Effects of Anaerobic Culturing on Pathogenicity and Virulence-Related Gene Expression in Pneumococcal Pneumonia

BACKGROUND

The pathogenicity of Streptococcus pneumoniae under anaerobic conditions remains largely unknown. We examined the pathogenicity of S. pneumoniae cultured under anaerobic conditions in a murine model of pneumococcal pneumonia.

METHODS

Mice were infected with S. pneumoniae grown under anaerobic or aerobic conditions. The pathogenic effects in vivo in the lower airway tract were then compared. The effect of anaerobic culture on lytA/ply transcript levels in vitro and in vivo were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

Mice inoculated with anaerobically cultured S. pneumoniae exhibited significantly lower survival rates and higher bacterial loads in the lungs and blood as compared to those infected with aerobically cultured S. pneumoniae. Aerobically cultured S. pneumoniae in the early log phase of growth was also able to induce severe pneumonia at levels equivalent to those of anaerobic S. pneumoniae. However, ply/gyrB transcript levels were significantly increased in the lungs of mice infected with anaerobically grown S. pneumoniae. In vitro, S. pneumoniae grown under anaerobic culture conditions demonstrated greater proliferation than S. pneumoniae grown under aerobic culture conditions, and bacterial concentrations were maintained for 24 hours without detectable upregulation of lytA messenger RNA.

CONCLUSIONS

S. pneumoniae grown under anaerobic conditions had the potential to induce severe invasive bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia in a manner different from that of S. pneumoniae grown under aerobic conditions.

[Retrosternal Giant Aortic Aneurysm;Report of Two Cases]

This is a 2-case report of successful aortic repair surgery for the retrosternal giant aortic aneurysm. Our surgical strategy is "deep hypothermia and left ventricular( LV) unloading under cardiopulmonary bypass before approaching to the aortic aneurysm" in case of possible catastrophic bleeding. Case 1, a 64-year-old woman, had a retrosternal pseudoaneurysm (80 mm) at the distal anastomosis of a Dacron graft used to replace the ascending aorta 7 years before. An LV vent tube was cannulated via the right upper pulmonary vein through an inferior T-shaped ministernotomy. Case 2, an 86-year-old woman, had a retrosternal chronic aortic dissecting aneurysm (66 mm). An LV vent cannula was inserted via the LV apex through a left minithoracotomy. Arch replacement and ascending aorta replacement were performed in Case 1 and 2, respectively, without cardiac, neurological, or any other complications. This strategy is safe and useful in a case with complex aortic disease.

P5593The association of recurrence and bleeding events with mortality after venous thromboembolism: from the COMMAND VTE Registry

Background/Introduction

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), has a long-term risk for recurrence, which can be prevented by anticoagulation therapy. The duration of anticoagulation therapy after VTE should be based on the balance between risks of recurrent VTE and bleeding. However, there is uncertainty about the impact of these events on subsequent mortality.

Purpose

We sought to evaluate the impact of recurrent VTE events and bleeding events on subsequent mortality in patients with VTE in a large retrospective observational database in Japan.

Methods

We evaluated the association of recurrent VTE and major bleeding with mortality among 3026 patients in the COMMAND VTE Registry. We estimated the risks of recurrent VTE events and major bleeding events for subsequent all-cause death with the multivariable Cox proportional hazard model. We incorporated the recurrent VTE events and major bleeding events during follow-up into the multivariable Cox model as time-updated covariates together with the clinically-relevant 16 risk-adjusting factors. We expressed the adjusted risks of each covariate as hazard ratios (HR) and their 95%confidence intervals (CI). Furthermore, to assess the risks of recurrent PE and recurrent DVT events for subsequent all-cause death respectively, we divided recurrent VTE events into recurrent PE (PE with or without DVT) and recurrent DVT (DVT only), and incorporated these events as well as major bleeding events into the multivariable Cox model as time-updated covariates.

Results

In the current study population, the mean age was 67 years, 61% were women, and mean body weight and body mass index were 57.9 kg and 23.2 kg/m2, respectively. During the median follow-up period of 1,218 days, 763 patients died, 225 patients developed recurrent VTE events, and 274 patients developed major bleeding events. The time-updated multivariable Cox proportional hazard model revealed that both the recurrent VTE events and the major bleeding events were strongly associated with subsequent mortality risk (recurrent VTE events: HR 3.24, 95% CI 2.57–4.08, P<0.001; major bleeding events: HR 3.53, 95% CI 2.88–4.31, P<0.001). Both the recurrent PE events and the recurrent DVT events were associated with subsequent mortality risk with the numerically greater magnitude of effect with the recurrent PE events than with the recurrent DVT events (recurrent PE events: HR 4.42, 95% CI 3.28–5.95, P<0.001; recurrent DVT events: HR 2.42, 95% CI 1.75–3.36, P<0.001).

Conclusions

In the real-world patients with VTE, both recurrent VTE events and major bleeding events were strongly associated with subsequent mortality risk with the comparable effect size. Recurrent PE and recurrent DVT events were also associated with increased risks for mortality, although the magnitude of the effect on mortality was numerically greater with the recurrent PE events than with the recurrent DVT events.

Acknowledgement/Funding

Research Institute for Production Development, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation

P3847Deep vein thrombosis in upper extremities: clinical characteristics, management strategies and long-term outcomes from the COMMAND VTE Registry

Background/Introduction

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is caused by blockage of pulmonary arteries by thrombus. The sources of thrombus are thought to be mostly veins in lower extremities, whereas deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in upper extremities rarely occurs spontaneously. Recent studies reported that DVT in upper extremities might have significant complications, and DVT in upper extremities could be increasing. However, there is a paucity of data on patients with DVT in upper extremities, leading to uncertainty in optimal treatment strategies including anticoagulation therapy.

Purpose

We sought to evaluate the clinical characteristics, management strategies, and long-term outcomes of patients with DVT in upper extremities in a large observational database in Japan.

Methods

The COMMAND VTE Registry is a multicenter registry enrolling 3027 consecutive patients with acute symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) objectively confirmed by imaging examination or by autopsy among 29 centers in Japan between January 2010 and August 2014. The current study population consisted of 2498 patients with DVT in upper or lower extremities, after excluding 381 patients with PE only, 144 patients who had thrombus in locations other than upper or lower extremities, and 4 patients with DVT in both upper and lower extremities. The study patients were divided into 2 groups: patients with DVT in upper extremities and patients with DVT in lower extremities. We compared the clinical characteristics, management strategies and long-term outcomes between the 2 groups.

Results

There were 74 patients (3.0%) with upper extremities DVT and 2498 patients (97%) with lower extremities DVT. Patients with upper extremities DVT more often had active cancer at diagnosis (58%) and central venous catheter use (22%). The proportion of concomitant PE at diagnosis was lower in patients with upper extremities DVT than in those with lower extremities DVT (14% and 51%, P<0.001). Discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy was more frequent in patients with upper extremities DVT (63.8% and 29.8% at 1-year, P<0.001). The cumulative 3-year incidence of recurrent VTE was not different between the 2 groups (9.8% and 7.4%, P=0.43) (Figure). After adjusting confounders, the risks of upper extremities DVT relative to lower extremities DVT for recurrent VTE remained insignificant (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.36–2.01, P=0.89).

Kaplan-Meier event curves for recurrence

Conclusions

The prevalence of patients with DVT in upper extremities was 3.0% in the current large-scale real-world registry. Patients with DVT in upper extremities more often had active cancer at diagnosis and central venous catheter use as a transient risk factor for VTE, and less often had concomitant PE. Patients with DVT in upper extremities had similar long-term risk for recurrent VTE as those with DVT in lower extremities despite shorter duration of anticoagulation.

Acknowledgement/Funding

Research Institute for Production Development, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation

P3846The association between statin prescription, recurrent venous thromboembolism and bleeding events: from the COMMAND VTE Registry

Background

Statin prevents occurrence and recurrence of atherosclerotic events. With regard to venous thromboembolism (VTE), a randomized controlled trial suggested that statin reduced occurrence of VTE, whereas its usefulness as secondary prevention of VTE remains to be elucidated.

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the association between statin prescription, recurrent VTE and bleeding events in patients with VTE.

Methods

The COMMAND VTE Registry is a multicentre registry enrolling consecutive 3027 patients with acute symptomatic VTE among 29 centres in Japan. We divided the cohort into the patients who were prescribed statin (N=437) and those not (N=2590), and compared the two groups. We assessed hazard ratios (HRs) of those with statin relative to those without for long-term clinical outcomes (recurrent symptomatic VTE and International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis [ISTH] major bleeding). Because the durations of anticoagulation therapy were widely different between the two groups, we constructed Cox's proportional hazard model incorporating status of anticoagulation during the follow-up period as a time-varying covariate. Also, because the incidences of death were strikingly different between the two groups due to the difference in the prevalence of active cancer, we used Fine-Gray's subdistribution hazard model in the presence of competing risks. We incorporated clinically relevant factors into these two models as covariates (10 factors for recurrent VTE and 11 for major bleeding).

Results

The statin group was significantly older than the non-statin group (statin 71.2±11.8 vs. non-statin 66.5±15.8, P<0.001). The prevalence of active cancer in the statin group was less than one-half of that in the non-statin group (12% vs. 25%, P<0.001), and the cumulative 3-year incidence of death was significantly lower in the statin group than in the non-statin group (12.8% vs. 26.1%, log-rank P<0.001). The table shows the adjusted HRs of the statin group relative to the non-statin group. The HRs of the statin group relative to non-statin group for recurrent VTE were significantly low, but those for major bleeding were insignificant.

Adjusted hazard ratios Outcome measures Model 1 P value Model 2 P value Adjusted HR [95% CI] Adjusted HR [95% CI] Recurrent VTE 0.59 [0.36–0.98] 0.042 0.53 [0.32–0.89] 0.02 Major bleeding 0.87 [0.60–1.24] 0.43 0.997 [0.69–1.43] 0.99 Model 1 derived from Cox's model with time-varying covariate of anticoagulation status. Model 2 derived from Fine-Gray's model.

Study flowchart

Conclusions

Prescription of satin was associated with significantly low risks for recurrent VTE, whereas that was not for major bleeding events. Statin could be a potential treatment option for secondary prevention of VTE.

P5592Thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator for patients with acute pulmonary embolisms in the real world: from the COMMAND VTE Registry

Background/Introduction

There is still uncertainty about the optimal usage of thrombolysis for acute pulmonary embolisms (PEs), leading to widely varying usage of thrombolysis in the real world. However, these have not been fully evaluated yet.

Purpose

We sought to evaluate the management strategies and clinical outcomes of thrombolysis for acute PEs in the real world.

Methods

The COMMAND VTE Registry is a multicenter registry enrolling 3,027 consecutive patients with acute symptomatic venous thromboembolisms in Japan between January 2010 and August 2014. The present study population consisted of 1,549 patients with PEs who received tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) thrombolysis (N=180, 12%), or those who did not (N=1,369). The effectiveness outcome was all-cause death. The safety outcome was major bleeding. We used a multivariable logistic regression analysis to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), to adjust clinically relevant confounders (age, sex, history of major bleeding, active cancer, and anemia). Additionally, we conducted stratified analysis by clinical severity, and we also evaluated clinical outcomes according to dosages of t-PA.

Results

Patients with t-PA thrombolysis were younger, and more frequently had higher body weight, but less frequently had active cancer, history of major bleeding, and anemia. More than half of patients with t-PA thrombolysis were patients with mild PEs, and the proportions of t-PA thrombolysis varied widely across the participating centers. More than half of patients received low-dose of t-PA (<20,000 IU/kg). As for the effectiveness, 9 (5.0%) patients in the t-PA thrombolysis group and 95 (6.9%) patients in the non t-PA thrombolysis group died at 30 days (Crude OR, 0.71; 95% CI 0.35–1.42, P=0.33). As for the safety, 7 (3.9%) patients in the t-PA thrombolysis group and 22 (1.6%) patients in the non t-PA thrombolysis group experienced major bleeding events at 10 days (Crude OR, 2.48; 95% CI 1.04–5.88, P=0.04). T-PA thrombolysis group had a significantly higher risk for 10-day major bleeding (Adjusted OR, 4.01; 95% CI 1.57–10.2, P=0.004), but not a lower risk for 30-day mortality (Adjusted OR, 1.10; 95% CI 0.53–2.28, P=0.79), although the risk for 30-day mortality was significantly lower in those with severe PEs (Adjusted OR, 0.36; 95% CI 0.15–0.88, P=0.02). After adjusting confounders, the 10-day major bleeding risk of the low-dose of t-PA group relative to the standard-dose of t-PA group tended to be lower (Adjusted OR, 0.07; 95% CI 0.004–1.05, P=0.05).

Conclusions

In the present real-world registry, relatively large number of patients received t-PA thrombolysis with wide variation across the participating centers. T-PA thrombolysis was significantly associated with a higher risk for major bleeding, but not a lower risk for mortality, although there appeared to be a benefit of t-PA thrombolysis in decreasing the risk for mortality in patients with severe PEs.

Acknowledgement/Funding

Research Institute for Production Development, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation

P6461The long-term clinical comparisons of symptomatic patients of pulmonary embolism with and those without deep vein thrombosis: from the COMMAND VTE Registry

Background

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), has significant morbidity and mortality. Acute PE, in particular, is fatal if we miss it, and symptomatic patients of PE sometimes have concomitant DVT.

Purpose

This study compared the risk of mortality in symptomatic patients of PE with and those without DVT in the long term.

Methods

The COMMAND VTE Registry is a multicenter registry enrolling consecutive 3027 patients with acute symptomatic VTE objectively confirmed by imaging examination or by autopsy among 29 centers in Japan between January 2010 and August 2014. Patients with both PE and DVT (N=1334) were regarded as PE patients, and the current study population consisted of 1715 PE patients and 1312 DVT patients.

Results

There were 1203 symptomatic patients of PE, including 381 without and 822 with DVT. In our cohort, the mean age was 67.9±14.9 years, 63% was female, 44% had hypertension, 12% diabetes mellitus, 5% history of VTE. There were 20% of active cancer. Baseline characteristics were well matched except for dyslipidemia (18% vs. 23%, p=0.021) and atrial fibrillation (8% vs. 5%, p=0.045). Patients without DVT had a more severe clinical presentation compared to those with DVT, including hypoxemia, shock and arrest. Moreover, Initial parenteral anticoagulation therapy in the acute phase was administered less frequently in patients without DVT (89% vs. 96%, P=0.0001). Two groups received thrombolysis (20% vs. 26%, P=0.18) and mechanical supports (Ventilator 14% vs. 5%, p<0.001, PCPS 5% vs. 3%, p<0.001, respectively). During follow-up, 93 (8%) patients experienced recurrent VTE events and 98 (8%) major bleeding events, and 323 (27%) patients died. The most frequent cause of death was cancer (11%). There were a significant differences in the cumulative incidences of all-cause death between the groups (32% vs. 24%, P=0.006), whereas there was significant difference in VTE-related death (13% vs. 4%, p<0.001). Estimated freedom rates from death for patients of PE without and those with DVT were as follows: 88% vs 99% at 10-day, 86% vs 95% at 1-month, 75% vs 83% at 1-year, and 64% vs 71% at 5-year, respectively.

Landmark analysis

Conclusions

In symptomatic patients of PE, there was a difference in mortality between groups, but no difference in recurrent VTE. Patients without DVT had a more severe clinical presentation compared to those with DVT, and many VTE-related deaths in the acute phase. The one-month mortality rate differed statistically between groups, but there was no significant difference in long-term survival beyond one month. Most of deaths were due to underlying diseases, mainly cancer, and less commonly due to VTE in the long term.

Acknowledgement/Funding

Research Institute for Production Development, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation

P2770Clinical characteristics and outcomes of venous thromboembolism according to patients with versus without atrial fibrillation: from the COMMAND VTE Registry

Background/Introduction

Oral anticoagulants are widely used for the treatment and second prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF). VTE and AF are common diseases and these sometimes might coexist. However, there are few reports about the relationship between VTE and AF.

Purpose

We sought to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes in VTE patients with AF.

Methods

The COMMAND VTE Registry is a multicenter registry enrolling consecutive 3027 patients with acute symptomatic VTE objectively confirmed by imaging examination or by autopsy among 29 centers in Japan between January 2010 and August 2014. The current study population consisted of 129 patients with AF (AF group) and 2898 patients without AF (non-AF group). We compared the clinical characteristics, management strategies and long-term outcomes between the 2 groups.

Results

The AF group was older (mean age: 75.3 vs. 66.8 years, P<0.001), and more often had co-morbidities such as hypertension (54.3% vs. 37.7%, P<0.001), diabetes mellitus (20.2% vs. 12.4%, P=0.01), chronic kidney disease (28.7% vs. 18.5%, P=0.004), heart failure (28.7% vs. 18.5%, P=0.004), history of stroke (20.2% vs. 8.4%, P<0.001), and history of major bleeding (12.4% vs. 7.4%, P=0.04) compared with the non-AF group, whereas there were no significant differences in the proportions of active cancer at diagnosis (18.6% vs. 23.2%, P=0.23) and pulmonary embolism at presentation (64.3% vs. 56.3%, P=0.07). The proportion of anticoagulation therapy beyond acute phase was not significantly different (94% vs. 93%, P=0.60), while the cumulative discontinuation rates of anticoagulation therapy was significantly lower in the AF group (26.9% vs. 43.4% at 3 years, Log-rank P=0.03). The cumulative 5-year incidences of recurrent VTE and major bleeding were not significantly different (Recurrent VTE: 7.6% vs. 10.6%, Log-rank P=0.89; Major bleeding: 18.6% vs. 11.8%, Log-rank P=0.07). After adjusting for potential confounders, the risks of the AF group relative to the non-AF group for recurrent VTE and major bleeding remained insignificant (HR 1.19, 95% CI 0.54–2.28, P=0.64; HR 1.28, 95% CI 0.73–2.06, P=0.37). The cumulative 5-year incidence of all-cause death was significantly higher in the AF-group (49.1% vs. 28.6%, Log-rank P<0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, the risks of the AF group relative to the non-AF group for all-cause death remained significant (HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.23–2.15, P<0.001). The proportion of deaths due to cancer was lower in the AF group (30% vs. 55%, P<0.001), while the proportion of cardiac deaths was higher in the AF group (16.1% vs. 4.0%, P<0.001).

The outcomes of VTE patients with AF

Conclusions

The risks for recurrent VTE between patients with AF and those without AF were not significantly different, although patients with AF received longer-term anticoagulation therapy, whereas the risks for major bleeding tended to be higher in patients with AF.

Acknowledgement/Funding

Research Institute for Production Development, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation

Anti-PcrV titers in non-cystic fibrosis patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa respiratory tract infection

OBJECTIVE

The epidemiology and role of the anti-PcrV titer in non-cystic fibrosis patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa airway tract infections is not fully understood. This study was performed to compare the anti-PcrV titers of patients with and without P. aeruginosa respiratory tract infections.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study was conducted at Hokkaido University Hospital in Japan. Participants had blood and sputum specimens collected on admission. They were divided into two groups based on their sputum culture results. Those with a P. aeruginosa infection were assigned to the P. aeruginosa (PA) group and those without a P. aeruginosa infection were assigned to the non-PA group. Serum anti-PcrV titers were measured using a validated ELISA.

RESULTS

Of the 44 participants, 15 were assigned to the PA group and 29 were assigned to the non-PA group. In the PA group, 10/15 participants (66.7%) had an anti-PcrV titer >1000ng/ml compared to 3/29 participants (10.3%) in the non-PA group (p<0.001). In the PA group, two of the five participants with an anti-PcrV titer <1000 ng/ml died of recurrent P. aeruginosa pneumonia; the other three participants did not develop pneumonia.

CONCLUSION

The anti-PcrV titers in participants with P. aeruginosa infection varied considerably. Patients with low anti-PcrV titers and refractory P. aeruginosa infections need to be monitored closely.

Plasma-Induced Bubble Microjet Metallization of Elastomer

As the development of flexible materials and advanced materials progresses, innovative wiring methods for these materials are attracting attention. In this study, we investigated a new wiring technology using plasma-induced microbubbles for elastomer without any surface treatment. Our technology includes three main points. (1) Unlike electroless plating and other conventional methods, it does not require complicated pre-surface treatment processes before wiring. (2) A wiring resolution of 500 micro meter can be reached quickly and economically. (3) Robust metallic adhesion on a wide range of materials can be successfully carried out with precise positioning. Here, by applying our method, we adhered nickel nanoparticles to a latex rubber substrate and demonstrated the electrical conductivity of the created line. The result suggests that our method has potential as an innovative wiring technology to precisely, robustly, and simply fabricate an electric circuit without any complicated procedures or pre-treatment. Our method can contribute to microfabrication technologies.

Regulatory T cells and M2-polarized tumour-associated macrophages are associated with the oncogenesis and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) and tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) contribute to the tumour microenvironment by inhibiting anti-tumour immune responses. This study was performed to investigate the roles of Tregs and TAMs in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oral epithelial precursor lesions (OEPL). The expression of Treg markers CD25 and FoxP3 and TAM markers CD163 and CD204 was investigated in 82 OSCC and 45 OEPL specimens, and their associations with clinicopathological parameters were analyzed. Correlations were found among CD25, FoxP3, CD163, and CD204 levels (P <  0.001), and these targets were up-regulated in OSCC compared to OEPL (P <  0.001). In OSCC, infiltration of Tregs and/or M2 TAMs was associated with sex and clinicopathological features, such as tumour size, nodal metastasis, tissue differentiation, stromal reaction, invasive behaviour, and invasive depth. In OEPL, CD25, FoxP3, CD163, and CD204 immunoreactivities were significantly associated with sex, postoperative recurrence, and cancerization to OSCC. This study is novel in showing that the infiltration of Tregs and M2 TAMs is significantly associated with the progression of premalignant lesions to OSCC. This suggests that these cells represent prognostic biomarkers for premalignant lesion progression and that immunotherapeutic approaches to control Treg/M2 TAM numbers could protect against progression to malignancy.

Transmission electron diffraction study of a uniaxially-ordered high-mobility polymeric semiconductor

Thin films of the polymeric semiconductor 2,5-bis (3-hexadecylthiophen-2-yl) thieno (3,2-b) thiophene obtained by compression with a glass blade exhibit high-carrier mobility. This enhanced performance has been attributed to the uniaxial alignment of the polymer molecules, although such alignment has not yet been demonstrated experimentally. In the present study, the local alignment of the polymer was estimated using transmission electron diffraction. The diffraction spots corresponding to π-π stacking layers (along the b-axis) showed an arc-like intensity distribution along with angles of 11.6°, 15.8° and 25.4° for selected areas having diameters of 70, 140 and 280 nm, respectively. This variation of the arc angle with diameter indicates that the polymer chains were arranged in a gentle winding state, with an average radius of curvature of ~630 nm. We conclude that, as expected, the high-carrier mobility of the polymer is related to its uniaxial alignment.

Comparison of posterior alveolar canal location measured on computer tomography scan with cadaveric measurement of posterior superior alveolar foramen in Japanese samples

The aim of this study was to analyse anatomical characteristics of the most posterior alveolar canal (PAC) on computed tomography (CT) images and the posterior superior alveolar foramen (PSAF) physically identified in cadaveric samples, to avoid injuring the posterior superior alveolar artery (PSAA) during surgery in the maxillary tuberosity region. The study included 125 hemi-heads of 64 Japanese cadavers. Simple CT data of the maxillary bone region of the samples were obtained and analysed using measurement software. The alveolar crest (AC) and the PAC were identified to calculate the shortest distance between the AC and the PAC (AC-PAC). Then the samples were dissected to measure physically the shortest distance between the AC and the PSAF (AC-PSAF). The data were analysed statistically. The mean value and standard deviation were 20.7±4.2mm for AC-PAC and 20.7±4.3mm for AC-PSAF. The intraclass correlation coefficient between AC-PAC and AC-PSAF was 0.98. The CT-measured PAC locations were found to be almost identical to the PSAF positions identified physically in the samples. Preoperative CT localization of the PAC aids in avoiding injury to PSAA, while preoperative CT evaluation is important for each case due to significant individual variability in the anatomical PAC and PSAF locations.

Periodontitis Is Associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

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

Abstract P2-14-17: Long-term oncologic safety of nipple-sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction

Background

Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) is an alternative procedure to skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) for selected patients who undergo immediate reconstruction. However, the evidence of long-term oncologic safety of NSM has not been established. In this study, we aimed to compare the prognosis of breast cancer patients who underwent NSM to those who underwent SSM with immediate reconstruction.

Methods

The clinicopathological factors including recurrence site, pathologic stage, nipple-tumor distance, histological type, lymphovascular invasion, margin status, ER, PgR and HER2 status of stage 0–III primary breast cancer patients who underwent NSM or SSM with immediate primary reconstruction with tissue expander from our breast center database was retrospectively assessed. Patients with a nipple tumor distance of &lt;1 cm who underwent NSM were excluded. 190 patients who underwent NSM and 729 patients who underwent SSM were included in the analysis. All patients underwent MRI or US before treatment. Nipple-tumor distance was mainly measured by MRI.

Results

The median follow-up period was 71 months (range: 10 - 131 months) for the NSM group and 79 months (range: 9 - 140 months) for the SSM group. There were no significant difference of clinicopathological factors between the NSM group and the SSM group, except of the larger diameter of tumor in the SSM group. NSM was performed for 60 patients (32%) with stage 0, 71 patients (37%) with stage I, and 59 patients (31%) with stage II/III. SSM was performed for 185 patients (26%) with stage 0, 268 patients (37%) with stage I, and 276 patients (37%) with stage II/III. Local recurrence was found in 11 (5.8%) patients in the NSM group and in 44 (6.0%) patients in the SSM group. In the NSM group, only one (0.5%) patient had local recurrence in the nipple areola complex. In terms of DFS and overall survival (OS) rate, there was no difference between the NSM group and the SSM group (DFS; 89.5% vs 89.2%, HR, 1.044; p = 0.8992; 95% CI, 0.5116–1.9519, and OS; 98.4% vs 96.4%, HR, 0.963; p = 0.9116; 95% CI, 0.473–1.793). According to breast cancer subtype, in the NSM group, all of the 11 patients (100%) who developed local recurrence in the NSM group was hormone receptor (HR)-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer. 29 of the 44 patients (65.9%) who developed local recurrence in the SSM group was HR-positive/HER2-negative, 6 patients (13.6%) was HR-negative/HER2-positive, and 7 patients (15.9%) was triple-negative breast cancer. Among patients who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the NSM group (3 of 14 patients, 21.4%) had a trend for higher local recurrence rate than the SSM group 7 of 116 patients (6.0%) (p = 0.0813). However, no local recurrence in the nipple areola complex was observed for the NSM group. In addition, there was no difference of OS between the NSM group (92.9%) and the SSM group (90.5%) (HR, 0.903; p = 0.9943; 95% CI, 0.049-4.739).

Conclusions

Our results suggested that NSM with immediate reconstruction might be safe as well as SSM for breast cancer with the nipple–tumor distance of &gt;1 cm with respect to their prognosis and local control regardless of breast cancer subtype or invasiveness. Further studies with a large sample size to assess the risk of local recurrence for NSM after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Citation Format: Yamashita Y, Hayashi N, Nagura N, Kajiura Y, Yoshida A, Takei J, Suzuki K, Tsunoda H, Yamauchi H. Long-term oncologic safety of nipple-sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-14-17.

A multiparametric MRI-based machine learning to distinguish between uterine sarcoma and benign leiomyoma: comparison with 18F-FDG PET/CT

AIM

To compare the performance of machine learning using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) and positron-emission tomography (PET) to distinguish between uterine sarcoma and leiomyoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board and informed consent was waived. Sixty-seven consecutive patients with uterine sarcoma or leiomyoma who underwent pelvic 3 T MRI and PET were included. Of 67 patients, 11 had uterine sarcomas and 56 had leiomyomas. Seven different parameters were measured in the tumours, from T2-weighted, T1-weighted, contrast-enhanced, and diffusion-weighted MRI, and PET. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) with a leave-one-out cross-validation were used to compare the diagnostic performances of the univariate and multivariate logistic regression (LR) model with those of two board-certified radiologists.

RESULTS

The AUCs of the univariate models using MRI parameters (0.68-0.8) were inferior to that of the maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax) of PET (0.85); however, the AUC of the multivariate LR model (0.92) was superior to that of SUVmax, and comparable to that of the board-certified radiologists (0.97 and 0.89).

CONCLUSION

The diagnostic performance of the machine learning using mp-MRI was superior to PET and comparable to that of experienced radiologists.

Search for B^{-}→μ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{μ} Decays at the Belle Experiment

We report the results of a search for the rare, purely leptonic decay B^{-}→μ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{μ} performed with a 711  fb^{-1} data sample that contains 772×10^{6}  BB[over ¯] pairs, collected near the ϒ(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. The signal events are selected based on the presence of a high momentum muon and the topology of the rest of the event showing properties of a generic B-meson decay, as well as the missing energy and momentum being consistent with the hypothesis of a neutrino from the signal decay. We find a 2.4 standard deviation excess above background including systematic uncertainties, which corresponds to a branching fraction of B(B^{-}→μ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{μ})=(6.46±2.22±1.60)×10^{-7} or a frequentist 90% confidence level interval on the B^{-}→μ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{μ} branching fraction of [2.9,10.7]×10^{-7}.

Diagnostic accuracy of plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations in cats with and without cardiomyopathies

OBJECTIVES

Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels have been reported to be elevated in cats with cardiomyopathy. We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of plasma ANP concentration as an indicator of the severity of cardiomyopathies.

ANIMALS

This study included 78 control cats and 83 cats with various types of cardiomyopathy.

METHODS

This was a prospective multicentre study. Control cats were determined to have a normal heart, and diseased cats were diagnosed by echocardiography. Diseased cats were divided into asymptomatic cats without left atrial dilation (LAD), asymptomatic cats with LAD, and cats with heart failure. Plasma C-terminal ANP concentrations were measured using chemiluminescence.

RESULTS

The median plasma ANP concentration in controls was 43.3 (interquartile range, 33.0-56.3) pg/mL. Plasma ANP values were significantly higher in the cardiomyopathic cats with LAD and heart failure, but the values in cats without LAD were comparable to those in control cats. To distinguish cats with cardiomyopathy from controls, a plasma ANP concentration >77.5 pg/mL afforded sensitivity of 66.3% and specificity of 84.6%. Use of plasma ANP concentration >110.9 pg/mL to identify cats with LAD had a sensitivity of 73.6% and specificity of 93.5%. The areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve were 0.80 and 0.86.

CONCLUSIONS

Plasma ANP concentrations were higher in cats with more advanced cardiomyopathy. Although assaying the ANP concentration alone may not help to diagnose cardiac disease, measuring provides additional information that is useful for assessing the severity of cardiomyopathies.

Total Synthesis of Bis-anthraquinone Antibiotic BE-43472B

This is a full account of our synthetic endeavor on the total synthesis of bis-anthraquinone antibiotic BE-43472B, an unusual octacyclic aromatic polyketide with a bis-anthraquinone scaffold. Three key steps enabled a facile access to the anthraquinone unit corresponding to the ABCF rings; (1) cyclo-condensation or -addition of benzonitrile oxides with cyclic enone derivatives, (2) benzoin cyclization for the stereoselective ring fusion with an angular hydroxy group, and (3) pinacol rearrangement for stereoselective installation of the angular aryl group. Other keys for the success include, (4) diastereoselective methylation of a lactol derivative, and (5) late-stage installation of the C3 hydroxy group through stereoselective oxirane ring formation via halohydrin derivatives. Whereas oxidation of the double bond in the enone with an adjacent 1,3-diketone moiety failed, the projected oxidation was achieved with the alkene keeping the isoxazole moiety intact as a 1,3-diketone equivalent. In the racemic total synthesis, X-ray crystal structure analysis of the target was achieved, proving the three-dimensional architecture for the first time. The asymmetric total synthesis was also achieved by exploiting a cycloadduct of the nitrile oxide and the enantiomerically pure cyclohexenone, which was convertible to the common intermediate via dehydrogenation followed by alkoxycarbonylation.

Ontogeny of turbiditaxis in hatchery-reared Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus

The ontogenetic change in turbiditaxis (i.e. attraction to turbid waters) was examined in the larvae and juveniles of Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus by testing three levels of turbidity (0, 20 and 100 ppm of kaolin). Larvae of 12, 20 and 30 mm standard length (L_S ) exhibited turbiditaxis to both 20 and 100 ppm of kaolin, whereas 6 mm L_S larvae and 45 mm L_S juveniles did not exhibit any turbiditaxis. Turbiditaxis might explain the ontogenetic habitat shift from coastal to offshore waters reported for this species.

Mass Preparation of Primary Porcine Hepatocytes and the Design of a Hybrid Artificial Liver Module using Spheroid Culture for a Clinical Trial

To isolate a large number of porcine hepatocytes, we originally developed a mass preparation method that combined the usual collagenase perfusion method of a whole liver with a collagenase redigestion method of tissue fragments after liver perfusion. Using a pig of 10kg, collagenase perfusion only resulted in a yield of 63 ± 78 x 108 total cells with a viability of 69.2 ± 25.3 %, but our combined method had a yield of 167 ± 31 x 108 total cells with a viability of 87.9 ± 4.4 % (mean ± SD). Also, the combined method was applied to two pigs of 10kg body weight at the same time, and isolated 387 ± 89 x 108 hepatocytes with a viability of 87.1 ± 6.9 % and a purity of 93.6 ± 2.8 % in 11 experiments.

We designed a large multi-capillary polyurethane foam (MC-PUF) packed-bed module containing 1 x 1010 porcine hepatocytes on a clinical trial scale. The porcine hepatocytes in the module formed spherical multicellular aggregates (spheroids) of 200 – 500 μm diameter. Most hepatocytes forming spheroids were viable judged by fluorescein diacetate and ethidium bromide staining. The activities of ammonia removal, albumin secretion and oxygen consumption of the large MC-PUF module were the same as for a small MC-PUF module containing 2 x 108 porcine hepatocytes, and were maintained for at least 9 days of culture. These results show that a large MC-PUF module is successfully scaled up 50 times.

In conclusion, we succeeded in developing a mass preparation method of porcine hepatocytes and a large hybrid artificial liver module on a clinical trial scale.

The Efficacy of Nafamostat Mesilate on the Performance of a Hybrid-artificial Liver using a Polyurethane foam/porcine Hepatocyte Spheroid Culture System in Human Plasma

Nafamostat mesilate (FUT) is a protease inhibitor of complement activation. The present study investigates whether FUT protects porcine hepatocytes from being injured by human plasma in a multi-capillary polyurethane foam packed-bed culture system (MC-PUF) such as the hybrid-artificial liver (PUF-HAL). Human plasmas with 1 mM of added ammonia were perfused using a small-scale PUF-HAL with porcine hepatocytes. FUT was continuously infused (10 μ g/ml, 50 μ g/ml,). The ammonia detoxification was maintained in human plasma for 24 hours and for 48 hours with FUT which suppressed the rapid increase of asparaginic acid aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). After 60 hours of perfusion, hepatocyte spheroids completely collapsed in the human plasma, but a small amount of hepatocyte spheroid was maintained by FUT. The effect of FUT was slightly greater at 50 μ g/ml than at 10 μ g/ml. Our results suggest that FUT has protective effects against porcine hepatocytes in human plasma, and our PUF-HAL using porcine hepatocytes can function in human plasma for about 48 hours with FUT.

18F-FDG PET: early postoperative period of oro-maxillo-facial flaps

Aim: We addressed the feasibility of FDG-PET to differentiate between viability and non-viability in the immediate postoperative assessment of flaps (autologous microvascular anastomosed pedicled flaps) in oro-maxillo-facial surgery. Methods: 3-7 days after surgery, FDG-PET was done in 38 patients who had received flaps for reconstruction of the mandible after partial resection. The studies were done on a dedicated full ring PET-scanner (ECAT EXACT HR+, Siemens/CTI). Acquisition started between 60 and 80 min post injection. The findings of the soft tissue component of the flaps were grouped using a three point scale: (I) no defect, (II) small defects, (III) one large defect. The results of PET were compared with the clinical course for at least 3 months. Results: “No defect” on the FDG-PET study identified viability of the flap and predicted normal clinical follow-up (22/38 patients). “Small defects” visualized areas of decreased perfusion and decreased glucose metabolism indicating risk of non-viability (13/38 patients); adapting the postsurgical management led to delayed but uncomplicated healing of the flaps in these patients. “One large defect” demonstrated early necrosis of the flap (3/38 patients). After removal and replacement of this necrotic portion of the flap the second FDG-PET scan of these 3 patients demonstrated the uncomplicated post-operative healing. Conclusion: FDG-PET facilitated the assessment of viability and non viability of flaps in the immediate postsurgical period, and demonstrated the usefulness of FDG-PET for postoperative care and prognosis.

Evidence for Isospin Violation and Measurement of CP Asymmetries in B→K^{*}(892)γ

We report the first evidence for isospin violation in B→K^{*}γ and the first measurement of the difference of CP asymmetries between B^{+}→K^{*+}γ and B^{0}→K^{*0}γ. This analysis is based on the data sample containing 772×10^{6}BB[over ¯] pairs that was collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB energy-asymmetric e^{+}e^{-} collider. We find evidence for the isospin violation with a significance of 3.1σ, Δ_{0+}=[+6.2±1.5(stat)±0.6(syst)±1.2(f_{+-}/f_{00})]%, where the third uncertainty is due to the uncertainty on the fraction of B^{+}B^{-} to B^{0}B[over ¯]^{0} production in ϒ(4S) decays. The measured value is consistent with predictions of the standard model. The result for the difference of CP asymmetries is ΔA_{CP}=[+2.4±2.8(stat)±0.5(syst)]%, consistent with zero. The measured branching fractions and CP asymmetries for charged and neutral B meson decays are the most precise to date. We also calculate the ratio of branching fractions of B^{0}→K^{*0}γ to B_{s}^{0}→ϕγ.

Search for CP Violation and Measurement of the Branching Fraction in the Decay D^{0}→K_{S}^{0}K_{S}^{0}

We report a study of the decay D^{0}→K_{S}^{0}K_{S}^{0} using 921  fb^{-1} of data collected at or near the ϒ(4S) and ϒ(5S) resonances with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. The measured time-integrated CP asymmetry is A_{CP}(D^{0}→K_{S}^{0}K_{S}^{0})=(-0.02±1.53±0.02±0.17)%, and the branching fraction is B(D^{0}→K_{S}^{0}K_{S}^{0})=(1.321±0.023±0.036±0.044)×10^{-4}, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the normalization mode (D^{0}→K_{S}^{0}π^{0}). These results are significantly more precise than previous measurements available for this mode. The A_{CP} measurement is consistent with the standard model expectation.

Value of 100 kVp scan with sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction algorithm on a single-source CT system during whole-body CT for radiation and contrast medium dose reduction: an intra-individual feasibility study

AIM

To perform an intra-individual investigation of the usefulness of a contrast medium (CM) and radiation dose-reduction protocol using single-source computed tomography (CT) combined with 100 kVp and sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) for whole-body CT (WBCT; chest-abdomen-pelvis CT) in oncology patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-three oncology patients who had undergone WBCT under both 120 and 100 kVp protocols at different time points (mean interscan intervals: 98 days) were included retrospectively. The CM doses for the 120 and 100 kVp protocols were 600 and 480 mg iodine/kg, respectively; 120 kVp images were reconstructed with filtered back-projection (FBP), whereas 100 kVp images were reconstructed with FBP (100 kVp-F) and the SAFIRE (100 kVp-S). The size-specific dose estimate (SSDE), iodine load and image quality of each protocol were compared.

RESULTS

The SSDE and iodine load of 100 kVp protocol were 34% and 21%, respectively, lower than of 120 kVp protocol (SSDE: 10.6±1.1 versus 16.1±1.8 mGy; iodine load: 24.8±4versus 31.5±5.5 g iodine, p<0.01). Contrast enhancement, objective image noise, contrast-to-noise-ratio, and visual score of 100 kVp-S were similar to or better than of 120 kVp protocol.

CONCLUSION

Compared with the 120 kVp protocol, the combined use of 100 kVp and SAFIRE in WBCT for oncology assessment with an SSCT facilitated substantial reduction in the CM and radiation dose while maintaining image quality.

Monitoring of hemostatic abnormalities in major orthopedic surgery patients treated with edoxaban by APTT waveform

INTRODUCTION

An analysis of the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) in major orthopedic surgery patients receiving edoxaban for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) was carried out.

METHODS

The APTT waveform was analyzed in the above patients to monitor edoxaban administration.

RESULTS

Of these 99 patients, 12 exhibited deep vein thrombosis, and 25 had massive bleeding. An increased biphasic pattern of the APTT waveform was observed after the administration of edoxaban, but there were no significant differences between the patients with and without complications. The peak times of acceleration, velocity, and 1/2 fibrin formation were significantly prolonged after the administration of edoxaban, especially in patients with massive bleeding, and were moderately correlated with the anti-Xa activity. While the heights of velocity and acceleration peak 2 were lower in patients receiving warfarin treatment than in those receiving edoxaban, the widths of these parameters were significantly longer. The height of 1/2 fibrin formation and the width of acceleration peaks 1 and 2 and the velocity were significantly increased after the administration of edoxaban.

CONCLUSION

The peak time of the APTT waveform was significantly prolonged after the administration of edoxaban. The analysis of the APTT waveform may therefore be useful for the prediction of the risk of massive bleeding.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Graft Through a Rectangular Bone Tunnel Made With a Rectangular Retro-dilator: An Operative Technique

Good clinical results have been reported with anatomic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions in which rectangular bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) grafts were fixed into rectangular bone tunnels made at anatomic ACL insertion sites of the femur and tibia (anatomic rectangular tunnel BTB ACL reconstruction). Notwithstanding these good results, some problems have remained unsolved, including procedural complexity and risk of damage to the femoral posterior tunnel wall, damage to nerves and blood vessels, and damage to cartilage. The purpose of this report is to present our technique of ACL reconstruction with BTB graft through a rectangular bone tunnel made with a rectangular retro-dilator. Our procedure may become a safe option for anatomic rectangular tunnel BTB ACL reconstruction because of the following advantages: (1) bone tunnels can be created more safely and accurately than in methods using transtibial and far medial portals, (2) the bone tunnel preparation procedure is less invasive than the standard outside-in method, (3) technical failure-related risks are lower because the guidewire is inserted only once, and (4) the operation time is shorter because the method is a single-bundle procedure.

Crucial role of plasmacytoid dendritic cells in the development of acute colitis through the regulation of intestinal inflammation

Disruption of intestinal homeostasis can lead to inflammatory bowel diseases endowed susceptibility genes and environmental factors affecting intestinal accumulation and activation of colitogenic phagocytes. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are immune cells that had been proposed to control innate and adaptive immunity through the massive secretion of type I interferon (IFN-I). However, the contribution of pDCs to the progression of intestinal inflammation remains unclear. Here we show a critical role of pDCs in the initiation of acute colonic inflammation using T-cell-independent acute colitis model with a selective ablation of pDCs. Although pDCs accumulated in the inflamed colon upon mucosal injury, deficiency of pDCs attenuated the development of acute colitis independent of IFN-I signaling, accompanied by the diminished colonic production of proinflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, deficiency of pDCs impaired the mobilization of colitogenic phagocytes into the inflamed colon possibly mediated by the abrogated mucosal production of C-C chemokine receptor 2 ligand. Thus, our findings highlight a critical role of pDCs in the induction of the colonic inflammation that regulates the colonic accumulation of inflammatory phagocytes leading to the initiation and exacerbation of acute colitis, and they may serve a key role in controlling gut mucosal immune homeostasis.