Linagliptin decreased the tumor progression on glioblastoma model

PURPOSE

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are oral hypoglycemic drugs and are used for type II diabetes. Previous studies showed that DPP-4 expression is observed in several tumor types and DPP-4 inhibitors suppress the tumor progression on murine tumor models. In this study, we evaluated the role of DPP-4 and the antitumor effect of a DPP-4 inhibitor, linagliptin, on glioblastoma (GBM).

METHODS

We analyzed DPP-4 expression in glioma patients by the public database. We also analyzed DPP-4 expression in GBM cells and the murine GBM model. Then, we evaluated the cell viability, cell proliferation, cell migration, and expression of some proteins on GBM cells with linagliptin. Furthermore, we evaluated the antitumor effect of linagliptin in the murine GBM model.

RESULTS

The upregulation of DPP-4 expression were observed in human GBM tissue and murine GBM model. In addition, DPP-4 expression levels were found to positively correlate with the grade of glioma patients. Linagliptin suppressed cell viability, cell proliferation, and cell migration in GBM cells. Linagliptin changed the expression of phosphorylated NF-kB, cell cycle, and cell adhesion-related proteins. Furthermore, oral administration of linagliptin decreases the tumor progression in the murine GBM model.

CONCLUSION

Inhibition of DPP-4 by linagliptin showed the antitumor effect on GBM cells and the murine GBM model. The antitumor effects of linagliptin is suggested to be based on the changes in the expression of several proteins related to cell cycle and cell adhesion via the regulation of phosphorylated NF-kB. This study suggested that DPP-4 inhibitors could be a new therapeutic strategy for GBM.

Stabilizing effect of total ankle arthroplasty by distal translation and lateralization of talus in varus ankle deformity

BACKGROUND

In end-stage arthritis indicated for total ankle arthroplasty (TAA), full-thickness cartilage damage, subchondral bone defect/shaving, and fluttering of the talar dome occur, shortening the distance between the tibial and talar insertions of ligaments and leading to laxity of ligaments surrounding the ankle joint. Under such conditions, medial ligaments (including the deltoid ligament) would not be expected to function properly. To stabilize the ankle joint during the stance phase, medial ligament function under tension is important. This study therefore examined whether TAA contributes to lengthening of the medial tibio-talar joint as evaluated radiographically, as a preferable method for achieving tensile effects on medial ligaments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-four feet with end-stage varus deformity of the ankle joint that underwent TAA were retrospectively investigated, excluding cases with any malleolar osteotomy or fracture. Distance between proximal and distal insertions of medial ligaments, lateralization of the talus, and talar tilt angle under valgus/varus stress condition were evaluated pre- and postoperatively.

RESULTS

Distance between proximal and distal insertions of medial ligaments was significantly elongated after TAA. At the same time, the talus showed significant lateralization. Furthermore, talar tilt under valgus/varus stress conditions was also significantly reduced after TAA.

CONCLUSION

TAA affects distal translation and lateralization of the talus in cases of varus ankle deformity. These effects might contribute to re-providing tensile force on lax medial ligaments, improving ligament function.

Switching from combination therapy with entecavir hydrate plus tenofovir alafenamide fumarate to tenofovir alafenamide fumarate monotherapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B based on nucleotide sequences of hepatitis B virus pregenome RNA

AIM

Patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection experiencing viral breakthrough (BTH) or partial response (PR) during lamivudine (LAM) or entecavir hydrate (ETV) administration often took ETV plus tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) due to the emergence of a drug-resistance mutation. However, in patients lacking drug-resistance mutation against TAF, sufficient antiviral effects may be achievable with TAF monotherapy. We assessed the drug-resistance profile through nucleotide sequences of HBV pregenome RNA, and subsequently changed to TAF monotherapy from ETV plus TAF.

METHODS

This prospective study included 25 patients with serum HBV-DNA below 20 IU/mL under ETV plus TAF administration. Pregenome RNA nucleotide sequences of HBV in the sera were analyzed using direct sequencing and deep sequencing. ETV was discontinued in patients without rtA194T and rtS106C + rtH126Y + rtD134E + rtL269I quadruple mutations in direct sequencing.

RESULTS

LAM-PR, LAM-BTH, ETV-PR, and ETV-BTH were observed in 1, 16, 7, and 1 patient(s), respectively. Pregenome RNA nucleotide sequences were analyzable in 20 patients. Among the 12 patients classified as LAM-BTH, six patients showed rtL180M + rtM204V/I in direct sequencing, and one patient showed minor clones containing rtL180M + rtM204V + A194T in deep sequencing at a frequency of 0.3%. In the six patients classified as ETV-PR, one patient harbored rtM204I. No clones showing rtS106C + rtH126Y + rtD134E + rtL269I quadruple mutation were detected in deep sequencing. Subsequently, ETV was discontinued, and serum HBV-DNA remained undetectable up to 48 weeks in all patients.

CONCLUSION

Patients receiving ETV plus TAF due to partial response or BTH during initial LAM or ETV administration were able to safely transition to TAF monotherapy based on nucleotide sequences of HBV pregenome RNA in the sera.

Serum Creatinine-Cystatin C Based Screening of Sarcopenia in Community Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

OBJECTIVES

To compare the discriminative capabilities for the manifestation of sarcopenia or physical frailty between serum creatinine- and cystatin C-derived indices among community-dwelling older adults.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Primary Care and Community.

PARTICIPANTS

We utilized a subset of data from the Frail Elderly in the Sasayama-Tamba Area (FESTA) study, which was initiated in 2015 to gather comprehensive information on various health-related parameters among community-dwelling older individuals (age ≥65 years).

MEASUREMENTS

Five serum creatinine-cystatin C based indices including the Sarcopenia Index, the serum creatinine/cystatin C ratio, the disparity between serum cystatin-C-based and creatinine-based estimated GFR, the total body muscle mass index (TBMM), and the prediction equation for skeletal muscle mass index (pSMI) were employed. Sarcopenia and physical frailty were identified based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria and the revised Japanese version of the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the discriminative abilities of these tools.

RESULTS

In the analysis of 954 participants, 52 (5.5%) were identified with sarcopenia and 35 (3.7%) with physical frailty. Regarding sarcopenia discrimination, TBMM and pSMI both exhibited area under the curve (AUC) values exceeding 0.8 for both men and women. Concerning the identification of physical frailty, AUC values ranged from 0.61 to 0.77 for males and 0.50 to 0.69 for females. In the multivariate logistic regression analyses, only TBMM and pSMI consistently displayed associations with sarcopenia, irrespective of sex (P<0.001, respectively). On the other hand, no consistent associations were observed between the indices and physical frailty.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a robust association of a serum creatinine- and cystatin C-derived indices, especially TBMM and pSMI, with sarcopenia among community-dwelling older adults. Conversely, the application of these indices for the screening of physical frailty has its constraints, necessitating further investigation.

Significance of portal venous blood flow as a factor to determine liver function in patients with decompensated cirrhosis due to hepatitis C virus infection following achievement of sustained viral response by sofosbuvir plus velpatasvir

AIM

To determine the outcomes concerning portal venous blood flow and portosystemic shunts in patients with decompensated cirrhosis due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who achieved sustained viral response (SVR) following antiviral therapy.

METHODS

Portal hypertension-related events and liver function were evaluated in 24 patients achieving SVR following sofosbuvir plus velpatasvir therapy.

RESULTS

Serum albumin level (median; g/dL) increased from 2.9 at baseline to 3.5 at 12 weeks after the end of treatment (EOT) (p = 0.005), while liver volumes (cm3 ) decreased from 1260 to 1150 (p = 0.0002). Portal hypertension-related events developed in 10 patients (41.7%), and the cumulative occurrence rates after the EOT were 29.2%, 33.3%, and 46.1% at 24, 48, and 96 weeks, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the maximal diameter of the shunts (p = 0.0235) was associated with the development of the events, with a cut-off value of 8.3 mm (p = 0.0105). Meanwhile, multiple linear regression analysis revealed that portal venous blood flow, liver volume, serum albumin, and bilirubin levels at baseline were associated with serum albumin levels at 12 weeks after EOT (p = 0.0019, p = 0.0154, p = 0.0010, and p = 0.0350, respectively).

CONCLUSION

In patients with decompensated cirrhosis due to HCV infection, the baseline portal venous blood flow and liver volume and function were predictive of liver function following SVR, while the maximal diameter of portosystemic shunts predicted the occurrence of portal hypertension-related events.

Canagliflozin Inhibits Glioblastoma Growth and Proliferation by Activating AMPK

Sodium-glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are antidiabetic drugs affecting SGLT2. Recent studies have shown various cancers expressing SGLT2, and SGLT2 inhibitors attenuating tumor proliferation. We evaluated the antitumor activities of canagliflozin, a SGLT2 inhibitor, on glioblastoma (GBM). Three GBM cell lines, U251MG (human), U87MG (human), and GL261 (murine), were used. We assessed the expression of SGLT2 of GBM through immunoblotting, specimen-use, cell viability assays, and glucose uptake assay with canagliflozin. Then, we assessed phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), p70 S6 kinase, and S6 ribosomal protein by immunoblotting. Concentrations of 5, 10, 20, and 40 μM canagliflozin were used in these tests. We also evaluated cell viability and immunoblotting using U251MG with siRNA knockdown of SGLT2. Furthermore, we divided the mice into vehicle group and canagliflozin group. The canagliflozin group was administrated with 100 mg/kg of canagliflozin orally for 10 days starting from the third days post-GBM transplant. The brains were removed and the tumor volume was evaluated using sections. SGLT2 was expressed in GBM cell and GBM allograft mouse. Canagliflozin administration at 40 μM significantly inhibited cell proliferation and glucose uptake into the cell. Additionally, canagliflozin at 40 μM significantly increased the phosphorylation of AMPK and suppressed that of p70 S6 kinase and S6 ribosomal protein. Similar results of cell viability assays and immunoblotting were obtained using siRNA SGLT2. Furthermore, although less effective than in vitro, the canagliflozin group significantly suppressed tumor growth in GBM-transplanted mice. This suggests that canagliflozin can be used as a potential treatment for GBM.

Removal performance of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater treatment by membrane bioreactor, anaerobic-anoxic-oxic, and conventional activated sludge processes

The potential risk of SARS-CoV-2 in treated effluent from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is concerned since SARS-CoV-2 is contained in wastewater during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the removal of SARS-CoV-2 in WWTP has not been well investigated. The objectives of this study were (i) to clarify the removal performance of SARS-CoV-2 during wastewater treatment, (ii) to compare the removal performance of different secondary treatment processes, and (iii) to evaluate applicability of pepper mild mottle of virus (PMMoV) as a performance indicator for the reduction of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater treatment. Influent wastewater, secondary-treatment effluent (before chlorination), and final effluent (after chlorination) samples were collected from a WWTP from May 28 to September 24, 2020, during the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan. The target WWTP had three parallel treatment systems employing conventional activated sludge (CAS), anaerobic-anoxic -oxic (A2O), and membrane bioreactor (MBR) processes. SARS-CoV-2 in both the liquid and solid fractions of the influent wastewater was concentrated and quantified using RT-qPCR. SARS-CoV-2 in treated effluent was concentrated from 10 L samples to achieve a detection limit as low as 10 copies/L. The log reduction value (LRV) of SARS-CoV-2 was 2.7 ± 0.86 log₁₀ in CAS, 1.6 ± 0.50 log₁₀ in A2O, and 3.6 ± 0.62 log₁₀ in MBR. The lowest LRV observed during the sampling period was 2.8 log₁₀ in MBR, 1.2 log₁₀ in CAS, and 1.0 log₁₀ in A2O process, indicating that the MBR had the most stable reduction performance. PMMoV was found to be a good indicator virus to evaluate reduction performance of SARS-CoV-2 independent of the process configuration because the LRV of PMMoV was significantly lower than that of SARS-CoV-2 in the CAS, A2O and MBR processes.

AB0889 Association Between Clinically Meaningful Improvements in Patient-Reported Outcomes and Stringent Measures of Disease Activity in Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis Treated With Upadacitinib Versus Placebo or Adalimumab: Results From a Phase 3 Trial

Background

The achievement of disease control has been shown to be associated with improved prognosis in PsA, though no single measure of low disease activity or remission is currently universally accepted. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have been well-established in PsA and are important indicators of patient improvement while on treatment. To date, the association between PROs and disease control in PsA has not been fully characterized.

Objectives

We examined the association between clinically meaningful improvement in PROs and stringent measures of disease control among patients with PsA enrolled in the Phase 3 SELECT-PsA 1 trial.

Methods

Patients with active PsA and an inadequate response to ≥1 non-biologic DMARDs were randomized to receive upadacitinib (UPA) 15 mg once daily (QD), UPA 30 mg QD, adalimumab (ADA) 40 mg every other week, or PBO for 24 weeks. PROs included: Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F), 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI). Measures of stringent disease control included achievement of minimal disease activity (MDA), ACR70 response, and remission based on Disease Activity Index in PsA (DAPSA ≤4.0) or PsA Disease Activity Score (PASDAS ≤1.9). The percentage of patients achieving stringent disease control was determined among patients reporting vs not reporting PRO improvements ≥ minimal clinically important differences (MCID) in the combined active treatment and PBO group at Week 24.

Results

A total of 1704 patients were included in the SELECT PsA 1 trial, of whom 59.2%, 72.4%, 51.3%, 62.3%, 64.6%, and 63.9% reported improvements ≥ MCID (MCID responders) in FACIT-F, SF-36 physical component summary score, SF-36 mental component summary (MCS) score, WPAI activity impairment, WPAI overall work impairment, and WPAI presenteeism, respectively, at week 24. The percentage of patients achieving MDA, ACR70 or DAPSA remission at week 24 was significantly higher (nominal P≤0.01) among patients who reported improvements ≥ MCID for all PROs vs those who did not (Figures 1, 2). Similar results were seen in patients achieving PASDAS remission except for SF-36 MCS score (Figure 2). Among patients reporting improvements ≥ MCID across all PROs, more patients achieved ACR70 and MDA responses (29%-49%) with fewer patients achieving DAPSA or PASDAS remission (14%-19%).

Conclusion

PsA patients who reported clinically meaningful improvements in key PROs: fatigue, quality of life, and work productivity were more likely to achieve stringent measures of disease control. These results suggest a close association between meaningful improvements in patient-centric outcomes and achievement of stringent disease control.

Acknowledgements

This work/study was funded by AbbVie Inc. AbbVie participated in the study design, research, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, writing, reviewing, and approving the publication. All authors had access to the data results, and participated in the development, review, and approval of this abstract. No honoraria or payments were made for authorship.

Disclosure of Interests

Laure Gossec Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Biogen, Celgene, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sandoz, Sanofi-Aventis, and UCB, Grant/research support from: Lilly, Pfizer, Sandoz, Sanofi, Nemanja Damjanov Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Gedeon Richter, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and Roche, Consultant of: AbbVie, Gedeon Richter, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and Roche, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Pfizer, and Roche, Shigeyoshi Tsuji Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, and UCB, Apinya Lertratanakul Shareholder of: Formerly of AbbVie, Employee of: former employee of AbbVie, Ralph Lippe Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Jayeshkumar Patel Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Patrick Zueger Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Kurt de Vlam Speakers bureau: Celgene Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Novartis, and UCB, Consultant of: Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Novartis, and UCB, Grant/research support from: Celgene and Galapagos

Selection of surrogate viruses for process control in detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater

Since SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater is often present at low concentration or under detection limit, ensuring the reliability of detection processes using appropriate process controls is essential. The objective of this study was to evaluate applicability and limitations of candidate surrogate viruses as process controls under combinations of different virus concentration and RNA extraction methods. Detection efficiency of SARS-CoV-2 spiked in wastewater was compared with those of candidate surrogate viruses of bacteriophage ϕ6, pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), F-specific coliphage (F-phage), and murine norovirus (MNV). After inactivated SARS-CoV-2 and ϕ6 were spiked in two different wastewaters, the viruses in solid and liquid fractions of wastewater were concentrated by centrifuge and polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation, respectively. Viral RNA was extracted by using QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit and 3 other commercially available extraction kits, then quantified by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR using CDCN1 assay. Regardless of extraction kits, SARS-CoV-2 was consistently detected with good efficiency from both liquid (11-200%) and solid fractions (7.1-93%). Among the candidate process controls, PMMoV was widely detected at good efficiencies from both liquid and solid fractions regardless of selection of RNA extraction kits. F-phage and MNV also showed good detection efficiencies in most combinations of wastewater fractions and RNA extraction kits. An enveloped virus ɸ6 was found often undetected or to have very low detection efficiency (0.1-4.2%) even when SARS-CoV-2 spiked in wastewater was detected with good efficiency. Consequently, PMMoV is widely applicable as process control for detection of SARS-CoV-2 either in liquid fractions concentrated by PEG precipitation, or in solid fractions concentrated by centrifuge.

POS1041 LONG-TERM EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF UPADACITINIB IN PATIENTS WITH PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS REFRACTORY TO BIOLOGIC THERAPIES: 2-YEAR RESULTS FROM THE PHASE 3 SELECT-PsA 2 STUDY

Background

Upadacitinib (UPA), an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, demonstrated efficacy and safety in patients (pts) with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and prior inadequate response or intolerance to ≥1 biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) at week (wk) 56 in the phase 3 SELECT-PsA 2 study.1

Objectives

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of UPA at wk 104 from the ongoing long-term extension of SELECT-PsA 2.

Methods

Pts were randomized to UPA 15 mg (UPA15), UPA 30 mg (UPA30), or placebo (PBO) for 24 wks; PBO pts were then switched to UPA15 or UPA30. For continuous UPA treatment groups, efficacy endpoints at wk 104 were analyzed using non-responder imputation (NRI) and as observed (AO) (binary endpoints) or mixed-effect model repeated measures (MMRM) and AO (continuous endpoints). Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were summarized for pts who received ≥1 dose of study drug using visit-based cut-off at wk 104.

Results

A total of 641 pts received ≥1 dose of study drug. At wk 104, 38.4% of all patients had discontinued study drug, with the highest discontinuation observed in patients randomized to PBO at baseline (all PBO: 46.7%). The most common reasons for discontinuation were lack of efficacy (UPA15: 12.3%, UPA30: 8.7%, all PBO: 21.7%) and adverse event (UPA15: 10.9%, UPA30: 13.3%, all PBO: 12.7%). The proportion of UPA pts that achieved ACR20/50/70, MDA, PASI75/90/100, and resolution of dactylitis and enthesitis were generally similar, or further improved, with 104 wks of treatment vs 56 wks1 (Table 1). Similarly, mean change from baseline in HAQ-DI, patient’s assessment of pain, BASDAI, and ASDAS was improved with UPA treatment. At 104 wks of therapy, clinical responses were largely similar with UPA15 and UPA30. Generally, safety data at wk 104 (Figure 1) were consistent with that reported at wk 56.1 Rates of serious infection, herpes zoster, hepatic disorder, anemia, neutropenia, lymphopenia, and CPK elevation remained numerically higher with UPA30 vs UPA15, while rates of malignancies, MACE, and VTE were similar for both UPA groups. One death was reported with UPA15 (unexplained due to lack of information; however, the patient had recently been diagnosed with ovarian cancer) and 2 with UPA30 (pancytopenia and COVID-19 pneumonia).

Table 1.

Efficacy Endpoints at Week 104

EndpointUPA15 (n=211)UPA30 (n=218)Proportion of Pts (%)aNRIAONRIAOACR2055.580.354.681.8ACR5044.562.939.959.4ACR7023.232.221.631.5Minimal Disease Activity (MDA)29.441.333.949.3PASI75b47.769.852.781.1PASI90b37.755.244.367.8PASI100b23.135.435.955.6Resolution of enthesitis by LEIc39.867.837.568.4Resolution of dactylitis by LDId54.597.452.096.9Change from BLeMMRMAOMMRMAOHealth Assessment Questionnaire - Disability Index (HAQ-DI)-0.36-0.39-0.50-0.53Patient’s assessment of pain (numeric rating scale)-2.7-3.0-2.9-3.1Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI)f-2.6-3.0-2.6-2.9Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS)f-1.4-1.7-1.3-1.5

ACR20/50/70, ≥20%/50%/70% improvement in American College of Rheumatology criteria; AO, as observed; BL, baseline; LDI, Leeds Dactylitis Index; LEI, Leeds Enthesitis Index; MMRM, mixed effect model repeated measurement; NRI, non-responder imputation; PASI75/90/100, ≥75%/90%/100% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index; pts, patients; UPA, upadacitinib.

aData shown as NRI and AO for binary endpoints.

bFor pts with psoriasis affecting ≥3% of body surface area at BL.

cFor pts with LEI >0 at BL; resolution LEI=0.

dFor pts with LDI >0 at BL; resolution LDI=0.

eData shown as MMRM (LS mean) and AO (mean) for continuous endpoints.

fFor pts with psoriatic spondylitis at BL.

Conclusion

In PsA pts with prior inadequate response or intolerance to ≥1 bDMARD, clinical responses were maintained with UPA15 and UPA30 up to 2 years of treatment. No new safety signals were identified in this long-term extension.

References

[1]Mease PJ, et al. Rheumatol Ther. 2021;8:903-19.

Acknowledgements

AbbVie and the authors thank the patients, study sites, and investigators who participated in this clinical trial (NCT03104374). AbbVie funded this study and participated in the study design, research, analysis, data collection, interpretation of data, reviewing, and approval of the publication. All authors had access to relevant data and participated in the drafting, review, and approval of this publication. No honoraria or payments were made for authorship. Medical writing support was provided by Monica R.P. Elmore, PhD of AbbVie.

Disclosure of Interests

Philip J Mease Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squib, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Genentech, Gilead, GSK, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharma, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squib, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Genentech, Gilead, GSK, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharma, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squib, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Genentech, Gilead, GSK, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharma, and UCB, Arathi Setty Shareholder of: Employee of AbbVie and may hold stock options, Employee of: Employee of AbbVie, Kim Papp Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Akros, Allergan, Almirall, Amgen, Bausch Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Dermavant, Dermira, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Genentech/Roche, Janssen, Kyowa Kirin, LEO, Meiji, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme, Sienna Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharma, Takeda, UCB, and Valeant, Consultant of: AbbVie, Akros, Allergan, Almirall, Amgen, Arcutis, Avillion, Bausch Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Dermavant, Dermira, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Genentech/Roche, GSK, Janssen, Kyowa Kirin, LEO, Meiji, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme, Sienna Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharma, Takeda, UCB, and Valeant, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Akros, Allergan, Almirall, Amgen, Arcutis, Avillion, Bausch Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Dermavant, Dermira, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Genentech/Roche, GSK, Janssen, Kyowa Kirin, LEO, Meiji, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme, Sienna Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharma, Takeda, UCB, and Valeant, Filip van den Bosch Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Shigeyoshi Tsuji Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, and UCB, MAURO KEISERMAN Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB, Xianwei Bu Shareholder of: Employee of AbbVie and may hold stock options, Employee of: Employee of AbbVie, Liang Chen Shareholder of: Employee of AbbVie and may hold stock options, Employee of: Employee of AbbVie, Reva McCaskill Shareholder of: Employee of AbbVie and may hold stock options, Employee of: Employee of AbbVie, Erin McDearmon-Blondell Shareholder of: Employee of AbbVie and may hold stock options, Employee of: Employee of AbbVie, Peter Wung Shareholder of: Employee of AbbVie and may hold stock options, Employee of: Employee of AbbVie, William Tillett Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Celgene, Eli Lilly, and Janssen

Significance of furosemide in patients with cirrhosis treated with or without zinc acetate hydrate supplementation

BACKGROUND

The Japanese guidelines for the treatment of cirrhosis suggest zinc supplementation to prevent hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis and zinc deficiency, although the factors that are associated with therapeutic efficacy remain unknown.

METHOD

A total of 159 patients with chronic liver diseases but without previous zinc supplementation were analyzed. Factors associated with serum zinc levels as well as the therapeutic efficacy of zinc supplementation were evaluated.

RESULT

Serum zinc levels decreased with the progression of liver diseases. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the serum levels of albumin and cholinesterase and the daily furosemide dose were independently associated with the serum zinc levels. The optimal furosemide cut-off dosage for patients with zinc deficiency (<60 μg/dl) was 5 mg/day. Among 34 patients receiving zinc acetate hydrate, overt hepatic encephalopathy occurred in 12 patients (35.4%). A multivariate analysis identified a minimal serum zinc level of 50 μg/dl after more than 12 weeks of zinc supplementation as a factor associated with overt encephalopathy development, while furosemide use was not associated. The Child-Pugh score at baseline was the only factor associated with the maintenance of sufficient serum zinc levels.

CONCLUSION

Although the furosemide dose was negatively correlated with the serum zinc level in patients with chronic liver diseases, furosemide use was not associated with the occurrence of overt encephalopathy in those receiving zinc supplementation. Serum zinc levels of ≥50 μg/dl were required to prevent overt encephalopathy development during zinc supplementation in both patients with and those without furosemide administration.

Impact of Early Intervention for Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus on Long-Term Prognosis in Prodromal Phase

Objectives

Because the progression of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is partially irreversible, we hypothesized that early intervention would markedly improve its prognosis. To test this hypothesis, we retrospectively investigated the long-term prognosis of patients with early intervention in the prodromal phase of iNPH.

Methods

We defined the prodromal phase of iNPH as a 3m Timed Up and Go (TUG) of 13.5 s or less and a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) of 24 or more. Of the 83 iNPH patients who underwent shunt surgery at Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital over 3 years from January 2015, 12 prodromal phase cases (73.3 ± 6.2 years, 10 males and 2 females) were included in the study. The iNPH grading scale (INPHGS), MMSE, Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), intermittent gait disturbance (IGD), social participation status, and development of comorbidities were evaluated over 4 years.

Results

Preoperative MMSE was 27.2 ± 1.5, FAB was 14.1 ± 1.8, TUG was 10.7 ± 1.4 s, and total iNPHGS was 2.8 ± 1.4. At 1, 2, 3, and 4 years postoperatively, total INPHGS improved to 0.8, 0.9, 1.5, and 1.7, respectively, and remained significantly better than preoperatively except at 4 years postoperatively. The MMSE improved slightly to 27.5 after 1 year and then declined by 0.35 per year. After 4 years, the mean MMSE was 26.1, and only one patient had an MMSE below 23. FAB improved to 15.2 after 1 year and then declined slowly at 0.85/year. Ten patients (83%) maintained a high capacity for social participation postoperatively. The preoperative tendency to fall and IGD in 9 (75%) and 8 (67%) patients, respectively, completely disappeared postoperatively, resulting in improved mobility. Shunt malfunction associated with four weight fluctuations and one catheter rupture caused temporary worsening of symptoms, which were recovered by valve re-setting and catheter revision, respectively.

Conclusion

Early intervention in the prodromal phase of iNPH patients maintained good cognitive and mobility function and social participation ability in the long term. The maintenance of long-term cognitive function suggests its preventive effect on dementia. To realize early intervention for iNPH, it is desirable to establish an early diagnosis system for iNPH.

Superiority of tenofovir alafenamide fumarate over entecavir for serum HBsAg level reduction in patients with chronic HBV infection: A 144-week outcome study after switching of the nucleos(t)ide analog

Background

To evaluate the long-term efficacy of switching of the nucleos(t)ide analog used for treatment from entecavir (ETV) to tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) in patients with chronic HBV infection.

Methods

A total of 103 patients with serum HBsAg levels of ≥100 IU/mL who had received ETV were enrolled. The nucleos(t)ide analog used for the treatment was switched from ETV to TAF, and the changes in serum HBsAg levels during the 144-week period before and after the drug switching were compared in 74 patients who had received ETV at least for 192 weeks.

Results

Significant decreases of serum HBsAg levels were observed during both the ETV and the TAF administration period, although the degree of reduction was greater during the latter period than during the former period (P<0.001). Significant decreases of serum HBsAg levels were seen in both patients with genotype B HBV infection and genotype C HBV infection, irrespective of the serum HBsAg and HBcrAg levels at the time of the drug switching.

Conclusion

Switching of the nucleos(t)ide analog used for treatment from ETV to TAF merits consideration in patients with chronic HBV infection, since the extent of reduction of the serum HBsAg level was greater during the TAF treatment period than during the ETV treatment period.

Nafamostat protects against early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage in mice

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of nafamostat, a serin protease inhibitor, in the management of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). SAH was induced by endovascular perforation in male mice. Nafamostat was administered intraperitoneally four times immediately after SAH induction. Cerebral blood flow, neurological behavior tests, SAH grade and protein expression were evaluated at 24 h after SAH induction. In the in vitro model, human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMVECs), HBVECs were exposed to thrombin and hypoxia for 24 h; nafamostat was administered and the protein expression was evaluated. Eighty-eight mice were included in the in vivo study. Fifteen mice (17%) were excluded because of death or procedure failure. Nafamostat exerted no significant effect on the SAH grade or cerebral blood flow; however, it improved the neurological behavior and suppressed the thrombin and MMP-9 expression. In addition, nafamostat suppressed the ICAM-1 expression and p38 phosphorylation in the in vitro study. Nafamostat has a protective effect against HBMVEC after exposure to thrombin and hypoxia, suggesting its role in improving the neurological outcomes after SAH. These findings indicate that nafamostat has the potential to be a novel therapeutic drug in the management of SAH.

Ultrasound efficacy of targeted-synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug treatment in rheumatoid arthritis: a multicenter prospective cohort study in Japan

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the effectiveness of treatment with Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) assessed by ultrasonography (US) activity, and the influence of patient characteristics and previous treatments.

METHOD

This prospective study assessed 60 treatment initiations among 53 Japanese patients diagnosed with RA who underwent treatment with JAK inhibitors during June 2013 to February 2020. Of the 53 patients, seven patients were enrolled in duplicate because they were treated with two different JAK inhibitors at different periods. For each case, the improvement rate on the power Doppler (PD) score was assessed at 6 month follow-up. Median improvement rate of PD score was used to classify cases as either US responders or non-responders, and patient characteristics were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

All indicators of clinical disease activity and US activity showed a significant improvement at 3 months compared with baseline. Although the JAK inhibitor-cycler group and the interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor inadequate response (IR) group tended to show a later improvement for US activity, all indicators of clinical disease activity and US activity showed a significant improvement at 6 months compared with baseline for both groups. Multivariate analysis showed that concomitant methotrexate use and an IR to the previous biologic or targeted-synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (b/tsDMARD) treatment were independently and significantly associated with US responders.

CONCLUSION

Use of a JAK inhibitor in combination with methotrexate and an absence of IR to any previous b/tsDMARDs demonstrated superior effectiveness for patients with RA.

Central Nervous System Migration of Astaxanthin and Adonixanthin Following Their Oral Administration in Cynomolgus Monkeys

Astaxanthin, which has been shown to have significant antioxidant activity, is rapidly spreading as a health functioning ingredient in the health food and cosmetics sectors worldwide. It is well known that astaxanthin acts on the brain; however, there is little evidence of brain translocation due to the difficulty in identifying astaxanthin in tissues. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the concentrations of astaxanthin and adonixanthin, the latter being a biosynthetic intermediate from β-carotene to astaxanthin, in the brain after oral administration in primates. Cynomolgus monkeys were orally administered astaxanthin or adonixanthin at a dose of 50 mg/kg for 10 d, through a disposable catheter inserted into the stomach via the nasal passage. Following euthanization, the monkeys' brains and various other organs were collected. The carotenoid content in serum and individual organs was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Adonixanthin was found to accumulate at a higher concentration than astaxanthin in monkey brain tissues. Also, both astaxanthin and adonixanthin were found to be distributed in the heart, spleen, liver, and kidneys. These findings indicate that astaxanthin and adonixanthin can enter the central nervous system of primates following their oral administration. This provides important evidence for the activity of astaxanthin and adonixanthin on the central nervous system.

Involvement of Cerebral Blood Flow on Neurological and Behavioral Functions after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Mice

OBJECTIVE

Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF) change after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH) is strongly associated with brain injuries such as early brain injury and delayed cerebral ischemia. We evaluated the correlation between CBF using Laser Speckle Flow Imaging (LSFI) after SAH and neurological findings in the sub-acute phase.

METHOD

An SAH was induced by endovascular perforation in male mice. CBF was quantitatively measured by using LSFI at six time points, immediately to 14 days after SAH induction. Behavior tests and survival rate were evaluated. The mice were divided into recovery and hypo-perfusion groups according to their CBF at 1 day after the procedure.

RESULT

Forty mice were included in this study. Five mice (20%) were included in the hypo-perfusion group, and the remaining 20 (80%) mice were classified as the recovery group. The decrease of CBF in the recovery group was observed until 1 day after the procedure. However, the decrease of CBF in the hypo-perfusion group was prolonged until 7 days after the procedure. Neurological findings and survival rates in the hypo-perfusion group were significantly worse than those in the recovery group. The low alternation cases (≤ 50%) in the Y-maze test in the recovery group (n = 5) had significantly lower CBF at 1 day after the procedure.

CONCLUSION

Low blood flow at 1 day after SAH was associated with worse survival rate, neurological findings, and memory disturbance. Early improvement in CBF may be associated with an improved prognosis after SAH.

POS0196 UPADACITINIB IN PATIENTS WITH PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS REFRACTORY TO BIOLOGIC DISEASE-MODIFYING ANTIRHEUMATIC DRUGS: 56-WEEK DATA FROM THE PHASE 3 SELECT-PSA 2 STUDY

Background:

Upadacitinib (UPA) is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor currently under evaluation for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Previous 24-week results from the SELECT-PsA 2 study in patients with PsA and prior inadequate response to ≥1 biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) demonstrated UPA efficacy with a safety profile consistent with that observed in rheumatoid arthritis.1

Objectives:

To evaluate the 56-week efficacy and safety of UPA in the SELECT-PsA 2 study.

Methods:

Patients were randomized to 56 weeks of blinded treatment with UPA 15 or 30 mg once daily (QD), or placebo (PBO) switched to UPA 15 or 30 mg QD at Week 24. Efficacy endpoints included proportions of patients achieving 20/50/70% improvement in American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria (ACR20/50/70), 75/90/100% improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI75/90/100), resolution of dactylitis and enthesitis, and minimal disease activity (MDA). Non-responder imputation was used for missing data. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were summarized for events occurring while on UPA and ≤30 days after last dose (for those who discontinued).

Results:

Of 641 patients who received ≥1 dose of study drug, 74.7% completed 56 weeks of treatment. Clinical improvements based on the proportion of patients achieving ACR20/50/70 and MDA (Figure 1), PASI75/90/100, and resolution of dactylitis and enthesitis were generally maintained through 56 weeks of UPA treatment. Week 56 results for patients who switched from PBO to UPA at Week 24 had a similar trajectory to those for patients originally randomized to UPA. Overall, improvements observed with UPA 15 mg were similar to or approached those with UPA 30 mg over 56 weeks. Dose-dependent increases were observed for exposure-adjusted event rates (EAERs) of serious infections, herpes zoster (HZ), hepatic disorders, hematologic lab-related adverse events, and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) elevations, but not for exposure-adjusted incidence rates (EAIRs) of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), venous thromboembolic events (VTEs), or malignancies (Table 1). Generally, rates of TEAEs were lower with UPA 15 mg versus 30 mg.

Conclusion:

In patients with PsA and prior inadequate response to ≥1 bDMARD, UPA efficacy was maintained over 56 weeks with no new safety signals.

References:

[1]Mease PJ, et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2020. Epub ahead of print.

Table 1.

Safety through Week 56

EventUPA 15 mg QD(n=290; PY=419.4)UPA 30 mg QD(n=308; PY=423.5)EAER, events/100 PY (95% CI)Infection89.7 (81.0–99.2)113.6 (103.9–124.2) Serious infection2.6 (1.5–4.7)6.1 (4.2–9.0) Opportunistic infectiona0.7 (0.2–2.2)0.9 (0.4–2.5) HZ3.8 (2.3–6.2)8.5 (6.1–11.8) Active TB00Gastrointestinal perforation (adjudicated)00Hepatic disorder4.8 (3.1–7.4)17.7 (14.1–22.2)Anemia2.1 (1.1–4.1)5.4 (3.6–8.2)Neutropenia1.0 (0.4–2.5)3.1 (1.8–5.3)Lymphopenia0.7 (0.2–2.2)2.4 (1.3–4.4)CPK elevation5.2 (3.5–8.0)8.7 (6.3–12.1)Renal dysfunction0.5 (0.1–1.9)0.2 (0.0–1.7)EAIR, n/100 PY (95% CI)NMSCb1.2 (0.5–2.9)1.0 (0.4–2.5)Malignancy other than NMSCc1.2 (0.5–2.9)1.2 (0.5–2.9)Lymphomad0.5 (0.1–1.9)0MACE (adjudicated)0.2 (0–1.7)0.2 (0–1.7)VTE (adjudicated)0.2 (0–1.7)0.2 (0–1.7)

aExcludes TB and HZ. bUPA 15 mg: 4 cases of BCC and 1 case of SCC of the skin; UPA 30 mg: 3 cases of BCC and 3 cases of SCC of the skin. cUPA 15 mg: 2 cases of prostate cancer, and single cases of malignant melanoma, ovarian cancer, and rectal cancer; UPA 30 mg: single cases of basosquamous carcinoma (considered NMSC after medical review), malignant melanoma, oropharyngeal SCC, and rectal adenocarcinoma, as well as endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer (in the same patient). dUPA 15 mg: 2 events of treatment-emergent abnormal lymphocyte morphology; abnormal lymphocytes were not reported in subsequent laboratory testing

BCC, basal cell carcinoma; CI, confidence interval; NMSC, non-melanoma skin cancer; PY, patient-years; SCC, squamous cell carcinoma; TB, tuberculosis

Acknowledgements:

AbbVie funded this study; contributed to its design; participated in data collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and participated in the writing, review, and approval of the abstract. No honoraria or payments were made for authorship. Medical writing support was provided by Russell Craddock, PhD, of 2 the Nth (Cheshire, UK), and was funded by AbbVie.

Disclosure of Interests:

Philip J Mease Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squib, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Genentech, Gilead, GSK, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharma, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squib, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Genentech, Gilead, GSK, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharma, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squib, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Genentech, Gilead, GSK, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharma, and UCB, Apinya Lertratanakul Shareholder of: May own stock/shares in AbbVie, Employee of: Currently employed by AbbVie, Kim Papp Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Akros, Allergan, Almirall, Amgen, Bausch Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Dermavant, Dermira, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Genentech/Roche, Janssen, Kyowa Kirin, LEO, Meiji, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme, Sienna Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharma, Takeda, UCB, and Valeant, Consultant of: AbbVie, Akros, Allergan, Almirall, Amgen, Arcutis, Avillion, Bausch Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Dermavant, Dermira, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Genentech/Roche, GSK, Janssen, Kyowa Kirin, LEO, Meiji, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme, Sienna Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharma, Takeda, UCB, and Valeant, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Akros, Allergan, Almirall, Amgen, Arcutis, Avillion, Bausch Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Dermavant, Dermira, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Genentech/Roche, GSK, Janssen, Kyowa Kirin, LEO, Meiji, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme, Sienna Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharma, Takeda, UCB, and Valeant, Filip van den Bosch Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Shigeyoshi Tsuji Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, and UCB., Consultant of: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, and UCB., Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, and UCB., Eva Dokoupilova Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Affibody AB, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, GSK, Hexal AG, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, R-Pharm, Sanofi-Aventis, and UCB, MAURO KEISERMAN Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB, Xianwei Bu Shareholder of: May own stock/shares in AbbVie, Employee of: Currently employed by AbbVie, Liang Chen Shareholder of: May own stock/shares in AbbVie, Employee of: Currently employed by AbbVie, Reva McCaskill Shareholder of: May own stock/shares in AbbVie, Employee of: Currently employed by AbbVie, Patrick Zueger Shareholder of: May own stock/shares in AbbVie, Employee of: Currently employed by AbbVie, Erin McDearmon-Blondell Shareholder of: May own stock/shares in AbbVie, Employee of: Currently employed by AbbVie, Aileen Pangan Shareholder of: May own stock/shares in AbbVie, Employee of: Currently employed by AbbVie, William Tillett Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Celgene, Eli Lilly, and Janssen

POS0975 CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NONRADIOGRAPHIC AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS IN ASIAN COUNTRIES COMPARED TO OTHER REGIONS: RESULTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL ASAS-COMOSPA STUDY

Background:

Clinical characteristics of nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-ax-SpA) are highly variable across patients, and may potentially vary across patient populations, particularly due to differing distributions of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and other genetic factors. The majority of nr-ax-SpA studies have been conducted in Europe, the United States, and small studies are reported from Asia [1].

Objectives:

To delineate clinical characteristics of patients with nr-ax-SpA in Asian countries in comparison to other areas of the world.

Methods:

Utilizing the ASAS-COMOSPA data, an international cross-sectional observational study of SpA patients, we analyzed information on demographics, disease characteristics, comorbidities, and risk factors. Patients were classified by region: Asia (China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan), and non-Asian countries (Europe, Americas, and Africa); patient characteristics, including diagnosis and treatment, were compared.

Results:

Among 3984 SpA patients included in the study, 1094 were from centers in Asian countries, and 2890 from other regions. 112/780 (14.4%) of axial SpA patients in Asian countries were nr-ax-SpA, substantially less than in other countries (486/1997, 24.3%). Nr-ax-SpA patients in Asian countries compared to nr-ax-SpA in other countries were more likely male (75.9 vs 47.1%), have onset (22.8 vs 27.8 years) and diagnosis (27.2 vs 34.5 years) at younger age, and experience less diagnostic delay (1.88 vs 2.92 years) (Table 1). Nr-ax-SpA patients in Asian countries have higher prevalence of positive HLA-B27 (90.6% vs 61.9%) and fewer peripheral signs such as arthritis, enthesitis, or dactylitis (53.6% vs 66.3%) but have similar rate of extra-articular manifestations (psoriasis, IBD, or uveitis) and co-morbidities. Disease activity, functional impairment, and inflammation on MRI were less in nr-ax-SpA patients in Asian countries. NSAIDs response was higher and use of methotrexate and b-DMARDs were lower among nr-ax-SpA in Asian countries.

Conclusion:

Among axial SpA patients, substantially lower frequency of nr-ax-SpA was observed in Asian countries compared to other regions of the world. Nr-ax-SpA patients in Asian countries were predominantly male, and had younger disease onset with higher HLA-B27 positivity rate and less peripheral signs, and better response to NSAIDs. These results offer an opportunity to improve both early diagnosis and treatment of nr-ax-SpA patients in Asian countries.

Table 1.

Characteristics of nonradiographic axial SpA in Asia versus non-Asian regions

VariablesAsianon-Asian regionsp valueN112486Age at disease diagnosis, yrs27.2 [21.1, 39.6]34.5 [27.7, 41.7]<0.001Diagnostic delay, yrs1.88 [0.27, 5.56]2.92 [0.59, 9.58]0.011Male (%)85 (75.9)229 (47.1)<0.001Sacroiliitis on MRI among tested (%)49 (67.1)341 (82.2)0.005HLA B27 positivity among measured (%)96 (90.6)273 (61.9)<0.001Inflammatory Back Pain (%)107 (95.5)478 (98.4)0.076Arthritis, enthesitis, or dactylitis (%)60 (53.6)322 (66.3)0.016Psoriasis (%)12 (10.7)82 (16.9)0.142Uveitis (%)20 (17.9)81 (16.7)0.870Inflammatory bowel disease (%)5 (4.5)27 (5.6)0.817Elevated CRP (%)37 (33.0)213 (43.8)0.048Physician global assessment (0-10)2.0 [1.0, 5.0]2.0 [1.0, 4.0]0.741Patient global assessment (0-10)3.0 [1.0, 6.0]4.0 [2.0, 6.0]0.012ASDAS-CRP1.40 [0.95, 2.08]1.97 [1.21, 2.78]<0.001BASFI0.8 [0.05, 2.65]2.9 [0.8, 5.6]<0.001Good response to NSAIDs (%)80 (71.4)272 (56.0)0.004Methotrexate use (%)18 (16.1)134 (27.6)0.016Biological DMARDs use (%)27 (24.1)191 (39.3)0.004

References:

[1]López-Medina C, Ramiro S, van der Heijde D, et al. Characteristics and burden of disease in patients with radiographic and non-radiographic axial Spondyloarthritis: a comparison by systematic literature review and meta-analysis. RMD Open. 2019 Nov 21;5(2): e001108.

Acknowledgements:

This study was conducted under the umbrella of the International Society for Spondyloarthritis Assessment (ASAS) and COMOSPA study was supported by unrestricted grants from Pfizer, AbbVie and UCB.

Disclosure of Interests:

Keisuke Ono: None declared, Mitsumasa Kishimoto Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen-Astellas BioPharma, Asahi-Kasei Pharma, Astellas, Ayumi Pharma, BMS, Chugai, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Kyowa Kirin, Novartis, Ono Pharma, Pfizer, Tanabe-Mitsubishi, Teijin Pharma, and UCB Pharma, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen-Astellas BioPharma, Asahi-Kasei Pharma, Astellas, Ayumi Pharma, BMS, Chugai, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Kyowa Kirin, Novartis, Ono Pharma, Pfizer, Tanabe-Mitsubishi, Teijin Pharma, and UCB Pharma, Sho Fukui: None declared, Satoshi Kawaai: None declared, Gautam A. Deshpande: None declared, Kazuki Yoshida Consultant of: OM1, Inc., Grant/research support from: Corrona, LLC, Naomi Ichikawa: None declared, Yuko Kaneko Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Astellas, Ayumi, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Chugai, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Hisamitsu, Jansen, Kissei, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda, Tanabe-Mitsubishi, and UCB, Taku Kawasaki: None declared, Kazuo Matsui: None declared, Mitsuhiro Morita: None declared, Kurisu Tada: None declared, Naoho Takizawa: None declared, Naoto Tamura: None declared, Atsuo Taniguchi: None declared, Yoshinori Taniguchi: None declared, Shigeyoshi Tsuji: None declared, Shigeto Kobayashi: None declared, Masato Okada: None declared, Clementina López-Medina: None declared, Anna Moltó Consultant of: AbbVie, Pfizer, MSD, Novartis, Gilead, Lilly and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Pfizer, MSD, Novartis, Gilead, Lilly and UCB, Désirée van der Heijde Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Bayer, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Cyxone, Daiichi, Eisai, Eli-Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, Glaxo-Smith-Kline, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, Sanofi, Takeda, UCB Pharma, Employee of: Imaging Rheumatology bv. (Director), Maxime Dougados: None declared, Yoshinori Komagata: None declared, Tetsuya Tomita: None declared, Shinya Kaname: None declared.

POS1032 EFFICACY OF UPADACITINIB IN PATIENTS WITH PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS STRATIFIED BY NUMBER OF PRIOR BIOLOGIC DISEASE-MODIFYING ANTI-RHEUMATIC DRUGS

Background:

Upadacitinib (UPA) has shown efficacy and safety in patients (pts) with active PsA in the Phase 3 SELECT-PsA 1 and SELECT-PsA 2 clinical trials.1,2 Historically efficacy has been lower with second- and third-line therapy compared with first-line anti-TNF therapy in PsA;3,4 however, clinical trial data that describe efficacy in pts who have had an inadequate response (IR) to multiple biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) are limited.

Objectives:

This analysis assessed the effects of prior bDMARD failure on UPA efficacy in the SELECT-PsA 2 trial.

Methods:

The SELECT-PsA 2 study enrolled pts with prior IR or intolerance to ≥1 bDMARD (N=642). Pts were randomized to placebo (PBO), UPA 15 mg once daily (QD, UPA15), or UPA 30 mg QD (UPA30). Stable background treatment of ≤2 non-bDMARDs was permitted; background therapy was not required. Only the pts who had IR to ≥1 bDMARD were included in this analysis; pts were subgrouped based on the number of bDMARDs failed prior to enrollment (1, 2, or ≥3). This analysis includes assessment of proportion of pts achieving ACR20/50/70, and change in HAQ-DI, FACIT-Fatigue, and SF-36 Physical Component Summary at Wk 12; static Investigator Global Assessment of Psoriasis of 0 or 1 and at least a 2-point improvement from baseline, PASI75, and change in Self-Assessment of Psoriasis Symptoms at Wk 16; and proportion of pts achieving minimal disease activity (MDA) at Wk 24. Non-responder imputation was used for binary endpoints. Mixed-effects model for repeated measures was used for continuous endpoints. Point estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the PBO subtracted treatment effect were calculated.

Results:

641 pts were randomized and received study drug; 92% were bDMARD-IR: 391 (61%) of pts failed 1 bDMARD, 116 (18%) failed 2 bDMARDs, and 83 (13%) failed ≥3 bDMARDs. In the overall study population, UPA15 and UPA30 demonstrated superiority vs placebo for all endpoints evaluated. In this post hoc analysis, the PBO subtracted treatment effect demonstrates generally consistent efficacy as compared to the overall study population for UPA15 and UPA30 across efficacy endpoints in the subgroups of pts with IR to 1, 2, or ≥3 prior bDMARDs (Figure 1). Due to limited sample sizes for pts with IR to >1 bDMARD and the pt subsets analyzed for psoriasis-related endpoints, results should be interpreted with caution.

Conclusion:

Upadacitinib demonstrated consistent efficacy in treating clinical manifestations of PsA including musculoskeletal symptoms, psoriasis, physical function, fatigue, and quality of life in pts with IR to 1 or multiple prior bDMARDs. In addition, comprehensive disease control as measured by MDA, was generally consistently achieved with upadacitinib regardless of number of prior bDMARDs tried.

References:

[1]McInnes IB, et al. Ann Rheum Dis, 2020; 79:12.

[2]Genovese MC, et al. Ann Rheum Dis, 2020; 79:139.

[3]Costa L, et al. Drugs R D. 2017;17:509-522.

[4]Reddy SM, et al. 2016;35:2955-2966.

Acknowledgements:

AbbVie and the authors thank the patients, study sites, and investigators who participated in this clinical trial. AbbVie, Inc was the study sponsor, contributed to study design, data collection, analysis & interpretation, and to writing, reviewing, and approval of final version. No honoraria or payments were made for authorship. Medical writing support was provided by Ramona Vladea, PhD of AbbVie Inc.

Disclosure of Interests:

Philip J Mease Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers, Celgene, Galapagos, Genentech, Gilead, GlaxosmithKline, Janssen, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharma, and UCB., Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers, Celgene, Galapagos, Genentech, Gilead, GlaxosmithKline, Janssen, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharma, and UCB., Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers, Celgene, Galapagos, Genentech, Gilead, GlaxosmithKline, Janssen, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharma, and UCB., Apinya Lertratanakul Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Bruce Strober Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Ortho Dermatologics, Consultant of: AbbVie, Almirall, Amgen, Arcutis, Arena, Aristea, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers-Squibb, Cara, Celgene, Dermavant, Dermira, Janssen, Leo, Eli Lilly, Meiji Seika Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, UCB Pharma, Sun Pharma, Ortho Dermatologics, Regeneron, Sanofi-Genzyme, Shigeyoshi Tsuji Speakers bureau: AbbVie Inc., Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie Inc., Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Pascal Richette Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Biogen, Janssen, BMS, Roche, Pfizer, Amgen, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, and Celgene, Consultant of: AbbVie, Biogen, Janssen, BMS, Roche, Pfizer, Amgen, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, and Celgene, Charles Lovan Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Dai Feng Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Jaclyn Anderson Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, Filip van den Bosch Speakers bureau: AbbVie Inc., Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie Inc., Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB.

HYBID derived from tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages contribute to the glioblastoma growth

Glioblastoma is the most malignant tumor of the brain associated with poor prognosis and outcome, and hence there is an urgent need to develop novel treatments for glioblastoma. In this study, we focused on hyaluronan binding protein (HYBID, as known as CEMIP/KIAA1199), a protein involved in hyaluronan depolymerization in chondrocytes and synoviocytes. We previously reported that Hybid-deficient (KO) mice show accumulation of hyaluronan in the brain, and memory impairment. To elucidate the role of HYBID in glioblastoma pathogenesis, we knocked down HYBID in human glioblastoma cells using siRNAs and developed a murine orthotopic xenograft model in the Hybid KO mice. Downregulation of HYBID in glioblastoma cells resulted in inhibition of cell proliferation and migration, and increased cell death. The growth of glioblastoma cells implanted in the mouse brain was suppressed in Hybid KO mice compared to that in the wild-type mice. Interestingly, infiltration of macrophages in the glioblastoma tissue was decreased in Hybid KO mice. Using intraperitoneal macrophages derived from Hybid KO mice and glioma cell supernatants, we examined the role of HYBID in macrophages in the tumor environment. We showed that HYBID contributes to macrophage migration and the release of pro-tumor factors. Moreover, we revealed that HYBID can be a poor prognostic factor in glioma patients by bioinformatics approaches. Our study provides data to support that HYBID expressed by both glioblastoma cells and tumor-associated macrophages may contribute to glioblastoma progression and suggests that HYBID may be a potential target for therapy that focuses on the tumor microenvironment of glioblastoma.

Discrepancy between clinical and ultrasound remissions in rheumatoid arthritis: a multicentre ultrasound cohort study in Japan

Objectives: Using multicentre ultrasound (US) cohort data among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we aimed to identify baseline factors that permit differentiation between two patient cohorts achieving US remission and clinical remission, and to determine the factors contributing to the discrepancy.Method: We reviewed 248 Japanese patients diagnosed with RA who underwent treatment with biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs at 13 centres. We performed US assessments of the synovia of 22 joints. We assessed the percentages of patients with clinical remission and US remission, defined as total power Doppler scores of 0 at 12 months.Results: The 87 patients who achieved US remission were divided into a group that achieved both clinical and US remission (n = 53) and a group that achieved US remission only (n = 34). Baseline factors that were significantly and independently associated with clinical remission at 12 months among patients who also achieved US remission included short disease duration, the presence of concomitant methotrexate use, and low patient global assessment score (p < 0.05, p < 0.05, and p < 0.005, respectively).Conclusions: RA patients with baseline high patient global assessment scores and long disease duration at baseline were unlikely to achieve clinical remission even after achieving US remission. Objective joint assessments using US provide additional information of potential importance for the management of RA.