P3603Impact of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura on clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background

There is scarce evidence reflecting the clinical outcomes in patients with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) and Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI). The ITP patient population is at higher risk of bleeding complications due to low platelet counts and difficulty in managing their antiplatelet and anticoagulation therapy. In our study, we sought to assess clinical outcomes of ITP patients admitted with AMI using the US national inpatient sample (NIS) database.

Purpose

To determine difference in in-hospital mortality, clinical complications, and length of stay (LOS) in AMI patients with and without ITP.

Methods

We identified adults aged ≥18 years hospitalized from 2005 to 2014 with AMI as their primary diagnosis utilizing ICD-9 codes 410.0 to 410.92. Patients with ITP were identified using ICD-9 code 287.31. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included coronary revascularization procedures (PCI and CABG), and in-hospital complications including bleeding (intracranial, epistaxis, GI, and GU bleeding, hematoma, and bleeding requiring transfusion), cardiac complications, transfusions, acute ischemic stroke (AIS), and LOS. A propensity-matched cohort accounting for demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and cardiovascular risk factors, was created to compare these outcomes. Patients with secondary causes of ITP such as HIV, pregnancy, sepsis, SLE, malignancy were excluded.

Results

A total of 1108034 AMI admissions, of which 1002 with ITP, were identified. In the unmatched group, patients with ITP were older, and had more comorbidities (diabetes mellitus; hypothyroidism; atrial fibrillation; previous history of cardiovascular, peripheral, and end stage renal disease; all p<0.05). In the AMI population, 851 ITP and 851 non-ITP admissions were propensity-matched. Figure 1 illustrates the primary and secondary outcomes of the study among the propensity-matched study groups. Although there was no difference in short-term mortality between the ITP and non-ITP patients with AMI, patients with ITP were less likely to undergo coronary revascularization possibly because of thrombocytopenia. Patients with ITP had significantly more bleeding complications and transfusions. We observed in our study that patients with ITP had a significantly longer LOS compared to non-ITP patients (6.1 vs 5.4 days, with a mean ratio of 1.14 (95% CI: 1.05,1.23)).

Conclusion

In the large population of patients included in the NIS database, patients with ITP admitted with AMI, have a significantly higher rate of bleeding complications, undergo less PCI and have a longer LOS compared to AMI patients without ITP. There are no current guidelines by ACC/AHA/ESC regarding management of patients with AMI and thrombocytopenia. These results warrant further investigation through randomized controlled trials including patients with thrombocytopenia to assess long term outcomes and to define optimal management in this population.

A retrospective study evaluating the pretreatment tumor volume (PTV) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as a predictor of response to program death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors

Introduction of hypothesis

Little information is available regarding the imaging characteristics that assist in differentiating responders from non-responders. We hypothesized that patients with higher pretreatment tumor volume (PTV) would have lower response rates and shorter overall survival (OS).

Methods

Data from patients who received at least one dose of program death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors before August 31, 2016 were captured from our institution’s pharmacy database. The primary objective was to determine the association of PTV with best response, evaluated utilizing RECIST v1.1 criteria. Secondary objectives were estimation of progression-free survival (PFS) and OS. PTV was measured using the Philips Intellispace Multi-Modality Tumor Tracking application.

Results

116 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were evaluated. 66% patients had adenocarcinoma, 28% had squamous cell carcinoma and 5% had poorly differentiated NSCLC. Median PTV was 53.7 cm³ (95% CI: 13.3–107.9). Only one individual had no metastases and the remainder had M1 disease; 38% M1a, 10% M1b, 51% M1c. Most (79%) were previously treated. There were no complete responses; among those followed for at least 6 weeks, 26% had a partial response, 39% stable disease and 34% PD; 4% had no recorded response. There were no strong associations of PTV with any of the demographic or clinical characteristics. There was no association between PTV and OS (HR 1.2, P=0.26) or PFS (HR 1.1, P=0.47). Liver metastasis was associated with shorter survival (HR=2.8, P=0.05).

Conclusion

PTV in NSCLC did not prove to be a predictor of response to PD-1 inhibitors but having liver metastasis was associated with significantly shorter survival.

Complete response with neoadjuvant avelumab in Merkel cell carcinoma - A case report

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but aggressive neuroendocrine skin malignancy. We report here a case of localized MCC achieving pathologic complete response upon treatment with avelumab in the neoadjuvant setting. Preclinical and clinical studies have revealed a close relationship between MCC and the immune system, thus supporting a role for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in MCC. This neoadjuvant use of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors can avoid potentially disfiguring surgery in MCC. As the incidence of MCC is rising, clinical trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy in resectable disease.

Unleash the power of the mighty T cells-basis of adoptive cellular therapy

Adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) is an immunotherapy which involves the passive transfer of lymphocytes into a lymphodepleted host after ex vivo stimulation and expansion. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have shown objective tumor responses mainly restricted to melanoma and rely on a laborious manufacturing process. These limitations led to emergence of engineered cells, where normal peripheral blood lymphocytes are modified to express T cell receptors (TCRs) or chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) specific for tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). To date, CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cells have been the most extensively studied, showing complete and durable responses in B-cell malignancies. Antitumor responses with engineered T cells have often been accompanied by undesired toxicities in clinical trials including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity. In this review, we provide an overview of adoptive cellular strategies, early and ongoing clinical trials, adverse events and strategies to mitigate side effects and overcome limitations.

Non-small cell to small cell lung cancer on PD-1 inhibitors: two cases on potential histologic transformation

Introduction

Histologic transformation from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a well-recognized mechanism of resistance in EGFR-mutant adenocarcinoma upon treatment with TKIs, but rarely reported with programmed death1 (PD-1) inhibitors. We report two cases of potential transformation during treatment with PD-1 inhibitors.

Case presentations

Case 1, a 65-year-old man was diagnosed with stage IVa lung adenocarcinoma on pleural fluid cytology. He received six cycles of carboplatin and pemetrexed, then maintained on pemetrexed. He had disease progression after nine cycles of pemetrexed and was switched to nivolumab. He progressed after five cycles of nivolumab. Core biopsy of the lung mass revealed SCLC. Case 2, a 68-year-old man was diagnosed with two primary NSCLCs and underwent resection. He had recurrence after several months and was treated with four cycles of carboplatin, paclitaxel, and pembrolizumab on clinical trial, with partial response. He was continued on pembrolizumab and had disease progression after 30 cycles. Biopsy of the new lesions showed SCLC.

Discussion

Histologic transformation from NSCLC to SCLC can be explained by the presence of a common cell precursor. Proposed molecular mechanisms include loss of RB1, TP53 mutations, and MYC amplification. The distinction between transformation and mixed histology tumors is challenging, especially when pathologic material used for the initial diagnosis is limited. The possibility of a second metachronous primary lung cancer cannot be excluded in our cases.

Conclusion

Histologic transformation with PD-1 inhibitors could be under-recognized. Disease progression should prompt re-biopsy to uncover new histology and change in treatment. Future studies are needed to elucidate mechanisms and predictors of transformation.

Is this really just "fatigue"? A case series of immune-related central adrenal insufficiency secondary to immune checkpoint inhibitors

While immunotherapy with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) checkpoint inhibition has shown promising activity against many tumor types, adverse events are common. Hypophysitis is a rare but serious immune-related event known to occur with anti-PD1 inhibition. It will become more prevalent as the usage of checkpoint inhibitors increases.

Responses in patients receiving sequential paclitaxel post progression on PD1 inhibitors

This report describes highlights the dramatic responses seen in patients who were given paclitaxel post progression on immunotherapy. There are multiple mechanisms by which synergistic effects of immunotherapy and chemotherapy occur. Further prospective studies on chemotherapy and immunotherapy are eagerly awaited.

Radiation therapy and immune-related side effects in patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors

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Background: Checkpoint inhibitors exert their antitumor effects by producing a heightened immune state, and inadvertently give rise to immune-mediated toxicities, including pneumonitis and hypothyroidism. We investigated whether these side effects were more common in patients who were treated with both PD-1 inhibitors and radiation. Methods: Our institution’s pharmacy database was used to collect data on patients who received ≥ 1 dose of PD-1 inhibitors, with or without radiation before August 31, 2016. Adverse effects of hypothyroidism, and pneumonitis were recorded and graded based on CTCAEv4. A logistic regression analysis was performed between radiation and hypothyroidism among patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and between radiation therapy (RT) and pneumonitis in lung cancer patients. Results: 231 patients received at least one dose of PD-1 inhibitors prior to data cut-off. Median age was 65 (24-92). There were 125 patients (54%) with lung cancer, 18 (8%) with HL and 9 (4%) with HNSCC. 115 patients received radiation. HL and HNSCC patients had higher odds to experience hypothyroidism (adjusted p = 0.023) but this did not seem to be due to RT exposure [HR:0.156, 95% CI 0.008-1.122, p = 0.110]. Lung cancer patients with thoracic radiation had higher odds to experience pneumonitis [HR:2.206, 95% CI 0.451-15.931] although this was not statistically significant (p = 0.358). Conclusions: There was no association between RT and hypothyroidism. Our results suggested a possible increased risk of pneumonitis with thoracic radiation among lung cancer patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors, although statistically insignificant. Larger prospective studies are needed to further delineate this effect.

Comparative analysis of different maintenance regimens after first-line induction in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

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Background: Although, previous trials have demonstrated the benefits of maintenance chemotherapy for unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC), the optimal maintenance regimen with acceptable safety profile is still undetermined. The primary objective of this meta-analysis was to compare the effectiveness of the most common clinically used maintenance regimens after first line therapy in MCRC. Methods: Among 52 prospective studies published 2009-2017, 14 were qualified for inclusion. Random-effect model was used for pooled effects within different categories include those with no maintenance treatment versus different maintenance regimens (Bevacizumab, capecitabine, bevacizumab plus capecitabine, bevacizumab plus erlotinib, and cetuximab). Primary endpoint was median progression free survival (PFS), and secondary endpoint was median overall survival (OS). All statistical tests were two-sided and p values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: 14 studies with 3553 patients (57% males) were included in final analysis. Induction treatment was 5-FU or capecitabine - based chemotherapy with either oxaliplatin or irinotecan with or without bevacizumab. After stratifying for induction status, patients who did not receive treatment had worse PFS compared to maintenance treatment [pooled median PFS 3.52 months, 95% CI (2.97- 4.07) Vs 5.08 months, 95% CI (4.59- 5.57), z-test adjusted p-value 0.0005]. Among different maintenance regimens, capecitabine /bevacizumab combination showed better PFS [pooled median PFS 6.87 month, 95% CI (5.17- 8.57)], however the results were not significant (z test adjusted p-value 0.1383). No statistical significant difference in median OS between maintenance regimens. Conclusions: MCRC patients who did not receive maintenance treatment had shorter PFS. Although the superiority of bevacizumab plus capecitabine maintenance cannot be confirmed, there was a trend towards better PFS. This study suggests that bevacizumab plus capecitabine may be an appropriate maintenance option after first induction therapy depending on the tolerability and compliance with oral capecitabine.

Clinical outcome for continuous versus intermittent chemotherapy for unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer: Comparative analysis after first-line therapy

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Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common and second most lethal cancer in the U.S, with almost 50% of patients developing metastatic disease. Although survival of metastatic CRC (mCRC) has improved significantly, current treatment strategies are associated with many adverse effects. With no prospect of cure, goals of treatment should consider both quantity and quality of life. Interruption of chemotherapy after induction can represent a means to achieve this balance. Methods: The primary objective of this meta-analysis is to assess the effect of continuation vs interruption of systemic therapy in terms of survival in patients with unresectable mCRC after first line treatment. Among 15 prospective studies published from 2009-2017, 9 qualified for inclusion. Random-effect model was used for pooled effects within two main categories: continuous chemotherapy vs chemotherapy-free interval after first line induction. Studies with maintenance fluoropyrimidine and/or bevacizumab were excluded. Primary endpoint was median progression free survival (PFS) and secondary endpoint was median overall survival (OS). z statistics were used for comparing subgroups. All statistical tests were two-sided. P values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: 1366 patients (55% males) were included in the final analysis. Induction treatment was 5-FU or capecitabine-based chemotherapy with either oxaliplatin or irinotecan with or without bevacizumab. After stratifying for induction status, there was no statistically significant difference in median PFS between continuous vs chemotherapy free interval [Median PFS 4.74-month (95% CI 3.87-5.61) vs 3.52 month (95% CI 2.97-4.07), z-test adjusted p value 0.1383]. No significant difference in median OS between both groups [Median OS 16.95-month (95% CI 15.40-18.50) vs 18.35 month (95% CI 15.17-21.54)]. Conclusions: In mCRC patients, the superiority of continuous chemotherapy was not demonstrated. Further studies should shed light on patient and tumor characteristics most likely to benefit from continuous chemotherapy to limit delivery of cytotoxic therapy to this subset of patients.

Comparison of fluoropyrimidine based (FP)and taxane based platinum doublets (TP) in frontline treatment of patients with metastatic gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas (mGEAC): A retrospective analysis

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Background: Although, fluoropyrimidine (FP) and taxane based platinum doublet (TP) chemotherapy have demonstrated efficacy against advanced gastroesophageal cancer, these two regimens have not been compared in prospective trials. We retrospectively compared fluoropyrimidine based (FP)and taxane based platinum doublet (TP)chemotherapy in the frontline setting in patients with mGEAC. Methods: Patients with mGEAC treated at Karmanos Cancer Institute between 2000-2014 were reviewed. We compared progression free survival (PFS), Response rate (RR), and toxicity profile of the two regimens. Outcomes were analyzed using weighted estimates. Fisher’s exact tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Survival differences were assessed by a log-rank test. Results: Of the total136 patients, 39% (53) received FP and 61% (83) received TP chemotherapy. Males were 68% (94) of the patients. Gastric, esophageal and gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas contributed to 47% (64), 26.5% (36) and 26.5% (36) of the cases respectively. FOLFOX was the main regimen in FP (62%), followed by 5FU cisplatin (38%). Carboplatin paclitaxel was the main regimen in the TP group. There was no statistically significant difference between the FP and TP arms in terms of PFS, RR, and median OS. The estimated median PFS was 6.39 (95% CI, 5.54-11.15) for the FP group vs 6.92 months (95% CI, 6.13-9.02) for the TP group, (p = 0.90). Objective response rate was (48% for FP group Vs 56% for TP group, p = 0.70). There was more significant grade 4-5 toxicity in FP vs TP based regimen (79 % vs 55 % respectively, p = 0.004). Conclusions: The efficacy of fluoropyrimidine platinum doublet chemotherapy appears to be as comparable to taxane based platinum doublet in the frontline treatment of mGEC. However, the fluorpyrimidine based regimen appears to have more toxicity. Consideration of treatment adverse effects ought to be a key factor in determining the choice of either regimen in mGEAC.

Comparative analysis of the effect of bevacizumab maintenance regimens after first-line chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC): A single institution experience

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Background: The majority of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) will ultimately experience disease progression following initial therapy. Although phase III clinical trials show that continued maintenance therapy improves progression free and overall survival in MCRC, the optimal maintenance regimen with an acceptable safety profile is still undetermined. This study aimed to assess outcomes of bevacizumab-containing maintenance therapy after first line chemotherapy for MCRC. Methods: One hundred thirteen patients (46 males, 67 females) with MCRC diagnosed between 2005 and 2014 who received chemotherapy at Karmanos Cancer Institute were included in this retrospective analysis. Induction treatment for most patients consisted of either 5-FU or capecitabine-based chemotherapy with either oxaliplatin or irinotecan and with or without bevacizumab. Eighty percent of patients who received bevacizumab with induction also received it as part of maintenance therapy. Results: After stratifying for age (dichotomized at 65 years) and induction therapy bevacizumab, there was no difference in PFS for induction regimens with or without bevacizumab (p = 0.67). For patients who received capecitabine as maintenance chemotherapy, the addition of bevacizumab resulted in non-significant larger hazard of a PFS event (HR = 1.46, p = 0.36). Among those who received 5-FU maintenance, the addition of bevacizumab resulted in non-significant smaller hazard of a PFS event (HR = 0.48, p = 0.11). There was no difference in observed toxicities between patients who received bevacizumab and those who did not (p = 0.38), with further sub-set analysis showing no increased toxicities among those who received 5-FU (p = 0.76) and those who received capecitabine (p = 0.16). Conclusions: In patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, there was no difference in efficacy or safety when adding bevacizumab to either 5-FU or capecitabine for maintenance after first line chemotherapy. Based on our results, tolerability and compliance with oral capecitabine ought to be a key factor in determining the choice of maintenance in patients with MCRC.

Assessing the performance of a method of simultaneous compression and encryption of multiple images and its resistance against various attacks

We introduce a double optimization procedure for spectrally multiplexing multiple images. This technique is adapted from a recently proposed optical setup implementing the discrete cosine transformation (DCT). The new analysis technique is a combination of spectral fusion based on the properties of DCT, specific spectral filtering, and quantization of the remaining encoded frequencies using an optimal number of bits. Spectrally multiplexing multiple images defines a first level of encryption. A second level of encryption based on a real key image is used to reinforce encryption. A set of numerical simulations and a comparison with the well known JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) image compression standard have been carried out to demonstrate the improved performances of this method. The focus here will differ from the method of simultaneous fusion, compression, and encryption of multiple images (SFCE) [Opt. Express 19, 24023 (2011)] in the following ways. Firstly, we shall be concerned with optimizing the compression rate by adapting the size of the spectral block to each target image and decreasing the number of bits required to encode each block. This size adaptation is achieved by means of the root-mean-square (RMS) time-frequency criterion. We found that this size adaptation provides a good tradeoff between bandwidth of spectral plane and number of reconstructed output images. Secondly, the encryption rate is improved by using a real biometric key and randomly changing the rotation angle of each block before spectral fusion. By using a real-valued key image we have been able to increase the compression rate of 50% over the original SFCE method. We provide numerical examples of the effects for size, rotation, and shifting of DCT-blocks which play noteworthy roles in the optimization of the bandwidth of the spectral plane. Inspection of the results for different types of attack demonstrates the robustness of our procedure.

Simultaneous fusion, compression, and encryption of multiple images

We report a new spectral multiple image fusion analysis based on the discrete cosine transform (DCT) and a specific spectral filtering method. In order to decrease the size of the multiplexed file, we suggest a procedure of compression which is based on an adapted spectral quantization. Each frequency is encoded with an optimized number of bits according its importance and its position in the DC domain. This fusion and compression scheme constitutes a first level of encryption. A supplementary level of encryption is realized by making use of biometric information. We consider several implementations of this analysis by experimenting with sequences of gray scale images. To quantify the performance of our method we calculate the MSE (mean squared error) and the PSNR (peak signal to noise ratio). Our results consistently improve performances compared to the well-known JPEG image compression standard and provide a viable solution for simultaneous compression and encryption of multiple images.

Estrogen receptor-β and fetoplacental endothelial prostanoid biosynthesis: a link to clinically demonstrated fetal growth restriction

CONTEXT

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) due to placental dysfunction impacts short- and long-term neonatal outcomes. Abnormal umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry indicating elevated fetoplacental vascular resistance has been associated with fetal morbidity and mortality. Estrogen receptors are regulators of vasomotor tone, and fetoplacental endothelium expresses estrogen receptor-β (ESR2) as its sole estrogen receptor.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to elucidate the mechanism whereby ESR2 regulates placental villous endothelial cell prostanoid biosynthesis.

DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS

We conducted immunohistochemical analysis of human placental specimens and studies of primary fetoplacental endothelial cells isolated from subjects with uncomplicated pregnancies.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We evaluated in vivo levels of ESR2 and cyclooxygenase-2 (PTGS2) in villous endothelial cells from fetuses with or without FGR and/or abnormal umbilical artery Doppler indices and in vitro effects of ESR2 on prostanoid biosynthetic gene expression.

RESULTS

ESR2 and PTGS2 expression were significantly higher within subjects with FGR with abnormal umbilical artery Doppler indices in comparison with controls (P < 0.01). ESR2 knockdown led to decreased cyclooxygenase-1 (PTGS1), PTGS2, prostaglandin F synthase (AKR1C3), and increased prostacyclin synthase (PTGIS), with opposing results found after ESR2 overexpression (P < 0.05). ESR2 mediates prostaglandin H2 substrate availability and, in the setting of differential regulation of AKR1C3 and PTGIS, altered the balance between vasodilatory and vasoconstricting prostanoid production.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher ESR2 expression in the placental vasculature of FGR subjects with abnormal blood flow is associated with an endothelial cell phenotype that preferentially produces vasoconstrictive prostanoids. Endothelial ESR2 appears to be a master regulator of prostanoid biosynthesis and contributes to high-resistance fetoplacental blood flow, thereby increasing morbidity and mortality associated with FGR.