A Precise qNMR Method for the Rapid Quantification of Lot-to-Lot Variations in Multiple Quality Attributes of Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium

Pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS) is an orphan drug with anticoagulant activity. PPS is prepared from the chemical processing of xylan extracted from beechwood tree to yield a mixture of 4-6 kDa polysaccharides. The chain is mainly composed of sulfated xylose (Xyl) with branched 4-O-methyl-glucuronate (MGA). During generic drug development, the quality attributes (QAs) including monosaccharide composition, modification, and length need to be comparable to those found in the reference list drug (RLD). However, the range of QA variation of the RLD PPS has not been well characterized. Here, multiple PPS RLD lots were studied using quantitative NMR (qNMR) and diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) to quantitate the components in the mixture and to probe both inter- and intra-lot precision variability. The DOSY precision assessed using coefficient of variation (CV) was 6%, comparable to PPS inter-lot CV of 5%. The QAs obtained from 1D qNMR were highly precise with a precision CV < 1%. The inter-lot MGA content was 4.8 ± 0.1%, indicating a very consistent botanical raw material source. Other process-related chemical modification including aldehyde at 0.51 ± 0.04%, acetylation at 3.3 ± 0.2% and pyridine at 2.08 ± 0.06%, varied more than MGA content. The study demonstrated that 1D qNMR is a quick and precise method to reveal ranges of variation in multiple attributes of RLD PPS which can be used to assess equivalency with generic formulations. Interestingly, the synthetic process appeared to introduce more variations to the PPS product than the botanical source of the material.

Daf-16 mediated repression of cytosolic ribosomal protein genes facilitates a hypoxia sensitive to hypoxia resistant transformation in long-lived germline mutants

In C. elegans, germline ablation leads to long life span and stress resistance. It has been reported that mutations that block oogenesis or an upstream step in germline development confer strong resistance to hypoxia. We demonstrate here that the hypoxia resistance of sterile mutants is dependent on developmental stage and age. In just a 12-hour period, sterile animals transform from hypoxia sensitive L4 larvae into hypoxia resistant adults. Since this transformation occurs in animals with no germline, the physiological programs that determine hypoxia sensitivity in germline mutants occur independently of germline signals and instead rely on signals from somatic tissues. Furthermore, we found two distinct mechanisms of hypoxia resistance in germline deficient animals. First, a DAF-16/FoxO independent mechanism that occurs in all hypoxia resistant sterile adults and, second, a DAF-16/FoxO dependent mechanism that confers an added layer of resistance, or “super-resistance”, to animals with no germline as they age past day 1 of adulthood. RNAseq data showed that genes involved in both cytosolic and mitochondrial protein translation are repressed in sterile adults and further repressed only in germline deficient mutants as they age. Importantly, mutation of daf-16 specifically blocked the repression of cytosolic ribosomal protein genes, but not mitochondrial ribosomal protein genes, implicating DAF-16/FoxO mediated repression of cytosolic ribosomal protein genes as a mechanism of hypoxia super-resistance. Consistent with this hypothesis, the hypoxia super-resistance of aging germline deficient adults was also suppressed by dual mutation of ncl-1 and larp-1, two regulators of protein translation and ribosomal protein abundance. These studies provide novel insight into a profound physiological transformation that takes place in germline mutants during development, showing that some of the unique physiological properties of these long-lived animals are derived from developmentally dependent DAF-16/FoxO mediated repression of genes involved in cytosolic protein translation.

Left atrial appendage occlusion in recurrent ischaemic stroke, a multicentre experience

BACKGROUND

Oral anticoagulation therapy (OAC) remains the gold standard for ischaemic stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and elevated stroke risk. Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) has emerged as a potential alternative for stroke prevention in patients who cannot tolerate OAC. Although no randomized data is available, recurrent stroke in NVAF-patients, while on adequate OAC, is regarded as a treatment failure and therefore is considered as a potential indication for LAAO, based upon expert opinion.

METHODS/OBJECTIVES

A multicentre retrospective cohort study evaluating efficacy, safety and mortality of LAAO in NVAF-patients presenting with recurrent ischaemic stroke, after excluding other plausible causes.

RESULTS

Fifteen LAAO have been performed in NVAF-patients with recurrent stroke despite ongoing OAC, after exclusion of other plausible causes. Mean age was 78.1 ± 5.8 years, mean CHA₂DS₂-VASc-score = 6 ± 1.2 and mean HAS-BLED-score = 5 ± 1.2. Successful implantation was achieved in all patients (73% Amplatzer device and 27% Watchman device), without any access-related complications and only one procedure/device-related complication (device embolization) was reported. In all but four patients, OAC was continued at long term after LAAO. No haemorrhagic strokes and only two ischaemic strokes were observed. During follow-up three patients died, all due to non-atrial fibrillation or non-device-related causes.

CONCLUSIONS

In NVAF-patients at high risk for stroke presenting with recurrent stroke despite adequate OAC, LAAO may be considered an adjunctive, but not alternative treatment to OAC with high feasibility and safety.

Abbreviations: AF: atrial fibrillation; ESC: European Society of Cardiology; INR: international normalized ratio; LAA: left atrial appendage; LAAO: left atrial appendage occlusion; NOAC: non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants; NVAF: non-valvular atrial fibrillation; OAC: oral anticoagulation; RS: recurrent (ischaemic) stroke; SD: standard deviation; TIA: transient ischaemic attack; TOE: transoesophageal echocardiography; TTE: transthoracic echocardiography; VKA: vitamin K antagonists.

Involving Urban Single Low-Income African American Mothers in Genomic Research: Giving Voice to How Place Matters in Health Disparities and Prevention Strategies

This article describes the process of using principles from community-based participatory action research to involve low-income, single, African American mothers on the south side of Chicago in genomic research, including as citizen scientists. The South Chicago Black Mothers' Resiliency Project used a mixed methods design to investigate how the stress of living in neighborhoods with high levels of violence affects mothers' mental and physical health. This article seeks to serve as a model for physicians and scholars interested in successfully involving low-income African American mothers in genomic research, and other health-related activities in ways that are culturally sensitive and transformative. The lives of Black mothers who struggle under interlocking systems of oppression that are often hidden from view of most Americans are at the center of this article. Therefore, we provide extensive information about the procedures used to collect the various types of data, the rationale for our procedures, the setting, the responses of mothers in our sample and methodological challenges. This study also has implications for the current COVID-19 pandemic and the need to train a corps of citizen scientists in health and wellness to avoid future extreme loss of life such as the 106,195 lives lost in the United States as of June 1, 2020.

0178 The Cycle of Daily Stress and Sleep: Sleep Measurement Matters

Introduction

Disturbed sleep can be both a cause and a consequence of increased stress. Yet intensive longitudinal studies have demonstrated that sleep assessed via sleep diaries and actigraphy is inconsistently associated with daily stress. We expanded this research by examining daily associations between sleep and stress using a three-fold approach to assess sleep: sleep diaries, actigraphy, and ambulatory single-channel electroencephalography [EEG].

Methods

Participants were 80 adults (M age = 32.65 years, 63% female) who completed 7 days of sleep and perceived stress assessments in a naturalistic setting (resulting in 560 possible measurement occasions). Multilevel models were used to examine bidirectional associations between daily stressor occurrence (0 = stressor did not occur, 1 = stressor occurred) and stressor severity (0 = not at all severe to 3 = very severe) and sleep parameters assessed via diary, actigraphy, and EEG (e.g. total sleep time [TST], sleep efficiency [SE], and sleep onset latency [SOL], wake after sleep onset [WASO]).

Results

Participants reported at least one stressor on 37% of days. Compared to days without a stressor experienced, days with a stressor were associated with a 14.4-minute reduction in actigraphy-determined TST the subsequent night (β = -0.24, p = 0.030). Nights with greater sleep-diary determined WASO were associated with greater next-day stressor severity (β = 0.01, p = .026). No EEG-determined sleep parameters were associated with next-day stressor occurrence or severity, or vice versa.

Conclusion

Daily stress and sleep disturbances occurred in a bidirectional fashion, though specific results varied by sleep measurement technique and sleep parameter. Together, our results highlight that type of sleep measurement matters for examining associations with daily stress. We urge future researchers to treat sleep diaries, actigraphy, and EEG as complementary — not redundant — sleep measurement approaches.

Support

Funding for this study included NIH/NIAID R01AI128359-01; DoD-VA 1I01CU000144-01; the Foundation for Rehabilitation Psychology; and General Sleep Corporation.

0398 Demographic Differences in the Degree of Discrepancy Between Sleep Diary and Actigraphy Measures of Sleep

Introduction

The accurate estimation of sleep is critical for understanding who is most at risk for sleep disorders and associated disease outcomes. Individuals who overestimate sleep disturbances may be at increased risk for insomnia. A few studies have shown demographic differences in the accuracy of sleep estimation when comparing subjective and objective measures; however, the previous literature is inconsistent and focuses primarily on older adults. We sought to replicate these studies in a large sample of nurses using 14 days of sleep diary and actigraphy measures.

Methods

Participants were 392 nurses (91.8% female; 77.8% white, mean age = 39.54) recruited for a larger study. Participants completed 14 days of actigraphy and sleep diaries to prospectively assess total sleep time (TST) and sleep efficiency (SE). Discrepancy between diary and actigraphy measures was calculated by subtracting actigraphy measures from diary measures. Linear regression was used to examine how age, race (0 = race other than white, 1 = white), gender (1 = male, 2 = female), ethnicity (1= non-Hispanic/Latinx, 2 = Hispanic/Latinx) predicted degree of sleep discrepancy.

Results

The average discrepancy between diary and actigraphy TST was 30.29 minutes (SD = 29.28), and the average discrepancy between diary and actigraphy SE was 4.16% (SD = 5.66). Race and ethnicity did not predict amount of TST or SE discrepancy. However, younger individuals had more discrepancy in both TST (b = -0.48, p &lt; .001) and SE (b = -0.09, p &lt; .001). Men also had a greater discrepancy in both TST (b = -10.90, p &lt; .05) and SE (b = -2.56, p &lt; .05).

Conclusion

Men and younger individuals had greater discrepancies between diary and actigraphy measures of sleep. This is in contrast to some previous research showing that elderly women tend to display greater discrepancies between subjective and objective measures of sleep. It is essential that future research explore the discrepancies between subjective and objective measures of sleep in larger and more demographically diverse samples. Establishing a better understanding of this relationship is crucial, as it may have significant implications for the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia.

Support

NIH/NIAID R01AI128359-01

3327Increasing incidence of cardiac device related endocarditis over the past ten years: a single center analysis

Background

Cardiac device related infective endocarditis (CDIE) is an increasing problem in the current cardiology practice, related to high mortality and morbidity. Recent trends have shown an increase in cardiac device placement, which remains a risk factor for developing CDIE. We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients admitted to our hospital. The aim of our study was to identify a possible correlation between the amount of device placements and the incidence of CDIE.

Methods

All patients, aged 18 years or above, diagnosed and treated for IE in our hospital in the 11 years between January 1st 2007 and December 31st 2017 were retrospectively identified. The amount of cardiac device placements was meticulously kept up to date by the administrative department. Due to the retrospective nature of our study no approval of the local ethics committee was required.

Results

A total of 33 patients with proven CDIE were identified There were no CDIE documented in 2007,2009 and 2010. 2008 showed 2 CDIE (16.7%) whereas the last 4 years of the study showed a mean incidence of 5.75 IE per year. Our population was predominantly male (84.8%) and nearly a third of the population died during hospital stay. The mean age of the population was 73.9 years old. Three quarters of the population underwent surgery and 24 patients out of these underwent device removal, the remaining 2 patients underwent valve replacement or catheter removal.

Half of the patients had early-onset or procedure-related IE (<12 months post procedure). The remaining cases were defined as late onset IE. Overall, 80% of CDIE developed within 3 years after the procedure.

The most prevalent causative organisms in our CDIE population were Staphylococci (68%) followed by Streptococci (20%). Eight out of 33 cases appeared to be culture negative (24.2%).

We sought to correlate these findings to the amount of cardiac device procedures (de novo implantations and replacements) as of 2004 (to compensate for the possible 3-year delay). The number of CD procedures increased by nearly 400% over the course of these 14 years.

Patient demographics

Conclusions

The incidence of CDIE has increased in our population over the past 11 years. This increase runs parallel with the expansion of the number of devices implanted. About half of CDIE occur within 1 year of the procedure defined as early onset CDIE, but the presence of a cardiac device remains a risk factor for IE even thereafter. Causative organisms in our study for CDIE specifically appear to coincide with the results from other studies done in more general populations, with Staphylococci remaining the most prevalent organisms. As patients with cardiac devices implanted appear to be at increased risk for IE, one might add these to the group of patients requiring IE-prophylaxis, especially because of the high mortality rate of IE, which appears to be even higher for CDIE.

Carcinoid heart disease: a remarkable recovery

A 65-year-old female patient with metastatic neuroendocrine tumour of the small intestine developed carcinoid valve disease and intractable right heart failure. She underwent successful cardiac valve replacement of both tricuspid and pulmonary valves. One year after surgery, she has regained full functional capacity.

Efficacy and safety of extended dosing schedules of CC-486 (oral azacitidine) in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes

CC-486, the oral formulation of azacitidine (AZA), is an epigenetic modifier and DNA methyltransferase inhibitor in clinical development for treatment of hematologic malignancies. CC-486 administered for 7 days per 28-day treatment cycle was evaluated in a phase 1 dose-finding study. AZA has a short plasma half-life and DNA incorporation is S-phase-restricted; extending CC-486 exposure may increase the number of AZA-affected diseased target cells and maximize therapeutic effects. Patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) received 300 mg CC-486 once daily for 14 days (n=28) or 21 days (n=27) of repeated 28-day cycles. Median patient age was 72 years (range 31–87) and 75% of patients had International Prognostic Scoring System Intermediate-1 risk MDS. Median number of CC-486 treatment cycles was 7 (range 2–24) for the 14-day dosing schedule and 6 (1–24) for the 21-day schedule. Overall response (complete or partial remission, red blood cell (RBC) or platelet transfusion independence (TI), or hematologic improvement) (International Working Group 2006) was attained by 36% of patients receiving 14-day dosing and 41% receiving 21-day dosing. RBC TI rates were similar with both dosing schedules (31% and 38%, respectively). CC-486 was generally well-tolerated. Extended dosing schedules of oral CC-486 may provide effective long-term treatment for patients with lower-risk MDS.

Role of oxygen consumption in hypoxia protection by translation factor depletion

The reduction of protein synthesis has been associated with resistance to hypoxic cell death. Which components of the translation machinery control hypoxic sensitivity and the precise mechanism has not been systematically investigated, although a reduction in oxygen consumption has been widely assumed to be the mechanism. Using genetic reagents in Caenorhabditis elegans, we examined the effect on organismal survival after hypoxia of knockdown of 10 factors functioning at the three principal steps in translation. Reduction-of-function of all 10 translation factors significantly increased hypoxic survival to varying degrees, not fully accounted for by the level of translational suppression. Measurement of oxygen consumption showed that strong hypoxia resistance was possible without a significant decrease in oxygen consumption. Hypoxic sensitivity had no correlation with lifespan or reactive oxygen species sensitivity, two phenotypes associated with reduced translation. Resistance to tunicamycin, which produces misfolded protein toxicity, was the only phenotype that significantly correlated with hypoxic sensitivity. Translation factor knockdown was also hypoxia protective for mouse primary neurons. These data show that translation factor knockdown is hypoxia protective in both C. elegans and mouse neurons and that oxygen consumption does not necessarily determine survival; rather, mitigation of misfolded protein toxicity is more strongly associated with hypoxic protection.

The Patient Concerns Inventory: A Tool to Uncover Unmet Needs in a Cancer Outpatient Clinic

The Patient Concerns Inventory (PCI) is a holistic, patient reported tool that aids in identifying concerns and issues. it is a 55-item checklist of issues that may be grouped into categories of general function, specific head and neck function, emotional-psychological and others, which include finances, treatment related matters and social care. The PCI also gives patients an opportunity to identify from a list of 15 multidisciplinary team (MDT) members whom they would like to see or be referred on to.

A double blind randomised trial of IIb or not IIb neck dissections on electromyography, clinical examination, and questionnaire-based outcomes: a feasibility study

The aim of this double-blind randomised controlled trial was to evaluate the feasibility of a study to compare differences using electromyographic (EMG) or nerve conduction studies (NCS), questionnaires completed by patients, and range of movement, after selective supraomohyoid neck dissection in patients with and without level IIb for node-negative oral cancer. Between January 2006 and July 2008 we recruited 57 previously untreated consecutive patients with node-negative T1 or T2 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the anterior two-thirds of the tongue and floor of the mouth. Thirty-eight patients were randomised (32 unilateral and 6 bilateral dissections) into two groups. Preoperatively and at 6 weeks postoperatively we collected EMG or NCS data on trapezius muscle activity (primary outcome), the University of Washington quality of life scale (UWQoLv4), the neck dissection impairment index (NDII), and range of movement. At 6 months data on range of movement and data from the questionnaires were obtained. There was a greater mean fall in trapezius M-response amplitude for those who had IIb dissected, which suggested that inclusion of this level caused additional morbidity. However, it was not significant for patients who had unilateral dissections or for all necks combined. Changes in M-amplitude from baseline to 6 weeks, and from baseline to 6 months were strongly associated with changes in the shoulder domain of the UWQoL and the NDII, but were less strong for change in range of movement. This feasibility study has shown that a randomised controlled trial (RCT) is achievable. The combination of EMG or NCS with questionnaire data preoperatively and to 6 weeks would suffice and would simplify a new study design.

Fear of recurrence following head and neck cancer in the outpatient clinic

Fear of recurrence (FOR) following head and neck cancer is one of the most frequent concerns of patients and is associated with psychological distress. The aims of this study were, first, to report the clinical characteristics of patients selected for FOR concerns on a patient concerns inventory (PCI) and, second, to compare the degree of FOR using a FOR questionnaire of those patients expressing FOR concerns on the PCI with those who did not. Two cohorts were used. The first comprised consecutive oncology patients attending clinics from August 2007 for 9 months (N = 123). These patients completed the PCI only. The second comprised patients attending the same clinic for over 4 months from October 2008 (N = 68), and this group completed both the PCI and the FOR questionnaire. FOR was the most frequently selected issue on the PCI (42%). There were no obvious differences in selecting FOR by patient characteristics. Those who scored 'a lot' or 'all the time' for questions 1-6 in the FOR questionnaire and responses (on a 10-point scale) of 7-10 for question 7 were deemed as having 'significant' FOR. In those raising the issue of FOR on the PCI, 79% (15/19) had significant problems compared to 24% (12/49) if they did not. FOR is a common concern and because it is not possible to identify patients based on clinical parameters, it is important to screen for FOR to direct patients to appropriate support and intervention.

Longitudinal evaluation of restricted mouth opening (trismus) in patients following primary surgery for oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Trismus is a serious problem for some patients after oral and oropharyngeal cancer, and it has a detrimental impact on quality of life and function. We know of few published papers that include preoperative assessment in reports on the longitudinal outcomes of mouth opening after oral and oropharyngeal surgery. We prospectively measured mouth opening in patients who had primary surgery for oral and oropharyngeal cancer from baseline to six months to find out the characteristics at baseline and at discharge of those who develop trismus at six months. Ninety-eight patients were eligible between February 2007 and March 2008, and 64 (65%) were recruited into the study. The range of mouth opening was measured on three occasions: before operation, on the ward before discharge from hospital, and at follow-up six months after operation. Using a criterion of 35 mm or less as an indication of trismus, 30% (19/63) had trismus before operation, 65% (37/57) at hospital discharge, and 54% (26/48) at six month follow-up. Patients at high risk of trismus were those with T stage 3 or 4 cancers who required free flap reconstruction and adjuvant radiotherapy; radiotherapy was the most significant factor at six months. Trismus at discharge was a prediction of trismus at six months. Interventions such as spatulas or a passive jaw mobiliser should be targeted at patients at high risk early in the postoperative phase. The efficacy of such interventions needs further research.