High sensitivity troponin I in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Background

ESC guidelines recommend measurement of troponin T in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) because high concentrations are associated with cardiovascular events, heart failure and death. The cardiac Troponin I subunit is not expressed in skeletal muscle making it a cardio-specific isoform. The use of troponin biomarkers in management of patients HCM is limited because concentrations only weakly correlate with clinical parameters. Most studies are small, and few have examined their relation with genotype and mortality.

Purpose

To assess the relationship between high-sensitive troponin I (hsTnI) and characteristics of adults with HCM.

Methods

Patients included were adults with an established diagnosis of HCM referred to a single centre for genetic testing. Demographic, clinical and imaging data were recorded at baseline. Echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) were performed according to EACVI standards. Quantification of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was performed using the 5 SD quantitative threshold. Genotype was evaluated using a 16 gene panel in an accredited UK laboratory. Pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants were considered as a positive genotype. Serum hsTnI was measured by a two-site electrochemiluminescence immunoassay on a Roche E170 analyser. Normal values for the assay 0–34 ng/L for males and 0–16 ng/L for females.

Results

313 patients (n=200, 64% male) median age 57 (IQR 47–68) years were included. hsTnI concentration was abnormal in 69 (22%) patients. An abnormal hsTnI was more common in females (n=36, 32%) compared to males (n=33, 17%, c2 9.9, p<0.05). A pathogenic variant in a sarcomere gene was identified in 95 (30%) individuals. An abnormal hsTnI concentration was associated with higher left ventricular (LV) wall thickness (20mm v 18mm, p<0.05) and LV outflow tract (LVOT) gradient (34 v 22 mmHg) on echocardiography (n=313). Of the patients (n=204) who had a CMR, an abnormal hsTnI concentration was associated with higher LV mass (183 v 156g, p<0.05) and greater % LGE (30 v 16%, p<0.01, n=129). There was no difference in hsTnI between those with a positive or negative genotype. During follow-up, 18 patients died. Of the 9 patients that died with a normal hsTnI, two died suddenly.

Conclusions

In HCM, patients with abnormal hsTnI concentration have higher LV mass and LVOT gradient and more fibrosis. Whilst mortality is higher in those with abnormal hsTnI, sudden cardiac death may occur with a normal hsTnI. It may not be appropriate to extrapolate hsTnI sex-specific thresholds used in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction to HCM.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

A 'hot clinic' for cold limbs: the benefit of urgent clinics for patients with critical limb ischaemia

INTRODUCTION

The national reconfiguration of vascular surgery means that arterial centres serve larger populations with increased demand on resources. Emergency general surgery ambulatory clinics facilitate timely review and intervention, avoiding admission; a critical limb ischaemia (CLI) 'hot clinic' (HC) was implemented to achieve similar for vascular patients. The aim of the study was to determine HC efficacy.

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study comparing HC patients with emergency admission (EA) patients between 1 May and 1 December 2017. Age, sex, comorbidities, CLI severity and smoking status were noted. HC patients were provided with satisfaction surveys. Primary outcome measures were freedom from reintervention and major amputation. Secondary outcome measures included time to procedure, length of stay, returns to theatre and 30-day readmission.

RESULTS

A total of 147 patients (72 HC, 75 EA) were enrolled in the study. No statistical difference was found in age, sex, smoking status, severity of CLI or prevalence of comorbidities between the groups except that diabetes was more prevalent in EA patients (p=0.028). The median length of stay for the HC cohort was shorter (3 days vs 17 days, p<0.001), with no difference between time to procedure, return to theatre or 30-day readmission. HC patients were nearly 6 times more likely to experience freedom from reintervention (odds ratio: 5.824, p<0.001) and 2.5 times less likely to undergo amputation (odds ratio: 2.616, p=0.043). HC utilisation saved a total of 441 bed days. Over 90% of attendees responded with 100% positive feedback.

CONCLUSIONS

A vascular HC facilitates urgent review and revascularisation. It provides comparable in-hospital outcomes and better long-term outcomes, with greater efficiency than hospital admission, demonstrating its value in treating CLI.

Isospin Properties of Nuclear Pair Correlations from the Level Structure of the Self-Conjugate Nucleus ^{88}Ru

The low-lying energy spectrum of the extremely neutron-deficient self-conjugate (N=Z) nuclide _{44}^{88}Ru_{44} has been measured using the combination of the Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA) spectrometer, the NEDA and Neutron Wall neutron detector arrays, and the DIAMANT charged particle detector array. Excited states in ^{88}Ru were populated via the ^{54}Fe(^{36}Ar,2nγ)^{88}Ru^{*} fusion-evaporation reaction at the Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL) accelerator complex. The observed γ-ray cascade is assigned to ^{88}Ru using clean prompt γ-γ-2-neutron coincidences in anticoincidence with the detection of charged particles, confirming and extending the previously assigned sequence of low-lying excited states. It is consistent with a moderately deformed rotating system exhibiting a band crossing at a rotational frequency that is significantly higher than standard theoretical predictions with isovector pairing, as well as observations in neighboring N>Z nuclides. The direct observation of such a "delayed" rotational alignment in a deformed N=Z nucleus is in agreement with theoretical predictions related to the presence of strong isoscalar neutron-proton pair correlations.

9 The ‘Colchester Older Persons’ Evaluation for Surgery (COPES)’ Clinic: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Preoperative Management of Frail, Older Patients

Introduction

In 2014-15, 2.5 million patients over 75 years old underwent surgery compared to 1.5 million in 2006-7. The population is aging with increasing numbers of comorbidities, and associated frailty.1 The Royal College of Anaesthetists recommends that preoperative assessment for these complex older patients takes a “cross-specialty approach.”2 In Colchester the COPES clinic has been introduced in which selected high-risk patients are seen by a Consultant Anaesthetist and Consultant Geriatrician. This aims to medically optimise patients prior to surgery and to facilitate shared decision making.

Methods

The new clinic was introduced in October 2018. The following data was collected from COPES clinic letters from October to February 2018-19 (n=46):Patient/ surgery characteristics: age, comorbidities, frailty score and any cognitive impairmentInterventions: changes to medication, specialty referral, intravenous iron, diabetes optimisation, otherOutcomes of surgery following the COPES clinic

Patients were asked to complete feedback forms to evaluate the service.

Results

52% of patients had 4-6, and 28% had 7-9 comorbidities. The majority had Rockwood frailty scores of 4 or 5. 28% of patients had medications changed, 48% had specialty referrals, 17% received intravenous iron, 8.7% required diabetes optimisation and 28% of patients had investigations including echocardiograms, MRI and CT scans. 12/46 patients had surgery deemed unlikely to go ahead after shared decision making with patients in conjunction with the multidisciplinary team involved in their care. 2 patients died of their comorbidities after deciding not to proceed with surgery. 12/46 patients underwent surgery; 4 developed post-operative complications, none died and the mean length of stay was 3.38 days. The remaining 22/46 patients are awaiting surgery. Patient feedback questionnaires (n=10) were overwhelmingly positive. Everyone felt that they were treated with respect and that their fears were addressed and they were clear in the next steps in management.

Conclusions

The introduction of the ‘COPES’ clinic has helped address frailty and multiple comorbidities by optimising patients’ medical conditions and allowing alternatives to surgery to be considered. Patients were very satisfied with the COPES clinic and felt it has prepared them for upcoming surgery.

References

1. Lin H. Frailty and post-operative outcomes in older surgical patients: a systematic review. BMC Geriatrics, 2016.

2. RCoA. Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthesia Services. www.pre-op.org/sites/default/files/GPAS%202016.pdf

P05.06 Phase 2 study to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and clinical activity of PI3K/mTOR inhibitor GDC-0084 given to glioblastoma (GBM) patients with unmethylated O6-methylguanine-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter status

BACKGROUND

GDC-0084 is a potent, oral, selective small molecule inhibitor of class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase and mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/mTOR). The PI3K pathway is activated in ≥ 70% of tumors, making it a compelling target for the treatment of GBM. GDC-0084 crosses the blood-brain barrier and achieves a brain / plasma ratio of approximately 1.0. GDC-0084 was given as once daily oral dosing in a phase 1 study (Wen et al, J Clin Oncol 34, 2016(15) suppl.2012) in 47 patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas. The adverse events were generally consistent with the established PI3K/mTOR inhibitor class-effects. The MTD identified was 45 mg once daily.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This study has a 2-part design consisting of an open-label, multicenter dose-escalation study with expansion to assess the safety, tolerability, RP2D, PK, and clinical activity of GDC-0084 at QD dosing in patients with newly-diagnosed GBM with unmethylated MGMT promotor status. In the escalation phase the first cohort is completed without DLT. At the identified MTD, 20 subjects will be recruited in an expansion cohort and patients will be randomized to take GDC-0084 in fed and fasted states. Subjects in the expansion cohort will also have serial fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging.

A massive core for a cluster of galaxies at a redshift of 4.3

Massive galaxy clusters have been found that date to times as early as three billion years after the Big Bang, containing stars that formed at even earlier epochs^1-3. The high-redshift progenitors of these galaxy clusters-termed 'protoclusters'-can be identified in cosmological simulations that have the highest overdensities (greater-than-average densities) of dark matter^4-6. Protoclusters are expected to contain extremely massive galaxies that can be observed as luminous starbursts ⁷ . However, recent detections of possible protoclusters hosting such starbursts^8-11 do not support the kind of rapid cluster-core formation expected from simulations ¹² : the structures observed contain only a handful of starbursting galaxies spread throughout a broad region, with poor evidence for eventual collapse into a protocluster. Here we report observations of carbon monoxide and ionized carbon emission from the source SPT2349-56. We find that this source consists of at least 14 gas-rich galaxies, all lying at redshifts of 4.31. We demonstrate that each of these galaxies is forming stars between 50 and 1,000 times more quickly than our own Milky Way, and that all are located within a projected region that is only around 130 kiloparsecs in diameter. This galaxy surface density is more than ten times the average blank-field value (integrated over all redshifts), and more than 1,000 times the average field volume density. The velocity dispersion (approximately 410 kilometres per second) of these galaxies and the enormous gas and star-formation densities suggest that this system represents the core of a cluster of galaxies that was already at an advanced stage of formation when the Universe was only 1.4 billion years old. A comparison with other known protoclusters at high redshifts shows that SPT2349-56 could be building one of the most massive structures in the Universe today.

Fast-timing measurements in neutron-rich odd-mass zirconium isotopes using LaBr3:Ce detectors coupled with Gammasphere

A fast-timing experiment was performed at the Argonne National Laboratory to measure the lifetimes of the lowest lying states of nuclei belonging to the deformed regions around mass number A≃110 and A≃150. These regions were populated via spontaneous fission of 252Cf and the gamma radiation following the decay of excited states in the fission fragments was measured using 51 Gammasphere detectors coupled with 25 LaBr3:Ce detectors. A brief description of the acquisition system and some preliminary results from the fast-timing analysis of the fission fragment 100Zr are presented. The lifetime value of τ = 840(65) ps was found for the 2+ state in 100Zr consistent within one standard deviation of the adopted value with 791 +26 -35ps. This is associated with a quadrupole deformation parameter of 0.36(2) which is within one standard deviation of the literature value of 0.3556+82 -57.

Humidification mitigates acute mucosal toxicity during radiotherapy when factoring volumetric parameters. Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) RadioHUM 07.03 substudy

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To model in a subset of patients from TROG 07.03 managed at a single site the association between domiciliary based humidification use and mucositis symptom burden during radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) when factoring in volumetric radiotherapy parameters derived from tumour and normal tissue regions of interest.

MATERIALS/METHODS

From June 2008 through June 2011, 210 patients with HNC receiving RT were randomised to either a control arm or humidification using the Fisher & Paykel Healthcare MR880 humidifier. This subset analysis involves patients recruited from Auckland City Hospital treated with a prescribed dose of ≥70 Gy. Regression models included control variables for Planning Target Volume 70 GY (PTV70Gy); Equivalent Uniform Dose (EUD) MOIST and TSV (surrogates of total mucosal and total swallowing volumes respectively).

RESULTS

The analysis included 39 patients (humidification 20, control 19). There was a significant odds reduction in CTCAE v3.0 functional mucositis score of 0.29 associated with the use of humidification (p<.001). Within the parameters of the model therefore, the risk of a humidification patient being scored as experiencing a one-step increase in functional mucositis was 3.45 times lower (1/0.29) than for control patients. A control patient was 4.17 times more likely to receive an unfavourable nutritional mode score (p<.001). The risk of being admitted to hospital decreased by a factor of 11.11 for humidification patients (p=.013).

CONCLUSION

The results support the hypothesis that humidification can help mitigate mucositis symptom burden. Radiotherapy dosimetric parameters assist in the evaluation of toxicity interventions.

Impact of portal vein infiltration and type of venous reconstruction in surgery for borderline resectable pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

The International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery (ISGPS) recommends operative exploration and resection of pancreatic cancers in the presence of reconstructable mesentericoportal axis involvement. However, there is no consensus on the ideal method of vascular reconstruction. The effect of depth of tumour invasion of the vessel wall on outcome is also unknown.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of pancreaticoduodenectomy with vein resection for T3 adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas across nine centres. Outcome measures were overall survival based on the impact of the depth of tumour infiltration of the vessel wall, and morbidity, in-hospital mortality and overall survival between types of venous reconstruction: primary closure, end-to-end anastomosis and interposition graft.

RESULTS

A total of 229 patients underwent portal vein resection; 129 (56·3 per cent) underwent primary closure, 64 (27·9 per cent) had an end-to-end anastomosis and 36 (15·7 per cent) an interposition graft. There was no difference in overall morbidity (26 (20·2 per cent), 14 (22 per cent) and 9 (25 per cent) respectively; P = 0·817) or in-hospital mortality (6 (4·7 per cent), 2 (3 per cent) and 2 (6 per cent); P = 0·826) between the three groups. One hundred and six patients (47·5 per cent) had histological evidence of vein involvement; 59 (26·5 per cent) had superficial invasion (tunica adventitia) and 47 (21·1 per cent) had deep invasion (tunica media or intima). Median survival was 18·8 months for patients who had primary closure, 27·6 months for those with an end-to-end anastomosis and 13·0 months among patients with an interposition graft. There was no significant difference in median survival between patients with superficial, deep or no histological vein involvement (20·8, 21·3 and 13·3 months respectively; P = 0·111). Venous tumour infiltration was not associated with decreased overall survival on multivariable analysis.

CONCLUSION

In this study, there was no difference in morbidity between the three modes of venous reconstruction, and overall survival was similar regardless of tumour infiltration of the vein.