using qEEG in NE were limited in their generalizability due to individualized techniques for calculating qEEG features or labor-intensive pre-selection of EEG data. We piloted a fully automated method using commercially available software to calculate the suppression ratio (SR), absolute delta power, and relative delta, theta, alpha, and beta power from EEG of neonates undergoing 72 h of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) for NE between April 20, 2018, and November 4, 2019. We investigated the association of qEEG with degree of encephalopathy (modified Sarnat score), severity of neuroimaging abnormalities following TH (National Institutes of Child Health and Development Neonatal Research Network [NICHD-NRN] score), and presence of seizures. Thirty out of 38 patients met inclusion criteria. A more severe modified Sarnat score was associated with higher SR during all phases of TH, lower absolute delta power during all phases except rewarming, and lower relative delta power during the last 24 h of TH. In 21 patients with neuroimaging data, a worse NICHD-NRN score was associated with higher SR, lower absolute delta power, and higher relative beta power during all phases. QEEG features were not significantly associated with the presence of seizures after correction for multiple comparisons. Our results are consistent with those of prior studies using qEEG in NE and support automated qEEG analysis as an accessible, generalizable method for generating biomarkers of NE and response to TH. Additionally, we found evidence of an immature relative frequency composition in neonates with more severe brain injury, suggesting that automated qEEG analysis may have a use in the assessment of brain maturity.

Low-affinity insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 and its association with pulmonary arterial hypertension severity and survival

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding proteins (IGFBPs) are a family of growth factor modifiers, some of which are known to be independently associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) survival. IGF factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) is a unique low-affinity IGFBP that, independent of IGF, stimulates prostacyclin production. This study proposed to establish associations between IGFBP7 and PAH severity and survival, using enrollment and longitudinal samples. Serum IGFBP7 levels were significantly elevated in patients with PAH compared to controls. After adjusting for age and sex, logarithmic increases in IGFBP7 were associated with a 20 m shorter six-minute walk distance (6MWD; p < 0.001), a 2-3 mmHg higher mean right atrial pressure (p < 0.001 and 0.02), and a higher likelihood of a greater REVEAL 2.0 risk category placement (p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated significantly decreased survival with IGFBP7 above the median and Cox multivariable analysis adjusted for age and sex, demonstrated higher serum IGFBP7 was an independent predictor of survival. Though the exact mechanism is still unknown, given IGFBP7's role as a prostacyclin stimulant, it has potential use as a therapeutic target for disease modulation.

Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibition for the prevention of anaphylaxis: an open-label, phase 2 trial

IgE-mediated anaphylaxis is a potentially fatal systemic allergic reaction for which there are no known preventative therapies. Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) is an essential enzyme for IgE-mediated signaling pathways, and is an ideal pharmacologic target to prevent allergic reactions. In this open-label trial (NCT05038904), we evaluated the safety and efficacy of acalabrutinib, a BTK inhibitor that is FDA-approved to treat some B cell malignancies, in preventing clinical reactivity to peanut in adults with IgE-mediated peanut allergy. After undergoing a graded oral peanut challenge to establish their baseline level of clinical reactivity, all patients then received four standard doses of 100 mg acalabrutinib twice daily and underwent repeat food challenge. The primary endpoint was the change in patients' threshold dose of peanut protein to elicit an objective clinical reaction. At baseline, patients tolerated a median of 29 mg of peanut protein before objective clinical reaction. During subsequent food challenge on acalabrutinib, patients' median tolerated dose significantly increased to 4,044 mg (range, 444 - 4,044 mg). 7 of 10 patients tolerated the maximum protocol amount (4,044 mg) of peanut protein with no objective clinical reaction, and the other 3 patients' peanut tolerance increased between 32- and 217-fold. Three patients experienced a total of 4 adverse events that were considered by the investigators to be possibly related to acalabrutinib; all events were transient and nonserious. These results demonstrate that acalabrutinib pretreatment can achieve clinically-relevant increases in patients' tolerance to their food allergen, thereby supporting the need for larger, placebo-controlled trials.

Insulin-like growth factor binding Protein-4: A novel indicator of pulmonary arterial hypertension severity and survival

Proteomic analysis of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has demonstrated significant abnormalities in the insulin-like growth factor axis (IGF). This study proposed to establish associations between a specific binding protein, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 4 (IGFBP4), and PAH severity as well as survival across varying study cohorts. In all cohorts studied, serum IGFBP4 levels were significantly elevated in PAH compared to controls (p < 0.0001). IGFBP4 concentration was also highest in the connective tissue-associated PAH (CTD-PAH) and idiopathic PAH subtypes (876 and 784 ng/mL, median, respectively). After adjustment for age and sex, IGFBP4 was significantly associated with worse PAH severity as defined by a decreased 6-min walk distance (6MWD), New York heart association functional class (NYHA-FC), REVEAL 2.0 score and higher right atrial pressures. In longitudinal analysis provided by one of the study cohorts, IGFBP4 was prospectively significantly associated with a shorter 6MWD, worse NYHA-FC classification, and decreased survival. Cox multivariable analysis demonstrated higher serum IGFBP4 as an independent predictor of survival in the overall PAHB cohort. Therefore, this study established that higher circulating IGFBP4 levels were significantly associated with worse PAH severity, decreased survival and disease progression. Dysregulation of IGF metabolism/growth axis may play a significant role in PAH cardio-pulmonary pathobiology.

Whole-exome sequencing study identifies four novel gene loci associated with diabetic kidney disease

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is recognized as an important public health challenge. However, its genomic mechanisms are poorly understood. To identify rare variants for DKD, we conducted a whole-exome sequencing (WES) study leveraging large cohorts well-phenotyped for chronic kidney disease and diabetes. Our two-stage WES study included 4372 European and African ancestry participants from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort and Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities studies (stage 1) and 11 487 multi-ancestry Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine participants (stage 2). Generalized linear mixed models, which accounted for genetic relatedness and adjusted for age, sex and ancestry, were used to test associations between single variants and DKD. Gene-based aggregate rare variant analyses were conducted using an optimized sequence kernel association test implemented within our mixed model framework. We identified four novel exome-wide significant DKD-related loci through initiating diabetes. In single-variant analyses, participants carrying a rare, in-frame insertion in the DIS3L2 gene (rs141560952) exhibited a 193-fold increased odds [95% confidence interval (CI): 33.6, 1105] of DKD compared with noncarriers (P = 3.59 × 10-9). Likewise, each copy of a low-frequency KRT6B splice-site variant (rs425827) conferred a 5.31-fold higher odds (95% CI: 3.06, 9.21) of DKD (P = 2.72 × 10-9). Aggregate gene-based analyses further identified ERAP2 (P = 4.03 × 10-8) and NPEPPS (P = 1.51 × 10-7), which are both expressed in the kidney and implicated in renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system modulated immune response. In the largest WES study of DKD, we identified novel rare variant loci attaining exome-wide significance. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying DKD.

Implantable Defibrillator System Shock Function, Mortality, and Cause of Death After Magnetic Resonance Imaging

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) does not have clinically important effects on the device parameters of non-MRI-conditional implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). However, data on non-MRI-conditional ICD detection and treatment of arrhythmias after MRI are limited.

OBJECTIVE

To examine if non-MRI-conditional ICDs have preserved shock function of arrhythmias after MRI.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01130896).

SETTING

1 center in the United States.

PATIENTS

629 patients with non-MRI-conditional ICDs enrolled consecutively between February 2003 and January 2015.

INTERVENTIONS

813 total MRI examinations at a magnetic field strength of 1.5 Tesla using a prespecified safety protocol.

MEASUREMENTS

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator interrogations were collected after MRI. Clinical outcomes included arrhythmia detection and treatment, generator or lead exchanges, adverse events, and death.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 2.2 years from MRI to latest available ICD interrogation before generator or lead exchange in 536 patients, 4177 arrhythmia episodes were detected, and 97 patients received ICD shocks. Sixty-one patients (10% of total) had 130 spontaneous ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation events terminated by ICD shocks. A total of 210 patients (33% of total) are known to have died (median, 1.7 years from MRI to death); 3 had cardiac arrhythmia deaths where shocks were indicated without direct evidence of device dysfunction.

LIMITATIONS

Data were acquired at a single center and may not be generalizable to other clinical settings and MRI facilities. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator interrogations were not available for a subset of patients; adjudication of cause of death relied solely on death certificate data in a subset.

CONCLUSION

Non-MRI-conditional ICDs appropriately treated detected tachyarrhythmias after MRI. No serious adverse effects on device function were reported after MRI.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

Johns Hopkins University and National Institutes of Health.

Abstract P153: Intensive Lifestyle Intervention in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Results in a More Favorable Sex Hormone Profile in Both Post-Menopausal Females and Older Males (The Look AHEAD Trial Sex Hormone Study)

Background: Prior studies showed an association between some adverse cardiometabolic outcomes and lower testosterone in males and higher estrogen in both males and post-menopausal females. However, few studies of sex hormones focused on people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), assessed hormone changes over time or applied highly sensitive laboratory assays. Given the importance of lifestyle modification (i.e., diet, exercise and weight loss) in preventing cardiometabolic complications in people with T2DM, we examined the impact of an Intensive Lifestyle Intervention (ILI) on sex hormones over time and differences by sex.

Methods: The Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) Study was a randomized control trial of 5,145 individuals with BMI ≥25 and T2D to evaluate the effect of ILI compared to the Diabetes Support and Education (DSE) control group on incident cardiovascular events. We selected a sample of 472 males and 426 post-menopausal female participants (mean age 60 years [SD 6.3], 20.5% Black) to examine sex hormones (estradiol - E2, total testosterone - T) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) at baseline and year 1. E2 and T were measured using mass spectrometry analysis and SHBG was measured using an immunoassay.

Results: In males, ILI increased SHBG by 17.3% and T by 10.6% compared to the DSE group (Table). In postmenopausal females, ILI increased SHBG by 12.0% and decreased E2 by 23.4% compared to the DSE group (Table). The change in the sex hormone levels from baseline to 1-year follow up was attenuated when adjusted for change in BMI.

Conclusion: ILI resulting in weight loss increased T in males and decreased E2 in postmenopausal females and increased SHBG in both sexes. We plan further analysis with a larger sample and longer follow-up to examine the role of weight loss either as a co-occurring metabolic process or as a mediator for the change in sex hormones to better understand the impact of lifestyle changes and sex diffrences.

Abstract P103: Associations Between Brain Volumes and Cerebral Blood Flow and Sex Hormones in the Look AHEAD Brain MRI Cohort

Background: Females have greater relative brain volume (BV) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) compared to males. BV decreases after menopause suggesting a possible role of sex hormones. We studied the association of BV, abnormal white matter hyperintensity volumes (WMHV) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) with sex hormones in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), which is associated with risk of brain atrophy.

Methods: The sample was 215 participants with overweight or obesity and T2DM from the Look AHEAD Brain MRI cohort (mean age 68 years [SD: 6.3], 27% male, 73% female [all postmenopausal]; without exogenous hormones), who had brain MRIs to evaluate their total BV, WMHV and CBF. The ratio of brain measurements to intracranial volume was analyzed to account for body size. Estradiol (E2) and testosterone levels (T) were estimated with electrochemoluminescence assays. In females, who have low E2 and T levels, we compared brain measures in those with detectable (vs. undetectable) hormone levels (E2<20 pg/mL, 79%; T<0.02 pg/mL, 37%). In males, we used Spearman correlation to assess the association between brain measures and sex hormone levels. The associations between BV, WMHV and E2 and T were adjusted for age and BMI using linear regression.

Results: Females with detectable (vs. undetectable) T levels had higher BV (p=0.04) (Table), which was attenuated after adjustment for age and BMI. WMHV and CBF were not statistically associated with sex hormone levels in females. In males, no brain measures were significantly associated with sex hormones levels.

Conclusions: In postmenopausal females with T2DM, detectable levels of T were associated greater BV, but not associated any CBF or WMHV. In males, none of the brain measures were associated with sex hormones. Our findings are limited by a small, convenient sample size and low sensitivity of hormone assays with a high proportion of undetectable levels. Our findings suggest that larger samples with high sensitivity hormone assays are needed to assess clinically important differences.

MELD or MELD-Na as a Predictive Model for Mortality Following Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Placement

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) was originally developed to predict survival after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). The MELD-sodium (MELD-Na) score has replaced MELD for organ allocation for liver transplantation. However, there are limited studies to compare the MELD with MELD-Na to predict mortality after TIPS.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent TIPS placement between 2006 and 2016 at our institution. The primary outcome was mortality, and the secondary outcomes sought to assess which variables could provide prognostic information for mortality after TIPS placement. We performed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to assess the performance of MELD and MELD-Na.

RESULTS

There were 186 eligible patients in the analysis. The mean pre-TIPS MELD and MELD-Na were 13 and 15, respectively. Overall, mortality after TIPS was 15% at 30 days and 16.7% at 90 days. In a comparison of the areas under the ROCs for MELD and MELD-Na, MELD was superior to MELD-Na for 30-day (0.762 vs. 0.709) and 90-day (0.780 vs. 0.730) mortality after TIPS. The optimal cutoff score for 30-day mortality was 15 (0.676-0.848) for MELD and 17 (0.610-0.808) for MELD-Na, whereas the optimal cutoff score for 90-day mortality was 16 (95% CI: 0.705-0.855) for MELD and 17 (95% CI: 0.643-0.817) for MELD-Na. There were 24 patients with high MELD-Na ≥17, but with low MELD <15, and 90-day mortality in this group was 8.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

Although MELD-Na is a superior prognostic tool to MELD for predicting overall mortality in cirrhotic patients, MELD tended to outperform MELD-Na to predict mortality after TIPS.

Oxidative Stress and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Introduction—Oxidative stress is linked to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and is suggested to vary by sex. However, few population-level studies have explored these associations and the majority comprise populations with advanced CVD. We assessed urinary isoprostane concentrations, a standard measure of oxidative stress, in a relatively young and healthy cohort, hypothesizing that higher oxidative stress is associated with an adverse cardiometabolic profile and female sex. Methods—Oxidative stress was measured in 475 women and 266 men, aged 48–55 years, from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study using urinary 8-isoprostane (IsoP) and 2,3-dinor-8-isoprostane (IsoP-M). Multivariable-adjusted regression was used to evaluate cross-sectional associations. As secondary analysis, previously measured plasma F2-isoprostanes (plasma IsoP) from another CARDIA subset was similarly analyzed. Results—Mean (SD) ages for men and women were 52.1(2.3) and 52.2(2.2) years, respectively (p = 0.46), and 39% of the participants self-identified as Black (vs. White). Before adjustments, female sex was associated with higher median urinary IsoP (880 vs. 704 ng/g creatinine in men; p < 0.01) and IsoP m (1675 vs. 1284 ng/g creatinine in men; p < 0.01). Higher body mass index (BMI), high-density cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides, current smoking, and less physical activity were associated with higher oxidative stress. Diabetes was not associated with urinary IsoP but was associated with lower IsoP m and plasma IsoP. Higher serum creatinine showed diverging associations with higher plasma and lower urinary isoprostane concentrations. Conclusions—Different isoprostane entities exhibit varying association patterns with CVD risk factors, and therefore are complementary, rather than interchangeable, in assessment of oxidative stress. Still, consistently higher isoprostanes among women, smokers, less active persons, and those with higher BMI and plasma triglycerides could reflect higher oxidative stress among these groups. While urinary isoprostanes are indexed to urinary creatinine due to variations in concentration, caution should be exercised when comparing groups with differing serum creatinine.

Abstract TMP27: Association Of The Serum Inflammatory Markers With The Periventricular And Deep White Matter Hyperintensity

Introduction: Markers of systemic and vascular inflammation have been associated with cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD). However, their association with cSVD lesions within individual white matter regions remains unclear. We hypothesized that there are different associations of serum cytokines with the periventricular white matter hyperintensity (PVWMH) and deep WMH (DWMH).

Methods: Apparently healthy participants aged ≥50 years with brain MRI in the Genetic Study of Atherosclerosis Risk were studied. Circulating inflammatory markers measured included: hs-CRP, IL-6, MCP1, ICAM, TNF-α, VCAM and IL-4. The relative association of these markers with PVWMH and DWMH within individuals were determined using multilevel linear models adjusted for age and cardiovascular risk factors.

Results: A total of 435 subjects (age 58.9±6.1 years, 58.4% female, 39.5% black) with moderate WMH burden were studied (Total WMH: 1703[607-4626] mm 3 , PVWMH :871[152-2593] mm 3 , DWMH: 388[157-1023] mm 3 ). Significant negative associations of total WMH volumes and hs-CRP (β=-0.2, P=0.04) as well as IL-6 (β=-0.15, p=0.04) were observed. The associations of total WMH with MCP-1, ICAM, VCAM, IL-4 and TNF-α were not significant. In the multilevel models, designed to compare difference between DWMH and PVWMH within individuals, there were significant differences in the relative association of PVWMH vs DWMH with hs-CRP and IL-6 (p=0.001 & p=0.04, respectively). DWMH was more strongly associated with hs-CRP and IL-6 (β=0.08, β=0.14, respectively) than PVWMH, which had negative association with these markers (β=-0.35, β=-0.05, respectively). There were no differences in the association of PVWMH vs DWMH and the other markers.

Conclusions: DWMH is positively associated with increasing IL-6 and CRP when compared to PVWMH which is negatively associated with them. This suggests that systemic inflammation is more preferentially associated with DWMH lesions.

Antibiotic treatment failure in children aged 1 to 59 months with World Health Organization-defined severe pneumonia in Malawi: A CPAP IMPACT trial secondary analysis

BACKGROUND

Pneumonia is a leading cause of mortality in children <5 years globally. Early identification of hospitalized children with pneumonia who may fail antibiotics could improve outcomes. We conducted a secondary analysis from the Malawi CPAP IMPACT trial evaluating risk factors for antibiotic failure among children hospitalized with pneumonia.

METHODS

Participants were 1-59 months old with World Health Organization-defined severe pneumonia and hypoxemia, severe malnutrition, and/or HIV exposure/infection. All participants received intravenous antibiotics per standard care. First-line antibiotics were benzylpenicillin and gentamicin for five days. Study staff assessed patients for first-line antibiotic failure daily between days 3-6. When identified, patients failing antibiotics were switched to second-line ceftriaxone. Analyses excluded children receiving ceftriaxone and/or deceased by hospital day two. We compared characteristics between patients with and without treatment failure and fit multivariable logistic regression models to evaluate associations between treatment failure and admission characteristics.

RESULTS

From June 2015-March 2018, 644 children were enrolled and 538 analyzed. Antibiotic failure was identified in 251 (46.7%) participants, and 19/251 (7.6%) died. Treatment failure occurred more frequently with severe malnutrition (50.2% (126/251) vs 28.2% (81/287), p<0.001) and amongst those dwelling ≥10km from a health facility (22.3% (56/251) vs 15.3% (44/287), p = 0.026). Severe malnutrition occurred more frequently among children living ≥10km from a health facility than those living <10km (49.0% (49/100) vs 35.7% (275/428), p = 0.014). Children with severe malnutrition (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.2 (95% CI 1.52, 3.24), p<0.001) and pre-hospital antibiotics ((aOR 1.47, 95% CI 1.01, 2.14), p = 0.043) had an elevated aOR for antibiotic treatment failure.

CONCLUSION

Severe malnutrition and pre-hospital antibiotic use predicted antibiotic treatment failure in this high-risk severe pneumonia pediatric population in Malawi. Our findings suggest addressing complex sociomedical conditions like severe malnutrition and improving pneumonia etiology diagnostics will be key for better targeting interventions to improve childhood pneumonia outcomes.

Associations of urinary isoprostanes with measures of subclinical atherosclerosis: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Background

Urinary isoprostanes are markers of systemic oxidative stress, which is implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Coronary artery calcium (CAC), thoracic aortic calcium (TAC) and carotid plaque are measure subclinical atherosclerosis and prognosticate ASCVD risk. We examined the associations between urinary isoprostane levels and measures of plaque prevalence, burden, incidence and progression across three vascular beds in a cohort from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Methods

Urinary levels of 8-isoprostane and 2,3-dinor-8-F₂-isoprostane were measured in 1089 participants (mean ± SD 62 ± 8 years, 48% women) at baseline. Participants underwent computed tomography for CAC and TAC, and duplex ultrasound for carotid plaque. TAC and CAC were reassessed at 2.4 and 10 years, respectively. Regression models were adjusted for CVD risk factors.

Results

In adjusted models, there were no significant associations between isoprostane levels with CAC prevalence or progression. Highest versus lowest tertile of 8-isoprostane was associated with 28% lower prevalence of descending TAC at baseline [prevalence ratio (PR) 0.72 95% CI (0.56, 0.94)], while 1-SD higher 2,3-dinor-8-F₂-isoprostane was associated with 96% higher incident ascending TAC at follow-up [Relative Risk 1.96 (1.24, 3.09)]. Highest versus lowest tertile of isoprostane measures were associated with 22% higher prevalence of carotid plaque [(PR 1.22 (1.04, 1.45)] and 14% difference [3,26] in greater extent of carotid plaque at baseline.

Conclusions

Higher urinary isoprostanes were inconsistently associated with some measures of subclinical atherosclerosis by imaging. This suggests a limited role of urinary isoprostane levels as a prognostic marker for the development of ASCVD.

Trial registration

The MESA cohort design is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as follows: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00005487.

Prognostic value of a left atrioventricular coupling index in pre- and post-menopausal women from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Background

Sex hormones associated with both the left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) structures in women, but the association of menopause status with left atrioventricular coupling is not established.

Aim

To assess the prognostic value of a left atrioventricular coupling index (LACI) in peri-menopausal women without a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Materials and methods

In all women participating in MESA study with baseline cardiovascular MRI, the LACI was measured as the ratio of the LA end-diastolic volume to the LV end-diastolic volume. Cox models were used to assess the association between the LACI and the outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF), heart failure (HF), coronary heart disease (CHD) death, and hard CVD.

Results

Among the 2,087 women participants (61 ± 10 years), 485 cardiovascular events occurred (mean follow-up: 13.2 ± 3.3 years). A higher LACI was independently associated with AF (HR 1.70; 95%CI [1.51–1.90]), HF (HR 1.62; [1.33–1.97]), CHD death (HR 1.36; [1.10–1.68]), and hard CVD (HR 1.30; [1.13–1.51], all p &lt; 0.001). Adjusted models with the LACI showed significant improvement in model discrimination and reclassification when compared to traditional models to predict: incident AF (C-statistic: 0.82 vs. 0.79; NRI = 0.325; IDI = 0.036), HF (C-statistic: 0.84 vs. 0.81; NRI = 0.571; IDI = 0.023), CHD death (C-statistic: 0.87 vs. 0.85; NRI = 0.506; IDI = 0.012), hard CVD (C-statistic: 0.78 vs. 0.76; NRI = 0.229; IDI = 0.012). The prognostic value of the LACI had a better discrimination and reclassification than individual LA or LV parameters.

Conclusion

In a multi-ethnic population of pre- and post-menopausal women, the LACI is an independent predictor of HF, AF, CHD death, and hard CVD.

Clinical trial registration

[https://clinicaltrials.gov/], identifier [NCT00005487].

Rare Variants in Genes Encoding Subunits of the Epithelial Na+ Channel Are Associated With Blood Pressure and Kidney Function

BACKGROUND

The epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) is intrinsically linked to fluid volume homeostasis and blood pressure. Specific rare mutations in SCNN1A, SCNN1B, and SCNN1G, genes encoding the α, β, and γ subunits of ENaC, respectively, are associated with extreme blood pressure phenotypes. No associations between blood pressure and SCNN1D, which encodes the δ subunit of ENaC, have been reported. A small number of sequence variants in ENaC subunits have been reported to affect functional transport in vitro or blood pressure. The effects of the vast majority of rare and low-frequency ENaC variants on blood pressure are not known.

METHODS

We explored the association of low frequency and rare variants in the genes encoding ENaC subunits, with systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure. Using whole-genome sequencing data from 14 studies participating in the Trans-Omics in Precision Medicine Whole-Genome Sequencing Program, and sequence kernel association tests.

RESULTS

We found that variants in SCNN1A and SCNN1B were associated with diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure (P<0.00625). Although SCNN1D is poorly expressed in human kidney tissue, SCNN1D variants were associated with systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure (P<0.00625). ENaC variants in 2 of the 4 subunits (SCNN1B and SCNN1D) were also associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (P<0.00625), but not with stroke.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that variants in extrarenal ENaCs, in addition to ENaCs expressed in kidneys, influence blood pressure and kidney function.

Were US Asian Indian decedents with atherosclerosis more likely to have concurrent diabetes mellitus? Analysis of national multiple cause of mortality data (2012-2019)

BACKGROUND

Asian Indians (AI) are at high risk for both atherosclerotic diseases (ATH) and diabetes mellitus (DM). We analyze the clustering of these two comorbidities as contributing causes of death in AI versus Non-AI populations in the US.

METHODS

Using Mortality Multiple Cause-of-Death Files (2012-2019) from the National Center for Health Statistics, we included deaths at age ≥ 45 years among US residents where AI versus Non-AI status could be ascertained (n = 55,461 AI; n = 20,090,038 Non-AI) and identsified ATH (ICD10: I20-I25, I63, I70) and DM (ICD10: E10-E14) as contributing causes of death. We calculated the tetrachoric correlation (Rho) between these contributing causes and the difference in the fraction of deaths involving DM in those with versus without ATH.

RESULTS

Among AI decedents, 29.9% of deaths included ATH as a contributing cause, 16.4% included DM as a contributing cause with 8.3% deaths being included in the overlap (Rho = 0.36, SE = 0.007) whereas, among Non-AI, 22.4% of deaths included ATH as a contributing cause, 10.0% included DM as a contributing cause with 4.1% deaths being included in the overlap (Rho = 0.31, SE = 0.001). Thus, DM and ATH as co-occurring causes correlated more strongly in AI versus Non-AI (p < 0.001). Further, this difference in clustering of DM with ATH was highest for younger AI women (age < 60 years) compared to comparable Non-AI women.

CONCLUSIONS

The more frequent co-occurrence of DM and ATH as causes of death among AI compared to Non-AI suggest that the increased burden of these diseases among AI during life has vicious synergistic consequences in terms of mortality. Public health strategies targeted to AI should focus on prevention and clinical treatment of both conditions jointly, in all adults, and especially in women < 60 years.

Prognostic value of a left atrioventricular coupling index (LACI) in pre- and post-menopausal women. from the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA)

Background

Endogenous sex hormones associated with both the left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) structures in peri-menopausal women, but the association of menopause status with left atrioventricular coupling is not well established.

Purpose

To assess the prognostic value of a left atrioventricular coupling index (LACI) in pre- and post-menopausal women without a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) at baseline in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Methods

In women participating in the MESA study, the LACI was measured as the ratio of the left atrial (LA) end-diastolic volume to the left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between the LACI and the outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF), heart failure (HF), and hard CVD defined by myocardial infarction, resuscitated cardiac arrest, stroke, or coronary heart disease death.

Results

Among the 2,087 women participants (61±10 years), 485 cardiovascular events were observed during the mean follow-up period of 13.2±3.3 years. A higher LACI was independently associated with AF (HR 1.70; 95% CI [1.51–1.90]), HF (HR 1.62; [1.33–1.97]), and hard CVD (HR 1.30; [1.13–1.51], all p&lt;0.001). Adjusted models with the LACI showed significant improvement in model discrimination and reclassification when compared to currently used standard models used to predict the incidence of AF (C-statistic=0.82 vs. 0.79; NRI=0.325; IDI=0.036), HF (C-statistic=0.84 vs. 0.81; NRI=0.571; IDI=0.023), hard CVD (C-statistic=0.78 vs. 0.76; NRI=0.229; IDI=0.012).

Conclusion

In a multi-ethnic population of pre- and post-menopausal women, the LACI is an independent predictor of HF, AF, and hard CVD. In both pre- and post-menopausal women, the LACI has an incremental prognostic value for predicting cardiovascular events over traditional risk factors and sex hormone levels.

ClinicalTrials: gov Identifier: NCT00005487

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

A predictive clinical model for moderate to severe intraventricular hemorrhage in very low birth weight infants

IMPORTANCE

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) occurs in 15-45% of all very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants. Despite improvements in the perinatal care, the incidence of IVH remains high. As more preterm infants survive, there will be a larger burden of neurodevelopmental abnormalities borne by former preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to develop a predictive clinical model of IVH risk within the first few hours of life in an effort to augment perinatal counseling and guide the timing of future targeted therapies aimed at preventing or slowing the progression of disease.

DESIGN

This is a prospective observational cohort study of VLBW infants born in the NICU at John's Hopkins Children's Center from 2011 to 2019. The presence and severity of IVH was defined on standard head ultrasound screening (HUS) using the modified Papile classification. Clinical variables were identified as significant using absolute risk regression from a general linear model. The model predictors included clinically meaningful variables that were not collinear.

SETTING

This study took place at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center Level IV NICU.

PARTICIPANTS

The study sample included VLBW infants treated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at John's Hopkins Children's Center from 2011 to 2019. A total of 683 infants included in the study had no or grade I IVH, and 115 infants had grades II through IV IVH. Exclusion criteria included admission to the JHH NICU after 24 h of age, BW > 1500 g, and failure to consent.

MAIN OUTCOME

The main outcome of this study was the presence of grades II-IV IVH on standard head ultrasound screening using the modified Papile classification [1].

RESULTS

A total of 798 VLBW infants were studied in this cohort and 14.4% had moderate to severe IVH. Fifty four percent of the cohort was black, 33% white, and half of the cohort was male. A higher gestational age, 5-min Apgar score, hematocrit, and platelet count were significantly associated with decreased incidence of IVH in a multi-predictor model (ROC 0.826).

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE

In the face of continued lack of treatments for IVH, prevention is still a primary goal to avoid long-term developmental sequela. This model can be used for perinatal counseling and may provide important information during the narrow therapeutic window for targeted prevention therapies.

Insights From a Large-Scale Whole-Genome Sequencing Study of Systolic Blood Pressure, Diastolic Blood Pressure, and Hypertension

BACKGROUND

The availability of whole-genome sequencing data in large studies has enabled the assessment of coding and noncoding variants across the allele frequency spectrum for their associations with blood pressure.

METHODS

We conducted a multiancestry whole-genome sequencing analysis of blood pressure among 51 456 Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine and Centers for Common Disease Genomics program participants (stage-1). Stage-2 analyses leveraged array data from UK Biobank (N=383 145), Million Veteran Program (N=318 891), and Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (N=10 643) participants, along with whole-exome sequencing data from UK Biobank (N=199 631) participants.

RESULTS

Two blood pressure signals achieved genome-wide significance in meta-analyses of stage-1 and stage-2 single variant findings (P<5×10^-8). Among them, a rare intergenic variant at novel locus, LOC100506274, was associated with lower systolic blood pressure in stage-1 (beta [SE]=-32.6 [6.0]; P=4.99×10^-8) but not stage-2 analysis (P=0.11). Furthermore, a novel common variant at the known INSR locus was suggestively associated with diastolic blood pressure in stage-1 (beta [SE]=-0.36 [0.07]; P=4.18×10^-7) and attained genome-wide significance in stage-2 (beta [SE]=-0.29 [0.03]; P=7.28×10^-23). Nineteen additional signals suggestively associated with blood pressure in meta-analysis of single and aggregate rare variant findings (P<1×10^-6 and P<1×10^-4, respectively).

DISCUSSION

We report one promising but unconfirmed rare variant for blood pressure and, more importantly, contribute insights for future blood pressure sequencing studies. Our findings suggest promise of aggregate analyses to complement single variant analysis strategies and the need for larger, diverse samples, and family studies to enable robust rare variant identification.

Oxidative Stress and Menopausal Status: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Cohort Study

Background: Low endogenous estrogen concentrations after menopause may contribute to higher oxidative stress and greater cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, differences in oxidative stress between similarly aged premenopausal and postmenopausal women are not well-characterized on a population level. We hypothesized that urinary isoprostane concentrations, a standard measure of systemic oxidative stress, are higher in women who have undergone menopause compared to premenopausal women. Methods and Results: We examined differences in urinary 8-isoprostane (iPF_2α-III) and 2,3-dinor-8-isoprostane (iPF_2α-III-M) indexed to urinary creatinine between 279 postmenopausal and 196 premenopausal women in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, using linear regression with progressive adjustment for sociodemographic factors and traditional CVD risk factors. Unadjusted iPF_2α-III-M concentrations were higher among postmenopausal compared to premenopausal women (Median [25th, 75th percentile]: 1762 [1178, 2974] vs. 1535 [1067, 2462] ng/g creatinine; p = 0.01). Menopause was associated with 25.5% higher iPF_2α-III-M (95% confidence interval [6.5-47.9]) adjusted for age, race, college education, and field center. Further adjustments for tobacco use (21.2% [2.9-42.6]) and then CVD risk factors (18.8% [0.1-39.6]) led to additional partial attenuation. Menopause was associated with higher iPF_2α-III in Black but not White women. Conclusions: We conclude that postmenopausal women had higher oxidative stress, which may contribute to greater CVD risk. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00005130.

Association of Vascular Properties With the Brain White Matter Hyperintensity in Middle-Aged Population

Background The periventricular white matter is more sensitive to the systemic hemodynamic alterations than the deep white matter because of differences in its vascular structure and systemic circulation relationship. We hypothesize that periventricular white matter hyperintensity (PVWMH) volume shows greater association than deep white matter hyperintensity (DWMH) volume with vascular properties (VPs) reflecting arterial stiffness and cardiovascular remodeling, indicators of the systemic circulation. Methods and Results A total of 426 participants (age, 59.0±6.1 years; 57.5% women; and 39.7% Black race) in the Genetic Study of Atherosclerosis Risk who were aged ≥50 years and had brain magnetic resonance imaging were studied. VPs included pulse pressure, hypertensive response to exercise, diastolic brachial artery diameter, diastolic common carotid artery diameter, common carotid artery distensibility coefficient, and left ventricular function. The relative associations of VPs with PVWMH and DWMH as multiple measures within the same individual were determined using multilevel linear models. We also determined if age modified the differences in VPs associations with PVWMH and DWMH. Our findings indicated that, within the same subject, PVWMH volume had greater association than DWMH volume with pulse pressure (P=0.002), hypertensive response to exercise (P=0.04), diastolic brachial artery diameter (P=0.012), and diastolic common carotid artery diameter (P=0.04), independent of age and cardiovascular risk factors. The differences of PVWMH versus DWMH associations with VPs did not differ at any age threshold. Conclusions We show, for the first time, that PVWMH has greater association than DWMH, independent of age, with vascular measurements of arterial stiffness and cardiovascular remodeling suggesting that changes in the systemic circulation affect the PVWMH and DWMH differently.

Identifying modifiable risk factors for mortality in children aged 1-59 months admitted with WHO-defined severe pneumonia: a single-centre observational cohort study from rural Malawi

OBJECTIVE

Although HIV infection, severe malnutrition and hypoxaemia are associated with high mortality in children with WHO-defined severe pneumonia in sub-Saharan Africa, many do not have these conditions and yet mortality remains elevated compared with high-resource settings. Further stratifying mortality risk for children without these conditions could permit more strategic resource utilisation and improved outcomes. We therefore evaluated associations between mortality and clinical characteristics not currently recognised by the WHO as high risk among children in Malawi with severe pneumonia but without HIV (including exposure), severe malnutrition and hypoxaemia.

METHODS

Between May 2016 and March 2018, we conducted a prospective observational study alongside a randomised controlled trial (CPAP IMPACT) at Salima District Hospital in Malawi. Children aged 1-59 months hospitalised with WHO-defined severe pneumonia without severe malnutrition, HIV and hypoxaemia were enrolled. Study staff assessed children at admission and ascertained hospital outcomes. We compared group characteristics using Student's t-test, rank-sum test, χ² test or Fisher's exact test as appropriate.

RESULTS

Among 884 participants, grunting (10/112 (8.9%) vs 11/771 (1.4%)), stridor (2/14 (14.2%) vs 19/870 (2.1%)), haemoglobin <50 g/L (3/27 (11.1%) vs 18/857 (2.1%)) and malaria (11/204 (5.3%) vs 10/673 (1.4%)) were associated with mortality compared with children without these characteristics. Children who survived had a 22 g/L higher mean haemoglobin and 0.7 cm higher mean mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) than those who died.

CONCLUSION

In this single-centre study, our analysis identifies potentially modifiable risk factors for mortality among hospitalised Malawian children with severe pneumonia: specific signs of respiratory distress (grunting, stridor), haemoglobin <50 g/L and malaria infection. Significant differences in mean haemoglobin and MUAC were observed between those who survived and those who died. These factors could further stratify mortality risk among hospitalised Malawian children with severe pneumonia lacking recognised high-risk conditions.

Knowledge Gaps, Challenges, and Opportunities in Health and Prevention Research for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders: A Report From the 2021 National Institutes of Health Workshop

Asian Americans (AsA), Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) comprise 7.7% of the U.S. population, and AsA have had the fastest growth rate since 2010. Yet the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has invested only 0.17% of its budget on AsA and NHPI research between 1992 and 2018. More than 40 ethnic subgroups are included within AsA and NHPI (with no majority subpopulation), which are highly diverse culturally, demographically, linguistically, and socioeconomically. However, data for these groups are often aggregated, masking critical health disparities and their drivers. To address these issues, in March 2021, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, in partnership with 8 other NIH institutes, convened a multidisciplinary workshop to review current research, knowledge gaps, opportunities, barriers, and approaches for prevention research for AsA and NHPI populations. The workshop covered 5 domains: 1) sociocultural, environmental, psychological health, and lifestyle dimensions; 2) metabolic disorders; 3) cardiovascular and lung diseases; 4) cancer; and 5) cognitive function and healthy aging. Two recurring themes emerged: Very limited data on the epidemiology, risk factors, and outcomes for most conditions are available, and most existing data are not disaggregated by subgroup, masking variation in risk factors, disease occurrence, and trajectories. Leveraging the vast phenotypic differences among AsA and NHPI groups was identified as a key opportunity to yield novel clues into etiologic and prognostic factors to inform prevention efforts and intervention strategies. Promising approaches for future research include developing collaborations with community partners, investing in infrastructure support for cohort studies, enhancing existing data sources to enable data disaggregation, and incorporating novel technology for objective measurement. Research on AsA and NHPI subgroups is urgently needed to eliminate disparities and promote health equity in these populations.

COL18A1 genotypic associations with endostatin levels and clinical features in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a quantitative trait association study

Endostatin (ES) is a circulating peptide derived from collagen XVIII alpha 1 (COL18A1) known to inhibit angiogenesis [1, 2]. Decreased angiogenesis is a feature of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in animal models [3] and human subjects [4]. Our group has reported strong associations between circulating ES levels and haemodynamics and survival in PAH [5–7]. We have also reported that a missense variant in COL18A1, which encodes ES, confers lower ES and longer survival, suggesting that variation within the gene contributes to circulating levels [5]. In the current study, we assessed COL18A1 variant associations with clinical phenotypes and outcomes, including COL18A1 associations with circulating ES levels, in a large, multicentre PAH cohort in which we previously investigated ES as a prognostic biomarker [6].

Variation around the COL18A1 gene, which encodes the angiostatic peptide endostatin, may influence disease heterogeneity in pulmonary arterial hypertensionhttps://bit.ly/3shXrNR

Mobilization Safety of Critically Ill Children

BACKGROUND

Children in PICUs experience negative sequelae of immobility; however, interprofessional staff concerns about safety are a barrier to early mobilization. Our objective was to determine the safety profile of early mobilization in PICU patients.

METHODS

We conducted a secondary analysis of a 2-day study focused on physical rehabilitation in 82 PICUs in 65 US hospitals. Patients who had ≥72-hour admissions and participated in a mobility event were included. The primary outcome was occurrence of a potential safety event during mobilizations.

RESULTS

On 1433 patient days, 4658 mobility events occurred with a potential safety event rate of 4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.6%-4.7%). Most potential safety events were transient physiologic changes. Medical equipment dislodgement was rare (0.3%), with no falls or cardiac arrests. Potential safety event rates did not differ by patient age or sex. Patients had higher potential safety event rates if they screened positive for delirium (7.8%; adjusted odds ratio, 5.86; 95% CI, 2.17-15.86) or were not screened for delirium (4.7%; adjusted odds ratio, 3.98; 95% CI, 1.82-8.72). There were no differences in potential safety event rates by PICU intervention, including respiratory support or vasoactive support.

CONCLUSIONS

Early PICU mobilization has a strong safety profile and medical equipment dislodgement is rare. No PICU interventions were associated with increased potential safety event rates. Delirium is associated with higher potential safety event rates. These findings highlight the need to improve provider education and confidence in mobilizing critically ill children.

Hepatoma‐derived growth factor is associated with pulmonary vascular remodeling and PAH disease severity and survival

Hepatoma‐derived growth factor (HDGF) was previously shown to be associated with increased mortality in a small study of idiopathic and connective tissue disease‐associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In this study, we measured serum HDGF levels in a large multicenter cohort (total 2017 adult PAH‐Biobank enrollees), we analyzed the associations between HDGF levels and various clinical measures using linear or logistic regression models. Higher HDGF levels were found to be significantly associated with worse pulmonary hemodynamics, prostacyclin treatment; among PAH subtypes, higher HDGF levels were most associated with portopulmonary hypertension (beta = 0.469, p < 0.0001). Both Kaplan–Meier curve and Cox proportional hazard regression demonstrated that higher HDGF levels are associated with a higher risk of mortality (COX hazard ratio 1.31, p < 0.0001). Further, in the Sugen hypoxia (SuHx) rat model, the highest HDGF levels were post‐pulmonary circulation, and HDGF levels significantly increased with the development of PAH. In pulmonary arteries, immunohistochemistry staining showed that HDGF was highly expressed in pulmonary smooth muscle cells in both PAH patients and SuHx rats. In conclusion, we found that higher serum HDGF was linked with increased mortality, and associated with disease severity in a large multi‐center adult PAH cohort (n = 2017). In the SuHX PAH models, circulating HDGF levels are pulmonary in origin and increase with PAH progression. HDGF may be actively involved in vascular remodeling in PAH.

Prognostic value of left atrioventricular coupling index (LACI) in pre- and post-menopausal women : from the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA)

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

BACKGROUND

Although endogenous sex hormones influence both left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) structure in peri-menopausal women, no study has ever evaluated the interaction between sex hormones levels and the left atrioventricular coupling.

PURPOSE

 This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of a left atrioventricular coupling index (LACI) in pre- and post-menopausal women without history of CVD at baseline.

METHODS

In all women participating in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) with baseline cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) study, LACI was measured as the ratio of the LA end-diastolic volume divided by the LV end-diastolic volume. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between LACI and the outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF), heart failure (HF), coronary heart disease (CHD) death, and hard CVD defined by myocardial infarction, resuscitated cardiac arrest, stroke, or CHD death. In multivariable analyses, the associations between LACI and the time-to-event were evaluated, adjusting for demographics, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, menopausal status and sex hormone levels.

RESULTS

Among the 2,087 women (61.2 ± 10.1 years), 485 cardiovascular events were observed during mean follow-up period of 13.2 ± 3.3 years. Greater LACI was independently associated with AF (HR 1.70; 95% CI [1.51-1.90]), HF (HR 1.62; 95% CI [1.33-1.97]), CHD death (HR 1.36; 95% CI [1.10-1.68]), and hard CVD (1.30; 95% CI [1.13-1.51], all p &lt; 0.001). Adjusted models with LACI showed significant improvement in model discrimination and reclassification compared to currently used standard models to predict the incidences of AF (C-statistic: 0.82 vs. 0.79; NRI = 0.325; IDI = 0.036), HF (C-statistic: 0.84 vs. 0.81; NRI = 0.571; IDI = 0.023), CHD death (C-statistic: 0.87 vs. 0.85; NRI = 0.506; IDI = 0.012), and hard CVD (C-statistic: 0.78 vs. 0.76; NRI = 0.229; IDI = 0.012). The prognostic value of LACI was homogeneous in both pre- and post-menopausal women with a better discrimination and reclassification compared to individual LA or LV parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

In a multi-ethnic population of pre- and post-menopausal women, LACI is an independent predictor of HF, AF, CHD death and hard CVD. In both pre- and post-menopausal women, LACI has an incremental prognostic value to predict cardiovascular events over traditional risk factors and sex hormone levels.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00005487 Abstract Figure. Kaplan-Meier curves by LACI terciles  Abstract Figure. Kaplan-Meier curves by LACI and Menop.

Abstract WMP20: Association Of Periventricular And Deep White Matter Hyperintensity With Cognitive Performance In A Middle-aged Population

Introduction: White matter hyperintensity (WMH) has been associated with manual dexterity performance in apparently healthy middle-aged population. However, the relative effect of WMH topographic distribution on cognition remains unknown. We hypothesized that periventricular WMH (PVWMH) is more strongly associated with manual dexterity and cognitive measures compared to deep WMH (DWMH) given its proximity to the white matter tracts involved in motor and executive functions.

Methods: Apparently healthy middle-aged participants in the Genetic Study of Atherosclerosis Risk with brain MRI and cognitive measurements were selected. Cognitive measures included delayed word recall short (DWRS) and long (DWRL), digit symbol substitution (DSS), word fluency (WF), digit span forward test (DSFT), backward (DSBT) and total (DSTS), and grooved peg board test (GPBT) including the dominant and non-dominant hand (GPBTD, GPBTnD). PVWMH and DWMH volumes were measured using semi-automated segmentation paradigm. The relative associations of these measurements with PVWMH and DWMH volumes as multiple measurements within the same individual further nested within families were determined using multilevel linear models adjusting for intracranial volume, age, sex and cardiovascular risk factors.

Results: 782 subjects were included (age 51.1±10.6, 58.4% female and 39% African American, PVWMH volume 437.4 [0-1646] mm 3 , DWMH volume 273.5 [76-665] mm 3 ). Within the same subject, PVWMH showed greater association than DWMH with worse performance on GPBT, GPBTD, GPBTnD, DWRS, and DWRL (P=0.006, 0.01, 0.01, 0.01 and 0.03, respectively) after adjusting for age and other cardiovascular risk factors. There was no difference in the association of PVWMH versus DWMH volumes with DSS, WF, DSFT, DSBT, DSTS (P=0.19, 0.52, 0.13, 0.6, and 0.6, respectively).

Conclusions: PVWMH shows greater association than DWMH with cognitive measures of manipulative manual dexterity and recall suggesting that PVWMH and DWMH may have different cognitive phenotypes in middle-aged population with cerebral small vessel disease.

Biomarkers of Pulmonary Hypertension Are Altered in Children with Down Syndrome and Pulmonary Hypertension

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the performance of pulmonary hypertension (PH) biomarkers in children with Down syndrome, an independent risk factor for PH, in whom biomarker performance may differ compared with other populations.

STUDY DESIGN

Serum endostatin, interleukin (IL)-1 receptor 1 (ST2), galectin-3, N-terminal pro hormone B-natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), IL-6, and hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) were measured in subjects with Down syndrome and PH (n = 29), subjects with Down syndrome and resolved PH (n = 13), subjects with Down syndrome without PH (n = 49), and subjects without Down syndrome with World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension group I pulmonary arterial hypertension (no Down syndrome PH group; n = 173). Each biomarker was assessed to discriminate PH in Down syndrome. A classification tree was created to distinguish PH from resolved PH and no PH in children with Down syndrome.

RESULTS

Endostatin, galectin-3, HDGF, and ST2 were elevated in subjects with Down syndrome regardless of PH status. Not all markers differed between subjects with Down syndrome and PH and subjects with Down syndrome and resolved PH. NT-proBNP and IL-6 levels were similar in the Down syndrome with PH group and the no Down syndrome PH group. A classification tree identified NT-proBNP and galectin-3 as the best markers for sequentially distinguishing PH, resolved PH, and no PH in subjects with Down syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS

Proteomic markers are used to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of PH but, as demonstrated here, can be altered in genetically unique populations such as individuals with Down syndrome. This further suggests that clinical biomarkers should be evaluated in unique groups with the development of population-specific nomograms.

Abstract WP14: Association Of Vascular Properties With The Periventricular And Deep White Matter Hyperintensity In Middle-age Population

Introduction: The periventricular white matter is more sensitive to alterations in the hemodynamics of the systemic circulation than the deep white matter due to differences in its vascular supply and relationship to systemic circulation. We hypothesize that periventricular white matter hyperintensity volume (PVWMH) shows greater association than deep white matter hyperintensity (DWMH) volume with vascular property measures of arterial stiffness (AS) and cardiovascular remodeling, important indicators of the systemic circulation.

Methods: Participants in the Genetic Study of Atherosclerosis Risk ≥ 50 years of age with brain MRI were selected. Vascular property measures included pulse pressure (PP), hypertension response to exercise (HRE), diastolic brachial artery (BA) diameter, diastolic common carotid artery (CCA) diameter, CCA distensibility coefficient, and left ventricular function. PVWMH and DWMH were measured using semi-automated segmentation approach. The relative associations of these parameters with PVWMH and DWMH volumes as multiple measures within the same individual further nested within families were determined using multilevel linear models. We also determined if differences between PVWMH and DWMH associations were modified by age.

Results: 426 participants (age 59.0±6.1 years, 57.5% females, and 39.7% African American) were included. Within the same subject, PVWMH volume showed greater association than DWMH volume with PP (P=0.002), HRE (p=0.04), diastolic BA diameter (p=0.012), and diastolic CCA diameter (p=0.04) independent of age and cardiovascular risk factors. This difference in PVWMH versus DWMH association with vascular properties did not differ at any age threshold.

Conclusions: We show for the first time that PVWMH volume has greater association than DWMH volume, independent of age, with vascular property measurements of AS and cardiovascular remodeling. Our findings suggest that changes in the systemic circulation may affect PVWMH and DWMH differently adding to a growing body of literature that PVWMH and DWMH may represent different phenotypes of cerebral small vessel disease.

The Effect of Mycophenolate Mofetil as First-Line Therapy on the Timing of Urine Protein-to-Creatinine Ratio Reduction in Immunosuppressant-Naive Patients With Lupus Nephritis at a Single Center

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Early response to immunosuppressive therapy predicts good renal outcome in lupus nephritis (LN). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) on the timing of urine protein-to-creatinine ratio reaching 200 mg or less after starting MMF as initial therapy for class III, IV, or V in immunosuppressant-naive patients with LN.

METHODS

Patients who had a diagnosis of biopsy-proven LN were included in this cohort study. The initial dose of MMF was 1000 mg twice daily. If no improvement, it was increased to 1500 mg twice daily after 1 month. For statistical analysis, exact binomial distribution 95% confidence intervals were calculated.

RESULTS

Nine patients were identified. There were 3 patients with class III, 3 with class IV, 1 with class III to V, 1 with class II to V, and 1 with class V lupus nephritis. The majority were African Americans (70%). At baseline, proteinuria ranged between 0.41 and 4 g, and 88% had normal estimated glomerular filtration rate. Forty-four percent of patients reached 0.28 g of proteinuria within 8 weeks of starting MMF (95% confidence interval, 14%-79%), all of which maintained the same level of response and normal estimated glomerular filtration rate at 12 months. Thirty-three percent of patients achieved the American College of Rheumatology complete response at 8 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that only a minority of immunosuppressant-naive LN patients achieved the American College of Rheumatology complete response at 8 weeks after initiation of MMF. A rapid decline in the proteinuria to 0.28 g within the first 8 weeks of the treatment correlated strongly with achieving the same level of response at 12 months.

Obesity Partially Mediates the Diabetogenic Effect of Lowering LDL Cholesterol

OBJECTIVE

LDL cholesterol (LDLc)-lowering drugs modestly increase body weight and type 2 diabetes risk, but the extent to which the diabetogenic effect of lowering LDLc is mediated through increased BMI is unknown.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted summary-level univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses in 921,908 participants to investigate the effect of lowering LDLc on type 2 diabetes risk and the proportion of this effect mediated through BMI. We used data from 92,532 participants from 14 observational studies to replicate findings in individual-level MR analyses.

RESULTS

A 1-SD decrease in genetically predicted LDLc was associated with increased type 2 diabetes odds (odds ratio [OR] 1.12 [95% CI 1.01, 1.24]) and BMI (β = 0.07 SD units [95% CI 0.02, 0.12]) in univariable MR analyses. The multivariable MR analysis showed evidence of an indirect effect of lowering LDLc on type 2 diabetes through BMI (OR 1.04 [95% CI 1.01, 1.08]) with a proportion mediated of 38% of the total effect (P = 0.03). Total and indirect effect estimates were similar across a number of sensitivity analyses. Individual-level MR analyses confirmed the indirect effect of lowering LDLc on type 2 diabetes through BMI with an estimated proportion mediated of 8% (P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the diabetogenic effect attributed to lowering LDLc is partially mediated through increased BMI. Our results could help advance understanding of adipose tissue and lipids in type 2 diabetes pathophysiology and inform strategies to reduce diabetes risk among individuals taking LDLc-lowering medications.

Therapeutic Hypothermia Modulates the Relationships Between Indicators of Severity of Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy and Serum Biomarkers

Objective: To determine the changes due to therapeutic hypothermia (TH) exposure in the strength of association between traditional clinical and biochemical indicators of severity of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and serum biomarkers. We hypothesized that culmination of TH changes the strength of the relationships between traditional indicators of severity of HIE and serum biomarkers. Methods: This was a single-center observational cohort study of 178 neonates with HIE treated with TH and followed with serum biomarkers: (i) brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (neurotrophins); (ii) tau and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) (neural cell injury); and (iii) interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8, and IL-10 (cytokines), during their first week of life. Adjusted mixed-effect models tested associations with HIE indicators in relation to TH exposure. Results: At admission, lower Apgar scores and base excess (BE) and higher lactate and nucleated red blood cell (NRBC) count correlated with higher Sarnat scores. These indicators of worse HIE severity, including higher Sarnat score, correlated with lower VEGF and higher tau, GFAP, and IL-10 levels at different time points. Within the first 24 h of life, patients with a Sarnat score >2 had lower VEGF levels, whereas only those with score of 3 also had higher GFAP and IL-10 levels. Tau levels increased during TH in patients with Sarnat score of 3, whereas tau and GFAP increased after TH in those with scores of 2. After adjustments, lower VEGF levels during TH and higher tau, GFAP, and IL-10 levels during and after TH were associated with worse Sarnat scores. Tau and GFAP relationship with Sarnat score became stronger after TH. Conclusion: Therapeutic hypothermia exerts an independent modulatory effect in the relationships between traditional indicators of severity of HIE and serum biomarkers after adjustments. Thus, the timing of biomarker testing in relation to TH exposure must be carefully considered if biomarkers are proposed for patient stratification in novel clinical trials.

Distinct Cytokine and Chemokine Dysregulation in Hospitalized Children With Acute Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome With Similar Levels of Nasopharyngeal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Shedding

BACKGROUND

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a severe clinical phenotype of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection that remains poorly understood.

METHODS

Hospitalized children <18 years of age with suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (N = 53) were recruited into a prospective cohort study; 32 had confirmed COVID-19, with 16 meeting the US Centers for Disease Control criteria for MIS-C. Differences in nasopharyngeal viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) levels, SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity, and cytokine/chemokine profiles were examined, including after adjustments for age and sex.

RESULTS

The median ages for those with and without MIS-C were 8.7 years (interquartile range [IQR], 5.5-13.9) and 2.2 years (IQR, 1.1-10.5), respectively (P = .18), and nasopharyngeal levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (median 63 848.25 copies/mL versus 307.1 copies/mL, P = .66); 75% of those with MIS-C were antibody positive compared with 44% without (P = .026). Levels of 14 of 37 cytokines/chemokines (interleukin [IL]-1RA, IL-2RA, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-10, IL-15, IL-18, monocyte chemoattractant protein [MCP]-1, IP-10, macrophage-inflammatory protein [MIP]-1α, MCP-2, MIP-1β, eotaxin) were significantly higher in children with MIS-C compared to those without, irrespective of age or sex (false discovery rate <0.05; P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The distinct pattern of heightened cytokine/chemokine dysregulation observed with MIS-C, compared with acute COVID-19, occurs across the pediatric age spectrum and with similar levels of nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

Predictive factors for fertility preservation in pediatric and adolescent girls with planned gonadotoxic treatment

PURPOSE

To characterize female pediatric and adolescent patients seen for fertility preservation consultation at an academic medical center and to describe the association between demographic or clinical factors and the use of fertility preservation treatment (FPT).

METHODS

This is a retrospective chart analysis of female pediatric and adolescent patients seen for fertility preservation consultation at an academic fertility center over a 14-year period from 2005 to 2019.

RESULTS

One hundred six females aged 3-21 years were seen for fertility preservation consultation with a mean age of 16.6 years. Diagnoses included hematologic malignancies (41.5%), gynecologic malignancies (9.4%), other malignancies (31.1%), non-malignant hematologic disease (14.2%), and non-malignant conditions (3.8%). Overall, 64.2% of subjects pursued fertility preservation, including oocyte cryopreservation (35.8%) and ovarian tissue cryopreservation (23.6%). Overall, age, minority race, diagnosis, time since diagnosis, and median household income were not significantly associated with odds of completing an FPT procedure. Among all patients, those who underwent gonadotoxic therapy prior to consultation had a lower odds of receiving FPT (OR= 0.24, 95% CI 0.10-0.55). Among patients without chemotherapy exposure, no factors were associated with FPT.

CONCLUSIONS

Among pediatric and adolescent patients at an academic center undergoing a fertility preservation consultation, there were no socioeconomic or clinical barriers to FPT use in those who had not yet undergone gonadotoxic therapy. The only factor that was negatively associated with odds of pursuing FPT was prior chemotherapy exposure.

Associations between menopause, cardiac remodeling, and diastolic function: the CARDIA study

OBJECTIVES

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) affects more women than men. Menopause may influence HFpEF development in women. We assessed cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between menopause and echocardiographic measures of left ventricular (LV) function and cardiac remodeling.

METHODS

We studied 1,723 women with available echo data from at least two of: year 5 (Y5) (1990-1991), Y25 (2010-2011), or Y30 (2015-2016) in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Cardiac structure and function were measured using 2D and Doppler echocardiography. Cross-sectional associations between menopausal status and repeated echo measures at Y25 and Y30 were analyzed using linear mixed models. Two-segmented models were used to compare longitudinal changes in echocardiographic measures in the premenopausal period to changes in the postmenopausal period.

RESULTS

Mean ± SD age (years) at enrollment was 27 ± 3 in those with menopause by Y25, 25 ± 3 in those with menopause between Y25 and Y30, and 21 ± 3 in those premenopausal at Y30. There were no significant differences in race, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, or diabetes between the groups. Postmenopausal women had higher early diastolic mitral inflow (E) to annular (e') velocity ratio than premenopausal after adjusting for demographics and risk factors (P < 0.05). Menopause was associated with relative increases in the rates of change in LV mass and left atrial volume, even after adjustment. Change in E/e' ratio was similar before and after menopause.

CONCLUSIONS

Menopause is associated cross-sectionally with worse diastolic function and longitudinally with adverse LV and left atrial remodeling. This may contribute to the increased HFpEF risk in postmenopausal women.

Association of Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis With Brain White Matter Hyperintensity

[Figure: see text].

Visceral adiposity, muscle composition, and exercise tolerance in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Aims

Visceral adipose tissue (AT) promotes inflammation and may be associated with disease progression in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We characterized regional AT distribution in HFpEF patients and controls and analysed associations with co‐morbidities and exercise tolerance.

Methods and results

Magnetic resonance imaging was performed to quantify epicardial, liver, abdominal, and thigh skeletal muscle AT. We assessed New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, 6 min walk distance, and global well‐being score. Multivariable linear regression models adjusting for body surface area were used. We studied 55 HFpEF patients (41 women, mean age 67 ± 11 years) and 33 controls (21 women, mean age 57 ± 10 years). Epicardial AT (median [interquartile range] 4.6 [2.0] vs. 3.2 [1.4] mm, P < 0.001), thigh intermuscular fat (11.0 [11.5] vs. 5.0 [2.7] cm², P < 0.001) and liver fat fraction (6.4% [6.1] vs. 4.1% [5.5], P = 0.001) were higher in HFpEF patients than controls. Women with HFpEF had higher abdominal and thigh subcutaneous AT than men. Greater thigh intermuscular fat was associated with higher blood pressure (β [SE] 0.73 [0.17], P < 0.001) and diabetes (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 1.2 [1.0–1.5], P = 0.03). Greater thigh intramuscular fat was associated with both worse NYHA class (β [SE] 2.7 [1.0], P = 0.01) and shorter 6 min walk distance (β [SE] −4.1 [1.9], P = 0.03), and greater epicardial AT (β [SE] −0.2 [0.1], P < 0.001) and liver fat fraction (β [SE] −0.4 [0.2], P = 0.04) were associated with lower global well‐being score.

Conclusions

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction patients have increased epicardial, liver, and skeletal muscle fat compared with controls out of proportion to their increased body size, and adiposity was associated with worse NYHA class and exercise tolerance in HFpEF. These results provide the basis for further investigation into the effect of interventions to reduce regional AT distribution in relation to HFpEF symptoms and pathophysiology.