Photoinduced properties of anodized Ti alloys for biomaterial applications

The photocatalytic properties of anodic oxides on a newly developed TiNbSn and commonly used Ti6Al4V alloys as biomaterials were investigated. The alloys were anodized in an electrolyte of sodium tartrate acid with H2O2 at a high voltage and the mechanism of the photocatalytic and antiviral activities was studied. The anodized TiNbSn and Ti6Al4V exhibited highly crystallized rutile TiO2 and poorly crystallized anatase TiO2, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed the presence of oxides of the alloying elements in addition to TiO2. The anodized TiNbSn exhibited higher activities than Ti6Al4V, and electron spin resonance spectra indicated that the number of hydroxyl radicals (⋅OH) generated from the anodized TiNbSn was higher than that from the anodized Ti6Al4V. The results can be explained by two possible mechanisms: the higher crystallinity of TiO2 on TiNbSn than that on the Ti6Al4V reduces the number of charge recombination sites and generates abundant ⋅OH; charge separation in the anodic oxide on TiNbSn due to the electronic band structure between TiO2 and the oxides of alloying elements enhances photo activities. The excellent photoinduced characteristics of the anodized TiNbSn are expected to contribute to the safe and reliable implant treatment.

A114 UNIFIED MAGNIFYING ENDOSCOPIC CLASSIFICATION (UMEC) FOR GASTROINTESTINAL LESIONS: A NORTH AMERICAN EDUCATION STUDY

Background

Magnification endoscopy and magnification narrow-band imaging are image enhanced endoscopy technologies that may allow for the diagnosis of advanced neoplasia in the GI tract on the basis of imaging characteristics. Recently, the Unified Magnifying Endoscopic Classification (UMEC) has been developed, which unified the criteria for the esophagus, stomach, and colon. UMEC divides optical diagnosis into one of the three categories: non-neoplastic, intramucosal neoplasia, and deep submucosal invasive cancer.

Purpose

The objective of this study is to educate North American endoscopists on the use of the UMEC schema, and to ascertain performance of the UMEC framework among North American endoscopists.

Method

Using UMEC, five North American endoscopists (>1000 procedures) without prior training in magnifying endoscopy independently diagnosed previously collected endoscopic image set of the esophagus, stomach, and colon. The endoscopists were trained on the use of UMEC via an eleven-minute training video with exemplars of each element of UMEC from esophagus, stomach, and colon. All endoscopists were blinded to white-light and non-magnifying NBI findings as well as histopathological diagnosis. The diagnostic performance of UMEC was assessed while using the gold standard histopathology as a reference.

Result(s)

A total of 299 gastrointestinal lesions (77 esophagus, 92 stomach, and 130 colon) were assessed using UMEC. For esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for all 5 endoscopists ranged from 65.2% (95% CI: 50.9–77.9) to 87.0% (95% CI: 75.3–94.6), 77.4% (95% CI: 60.9–89.6) to 96.8% (95% CI: 86.8–99.8), and 75.3% to 87.0%, respectively. For gastric adenocarcinoma, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for all 5 endoscopists ranged from 94.9% (95% CI: 85.0–99.1) to 100%, 52.9% (95% CI: 39.4–66.2) to 92.2% (95% CI: 82.7–97.5), and 73.3% to 93.3%, respectively. For colorectal adenocarcinoma, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for all 5 endoscopists ranged from 76.2% (95% CI: 62.0–87.3) to 83.3% (95% CI: 70.3–92.5), 89.7% (95% CI: 82.1–94.9) to 97.7% (95% CI: 93.1–99.6), and 86.8% to 90.7%, respectively.

Image

Conclusion(s)

UMEC is a simple and practical classification that can be used to introduce and educate endoscopists to magnification narrow-band imaging and optical diagnosis.

Please acknowledge all funding agencies by checking the applicable boxes below

CAG

Disclosure of Interest

M. R. A. Fujiyoshi Grant / Research support from: 2022 CAG/AbbVie Education Research Grant, Y. Fujiyoshi: None Declared, N. Gimpaya: None Declared, R. Bechara: None Declared, T. Jeyalingam: None Declared, N. Calo: None Declared, N. Forbes: None Declared, R. Khan: None Declared, M. Atalla: None Declared, A. Toshimori: None Declared, Y. Shimamura: None Declared, M. Tanabe: None Declared, J. Mosko: None Declared, H. Inoue: None Declared, S. Grover: None Declared

POS0875 LATENT TRAJECTORY MODELING OF PULMONARY ARTERY PRESSURE IN SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS: A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

Background

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by systemic vasculopathy and fibrosis. Pulmonary hypertension (PH), defined as elevated pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), is one of the leading causes of death of SSc1. In recent years, various therapies have been developed to target each of the pathogenesis of SSc – autoimmunity, vasculopathy, and fibrosis. Accordingly, treatment strategies based on risk stratification for PH progression are aspired; however, prediction of changes in PAP in diverse patients with SSc has not been established2.

Objectives

To visualize the patterns of PAP elevation in SSc and to identify the clinical characteristics of each trajectory, by applying latent trajectory modeling for PAP measured repeatedly by echocardiography.

Methods

This was a multicenter, retrospective cohort study conducted at four referral hospitals in Kyoto, Japan. Patients with SSc who visited the study site between April 2008 and March 2021 and had at least three echocardiographic measurements of systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (sPAP) were included in this study. Follow-up concluded in March 2021. A group-based trajectory model3 was applied to the change in sPAP over time, and individual patients were classified into distinct subgroups that followed similar trajectories. The number and shape of the trajectories were estimated based on adequacy, goodness of fit, parsimony, and interpretability of the model. Clinical plausibility was assessed by comparing PH-free survival, i.e., time to either PH or death, for each trajectory. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed for baseline clinical characteristics associated with trajectory assignment.

Results

A total of 236 patients with a total of 1097 sPAP measurements were included. We identified five trajectories following the quadratic function as “rapid progression (n=9, 3.8%)”, “early elevation (n=30, 12.7%)”, “mid elevation (n=54, 22.9%)”, “late elevation (n=24, 10.2%)”, and “low stable (n=119, 50.4%)”. Each trajectory, in this order, showed earlier elevation of sPAP and shorter PH-free survival (Figure 1). In the multinomial logistic regression (with the “low stable” as reference), cardiac involvement was associated with the “rapid progression” (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 28.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.21–259.5), diffuse cutaneous SSc was associated with the “early elevation” (OR 4.08, 95% CI 1.27–13.1), anti-centromere antibody positive was associated with the “mid elevation” (OR 4.50, 95% CI 1.11–18.2), and older age of onset was associated with the above three trajectories.

Conclusion

The pattern of changes in pulmonary artery pressure over time in SSc can be classified into five distinct trajectories. Each trajectory differed in baseline clinical characteristics and outcomes.

References

[1]Pokeerbux MR, et al. Survival and prognosis factors in systemic sclerosis: data of a French multicenter cohort, systematic review, and meta-analysis of the literature. Arthritis Res Ther. 2019;21(1):86.

[2]Denton CP, et al. Systemic sclerosis. Lancet. 2017;390(10103):1685-1699.

[3]Nagin DS, et al. Group-based trajectory modeling in clinical research. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2010;6:109-38.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

New parallel computing algorithm of molecular dynamics for extremely huge scale biological systems

In this paper, we address high performance extreme-scale molecular dynamics (MD) algorithm in the GENESIS software to perform cellular-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with more than 100,000 CPU cores. It includes (1) the new algorithm of real-space nonbonded interactions maximizing the performance on ARM CPU architecture, (2) reciprocal-space nonbonded interactions minimizing communicational cost, (3) accurate temperature/pressure evaluations that allows a large time step, and (4) effective parallel file inputs/outputs (I/O) for MD simulations of extremely huge systems. The largest system that contains 1.6 billion atoms was simulated using MD with a performance of 8.30 ns/day on Fugaku supercomputer. It extends the available size and time of MD simulations to answer unresolved questions of biomacromolecules in a living cell.

Real-world effectiveness and the safety of anticoagulant treatment in elderly non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the ANAFIE registry, the largest real-world elderly AF registry

Background

The optimal anticoagulant regimen for elderly AF has not been well elucidated, because this population, especially the very elderly (≥85 years), have not been sufficiently represented in most randomized controlled clinical trials for stroke prevention in non-valvular AF (NVAF).

Purpose

The ANAFIE registry was designed to evaluate the real-world anticoagulant treatment status of elderly (≥75 years) NVAF patients including >8,000 very elderly patients. In this main analysis of the ANAFIE, the incidence of stroke or systemic embolic events (stroke/SEE), and major bleeding were compared between warfarin (WF) and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs).

Methods

A total of 33,018 NVAF patients aged ≥75 years was enrolled in the ANAFIE, and followed for 2 years. The incidence of stroke/SEE and major bleeding by type of anticoagulants (WF and all DOACs) was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated by Cox proportional hazard model.

Results

In the analysis set of 32,099 patients, the mean age was 81.5 years. 23,738 (74%) were <85 years and 8,361 (26.0%) were ≥85 years. 92.5% of the whole population used anticoagulants including WF (27.6%) or DOACs (72.3%). The ratio of each DOAC was dabigatran 7.8%, rivaroxaban 21.5%, apixaban 26.9% and edoxaban 16.1%. Stroke/SEE and major bleeding was observed in 396 patients (1.24/100 patient-years [py]) and 279 patients (0.87/100py). The time in therapeutic range for patients <85 years and ≥85 years in the WF group was 76.7% and 72.2%, respectively. The incidence of stroke/SEE was numerically lower in patients taking any DOAC vs. WF regardless of age group (<85 years [HR 0.83] and ≥85 years [HR 0.71]). Major bleeding was also lower vs. WF in both age groups (<85 years [HR 0.60] and ≥85 years [HR 0.65]).

Conclusion

In elderly NVAF patients enrolled in the ANAFIE registry, the incidence of stroke/SEE and major bleeding was lower in patients taking a DOAC compared with WF for all patients ≥75 years, even for very elderly patients.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Private company. Main funding source(s): Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.

Risk factors of major bleeding in elderly atrial fibrillation patients from the ANAFIE registry

Background

Bleeding is associated with shorter life expectancy during anticoagulant treatment in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Prior studies showed bleeding during anticoagulant treatment occurred more frequently in elderly AF patients than in younger AF patients. HAS-BLED score is a risk assessment tool for bleeding. However, since it was developed from the database of patients with warfarin, it has not been clarified whether this score is applicable in the era of direct oral anticoagulant (DOACs), especially for elderly AF patients.

Purpose

All Nippon AF In the Elderly (ANAFIE) registry was designed to obtain real-world information regarding patients with non-valvular AF (NVAF) aged ≥75 years, including current status of anticoagulant therapy and prognosis. The present study aimed to determine factors that associate with major bleeding for elderly NVAF patients using the dataset of ANAFIE registry conducted in Japan.

Methods

Total of 32,099 patients aged ≥75 years with NVAF were enrolled in ANAFIE registry, and followed for 2 years. Incidence rates of major bleeding for total population, <85 years old group and ≥85 years old group were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine independent predictors of major bleeding. The factors included in the model were selected by backward elimination procedure.

Results

Mean age was 81.5 years. 23,738 (74.0%) was <85 years old and 8,361 (26.0%) was ≥85 years old. 92.5% of whole population used anticoagulants including warfarin (27.6%) or DOACs (72.3%). Major bleeding occurred in 279 patients at 12 months with 189 in <85 years and 90 in ≥85 years old group. The cumulative incidence rate of major bleeding at 12 months by Kaplan-Meier method was 0.9% in whole patients, and was slightly higher in ≥85 years than in <85 years old group (1.1% vs 0.8%). In multivariate analysis of the whole patients, history of major bleeding (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.17), severe hepatic dysfunction (HR: 3.62), malignancy (HR: 1.52), falling within a year (HR: 2.07), antiplatelet use (HR: 1.37) and warfarin use (HR: 1.81) emerged as independent predictors of major bleeding. Severe hepatic dysfunction (HR: 9.17), HbA1c <6.0% (HR: 2.19) and dementia (HR: 2.00) were associated with major bleeding in patients only in aged ≥85 years. On the other hand, proton pump inhibitor use (HR: 1.36), creatinine clearance <30 mL/min (HR: 1.53) and polypharmacy (HR: 1.61) were associated with major bleeding only in those aged <85 years.

Conclusion

Among elderly (≥75 years old) Japanese NVAF patients in the era of DOACs, prior major bleeding, severe hepatic dysfunction, malignancy, falling within a year, antiplatelet use and warfarin use were identified as independent predictors of major bleeding. Impact of some predictors differed between the 2 age groups (<85 years vs ≥85 years).

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Private company. Main funding source(s): Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.

Risk factors associated with stroke/systemic embolic events in elderly non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients in the ANAFIE registry, the largest real-world elderly AF registry

Background

Since prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is increasing by aging, AF in elderly has been recognized as a big burden to keep long lasting healthy life worldwide. CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores are commonly used for stroke risk assessment for AF, but predictors for elderly was not well elucidated, especially for very elderly (≥85 years old) patients.

Purpose

All Nippon AF In the Elderly (ANAFIE) registry was designed to evaluate a real-world treatment status of elderly (≥75 years old) non-valvular AF (NVAF) patients, including anticoagulant therapy and outcomes. The present analysis aimed to identify factors for stroke/systemic embolic events (SEE) of elderly NVAF patients using the dataset of ANAFIE registry, which was conducted in Japan.

Methods

Total of 32,099 patients aged ≥75 years with NVAF were enrolled in ANAFIE registry, and followed for 2 years. Incidence of stroke/SEE for total population, <85 years old group and ≥85 years old group was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine independent predictors of stroke/SEE. The factors included in the model were selected by backward elimination procedure.

Results

Mean age was 81.5 years. 23,738 (74%) was <85 years old and 8,361 (26%) was ≥85 years old. Women were more prevalent in ≥85 years old than in <85 years old group (53.2 vs 39.0%). Mean CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores in the ≥85 years group were 3.0 and 4.7, and 2.8 and 4.4 in the <85 years group, respectively. 92.5% of whole population used anti-coagulants including warfarin (27.6%) or direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) (72.3%). Stroke/SEE occurred in 396 patients at 12 month with 256 in <85 years old and 140 in ≥85 years old group. The cumulative incidence rate of stroke/SEE by Kaplan-Meier method at 12 months was 1.2% in the whole patients, and was higher in ≥85 years than in <85 years old group (1.7% vs 1.1%). In the multivariate analysis using the whole patients, age ≥85 years (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.27), history of major bleeding (HR: 1.93), persistent AF (HR: 1.64), longstanding persistent and permanent AF (HR: 1.61), high systolic blood pressure (130-<140 [HR: 1.43], ≥140 [HR: 1.44]), prior stroke (HR: 2.09), dementia (HR: 1.34), creatinine clearance <30 mL/min (HR: 1.82) emerged as independent predictors. Independent predictors for stroke/SEE were almost similar between <85 and ≥85 years old group except hypertension and diabetes. High blood pressure was associated with stroke/SEE only in patients aged <85 years, and high blood sugar was only associated in patients aged ≥85 years.

Conclusion

Among elderly NVAF patients in the era of DOACs, higher age (≥85 years), type of AF, prior major bleeding, high blood pressure, prior stroke, dementia, and low creatinine clearance were identified as independent predictors of stroke/SEE. The blood pressure and blood sugar control differently affected <85 years vs ≥85 years old group.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Private company. Main funding source(s): Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.

Clean 2D superconductivity in a bulk van der Waals superlattice

Advances in low-dimensional superconductivity are often realized through improvements in material quality. Apart from a small group of organic materials, there is a near absence of clean-limit two-dimensional (2D) superconductors, which presents an impediment to the pursuit of numerous long-standing predictions for exotic superconductivity with fragile pairing symmetries. We developed a bulk superlattice consisting of the transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) superconductor 2H-niobium disulfide (2H-NbS2) and a commensurate block layer that yields enhanced two-dimensionality, high electronic quality, and clean-limit inorganic 2D superconductivity. The structure of this material may naturally be extended to generate a distinct family of 2D superconductors, topological insulators, and excitonic systems based on TMDs with improved material properties.

DNA barcoding of pear psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Psyllidae), a tale of continued misidentifications

Pear psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Psyllidae: Cacopsylla spp.) belong to the most serious pests of pear (Pyrus spp.). They damage pear trees by excessive removal of phloem sap, by soiling the fruits with honeydew which, in turn, provides a substrate for sooty mould, and by transmission of Candidatus Phytoplasma spp., the causal agents of the pear decline disease. The morphological similarity, the presence of seasonal dimorphism that affects adult colour, size and wing morphology and uncritical use of species names, led to much confusion in the taxonomy of pear psyllids. As a result, pear psyllids have been frequently misidentified. Many of the entries attributed to Cacopsylla pyricola and other species in the GenBank are misidentifications which led to additional, unnecessary confusion. Here we analysed DNA barcodes of 11 pear psyllid species from eastern Asia, Europe and Iran using four mitochondrial gene fragments (COI 658 bp, COI 403 bp, COI-tRNAleu-COII 580 bp and 16S rDNA 452 bp). The efficiency of identification was notably high and considerable barcoding gaps were observed in all markers. Our results confirm the synonymies of the seasonal forms of Cacopsylla jukyungi ( = C. cinereosignata, winter form) and C. maculatili ( = C. qiuzili, summer form) previously suggested based on morphology. Some previous misidentifications (C. chinensis from China, Japan and Korea = misidentification of C. jukyungi; C. pyricola and C. pyrisuga from East Asia = misidentification of C. jukyungi and C. burckhardti, respectively; C. pyricola from Iran = misidentification of C. bidens, C. pyri and Cacopsylla sp.) are also corrected. There is no evidence for the presence of European pear psyllid species in East Asia.

Phase I/II study of adding intraperitoneal paclitaxel in patients with pancreatic cancer and peritoneal metastasis

BACKGROUND

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy using paclitaxel is considered an experimental approach for treating peritoneal carcinomatosis. This study aimed to determine the recommended dose, and to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety, of the combination of intravenous gemcitabine, intravenous nab-paclitaxel and intraperitoneal paclitaxel in patients with pancreatic cancer and peritoneal metastasis.

METHODS

The frequencies of dose-limiting toxicities were evaluated, and the recommended dose was determined in phase I. The primary endpoint of the phase II analysis was overall survival rate at 1 year. Secondary endpoints were antitumour effects, symptom-relieving effects, safety and overall survival.

RESULTS

The recommended doses of intravenous gemcitabine, intravenous nab-paclitaxel and intraperitoneal paclitaxel were 800, 75 and 20 mg/m² respectively. Among 46 patients enrolled in phase II, the median time to treatment failure was 6·0 (range 0-22·6) months. The response and disease control rates were 21 of 43 and 41 of 43 respectively. Ascites disappeared in 12 of 30 patients, and cytology became negative in 18 of 46. The median survival time was 14·5 months, and the 1-year overall survival rate was 61 per cent. Conversion surgery was performed in eight of 46 patients, and those who underwent resection survived significantly longer than those who were not treated surgically (median survival not reached versus 12·4 months). Grade 3-4 haematological toxicities developed in 35 of 46 patients, whereas non-haematological adverse events occurred in seven patients.

CONCLUSION

Adding intraperitoneal paclitaxel had clinical efficacy with acceptable tolerability.

Virtual Grid Engine: a simulated grid engine environment for large-scale supercomputers

Background

Supercomputers have become indispensable infrastructures in science and industries. In particular, most state-of-the-art scientific results utilize massively parallel supercomputers ranked in TOP500. However, their use is still limited in the bioinformatics field due to the fundamental fact that the asynchronous parallel processing service of Grid Engine is not provided on them. To encourage the use of massively parallel supercomputers in bioinformatics, we developed middleware called Virtual Grid Engine, which enables software pipelines to automatically perform their tasks as MPI programs.

Result

We conducted basic tests to check the time required to assign jobs to workers by VGE. The results showed that the overhead of the employed algorithm was 246 microseconds and our software can manage thousands of jobs smoothly on the K computer. We also tried a practical test in the bioinformatics field. This test included two tasks, the split and BWA alignment of input FASTQ data. 25,055 nodes (2,000,440 cores) were used for this calculation and accomplished it in three hours.

Conclusion

We considered that there were four important requirements for this kind of software, non-privilege server program, multiple job handling, dependency control, and usability. We carefully designed and checked all requirements. And this software fulfilled all the requirements and achieved good performance in a large scale analysis.

P3587Tip detection method using the new short-tip IVUS with pull-back system which facilitates the 3D wiring technique in percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion

Background

The strategy of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided wiring for CTO PCI, that is, leading the second guidewire into the true lumen under observing by IVUS from subintimal space, is the last resort. We developed the angiography-based 3D wiring method. During establishment of the angiography-based 3D wiring method, we deduced that observation of the guidewire tip as well as the shaft named “The tip detection method” simplifies and facilitates 3D wiring under IVUS-guided wiring. Therefore, we produced New CTO IVUS which is the upgraded version of Navifocus WR IVUS by adding the pull-back transducer system. This pull-back system enables us to detect the tip as well as the shaft of the second guidewire in real time (tip detection method), which facilitates the 3D wiring technique under IVUS-guided wiring.

Objective

We evaluated the efficacy of the tip detection method during 3D wiring for CTO PCI with New CTO IVUS.

Method

We created a target pinpoint penetration model and performed the procedures using an experimental heartbeat model. The target (a tube with a lumen 0.6 mm in diameter) was placed in the distal part of a CTO 20 mm in length made of 2.5% agar. After the second guidewire (Conquest-12g) was advanced into the CTO lesion to within 5mm of the target using the angiography-based wiring, IVUS-guided wiring was performed by using Navifocus WR or New CTO IVUS each five times.

Result

The frequency of the puncture time was reduced using the new CTO IVUS compared to the Navifocus WR (1.7±0.8 vs. 28.8±23.2, p=0.17). The procedure time was significantly shorter using the new CTO IVUS compared to the Navifocus WR (103±61 vs. 459±373 seconds, p=0.04).

Conclusion

The tip detection method during 3D wiring with the new short tip IVUS with the pull-back system enables us to easily perform 3D wiring and will change the CTO PCI strategy.

P5668A decision-support tool framework to predict adverse outcome in patients with atrial fibrillation: J-Rhythm registry substudy

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Modelling the risk of thrombosis, major bleeding and total mortality are often limited by the inadequate number of independent predictors.

Purpose

We compared the predictive accuracy of the decision-support tool framework and conventional risk score in AF patients.

Methods

We used data of AF patients enrolled into the nationwide AF registry. A random forest model was implemented to predict each outcome, and its predictive power was tested by a 5-fold cross-validation.

Results

We analyzed 7,937 patients with AF (age 70±10 years, female 31%). The type of AF was paroxysmal (37%), persistent (14%), and permanent (49%). The number of antithrombotic treatments were follows: warfarin only (n=5461), antiplatelet only (n=581), both warfarin and antiplatelet (n=1471) and no antithrombotic agents (424). The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 2.8±1.6 and HAS-BLED score was 2.7±1.2, respectively. We selected 20 from 50 clinical parameters and compared by the area-under-curve with the CHA2DS2-VASc score for thromboses and the HAS-BLED score for major bleeding. During the 2-year follow-up, 126 patients (1.6%) had thromboses, 140 (1.8%) had major bleeding, and 195 (2.5%) died. A random forest model had a higher value of the area-under-curve for predicting thromboses compared with the CHA2DS2-VASc (0.66 vs. 0.61, P<0.05), and had a significantly higher area-under-curve for major bleeding compared with the HAS-BLED (0.67 vs. 0.61, P<0.05). The area-under-curve for the all-cause mortality was 0.77.

Conclusions

A random forest model has a higher accuracy than conventional risk scheme in predicting thromboses and major bleeding, in addition to total mortality.

P980Post-procedural plasma brain natriuretic peptide level early after catheter ablation predicts the future clinical outcome in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation and reduced ejection fraction

Background

Successful restoration of sinus rhythm (SR) by catheter ablation (CA) for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) improves cardiac function, resulting in decrease of plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level. The exact significance and prognostic implications of this change have yet to be determined.

Purpose

To examine the impact of pre- and post-procedural BNP level on the clinical outcome after CA in patients with persistent AF and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Methods

Out of 242 patients with LVEF <50% who underwent first-time CA for persistent AF between March 2012 and September 2018 at our institute, we enrolled 137 patients (61±10 years, 83% male) whose plasma BNP level was available both at baseline and early after CA (during 1–3 month). We evaluated the impact of the BNP levels on future AF recurrence 3 months after CA as the primary endpoint. Additional secondary endpoints included heart failure (HF) hospitalization and cardiovascular death.

Results

All patients successfully restored SR at the end of CA. Within 3 months of a blanking period (BP), improvement of LVEF (from 39±10% to 65±12%, p<0.001) and reduction of BNP levels (from 178 [107–332] pg/ml to 42.3 [21.1–78.6] pg/ml, p<0.001) were observed. During the median follow-up of 21 months after BP, the incidence of AF recurrence, HF hospitalization, and cardiovascular death was 37% (n=50), 3% (n=4), and 1% (n=1), respectively. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis after adjustment for age and gender revealed that post-procedural BNP level was a significant predictor of the AF recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] per 100-pg/ml increase, 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.25; p=0.023), but pre-procedural BNP level was not (1.02; 0.95–1.09; p=0.56). Receiver operating curve analysis determined the post-procedural BNP level of 55.5 pg/ml as the best cut-off value for predicting the AF recurrence, with area under the curve of 0.620 (95% CI, 0.534–0.702; p=0.018). The incidence of AF recurrence was significantly higher in patients with post-procedural BNP level >55.5 pg/ml (n=50) than the others (50% vs. 29%; HR, 3.99; 95% CI, 2.07–7.68; p<0.001). No patients with post-procedural BNP level ≤55.5 pg/ml experienced HF hospitalization and cardiovascular death (8% vs. 0% and 2% vs. 0%, p=0.006 and p=0.17, respectively)

Conclusions

Not pre-procedural but post-procedural BNP level early after CA predicted the future clinical outcome in patients with persistent AF and reduced LVEF. Decreased but still elevated BNP level after restoration of SR would identify the residual risk for developing unfavorable outcome.

Scoring System to Predict pt2 in Gallbladder Cancer Based on Carcinoembryonic Antigen and Tumor Diameter

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

T2 gallbladder cancer requires lymph node dissection for curative resection, whereas simple cholecystectomy is adequate to treat T1 gallbladder cancer. Hence, this study aimed to develop an accurate scoring system to preoperatively predict pT2 in gallbladder cancer.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We retrospectively assessed data from 57 patients with suspected gallbladder cancer who underwent curative resection between September 2003 and May 2017. Six with apparent invasion of adjacent organs on preoperative images were excluded. We evaluated preoperative computed tomography, magnetic resonance and endoscopic ultrasonographic images, blood biochemistry, and the maximum standard uptake value in fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography images. We analyzed whether correlations between preoperative findings and the depth of tumor invasion could predict pT2.

RESULTS

The pathological diagnosis was gallbladder cancer in 30 (58.8%) patients, of whom 21 (69.9%) had pT2 or worse. Multivariate analyses selected carcinoembryonic antigen and tumor diameter as independent predictors of pT2 or worse (odds ratios = 1.741 and 1.098, respectively; 95% confidence intervals = 1.004-3.020 and 1.008-1.197, respectively). A regression formula was created using carcinoembryonic antigen and tumor diameter to calculate pT2 predictive scores. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of the pT2 predictive score was 0.873.

CONCLUSION

We created a scoring system to predict pT2 in gallbladder cancer using carcinoembryonic antigen and tumor diameter. The present findings suggested that carcinoembryonic antigen is important for the preoperative evaluation of gallbladder cancer.

Evaluation of the effect of a heat-killed lactic acid bacterium, Enterococcus faecalis 2001, on oral candidiasis

The effect of a preparation of heat-killed Gram-positive lactic acid bacteria Enterococcus faecalis 2001 (EF-2001) on oral candidiasis was evaluated by two studies. An in vitro study was performed to assess the inhibitory effect on mycelial growth of Candida strains isolated from a patient with oral candidiasis, and a clinical study was done in patients with oral candidiasis. In the in vitro study, EF-2001 inhibited mycelial growth of IT-1, a Candida strain isolated from a patient with oral candidiasis, at concentrations ≥2.34×109 cells/ml. An open clinical study was performed in 13 patients with oral candidiasis. The subjects took a powder containing 7.5×1011 heat-killed EF-2001 once a day before bedtime for seven consecutive days. In 11 of the 12 patients available for analysis (92%), the oral Candida load (cfu/swab) showed a significant decrease (P=0.01079, d=-0.437). There was a 55% decrease of Candida albicans and a 93.8% decrease of Candida glabrata. The following symptoms showed significant improvement: tinnitus (P=0.048, d=-0.462), cold feeling (P=0.048, d=-0.463), and depression (P=0.019, d=-0.34). In addition, 4 out of 26 oral symptoms tended to improve. These results suggest that EF-2001 significantly decreased the oral Candida load in patients with oral candidiasis by inhibiting mycelial growth and that EF-2001 is an effective treatment for oral candidiasis.

Periodontitis Is Associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Although they are known to share pathophysiological processes, the relationship between periodontitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that periodontitis is associated with a greater risk of development of COPD, when smoking is taken into account. The analysis in a 5-y follow-up population-based cohort study was based on 900 community-dwelling Japanese adults (age: 68.8 ± 6.3 [mean ± SD], 46.0% male) without COPD aged 60 or older with at least 1 tooth. Participants were classified into 3 categories according to baseline periodontitis severity (no/mild, moderate, and severe). COPD was spirometrically determined by a fixed ratio of <0.7 for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) and by FEV1/FVC below the lower limit of normal. Poisson regression was used to calculate the relative risk (RR) of developing COPD according to the severity of periodontitis. The population attributable fraction (PAF) was also calculated. During follow-up, 22 (2.4%) subjects developed COPD. Compared with no/mild periodontitis subjects, a significantly increased risk of COPD occurred among severe periodontitis subjects (RR = 3.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18 to 10.67), but no significant differences were observed between the no/mild and moderate categories (RR = 1.48; 95% CI, 0.56 to 3.90). After adjustment for potential confounders, including smoking intensity, the relationship between severe periodontitis and risk of COPD remained significant (RR = 3.51; 95% CI, 1.15 to 10.74). Likewise, there was a positive association of periodontitis severity with risk of COPD ( P for trend = 0.043). The PAF for COPD due to periodontitis was 22.6%. These data highlight the potential importance of periodontitis as a risk factor for COPD.

Bioactive TiNbSn alloy prepared by anodization in sulfuric acid electrolytes

The bioactivity of anodized near-β TiNbSn alloy with low Young's modulus prepared in sulfuric acid electrolytes was examined to explore the osseointegration mechanism with a focus on the role of anodic oxide. Hydroxyapatite (HA) precipitated on the surface of anodic oxide following immersion in Hank's solution, and precipitation accelerated with increase in the sulfuric acid concentration of the electrolyte. HA is formed on the surface of as-anodized oxide without subsequent annealing or hot water (HW) treatment. This outcome differs from that of a previous study using anodized TiNbSn alloy prepared in acetic acid electrolytes requiring for subsequent HW treatment. It was found that the oxide anodized in sulfuric acid electrolyte contains a large amount of internal pores and is highly crystallized thick TiO₂, whereas the same prepared in the acetic acid electrolyte is low crystalline thin TiO₂ containing a small amount of pores. The present anodized TiNbSn alloy is preferred for maintaining the low Young's modulus of the alloy and eliminating the subsequent treatment to increase the Young's modulus. A model to rationalize the bioactivity of the present anodic oxide is proposed based on the series of studies. It is concluded that the sulfuric acid electrolyte is favorable for both HA formation and low Young's modulus, and the bioactivity is attributed to the anodic TiO₂ that facilitates incorporation of bone ingredients.

Abstract OT2-02-01: A confirmation study of omitting axillary dissection in patients with breast cancer and positive sentinel nodes

Background

The omission of axillary dissection for positive sentinel-node breast cancer is considered the standard treatment for patients who undergo breast conserving surgery and radiation therapy, according to the results of ACOSOG-Z0011 and AMAROS trials. On the other hand, some surgeons still think that the surgical stress of axillary dissection is minimal, and dissection is permitted. Furthermore, Z0011 contains several problems, such as insufficient number of entry cases and lack of radiation field unity. Thus, we planned a prospective trial to confirm the safety of omitting axillary dissection in patients with breast cancer and positive sentinel nodes.

Trial design

This is a single arm, confirmation study of three medical centers. Prior to surgery, informed consent is obtained, and patients are registered primarily. After surgery, patients with 1 to 2 positive sentinel nodes, for whom axillary dissection was omitted, are finally included in this trial at final registration.

Eligibility criteria

Patients with histologically-diagnosed breast cancer, Tis–2, N0 based on a core needle biopsy, will be included in this trial. Eligible patients must be between 20 and 80 years of age, with a performance status of 0–2 and adequate organ function. They must not have undergone any prior operation, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, or immunotherapy.

Specific aims

The primary endpoint is 5-year (y) axillary recurrence rate. Secondary endpoints are 5-y overall survival, 5-y recurrence-free survival, 5-y local recurrence-free survival, the rate of upper-limb lymphedema, quality of life, and comparison of axillary recurrence rates between patients with two or more dissected nodes and those with only one positive node.

Statistical methods

The expected rate of axillary recurrence is 2.0%, and non-inferiority is defined as an axillary recurrence lesser than or equal to 5% in the axillary radiotherapy group. The sample size was calculated with a study power of 80% and type I error of 10% (two-sided). The required number of patients is estimated to be 189.

Present and target accrual

Patient accrual from the three medical centers was initiated in July 2016. We plan to enroll a total of 189 patients at final registration in this trial.

Citation Format: Jibiki N, Hirano A, Ochi T, Sakamoto A, Horiuchi K, Noguchi E, Omi Y, Ogura K, Inoue H, Kamio T, Naritaka Y, Fujibayashi M, Hiroshima K, Nagashima Y, Sakai S, Karasawa K, Okamoto T. A confirmation study of omitting axillary dissection in patients with breast cancer and positive sentinel nodes [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT2-02-01.

Mid-term results of alumina ceramic unlinked total elbow arthroplasty with cement fixation for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Aims

The aim of this study was to report the mid-term clinical outcome of cemented unlinked J-alumina ceramic elbow (JACE) arthroplasties when used in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 87 elbows, in 75 patients with RA, which was replaced using a cemented JACE total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) between August 2003 and December 2012, with a follow-up of 96%. There were 72 women and three men, with a mean age of 62 years (35 to 79). The mean follow-up was nine years (2 to 14). The clinical condition of each elbow before and after surgery was assessed using the Mayo Elbow Performance Index (MEPI, 0 to 100 points). Radiographic loosening was defined as a progressive radiolucent line of >1 mm that was completely circumferential around the prosthesis.

Results

The mean MEPI scores significantly improved from 40 (10 to 75) points preoperatively to 95 (30 to 100) points at final follow-up (p < 0.0001). Complications were noted in ten elbows (ten patients; 11%). Two had an intraoperative humeral fracture which was treated by fixation and united. One had a postoperative fracture of the olecranon which united with conservative treatment and one had a radial neuropathy which resolved. Further surgery was required for one with a dislocation, three with an ulnar neuropathy and one with a postoperative humeral fracture. Revision with removal of the components was performed in one elbow due to deep infection. There was no radiographic evidence of loosening around the components.With any revision surgery or revision with implant removal as the endpoint, the rates of survival up to 14 years were 93% (95% confidence interval (CI), 83.9 to 96.6) and 99% (95% CI 91.9 to 99.8), respectively, as determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Conclusion

With the appropriate indications, the mid-term clinical performance of the cemented JACE TEA is reliable and comparable to other established TEAs in the management of the elbow in patients with RA.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:1066–73.

Porphyromonas endodontalis reactivates latent Epstein-Barr virus

AIM

To determine whether Porphyromonas endodontalis can reactivate latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

METHODOLOGY

The concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in P. endodontalis culture supernatants were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. A promoter region of BamHI fragment Z leftward open reading frame 1 (BZLF-1), which is a transcription factor that controls the EBV lytic cycle, was cloned into luciferase expression vectors. Then, the luciferase assay was performed using P. endodontalis culture supernatants. Histone acetylation using Daudi cells treated with P. endodontalis culture supernatants was examined using Western blotting. BZLF-1 mRNA and BamHI fragment Z EB replication activator (ZEBRA) protein were also detected quantitatively using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blotting. Surgically removed periapical granulomas were examined to detect P. endodontalis, EBV DNA, and BZLF-1 mRNA expression using quantitative real-time PCR. Statistical analysis using Steel tests was performed.

RESULTS

The concentrations of n-butyric acid in P. endodontalis culture supernatants were significantly higher than those of other SCFAs (P = 0.0173). Using B-95-8-221 Luc cells treated with P. endodontalis culture supernatants, the luciferase assay demonstrated that P. endodontalis induced BZLF-1 expression. Hyperacetylation of histones was also observed with the culture supernatants. BZLF-1 mRNA and ZEBRA protein were expressed by Daudi cells in a dose-dependent manner after the treatment with P. endodontalis culture supernatants. P. endodontalis and BZLF-1 in periapical granulomas were also detected. The expression levels of BZLF-1 mRNA were similar to the numbers of P. endodontalis cells in each specimen.

CONCLUSIONS

n-butyric acid produced by P. endodontalis reactivated latent EBV.

Effects of Anion Exchange Resin as Phosphate Binder on Serum Phosphate and Ipth Levels in Normal Rats

In order to investigate the characteristics of anion exchange resins that may safely and effectively bind dietary phosphate in digestive tract, phosphate binding experiments were carried out in vitro and in vivo with normal rats by comparing anion exchange resins, PAA-B (which has the same chemical structure as Sevelamer® HCl) and Dowe 1x8, with CaCO3. In in vitro phosphate binding experiments, PAA-B bound 32.3% less phosphate than CaCO3 at pH 7. In the rat dietary phosphorus excretion experiments, PAA-B, Dowex 1x8, and CaCO3 increased fecal phosphorus excretion by 62.7, 32.3, and 84.0%, respectively. Famotidine significantly reduced the phosphate binding of CaCO3. When phosphate solution was orally adiministered, PAA-B depressed serum phosphorus augmentations immediately after administration and thereafter effectively depressed serum iPTH. This suggests that anion exchange resins with most primary and secondary amino type anion exchange groups, have bright prospects in the treatment of hyperphosphatemia. (Int J Artif Organs 2000; 23: 243–9)

Chiral and Molecular Recognition through Protonation between Aromatic Amino Acids and Tripeptides Probed by Collision-Activated Dissociation in the Gas Phase

Chiral and molecular recognition through protonation was investigated through the collision-activated dissociation (CAD) of protonated noncovalent complexes of aromatic amino acid enantiomers with l-alanine- and l-serine-containing tripeptides using a linear ion trap mass spectrometer. In the case of l-alanine-tripeptide (AAA), NH₃ loss was observed in the CAD of heterochiral H⁺(d-Trp)AAA, while H₂O loss was the main dissociation pathways for l-Trp, d-Phe, and l-Phe. The protonation site of heterochiral H⁺(d-Trp)AAA was the amino group of d-Trp, and the NH₃ loss occurred from H⁺(d-Trp). The H₂O loss indicated that the proton was attached to the l-alanine tripeptide in the noncovalent complexes. With the substitution of a central residue of l-alanine tripeptide to l-Ser, ASA recognized l-Phe by protonation to the amino group of l-Phe in homochiral H⁺(l-Phe)ASA. For the protonated noncovalent complexes of His enantiomers with tripeptides (AAA, SAA, ASA, and AAS), protonated His was observed in the spectra, except for those of heterochiral H⁺(d-His)SAA and H⁺(d-His)AAS, indicating that d-His did not accept protons from the SAA and AAS in the noncovalent complexes. The amino-acid sequences of the tripeptides required for the recognition of aromatic amino acids were determined by analyses of the CAD spectra.

Revisiting Type 2-high and Type 2-low airway inflammation in asthma: current knowledge and therapeutic implications

Asthma is a complex respiratory disorder characterized by marked heterogeneity in individual patient disease triggers and response to therapy. Several asthma phenotypes have now been identified, each defined by a unique interaction between genetic and environmental factors, including inflammatory, clinical and trigger-related phenotypes. Endotypes further describe the functional or pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the patient's disease. type 2-driven asthma is an emerging nomenclature for a common subtype of asthma and is characterized by the release of signature cytokines IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 from cells of both the innate and adaptive immune systems. A number of well-recognized biomarkers have been linked to mechanisms involved in type 2 airway inflammation, including fractional exhaled nitric oxide, serum IgE, periostin, and blood and sputum eosinophils. These type 2 cytokines are targets for pharmaceutical intervention, and a number of therapeutic options are under clinical investigation for the management of patients with uncontrolled severe asthma. Anticipating and understanding the heterogeneity of asthma and subsequent improved characterization of different phenotypes and endotypes must guide the selection of treatment to meet individual patients' needs.

IL4Rα and ADAM33 as genetic markers in asthma exacerbations and type-2 inflammatory endotype

BACKGROUND

Genetic markers of susceptibility to asthma exacerbations in adults remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To identify genetic markers of asthma exacerbations, particularly in patients with type-2 inflammatory endotype.

METHODS

In this observational study of patients enrolled in the Kinki Hokuriku Airway disease Conference multicenter study, frequency of exacerbations requiring systemic corticosteroids during 2 years after enrolment and associated risk factors was determined. For genetic marker analysis, interleukin-4 receptor α (IL4RA) rs8832 and a disintegrin and metalloprotease 33 (ADAM33) S_2 (rs528557), T_1 (rs2280091), T_2 (rs2280090), and V_4 (rs2787094) variants were included. Elevated serum periostin levels at enrolment (≥95 ng/mL, defined as type-2 inflammatory endotype) were considered in the analysis.

RESULTS

Among 217 patients who were successfully followed up for 2 years after enrolment, 60 patients showed at least one asthma exacerbation during the 2 years. Airflow limitation (%FEV₁ <80%) and recent exacerbations but not genetic variants were identified as risk markers of exacerbations. A total of 27 patients showed type-2 inflammatory endotype (serum periostin ≥95 ng/mL at enrolment) and subsequent exacerbations; risk factors in these patients were airflow limitation (odds ratio, 6.51; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.37-18.6; P=.0003), GG genotype of IL4RA rs8832 (odds ratio, 4.01; 95% CI: 1.47-11.0; P=.007), and A allele of ADAM33 T_2 (odds ratio, 2.81; 95% CI: 1.05-7.67; P=.04) by multivariate analysis. In addition, GG genotype of IL4RA rs8832 was associated with type-2 endotype, whereas A allele of ADAM33 T_2 was associated with mixed type of eosinophilic/type-2 and neutrophilic inflammations.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

IL4RA and ADAM33 variants may be risk markers of asthma exacerbations in type-2 inflammatory endotype. Precise endotyping may facilitate the identification of genetic risk markers of asthma exacerbations.

Abstract OT1-01-03: A phase II trial of neoadjuvant epirubicin/cyclophosphamide followed by weekly nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel with trastuzumab for HER2-positive breast cancer

Background

Paclitaxel (PTX) is a standard treatment for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and it is often used as adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with early-stage disease. Nanoparticle albumin-bound (Nab)-PTX was also effective in patients with metastatic and early-stage. A comparison of weekly and triweekly nab-PTX regimens suggested that weekly nab-PTX resulted in superior progression-free survival. However, the optimal dose and schedule of weekly nab-PTX have not been determined. The efficacy and tolerability of epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (EC) followed by weekly nab-PTX (125 mg/m2) ± trastuzumab in node-positive breast cancer was determined in our previous trial. A high pathologic complete response (pCR) rate was obtained in HER2-positive patients. However, because nab-PTX administration was frequently postponed and discontinued, the optimal dose needs to be determined. In the previous trial, the median relative dose intensity of nab-PTX was 80% among patients with pCR. Therefore the dose of nab-PTX was reduced by 20% in this newly designed trial.

Trial design

This phase II trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of neoadjuvant EC followed by weekly nab-PTX with trastuzumab in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. Patients will receive 4 cycles of epirubicin (90 mg/m2) and cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m2) every 3 weeks, followed by 4 cycles of nab-PTX (100 mg/m2) on days 1, 8, and 15, over a 28-day cycle. Fifteen cycles of trastuzumab (2 mg/kg, loading dose: 4 mg/kg) will be added to the nab-PTX regimen.

Eligibility criteria

Surgery and chemotherapy-naïve patients with pathologically confirmed T2-4 N0-3 invasive breast cancer, as diagnosed by core needle biopsy, are included. Eligibility criteria include age 20–70 years, a performance status of 0–2, and adequate organ function.

Specific aims

The primary endpoint is the pCR rate in the breast and axilla. Secondary endpoints include the breast conservation rate, toxicities, relative dose intensities, feasibility, and overall survival. A pCR is defined as the disappearance of invasive cancer cells, including in the axilla; residual intraductal cancer is acceptable.

Statistical methods

The sample size was calculated using the Simon method, with a type I error of 5% and a study power of 80%. The expected rate of pCR is 72% with a threshold pCR rate of 45%. The required number of patients was estimated to be 25.

Present and target accrual

Patient accrual within two medical centers began in May 2014. A final study population of 30 patients is expected (Trial registration: UMIN000013886).

Citation Format: Kodera A, Hirano A, Inoue H, Ogura K, Hattori A, Sakaguchi S, Yukawa H, Matsuoka A, Tanaka N, Kamimura M, Jibiki N, Fujibayasi M, Naritaka Y, Shimizu T. A phase II trial of neoadjuvant epirubicin/cyclophosphamide followed by weekly nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel with trastuzumab for HER2-positive breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT1-01-03.