Cardiovascular disease and cancer: shared risk factors and mechanisms

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally, and these conditions are increasingly recognized to be fundamentally interconnected. In this Review, we present the current epidemiological data for each of the modifiable risk factors shared by the two diseases, including hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity, smoking, diet, physical activity and the social determinants of health. We then review the epidemiological data demonstrating the increased risk of CVD in patients with cancer, as well as the increased risk of cancer in patients with CVD. We also discuss the shared mechanisms implicated in the development of these conditions, highlighting their inherent bidirectional relationship. We conclude with a perspective on future research directions for the field of cardio-oncology to advance the care of patients with CVD and cancer.

CX3CR1-Expressing Immune Cells Infiltrate the Tumor Microenvironment and Promote Radiation Resistance in a Mouse Model of Lung Cancer

INTRODUCTION

Chemokine (C-X3-C Motif) Receptor 1 (CX3CR1) is present in a subset of the immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and plays an essential and diverse role in cancer progression. However, its potential function in the irradiated TME remains unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A mouse lung cancer model was performed by subcutaneously inoculating Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) cells expressing luciferase (Luc-2) and mCherry cells in CX3CR1GFP/GFP, CX3CR1DTR/+, and wild-type (WT) mice. Bioluminescence imaging, clonogenic assay, and flow cytometry were used to assess tumor progression, proliferation, and cell composition after radiation.

RESULTS

Radiation provoked a significant influx of CX3CR1-expressing immune cells, notably monocytes and macrophages, into the TME. Co-culturing irradiated LLC cells with CX3CR1-deficient monocytes, and macrophages resulted in reduced clonogenic survival and increased apoptosis of the cancer cells. Interestingly, deficiency of CX3CR1 in macrophages led to a redistribution of the irradiated LLC cells in the S-phase, parallel to increased expression of cyclin E1, required for cell cycle G1/S transition. In addition, the deficiency of CX3CR1 expression in macrophages altered the cytokine secretion with a decrease in interleukin 6, a crucial mediator of cancer cell survival and proliferation. Next, LLC cells were injected subcutaneously into CX3CR1DTR/+ mice, sensitive to diphtheria toxin (DT), and WT mice. After injection, tumors were irradiated with 8 Gy, and mice were treated with DT, leading to conditional ablation of CX3CR1-expressing cells. After three weeks, CX3CR1-depleted mice displayed reduced tumor progression. Furthermore, combining the S-phase-specific chemotherapeutic gemcitabine with CX3CR1 cell ablation resulted in additional attenuation of tumor progression.

CONCLUSIONS

CX3CR1-expressing mononuclear cells invade the TME after radiation therapy in a mouse lung cancer model. CX3CR1 cell depletion attenuates tumor progression following radiation and sensitizes the tumor to S-phase-specific chemotherapy. Thus, we propose a novel strategy to improve radiation sensitivity by targeting the CX3CR1-expressing immune cells.

Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion versus Novel Oral Anticoagulation for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation-One-Year Survival

Aim To compare the 1-year survival rate of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) following left atrial appendage occluder (LAAO) implantation vs. treatment with novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs).

METHODS

We have conducted an indirect, retrospective comparison between LAAO and NOAC registries. The LAAO registry is a national prospective cohort of 419 AF patients who underwent percutaneous LAAO between January 2008 and October 2015. The NOACs registry is a multicenter prospective cohort of 3138 AF patients treated with NOACs between November 2015 and August 2018. Baseline patient characteristics were retrospectively collected from coded diagnoses of hospitalization and outpatient clinic notes. Follow-up data was sorted from coded diagnoses and the national civil registry. Subjects were matched according to propensity score. Baseline characteristics were compared using Chi-Square and student's t-test. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves, log-rank test, and multivariable Cox regression, adjusting for possible confounding variables.

RESULTS

This study included 114 subjects who underwent LAAO implantation and 342 subjects treated with NOACs. The mean age of participants was 77.9 ± 7.44 and 77.1 ± 11.2 years in the LAAO and NOAC groups, respectively (p = 0.4). The LAAO group had 70 (61%) men compared to 202 (59%) men in the NOAC group (p = 0.74). No significant differences were found in baseline comorbidities, renal function, or CHA2DS2-VASc score. One-year mortality was observed in 5 (4%) patients and 32 (9%) patients of the LAAO and NOAC groups, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, LAAO was significantly associated with a lower risk for 1-year mortality (HR 0.38, 95%CI 0.14-0.99). In patients with impaired renal function, this difference was even more prominent (HR 0.21 for creatinine clearance (CrCl) < 60 mL/min).

CONCLUSIONS

In a pooled analysis of two registries, we found a significantly lower risk for 1-year mortality in patients with AF who were implanted with LAAO than those treated with NOACs. This finding was more prominent in patients with impaired renal function. Future prospective direct studies should further investigate the efficacy and adverse effects of both treatment strategies.

Radiation dose is associated with improved local control for large, but not small, hepatocellular carcinomas

BACKGROUND

With advances in understanding liver tolerance, conformal techniques, image guidance, and motion management, dose-escalated radiotherapy has become a potential treatment for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to evaluate the possible impact of biologically effective dose (BED) on local control and toxicity among patients with HCC.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Patients treated at our institution from 2009 to 2018 were included in this retrospective analysis if they received definitive-intent radiotherapy with a nominal BED of at least 60 Gy. Patients were stratified into small and large tumors using a cutoff of 5 cm, based on our clinical practice. Toxicity was assessed using ALBI scores and rates of clinical liver function deterioration.

RESULTS

One hundred and twenty-eight patients were included, with a mean follow-up of 16 months. The majority of patients (90.5%) had a good performance status (ECOG 0-1), with Child-Pugh A (66.4%) and ALBI Grade 2 liver function at baseline (55.4%). Twenty (15.6%) patients had a local recurrence in the irradiated field during the follow-up period. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses showed that only BED significantly predicted local tumor recurrence. Higher BED was associated with improved local control in tumors with equivalent diameters over 5 cm but not in smaller tumors. There was no difference in liver toxicity between the low and high-dose groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher radiotherapy dose is associated with improved local control in large tumors but not in tumors smaller than 5 cm in diameter. High-dose radiotherapy was not associated with increased liver toxicity.

Radiation Therapy and the Microbiome; More Than a Gut Feeling

ABSTRACT

It is increasingly recognized that heterogeneities in tumor response and severity of adverse effects in irradiated patients can be attributed to the tumor microenvironment and host-related factors. Among the latter, a growing body of literature in recent years has demonstrated the role of the patient's microbiome in modulating both tumor and normal tissue response to radiotherapy (RT). Upon contact with the environment after birth, the infant's gastrointestinal tract is rapidly colonized by microbiota, which is low in diversity and predominantly characterized by 2 dominant species, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. With time, intestinal microbiota diversity increases, and colonization of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes becomes dominant. By the time a child reaches 3 years, the gut microbiota composition has been reshaped and is relatively similar to that of an adult. The microbiome colonizing the different body organs comprises various species and abundances, which may impact human health. Although the adult microbiome composition is thought to remain stable in health, microbiome diversity and composition respond to different environmental and pathological conditions, including pharmaceutical interventions and RT. Our review focuses on how the gut microbiota modulates normal tissue toxicity and tumor control. Readers who want to learn more about how RT shapes gut microbiome diversity and composition are referred to several excellent recently published reviews.

Balance Performance of Post-Call Medical Residents

BACKGROUND

Fatigue is thought of as a leading cause of iatrogenic accidents. A significant deterioration in qualitative balance function has been shown in sleep deprived individuals.

AIM/OBJECTIVES

To quantify the degree to which balance is impaired by sleep deprivation (SD) in post-call medical residents.

METHODS

Medical residents voluntarily underwent computed dynamic posturography (CDP) before and after an on-call night, at an identical time of the day. Order of test performance was random to avoid behavioral learning. Each participant served as his or her own control.

RESULTS

Seventeen residents were enrolled (median age 32years). Average sleeping duration the night before and during the night shift was 6.5 and 1 hour, respectively. The average response times difference between alert and fatigued was 10.15 milliseconds (95% CI: 6.81-13.49 milliseconds), yielding a significantly prolonged response times from 120 milliseconds before to 130 milliseconds after the night shift (P < .001). Comparison of additional measurements of CDP performance did not differ between test conditions.

CONCLUSION

Medical residents are fatigued due to the effect of on-call nights. Sleep deprivation prolongs response times to vestibular stimuli. This finding probably has an effect on execution of manual skills and may reflect a more generalized slowing of responses and overall performance impairment.

SIGNIFICANCE

The vestibular system is susceptible to SD.

Extracellular vesicles from the infarcted and failing heart drive tumor growth

Aims

Heart disease might be an independent risk factor for cancer (reverse cardio-oncology). The co-occurrence of these diseases worsens patients' prognoses and limits therapeutic options. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that link heart disease to cancer remain elusive. Therefore, we hypothesized that cardiac extracellular vesicles (cEVs) secreted by diseased hearts carry and disseminate factors that promote tumor growth.

Methods and results

We subjected female mice to myocardial infarction (MI) or sham-MI and 28 days of follow-up. Left ventricular remodeling and dysfunction were assessed by echocardiography. To determine the role of cEVs in tumor growth, we focused on cardiac mesenchymal stromal cells (cMSCs), which play a central role in cardiac repair, remodeling, and fibrosis. We isolated cMSCs from mice hearts 10 or 28 days after MI or sham MI and purified cMSC-EVs from the conditioned medium using size exclusion chromatography. cEVs were characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), the classical EV markers: CD81 and Tumor susceptibility gene 101, and electron microscopy. cMSCs after MI secreted more small EVs than cMSCs from sham-MI (Fig. 1A, p&lt;0.0001). Proteomic and biological process analysis revealed a distinctive profile of cEVs after MI with more EV-encapsulated proteins related to inflammation, angiogenesis, and cell cycle (Fig. 1B). Purified cMSC-EVs were labeled with PKH26 dye and found to target both breast and lung cancer cells in vitro. Colorimetric proliferation assay showed that MI-cEVs facilitated cancer cells proliferation compared with sham-MI cEVs (n=7 in each group, p&lt;0.0001). Furthermore, by scratch assay, MI-cEVs facilitated cancer cell migration two times faster than sham-MI cEVs (Fig. 1C, p=0.0002). Finally, we established 2 models of heart disease with cancer. Lung or breast cancer cells (750x103 or 250x103) were inoculated into the hind limb or mammary pad 10 days before or after MI. Serial ultrasound examinations monitored tumor growth. While MI significantly stimulated lung cancer growth, EV inhibition by GW4869 markedly attenuated the tumorigenic effect of MI and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction (Fig. 1D, p for GW4869 &lt;0.0001). Moreover, we found an inverse correlation between LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and the volume of breast cancer tumors. cEV inhibition by GW4869 attenuated this inverse correlation (for vehicle group: n=14, r=−0.54 and p=0.04. for GW4869 group: n=13, r=−0.43, and p=0.14).

Conclusions

Our results suggest, for the first time, that cMSCs from the infarcted and failing heart secret EVs that target tumor cells and accelerate tumor growth. We propose cEVs as potential mediators and therapeutic targets in patients with concomitant heart disease and cancer.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): Seymour Fefer Grant

Abstract P3104: Extracellular Vesicles From The Infarcted Heart Facilitate Tumor Growth

Background and Aim: Heart disease might be an independent risk factor for cancer (reverse cardio-oncology). The cellular and molecular mechanisms that link heart disease to cancer remain elusive, and specific therapies are limited. We hypothesized that cardiac extracellular vesicles (cEVs) secreted by diseased hearts carry and disseminate factors that promote tumor growth.

Methods & Results: We subjected female mice to myocardial infarction (MI) or sham-MI and 28 days of follow-up. Left ventricular remodeling was confirmed by echocardiography. To determine the role of cEVs in tumor growth, we focused on cardiac mesenchymal stromal cells (cMSCs), which play a central role in cardiac repair, remodeling, and fibrosis. Thus, we isolated cMSCs from mice hearts 10 or 28 days after MI or sham MI. cMSCs after MI secreted more small EVs than cMSCs from sham-MI. Proteomic analysis revealed a distinctive profile of cEVs after MI ( Fig A ). Purified cMSC-EVs targeted both breast and lung cancer cells in vitro. A scratch assay showed that MI-cEVs facilitated cancer cell proliferation and migration two times faster than sham-MI cEVs ( Fig B , p=0.0002). Finally, lung or breast cancer cells were inoculated into the hind limb or mammary pad 10 days before or after MI. Tumor growth was monitored by serial ultrasound examinations. While MI stimulated tumor growth, EV inhibition by GW4869 markedly attenuated this effect ( Fig C ).

Conclusions: We show, for the first time, that cMSCs from the infarcted and remodeling heart secret EVs that target tumor cells and facilitate tumor growth. We propose cEVs as potential mediators and therapeutic targets in patients with concomitant heart disease and cancer.

The usefulness of [18F]FDG-PET/CT in detecting and managing cancers with unknown primary site depends on histological subtype

We assessed the role of [18F]FDG-PET/CT in identifying and managing cancer of unknown primary site (CUP syndrome). We reviewed [18F]FDG-PET/CT scans of individuals with CUP syndrome recorded in clinical referral letters from 2012 to 2019. We evaluated the identification of primary tumor (PT) by [18F]FDG-PET/CT, according to histological subtype, and the impact on clinical management. The median age was 65 years, 36/64 males (56%). PTs were detected in 28/64 (44%) patients. Detection was significantly lower in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) than with other histologies combined, p = 0.034. Mean age, mean SUVmax (10.6 ± 6.0) and organ involvement were similar between patients with and without discovered PTs; and between patients with SCC and with other histologies combined. However, those with SCC were less likely than the others to present with multi-lesion involvement, p < 0.001. [18F]FDG-PET/CT interpretations apparently affected treatment of 8/28 (29%) patients with PT detected, and in none of the 35 whose PT was not discovered, p < 0.001. [18F]FDG-PET/CT appeared helpful in detecting PT in almost half the patients with CUP syndrome; the lowest rate was for patients with SCC pathology. PET/CT showed limited overall value in guiding clinical management, however benefited those with discovered PT.

PSMA PET/CT to evaluate response to SBRT for prostate cancer bone metastases

Background

In the current study we evaluated ⁶⁸Ga PSMA PET/ CT to measure local control of bone metastasis in oligometastatic prostate cancer patients treated with SBRT.

Materials and methods

After the institutional review board approval, a retrospective review of medical records of consecutive prostate cancer patients treated between 2014 and 2018 was conducted. Only medical records of patients that were treated with SBRT for bone metastasis and had pre-and post-SBRT ⁶⁸Ga PSMA PET/CT scans were included in our study. Data extracted from the medical files included patient-related (age), disease-related (Gleason score, site of metastasis), and treatment-related factors and outcomes.

Results

During the study period, a total of 12 patients (15 lesions) were included, with a median age of 73 years. The median follow-up was 26.5 months (range 13-45 months). Median time of ⁶⁸Ga PSMA PET/ CT follow up was 17.0 months (range 3-39 months). The median pre-treatment PSA was 2 ng/mL (range 0.56-44 ng/mL) vs. post treatment PSA nadir of 0.01 ng/mL (0.01-4.32) with a median time to nadir of 7 months (range, 2-12). Local control was 93% during the follow up period and there was correlation with PS MA avidity on PE T. None patients developed recurrences in the treated bone. None of the patients had grade 3 or more toxicities during follow-up.

Conclusions

SBRT is a highly effective and safe method for treatment of prostate cancer bone metastases. More studies are required to determine if SBRT provides greater clinical benefit than standard fractionation for oligometastatic prostate cancer patients. ⁶⁸Ga PSMA PET/CT should be further investigated for delineation and follow-up.

Salvage re-irradiation using stereotactic body radiation therapy for locally recurrent prostate cancer: the impact of castration sensitivity on treatment outcomes

Background

Advances in imaging, biomaterials and precision radiotherapy provide new opportunities to salvage locally recurrent prostate cancer (PC). This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of re-irradiation using stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). We hypothesized that patients with castrate-resistant PC (CRPC) would benefit less from local salvage.

Methods

A prospective clinical database was reviewed to extract 30 consecutive patients treated with prostate re-irradiation. Gallium prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) ligand positron emission tomography was performed following prostate-specific antigen failure in all patients and biopsy was obtained in 18 patients (60%). Re-irradiation was either focal (n = 13) or whole-gland (n = 17). Endo-rectal balloons were used in twenty-two patients and hydrogel spacers in eight patients. The median prescription dose was 5 fractions of 6.5 (range: 6–8) Gray (Gy).

Results

Median follow-up was 28 months. Failure occurred in 10 (out of 11) CRPC patients versus 6 (out of 19) castrate-sensitive patients (91% vs. 32%, p = 0.008) after a median of 13 and 23 months, respectively. Metastases occurred in 64% (n = 7) of CRPC patients versus 16% (n = 3) of castrate-sensitive patients (p = 0.007). Two patients experienced local in-field recurrence, thus local control was 93%. The 2 and 3-year recurrence-free survival were 84% and 79% for castrate-sensitive patients versus 18% and 9% for CRPC patients (p < 0.001), and 3-year metastasis-free survival was 90% versus 27% (p < 0.01) for castrate-sensitive and CRPC patients, respectively. Acute grade II and III genitourinary (GU) toxicity occurred in 27% and 3%, and late GU toxicity in 30% and 3%, respectively. No ≥ grade II acute gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity occurred, and only one patient (3%) developed late grade II toxicity.

Conclusions

Early delivery of salvage SBRT for local recurrence is associated with excellent 3-year disease control and acceptable toxicity in the castrate-sensitive phenotype. PSMA imaging for detection of local recurrence and the use of precision radiotherapy with rectal protective devices should be further investigated as a novel salvage strategy for radio-recurrent PC.

Restricted Mouth Opening in Head and Neck Cancer: Etiology, Prevention, and Treatment

Restricted mouth opening or trismus is often encountered in patients with head and neck cancer. The restriction may be the presenting sign of malignancy, a sequela of tumor site or growth, an adverse effect of oncologic treatment, or a first sign of tumoral recurrence. In general, any insult to the temporomandibular joint, masticatory muscles, or their neural innervation may cause limitation in mouth opening. The etiologies leading to trismus are as follows: myospasm secondary to tumor infiltration; reflectory myospasm; radiation-induced myositis and myofibrosis; temporomandibular joint involvement with tumor; unfavorable postsurgical scarring; muscle and joint atrophy secondary to immobilization; pain; jaw fracture and hardware failure; and infection. Preventive measures should be implemented before, during, and after treatment. These measures include identification of high-risk patients, utilization of dose-sculpting radiation techniques whenever possible, performing reconstruction at the same time of resective surgery whenever feasible, and initiating mobilization exercises as early as possible. When trismus develops, treatments are often challenging and disappointing. These include physical therapy, mouth opening appliances, drug therapy, and release surgery. All medical specialties dealing with head and neck cancer should be familiar with the diagnosis and prevention of trismus and make an effort to ensure patients are referred to the appropriate care when needed. Trismus should not be considered a trivial sequela of head and neck cancer.

Abstract PO-004: A phase I clinical trial of dose-escalated metabolic therapy combined with concomitant radiation therapy in high-grade glioma

Background Animal brain-tumor models have demonstrated a synergistic interaction between radiation therapy and a ketogenic diet (KD). Metformin has in-vitro anti-cancer activity, through AMPK activation and mTOR inhibition. We hypothesized that metabolic stress (moderate hypoglycemia) would enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of concurrent DNA damage. We further hypothesized that concurrent metformin would decrease insulin resistance and consequently elevate ketone blood level. We performed a formal prospective phase I dose-escalation trial to assess the tolerability and feasibility of this approach. Methods A prospective single-institution phase I clinical trial of combined metabolic therapy and radiotherapy. Radiotherapy was either 60Gy over six weeks or 35Gy over two weeks for newly diagnosed and recurrent gliomas, respectively. The dietary intervention consisted of a KD supplemented with medium chain triglycerides (MCT). There were three cohorts 1) dietary intervention alone, 2) low-dose metformin (850mg twice-daily) combined with dietary intervention and 3) high-dose metformin (850mg three-times daily) combined with dietary intervention. Statistics: The prediction of blood ketones levels was performed using a mixed-model univariate analysis methodology. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02149459. Results A total of 13 patients were accrued, median age 61 years, of whom 6 had newly diagnosed and 7 with recurrent disease. All completed radiation therapy; 5 patients stopped the metabolic intervention early. Metformin 850mg three-times daily was poorly tolerated. There were no grade 4/5 adverse events. Median levels of β-hydroxybutyrate increased from 0.09 mmol/l at baseline to 0.59 mmol/l during the trial (p=0.006). Ketone levels were associated with dietary factors (ketogenic ratio, p &lt; 0.001), use of metformin (p = 0.02) and low insulin levels (p = 0.002). Median progression free survival was 10 months for newly diagnosed disease and 4 months for recurrent disease. Conclusions The intervention was fairly well tolerated. Metformin use and dietary intake were associated with higher serum ketone levels. The recommended phase II dose is the 8 weeks of a KD combined with 850mg metformin twice daily. The trial was supported by the EU FP7 Marie Curie program FP7-MC-CIG 303795, and the Rosetrees Trust. The MCT oil was provided by Nutricia, Netherlands.

Citation Format: Yaacov Lawrence, Keren Porper, Yael Shpatz, Uri Amit, Zvi Symon, Leor Zach. A phase I clinical trial of dose-escalated metabolic therapy combined with concomitant radiation therapy in high-grade glioma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Radiation Science and Medicine; 2021 Mar 2-3. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(8_Suppl):Abstract nr PO-004.

Mortality Among Neutropenic Cancer Patients Within the United States: The Association With Hospital Volume

PURPOSE

Neutropenia is a serious complication of chemotherapy in patients with solid tumors. The influence of hospital volume on outcomes in patients with neutropenia has been little investigated. We hypothesized that large-volume hospitals would have reduced mortality rates for neutropenic patients compared with small-volume institutions.

METHODS

We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, for the years 2007-2011. All adult inpatient episodes with a diagnosis of both neutropenia and solid-tumor malignancy were included. Hospital volume was defined as the number of neutropenic cancer episodes per institution per year. Mortality was defined as death during admission. A multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model was applied.

RESULTS

Twenty thousand three hundred and ten hospitalizations were included in the study, from 1,869 different institutions. Median age was 62 years. The overall inpatient mortality was 2.3%, and was dependent on age (age 50-59 years-1.6% and age 80-89 years-5.3%). The median number of neutropenic inpatient episodes in each institution per year was 14 (range, 1-168). Mortality was 3.3%, 2.7%, 2.2%, 2.2%, and 1.2% for each quintile of hospital volume (from lowest to highest volume, P < .001). Likewise, the proportion discharged home was 85.7%, 90.3%, 91.5%, 92.7%, and 95.4% (P < .001). The association between hospital volume and mortality remained significant after adjustment for patient-level and hospital-level variables.

DISCUSSION

Patients with neutropenia hospitalized in large-volume institutions have a substantially lower mortality compared with those hospitalized at low-volume institutions. Further study is required to validate our findings or overcome potential biases, understand mechanism, and investigate how smaller institutions can improve outcomes.

The impact of pancreatic cancer resection in the era of effective systemic treatment

722

Background: Surgical resection is the only curative modality in pancreatic cancer, yet the vast majority of patients undergoing surgery succumb of their disease. No randomized studies have been performed to assess the survival impact of the procedure. We hypothesized that in the era of effective systemic treatments, the survival advantage of surgical resection would be lessened. Methods: A meta-analysis of published phase III clinical trials in pancreatic cancer in both the post resection adjuvant setting and the locally advanced metastatic setting, based upon indirect aggregate data. Data was stratified based upon the systemic agents used. Patients from trials arms for which there were not complementary data sets with/without surgical resection were excluded. Primary endpoint was 3 year overall survival (OS). Results: Trials were published between 1997 and 2018. A total of 2722 patients were included in the data analysis, of whom 1645 underwent tumor resection and 814 were metastatic. Median follow-up was 40 months. Analyses were performed of five systemic options with / without tumor resection. Across the trials averaged 3 yr OS was 0%, 0.8%, 0%, and 3.8% for 5FU, gemcitabine, gemcitabine + capecitabine, & FOLFIRINOX respectively; and 18.1%, 30.0%, 37.9%, 42.5%, and 62.5% for the same systemic treatments delivered following surgical resection. Hence the additive impact of surgical resection on absolute 3 yr OS was only 18.1% in the absence of systemic treatment, but 30.0%, 37.1%, 42.5% and 58.8% in the presence of 5FU, gemcitabine, gemcitabine + capecitabine, FOLFIRINOX respectively. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this analysis, it appears that our hypothesis was incorrect, and that the opposite is true. The introduction of effective systemic therapies has greatly increased the impact of pancreatic surgery on long-term survival in pancreatic cancer. Consequently, every effort should be made to bring patients to curative resection.

Abstract CT147: Celiac plexus radiosurgery a new palliative modality for upper gastrointestinal malignancies - final quality of life results from a proof-of-concept clinical trial

Background: Many patients with upper-abdominal malignancies suffer from severe low back / epigastric pain caused by infiltration of the celiac plexus. The celiac plexus is a network of nociceptive nerves, located along the aorta. Contemporary approaches (opioids, celiac plexus chemical neurolysis, systemic chemotherapy) are often inadequate. The celiac plexus has not previously been targeted using radiation. We hypothesized that ablative radiation targeted to the celiac plexus would alleviate pain and improve quality of life (QOL).

Methods: We conducted a single arm prospective clinical trial. Eligible patients had celiac-pain &gt; 4/10 on Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and completed treatment per protocol with at least one post-treatment visit. The celiac plexus was irradiated from D12 to L2. Radiation was given as either five fractions of 9 Gy or a single-fraction 25 Gy. The primary endpoint was NRS pain 3 weeks post-treatment. Secondary endpoints were toxicity, pain at 6w, analgesic use, and pain interference with daily activities as evaluated by ‘Brief pain assessment short-form’. Analgesic use was not restricted. Here we report results from those who received single fraction treatment.

Results: 19 patients were evaluable. The median age of the study population was 67 yr with a median ECOG of 2, 89% had pancreatic cancer. Patients were a median 8 months from diagnosis, and had received a median of one systemic treatment. Toxicity was limited to grade 1-2. Average pain decreased from 5.9/10 at baseline, to 3.1/10 at 3w, and to 1.8/10 (both p &lt; 0.0001) at 6w post-treatment. Number of rescue analgesic doses decreased from 3.6 (baseline) to 1.9 at 3w and 1.7 at 6w (both p&lt;0.001). Improvement was seen in all domains of pain-interference (table).

Conclusions: Single fraction celiac plexus radiosurgery alleviates pain, and improves quality of life among patients with advanced upper-GI cancer. An international phase II trial is accruing.

Pain interference measuresdomainweek 0 (baseline)week 3p (w0 vs v3)week 6p (w0 vs v6)General Activity7.93.4&lt;0.00012.0&lt;0.0001Mood6.93.6&lt;0.0051.80.0001Walking ability4.21.80.051.00.01Normal Work7.43.4&lt;0.0051.30.0001Relations with other people62.40.0031.70.003Sleep6.93.2&lt;0.0051.80.0001Enjoyment of life8.32.4&lt;0.00011.8&lt;0.0001

Citation Format: Yaacov R. Lawrence, Liat Hammer, Ofir Morag, Maoz Ben-Ailan, Dror Alezra, Ofer Margalit, Naama Halpern, Ben Boursi, Einat Shacham Shmueli, Galia Jacobson, Uri Amit, Tamar Katzman, Kinneret Shefer, Ilana Weiss, Inessa Yanovsky, Adam P. Dicker, Talia Golan, Zvi Symon, David Hausner. Celiac plexus radiosurgery a new palliative modality for upper gastrointestinal malignancies - final quality of life results from a proof-of-concept clinical trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr CT147.

Radiotherapy with or without androgen deprivation therapy in intermediate risk prostate cancer?

Objective

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is beneficial for unfavorable intermediate-risk (IR) prostate cancer patients receiving curative radiotherapy (RT). However, for favorable IR patients the latest NCCN guidelines recommends RT alone. We retrospectively studied treatment patterns and outcomes of patients with IR prostate cancer in our institution over the past two decades.

Materials and methods

Three hundred seventy-three IR prostate cancer patients treated with definitive RT between 5/2002–5/2016 were identified in an institutional review board approved database. All patients received conformal RT to the prostate while the vast majority did not receive nodal radiation. ADT was commenced 2 months prior to RT and was continued for 4 months after RT.

Results

Compared to RT alone, patients receiving combined RT+ ADT had more positive biopsy cores, higher pre-radiation PSA, more IR factors, and were more likely to receive pelvic lymph node radiation. However, there were no differences in failure either biochemical, local or distal, nor on survival between the favorable RT alone and the unfavorable RT+ ADT cohorts, suggesting a beneficial role for ADT. On multivariate analysis, patients 70 years or younger receiving RT alone were at increased risk for biochemical failure during a 6-year follow-up (HR 3.06, P = 0.025). Biochemical relapse free survival in patients ≤70 years who received RT alone was 82.1% vs 94.0% for RT + ADT (P = 0.030). There was no difference for combined treatment modality in patients > 70 years (P = 0.87).

Conclusions

Men 70 years or younger with favorable IR prostate cancer treated with RT alone to 78 Gy are at increased risk of biochemical failure. Short term ADT should be considered in this cohort of men.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13014-019-1298-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Age-dependent variations of scalp thickness in the area designated for a cochlear implant receiver stimulator

Objective

The integrity of the scalp overlying a cochlear implant receiver stimulator (RS) is critical for the long‐term survival of the implant. Exposure or extrusion of the device will likely result in the need for its removal. There is a global trend of acceleration of population aging, thus raising the prevalence of cochlear implantation (CI) in the elderly. The aim of this study was to define age‐dependent changes in scalp thickness and discuss the implication of that anatomical characteristic for CI in the geriatric population.

Methods

Scalp thickness over the location of the RS in the temporo‐parietal area was measured directly with a needle in patients of various ages.

Results

Two‐hundred thirty‐six temporo‐parietal scalps were measured in patients aged 18 to 85 years. A strong inverse correlation was found between age and scalp thickness (rs = ‐0.723, P < .001). Scalp thickness decreased with age from a mean of 8 mm in the third decade of life to 5 mm in the ninth decade of life.

Conclusion

The human scalp thins with age and most likely undergoes a reduction in its strength. As a consequence, implantable hearing devices that are shielded by the scalp can be at increased risk of exposure and extrusion in the aging recipient. This needs to be taken into account when considering an implantation procedure, the surgical approach and patient instructions on need for and venues for continuing care over time.

Level of Evidence

2B

Putative functional genes in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a complex disorder with a genetic and an environmental component involving multiple genes, many of which are yet to be discovered. We integrate genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, phenotypic, and evolutionary features into a method - Hridaya, to infer putative functional genes underlying DCM in a genome-wide fashion, using 213 human heart genomes and transcriptomes. Many genes identified by Hridaya are experimentally shown to cause cardiac complications. We validate the top predicted genes, via five different genome-wide analyses: First, the predicted genes are associated with cardiovascular functions. Second, their knockdowns in mice induce cardiac abnormalities. Third, their inhibition by drugs cause cardiac side effects in human. Fourth, they tend to have differential exon usage between DCM and normal samples. Fifth, analyzing 213 individual genotypes, we show that regulatory polymorphisms of the predicted genes are associated with elevated risk of cardiomyopathy. The stratification of DCM patients based on cardiac expression of the functional genes reveals two subgroups differing in key cardiac phenotypes. Integrating predicted functional genes with cardiomyocyte drug treatment experiments reveals novel potential drug targets. We provide a list of investigational drugs that target the newly identified functional genes that may lead to cardiac side effects.

Emergency department point-of-care ultrasonography improves time to pericardiocentesis for clinically significant effusions

Objective

Our objective was to determine the utility of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to identify and guide treatment of tamponade or clinically significant pericardial effusions in the emergency department (ED).

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of non-trauma patients who were diagnosed with large pericardial effusions or tamponade by the ED physician using POCUS. The control group was composed of those patients later diagnosed on the medical wards or incidentally in the ED by other means such as a computed tomography. The following data were abstracted from the patient’s file: demographics, medical background, electrocardiogram results, chest radiograph readings, echocardiogram results, and patient outcomes.

Results

There were 18 patients in the POCUS arm and 55 in the control group. The POCUS arm had a decreased time to pericardiocentesis (11.3 vs. 70.2 hours, P=0.055) as well as a shorter length of stay (5.1 vs. 7.0 days, P=0.222). A decreased volume of pericardial fluid was drained (661 vs. 826 mL, P=0.139) in the group diagnosed by POCUS.

Conclusion

This study suggests that POCUS may effectively identify pericardial effusions and guide appropriate treatment, leading to a decreased time to pericardiocentesis and decreased length of hospital stay. Pericardial tamponade or a large pericardial effusion should be considered in all patients presenting to the ED with clinical, radiographic, or electrocardiographic signs of cardiovascular compromise.

Short- and Long-Term Survival in Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma, 1993-2013

Background: During the past 2 decades, numerous clinical trials have focused on improving outcomes in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPDAC). The efficacy of new treatments has been demonstrated among highly selected patients in randomized phase III trials; hence, it is not clear to what extent these advances are reflected within the broader mPDAC population. Materials and Methods: Survival statistics were extracted from the SEER database for patients diagnosed with mPDAC between 1993 and 2013. Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and proportional hazard models. Results: The study population consisted of 57,263 patients diagnosed with mPDAC between 1993 and 2013; 52% were male, with a median age of 69 years (range, 15-104). Superior prognosis correlated with younger age, being married, tumor located within the head of the pancreas, lower grade disease, and more recent year of diagnosis. Median overall survival (OS) remained stable at 2 months between 1993 and 2013. Improvements in OS were seen for younger patients (age <50 years) and those with a more recent year of diagnosis (2009-2013). The percentage of patients who died within 2 months of initial diagnosis decreased between 1993 and 2013 (from 63.5% to 50.6%; P<.0001). The percentage of patients surviving ≥12 months improved from 4.9% in 1993 to 12.7% in 2013 (P<.0001). Conclusions: In recent years a modest improvement in OS has been seen among younger patients with mPDAC. The percentage of patients living beyond 1 year has significantly increased over time; however, the percentage of those dying within 2 months remains substantial.

New Role for Interleukin-13 Receptor α1 in Myocardial Homeostasis and Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

The immune system plays a pivotal role in myocardial homeostasis and response to injury. Interleukins-4 and -13 are anti-inflammatory type-2 cytokines, signaling via the common interleukin-13 receptor α1 chain and the type-2 interleukin-4 receptor. The role of interleukin-13 receptor α1 in the heart is unknown.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analyzed myocardial samples from human donors (n=136) and patients with end-stage heart failure (n=177). We found that the interleukin-13 receptor α1 is present in the myocardium and, together with the complementary type-2 interleukin-4 receptor chain Il4ra, is significantly downregulated in the hearts of patients with heart failure. Next, we showed that Il13ra1-deficient mice develop severe myocardial dysfunction and dyssynchrony compared to wild-type mice (left ventricular ejection fraction 29.7±9.9 versus 45.0±8.0; P=0.004, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter 4.2±0.2 versus 3.92±0.3; P=0.03). A bioinformatic analysis of mouse hearts indicated that interleukin-13 receptor α1 regulates critical pathways in the heart other than the immune system, such as extracellular matrix (normalized enrichment score=1.90; false discovery rate q=0.005) and glucose metabolism (normalized enrichment score=-2.36; false discovery rate q=0). Deficiency of Il13ra1 was associated with reduced collagen deposition under normal and pressure-overload conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our studies in humans and mice indicate, for the first time, a role of interleukin-13 receptor α1 in myocardial homeostasis and heart failure and suggests a new therapeutic target to treat heart disease.

SIRT6 Overexpression Improves Various Aspects of Mouse Healthspan

The extension in human lifespan in the last century results in a significant increase in incidence of age related diseases. It is therefore crucial to identify key factors that control elderly healthspan. Similar to dietary restriction, mice overexpressing the NAD+ dependent protein deacylase SIRT6 (MOSES) live longer and have reduced IGF-1 levels. However, it is as yet unknown whether SIRT6 also affects various healthspan parameters. Here, a range of age related phenotypes was evaluated in MOSES mice. In comparison to their wild-type (WT) littermates, old MOSES mice showed amelioration of a variety of age-related disorders, including: improved glucose tolerance, younger hormonal profile, reduced age-related adipose inflammation and increased physical activity. The increased activity was accompanied with increased muscle AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity. Altogether, these results indicate that overexpression of SIRT6 in mice retards important aspects of the aging process and suggest SIRT6 to be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of a set of age-related disorders.

Left Ventricular Dysfunction Switches Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Toward an Inflammatory Phenotype and Impairs Their Reparative Properties Via Toll-Like Receptor-4

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the potentially unfavorable effects of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) activation on the heart. MSCs can respond to tissue injury by anti- or proinflammatory activation. We aimed to study the potential negative interaction between left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) and MSC activation.

METHODS

We isolated MSCs from cardiac and subcutaneous fat tissues of mice with LVD 28 days after myocardial infarction or sham operation. To evaluate the effect of LVD on MSCs, we characterized cardiac MSCs and subcutaneous MSCs in vitro. Subsequently, we injected MSCs or saline into the infarcted myocardium of mice and evaluated LV remodeling and function 28 days after myocardial infarction. To test the hypothesis that toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mediates proinflammatory polarization of MSCs, we characterized cardiac MSCs from TLR4^-/- and wild-type (WT) mice after inflammatory stimulation in vitro. Next, we transplanted cardiac MSCs from TLR4^-/- and WT male mice into the infarcted myocardium of female WT mice and evaluated infarct size, MSC retention, inflammation, remodeling, and function after 7 days.

RESULTS

LVD switched cardiac MSCs toward an inflammatory phenotype, with increased secretion of inflammatory cytokines as well as chemokines. The effect of LVD on subcutaneous MSCs was less remarkable. Although transplantation of cardiac MSCs and subcutaneous MSCs from LVD and sham hearts did not improve LV remodeling and function, cardiac MSCs from LVD exacerbated anterior wall thinning 28 days after myocardial infarction. The inflammatory polarization of cardiac MSCs by LVD was mediated by TLR4, as we found less secretion of inflammatory cytokines and higher secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines from activated cardiac MSCs of TLR4-deficient mice, compared with WT cardiac MSCs. Significantly, TLR4 deficiency preserved the expression of CD47 (don't eat me signal) on cardiac MSCs after both TLR4 stimulation in vitro and transplantation into the infarcted heart. Compared with WT cardiac MSCs and saline, TLR4^-/- cardiac MSCs survived in the cardiac tissue and maintained their reparative properties, reduced infarct size, increased scar thickness, and attenuated LV dilatation 7 days after myocardial infarction.

CONCLUSIONS

The environment of the failing and infarcted myocardium drives resident and transplanted MSCs toward a proinflammatory phenotype and restricts their survival and reparative effects in a mechanism mediated by TLR4.

Short and long-term survival in metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma, 1993-2013

232

Background: Over the previous two decades several new agents have been approved for the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPDAC). Their efficacy was demonstrated amongst highly selected patients that participate in randomized phase III trials, hence it is not clear to what extent these advances are reflected within the broader mPDAC population. We performed a population-based survival analysis of newly diagnosed patients who presented with mPDAC. Methods: Survival statistics were extracted from the Survival, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Database for patients diagnosed with mPDAC between 1993-2013. Demographic variables collected included age, gender, race, and marital status. Tumor characteristics collected included location and grade. Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and proportional hazard models as appropriate. Exclusion criteria included diagnosis at autopsy, unknown histology and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Results: The study population consisted of 57,263 patients diagnosed with mPDAC from 1993-2013, 52% male, median age 69 years (range 15-104). Prognosis correlated with age, gender, race, marital status, tumor location, grade and year of diagnosis. Median overall survival (OS) stayed stable at 2 months between 1993 and 2013. Improvements in OS were seen for all patients, but especially for younger patients ( < 50 years of age) and more recent year of diagnosis group (2009-2013). The percentage of patients who died within two months of initial diagnosis decreased between 1993 and 2013 (from 63.5% to 50.6%, p < 0.0001). The subgroup of patients achieving longer-term survival has increased, with 12-month survival improving from 4.9 % to 12.7% (p < 0.0001) between 1993 and 2013. Conclusions: There has been a continuous but modest improvement in OS of patients diagnosed with mPDAC between 1993 and 2013. The percentage of patients living beyond one year has significantly increased over time; however the percentage of patients dying within 2 months has only slightly decreased.

Perioperative pregabalin for reducing pain, analgesic consumption, and anxiety and enhancing sleep quality in elective neurosurgical patients: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, and controlled clinical study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess in-hospital (immediate) postoperative pain scores and analgesic consumption (primary goals) and preoperative anxiety and sleep quality (secondary goals) in patients who underwent craniotomy and were treated with pregabalin (PGL). Whenever possible, out-of-hospital pain scores and analgesics usage data were obtained as well.

METHODS

This prospective, randomized, double-blind and controlled study was conducted in consenting patients who underwent elective craniotomy for brain tumor resection at Tel Aviv Medical Center between 2012 and 2014. Patients received either 150 mg PGL (n = 50) or 500 mg starch (placebo; n = 50) on the evening before surgery, 1.5 hours before surgery, and twice daily for 72 hours following surgery. All patients spent the night before surgery in the hospital, and no other premedication was administered. Opioids and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs were used for pain, which was self-rated by means of a numerical rating scale (score range 0–10).

RESULTS

Eighty-eight patients completed the study. Data on the American Society of Anesthesiologists class, age, body weight, duration of surgery, and intraoperative drugs were similar for both groups. The pain scores during postoperative Days 0 to 2 were significantly lower in the PGL group than in the placebo group (p < 0.01). Analgesic consumption was also lower in the PGL group, both immediately and 1 month after surgery. There were fewer requests for antiemetics in the PGL group, and the rate of postoperative nausea and vomiting was lower. The preoperative anxiety level and the quality of sleep were significantly better in the PGL group (p < 0.01). There were no PGL-associated major adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Perioperative use of twice-daily 150 mg pregabalin attenuates preoperative anxiety, improves sleep quality, and reduces postoperative pain scores and analgesic usage without increasing the rate of adverse effects.

Clinical trial registration no.: NCT01612832 (clinicaltrials.gov)

Kingella kingae Expresses Four Structurally Distinct Polysaccharide Capsules That Differ in Their Correlation with Invasive Disease

Kingella kingae is an encapsulated gram-negative organism that is a common cause of osteoarticular infections in young children. In earlier work, we identified a glycosyltransferase gene called csaA that is necessary for synthesis of the [3)-β-GalpNAc-(1→5)-β-Kdop-(2→] polysaccharide capsule (type a) in K. kingae strain 269-492. In the current study, we analyzed a large collection of invasive and carrier isolates from Israel and found that csaA was present in only 47% of the isolates. Further examination of this collection using primers based on the sequence that flanks csaA revealed three additional gene clusters (designated the csb, csc, and csd loci), all encoding predicted glycosyltransferases. The csb locus contains the csbA, csbB, and csbC genes and is associated with a capsule that is a polymer of [6)-α-GlcpNAc-(1→5)-β-(8-OAc)Kdop-(2→] (type b). The csc locus contains the cscA, cscB, and cscC genes and is associated with a capsule that is a polymer of [3)-β-Ribf-(1→2)-β-Ribf-(1→2)-β-Ribf-(1→4)-β-Kdop-(2→] (type c). The csd locus contains the csdA, csdB, and csdC genes and is associated with a capsule that is a polymer of [P-(O→3)[β-Galp-(1→4)]-β-GlcpNAc-(1→3)-α-GlcpNAc-1-] (type d). Introduction of the csa, csb, csc, and csd loci into strain KK01Δcsa, a strain 269-492 derivative that lacks the native csaA gene, was sufficient to produce the type a capsule, type b capsule, type c capsule, and type d capsule, respectively, indicating that these loci are solely responsible for determining capsule type in K. kingae. Further analysis demonstrated that 96% of the invasive isolates express either the type a or type b capsule and that a disproportionate percentage of carrier isolates express the type c or type d capsule. These results establish that there are at least four structurally distinct K. kingae capsule types and suggest that capsule type plays an important role in promoting K. kingae invasive disease.

Drugs that reverse disease transcriptomic signatures are more effective in a mouse model of dyslipidemia

High-throughput omics have proven invaluable in studying human disease, and yet day-to-day clinical practice still relies on physiological, non-omic markers. The metabolic syndrome, for example, is diagnosed and monitored by blood and urine indices such as blood cholesterol levels. Nevertheless, the association between the molecular and the physiological manifestations of the disease, especially in response to treatment, has not been investigated in a systematic manner. To this end, we studied a mouse model of diet-induced dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis that was subject to various drug treatments relevant to the disease in question. Both physiological data and gene expression data (from the liver and white adipose) were analyzed and compared. We find that treatments that restore gene expression patterns to their norm are associated with the successful restoration of physiological markers to their baselines. This holds in a tissue-specific manner—treatments that reverse the transcriptomic signatures of the disease in a particular tissue are associated with positive physiological effects in that tissue. Further, treatments that introduce large non-restorative gene expression alterations are associated with unfavorable physiological outcomes. These results provide a sound basis to in silico methods that rely on omic metrics for drug repurposing and drug discovery by searching for compounds that reverse a disease's omic signatures. Moreover, they highlight the need to develop drugs that restore the global cellular state to its healthy norm rather than rectify particular disease phenotypes.

Age-Dependent Carriage of Kingella kingae in Young Children and Turnover of Colonizing Strains

In a longitudinal study, Kingella kingae carriage rate was nil below 6 months of age, 1.5% at 6 months, 9.6% at 12 months, remained stable between 10.4% and 12.0% during the second year of life, and decreased significantly to 5.3% at 30 months. Replacement of carried strains occurred over time.

Comparison of statin alone versus bezafibrate and statin combination in patients with diabetes mellitus and acute coronary syndrome

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are associated with a high risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) despite statin treatment. The impact of combined bezafibrate and statin therapy in patients with DM and ACS has not been specifically investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of combined therapy with 30-day MACEs in patients with DM participating in the nationwide Acute Coronary Syndrome Israeli Surveys (ACSIS). The study population comprised 3,063 patients with DM from the ACSIS 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010 enrollment waves who were alive at discharge and received statins. Of these, 225 (7.3%) received on discharge combined bezafibrate and statin therapy, and 2,838 (92.7%) were treated with statins alone. MACEs were defined as a composite measure of death, recurrent myocardial infarction, recurrent ischemia, stent thrombosis, ischemic stroke, and urgent revascularization. The development of 30-day MACEs was recorded in 8% patients receiving combination therapy and 14.2% of those receiving statins alone (p = 0.01). Crude 1-year mortality and 30-day rehospitalization rates were also significantly lower in patients receiving combination therapy: 4.0% versus 8.1% (p = 0.03) and 13.3% versus 21.6% (p = 0.003), respectively. Multivariate analysis identified combined therapy as an independent predictor of reduced risk for 30-day MACEs, with an odds ratio of 0.56 (95% confidence interval 0.34 to 0.92), corresponding to a 44% relative risk reduction. In conclusion, a significantly lower risk for 30-day MACEs was observed in statin-treated patients with DM who also received bezafibrate after ACS. Signals regarding improvement of 30-day rehospitalization and 1-year mortality rates emerged as well.

Bezafibrate treatment is associated with a reduced rate of re-hospitalization in smokers after acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND

Significantly increased rate of hospitalizations in current smokers is a major smoking-related problem which is associated with a heavy economic burden, whereas cardiovascular disease accounted for nearly half of hospitalizations. The effect of bezafibrate on the rate of re-hospitalization in smokers already treated with statin immediately post-acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate 30-day rate of re-hospitalization in current smokers participating in the ACS Israeli Surveys (ACSIS) and who were treated on discharge with a bezafibrate/statin combination vs. statin alone.

METHODS

The study population comprised 3392 patients with confirmed current smoking status from the ACSIS 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 enrollment waves who were alive on discharge and received statin. Of these, 3189 (94%) were discharged with statin alone, 203 (6%) with a combination of a statin and bezafibrate.

RESULTS

Thirty-day re-hospitalization rate was significantly lower in patients from the combination group than in their counterparts from the statin monotherapy group: 12.8% vs. 19%, p = 0.028. Multivariable analysis identified the combined bezafibrate/statin treatment as an independent predictor of reduced risk of 30-day re-hospitalization rate with odds ratio (OR) 0.53 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.31-0.91), and it corresponded to 47% risk reduction. Other significant variables in our model associated with independent risk of 30-day re-hospitalization rate during the follow-up were female gender (OR 1.43, CI 1.05-1.95, p = 0.03) and age > 65 years (OR 1.49, CI 1.13-1.95, p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Adding bezafibrate to statin in smokers was associated with a significantly reduced 30-day rate of re-hospitalization after ACS.

Comparison of statin alone versus bezafibrate and statin combination in patients with diabetes mellitus and acute coronary syndrome

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are associated with a high risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) despite statin treatment. The impact of combined bezafibrate and statin therapy in patients with DM and ACS has not been specifically investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of combined therapy with 30-day MACEs in patients with DM participating in the nationwide Acute Coronary Syndrome Israeli Surveys (ACSIS). The study population comprised 3,063 patients with DM from the ACSIS 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010 enrollment waves who were alive at discharge and received statins. Of these, 225 (7.3%) received on discharge combined bezafibrate and statin therapy, and 2,838 (92.7%) were treated with statins alone. MACEs were defined as a composite measure of death, recurrent myocardial infarction, recurrent ischemia, stent thrombosis, ischemic stroke, and urgent revascularization. The development of 30-day MACEs was recorded in 8% patients receiving combination therapy and 14.2% of those receiving statins alone (p = 0.01). Crude 1-year mortality and 30-day rehospitalization rates were also significantly lower in patients receiving combination therapy: 4.0% versus 8.1% (p = 0.03) and 13.3% versus 21.6% (p = 0.003), respectively. Multivariate analysis identified combined therapy as an independent predictor of reduced risk for 30-day MACEs, with an odds ratio of 0.56 (95% confidence interval 0.34 to 0.92), corresponding to a 44% relative risk reduction. In conclusion, a significantly lower risk for 30-day MACEs was observed in statin-treated patients with DM who also received bezafibrate after ACS. Signals regarding improvement of 30-day rehospitalization and 1-year mortality rates emerged as well.

Increasing importance of multidrug-resistant serotype 6A Streptococcus pneumoniae clones in acute otitis media in southern Israel

BACKGROUND

The major aim of this study was to establish the molecular epidemiology dynamics of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 6A in acute otitis media, before the introduction of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

METHODS

Acute otitis media in Jewish and Bedouin children <5 years old undergoing tympanocentesis during 1999 to 2006, were studied. Serotype 6A was identified by the Quellung reaction and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the wciN gene, to differentiate between 6A and 6C. Antibiogram and molecular typing by pulsed field gel electrophoresis were performed on all 6A isolates. Multilocus sequence typing was performed on representative isolates of each clone. The 7-valent conjugate vaccine had not yet been licensed in Israel during the study period.

RESULTS

Serotype 6A constituted 5.8% (254/4408) of all pneumococcal acute otitis media episodes. The yearly proportion of serotype 6A among the Jewish children showed no distinct trend, whereas among the Bedouin children serotype 6A exhibited a significant increase, from 3.0% in 1999 to 7.6% in 2006. Among the Jewish children a single penicillin-nonsusceptible and erythromycin-resistant clone, ST-473, constituted 73.6% of the strains and dominated throughout the study period. Among the Bedouin children, the proportions of the most common, penicillin-nonsusceptible clone, ST-1988, gradually decreased, from 44.1% in 1999 to 2000 to 21.4% in 2005 to 2006, concurrently with the expansion of a multidrug-resistant clone, ST-457, from 5.9% in 1999 to 2000 to 28.6% in 2005 to 2006.

CONCLUSIONS

The expansion of multidrug-resistant serotype 6A clone occurred before the introduction of the vaccine. Continued surveillance following vaccine introduction is warranted to further investigate its efficacy on vaccine-related serotypes.