Urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein variation as a predictive value of short-term mortality in intensive care unit patients

BACKGROUND

Predicting the prognosis of intensive care unit (ICU) patients is crucial because it may lead to patient stratification that would in turn help in appropriately distributing limited medical resources. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate the use of the urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) semi-quantitative kit in rapidly predicting the prognosis of patients admitted to the ICU.

METHODS

We conducted a single-center, prospective, observational study wherein 100 consecutive patients admitted to the ICU with an indwelling bladder catheter were enrolled between April and October 2020. Urine specimens were collected at the time of admission (T1) and after 6 h (T2), and urinary L-FABP levels were semi-quantitatively measured. Based on the results, an L-FABP variation was defined as the change in L-FABP (negative, weakly positive, or strongly positive) from T1 to T2. Patients were divided into three groups (L-FABP decreased group, unchanged group, or increased group), following which we compared their 14-day mortality.

RESULTS

Finally, a total of 79 patients were included in the analysis. In multivariate analysis, urinary L-FABP variation [Odds ratio (OR) = 14.327, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.819-112.868, p = 0.01] and lactate (OR = 1.234, 95%CI = 1.060-1.437, p = 0.01) were significantly associated with 14-day mortality.

CONCLUSION

Urinary L-FABP variation at 6 h after admission was significantly associated with 14-day mortality.

Stoichiometry of Lanthanide-Phosphate Complexes at the Water Surface Studied Using Vibrational Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy and DFT Calculations

In the solvent extraction of metal ions, the transport mechanism of metal ions through the liquid-liquid organic/aqueous interface remains unclear. In this study, the adsorption process of trivalent lanthanide ions from the aqueous phase to the interface in the solvent extraction of lanthanides with di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP) extractant is investigated by using a model interface-water surface covered with HDEHP (air/HDEHP/aqueous interface). As a result, symmetric POO^- stretch signals of HDEHP observed by vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations show that the stoichiometric ratio of lanthanide-HDEHP complexes formed at the air/HDEHP/aqueous interface is 1:1. The formation of the interfacial 1:1 lanthanide-HDEHP complex could be an elementary chemical process occurring just before the transfer of lanthanide ions to the side of the organic phase.

A patient with ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma who survived alectinib-refractory postoperative recurrence for 4 years by switching to ceritinib

Echinoderm microtubule‐associated protein‐like 4‐anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4‐ALK) rearrangements are found in ~ 5% of patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Several tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been developed for treatment of so‐called ALK‐positive NSCLC. In cases of tumor progression during treatment with second‐generation ALK‐TKIs, such as alectinib, brigatinib, or ceritinib, National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines propose a switch to lorlatinib, a third‐generation ALK‐TKI, or to cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, they do not mention switching to other second‐generation ALK‐TKIs. Here, we present a rare case of a 53‐year‐old Japanese woman, who had never smoked, with ALK‐positive lung adenocarcinoma who survived alectinib‐resistant postoperative recurrence for 4 years by switching to ceritinib. She underwent curative resection for lung adenocarcinoma, but the cancer recurred at the bronchial stump and mediastinal lymph nodes. After platinum‐doublet chemotherapy, the patient still had a single growing liver metastasis, but the tumor was found to harbor EML4‐ALK rearrangement. Therefore, the patient started to take ALK‐TKIs. Alectinib was the second ALK‐TKI used to treat this patient. Alectinib shrank the liver metastasis, which was surgically resected. The tumor relapsed again during continued treatment with alectinib, which was switched to ceritinib. Ceritinib was effective for the relapsed tumor and treatment continued well for 4 years. This case report suggests that, in case of tumor progression during treatment with a second‐generation ALK‐TKI, switching to another second‐generation ALK‐TKI may be one of the treatment options. Further analyses are warranted to find robust markers to determine which ALK‐TKI is best for each patient.

Prognostic Significance of Stratification Using Pathological Stage and Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

PURPOSE

Risk stratification to select appropriate candidates for adjuvant therapy is required for esophageal cancer patients based on adjuvant therapy advancement including immunotherapy. The current study aims to develop a novel staging system using pathological stage (pStage) and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

METHODS

ESCC patients who received NAC and underwent transthoracic esophagectomy at two Japanese high-volume esophageal centers were retrospectively reviewed. The prognostic value of NAC response was evaluated within the same pStage, and a novel risk stratification to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) was developed.

RESULTS

The HR (95% CI) of pathological responders in pStage 0-I, II, III, and IV was 0.29 (0.07-1.17), 0.37 (0.12-1.10), 0.37 (0.15-0.92), and 0.24 (0.06-0.98), respectively. Responders in pStage 0-II were classified to be in the same class and those in pStage III/IV in another group, because the 5-year CSS (5y-CSS) rate of responders in pStage 0-I, II, III, and IV was 94%, 92%, 76%, and 71%, respectively. Combining nonresponders in pStage 0-II as the same group, all patients were subdivided into five groups. Intriguingly, the 5y-CSS in pStage III-IV responders was 75%, almost identical to that of nonresponders in pStage 0-II (78%).

CONCLUSIONS

The histological response influenced the long-term outcomes of patients who underwent esophagectomy after NAC, even within groups stratified by pathologic stage. The current risk stratification system will contribute to selecting appropriate candidates for adjuvant therapy.

CLDN15 is a novel diagnostic marker for malignant pleural mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer with a poor survival rate. It is difficult to diagnose mesotheliomas because they show a variety of histological patterns similar to those of various other cancers. However, since currently used positive markers for mesotheliomas may show false positives or false negatives, a novel mesothelial positive marker is required. In the present study, we screened 25 claudins and found that claudin-15 is expressed in the mesothelial cells. We made new rat anti-human claudin-15 (CLDN15) monoclonal antibodies that selectively recognize CLDN15, and investigated whether CLDN15 is a good positive marker for malignant pleural mesotheliomas (MPMs) using MPM tissue samples by immunohistochemistry and semi-quantification of the expression level using an immunoreactive score (IRS) method. Of 42 MPM samples, 83% were positive for CLDN15. The positive ratio was equal to or greater than other positive markers for MPMs including calretinin (81%), WT-1 (50%), and D2-40 (81%). In 50 lung adenocarcinoma sections, four cases were positive for CLDN15 and the specificity (92%) was comparable with other markers (90–100%). Notably, CLDN15 was rarely detected in 24 non-mesothelial tumors in the tissue microarray (12/327 cases). In conclusion, CLDN15 can be used in the clinical setting as a positive marker for MPM diagnosis.

Additional Treatment Following Noncurative Endoscopic Resection for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Comparison of Outcomes between Esophagectomy and Chemoradiotherapy

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic resection (ER) has been widely implemented for cT1N0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Additional therapy, including esophagectomy and chemoradiotherapy (CRT), is sometimes required after noncurative ER.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 108 patients who received any additional treatment following noncurative ER (positive vertical margins, lymphovascular invasion, or invasion depth of submucosa or more), and compared the short- and long-term outcomes between the two treatment modalities.

RESULTS

Of 108 patients, 56 underwent esophagectomy (E group), and 52 received CRT (CRT group). A positive vertical margin was observed in 17 (14.8%) patients and high risks of occult lymph node metastasis were observed in 91 (85.2%) patients, as well as lymphovascular invasion in 35 (32.4%) patients, invasion depth of the submucosa or more in 27 (25.0%) patients, and both in 29 (26.9%) patients. The E group patients were significantly younger (p = 0.046) and tended to present with larger tumors than those in the CRT group (p = 0.057). Lymphatic invasion was more frequent in the E group (p = 0.019), and, furthermore, one treatment-related death was observed in the E group. There were no significant differences between the groups in overall and disease-specific survival (p = 0.406 and 0.151, respectively), however, recurrence was only observed in the CRT group.

CONCLUSION

Both esophagectomy and CRT are safe and effective as additional treatments after noncurative ER in patients with ESCC. Esophagectomy is oncologically safe, whereas a risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality remains. Although the adverse events are acceptable, CRT has a certain degree of risk of disease recurrence.

The precordial R-prime wave: a novel discriminator between cardiac sarcoidosis and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in patients presenting with ventricular tachycardia

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Other. Main funding source(s): The department of cardiology from Leiden University Medical Center receives unrestricted grants from Edwards Lifesciences, Biotronik, Medtronik, Boston Scientific and BioSense Webster. MS was supported by the Research Fellowship of the European Society of Cardiology 2017/2018.

Background Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) with right ventricular (RV) involvement may mimic ARVC. Histopathological differences may result in disease specific RV activation patterns, detectable on the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Scar in ARVC progresses from epicardium to endocardium and may lead to delayed activation of areas with reduced voltages, translating into terminal activation delay and occasionally an (epsilon) wave with small amplitude on the ECG. On the contrary, patchy transmural RV scar in CS may lead to conduction block, and therefore late activated areas with preserved voltages, reflected as preserved R’-waves in the right precordial leads.

Purpose To determine whether the terminal activation patterns in precordial leads V1-V3 distinguish CS with RV involvement from ARVC.

Methods This is a multicenter retrospective study including patients with either 1) CS with RV involvement or 2) gene-positive ARVC referred for VT ablation. A non-ventricular paced 12-lead surface ECG prior to ablation was obtained (25mm/s and 10mm/mV). For detailed analysis, Leiden ECG Analysis and Decomposition Software (LEADS) was used. After detection of QRST complexes in the spatial velocity signal, LEADS generates a representative and low-noise averaged beat. Then, measurements per lead were performed using the measurement tool in Adobe Pro DC. Based on the hypothesis that conduction block in CS will lead to late activated areas with preserved voltages, we measured the surface area (SA) of the R’-wave in V1-V3. An R’-wave was defined as any positive deflection from baseline after an S-wave.

Results 13 CS patients with RV involvement (54 ± 8years, 62% male) and 23 ARVC patients (37 ± 15years, 78% male) were included. A R’-wave in V1-V3 was present in all CS patients, compared to 11 (48%) of ARVC patients (p = 0.002). The maximum R’-wave SA in lead V1-V3 was 3.55 (IQR:2.18-5.81) mm2 in CS vs. 0.00 (IQR:0.00-0.43) mm2 in ARVC (p < 0.001; Figure A). By ROC-analysis, the maximum R’-wave SA in lead V1-V3 was an excellent discriminator (area under the curve 0.980 [95%CI: 0.945-1.000]). A cutoff of ≥1.65mm2 had a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 96% for diagnosing CS. An algorithm was created including the presence of an R’-wave in V1-V3 and the SA of this R’-wave (Figure B). This was validated in a second cohort (18 CS and 40 ARVC) with 72% sensitivity and 88% specificity.

Conclusion Transmural RV scars in CS may cause localized conduction block, leading to late activated areas with preserved voltages, reflected as large R’-wave on the 12-lead surface ECG. An easily applicable algorithm including the surface area of the largest R’-wave in lead V1-V3 ≥1.65mm2 distinguishes CS from ARVC with good sensitivity and specificity. The QRS terminal activation in precordial leads V1-V2 may reflect disease specific scar patterns (for examples: Figure C). Abstract Figure

Influence of Damaged Stomach on Anastomotic Leakage following Cervical Esophagogastrostomy in Patients with Esophageal Cancer

BACKGROUND

Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the most common complications after esophagectomy. Although some patients have a history of peptic ulcers or other prior stomach diseases, the influence of a damaged stomach (DS) on AL incidence remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the association between DS and incidence of AL in patients who underwent esophagectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between 2015 and 2019, a total of 447 consecutive patients who underwent cervical esophagogastrostomy using gastric tube following esophagectomy were enrolled. DS was defined on the basis of endoscopic findings of ulcers or scars due to medical history or prior treatment. We compared the incidence of AL between patients with DS and those with a healthy stomach (HS). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors that could predict AL incidence.

RESULTS

Fifty-one patients (11.4%) had DS. Causes of DS included peptic ulcer (n = 36), endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer (n = 9), percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomies (n = 5), and post-chemotherapy scar for gastric malignant lymphoma (n = 1). Overall, AL occurred in 35 patients (7.8%). The incidence of AL in the DS group was significantly higher than in the HS group (15.7 vs. 6.8%, p = 0.03). DS was one of the independent predictive factors for AL (odds ratio, 2.75; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-6.92; p = 0.03) on multivariate analysis. Further, the diseases in the lower third of the conduit were associated with AL.

CONCLUSIONS

Presence of DS can predict AL in patients who underwent cervical esophagogastrostomy after esophagectomy.

Airflow Limitation Predicts Postoperative Pneumonia after Esophagectomy

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is known to be a risk factor of pneumonia after esophagectomy. In this study, we investigated the relationship of airflow limitation with the occurrence and the severity of pneumonia in esophageal cancer patients who underwent esophagectomy.

METHODS

We enrolled 844 patients who underwent curative esophagectomy between 2009 and 2018. The airflow limitation was evaluated using the percent-predicted forced expiratory volume at 1 s (%FEV1) with spirometry.

RESULTS

There were 597 (70.7%), 141 (16.7%), 68 (8.1%), and 38 patients (4.5%) with %FEV1 of ≥ 90%, 80-90%, 70-80%, and < 70% categories, respectively. One hundred and ninety-one patients (22.6%) occurred pneumonia, and the incidences of pneumonia in each category of patients were 18.8%, 28.4%, 29.4%, and 50.0%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, the categories of 80%-90%, 70-80%, and < 70% were significantly associated with a higher incidence of postoperative pneumonia (OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.02-2.43, OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.04-3.36, OR 3.34; 95% CI 1.66-6.71, respectively), with the %FEV1 category of ≥ 90% as reference. The incidence of severe pneumonia of Clavien-Dindo grade III or higher was also significantly associated with the %FEV1. In patients without COPD, the incidence of pneumonia was significantly higher in those with %FEV1 < 90% than in those with %FEV1 ≥ 90% (32.2% versus 17.5%, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The airflow limitation can help predict the occurrence of pneumonia after esophagectomy in patients with and without COPD. Exclusive preventive measures should be considered in patients with reduced %FEV1 undergoing esophagectomy.

Safety and feasibility of laparoscopic surgery for elderly rectal cancer patients in Japan: a nationwide study

Background

This study aimed to analyse the perioperative results from a national dataset of rectal cancer resections in elderly patients.

Methods

The clinical records of patients undergoing rectal cancer surgery between 2012 and 2014 were retrieved from the Japanese National Clinical Database and analysed retrospectively. Patients were categorized according to age and those 80 years or older were defined as elderly. Subgroups were also defined according to the surgical approach (laparoscopy versus open surgery). The short-term outcomes, including mortality, anastomotic leak, surgical site infections and medical complications were compared between subgroups.

Results

Of 56 175 patients undergoing rectal cancer surgery, some 6717 patients were elderly and laparoscopy was performed in 46.8 per cent of the sample. When comparing laparoscopy and open surgery in elderly patients, the operative mortality rate (1.5 versus 2.8 per cent; P < 0.001), the incidence of anastomotic leakage (5.2 versus 6.5 per cent; P = 0.026), surgical site infections (6.0 versus 8.0 per cent; P = 0.001), pneumonia (1.4 versus 2.5 per cent; P = 0.001), renal failure (0.7 versus 1.3 per cent; P = 0.016) and cardiac events (0.3 versus 0.8 per cent; P = 0.008) were lower for laparoscopy than for open surgery. The overall complication rate in elderly patients (19.5 per cent) was comparable to that in the younger group (P = 0.07). However, incidence of systemic complications was significantly higher in elderly than in younger patients (all P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Laparoscopy was safe and feasible in elderly patients compared with open surgery. However, the rates of systemic complications were significantly higher than in younger patients.

Clinical Significance of Serum Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen for Patients with Recurrent Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) is a widely used tumor marker of SCC. However, the clinical significance of serum SCC-Ag levels in recurrent esophageal SCC (ESCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the clinical relevance of serum SCC-Ag levels in patients with recurrent ESCC after surgery.

METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed 208 patients who experienced recurrence after curative resection for ESCC. Serum SCC-Ag levels at the time of recurrence were collected from the patients' records. The patients were classified into tertiles based on the serum SCC-Ag values (low, middle, and high), and the clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared among the groups.

RESULTS

Significant differences in sex (p = 0.001), pathologic T (p = 0.034), and N stages of primary cancer (p = 0.015) were observed among the groups. Although the recurrence patterns did not differ significantly, a high SCC-Ag was significantly associated with multiple recurrences (p = 0.019). The high-SCC-Ag group patients demonstrated a shorter time to recurrence than the other groups (p = 0.044). The SCC-Ag levels were significantly associated with overall survival after recurrence (p = 0.036). Multivariate analysis showed that serum SCC-Ag value at recurrence was an independent poor prognosticator (p = 0.031).

CONCLUSION

Elevated serum SCC-Ag levels at recurrence were significantly associated with a reduced time to recurrence, multiple recurrences, and a poor prognosis after recurrence. An alternative to the current standard treatment is required to improve the outcome for patients with high serum SCC-Ag levels at recurrence.

Efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients with positive circumferential resection margin

BACKGROUND

The significance of postoperative radiotherapy for residual disease after esophageal cancer surgery remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients with positive circumferential resection margin (CRM).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed data from 1190 patients who underwent esophagectomy for ESCC at our hospital from 2005 to 2018, of whom 61 (5.1%) patients were diagnosed with positive CRM of ESCC. Overall survival (OS), progression-specific survival (PSS), local progression-specific survival (LPSS), and clinicopathological factors were compared between patients with and without postoperative radiotherapy. The efficacy of additional radiotherapy on patient outcomes was evaluated.

RESULTS

Among the 61 patients analyzed, 29 (47.5%) underwent radiotherapy (RT group) and 32 (52.5%) did not (NRT group). In the RT group, 22 patients (75.9%) received radiotherapy and 7 patients (24.1%) received chemoradiotherapy. The RT group included younger patients, a greater number of upper-esophageal tumors, and a greater rate of R2 resections than the NRT group. The LPSS and PSS of the RT group were significantly better than those of the NRT group (P = 0.007, P < 0.001, respectively). In multivariate analysis, postoperative radiotherapy was an independent factor for LPSS [P < 0.001; hazard ratio (HR) 0.17; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06-0.46] and PSS (P < 0.001; HR 0.31; 95% CI 0.16-0.60).

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative radiotherapy contributed to the control of residual tumor and was significantly associated with better LPSS and PSS among patients with positive CRM after esophagectomy for ESCC.

Pulmonary large cell carcinoma, highly positive for PD-L1, shows marked response to pembrolizumab: A case report

Pulmonary large cell carcinoma (LCC) is classified as a poorly defined entity among non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). At present, there are no effective anticancer drugs, such as molecular targeted drugs, for LCC, and it has been reported that patient prognosis is poor. Recently, the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has changed the therapeutic strategies for patients with NSCLC. Here, we present a case of LCC successfully treated with pembrolizumab. A 58-year-old man who was a former smoker was diagnosed with LCC. The postoperative stage was T3N2M0. During postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, swelling of the supraclavicular lymph node was observed and the patient was diagnosed with recurrence. The patient was treated with two regimens of conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy; however, he experienced some hoarseness. Imaging confirmed swelling of the hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes and the patient was subsequently diagnosed with disease progression. Previous surgical specimens when immunostained showed that a high proportion of the tumor cells were positive for expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and it was decided to commence treatment with pembrolizumab. This treatment resulted in rapid regression of the hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes, and a progression-free period maintained for at least 24 treatment cycles. The patient's hoarseness improved, and the lymph nodes decreased in size. Immunotherapy targeting PD-1/PD-L1 may be an option for patients with PD-L1 positive LCC. This case report suggests that treatment with ICIs may be important in the selection of treatment for not only LCC but also relatively rare NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression.

Evidence for X(3872)→J/ψπ^{+}π^{-} Produced in Single-Tag Two-Photon Interactions

We report the first evidence for X(3872) production in two-photon interactions by tagging either the electron or the positron in the final state, exploring the highly virtual photon region. The search is performed in e^{+}e^{-}→e^{+}e^{-}J/ψπ^{+}π^{-}, using 825  fb^{-1} of data collected by the Belle detector operated at the KEKB e^{+}e^{-} collider. We observe three X(3872) candidates, where the expected background is 0.11±0.10 events, with a significance of 3.2σ. We obtain an estimated value for Γ[over ˜]_{γγ}B(X(3872)→J/ψπ^{+}π^{-}) assuming the Q^{2} dependence predicted by a cc[over ¯] meson model, where -Q^{2} is the invariant mass squared of the virtual photon. No X(3915)→J/ψπ^{+}π^{-} candidates are found.

Successful transition from open to minimally invasive approach in Ivor Lewis esophagectomy: a single-center experience in Japan

PURPOSE

This study evaluates surgical outcomes of Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (ILE) in our institution, with the transition from open ILE to hybrid or totally minimally invasive ILE (MI-ILE).

METHODS

Selected patients who underwent ILE for esophageal cancer between 2013 and 2020 were included. We retrospectively investigated the patients' background characteristics and the short-term surgical outcomes.

RESULTS

In this period, among a total of 858 esophagectomies, selected seventy-one patients (8.3%) underwent ILE, consisted of 17 cases with completely open procedures, 27 with hybrid MI-ILE, and 27 with total MI-ILE. The major indications for ILE were adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus or esophagogastric junction (33.8%) and patients with prior treatment of head and neck cancer (31.0%). Among these approaches, there were no significant differences in the characteristics including age, body mass index (BMI), tumor location, preoperative therapy, and clinical TNM stage, except for histology. Compared to the completely open and hybrid groups, incidences of both total and severe complications in the total MI-ILE group were significantly lower (total 70.6 vs. 66.6 vs. 37.0%, p=0.036; severe 35.3 vs. 44.4 vs. 11.1%, p=0.023), and also, those of pneumonia (41.2 vs. 29.6 vs. 7.4%, p=0.026) and postoperative stricture (11.8 vs. 18.5 vs. 0%, p=0.001) were significantly fewer in the total MI-ILE group.

CONCLUSIONS

We have been able to achieve the transition from completely open to total MI-ILE with better short-term outcomes. Total MI-ILE with linear-stapled anastomosis can be a good alternative to open procedures for the selected patients with reducing the incidence of postoperative pneumonia and anastomotic stricture.

A15 EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF FILGOTINIB AS INDUCTION THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH MODERATELY TO SEVERELY ACTIVE ULCERATIVE COLITIS: RESULTS FROM THE PHASE 2B/3 SELECTION STUDY

Aims

The SELECTION (NCT02914522) Induction Studies evaluated the efficacy/safety of filgotinib (FIL), a preferential JAK1 inhibitor, as induction therapy for patients (pts) with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) who were biologic-naïve but failed conventional therapy (Induction Study A) or failed prior biologics (Induction Study B).

Methods

Pts were randomized 2:2:1 to once–daily FIL 200mg, FIL 100mg or placebo (PBO). The primary (clinical remission), key secondary (Mayo Clinic Score [MCS] remission, endoscopic remission, and histologic remission), and exploratory endpoints (MCS response and endoscopic improvement) were assessed at Week 10.

Results

In both studies, baseline demographics and disease characteristics were similar across treatment groups. In Study A, 659 pts were randomized and treated. Baseline mean MCS was 8.6 and 56% had a Mayo endoscopic subscore (ES)=3. A significantly higher proportion of biologic-naïve pts on FIL 200mg achieved clinical remission vs PBO and all key secondary endpoints (Table). In Study B, 689 pts were randomized and treated. Baseline mean MCS was 9.3 and 78% had ES=3. Prior treatment failures were: anti-TNF (86%), vedolizumab (52%) and both (dual-refractory; 43%). A significantly higher proportion of biologic-experienced pts on FIL 200mg achieved clinical remission vs PBO. In Studies A and B, a greater proportion of pts on FIL 200 mg achieved an MCS response and endoscopic improvement vs PBO.

The rates of AEs, serious AEs and discontinuations due to AEs were similar across FIL and PBO groups during induction. In the PBO, FIL 100mg and FIL 200mg groups, serious infections occurred in 0.7%, 0.7% and 0.4% pts in Study A and 1.4%, 1.4% and 0.8% pts in Study B; H Zoster occurred in &lt;1% in both groups for both cohorts.

Conclusions

SELECTION included a high proportion of dual-refractory pts, and pts with severe endoscopic disease. Both doses of FIL were well tolerated. Filgotinib 200mg was effective induction therapy for both biologic-naïve/-experienced pts with moderately to severely active UC.

Funding Agencies

None