Predicted leukocyte telomere length and risk of myeloid neoplasms

Maintenance of telomere length has long been established to play a role in the biology of cancer and several studies suggest that it may be especially important in myeloid malignancies. To overcome potential bias in confounding and reverse causation of observational studies, we use both a polygenic risk score (PRS) and inverse-variance weighted (IVW) Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to estimate the relationship between genetically predicted leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) risk in 498 cases and 2099 controls and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) risk in 610 cases and 1759 controls. Genetic instruments derived from four recent studies explaining 1.23-4.57% of telomere variability were considered. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR, 95% confidence intervals [CI]) as the measure of association between individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms and myeloid malignancies. We observed a significant association between a PRS of longer predicted LTL and AML using three genetic instruments (OR = 4.03 per ~1200 base pair [bp] increase in LTL, 95% CI: 1.65, 9.85 using Codd et al. [Codd, V., Nelson, C.P., Albrecht, E., Mangino, M., Deelen, J., Buxton, J.L., Hottenga, J.J., Fischer, K., Esko, T., Surakka, I. et al. (2013) Identification of seven loci affecting mean telomere length and their association with disease. Nat. Genet., 45, 422-427 427e421-422.], OR = 3.48 per one-standard deviation increase in LTL, 95% CI: 1.74, 6.97 using Li et al. [Li, C., Stoma, S., Lotta, L.A., Warner, S., Albrecht, E., Allione, A., Arp, P.P., Broer, L., Buxton, J.L., Alves, A.D.S.C. et al. (2020) Genome-wide association analysis in humans links nucleotide metabolism to leukocyte telomere length. Am. J. Hum. Genet., 106, 389-404.] and OR = 2.59 per 1000 bp increase in LTL, 95% CI: 1.03, 6.52 using Taub et al. [Taub, M.A., Conomos, M.P., Keener, R., Iyer, K.R., Weinstock, J.S., Yanek, L.R., Lane, J., Miller-Fleming, T.W., Brody, J.A., Raffield, L.M. et al. (2022) Genetic determinants of telomere length from 109,122 ancestrally diverse whole-genome sequences in TOPMed. Cell Genom., 2.] genetic instruments). MR analyses further indicated an association between LTL and AML risk (PIVW ≤ 0.049) but not MDS (all PIVW ≥ 0.076). Findings suggest variation in genes relevant to telomere function and maintenance may be important in the etiology of AML but not MDS.

Women's desires for mental health support following a pregnancy loss, termination of pregnancy for medical reasons, or abortion: A report from the STRONG Women Study

OBJECTIVE

We report on women's mental health care desires following a miscarriage, medical termination, or abortion.

METHOD

689 women completed a questionnaire on reproductive history, health care following miscarriage/medical termination/abortion, and current mental health. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses examined: miscarriage/termination/abortion incidence, desires for mental health support following miscarriages/terminations/abortions, and current mental health.

RESULTS

Of 365 women with a pregnancy history, 37% reported ≥1 miscarriage, 9% ≥1 medical termination, 16% ≥1 abortion, and 3% endorsed all three. Current mental health did not differ between women with a history of miscarriage/termination/abortion and those with only live births (p = 0.82). Following miscarriage, 68% of women discussed options for the medical management of pregnancy loss with their provider, 32% discussed grief/loss, and 25% received mental health care recommendations. Engagement in mental health services was reported by 16% of women with a history of miscarriage, 38% after medical termination, and 19% following an abortion. Of women who became pregnant after their most recent miscarriage/termination/abortion and did not receive mental health care, 55% wished they had received services during the subsequent pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Women desire mental health care after miscarriages, medical terminations, or abortions, warranting improved access to mental health care for these individuals.

Growth Hormone Deficiency in Childhood Intracranial Germ Cell Tumor Survivors

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Intracranial germ cell tumor (iGCT) survivors have multiple risk factors for growth hormone (GH) deficiency, a commonly reported late effect in childhood cancer survivors. The objective of this study is to examine the prevalence of GH deficiency among childhood iGCT survivors.

METHODS

Participants were previously enrolled in the Germ Cell Tumor Epidemiology Study (GaMETES), a case parent triad study conducted using the Children's Oncology Group registry protocols, including 216 cases with iGCTs. Data on late effects and outcomes are available for 129 iGCT cases who consented for a follow-up study including a self-administered questionnaire and medical record retrieval. GH deficiency was identified via self-report and validated through medical record review. Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were used to examine cases with GH deficiency predating iGCT detection. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of GH deficiency as a late effect.

RESULTS

Of 129 iGCT cases who participated in the late effects study, 45% had GH deficiency; 18% had GH deficiency predating the iGCT and 27% developed GH deficiency within a median of 19 months after diagnosis. Younger age at diagnosis, suprasellar location, and higher radiation doses were associated with GH deficiency as a late effect.

CONCLUSIONS

GH deficiency is highly prevalent as an early clinical sign for iGCT and frequently arises as an early late effect after treatment. Additional investigation is needed to address earlier detection and treatment for this highly prevalent late effect in iGCT survivors.

High prevalence of asymptomatic CMV shedding in healthy children attending the minnesota state fair

BACKGROUND

Young children in the household are a known risk factor for maternal CMV infection and consequently, congenital infection in infants. However, little is known about viral shedding in pre-school aged children.

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the prevalence of CMV DNA shedding and CMV antibodies among healthy children and their mothers.

STUDY DESIGN

A study of children ages 0 through 5 years was undertaken at the 2019 Minnesota State Fair. Children and their mothers were assessed for CMV shedding by procurement of a saliva swab for CMV PCR testing. An optional finger-stick for capillary blood was used to assess CMV antibodies.

RESULTS

A total of 109 children and 85 mothers were enrolled. The prevalence of CMV saliva shedding among children (mean age 3.1 years, SE=0.16) and their mothers was 12/109 (11.0%) and 1/85 (1.2%), respectively. The prevalence of CMV DNA among children peaked at 3 years of age (26%) while the mean viral load was greatest at one year of age (236,693 IU/mL). CMV IgG antibodies among those who agreed to a finger-stick were detected in 16/35 mothers (45.7%) and 0/7 children (0%). Mothers of children aged 5 years or greater had the highest seroprevalence (61.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of CMV salivary shedding in this unselected sample of young children was approximately 11.0%. The overall maternal seroprevalence in our sample was <50%, suggesting these women are at risk for acquisition of a primary CMV infection in subsequent pregnancies.

Abstract 632: Growth hormone deficiency in childhood germ cell tumor survivors

Introduction: Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are a rare heterogenous group of cancers accounting for 3% of childhood cancers and 15% of cancers in adolescents. Cure rates for GCTs exceed 90% and GCTs currently comprise the 3rd largest group of childhood cancer survivors in the United States. Little systematic evidence exists on late effects of cancer treatment in this group. Treatment for GCTs includes some combination of chemotherapy, radiation, and gonadectomy; interventions that place survivors at high risk for developing endocrinopathies. One of the most common endocrinopathies experienced by childhood cancer survivors is growth hormone deficiency (GHD). In this analysis, we evaluated the prevalence of growth hormone deficiency among GCT survivors.

Methods: Participants were previously enrolled in the Germ Cell Tumor Epidemiology Study (GaMETES), which is a case parent triad study conducted using the Children's Oncology Group registry protocols. Data on late effects and outcomes are currently available for a subset of the participants who have provided additional consent for a follow-up study including a self-administered questionnaire and medical record retrieval. GHD was identified via self-report and validated through medical records. Treatment information was abstracted from the medical records.

Results: In this interim analysis, 230 participants completed the self-administered questionnaire, including 61 with ovarian tumors, 40 with testicular tumors, 38 extragonadal tumors, and 92 intracranial tumors. Thirty-six of the participants reported having growth hormone deficiency (GHD), all of whom had intracranial germ cell tumors (iGCTs). Thus, the prevalence of GHD among iGCT survivors was 39.1%. We validated 45 questionnaire responses against chart review of iGCT patients. Among these 45, 24 (53.33%) iGCT survivors had GHD. Participants who were treated with high doses of cranial radiation (&gt;30 Gy) were more likely to have GHD (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 0.4-13.1).

Conclusions: Growth hormone deficiency is highly prevalent in survivors of childhood intracranial germ cell tumors. The increased prevalence is likely related to the propensity for germ cell tumor involvement of the pituitary stalk, chemotherapy and cranial radiation. Exposure to higher cumulative doses of cranial radiation is associated with higher risk for developing growth hormone deficiency.

Citation Format: Diana W. Lone, Karim T. Sadak, Bradley S. Miller, Aubrey K. Hubbard, Jeannette Sample, Michelle Roesler, Jenny N. Poynter. Growth hormone deficiency in childhood germ cell tumor survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 632.

Abstract A25: Collecting gut microbiome in the 10,000 Families Study

The 10,000 Families Study (10KFS) is a family-based prospective cohort study, the goal of which is to collect information about health-related outcomes, including cancer, in multigeneration families. Since 2017, we have been conducting a pilot feasibility study to prepare for the implementation of 10KFS. At baseline, eligible participants answer a questionnaire about demographics and lifestyle factors and attend a health fair during which trained staff measure their blood pressure, vision, hearing, and several other characteristics, as well as collect blood, urine, and saliva. Also, during the heath fair participants receive easy-to-use kits that enable them to collect stool samples in the convenience of their home. The method for stool collection to characterize gut microbiome in this study was chosen based on a small pilot of three methods: (1) Omnigene Gut (DNA Genotek), (2) iSWAB-Microbiome Collection Kit (Mawi Corporation), and (3) a homemade kit including a BD culture swab and vial with RNAlater preservative. The second method (iSWAB) was unanimously chosen by the volunteers as most acceptable due to the ease of stool collection. The acceptability and reduction of the participant’s burden are of primary importance in this study, since an adult participant often collects stool samples from one or more of their children. The quality of DNA assessed by spectrophotometry (based on 260/280 and 260/230 ratios) was similar for the iSWAB and the Omnigene kits (gold standard), and the quantity using the iSWAB kit was sufficient to characterize gut microbiome. Thus, in our study, stool samples are collected by participants using iSWAB kits and then returned by mail within four days of collection to the central laboratory biorepository at the University of Minnesota – Advanced Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, where they are immediately frozen and stored at -80°C. To date, stool samples from 62 participants aged 0 to over 90 years have been returned (out of 139 kits that were given to participants). This collection method meets the requirements necessary for stool collection in large population studies: (1) it is fast and easy for participants to use; (2) a preservative in the tube allows stool samples to be kept without freezing for up to 8 weeks while maintaining intact and viable bacteria; (3) samples use little space during shipment and storage; and (4) the method is cost efficient.

Citation Format: Anna Prizment, Deanna Gabrielson, DeAnn Lazovich, Sharon Minnerath, Heather H. Nelson, Jenny N. Poynter, Cavan Reilly, Michelle Roesler, Logan G. Spector, Bharat Thyagarajan. Collecting gut microbiome in the 10,000 Families Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Modernizing Population Sciences in the Digital Age; 2019 Feb 19-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A25.

Abstract A24: Establishing feasibility of a new cohort: The 10,000 Families Study

Due to evolving population demographics, altered exposures, and new technology, new cohorts need to be initiated. Here we report our efforts from a pilot cohort study of the 10,000 Families Study (10KFS). The goal of the pilot is to establish the infrastructure, protocols, and standard operating procedures for a larger study that would provide the data to further our understanding of the determinants of health across the life course and intergenerational transmission of environmental, genetic, and epigenetic risk factors. We have focused on cancer, as this is the leading cause of death in Minnesota. Data collection methods include online questionnaires and attendance at a health fair for various physical and biologic measurements. For this family-based study, a family is eligible if at least one member of two, preferably three, generations enrolls, and each member is willing, or willing for their child(ren), to provide DNA from blood or saliva. To facilitate eventual scale-up of the cohort, we developed and implemented a database system to electronically manage eligibility screening, enrollment, questionnaire administration, and health fair scheduling. Family enrollment is initiated when an index participant is screened for eligibility online. When the database detects a new eligible index participant, custom scripts execute a set of actions that includes sending emails to the index participant with instructions for family expansion, sending links for the online questionnaire to all family members who join, scheduling appointments at upcoming health fairs, and any reminders for steps not completed. Automated reports are generated nightly to update the investigator website about enrollment, data completeness, and follow-up. We have pilot tested our recruitment procedures with individuals attending the 2017 and 2018 Minnesota State Fair, one of the largest public gatherings in the upper Midwest. To date, 1,273 index participants have been screened. Of these, 151 successfully enrolled another eligible family member for a total of 519 participants. Thus far, 138 participants have attended a health fair. Participant ages range from less than a year to over 90 (median 48 among adults and 7 among children). Next, we intend to expand recruitment methods including traditional and social media, develop an electronic remote consent process, establish electronic feeds of medical records from Minnesota healthcare systems, and create linkages with the state’s cancer registry.

Citation Format: DeAnn Lazovich, Colin Campbell, Heather Nelson, Jen Poynter, Anna Prizment, Sara Putnam, Cavan Reilly, Michelle Roesler, Logan Spector, Bharat Thyagarajan. Establishing feasibility of a new cohort: The 10,000 Families Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Modernizing Population Sciences in the Digital Age; 2019 Feb 19-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A24.

Prevalence of childhood growth hormone deficiency in survivors of pediatric intracranial germ cell tumors

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Background: Survival rates for childhood cancer continue to rise, and there are now greater than 420,000 survivors in the United States. However, high cure rates come at the cost of short and long-term treatment-related toxicities. Endocrine disorders are among the most common late effects and are associated with poor health outcomes and lower quality of life. Survivors of pediatric intracranial germ cell tumors (iGCTs) are at high risk for endocrine disorders, particularly for growth hormone deficiency (GHD), due to their exposures to cranial radiation, chemotherapy, and brain surgery. To date, no long-term follow-up studies have explored the late effects experienced by survivors of iGCTs. Methods: Study participants were enrolled in the Germ Cell Tumor Epidemiology Study, which is a case-parent triad study conducted using the resources of the Children’s Oncology Group’s Childhood Cancer Research Network. Eligibility criteria included diagnosis with a germ cell tumor in any location at age 0-19 years in the years 2008-2015. The study population included 233 cases with a diagnosis of iGCT. We are currently following the cohort to evaluate outcomes and late effects of treatment, including medical record review to extract data on treatment characteristics and hormone deficiencies. This interim analysis includes chart review for 57 iGCT cases. Results: Of the 57 cases reviewed, there was a male predominance (73.7%) with the highest prevalence in non-Hispanic whites (80.4%). Cases of iGCTs can be subdivided into two main histologic subtypes, germinomas (36 cases) and non-germinomatous GCTs (NGGCT, 21 cases). The median age at diagnosis was 14.6 years for the germinomas and 10.5 years for NGGCTs. Data on growth hormone deficiency (GHD) was available for 42 of the 57 cases with a median follow-up of 7.4 years. Twenty-eight of the 42 cases (66.7%) had GHD; 19 in the germinoma group and 9 in the NGGCT group (p = 0.47). 17 of those with GHD were males (p = 0.10). There was no significant difference in prevalence of GHD by age of tumor diagnosis (p = 0.20). Conclusions: Survivors of iGCTs are at high risk for growth hormone deficiency. Identifying specific risk factors for developing GHD amongst these survivors can enhance the current guidelines for screening and management.

Klinefelter syndrome in males with germ cell tumors: A report from the Children's Oncology Group

BACKGROUND

Males with Klinefelter syndrome (KS) (47,XXY) may be more likely to develop germ cell tumors (GCTs), particularly mediastinal GCTs. To date, there are no reports characterizing the prevalence of KS among male GCT cases.

METHODS

The authors used array genotyping data from a Children's Oncology Group epidemiology study to estimate the prevalence of KS in males with GCTs (433 males aged birth-19 years). Using Fisher's exact tests, the authors examined differences in age at diagnosis, race/ethnicity, tumor location and histology, and several birth characteristics between cases of KS-GCT and GCT cases without chromosomal abnormalities. Using publicly available data, the authors estimated the 1-year risk, risk ratio, and corresponding 95% confidence interval of GCTs among KS cases.

RESULTS

Based on analysis of array genotyping data, 3% of male GCT cases (13 cases) had KS. The additional X chromosome was of maternal origin in 7 of the 13 cases. Of these 13 KS cases, 5 of 9 KS-GCT cases with parental questionnaire data (56%) reported a diagnosis of KS. No significant differences were observed with regard to patient or birth characteristics between KS-GCT and non-KS-GCT cases. KS-GCT cases were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with mediastinal tumors than non-KS-GCT cases (P<.01). The authors estimated the risk of developing a GCT among males with KS to be 0.00025, or 1 per 4000 males (risk ratio, 18.8; 95% confidence interval, 11.7-30.0).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with males without chromosomal abnormalities, males with KS are more likely to be diagnosed with a mediastinal GCT. The presence of KS should be considered in males with a diagnosis of mediastinal GCT. In the current study, the authors report that approximately one-third of males with mediastinal germ cell tumors have Klinefelter syndrome, and therefore screening of these individuals for the syndrome may be warranted. Males with Klinefelter syndrome are 19 times as likely as males without Klinefelter syndrome to develop germ cell tumors.

Differences in DNA methylation profiles by histologic subtype of paediatric germ cell tumours: a report from the Children's Oncology Group

Background

Abnormal DNA methylation may be important in germ cell tumour (GCT) aetiology, as germ cells undergo complete epigenetic reprogramming during development. GCTs show differences in global and promoter methylation patterns by histologic subtype. We conducted an epigenome-wide study to identify methylation differences by GCT histology.

Methods

Using the Illumina HumanMethylation450K array we measured methylation in 154 paediatric GCTs (21 germinomas/seminomas/dysgerminoma, 70 yolk sac tumours [YST], 9 teratomas, and 54 mixed histology tumours). We identified differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between GCT histologies by comparing methylation beta values.

Results

We identified 8,481 DMRs (FWER < 0.05). Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of individual probes within DMRs resulted in four high level clusters closely corresponding to tumour histology. Clusters corresponding to age, location, sex and FFPE status were not observed within these DMRs. Germinomas displayed lower levels of methylation across the DMRs relative to the other histologic subtypes. Pathway analysis on the top 10% of genes with differential methylation in germinomas/seminomas/dysgerminoma compared to YST suggested angiogenesis and immune cell-related pathways displayed decreased methylation in germinomas/seminomas/dysgerminoma relative to YST.

Conclusions

Paediatric GCT histologies have differential methylation patterns. The genes that are differentially methylated may provide insights into GCT aetiology including the timing of GCT initiation.

Abstract A25: Prevalence of Klinefelter syndrome among males aged 0-19 years diagnosed with germ cell tumors: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group

Previous studies have suggested that males with Klinefelter syndrome (KS; 47, XXY) may be more likely to develop germ cell tumors (GCTs), particularly mediastinal GCTs. Due to the rarity of pediatric GCTs, there are no reports characterizing the prevalence of KS among males diagnosed with GCTs.

We used data from a Children’s Oncology Group epidemiology study (2008-2015) to evaluate the prevalence of KS in males (n=433) diagnosed with GCTs (aged 0-19 years). These 433 cases provided saliva samples and had one parent who was willing to participate in the study and complete a questionnaire including questions about health history, demographics, and environmental exposures. Tumor characteristics (location and histology) were abstracted from pathology reports provided by the treating institution. GCT cases were classified as having KS if they had evidence of an extra copy of the X chromosome based on evaluation of array data from Illumina HumanCoreExome-12 genotyping chips. Genvisis was used to identify samples with sex aneuploidy and to determine the parent-of-origin for the nondisjunction. Using chi-square tests, we examined differences in age at diagnosis, race/ethnicity, tumor location and histology, and a number of birth characteristics between KS-GCT cases and GCT cases without chromosomal abnormalities (n=415). Using publically available data, we estimated the 1-year risk and corresponding Risk Ratio (RR) and 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) of a male with KS developing a GCT.

Based on analysis of array genotyping data, 3% (n=13) of male GCT cases had KS. Among these 13 cases, the extra X chromosome was of maternal origin in 7 cases and of paternal origin in 6 cases. Of the 13 KS cases with genotyping data, 5/9 (56%) KS-GCT cases with parental questionnaire data reported receiving a diagnosis of KS. The average age at GCT diagnosis for cases with genotyping-detected KS (n=13) was 13.8 years (standard deviation [SD], 4.4 years) compared with 12.5 years (SD, 6.2 years) for GCT cases without chromosomal abnormalities (n=415; p=0.45). We did not observe significant differences in patient or birth characteristics including race, birth weight and length, maternal age, paternal age, and the use of fertility drugs between the two groups. We confirmed that KS-GCT cases were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with extragonadal tumors (GCT [n=69/411; 17%]; KS-GCT [n=11/13; 85%]; p&lt;0.01), particularly mediastinal tumors (GCT [n=20/406; 5%]; KS-GCT [9/13; 69%]; p&lt;0.01), than GCT cases without chromosomal abnormalities. Mixed/other histology was the most common histologic subtype for KS-GCT (46%) and GCTs among patients without chromosomal abnormalities (41%; p=0.60). Based on data from the CDC WONDER database and the US Census Bureau, in 2013, the risk of developing a GCT among males aged 0-19 years without KS was estimated to be 0.000014 or approximately 1 in 70,000. Using our estimate that 3% of GCTs in males aged 0-19 years are diagnosed among patients who also have KS, we estimated the risk of a GCT among males with KS to be 0.00025, or approximately 1 in 4,000 (RR: 18.8; 95% CI: 11.7, 30.0).

In our large case series of males diagnosed with GCTs, we observed that 3% of GCT cases (n=13/433) were also carriers of an extra X chromosome based on array genotyping data and were thus classified as having KS. Males aged 0-19 years with KS experience a large increase in risk of developing a GCT compared with males from the general population. Collectively, these findings suggest that young males with KS should be monitored for the development of a GCT. Similarly, the possibility of KS should be considered in males diagnosed with a mediastinal GCT during childhood or adolescence and these patients should be tested for the presence of KS.

Citation Format: Lindsay A. Williams, Nathan Pankratz, John Lane, Michelle Roesler, Michaela Richardson, A. Lindsay Frazier, James Amatruda, Jenny N. Poynter. Prevalence of Klinefelter syndrome among males aged 0-19 years diagnosed with germ cell tumors: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Pediatric Cancer Research: From Basic Science to the Clinic; 2017 Dec 3-6; Atlanta, Georgia. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(19 Suppl):Abstract nr A25.

Abstract 2064: Differences in methylation patterns by pediatric germ cell tumor histologic subtype

Anomalous DNA methylation contributes to carcinogenesis by regulating gene expression and may be important in germ cell tumor (GCT) development as germ cells undergo tremendous epigenetic reprogramming during embryogenesis. Histologic subtypes of GCTs show differences in global methylation patterns with less differentiated tumors (e.g. embryonal carcinoma) experiencing lower levels of global methylation relative to more differentiated tumors (e.g. teratoma). Differences in promoter methylation have also been reported in GCTs. In particular, developmental signaling pathways and the BMP/TGF beta pathway have been consistently found to be differentially methylated. In this analysis, we conducted an epigenome wide association study to identify gene-specific methylation differences by GCT histology. Using the Illumina HumanMethylation450K array we determined methylation profiles for 154 pediatric GCTs (21 germinomas, 54 mixed, 9 teratomas, 70 yolk sac tumors [YST]) from fresh frozen and formalin fixed paraffin embedded tumor tissue samples. Fisher's exact tests were used to assess differences in the distributions of age group, sex, and tumor location by histologic subtype (alpha=0.05 for a two-sided test of significance [SAS v9.4]). Bioconductor package minfi was used to identify differential methylation between GCT histologic subtypes by comparing the methylation beta values. To identify differential methylation of genes predictive of tumor histology, a generalized linear model (glm) with LASSO was fit (R v3.4.1) to the quantile normalized beta values for all probes from all samples. There were significant differences in age, sex, and tumor location by histologic subtype (all p&lt;0.01). We observed unique clusters for both germinoma and YST, but a single cluster for mixed tumors and teratoma. The methylation clusters did not differ by age, sex or FFPE status after accounting for histologic subtype. When stratifying by age group (0-10 vs. 11-19 years), we observed 2,043 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) (FWER &lt;0.05); however, these differences did not persist once we adjusted for tumor histology. Differential methylation tests across histologic subtypes resulted in 8,049 DMRs (FWER &lt; 0.05). Germinoma clustered most consistently and displayed a unique methylation pattern relative to other tumor types, which were more similar to one another. Fitting a glm with LASSO to the methylation data identified 21 probes that were predictive of histologic subtype with misclassification error &lt; 20%: ANKRD24, ASL, ATG13, CCDC53, CKB, FAM224B, FZD10, KCNMB3, LINC00939, LOC101927248, MIR378C, MMP14, MUC1, OGFOD3, PLP2, PLPP3, PRR5, SERPINA6¸ SGSM2, VARS, and YWHAZ. In our analyses, we identified a large number of genes with differential methylation by tumor histology. These data may be informative in understanding GCT etiology and the timing of GCT initiation.

Citation Format: Lindsay A. Williams, Lauren Mills, Anthony J. Hooten, Erica Langer, Michelle Roesler, A Lindsay Frazier, James Amatruda, Jenny N. Poynter, Jenny N. Poynter. Differences in methylation patterns by pediatric germ cell tumor histologic subtype [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2064.

Family history of cancer in children and adolescents with germ cell tumours: a report from the Children's Oncology Group

Background:

Studies of family history of cancer in paediatric germ cell tumours (GCTs) are few, and none has had sufficient sample size to specifically evaluate family history of GCT.

Methods:

We utilised family history data from a paediatric GCT study to calculate standardised incidence ratios (SIR) for GCT and other cancers using age- and sex-specific incidence rates from the SEER Program.

Results:

This analysis included 7998 relatives of paediatric GCT probands. We observed a higher number of GCT cases than expected in male and female relatives of probands (SIR=2.38, 95% CI 1.25, 3.51 for males; SIR=14.3, 95% CI 0.29, 28.4 for females). Further, we observed a particularly strong SIR for relatives of probands with intracranial GCT (SIR=8.07, 95% CI 3.51, 12.6). The SIR for relatives of probands with ovarian GCT was also elevated but did not reach statistical significance (SIR 4.35, 95% CI 0-9.27). Other notable associations include elevated SIRs for melanoma in male relatives and reduced SIRs for lymphatic/haematologic malignancies in male and female relatives.

Conclusions:

These results support the hypothesis that familial aggregation of GCT occurs in males and females.

Variants in BAK1, SPRY4, and GAB2 are associated with pediatric germ cell tumors: A report from the children's oncology group

Germ cell tumors (GCT) are a rare form of childhood cancer that originate from the primordial germ cell. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified susceptibility alleles for adult testicular GCT (TGCT). We test whether these SNPs are associated with GCT in pediatric and adolescent populations. This case-parent triad study includes individuals with GCT diagnosed between ages 0 and 19. We evaluated 26 SNPs from GWAS of adult TGCT and estimated main effects for pediatric GCT within complete trios (N = 366) using the transmission disequilibrium test. We used Estimation of Maternal, Imprinting and interaction effects using Multinomial modelling to evaluate maternal effects in non-Hispanic white trios and dyads (N = 244). We accounted for multiple comparisons using a Bonferroni correction. A variant in SPRY4 (rs4624820) was associated with reduced risk of GCT (OR [95% CI]: 0.70 [0.57, 0.86]). A variant in BAK1 (rs210138) was positively associated with GCT (OR [95% CI]: 1.70 [1.32, 2.18]), with a strong estimated effect for testis tumors (OR [95% CI]: 3.31 [1.89, 5.79]). Finally, a SNP in GAB2 (rs948662) was associated with increased risk for GCT (OR [95% CI]: 1.56 [1.20, 2.03]). Nominal associations (P < 0.05) were noted for eight additional loci. A maternal effect was observed for KITLG SNP rs4474514 (OR [95% CI]: 1.66 [1.21, 2.28]) and a paternal parent-of-origin effect was observed for rs7221274 (P = 0.00007), near TEX14, RAD51C, and PPM1E. We observed associations between SNPs in SPRY4, BAK1, and GAB2 and GCTs. This analysis suggests there may be common genetic risk factors for GCT in all age groups.

Chemical exposures and risk of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes in a population-based study

Benzene exposure is one of the few well-established risk factors for myeloid malignancy. Exposure to other chemicals has been inconsistently associated with hematologic malignancies. We evaluated occupational and residential chemical exposures as risk factors for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) using population-based data. AML and MDS cases were identified by the Minnesota Cancer Surveillance System. Controls were identified through the Minnesota driver's license/identification card list. Chemical exposures were measured by self-report. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We included 265 MDS cases, 420 AML cases and 1388 controls. We observed significant associations between both MDS and AML and benzene (OR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.19, 2.63 and OR = 2.10, 95% CI 1.35, 3.28, respectively) and vinyl chlorides (OR = 2.05, 95% CI 1.15, 3.63 and OR = 2.81, 95% CI 1.14, 6.92). Exposure to soot, creosote, inks, dyes and tanning solutions and coal dust were associated with AML (range ORs = 2.68-4.03), while no association was seen between these exposures and MDS (range ORs = 0.57-1.68). Pesticides and agricultural chemicals were not significantly associated with AML or MDS. Similar results were observed in analyses stratified by sex. In addition to providing risk estimates for benzene from a population-based sample, we also identified a number of other occupational and residential chemicals that were significantly associated with AML; however, all exposures were reported by only a small percentage of cases (≤10%). While chemical exposures play a clear role in the etiology of myeloid malignancy, these exposures do not account for the majority of cases.

Abstract 3427: Chemical exposures and risk of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes in a population-based study

Background Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of clonal hematologic disorders that result in ineffective hematopoiesis. Individuals with MDS have a high risk of progressing to leukemia, with approximately 30% expected to develop acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Benzene exposure is one of the few well-established risk factors for AML, and recent studies suggest it is also a risk factor for MDS. Exposure to other occupational and residential chemicals has been inconsistently associated with hematologic malignancies. In this analysis, we evaluated occupational and residential chemical exposures as risk factors for AML and MDS using population-based data. Methods AML and MDS cases were identified by rapid case ascertainment through the Minnesota Cancer Surveillance System (MCSS). Centralized pathology and cytogenetics reviews were conducted to confirm diagnosis and classify by subtypes. Controls were identified through the Minnesota State driver's license/identification card list. Chemical exposures were measured by self-report and included occupational and residential exposure to a variety of chemicals. Unconditional logistic regression with adjustment for age, sex, previous cancer treatment, income, and farm or rural residence was used to calculate crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Smoking, obesity and physical activity were considered as potential confounders but did not change effect estimates by 10% or more. Results We included 265 MDS cases, 420 AML cases, and 1388 controls in this analysis. As expected, we observed significant associations between benzene and both MDS and AML (OR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.17, 2.67 and OR = 2.03, 95% CI 1.45, 2.83, respectively). Exposure to vinyl chlorides was associated with MDS (OR = 2.25, 95% CI 1.32, 3.81) but not with AML (OR = 1.36, 95% CI 0.83, 2.21). Exposure to fertilizers (OR = 1.70, 95% CI 1.11, 2.59), soot (OR = 2.64, 95% CI 1.59, 4.39), creosote (OR = 1.95, 95% CI 1.08, 3.51), inks, dyes and tanning solutions (OR = 1.63, 95% 1.02, 2.60), and coal dust (2.64, 95% CI 1.30, 5.39) were associated with AML, while no association was seen between any of these exposures and MDS (range ORs = 0.78-1.25). No significant associations were observed for occupational pesticide exposures in either group. Discussion These data confirm the importance of benzene as a risk factor for myeloid malignancy and provide risk estimates in a population-based sample. A number of other significant associations with occupational and residential chemicals were observed for AML; however, all exposures were reported by only a small percentage of cases (≤10%). While chemical exposures play a clear role in the etiology of myeloid malignancy, these exposures do not account for the majority of cases.

Citation Format: Jenny N. Poynter, Michaela Richardson, Michelle Roesler, Cindy K. Blair, Betsy Hirsch, Phuong Nguyen, Adina Cioc, James R. Cerhan, Erica Warlick. Chemical exposures and risk of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes in a population-based study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3427.

Association between mitochondrial DNA haplogroup and myelodysplastic syndromes

Polymorphisms in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are used to group individuals into haplogroups reflecting human global migration and are associated with multiple diseases, including cancer. Here, we evaluate the association between mtDNA haplogroup and risk of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Cases were identified by the Minnesota Cancer Surveillance System. Controls were identified through the Minnesota State driver's license/identification card list. Because haplogroup frequencies vary by race and ethnicity, we restricted analyses to non-Hispanic whites. We genotyped 15 mtSNPs that capture common European mitochondrial haplogroup variation. We used SAS v.9.3 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC) to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) overall and stratified by MDS subtype and IPSS-R risk category. We were able to classify 215 cases with confirmed MDS and 522 controls into one of the 11 common European haplogroups. Due to small sample sizes in some subgroups, we combined mt haplogroups into larger bins based on the haplogroup evolutionary tree, including HV (H + V), JT (J + T), IWX (I + W + X), UK (U + K), and Z for comparisons of cases and controls. Using haplogroup HV as the reference group, we found a statistically significant association between haplogroup JT and MDS (OR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.36, 0.92, P = 0.02). No statistically significant heterogeneity was observed in subgroup analyses. In this population-based study of MDS, we observed an association between mtDNA haplogroup JT and risk of MDS. While previously published studies provide biological plausibility for the observed association, further studies of the relationship between mtDNA variation and MDS are warranted in larger sample sizes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Exogenous hormone use, reproductive history and risk of adult myeloid leukaemia

BACKGROUND

A hormonal aetiology is one explanation for the lower incidence of myeloid leukaemia in women compared with men.

METHODS

In this population-based case-control study, we evaluated associations between exogenous hormone use and reproductive history and myeloid leukaemia, overall and by disease subtype.

RESULTS

We observed a suggestive association between oral contraceptive use and acute myeloid leukaemia (odds ratio=0.55, 95% confidence interval=0.32-0.96). Hormone replacement therapy and reproductive factors were not associated with risk.

CONCLUSION

Despite the biological plausibility for a role of oestrogen in leukaemogenesis, other aetiologic factors are likely to explain the differing incidence rates in males and females.

Analgesic use during pregnancy and risk of infant leukaemia: a Children's Oncology Group study

Background:

Infant leukaemia is likely initiated in utero.

Methods:

We examined whether analgesic use during pregnancy was associated with risk by completing telephone interviews of the mothers of 441 infant leukaemia cases and 323 frequency-matched controls, using unconditional logistic regression.

Results:

With the exception of a reduced risk for infant acute myeloid leukaemias with non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) use early in pregnancy (odds ratios=0.60; confidence intervals: 0.37–0.97), no statistically significant associations were observed for aspirin, non-aspirin NSAIDs, or acetaminophen use in early pregnancy or after knowledge of pregnancy.

Conclusion:

Overall, analgesic use during pregnancy was not significantly associated with the risk of infant leukaemia.

Vitamin supplement use among children with Down's syndrome and risk of leukaemia: a Children's Oncology Group (COG) study

Vitamin supplements have been proposed for children with Down's syndrome (DS) with claims of improving cognitive abilities, or immune or thyroid function. Several studies have shown decreased levels of zinc in this population. Because children with DS have a 50-fold increased risk of developing acute leukaemia during the first 5 years of life, we explored the relation between child vitamin and herbal supplement use and the risk of leukaemia in a case-control study. During the period 1997-2002, we enrolled 158 children with DS aged 0-18 years that were diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) (n = 97) or acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) (n = 61) at participating Children's Oncology Group institutions. We enrolled 173 DS children without leukaemia (controls), selected from the cases' primary care clinic and frequency-matched on age. Data were collected via telephone interviews with mothers of the index child regarding use of multivitamins, zinc, vitamin C, iron and herbal supplements, including age at first use, frequency and duration. Among controls, 57% reported regular multivitamin use (>/=3 times/week for >/=3 months) compared with 48% of ALL cases and 61% of AML cases. We found no evidence of an association between children's regular multivitamin use and ALL or AML (adjusted odds ratios [OR] = 0.94 [95% CI 0.52, 1.70] and 1.90 [0.73, 4.91] respectively). There was a suggestion of an increased risk for AML associated with regular multivitamin use during the first year of life or for an extended duration (ORs = 2.38 [0.94, 5.76] and 2.59 [1.02, 6.59] respectively). Despite being the largest study of DS-leukaemia, our sample size was small, resulting in imprecise effect estimates. Future research should include larger sample sizes as well as a full assessment of diet including vitamin supplementation to adequately examine the relation between nutritional status and childhood leukaemia.

Feasibility of nationwide birth registry control selection in the United States

As random digit dialing becomes increasingly unfeasible for many types of studies, alternative methods for control selection are needed, especially for studies of childhood cancer. US birth registries are an appealing source of young control children because they are population based, provide demographic and pregnancy data for comparison of participants with the study base, and maintain data that enable matching on birth characteristics. Here the authors describe the ability of US birth registries to release information sufficient to locate potential control subjects for two ongoing case-control studies of hepatoblastoma and infant leukemia. The birth registries of 32 states, in which 75.8% of US children 0-5 years of age resided in 2004, agreed to participate in control selection. Data sufficient to track participants and to characterize nonrespondents were available from a majority of registries. These results suggest that birth registries may be used to select controls for studies of rare childhood diseases on a national scale.

Secular trends in response rates for controls selected by random digit dialing in childhood cancer studies: a report from the Children's Oncology Group

Since the mid-1990s, epidemiologists have anecdotally reported difficulty in recruiting controls using random digit dialing (RDD), but few empirical data have been published. From 1982 to 2003, epidemiologists from the Children's Oncology Group conducted 17 case-control studies using RDD controls. Data for calculating RDD and field response rates were available from eight and 13 of these studies, respectively. Over the period of analysis, the contact rate declined 2.5% per year (95% confidence interval (CI): -3.4, -1.6; p = 0.001), from above 90% in the 1980s to 63-69% in the most recent studies. The response rate (the product of the contact and cooperation rates) showed a decline parallel to that of the contact rate (-2.4% per year, 95% CI: -3.2, -1.6; p < 0.001), from above 80% in the 1980s to 50-67% after the mid-1990s. Field response rates appeared to have declined modestly. The overall response rate (the product of the RDD response and field response rates) paralleled that of the RDD response rate and decreased 2.4% per year (95% CI: -2.7, -2.0; p < 0.001). The current low response rates for RDD indicate a substantial potential for selection bias and a need to seek alternative sources of controls.

Birth characteristics, maternal reproductive history, and the risk of infant leukemia: a report from the Children's Oncology Group

Leukemias with MLL gene rearrangements predominate in infants (<1 year of age), but not in older children, and may have a distinct etiology. High birth weight, higher birth order, and prior fetal loss have, with varying consistency, been associated with infant leukemia, but no studies have reported results with respect to MLL status. Here, we report for the first time such an analysis. During 1999 to 2003, mothers of 240 incident cases (113 MLL(+), 80 MLL(-), and 47 indeterminate) and 255 random digit dialed controls completed a telephone interview. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for quartile of birth weight, birth order, gestational age, maternal age at delivery, prior fetal loss, pre-pregnancy body mass index, and weight gain during pregnancy were obtained using unconditional logistic regression; P for linear trend was obtained by modeling continuous variables. There was a borderline significant linear trend of increasing birth weight with MLL(+) (P = 0.06), but not MLL(-) (P = 0.93), infant leukemia. Increasing birth order showed a significant inverse linear trend, independent of birth weight, with MLL(+) (P = 0.01), but not MLL(-) (P = 0.18), infant leukemia. Other variables of interest were not notably associated with infant leukemia regardless of MLL status. This investigation further supports the contention that molecularly defined subtypes of infant leukemia have separate etiologies.

Child and maternal household chemical exposure and the risk of acute leukemia in children with Down's syndrome: a report from the Children's Oncology Group

Compared with the general pediatric population, children with Down's syndrome have a much higher risk of acute leukemia. This case-control study was designed to explore potential risk factors for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia in children with Down's syndrome living in the United States or Canada. Mothers of 158 children with Down's syndrome and acute leukemia (97 acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 61 acute myeloid leukemia) diagnosed between January 1997 and October 2002 and mothers of 173 children with Down's syndrome but without leukemia were interviewed by telephone. Positive associations were found between acute lymphoblastic leukemia and maternal exposure to professional pest exterminations (odds ratio = 2.25, 95% confidence interval: 1.13, 4.49), to any pesticide (odds ratio = 2.18, 95% confidence interval: 1.08, 4.39), and to any chemical (odds ratio = 2.72, 95% confidence interval: 1.17, 6.35). Most of the associations with acute myeloid leukemia were nonsignificant, and odds ratios were generally near or below 1.0. This exploratory study suggests that household chemical exposure may play a role in the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children with Down's syndrome.

Periconceptional vitamin useand leukemia risk in children with Down syndrome: a Children's Oncology Group study

BACKGROUND

Periconceptional vitamin supplementation reduces the risk of neural tube defects, and possibly may reduce the risk of certain childhood malignancies, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Because children with Down syndrome (DS) experience a 20-fold higher risk of leukemia than the general population, the authors evaluated whether periconceptional vitamin supplementation reduced the risk of leukemia in children with DS.

METHODS

From 1997 to 2002, 158 children ages birth-18 years with DS and acute leukemia (n = 61 children with acute myeloid leukemia [AML] and n = 97 children with ALL) were enrolled through the Children's Oncology Group in North America. Children with DS alone (n = 173) were identified through the cases' pediatric clinics and frequency matched to cases on age. Mothers of cases and controls completed a telephone interview that included questions regarding vitamin supplement use in the periconceptional period and after knowledge of pregnancy.

RESULTS

A decreased risk of leukemia was observed with vitamin supplementation in the periconceptional period (odds ratio [OR] = 0.63; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.39-1.00). When stratified by leukemia type, the reduced risk was observed for ALL (OR = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.30-0.89), but not for AML (OR = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.48-1.76). Compared with vitamin use in the periconceptional period, use only after knowledge of pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of leukemia (OR = 1.61; 95% CI, 1.00-2.58). This was observed for both ALL and AML.

CONCLUSIONS

These data added to a growing body of evidence that suggests that periconceptional vitamin use may be protective in the development of certain childhood cancers.

Childhood and maternal infections and risk of acute leukaemia in children with Down syndrome: a report from the Children's Oncology Group

Children with Down syndrome (DS) are highly susceptible to acute leukaemia. Given the potential role of infections in the aetiology of leukaemia in children without DS, we investigated whether there was an association between early-life infections and acute leukaemia in children with DS. Maternal infections during pregnancy were also examined. We enrolled 158 incident cases of acute leukaemia in children with DS (97 acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and 61 acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)) diagnosed at Children's Oncology Group institutions between 1997 and 2002. DS controls (N=173) were selected from the cases' primary care clinics and frequency matched on age at leukaemia diagnosis. Data were collected on demographics, child's medical history, mother's medical history, and other factors by maternal interview. Analyses were conducted using unconditional logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders. A significant negative association was observed between acute leukaemia and any infection in the first 2 years of life (adjusted odds ratio (OR)=0.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.33–0.92); OR=0.53, 95% CI (0.29–0.97); and OR=0.59, 95% CI (0.28–1.25) for acute leukaemia combined, ALL, and AML respectively). The association between acute leukaemia and maternal infections during pregnancy was in the same direction but not significant. This study offers support for the hypothesis that early-life infections may play a protective role in the aetiology of acute leukaemia in children with DS.

Culturally congruent end-of-life care for Jewish patients and their families

This qualitative study was conducted to determine cultural influences in end-of-life care among Jewish people. The conceptual framework for this study was drawn from Leininger's culture care theory. Informants consisted of 16 professional caregivers, family members, and rabbis who had experience with end-of-life care for Jewish patients. Interviews using open-ended and focused questions were used to gather informants' descriptions of their generic values, beliefs, and practices. Findings revealed the strong influence of religious, cultural, and historical factors in caring. Sanctity of life and life promotion are central to Judaism. Caring is a communal obligation that unites the family and community into a cohesive unit. Attitudes toward death are influenced by beliefs about afterlife and suffering. The value put on expert knowledge influences patients' and family members' expectations of professional caregivers. Similarities and differences were noted among different groups of informants.

Minimal precycle testing and ongoing cycle monitoring for in vitro fertilization and fresh pre-embryo transfer do not compromise fertilization, implantation, or ongoing pregnancy rates

OBJECTIVE

We sought to assess the fertilization, implantation, and ongoing pregnancy rates with a minimal precycle and ongoing cycle monitoring protocol for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective review was conducted of 103 consecutive cycles of fresh in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer from 1996 to 1998. Precycle screening included semen analysis without strict morphologic analysis, and hysterosalpingography-sonohysterography within the last year. Serum prolactin, serum thyroid-stimulating hormone, reactive plasma reagin, human immunodeficiency virus, rubella titer, blood type, hepatitis B surface antigen, and hepatitis C antibody testing was performed on all patients within 3 months of cycle initiation. Women > or =37 years old underwent clomiphene challenge testing. The monitoring protocol included the following: baseline transvaginal ultrasonography after 12 to 14 days of midluteal gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist down-regulation to assess endometrial thickness and adnexal appearance, transvaginal ultrasonography for follicle evaluation at 7 and 10 days, serum estradiol assay if > or =20 follicles, quantitative beta-human chorionic gonadotropin 12 to 14 days after pre-embryo transfer, repeat quantitative beta-human chorionic gonadotropin 3 to 5 days later, and transvaginal ultrasonography for intrauterine gestational sac confirmation 7 to 9 days after the initial positive pregnancy test result. The dose of gonadotropin used remained constant unless the sonogram obtained on day 7 indicated a suboptimal response (<3 follicles each, with an average diameter of 10 to 12 mm) or hyperresponse (> or =15 follicles with an average diameter of 10 to 12 mm).

RESULTS

The per embryo implantation rate (fetal cardiac activity) was 13.1%, and the live birth rate per 100 pre-embryo transfers was 31.5 for patients < or =40 years old. The average number of pre-embryos transferred was 3.1. The singleton pregnancy rate was 71%, and there were no multiple gestations greater than twins. The mean number of oocytes fertilized was 66%. There was 1 case of failed fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection. There were two other cases of failed fertilization. One case of severe ovarian hyperstimulation occurred in spite of cryopreservation of all embryos.

CONCLUSIONS

In vitro fertilization and embryo transfer can be accomplished with minimal precycle testing and ongoing cycle monitoring without compromising fertilization, implantation, and ongoing pregnancy rates. This results in reduced overall costs for couples.

Loss of functional hemispheric asymmetry in Alzheimer's dementia assessed with near-infrared spectroscopy

In a total of 10 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer-type (DAT) and in 10 healthy controls near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), a new non-invasive optical method, was used to measure the changes of concentrations of oxy- (O2HB) and deoxyhemoglobin (HHB) in left and right hemispheric prefrontal brain tissue areas during performance of the Verbal Fluency Test (VFT). On a neuropsychological level, the healthy subjects performed better in the VFT than patients with DAT. Statistical analysis of the relative concentrations of O2HB and HHB measured with NIRS during performance of the VFT revealed a significant interaction of the hemispheric effects with the diagnosis. A possible interpretation of this finding is that a good performance in the VFT relies on a predominantly left hemispheric activation observed in controls, whereas a low number of correct responses is associated with a loss of this asymmetric activation in patients with DAT. Although both, patients and controls, performed better in the category version of the VFT, the metabolic effects of this task were significantly less pronounced than in the letter version. This indicates that different energy demands, according to the type of access to the memory stores, may be interpreted as the result of a less energy-demanding access to categorically stored information and adds further evidence to the view that memory departments in humans are organized according to categorical principles.

Cryopreservation of human embryos as a useful tool for infertile couples

In order to improve the pregnancy rate per oocyte retrieval while reducing the chance of multiple-gestations, a technique of cryopreservation of human embryos was used for our initial study consisting of 100 infertile patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure. These patients combined a "fresh" embryo transfer with cryopreservation. The embryos were cryopreserved with 1,2-propanediol. Twenty-nine (29%) patients achieved ongoing pregnancies from the fresh embryo transfer. Thirty patients received a transfer of thawed embryos in a natural cycle. Nine of these patients achieved ongoing pregnancies. Combining these 2 transfers results in a 38% ongoing pregnancy rate. Forty-one patients have yet to receive their frozen embryos. The current success rate in this study indicates that over 50% of the patients in this group can expect to become pregnant by the time all the cryopreserved embryos have been transferred.

Treatment of human spermatozoa with an egg yolk medium can enhance the outcome of in vitro fertilization

In at least 4 of 7 cases, fertilization of intact human oocytes was more successful when spermatozoa were pretreated with TEST yolk medium at 5 degrees C for 2 hours as compared with the standard treatment with Ham's F-10 only. Both pregnancies that were obtained after the transfer of the fertilized oocytes resulted from oocytes fertilized by TEST yolk-treated spermatozoa. No decrease in fertilization occurred in any of the cases after TEST yolk treatment. If these results hold true for a larger series of patients, it may be worthwhile for the standard IVF incubation system of spermatozoa to include TEST yolk.

Karyotype analysis of blighted ova in pregnancies achieved by in vitro fertilization

Pregnancies achieved by IVF and resulting in blighted ovum were karyotyped. The rate of aneuploidy was found to be 38% (5/13). In vitro fertilization does not appear to be a risk factor for chromosome anomaly in live births or miscarriages, and the data reported so far may suggest that aneuploid rates are actually lower for pregnancies achieved by IVF.

[Doppler echocardiographic analysis of the short-term results of surgical repair of mitral valve prolapse in myxomatous degeneration]

Ten consecutive patients with pure mitral regurgitation due to floppy valve underwent valve repair operations. Postoperative mitral continence or regurgitation and diastolic flow across the valve were evaluated by Doppler echocardiography. Mean follow-up was 6.4 months. Four patients showed minimal and 3 mild regurgitation; no regurgitation was detected in 3. A significant peak diastolic atrioventricular gradient (10 mmHg) was observed in only one patient. All patients showed symptomatic improvement and a decrease in ventricular diameters. Repair of floppy mitral valves is feasible and gives good results. Doppler echocardiography is a useful technique for monitoring postoperative valve function.

Short-term use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (leuprolide) for in vitro fertilization

A common problem encountered by in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs is the premature occurrence of the spontaneous luteinizing hormone (LH) surge during ovarian stimulation cycles. Administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRH-a) for 2 to 3 weeks produces a state of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, thus allowing ovarian stimulation to proceed uncomplicated by a spontaneous LH surge. We have elected to treat seven patients with GnRH-a in a "short-term" protocol, with GnRH-a initiated on cycle day 3 along with exogenous gonadotropins. In this series, we found that the spontaneous LH surge was abolished, while ovarian responsiveness seemed to be improved. These results suggest that the initial surge of gonadotropins elicited by GnRH-a administration may enhance ovarian stimulation and that spontaneous LH surge is blocked when GnRH-a and exogenous gonadotropins are initiated concomitantly.

Ultrasound-guided transvaginal needle aspiration of follicles for in vitro fertilization

In search of a simpler and less traumatic method of oocyte retrieval for in vitro fertilization (IVF), 37 infertile patients underwent ultrasound-guided transvaginal needle aspiration of the follicles instead of the conventional laparoscopic aspiration. Although only intravenous analgesics and sedatives were used, patients experienced little discomfort. There were no infections or bleeding complications after the procedure. Eleven patients (30%) achieved ongoing pregnancies; this rate of success is comparable to that with our laparoscopic method. Considering this reasonable pregnancy rate, lack of substantial morbidity, and good patient acceptance, laparoscopic oocyte retrieval for IVF can be largely replaced by the ultrasound-guided transvaginal needle aspiration technique.

The diagnosis of airway obstruction in children

Airway obstruction in children has many causes. Although vascular rings may have early onset of symptoms there was considerable delay in establishing the correct diagnosis. Barium swallow is diagnostic. Other tests, such as angiocardiography, bronchoscopy, bronchography, and lung scan are usually unnecessary. Pulmonary sling is a less common cause of vascular obstruction. Barium swallow showing anterior indentation at the level of the pulmonary hilum is diagnostic. Cysts and tumors are other causes of severe airway obstruction. The diagnostic and operative problems in three patients are discussed as examples. It is concluded that barium swallow is the most important single investigation in the evaluation of airway obstruction.