The Mediterranean diet is not associated with neuroimaging or cognition in middle-aged adults: a cross-sectional analysis of the PREVENT dementia programme

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has been associated with reduced dementia incidence in several studies. It is important to understand if diet is associated with brain health in midlife, when Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are known to begin.

METHODS

This study used data from the PREVENT dementia programme. Three MedDiet scores were created (the Pyramid, Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener [MEDAS] and MEDAS continuous) from a self-reported food frequency questionnaire. Primary outcomes were hippocampal volume and cube-transformed white matter hyperintensity volume. Secondary outcomes included cornu ammonis 1 and subiculum hippocampal subfield volumes, cortical thickness and measures of cognition. Sex-stratified analyses were run to explore differential associations between diet and brain health by sex. An exploratory path analysis was conducted to study if any associations between diet and brain health were mediated by cardiovascular risk factors for dementia.

RESULTS

In all, 504 participants were included in this analysis, with a mean Pyramid score of 8.10 (SD 1.56). There were no significant associations between any MedDiet scoring method and any of the primary or secondary outcomes. There were no differences by sex in any analyses and no significant mediation between the Pyramid score and global cognition by cardiovascular risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, this study did not find evidence for an association between the MedDiet and either neuroimaging or cognition in a midlife population study. Future work should investigate associations between the MedDiet and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias biomarkers as well as functional neuroimaging in a midlife population.

LipidSIM: Inferring mechanistic lipid biosynthesis perturbations from lipidomics with a flexible, low-parameter, Markov modeling framework

Lipid metabolism is a complex and dynamic system involving numerous enzymes at the junction of multiple metabolic pathways. Disruption of these pathways leads to systematic dyslipidemia, a hallmark of many pathological developments, such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and diabetes. Recent advances in computational tools can provide insights into the dysregulation of lipid biosynthesis, but limitations remain due to the complexity of lipidomic data, limited knowledge of interactions among involved enzymes, and technical challenges in standardizing across different lipid types. Here, we present a low-parameter, biologically interpretable framework named Lipid Synthesis Investigative Markov model (LipidSIM), which models and predicts the source of perturbations in lipid biosynthesis from lipidomic data. LipidSIM achieves this by accounting for the interdependency between the lipid species via the lipid biosynthesis network and generates testable hypotheses regarding changes in lipid biosynthetic reactions. This feature allows the integration of lipidomics with other omics types, such as transcriptomics, to elucidate the direct driving mechanisms of altered lipidomes due to treatments or disease progression. To demonstrate the value of LipidSIM, we first applied it to hepatic lipidomics following Keap1 knockdown and found that changes in mRNA expression of the lipid pathways were consistent with the LipidSIM-predicted fluxes. Second, we used it to study lipidomic changes following intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 to induce fast NAFLD/NASH development and the progression of fibrosis and hepatic cancer. Finally, to show the power of LipidSIM for classifying samples with dyslipidemia, we used a Dgat2-knockdown study dataset. Thus, we show that as it demands no a priori knowledge of enzyme kinetics, LipidSIM is a valuable and intuitive framework for extracting biological insights from complex lipidomic data.

Immune regulation and blood-brain barrier permeability in cerebral small vessel disease: study protocol of the INflammation and Small Vessel Disease (INSVD) study - a multicentre prospective cohort study

INTRODUCTION

The INflammation and Small Vessel Disease (INSVD) study aims to investigate whether peripheral inflammation, immune (dys)regulation and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability relate to disease progression in cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). This research aims to pinpoint specific components of the immune response in SVD relating to disease progression. This could identify biomarkers of SVD progression, as well as potential therapeutic targets to inform the development and repurposing of drugs to reduce or prevent SVD, cognitive decline and vascular dementia.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

INSVD is a prospective observational multicentre cohort study in individuals with symptomatic SVD. This longitudinal study combines comprehensive immunophenotyping of the peripheral blood immune compartment with advanced neuroimaging markers of SVD and BBB permeability. The main SVD marker of interest is white matter microstructure as determined by diffusion tensor imaging, a valuable marker of disease progression owing to its sensitivity to early alterations to white matter integrity. The research is being conducted in two sites-in the UK (Cambridge) and the Netherlands (Nijmegen)-with each site recruiting 100 participants (total n=200). Participants undergo clinical and cognitive assessments, blood draws, and brain MRI at baseline and 2-year follow-up.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study received ethical approval from the local ethics boards (UK: East of England-Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee (REC) ref: 22/EE/00141, Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) ID: 312 747. Netherlands: Medical Research Ethics Committee (MREC) Oost-Nederland, ref: 2022-13623, NL-number: NL80258.091.22). Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects before the study. Any participant-derived benefits resulting from this research, such as new insights into disease mechanisms or possible novel therapies, will be disseminated to study participants, patient groups and members of the public.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05746221.

APOE ɛ4 exacerbates age-dependent deficits in cortical microstructure

The apolipoprotein E ɛ4 allele is the primary genetic risk factor for the sporadic type of Alzheimer's disease. However, the mechanisms by which apolipoprotein E ɛ4 are associated with neurodegeneration are still poorly understood. We applied the Neurite Orientation Dispersion Model to characterize the effects of apolipoprotein ɛ4 and its interactions with age and education on cortical microstructure in cognitively normal individuals. Data from 1954 participants were included from the PREVENT-Dementia and ALFA (ALzheimer and FAmilies) studies (mean age = 57, 1197 non-carriers and 757 apolipoprotein E ɛ4 carriers). Structural MRI datasets were processed with FreeSurfer v7.2. The Microstructure Diffusion Toolbox was used to derive Orientation Dispersion Index maps from diffusion MRI datasets. Primary analyses were focused on (i) the main effects of apolipoprotein E ɛ4, and (ii) the interactions of apolipoprotein E ɛ4 with age and education on lobar and vertex-wise Orientation Dispersion Index and implemented using Permutation Analysis of Linear Models. There were apolipoprotein E ɛ4 × age interactions in the temporo-parietal and frontal lobes, indicating steeper age-dependent Orientation Dispersion Index changes in apolipoprotein E ɛ4 carriers. Steeper age-related Orientation Dispersion Index declines were observed among apolipoprotein E ɛ4 carriers with lower years of education. We demonstrated that apolipoprotein E ɛ4 worsened age-related Orientation Dispersion Index decreases in brain regions typically associated with atrophy patterns of Alzheimer's disease. This finding also suggests that apolipoprotein E ɛ4 may hasten the onset age of dementia by accelerating age-dependent reductions in cortical Orientation Dispersion Index.

Comprehensive allostatic load risk index is associated with increased frontal and left parietal white matter hyperintensities in mid-life cognitively healthy adults

To date, there is a considerable heterogeneity of methods to score Allostatic Load (AL). Here we propose a comprehensive algorithm (ALCS) that integrates commonly used approaches to generate AL risk categories and assess associations to brain structure deterioration. In a cohort of cognitively normal mid-life adults (n = 620, age 51.3 ± 5.48 years), we developed a comprehensive composite for AL scoring incorporating gender and age differences, high quartile approach, clinical reference values, and current medications, to then generate AL risk categories. Compared to the empirical approach (ALES), ALCS showed better model fit criteria and a strong association with age and sex. ALSC categories were regressed against brain and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volumes. Higher AL risk categories were associated with increased total, periventricular, frontal, and left parietal WMH volumes, also showing better fit compared to ALES. When cardiovascular biomarkers were removed from the ALSC algorithm, only left-frontal WMHV remained associated with AL, revealing a strong vascular burden influencing the index. Our results agree with previous evidence and suggest that sustained stress exposure enhances brain deterioration in mid-life adults. Showing better fit than ALES, our comprehensive algorithm can provide a more accurate AL estimation to explore how stress exposure enhances age-related health decline.

Artificial intelligence for diagnostic and prognostic neuroimaging in dementia: A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Artificial intelligence (AI) and neuroimaging offer new opportunities for diagnosis and prognosis of dementia.

METHODS

We systematically reviewed studies reporting AI for neuroimaging in diagnosis and/or prognosis of cognitive neurodegenerative diseases.

RESULTS

A total of 255 studies were identified. Most studies relied on the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative dataset. Algorithmic classifiers were the most commonly used AI method (48%) and discriminative models performed best for differentiating Alzheimer's disease from controls. The accuracy of algorithms varied with the patient cohort, imaging modalities, and stratifiers used. Few studies performed validation in an independent cohort.

DISCUSSION

The literature has several methodological limitations including lack of sufficient algorithm development descriptions and standard definitions. We make recommendations to improve model validation including addressing key clinical questions, providing sufficient description of AI methods and validating findings in independent datasets. Collaborative approaches between experts in AI and medicine will help achieve the promising potential of AI tools in practice.

HIGHLIGHTS

There has been a rapid expansion in the use of machine learning for diagnosis and prognosis in neurodegenerative disease Most studies (71%) relied on the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset with no other individual dataset used more than five times There has been a recent rise in the use of more complex discriminative models (e.g., neural networks) that performed better than other classifiers for classification of AD vs healthy controls We make recommendations to address methodological considerations, addressing key clinical questions, and validation We also make recommendations for the field more broadly to standardize outcome measures, address gaps in the literature, and monitor sources of bias.

Differential association of cerebral blood flow and anisocytosis in APOE ε4 carriers at midlife

Cerebral hemodynamic alterations have been observed in apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE4) carriers at midlife, however the physiological underpinnings of this observation are poorly understood. Our goal was to investigate cerebral blood flow (CBF) and its spatial coefficient of variation (CoV) in relation to APOE4 and a measure of erythrocyte anisocytosis (red blood cell distribution width - RDW) in a middle-aged cohort. Data from 563 participants in the PREVENT-Dementia study scanned with 3 T MRI cross-sectionally were analysed. Voxel-wise and region-of-interest analyses within nine vascular regions were run to detect areas of altered perfusion. Within the vascular regions, interaction terms between APOE4 and RDW in predicting CBF were examined. Areas of hyperperfusion in APOE4 carriers were detected mainly in frontotemporal regions. The APOE4 allele differentially moderated the association between RDW and CBF, an association which was more prominent in the distal vascular territories (p - [0.01, 0.05]). The CoV was not different between the considered groups. We provide novel evidence that in midlife, RDW and CBF are differentially associated in APOE4 carriers and non-carriers. This association is consistent with a differential hemodynamic response to hematological alterations in APOE4 carriers.

Methodical control of the difficult pediatric airway: two case reports

BACKGROUND

Management of children who present with a history of impossible mask ventilation or difficult tracheal intubation is fraught with challenges. Despite this, the "airway stress test" of an inhalational induction is frequently employed risking airway obstruction, breath holding, apnea, and laryngospasm.

CASE PRESENTATIONS

We present two cases of children with anticipated difficult airway management. The first child (14-year-old African American boy) had severe mucopolysaccharidosis with a history of failed anesthetic induction and failed airway management. The second child (3-year-old African American girl) had progressive lymphatic infiltration of the tongue, resulting in severe macroglossia. We describe a technique that forgoes inhalational induction, incorporates recent pediatric airway guidelines, and provides a greater margin of safety. The technique encompasses the use of drugs that facilitate sedation for intravenous access, without respiratory depression or airway obstruction, titrated use of medications to achieve anesthetic depth while preserving ventilatory drive and airway tone, and the continuous provision of directed oxygen flow during airway manipulation. Propofol and volatile gases were avoided to preserve airway tone and respiratory drive.

CONCLUSIONS

We emphasize that an intravenous induction technique utilizing medications that preserve airway tone and ventilatory drive, and the use of  continuous oxygen flow throughout airway manipulation, allows for successful management of children with a difficult airway. The common practice of volatile inhalational induction should be avoided in anticipated difficult pediatric airways.

Real-world outcomes of Selexipag for treatment of pulmonary hypertension in an Asian population

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Introduction

Selexipag is an oral selective prostacyclin IP receptor agonist indicated for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Data on its real-world safety and efficacy in Asians is lacking.

Purpose

We sought to evaluate the clinical characteristics, treatment regimens and outcomes of patients initiated on selexipag in a tertiary cardiac centre in Asia.

Methods

This was a retrospective study on all patients initiated on selexipag from January 2017 to December 2020. Baseline and follow up characteristics including demographics, functional status and clinical data were collected. Clinical outcomes evaluated included hospitalisation for PH related complications and all-cause mortality. Patients were risk stratified using the COMPERA 2.0 risk scores.

Results

A total of 36 PAH patients were treated with selexipag. At baseline, most patients were WHO functional class II or III (36.4% and 51.5% respectively), with a NT-proBNP of 1335 pg/ml (557 – 2918) and 6 minute walk test (6MWT) duration of 327.5 ±126.4 meters. Selexipag was initiated at 200mcg twice daily dosage for all except one patient (started at 200mcg once daily) and the maximum tolerated dose ranged from 200mcg twice daily to 1400mcg twice daily, with majority tolerating up to a dose of 600mcg twice daily (58.3%). Side effects were reported in 23 patients (63.9%), of which headache (27.8%), diarrhea (30.6%) or musculoskeletal symptoms (27.8%) were predominant. After a median follow up duration of 25.9 ± 23.1 months, selexipag was stopped in 20 patients (55.6%), of which eight patients were due to PAH progression requiring alternative therapy, and 12 patients due to side effects from selexipag. At baseline, patients were classified into low (8.3%), intermediate-low (30.6%), intermediate-high (33.3%) and high risk (27.8%) respectively. Patients who continued on selexipag at follow up showed no change (46.2%), improvement (15.4%) and deterioration (38.5%) in risk score. In the overall cohort of 36 patients, majority (75%) had at least one hospitalisation for PAH related complications and 15 patients (41.7%) demised.

Conclusion

In this real-world study, while selexipag was associated with a stable or improved PAH risk scores in majority of patients, there was a subset of patients with disease progression or intolerance to the medication. Further studies are warranted to identify patients who will benefit most from this therapy.

Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors of dementia on midlife cerebral small vessel disease in cognitively healthy middle-aged adults: the PREVENT-Dementia study

Background

Considerable overlap exists between the risk factors of dementia and cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). However, studies remain limited to older cohorts wherein pathologies of both dementia (e.g. amyloid) and SVD (e.g. white matter hyperintensities) already co-exist. In younger asymptomatic adults, we investigated differential associations and interactions of modifiable and non-modifiable inherited risk factors of (future) late-life dementia to (present-day) mid-life SVD.

Methods

Cognitively healthy middle-aged adults (aged 40–59; mean 51.2 years) underwent 3T MRI (n = 630) as part of the PREVENT-Dementia study. To assess SVD, we quantified white matter hyperintensities, enlarged perivascular spaces, microbleeds, lacunes, and computed composite scores of SVD burden and subtypes of hypertensive arteriopathy and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Non-modifiable (inherited) risk factors were APOE4 status and parental family history of dementia. Modifiable risk factors were derived from the 2020 Lancet Commission on dementia prevention (early/midlife: education, hypertension, obesity, alcohol, hearing impairment, head injuries). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to evaluate the latent variables of SVD and risk factors. Structural equation modelling (SEM) of the full structural assessed associations of SVD with risk factors and APOE4*risk interaction.

Results

In SEM, the latent variable of global SVD related to the latent variable of modifiable midlife risk SVD (β = 0.80, p = .009) but not non-modifiable inherited risk factors of APOE4 or family history of dementia. Interaction analysis demonstrated that the effect of modifiable risk on SVD was amplified in APOE4 non-carriers (β = − 0.31, p = .009), rather than carriers. These associations and interaction effects were observed in relation to the SVD subtype of hypertensive arteriopathy, rather than CAA. Sensitivity analyses using separate general linear models validated SEM results.

Conclusions

Established modifiable risk factors of future (late-life) dementia related to present-day (mid-life) SVD, suggesting that early lifestyle modifications could potentially reduce rates of vascular cognitive impairment attributed to SVD, a major ‘silent’ contributor to global dementia cases. This association was amplified in APOE4 non-carriers, suggesting that lifestyle modifications could be effective even in those with genetic predisposition to dementia.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13195-022-01095-4.

Reconstructed meta-analysis of percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting for left main disease

Background

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for patients with left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) have reported conflicting results.

Objectives

We performed a systematic review from inception to 23 May 2021 and one-stage reconstructed individual-patient data meta-analysis (IPDMA) that included 10-year mortality outcomes.

Methods

The primary outcome was 10-year all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included myocardial infarction (MI), stroke and unplanned revascularization at 5 years. We did IPDMA using published Kaplan-Meier curves to provide individual data points in coordinates and numbers at risk were used to increase the calibration accuracy of the reconstructed data. Shared frailty model or, when proportionality assumptions were not met, a restricted mean survival time model were fitted to compare outcomes between treatment groups.

Results

Of 583 articles retrieved, 5 RCTs were included. A total of 4595 patients from these 5 RCTs were randomly assigned to PCI (N=2297) or CABG (N=2298). The cumulative 10-year all-cause mortality after PCI and CABG was 12.0% versus 10.6% respectively (HR 1.093, 95% CI: 0.925–1.292; p=0.296). PCI conferred similar time-to-MI (RMST ratio 1.006, 95% CI: 0.992–1.021, p=0.391) and stroke (RMST ratio 1.005, 95% CI: 0.998–1.013, p=0.133) at 5 years. Unplanned revascularization was more frequent following PCI compared with CABG (HR 1.807, 95% CI: 1.524–2.144, p<0.001) at 5 years.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis using reconstructed participant-level time-to-event data showed no statistically significant difference in cumulative 10-year all-cause mortality between PCI versus CABG in the treatment of LMCAD.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Coronary artery bypass grafting versus percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting for multivessel coronary artery disease without left main coronary disease:reconstructed individual patient data

Background and aims

Data are emerging on 10-year mortality comparing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stenting for multivessel disease (MVD) without left main (LM) involvement. We conducted an updated two-stage meta-analysis using reconstructed individual patient data to compare long-term mortality between CABG and PCI for patients with MVD without significant LM coronary disease.

Methods

Medline and Embase databases were searched for articles comparing CABG with PCI for MVD. A two-stage meta-analysis was conducted using reconstructed patient level survival data for all-cause mortality with subgroups by SYNTAX score. The shared-frailty and stratified Cox models were fitted to compare survival endpoints.

Results

We screened 1496 studies and included six randomized controlled trials with 7181 patients. PCI was associated with greater 10-year all-cause mortality risk (HR: 1.282, CI: 1.118–1.469, p<0.001) compared with CABG. In patients with low SYNTAX score, 10-year all-cause mortality after PCI was comparable to CABG (HR: 1.102, 0.822–1.479, p=0.516). However, in patients with moderate to high SYNTAX score, 10-year all-cause mortality was significantly higher after PCI compared with CABG (HR: 1.444, 1.122–1.858, p<0.001; HR: 1.856, 1.380–2.497, p<0.001 respectively).

Conclusion

This updated reconstructed individual patient-data meta-analysis revealed a sustained lower cumulative all-cause mortality of CABG over PCI for multivessel disease without LM involvement.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

A 10-year cohort on prognostic outcomes in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock and/or cardiac arrest

Background

Cardiogenic shock (CS) and cardiac arrest (CA) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) portend unfavourable outcomes. This study examined the prognosis of patients presenting with AMI complicated by CS and/or CA.

Methods

Consecutive patients presented with AMI to a percutaneous coronary intervention-capable tertiary institution between 2011 and 2021 were studied. Patients were stratified based on the presence or absence of CS (CS+ or CS−) and CA (CA+ or CA−). The primary outcome was 30-day cardiovascular-related mortality. Subgroup analyses based on AMI-type and sex were conducted. Kaplan-Meier curves for cardiovascular-related mortality based on the AMI-type and sex were constructed.

Results

The study included 11,608 AMI patients, 283 of whom had CS+/CA+, 1,068 had CS+/CA−, 54 had CS−/CA+ and 10,203 had CS−/CA−. Cardiovascular-related mortality was significantly higher for CS+/CA+ (57.6%), followed by CS+/CA− (41.6%), CS−/CA+ (20.4%) and CS−/CA− (2.4%). Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated CS+/CA+ group had the highest mortality (HR=36.26; 95% CI: 29.71–44.25, p<0.001), followed by CS+/CA− (HR=21.59; 95% CI: 18.47–25.24, p<0.001) and CS−/CA+ (HR=9.18; 95% CI: 5.02–16.80, p<0.001), with CS−/CA− as the reference. Those with NSTEMI had consistently higher cardiovascular-related mortality rates than their STEMI counterparts for all groups, apart from the CS+/CA+ group. The sex-specific analysis demonstrated that the survival curves for females with CS+/CA+, CS+/CA− and CS−/CA+ converged, whilst the survival curves for males diverged over time. The multivariable Cox regression revealed the presence of CS and CA are independent predictors of cardiovascular-related mortality, but not NSTEMI, when adjusted for age, gender, diabetes, left ventricular ejection fraction, chronic renal failure, and culprit vessel.

Conclusions

AMI associated with CA and CS portends the least favourable survival, followed by those with CS or CA alone. Excess mortality was observed in the traditionally perceived lower-risk groups, particularly in women. This calls for increased awareness amongst clinicians when managing this subset of high-risk patients.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Higher long-term mortality in patients with concomitant acute coronary syndrome and aortic stenosis

Background

Aortic stenosis (AS) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) share similar cardiovascular risk factors, and their concomitant presentation is increasing in incidence with the aging population. Yet literature regarding the prognosis of patients with concomitant ACS and AS remains scarce.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study examined consecutive patients presenting with ACS (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI] and non-STEMI [NSTEMI]) and concomitant AS between 1 January 2011 and 31 March 2021 in a tertiary hospital. The cohort was divided into mild, moderate and severe AS based on index echocardiogram. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to compare all-cause mortality among the three groups of patients, based on ACS type and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Multivariable Cox regression was performed to identify independent predictors of all-cause mortality.

Results

Of a total of 563 patients, 264 had mild (46.9%), 193 moderate (34.3%) and 106 severe AS (18.8%). The mean follow-up duration was 2.5 (± 2.4) years. Majority of patients (72.5%) presented with NSTEMI. Patients with moderate and severe AS had higher rates of all-cause mortality compared to those with mild AS (49.7% vs. 51.4% vs. 35.6% respectively, p=0.002). Concomitant moderate (HR 1.439, 95% CI 1.012–2.048, p=0.043) and severe AS (HR 1.844, 95% CI 1.159–2.933, p=0.010) were independent predictors of all-cause mortality after adjusting for age, gender, LVEF, ACS type, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery bypass grafting and aortic valve replacement as a time-dependent variable. The Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated excess mortality in moderate and severe AS, compared to the mild AS group (p<0.001), with similar survival trends observed in the STEMI and the NSTEMI groups, as well as those with preserved LVEF.

Conclusion

Regardless of the ACS presentation type, long-term excess mortality in those with concomitant moderate or severe AS was observed. The adverse prognosis typically observed in patients with concomitant severe AS, in the setting of ACS, extends to patients with moderate AS.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

AB0932 Patient and learner experience in a new set up of a rheum-derm combined care model for psoriatic arthritis

Background

Psoriasis (PsO) and musculoskeletal manifestations are common among patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). A shared-care model between rheumatologists and dermatologists has been advocated to promote early diagnosis and improve management care. Data from Asia is scanty. Patients’ and learners’ experience of shared-care models are seldom explored.

Objectives

We described the set-up of a new shared-cared PsA-PsO clinic incorporating service, education and research between rheumatologist and dermatologist for PsA. We describe the patients’ and learners’ experience of this shared-care model.

Methods

A combined care clinic was newly set up in 2019. Referrals were internal through either specialty. Each patient was first seen by a trainee, followed by both a dermatologist and rheumatologist simultaneously in the same consultation room. We collected patients’ and learners’ experience through self-administered survey.

Results

From May 2019 to January 2020, data from 44 visits (55% new referrals, 45% follow-up) from 28 patients were captured in the PsA-PsO clinic. 50% of cases were referred from either specialty. 34% were referred for diagnostic doubts, 66% were for therapeutic issues. 61% of patients continued follow-up in the PsA-PsO clinic, and 39% discharged back to respective care. From patients’ experience rated on scale from 0-10, median (interquartile range, IQR) rating of the care was 8 (7, 8). 69.2% and 96% of patients would recommend the care to others. Free text comments included enhanced convenience, time saving, and having both specialties input on management. From 20 learners (3 medial students, 12 residents, 4 senior residents and one scientist), 95% reported extremely or very beneficial to training, 77.8% reported improved confidence in care for PsA and/or PsO patients. The PsA-PsO clinic was temporally suspended during the Covid-19 viral pandemic since February 2020 due to lack of manpower and not fulfilling the spacing out requirement for infectious control. The service was resumed gradually from May 2021.

Conclusion

Despite challenges, we report the setup of a new care model between dermatologists and rheumatologists for care of patients with psoriatic disease. The care model was well received by patients. Learners from various levels reported benefit from the learning experience.

Disclosure of Interests

Cassandra Hong: None declared, Liwen Fang: None declared, Yi-Wei Yeo: None declared, Haur Yueh Lee: None declared, Andrea Low: None declared, Ying Ying Leung Speakers bureau: Received honorarium from Abbvie, DKSH, Janssen, Novartis and Pfizer.

POS1456 TEACHING NAILFOLD CAPILLAROSCOPY USING THE “FAST TRACK ALGORITHM” VIA AN ONLINE PLATFORM: THE ASIAN EXPERIENCE

Background

Nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) is being increasingly used in the early identification of systemic sclerosis (SSc) related disorders. Recent studies have shown that an optimised simple capillaroscopic definition of normal and abnormal capillary morphology is reliable and a multi-centre consensus ‘fast track algorithm’ was developed by the European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) Study Group on Microcirculation in Rheumatic Diseases (SG MC/RD) to allow trainees to identify scleroderma patterns from non-scleroderma patterns.

Objectives

To validate the “fast track algorithm” taught via an online teaching platform to identify scleroderma patterns from non-scleroderma patterns on NFC.

Methods

Trainees participated in the NFC teaching workshops conducted via an online platform by the same SSc expert (AL) over 3 separate sessions. In the first part of the workshop (training), all trainees attended a talk on NFC by the SSc expert (AL) whereby they were taught the fast track algorithm to identify and classify NFC image patterns using a training set of images. The “fast track algorithm” (Figure 1) consists of three easy rules: 1) Rule number 1: the presence of ≥ 7 capillaries (capillary density) AND the absence of giant capillaries (capillary dimension) allows the rater to call the capillaroscopic image a “non-scleroderma pattern (category 1)”; 2) Rule number 2: the presence of giant capillaries or the presence of an extremely lowered capillary density (≤ 3 capillaries) in combination with abnormal shapes (= “late” scleroderma pattern) allows the rater to call the capillaroscopic image a “scleroderma pattern (category 2)”; 3) Rule number 3: if the image does not meet rule number 1 or rule number 2 then the image is automatically classified as a “non-scleroderma pattern (category 1)”. In the second part of the workshop (evaluation), each trainee independently rated 45 NFC images (30 seconds for each NFC image) in the same session, and submitted their answers in real time using an electronic form. The reading of the expert (AL) was considered the gold standard. AL is a SSc expert who had previously attended the EULAR workshop on NFC and has had more than 10 years of experience in NFC.

Figure 1.

Fast Track algorithm

Within 2-4 weeks of the initial rating exercise, trainees re-evaluated the same set of images for the intra-reader exercise under supervised conditions via the online platform.

We computed the inter- and intra-rater agreement using mean [standard deviation (SD)] Cohen’s Kappa, with the following values representing the degrees of agreement: <0 –poor; 0-0.20 –slight; 0.21-0.40 –fair; 0.41-0.60 –moderate; 0.61-0.80 –substantial; and 0.81-1.00 –almost perfect agreement.

Results

Ninety-eight trainees from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Taiwan, Myanmar and Brunei included rheumatologists, rheumatology trainees, pediatric rheumatologists, internists and nurses. Fifty-four participants were novices with no prior NFC experience, 38 participants were “moderately experienced” (< 5 years of NFC experience) and 1 participant was “experienced” with more than 5 years of NFC experience.

The mean (SD) inter-rater kappa of the 98 trainees was 0.71 (0.13). For the 61 trainees who participated in the re-evaluation session, mean (SD) inter-rater and intra-rater kappa were 0.74 (0.16) and 0.71 (0.15), respectively.

Conclusion

There was substantial inter- and intra-rater agreement. This is the first study in Asia examining NFC training using the EULAR SG MC/RD fast track algorithm and our results support the importance of standardized teaching for NFC.

References

Nil

From: Smith V, Vanhaecke A, Herrick AL, et al. EULAR Study Group on Microcirculation in Rheumatic Diseases. Fast track algorithm: How to differentiate a “scleroderma pattern” from a “non-scleroderm pattern”. Autoimmun Rev. 2019 Nov;18(11):102394.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

POS0200 POST-mRNA VACCINE FLARES IN AUTOIMMUNE INFLAMMATORY RHEUMATIC DISEASES: INTERIM RESULTS FROM THE CORONAVIRUS NATIONAL VACCINE REGISTRY FOR IMMUNE DISEASES SINGAPORE (CONVIN-SING)

Background

Published data suggest no increased rate of flare of autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD) after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination; however, the studies are limited by small sample size, short follow up or at risk of selection bias (voluntary physician reports or patient surveys).

Objectives

To study flares of AIIRD within three months of the first dose of an anti-SARS-COV2 mRNA vaccine.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of consecutive AIIRD patients ≥ 12 years old, across six public hospitals in Singapore who received at least one dose of an mRNA (Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna) vaccine. Data were censored at the first post-vaccine clinic visit when the patient had flared or if ≥ three months had elapsed since the first dose of the vaccine, whichever came first. Predictors of flare were determined by Cox proportional hazards analysis and time to flare was examined using a Nelson Aalen cumulative hazard estimate (Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Nelson-Aalen curve of flares over time

Results

2339 patients (74% Chinese, 72% female) of median (IQR) age 64 (53, 71) years were included in the interim analysis (Table 1). 2112 (90%) had the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and 195 (8%) had Moderna, with a median (IQR) interval of 21 (21, 23) days between the two doses. The most common AIIRD diagnoses were Rheumatoid arthritis (1063, 45%), Psoriatic arthritis (296, 12.6%) and Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (288, 12.3%). 186 (8%) were treated with biologics/ targeted disease modifying agents. 2125 (91%) patients were in low disease activity or remission. Treatment was interrupted for vaccination in only 18 (0.8%) patients. Seven (0.3%) patients had previous COVID-19 infection.

Table 1.

Patient characteristics

Baseline characteristicsNo flares(n = 1887, %)Flares within 0—3 months of 1st vaccine dose (n= 272, %)Flares outside of 0 – 3 months after 1st vaccine dose (n = 180, %)Age (median years, IQR)64 (53, 71)61 (50, 69)65 (55, 71)RaceChinese1386 (73)206 (76)129 (72)Malay193 (10)28 (10)20 (11)Indian195 (10)27 (10)26 (14)GenderFemale1367 (72)200 (74)117 (65)Vaccine typePfizer/BioNTech1713 (92)239 (90)160 (90)Moderna149 (8)28 (10)18 (10)DiagnosisRheumatoid Arthritis831 (44)139 (51)93 (52)Systemic Lupus Erythematosus269 (14)20 (7)9 (5)Psoriatic Arthritis225 (12)42 (15)29 (16)Spondyloarthropathies141 (7)21 (7)17 (9)Sjogren’s Syndrome114 (6)15 (6)8 (4)Systemic sclerosis94 (5)4 (1)6 (3)Baseline Physician Disease ActivityRemission1007 (53)99 (36)63 (35)Low Disease Activity731 (39)128 (47)97 (54)Moderate Disease Activity134 (7)40 (15)20 (11)High Disease Activity15 (1)5 (2)0

452 (19%) flares were recorded during 9798.8 patient-months [4.6/100 patient-months, median (IQR) follow up duration 4.2 (3.3, 5.3) months], of which 272 (11.6%) patients flared within the 3-month period of interest and 180 (7.7%) flared outside of the 3-month period (Table 1). Median (IQR) time-to-flare was 40.5 (18, 56.6) days. 60 (22.1%) were mild and self-limiting, 170 (62.5%) were mild-moderate and 42 (15.4%) were severe. 190 (69.8%) of those who flared required escalation of treatment and 15 (5.5%) required hospital admission. 239 (10.2%) had improved disease activity after the vaccine.

On multivariate Cox regression analysis, patients in the oldest age tertile [median (IQR) 74 (71, 79) years] were less likely to flare [HR 0.80 (95% CI 0.63, 1.00), p = 0.05] Patients with inflammatory arthritis (compared with connective tissue disease, vasculitis and others) and patients with baseline active disease were more likely to flare [HR 1.72 (95% CI 1.35, 2.20), p < 0.001 and 1.82 (95% CI 1.39, 2.39), p < 0.001 respectively]

Conclusion

There was a moderately high rate of AIIRD flares after mRNA vaccination; however, there was no clustering of flares in the immediate post-vaccine period to suggest causality. Older patients were less likely to flare, while those with inflammatory arthritis and active disease at baseline were more likely to flare.

Disclosure of Interests

Margaret Ma Grant/research support from: Support grant from multiple companies for the Singapore Biologics registry, Amelia Santosa Speakers bureau: Amgen Talk, Consultant of: Pfizer ad board, Kok Ooi Kong: None declared, Chuanhui Xu: None declared, Johnston Tang Gin Xiang: None declared, Gim Gee Teng Speakers bureau: Boehringer Ingleheim, Anselm Mak Speakers bureau: J&J and GSK, Grant/research support from: GSK - the supported studies programme, Sen Hee Tay: None declared, Victoria Wei Wen Ng: None declared, Joshua Zhi En Koh: None declared, Warren Fong Speakers bureau: speaker for Abbvie, DKSH, GSK, Novartis, Li-Ching Chew Speakers bureau: pfizer and Abbvie, Consultant of: Pfizer and Abbvie Advisory Board meeting, Grant/research support from: Abbvie educational grant for ultrasound conference, Andrea Low Speakers bureau: Boehringer Ingeilheim, Consultant of: Consultant/steering group committee for BI and J&J, annie law: None declared, Yih Jia Poh: None declared, Siaw Ing Yeo Grant/research support from: Multiple pharmaceutical companies for the support of the National Biologics Registry, Ying Ying Leung Speakers bureau: Abbvie, DKSH, Jassen, Novartis and Pfizer, Wei-Rui Goh: None declared, Chuah Tyng Yu: None declared, Nur Emillia Roslan: None declared, Stanley Angkodjojo Speakers bureau: Boehringer Ingeilheim, Consultant of: Abbvie and DKSH, Kee Fong Phang: None declared, Thaschawee Arkachaisri: None declared, Melonie Sriranganathan: None declared, Teck Choon TAN: None declared, Peter Cheung Consultant of: Ad board for Boehringer Ingleheim, novartis, janssen and abbvie, Grant/research support from: Novartis, Manjari Lahiri Speakers bureau: J&J, DSKH, Consultant of: DSKH, Gilead, Grant/research support from: Multiple pharma companies contributed to the Singapore Biologics registry

Novartis

Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging textural features as sensitive markers of white matter damage in midlife adults

White matter hyperintensities are common radiological findings in ageing and a typical manifestation of cerebral small vessel disease. White matter hyperintensity burden is evaluated by quantifying their volume; however, subtle changes in the white matter may not be captured by white matter hyperintensity volumetry. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated whether magnetic resonance imaging texture of both white matter hyperintensities and normal appearing white matter was associated with reaction time, white matter hyperintensity volume and dementia risk in a midlife cognitively normal population. Data from 183 cognitively healthy midlife adults from the PREVENT-Dementia study (mean age 51.9 ± 5.4; 70% females) were analysed. White matter hyperintensities were segmented from 3 Tesla fluid-attenuated inversion recovery scans using a semi-automated approach. The fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images were bias field corrected and textural features (intensity mean and standard deviation, contrast, energy, entropy, homogeneity) were calculated in white matter hyperintensities and normal appearing white matter based on generated textural maps. Textural features were analysed for associations with white matter hyperintensity volume, reaction time and the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia risk score using linear regression models adjusting for age and sex. The extent of normal appearing white matter surrounding white matter hyperintensities demonstrating similar textural associations to white matter hyperintensities was further investigated by defining layers surrounding white matter hyperintensities at increments of 0.86 mm thickness. Lower mean intensity within white matter hyperintensities was a significant predictor of longer reaction time (t = −3.77, P < 0.01). White matter hyperintensity volume was predicted by textural features within white matter hyperintensities and normal appearing white matter, albeit in opposite directions. A white matter area extending 2.5 – 3.5 mm further from the white matter hyperintensities demonstrated similar associations. White matter hyperintensity volume was not related to reaction time, although interaction analysis revealed that participants with high white matter hyperintensity burden and less homogeneous white matter hyperintensity texture demonstrated slower reaction time. Higher Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia score was associated with a heterogeneous normal appearing white matter intensity pattern. Overall, greater homogeneity within white matter hyperintensities and a more heterogeneous normal appearing white matter intensity profile were connected to a higher white matter hyperintensity burden, while heterogeneous intensity was related to prolonged reaction time (white matter hyperintensities of larger volume) and dementia risk (normal appearing white matter). Our results suggest that the quantified textural measures extracted from widely used clinical scans, might capture underlying microstructural damage and might be more sensitive to early pathological changes compared to white matter hyperintensity volumetry.

CAIDE dementia risk score relates to severity and progression of cerebral small vessel disease in healthy midlife adults: the PREVENT-Dementia study

BACKGROUND

Markers of cerebrovascular disease are common in dementia, and may be present before dementia onset. However, their clinical relevance in midlife adults at risk of future dementia remains unclear. We investigated whether the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Ageing and Dementia (CAIDE) risk score was associated with markers of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), and if it predicted future progression of SVD. We also determined its relationship to systemic inflammation, which has been additionally implicated in dementia and SVD.

METHODS

Cognitively healthy midlife participants were assessed at baseline (n=185) and 2-year follow-up (n=158). To assess SVD, we quantified white matter hyperintensities (WMH), enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS), microbleeds and lacunes. We derived composite scores of SVD burden, and subtypes of hypertensive arteriopathy and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Inflammation was quantified using serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen.

RESULTS

At baseline, higher CAIDE scores were associated with all markers of SVD and inflammation. Longitudinally, CAIDE scores predicted greater total (p<0.001), periventricular (p<0.001) and deep (p=0.012) WMH progression, and increased CRP (p=0.017). Assessment of individual CAIDE components suggested that markers were driven by different risk factors (WMH/EPVS: age/hypertension, lacunes/deep microbleeds: hypertension/obesity). Interaction analyses demonstrated that higher CAIDE scores amplified the effect of age on SVD, and the effect of WMH on poorer memory.

CONCLUSION

Higher CAIDE scores, indicating greater risk of dementia, predicts future progression of both WMH and systemic inflammation. Findings highlight the CAIDE score's potential as both a prognostic and predictive marker in the context of cerebrovascular disease, identifying at-risk individuals who might benefit most from managing modifiable risk.

P011 Audit and Outcomes of Hydroxychloroquine Screening for Retinopathy in a Cohort of Patients with Rheumatological Conditions

Background/Aims

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory arthritides. In 2018, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) published new guidelines to monitor the risk of HCQ associated retinopathy. Risk factors for retinopathy were: dosage &gt;5mg/kg/day, impaired renal function (eGFR &lt;60ml/min/1.73m²) and concurrent tamoxifen use. This report aims to audit 1) HCQ dosing based on RCOphth 2018 guidelines 2) whether patients were appropriately referred for screening 3) outcome of screening.

Methods

All patients (n = 207) who newly started HCQ between April 2013 and November 2014 were identified from hospital outpatient pharmacy records and followed until they reached 5 years’ of follow-up or 30 Nov 2019, whichever came first (censor date). Patients who were still on HCQ by the censor date were reviewed to extract data on demographics, rheumatological diagnosis, starting HCQ dose and risk factors, and were subsequently referred for retinopathy screening via a referral proforma. Exclusions were those who stopped HCQ, prescribed HCQ for non-rheumatological conditions, transferred to a different trust, duplicate or deceased patients. Screening took place between 1 Nov 2018 until 30 June 2019, after which referrals were paused due to lack of capacity and finally stopped due to COVID-19.

Results

86 patients were identified and eligible for screening (study cohort) (Table). The median age of the cohort was 57 years, with 67% of the cohort being female. 23% of patients were prescribed a dose of &gt; 5mg/kg/day. 10% of patients had an eGFR of &lt; 60 ml/min/1.73m2. No patients were on tamoxifen.

Conclusion

After 5 years of follow-up, the drug survival for HCQ is just under half the number (43%) who started the drug. This will help plan screening service capacity issues. The department is investigating the “lost referrals” which seem disproportionately high, which could be due to IT issues or occurred when the screening service was paused. Of the 29 patients who attended for screening, none had evidence of HCQ retinopathy which is reassuring, these included 15 patients with risk factors for retinopathy.

Disclosure

G. Tehseen: None. S. Wills: None. A. Chadwick: None. A. Low: None.

Tmprss6-ASO as a tool for the treatment of Polycythemia Vera mice

Polycythemia Vera (PV) is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm resulting from an acquired driver mutation in the JAK2 gene of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells resulting in the overproduction of mature erythrocytes and abnormally high hematocrit, in turn leading to thromboembolic complications. Therapeutic phlebotomy is the most common treatment to reduce the hematocrit levels and consequently decrease thromboembolic risk. Here we demonstrate that, by using the iron restrictive properties of the antisense oligonucleotides against Tmprss6 mRNA, we can increase hepcidin to achieve effects equivalent to therapeutic phlebotomy. We provide evidence that this less invasive approach could represent an additional therapeutic tool for the treatment of PV patients.

Rate of, and risk factors for, white matter hyperintensity growth: a systematic review and meta-analysis with implications for clinical trial design

BACKGROUND

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are a highly prevalent MRI marker of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), which predict stroke and dementia risk, and are being increasingly used as a surrogate marker in clinical trials. However, the influence of study population selection on WMH progression rate has not been studied and the effect of individual patient factors for WMH growth are not fully understood.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature on progression of WMHs in longitudinal studies to determine rates of WMH growth, and how these varied according to population characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors. We used these data to calculate necessary sample sizes for clinical trials using WMH as an endpoint.

RESULTS

WMH growth rate was highest in SVD (2.50cc/year), intermediate in unselected stroke patients (1.29cc/year) and lower in patients with non-stroke cardiovascular disease, and with cognitive impairment. Age was significantly associated with progression (correlation coefficient 0.15cc/year, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.28cc/year) as was baseline lesion volume (0.6cc/year, 95% CI 0.13 to 1.06 cc/year). Both hypertension (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.46) and current smoking (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.16) were associated with WMH growth. Sample sizes for a clinical trial varied greatly with patient population selection and baseline lesion volume; estimates are provided.

CONCLUSIONS

WMH progression varies markedly according to the characteristics of the population being studied and this will have a major impact on sample sizes required in a clinical trial. Our sample size estimates provide data for planning clinical trials using WMH as an outcome measure.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020191781.

Evidence of cerebral hemodynamic dysregulation in middle-aged APOE ε4 carriers: The PREVENT-Dementia study

Accumulating evidence suggests vascular dysregulation in preclinical Alzheimer's disease. In this study, cerebral hemodynamics and their coupling with cognition in middle-aged apolipoprotein ε4 carriers (APOEε4+) were investigated. Longitudinal 3 T T1-weighted and arterial spin labelling MRI data from 158 participants (40-59 years old) in the PREVENT-Dementia study were analysed (125 two-year follow-up). Cognition was evaluated using the COGNITO battery. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular resistance index (CVRi) were quantified for the flow territories of the anterior, middle and posterior cerebral arteries. CBF was corrected for underlying atrophy and individual hematocrit. Hemodynamic measures were the dependent variables in linear regression models, with age, sex, years of education and APOEε4 carriership as predictors. Further analyses were conducted with cognitive outcomes as dependent variables, using the same model as before with additional APOEε4 × hemodynamics interactions. At baseline, APOEε4+ showed increased CBF and decreased CVRi compared to non-carriers in the anterior and middle cerebral arteries, suggestive of potential vasodilation. Hemodynamic changes were similar between groups. Interaction analysis revealed positive associations between CBF changes and performance changes in delayed recall (for APOEε4 non-carriers) and verbal fluency (for APOEε4 carriers) cognitive tests. These observations are consistent with neurovascular dysregulation in middle-aged APOEε4+.

Evaluation of Phosphorus and Non-Phosphorus Neutral Oligonucleotide Backbones for Enhancing Therapeutic Index of Gapmer Antisense Oligonucleotides

The phosphorothioate (PS) linkage in an essential component of therapeutic oligonucleotides. PS in the DNA region of gapmer antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) supports RNaseH1 activity and enhances nuclease stability. PS also promotes binding to plasma, cell surface, and intracellular proteins, which facilitates tissue distribution, cellular uptake, and endosomal escape of PS ASOs. We recently showed that site-specific replacement of PS in the DNA gap with methoxylpropyl phosphonate (MOP) linkages can enhance the therapeutic index of gapmer ASOs. In this article, we explored 18 phosphorus- and non-phosphorus-based neutral backbone modifications to determine the structure-activity relationship of neutral linkages for enhancing therapeutic index. Replacing MOP with other alkyl phosphonate and phosphotriester linkages enhanced therapeutic index, but these linkages were susceptible to chemical degradation during oligonucleotide deprotection from solid supports following synthesis. Replacing MOP with non-phosphorus linkages resulted in improved chemical stability, but these linkages were introduced into ASOs as nucleotide dimers, which limits their versatility. Overall, linkages such as isopropyl and isobutyl phosphonates and O-isopropyl and O-tetrahydrofuranosyl phosphotriesters, formacetal, and C3-amide showed improved activity in mice relative to MOP. Our data suggest that site-specific incorporation of any neutral backbone linkage can improve therapeutic index, but the size, hydrophobicity, and RNA-binding affinity of the linkage influence ASO activity.

Towards next generation antisense oligonucleotides: mesylphosphoramidate modification improves therapeutic index and duration of effect of gapmer antisense oligonucleotides

The PS modification enhances the nuclease stability and protein binding properties of gapmer antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and is one of very few modifications that support RNaseH1 activity. We evaluated the effect of introducing stereorandom and chiral mesyl-phosphoramidate (MsPA) linkages in the DNA gap and flanks of gapmer PS ASOs and characterized the effect of these linkages on RNA-binding, nuclease stability, protein binding, pro-inflammatory profile, antisense activity and toxicity in cells and in mice. We show that all PS linkages in a gapmer ASO can be replaced with MsPA without compromising chemical stability and RNA binding affinity but these designs reduced activity. However, replacing up to 5 PS in the gap with MsPA was well tolerated and replacing specific PS linkages at appropriate locations was able to greatly reduce both immune stimulation and cytotoxicity. The improved nuclease stability of MsPA over PS translated to significant improvement in the duration of ASO action in mice which was comparable to that of enhanced stabilized siRNA designs. Our work highlights the combination of PS and MsPA linkages as a next generation chemical platform for identifying ASO drugs with improved potency and therapeutic index, reduced pro-inflammatory effects and extended duration of effect.

POS1411 EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS IN A MULTI-ETHNIC ASIAN POPULATION

Background:

To facilitate earlier diagnosis of spondyloarthritis (SpA), we have previously cross-culturally adapted a self-administered screening questionnaire.

Objectives:

We aimed to improve the sensitivity of this questionnaire as a screening tool by comparing various scoring methods.

Methods:

Subjects newly referred to a rheumatology clinic self-administered the questionnaire before seeing a rheumatologist. Identification of axial SpA by the questionnaire using original scoring (Method A) and scoring based on Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) inflammatory back pain (IBP) criteria (Method B), ASAS referral criteria (Method C), ASAS classification criteria (Method D) and a combination of ASAS referral and classification criteria (Method E) were compared to classification by the ASAS classification criteria and diagnosis by rheumatologist. Since Methods B-E were based on SpA features, we compared self-reported vs rheumatologist-documented features in subjects with axial SpA.

Results:

Of 1418 subjects (age: 54 ± 14 years, female: 73%), 39 were classified as axial SpA cases by classification criteria. Methods A-E yielded sensitivities of 39%, 72%, 67%, 49% and 85%, respectively, among patients newly referred to the rheumatology clinic (Table 1). Rheumatologist-documented clinical SpA features exceeded self-report for IBP (62 vs 44%) and uveitis (15 vs 5%). The reverse was true for arthritis (21 vs 80%), enthesitis (28 vs 33%), dactylitis (3 vs 18%), good response to NSAIDs (33 vs 41%) and family history for SpA (5 vs 10%).

Table 1.

Performance of the five scoring methods for the cross-culturally adapted Hamilton axial SpA questionnaire.

Scoring methodSensitivity(95% confidence interval)Specificity(95% confidence interval)Positive predictive value(95% confidence interval)Negative predictive value(95% confidence interval)Method A38.5(23.4 – 55.4)93.7(92.3 – 94.9)14.7(8.5 – 23.1)98.2(97.3 – 98.8)Method B71.8(55.1 – 85.0)73.1(70.7 – 75.4)7.0(4.7 – 10.0)98.9(98.1 – 99.5)Method C66.7(49.8 – 80.9)77.8(75.5 – 80.0)7.8(5.2 – 11.3)98.8(98.0 – 99.4)Method D48.7(32.4 – 65.2)74.9(72.5 – 77.2)5.2(3.2 – 8.0)98.1(97.1 – 98.8)Method E84.6(69.5 – 94.1)37.2(34.6 – 39.8)3.7(2.5 – 5.1)98.8(97.5 – 99.6)

Method A: the original scoring defined by the questionnaire developers; Method B: a scoring based on the ASAS IBP criteria; Method C: a scoring based on the ASAS referral criteria; Method D: a scoring based on the ASAS classification criteria for axial and peripheral SpA; Method E: a scoring based on a combination of the ASAS referral and classification criteria.

Conclusion:

A self-administered questionnaire scored based on a combination of ASAS referral and classification criteria achieved high sensitivity in identifying axial SpA in subjects referred to a rheumatology clinic. This supports its evaluation as a screening tool for axial SpA in the general population.

References:

[1]Xiang L, Teo EPS, Low AHL, Leung YY, Fong W, Xin X, et al. Cross-cultural adaptation of the Hamilton axial spondyloarthritis questionnaire and development of a Chinese version in a multi-ethnic Asian population. Int J Rheum Dis. 2019;22(9):1652-60.

[2]Sieper J, Rudwaleit M, Baraliakos X, Brandt J, Braun J, Burgos-Vargas R, et al. The Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) handbook: a guide to assess spondyloarthritis. Annals of the rheumatic diseases. 2009;68 Suppl 2:ii1-44.

[3]Poddubnyy D, van Tubergen A, Landewe R, Sieper J, van der Heijde D. Development of an ASAS-endorsed recommendation for the early referral of patients with a suspicion of axial spondyloarthritis. Annals of the rheumatic diseases. 2015;74(8):1483-7.

[4]Rudwaleit M, van der Heijde D, Landewe R, Akkoc N, Brandt J, Chou CT, et al. The Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society classification criteria for peripheral spondyloarthritis and for spondyloarthritis in general. Annals of the rheumatic diseases. 2011;70(1):25-31.

Acknowledgements:

This work was supported by a Health Services Research Grant (HSRG) from the Singapore Ministry of Health National Medical Research Council [grant number: NMRC/HSRG/0075/2017].

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS1413 INTERVAL BETWEEN SYMPTOM ONSET AND DIAGNOSIS AMONG PATIENTS WITH AUTOIMMUNE RHEUMATIC DISEASES IN A MULTI-ETHNIC ASIAN POPULATION

Background:

The interval between symptom onset and diagnosis can often be longer than is ideal in autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs).

Objectives:

We aimed to characterise this interval among patients newly diagnosed with ARDs in a multi-ethnic Asian population and to identify factors associated with a longer interval.

Methods:

We used Scott’s model of pathways to treatment to characterise the interval between symptom onset and diagnosis into 4 intervals: #1 between symptom onset and first seeking medical attention, #2 between first medical attention and rheumatology referral, #3 between rheumatology referral and first rheumatology assessment, and #4 between first rheumatology assessment and diagnosis. Linear regression models were used to identify factors associated with a longer the overall interval between symptom onset and diagnosis and Interval #1.

Results:

Among 259 patients (age: 51±15 years, female: 71%, most common three ARDs: rheumatoid arthritis (n = 75), axial spondyloarthritis (n = 40) and psoriatic arthritis (n = 35)), the median overall interval was 11.5 months. Interval #1 (median = 4.9 months) was significantly longer than the other intervals (Table 1). Patients with axial spondyloarthritis had a significantly longer overall interval (median = 38.7 months) and Interval #1 (median = 26.6 months) compared to patients with RA (median = 7.6 and 3.5 months, respectively), PsA (median = 7.0 and 2.6 months, respectively) and the other ARDs. Gender was the only patient-related factor significantly associated with the overall interval (reference = male, coefficient = -15.3, p = 0.033) in regression models.

Conclusion:

A longer than ideal interval between symptom onset and diagnosis was observed among patients with ARDs. This was primarily due to a relatively long interval between symptom onset and first seeking medical attention, and highlights the importance of interventions targeting patients prior to first medical attention in reducing the duration between symptom onset and diagnosis.

References:

[1]Scott SE, Walter FM, Webster A, Sutton S, Emery J. The model of pathways to treatment: conceptualization and integration with existing theory. Br J Health Psychol. 2013;18(1):45-65.

Table 1.

Interval between symptom onset and diagnosis

Overall interval, months, median (lower and upper quartiles)†Interval #1, months, median (lower and upper quartiles)Interval #2, months, median (lower and upper quartiles)Interval #3, months, median (lower and upper quartiles)Interval #4, months, median (lower and upper quartiles)Overall(n = 259)11.5(4.7 – 36.0)4.9(1.0 – 24.0)0.3(0.0 – 3.9)1.5(0.8 – 1.8)0.0(0.0 – 1.2)RA(n = 75)7.6(3.1 – 14.8)3.5(1.3 – 11.6)0.2(0.0 – 2.5)1.3(0.6 – 1.6)0.0(0.0 – 0.2)AxSpA(n = 40)38.7(9.6 – 66.7)26.6(4.2 – 56.1)1.6(0.0 – 7.6)1.6(1.2 – 2.3)0.0(0.0 – 2.0)PsA(n = 35)7.0(3.0 – 28.4)2.6(0.2 – 11.3)0.5(0.2 – 3.9)1.6(0.6 – 1.7)0.0(0.0 – 0.0)Seronegative IA(n = 21)12.0(4.7 – 22.8)6.4(1.9 – 34.4)0.1(0.0 – 4.6)1.4(1.3 – 1.5)0.0(0.0 – 0.8)SjS(n = 27)14.2(6.0 – 48.0)4.6(0.6 – 19.0)0.3(0.0 – 3.9)1.6(0.9 – 1.9)0.8(0.0 – 2.3)UCTD(n = 27)15.7(5.1 – 39.8)2.2(0.7 – 24.0)0.8(0.1 – 8.1)1.6(0.5 – 1.8)1.2(0.0 – 2.1)Other ARDs(n = 34)8.1(5.3 – 36.0)6.3(0.9 – 31.7)0.2(0.0 – 1.1)1.5(1.2 – 1.8)0.3(0.0 – 1.1)

Overall interval and Intervals #1-4: refer to abstract for definitions; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; axSpA: axial spondyloarthritis; PsA: psoriatic arthritis; IA: inflammatory arthritis; SjS: Sjögren’s syndrome; UCTD: undifferentiated connective tissue disease; other ARDs: systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, palindromic rheumatism and overlap syndromes.

†Intervals #1-4 did not sum to the overall interval mainly due to the fact that Intervals #1-4 might not available for all patients.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0417 EXOGENOUS CXCL5 RESTORES ENDOGENOUS BLOOD-TISSUE CHEMOKINE GRADIENT TO IMPROVE SURVIVAL IN MURINE LUPUS

Background:

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-organ autoimmune disease that is potentially fatal. There is an unmet need to improve current therapies. In patients with SLE, we observed that serum CXCL5 levels were significantly lower than healthy control subjects and negatively correlated with disease activity(1-9).

Objectives:

The aim of this study is to elucidate the effect of supplemental serum CXCL5 in abrogating the pathological processes of SLE.

Methods:

Ten doses of exogenous CXCL5 (3µg/kg) was administered to 16-week-old Faslpr mice weekly by intravenous injection. Mice were monitored for 10 weeks. Splenic immune profile was measured by flow cytometry. Circulating cytokine and immunoglobulin profile were detected by Luminex technology. Renal function was evaluated by urinary spot albumin creatinine ratio. In situ renal immune cell infiltration and complement 3 deposition were detected by Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemistry staining. The molecular pathways involved were examined by RNA sequencing.

Results:

In Faslpr mice, intravenous administration of exogenous CXCL5 significantly improved mouse survival with concomitant reduction of autoantibody secretion, proteinuria, complement 3 deposition, neutrophil infiltration and lupus nephritis classes. Through evaluating the changes of immune profile, cytokine profile and molecular pathways, we found that intravenous CXCL5 reduced inflammation via an orchestral effect of regulating neutrophil trafficking and modulating helper T cell-mediated immune response. Pharmacokinetic and real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction studies further demonstrated that this orchestration was triggered by a cascade reaction - restoring vascular under-expressed CXCL5 by an exogenous stimulation, re-establishing the normal serum levels of endogenous CXCL5 and reverting the CXCL5 chemokine gradient between inflamed tissues and blood circulation.

Conclusion:

Managing the dysregulation of CXCL5 by exogenous supplement may provide a new option for SLE therapy.

References:

[1]Dufies M, Grytsai O, Ronco C, et al. New CXCR1/CXCR2 inhibitors represent an effective treatment for kidney or head and neck cancers sensitive or refractory to reference treatments. Theranostics. 2019;9(18):5332-5346. doi:10.7150/thno.34681

[2]Yildirim K, Colak E, Aktimur R, et al. Clinical Value of CXCL5 for Determining of Colorectal Cancer. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. Sep 26 2018;19(9):2481-2484. doi:10.22034/apjcp.2018.19.9.2481

[3]Wu K, Yu S, Liu Q, Bai X, Zheng X. The clinical significance of CXCL5 in non-small cell lung cancer. Onco Targets Ther. 2017;10:5561-5573. doi:10.2147/ott.s148772

[4]Zhao J, Ou B, Han D, et al. Tumor-derived CXCL5 promotes human colorectal cancer metastasis through activation of the ERK/Elk-1/Snail and AKT/GSK3beta/beta-catenin pathways. Mol Cancer. Mar 29 2017;16(1):70. doi:10.1186/s12943-017-0629-4

[5]Han KQ, Han H, He XQ, et al. Chemokine CXCL1 may serve as a potential molecular target for hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Med. Oct 2016;5(10):2861-2871. doi:10.1002/cam4.843

[6]Pappa CA, Tsirakis G, Kanellou P, et al. Monitoring serum levels ELR+ CXC chemokines and the relationship between microvessel density and angiogenic growth factors in multiple myeloma. Cytokine. Dec 2011;56(3):616-20. doi:10.1016/j.cyto.2011.08.034

[7]Zhang L, Li H, Ge C, et al. CXCL3 contributes to CD133(+) CSCs maintenance and forms a positive feedback regulation loop with CD133 in HCC via Erk1/2 phosphorylation. Sci Rep. Jun 3 2016;6:27426. doi:10.1038/srep27426

[8]Matsubara J, Honda K, Ono M, et al. Reduced plasma level of CXC chemokine ligand 7 in patients with pancreatic cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Jan 2011;20(1):160-71. doi:10.1158/1055- 9965.epi-10-0397

[9]Ma Y, Ren Y, Dai ZJ, Wu CJ, Ji YH, Xu J. IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha levels correlate with disease stage in breast cancer patients. Adv Clin Exp Med. May-Jun 2017;26(3):421-426. doi:10.17219/acem/62120

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

P003 An audit of the uptake of vaccinations against influenza, pneumonia and varicella zoster among rheumatology outpatients

Background/Aims 

Patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease (AIIRD) requiring disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are at risk from influenza, pneumonia and shingles but vaccination rates have been low (∼70%). This audit aimed to evaluate vaccination uptake (aim 90% uptake) amongst those eligible and to assess whether the departmental vaccination advice was included in the standard letter template irrespective of the timing of the vaccination programmes.

Methods 

213 rheumatology outpatient clinic appointments were identified between 3 to 7 February 2020. Exclusions were 56 new patients or non-attenders, 31 patients who were neither treated with DMARDs nor had a diagnosis of AIIRD and 17 patients with AIIRD who did not need vaccination. The remaining 109 patients were eligible for vaccination according to Public Health England, British Society for Rheumatology and the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) guidelines. Electronic patient records (hospital and GP) were accessed for demographics, clinical data, vaccination status for influenza for the winter of 2019/20, pneumococcus and varicella zoster. Additionally clinic letters from the week of the audit were audited as a snapshot to identify whether the departmental vaccination advice was included within the standard letter template.

Results 

The majority of the patients were female (65%) with rheumatoid arthritis (37%); a third was ≥65 years old (Table 1). 22 of the 109 patients in whom influenza and pneumococcal vaccination were indicated did not have a vaccination status available in their GP records. 63 and 61 of the remaining 87 patients were appropriately vaccinated against influenza and pneumococcus respectively (72% and 70%). Vaccination data were available for all 12 patients in whom Zostavax was indicated; 7 patients were appropriately vaccinated (64%). Only 24 out of 126 (19%) clinic letters included the departmental vaccination advice. P003 Table 1:Demographic data of patients eligible for vaccinationDemographic dataN = 109Female, N (%)71 (65)Median age (IQR), yrs57 (47-70)Age categories (%), yrs- 18-4933 (3)- 50-6441 (38)- ≥6535 (32)Rheumatological Diagnosis, N (%)Rheumatoid Arthritis40 (37)Psoriatic Arthritis15 (14)Ankylosing Spondylitis10 (9)Myositis3 (3)Systemic Sclerosis11 (10)Vasculitis9 (8)Systemic lupus erythematosus2 (2)Other Inflammatory Arthritis14 (13)Other Inflammatory Rheumatological Condition5 (5)Significant Co-Morbidities, N (%)Respiratory23 (21)Cardiovascular19 (17)Renal9 (8)Hepatic10 (9)Neurological1 (1)Diabetes Mellitus11 (10)Immunological5 (5)Obesity BMI &gt;402 (2)Rheumatological Medication prescribed as the time of clinic visit, N (%)Any Biologic or Non Biologic DMARD85 (78)Any Biological DMARD38 (35)Any Non Biological DMARD67 (62)- Methotrexate34 (31)- Hydroxychloroquine20 (18)- Sulfasalazine14 (13)- Leflunomide2 (2)- Other Non Biological DMARD10 (9)Oral Corticosteroids27 (24)

Conclusion 

Rates of vaccination were low and in line with previous studies. For the 2020/21 winter, the department is writing directly to patients to advise influenza vaccination. The standard letter template will be changed to include the vaccination advice in all letters. The department will re-audit vaccination uptake after these interventions.

Disclosure 

K. Kazi: None. A. Low: None.

P071 Survey of rheumatology patient satisfaction with telephone consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background/Aims 

Rheumatology departments were required to switch rapidly from face-to-face (F2F) to remote consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. We conducted a patient satisfaction survey on the switch to inform future service development.

Methods 

All patients [new (NP), follow-up (FU)] were identified between 1st to 5th June 2020. Patients who attended or did not attend (DNA) a pre-booked F2F consultation or cancelled were excluded. Of the remainder, half the patients was surveyed by phone using a standardised questionnaire and the other half was posted the same questionnaire. Both groups were offered the opportunity to complete the survey online. Patients were surveyed on the organisation and content of the consultation, whether they were offered a subsequent F2F appointment and future consultation preference.

Results 

233 consultations were scheduled during the study period. After 53 exclusions (34 pre-booked F2F, 16 DNA, 3 cancellations), 180 eligible consultations were surveyed (85 via mailshot, 95 by telephone). 75/180 patients (42%) responded within 1 month of the telephone consultation (20 NP, 47 FU, 8 missing).

The organisation of the switch was positively perceived (Table). Patients were highly satisfied with 4 of the 5 consultation domains but were undecided whether a physical assessment would have changed the outcome of the consultation (Table).

After the initial phone consultation, 7 of 20 NP and 19 of 47 FU were not offered subsequent F2F appointments at the clinicians’ discretion. Of those not offered subsequent F2F appointments, proportionally more NP (3/7, 43%) would have liked one, compared to FU (5/19, 26%). Reasons included communication difficulties and a desire for a definitive diagnosis. 48/75 (64%) would be happy for future routine FU to be conducted by phone “most of the time" or "always”; citing patient convenience and disease stability. Caveats were if physical examination was required or if more serious issues (as perceived by the patient) needed F2F discussion.

Conclusion 

Patients were generally satisfied with telephone consultations and most were happy to be reviewed again this way. NPs should be offered F2F appointments for first visits to maximise patient satisfaction and time efficiency. P071 Table 1:Median age, yearsFemale; n (%)Follow-up; n (%)All eligible for survey; n = 18056122 (68)133 (74)Sent mailshot; n = 855459 (69)65 (76)Surveyed by phone; n = 955663 (66)68 (72)Responder by mail; n = 166911 (69)13 (82)Responder by phone; n = 525437 (71)34 (65)Responder by e-survey; n = 7495 (71)UnknownOrganisation of the telephone consultation, N = 75Yes, n (%)No, n (%)Missing, n (%)Were you informed beforehand about the phone consultation?63 (84)11 (15)1 (1)Were you called within 1-2 hours of the appointed date and time?66 (88)6 (8)3 (4)Domains of the consultation, N = 75Strongly disagree, n (%)Disagree, n (%)Neutral, n (%)Agree, n (%)Strongly agree, n (%)Missing, n (%)During the call, I felt the clinician understood my problem3 (4)1 (1)1 (1)20 (27)49 (65)1 (1)During the call, I had the opportunity to ask questions regarding my clinical care1 (1)02 (3)16 (21)55 (73)1 (1)A physical examination would have changed the outcome of the consultation16 (21)18 (24)20 (27)11 (15)10 (13)0The clinician answered my questions to my satisfaction2 (3)06 (8)18 (24)49 (65)0At the end of the consultation, the clinician agreed a management plan with me3 (4)2 (3)6 (8)24 (32)39 (52)1 (1)Future consultations, N = 75Never, n (%)Sometimes, n (%)Most of the time, n (%)Always, n (%)Missing, n, (%)In the future, would you be happy for routine FU to be conducted by phone?5 (7)20 (27)16 (21)32 (43)2 (3)

Disclosure 

M. Rodziewicz: None. T. O'Neill: None. A. Low: None.

Association between white matter hyperintensity load and grey matter atrophy in mild cognitive impairment is not unidirectional

Neuroimaging measures of Alzheimer's disease (AD) include grey matter volume (GMV) alterations in the Default Mode Network (DMN) and Executive Control Network (ECN). Small-vessel cerebrovascular disease, often visualised as white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on MRI, is often seen in AD. However, the relationship between WMH load and GMV needs further examination. We examined the load-dependent influence of WMH on GMV and cognition in 183 subjects. T1-MRI data from 93 Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and 90 cognitively normal subjects were studied and WMH load was categorized into low, medium and high terciles. We examined how differing loads of WMH related to whole-brain voxel-wise and regional DMN and ECN GMV. We further investigated how regional GMV moderated the relationship between WMH and cognition. We found differential load-dependent effects of WMH burden on voxel-wise and regional atrophy in only MCI. At high load, as expected WMH negatively related to both ECN and DMN GMV, however at low load, WMH positively related to ECN GMV. Additionally, negative associations between WMH and memory and executive function were moderated by regional GMV. Our results demonstrate non-unidirectional relationships between WMH load, GMV and cognition in MCI.

Site-specific incorporation of 5'-methyl DNA enhances the therapeutic profile of gapmer ASOs

We recently showed that site-specific incorporation of 2′-modifications or neutral linkages in the oligo-deoxynucleotide gap region of toxic phosphorothioate (PS) gapmer ASOs can enhance therapeutic index and safety. In this manuscript, we determined if introducing substitution at the 5′-position of deoxynucleotide monomers in the gap can also enhance therapeutic index. Introducing R- or S-configured 5′-Me DNA at positions 3 and 4 in the oligodeoxynucleotide gap enhanced the therapeutic profile of the modified ASOs suggesting a different positional preference as compared to the 2′-OMe gap modification strategy. The generality of these observations was demonstrated by evaluating R-5′-Me and R-5′-Ethyl DNA modifications in multiple ASOs targeting HDAC2, FXI and Dynamin2 mRNA in the liver. The current work adds to a growing body of evidence that small structural changes can modulate the therapeutic properties of PS ASOs and ushers a new era of chemical optimization with a focus on enhancing the therapeutic profile as opposed to nuclease stability, RNA-affinity and pharmacokinetic properties. The 5′-methyl DNA modified ASOs exhibited excellent safety and antisense activity in mice highlighting the therapeutic potential of this class of nucleic acid analogs for next generation ASO designs.

Inherited risk of dementia and the progression of cerebral small vessel disease and inflammatory markers in cognitively healthy midlife adults: the PREVENT-Dementia study

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) and inflammation are increasingly recognized as key contributors to Alzheimer's disease (AD), although the timing, trajectory, and relation between them early in the disease process is unclear. Therefore, to investigate very early-stage changes, we compared 158 healthy midlife adults with and without inherited AD predisposition (APOE4 carriership (38% positive), parental family history (FH) of dementia (54% positive)) on markers of SVD (white matter hyperintensities (WMH), cerebral microbleeds), and inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen), cross-sectionally and longitudinally over two years. While WMH severity was comparable between groups at baseline, longitudinal progression of WMH was greater in at-risk groups (APOE4+ and FH+). Topographically, APOE4 was associated exclusively with deep, but not periventricular, WMH progression after adjusting for FH. Conversely, APOE4 carriers displayed lower CRP levels than noncarriers, but not fibrinogen. Furthermore, interaction analysis showed that FH moderated the effect of SVD and inflammation on reaction time, an early feature of SVD, but not episodic memory or executive function. Findings suggest that vascular and inflammatory changes could occur decades before dementia onset, and may be of relevance in predicting incipient clinical progression.

In vivo coupling of dendritic complexity with presynaptic density in primary tauopathies

Understanding the cellular underpinnings of neurodegeneration remains a challenge; loss of synapses and dendritic arborization are characteristic and can be quantified in vivo, with [¹¹C]UCB-J PET and MRI-based Orientation Dispersion Imaging (ODI), respectively. We aimed to assess how both measures are correlated, in 4R-tauopathies of progressive supranuclear palsy - Richardson's Syndrome (PSP-RS; n = 22) and amyloid-negative (determined by [¹¹C]PiB PET) Corticobasal Syndrome (Cortiobasal degeneration, CBD; n =14), as neurodegenerative disease models, in this proof-of-concept study. Compared to controls (n = 27), PSP-RS and CBD patients had widespread reductions in cortical ODI, and [¹¹C]UCB-J non-displaceable binding potential (BP_ND) in excess of atrophy. In PSP-RS and CBD separately, regional cortical ODI was significantly associated with [¹¹C]UCB-J BP_ND in disease-associated regions (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). Our findings indicate that reductions in synaptic density and dendritic complexity in PSP-RS and CBD are more severe and extensive than atrophy. Furthermore, both measures are tightly coupled in vivo, furthering our understanding of the pathophysiology of neurodegeneration, and applicable to studies of early neurodegeneration with a safe and widely available MRI platform.

Proximity to dementia onset and multi-modal neuroimaging changes: The prevent-dementia study

BACKGROUND

First-degree relatives of people with dementia (FH+) are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we investigate "estimated years to onset of dementia" (EYO) as a surrogate marker of preclinical disease progression and assess its associations with multi-modal neuroimaging biomarkers.

METHODS

89 FH+ participants in the PREVENT-Dementia study underwent longitudinal MR imaging over 2 years. EYO was calculated as the difference between the parental age of dementia diagnosis and the current age of the participant (mean EYO = 23.9 years). MPRAGE, ASL and DWI data were processed using Freesurfer, FSL-BASIL and DTI-TK. White matter lesion maps were segmented from FLAIR scans. The SPM Sandwich Estimator Toolbox was used to test for the main effects of EYO and interactions between EYO, Time, and APOE-ε4+. Threshold free cluster enhancement and family wise error rate correction (TFCE _FWER) was performed on voxelwise statistical maps.

RESULTS

There were no significant effects of EYO on regional grey matter atrophy or white matter hyperintensities. However, a shorter EYO was associated with lower white matter Fractional Anisotropy and elevated Mean/Radial Diffusivity, particularly in the corpus callosum (TFCE_FWERp < 0.05). The influence of EYO on white matter deficits were significantly stronger compared to that of normal ageing. APOE-ε4 carriers exhibited hyperperfusion with nearer proximity to estimated onset in temporo-parietal regions. There were no interactions between EYO and time, suggesting that EYO was not associated with accelerated imaging changes in this sample.

CONCLUSIONS

Amongst cognitively normal midlife adults with a family history of dementia, a shorter hypothetical proximity to dementia onset may be associated with incipient brain abnormalities, characterised by white matter disruptions and perfusion abnormalities, particularly amongst APOE-ε4 carriers. Our findings also confer biological validity to the construct of EYO as a potential stage marker of preclinical progression in the context of sporadic dementia. Further clinical follow-up of our longitudinal sample would provide critical validation of these findings.

Association of Asymmetrical White Matter Hyperintensities and Apolipoprotein E4 on Cognitive Impairment

BACKGROUND

Asymmetrical patterns of cerebral damage have been widely observed in a range of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD).

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the clinical associations of asymmetrical white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD.

METHODS

Regional WMH asymmetry of 340 participants (90 healthy controls, 132 MCI, 118 AD) was calculated as the difference in normalized hemispheric WMH volume (WMH/ICV) adjusted for structural brain asymmetry of respective lobar regions and total WMH. WMH asymmetry was analyzed in relation to disease classification, cognition, and APOE4 status using ANCOVA and multiple regression analysis, controlling for gender, age, ethnicity, and correcting for multiple comparisons using Bonferroni correction. Moderation analysis examined interaction effects of APOE4 on associations between cognition and WMH asymmetry.

RESULTS

Greater left-dominant occipital WMH asymmetry was observed in AD, compared to healthy controls and MCI, and was associated with poorer global cognition, memory, language, and executive functions among cognitively impaired participants (MCI and AD). Cognitively impaired APOE4 carriers displayed greater left-dominant WMH asymmetry in the whole brain and frontal lobe, compared to non-carriers. Importantly, effects were independent of structural brain asymmetry, global cerebral atrophy, and overall WMH burden. Moderation analysis demonstrated associations between left-dominant WMH asymmetry and cognition in cognitively impaired APOE4 non-carriers, but not APOE4 carriers.

CONCLUSION

Leftward asymmetry of WMH may be more pathological in nature, compared to symmetrical WMH. Furthermore, the detrimental effects of WMH asymmetry was more relevant in APOE4-negative cognitive impairment, compared to APOE4-positive which may be driven primarily by AD pathology.

In vivo neuroinflammation and cerebral small vessel disease in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease

INTRODUCTION

Associations between cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) and inflammation have been largely examined using peripheral blood markers of inflammation, with few studies measuring inflammation within the brain. We investigated the cross-sectional relationship between SVD and in vivo neuroinflammation using [11C]PK11195 positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.

METHODS

Forty-two participants were recruited (according to NIA-AA guidelines, 14 healthy controls, 14 mild Alzheimer's disease, 14 amyloid-positive mild cognitive impairment). Neuroinflammation was assessed using [11C]PK11195 PET imaging, a marker of microglial activation. To quantify SVD, we assessed white matter hyperintensities (WMH), enlarged perivascular spaces, cerebral microbleeds and lacunes. Composite scores were calculated for global SVD burden, and SVD subtypes of hypertensive arteriopathy and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). General linear models examined associations between SVD and [11C]PK11195, adjusting for sex, age, education, cognition, scan interval, and corrected for multiple comparisons via false discovery rate (FDR). Dominance analysis directly compared the relative importance of hypertensive arteriopathy and CAA scores as predictors of [11C]PK11195.

RESULTS

Global [11C]PK11195 binding was associated with SVD markers, particularly in regions typical of hypertensive arteriopathy: deep microbleeds (β=0.63, F(1,35)=35.24, p<0.001), deep WMH (β=0.59, t=4.91, p<0.001). In dominance analysis, hypertensive arteriopathy score outperformed CAA in predicting [11C]PK11195 binding globally and in 28 out of 37 regions of interest, especially the medial temporal lobe (β=0.66-0.76, t=3.90-5.58, FDR-corrected p (pFDR)=<0.001-0.002) and orbitofrontal cortex (β=0.51-0.57, t=3.53-4.30, pFDR=0.001-0.004).

CONCLUSION

Microglial activation is associated with SVD, particularly with the hypertensive arteriopathy subtype of SVD. Although further research is needed to determine causality, our study suggests that targeting neuroinflammation might represent a novel therapeutic strategy for SVD.

AB0128 CXCL5 DAMPENS INFLAMMATION IN THE PRE-CLINICAL MODEL OF SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS VIA THE ORCHESTRAL EFFECT OF REGULATING NEUTROPHIL TRAFFICKING AND SUPPRESSING HELPER T CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNE RESPONSE

Background:

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) suffer from severe morbidity and mortality1-4, either from the disease itself or from side effects of immunosuppression5. Discovery of novel effective therapies with less toxicity is an urgent need.

Objectives:

The aim of this study is to elucidate the therapeutic potential and working mechanism of cytokine CXCL5 in lupus mice.

Methods:

Treatment with CXCL5, bone marrow (BM)-MSCs, standard of care (SOC) with combination of methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide was given to 16-week-old Faslprmice. Mice were monitored for 10 weeks. Splenic immune cell subsets were measured by flow cytometry. Circulating cytokine and immunoglobulin were detected by Luminex technology. Renal function was evaluated by urinary spot albumin creatinine ratio. In situ renal immune cell infiltration and complement 3 deposition were detected by Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemistry.

Results:

CXCL5 demonstrated consistent and potent immunosuppressive capacity in suppressing SLE with reduced autoantibody secretion, lymphoproliferation and preserved kidney function. With further exploration, we proved that CXCL5 reduced the proliferation of helper T cells (TH1 and TH2) in thein vitrofunctional assay. When we administrated CXCL5 to lupus mice, it promoted the proliferation of regulatory T cells and reduced the proliferation of TH17 cells, macrophages and neutrophils. Multiple proinflammatory cytokines including IL-2, IL-6, IL-12, IL-17A, KC/CXCL1, MIP-1β/CCL4 and TNF-α were also reduced. When combined with SOC, CXCL5 boosted its therapeutic effect and reduced the relevant indices of disease activity. When we correlated the effect of four different treatment groups (CXCL5, BM-MSCs, SOC, and CXCL5 plus SOC) on mice survival and target cell changes, we found that TH17 cells were the key effector cells involved in the pathogenesis of SLE.

Conclusion:

These findings demonstrated that CXCL5 dampens inflammation in the pre-clinical model of systemic lupus erythematosus via the orchestral effect of regulating neutrophil trafficking and suppressing helper T cell-mediated immune response. Administrating exogenous CXCL5 might be an attractive option to treat patients with lupus.

References:

[1]Ji S, Guo Q, Han Y, Tan G, Luo Y, Zeng F. Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation inhibits abnormal activation of Akt/GSK3beta signaling pathway in T cells from systemic lupus erythematosus mice.Cell Physiol Biochem.2012;29(5-6):705-712.

[2]Peng SL. Altered T and B lymphocyte signaling pathways in lupus.Autoimmun Rev.2009;8(3):179-183.

[3]Ferucci ED, Johnston JM, Gaddy JR, et al. Prevalence and incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus in a population-based registry of American Indian and Alaska Native people, 2007-2009.Arthritis Rheumatol.2014;66(9):2494-2502.

[4]Jakes RW, Bae SC, Louthrenoo W, Mok CC, Navarra SV, Kwon N. Systematic review of the epidemiology of systemic lupus erythematosus in the Asia-Pacific region: prevalence, incidence, clinical features, and mortality.Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken).2012;64(2):159-168.

[5]Sattwika PD, Mustafa R, Paramaiswari A, Herningtyas EH. Stem cells for lupus nephritis: a concise review of current knowledge.Lupus.2018;27(12):1881-1897.

Acknowledgments:

The work was supported by SMART II Centre Grant (NMRC/CG/M011/2017_SGH) and SingHealth Foundation (SHF/FG638P/2016).

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

P03 Effectiveness and tolerability of Benepali in patients switched from Enbrel with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and axial spondyloarthropathy

Background

Benepali (SB4) is an etanercept biosimilar licensed for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthropathy (AS) and is cheaper than Enbrel (ETN). We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of switching from ETN to SB4 and costs saved.

Methods

All patients on ETN were identified from pharmacy records and reviewed by consultants for clinical suitability to switch to SB4. Letters informing patients of the proposed switch were sent and replies collated. Patients were switched when prescriptions were due for renewal. Switching started in June 2018 and patients were prospectively followed at 3 and 6 months after switching. Anonymised demographic and clinical data were collected from patient records. DAS28 was calculated for RA and PsA due to availability of score components from patient records. The difference between disease activity scores prior to the switch, 3 months, and 6 months after switching was analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Results

113 patients were prescribed ETN and 17 patients were clinically unsuitable to switch. Of the remaining 96 patients, 6 declined switching and 7 stopped ETN before switching. The remaining 83 patients were switched from ETN to SB4 over a year and analysed (Table 1). Comparing measures of disease activity prior to switching versus 3 months or 6 months of follow-up on SB4, there were no statistically significant differences in disease activity for patients with RA (Table). Missing data for PsA and AS precluded statistical comparisons. 5 patients switched back to ETN due to subjective worsening of joint symptoms. 3 patients switched back to ETN due to adverse effects (infections, dizziness and nausea, unknown). 1 patient switched from SB4 to abatacept due to high disease activity. 1 patient stopped SB4 due to incident lung cancer.

Conclusion

SB4 was generally well tolerated with a retention rate of 88% (73/83) over 6 months of follow-up. In RA there was no significant difference in patients’ disease activity when switching from ETN to SB4, at 3 or 6 months of follow-up. Assuming all 73 switched patients remained on SB4 for a year, this would equate to £56,000 cost savings per year.

Disclosures

B. Yeo None. S. Dyball None. A. Low None.