Evaluation of novel candidate filtration markers from a global metabolomic discovery for glomerular filtration rate estimation

Creatinine and cystatin-C are recommended for estimating glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) but accuracy is suboptimal. Here, using untargeted metabolomics data, we sought to identify candidate filtration markers for a new targeted assay using a novel approach based on their maximal joint association with measured GFR (mGFR) and with flexibility to consider their biological properties. We analyzed metabolites measured in seven diverse studies encompasing 2,851 participants on the Metabolon H4 platform that had Pearson correlations with log mGFR and used a stepwise approach to develop models to < -0.5 estimate mGFR with and without inclusion of creatinine that enabled selection of candidate markers. In total, 456 identified metabolites were present in all studies, and 36 had correlations with mGFR < -0.5. A total of 2,225 models were developed that included these metabolites; all with lower root mean square errors and smaller coefficients for demographic variables compared to estimates using untargeted creatinine. Seventeen metabolites were chosen, including 12 new candidate filtration markers. The selected metabolites had strong associations with mGFR and little dependence on demographic factors. Candidate metabolites were identified with maximal joint association with mGFR and minimal dependence on demographic variables across many varied clinical settings. These metabolites are excreted in urine and represent diverse metabolic pathways and tubular handling. Thus, our data can be used to select metabolites for a multi-analyte eGFR determination assay using mass spectrometry that potentially offers better accuracy and is less prone to non-GFR determinants than the current eGFR biomarkers.

Variation in Treatment Charges and Reimbursement Among Individual Thoracic Surgeons

BACKGROUND

Health care use and costs have undergone an increase in public scrutiny. Other specialties have evaluated practice patterns of their most highly reimbursed surgeons and found unique billing and procedure overuse. In this study, we evaluate Medicare payments to general thoracic surgeons and evaluate those with the highest reimbursements.

METHODS

The 2018 Medicare Provider Utilization Data were queried to identify thoracic surgeons. Services were grouped into common categories: Evaluation and Management, Lung/Pleura, Foregut, Chest Wall, Airway, Diaphragm, Mediastinum, Endoscopy, and Transplant. Payment data were analyzed for surgeons receiving the top 1% of Medicare payments and the remainder of the workforce.

RESULTS

In 2018, 2000 unique self-identified thoracic surgeons received a total of $54,734,736 in payments from Medicare for thoracic-related services. The top 1% of thoracic surgeons (n = 20) received $4,607,561, or 8.4% of total payments. Inpatient Evaluation and Management was the leading payment category for the top 1% (48.5% of payments), whereas Outpatient Evaluation and Management led for the remaining workforce (43.5% of payments). Whereas the surgical procedure code with overall highest reimbursement for both groups was Current Procedural Terminology (American Medical Association) 32663 (video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy), there was a difference with an increased use of high relative value unit unbundled Current Procedural Terminology codes in the highest earners.

CONCLUSIONS

A disproportionate amount of Medicare reimbursement went to top 1%. The highest earners appeared to earn the most from inpatient treatment codes and also used unbundled codes more often. Because billing code use is not regulated and often subjective, a deeper evaluation by the major surgical societies may be warranted.

Health Insurance Literacy Improvements Among Recently Diagnosed Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer: Results From a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs; age 18-39 years) with cancer report needing support with health insurance. We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a virtual health insurance navigation intervention (HIAYA CHAT) to improve health insurance literacy (HIL), awareness of Affordable Care Act (ACA) protections, financial toxicity, and stress.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

HIAYA CHAT is a four-session navigator delivered program; it includes psychoeducation on insurance, navigating one's plan, insurance-related laws, and managing costs. Participants were eligible if they could access an internet-capable device, were <1 year from diagnosis, and received treatment from University of Utah Healthcare or Intermountain Health systems. We assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of HIAYA CHAT compared with usual navigation care, including HIL (nine items), insurance knowledge (13 items), ACA protections (eight items), COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST; 11 items), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; four items), using t tests and Cohen's d.

RESULTS

From November 2020 to December 2021, N = 86 AYAs enrolled (44.6% participation) and 89.3% completed the 5-month follow-up survey; 68.6% were female, 72.1% were White, 23.3% were Hispanic, 65.1% were age 26-39 years, and 87.2% were privately insured. Of intervention participants (n = 45), 67.4% completed all four sessions; among an exit interview subset (n = 10), all endorsed the program (100%). At follow-up, compared with usual navigation care, intervention participants had greater improvements in HIL, insurance and ACA protections knowledge, and PSS; effect sizes ranged from moderate to large (0.42-0.77). COST did not differ.

CONCLUSION

The results support the feasibility and acceptability of HIAYA CHAT with related improvements in HIL.

"Time Saved" Calculations to Improve Decision-Making in Progressive Disease Studies

BACKGROUND

Disease modifying therapies (DMTs) may be most beneficial in early disease, when progression is slow and changes small, with clinical relevance difficult to interpret.

OBJECTIVES

Time component tests (TCTs) translate differences between treatments from mean change, vertical distance between longitudinal trajectories, into intuitively understood time saved, horizontal distance between trajectories, which can be readily combined across endpoints in a global TCT (gTCT).

DESIGN

The value of composites, time savings estimates, and combination scores to optimize measurement and interpretation of DMTs are demonstrated, along with construction details and simulation studies.

SETTING

TCT methods were applied to a randomized phase II clinical trial.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients with early Alzheimer's disease (N=332).

INTERVENTION

Three treatment groups with AFFITOPE® AD02 and two control groups with aluminum oxyhydroxide, AD04.

MEASUREMENTS

The co-primary efficacy outcomes were an adapted ADAS-Cog (aADAS) and adapted ADCS-ADL (aADL), which were optimized composite scales specific to cognitive and functional domains. A composite based on these two scores was the study's prespecified primary outcome. The CDR-sb and standard non-adapted ADCS-ADL and ADAS-Cog scales were prespecified secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

The AD04 2 mg group showed some statistically significant effects compared with other study arms. It is unclear whether the observed 3.8-point difference on the composite is clinically meaningful. TCT results show a time savings of 11 months in an 18-month study with AD04 2 mg.

CONCLUSION

The relevance of 11 months saved is more universally understood than a mean difference of 3.8 points in the composite outcome. These results suggest that a combination of a composite approach and a time savings interpretation offers a powerful approach for detecting and interpreting disease modifying effects.

Variability in Excess Lobectomy Billing Among US Thoracic Surgeons

BACKGROUND

Transparency in physician billing practices in the United States is lacking. Often, charges may vary substantially between providers and excess charges may be passed on to the patient. In this study, we evaluate Medicare charges and payments for minimally invasive lobectomy to obtain a sense of national billing practices and evaluate for predictors of higher charges.

METHODS

The 2018 Medicare Provider Utilization Data was queried to identify surgeons submitting charges for Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Lobectomy. Excess charges were determined by each provider. Additional demographic variables were collected including geographic region for general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery training, years in practice, and current practice setting. A multivariate gamma regression was utilized to determine predictors of high billing practices.

RESULTS

A total of 307 unique providers submitted charges ranging from $1,104 to $25,128 with a median of $4,265. The average Medicare Payment amount ranged from $163 to $1,409, with a median of $1,056. Male surgeons were estimated to charge 1.3 times more than female surgeons, while those in an academic setting were estimated to charge 1.4 times more than private practice (p < 0.01). Surgeons practicing in the South or West were estimated to charge 0.76 and 0.81 times as much as those practicing in the Northeast (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Billing practices vary widely across the United States. Charges submitted to Medicare likely represent a provider's charges across all payers. In today's healthcare economy, it is important for patients to understand the true cost of care and for providers to be mindful of reasonable and appropriate charges.

Response to high dose ipilimumab plus temozolomide after progression on standard or low dose ipilimumab in advanced melanoma: a retrospective analysis

Background

Despite advancements in checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy, patients with advanced melanoma who have progressed on standard dose ipilimumab (Ipi) + nivolumab continue to have poor prognosis. Several studies support a dose-response activity of Ipi, and one promising combination is Ipi 10mg/kg (Ipi10) + temozolomide (TMZ).

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of patients with advanced melanoma treated with Ipi10+TMZ in the immunotherapy refractory/resistant setting (n = 6), using similar patients treated with Ipi3+TMZ (n = 6) as comparison. Molecular profiling by whole exome sequencing (WES) and RNA-seq of tumors harvested through one responder's treatment was performed.

Results

With a median follow up of 119 days, patients treated with Ipi10+TMZ had statistically significant longer median progression free survival of 144.5 days (range 27-219) vs 44 (26-75) in Ipi3+TMZ, p=0.04, and a trend for longer median overall survival of 154.5 days (27-537) vs 89.5 (26-548). All patients in the Ipi10 cohort had progressed on prior Ipi+Nivo. WES revealed only 12 shared somatic mutations including BRAF V600E. RNA-seq showed enrichment of inflammatory signatures, including interferon responses in metastatic lesions after standard dose Ipi + nivo and Ipi10 + TMZ compared to the primary tumor, and downregulated negative immune regulators including Wnt and TGFb signaling.

Conclusion

Ipi10+TMZ demonstrated efficacy including dramatic responses in patients with advanced melanoma refractory to prior Ipi + anti-PD1, even with CNS metastases. Molecular data suggest a potential threshold of Ipi dose for activation of sufficient anti-tumor immune response, and higher dose Ipi is required for some patients.

Adipose Tissue Distribution and Body Mass Index (BMI) Correlation With Daily Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) Shifts of Abdominal Radiation Therapy Patients

Purpose There are several studies suggesting a correlation between image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) setup errors and body mass index (BMI). However, abdominal fat content has visceral and subcutaneous components, which may affect setup errors differently. This study aims to analyze a potential workflow for characterizing adipose content and distribution in the region of the target that would allow a quickly calculated metric of abdominal fat content to stratify these patients. Methods IGRT shift data was retrospectively tabulated from daily fan-beam CT-on-rails pre-treatment alignment for 50 abdominal radiation therapy (RT) patients, and systematic and random errors in the daily setup were characterized by tabulating average and standard deviations of shift data for each patient and looking at differences for different distributions of adipose content. Visceral and subcutaneous fat content were defined by visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) using a region-growing algorithm to contour adipose tissue on CT simulation scans. All contours were created for a single slice at the treatment isocenter, on which the VFA and SFA were calculated. A log-rank test was used to test trends in shifts over quartiles of adiposity. Results VFA ranged from 1.9-342.8c m², and SFA from 11.8-756.0 cm². The standard definition (SD) of random error (σ) in the lateral axis for Q1 vs. Q4 VFA was 0.10cm vs. 0.29cm, 0.12cm vs. 0.28cm for SFA, and 0.12cm vs. 0.31cm for BMI. The percentage of longitudinal shifts greater than 10mm for Q1 vs. Q4 VFA was 0% vs. 9%, 2% vs. 19% for SFA, and 0% vs. 20% for BMI. Statistically significant trends in shifts vs. the BMI quartile were seen for both pitch and the longitudinal direction, as well as for pitch corrections vs. the VFA quartile. Conclusion Within this dataset, abdominal cancer patients showed statistically significant trends in shift probability vs. BMI and VFA. Also, patients in the upper quartiles of all adiposity metrics showed an increased SD of σ in the lateral direction and increased shifts over 10 mm in the longitudinal direction. However, despite these relationships, neither VFA nor SFA offered discernible advantages in their relationship to shift uncertainty relative to BMI.

Abstract 2144: Proteomic study reveals predictive biomarkers of immune-related adverse events in melanoma

Advances in immunotherapy including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the standard of care of many cancers including melanoma. However, the benefit of ICIs is hampered by immune related adverse events (irAEs). The frequency of irAEs varies between ICI treatments and cancer types. These irAEs represent autoimmune reactions that can affect diverse organs, with distinct biology, onset, and severity from their de novo autoimmune disease counterparts. Some irAEs could persist and develop into chronic comorbidities, and a subset of severe irAEs could led to death. Yet, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms and no biomarkers are currently available to predict irAEs after ICI treatment.

We aimed to identify soluble predictive biomarkers of irAE by non-invasive means using high-throughput Olink Proteomics assay. We collected plasma from 31 melanoma patients before ICI treatment. 25 patients developed severe irAE (grade 3 or above) at one or more organ system including hepatobiliary (n=9), endocrine (n=8), gastrointestinal (n=6), skin and subcutaneous tissue (n=6), musculoskeletal and connective tissue (n=5), blood and lymphatic (n=4) and respiratory (n=1) after receiving ICI, whereas 6 patients have no severe irAEs. The relative expression of 1,472 probes corresponding to 1,463 proteins as part of the Olink Cardiometabolic, Neurology, Inflammation and Oncology panels were quantified as Normalized Protein eXpresion (NPX) on a log-2 scale. Two-tailed T-test was performed in comparing the severe irAEs vs no irAE groups to determine the difference proteins and p &lt; 0.05 and FDR &lt; 0.1 was deemed to be significant. Similarly, we performed organ-specific irAEs using the same approach. Proteins were assessed by enrichment analysis using EnrichR.

Exploratory analysis revealed elevated expression of CD4 and CD8 cell markers such as IL7R, S100A4, GZMA and GZMB in patients that developed severe irAEs. More broadly, pathway enrichment analysis suggest chemokines and cytokine receptor related pathways were enriched in these patients implicating the role of immune system and inflammatory mediators as potential biomarkers of irAE. In particular, the expression of some interleukin family members appears to be a good predictor of irAE toxicity. Interestingly, our analysis revealed irAE at various organ tissues were associated with different set of proteins suggesting an organ specific protein signature.

In conclusion, we demonstrated the potential utility of soluble protein in the peripheral blood measurement at baseline prior to ICI treatment for prediction of irAE risk. This finding will be evaluated in a larger independent cohort.

Citation Format: Muhammad Zaki Fadlullah Wilmot, Magdalena Kovacsovics, Xuechen Wang, Samuel Coleman, John Marsiglio, Berit Gibson, Yoko DeRose, Qin Zhou, Annaleah Larson, John Hyngstrom, Ben Haaland, Siwen Hu-Lieskovan, Aik Choon Tan. Proteomic study reveals predictive biomarkers of immune-related adverse events in melanoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2144.

Plasma proteome landscape and impact of the circulatory proteome on clinical outcomes in metastatic prostate cancer

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Background: We performed plasma-based high-plex proteomic profiling for identifying classifiers of clinical outcomes in metastatic prostate cancer (PC). Olink Explore NGS-based proteome profiling platform was used for high-precision analysis of 736 cancer associated plasma proteins in plasma samples from non-metastatic stage prostate cancer (PC), metastatic hormone-sensitive PC (mHSPC) and metastatic castrate resistant PC (mCRPC) states. Methods: Plasma was collected prospectively in a cohort of 108 PC patients (24 with non-metastatic PC; 28 mHSPC; 56 mCRPC of which 37 patients were collected before starting any mCRPC treatments). Proteomic data were generated with Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) on the Olink platform from 100 µL plasma per sample. Levels of 736 cancer-associated protein assays were denoted as normalized protein expression (NPX) units through a QC and normalization process developed and provided by Olink. Data generation of NPX consists of normalization to the extension control, log2 -transformation, and level adjustment using the plate control (plasma sample). Temporal trends of differentially expressed assays in non-metastatic PC, mHSPC and mCRPC states were identified using linear mixed effects model (FDR with Benjamini-Hochberg (BH) adjustment; q-value<0.05, R version 4.1.2.). Clinical outcomes included in mCRPC state overall survival (calculated as time from turning mCRPC to death) and in mHSPC early failure of ADT-based therapies defined as progression within 12.5 months. Cox proportional hazard regression was performed for proteins associated with mHSPC and mCRPC states and clinical endpoint of interest. Results: After BH adjustments, 105 protein assays were differentially expressed across non-metastatic, mHSPC and mCRPC states of which 73 assays differed between non-metastatic and metastatic states (q<0.05). 83/105 assays differed between mHSPC and mCRPC states (q<0.05). Of the 83 plasma proteins, 77 were over-expressed in mCRPC. 19/37 mCRPC patients who had collections performed before mCRPC treatments had died. The median time to death was 29 months (Range: 1.9-119 mths). After adjustment for serum Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in these 37 mCRPC patients 32/77 were significantly associated with overall survival. After performing an enrichment analysis the oxidative phosphorylation pathway with specific proteins assays (IMMT, COX5B and FXN, p = 5.1e-4, FDR = 2.55 e-2) were significantly overexpressed in patients with poor survival. Conclusions: A global plasma proteomic profiling of cancer related proteins revealed significant differences in expression in different states of cancer progression. Overexpressed proteins related to oxidative phosphorylation pathway in mCRPC in specific are associated with poor survival.

Tailored visuals, implementation interventions, and sun safe behavior: A longitudinal message experiment

OBJECTIVE

One way to communicate skin cancer risk is through ultraviolet (UV) photographs, which can depict the target person (tailored visual) or someone else (stock visual). There is a need for more longitudinal research examining the relative impact of tailored UV photographs compared with other message interventions that could increase sun safe behaviors.

METHOD

Students 14-18 years of age (N = 654) at eleven high schools in Utah were recruited to participate in a longitudinal experiment (assessments: pretest, posttest, 1 month follow-up) comparing the relative persuasive impact of receiving either (a) stock and tailored UV photographs or (b) stock UV photographs and an implementation intervention on outdoor tanning behavior. Participants completed measures of fear, appearance norms and benefits, threat susceptibility/severity, self-efficacy, response efficacy, freedom threat, reactance, and outdoor tanning behavior.

RESULTS

Compared with the implementation intervention, participants in the tailored UV condition reported increased fear and freedom threat and decreased appearance norms and benefits of tanning immediately following exposure to the intervention and decreased outdoor tanning 1 month after the intervention. Indirect effects also emerged with tailored UV exposure decreasing outdoor tanning via appearance benefits and increasing outdoor tanning when immediate fear triggered psychological reactance.

CONCLUSIONS

The results contribute to research on lay reactions to tailored visuals, implementation interventions, and theorizing the indirect effects of affect and cognition across time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring cost and utilization outcomes of Huntsman at Home: Which patients benefit most from a novel oncology hospital at home program?

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Background: We previously demonstrated that Huntsman at Home (HH), a novel oncology hospital at home program, was associated with reduced healthcare utilization and costs. HH was also linked to shorter hospital stays and fewer emergency room (ER) visits. In this study, we sought to understand the impact of HH in specific patient subgroups. Methods: We compared outcomes among 169 patients consecutively admitted to HH against 198 usual care patients. Five dichotomous subgroups were created based upon patient a) sex b) age c) area level median income d) Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and e) current use of systemic therapy (ST). Outcomes included 30-day costs, unplanned hospitalizations (UH), length of hospital stays, and ER visits. HH and usual care were compared via inverse propensity weighted regression models. Treatment propensities were estimated via random forests based on age, race, stage, cancer site, presence of metastases, CCI, and area level median income.Results: The between group difference favoring HH achieved statistical significance (p < 0.05) for at least two out of the four outcomes in each subgroup except for patients with higher comorbid illnesses. While HH participants did not always experience statistically better outcomes than usual care, none of the outcomes examined favored usual care for any subgroup. Sex. Female and male HH patients experienced fewer UH and lower costs than usual care. Male HH patients also had shorter hospital stays and fewer ED visits. Age. When stratifying age at 65 years, older HH patients experienced fewer days in the hospital and fewer UH. Younger HH patients had lower costs, and fewer UH and ED visits. Area level Income. All outcomes were better for high and low income HH patients compared to usual care except for ED visits among those with low income. CCI. Among those with a low CCI score, all four outcomes were better among HH patients. In contrast, differences between groups with higher comorbid illness did not achieve statistical significance for any outcome. Systemic Therapy. HH participants on ST experienced shorter hospital stays and fewer UH compared to usual care. Among those not on ST, HH patients experienced lower costs, and fewer UH and ED admissions. Conclusions: In this exploratory analysis, we found that the utilization and cost benefit associated with HH was robust, favoring better outcomes in each subgroup including lower 30-day costs, shorter hospital length of stay and fewer unplanned hospitalizations or ER visits. While medically complex patients may not receive similar benefit from HH as other subgroups, no outcomes favored patients managed by usual care. Taken together, this suggests that health care utilization and cost reductions associated with HH occur across multiple subgroups, but patients with high comorbidity may require additional intervention to realize lower utilization and costs.

The association between body composition, quality of life (QoL), overall survival (OS) and decision to treat (DTT) in patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC)

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Background: Among patients diagnosed with mNSCLC, significant declines in fat and muscle mass are common, yet there is a paucity of data related to body composition, QoL, TD, and survival. Accordingly, we evaluated the relationship between body composition via routine CT scans, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and overall survival (OS) among a convenience sample of mNSCLC patients. Methods: Data from 80 mNSCLC patients with initial CT scans and NCI PROMIS questionnaires within the first three months of diagnosis were analyzed. Body composition from CT scans (sliceOmatic software) extracted Skeletal muscle (SM), intermuscular adipose tissue (IAT), visceral VAT, and subcutaneous (SAT) in area (cm2) and a discovery set was expressed as HU. PROMIS PROs (pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and physical function) were collected in clinic using an iPad as an institutional quality initiative. Results: Median time to OS was 16 months. When stratified by sex, females had longer median survival time (female 25 months, male 14 months). When all body composition variables were considered together, greater amounts of skeletal muscle were linked with a 63% reduction in mortality risk 0.37 (95% CI 0.16, 0.87) in the adjusted model. Per one-unit increase in VAT (area cm2) was linked with a 0.04 unit decrease in pain (95% CI -0.08, -0.01). Associations between HU and clinical were also observed. Greater amount of VAT (mean HU) was linked with 2.57(95% CI 1.10, 6.01) times the odds of death in the crude model. Also, in crude model, one unit of increase in skeletal muscle (mean HU) was associated with 0.3 (95% CI 0.03, 0.57) unit increase in physical functionality, and -0.34(95% CI -0.63, -0.05)) unit decrease in fatigue. Conclusions: Body composition data can be collected from retrospective scans and appears to be prognostic of OS, PRO and TD.

Improving Antibiotic Stewardship for Diarrheal Disease With Probability-Based Electronic Clinical Decision Support: A Randomized Crossover Trial

IMPORTANCE

Inappropriate use of antibiotics for diarrheal illness can result in adverse effects and increase in antimicrobial resistance.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the diarrheal etiology prediction (DEP) algorithm, which uses patient-specific and location-specific features to estimate the probability that diarrhea etiology is exclusively viral, impacts antibiotic prescriptions in patients with acute diarrhea.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A randomized crossover study was conducted to evaluate the DEP incorporated into a smartphone-based electronic clinical decision-support (eCDS) tool. The DEP calculated the probability of viral etiology of diarrhea, based on dynamic patient-specific and location-specific features. Physicians were randomized in the first 4-week study period to the intervention arm (eCDS with the DEP) or control arm (eCDS without the DEP), followed by a 1-week washout period before a subsequent 4-week crossover period. The study was conducted at 3 sites in Bangladesh from November 17, 2021, to January 21, 2021, and at 4 sites in Mali from January 6, 2021, to March 5, 2021. Eligible physicians were those who treated children with diarrhea. Eligible patients were children between ages 2 and 59 months with acute diarrhea and household access to a cell phone for follow-up.

INTERVENTIONS

Use of the eCDS with the DEP (intervention arm) vs use of the eCDS without the DEP (control arm).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was the proportion of children prescribed an antibiotic.

RESULTS

A total of 30 physician participants and 941 patient participants (57.1% male; median [IQR] age, 12 [8-18] months) were enrolled. There was no evidence of a difference in the proportion of children prescribed antibiotics by physicians using the DEP (risk difference [RD], -4.2%; 95% CI, -10.7% to 1.0%). In a post hoc analysis that accounted for the predicted probability of a viral-only etiology, there was a statistically significant difference in risk of antibiotic prescription between the DEP and control arms (RD, -0.056; 95% CI, -0.128 to -0.01). No known adverse effects of the DEP were detected at 10-day postdischarge.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Use of a tool that provides an estimate of etiological likelihood did not result in a significant change in overall antibiotic prescriptions. Post hoc analysis suggests that a higher predicted probability of viral etiology was linked to reductions in antibiotic use.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT04602676.

A pilot intervention to improve health insurance literacy and financial toxicity among recently diagnosed adolescents and young adults with cancer

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Background: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs; ages 18-39) with cancer report worries about costs and feeling uninformed about their insurance, which may impair their ability to navigate the health care system, use their insurance, and manage costs. We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess a virtually delivered health insurance navigation intervention (“CHAT”) to improve health insurance literacy (HIL) and knowledge, increase awareness of insurance protections in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and reduce financial toxicity and stress. Methods: CHAT is a 4-session program delivered by a patient navigator. Session content included learning about insurance, navigating your plan, insurance-related laws, & managing care costs. Eligible participants had access to a wireless device, were within their first year of cancer diagnosis, and were treated at oncology sites from the University of Utah Healthcare and Intermountain Healthcare systems. We assessed feasibility and preliminary efficacy of CHAT compared to usual navigation care, including HIL (9 items on confidence using insurance), insurance knowledge (13 items on terms such as deductible & copay), ACA protections (8 items), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; 4 items), and COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST; 11 items) using t-tests. Results: From November 2020 to January 2022, 86 AYAs enrolled (46.2% approached consented); 68.6% were female, 72.1% white, 18.6% Hispanic, 34.9% age 18-25, 65.1% age 26-39, 83.7% had private insurance, and 10.5% public. Mean baseline HIL scores were 22.6 (range = 9-33, SD = 5.5). At baseline, 65.1% of participants were unaware of the ACA provision allowing appeals for coverage denials. 64.4% of intervention participants completed all 4 sessions; 86.0% completed the 5-month follow-up survey with data collection ongoing (74/86). At follow-up, compared to usual navigation care, CHAT participants had improvements in HIL, knowledge of insurance, and knowledge of ACA provisions (Table). While PSS improved more for CHAT than usual care, COST did not differ. Conclusions: Results support the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of CHAT with related improvements in HIL and knowledge of the ACA. Clinical trial information: NCT04448678. [Table: see text]

HIAYA CHAT study protocol: a randomized controlled trial of a health insurance education intervention for newly diagnosed adolescent and young adult cancer patients

BACKGROUND

For adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients aged 18 to 39 years, health insurance literacy is crucial for an effective use of the health care system. AYAs often face high out-of-pocket costs or have unmet health care needs due to costs. Improving health insurance literacy could help AYAs obtain appropriate and affordable health care. This protocol illustrates a randomized controlled trial testing a virtual health insurance education intervention among AYA patients.

METHODS

This is a two-arm multisite randomized controlled trial. A total of 80 AYAs diagnosed with cancer in the Mountain West region will be allocated to either usual navigation care or tailored health insurance education intervention with a patient navigator that includes usual care. All participants will complete a baseline and follow-up survey 5 months apart. The primary outcomes are feasibility (number enrolled and number of sessions completed) and acceptability (5-point scale on survey measuring satisfaction of the intervention). The secondary outcomes are preliminary efficacy measured by the Health Insurance Literacy Measure and the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity.

DISCUSSION

This trial makes a timely contribution to test the feasibility and acceptability of a virtual AYA-centered health insurance education program.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04448678. Registered on June 26, 2020.

Mental health disorders are more common in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma and may negatively impact overall survival

BACKGROUND

Long-term mental health outcomes were characterized in patients who were diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and risk factors for the development of mental health disorders were identified.

METHODS

Patients who were diagnosed with HL between 1997 and 2014 were identified in the Utah Cancer Registry. Each patient was matched with up to five individuals from a general population cohort identified within the Utah Population Database, a unique source of linked records that includes patient and demographic data.

RESULTS

In total, 795 patients who had HL were matched with 3575 individuals from the general population. Compared with the general population, patients who had HL had a higher risk of any mental health diagnosis (hazard ratio, 1.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.57-2.00). Patients with HL had higher risks of anxiety, depression, substance-related disorders, and suicide and intentional self-inflicted injuries compared with the general population. The main risk factor associated with an increased risk of being diagnosed with mental health disorders was undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with a hazard ratio of 2.06 (95% confidence interval, 1.53-2.76). The diagnosis of any mental health disorder among patients with HL was associated with a detrimental impact on overall survival; the 10-year overall survival rate was 70% in patients who had a mental health diagnosis compared with 86% in those patients without a mental health diagnosis (p < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who had HL had an increased risk of various mental health disorders compared with a matched general population. The current data illustrate the importance of attention to mental health in HL survivorship, particularly for patients who undergo therapy with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Longitudinal visual field variability and the ability to detect glaucoma progression in black and white individuals

BACKGROUND/AIMS

To investigate racial differences in the variability of longitudinal visual field testing in a 'real-world' clinical population, evaluate how these differences are influenced by socioeconomic status, and estimate the impact of differences in variability on the time to detect visual field progression.

METHODS

This retrospective observational cohort study used data from 1103 eyes from 751 White individuals and 428 eyes from 317 black individuals. Linear regression was performed on the standard automated perimetry mean deviation values for each eye over time. The SD of the residuals from the trend lines was calculated and used as a measure of variability for each eye. The association of race with the SD of the residuals was evaluated using a multivariable generalised estimating equation model with an interaction between race and zip code income. Computer simulations were used to estimate the time to detect visual field progression in the two racial groups.

RESULTS

Black patients had larger visual field variability over time compared with white patients, even when adjusting for zip code level socioeconomic variables (SD of residuals for Black patients=1.53 dB (95% CI 1.43 to 1.64); for white patients=1.26 dB (95% CI 1.14 to 1.22); mean difference: 0.28 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.41); p<0.001). The difference in visual field variability between black and white patients was greater at lower levels of income and led to a delay in detection of glaucoma progression.

CONCLUSION

Black patients had larger visual field variability compared with white patients. This relationship was strongly influenced by socioeconomic status and may partially explain racial disparities in glaucoma outcomes.

Abstract 892: Application of iterative sureindependence screening to improve urinary metabolomics-based prediction of survival in colorectal cancer patients

Objective: High-throughput metabolomics assays can generate thousands of biomarker measurements and provide novel opportunities for prognostic modeling in colorectal cancer (CRC) research. The high dimensionality of metabolic data brings unforeseen statistical challenges and traditional variable selection methods may not perform well due to simultaneous challenges of computational expediency, statistical accuracy, and algorithmic stability. The Iterative Sure Independence Screening (ISIS) has demonstrated superior theoretical properties in handling such situations, and may be a viable alternative.

Methods: In a prospective study of 77 newly diagnosed CRC patients (stage I-IV), pre-surgical urinary samples were analyzed on a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry platform. After exclusion of metabolites with &gt;30% coefficient of variation, 168 metabolites remained for statistical analysis. Raw measures were processed following a standard normalization pipeline. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) as measured from date of cancer diagnosis. In addition to metabolomics data, the predictor set included baseline clinical characteristics, such as age, sex, body mass index, tumor site, tumor stage, and receipt of neo-adjuvant and/or adjuvant treatment. We applied the ISIS method with Lasso penalty on a Cox regression model (ISIS-Lasso) to identify features associated with OS. Cox models with either Lasso regularization or backward selection were also considered as competing methods. The performance of the models was assessed through two standard performance matrices: Uno's time-dependent Area Under the Curve (tAUC) and Brier's score, both with resample-based validation.

Results: Based on bootstrapped tAUC curves, we demonstrated that the screening step in ISIS can significantly improve model performance, since its predicted mean (and median) AUC are larger across clinically relevant follow-up time points (2 and 5 years after diagnosis) relative to the corresponding measures from the other two models. The prediction error based on Brier's score with 0.632+ bootstrap from ISIS-Lasso was also noticeably lower compared to the model from backward selections. Based on the ISIS-Lasso model, we identified two features, that were predictive of OS in CRC patients: tumor stage and cystine. When fixing all other clinical measures, patients with early stage (I-III) had 52% lower risk of death, compared to late stage (IV); 1 standard deviation of increase of cystine level was associated with 62% increased risk of death.

Conclusion: We have demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of an ISIS-based method to improve selection of prognostic models derived from metabolomics data. This may be especially useful for studies with moderate sample sizes. We have identified cystine as a potentially important prognostic biomarker.

Citation Format: Tengda Lin, Biljana Gigic, Kenneth Boucher, Ben Haaland, David Liesenfeld, Robert Owen, Petra Schrotz-King, Jourgen Boehm, Anita Peoples, Augustin Scalbert, Martin Schneider, Jane Figueiredo, William Grady, Christopher Li, David Shibata, Erin Siegel, Adetunji Toriola, Alexis Ulrich, Neli Ulrich, Jincheng Shen, Jennifer Ose. Application of iterative sureindependence screening to improve urinary metabolomics-based prediction of survival in colorectal cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 892.

Overall survival (OS) with docetaxel (D) vs novel hormonal therapy (NHT) with abiraterone (A) or enzalutamide (E) after a prior NHT in patients (Pts) with metastatic prostate cancer (mPC): Results from a real-world dataset

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Background: NHT (A and E) are approved first-line (1L) treatment (Rx) for mPC. After progression on NHT, Rx include either alternate NHT or D. However, OS from a randomized trial comparing NHT vs D after progression on 1L NHT has not been reported. Methods: Pts data were extracted from the Flatiron Health EHR-derived de-identified database. Inclusion: diagnosis of mPC; 1L Rx with single agent A or E only, single-agent Rx with alternate NHT (E or A) or D in second line (2L). Exclusion: > 180 days between date of diagnosis of mPC and date of next visit to ensure Pts were actively engaged in care at data-providing site; Rx with NHT in non-metastatic setting, any prior exposure to D. OS was compared using Cox proportional hazards model stratified by Rx propensity score. Each Pts’ probability of receiving D (rather than NHT) was modeled via a random forest based on Pts and disease characteristics which may drive treatment selection. These included pre-2L Rx ECOG scores, PSA, LDH, ALPH, Hb, age, ICD codes for liver metastasis, diabetes, neuropathy, and heart failure; insurance payer, year of start of 2L Rx, time on 1 L NHT, Gleason score, PSA at the original diagnosis of mPC. Subgroup analyses included 1L Rx duration < 12 mos. Results: 1165 Pts between 2/5/2013 to 9/27/2019 were eligible. Median follow up 8 mos (range 0.1-64.5). Median OS after 1L A was higher with E as compared to D (15.7 vs. 9.4 mos). Median OS after 1L E was higher with A as compared to D (13.3 vs. 9.7 mos) (table). Propensity distributions were overlapping among Rx arms and showed only modest imbalance. In 2L, D had a worse adjusted hazard ratio of 1.29 and 1.35 as compared to E and A respectively (p < 0.05). Similar results were seen with 1L Rx duration of < 12 mos (p < 0.05). Conclusions: These hypothesis-generating data provide real-world OS estimates with 2L D & NHT in mPC. In propensity-stratified analyses, mPC Pts who progressed on NHT had a worse OS with 2L D as compared to alternate NHT. Results were consistent in unadjusted analysis & subgroup analyses of 1L Rx < 12 mos. Results are subject to residual confounding and missingness. After prospective validation these data may aid in Rx sequencing, Pts counselling, and design of future clinical trials in this setting. [Table: see text]

Comparative effectiveness of second-line (2L) single-agent atezolizumab (A), nivolumab (N), and pembrolizumab (P) in patients (Pts) with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (aUC) who progressed on platinum-based systemic chemotherapy (plat-chemo): Results from a real-world dataset

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Background: Five PD-1/L1 inhibitors (PDi) are approved for 2L therapy (Rx) for aUC after progression on plat-chemo, but none compared with each other in randomized trials. Here, we assessed comparative effectiveness of 2L PDi in real-world setting. Methods: Pt level data of Pts with aUC were extracted from Flatiron Health EHR-derived de-identified database. Inclusion criteria: 1L Rx with plat-chemo; receipt of single agent PDi in 2L; initiation of 2L PDi 6 mos before data-cut off. Exclusion criteria: >90 days from diagnosis to date of next visit to ensure active engagement of Pts with data providing site; initiation of 2L after 7/31/2016 to ensure uptake of PDi for aUC. OS was compared from the date of initiation of 2L Rx. Comparative effectiveness was examined by Cox proportional hazards model, stratified by treatment propensity score. Each Pts’ propensity of receiving each 2L PDi was modeled via a random forest based on Pt and disease characteristics potentially driving Rx selection for a PDi (gender, smoking status, race/ethnicity, relapsed vs de novo disease, time between 1L & 2L Rx, cis vs carboplatin in 1L; year of Rx with PDi & following characteristics before 2L Rx: ECOG, Hb, age, ICD codes for liver or CNS mets, albumin & PD-L1 status when available). Results: 703 Pts with aUC who initiated 2L Rx between 8/1/2016 to 10/31/2019 were eligible. 2L Rx were A (n=322), N (n=127) & P (n=254). Durvalumab & avelumab were excluded due to low utilization in this dataset. Median follow up from 2L initiation was 4.8 mos. Median OS (mos; 95% CI) with A (6.4 mos; 5-8.7), N (8 mos; 6.3-11.3) and P (8.5 mos; 6.1-11.6) were similar (propensity stratified log rank p=0.19; simple log-rank p=0.34). Over time proportion of Pts receiving 2L A decreased, P increased & N increased then decreased (p<0.001). Propensity stratified comparative effectiveness estimates are below. Conclusions: In this real-world cohort of Pts with aUC, OS with 2L Rx with A, N, & P were similar on both univariate and propensity stratified analyses. These results agree with prior trial level meta-analysis (PMID 31200951). Strength of this analysis includes large Pt level data from a real world cohort. Limitations include retrospective nature of this study. [Table: see text]

1493. Creation and External Validation of a Clinical Prediction Rule for Diarrheal Etiology Using Natural Language Processing

Background

Infectious diarrheal illness is a significant contributor to healthcare costs in the US pediatric population. New multi-pathogen PCR-based panels have shown increased sensitivity over previous methods; however, they are costly and clinical utility may be limited in many cases. Clinical Prediction Rules (CPRs) may help optimize the appropriate use of these tests. Furthermore, Natural Language Processing (NLP) is an emerging tool to extract clinical history for decision support. Here, we examine NLP for the validation of a CPR for pediatric diarrhea.

Methods

Using data from a prospective clinical trial at 5 US pediatric hospitals, 961 diarrheal cases were assessed for etiology and relevant clinical variables. Of 65 variables collected in that study, 42 were excluded in our models based on a scarcity of documentation in reviewed clinical charts. The remaining 23 variables were ranked by random forest (RF) variable importance and utilized in both an RF and stepwise logistic regression (LR) model for viral-only etiology. We investigated whether NLP could accurately extract data from clinical notes comparable to study questionnaires. We used the eHOST abstraction software to abstract 6 clinical variables from patient charts that were useful in our CPR. These data will be used to train an NLP algorithm to extract the same variables from additional charts, and be combined with data from 2 other variables coded in the EMR to externally validate our model.

Results

Both RF and LR models achieved cross-validated area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of 0.74 using the top 5 variables (season, age, bloody diarrhea, vomiting/nausea, and fever), which did not improve significantly with the addition of more variables. Of 270 charts abstracted for NLP training, there were 41 occurrences of bloody diarrhea annotated, 339 occurrences of vomiting, and 145 occurrences of fever. Inter-annotator agreement over 9 training sets ranged between 0.63 and 0.83.

Conclusion

We have constructed a parsimonious CPR involving only 5 inputs for the prediction of a viral-only etiology for pediatric diarrheal illness using prospectively collected data. With the training of an NLP algorithm for automated chart abstraction we will validate the CPR. NLP could allow a CPR to run without manual data entry to improve care.

Disclosures

All authors: No reported disclosures.

Receipt of systemic therapy in older versus younger patients (pts) with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC)

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Background: More than half of pts diagnosed with mRCC are age 65 or older. However, older pts are often under-accrued/under-represented in clinical trials, partly due to concerns about their ability to tolerate systemic therapy (Rx). Given this, efficacy data from the registration trials may not apply to older pts. Herein, we investigate whether older patients with mRCC are less likely to receive various lines of systemic Rx than their younger counterparts. Methods: Clinical data was obtained from a prospectively maintained mRCC registry at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah. Older pts were defined as ≥65 yrs at initiation of first-line systemic Rx for mRCC. Univariate analyses of the lines of systemic Rx received were performed using the Chi-squared test. Comparison of ordered categorical variables was made with the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results: 264 pts who received first-line Rx for mRCC between 2004-2018 were included, and 108 of them were older pts. For older pts, median age at first-line Rx was 71.1 years and 78.7% had clear cell histology, whereas, the median age for younger pts was 53.4 years and 75.6% had clear cell histology. There was no difference in the baseline IMDC risk categories in older vs. younger pts (p = 0.907). A similar proportion of older and younger pts received at least two lines of systemic Rx (66.9% vs. 62.4%, p = 0.532). Furthermore, when analyzed across all lines of treatment, there was no difference in the number of systemic Rx between older and younger pts (p = 0.593). The median OS was similar in both groups: older 30 months (95% CI 21-44 months) vs. younger 34 months (95% CI 30-46 months) (p = 0.639). Conclusions: Older pts with mRCC receive a similar number of systemic Rx as their younger counterparts, and have similar survival outcomes. These findings can inform clinicians when selecting first and salvage-line treatment for older pts, and warrant proportionate accrual and representation of older pts in clinical trials.

208. Trends in Antibiotic Prescribing for Acute Respiratory Tract Infections and Implementation of a Provider-Directed Intervention Within the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (VA)

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Disclosures

213. Multi-centered Evaluation of an Acute Respiratory Tract Infection Audit-Feedback Intervention: Impact on Antibiotic Prescribing Rates and Patient Outcomes

Background

Audit-feedback of antibiotic prescribing rates for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) is a promising approach to reduce antibiotic use; however, the generalizability and sustainability are unknown. We describe an audit-feedback intervention and outcomes across multiple seasons in different clinic settings.

Methods

Two VA Medical Centers distributed audit-feedback reports targeting providers with frequent ARI visits in emergency department (ED) and primary care (PC) during 2015–2016 and 2016–2017. An academic detailing visit delivered by local peers accompanied the initial audit-feedback report. The intervention was expanded to ED and PC clinics (n = 10) in three other VA facilities in 2017–2018. Outcomes included rates of antibiotics prescribed, recurrent visits for ARIs within 30 days, and adverse events. We assessed intervention sustainability in initiating VAs, and intervention generalizability in expansion VAs. Mixed-effect logistic regression models were used to assess intervention effect on antibiotic prescribing and outcomes.

Results

Antibiotic prescribing for uncomplicated ARI visits (n = 7,814) declined from 53.8% to 27.9% post intervention. The intervention was associated with a reduction in odds of prescribing antibiotics in initiating facilities (odds ratio [OR] 0.6 (95% CI 0.3, 0.9), which declined further with an annual OR 0.8 [95% CI 0.7, 1.1] per year. Preliminary 6-month postintervention results were available from pilot clinics (n = 3) within two of the expansion VAs, which indicated similar effectiveness (OR 0.5 [0.4, 0.7]). Recurrent visits for ARIs (8.2% vs. 8.6%, P = 0.14) and adverse events (2.3% vs. 2.1%, P = 0.90) were not different pre-/post-intervention. Receipt of an antibiotic was not associated with recurrent visits for ARI (8.6% vs. 8.0%, P = 0.45) or adverse events (1.9% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.11).

Conclusion

An audit-feedback intervention sustained a reduction in antibiotic prescribing for ARIs over 3 years, and resulted in similar reductions in antibiotic use in varied ED and PC settings without affecting ARI-related return visit rates.

Disclosures

All authors: No reported disclosures.

Prognostic value of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in advanced cancer

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Background: Performance status, which is prognostic of survival, is a physician’s interpretation of PROs. This retrospective study evaluated prognosis of PROs, independent of physician assessment, with overall survival (OS) and hospitalization-free survival (HFS). Methods: Patients (pts) at HCI were assessed using the NCI PROMIS-Ca bank from May 2016. Physical function (PF), fatigue, depression, anxiety, and pain scores were collected via iPad in pts with metastatic cancers. A single PRO score collected within 6 months of metastatic diagnosis for each pt was merged with outcome data using the Flatiron Health database. Associations between PROs, gender, cancer type, OS and HFS were assessed. Results: 287 complete sets of pt data were available. The PRO domains were interrelated with moderate-strong correlations (0.40-0.79). Cancer types differed by OS and HFS (p’s < 0.001). PF scores were worse for NSCLC than other cancers (p < 0.001). Individual PRO scores were worse for women than men, HFS was better for women and survival was not different. All individual PRO domains were strongly associated with HFS and OS. After correction for gender, cancer type, and individual PROs, only PF remained significant among individual PROs. Conclusions: PROs, especially PF, are prognostic of OS and HFS without physician interpretation. Gender difference may influence PROs. [Table: see text]

Synovial fluid pro-inflammatory profile differs according to the characteristics of knee pain

OBJECTIVE

The role of inflammation and pain in osteoarthritis (OA) is not fully understood. We evaluated the association between pro-inflammatory biomarkers and pain.

METHODS

We used baseline data and samples from a randomized controlled trial of colchicine for symptomatic knee OA. Severity of pain of the more symptomatic knee was assessed by National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-I (NHANES-I) criterion and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain index. Pains on movement and at rest were self-reported on an 11-point Likert scale. Severity of radiographic tibiofemoral OA was assessed by Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) grade. Concentrations of synovial fluid (sf) IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNFα, C-terminal telopeptides of Type I collagen (CTXI) and C-telopeptide of Type II collagen (CTXII), as well as urinary (u) CTXII were measured.

RESULTS

Of the 109 patients enrolled in the study, 70 patients (70% women) with synovial fluid obtained by direct aspiration were included for analysis. The mean ± SD age and body mass index (BMI) of the patients were 57.6 ± 8.3 years and 28.8 ± 5.2 kg/m². After adjustment for age, sex, and BMI, sf IL-6 and IL-8 were statistically significantly associated with 11-point pain on movement, but not with pain at rest. No significant associations were observed with WOMAC pain scores. sf IL-1β (analyzed as detectable/non-detectable) was inversely associated with pain. In contrast, after adjustment, Sf TNFα was associated with WOMAC total pain and both pain on movement and at rest. sf/u CTXII was associated with radiographic severity, but not with knee pain.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides indication that OA pain mechanisms may differ according to the characteristics of the pain.

Colchicine effectiveness in symptom and inflammation modification in knee osteoarthritis (COLKOA): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

Despite the high prevalence and global impact of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), current treatments are palliative. No disease modifying anti-osteoarthritic drug (DMOAD) has been approved. We recently demonstrated significant involvement of uric acid and activation of the innate immune response in osteoarthritis (OA) pathology and progression, suggesting that traditional gout therapy may be beneficial for OA. We therefore assess colchicine, an existing commercially available agent for gout, for a new therapeutic application in KOA.

Methods/Design

COLKOA is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial comparing a 16-week treatment with standard daily dose oral colchicine to placebo for KOA. A total of 120 participants with symptomatic KOA will be recruited from a single center in Singapore. The primary end point is 30% improvement in total Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score at week 16. Secondary end points include improvement in pain, physical function, and quality of life and change in serum, urine and synovial fluid biomarkers of cartilage metabolism and inflammation. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) substudy will be conducted in 20 participants to evaluate change in synovitis. Logistic regression will be used to compare changes between groups in an intention-to-treat analysis.

Discussion

The COLKOA trial is designed to evaluate whether commercially available colchicine is effective for improving signs and symptoms of KOA, and reducing synovial fluid, serum and urine inflammatory and biochemical joint degradation biomarkers. These biomarkers should provide insights into the underlying mechanism of therapeutic response. This trial will potentially provide data to support a new treatment option for KOA.

Trial registration

The trial has been registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02176460. Date of registration: 26 June 2014.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-015-0726-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Is intravenous contrast necessary for detection of clinically significant extracolonic findings in patients undergoing CT colonography?

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether intravenous contrast (IVC) is necessary for detection of extracolonic findings (ECFs) in patients undergoing CT colonography (CTC).

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of CT findings in 179 cases of CTC studies performed over 18 months where both pre-contrast (NECT) and post-contrast (CECT) scans were performed in the prone and supine positions, respectively, in the same patients. All ECFs were recorded on a per patient basis and graded according to the colonography reporting and data system classification.

RESULTS

There was no significant change in E grade for the cohort (p = 0.171) between the NECT and CECT scans. On the CECT scans, additional findings were detected in 49.1% of patients. Overall, there were 27/179 (15.1%) patients graded E3 and 18/179 (10.1%) patients graded E4 on the CECT study. Compared with the NECT study, there was a decrease of 12.9% of patients graded E3 and no change in the number of patients graded E4.

CONCLUSION

With IVC administration, additional ECFs are detected in nearly half of all patients. However, there was no increase in the number of patients with clinically significant lesions. The risk-benefit ratio of routine IVC administration for CTC in symptomatic patients thus requires further evaluation.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

This study reviews the utility of IVC in CTC and is thus relevant to current clinical practice at many institutions.