Scrub typhus in urban areas of Wardha district in central India

Background & objectives

Scrub typhus caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi presents as acute undifferentiated fever and can be confused with other infectious causes of fever. We studied scrub typhus as part of a study on hospital-based surveillance of zoonotic and vector-borne zoonotic diseases at a tertiary care hospital located in the Wardha district, Maharashtra, India. We report here descriptive epidemiology and climatic factors affecting scrub typhus.

Methods

Patients of any age and sex with fever of ≥5 days were enrolled for this study. Data on sociodemographic variables were collected by personal interviews. Blood samples were tested by IgM ELISA to diagnose scrub typhus. Confirmation of scrub typhus was done by indirect immunofluorescence assay for IgM (IgM IFA). The climatic determinants were determined using time-series Poisson regression analysis.

Results

It was found that 15.9 per cent of the study participants were positive for scrub typhus by IgM ELISA and IgM IFA, both. Positivity was maximum (23.0%) in 41-60 yr of age and more females were affected than males (16.6 vs. 15.5%). Farmworkers were affected more (23.6%) than non-farm workers (12.9%). The disease positivity was found to be high in monsoon and post-monsoon seasons (22.9 and 19.4%) than in summer and winter.

Interpretation & conclusions

There were three hot spots of scrub typhus in urban areas of Wardha district. Rainfall and relative humidity in the previous month were the significant determinants of the disease.

Treatment and Outcomes of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Single-center Experience

There is a paucity of literature about the outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 after kidney transplantation in developing countries (e.g., India). We included 50 consecutive kidney transplant recipients diagnosed with COVID-19 from August 2020 to December 2020. The mean age was 50 ± 10 years, and the median interval since transplantation was 34 months. Fever (100%), cough (40%), and shortness of breath (32%) were the most common presenting symptoms. Mild disease occurred in 26 patients, moderate disease in 12, and severe disease in 12. All 24 patients with moderate-to-severe disease received remdesivir and high-dose steroids, whereas 17 of 26 patients with mild disease received favipiravir. Convalescent plasma was given to 13 of 24 patients with moderate-to-severe disease, and 7 of 12 patients with severe disease received tocilizumab. The median hospital stay was 7 days (interquartile range: 4-20 days). Of 30 patients who developed acute kidney injury, seven required renal replacement therapy and eight required mechanical ventilation. Eight patients with severe disease died. An age of >50 years, coughing, shortness of breath at presentation, C-reactive protein levels of >100 mg/dL, D-dimer levels of >1 mg/L, computed tomography severity scores of >20 at presentation, supplemental oxygen, and mechanical ventilation correlated significantly with mortality in our cohort. COVID-19 infection in kidney transplant recipients had a high mortality rate; however, remdesivir and high-dose steroids were associated with better outcomes compared with earlier studies.

Clinicopathological spectrum of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis; a single-center experience over 7 years

Background: Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) is chronic pyelonephritis subtype where in renal parenchymal destruction occurs and therefore results in progressive loss of kidney functions. Although middle age group is the predominant age group affected but it can be seen at any age. There is accumulation of macrophages (lipid-laden) leading to renal parenchymal destruction and fibrosis. In this study, we present our data of 15 patients who had undergone nephrectomy and were biopsy proven XGP. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to describe the clinical and radiological features of XGP in adults. Materials and Methods: XGP constituted 4.31% of the 348 nephrectomies done for infective causes over a period of 7 years. All our patients had undergone unilateral total nephrectomy. Demographic and clinical records were analyzed after consent from all the patients. Results: The age range in our study was 18–65 years with mean 42.93±15.66 years. Nine of our patients, that is, 60% were females. Diabetes was present in 53.3% of our patients. Three patients had imaging suggestive of pyonephrosis, three patients had perinephric collection and 9 patients (60%) had concomitant nephrolithiasis. All the kidneys were grossly enlarged and were non-functional on renal scintigraphy. Conclusion: XGP is a form of chronic pyelonephritis which although being less common but is devastating given the destruction of renal parenchyma it does and associated morbidity. Clinicoradiologic correlation cannot be overemphasized. The definitive diagnosis is established after histopathologic examination.

O-232 Art of fibroid removal in patients with infertility

Aim of myomectomy in infertile patient is to preserve and improve fertility, minimising excessive bleeding and pain. Relation ship of myoma and fertility remains debatable moreover removal of all myomas may not be helpful in improving fertility outcome thus it becomes important to decide which fibroid should be removed and which one shouldn’t be touched. Principle of minimal damage and complication should be kept in mind. Mapping of fibroid is an important step in planning the route of operation.Number and site of myoma decides the approach. A preoperative  meticulous TVS examination supplemented by TAS specially in large and multiple fibroids is extremely helpful in decision making. it is also important to preoperative differentiation of adenomyosis and fibroid to avoid a surprise element and excessive bleeding during removal. Use of colour flow may be helpful in differentiating. Use of 3-D is important specially in borderline sub mucous myoma. Extent of myoma in to uterine cavity is very important to decide the route of operation. various classifications have attempted to simplify the decision making but combining usg and hysteroscopy is the best way to decide. it is also important to diagnose a large intramural myoma touching the junctional zone. Instilling methylene blue before operation to outline the cavity during surgery in case of accidental entry is a good practice. using intraoperative ultrasound while tackling a large intracavitary fibroid having more than 75% extent in intra myometrial region may be helpful in complete removal.

The placement of the optical and secondary ports determines the degree of ergonomic surgery performance, time and difficulty of myoma enucleation, and the ease of suturing. reducing the bleeding during enucleation, dissection in the right plane, minimal use of cautery and proper suturing and closure avoiding any haematoma formation are key points for a successful myomectomy. Use of diluted vasopressin is very effective in making the surgery blood less. So also the use of bipolar in coagulating the large blood vessels. Using bipolar diathermy, a dissecting grasper, and a suction cannula, meticulous exploration of the dissection field can more efficiently detect and coagulate any actively bleeding vessels. Slow rotation of the bevelled morcellator and good control of the bag could reduce de novo myoma and endometriosis. The surgery outcome and the risk of intraoperative complications are highly dependent on trocar placement, finding of the correct cleavage plane, haemostasis, and suturing technique. Flap technique is an innovative approach for removing small fibroid near junctional zone. Good surgery with respect to minimal destruction and handling of the healthy tissue, avoiding unnecessary organ manipulation, controlled bleeding, minimal coagulation, and reasonable operating time remain the best ways to diminish the risk of adhesion formation.It is very important to preserve the cavity, minimal adhesion formation and perfect suturing avoiding dead spaces and haematoma formation for a successful out come in infertile patient.

Hypercalcemia and Nephrocalcinosis in an Infant with Subcutaneous Fat Necrosis: A Rare but Potential Serious Clinical Condition

Background: Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn (SCFN) is a panniculitis characterized by the presence of violaceous subcutaneous nodules and indurated plaques on the back, buttocks, proximal extremities, or cheeks. It is a self-limiting benign condition sometimes associated with hypercalcemia that can lead to serious complications such as seizures, failure to thrive and renal failure. It usually develops in full term neonates who experienced some perinatal stress. The literature shows that hypercalcemia is found in nearly 51% of infants, with 95% of the infants developing it within 60 days of onset of skin  lesions. Clinical Description: In this case, we describe a full-term female infant presented to us with failure to thrive at 2 months of age with a postnatal history of meconium aspiration syndrome. On further evaluation, child was found to have hypercalcemia, anemia and bilateral nephrocalcinosis. Management & Outcome: The clinical findings and lab investigations were consistent with subcutaneous fat necrosis with hypercalcemia as its main complication. Child was successfully treated with oral corticosteroids. Conclusion: Being a rare clinical condition, it is important to consider it as a differential diagnosis in infants with significant perinatal stress and hence this case report.

Abstract 2745: The PLANET manufacturing process reproducibly generates high-quality neoantigen-targeted peripheral T cells (NPTs) for adoptive T cell therapy in the TiTAN clinical trial

Background: Neoantigen (neoAg)-specific T cells can be found in the peripheral blood of patients with solid tumors, and the infiltration of fresh, peripherally derived T cells into tumors has been associated with successful outcomes after checkpoint blockade therapy. We previously described the development of our PLANET™ manufacturing process to create NPTs, based on the empirical identification of neoAgs using the ex vivo ATLAS™ bioassay, for adoptive transfer into patients with cancer. We have initiated the TiTAN™ clinical trial (NCT04596033) to evaluate this candidate immunotherapy, GEN-011, in subjects with checkpoint refractory solid tumors. Here we report the successful manufacturing of NPTs to support the ongoing trial.

Methods: Apheresis, FFPE tumor and saliva samples were procured from subjects who consented to participate in the trial. Monocytes and T cells were isolated and cryopreserved. Patient-specific neoAgs against which their T cells were responsive were identified with ATLAS, and up to 30 neoAgs were prioritized for manufacture; pro-tumor Inhibigens™ were excluded. Cryopreserved peripheral blood monocytes and T cells were thawed, monocytes derived into dendritic cells, and then neoAg-specific T cells expanded in the fully closed PLANET manufacturing process. The NPTs were formulated and cryopreserved for administration to patients after release testing.

Results: Subjects with five different solid tumor types contributed to these data: CSC, NSCLC, SCLC, SCCHN, and melanoma. A median of 2.1bn monocytes and 6bn T cells were cryopreserved from apheresis products (N=17). The median TMB was 1.8mut/Mb (range 0.01-36.6) with 473 somatic mutations (range 32-8893); the number of non-synonymous mutations ranged from 9 to 767. ATLAS screens identified a mean of 13±4 neoAgs and 11±3 Inhibigens, resulting in an average of 13 (range 2-30) unique neoAgs in each PLANET manufacturing process. Upon conclusion of manufacturing, the mean yield per patient was 1.6±0.3bn NPTs across runs (N=9) completed by the time of data cutoff. Characterization tests revealed the NPTs were consistently 80-90% CD8+ and 10-20% CD4+ T cells, of which 97% (range 64.9-99.8%) were effector memory and 1% (range 0.1-32.3%) central memory. The median purity at release was 98% with 82% viability. By functional assessments, the NPTs retained specificity for 91% (range 82-100%) of their intended neoAg targets (N=4). Administratable doses were successfully manufactured for 100% of patients to date.

Conclusions: NPTs can routinely be manufactured in a GMP setting to treat patients with solid tumors. By expanding fresh, non-exhausted NeoAg-specific T cells with known tumor specificity from the periphery, GEN-011 has the potential to provide clinical benefits of TIL with greater accessibility and minimal irrelevant T cells. The TiTAN trial is ongoing.

Citation Format: Harshal Zope, Rounak Nande, Manish Jain, Charley Hubbard, Louisa Dowal, James Foti, James Loizeaux, Crystal Cabral, Daniel B. DeOliveira, Guohan Yang, Mercay Reuter, Jessica Baker Flechtner, Raymond Stapleton. The PLANET manufacturing process reproducibly generates high-quality neoantigen-targeted peripheral T cells (NPTs) for adoptive T cell therapy in the TiTAN clinical trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 2745.

Tunable lattice thermal conductivity of twisted bilayer MoS2

We have studied the thermal conductivity (κ) of layered MoS₂, a typical member of the transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) materials, using fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations and Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) based first principles methods. We investigate the tuning of the thermal conductivity with the twist angle between two layers and found a decreasing trend of κ with the increase in the lattice constant of the moiré superlattice. The thermal conductivity at twist angle θ = 21.78° is found to be 72.03 W m^-1 K^-1 and for an angle of 2.87°, it reaches 54.48 W m^-1 K^-1, leading to a 32% reduction in the thermal conductivity. We use first principles calculations based on the BTE for phonons to give a microscopic origin of the decrease in thermal conductivity through anharmonic phonon scattering events and also reaffirm the MD simulation results for the monolayer and bilayer.

POS1057 IMPACT OF RISANKIZUMAB ON ENTHESITIS AND ASSOCIATED PAIN: POOLED RESULTS FROM THE PHASE 3, RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND KEEPsAKE 1 AND 2 TRIALS

Background

Controlling or improving musculoskeletal disease activity of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (eg, enthesitis and associated pain) is a treatment priority for patients, rheumatologists, and dermatologists.1 Enthesitis is the cardinal lesion in PsA and is immunogenetically and experimentally linked to the interleukin-23 (IL-23) pathway.2 Risankizumab (RZB), a humanized immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody that specifically inhibits IL-23 by binding to its p19 subunit, was studied in a phase 3 adult PsA program (KEEPsAKE clinical trials).3,4 Pooled analyses from the program demonstrated the efficacy of RZB to treat enthesitis and pain associated with PsA, and increase the proportion of patients whose enthesitis resolved compared with placebo (PBO) in those patients who had an inadequate response or intolerance to ≥1 conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (KEEPsAKE 1 and 2) and/or ≤ 2 biological therapies (KEEPsAKE 2).

Objectives

To investigate whether patients without enthesitis at baseline (BL) (Leeds Enthesitis Index [LEI] = 0 at BL) remained enthesitis-free through week (W) 52, patients with enthesitis at BL (LEI > 0 at BL) had resolution of enthesitis through W52, and if greater pain relief was achieved with RZB 150 mg in patients with enthesitis at BL vs PBO up to W24.

Methods

The study design and primary results of KEEPsAKE 1 (NCT03675308) and KEEPsAKE 2 (NCT03671148) have been previously reported.3,4 Briefly, patients were randomized to receive RZB 150 mg or PBO subcutaneously at weeks 0, 4, and 16 during a 24-week, double-blind treatment period; at W28 all patients received open label RZB 150 mg. For this post hoc analysis, the RZB 150 mg and PBO groups were pooled across the 2 studies. Pain reductions (as measured by change from BL in visual analogue scale [VAS] scores) were assessed at each time point through W24 among patients with enthesitis at BL (LEI > 0 at BL) using mixed-effect model repeated measurement analysis. Additional enthesitis analyses were calculated on the data as observed.

Results

Across the pooled population, over 60% of patients in each treatment group had enthesitis at BL (RZB=444/707 [63%]; PBO=448/700 [64%]). Conversely, 37% (263/707) and 36% (252/700) had no enthesitis (LEI=0) at BL among those randomized to RZB and PBO, respectively. Among enthesitis-free patients at BL (LEI=0 at BL), 84.7% on PBO and 90% on RZB remained free of enthesitis through W24; by W52, approximately 93% of patients in both groups (RZB and PBO to RZB) remained enthesitis free. A numerically higher proportion of patients with enthesitis at BL (LEI > 0 at BL) treated with RZB (52.1%) achieved an enthesitis-free state at W24 vs PBO (41.8%); similar proportions achieved an enthesitis-free state at W36 and W52 during open label treatment (Figure 1). Among patients with enthesitis at BL, a significantly greater improvement in VAS pain scores was observed in patients treated with RZB 150 mg vs PBO, as early as W4 (P < .01) and increased through W24 (Figure 1; P < .001).

Figure 1.

Conclusion

Long-term maintenance of an enthesitis-free state (LEI = 0) was similar between the RZB 150 mg and PBO groups, with approximately 93% of patients remaining free of enthesitis at W52. For LEI > 0 patients, the RZB 150-mg group had numerically more patients whose enthesitis resolved at W24, and similar proportions were observed at W52 after the open label switch. Patients with enthesitis at BL treated with RZB 150 mg had statistically greater improvements in pain compared with patients taking PBO starting at W4 through to W24.

References

[1]Orbai A-M, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2017;76:673–680.

[2]Stavre Z, et al. Arthritis Res Ther. 2022;24(1):24.

[3]Kristensen LE, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2021;0:1–7.

[4]Östör A, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2021;0:1–8.

Acknowledgements

AbbVie Inc. participated in the study design; study research; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; and writing, reviewing, and approving this abstract for submission. All authors had access to the data; participated in the development, review, and approval of the abstract; and agreed to submit this abstract to EULAR 2022 for consideration as a poster or oral presentation. No honoraria or payments were made for authorship. AbbVie and the authors thank all study investigators for their contributions and the patients who participated in this study. AbbVie funded the research for this study and provided writing support for this abstract. Medical writing assistance, funded by AbbVie, was provided by Kersten Reich, MPH, and Nancy Niguidula, DPH, of JB Ashtin.

Disclosure of Interests

Marina Magrey Consultant of: MM has received consulting fees from UCB, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Janssen., Grant/research support from: MM received research grants from Amgen, AbbVie, and UCB Pharma, Manish Jain Consultant of: MJ received consulting fees from Amgen, Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Novartis., Grant/research support from: MJ received research support from Amgen, Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Novartis., R Ranza Speakers bureau: RR is a member of speaker bureaus for AbbVie, Janssen, Novartis, and Pfizer, Consultant of: RR is a consultant for AbbVie, Janssen, Novartis, and Pfizer, Jayne Stigler Shareholder of: JS may hold AbbVie stock or stock options., Employee of: JS is a full-time employee of AbbVie., Erin McDearmon-Blondell Shareholder of: EMB may hold AbbVie stock or stock options., Employee of: EMB is a full-time employee of AbbVie., Cuiyong Yue Shareholder of: CY may hold AbbVie stock or stock options., Employee of: CY is a full-time employee of AbbVie., Byron Padilla Shareholder of: BP may hold AbbVie stock or stock options., Employee of: BP is a full-time employee of AbbVie., Christian Kaufmann Shareholder of: CK may hold AbbVie stock or stock options., Employee of: CK is a full-time employee of AbbVie., Dennis McGonagle Speakers bureau: DM is a member of speaker bureaus for AbbVie, Janssen, Novartis, and Pfizer., Grant/research support from: DM received research grants from AbbVie, Janssen, Novartis, and Pfizer, UCB, BMS, Celgene.

POS0683 EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF UPADACITINIB IN TNFi-IR PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS FROM THREE PHASE 3 CLINICAL TRIALS

Background

For patients with RA who are refractory to biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs), such as tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis), optimal disease control is less likely to be achieved with subsequent therapy.1 In line with recommendations from EULAR and ACR, switching to a treatment with a different mechanism of action is appropriate for these patients.

Objectives

To describe the efficacy and safety of upadacitinib (UPA) 15 mg once daily in patients with RA and an inadequate response or intolerance to TNFis (TNFi-IR).

Methods

A post hoc subgroup analysis was conducted in TNFi-IR patients who were treated with UPA 15 mg once daily in three Phase 3 clinical trials: SELECT-BEYOND,2 -CHOICE,3 and -COMPARE.4 For COMPARE, only patients treated with adalimumab and switched to UPA as rescue therapy were included. ≥20/50/70% improvement in ACR criteria, DAS28(CRP), CDAI, and SDAI, as well as change from baseline in HAQ-DI and other patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were reported through 24 weeks. Non-responder imputation was used for all missing categorical outcomes; as observed (COMPARE) or multiple imputation (CHOICE, BEYOND) were used for missing continuous outcomes. Pooled safety results were presented as exposure-adjusted event rates (EAERs) with a cut-off of June 30, 2021.

Results

568 TNFi-IR patients were included: 146 from BEYOND, 263 from CHOICE, and 159 from COMPARE. Mean duration since RA diagnosis was longer for BEYOND and CHOICE versus COMPARE; cardiovascular (CV) risk factors were common among this refractory population (Table 1). ACR20/50/70 and disease activity outcomes observed in the TNFi-IR population were generally consistent with the overall BEYOND2 and CHOICE3 bDMARD-IR populations, and consistent across the three studies in the TNFi-IR subgroups (Figure 1). Improvements in PROs including HAQ-DI, fatigue, pain, and morning stiffness over 24 weeks were observed (data not shown). Pooled safety results reporting 1574.8 patient-years (PY) of exposure in the TNFi-IR subgroup showed similar results to the overall BEYOND2 and CHOICE3 bDMARD-IR study populations, with EAERs of 3.1 events/100 PY for herpes zoster and 0.8 events/100 PY for adjudicated major adverse CV events, adjudicated venous thromboembolism (VTE), and malignancy excluding non-melanoma skin cancer. The EAER of any AE leading to death was 1.4 events/100 PY.

Table 1.

Baseline characteristics of TNFi-IR patients treated with UPA 15 mg

n (%), unless specifiedSELECT-BEYOND (n=146)SELECT-CHOICE (n=263)SELECT-COMPARE (ADA → UPA) (n=159)Female122 (83.6)219 (83.3)133 (83.6)Mean (SD) age, years56.6 (11.0)55.5 (11.1)53.9 (10.6)Mean (SD) duration of RA diagnosis, years13.2 (9.5)12.5 (9.4)8.2 (8.5)Concomitant csDMARDs MTX alone100 (70.4)195 (74.1)159 (100.0) MTX and other csDMARDs20 (14.1)25 (9.5)0 csDMARDs other than MTX22 (15.5)38 (14.4)0Concomitant oral steroids73 (50.0)140 (53.2)98 (61.6)1 prior bDMARD68 (46.6)172 (65.4)142 (89.3)2 prior bDMARDs40 (27.4)62 (23.6)17 (10.7)a≥3 prior bDMARDs38 (26.0)29 (11.0)0Failed ≥1 prior TNFi due to lack of efficacyb131 (89.7)223 (84.8)159 (100.0)History of VTE / CV event3 (2.1) / 28 (19.2)6 (2.3) / 20 (7.6)4 (2.5) / 14 (8.8)CV risk factors Hypertension72 (49.3)109 (41.4)68 (42.8) Diabetes mellitus22 (15.1)34 (12.9)17 (10.7) Smoking (current former past)68 (46.6)109 (41.5)55 (34.6) Elevated LDL-C (≥3.36 mmol/L)38 (26.0)52 (20.0)48 (30.2) Low HDL-C (≤1.55 mmol/L)80 (54.8)171 (65.0)88 (55.3)

aThese patients received one bDMARD before entry into SELECT-COMPARE.

bRemaining patients were intolerant to ≥1 prior TNFi.

Conclusion

In this post hoc subgroup analysis, TNFi-IR patients treated with UPA 15 mg achieved clinically meaningful efficacy responses over 24 weeks, with safety consistent with the overall bDMARD-IR patient population in the Phase 3 program.

References

[1]Rendas-Baum R, et al. Arthritis Res Ther 2011;13:R25;

[2]Genovese C, et al. Lancet 2018;391:2513–24;

[3]Rubbert-Roth A, et al. NEJM 2020;383:1511–21;

[4]Fleischmann R, et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2019;78:1454–62.

Acknowledgements

AbbVie funded this study; contributed to its design; participated in data collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and participated in the writing, review, and approval of the abstract. AbbVie and the authors thank all study investigators for their contributions and the patients who participated in this study. No honoraria or payments were made for authorship. Medical writing support was provided by Amy Wilson, MSc, of 2 the Nth (Cheshire, UK), and was funded by AbbVie.

Disclosure of Interests

Roy M. Fleischmann Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Galvani, Gilead, GSK, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Biosplice, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Flexion, Gilead, Horizon, Eli Lilly, Galvani, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, Selecta, Teva, UCB, Viela, and Vorso, Louis Bessette Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Fresenius Kabi, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Teva, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Fresenius Kabi, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Teva, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Fresenius Kabi, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Teva, and UCB, Jeffrey Sparks Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, Inova Diagnostics, Janssen, Optum, and Pfizer, Stephen Hall Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Meyers Sqibb, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Meyers Sqibb, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, and UCB, Manish Jain Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Pfizer, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Pfizer, Adriana Kakehasi Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Fresenius Kabi, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sandoz, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Fresenius Kabi, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sandoz, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Fresenius Kabi, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sandoz, and UCB, Yanna Song Shareholder of: AbbVie (may own stock or options), Employee of: AbbVie, Sebastian Meerwein Shareholder of: AbbVie (may own stock or options), Employee of: AbbVie, Ryan DeMasi Shareholder of: AbbVie (may own stock or options), Employee of: AbbVie, Jessica Suboticki Shareholder of: AbbVie (may own stock or options), Employee of: AbbVie, Andrea Rubbert-Roth Consultant of: AbbVie, AbbVie Deutschland, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Chugai Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, F. Hoffman-La Roche, Gilead Sciences, Janssen Global Services, Novartis, and Sanofi Pasteur

POS0506 DIFFERENT BIOACTIVE LIPID PROFILES PREDICT RESPONSE TO TNF OR IL6 INHIBITORS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: RESULT OF THE CorEvitas CERTAIN COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS STUDY

Background

Circulating bioactive lipids can provide information about the pathogenesis of specific diseases and potentially help predict therapeutic response. Choosing the right biological therapy earlier in the course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) could help reach the goal of remission.

Objectives

We hypothesized that circulating bioactive lipids at baseline would identify specific metabolic profiles that predict patient response to therapy and define elements of metabolic pathobiology in arthritis.

Methods

Bioactive lipids were measured in plasma from two cohorts of RA patients from the CorEvitas (formerly known as Corrona) CERTAIN registry (1) at baseline prior to treatment with TNF inhibitors (all biologic naïve, N=102) or anti-IL6 (all previously exposed to biologics, N=114). Response to treatment was categorized by minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) (2) at 6 months after treatment initiation. Patients had to have a 6 month follow up visit and plasma available at both the baseline and the f/u time points. Liquid chromatography (LC) system coupled with high resolution QExactive orbitrap mass spectrometer (LC/MS) was used for bioactive lipids profiling. Around 300 spectral features were identified as potential oxylipins by searching against an in-house MS/MS library. Logistic regression analyses adjusted for gender, age and BMI was perfomed using R software.

Results

102 patients (average age 54, standard deviation [SD] 12.6, 82% female [83], average BMI 29.7, SD 6.7, average CDAI 27.1, SD 13.7) starting anti-TNF therapy and 114 patients (average age 57, SD 13, 90% female [102], average BMI 30.5, SD 7.4, average CDAI 28.7, SD 13.8) starting tocilizumab were analyzed. Twenty-five bioactive metabolites discriminated between RA patients classified as anti-TNF responders (R, n = 74) and non-responders (NR, n = 28). Among these, the anti-inflammatory oxylipin maresin 2 was higher in R while the pro-inflammatory oxylipins 15d PGJ2 and 5,6-diHETE were higher in NR. Twenty different metabolites discriminated anti-IL6 R (n=73) and NR (n=41) as shown in Figure 1. The anti-inflammatory oxylipin 14-15EET was higher in R while the pro-inflammatory oxylipins 16-HETE and 5S-HpETE were higher in NR.

Figure 1.

Volcano plots visualizing baseline metabolites associated with responders vs. non responders in a) anti-TNF and b) anti IL-6 therapy groups. Results are derived from multivariate logistic regression analysis of baseline metabolites and response to treatment categorized by MCID. Data plotted as the metabolite against its statistical significance, respectively reported as odds ratio (OR) and -log10(pvalue).

Conclusion

Circulating bioactive lipid analysis using LC/MS provided a rapid analysis of a wide range of metabolites and can be used to describe metabolic signatures that predict response to therapies. These results lay the groundwork for more deliberate investigations novel metabolic-based interventions to predict response to therapy and reduce arthritis morbidity.

References

[1]Pappas DA, Kremer JM, Reed G, Greenberg JD, Curtis JR. Design characteristics of the CORRONA CERTAIN study: a comparative effectiveness study of biologic agents for rheumatoid arthritis patients. BMC Musculoskeletal Disord 2014; 15: 113

[2]Curtis JR, Yang S, Chen L, Pope JE, Keystone EC, Haraoui B, Boire G, Thorne JC, Tin D, Hitchon CA, Bingham CO 3rd, Bykerk VP. Determining the Minimally Important Difference in the Clinical Disease Activity Index for Improvement and Worsening in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2015 Oct;67(10):1345-53. doi: 10.1002/acr.22606. PMID: 25988705; PMCID: PMC4580563.

Disclosure of Interests

Mona Alotaibi: None declared, Roxana Coras: None declared, Dimitrios A Pappas Speakers bureau: Sanofi, Novartis, Paid instructor for: Novartis, Consultant of: Roche, Sanofi, Joel M Kremer Speakers bureau: Pfizer, Consultant of: BMS, Geoffrey Thiele: None declared, Ted Mikuls Consultant of: Pfizer, Gilead, BMS, Sanofi, Mohit Jain Employee of: Sapient Bio, Monica Guma Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Novartis.

Abstract 224: Myeloid Cell PKM2 Deletion Enhances Efferocytosis And Reduces Atherosclerosis

Rationale: The glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase muscle 2 (PKM2) is upregulated in monocytes/macrophages of patients with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. However, the role of cell type-specific PKM2 in the setting of atherosclerosis remains to be defined.

Objective: We determined whether myeloid cell-specific PKM2 regulates efferocytosis and atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results: We generated novel myeloid cell-specific PKM2 -/- mice on Ldlr-deficient background (PKM2 mye-KO Ldlr -/- ). Controls were littermate PKM2 WT Ldlr -/- mice. To rule out sex-based differences, male and female mice were placed on a high-fat "Western" diet for 14 weeks, starting at eight weeks. PKM2 was upregulated in macrophages of Ldlr -/- mice fed the Western diet compared with a control chow diet. Myeloid cell-specific deletion of PKM2 led to a significant reduction in lesions in the whole aorta and aortic sinus despite high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Furthermore, we found decreased macrophage content in the lesions of myeloid cell-specific PKM2 -/- mice associated with decreased MCP-1 levels in plasma, reduced transmigration of macrophages in response to MCP-1, and impaired glycolytic rate. Macrophages isolated from myeloid-specific PKM2 -/- mice fed the Western diet exhibited reduced expression of pro-inflammatory genes, including MCP-1, IL-1β, and IL-12. Myeloid cell-specific PKM2 -/- mice exhibited reduced apoptosis concomitant with enhanced macrophage efferocytosis and upregulation of LRP1 in macrophages in vitro and atherosclerotic lesions in vivo . Silencing LRP1 in PKM2-deficient macrophages restored inflammatory gene expression and reduced efferocytosis. As a therapeutic intervention, inhibiting PKM2 nuclear translocation using a small molecule reduced glycolytic rate, enhanced efferocytosis, and reduced atherosclerosis in Ldlr -/- mice.

Conclusion: Genetic deletion or limiting PKM2 nuclear translocation in myeloid cells reduces atherosclerosis by suppressing inflammation and enhancing efferocytosis.

Cathepsin B-Cleavable Polymeric Photosensitizer Prodrug for Selective Photodynamic Therapy: In Vitro Studies

Cathepsin B is a lysosomal cysteine protease that plays an important role in cancer, atherosclerosis, and other inflammatory diseases. The suppression of cathepsin B can inhibit tumor growth. The overexpression of cathepsin B can be used for the imaging and photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer. PDT targeting of cathepsin B may have a significant potential for selective destruction of cells with high cathepsin B activity. We synthesized a cathepsin B-cleavable polymeric photosensitizer prodrug (CTSB-PPP) that releases pheophorbide a (Pha), an efficient photosensitizer upon activation with cathepsin B. We determined the concentration dependant uptake in vitro, the safety, and subsequent PDT-induced toxicity of CTSB-PPP, and ROS production. CTSB-PPP was cleaved in bone marrow cells (BMCs), which express a high cathepsin B level. We showed that the intracellular fluorescence of Pha increased with increasing doses (3-48 µM) and exerted significant dark toxicity above 12 µM, as assessed by MTT assay. However, 6 µM showed no toxicity on cell viability and ex vivo vascular function. Time-dependent studies revealed that cellular accumulation of CTSB-PPP (6 µM) peaked at 60 min of treatment. PDT (light dose: 0-100 J/cm2, fluence rate: 100 mW/cm2) was applied after CTSB-PPP treatment (6 µM for 60 min) using a special frontal light diffuser coupled to a diode laser (671 nm). PDT resulted in a light dose-dependent reduction in the viability of BMCs and was associated with an increased intracellular ROS generation. Fluorescence and ROS generation was significantly reduced when the BMCs were pre-treated with E64-d, a cysteine protease inhibitor. In conclusion, we provide evidence that CTSB-PPP showed no dark toxicity at low concentrations. This probe could be utilized as a potential imaging agent to identify cells or tissues with cathepsin B activity. CTSB-PPP-based PDT results in effective cytotoxicity and thus, holds great promise as a therapeutic agent for achieving the selective destruction of cells with high cathepsin B activity.

Myeloid Cell PKM2 Deletion Enhances Efferocytosis and Reduces Atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

The glycolytic enzyme PKM2 (pyruvate kinase muscle 2) is upregulated in monocytes/macrophages of patients with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. However, the role of cell type-specific PKM2 in the setting of atherosclerosis remains to be defined. We determined whether myeloid cell-specific PKM2 regulates efferocytosis and atherosclerosis.

METHODS

We generated myeloid cell-specific PKM2-/- mice on Ldlr (low-density lipoprotein receptor)-deficient background (PKM2mye-KOLdlr-/-). Controls were littermate PKM2WTLdlr-/- mice. Susceptibility to atherosclerosis was evaluated in whole aortae and cross sections of the aortic sinus in male and female mice fed a high-fat Western diet for 14 weeks, starting at 8 weeks.

RESULTS

PKM2 was upregulated in macrophages of Ldlr-/- mice fed a high-fat Western diet compared with chow diet. Myeloid cell-specific deletion of PKM2 led to a significant reduction in lesions in the whole aorta and aortic sinus despite high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Furthermore, we found decreased macrophage content in the lesions of myeloid cell-specific PKM2-/- mice associated with decreased MCP-1 (monocyte chemoattractant protein 1) levels in plasma, reduced transmigration of macrophages in response to MCP-1, and impaired glycolytic rate. Macrophages isolated from myeloid-specific PKM2-/- mice fed the Western diet exhibited reduced expression of proinflammatory genes, including MCP-1, IL (interleukin)-1β, and IL-12. Myeloid cell-specific PKM2-/- mice exhibited reduced apoptosis concomitant with enhanced macrophage efferocytosis and upregulation of LRP (LDLR-related protein)-1 in macrophages in vitro and atherosclerotic lesions in vivo. Silencing LRP-1 in PKM2-deficient macrophages restored inflammatory gene expression and reduced efferocytosis. As a therapeutic intervention, inhibiting PKM2 nuclear translocation using a small molecule reduced glycolytic rate, enhanced efferocytosis, and reduced atherosclerosis in Ldlr-/- mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Genetic deletion of PKM2 in myeloid cells or limiting its nuclear translocation reduces atherosclerosis by suppressing inflammation and enhancing efferocytosis.

PET positive tattoo lymphadenopathy: a case report and review of the literature

We present a case of positron emission tomography (PET)–avid internal mammary lymphadenopathy, prompting open excisional biopsy of the lymph node in the setting of concern about breast-implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) or breast cancer recurrence. Histopathological examination revealed reactive lymphadenopathy with tattoo ink and no malignancy. We undertook a review of the literature to investigate the frequency of tattoo ink related PET-avid lymphadenopathy, and false positive PET scan results from tattooing. Lymphadenopathy related to tattoo ink has been reported previously, however this is the only case of benign PET positive tattoo lymphadenopathy resulting in unnecessary invasive surgery reported to date.

Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS) as a strong predictor of diabetes mellitus: A cross sectional study among urban population of Jhalawar, Rajasthan

Introduction: The patients with Type 2 diabetes Mellitus may often remain asymptomatic for a longer period of time. The Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS), a simple screening tool for prediction of undiagnosed diabetes. Objective: Validation of IDRS with standard test for type 2 diabetes among urban population of Jhalawar, Rajasthan. Material and Methods: A Community based Cross-sectional study was carried out in urban field practice area of Department of Community Medicine, Jhalawar Medical College, Jhalawar, Rajasthan. The study was conducted using a two-stage sampling design. A predesigned, pretested proforma and Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS) sheet was used to collect data from the study participants. The IDRS is based on four parameters: age, family history of diabetes, waist circumference and physical inactivity. Data was collected using the World Health Organization stepwise approach to surveillance (STEPS). Results: Among 450 participants, 12.7% participants were in low risk, 59.1% were in moderate risk and 28.2% were in high risk of developing diabetes according to IDRS score. IDRS score of ?60 turned out to be the best cut point for identifying undiagnosed diabetes with sensitivity 92.3% and specificity 82.6%. Positive Predictive value and Negative Predictive value were 47.3% and 98.5% respectively. Conclusion: Association of IDRS was found significant with diabetes. IDRS score of ?60 turned out to be the best cut point for identifying undiagnosed diabetes. IDRS is found valid screening tool for early detection of Diabetes.

Breakdown of semiclassical description of thermoelectricity in near-magic angle twisted bilayer graphene

The planar assembly of twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG) hosts multitude of interaction-driven phases when the relative rotation is close to the magic angle (θm = 1.1∘). This includes correlation-induced ground states that reveal spontaneous symmetry breaking at low temperature, as well as possibility of non-Fermi liquid (NFL) excitations. However, experimentally, manifestation of NFL effects in transport properties of twisted bilayer graphene remains ambiguous. Here we report simultaneous measurements of electrical resistivity (ρ) and thermoelectric power (S) in tBLG for several twist angles between θ ~ 1.0 − 1.7∘. We observe an emergent violation of the semiclassical Mott relation in the form of excess S close to half-filling for θ ~ 1.6∘ that vanishes for θ ≳ 2∘. The excess S (≈2 μV/K at low temperatures T ~ 10 K at θ ≈ 1.6∘) persists upto ≈40 K, and is accompanied by metallic T-linear ρ with transport scattering rate (τ−1) of near-Planckian magnitude τ−1 ~ kBT/ℏ. Closer to θm, the excess S was also observed for fractional band filling (ν ≈ 0.5). The combination of non-trivial electrical transport and violation of Mott relation provides compelling evidence of NFL physics intrinsic to tBLG.