Changes in resting-state brain networks after cognitive-behavioral therapy for chronic pain

BACKGROUND

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is thought to be useful for chronic pain, with the pathology of the latter being closely associated with cognitive-emotional components. However, there are few resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) studies. We used the independent component analysis method to examine neural changes after CBT and to assess whether brain regions predict treatment response.

METHODS

We performed R-fMRI on a group of 29 chronic pain (somatoform pain disorder) patients and 30 age-matched healthy controls (T1). Patients were enrolled in a weekly 12-session group CBT (T2). We assessed selected regions of interest that exhibited differences in intrinsic connectivity network (ICN) connectivity strength between the patients and controls at T1, and compared T1 and T2. We also examined the correlations between treatment effects and rs-fMRI data.

RESULTS

Abnormal ICN connectivity of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and inferior parietal lobule within the dorsal attention network (DAN) and of the paracentral lobule within the sensorimotor network in patients with chronic pain normalized after CBT. Higher ICN connectivity strength in the OFC indicated greater improvements in pain intensity. Furthermore, ICN connectivity strength in the dorsal posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) within the DAN at T1 was negatively correlated with CBT-related clinical improvements.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the OFC is crucial for CBT-related improvement of pain intensity, and that the dorsal PCC activation at pretreatment also plays an important role in improvement of clinical symptoms via CBT.

Abstract P5-21-32: AZD5363 in combination with fulvestrant in AKT1-mutant ER-positive metastatic breast cancer

Background: E17K is the most common activating AKT1 mutation and was shown to be a therapeutic target in this multipart Phase 1 study of AZD5363 (NCT01226316), an oral and selective pan-AKT kinase inhibitor, in patients (pts) with AKT1-mutant (AKT1m) advanced solid tumors. In heavily pretreated AKT1m (E17K) ER+ metastatic breast cancer (MBC) pts, monotherapy achieved an objective response rate (ORR) of 20% and a median progression-free survival of 5.5 months (95% CI, 2.9−6.9). Suppression of PI3K-AKT signaling results in induction of ER-dependent transcription, potentially limiting the response to single-agent PI3K/AKT inhibitors. We explored the hypothesis that simultaneous inhibition of AKT and ER signaling would enhance antitumor efficacy in AKT1m ER+ MBC.

Methods: In an expansion of this study, we administered oral AZD5363 400 mg twice daily, 4 days on 3 days off, and fulvestrant 500 mg, to AKT1m (detected in tumor tissue by local screening and/or plasma BEAMing) ER+ HER2– MBC pts, enrolled into a fulvestrant-naïve (FN) or fulvestrant-resistant (FR) cohort (max 24 pts/cohort). Key objectives included safety and efficacy by RECIST v1.1. We report results of a planned interim analysis conducted when 12 pts/cohort reached maturity for assessment of 24-week clinical benefit rate (CBR), defined as the percentage of responders plus those with stable disease (SD) ≥24 weeks.Data cut-off occurred in June 2017.

Results: At the time of analysis, 24 AKT1m pts (23 E17K, 1 E40K) had received treatment. FN had more visceral disease (83.3% vs 66.7%) and ER+/PR– status (25% vs 8.3%) than FR. Median number of prior anticancer regimens was 4.5 (range 1–9) and 6 (2–11) in FN and FR, respectively, with more chemotherapy (CT) and less hormone therapy (HT) exposure in FN vs FR [3 (0–5) vs 2 (0–6) and 2 (0–4) vs 4 (2–6) prior CT and HT, respectively]. Prior palbociclib was received by 1 (8.3%) and 4 (33.3%) pts in FN and FR, respectively. Clinical efficacy is detailed below; CBR was 33% and 42% in FN and FR, respectively (Table 1). There was 1 unconfirmed partial response in patients treated with prior palbociclib and 3 SD. At data cut-off, 18 pts had discontinued treatment: progressive disease, n=12; adverse events (AEs), n=2; other reasons, n=4. AEs were observed in all 24 pts, most commonly diarrhea (71%), nausea (63%), vomiting and decreased appetite (29%). Grade ≥3 AEs occurred in 13 (54%) pts, most frequently maculopapular rash (n=3), nausea, hyperglycemia and back pain (all n=2). Dose reduction due to AEs occurred in 3 pts.

Table 1. Clinical efficacy FNFREligible for interim data cut-off, n1212ORR, n (%)2 (17)4 (33)CBR, n (%)4 (33)5 (42)Confirmed response (complete/partial response), n (%)2 (17)4 (33)SD ≥24 weeks, n (%)2 (17)1 (8)

Conclusions: AZD5363 plus fulvestrant is clinically active in AKT1m ER+ MBC pts, including in pts with demonstrated prior resistance to fulvestrant. Comparatively lower efficacy was observed in the FN cohort; factors that may have potentially contributed (eg disease characteristics) will be explored. cfDNA and genomic data will also be presented.

Citation Format: Smyth LM, Oliveira M, Ciruelos E, Tamura K, El-Khoueiry A, Mita A, You B, Renouf DJ, Sablin M-P, Lluch A, Mayer IA, Bando H, Yamashita H, Ambrose H, de Bruin E, Carr TH, Corcoran C, Foxley A, Lindemann JPO, Maudsley R, Pass M, Rutkowski A, Schiavon G, Banerji U, Scaltriti M, Taylor BS, Chandarlapaty S, Baselga J, Hyman DM. AZD5363 in combination with fulvestrant in AKT1-mutant ER-positive metastatic breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-21-32.

Abstract P5-21-05: Withdrawn

This abstract was withdrawn by the authors.

Abstract P4-08-07: PIK3CA mutation, reduced AKT serine 473 phosphorylation, and increased ERα serine 167 phosphorylation are positive prognostic indicators in postmenopausal estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer

Background: Endocrine therapy is the most important treatment option for women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. We recently reported that approximately two-thirds of patients who relapsed within 5 years had received anthracyclins and/or taxanes as adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy in addition to adjuvant endocrine therapy. New strategies, such as signal transduction inhibitors together with endocrine therapy are required to improve survival. PIK3CA mutations are detected in almost 40% of early ER-positive breast cancers, and are therefore the most frequent genetic alterations in this subtype. PIK3CA mutation status is reported to affect activation of AKT and ERα. Moreover, recent studies demonstrate that patients had a better prognosis when tumors expressed ER, androgen receptor (AR), and vitamin D receptor (VDR).

Methods: Expression of AR and VDR, phosphorylation of AKT serine (Ser) 473 (AKT phospho-Ser473) and ERα Ser167 (ERα phospho-Ser167) were examined by immunohistochemistry in ER-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer tissues. Seventeen mutations in exons 1, 4, 7, 9, and 20 of the PIK3CA gene were detected in genomic DNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor blocks. Correlations between these biological markers and clinicopathological factors and prognosis were analyzed separately in pre- and postmenopausal women.

Results: Levels of AKT phospho-Ser473 were significantly higher in premenopausal women (n = 62) than in postmenopausal women (n = 152) (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.014, respectively). In contrast, expression levels of AR were significantly higher in postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women (P < 0.0001). In premenopausal women, 26 tumors (43%) had a single mutation of PIK3CA gene, and 3 tumors (5%) had mutations at two sites. In postmenopausal women, 64 tumors (44%) had a single PIK3CA mutation, 6 tumors (4%) had mutations at two sites, and one tumor (1%) had mutations at three sites. In premenopausal women, wild type PIK3CA was associated with smaller tumor size, higher ER expression levels, and lower AR expression levels when compared with women in the same cohort with PIK3CA mutant tumors. In postmenopausal women, patients with PIK3CA wild-type tumors had higher Ki67 labeling index, higher AKT phospho-Ser473, and lower ERα phospho-Ser167 when compared to patients with PIK3CA mutant tumors. Postmenopausal women with PIK3CA wild-type tumors had significantly worse disease-free survival than patients with PIK3CA mutant tumors (P = 0.007). In contrast, PIK3CA mutation status was not correlated with survival in premenopausal women. Low levels of AKT phospho-Ser473 and high levels of ERα phospho-Ser167 were strongly associated with increased disease-free survival in postmenopausal women (P = 0.016 and P = 0.0016, respectively).

Conclusion: ERα activation, in addition to PIK3CA mutation, may be biomarkers for highly endocrine-responsive tumors. This would facilitate the selection of postmenopausal ER-positive breast cancer patients who are likely to benefit from endocrine therapy alone from those who are not.

Citation Format: Ishida N, Hatanaka Y, Baba M, Hagio K, Okada H, Hatanaka KC, Matsuno Y, Yamashita H. PIK3CA mutation, reduced AKT serine 473 phosphorylation, and increased ERα serine 167 phosphorylation are positive prognostic indicators in postmenopausal estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-08-07.

Titanium-Based Hydrides as Heterogeneous Catalysts for Ammonia Synthesis

The problem of activating N₂ and its subsequent hydrogenation to form NH₃ has been approached from many directions. One of these approaches involves the use of transition metal hydride complexes. Recently, transition metal hydride complexes of Ti and Ta have been shown to activate N₂, but without catalytic formation of NH₃. Here, we show that at elevated temperatures (400 °C, 5 MPa), solid-state hydride-containing Ti compounds (TiH₂ and BaTiO_2.5H_0.5) form a nitride-hydride surface similar to those observed with titanium clusters, but continuously (∼7 days) form NH₃ under H₂/N₂ flow conditions to achieve a catalytic cycle, with activity (up to 2.8 mmol·g·^-1·h^-1) almost comparable to conventional supported Ru catalysts such as Cs-Ru/MgO or Ru/BaTiO₃ that we have tested. As with the homogeneous analogues, the initial presence of hydride within the catalyst is critical. A rare hydrogen-based Mars van Krevelen mechanism may be at play here. Conventional scaling rules of pure metals predict essentially no activity for Ti, making this a previously overlooked element, but our results show that by introducing hydride, the repertoire of heterogeneous catalysts can be expanded to include formerly unexamined compositions without resorting to precious metals.

Severe hypoglycaemia is a major predictor of incident diabetic retinopathy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes

AIM

Hypoglycaemia is a common complication in diabetes patients. However, its relationship with retinopathy has not been well documented in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study aimed to investigate the associations between hypoglycaemia and the incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR).

METHODS

In this longitudinal cohort study, which was part of the Japan Diabetes Complications Study (JDCS), adult patients with T2D were recruited at 59 diabetes clinics across Japan. Their history of hypoglycaemia was assessed by standardized self-reported questionnaires. Severe hypoglycaemia was defined as having at least one episode with coma requiring an outpatients visit or hospitalization. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for incidence and progression of DR over 8 years of follow-up were determined.

RESULTS

Of 1221 patients without DR, 127 (10.4%) had experienced non-severe hypoglycaemia within the previous year, whereas 10 (0.8%) reported severe hypoglycaemia episodes. During the 8-year follow-up involving 8492 person-years, 329 patients developed DR. In 410 patients with prevalent DR, the adjusted HRs for incident DR were 4.35 (95% CI: 1.98-9.56; P<0.01) and, for progression of DR, 2.29 (95% CI: 0.45-11.78; P=0.32) with severe hypoglycaemia.

CONCLUSION

Having a history of severe hypoglycaemia was one of the strongest predictors of incident DR in patients with T2D, with a fourfold increased risk. Identifying patients with greater risks of DR based on their history of hypoglycaemia may help to personalize risk evaluation in patients with diabetes.