Phase II trial of domatinostat (4SC-202) in combination with avelumab in patients with previously treated advanced mismatch repair proficient oesophagogastric and colorectal adenocarcinoma: EMERGE

BACKGROUND

Most oesophagogastric adenocarcinomas (OGAs) and colorectal cancers (CRCs) are mismatch repair proficient (MMRp), responding poorly to immune checkpoint inhibition. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of domatinostat (histone deacetylase inhibitor) plus avelumab (anti-PD-L1 antibody) in patients with previously treated inoperable, advanced/metastatic MMRp OGA and CRC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eligible patients were evaluated in a multicentre, open-label dose escalation/dose expansion phase II trial. In the escalation phase, patients received escalating doses of domatinostat [100 mg once daily (OD), 200 mg OD, 200 mg twice daily (BD)] orally for 14 days followed by continuous dosing plus avelumab 10 mg/kg administered intravenously 2-weekly (2qw) to determine the recommended phase II dose (RP2D). The trial expansion phase evaluated the best objective response rate (ORR) during 6 months by RECIST version 1.1 using a Simon two-stage optimal design with 2/9 and 1/10 responses required to proceed to stage 2 in the OGA and CRC cohorts, respectively.

RESULTS

Patients (n = 40) were registered between February 2019 and October 2021. Patients in the dose escalation phase (n = 12) were evaluated to confirm the RP2D of domatinostat 200 mg BD plus avelumab 10 mg/kg. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed. Twenty-one patients were treated at the RP2D, 19 (9 OGA and 10 CRC) were assessable for the best ORR; 2 patients with CRC did not receive combination treatment and were not assessable for the primary endpoint analysis. Six patients were evaluated in the dose escalation and expansion phases. In the OGA cohort, the best ORR was 22.2% (95% one-sided confidence interval lower bound 4.1) and the median duration of disease control was 11.3 months (range 9.9-12.7 months). No responses were observed in the CRC cohort. No treatment-related grade 3-4 adverse events were reported at the RP2D.

CONCLUSIONS

Responses in the OGA cohort met the criteria to expand to stage 2 of recruitment with an acceptable safety profile. There was insufficient signal in the CRC cohort to progress to stage 2.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT03812796 (registered 23rd January 2019).

Analysis of circulating osteoclast and osteogenic precursors in patients with Gorham-Stout disease

PURPOSE

Gorham-Stout disease is a very rare disorder characterized by progressive bone erosion and angiomatous proliferation; its etiopathogenesis is still unknown, and diagnosis is still performed by exclusion criteria. The alteration of bone remodeling activity has been reported in patients; in this study, we characterized circulating osteoclast and osteogenic precursors that could be important to better understand the osteolysis observed in patients.

METHODS

Flow cytometry analysis of PBMC (Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells) was performed to characterize circulating osteoclast and osteogenic precursors in GSD patients (n = 9) compared to healthy donors (n = 55). Moreover, ELISA assays were assessed to evaluate serum levels of bone markers including RANK-L (Receptor activator of NF-κB ligand), OPG (Osteoprotegerin), BALP (Bone Alkaline Phosphatase) and OCN (Osteocalcin).

RESULTS

We found an increase of CD16-/CD14+CD11b+ and CD115+/CD14+CD11b+ osteoclast precursors in GSD patients, with high levels of serum RANK-L that could reflect the increase of bone resorption activity observed in patients. Moreover, no significant alterations were found regarding osteogenic precursors and serum levels of BALP and OCN.

CONCLUSION

The analysis of circulating bone cell precursors, as well as of RANK-L, could be relevant as an additional diagnostic tool for these patients and could be exploited for therapeutic purposes.

Sociodemographic Determinants of Urogenital Morbidities Among Menopausal Women in Rural Areas of Eastern Uttar Pradesh

Background After their mid-forties, almost all women, irrespective of their cultural background and health conditions, begin to experience physical, psychological, and emotional disturbances because of the progressive decline in hormone levels that occur as a reproductive-aged woman transitions from regular cyclic menses to her final menstrual period, ovarian senescence, and beyond. These morbidities hamper day-to-day life and lead to poor quality of life. Timely attention and management of these morbidities help women maintain a healthy and active life. This study aims to evaluate sociodemographic determinants of urogenital morbidities among rural menopausal women. Materials and methods We conducted the present cross-sectional study among a menopausal transition group and a postmenopausal group of women age 40 to 55 residing in the Chargawan block of the district of Gorakhpur from August 1, 2021, to July 31, 2022. After estimating the sample size based on the 2011 census of India, we selected 385 eligible participants. Results We studied a total of 385 women over a period of one year, out of which 171 (46%) were in the menopausal transition and 214 (54%) were postmenopausal. For urinary incontinence and burning micturition, when we compared both groups in relation to age, we found no significant association (p > .05). The symptom of urinary incontinence was significantly associated with the socioeconomic status of participants in both the menopausal transition and postmenopausal groups (p < .05). Conclusions Postmenopausal women harbor a considerable number of urogenital morbidities. Sociocultural, demographic, and behavioral factors influence these morbidities. These associations might serve as indicators of women at risk of experiencing more severe urogenital morbidities.

A PEDIATRIC CASE OF TEK-RELATED MALFORMATIONS AND MARFANOID HABITUS: AN INCIDENTAL FINDING OR A FEATURE?

Vascular malformations encompass a wide range of complex vascular lesions. Due to the extreme variability of clinical presentation, classification and their related syndromes presents a challenge. Here we describe a case of a boy presenting with Marfanoid habitus, cutaneous vascular malformations, and severe acute anemia due to ileal venous malformations. Although a panel of genetic markers for the Marfan phenotype was negative, we identified a de novo mutation in the TEK gene in the patient. This case supports expansion of the phenotypic spectrum of TEK-related vascular malformations.

EXPANDING THE SPECTRUM OF GORHAM STOUT DISEASE EXPLORING A SINGLE CENTER PEDIATRIC CASE SERIES

Gorham-Stout Disease (GSD), also named vanishing bone disease, is an ultrarare condition characterized by progressive osteolysis with intraosseous lymphatic vessel proliferation and bone cortical loss. So far, about 300 cases have been reported. It may occur at any age but more commonly affects children and young adults. The aim of this study is to retrospectively review our internal patient series and to hypothesize a diagnostic-therapeutic protocol for earlier diagnosis and treatment. Clinical datasets from our center were examined to identify all GSD patients for collection and analysis. We identified 9 pediatric cases and performed a retrospective case-series review to examine and document both diagnosis and treatment. We found that delay in diagnosis after first symptoms played a critical role in determining morbidity and that multidisciplinary care is key for proper diagnosis and treatment. Our study provides additional insight to improve the critical challenge of early diagnosis and highlights a multidisciplinary treatment approach for the most appropriate management of patients with rare GSD disease. Although GSD is an ultrarare disease, physicians should keep in mind the main clinical features since neglected cases may result in potentially fatal complications.

A pediatric case of TEK-Related malformations and marfanoid habitus: an incidental finding or a feature?

Vascular malformations encompass a wide range of complex vascular lesions. Due to the extreme variability of clinical presentation, classification and their related syndromes presents a challenge. Here we describe a case of a boy presenting with Marfanoid habitus, cutaneous vascular malformations, and severe acute anemia due to ileal venous malformations. Although a panel of genetic markers for the Marfan phenotype was negative, we identified a de novo mutation in the TEK gene in the patient. This case supports expansion of the phenotypic spectrum of TEK-related vascular malformations.

Expanding the spectrum of Gorham Stout disease exploring a single center pediatric case series

Gorham-Stout Disease (GSD), also named vanishing bone disease, is an ultrarare condition characterized by progressive osteolysis with intraosseous lymphatic vessel proliferation and bone cortical loss. So far, about 300 cases have been reported. It may occur at any age but more commonly affects children and young adults. The aim of this study is to retrospectively review our internal patient series and to hypothesize a diagnostic-therapeutic protocol for earlier diagnosis and treatment. Clinical datasets from our center were examined to identify all GSD patients for collection and analysis. We identified 9 pediatric cases and performed a retrospective case-series review to examine and document both diagnosis and treatment. We found that delay in diagnosis after first symptoms played a critical role in determining morbidity and that multidisciplinary care is key for proper diagnosis and treatment. Our study provides additional insight to improve the critical challenge of early diagnosis and highlights a multidisciplinary treatment approach for the most appropriate management of patients with rare GSD disease. Although GSD is an ultrarare disease, physicians should keep in mind the main clinical features since neglected cases may result in potentially fatal complications.

Microglia are selectively activated in endocrine and cardiovascular control centres in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Type 1 and 2 diabetes are associated with dysfunction in multiple hormone systems, as well as increased sympathetic nerve activity, which may contribute to the development of diabetic complications. In other pathologies, such as myocardial infarction, increased sympathetic drive is associated with neuroinflammation and microglial activation in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), a brain region that regulates sympathetic drive and multiple endocrine responses. In the present study, we used immunohistochemistry to study microglial and neuronal activation in the PVN and related brain regions in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. As expected, STZ treatment was associated with elevated blood glucose within 1 week. STZ injections also caused neuronal activation in the PVN and superoptic nucleus (SON) but not in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), which was evident by 6 weeks. STZ-treated rats showed increased plasma osmolarity, which would be expected to activate PVN and SON neurones. There was no apparent increase in histochemical markers of microglial activation, including phospho-p38, phospho-extracellular signal regulated kinase, P2X4 receptor or interleukin 1-β even at 10 weeks after STZ-treatment. However, we did see a significant increase in the percentage of microglia with an activated morphology in the PVN, SON and NTS, although not in surrounding hypothalamic, brainstem or cortical regions. These morphological changes included a significant reduction in microglial process length and were evident by 8 weeks but not 6 weeks. The delayed onset of microglial changes compared to neuronal activation in the PVN and SON suggests the over-excitation of neurones as a mechanism of microglial activation. This delayed microglial activation may, in turn, contribute to the endocrine dysregulation and the elevated sympathetic nerve activity reported in STZ-treated rats.

Hemoglobin monitoring in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy

OBJECTIVES

Anemia is a well-recognized factor for local recurrence and decreased survival in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Additionally, lower hemoglobin (Hb) levels have a negative impact on radiotherapy efficacy and response rates. The objective of this audit was to investigate how frequently Hb levels were observed in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy within a multidisciplinary team setting.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective first-cycle audit in a university hospital in Glasgow that is a tertiary referral center for head and neck cancer. Included were 78 patients with head and neck cancer who were undergoing radiotherapy. Online laboratory services and clinical case sheets were checked for each patient to monitor the frequency of observation of Hb levels before, during, and after radiotherapy.

RESULTS

Of these 78 patients, only 49 had their Hb level checked before radiotherapy treatment, only 9 during radiotherapy, and only 27 after completion of radiotherapy treatment (p < 0.0001). Of the 49 patients with preradiotherapy Hb levels available, 24% were found to be anemic; none of these patients had their Hb monitored during radiotherapy, and only 4 had Hb levels recorded after completion of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

This audit has highlighted that despite evidence emphasizing that anemia in cancer is an independent prognostic factor for recurrence, there is no formal protocol for Hb monitoring in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. The audit has also demonstrated that Hb monitoring is infrequently performed and that subsequent observation of the Hb level is suboptimal.

Visceral Leishmaniasis Revealing Chronic Granulomatous Disease in a Child

We report the first description of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) infection as a harbinger of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) in a 3-year old child. Although VL is not frequently suspected in CGD patients, our case emphasises the importance of a complete evaluation of the immune system in children presenting with VL in order to exclude underlying immunodeficiency states. As the prognosis of CGD is poor, with high morbidity and mortality, establishing an early diagnosis has important practical implications in the successful treatment of these patients. Following the diagnosis, the patient received Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) identical sibling bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The child is now 2 years post-transplant and is in good general conditions with normal blood counts, and evidence of full-donor chimerism in repeated fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) studies.

Bleomycin sclerotherapy in congenital lymphatic and vascular malformations of head and neck

Bleomycin is an established antineoplastic drug, but recently some attempts were made to inject it locally as a sclerosing agent in cases of congenital lymphatic malformations. We present the outcome of this treatment modality tried on 10 paediatric cases of whom 9 had such malformation in the cervical region and one in the parotid region. Seven of these cases had congenital lymphatic malformation while three had haemodynamically less active congenital vascular malformation. All these children were subjected to percutaneous intralesional administration of bleomycin. The size of swelling reduced by 50% or more in seven patients out of which three showed complete or near complete response. There were no major deleterious side effects.

Bronchial foreign body presenting as an accidental radiological finding

The aspiration of a foreign body in an airway is usually associated with respiratory distress, wheeze and persistent cough. The highest incidence of foreign body inhalation occurs between the age of 1 and 3 years [Ann. Otol. Rhinol. Laryngol. 89 (1980) 434: Med. J. Aust. 2 (1983) 322]. Asymptomatic and long standing foreign bodies may lead to complications such as recurrent pneumonia, bronchiectasis, atelectasis and even death. We present here a case of a metallic bronchial foreign body, which was discovered only as an accidental radiological finding on a chest X-ray, which was done for a mild lower respiratory tract infection, presumably 4 months after such an aspiration.

Reciprocal bone marrow transplantation between brother and sister

A child with AML underwent allogeneic BMT from an HLA-identical sister donor. Prompt and stable triline-age engraftment occurred and after few months he returned to a normal life. Eight years later a primary NHL of bone developed in his sister. A partial remission was obtained by means of standard NHL treatment, but 3 months later rapid disease progression occurred with complete bone marrow invasion (ALL-L3). She was treated with a leukemia relapse protocol, obtaining a second partial remission. Unpurged bone marrow harvested from the brother, transplanted for AML 8 years earlier, was infused after conditioning with TBI and thiothepa. No GVHD prophylaxis was given. Neutrophil engraftment occurred by 14 days and platelet engraftment by 20 days after BMT. No acute GVHD was observed, but unexpectedly she developed skin and liver GVHD-like symptoms 80 days after BMT. Since the liver biopsy was suggestive of liver GVHD and in the absence of any other evidence as a possible cause of the hepatic damage, the patient started mycophenolate. Two months later serum hepatitis B markers were detectable.

Adhesion molecule expression, clinical features and therapy outcome in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

In view of the relevance of adhesion molecule expression for the mechanisms of homing, trafficking and spreading of malignant cells, we have investigated the expression of surface adhesion molecules in lymphoblasts from 57 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases and tried to correlate the adhesive phenotype with immunological typing, prognostic factors at diagnosis and clinical follow-up. Blasts from all cases expressed adhesion molecules at high rates. Beta1 integrin chain (CD18) was consistently found on blasts from most ALL cases: among integrins of the beta2 family. LFA-1 was detected in 58% of cases, in the virtual absence of other alpha chains. CD54 and CD58 were expressed in variable proportions by ALL blasts and CD44 was detected in the majority of the malignant cells, whereas the CD62L selectin was only present in 24% of cases. B-lineage ALL's displayed similar adhesion molecule phenotypes irrespective of maturational stages of the leukemic cells. We found a significantly reduced expression of beta2 alphaL integrins in the hybrid ALL cases (CD13 and/or CD33 positive). However, these cases did not show differences in clinical presentation and behaviour in comparison with patients of other groups. We did not find a significant correlation between adhesion molecule expression and well established risk factors (age, white blood cell count, central nervous system involvement, chromosomal abnormalities), with the exception of splenomegaly, that was significantly associated with CD18 expression. In the follow-up, no evidence of significant correlation between adhesive phenotype and adverse events such as leukemic relapse and death was found. In conclusion, although expression of adhesion molecules on lymphoblasts confirms the phenotypic heterogeneity of ALL, it appears that this is not relevant for the clinical aspects of the disease and for prognosis.

Treatment of acute idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in children. A retrospective evaluation of 120 cases

Acute idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (AITP) in children is generally a benign disease with a high frequency of spontaneous remission. Nevertheless the debate over treating or not is still open, because of the high risk of hemorrhage as long as the platelet count remains below 20 x 10(9)/l. We have retrospectively evaluated 120 pediatric cases from our center, receiving different treatments at diagnosis: no treatment (76); IVIG: 400 mg/kg/d for 5 days (28); continuous oral PDN: 1-1.5 mg/kg/d for at least two weeks (16). No patients had been previously treated for AITP. Follow-up is up to fifty months. We found no significant differences as to the percentage of responses among the three groups. We conclude that waiting without treatment is safe and appropriate in most cases; whether the hemorrhagic risk suggests treatment, standard dose continuous oral PDN and IVIG may be equally effective, but IVIG may achieve a significantly faster rise in the platelet count. The timing of treatment and the cost/benefit ratio are discussed.

Screening for coeliac disease: the meaning of low titers of anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) in non-coeliac children

Coeliac disease is diagnosed by means of jejunal biopsy, an invasive procedure. Anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) have therefore been used in the first screening of the disease. On the other hand, low titers of AGA are widely detected also in normal subjects. In order to investigate if low levels of AGA could be correlated with laboratory and clinical data, we performed a study on 167 subjects with various illnesses, such as recurrent abdominal pain, failure to thrive, short stature, diarrhoea or constipation, cow-milk protein intolerance and/or food allergy, recurrent vomiting or previous gastroenteritis, all non coeliac conditions which have been associated with AGA presence. Seventy coeliac children, all biopsied, were selected as a control group. Among the 167 cases we found 60 subjects positive for AGA (35.9%), a high proportion as compared with the general population. Only 33/167 patients, all IgG and IgA AGA positive, fulfil our laboratory and clinical criteria to perform a 'confirming' biopsy. For the 134 residual cases (14 IgA, 13 only IgG AGA positive, 107 AGA negative) a diagnosis of coeliac disease has been excluded by clinical criteria (scoring). As a whole, the patients with coeliac disease had significantly higher levels of AGA of both IgG and IgA classes (p < 0.01). On the other hand, no significant difference emerged for all the anamnestic and laboratory parameters considered between AGA+ and AGA- non-coeliac subjects. However, laboratory parameters of IgG-AGA and/or IgA-AGA positive patients were similar to those of coeliac children for ion, Xylose, total IgA count. As no biopsied case showed mucosal atrophy, it is suggested that the presence of even low AGA levels in non-coeliac children may represent a highly sensitive index of intestinal alteration causing an increased permeability to macromolecules, but it is very unlikely that one could detect coeliac children by means of Ig-AGA among such illnesses and normal subjects. Strong clinical diagnosis and laboratory parameters are required to justify intestinal biopsies. In fact, the production of AGA seems to be a merely immunological phenomenon linked to an increased and probably transient permeability to macromolecules of the intestinal mucosa.

[Epidemiologic correlation between microhematuria in children and hypertension in their parents]

The significance of asymptomatic microhematuria in children is unknown. In 1976 Dodge et al. found a "surprising" high prevalence of proteinuria and haematuria in 12,000 healthy schoolchildren and, in the absence of knowledge of the natural history, this finding prompted them to postpone urinary mass screening. Nonetheless, the progressive course of most chronic renal disease in adulthood argues for investigation of microhematuria in children to uncover any sub-groups "at risk" of kidney diseases. The sensitivity of screening for microhematuria could be increased by a questionnaire on family medical history? We have investigated 1554 boys and 1484 girls aged 3-12 years, from the school population of a rural district near Rome. A self-administered questionnaire on renal disease and related symptoms in families was distributed to the parents. Urinalyses were done on all the children except for those with diseases or symptoms related to the urinary apparatus and girls who were menstruating. Haematuria was tested for by dipstick ("Combur 7"; Boehringer), children with microhematuria were retested 10 day and 1 year later. On the initial 3038 dipstick tests 175 (5.76%) were positive, and 52 children (1.71%) had haematuria in all three specimens. The questionnaires were used only if they had been filled in properly (1821/3038). Of the 1821 valid questionnaires 121 (6.64%) revealed a family history of hypertension, but the frequency of such a family history was significantly higher for the 128 children with haematuria (14.8%, p < 0.005) and the 52 with persistent haematuria (23.0%; p < 0.001).

Atopy and environmental factors in upper respiratory infections: an epidemiological survey on 2304 school children

Upper respiratory infections (URI) during the first years of life are mostly viral in origin. However, a number of observations suggest the influence of both predisposing and triggering factors. Atopy in particular seems to play an important role as do environmental factors. Many children with early symptoms such as blocked or runny nose are likely to become skin-positive later in life to antigens such as, e.g., D. pteronissinus. A standardized questionnaire was administered to 2304 schoolchildren in order to ascertain the URI frequency and to correlate it with family and environmental factors and with results of prick tests for main allergens in our climate (D. pteronissinus and Grasses). Results showed a wide overlapping of URI and lower respiratory illnesses (in particular, asthma), which are widely distributed in the families of patients. Passive smoking and the quality of housing are the main triggering environmental factors. In our sample, skin positivity for D. pteronissinus and Grasses largely exceeds the symptomatic portion of the whole population. It is therefore suggested that many asymptomatic children are "at risk" for allergic respiratory illness. The highest incidence of winter rhinitis in skin-negative subjects (71.7%) and the skin positivity for D. pteronissinus in patients with perennial symptoms, suggest the importance of both atopy and viral infections in the occurrence of URI. Nasal troubles are most frequent in asthmatic subjects and may be considered the actual additional symptom in asthma.