Investigation of the Approaches to Optimal Exercise Interventions Based on Dementia Type: A Theoretical Review

The aim of this study is to enhance comprehension of the different types and features of dementia, including their symptoms, diagnosis and medical treatment, and to propose various evidence-based exercise interventions and their clinical applications tailored to each specific type of dementia. The theoretical review includes the analysis of publications in the scientific databases PubMed/Medline, Ebsco, Scielo, and Google. A total of 177 articles were found, of which 84 were studied in depth. With the prevalence of all forms of dementia projected to increase from 57.4 million in 2019 to 152.8 million in 2050, personalized treatment strategies are needed. This review discusses various forms of dementia, including their pathologies, diagnostic criteria, and prevalence rates. The importance of accurate diagnosis and tailored care is emphasized, as well as the effectiveness of physical exercise in improving cognitive function in dementia patients. For Alzheimer's, a combination of drug therapies and exercises is recommended to enhance cerebral blood flow and neurotransmitter activity. To improve cognitive and motor functions in Lewy body dementia, a combination of pharmacological and physical therapies is recommended. For managing frontotemporal dementia, a mix of medication and exercises aimed at emotion regulation, including aerobic exercises, and a unified protocol, is suggested. For mild cognitive impairment, aerobic and functional exercises are important in delaying cognitive decline and enhancing cognitive performance. In conclusion, individualized care and treatment plans tailored to the specific characteristics of each disease type can improve the quality of life for individuals with this condition and effectively manage this growing global health issue.

Multiplexed Serum Steroid Profiling Reveals Metabolic Signatures of Subtypes in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Context

Altered metabolic signatures on steroidogenesis may characterize individual subtypes of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), but conventional diagnostic approaches are limited to differentiate subtypes.

Objective

We explored metabolic characterizations and identified multiple diagnostic biomarkers specific to individual subtypes of CAH.

Methods

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based profiling of 33 adrenal steroids was developed and applied to serum samples obtained from 67 CAH patients and 38 healthy volunteers.

Results

Within- and between-run precisions were 95.4% to 108.3% and 94.1% to 110.0%, respectively, while all accuracies were <12% and the correlation coefficients (r2) were > 0.910. Metabolic ratios corresponding to 21-hydroxylase characterized 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD; n = 63) from healthy controls (area under the curve = 1.0, P < 1 × 10-18 for all) and other patients with CAH in addition to significantly increased serum 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (P < 1 × 10-16) and 21-deoxycortisol (P < 1 × 10-15) levels. Higher levels of mineralocorticoids, such as corticosterone (B) and 18-hydroxyB, were observed in 17α-hydroxylase deficiency (17α-OHD; N = 3), while metabolic ratio of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate to pregnenolone sulfate was remarkably decreased against all subjects. A patient with 11β-hydroxylase deficiency (11β-OHD) demonstrated significantly elevated 11-deoxycortisol and its metabolite tetrahydroxy-11-deoxyF, with reduced metabolic ratios of 11β-hydroxytestosterone/testosterone and 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione/androstenedione. The steroid profiles resulted in significantly decreased cortisol metabolism in both 21-OHD and 17α-OHD but not in 11β-OHD.

Conclusion

The metabolic signatures with specific steroids and their corresponding metabolic ratios may reveal individual CAH subtypes. Further investigations with more substantial sample sizes should be explored to enhance the clinical validity.

Accuracy of heart rate measured by military-grade wearable ECG monitor compared with reference and commercial monitors

INTRODUCTION

Physiological monitoring of soldiers can indicate combat readiness and performance. Despite demonstrated use of wearable devices for HR monitoring, commercial options lack desired military features. A newly developed OMNI monitor includes desired features such as long-range secure data transmission. This study investigated the accuracy of the OMNI to measure HR via accuracy of R-R interval duration relative to research-grade ECG and commercial products.

METHODS

54 healthy individuals (male/female=37/17, age=22.2±3.6 years, height=173.0±9.1 cm, weight=70.1±11.2 kg) completed a submaximal exercise test while wearing a reference ECG (Biopac) and a randomly assigned chest-based monitor (OMNI, Polar H10, Equivital EQ-02, Zephyr Bioharness 3). All participants also wore two wrist-based photoplethysmography (PPG) devices, Garmin fēnix 6 and Empatica E4. Bland-Altman analyses of agreement, concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and root-mean-squared error (RMSE) were used to determine accuracy of the OMNI and commercial devices relative to Biopac. Additionally, a linear mixed-effects model evaluated the effects of device and exercise intensity on agreement.

RESULTS

Chest-based devices showed superior agreement with Biopac for measuring R-R interval compared with wrist-based ones in terms of mean bias, CCC and RMSE, with OMNI demonstrating the best scores on all metrics. Linear mixed-effects model showed no significant main or interaction effects for the chest-based devices. However, significant effects were found for Garmin and Empatica devices (p<0.001) as well as the interaction effects between both Garmin and Empatica and exercise intensity (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Chest-based ECG devices are preferred to wrist-based PPG devices due to superior HR accuracy over a range of exercise intensities, with the OMNI device demonstrating equal, if not superior, performance to other commercial ECG monitors. Additionally, wrist-based PPG devices are significantly affected by exercise intensity as they underestimate HR at low intensities and overestimate HR at high intensities.

Serum steroid profile captures metabolic phenotypes in adults with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia

OBJECTIVES

Adult patients with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency have an increased risk of metabolic diseases. We aimed to investigate whether liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based serum steroid profiling reveals metabolic phenotypes in adults with classic CAH.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This study prospectively enrolled 63 adult patients with CAH and 38 healthy volunteers. The levels of the 24 steroids were quantified in the morning serum using LC-MS. Unsupervised clustering algorithms were applied to the serum steroid profiles to identify unique patterns associated with metabolic syndrome.

RESULTS

Serum steroid profiles of patients with CAH were clearly delineated from those of healthy controls with a higher degree of interindividual heterogeneity. The unsupervised clustering algorithm divided CAH patients into two clusters based on serum steroid profile. Cluster 2 showed higher serum levels of glucocorticoids and androgens than cluster 1. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was significantly higher in cluster 2 than in cluster 1 (37.8 % vs. 5.6 %, P = 0.011). Other clinical characteristics, including age, sex, body mass index, CAH subtypes, and glucocorticoid dose, did not differ between the two clusters. The multivariate logistic regression model of selective 15 steroids could discriminate metabolic syndrome in patients with CAH with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.832 (95 % confidence interval:0.732-0.933).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum steroid profiles can be valuable biomarkers for estimating metabolic risk in adult patients with CAH.

Patient ratings in exercise therapy for the management of tendinopathy: a systematic review with meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To synthesise exercise therapy intervention data investigating patient rating outcomes for the management of tendinopathy.

DESIGN

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials investigating exercise therapy interventions and reporting patient rating outcomes.

SETTING

Any setting in any country listed as very high on the human development index.

PARTICIPANTS

People with a diagnosis of any tendinopathy of any severity or duration.

INTERVENTIONS

Exercise therapy for the management of tendinopathy comprising five different therapy classes: 1) resistance; 2) plyometric; 3) vibration; 4) flexibility, and 5) movement pattern retraining modalities, were considered for inclusion.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Outcomes measuring patient rating of condition, including patient satisfaction and Global Rating of Change (GROC).

RESULTS

From a total of 124 exercise therapy studies, 34 (Achilles: 41%, rotator cuff: 32%, patellar: 15%, elbow: 9% and gluteal: 3%) provided sufficient information to be meta-analysed. The data were obtained across 48 treatment arms and 1246 participants. The pooled estimate for proportion of satisfaction was 0.63 [95%CrI: 0.53-0.73], and the pooled estimate for percentage of maximum GROC was 53 [95%CrI: 38-69%]. The proportion of patients reporting positive satisfaction and perception of change increased with longer follow-up periods from treatment onset.

CONCLUSION

Patient satisfaction and GROC appear similar and are ranked moderately high demonstrating that patients generally perceive exercise therapies positively. Further research including greater consistency in measurement tools is required to explore and where possible, identify patient- and exercise-related moderating factors that can be used to improve person-centred care.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO ID=CRD42020168187 CONTRIBUTION OF PAPER.

Autophagy Plays a Crucial Role in Ameloblast Differentiation

Tooth enamel is generated by ameloblasts. Any failure in amelogenesis results in defects in the enamel, a condition known as amelogenesis imperfecta. Here, we report that mice with deficient autophagy in epithelial-derived tissues (K14-Cre;Atg7^F/F and K14-Cre;Atg3^F/F conditional knockout mice) exhibit amelogenesis imperfecta. Micro-computed tomography imaging confirmed that enamel density and thickness were significantly reduced in the teeth of these mice. At the molecular level, ameloblast differentiation was compromised through ectopic accumulation and activation of NRF2, a specific substrate of autophagy. Through bioinformatic analyses, we identified Bcl11b, Dlx3, Klk4, Ltbp3, Nectin1, and Pax9 as candidate genes related to amelogenesis imperfecta and the NRF2-mediated pathway. To investigate the effects of the ectopic NRF2 pathway activation caused by the autophagy deficiency, we analyzed target gene expression and NRF2 binding to the promoter region of candidate target genes and found suppressed gene expression of Bcl11b, Dlx3, Klk4, and Nectin1 but not of Ltbp3 and Pax9. Taken together, our findings indicate that autophagy plays a crucial role in ameloblast differentiation and that its failure results in amelogenesis imperfecta through ectopic NRF2 activation.

PSUN19 One-step serum screening for discriminating subtypes of congenital adrenal hyperplasia in metabolic signatures of adrenal steroids

Various metabolic signatures may be associated with individual subtypes of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). However, the ability of commonly used antibody-based immunoassays is limited to discriminate the different subtypes. To address this, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based quantitative profiling of 34 serum adrenal steroids was developed. The validated LC-MS assay has been then applied to serum samples obtained from 67 CAH patients and 38 healthy subjects to characterize their different subtypes. The significantly increased serum levels of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17α-OH-Prog; AUC = 0.997, P &lt; 1×10-16) and 21-deoxycortisol (21-deoxyF; AUC = 0.993, P &lt; 1×10-15) and the increased their metabolic ratios to cortisol (AUC = 1.0, P &lt; 1×10-16 for both) were observed in 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD; N=63), while the 11-deoxyF/17α-OH-Prog could also be practical marker (AUC = 1.0, P &lt; 1×10-16). Higher levels of mineralocorticoids, including corticosterone (B), 18-hydroxyB, and pregnenolone sulfate (Preg-S) and lower levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) indicated 17α-hydroxylase deficiency (17α-OHD; N=3), which was associated with significantly decreased metabolic ratios of 17α-OH-Prog/Prog and DHEA-S/Preg-S. The patient with 11β-hydroxylase deficiency (11β-OHD; N=1) showed remarkably increased levels of 11-deoxyF and tetrahydro-11-deoxyF, while the metabolic ratios of 11β-hydroxytestosterone/testosterone and 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione/androstenedione were characterized. Although both 17α-OHD and 11β-OHD groups included a small number of patients, the present LC-MS screening panel with proposed individual steroids and their metabolic ratios could be valuable for assessing different CAH subtypes in clinical practice through a single run.

Presentation: Sunday, June 12, 2022 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

ODP028 Association Between Serum Steroid Profile and Metabolic Risks in Adults with Classic Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Due to 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency

Objective

In adult patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), long-term health outcomes, including metabolic and cardiovascular health, are a priority for the management of CAH. The enzyme 21-hydroxylase deficiency, which accounts for a majority of CAH, leads to a large perturbation in serum steroid profile under glucocorticoid replacement therapy. Serum levels of several adrenal steroids, including 17-hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione, are associated with disease severity and sexual dysfunction of CAH patients. However, the association between the serum steroid profiles with metabolic risk in CAH patients is not elucidated yet. We aimed to investigate the serum steroid profile of adult CAH patients using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and their association with metabolic risk.

Methods

Adult patients with classic CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency were included in this study (36 females and 27 males). A multi-steroid panel composed of 25 steroids and their metabolites was applied to morning serum samples of study subjects using LC-MS. An unsupervised clustering algorithm was applied to the serum steroid panel to discover any unique pattern which divides CAH subjects into clusters. The association between serum steroid profiles and clinical characteristics, including age, sex, body mass index (BMI), subtypes (simple virilizing and salt wasting), glucocorticoid dose, and the presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), and metabolic syndrome (MetS) was analyzed. The discriminatory power of each steroid or a combination of steroids was estimated using the area under the curve of receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) for metabolic diseases.

Results

Fifteen steroids including pregnenolone sulfate, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, cortisol, cortisone, 21-deoxycortisol, 20α-dihydrocortisol, 20α-dihydrocortisone, α-cortolone, β-cortolone, tetrahydrocortisone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, testosterone, androstenedione, 11β-hydroxytestosterone, and 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione were successfully quantified in all subjects. The median age of subjects was 28 years (interquartile range: 25-35). The prevalence of DM, hypertension, and MetS was 3.2% (2/63), 15.8% (10/63), and 28.6% (18/63), respectively. The subjects were divided into two clusters based on the pattern of serum steroid profile using unsupervised hierarchical clustering. The prevalence of MetS was significantly different between the two clusters (cluster 1, 37.8% [17/45] vs. cluster 2, 5.6% [1/18], P = 0. 011). The prevalence of HTN was numerically higher in cluster 1 than cluster 2 (20. 0% [9/45] vs. 5.6% [1/18], P = 0.257). Other clinical characteristics, including age, sex, BMI, subtypes, and glucocorticoid dose, were not different between the two clusters. Among fifteen steroids, the level of tetrahydrocortisone showed the highest discriminatory power for MetS (AUROC 0.795, 95% confidence interval: 0.675-0.914). The multivariate logistic regression model of all 15 steroids showed AUROC of 0.832 (95% CI: 0.732-0.933) for MetS.

Conclusion

The serum steroid profiles of CAH patients were significantly associated with the presence of MetS. This suggests that serum steroid signatures can guide the optimal management of adult CAH patients to minimize the risk of MetS.

Presentation: No date and time listed

Oral anticoagulation therapy in atrial fibrillation patients with advanced chronic kidney disease: CODE-AF Registry

Background and objectives

Advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), including end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on dialysis, increases thromboembolic risk among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). This study examined the comparative safety and efficacy of direct-acting oral anticoagulant (DOAC) compared to warfarin or no OAC among AF patients with advanced CKD or ESRD on dialysis.

Methods

Using data from the COmparison study of Drugs for symptom control and complication prEvention of AF (CODE-AF) registry, 260 non-valvular AF patients with advanced CKD (defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] &lt;3 0ml/min per 1.73 m2) or ESRD on dialysis were enrolled from June 2016 to July 2020. The study population was categorized into DOAC, warfarin, and no OAC group, and differences in major or clinically relevant non-major (CRNM) bleeding, stroke/systemic embolism (SE), myocardial infarction/critical limb ischemia (CLI), and death were assessed.

Results

During a median 24 months of follow-up, major or CRNM bleeding risk was significantly reduced in the DOAC group compared to the warfarin group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.05 to 0.95, p=0.042). In addition, the risk of composite adverse clinical outcome (major or CRNM bleeding, stroke/SE, myocardial infarction/CLI, and death) was significantly reduced in the DOAC group compared to the no OAC group (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.96, p=0.043).

Conclusion

Among AF patients with advanced CKD or ESRD on dialysis, DOAC was associated with a lower risk of major or CRNM bleeding compared to warfarin and a lower risk of composite adverse clinical outcome compared to no OAC.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Korean Healthcare Technology R&D project funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare (HI15C1200, HC19C0130)

Resting heart rate and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation: CODE-AF registry

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

The prognostic significance of resting heart rate and its therapeutic target in atrial fibrillation (AF) is uncertain.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between resting heart rate and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with AF.

Methods

A total of 8,886 patients with AF was included from the COmparison study of Drugs for symptom control and complication prEvention of AF (CODE-AF) registry. Patients were categorized according to baseline heart rate, and cardiovascular outcomes were accessed during a median follow-up of 30 months. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, hospitalization due to heart failure, and myocardial infarction/critical limb ischemia.

Results

Compared to heart rate ≥100 beats per minute (bpm), heart rate 80-99 bpm was associated with the lowest risk of primary outcome (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.40-0.79, p=0.001). In subgroup of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), heart rate between 80-99 bpm was associated with reduced risk of primary outcome compared to heart rate ≥100 bpm (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.16-0.98, p=0.045). However, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), there was no association between resting heart rate and cardiovascular outcomes (P for interaction 0.001).

Conclusion

Resting heart rate was associated with cardiovascular outcomes in patients with AF, and those with a resting heart rate between 80-99 bpm had the lowest risk of adverse events. The impact of resting heart rate on adverse events persisted in patients with concomitant HFpEF but was not apparent in those with concomitant HFrEF.

Impact of mapping technology on procedural characteristics during radiofrequency or cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background/Introduction: Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) is often associated with shorter procedure times along with tradeoffs such as increased fluoroscopy use compared to radiofrequency (RF) ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF), however the impact of mapping technology on these characteristics is not fully understood.

Purpose

To assess the effect of mapping technology on trends in fluoroscopy use and procedure times in AF pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedures with an RF or CBA catheter.

Methods

Acute procedure data from 210 de novo AF cases using a 3D mapping system was prospectively collected from 48 centers in eight countries. Choice of technology was left to physician discretion; a PVI only ablation strategy was utilized in all cases. Procedure data such as total procedure and fluoroscopy times from cases using either an RF or CBA catheter with either a grid-style mapping catheter (HD Grid) or circular mapping catheter (CMC) were compared.

Results

Of the 210 cases, RF ablation was used in 103 (49%), and CBA used in 107 (51%). In RF cases, a relatively even split between CMC and HD Grid use was observed (n=46, 45% vs. n=57, 55%), while a CMC was used in 100% of CBA cases (Figure 1). Across all cases, fluoroscopy and procedure times were significantly shorter when HD Grid was used (7.4±26.7 minutes; 108.2±46.3 minutes) compared to a CMC (20.4±17.6 minutes; 133.7±62.7) (p&lt;0.001; p=0.003). A similar trend was also observed in RF cases using HD Grid (7.4±26.7 minutes; 108.2±46.3 minutes) compared to a CMC (17.9±12.3 minutes; 175.1±50.5) (p=0.01; p&lt;0.001). Fluoroscopy times in RF cases with HD Grid (7.4±26.7 minutes) were significantly shorter compared to CBA cases with a CMC (21.5±19.4 minutes) (p&lt;0.001), while procedure times were similar (108.2±46.3 minutes; 116.0±59.2 minutes, p=0.20).

Conclusion(s)

Use of HD Grid resulted in significantly shorter procedure and fluoroscopy times compared to a CMC across all cases, including those using RF ablation. Fluoroscopy times were also significantly shorter in RF cases using HD Grid compared to CBA cases using a CMC, with similar procedure times. These observations suggest that use of HD Grid may better enable safer and more efficient PVI, specifically when employing RF ablation, in addition to safer and equally efficient RF PVI compared to CBA with a CMC. Further study in in a larger, randomized cohort may be necessary.

Global preferences in mapping technology and its impact on fluoroscopy and procedure times during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background/Introduction

Choice in mapping technology may play a critical role in reducing fluoroscopy and procedure times during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, however this relationship is not well studied.

Purpose

To assess the impact of mapping technology on trends in fluoroscopy use and procedure times in AF ablation procedures.

Methods

Acute procedure data from 525 AF cases was prospectively collected from 68 centers in nine countries. Choice of technology and ablation strategy, including PVI and substrate modification, were left to physician discretion. Procedure data such as total procedure and fluoroscopy times from cases using a grid-style mapping catheter (HD Grid) were compared to those using a circular mapping catheter (CMC).

Results

Of the 525 cases, HD Grid was used in 230 (44%), and CMC was used in 295 (56%). HD Grid was routinely used for both de novo and redo procedures while CMC was used predominantly for de novo procedures (Table 1). Similar procedure times were noted in redo PAF and redo PersAF procedures, while significantly shorter procedure times were observed for the HD Grid group in both de novo PAF and PersAF (113.9±48.8 vs. 125.9±56.3 minutes, p=0.04; and 142.8±53.2 vs. 169.8±52.2 minutes, p=0.001).

Overall fluoroscopy times were significantly shorter using HD Grid compared to a CMC (9.0±19.6 minutes vs. 19.8±16.4 minutes, p&lt;0.001), including significantly shorter fluoroscopy times in de novo PAF, de novo PersAF, and redo PAF (Table 1). There were 155 cases completed without fluoroscopy use; zero fluoroscopy cases accounted for 50% (114/230) and 14% (41/295) of total cases completed with HD Grid and a CMC, respectively (p&lt;0.001).

Conclusion(s)

Use of HD Grid was observed in a significantly higher portion of zero fluoroscopy cases and resulted in significantly shorter procedure and fluoroscopy times in both de novo PAF and de novo PersAF and significantly shorter fluoroscopy times in redo PAF. These observations suggest that use of HD Grid may better enable faster and safer procedures in these specific AF types compared to CMCs, although further analysis in a larger, randomized cohort may be warranted.

Visualization of calcium channel blockers in human adrenal tissues and their possible effects on steroidogenesis in the patients with primary aldosteronism (PA)

Voltage-gated L-type calcium channel (CaV) isoforms are well known to play pivotal tissue-specific roles not only in vasoconstriction but also in adrenocortical steroidogenesis including aldosterone biosynthesis. Alpha-1C subunit calcium channel (CC) (CaV1.2) is the specific target of anti-hypertensive CC blockers (CCBs) and its Alpha-1D subunit (CaV1.3) regulates depolarization of cell membrane in aldosterone-producing cells. Direct effects of CCBs on aldosterone biosynthesis were previously postulated but their intra-adrenal distribution and effects on steroid production in primary aldosteronism (PA) patients have remained virtually unknown. In this study, frozen tissue specimens constituting tumor, adjacent adrenal gland and peri-adrenal adipose tissues of nine aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) cases were examined for visualization of amlodipine and aldosterone themselves using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis was also performed to quantify amlodipine and 17 adrenal steroids in those cases above and compared the findings with immunohistochemical analysis of steroidogenic enzymes and calcium channels (CaV1.2 and CaV1.3). Effects of amlodipine on mRNA level of aldosterone biosynthetic enzymes were also explored using human adrenocortical carcinoma cell line (H295R). Amlodipine-specific peak (m/z 407.1 > 318.1) was detected only in amlodipine treated cases. Accumulation of amlodipine was marked in adrenal cortex compared to peri-adrenal adipose tissues but not significantly different between APA tumors and adjacent adrenal glands, which was subsequently confirmed by LC-MS quantification. Intra-adrenal distribution of amlodipine was generally consistent with that of CCs. In addition, quantitative steroid profiles using LC-MS and in vitro study demonstrated the lower HSD3B activities in amlodipine treated cases. Immunoreactivity of CaV1.2 and HSD3B2 were also correlated. We report the first demonstration of specific visualization of amlodipine in human adrenal tissues by MALDI-MSI. Marked amlodipine accumulation in the adrenal glands suggested its direct effects on steroidogenesis in PA patients, possibly targeting on CaV1.2 and suppressing HSD3B activity.

Metabolic Subtyping of Adrenal Tumors: Prospective Multi-Center Cohort Study in Korea

BACKGROUND

Conventional diagnostic approaches for adrenal tumors require multi-step processes, including imaging studies and dynamic hormone tests. Therefore, this study aimed to discriminate adrenal tumors from a single blood sample based on the combination of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and machine learning algorithms in serum profiling of adrenal steroids.

METHODS

The LC-MS-based steroid profiling was applied to serum samples obtained from patients with nonfunctioning adenoma (NFA, n=73), Cushing's syndrome (CS, n=30), and primary aldosteronism (PA, n=40) in a prospective multicenter study of adrenal disease. The decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), and extreme gradient boost (XGBoost) were performed to categorize the subtypes of adrenal tumors.

RESULTS

The CS group showed higher serum levels of 11-deoxycortisol than the NFA group, and increased levels of tetrahydrocortisone (THE), 20α-dihydrocortisol, and 6β-hydroxycortisol were found in the PA group. However, the CS group showed lower levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate derivative (DHEA-S) than both the NFA and PA groups. Patients with PA expressed higher serum 18-hydroxycortisol and DHEA but lower THE than NFA patients. The balanced accuracies of DT, RF, and XGBoost for classifying each type were 78%, 96%, and 97%, respectively. In receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis for CS, XGBoost, and RF showed a significantly greater diagnostic power than the DT. However, in ROC analysis for PA, only RF exhibited better diagnostic performance than DT.

CONCLUSION

The combination of LC-MS-based steroid profiling with machine learning algorithms could be a promising one-step diagnostic approach for the classification of adrenal tumor subtypes.

Metabolic changes in serum steroids for diagnosing and subtyping Cushing's syndrome

To evaluate the diagnostic value of serum levels of adrenal steroids for diagnosing and subtyping Cushing's syndrome. Patients diagnosed with endogenous Cushing's syndrome (34 and 19 patients with adrenal and pituitary Cushing's syndrome, respectively) and healthy controls (n = 34) were consecutively enrolled at Seoul National University from 2016 to 2020. Morning serum samples were collected before and 3 months after treatment. Serum steroids were profiled using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The diagnostic value of each and the combination of steroids were assessed using the area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) and decision tree analysis. Tetrahydrocortisone and 6β-hydroxycortisol showed the highest AUROC (0.893 and 0.890, respectively) for the diagnosis of endogenous Cushing's syndrome. The decision tree composed of tetrahydrocortisone and 6β-hydroxycortisol correctly classified 79/87 (90.8 %) subjects. For subtyping into adrenal or pituitary Cushing's syndrome, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) showed the highest AUROC (0.988), which was similar to that of plasma ACTH (0.994, P = 0.458). The decision tree composed of only DHEA-S correctly classified 51/53 (96.2 %) of the Cushing's syndrome subtype. DHEA-S showed a significant linear correlation with the plasma ACTH level, but not with the 24 -h urine free cortisol or dexamethasone suppression test results. All steroids, except allo-tetrahydrocortisol and tetrahydrocortisone, decreased significantly at 3 months post-treatment with similar patterns in both adrenal and pituitary Cushing's syndrome. Serum steroid profiling using a single morning serum sample provides valuable information for diagnosing and subtyping Cushing's syndrome.

Depression and risk of atrial fibrillation: a nationwide population-based study

Background

Although treatments of atrial fibrillation (AF) based on the biological mechanisms for initiation and maintenance of AF improve cardiovascular outcomes, psychosocial factors have been also implicated in the etiology and progression of cardiovascular disease.

Objective

We aimed to evaluate the association between depression and incident AF using nationwide database from the National Health Insurance Service in South Korea.

Methods

A total of 9,075,224 participants with data of national health checkup in 2009 were included, and participants who were diagnosed with AF before the examination were excluded. Exposure to depression is determined by the precedence of depression diagnosed within 2 years.

Results

Depression was diagnosed in 1.37% (124,709) of participants at baseline. Compared to the non-depression group, depression group was likely to be female and had higher comorbidities. After adjusting covariates, depression group had a higher risk of incident AF compared with non-depression group (hazard ratio, 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.26–1.34). Repeated exposure to depression increased a risk of incident AF (Figure 1).

Conclusion

Depression was associated with an increased risk of new-onset AF. This association was stronger for patients who had more burden of depression. Future studies should investigate whether early treatment of depression can prevent incident AF.

Figure 1

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Introducing mobile fracture prevention services with DXA in Northern Scotland: a comparative study of three rural communities

Mobile fracture prevention services, with DXA, significantly improved access to care for those at high risk of fracture living in rural areas. Introduction of mobile services facilitated access to fracture liaison services and development of integrated of care pathways across community- and secondary-based care.

INTRODUCTION

The ageing population is growing faster in rural areas, yet most fracture prevention services are located in urban areas. As part of a wider study, evaluating the introduction of mobile fracture prevention services, we focus on whether mobile services improve access to care for those at highest risk of fracture.

METHODS

Services outcomes were assessed against the Royal Osteoporosis Society clinical standards for fracture liaison services. This included standardised, age-specific referral rates, FRAX 10-year probability of major osteoporotic and hip fracture of referrals, pre- and post-introduction of the mobile service across two island and one rural mainland sites. This was compared with referrals from a similar rural mainland region with local access to a comprehensive service.

RESULTS

Greatest impact occurred in areas with most limited service provision at baseline. Mean age of patients referred increased from 59 to 68 years (CI 6.8-10.1, p < 0.001). Referral rates increased from 2.8 to 5.4 per 1000 population between 2011 and 2018, with a 5-fold rise in those ≥ 75 years (0.4 to 2.0 per 1000). Mean FRAX 10-year risk of major osteoporotic fracture increased from 12.7 to 17.7% (CI 3.2-5.7, p < 0.001). Mean hip fracture risk probability increased from 3.0 to 5.7% (CI 2.0-3.4, p < 0.001). However, referral rates from the mobile sites remained lower than the comparator site.

CONCLUSIONS

Mobile fracture prevention services, including DXA, greatly improved uptake amongst high-risk individuals. Mobile services facilitated development of integrated of care pathways, including fracture liaison services, across community- and secondary-based care.

Copper-doped ZrO2 nanoparticles as high-performance catalysts for efficient removal of toxic organic pollutants and stable solar water oxidation

Doping effect on the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting efficiency and photocatalytic activities of ZrO₂ under visible light are reported. The XRD analysis revealed that pure, 0.1 and 0.3 mol% doped samples showed mixed crystal phases (tetragonal and monoclinic) and 0.5 mol% doped sample showed a pure tetragonal phase. Under visible light, 90% of methyl orange dye degradation was achieved with in 100 min. Moreover, the optimal doped sample showed a significant degradation rate constant over other samples. The doped photoelectrodes display a better PEC water oxidation performance over pure photoelectrode. Furthermore, the optimal doped (0.3 mol %) electrode shows 0.644 mAcm^-2 photocurrent density, corresponding to an approximate 50-fold enhancement over pure electrode (0.013 mAcm^-2). The optimized doped sample achieved 98% degradation of methyl orange within 100 min of light irradiation. The superior PEC water oxidation and photocatalytic activity of optimal doped samples under visible light are credited to suitable doping content, crystalline size, greater surface area, suitable bandgap, a lower charge carrying resistance, surface properties and the ability for decreasing the charge carrier's recombination rate.

Selective LC-MRM/SIM-MS based profiling of adrenal steroids reveals metabolic signatures of 17α-hydroxylase deficiency

Adrenal steroids are generated in the adrenal cortex and metabolized by various enzymes such as hydroxylases, dehydrogenases, and reductases. Determining the comprehensive metabolic signatures of adrenal steroids can provide insight into their metabolic functions and roles in the pathophysiology of adrenal diseases, including Cushing's syndrome (CS) and congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). To this end, we developed an advanced quantitative profiling method of serum adrenal steroids with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) under molecular-specific scan modes. Twenty-seven steroids were separated on a 1.9-μm particle C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm) at a flow rate of 250 μL/min and quantified via triple-quadrupole MS with electrospray ionization. During validation, linearities ( r²) were higher than 0.940 with a limit of quantification of 0.1-5.0 ng/mL, and precision (coefficient of variation) and accuracy (%bias) of 3.7-14.3 % and 96.3-113.1 %, respectively. In contrast with the significantly increased serum levels of mineralocorticoids (P <  0.001), the present LC-MS assay revealed remarkably decreased levels of all glucocorticoids and androgens in a patient diagnosed with 17α-hydroxylase deficiency CAH (P <  0.001) compared to those of age- and sex-matched healthy and CS subjects. In the CAH patient, the metabolic ratios for 17α-hydroxylase were significantly decreased, whereas there was no reduction in the metabolic ratio of 17-hydroxyprogesterone to androstenedione, indicating 17,20-lyase activity. In particular, both pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfates, and their metabolic ratio, were identified as potential biomarkers for 17α-hydroxylase deficiency (all P <  0.001), which were also distinct from those of CS patients. The devised LC-MS assay clearly revealed the metabolic signatures of 17α-hydroxylase deficiency, as a rare phenotype of CAH, compared to both healthy and CS subjects, indicating its utility for screening adrenal diseases.

Lilac flower-shaped ZnCo2O4electrocatalyst for efficient methanol oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions in an alkaline medium

A ZnCo₂O₄electrocatalyst for the efficient MOR and ORR.

P2860The effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms in Korean patients with early-onset lone atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation

Background

The status of SNPs among patients with extremely early-onset lone AF and the association with outcome of catheter ablation has not been evaluated before. This study evaluated the status of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Korean patients with early-onset (<40 years old) lone AF and effects on the outcome after catheter ablation.

Methods

A total of 89 consecutive patients (mean age 35.7±3.7 years, 81 males) with drug-refractory AF (paroxysmal 64.0%) who underwent catheter ablation were included. Sixteen SNPs including rs13376333, rs10465885, rs10033464, rs2200733, rs17042171, rs6843082, rs7193343, rs2106261, rs17570669, rs853445, rs11708996, rs6800541, rs251253, rs3807989, rs11047543 and rs3825214 were genotyped. Serial 48-day Holter electrocardiographic recordings were acquired to detect AF recurrences during long-term follow up.

Results

Wild type of rs7193343 [CC; 0/7 (0%) vs. CT; 22/40 (55.0%) vs. TT; 18/41 (43.9%), p=0.025] and rs11047543 [GG; 26/69 (37.7%) vs. GA; 13/18 (72.2%) vs. AA; 0/0, p=0.009] and homozygous variant of rs3825214 [AA; 16/31 (51.6%) vs. AG; 22/43 (51.2%) vs. GG; 2/13 (15.4%), p=0.05] were significantly associated with lower rate of late recurrence. When the patients were assigned to four groups according to the number of risk alleles (n=0–3), Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed incremental prognostic value according to the number of variant alleles (p=0.002) (Figure 1).

Figure 1

Conclusions

Polymorphisms on rs7193343, rs3825214 and rs11047543 modulate the risk for AF recurrence after catheter ablation during long term follow up in Korean patients with early-onset lone AF.

Acknowledgement/Funding

Korean Society of Cardiology

P1026Risk factors for the occurrence of stroke after atrial fibrillation ablation

Background

Risk factors for the occurrence of embolic stroke (ES) after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation have not been fully elucidated. Our aim was to assess incidence of ES during long-term follow-up following AF ablation and to identify predicting factors associated with post-ablation ES.

Methods

We enrolled patients who experienced ES after AF ablation and body mass index-matched controls from AF ablation registries. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) was assessed using multislice computed tomography prior to ablation.

Results

A total of 3,464 patients who underwent AF ablation were recruited. During a mean follow-up of 47.2 months, ES occurred in 47 patients (1.36%) with a mean CHA2DS2-VAS score of 2.15 and overall incidence of ES was 0.34 per 100 patients/year. Compared with control group (n=190), ES group had more higher prior thromboembolic event and AF recurrence rates, larger LA size, lower creatinine clearance rate (CCr), and greater total and periatrial EAT volumes although no differences in AF type, CHA2DS2-VASc score, ablation extent, and anti-thrombotics use were found. On multivariate regression analysis, a prior history of thromboembolism, CCr, and periatrial EAT volume were independently associated with ES occurrence after AF ablation.

Cox regression analysis Risk factor Univariate Multivariate HR (95% CI) p value HR (95% CI) p value Age 1.017 (0.984–1.051) 0.31 Prior thromboembolism 2.488 (1.134–5.460) 0.023 2.916 (1.178–7.219) 0.021 CHA2DS2-VASc score 1.139 (0.899–1.445) 0.282 CCr 0.984 (0.970–0.999) 0.038 0.982 (0.996–0.998) 0.029 LA diameter (mm) 1.070 (1.012–1.130) 0.017 1.072 (0.999–1.150) 0.054 EAT_total (ml) 1.020 (1.010–1.029) <0.001 1.008 (0.993–1.023) 0.297 EAT_periatrial (ml) 1.085 (1.045–1.126) <0.001 1.065 (1.005–1.128) 0.032 PVI + additional ablation 0.846 (0.460–1.557) 0.592 No anticoagulant use 0.651 (0.346–1.226) 0.184 Recurrence 2.011 (1.007–4.013) 0.048 1.240 (0.551–2.793) 0.603 CCr, creatinine clearance rate; EAT, epicardial adipose tissue; LA, left atrium; PVI, pulmonary vein isolation.

K-M curve for stroke-free survival

Conclusions

Incidence of ES after AF ablation was lower than expected rate based on CHA2DS2-VASc score even though anticoagulants use was limited. Periatrial EAT volume, a prior thromboembolism event, and CCr were independent factors in predicting ES irrespective of AF recurrence and CHA2DS2-VASc score in patients who underwent AF ablation.

P3762The impact of type and burden of atrial fibrillation on stroke occurrence in patients with atrial fibrillation: from a prospective cohort of atrial fibrillation patients (CODE-AF Registry)

Background and purpose

Although several studies reported that stroke risk in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) is similar to those with persistent or permanent AF, there is still controversy on the relationship of AF type and stroke occurrence. We investigated the effect of AF type on AF burden and stroke risk in patients with non-valvular AF.

Methods

Within the CODE-AF prospective, outpatient registry (COmparison study of Drugs for symptom control and complication prEvention of Atrial Fibrillation), we identified 8,883 patients ≥18 years of age with non-valvular AF and eligible follow-up visits. We compared AF burden and stroke risk among patients with 3 types of AF: paroxysmal (n=5,808) or persistent (n=2,806) or permanent (n=269).

Results

The median age of the overall population was 68.0 (interquartile range, 60.0–75.0); 36.0% were female. Patients with persistent and permanent AF were older and had higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores and anticoagulation rate than those with paroxysmal AF. Compared with permanent AF (5.2±16.4%), the arrhythmic burden of AF on 24hrs Holter monitoring was significantly lower in paroxysmal AF (2.1±7.2%, p<0.001) and persistent AF (2.0±7.5%, p<0.001). During median follow-up period of 1.38 years (interquartile range: 0.96–1.67), total 82 (0.92%) patients experienced ischemic stroke with incidence rates of 0.51, 1.04 and 1.69 events per 100 person-years for paroxysmal, persistent and permanent AF, respectively. Compared with paroxysmal AF, the risk of ischemic stroke was increased in persistent AF with clinical variable adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 1.94 (95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.23–3.07; P=0.005) and permanent AF with aHR of 2.64 (95% CI, 1.09–6.41; P=0.03).

AF type and HR of stroke occurrence Paroxysmal (n=5,808) Persistent (n=2,806) Permanent (n=269) Stoke events 39 37 6 Person years (PYs) 7673 3544 356 /100 PYs 0.51 1.04 1.69 HR (95% CI), p-value HR (95% CI), p-value HR (95% CI), p-value Unadjusted HR 1 (Reference) 2.05 (1.27–3.31), 0.003 3.32 (1.15–7.90), 0.02 Clinical variables adjusted HR 1 (Reference) 1.94 (1.23–3.07), 0.005 2.64 (1.09–6.41), 0.03 PYs: Person years; HR: Hazard ratio.

Conclusion

Persistent and permanent AF was associated with the increased risk of stroke than paroxysmal AF, after adjustment of clinical variables including age, sex, comorbidities and anticoagulation rate. These results suggest that AF type and burden might be related with the risk of ischemic stroke and should be considered in the stroke prevention of AF.

Spectral analysis framework for compressed sensing ultrasound signals

PURPOSE

Compressed sensing (CS) is the theory of the recovery of signals that are sampled below the Nyquist sampling rate. We propose a spectral analysis framework for CS data that does not require full reconstruction for extracting frequency characteristics of signals by an appropriate basis matrix.

METHODS

The coefficients of a basis matrix already contain the spectral information for CS data, and the proposed framework directly utilizes them without completely restoring original data. We apply three basis matrices, i.e., DCT, DFT, and DWT, for sampling and reconstructing processes, subsequently estimating the attenuation coefficients to validate the proposed method. The estimation accuracy and precision, as well as the execution time, are compared using the reference phantom method (RPM).

RESULTS

The experiment results show the effective extraction of spectral information from CS signals by the proposed framework, and the DCT basis matrix provides the most accurate results while minimizing estimation variances. The execution time is also reduced compared with that of the traditional approach, which completely reconstructs the original data.

CONCLUSION

The proposed method provides accurate spectral analysis without full reconstruction. Since it effectively utilizes the data storage and reduces the processing time, it could be applied to small and portable ultrasound systems using the CS technique.

P11.32 Combined effects of niclosamide and temozolomide against human glioblastoma tumorspheres

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive type of brain tumor and has poor survival outcomes, even after a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Temozolomide is the only agent that has been shown to be effective against GBM, suggesting that combination of temozolomide with other agents may be more effective. Niclosamide, an FDA approved anthelmintic agent, has shown anti-cancer effects against human colon, breast, prostate cancers as well as GBM. However, the efficacy of the combination of niclosamide with temozolomide against GBM tumorspheres (TSs) has not been determined. We hypothesized that the combined treatment could effectively suppress GBM TSs.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Effects of niclosamide and/or temozolomide on GBM TSs were evaluated. Viability, stemness, and invasive properties of GBM TSs were examined. In vivo anticancer efficacy was tested in a mouse orthotopic xenograft model.

RESULTS

The combination of niclsoamide and temozolomide significantly inhibited the viability, sphere formation, expression of stemness-related proteins, and invasive properties of GBM TSs. This combination significantly down-regulated the expression of epithelial mesenchymal transition-related proteins. Bioluminescence imaging further showed that compared with either agent alone, combination of niclosamide and temozolomide significantly reduced the tumor burden in orthotopic xenograft models.

CONCLUSION

The combination of niclosamide and temozolomide effectively decreased the stemness and invasive properties of GBM TSs, suggesting that this regimen may be therapeutically effective in treating patients with GBM.

Comparative responsiveness of the PROMIS-10 Global Health and EQ-5D questionnaires in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty

AIMS

Responsiveness to clinically important change is a key feature of any outcome measure. Throughout Europe, health-related quality of life following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is routinely measured with EuroQol five-dimension (EQ-5D) questionnaires. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 10-Question Short-Form (PROMIS-10 Global Health) score is a new general heath outcome tool which is thought to offer greater responsiveness. Our aim was to compare these two tools.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We accessed data from a prospective multicentre cohort study in the United Kingdom, which evaluated outcomes following TKA. The median age of the 721 patients was 69.0 years (interquartile range, 63.3 to 74.6). There was an even division of sex, and approximately half were educated to secondary school level. The preoperative EQ-5D, PROMIS-10, and Oxford Knee Scores (OKS) were available and at three, six, and 12 months postoperatively. Internal responsiveness was assessed by standardized response mean (SRM) and effect size (Cohen's d). External responsiveness was assessed by correlating change scores of the EQ-5D and PROMIS-10, with the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of the OKS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the ability of change scores to discriminate between improved and non-improved patients.

RESULTS

All measures showed significant changes between the preoperative score and the various postoperative times (p < 0.001). Most improvement occurred during the first three months, with small but significant changes between three and six months, and no further change between six and 12 months postoperatively. SRM scores for EQ-5D, PROMIS-10, and OKS were large (> 0.8). ROC curves showed that both EQ-5D and PROMIS-10 were able to discriminate between patients who achieved the OKS MCID and those who did not (area under the curve (AUC) of 0.7 to 0.82).

CONCLUSION

The PROMIS-10 physical health tool showed greater responsiveness to change than the EQ-5D, most probably due to the additional questions on physical health parameters that are more susceptible to modification following TKA. The EQ-5D was, however, shown to be sensitive to clinically meaningful change following TKA, and provides the additional ability to calculate health economic utility scores. It is likely, therefore, that EQ-5D will continue to be the global health metric of choice in the United Kingdom. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:832-837.

Systematic review and meta-analysis on outcomes of salvage therapy in patients with tumour recurrence during 'watch and wait' in rectal cancer

INTRODUCTION

The 'watch and wait' approach has recently emerged as an alternative approach for managing patients with complete clinical response in rectal cancer. However, less is understood whether the intervention is associated with a favourable outcome among patients who require salvage therapy following local recurrence.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive systematic search was performed using EMBASE, PubMed, MEDLINE, Journals@Ovid as well as hand searches; published between 2004 and 2018, to identify studies where outcomes of patients undergoing watch and wait were compared with conventional surgery. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa assessment scale. The main outcome was relative risks for overall and disease specific mortality in salvage therapy.

RESULTS

Nine eligible studies were included in the meta-analysis. Of 248 patients who followed the watch and wait strategy, 10.5% had salvage therapy for recurrent disease. No statistical heterogeneity was found in the results. The relative risk of overall mortality in the salvage therapy group was 2.42 (95% confidence interval 0.96-6.13) compared with the group who had conventional surgery, but this was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The relative risk of disease specific mortality in salvage therapy was 2.63 (95% confidence interval 0.81-8.53).

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrated that there was no significant difference in overall and disease specific mortality in patients who had salvage treatment following recurrence of disease in the watch and wait group compared with the standard treatment group. However, future research into the oncological safety of salvage treatment is needed.

Support Vector Machine Quantile Regression for Detecting Differentially Expressed Genes in Microarray Analysis

Objectives: One of the main objectives of microarray analysis is to identify genes differentially expressed under two distinct experimental conditions. This task is complicated by the noisiness of data and the large number of genes that are examined. Fold change (FC) based gene selection often misleads because error variability for each gene is heterogeneous in different intensity ranges. Several statistical methods have been suggested, but some of them result in high false positive rates because they make very strong parametric assumptions.

Methods: We present support vector quantile regression (SVMQR) using iterative reweighted least squares (IRWLS) procedure based on the Newton method instead of usual quadratic programming algorithms. This procedure makes it possible to derive the generalized approximate cross validation (GACV) method for choosing the parameters which affect the performance of SVMAR. We propose SVMQR based on a novel method for identifying differentially expressed genes with a small number of replicated microarrays.

Results: We applied SVMQR to both three biological dataset and simulated dataset and showed that it performed more reliably and consistently than FC-based gene selection, Newton’s method based on the posterior odds of change, or the nonparametric t-test variant implemented in significance analysis of microarrays (SAM).

Conclusions: The SVMQR method was an exploratory method for cDNA microarray experiments to identify genes with different expression levels between two types of samples (e.g., tumor versus normal tissue). The SVMQR method performed well in the situation where error variability for each gene was heterogeneous in intensity ranges.

Measuring Sarcopenia Severity in Older Adults and the Value of Effective Interventions

OBJECTIVES

Little is known about the severity and long-term health and economic consequences of sarcopenia. We developed a sarcopenia index to measure severity in older Americans and estimated the long-term societal benefits generated by effective interventions to mitigate severity.

DESIGN

Using a micro-simulation model, we quantified the potential societal value generated in the US in 2010-2040 by reductions in sarcopenia severity in older adults. All analyses were performed in Stata and SAS.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Secondary data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (N = 1634) and Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (N = 952) were used to develop a sarcopenia severity index in older adults.

MEASUREMENTS

Multi-trait multi-method and factor analyses were used to validate and calibrate the sarcopenia severity index, which was modeled as a function of gait speed, walking without an assistive device, and moderate physical activity.

RESULTS

In representative elderly populations, reducing sarcopenia severity by improving gait speed by 0.1 m/s in those with gait speed under 0.8 m/s generated a cumulative benefit of $65B by 2040 (2015 dollars). Improving walking ability in those with walking difficulty generated cumulative social benefit of $787B by 2040.

CONCLUSIONS

Reducing sarcopenia severity would generate significant health and economic benefits to society-almost $800B in the most optimistic scenarios.

Interleukin33 deficiency causes tau abnormality and neurodegeneration with Alzheimer-like symptoms in aged mice

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/tp.2017.142.

Differential Sensitivity of Madin-darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) Cells to Epinephrine

Catecholamines regulate a variety of cellular functions in the mammalian kidney. The present study was aimed to investigate the differential sensitivity of Madin-Darby Kidney Cells (MDCK cells) to epinephrine in a dose-dependent manner. The loss of adhesion and altered cell shape were observed in MDCK cells. The presence of apoptosis and necrosis were studied by the fluorescence microscope and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (CLSM). Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis showed several surface microvilli, and cells were rounded having ruffled and crenated surface. Agarose gel electrophoresis study showed the presence of smearing, which further confirms the occurrence of necrosis. The fluorescence staining study showed the increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Up-regulation of p53, bax, and caspase 3 mRNA expressions was evidenced by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Caspase 3 activity was also increased in epinephrine treated cells. Our experimental results do not imply that the epinephrine should not be used in the clinical treatments. However, our results add a research note of caution on the possible cytotoxic effect of maximal doses of epinephrine over a prolonged time.