Association of anatomical features of the petrotympanic fissure and presence of foramen of Huschke with otalgia and tinnitus

The petrotympanic fissure (PTF) and foramen of Huschke (FH) are anatomical structures in the temporal bone that can connect the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and the ear. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the association between PTF morphology and otalgia and tinnitus, as well as the prevalence of the FH and otological symptoms, using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). CBCT images from 114 patients presenting with symptoms of a temporomandibular disorder were examined retrospectively. The PTF was classified into three subtypes (open, semi-open, closed) and the presence of the FH was identified. Symptoms of otalgia and tinnitus were obtained from the patient files. The FH was observed in 12.3% of patients examined, and in 12.0% of those with otalgia and 18.9% of those with tinnitus. There was no significant association between the PTF subtypes or the presence of the FH and otalgia or tinnitus (all P > 0.05). The PTF subtype and presence of the FH alone do not appear to contribute to otalgia or tinnitus in patients with temporomandibular disorders.

Advances in the study of marketed antibody-drug Conjugates (ADCs) for the treatment of breast cancer

Breast cancer continues to have a high incidence rate among female malignancies. Despite significant advancements in treatment modalities, the heterogeneous nature of breast cancer and its resistance to various therapeutic approaches pose considerable challenges. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) effectively merge the specificity of antibodies with the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents, offering a novel strategy for precision treatment of breast cancer. Notably, trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) has provided a new therapeutic option for HER2-positive breast cancer patients globally, especially those resistant to conventional treatments. The development of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) and sacituzumab govitecan (SG) has further broadened the applicability of ADCs in breast cancer therapy, presenting new hopes for patients with low HER2 expression and triple-negative breast cancer. However, the application of ADCs presents certain challenges. For instance, their treatment may lead to adverse reactions such as interstitial lung disease, thrombocytopenia, and diarrhea. Moreover, prolonged treatment could result in ADCs resistance, complicating the therapeutic process. Economically, the high costs of ADCs might hinder their accessibility in low-income regions. This article reviews the structure, mechanism of action, and clinical trials of commercially available ADCs for breast cancer treatment, with a focus on the clinical trials of the three drugs, aiming to provide insights for clinical applications and future research.

[Surgical treatment for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a five-year single-center experience of 421 cases]

Objectives: To examine the short-term and mid-term effects of surgical treatment of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in one center. Methods: The perioperative data and short-term follow-up outcomes of 421 patients with obstructive HCM who received surgical treatment at Department of Cardiac Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from January 2017 to December 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 207 males and 214 females, aged (56.5±11.7) years (range: 19 to 78 years). Preoperative New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification included 45 cases of class Ⅱ, 328 cases in class Ⅲ, and 48 cases in class Ⅳ. Fifty-eight patients were diagnosed with latent obstructive HCM and 257 patients had moderate or more mitral regurgitation with 56 patients suffering from intrinsic mitral valve diseases. All procedures were completed by a multidisciplinary team, including professional echocardiologists involving in preoperative planning for proper mitral valve management strategies and intraoperative monitoring. A total of 338 patients underwent septal myectomy alone, and 59 patients underwent mitral valve surgery along with myectomy. A single transaortic approach was used in 355 patients, and a right atrial-atrial septal/atrial sulcus approach was used in 51 other patients. Long-handled minimally invasive surgical instruments were used for the procedures. Student t test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, χ² test or Fisher exact test were used to compare the data before and after surgery. Results: The aortic cross-clamping time of septal myectomy alone was (34.3±8.5) minutes (range: 21 to 94 minutes). Eighteen patients had intraoperative adverse events and underwent immediate reoperation, including residual obstruction (10 patients), left ventricular free wall rupture (4 patients), ventricular septal perforation (3 patients), and aortic valve perforation (1 patient). Four patients died during hospitalization, and 11 patients developed complete atrioventricular block requiring permanent pacemaker implantation. After discharge, 384 (92.1%) patients received a follow-up visit with a median duration of 9 months. All follow-up patients survived with significantly improved NYHA classifications: 216 patients in class Ⅰ and 168 patients in class Ⅱ (χ²=662.73, P<0.01 as compared to baseline). At 6 months after surgery, follow-up echocardiography showed that the thickness of the ventricular septum ((13.6±2.5) mm vs. (18.2±3.0) mm, t=23.51, P<0.01) and the peak left ventricular outflow tract gradient ((12.0±6.3) mmHg vs. (93.4±19.8) mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa, t=78.29, P<0.01) were both significantly lower than baseline values. Conclusion: The construction of the surgical team (including echocardiography experts), proper mitral valve management strategies, identification and management of sub-mitral-valve abnormalities, and application of long-handled minimally invasive surgical instruments are important for the successful implementation of septal myectomy with satisfactory short-and medium-term outcomes.

Treatments for Burning Mouth Syndrome: A Network Meta-analysis

The aim of this systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized controlled trials was to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments for pain relief of burning mouth syndrome (BMS). Five databases and gray literature were searched. Independent reviewers selected studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. The primary outcome was pain relief or burning sensation, and the secondary outcomes were side effects, quality of life, salivary flow, and TNF-α and interleukin 6 levels. Four comparable interventions were grouped into different network geometries to ensure the transitivity assumption for pain: photobiomodulation therapy, alpha-lipoic acid, phytotherapics, and anxiolytics/antidepressants. Mean difference (MD) and 95% CI were calculated for continuous outcomes. The minimal important difference to consider a therapy beneficial against placebo was an MD of at least -1 for relief of pain. To interpret the results, the GRADE approach for NMA was used with a minimally contextualized framework and the magnitude of the effect. Forty-four trials were included (24 in the NMA). The anxiolytic (clonazepam) probably reduces the pain of BMS when compared with placebo (MD, -1.88; 95% CI, -2.61 to -1.16; moderate certainty). Photobiomodulation therapy (MD, -1.90; 95% CI, -3.58 to -0.21) and pregabalin (MD, -2.40; 95% CI, -3.49 to -1.32) achieved the minimal important difference of a beneficial effect with low or very low certainty. Among all tested treatments, only clonazepam is likely to reduce the pain of BMS when compared with placebo. The majority of the other treatments had low and very low certainty, mainly due to imprecision, indirectness, and intransitivity. More randomized controlled trials comparing treatments against placebo are encouraged to confirm the evidence and test possible alternative treatments (PROSPERO CRD42021255039).

1362 ANTICHOLINERGIC PRESCRIBING HABITS AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS IN A COMMUNITY POPULATION OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA

Introduction

Many commonly prescribed medications have inadvertent anticholinergic effects. People with Dementia (PwD) are more vulnerable to these effects and at risk of adverse outcomes, the risk being higher with a greater degree of anticholinergic exposure. We investigated prescribing patterns and Anticholinergic burden (ACB) in a cohort of community-dwelling older adults with dementia and aimed to explore the effect of ACB on cognition, mood, and quality of life(QoL).

Method

The medication and demographic information for 87 (39 female) community-dwelling PwD were obtained from Electronic Care Summaries. We used the German Anticholinergic Burden Scale (GABS) to measure ACB. Additionally, we investigated associations between ACB and cognitive (ADAS-Cog), functional (BADL) and QoL (DemQoL) assessments.

Results

28.7% of participants had a clinically significant score (ACB&gt; 2). The most commonly prescribed medications with ACB were Lansoprazole(18.3%), Mirtazapine(12.6%) and Codeine(12.6%). ACB was higher in males and negatively correlated with age, r(87)=-.21,p=.03. There was no association between ACB and cognition, QoL, functional independence, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Over six months, PLWD with no ACB had a greater negative change in neuropsychiatric symptoms[t(18)=2.27,p=.04] and functional independence[t(23)=-3.8,p=.001], indicating greater dependence and worsening neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Conclusion

A third of PLWD in the community had clinically significant ACB. No ACB was associated with worsening neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional dependence over a six-month period. Community prescribers should consider regular medication reviews with PLWD and carers to ensure medications are prescribed safely and appropriately.

Radiomics Can Distinguish Pediatric Supratentorial Embryonal Tumors, High-Grade Gliomas, and Ependymomas

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Pediatric supratentorial tumors such as embryonal tumors, high-grade gliomas, and ependymomas are difficult to distinguish by histopathology and imaging because of overlapping features. We applied machine learning to uncover MR imaging-based radiomics phenotypes that can differentiate these tumor types.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Our retrospective cohort of 231 patients from 7 participating institutions had 50 embryonal tumors, 127 high-grade gliomas, and 54 ependymomas. For each tumor volume, we extracted 900 Image Biomarker Standardization Initiative-based PyRadiomics features from T2-weighted and gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images. A reduced feature set was obtained by sparse regression analysis and was used as input for 6 candidate classifier models. Training and test sets were randomly allocated from the total cohort in a 75:25 ratio.

RESULTS

The final classifier model for embryonal tumor-versus-high-grade gliomas identified 23 features with an area under the curve of 0.98; the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 0.85, 0.91, 0.79, 0.94, and 0.89, respectively. The classifier for embryonal tumor-versus-ependymomas identified 4 features with an area under the curve of 0.82; the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 0.93, 0.69, 0.76, 0.90, and 0.81, respectively. The classifier for high-grade gliomas-versus-ependymomas identified 35 features with an area under the curve of 0.96; the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 0.82, 0.94, 0.82, 0.94, and 0.91, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this multi-institutional study, we identified distinct radiomic phenotypes that distinguish pediatric supratentorial tumors, high-grade gliomas, and ependymomas with high accuracy. Incorporation of this technique in diagnostic algorithms can improve diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment planning.

Assessing prospective and retrospective metacognitive accuracy following traumatic brain injury remotely across cognitive domains

The ability to monitor one's behaviour is frequently impaired following TBI, impacting on patients' rehabilitation. Inaccuracies in judgement or self-reflection of one's performance provides a useful marker of metacognition. However, metacognition is rarely measured during routine neuropsychology assessments and how it varies across cognitive domains is unclear. A cohort of participants consisting of 111 TBI patients [mean age = 45.32(14.15), female = 29] and 84 controls [mean age = 31.51(12.27), female = 43] was studied. Participants completed cognitive assessments via a bespoke digital platform on their smartphones. Included in the assessment were a prospective evaluation of memory and attention, and retrospective confidence judgements of task performance. Metacognitive accuracy was calculated from the difference between confidence judgement of task performance and actual performance. Prospective judgment of attention and memory was correlated with task performance in these domains for controls but not patients. TBI patients had lower task performance in processing speed, executive functioning and working memory compared to controls, maintaining high confidence, resulting in overestimation of cognitive performance compared to controls. Additional judgments of task performance complement neuropsychological assessments with little additional time-cost. These results have important theoretical and practical implications for evaluation of metacognitive impairment in TBI patients and neurorehabilitation.

Radiomic Phenotypes Distinguish Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumors from Medulloblastoma

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors and medulloblastomas have similar imaging and histologic features but distinctly different outcomes. We hypothesized that they could be distinguished by MR imaging-based radiomic phenotypes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively assembled T2-weighted and gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images of 48 posterior fossa atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors and 96 match-paired medulloblastomas from 7 institutions. Using a holdout test set, we measured the performance of 6 candidate classifier models using 6 imaging features derived by sparse regression of 900 T2WI and 900 T1WI Imaging Biomarker Standardization Initiative-based radiomics features.

RESULTS

From the originally extracted 1800 total Imaging Biomarker Standardization Initiative-based features, sparse regression consistently reduced the feature set to 1 from T1WI and 5 from T2WI. Among classifier models, logistic regression performed with the highest AUC of 0.86, with sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and F1 scores of 0.80, 0.82, 0.81, and 0.85, respectively. The top 3 important Imaging Biomarker Standardization Initiative features, by decreasing order of relative contribution, included voxel intensity at the 90th percentile, inverse difference moment normalized, and kurtosis-all from T2WI.

CONCLUSIONS

Six quantitative signatures of image intensity, texture, and morphology distinguish atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors from medulloblastomas with high prediction performance across different machine learning strategies. Use of this technique for preoperative diagnosis of atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors could significantly inform therapeutic strategies and patient care discussions.

N-Aryl glycines as versatile initiators for various polymerizations

N-(1-Pyrenyl)glycine can act as a versatile initiator for various polymerizations.

Cocaine use and HIV-infection modify coronary plaque morphology differently than conventional cardiovascular risk factors

Background/Introduction

Cardiovascular risk factors are assumed to propagate coronary artery disease (CAD) through the lipid and/or inflammatory pathologic pathways. However, we currently do not have any in-vivo information whether these effects may alter CAD morphology and structure differently.

Purpose

We wished to assess whether conventional cardiovascular risk factors (which are assumed to affect CAD primarily through the lipid pathway), and unconventional risk factors such as cocaine use and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infection (which are assumed to propagate CAD primarily through the inflammatory pathway) affect different coronary plaque structures as assessed by radiomics.

Methods

In our prospective longitudinal observational study of 300 individuals without cardiovascular symptoms but with coronary CT angiography (CCTA)-confirmed atherosclerosis (210 male, age: 48±7 years) of whom 161 were cocaine users at baseline with or without HIV-infection (226 HIV-infected), underwent CCTA at two time points (mean follow-up: 4.0±2.3 years). Precision phenotyping of CAD was done by calculating 1276 radiomic features on the 861 plaques. Linear mixed models corrected for plaque volume, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, statin use and positive family history were used to assess the effects of chronic cocaine use, HIV-infection and elevated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk (ASCVD≥7.5%). Hierarchical clustering was used to assess potential clusters among significant radiomic features. Bonferroni corrected p&lt;0.00004 (0.05/1276) was considered significant.

Results

Overall, 32.0% (409/1276) of the radiomic features showed any significant association, of which 74.1% (303/409), 4.2% (17/409) and 25.4% (104/409) were affected by cocaine use, HIV-infection and elevated ASCVD risk, respectively. There was no overlap among radiomic features significantly associated with increased ASCVD risk and cocaine use or HIV-infection, while 88,2% (15/17) of HIV-infection associated parameters were also affected by cocaine use. Cluster analysis indicated 13 different structural components among significant features, of which eight were unique to chronic cocaine use, three unique to ASCVD risk, and two contained parameters associated with chronic cocaine use, elevated ASCVD risk and/or HIV-infection.

Interpretation

Chronic cocaine use and HIV-infection modify different CAD morphological components than conventional cardiovascular risk factors, potentially implying independent pathological pathways of disease progression irrespective of each other.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse

HIV may indirectly accelerate coronary artery disease through enhancing the effects of conventional and non-conventional cardiovascular risk factors

Background/Introduction

Cross-sectional studies are inconsistent on the potential independent adverse effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infection on coronary artery disease (CAD). Furthermore, there is no information on the potential effects of HIV-infection on plaque volumes. Also, only the independent effects of HIV-infection on CAD have been investigated.

Purpose

In a prospective longitudinal observational cohort, we wished to assess whether HIV-infection accelerates CAD independently, or by acting in synergistic fashion with conventional and nonconventional cardiovascular risk factors to accelerate disease progression as assessed by clinical and volumetric parameters of CAD on coronary CT angiography (CCTA).

Methods

Overall, 300 asymptomatic individuals without cardiovascular symptoms but with CCTA-confirmed coronary plaques (210 males, age: 48.0±7.2 years) with or without HIV (226 HIV-infected) prospectively underwent CCTA at two time points (mean follow-up: 4.0±2.3 years). Agatston-score, number of coronary plaques, segment stenosis score were calculated, and we also segmented the coronary plaques to enumerate total, noncalcified (−100–350HU) and calcified (≥351HU) plaque volumes. Linear mixed models were used to assess the effects of HIV-infection, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk, years of cocaine use and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein on CCTA markers of CAD.

Results

In univariate analysis, there was no significant difference in CAD characteristics between HIV-infected and -uninfected, neither at baseline nor at follow-up (p&gt;0.05 for all). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in annual progression rates between the two groups (p&gt;0.05 for all). By multivariate analysis, HIV was not associated with any CAD parameter (p&gt;0.05 for all). However, among HIV-infected individuals, each year of cocaine use significantly increased all CAD parameters (p&lt;0.05 for all), while ASCVD risk score was significantly associated with CAD parameters except for Agatston-score (p&lt;0.05). These associations were only present among HIV-infected individuals.

Conclusion(s)

Instead of directly worsening CAD, HIV may promote CAD through increased susceptibility to conventional and nonconventional cardiovascular risk factors. Therefore, aggressive management of both conventional and nonconventional cardiovascular risk factors is needed to reduce cardiovascular burden of HIV-infection.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse

SARS-CoV-2 infection, clinical features and outcome of COVID-19 in United Kingdom nursing homes

OBJECTIVES

To understand SARS-Co-V-2 infection and transmission in UK nursing homes in order to develop preventive strategies for protecting the frail elderly residents.

METHODS

An outbreak investigation involving 394 residents and 70 staff, was carried out in 4 nursing homes affected by COVID-19 outbreaks in central London. Two point-prevalence surveys were performed one week apart where residents underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing and had relevant symptoms documented. Asymptomatic staff from three of the four homes were also offered SARS-CoV-2 testing.

RESULTS

Overall, 26% (95% CI 22-31) of residents died over the two-month period. All-cause mortality increased by 203% (95% CI 70-336) compared with previous years. Systematic testing identified 40% (95% CI 35-46) of residents as positive for SARS-CoV-2, and of these 43% (95% CI 34-52) were asymptomatic and 18% (95% CI 11-24) had only atypical symptoms; 4% (95% CI -1 to 9) of asymptomatic staff also tested positive.

CONCLUSIONS

The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in four UK nursing homes was associated with very high infection and mortality rates. Many residents developed either atypical or had no discernible symptoms. A number of asymptomatic staff members also tested positive, suggesting a role for regular screening of both residents and staff in mitigating future outbreaks.

P6499Genetic screening in 109 adult Chinese patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection

Background

Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD) comprises a heterogenous group of cardiovascular urgencies, which could be further categorized into syndromic and non-syndromic entities. The accurate and timely identification of culprit genetic variants is of grave importance for TAAD patients, since different genetic defects have been associated with different risks for aortic dissection, thus different thresholds for preventive aortic intervention.

Purpose

With the advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, accumulating records of rare variants have been found in TAAD patients, while inadequate functional validation also makes it difficult to give proper counsel for individual TAAD patients. Therefore, it is necessary for us to start re-evaluating clinical applications of genetic screening strategies in specific patient populations.

Methods

From June 2016 to July 2017, genetic screening using an NGS-based panel of 18 candidate genes (FBN1, FBN2, TGFBR1, TGFBR2, TGFB2, TGFB3, SMAD3, COL1A1, COL3A1, COL5A2, COL5A1, PLOD1, ACTA2, MYH11, MYLK, PRKG1, MFAP5, and SKI) was applied in 109 adult TAAD patients from our institution. Patients with bicuspid aortic valve disease, complex congenital cardiac defect, aortic root infection, aortitis, pregnancy, and an age older than 70 years were excluded from the present study.

Results

Among 109 TAAD patients, 36 harboured an FBN1 variant, including 2 splicing site, 6 frame shift, 5 non-sense, and 23 mis-sense variants. The pathogenicity of mis-sense variants was further categorized into 10 disease-causing variants via database survey, 5 disease-causing variants via family survey, and 8 variants of uncertain significance (VUS). On the other hand, 25 patients harboured a non-FBN1 variant, including 3 established pathogenic variants on TGFBR1, TGFB2, and ACTA2 genes, as well as 22 VUS. Patients with an FBN1 variant displayed younger age, lower rate of hypertension, higher rate of aortic root aneurysm, and more frequent mitral valve prolapse, while an extreme male predominance (24/25) was observed in patients with a non-FBN1 variant.

Conclusion

In an adult Chinese TAAD cohort, disease-causing genetic variants were found in 28.4% (31/109) of patients, with FBN1 mutations still being the single leading cause of disease. The present study advocated a genetic screening strategy emphasizing the detection of FBN1 mutations in adult Chinese TAAD patients, and further studies should address the pathogenicity and clinical relevance of non-FBN1 VUS in TAAD patients.

P5335Effect of anthropometrics, serostatus, medication and cocaine use on quantified coronary plaque volumes in patients with human immunodeficiency virus

Introduction

The effect of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its medications on coronary artery disease (CAD) is controversial. Furthermore, illicit drug use such as cocaine occurs more often in these populations, however its potential modulating impact on CAD poorly understood.

Purpose

We sought to assess the effect of anthropometrics, serostatus, HIV medications and cocaine use in HIV patients on coronary plaque volumes assessed using coronary CT angiography (CTA).

Methods

We randomly selected 100 HIV patients without known CAD, but with coronary CTA confirmed coronary stenosis. All major epicardial vessels were segmented. Total plaque volume, low-attenuation non-calcified plaque volume and calcified plaque volumes were quantified from vessel portions which contained coronary atherosclerosis. We used linear regression analysis to assess the association between anthropometric (age, sex, body mass index), traditional risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, positive family history, HDL, LDL, cholesterol, triglycerides levels, years of alcohol and smoking), HIV associated parameters (years of HIV infection, months of protease inhibitor, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, antiretroviral therapy medication use, hepatitis virus C infection, endothelin 1 levels, CD4 levels and viral load), years of cocaine use and coronary plaque volumes.

Results

Among anthropometric and traditional risk factors age (β=10.35, p=0.006) and smoking years (β=2.72, p=0.044) showed a significant association with total plaque volume, while all other parameters did not. Among HIV related parameters non-showed a significant association with the total plaque volume. However, the years of cocaine use significantly increased the amount of plaque volume (β=4.51, p=0.024). The amount of low-attenuation non-calcified plaque volume was only associated with the years of cocaine use (β=0.30, p=0.031), while all other parameters were non-significant. The amount of calcified plaque volume was associated with age (β=2.82, p=0.047) and years of cocaine use (β=1.52=0.043).

Conclusions

Cocaine use significantly increases the amount of low-attenuation non-calcified plaque volume, calcified plaque volume and overall plaque volume in HIV patients. Our results suggest the importance of cocaine use prevention in HIV patients as it increases plaque volumes which have been shown to be associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes.

Acknowledgement/Funding

This study was supported by grants from the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (U01DA040325).

Biocontrol effects of Penicillium griseofulvum against monkshood (Aconitum carmichaelii Debx.) root diseases caused by Sclerotium rolfsiii and Fusarium spp

AIMS

The aims of this study were to investigate the biocontrol effects of Penicillium griseofulvum strain CF3 and its mechanisms against soil-borne root pathogens (Fusarium oxysporum and Sclerotium rolfsii) of the medical plant Aconitum carmichaelii Debx.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The effects of P. griseofulvum strain CF3 were evaluated with regard to the hyphal growth of S. rolfsii and F. oxysporum, the sclerotial formation and germination of S. rolfsii and its expression of sclerotia-formation-related genes. A field experiment was conducted to explore how strain CF3 controls the severity of soil-borne diseases, promotes the growth of A. carmichaelii plants and mediates shifts in the culturable rhizosphere microbial populations. The results showed that treatment with a cell-free culture filtrate of strain CF3 considerably inhibited the hyphal growth of both S. rolfsii and F. oxysporum, in addition to limiting the sclerotial formation and germination of S. rolfsii. Three genes related to sclerotial formation (ArsclR, ArnsdD1 and ArnsdD2) were predicted in S. rolfsii and their expression was found suppressed by the CF3 treatment. Field application of the CF3 biocontrol agent in a powder form (1·9 × 10¹⁰ conidia per gram of substrate) reduced soil-borne disease severity by 15·0%. The shoot and root growth of A. carmichaelii plants was promoted by 61·6 and 83·1% respectively, as the biocontrol strain massively colonized the rhizosphere soil. The CF3 treatment also markedly reduced the density of some known species harmful to plants while increasing the density of some beneficial species in the rhizosphere soil.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Genes related to sclerotia formation of S. rolfsii are predicted for the first time and their expression patterns in the presence of P. griseofulvum strain CF3 are evaluated. This comprehensive study provides a candidate fungal biocontrol strain and reveals its potential mechanisms against S. rolfsii and F. oxysporum in A. carmichaelii plants.

Amphiphilic polymer coated nanodiamonds: a promising platform to deliver azonafide

An amphiphilic polymer is grafted on nanodiamonds to improve the colloidal stability and to deliver an anticancer drug azonafide.

Electron Bulk Acceleration and Thermalization at Earth's Quasiperpendicular Bow Shock

Electron heating at Earth's quasiperpendicular bow shock has been surmised to be due to the combined effects of a quasistatic electric potential and scattering through wave-particle interaction. Here we report the observation of electron distribution functions indicating a new electron heating process occurring at the leading edge of the shock front. Incident solar wind electrons are accelerated parallel to the magnetic field toward downstream, reaching an electron-ion relative drift speed exceeding the electron thermal speed. The bulk acceleration is associated with an electric field pulse embedded in a whistler-mode wave. The high electron-ion relative drift is relaxed primarily through a nonlinear current-driven instability. The relaxed distributions contain a beam traveling toward the shock as a remnant of the accelerated electrons. Similar distribution functions prevail throughout the shock transition layer, suggesting that the observed acceleration and thermalization is essential to the cross-shock electron heating.

Efficacy of radioiodine therapy for treating 20 patients with pulmonary metastases from differentiated thyroid cancer and a meta-analysis of the current literature

Background

Radioiodine therapy (RAI) after total or near-total thyroidectomy is a recommended treatment for patients with pulmonary metastasis from differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). However, the total effective rate of iodine-131 therapy remains controversial. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of RAI for treating patients with pulmonary metastasis from DTC, and to identify independent predictors of its efficacy.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate 20 patients with pulmonary metastasis from DTC who underwent RAI at our center at first and performed a meta-analysis to evaluate relevant literature regarding the overall efficacy of RAI and subgroup-specific efficacies subsequently.

Results

The efficacy rate at our center was 40%, and no significant differences were observed according to sex, age, pathological type, metastasis state, or interval between the initial RAI and final surgery. The meta-analysis revealed that the pooled overall efficacy rate was 58%, and significant differences were observed when we compared pulmonary metastasis versus pulmonary and other distant metastasis, age of < 40 years versus age of ≥ 40 years, papillary thyroid cancer versus follicular thyroid cancer and male patients versus female patients.

Conclusions

These results suggest that RAI is an effective treatment for patients with pulmonary metastasis from DTC after surgical treatment. The efficacy of RAI was significantly predicted by the presence of papillary thyroid cancer, age of < 40 years, the absence of non-lung distant metastasis and female patients.

Effects of risk factors on periodontal disease defined by calibrated community periodontal index and loss of attachment scores

OBJECTIVES

We evaluated whether and how the effects of risk factors on periodontal disease (PD) were modified by measurement errors using community periodontal index (CPI) and loss attachment (LA) in the community-based survey.

METHODS

A pilot validation study was performed to estimate the rates of false negative and false positive for both CPI and LA in 31 subjects from different regions using measurements from 12 well-trained dentists and a senior periodontist as a gold standard. Afterward, a Taiwanese nationwide survey was conducted by enrolling 3,860 participants to estimate the effect of each risk factor on PD calibrated with both sensitivity and specificity of two indices.

RESULTS

The values obtained for the sensitivity to false-positive ratio for CPI ranged widely from 1.12 to 7.71, indicating regional variation in both errors. The calibrated adjusted odds ratio for smoking vs non-smoking was higher than the uncalibrated odds ratio for PD defined by CPI (2.75 (2.01, 3.77) vs 2.02 (1.63, 2.52)) and LA (3.85 (2.44, 6.13) vs 1.93 (1.47, 2.54)) scores. Similar underestimation was noted for other risk factors.

CONCLUSION

The effects of risk factors on PD measured using CPI and LA in a large population-based survey were underestimated without correcting for measurement errors.

The study of the relationship between aberrant expression of hot shock protein 70 (HSP70) and spontaneous abortion

OBJECTIVE

The present study is aimed to explore the relationship between aberrant expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP) and spontaneous abortion.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

50 patients with spontaneous abortion and 50 patients with induced abortion were continuously selected based on the nearest matching principle, and the proportion of age and gestational age was 1:1. The decidual tissues were obtained, and the cell apoptosis was determined by TUNEL assay. Further, the expression of HSP70 was assayed by immune-histochemical staining, and the expression of HSP70 mRNA was detected by the RT-PCR approach.

RESULTS

Apoptosis rate, HSP70 expression and HSP70 mRNA expression in the observation group were significantly higher than the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

HSP70 might induce apoptosis so as to cause spontaneous abortion.

[Comparison of anterolateral minithoracotomy versus partial upper hemisternotomy in aortic valve replacement]

OBJECTIVE

To compare the results of aortic valve replacement through anterolateral minithoracotomy (RT) and partial upper hemisternotomy (PS) approaches.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, observational, cohort study of collected data on 297 patients undergoing isolated primary aortic valve replacement between July 2009 and March 2016 at Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. There were 174 male and 123 female patients, aging from 15 to 73 years with a mean age of (51±13) years. Of these, 132 were performed through right RT and 165 through PS. Outcomes of the two groups were compared by t test, t' test, rank-sum test and χ(2) test, respectively.

RESULTS

The overall in-hospital mortality was 1.7% (5/297), with no difference between the 2 groups (3.0%, 4/132 vs. 0.6%, 1/165, P=0.175 ). Patients in the RT group had longer cardiopulmonary bypass ((92±27) minutes vs. (76±18) minutes, t'=5.848, P=0.000)and crossclamping ((56±21) minutes vs. (43±12) minutes, t'=6.333, P=0.000)times. Three patients in the RT group and two patients required intraoperative conversion. Patients by way of RT was associated with a lower incidence of blood transfusions (20.4% vs. 39.4%, χ(2)=12.303, P=0.001) and less drainage (250 (307) ml vs. 570 (370) ml, Z=8.161, P=0.000). In addition, patients in RT group had a shorter postoperative length of stay (5(4) days vs. 9(10) days, Z=4.548, P=0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

Aortic valve replacement via RT and PS are both safe and feasible. The approach through PS is associated with better exposure, more extensive indication for surgery, and more suitable to heart centers which intend to carry out miminally invasive aortic valve replacement. While, for an experienced surgeon, the approach through right RT is worthy of clinical selective application for patients concern more about good cosmetic result, and patients have faster recovery by avoid sternotomy through RT approach.

Modified total arch replacement using a four-branched arch graft for acute type A aortic dissection with minimal brain and spinal cord ischemic time

AIM

This study aimed to evaluate the results of modified surgical strategies of total arch replacement using a four-branched arch graft, stented elephant trunk, and innovative organ protection method for acute type A aortic dissection.

METHODS

Between August 2011 and December 2011, 21 patients with acute type A aortic dissection underwent modified total arch replacement using the four-branched arch graft technique. All 21 patients had emergency surgery. Five patients had undergone previous aortic or cardiac surgery. The operations were stented elephant trunk implantation in 17 patients, ascending aorta replacement in 21 patients, coronary artery bypass grafting in four patients, Bentall operation in two patients, and aortic valve replacement in one patient. Twenty-one operations were performed under deep hypothermic extracorporeal circulation, modified selective cerebral perfusion, and end-organ and spinal cord protection for arch reconstruction.

RESULTS

There was two in-hospital deaths (9.5%). No persisting neurologic deficits or paraplegia occurred in 21 patients. Cardiopulmonary bypass time was 177.9±37.8 minutes. Myocardial ischemic time was 110.3±29.3 minutes. ICU time was 8.8±6.9 days and in-hospital duration was 28.7±13.7 days. Ventilation time varied from 9 hours to 21 days. A tracheotomy was necessary in four patients. Mean follow-up was 7.3±1.7 months and all patients are still alive.

CONCLUSION

Modified total arch replacement using a four-branched arch graft with stented elephant trunk and innovative organ protection is a useful and safe alternative technique for the treatment of acute type A aortic dissection and the results are encouraging.

Assessing the reliability of MRI-CBCT image registration to visualize temporomandibular joints

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate image quality of two methods of registering MRI and CBCT images of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), particularly regarding TMJ articular disc-condyle relationship and osseous abnormality.

METHODS

MR and CBCT images for 10 patients (20 TMJs) were obtained and co-registered using two methods (non-guided and marker guided) using Mirada XD software (Mirada Medical Ltd, Oxford, UK). Three radiologists independently and blindly evaluated three types of images (MRI, CBCT and registered MRI-CBCT) at two times (T1 and T2) on two criteria: (1) quality of MRI-CBCT registrations (excellent, fair or poor) and (2) TMJ disc-condylar position and articular osseous abnormalities (osteophytes, erosions and subcortical cyst, surface flattening, sclerosis).

RESULTS

75% of the non-guided registered images showed excellent quality, and 95% of the marker-guided registered images showed poor quality. Significant difference was found between the non-guided and marker-guided registration (χ(2) = 108.5; p < 0.01). The interexaminer variability of the disc position in MRI [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.50 at T1, 0.56 at T2] was lower than that in MRI-CBCT registered images [ICC = 0.80 (0.52-0.92) at T1, 0.84 (0.62-0.93) at T2]. Erosions and subcortical cysts were noticed less frequently in the MRI-CBCT images than in CBCT images.

CONCLUSIONS

Non-guided registration proved superior to marker-guided registration. Although MRI-CBCT fused images were slightly more limited than CBCT alone to detect osseous abnormalities, use of the fused images improved the consistency among examiners in detecting disc position in relation to the condyle.

Abstract 854: Inhibition of PRMT5 results in radiosensitization in lung cancer cell lines

Background: Protein arginine methylation is a post translational modification that influences signal transduction, mRNA splicing, gene transcription and DNA repair. Among the PRMT family members, PRMT5 is a type II enzyme that symmetrically methylates histone H4 at Arginine 3 and histone H3 at Arginine 8. Studies have recently linked this modification to carcinogenesis and metastasis. The function of PRMT5 in carcinogenesis is related to cell proliferation through modulation of E2F1, p53, EGFR, and CRAF. It is known to accelerate progression through the G1 phase of cell cycle by influencing proteins like CDK4 and CDK6. Previous work on human lung cancer specimens has demonstrated an overexpression of PRMT5 in cancerous tissue when compared to normal lung parenchyma. Suppression of PRMT5 significantly inhibits cell proliferation in lung cancer cell lines A549 and H1299. We hypothesized inhibition of PRMT5 can lead to increased radiosensitivity in lung cancer cells.

Method: Several lung cancer cell lines were used in the experiments, including A549, H1299 and H23. SiRNA (Dharmacon) and lentiviral shRNA (Sigma) were used to knock down (KD) PRMT5 levels transiently or stably in A549 cell line in which p53 is present in its wild type form. Forty eight hours after transient transfection, cells were plated for clonogenic survival assay and subsequently exposed to ionizing radiation at 0, 2, and 8 Gy. Cellular PRMT5 protein levels were estimated by western blotting analysis for PRMT5 KD and scramble control cell lines. The scramble control and siRNA knockdown cells were subjected to cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry. We also tested specific PRMT5 inhibitors with and without radiation therapy in the lung cancer cell lines to see if PRMT5 inhibitors could lead to increased radiosensitivity.

Results: We observed a &gt;90% PRMT5 KD in transiently transfected cells at 48 h and 72 h post transfection as verified by western blot analysis. This transient KD lead to a small but significant decrease in colony survival after radiation. This radiosensitization was not observed in cells selected for stable KD of PRMT5 protein by lentiviral RNA transfection. There is an increase of cell population in G1 arrest in PRMT5 transient KD cells but not in stable KD cells. Additionally, cells treated with PRMT5 specific inhibitors (“cpd5” or “cpd65”) demonstrated increased radiosensitivity in A549 cells but not in H1299 suggesting that this effect may be p53-dependent.

Conclusion: PRMT5 inhibition by siRNA or its specific inhibitors lead to radiosensitivity in A549 lung cancer cell line. This effect may be partially dependent on p53-dependent cell cycle arrest. Further work to inhibit PRMT5 in other lung cancer cell lines with different p53 activities will be investigated.

Citation Format: Smitha Sharma, X Wu, P Smith, N Denko, C Li, H Lai, F Yan, K Shilo, A Chakravarti, S Sif, R Baiocchi, G Otterson, Meng Xu-Welliver. Inhibition of PRMT5 results in radiosensitization in lung cancer cell lines. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 854. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-854

Relationship between Community Periodontal Index and Fecal Hemoglobin Concentration, an Indicator for Colorectal Neoplasm

Periodontal disease and colorectal cancer have inflammatory processes in common. It is therefore worthwhile to investigate whether there is an association between periodontal probing depth and fecal hemoglobin concentration (FHbC), an indicator of colorectal neoplasms, in 40- to 44-year-old Taiwanese. We enrolled a total of 6,214 attendees aged 40 to 44 yr who were participating in a community-based integrated screening program and who received both periodontal and FHbC examinations between 2003 and 2008. A proportional odds logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratios of different FHbC levels in treating an increased level of community periodontal index (CPI) measuring periodontal probing depth as ordinary data from 0 to 4. Periodontal probing depth with the order of CPI was in parallel with an increase in the mean values of FHbC: 21.3 ± 156.3, 26.0 ± 167.7, 27.2 ± 151.1, and 39.5 ± 255.7 ng/mL for CPI 0, CPI 1, CPI 2, and CPI 3/4, respectively. The log-FHbC varied across the categories of CPI (p = .0078). After adjusting for age, sex, education level, smoking, alcohol intake, exercise, body mass index, and intake of meat and vegetables, subjects with positive fecal immunochemical test results (FHbC ≥ 100 ng/mL) had a 33% higher risk of deteriorating to severe CPI than did those within the normal range of fecal immunochemical test (FHbC < 100 ng/mL) (adjusted odds ratio = 1.33, 95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.73). A positive association was demonstrated between FHbC and periodontal probing depth assessed by CPI among 6,214 Taiwanese aged 40 to 44 yr who participated in a community-based integrated health screening program. These results could have significant implications for early identification of high-risk individuals, as those with deep periodontal pockets should be advised to undergo screening for colorectal cancer at a younger age than commonly recommended.

High resolution computed tomography and classification of children with interstitial lung diseases

High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was used to classify children with interstitial lung diseases (ILD). Sixty children with ILD underwent HRCT in supine position under free-respiratory conditions during scanning. Children under 5 years old were sedated with chloral hydrate and the scanning scope was from the lung apex to the diaphragm. In children older than 5 years old, scans were obtained at three levels: aortic arch, tracheal carina, and 1 cm above the right diaphragm. Five infectious patients were followed up. Two experienced radiologists read the films blindly to observe the type and distribution of ground-glass opacities and bronchovascular bundle abnormalities. Bronchovascular bundles were thick in 49 patients, and were thick and stiff in 27 patients. Of the 41 infectious patients, 39 showed thickened bronchovascular bundles, and 26 showed thick and stiff bronchovascular bundles. Of the 19 non-infectious patients, bronchovascular bundles were thickened in 10 patients, and were thick and stiff in 1 patient. Forty-one patients showed lobular ground-glass opacity (32 infectious, 9 non-infectious). Twenty-seven patients showed both bronchovascular bundle abnormality and lobular ground-glass opacity (20 infectious, 7 non-infectious). Eighteen patients showed patchy or mosaic ground-glass opacity (16 infectious, 2 non-infectious). There were 4 cases of bronchiectasis. HRCT is the first non-invasive diagnostic method for children with ILD, and its different manifestations can be classified. In early manifestation, bronchovascular bundles were abnormal and complicated with lobular ground-glass opacity. Patchy ground-glass opacity was the most common manifestation, and appeared to be difficult to disappear. Bronchiectasis indicated that the disease is irretrievable.

Nipple sparing mastectomy: can we predict the factors predisposing to necrosis?

BACKGROUND

Nipple sparing mastectomy (NSM) is an accepted surgical approach in selected breast cancer and prophylactic mastectomy, nevertheless post-mastectomy skin necrosis is one of the frequent complications. This study aimed to analyze the factors that may lead to skin necrosis after NSM.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From May 2010 to July 2010, we prospectively registered 50 consecutive NSM from 45 patients. There were 40 mastectomies for cancer, and 10 prophylactic mastectomies. The various patient's and surgical factors were registered during pre-, intra- and postoperative period.

RESULTS

No total necrosis of the nipple areola complex (NAC) was observed. There were thirteen cases with partial necrosis (26.0%) of the areola or the adjacent skin. All these necrosis were partial both for the surface and the thickness. Surgical debridement was performed in 9 (18.0%) cases. The significant risk factors are smoking, young age, type of incision and NAC involvement with areola flap thickness less than 5 mm.

CONCLUSION

NSM should be done with high caution in smokers. Young patients, periareolar incision and superior circumareolar incision have also a higher risk of necrosis. We recommend keeping areolar flap thickness more than 5 mm in areola region.