Effects of empagliflozin on progression of chronic kidney disease: a prespecified secondary analysis from the empa-kidney trial

BACKGROUND

Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduce progression of chronic kidney disease and the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a wide range of patients. However, their effects on kidney disease progression in some patients with chronic kidney disease are unclear because few clinical kidney outcomes occurred among such patients in the completed trials. In particular, some guidelines stratify their level of recommendation about who should be treated with SGLT2 inhibitors based on diabetes status and albuminuria. We aimed to assess the effects of empagliflozin on progression of chronic kidney disease both overall and among specific types of participants in the EMPA-KIDNEY trial.

METHODS

EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA), and included individuals aged 18 years or older with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or with an eGFR of 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher. We explored the effects of 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily versus placebo on the annualised rate of change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR slope), a tertiary outcome. We studied the acute slope (from randomisation to 2 months) and chronic slope (from 2 months onwards) separately, using shared parameter models to estimate the latter. Analyses were done in all randomly assigned participants by intention to treat. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110.

FINDINGS

Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and then followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5-2·4). Prespecified subgroups of eGFR included 2282 (34·5%) participants with an eGFR of less than 30 mL/min per 1·73 m2, 2928 (44·3%) with an eGFR of 30 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, and 1399 (21·2%) with an eGFR 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2 or higher. Prespecified subgroups of uACR included 1328 (20·1%) with a uACR of less than 30 mg/g, 1864 (28·2%) with a uACR of 30 to 300 mg/g, and 3417 (51·7%) with a uACR of more than 300 mg/g. Overall, allocation to empagliflozin caused an acute 2·12 mL/min per 1·73 m2 (95% CI 1·83-2·41) reduction in eGFR, equivalent to a 6% (5-6) dip in the first 2 months. After this, it halved the chronic slope from -2·75 to -1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (relative difference 50%, 95% CI 42-58). The absolute and relative benefits of empagliflozin on the magnitude of the chronic slope varied significantly depending on diabetes status and baseline levels of eGFR and uACR. In particular, the absolute difference in chronic slopes was lower in patients with lower baseline uACR, but because this group progressed more slowly than those with higher uACR, this translated to a larger relative difference in chronic slopes in this group (86% [36-136] reduction in the chronic slope among those with baseline uACR <30 mg/g compared with a 29% [19-38] reduction for those with baseline uACR ≥2000 mg/g; ptrend<0·0001).

INTERPRETATION

Empagliflozin slowed the rate of progression of chronic kidney disease among all types of participant in the EMPA-KIDNEY trial, including those with little albuminuria. Albuminuria alone should not be used to determine whether to treat with an SGLT2 inhibitor.

FUNDING

Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly.

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

BACKGROUND

The EMPA-KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population.

METHODS

EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110.

FINDINGS

Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5-2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62-0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16-1·59), representing a 50% (42-58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all >0·1).

INTERPRETATION

In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease.

FUNDING

Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council.

Development and clinical validation of real-time artificial intelligence diagnostic companion for fetal ultrasound examination

OBJECTIVE

Prenatal diagnosis of a rare disease on ultrasound relies on a physician's ability to remember an intractable amount of knowledge. We developed a real-time decision support system (DSS) that suggests, at each step of the examination, the next phenotypic feature to assess, optimizing the diagnostic pathway to the smallest number of possible diagnoses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of this real-time DSS using clinical data.

METHODS

This validation study was conducted on a database of 549 perinatal phenotypes collected from two referral centers (one in France and one in the UK). Inclusion criteria were: at least one anomaly was visible on fetal ultrasound after 11 weeks' gestation; the anomaly was confirmed postnatally; an associated rare disease was confirmed or ruled out based on postnatal/postmortem investigation, including physical examination, genetic testing and imaging; and, when confirmed, the syndrome was known by the DSS software. The cases were assessed retrospectively by the software, using either the full phenotype as a single input, or a stepwise input of phenotypic features, as prompted by the software, mimicking its use in a real-life clinical setting. Adjudication of discordant cases, in which there was disagreement between the DSS output and the postnatally confirmed ('ascertained') diagnosis, was performed by a panel of external experts. The proportion of ascertained diagnoses within the software's top-10 differential diagnoses output was evaluated, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of the software to select correctly as its best guess a syndromic or isolated condition.

RESULTS

The dataset covered 110/408 (27%) diagnoses within the software's database, yielding a cumulative prevalence of 83%. For syndromic cases, the ascertained diagnosis was within the top-10 list in 93% and 83% of cases using the full-phenotype and stepwise input, respectively, after adjudication. The full-phenotype and stepwise approaches were associated, respectively, with a specificity of 94% and 96% and a sensitivity of 99% and 84%. The stepwise approach required an average of 13 queries to reach the final set of diagnoses.

CONCLUSIONS

The DSS showed high performance when applied to real-world data. This validation study suggests that such software can improve perinatal care, efficiently providing complex and otherwise overlooked knowledge to care-providers involved in ultrasound-based prenatal diagnosis. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Assessing feasibility, construct validity, and reliability of a new aged care-specific preference-based quality of life instrument: evidence from older Australians in residential aged care

BACKGROUND

Quality of Life-Aged Care Consumers (QOL-ACC) is a new older-person-specific quality of life instrument designed for application in quality assessment and economic evaluation in aged care. The QOL-ACC was designed from its inception with older people receiving aged care services ensuring its strong content validity. Given that the QOL-ACC has already been validated in home care settings and a preference-weighted value set developed, we aimed to assess feasibility, construct validity and reliability of the QOL-ACC in residential aged care settings.  METHODS: Individuals living in residential aged care facilities participated in an interviewer-facilitated survey. The survey included the QOL-ACC, QCE-ACC (quality of aged care experience measure) and two other preference-based quality of life instruments (ASCOT and EQ-5D-5L). Feasibility was assessed using missing data and ceiling/floor effects. Construct validity was assessed by exploring the relationship between the QOL-ACC and other instruments (convergent validity) and the QOL-ACC's ability to discriminate varying levels of self-rated health and quality of life. Internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (α).

RESULTS

Of the 200 residents (mean age, 85 ± 7.7 years) who completed the survey, 60% were female and 69% were born in Australia. One in three participating residents self-rated their health as fair/poor. The QOL-ACC had no missing data but had small floor effects (0.5%) and acceptable ceiling effects (7.5%). It demonstrated moderate correlation with ASCOT (r = 0.51, p < 0.001) and EQ-5D-5L (r = 0.52, p < 0.001) and a stronger correlation with the QCE-ACC (r = 0.57, p < 0.001). Residents with poor self-rated health and quality of life had significantly lower scores on the QOL-ACC. The internal consistency reliability of the QOL-ACC and its dimensions was good (α = 0.70-0.77).

CONCLUSIONS

The QOL-ACC demonstrated good feasibility, construct validity and internal consistency reliability to assess aged care-related quality of life. Moderate correlations of the QOL-ACC and other instruments provide evidence of its construct validity and signifies that the QOL-ACC adds non-redundant and non-interchangeable information beyond the existing instruments. A stronger correlation with the QCE-ACC than other instruments may indicate that quality of life is more intimately connected with the care experience than either health- or social-related quality of life in residential aged care settings.

Vaskuläre Malformationen – Anamnese und Klinik als wichtiges Werkzeug auf dem Weg zur Diagnose

Vaskuläre Malformationen sind eine heterogene Gruppe von embryonalen Gefäßfehlbildungen, welche als venöse, arterielle, lymphatische oder kombinierte Anomalien auftreten können 1 2 3 4. Typischerweise sind diese bereits bei Geburt vorhanden. VMF sind äußerst variabel im klinischen Erscheinungsbild, je nachdem welche Gefäße betroffen sind.

Bei vorwiegend lymphatischen Malformationen steht die Schwellung der betroffenen Körperregion im Vordergrund 5. Kapilläre Malformationen treten in der Regel als Naevus flammeus in Erscheinung. Die Erweiterung von Kapillargefäßen führt zu einer permanenten lividen Rötung im Hautniveau des betroffenen Areals.

Dieser Fall beschreibt einen Patienten mit einer ausgedehnten kombinierten venös-kapillären und lymphatischen Malformation mit Betonung des Gesichts, des Rückens und der unteren Extremität. Aufgrund der auffälligen Schwellung der Unterlippe wurde er mit der Verdachtsdiagnose eines Melkersson-Rosenthal-Syndroms in unserer Ambulanz vorstellig.

Commercial growing up milks: usage frequency and associated child and demographic factors across four Asia Pacific countries

BACKGROUND

Commercial growing up milks (GUMs) targeted at children from 12 to 36 months of age are a rapidly growing industry, particularly across the Asia Pacific.

METHODS

The present study assessed the frequency of use and socio-demographic and child associations of commercial GUM feeding in children, aged between 12 and 36 months, in capital cities in four Asia Pacific countries. Mothers of children aged between 12 and 36 months were surveyed, assessing GUM feeding frequency in the past month. A market research company database was used to survey across Asia Pacific urban cities, including Bangkok Thailand, Jakarta Indonesia, Singapore and Australian Capital Cities (ACC).

RESULTS

More than 1000 women (n = 1051) were surveyed (Bangkok, n = 263; Jakarta, n = 275; ACC, n = 252; Singapore, n = 261). The mean (SD) age of mothers was 32.4 (5.3) years and that of children was 23.6 (6.7) months. In total, 62.7% of the children were fed GUMs more than once per week with significant country variance. In comparison with ACC, Asian countries were significantly more likely to feed GUMs ≥once per week: Bangkok [odds ratio (OR) = 5.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.8-8.6]; Jakarta (OR = 3.5, 95% CI = 2.3-5.5); and Singapore (OR = 7.4, 95% CI = 4.9-11.1). Associations of GUM feeding included: maternal tertiary education; mothers younger than 30 years; working full time; and feeding of commercial infant formula under 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first published study to explore commercial GUM feeding in and between countries. The incidence of GUM feeding, in contrast to international recommendations, signals the need for further research into the drivers for GUM feeding and its contribution to the diet.

The relationship of embolic particle size to patient outcomes in prostate artery embolisation for benign prostatic hyperplasia: a systematic review and meta-regression

AIM

To explore the relationship of embolic particle size used in prostate artery embolisation (PAE) to patient outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic review of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane database was undertaken to identify all existing studies using PAE for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Inclusion criteria included prospective studies reporting baseline and 12-month International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and particle size. Exclusion criteria were overlapping studies, commentaries, abstracts, and letters. Data extraction from eligible studies included the size of embolic particle, particle material, and baseline and 12-month values for the following patient outcomes: IPSS, IPSS quality of life, urinary flow rate (Q-max), prostate volume, prostate specific antigen, and post-void residual volume. A meta-regression analysis was then undertaken to examine the relationship of particle size to patient outcome measures.

RESULTS

Six studies with a total of 687 patients were identified. Meta-regression analysis demonstrated particle size as a statistically significant (p<0.001) moderator of 12-month IPSS change following PAE. No statistically significant relationships were identified with other patient outcome measures.

CONCLUSION

Smaller embolic particle size is associated with a greater reduction in IPSS following PAE.

Multimodal analysis of the effects of dexamethasone on high-altitude cerebral oedema: protocol for a pilot study

Background

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a cluster of symptoms that commonly occur in those ascending to high altitudes. Symptoms can include headaches, nausea, insomnia and fatigue. Exposure to high altitude can also lead to high-altitude cerebral oedema (HACE), which is a potential cause of death whilst mountaineering. Generally, AMS precedes the development of HACE. Historical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of regular dexamethasone administration in reducing the symptoms of AMS. However, the mechanism by which dexamethasone works to reduce symptoms AMS remains poorly understood. Further studies, simulating altitude using hypoxic tents, have characterised the effect of prolonged exposure to normobaric hypoxia on cerebral oedema and blood flow using MRI. This randomised trial assesses the effect of dexamethasone on hypoxia-induced cerebral oedema in healthy adult volunteers.

Methods/design

D4H is a double-blind placebo-controlled randomised trial assessing the effect of dexamethasone on hypoxia-induced cerebral oedema. In total, 20 volunteers were randomised in pairs to receive either 8.25 mg dexamethasone or normal saline placebo intravenously after 8 h of hypoxia with an FiO₂ of 12%. Serial MRI images of the brain and spinal cord were obtained at hours 0, 7, 11, 22 and 26 of the study along with serum and urinary markers to correlate with the severity of cerebral oedema and the effect of the intervention.

Discussion

MRI has been used to identify changes in cerebral vasculature in the development of AMS and HACE. Dexamethasone is effective at reducing the symptoms of AMS; however, the mechanism of this effect is unknown. If this study demonstrates a clear objective benefit of dexamethasone in this setting, future studies may be able to demonstrate that dexamethasone is an effective therapy for oedema associated with brain and spinal cord ischaemia beyond AMS.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03341676. Registered on 14 November 2017.

Postmortem examination of human fetuses: comparison of two-dimensional ultrasound with invasive autopsy

OBJECTIVE

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of postmortem ultrasound performed by operators blinded to prenatal findings and to invasive autopsy results in fetuses at different gestational ages and to investigate the effect of various parameters on its diagnostic success.

METHODS

We performed postmortem two-dimensional ultrasound examination, blinded to clinical details, on 163 fetuses at 13-42 weeks' gestation. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the effect of: (i) gestational age at postmortem ultrasound, (ii) presence of maceration and (iii) mode of death, on whether the exam succeeded or failed to reach a diagnosis. In 123 cases in which invasive autopsy was available, the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in detecting major organ abnormalities was evaluated, using invasive autopsy as the gold standard.

RESULTS

For the fetal brain, postmortem ultrasound exam was non-diagnostic in significantly more fetuses with maceration (39.5%; 17/43) vs those without maceration (20.0%; 24/120) (P = 0.013). For the fetal thorax, the exam was non-diagnostic in 34.1% (15/44) of fetuses < 20 weeks of gestation and in 10.9% (13/119) of fetuses ≥ 20 weeks (P < 0.001). For the heart and abdominal organs, there was no association between non-diagnostic postmortem ultrasound and the variables tested. For fetuses < 20 weeks, specificity of postmortem ultrasound examination was 83.3% for detection of anomalies of the brain, 68.6% for the thorax and 77.4% for the heart. For fetuses ≥ 20 weeks, sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 61.9% and 74.2% for detection of anomalies of the brain, 29.5% and 87.0% for the thorax and 65.0% and 83.1% for the heart. For the fetal abdominal organs, sensitivity was 60.7% and specificity 75.8%, and postmortem ultrasound was particularly useful for detection of abnormalities of the kidneys, irrespective of gestational age.

CONCLUSION

Although maceration may lead to failure of postmortem ultrasound examination in some cases, this technique achieves diagnostically acceptable levels of accuracy for fetal brain and abdominal organs, compared with conventional autopsy. It may therefore play a role as a first-line examination before other virtual autopsy techniques are indicated. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A pilot randomized trial of meniscal allograft transplantation versus personalized physiotherapy for patients with a symptomatic meniscal deficient knee compartment

AIMS

Meniscal allograft transplantation is undertaken to improve pain and function in patients with a symptomatic meniscal deficient knee compartment. While case series have shown improvements in patient reported outcome measures (PROMs), its efficacy has not been rigorously evaluated. This study aimed to compare PROMs in patients having meniscal transplantation with those having personalized physiotherapy at 12 months.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A single-centre assessor-blinded, comprehensive cohort study, incorporating a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) was performed on patients with a symptomatic compartment of the knee in which a (sub)total meniscectomy had previously been performed. They were randomized to be treated either with a meniscal allograft transplantation or personalized physiotherapy, and stratified for malalignment of the limb. They entered the preference groups if they were not willing to be randomized. The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score and Lysholm score and complications were collected at baseline and at four, eight and 12 months following the interventions.

RESULTS

A total of 36 patients entered the study; 21 were randomized and 15 chose their treatments. Their mean age was 28 years (range 17 to 46). The outcomes were similar in the randomized and preference groups, allowing pooling of data. At 12 months, the KOOS₄ composite score (mean difference 12, p = 0.03) and KOOS subscales of pain (mean difference 15, p = 0.02) and activities of daily living (mean difference 18, p = 0.005) were significantly superior in the meniscal transplantation group. Other PROMs also favoured this group without reaching statistical significance. There were five complications in the meniscal transplantation and one in the physiotherapy groups.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to compare meniscal allograft transplantation to non-operative treatment. The results provide the best quality evidence to date of the symptomatic benefits of meniscal allograft transplantation in the short term, but a multicentre RCT is required to investigate this question further. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:56-63.

Factors affecting uptake of postmortem examination in the prenatal, perinatal and paediatric setting

Background

Postmortem examination is the single most useful investigation in providing information to parents about why their baby or child died. Despite this, uptake remains well below the recommended 75%.

Objective

To address the question ‘what are the barriers and motivators to perinatal, prenatal and paediatric PM examination?’

Search strategy

Key databases including Pubmed and CINAHL; Cochrane library, websites of relevant patient organisations, hand search of key journals, first and last authors and references.

Selection criteria

Peer‐reviewed qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods research examining factors affecting uptake or decline of perinatal or paediatric postmortem examination.

Data collection and analysis

Narrative synthesis; findings were compared across studies to examine interrelations.

Main results

Seven major themes describing barriers to postmortem uptake were identified: dislike of invasiveness, practicalities of the procedure, organ retention issues, protective parenting, communication and understanding, religion and culture and professional or organisational barriers. Six major themes related to factors which facilitated parental consent were identified: desire for information, contributing to research, coping and well‐being, respectful care, minimally invasive options, and policy and practice. There were a number of themes in the literature that reflected best practice.

Conclusion

Findings highlight the need for better health professional education and the fact some concerns may be mitigated if less invasive methods of postmortem were routinely available. New consent packages and codes of practice may have a positive impact on perception of examination after death. The landscape is changing; further research is necessary to assess the impact on postmortem uptake rates.

Tweetable abstract

Systematic review to explore the barriers and motivators to perinatal, prenatal and paediatric postmortem examination.

Systematic review to explore the barriers and motivators to perinatal, prenatal and paediatric postmortem examination.

Chaetocin antileukemia activity against chronic myelogenous leukemia cells is potentiated by bone marrow stromal factors and overcomes innate imatinib resistance

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is maintained by a minor population of leukemic stem cells (LSCs) that exhibit innate resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting BCR-ABL. Innate resistance can be induced by secreted bone marrow stromal cytokines and growth factors (BMSFs) that protect CML-LSCs from TKIs, resulting in minimal residual disease. Developing strategies to eradicate innate TKI resistance in LSCs is critical for preventing disease relapse. Cancer cells balance reactive oxygen species (ROS) at higher than normal levels, promoting their proliferation and survival, but also making them susceptible to damage by ROS-generating agents. Bcr-Abl increases cellular ROS levels, which can be reduced with TKI inhibitors, whereas, BMSFs increase ROS levels. We hypothesized that BMSF-mediated increases in ROS would trigger ROS damage in TKI-treated CML-LSCs when exposed to chaetocin, a mycotoxin that imposes oxidative stress by inhibiting thioredoxin reductase-1. Here, we showed that chaetocin suppressed viability and colony formation, and induced apoptosis of the murine hematopoietic cell line TonB210 with and without Bcr-Abl expression, and these effects were potentiated by BMSFs. In contrast, imatinib activities in Bcr-Abl-positive TonB210 cells were inhibited by BMSFs. Further, BMSFs did not inhibit imatinib activities when TonB210 cells expressing Bcr-Abl were cotreated with chaetocin. Chaetocin showed similar activities against LSC-enriched CML cell populations isolated from a murine transplant model of CML blast crisis that were phenotypically negative for lineage markers and positive for Sca-1 and c-Kit (CML-LSK). BMSFs and chaetocin increased ROS in CML-LSK cells and addition of BMSFs and chaetocin resulted in higher levels compared with chaetocin or BMSF treatment alone. Pretreatment of CML-LSKs with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine blocked chaetocin cytotoxicity, even in the presence of BMSFs, demonstrating the importance ROS for chaetocin activities. Chaetocin effects on self-renewal of CML-LSKs were assessed by transplanting CML-LSKs into secondary recipients following ex vivo exposure to chaetocin, in the presence or absence of BMSFs. Disease latency in mice transplanted with CML-LSKs following chaetocin treatment more than doubled compared with untreated CML-LSKs or BMSFs-treated CML-LSKs. Mice transplanted with CML-LSKs following chaetocin treatment in the presence of BMSFs had significantly extended survival time compared with mice transplanted with CML-LSKs treated with chaetocin alone. Our findings indicate that chaetocin activity against CML-LSKs is significantly enhanced in the presence of BMSFs and suggest that chaetocin may be effective as a codrug to complement TKIs in CML treatment by disrupting the innate resistance of CML-LSKs through an ROS dependent mechanism.

Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in the perched ground water under seepage-irrigated potato cropping systems

Excessive nitrogen rates for potato production in northeast Florida have been declared as a potential source of nitrate pollution in the St. Johns River watershed. This 3-yr study examined the effect of N rates (0, 168, and 280 kg ha(-1)) split between planting and 40 d after planting on the NO(3)-N concentration in the perched ground water under potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Atlantic) in rotation with sorghum sudan grass hybrid (Sorghum vulgare x Sorghum vulgare var. sudanese, cv. SX17), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata cv. Iron Clay), and greenbean (Phaseolus vulgare cv. Espada). Soil solution from the root zone and water from the perched ground water under potato were sampled periodically using lysimeters and wells, respectively. Fertilization at planting increased the NO(3)-N concentration in the perched ground water, but no effect of the legumes in rotation with potatoes on nitrate leaching was detected. Fertilization of green bean increased NO(3)-N concentration in the perched ground water under potato planted in the following season. The NO(3)-N concentration in the soil solution within the potato root zone followed a similar pattern to that of the perched ground water but with higher initial values. The NO(3)-N concentration in the perched ground water was proportional to the rainfall magnitude after potato planting. A significant increase in NO(3)-N concentration in the perched ground water under cowpea planted in summer after potato was detected for the side-dressing of 168 kg ha(-1) N applied to potato 40 d after planting but not at the 56 kg ha(-1) N side-dress. Elevation in NO(3)-N concentration in the perched ground water under sorghum was not significant, supporting its use as an effective N catch crop.

Hip osteoarthritis: where is the pain?

BACKGROUND

Pain radiating below the knee is typically thought to originate from the lumbosacral spine rather than degenerative hip pathology. We investigated the lower limb distribution of pain using body image maps in 60 patients awaiting primary hip arthroplasty and in 60 patients awaiting spinal decompression for confirmed spinal stenosis. The perception of 33 orthopaedic registrars regarding distribution of hip pain was also assessed.

RESULTS

Groin and buttock pain are significantly more common in hip osteoarthritis. The presence of groin pain is 84.3% of those sensitive for hip dysfunction with a specificity of 70.3%. Patients with hip osteoarthritis had pain below the knee in 47% of cases whereas 88.5% of orthopaedic trainees believed hip pain did not radiate below the knee. Radiographic features of osteoarthritis within the hip joint, visual analogue pain score or Oxford Hip Score have no significant association with a patient's distribution of hip pain.

CONCLUSIONS

Hip pain referred below the knee is common with a degenerate hip joint and follows the distribution of the saphenous nerve, which branches from the femoral nerve. Radiographic deterioration of a hip joint does not correlate with pain distribution or patient dysfunction as measured by the Oxford Hip Score.

The significance of a defect on DMSA scan in children with renal transplants

Since December 1995, pediatric renal transplant recipients in our unit have received a DMSA scan as soon as possible post-transplant in order to provide a baseline for comparison in the event of subsequent complications. We retrospectively reviewed the case notes and DMSA scans of the 45 patients who underwent a scan within 9 wk of their transplant to see if pre or peri-transplant factors or post-transplant complications were associated with defects on scanning. Forty percentage of scans had defects. The presence of defects was not associated with potential predisposing factors such as patient or donor age, cadaveric or live donation, cold ischemia time, multiple donor vessels, the use of non-heart beating donors, the mean time to scan, the serum creatinine, or the presence of structural renal tract anomalies predisposing to UTI. However, 87% of patients had complications before the scan, including UTI, rejection, acute tubular necrosis, transplant biopsy and drug toxicity. Children with no clinical complications had a significantly reduced risk of a defect (p = 0.035), while biopsy was associated with the presence of defects (p = 0.0034). Twenty patients had one or more follow up DMSA scans: one patient developed a new focal defect. In conclusion, renal transplant defects are frequently found on DMSA scanning even early after transplantation and are non-specifically associated with many different complications.

Radiological evaluation of surgical treatment in Perthes' disease

We compared the late radiographic results of femoral head coverage in two unselected groups of patients with Perthes' disease, one treated conservatively and one with surgical containment. Forty-eight hips were treated surgically and 28 hips were managed conservatively. The preoperative radiographs were classified using both the Salter and Herring classifications. We found no significant difference in femoral head coverage between the groups. However, there was a trend towards a better femoral head coverage following surgical containment of Salter type B and Herring type II and III hips. The authors conclude that surgical containment may offer a better prognosis for patients with the more severely affected hips.

A clinical comparison of radiant warmer and incubator care for preterm infants from birth to 1800 grams

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to compare radiant warmer and incubator care for preterm infants from birth with respect to temperature control and weight gain.

METHODS

Sixty preterm infants <33 weeks' gestation were randomized at birth to radiant warmer or incubator care. The initial goal was to maintain abdominal temperature at 36.8 degrees C in both groups and axillary temperature at 36.8 to 37.3 degrees C; air servocontrol was used for incubator infants. Infants in both groups received added humidity for 5 days if their weight was <1000 g and for 3 days if they weighed between 1000 and 1249 g. During a 3-hour period on days 1 to 7, recordings of abdominal, forehead, and foot temperatures were obtained. The percentage of the recording time during which the abdominal temperature was in the target range of between 36 degrees C and 37.5 degrees C was determined as an indicator of temperature control. Weight gain from birth to 1800 g was compared. Secondary outcomes included fluid balance and clinical events.

RESULTS

There were 30 infants in each group; 48 were <1500 g (of whom 17 were <1000 g). There were no significant differences in birth weight, gestation, gender, or illness severity scores in the 2 groups. Significant differences in temperature control were noted on day 1. Although admission temperatures were similar, lower abdominal temperatures were noted in the first 2 hours of life in the incubator group (medians were 36.6 degrees C and 35.9 degrees C in the radiant warmer and incubator groups, respectively). Similarly, mean abdominal temperatures during the 3-hour recording on day 1 were lower in the incubator group, and infants in this group spent a significantly greater percentage of the recording time with temperatures outside the target range (17.3% compared with 0.88%). Other temperature recordings from the forehead and foot were not significantly different in the groups. Fluid intakes were higher for infants under radiant warmer on days 2, 3, and 4, and the difference amounted to a mean of 12.8 mL/kg/d. Maximum sodium levels in the first week were similar in the 2 groups. Mean weight gain was 17.4 g/kg/d for the radiant warmer group and 17.1 g/kg/d for the incubator group; days to regain birth weight and length of hospital stay were not significantly different. Greater numbers of infants in the radiant warmer group required phototherapy, and adverse events (which included death, necrotizing enterocolitis, chronic lung disease, grade 3 or 4 intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, or retinopathy requiring laser treatment) were less frequent in the radiant warmer group (1 infant compared with 8 in the incubator group; relative risk 0.1; 95% confidence intervals: 0.01-0.82).

CONCLUSIONS

This study has shown differences in abdominal temperatures on day 1 and outcome, although the latter finding should be viewed with caution because of the sample size. The results indicate benefits for the initial use of the radiant warmer after birth. Although fluid requirements were higher in the radiant warmer group for days 2 through 4, the increased fluid volumes were given without apparent adverse effect.

Sequential organ scoring as a measure of effectiveness of critical care

We performed an observational nonrandomised study in a critical care unit of a large district general hospital in England to establish whether sequential organ scoring could be used as a measure of effectiveness of intensive care. The degree of organ dysfunction of 75 consecutive patients admitted to the critical care unit whose duration of stay exceeded 48 h was measured using the Logistic Organ Dysfunction System score. The trends in organ dysfunction of survivors and non-survivors were significantly different with function improving in survivors and remaining constant or worsening in non-survivors. In both groups, the degree of organ dysfunction decreased over the first three days of intensive care. On an individual patient basis, we achieved no change or an improvement in organ score over this period in 80% of patients. In terms of individual organ function, intensive care consistently improved scores relating to the cardiovascular, respiratory and renal systems over the first 72 h of care, but not the neurological, hepatic or haematological systems. In conclusion, daily organ scoring usefully reflects the ability of an intensive care unit to stabilise or reverse physiological dysfunction.

Heart failure management

Patients with congestive heart failure consume a large portion of healthcare dollars. After the implementation of an outpatient inotropic infusion unit, case management, a restorative care pathway, and telemanagement at a community hospital, the number of hospital admissions, the inpatient length of stay, and overall costs decreased. At the same time, customer satisfaction and functional status increased. This article describes how the improved outcomes were accomplished.

Aspergillus fumigatus endophthalmitis in a patient with acute myeloid leukaemia

A 55-year-old patient developed progressive loss of vision in one eye following induction chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Aspergillus fumigatus was cultured from vitreal aspirates. The patient was treated with intravenous and intravitreal amphotericin B but suffered complete loss of vision in her right eye. We believe this is the first report of culture-proven Aspergillus fumigatus endophthalmitis in a patient treated for a haematological malignancy.

Alimentary tract malignancies in children

Alimentary tract malignancies in children are unusual. From 1952 to 1996, 54 patients (55 cases) underwent surgery at The Children's Hospital, Columbus for intestinal malignancy. Their records were reviewed retrospectively. The mean age at diagnosis was 9.3 years (range, 1 to 17 years). There were 35 boys and 19 girls (M:F ratio, 1:8). Mean follow-up was 108 months. Laparotomy was performed in all but one child. The primary tumor sites included the colon (31 cases), small bowel (12 cases), appendix (9 cases), and stomach (3 cases). Seventy-five percent of the tumors were non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (41 cases), followed by appendiceal carcinoid (9 cases), colon adenocarcinoma (3 cases), and gastric sarcoma (2 cases). Lymphoma occurred in 28 of 31 nonappendiceal large bowel tumors and was the only tumor type seen in the small intestine. There were 21 Burkitt's, 11 lymphoblastic, 6 small cell, and 5 large cell lymphomas. There was a statistically significant increase in the frequency of small bowel lymphoma after 1982 (10 of 20) in comparison with that before 1982 (2 of 21), P < .05. This coincided with an increase in Burkitt's lymphoma from 5 of 21 (pre-1982) to 16 of 20 (post-1982), and a decrease in lymphoblastic lymphomas from 7 of 21 (pre-1982) to 2 of 20 (post-1982), P < .05. Localized disease and complete resection favored survival in lymphoma, whereas age, sex, and urgency of operation had no influence on survival. This study highlights the predominance of lymphoma as the most common small and large bowel tumor and highlights the emergence of nonendemic Burkitt's as a major entity in pediatric intestinal malignancy.

What best protects the inverted weightbearing ankle against further inversion? Evertor muscle strength compares favorably with shoe height, athletic tape, and three orthoses

We measured the maximal isometric eversion moment developed under full weightbearing in 20 healthy adult men (age, 24.4 +/- 3.4 years; mean +/- SD) with their ankles in 15 degrees of inversion. Tests were performed at both 0 degree and 32 degrees of ankle plantar flexion in low- and in three-quarter-top shoes with and without adhesive athletic tape or one of three proprietary ankle orthoses. At 0 degree of ankle plantar flexion, the mean maximal voluntary resistance of the unprotected ankle to an inversion moment was 50 +/- 8 N-m; this increased by an average of 12% (or 6 N-m) when the subject wore a three-quarter-top basketball shoe. The maximal voluntary resistances to inversion moments developed with the ankles further protected by athletic tape or any of three orthoses were not significantly different. Biomechanical calculations suggest that at 15 degrees of inversion the fully active ankle evertor muscles isometrically developed a moment up to six times larger than that developed when an athlete wears a three-quarter-top shoe alone and more than three times larger than that developed passively when the athlete has tape or an orthosis worn inside a three-quarter-top shoe. We conclude that fully activated and strong ankle evertor muscles are the best protection for a near-maximally inverted ankle at footstrike.

Ascertainment of myotonic dystrophy through cataract by selective screening

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) almost always results from the expansion of an unstable (CTG)n repeat. The mutation can be detected directly. Affected patients with cataracts may have minimal additional signs of the disorder, but all are at risk of life threatening complications. We have studied the efficacy of detecting new families with myotonic dystrophy by selectively screening cataract patients. Selection criteria were: age under 60 with no obvious precipitating factor (except non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)); patients of any age with other signs suggestive of myotonic dystrophy detected by the ophthalmologist. Ninety-six patients were tested prospectively; 17 others under 55 were screened retrospectively. All patients were counselled by a clinical geneticist before testing. The patients' DNA was analysed using the DNA probe/restriction enzyme combinations GB2.6/EcoRI, KB1.4/BglI and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Six patients have been found to have a mutation, three (3.1%) in the prospective group and three (17.6%) in the retrospective group. Three of these patients had minimal myotonic dystrophy and three had classical DM.

Blood pressure changes during daytime sleep and comparison of daytime and nighttime sleep-related blood pressure changes in patients with chronic renal failure

Blood pressure has a diurnal pattern primarily related to activity and sleep. Chronic renal failure patients may lack the normal nocturnal decline in blood pressure during sleep. In 33 subjects (14 with normal renal function and 19 with renal dysfunction), the relationship between depth of daytime sleep, as determined by electroencephalographic sleep phase, and change in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and heart rate measured oscillometrically, was correlated. In 15 chronic renal failure patients, the effect of daytime and nighttime sleep on MAP and heart rate was compared. The percent change in night asleep versus day awake MAP and heart rate was measured (with Space Labs ambulatory blood pressure monitors) and compared with the percent change in daytime sleep-related MAP and heart rate measured during a daytime sleep electroencephalographic study. During daytime sleep, MAP changes are not significantly different in the normal versus renal dysfunction groups. In the 33 study subjects, MAP declines progressively from the upright position to Phase 3/4 sleep (118 +/- 3.6 to 106 +/- 3.6 mm Hg). The largest decline occurs between the upright to recumbent position, before sleep. Heart rate declines moving from the upright to recumbent position, 76 +/- 2.3 to 70 +/- 2.1 beats/min, but does not decline further with sleep. In 15 chronic renal failure patients, heart rate (10.8 +/- 2.8%; P < 0.05), but not MAP, declines during nighttime sleep. Both MAP (7.7 +/- 3.3%) and heart rate (5.4 +/- 1.9%) decline significantly during daytime sleep. The responses of MAP and heart rate to daytime and nighttime sleep were in opposite directions in 3 of 15 subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Mental and physical health of spouse caregivers: the role of personality

Although personal resources of caregivers, such as coping skills and social support, have been shown to be important in understanding caregiver stress and health outcomes, personality traits have not previously been considered. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the personality traits of neuroticism and dispositional optimism and mental and physical health outcomes. It was predicted that personality would have direct effects, and indirect effects through perceived stress, on health outcomes. Participants were spouse caregivers of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Results showed that neuroticism and optimism were significantly related to mental and physical health. Furthermore, neuroticism had significant direct effects on all of the health outcomes, and substantial indirect effects, through perceived stress, on mental health outcomes. Optimism showed stronger indirect than direct effects on all health outcomes. These findings demonstrate the importance of including personality of the caregiver in theoretical and empirical models of the caregiving process.

Environmental issues: the challenge for the chief executive

Businesses are under pressure to adopt environmental policies and incorporate them into their strategic business planning as a matter of routine. These pressures are coming from at least five sources--stricter legislation, consumer demand, competitive advantage, staff concerns and community pressure. The challenge is enormous but there is growing evidence that sound environmental management provides pay-off in bottom line results. Business organizations have a vital role to play and its good for them. There are opportunities for new business as well as threats to those organizations which continue to ignore the trends.