LRP5 gene polymorphisms and radiographic joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by increased bone resorption and impaired bone formation. Osteoblast function is regulated by the canonical LRP5/Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Bone mineral density and RA joint destruction are partially inherited. In line with this, we found significant associations between LRP5 SNPs (p.A1330V, p.N740N, p.V667M) and RA radiographic damage severity.

INTRODUCTION

Increased bone resorption and impaired bone formation characterize rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway, signalled by lipoprotein receptor-related protein-5 (LRP5), regulates osteoblast function. Since bone mineral density (BMD) and RA joint destruction are partially inherited, we studied their association with LRP5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).

METHODS

Clinical data and peripheral blood for biomarkers assessment and LRP5 genotyping were collected from 208 RA patients. Hands and feet X-rays were scored [modified Sharp/van der Heijde Score (SHS), joint space narrowing (JSN), and erosion scores]. Lumbar spine, total left proximal femur, and left hand BMD were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

RESULTS

TT genotypes for p.A1330V and p.N740N LRP5 SNPs associated with total SHS, erosion score, and hands erosion score; the same for p.A1330V with feet JSN score and p.N740N with hands total score. AG genotype for p.V667M associated with sclerostin and hands JSN score. Femoral BMD associated with TC genotype for p.N740N. Multiple test correction precluded a few of these associations. Among V667M-N740N-A1330V haplotypes: GTT associated with higher feet JSN score (OR = 3.80; p = 0.016) and ATT with higher JSN score (OR = 4.60; p = 0.032), hands total score (OR = 5.65; p = 0.022), and total SHS (OR = 6.74; p = 0.024).

CONCLUSION

Significant associations between LRP5 SNPs (p.A1330V, p.N740N, and p.V667M) and the severity of radiographic damage reinforce the evidence of bone destruction heritability in RA.

Fruit, vegetable consumption and blood pressure in healthy adolescents: A longitudinal analysis from the LabMed study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and high blood pressure among adults are well studied. Nonetheless, data on the influence of a low consumption of fruit and vegetables on cardiovascular disease risk, particularly blood pressure, among healthy adolescents are scarce. Therefore, we aim to analyse the associations between fruit and/or vegetable intake and blood pressure over a two-year period in healthy adolescents.

METHODS AND RESULTS

As part of a cohort, 606 adolescents from the LabMed Physical Activity study were evaluated in 2011 (baseline) and 2013 (follow-up). Blood pressure was measured according to standardized procedures and fruit and vegetable consumption was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric variables, socioeconomic status, pubertal stage and lifestyle determinants were gathered and used as confounders. Prospective associations between fruit and/or vegetable intake and blood pressure were examined using generalized linear models. Girls who consumed more fruit at baseline had a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure at follow-up [unstandardized beta: -0.005 mmHg (95%CI: -0.01; -0.0002) (p = 0.038)].

CONCLUSION

In apparently healthy adolescents, fruit intake may already start to have an effect in blood pressure. Girls who consumed more fruit exhibited lower levels of diastolic blood pressure.

Accuracy of quick sequential organ failure assessment score to predict mortality in hospitalized patients with suspected infection in an HIV/AIDS reference centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

OBJECTIVES

To compare the discriminatory capacity of the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) vs. the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) score for predicting 30-day mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients with suspicion of infection at an HIV reference centre.

METHODS

We performed a prospective cohort study including consecutive adult patients who had suspected infection and who were subsequently admitted to the medical ward. Variables related to qSOFA and SIRS were measured at admission. The performance (area under the receiver operating curve, AUROC) of qSOFA (score ≥2) and SIRS (≥2 criteria) as a predictor of 30-day mortality and ICU admission was evaluated.

RESULTS

One hundred seventy-three patients (mean ± standard deviation age, 42.6 ± 12.4 years) were included in the analysis; 107 (61.8%) were male, and 111 (64.2%) were HIV positive. Respiratory and gastrointestinal infections occurred in 49 (28.3%) and 23 (13.3%), respectively. The 30-day mortality rate was 9 (5.2%) of 173. The prognostic performance of qSOFA was similar compared to SIRS, with an AUROC of 0.68 (95% confidence interval, 0.55-0.81) and 0.69 (95% confidence interval, 0.53-0.86) (p 0.96). Twenty patients (11%) were admitted to the ICU; qSOFA and SIRS had a similar discriminatory capacity for ICU admission (AUROC 0.63 (95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.75) and 0.63 (95% confidence interval, 0.50-0.76)), respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

We found a poor prognostic accuracy of the qSOFA to predict 30-day mortality in hospitalized patients suspected of infection in a setting with a high burden of HIV infection.

Role of the impulse oscillometry in the evaluation of tracheal stenosis

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Tracheal stenosis is a rare and challenging disease. Bronchoscopy is the gold standard for diagnosis and assessment but brings inherent risks. Spirometry is commonly used to access obstructions but is not always feasible due to patient related factors. We therefore considered impulse oscillometry (IOS) as a non-invasive method to quantify airway obstruction and its potential use for diagnosis and follow-up of tracheal stenosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with confirmed tracheal stenosis were recruited between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2016. Before bronchoscopy, all subjects underwent IOS and spirometry; for patients submitted to interventional bronchoscopy the same techniques were also performed after the procedure. We assessed the correlation between IOS measurements and airway narrowing as well as between IOS and spirometry values.

RESULTS

Twenty-one patients were included. Tracheal narrowing was inversely correlated with X5% (r -0.442, p 0.045) and positively correlated with FEV1/PEF (r 0.467, p 0.033). The stenosis length was inversely correlated with PEF and PEF% (r -0.729, p=0.001 and r -0.707, p=0.002, respectively). There was a strong correlation between spirometric and IOS values. We did not find any significant differences between pre- and post-intervention IOS values for patients assessed after interventional bronchoscopy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed a weak correlation between X5% and tracheal narrowing making it unclear whether IOS can be used for physiological assessment of patients with tracheal stenosis. Stenosis length correlated with PEF making it a potential predictor of successful surgical approach. The correlation between IOS and spirometric values makes IOS a potential alternative in patients with suspected tracheal stenosis who are not able to perform spirometry. Larger scale studies should clarify the role of IOS in this pathology.

Analysis of prognostic biomarkers of response in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with abiraterone: A. C. Camargo Cancer Center experience

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Background: Despite therapeutic progress in the management of advanced prostate cancer during the past decade, metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) remains a disease that causes substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. A greater understanding of biomarkers permits to guide personalized therapy and can inform clinical trials tailored to men most likely to derive benefit from a given therapy. We aimed to identify prognostic biomarker candidates of Abiraterone Acetate (AA) response in mCRPC patients. Methods: A retrospective clinical records analysis of mCRPC patients treated with AA at A. C. Camargo Cancer Center between January 2012 to December 2016 was realized. Baseline clinical parameters evaluated were: Age, ECOG performance status, metastatic disease at diagnosis, Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), Neuroendocrine differentiation, duration of previous androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT), PSA doubling-time (PSAdt), Timing of AA (chemotherapy-naïve or not), PSA response and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level. Data were analyzed in relation to progression free survival (PFS) stratified by each parameter. Results: We included 141 patients with mCRPC treated with AA to correlate prognostic biomarkers with PFS. Five risk factors individually were associated with poor prognosis and a high risk to progression during AA therapy and were included in the final model: ECOG ≥2 [Relative risk (RR) = 1.52]; PSAdt < 3 months (RR = 2.7); PSA response ( < 50% decline) (RR = 3.03); AA post docetaxel (RR = 1.63) and duration of previous ADT < 12 months (RR = 1.52). The probability to progression free survival in patients receiving AA calculated in 1, 2 and 3 years, was 39,2%, 15,2% and 6,2%, respectively. Conclusions: This analysis identified five factors used to model survival in mCRPC patients treat with AA in our institutional series. Whereas no biomarker has been validated as a predictor of response to a therapy in mCRPC, these those potential clinical biomarkers may help clinicians in distinguishing patients with mCRPC who would obtain the best survival benefit from AA treatment.

Silva MJ, Riechelmann RP, Begnami MD, Rodrigues NAF, Mello CL. HER-2 overexpression in gastroesophageal junction (EGJ) adenocarcinoma as a predictor of prognosis in patients treated with perioperative chemotherapy

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Background: Approximately 15% of all gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas overexpress HER-2. This is more common in intestinal subtype and proximal tumors. HER-2 status is associated with poor prognosis in non-metastatic patients, but its prognostic impact on the outcomes of pts treated with perioperative chemotherapy (CT) is unclear. Methods: The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the influence of HER-2 status on the overall survival (OS) and Relapse Free Survival (RFS) of pts with locally advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma treated with perioperative CT. HER-2 positive tumors were defined by 3+ immunohistochemical staining or fluorescence in situ hybridization positivity. Independent variables used in the Cox model were: Lauren's subtype, clinical staging, and a combination of primary site and HER-2 status. Results: A total of 97 patients were included: median age was 62y, 62 (63.9%) were male; N = 57 (58.8%) had cT3 tumors and 60 (60.1%) had cN+. Lauren’s subtype was intestinal in N = 35 (36.1%), and diffuse in N = 44 (45.4%). CT regimens were mainly FOLFOX (46.4%), EOX (23.7%) or DCF (13.4%). Regarding primary site and HER-2 status: gastric HER-2 negative N = 61, Gastric HER-2 positive N = 8, GEJ HER-2 negative N = 23, GEJ HER-2 positive N = 5. In a Cox multivariate analyses for OS and RFS, EGJ HER-2 positive pts had higher chance of recurrence (HR = 3.57, 1.08 – 11.77, p = 0.03) and death (HR = 6.14, 1.83 – 20.60, p = 0.003). EGJ HER-2+ 3y RFS was zero and 3y OS was 20%. Conclusions: EGJ HER-2+ tumors carried a dismal prognosis and had little benefit from conventional perioperative CT strategies. Although further studies are needed to confirm our data, we believe that a different approach, possible combining anti-HER-2 drugs, should be tested in this scenario.

A comparison of doublet versus triplet chemotherapy regimens for esophagogastric adenocarcinoma (EGC): Is more always better?

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Background: Recent data showed that a taxane-containing triplet regimen (FLOT) was superior to an anthracycline-containing regimen (ECX/ECF). However, there is no comparison between more costly and toxic triplet (T) regimens versus doublets (D) in the perioperative setting (periCT) of EGC. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients (pts) with newly diagnosed EGC was carried out at AC Camargo Cancer Center from 2007 to 2015. Pts received either a D with a fluopyrimidine and platin or T with addition of epirubicin or docetaxel. Variables used in the Cox model were age, site, TNM, Lauren subtype and periCT (T versus D). The selection between T and D was at physician's choice. Endpoints were Relapse Free Survival (RFS) and Overall Survival (OS). Results: A total of 128 pts were included. Median age was 59.5y (56.5y for T and 67y for D, respectively). Male/female ratio was 82/46. Sixty-six received T (DCF 26 pts, EOX 28, ECX 8, 4 others) and 62 received D (FOLFOX 47 pts, CF 13, 2 others). Primary site: gastric in 93 pts and 35 EGJ. Main clinical staging cT3 N = 81 (63.3%), cN+ 84 (65.4%). Lauren subtype: intestinal N = 48, diffuse N = 54. Regarding surgery: 114 pts were resected and median lymph nodes removed 30. Pathologic complete response was seen in N = 9 (14.5%) and N = 4 (6.1%) considering D and T regimens, respectively (p = 0.14). In multivariate analysis there was no advantage of T over D regarding RFS (HR = 1.65, 0.87 – 3.11, p = 0.12) or OS (HR = 1.29, 0.65 – 2.57, p = 0.45). The 3y RFS rate was 63.2% for D and 40.6% for T and the 3y OS was 69.4% for D and 56.1% for T. Conclusions: In our analysis outcomes of pts treated with T regimen was not superior to D. Our main T was DCF and D was FOLFOX. We consider that doublet regimens may still have a role in periCT in EGC and could be an option for frail or elderly pts. Future trials are needed to confirm our data.

Longitudinal clustering of tuberculosis incidence and predictors for the time profiles: the impact of HIV

BACKGROUND

Portugal remains the country with the highest tuberculosis (TB) incidence in Western Europe.

OBJECTIVES

To identify longitudinal trends in TB incidence in Portugal from 2002 to 2012 and investigate the longitudinal effect of sociodemographic and health-related predictors among the resident population on the TB incidence rate.

METHODS

We used data from the National Tuberculosis Surveillance System and other national institutions. K-means longitudinal clustering algorithm was performed on TB incidence time profiles from districts of Portugal.

RESULTS

Three longitudinal profiles for the TB incidence rate of Portugal were identified. In all of them, TB incidence decreased over time. Among all studied sociodemographic and health-related predictors, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) notification rate and unemployment were shown to have (positive) significant effects on TB incidence. In particular, the greatest effects were found for the HIV notification rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study supports the view that combined TB-HIV strategies and the improvement of social determinants can contribute to decreases in TB incidence.