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‘Error neuron’ EEG findings could open up future clinical applications
, and this activity can be tracked through a scalp EEG pattern called error-related negativity, according to findings from experiments carried out during intracranial EEG recordings of candidates for surgical treatment of epilepsy.
“Our results suggest that coordinated neural activity can serve as a substrate for information routing that enables the performance-monitoring system to communicate the need for behavioral control to other brain regions, including those that maintain flexible goal information, such as the lateral prefrontal cortex and the frontal polar cortex,” first author Zhongzheng Fu, a PhD student at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and his colleagues reported in Neuron.
The findings offer insights that could lead to treatments for conditions in which the important executive function task of error self-monitoring is unbalanced, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia, the authors noted in a press release.
“We discovered that the activity of error neurons correlates with the size of the ERN [error-related negativity],” Mr. Fu said. “This identifies the brain area that causes the ERN and helps explain what it signifies. This new insight might allow doctors to use the ERN as a standard tool to diagnose mental diseases and monitor responses to treatment.”
Error neuron firing and intracranial ERN occurred first in pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA), then in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) about 50 ms later, with significant correlations between firing and intracranial ERN in both locations. In dACC, this activity, with error-integrating neuron responses, correlated with magnitude of post-error slowing (PES).
Previous research suggested a link between “the detection of self-generated errors, as reflected in the ERN, with changes in cognitive control, as exhibited behaviorally in PES,” the investigators wrote. “However, several electroencephalogram (EEG) studies have failed to find a significant relationship between PES and ERN.”
The present study involved intracranial EEG of 29 candidates for surgical treatment of epilepsy and scalp EEG of 12 control participants, with each modality measuring activity in the frontal cortex. Both cohorts performed a rapid version of the color-word Stroop task, in which the words “red,” “green,” or “blue” were printed either in corresponding or noncorresponding colors of red, green, or blue. Subjects were presented various color-word combinations while being asked to click one of three buttons indicating the color of the word as quickly as possible. The investigators monitored neuronal activity throughout, discarding responses that were too slow.
As found in previous trials, the subjects demonstrated the “Stroop effect,” which refers to a slower response when word and color are incongruent (224.9 ms difference; P less than .001). As anticipated, correct responses following correct responses were faster than were correct responses following erroneous responses, which defines PES.
In the intracranial EEG group, the investigators isolated 1,171 neurons, of which 618 were located in dACC and 553 in pre-SMA. Using a Poisson regression model and correlations with erroneous responses, the investigators identified 99 “type I” error neurons in dACC and 118 in pre-SMA, based on higher frequency of firing during erroneous responses than during correct responses. At a single-cell level, error neuron mean spike rates were highest when intracranial ERN amplitude was greatest, such that error neuron firing in dACC and pre-SMA had maximal likelihood ratios of 7.9 (P = .01) and 15.1 (P less than .001), respectively. The strength of correlation between intracranial ERN and error neuron firing rate was directly related to PES magnitude exclusively in the dACC (maximum likelihood ratio of 13.9; P = .015). In post-error trials, faster error-integrating neuron firing rates in dACC predicted greater PES (maximal likelihood ratio of 18.3; P less than .001).
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the McKnight Endowment for Neuroscience, and the National Science Foundation. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Fu Z et al. Neuron. 2018 Dec 4. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.11.016
, and this activity can be tracked through a scalp EEG pattern called error-related negativity, according to findings from experiments carried out during intracranial EEG recordings of candidates for surgical treatment of epilepsy.
“Our results suggest that coordinated neural activity can serve as a substrate for information routing that enables the performance-monitoring system to communicate the need for behavioral control to other brain regions, including those that maintain flexible goal information, such as the lateral prefrontal cortex and the frontal polar cortex,” first author Zhongzheng Fu, a PhD student at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and his colleagues reported in Neuron.
The findings offer insights that could lead to treatments for conditions in which the important executive function task of error self-monitoring is unbalanced, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia, the authors noted in a press release.
“We discovered that the activity of error neurons correlates with the size of the ERN [error-related negativity],” Mr. Fu said. “This identifies the brain area that causes the ERN and helps explain what it signifies. This new insight might allow doctors to use the ERN as a standard tool to diagnose mental diseases and monitor responses to treatment.”
Error neuron firing and intracranial ERN occurred first in pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA), then in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) about 50 ms later, with significant correlations between firing and intracranial ERN in both locations. In dACC, this activity, with error-integrating neuron responses, correlated with magnitude of post-error slowing (PES).
Previous research suggested a link between “the detection of self-generated errors, as reflected in the ERN, with changes in cognitive control, as exhibited behaviorally in PES,” the investigators wrote. “However, several electroencephalogram (EEG) studies have failed to find a significant relationship between PES and ERN.”
The present study involved intracranial EEG of 29 candidates for surgical treatment of epilepsy and scalp EEG of 12 control participants, with each modality measuring activity in the frontal cortex. Both cohorts performed a rapid version of the color-word Stroop task, in which the words “red,” “green,” or “blue” were printed either in corresponding or noncorresponding colors of red, green, or blue. Subjects were presented various color-word combinations while being asked to click one of three buttons indicating the color of the word as quickly as possible. The investigators monitored neuronal activity throughout, discarding responses that were too slow.
As found in previous trials, the subjects demonstrated the “Stroop effect,” which refers to a slower response when word and color are incongruent (224.9 ms difference; P less than .001). As anticipated, correct responses following correct responses were faster than were correct responses following erroneous responses, which defines PES.
In the intracranial EEG group, the investigators isolated 1,171 neurons, of which 618 were located in dACC and 553 in pre-SMA. Using a Poisson regression model and correlations with erroneous responses, the investigators identified 99 “type I” error neurons in dACC and 118 in pre-SMA, based on higher frequency of firing during erroneous responses than during correct responses. At a single-cell level, error neuron mean spike rates were highest when intracranial ERN amplitude was greatest, such that error neuron firing in dACC and pre-SMA had maximal likelihood ratios of 7.9 (P = .01) and 15.1 (P less than .001), respectively. The strength of correlation between intracranial ERN and error neuron firing rate was directly related to PES magnitude exclusively in the dACC (maximum likelihood ratio of 13.9; P = .015). In post-error trials, faster error-integrating neuron firing rates in dACC predicted greater PES (maximal likelihood ratio of 18.3; P less than .001).
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the McKnight Endowment for Neuroscience, and the National Science Foundation. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Fu Z et al. Neuron. 2018 Dec 4. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.11.016
, and this activity can be tracked through a scalp EEG pattern called error-related negativity, according to findings from experiments carried out during intracranial EEG recordings of candidates for surgical treatment of epilepsy.
“Our results suggest that coordinated neural activity can serve as a substrate for information routing that enables the performance-monitoring system to communicate the need for behavioral control to other brain regions, including those that maintain flexible goal information, such as the lateral prefrontal cortex and the frontal polar cortex,” first author Zhongzheng Fu, a PhD student at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and his colleagues reported in Neuron.
The findings offer insights that could lead to treatments for conditions in which the important executive function task of error self-monitoring is unbalanced, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia, the authors noted in a press release.
“We discovered that the activity of error neurons correlates with the size of the ERN [error-related negativity],” Mr. Fu said. “This identifies the brain area that causes the ERN and helps explain what it signifies. This new insight might allow doctors to use the ERN as a standard tool to diagnose mental diseases and monitor responses to treatment.”
Error neuron firing and intracranial ERN occurred first in pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA), then in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) about 50 ms later, with significant correlations between firing and intracranial ERN in both locations. In dACC, this activity, with error-integrating neuron responses, correlated with magnitude of post-error slowing (PES).
Previous research suggested a link between “the detection of self-generated errors, as reflected in the ERN, with changes in cognitive control, as exhibited behaviorally in PES,” the investigators wrote. “However, several electroencephalogram (EEG) studies have failed to find a significant relationship between PES and ERN.”
The present study involved intracranial EEG of 29 candidates for surgical treatment of epilepsy and scalp EEG of 12 control participants, with each modality measuring activity in the frontal cortex. Both cohorts performed a rapid version of the color-word Stroop task, in which the words “red,” “green,” or “blue” were printed either in corresponding or noncorresponding colors of red, green, or blue. Subjects were presented various color-word combinations while being asked to click one of three buttons indicating the color of the word as quickly as possible. The investigators monitored neuronal activity throughout, discarding responses that were too slow.
As found in previous trials, the subjects demonstrated the “Stroop effect,” which refers to a slower response when word and color are incongruent (224.9 ms difference; P less than .001). As anticipated, correct responses following correct responses were faster than were correct responses following erroneous responses, which defines PES.
In the intracranial EEG group, the investigators isolated 1,171 neurons, of which 618 were located in dACC and 553 in pre-SMA. Using a Poisson regression model and correlations with erroneous responses, the investigators identified 99 “type I” error neurons in dACC and 118 in pre-SMA, based on higher frequency of firing during erroneous responses than during correct responses. At a single-cell level, error neuron mean spike rates were highest when intracranial ERN amplitude was greatest, such that error neuron firing in dACC and pre-SMA had maximal likelihood ratios of 7.9 (P = .01) and 15.1 (P less than .001), respectively. The strength of correlation between intracranial ERN and error neuron firing rate was directly related to PES magnitude exclusively in the dACC (maximum likelihood ratio of 13.9; P = .015). In post-error trials, faster error-integrating neuron firing rates in dACC predicted greater PES (maximal likelihood ratio of 18.3; P less than .001).
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the McKnight Endowment for Neuroscience, and the National Science Foundation. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Fu Z et al. Neuron. 2018 Dec 4. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.11.016
FROM NEURON
IgA vasculitis increases risks for hypertension, chronic kidney disease
IgA vasculitis, also called Henoch-Schönlein purpura, increases risks for hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a retrospective study of more than 13,000 patients with IgAV.
In patients with adult-onset IgA vasculitis (IgAV), mortality risk is also increased, reported first author Alexander Tracy and his colleagues at the University of Birmingham (England).
“Long-term health outcomes of adult-onset IgAV are not well characterized,” the investigators wrote in Annals of Rheumatic Disease. “Most evidence regarding complications of IgAV in adults derives from case reports and case series; there is need for controlled epidemiological studies to address this question.”
The retrospective study compared 2,828 patients with adult-onset IgAV and 10,405 patients with childhood-onset IgAV against sex- and age-matched controls. Patients diagnosed at age 16 years or older were classified as having adult-onset disease. The investigators drew their data from The Health Improvement Network database, which includes 3.6 million active patients from more than 675 general practices in the United Kingdom. Patients in the present study were diagnosed with IgAV between 2005 and 2016. After diagnosis, participant follow-up continued until any of the following occurred: outcome event, patient left practice, death, the practice stopped contributing data, or the study ended. Primary outcomes for adult-onset patients were venous thromboembolism (VTE), ischemic heart disease, hypertension, stage 3-5 CKD, stroke/transient ischemic attack, and all-cause mortality. Primary outcomes for patients with childhood-onset disease were limited to CKD, hypertension, and VTE.
The incidence of childhood-onset IgAV was 27.22 per 100,000 person-years, whereas adult-onset disease was much less common at 2.20 per 100,000 person-years. Mean age at onset of childhood IgAV was 6.68 years. The adult-onset group had a mean age at diagnosis of 38.1 years.
Compared with controls, all patients with IgAV, regardless of onset age, had increased risks of hypertension (adult-onset adjusted hazard ratio, 1.42; P less than .001; childhood-onset aHR, 1.52; P less than .001) and CKD (adult-onset aHR, 1.54; P less than .001; childhood-onset aHR, 1.89; P = .01). Patients with adult-onset IgAV showed increased risk of death, compared with controls (aHR, 1.27; P = .006). No associations were found between IgAV and stroke/transient ischemic attack, VTE, or ischemic heart disease.
“These findings emphasize the importance of blood pressure and renal function monitoring in patients with IgAV,” the investigators concluded. “Our data also suggest that IgAV should not be considered a ‘single-hit’ disease, but that clinicians should monitor for long-term sequelae. Further research is required to clarify the cause of hypertension in patients with IgAV, and to investigate whether such patients suffer from additional long-term sequelae than that are currently unrecognized.”
The investigators reported no funding sources or conflicts or interest.
SOURCE: Tracy A et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018 Nov 28. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2018-214142.
IgA vasculitis, also called Henoch-Schönlein purpura, increases risks for hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a retrospective study of more than 13,000 patients with IgAV.
In patients with adult-onset IgA vasculitis (IgAV), mortality risk is also increased, reported first author Alexander Tracy and his colleagues at the University of Birmingham (England).
“Long-term health outcomes of adult-onset IgAV are not well characterized,” the investigators wrote in Annals of Rheumatic Disease. “Most evidence regarding complications of IgAV in adults derives from case reports and case series; there is need for controlled epidemiological studies to address this question.”
The retrospective study compared 2,828 patients with adult-onset IgAV and 10,405 patients with childhood-onset IgAV against sex- and age-matched controls. Patients diagnosed at age 16 years or older were classified as having adult-onset disease. The investigators drew their data from The Health Improvement Network database, which includes 3.6 million active patients from more than 675 general practices in the United Kingdom. Patients in the present study were diagnosed with IgAV between 2005 and 2016. After diagnosis, participant follow-up continued until any of the following occurred: outcome event, patient left practice, death, the practice stopped contributing data, or the study ended. Primary outcomes for adult-onset patients were venous thromboembolism (VTE), ischemic heart disease, hypertension, stage 3-5 CKD, stroke/transient ischemic attack, and all-cause mortality. Primary outcomes for patients with childhood-onset disease were limited to CKD, hypertension, and VTE.
The incidence of childhood-onset IgAV was 27.22 per 100,000 person-years, whereas adult-onset disease was much less common at 2.20 per 100,000 person-years. Mean age at onset of childhood IgAV was 6.68 years. The adult-onset group had a mean age at diagnosis of 38.1 years.
Compared with controls, all patients with IgAV, regardless of onset age, had increased risks of hypertension (adult-onset adjusted hazard ratio, 1.42; P less than .001; childhood-onset aHR, 1.52; P less than .001) and CKD (adult-onset aHR, 1.54; P less than .001; childhood-onset aHR, 1.89; P = .01). Patients with adult-onset IgAV showed increased risk of death, compared with controls (aHR, 1.27; P = .006). No associations were found between IgAV and stroke/transient ischemic attack, VTE, or ischemic heart disease.
“These findings emphasize the importance of blood pressure and renal function monitoring in patients with IgAV,” the investigators concluded. “Our data also suggest that IgAV should not be considered a ‘single-hit’ disease, but that clinicians should monitor for long-term sequelae. Further research is required to clarify the cause of hypertension in patients with IgAV, and to investigate whether such patients suffer from additional long-term sequelae than that are currently unrecognized.”
The investigators reported no funding sources or conflicts or interest.
SOURCE: Tracy A et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018 Nov 28. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2018-214142.
IgA vasculitis, also called Henoch-Schönlein purpura, increases risks for hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a retrospective study of more than 13,000 patients with IgAV.
In patients with adult-onset IgA vasculitis (IgAV), mortality risk is also increased, reported first author Alexander Tracy and his colleagues at the University of Birmingham (England).
“Long-term health outcomes of adult-onset IgAV are not well characterized,” the investigators wrote in Annals of Rheumatic Disease. “Most evidence regarding complications of IgAV in adults derives from case reports and case series; there is need for controlled epidemiological studies to address this question.”
The retrospective study compared 2,828 patients with adult-onset IgAV and 10,405 patients with childhood-onset IgAV against sex- and age-matched controls. Patients diagnosed at age 16 years or older were classified as having adult-onset disease. The investigators drew their data from The Health Improvement Network database, which includes 3.6 million active patients from more than 675 general practices in the United Kingdom. Patients in the present study were diagnosed with IgAV between 2005 and 2016. After diagnosis, participant follow-up continued until any of the following occurred: outcome event, patient left practice, death, the practice stopped contributing data, or the study ended. Primary outcomes for adult-onset patients were venous thromboembolism (VTE), ischemic heart disease, hypertension, stage 3-5 CKD, stroke/transient ischemic attack, and all-cause mortality. Primary outcomes for patients with childhood-onset disease were limited to CKD, hypertension, and VTE.
The incidence of childhood-onset IgAV was 27.22 per 100,000 person-years, whereas adult-onset disease was much less common at 2.20 per 100,000 person-years. Mean age at onset of childhood IgAV was 6.68 years. The adult-onset group had a mean age at diagnosis of 38.1 years.
Compared with controls, all patients with IgAV, regardless of onset age, had increased risks of hypertension (adult-onset adjusted hazard ratio, 1.42; P less than .001; childhood-onset aHR, 1.52; P less than .001) and CKD (adult-onset aHR, 1.54; P less than .001; childhood-onset aHR, 1.89; P = .01). Patients with adult-onset IgAV showed increased risk of death, compared with controls (aHR, 1.27; P = .006). No associations were found between IgAV and stroke/transient ischemic attack, VTE, or ischemic heart disease.
“These findings emphasize the importance of blood pressure and renal function monitoring in patients with IgAV,” the investigators concluded. “Our data also suggest that IgAV should not be considered a ‘single-hit’ disease, but that clinicians should monitor for long-term sequelae. Further research is required to clarify the cause of hypertension in patients with IgAV, and to investigate whether such patients suffer from additional long-term sequelae than that are currently unrecognized.”
The investigators reported no funding sources or conflicts or interest.
SOURCE: Tracy A et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018 Nov 28. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2018-214142.
FROM ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
Key clinical point:
Major finding: There was significantly increased risk of stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease in patients with childhood-onset IgA vasculitis (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.89; P = .01).
Study details: A retrospective study of 2,828 patients with adult-onset IgA vasculitis and 10,405 patients with childhood-onset IgAV, compared with sex-matched and age-matched controls.
Disclosures: No funding sources or conflicts of interest were reported.
Source: Tracy A et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018 Nov 28. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2018-214142.
Proposed neuroblastoma classification scheme hinges on telomere maintenance mechanisms
Telomere maintenance mechanisms, RAS mutations, and p53 mutations can be used to mechanistically classify clinical phenotypes of neuroblastoma, according to investigators.
Genomic analysis of neuroblastomas showed that the aforementioned markers were strongly associated with outcome and other disease characteristics, reported Sandra Ackermann, MD, of the department of experimental pediatric oncology at the University Children’s Hospital of Cologne (Germany), and her colleagues.
Although previous studies have shown relationships between genetic alterations and behavior of neuroblastomas, “to date, these genomic data have not produced a coherent model of pathogenesis that can explain the extremely divergent clinical phenotypes of neuroblastoma,” the investigators wrote in Science.
The present study involved genomic sequencing of 416 pretreatment neuroblastomas, with tests for telomere maintenance mechanisms, RAS-pathway mutations, and p53-pathway mutations.
Based on existing data, the investigators first devised a panel based on 17 genes related to the RAS pathway (11 genes included ALK) and 6 related to the p53 pathway. In 198 cases, 28 tested positive for RAS- or p53-pathway abnormalities (17.8%). Positivity was more common in high-risk tumors than non–high-risk tumors (21.3% vs. 13.3%; P = .048), and in both risk groups, positivity was associated with poor outcome (hazard ratio, 2.056; P = .001).
However, because clinical courses varied widely among non–high-risk patients with RAS/p53 mutations, the investigators recognized that a piece of the puzzle was missing. They hypothesized that telomere maintenance mechanisms could also be playing a role. Following several intervening experiments, the investigators devised telomere maintenance mechanism testing, defined by MYCN amplification or TERT rearrangements, elevated TERT expression if negative for these abnormalities, or presence of ALT-associated promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies. Subsequent testing revealed that positivity for these parameters was associated with a HR of 5.184 (P less than .001), thereby confirming that telomere maintenance mechanisms could independently predict survival.
“Together, our findings demonstrate that the divergent clinical phenotypes of human neuroblastoma are driven by molecular alterations affecting telomere maintenance and RAS or p53 pathways, suggesting a mechanistic classification of this malignancy,” the authors concluded.
The proposed classification scheme also includes associations with other genetic features (tumor cell ploidy, segmental copy number alterations, MYCN/TERT/ATRX alterations, and gene expression favorability) and clinical characteristics (stage of disease and age at diagnosis).
The study was funded by the German Cancer Aid, the German Ministry of Science and Education, the MYC-NET, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Berlin Institute of Health, the European Union, and others. One coauthor reported financial relationships with Biogazelle and pxlence, and another reported consulting fees from NEO New Oncology.
SOURCE: Ackermann S et al. Science. 2018 Dec 7. doi: 10.1126/science.aat6768.
Telomere maintenance mechanisms, RAS mutations, and p53 mutations can be used to mechanistically classify clinical phenotypes of neuroblastoma, according to investigators.
Genomic analysis of neuroblastomas showed that the aforementioned markers were strongly associated with outcome and other disease characteristics, reported Sandra Ackermann, MD, of the department of experimental pediatric oncology at the University Children’s Hospital of Cologne (Germany), and her colleagues.
Although previous studies have shown relationships between genetic alterations and behavior of neuroblastomas, “to date, these genomic data have not produced a coherent model of pathogenesis that can explain the extremely divergent clinical phenotypes of neuroblastoma,” the investigators wrote in Science.
The present study involved genomic sequencing of 416 pretreatment neuroblastomas, with tests for telomere maintenance mechanisms, RAS-pathway mutations, and p53-pathway mutations.
Based on existing data, the investigators first devised a panel based on 17 genes related to the RAS pathway (11 genes included ALK) and 6 related to the p53 pathway. In 198 cases, 28 tested positive for RAS- or p53-pathway abnormalities (17.8%). Positivity was more common in high-risk tumors than non–high-risk tumors (21.3% vs. 13.3%; P = .048), and in both risk groups, positivity was associated with poor outcome (hazard ratio, 2.056; P = .001).
However, because clinical courses varied widely among non–high-risk patients with RAS/p53 mutations, the investigators recognized that a piece of the puzzle was missing. They hypothesized that telomere maintenance mechanisms could also be playing a role. Following several intervening experiments, the investigators devised telomere maintenance mechanism testing, defined by MYCN amplification or TERT rearrangements, elevated TERT expression if negative for these abnormalities, or presence of ALT-associated promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies. Subsequent testing revealed that positivity for these parameters was associated with a HR of 5.184 (P less than .001), thereby confirming that telomere maintenance mechanisms could independently predict survival.
“Together, our findings demonstrate that the divergent clinical phenotypes of human neuroblastoma are driven by molecular alterations affecting telomere maintenance and RAS or p53 pathways, suggesting a mechanistic classification of this malignancy,” the authors concluded.
The proposed classification scheme also includes associations with other genetic features (tumor cell ploidy, segmental copy number alterations, MYCN/TERT/ATRX alterations, and gene expression favorability) and clinical characteristics (stage of disease and age at diagnosis).
The study was funded by the German Cancer Aid, the German Ministry of Science and Education, the MYC-NET, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Berlin Institute of Health, the European Union, and others. One coauthor reported financial relationships with Biogazelle and pxlence, and another reported consulting fees from NEO New Oncology.
SOURCE: Ackermann S et al. Science. 2018 Dec 7. doi: 10.1126/science.aat6768.
Telomere maintenance mechanisms, RAS mutations, and p53 mutations can be used to mechanistically classify clinical phenotypes of neuroblastoma, according to investigators.
Genomic analysis of neuroblastomas showed that the aforementioned markers were strongly associated with outcome and other disease characteristics, reported Sandra Ackermann, MD, of the department of experimental pediatric oncology at the University Children’s Hospital of Cologne (Germany), and her colleagues.
Although previous studies have shown relationships between genetic alterations and behavior of neuroblastomas, “to date, these genomic data have not produced a coherent model of pathogenesis that can explain the extremely divergent clinical phenotypes of neuroblastoma,” the investigators wrote in Science.
The present study involved genomic sequencing of 416 pretreatment neuroblastomas, with tests for telomere maintenance mechanisms, RAS-pathway mutations, and p53-pathway mutations.
Based on existing data, the investigators first devised a panel based on 17 genes related to the RAS pathway (11 genes included ALK) and 6 related to the p53 pathway. In 198 cases, 28 tested positive for RAS- or p53-pathway abnormalities (17.8%). Positivity was more common in high-risk tumors than non–high-risk tumors (21.3% vs. 13.3%; P = .048), and in both risk groups, positivity was associated with poor outcome (hazard ratio, 2.056; P = .001).
However, because clinical courses varied widely among non–high-risk patients with RAS/p53 mutations, the investigators recognized that a piece of the puzzle was missing. They hypothesized that telomere maintenance mechanisms could also be playing a role. Following several intervening experiments, the investigators devised telomere maintenance mechanism testing, defined by MYCN amplification or TERT rearrangements, elevated TERT expression if negative for these abnormalities, or presence of ALT-associated promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies. Subsequent testing revealed that positivity for these parameters was associated with a HR of 5.184 (P less than .001), thereby confirming that telomere maintenance mechanisms could independently predict survival.
“Together, our findings demonstrate that the divergent clinical phenotypes of human neuroblastoma are driven by molecular alterations affecting telomere maintenance and RAS or p53 pathways, suggesting a mechanistic classification of this malignancy,” the authors concluded.
The proposed classification scheme also includes associations with other genetic features (tumor cell ploidy, segmental copy number alterations, MYCN/TERT/ATRX alterations, and gene expression favorability) and clinical characteristics (stage of disease and age at diagnosis).
The study was funded by the German Cancer Aid, the German Ministry of Science and Education, the MYC-NET, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Berlin Institute of Health, the European Union, and others. One coauthor reported financial relationships with Biogazelle and pxlence, and another reported consulting fees from NEO New Oncology.
SOURCE: Ackermann S et al. Science. 2018 Dec 7. doi: 10.1126/science.aat6768.
FROM SCIENCE
Key clinical point: A proposed mechanistic classification of clinical phenotypes in neuroblastoma is based on presence of telomere maintenance mechanisms, along with RAS and p53 mutations.
Major finding: The presence of telomere maintenance mechanisms was associated with a hazard ratio of 5.184 (P less than .001).
Study details: A genome sequencing of 416 pretreatment neuroblastomas, with tests for telomere maintenance mechanisms, RAS-pathway mutations, and p53-pathway mutations.
Disclosures: The study was funded by the German Cancer Aid, the German Ministry of Science and Education, the MYC-NET, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Berlin Institute of Health, the European Union, and others. One coauthor reported financial relationships with Biogazelle and pxlence, and another reported consulting fees from NEO New Oncology.
Source: Ackermann S et al. Science. 2018 Dec 7. doi: 10.1126/science.aat6768.
RCC research has opened door to the future, but “much work remains to be done”
Recent research on the genetic basis of renal cell carcinoma has expanded and improved treatment options; however, personalized medicine is still largely unavailable, so future efforts should aim to link genetic knowledge with prognosis and treatment selection, according to the authors of a recent review article.
The article, written by Christopher D’Avella, MD, of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, and his colleagues provides an overview of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) mutations and associated therapies, with updates of ongoing trials and a look at future directions.
“The expansion of treatment options for patients with advanced RCC over the past 15 years is a testament to enhanced understanding of the genetics and genomics of RCC and the ability to apply this knowledge to drug development,” the authors wrote in Urologic Oncology. “However, much work remains to be done as there are still no validated biomarkers to select patient treatment, and in only rare cases, the knowledge of particular mutations in RCC can lead to rational treatment selection.”
RCC accounts for approximately 80%-85% of renal tumors. About three out of four RCC patients have clear cell disease, of which about 30% develop metastases and need systemic therapy. The authors pointed out that vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been standard first-line care for these patients since the mid-2000s, based on improved molecular understanding. Still, responses to TKIs are limited and patients eventually develop resistance. Several agents are in development to overcome this obstacle, including inhibitors of hypoxia inducible factor, which have recently shown promise. Among biomarkers for ccRCC, PBRM1 mutations may be associated with susceptibility to checkpoint inhibitors, and TSC1 could predict response to mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) inhibition.
Along with clear cell RCC, the review article addressed topics in papillary and sarcomatoid subtypes.
Patients with papillary RCC often have MET mutations, and ongoing research is focused on associated targeted therapies. For example, savolitinib is a highly selective MET inhibitor that has shown promise in this patient subgroup.
Sarcomatoid features remain characteristic of large and aggressive tumors. Unfortunately, treatment options are currently limited in this area. Recent studies suggest that TP53 and NF2 mutations are associated with sarcomatoid differentiation.
“Future studies should explore linking genetics to prognosis, resistance to targeted therapies, and the identification of future therapeutic targets,” the authors concluded.
SOURCE: D’Avella C et al. Urol Oncol. 2018 Nov 23. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2018.10.027.
Recent research on the genetic basis of renal cell carcinoma has expanded and improved treatment options; however, personalized medicine is still largely unavailable, so future efforts should aim to link genetic knowledge with prognosis and treatment selection, according to the authors of a recent review article.
The article, written by Christopher D’Avella, MD, of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, and his colleagues provides an overview of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) mutations and associated therapies, with updates of ongoing trials and a look at future directions.
“The expansion of treatment options for patients with advanced RCC over the past 15 years is a testament to enhanced understanding of the genetics and genomics of RCC and the ability to apply this knowledge to drug development,” the authors wrote in Urologic Oncology. “However, much work remains to be done as there are still no validated biomarkers to select patient treatment, and in only rare cases, the knowledge of particular mutations in RCC can lead to rational treatment selection.”
RCC accounts for approximately 80%-85% of renal tumors. About three out of four RCC patients have clear cell disease, of which about 30% develop metastases and need systemic therapy. The authors pointed out that vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been standard first-line care for these patients since the mid-2000s, based on improved molecular understanding. Still, responses to TKIs are limited and patients eventually develop resistance. Several agents are in development to overcome this obstacle, including inhibitors of hypoxia inducible factor, which have recently shown promise. Among biomarkers for ccRCC, PBRM1 mutations may be associated with susceptibility to checkpoint inhibitors, and TSC1 could predict response to mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) inhibition.
Along with clear cell RCC, the review article addressed topics in papillary and sarcomatoid subtypes.
Patients with papillary RCC often have MET mutations, and ongoing research is focused on associated targeted therapies. For example, savolitinib is a highly selective MET inhibitor that has shown promise in this patient subgroup.
Sarcomatoid features remain characteristic of large and aggressive tumors. Unfortunately, treatment options are currently limited in this area. Recent studies suggest that TP53 and NF2 mutations are associated with sarcomatoid differentiation.
“Future studies should explore linking genetics to prognosis, resistance to targeted therapies, and the identification of future therapeutic targets,” the authors concluded.
SOURCE: D’Avella C et al. Urol Oncol. 2018 Nov 23. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2018.10.027.
Recent research on the genetic basis of renal cell carcinoma has expanded and improved treatment options; however, personalized medicine is still largely unavailable, so future efforts should aim to link genetic knowledge with prognosis and treatment selection, according to the authors of a recent review article.
The article, written by Christopher D’Avella, MD, of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, and his colleagues provides an overview of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) mutations and associated therapies, with updates of ongoing trials and a look at future directions.
“The expansion of treatment options for patients with advanced RCC over the past 15 years is a testament to enhanced understanding of the genetics and genomics of RCC and the ability to apply this knowledge to drug development,” the authors wrote in Urologic Oncology. “However, much work remains to be done as there are still no validated biomarkers to select patient treatment, and in only rare cases, the knowledge of particular mutations in RCC can lead to rational treatment selection.”
RCC accounts for approximately 80%-85% of renal tumors. About three out of four RCC patients have clear cell disease, of which about 30% develop metastases and need systemic therapy. The authors pointed out that vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been standard first-line care for these patients since the mid-2000s, based on improved molecular understanding. Still, responses to TKIs are limited and patients eventually develop resistance. Several agents are in development to overcome this obstacle, including inhibitors of hypoxia inducible factor, which have recently shown promise. Among biomarkers for ccRCC, PBRM1 mutations may be associated with susceptibility to checkpoint inhibitors, and TSC1 could predict response to mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) inhibition.
Along with clear cell RCC, the review article addressed topics in papillary and sarcomatoid subtypes.
Patients with papillary RCC often have MET mutations, and ongoing research is focused on associated targeted therapies. For example, savolitinib is a highly selective MET inhibitor that has shown promise in this patient subgroup.
Sarcomatoid features remain characteristic of large and aggressive tumors. Unfortunately, treatment options are currently limited in this area. Recent studies suggest that TP53 and NF2 mutations are associated with sarcomatoid differentiation.
“Future studies should explore linking genetics to prognosis, resistance to targeted therapies, and the identification of future therapeutic targets,” the authors concluded.
SOURCE: D’Avella C et al. Urol Oncol. 2018 Nov 23. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2018.10.027.
FROM UROLOGIC ONCOLOGY
Key clinical point: Recent research on the genetic basis of renal cell carcinoma has expanded and improved treatment options but personalized medicine is still largely unavailable.
Major finding: There are still no validated biomarkers to select patient treatment, and in only rare cases does the knowledge of particular mutations in renal cell carcinoma lead to rational treatment selection.
Study details: A review article of mutations in renal cell carcinoma and associated treatment options.
Disclosures: This work was supported by the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Institutes of Health.
Source: D’Avella C et al. Urol Oncol. 2018 Nov 23. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2018.10.027.
hTERT expression predicts RCC survival, tumor aggressiveness
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) protein expression is associated with clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) tumor aggressiveness and disease-specific survival (DSS), according to investigators.
Associations between hTERT expression and clinicopathologic features and outcomes were less robust or nonexistent in papillary and chromophobe subtypes, reported Leili Saeednejad Zanjani, MD, of the Oncopathology Research Center at Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, and colleagues.
“Evidence shows that telomerase is expressed in 85% of malignancies, and the level of its activity is higher in advanced and metastatic tumors,” the authors wrote in Pathology.
“A number of clinical studies have been performed to evaluate the association between telomerase activity and clinicopathological parameters in renal cancer showing that telomerase activity level correlates with progression of RCC,” Dr. Zanjani and associates wrote. As none of these specifically evaluated hTERT protein expression, the investigators conducted a study to learn more.
The investigators analyzed hTERT expression level in 176 cases of RCC, requiring that each tumor had three core biopsies because of concerns of heterogeneity. The population consisted of 113 clear cell, 12 type I papillary, 20 type II papillary, and 31 chromophobe subtypes. Patient and clinicopathologic features were compared with survival and hTERT expression. Median follow-up time was 42 months.
Correlations between hTERT expression and disease characteristics were pronounced in cases of ccRCC, compared with other subtypes. In ccRCC, hTERT expression was significantly associated with tumor stage, nucleolar grade, tumor size, microvascular invasion, lymph node invasion, renal pelvis involvement, renal sinus fat involvement, Gerota fascia invasion, and distant metastasis. Survival analysis showed that DSS of ccRCC patients with high hTERT expression was 58 months, compared with 68 months for those with low hTERT expression (P =.012). Other parameters associated with survival were nucleolar grade, tumor stage, and tumor size.
For type I and II papillary subtypes, associations were found between hTERT expression and tumor stage and distant metastasis. In contrast, chromophobe RCC revealed no such relationships. No associations were found between hTERT expression and survival in any of these three latter subtypes, for slightly different reasons; no patients with type I disease died of renal cancer, disallowing creation of a Kaplan-Meier survival curve, whereas type II and chromophobe survival curves revealed insignificant relationships with hTERT expression. Along the same lines, no clinicopathologic characteristics of these subtypes were tied with survival.
“From these findings we are able to conclude that hTERT protein expression may be a novel prognostic indicator of worse outcome in tumor biopsies of patients with ccRCC, if follow up time is more prolonged,” the authors wrote. They noted that “telomerase is an attractive and ideal target for therapy due to overexpression in the majority of malignancies and low or nonexpression in most somatic cells.”
The study was funded by the Iran National Science Foundation. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Zanjani LS et al. Pathology. 2018 Nov 19. doi: 10.1016/j.pathol.2018.08.019.
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) protein expression is associated with clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) tumor aggressiveness and disease-specific survival (DSS), according to investigators.
Associations between hTERT expression and clinicopathologic features and outcomes were less robust or nonexistent in papillary and chromophobe subtypes, reported Leili Saeednejad Zanjani, MD, of the Oncopathology Research Center at Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, and colleagues.
“Evidence shows that telomerase is expressed in 85% of malignancies, and the level of its activity is higher in advanced and metastatic tumors,” the authors wrote in Pathology.
“A number of clinical studies have been performed to evaluate the association between telomerase activity and clinicopathological parameters in renal cancer showing that telomerase activity level correlates with progression of RCC,” Dr. Zanjani and associates wrote. As none of these specifically evaluated hTERT protein expression, the investigators conducted a study to learn more.
The investigators analyzed hTERT expression level in 176 cases of RCC, requiring that each tumor had three core biopsies because of concerns of heterogeneity. The population consisted of 113 clear cell, 12 type I papillary, 20 type II papillary, and 31 chromophobe subtypes. Patient and clinicopathologic features were compared with survival and hTERT expression. Median follow-up time was 42 months.
Correlations between hTERT expression and disease characteristics were pronounced in cases of ccRCC, compared with other subtypes. In ccRCC, hTERT expression was significantly associated with tumor stage, nucleolar grade, tumor size, microvascular invasion, lymph node invasion, renal pelvis involvement, renal sinus fat involvement, Gerota fascia invasion, and distant metastasis. Survival analysis showed that DSS of ccRCC patients with high hTERT expression was 58 months, compared with 68 months for those with low hTERT expression (P =.012). Other parameters associated with survival were nucleolar grade, tumor stage, and tumor size.
For type I and II papillary subtypes, associations were found between hTERT expression and tumor stage and distant metastasis. In contrast, chromophobe RCC revealed no such relationships. No associations were found between hTERT expression and survival in any of these three latter subtypes, for slightly different reasons; no patients with type I disease died of renal cancer, disallowing creation of a Kaplan-Meier survival curve, whereas type II and chromophobe survival curves revealed insignificant relationships with hTERT expression. Along the same lines, no clinicopathologic characteristics of these subtypes were tied with survival.
“From these findings we are able to conclude that hTERT protein expression may be a novel prognostic indicator of worse outcome in tumor biopsies of patients with ccRCC, if follow up time is more prolonged,” the authors wrote. They noted that “telomerase is an attractive and ideal target for therapy due to overexpression in the majority of malignancies and low or nonexpression in most somatic cells.”
The study was funded by the Iran National Science Foundation. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Zanjani LS et al. Pathology. 2018 Nov 19. doi: 10.1016/j.pathol.2018.08.019.
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) protein expression is associated with clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) tumor aggressiveness and disease-specific survival (DSS), according to investigators.
Associations between hTERT expression and clinicopathologic features and outcomes were less robust or nonexistent in papillary and chromophobe subtypes, reported Leili Saeednejad Zanjani, MD, of the Oncopathology Research Center at Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, and colleagues.
“Evidence shows that telomerase is expressed in 85% of malignancies, and the level of its activity is higher in advanced and metastatic tumors,” the authors wrote in Pathology.
“A number of clinical studies have been performed to evaluate the association between telomerase activity and clinicopathological parameters in renal cancer showing that telomerase activity level correlates with progression of RCC,” Dr. Zanjani and associates wrote. As none of these specifically evaluated hTERT protein expression, the investigators conducted a study to learn more.
The investigators analyzed hTERT expression level in 176 cases of RCC, requiring that each tumor had three core biopsies because of concerns of heterogeneity. The population consisted of 113 clear cell, 12 type I papillary, 20 type II papillary, and 31 chromophobe subtypes. Patient and clinicopathologic features were compared with survival and hTERT expression. Median follow-up time was 42 months.
Correlations between hTERT expression and disease characteristics were pronounced in cases of ccRCC, compared with other subtypes. In ccRCC, hTERT expression was significantly associated with tumor stage, nucleolar grade, tumor size, microvascular invasion, lymph node invasion, renal pelvis involvement, renal sinus fat involvement, Gerota fascia invasion, and distant metastasis. Survival analysis showed that DSS of ccRCC patients with high hTERT expression was 58 months, compared with 68 months for those with low hTERT expression (P =.012). Other parameters associated with survival were nucleolar grade, tumor stage, and tumor size.
For type I and II papillary subtypes, associations were found between hTERT expression and tumor stage and distant metastasis. In contrast, chromophobe RCC revealed no such relationships. No associations were found between hTERT expression and survival in any of these three latter subtypes, for slightly different reasons; no patients with type I disease died of renal cancer, disallowing creation of a Kaplan-Meier survival curve, whereas type II and chromophobe survival curves revealed insignificant relationships with hTERT expression. Along the same lines, no clinicopathologic characteristics of these subtypes were tied with survival.
“From these findings we are able to conclude that hTERT protein expression may be a novel prognostic indicator of worse outcome in tumor biopsies of patients with ccRCC, if follow up time is more prolonged,” the authors wrote. They noted that “telomerase is an attractive and ideal target for therapy due to overexpression in the majority of malignancies and low or nonexpression in most somatic cells.”
The study was funded by the Iran National Science Foundation. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Zanjani LS et al. Pathology. 2018 Nov 19. doi: 10.1016/j.pathol.2018.08.019.
FROM PATHOLOGY
Key clinical point: Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) protein expression is associated with clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) tumor aggressiveness and disease-specific survival (DSS).
Major finding: DSS of ccRCC patients with high hTERT expression was 58 months, compared with 68 months for those with low hTERT expression (P equal to .012).
Study details: An analysis of hTERT protein expression and disease characteristics in 176 patients with RCC. The subtype population consisted of 113 clear cell, 12 type I papillary, 20 type II papillary, and 31 chromophobe cases.
Disclosures: The study was funded by the Iran National Science Foundation. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Zanjani LS et al. Pathology. 2018 Nov 19. doi: 10.1016/j.pathol.2018.08.019.
Age-related gene expression may affect responses to RCC therapy
Older patients with ccRCC may respond better than younger patients to phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) or checkpoint inhibition because of age-related changes in gene expression, according to investigators.
This possibility was raised by in silico results from a broader study of gene expression patterns in clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) and normal kidney tissues, reported lead author, Lara Feulner, MD, of the department of human genetics at McGill University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre in Montreal.
“Several factors could contribute to the interindividual diversity among cancer patients,” the investigators wrote in a report published in Urologic Oncology.
“Their disease course could be affected not only by cell-intrinsic factors, but also by age-related changes impacting the vasculature, immune system and stroma. Little is known in this regard about ccRCC, a disease which affects adults across a wide age spectrum. Whether and how aging and comorbidities such as atherosclerosis may affect the biology and therapy of ccRCC has scarcely been considered,” they wrote.
The investigators explored this territory by analyzing datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Cancer Genomics of the Kidney (CAGEKID) program of the International Cancer Genome Consortium. Using regression, pathway enrichment, and connectivity mapping analyses, they were able to determine associations between age and gene expression, cellular processes, and drug treatment responses, respectively.
The investigators reported that age-related gene expression patterns occurred commonly in both normal and tumor tissues. Associations were reproducible between TCGA and CAGEKID datasets for both classes of tissue (tumor samples, R equal to 0.416, P less than 2.2 x 10-16; normal samples, R equal to 0.403, P less than 2.2 x 10-16). Out of the top 1,000 age-associated genes in tumor samples from each dataset, 383 were commonly downregulated with age and 294 were commonly upregulated with age in both datasets (P less than 2.2 x 10-16).
Among cellular pathways, the investigators found opposite age-relationship patterns. For example, normal tissues upregulated extracellular matrix and cell adhesion pathways with age, whereas tumor tissues downregulated the same pathways. Similar patterns of opposition were found in metabolism and oxidation pathways. Other age-related patterns were noted in some immune pathways, such as upregulation of toll-like receptor and tumor necrosis factor 2 noncanonical NF-kappa-B signaling in tumors, which became more common with age. A closer look showed that upregulation of tumor necrosis factor signaling was more common in female patients, who also downregulated Notch pathways more often than men.
Analysis of treatment responses showed possible relationships with age-dependent gene expression and immunotherapy. Specifically, of 532 genes tied to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) resistance, 69 were among the 383 genes downregulated in older patients with ccRCC (P less than 2.2 x 10-16; 4.05 fold-enrichment), suggesting that older patients may respond better to anti-PD-1 therapy than younger patients. Similarly, connectivity map analysis showed that age-dependent gene expression may improve candidacy of older ccRCC patients for PI3K inhibition.
“We now have evidence that there are notable differences in tumor-associated pathway regulation between younger and older ccRCC patients, which may be therapeutically actionable,” the authors concluded.
The study was funded by the Cancer Research Society operation grant, a Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute Innovation-to-Impact grant, and a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Foundation grant. The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Feulner et al. Urol Onc. 2018 Nov 23. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2018.11.006.
Older patients with ccRCC may respond better than younger patients to phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) or checkpoint inhibition because of age-related changes in gene expression, according to investigators.
This possibility was raised by in silico results from a broader study of gene expression patterns in clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) and normal kidney tissues, reported lead author, Lara Feulner, MD, of the department of human genetics at McGill University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre in Montreal.
“Several factors could contribute to the interindividual diversity among cancer patients,” the investigators wrote in a report published in Urologic Oncology.
“Their disease course could be affected not only by cell-intrinsic factors, but also by age-related changes impacting the vasculature, immune system and stroma. Little is known in this regard about ccRCC, a disease which affects adults across a wide age spectrum. Whether and how aging and comorbidities such as atherosclerosis may affect the biology and therapy of ccRCC has scarcely been considered,” they wrote.
The investigators explored this territory by analyzing datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Cancer Genomics of the Kidney (CAGEKID) program of the International Cancer Genome Consortium. Using regression, pathway enrichment, and connectivity mapping analyses, they were able to determine associations between age and gene expression, cellular processes, and drug treatment responses, respectively.
The investigators reported that age-related gene expression patterns occurred commonly in both normal and tumor tissues. Associations were reproducible between TCGA and CAGEKID datasets for both classes of tissue (tumor samples, R equal to 0.416, P less than 2.2 x 10-16; normal samples, R equal to 0.403, P less than 2.2 x 10-16). Out of the top 1,000 age-associated genes in tumor samples from each dataset, 383 were commonly downregulated with age and 294 were commonly upregulated with age in both datasets (P less than 2.2 x 10-16).
Among cellular pathways, the investigators found opposite age-relationship patterns. For example, normal tissues upregulated extracellular matrix and cell adhesion pathways with age, whereas tumor tissues downregulated the same pathways. Similar patterns of opposition were found in metabolism and oxidation pathways. Other age-related patterns were noted in some immune pathways, such as upregulation of toll-like receptor and tumor necrosis factor 2 noncanonical NF-kappa-B signaling in tumors, which became more common with age. A closer look showed that upregulation of tumor necrosis factor signaling was more common in female patients, who also downregulated Notch pathways more often than men.
Analysis of treatment responses showed possible relationships with age-dependent gene expression and immunotherapy. Specifically, of 532 genes tied to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) resistance, 69 were among the 383 genes downregulated in older patients with ccRCC (P less than 2.2 x 10-16; 4.05 fold-enrichment), suggesting that older patients may respond better to anti-PD-1 therapy than younger patients. Similarly, connectivity map analysis showed that age-dependent gene expression may improve candidacy of older ccRCC patients for PI3K inhibition.
“We now have evidence that there are notable differences in tumor-associated pathway regulation between younger and older ccRCC patients, which may be therapeutically actionable,” the authors concluded.
The study was funded by the Cancer Research Society operation grant, a Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute Innovation-to-Impact grant, and a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Foundation grant. The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Feulner et al. Urol Onc. 2018 Nov 23. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2018.11.006.
Older patients with ccRCC may respond better than younger patients to phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) or checkpoint inhibition because of age-related changes in gene expression, according to investigators.
This possibility was raised by in silico results from a broader study of gene expression patterns in clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) and normal kidney tissues, reported lead author, Lara Feulner, MD, of the department of human genetics at McGill University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre in Montreal.
“Several factors could contribute to the interindividual diversity among cancer patients,” the investigators wrote in a report published in Urologic Oncology.
“Their disease course could be affected not only by cell-intrinsic factors, but also by age-related changes impacting the vasculature, immune system and stroma. Little is known in this regard about ccRCC, a disease which affects adults across a wide age spectrum. Whether and how aging and comorbidities such as atherosclerosis may affect the biology and therapy of ccRCC has scarcely been considered,” they wrote.
The investigators explored this territory by analyzing datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Cancer Genomics of the Kidney (CAGEKID) program of the International Cancer Genome Consortium. Using regression, pathway enrichment, and connectivity mapping analyses, they were able to determine associations between age and gene expression, cellular processes, and drug treatment responses, respectively.
The investigators reported that age-related gene expression patterns occurred commonly in both normal and tumor tissues. Associations were reproducible between TCGA and CAGEKID datasets for both classes of tissue (tumor samples, R equal to 0.416, P less than 2.2 x 10-16; normal samples, R equal to 0.403, P less than 2.2 x 10-16). Out of the top 1,000 age-associated genes in tumor samples from each dataset, 383 were commonly downregulated with age and 294 were commonly upregulated with age in both datasets (P less than 2.2 x 10-16).
Among cellular pathways, the investigators found opposite age-relationship patterns. For example, normal tissues upregulated extracellular matrix and cell adhesion pathways with age, whereas tumor tissues downregulated the same pathways. Similar patterns of opposition were found in metabolism and oxidation pathways. Other age-related patterns were noted in some immune pathways, such as upregulation of toll-like receptor and tumor necrosis factor 2 noncanonical NF-kappa-B signaling in tumors, which became more common with age. A closer look showed that upregulation of tumor necrosis factor signaling was more common in female patients, who also downregulated Notch pathways more often than men.
Analysis of treatment responses showed possible relationships with age-dependent gene expression and immunotherapy. Specifically, of 532 genes tied to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) resistance, 69 were among the 383 genes downregulated in older patients with ccRCC (P less than 2.2 x 10-16; 4.05 fold-enrichment), suggesting that older patients may respond better to anti-PD-1 therapy than younger patients. Similarly, connectivity map analysis showed that age-dependent gene expression may improve candidacy of older ccRCC patients for PI3K inhibition.
“We now have evidence that there are notable differences in tumor-associated pathway regulation between younger and older ccRCC patients, which may be therapeutically actionable,” the authors concluded.
The study was funded by the Cancer Research Society operation grant, a Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute Innovation-to-Impact grant, and a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Foundation grant. The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Feulner et al. Urol Onc. 2018 Nov 23. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2018.11.006.
FROM UROLOGIC ONCOLOGY
Key clinical point: Older patients with ccRCC may respond better than younger patients to phosphoinositide 3-kinase or checkpoint inhibition due to age-related changes in gene expression.
Major finding: Out of the top 1,000 age-associated genes in tumor samples, 383 were commonly downregulated with age and 294 were commonly upregulated with age in two large data sets (P less than 2.2 x 10-16).
Study details: An analysis of data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Cancer Genomics of the Kidney (CAGEKID) program of the International Cancer Genome Consortium.
Disclosures: The study was funded by the Cancer Research Society operation grant, a Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute Innovation-to-Impact grant, and a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Foundation grant.
Source: Feulner et al. Urol Oncol. 2018 Nov 23. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2018.11.006.
Elderly NHL patients have higher NRM after HSCT
A retrospective study suggests elderly patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are more likely to die, but not relapse, within a year of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT).
The rate of non-relapse mortality (NRM) at 1 year was significantly higher for elderly patients than for middle-aged or young patients.
However, the 3-year rate of relapse was similar across the age groups.
Charalampia Kyriakou, MD, PhD, of University College London in the U.K., and her colleagues reported these findings in Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.
The investigators analyzed 3,919 patients with NHL who underwent allo-HSCT between 2003 and 2013.
The patients had follicular lymphoma (n=1,461), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n=1,192), mantle cell lymphoma (n=823), and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (n=443).
At the time of transplant, about 85% of patients were chemo-sensitive, with the remainder being chemo-refractory.
Results
The investigators compared outcomes in patients assigned to three age groups—young (18-50), middle-aged (51-65), and elderly (66-77).
NRM at 1 year was 13% for young patients, 20% for middle-aged patients, and 33% for elderly patients (P<0.001).
Overall survival at 3 years was 60% in young patients, 54% in middle-aged patients, and 38% in the elderly (P<0.001).
In contrast to these significant associations between age and survival, the rate of relapse at 3 years remained relatively consistent—30% in young patients, 31% in middle-aged patients, and 28% in elderly patients (P=0.355).
The increased risk of NRM in elderly patients could not be fully explained by comorbidities, although these were more common in the elderly.
After analyzing information from a subset of patients, the investigators concluded that “the presence of comorbidities is a significant risk factor for NRM and survival, but this does not fully explain the outcome disadvantages in our [elderly] group.”
Therefore, age remains an independent risk factor.
The investigators did not report conflicts of interest.
A retrospective study suggests elderly patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are more likely to die, but not relapse, within a year of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT).
The rate of non-relapse mortality (NRM) at 1 year was significantly higher for elderly patients than for middle-aged or young patients.
However, the 3-year rate of relapse was similar across the age groups.
Charalampia Kyriakou, MD, PhD, of University College London in the U.K., and her colleagues reported these findings in Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.
The investigators analyzed 3,919 patients with NHL who underwent allo-HSCT between 2003 and 2013.
The patients had follicular lymphoma (n=1,461), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n=1,192), mantle cell lymphoma (n=823), and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (n=443).
At the time of transplant, about 85% of patients were chemo-sensitive, with the remainder being chemo-refractory.
Results
The investigators compared outcomes in patients assigned to three age groups—young (18-50), middle-aged (51-65), and elderly (66-77).
NRM at 1 year was 13% for young patients, 20% for middle-aged patients, and 33% for elderly patients (P<0.001).
Overall survival at 3 years was 60% in young patients, 54% in middle-aged patients, and 38% in the elderly (P<0.001).
In contrast to these significant associations between age and survival, the rate of relapse at 3 years remained relatively consistent—30% in young patients, 31% in middle-aged patients, and 28% in elderly patients (P=0.355).
The increased risk of NRM in elderly patients could not be fully explained by comorbidities, although these were more common in the elderly.
After analyzing information from a subset of patients, the investigators concluded that “the presence of comorbidities is a significant risk factor for NRM and survival, but this does not fully explain the outcome disadvantages in our [elderly] group.”
Therefore, age remains an independent risk factor.
The investigators did not report conflicts of interest.
A retrospective study suggests elderly patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are more likely to die, but not relapse, within a year of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT).
The rate of non-relapse mortality (NRM) at 1 year was significantly higher for elderly patients than for middle-aged or young patients.
However, the 3-year rate of relapse was similar across the age groups.
Charalampia Kyriakou, MD, PhD, of University College London in the U.K., and her colleagues reported these findings in Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.
The investigators analyzed 3,919 patients with NHL who underwent allo-HSCT between 2003 and 2013.
The patients had follicular lymphoma (n=1,461), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n=1,192), mantle cell lymphoma (n=823), and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (n=443).
At the time of transplant, about 85% of patients were chemo-sensitive, with the remainder being chemo-refractory.
Results
The investigators compared outcomes in patients assigned to three age groups—young (18-50), middle-aged (51-65), and elderly (66-77).
NRM at 1 year was 13% for young patients, 20% for middle-aged patients, and 33% for elderly patients (P<0.001).
Overall survival at 3 years was 60% in young patients, 54% in middle-aged patients, and 38% in the elderly (P<0.001).
In contrast to these significant associations between age and survival, the rate of relapse at 3 years remained relatively consistent—30% in young patients, 31% in middle-aged patients, and 28% in elderly patients (P=0.355).
The increased risk of NRM in elderly patients could not be fully explained by comorbidities, although these were more common in the elderly.
After analyzing information from a subset of patients, the investigators concluded that “the presence of comorbidities is a significant risk factor for NRM and survival, but this does not fully explain the outcome disadvantages in our [elderly] group.”
Therefore, age remains an independent risk factor.
The investigators did not report conflicts of interest.
DECLARE: Dapagliflozin improves some cardiovascular, renal outcomes
For patients with type 2 diabetes who have or are at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, do, according to investigators.
A composite measure of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including cardiovascular death, ischemic stroke, or myocardial infarction, was comparable between dapagliflozin and placebo; in contrast, diabetic ketoacidosis occurred more frequently with dapagliflozin, reported lead author Stephen D. Wiviott, MD at the American Heart Association scientific sessions.
“As a result of [the] intersection of diabetes, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and heart failure, the importance of determining diabetes therapies that are not only safe but also effective in reducing cardiovascular risk is paramount,” Dr. Wiviott and colleagues wrote in an article published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“Dapagliflozin is a selective inhibitor of sodium–glucose cotransporter (SGLT2) that blocks glucose resorption in the proximal tubule of the kidney and promotes glucosuria,” the investigators wrote. “Other SGLT2 inhibitors have shown favorable cardiovascular effects, including a reduction in the risk of hospitalization for heart failure, predominantly in patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease; they have also been shown to delay the progression of kidney disease.”
The goal of the Dapagliflozin Effect on Cardiovascular Events–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 58 (DECLARE–TIMI 58) trial was to determine what impact, if any, dapagliflozin has on renal and cardiovascular outcomes in a diverse array of patients with or at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study involved 17,160 adults with type 2 diabetes from 33 countries. Of these, nearly 7,000 patients had atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and the remaining 10,000 or so patients had multiple risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Patients were at least 40 years of age, had a creatinine clearance of at least 60 mL/minute, and a HbA1c level between 6.5% and 12.0%. They were randomly assigned to receive either dapagliflozin 10 mg daily or placebo. Every 6 months, patients had laboratory testing with in-person follow-up for safety, clinical response, and adherence; patients were contacted via telephone at the halfway point between appointments (3 months).
The primary safety outcome of the study was major adverse cardiovascular outcomes (MACE: ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, or cardiovascular death). The trial began with MACE as the sole primary safety outcome, as guided by the Food and Drug Administration, but this changed before completion. “During the trial,” the investigators explained, “compelling external scientific information from the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, which evaluated another SGLT2 inhibitor, showed greater benefit with respect to cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure than with respect to MACE.” Therefore, before data were known, the investigators added a second primary outcome: a composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure. The two secondary outcomes were a renal composite (new end-stage renal disease, estimated glomerular filtration rate decrease by at least 40% to less than 60 m/min per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area, or death from renal or cardiovascular disease), and death from any cause.
The primary safety outcome (MACE rate) showed that dapagliflozin was noninferior to placebo (upper boundary of the 95% confidence interval, less than 1.3; P less than .001 for noninferiority). Although the MACE rate was similar between treatment groups (8.8% for dapagliflozin vs 9.4% for placebo; P = .017), the composite rate of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure was 17% lower for patients receiving dapagliflozin, compared with those who received placebo (4.9% vs 5.8%); this latter finding was attributable mostly to a 27% lower risk of hospitalization, instead of the 2% reduction in cardiovascular death. Seven percent fewer deaths of any kind were observed in the dapagliflozin group (6.2%) than in the placebo group (6.6%). Renal events saw a bigger difference, of 23% (4.3% vs 5.6%).
Statistically significant adverse events seen in more dapagliflozin than placebo patients included diabetic ketoacidosis and genital infection. Dr. Wiviott noted that adverse events favoring hypoglycemia included major hypoglycemia and bladder cancer..
“We did not find that SGLT2 inhibition with dapagliflozin resulted in a lower rate of cardiovascular death or death from any cause than placebo, a finding that contrasts with that in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial,” the investigators noted. Apart from possible differences in drugs within the same class, the investigators pointed to more restrictive renal criteria in the DECLARE trial and possible inherent differences between patient populations, among other possible factors.
“…in a broad population of patients with type 2 diabetes [dapagliflozin] did result in a significantly lower rate of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure than placebo, with additional findings supporting a possible lower rate of adverse renal outcomes,” the investigators concluded.
The DECLARE-TIMI 58 trial was sponsored by AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Authors reported various financial affiliations with Eisai, Medtronic, Sanofi Aventis, Abbott, Regeneron, and others.
SOURCE: Wiviott et al. N Engl J Med. 2018 Nov 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1812389
For patients with type 2 diabetes who have or are at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, do, according to investigators.
A composite measure of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including cardiovascular death, ischemic stroke, or myocardial infarction, was comparable between dapagliflozin and placebo; in contrast, diabetic ketoacidosis occurred more frequently with dapagliflozin, reported lead author Stephen D. Wiviott, MD at the American Heart Association scientific sessions.
“As a result of [the] intersection of diabetes, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and heart failure, the importance of determining diabetes therapies that are not only safe but also effective in reducing cardiovascular risk is paramount,” Dr. Wiviott and colleagues wrote in an article published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“Dapagliflozin is a selective inhibitor of sodium–glucose cotransporter (SGLT2) that blocks glucose resorption in the proximal tubule of the kidney and promotes glucosuria,” the investigators wrote. “Other SGLT2 inhibitors have shown favorable cardiovascular effects, including a reduction in the risk of hospitalization for heart failure, predominantly in patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease; they have also been shown to delay the progression of kidney disease.”
The goal of the Dapagliflozin Effect on Cardiovascular Events–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 58 (DECLARE–TIMI 58) trial was to determine what impact, if any, dapagliflozin has on renal and cardiovascular outcomes in a diverse array of patients with or at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study involved 17,160 adults with type 2 diabetes from 33 countries. Of these, nearly 7,000 patients had atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and the remaining 10,000 or so patients had multiple risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Patients were at least 40 years of age, had a creatinine clearance of at least 60 mL/minute, and a HbA1c level between 6.5% and 12.0%. They were randomly assigned to receive either dapagliflozin 10 mg daily or placebo. Every 6 months, patients had laboratory testing with in-person follow-up for safety, clinical response, and adherence; patients were contacted via telephone at the halfway point between appointments (3 months).
The primary safety outcome of the study was major adverse cardiovascular outcomes (MACE: ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, or cardiovascular death). The trial began with MACE as the sole primary safety outcome, as guided by the Food and Drug Administration, but this changed before completion. “During the trial,” the investigators explained, “compelling external scientific information from the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, which evaluated another SGLT2 inhibitor, showed greater benefit with respect to cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure than with respect to MACE.” Therefore, before data were known, the investigators added a second primary outcome: a composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure. The two secondary outcomes were a renal composite (new end-stage renal disease, estimated glomerular filtration rate decrease by at least 40% to less than 60 m/min per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area, or death from renal or cardiovascular disease), and death from any cause.
The primary safety outcome (MACE rate) showed that dapagliflozin was noninferior to placebo (upper boundary of the 95% confidence interval, less than 1.3; P less than .001 for noninferiority). Although the MACE rate was similar between treatment groups (8.8% for dapagliflozin vs 9.4% for placebo; P = .017), the composite rate of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure was 17% lower for patients receiving dapagliflozin, compared with those who received placebo (4.9% vs 5.8%); this latter finding was attributable mostly to a 27% lower risk of hospitalization, instead of the 2% reduction in cardiovascular death. Seven percent fewer deaths of any kind were observed in the dapagliflozin group (6.2%) than in the placebo group (6.6%). Renal events saw a bigger difference, of 23% (4.3% vs 5.6%).
Statistically significant adverse events seen in more dapagliflozin than placebo patients included diabetic ketoacidosis and genital infection. Dr. Wiviott noted that adverse events favoring hypoglycemia included major hypoglycemia and bladder cancer..
“We did not find that SGLT2 inhibition with dapagliflozin resulted in a lower rate of cardiovascular death or death from any cause than placebo, a finding that contrasts with that in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial,” the investigators noted. Apart from possible differences in drugs within the same class, the investigators pointed to more restrictive renal criteria in the DECLARE trial and possible inherent differences between patient populations, among other possible factors.
“…in a broad population of patients with type 2 diabetes [dapagliflozin] did result in a significantly lower rate of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure than placebo, with additional findings supporting a possible lower rate of adverse renal outcomes,” the investigators concluded.
The DECLARE-TIMI 58 trial was sponsored by AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Authors reported various financial affiliations with Eisai, Medtronic, Sanofi Aventis, Abbott, Regeneron, and others.
SOURCE: Wiviott et al. N Engl J Med. 2018 Nov 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1812389
For patients with type 2 diabetes who have or are at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, do, according to investigators.
A composite measure of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including cardiovascular death, ischemic stroke, or myocardial infarction, was comparable between dapagliflozin and placebo; in contrast, diabetic ketoacidosis occurred more frequently with dapagliflozin, reported lead author Stephen D. Wiviott, MD at the American Heart Association scientific sessions.
“As a result of [the] intersection of diabetes, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and heart failure, the importance of determining diabetes therapies that are not only safe but also effective in reducing cardiovascular risk is paramount,” Dr. Wiviott and colleagues wrote in an article published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“Dapagliflozin is a selective inhibitor of sodium–glucose cotransporter (SGLT2) that blocks glucose resorption in the proximal tubule of the kidney and promotes glucosuria,” the investigators wrote. “Other SGLT2 inhibitors have shown favorable cardiovascular effects, including a reduction in the risk of hospitalization for heart failure, predominantly in patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease; they have also been shown to delay the progression of kidney disease.”
The goal of the Dapagliflozin Effect on Cardiovascular Events–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 58 (DECLARE–TIMI 58) trial was to determine what impact, if any, dapagliflozin has on renal and cardiovascular outcomes in a diverse array of patients with or at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study involved 17,160 adults with type 2 diabetes from 33 countries. Of these, nearly 7,000 patients had atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and the remaining 10,000 or so patients had multiple risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Patients were at least 40 years of age, had a creatinine clearance of at least 60 mL/minute, and a HbA1c level between 6.5% and 12.0%. They were randomly assigned to receive either dapagliflozin 10 mg daily or placebo. Every 6 months, patients had laboratory testing with in-person follow-up for safety, clinical response, and adherence; patients were contacted via telephone at the halfway point between appointments (3 months).
The primary safety outcome of the study was major adverse cardiovascular outcomes (MACE: ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, or cardiovascular death). The trial began with MACE as the sole primary safety outcome, as guided by the Food and Drug Administration, but this changed before completion. “During the trial,” the investigators explained, “compelling external scientific information from the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, which evaluated another SGLT2 inhibitor, showed greater benefit with respect to cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure than with respect to MACE.” Therefore, before data were known, the investigators added a second primary outcome: a composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure. The two secondary outcomes were a renal composite (new end-stage renal disease, estimated glomerular filtration rate decrease by at least 40% to less than 60 m/min per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area, or death from renal or cardiovascular disease), and death from any cause.
The primary safety outcome (MACE rate) showed that dapagliflozin was noninferior to placebo (upper boundary of the 95% confidence interval, less than 1.3; P less than .001 for noninferiority). Although the MACE rate was similar between treatment groups (8.8% for dapagliflozin vs 9.4% for placebo; P = .017), the composite rate of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure was 17% lower for patients receiving dapagliflozin, compared with those who received placebo (4.9% vs 5.8%); this latter finding was attributable mostly to a 27% lower risk of hospitalization, instead of the 2% reduction in cardiovascular death. Seven percent fewer deaths of any kind were observed in the dapagliflozin group (6.2%) than in the placebo group (6.6%). Renal events saw a bigger difference, of 23% (4.3% vs 5.6%).
Statistically significant adverse events seen in more dapagliflozin than placebo patients included diabetic ketoacidosis and genital infection. Dr. Wiviott noted that adverse events favoring hypoglycemia included major hypoglycemia and bladder cancer..
“We did not find that SGLT2 inhibition with dapagliflozin resulted in a lower rate of cardiovascular death or death from any cause than placebo, a finding that contrasts with that in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial,” the investigators noted. Apart from possible differences in drugs within the same class, the investigators pointed to more restrictive renal criteria in the DECLARE trial and possible inherent differences between patient populations, among other possible factors.
“…in a broad population of patients with type 2 diabetes [dapagliflozin] did result in a significantly lower rate of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure than placebo, with additional findings supporting a possible lower rate of adverse renal outcomes,” the investigators concluded.
The DECLARE-TIMI 58 trial was sponsored by AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Authors reported various financial affiliations with Eisai, Medtronic, Sanofi Aventis, Abbott, Regeneron, and others.
SOURCE: Wiviott et al. N Engl J Med. 2018 Nov 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1812389
REPORTING FROM THE AHA SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS
Key clinical point: For patients with type 2 diabetes who have or are at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, dapagliflozin is associated with a lower composite rate of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure, compared with placebo.
Major finding: Of patients taking dapagliflozin, 4.9% died of cardiovascular disease or were hospitalized for heart failure, compared with 5.8% of patients receiving placebo (P = .005).
Study details: The phase III DECLARE–TIMI 58 trial was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study that involved 17,160 patients with type 2 diabetes who had or were at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Disclosures: DECLARE–TIMI 58 was sponsored by AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Authors reported various financial affiliations with Eisai, Medtronic, Sanofi Aventis, Abbott, Regeneron, and others.
Source: Wiviott et al. N Engl J Med. 2018 Nov 10. doi: ___________
SRS beats surgery in early control of brain mets, advantage fades with time
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) provides better early local control of brain metastases than complete surgical resection, but this advantage fades with time, according to investigators.
By 6 months, lower risks associated with SRS shifted in favor of those who had surgical resection, reported lead author Thomas Churilla, MD, of Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and his colleagues.
“Outside recognized indications for surgery such as establishing diagnosis or relieving mass effect, little evidence is available to guide the therapeutic choice of SRS vs. surgical resection in the treatment of patients with limited brain metastases,” the investigators wrote in JAMA Oncology.
The investigators performed an exploratory analysis of data from the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 22952-26001 phase 3 trial, which was designed to evaluate whole-brain radiotherapy for patients with one to three brain metastases who had undergone SRS or complete surgical resection. The present analysis involved 268 patients, of whom 154 had SRS and 114 had complete surgical resection.
Primary tumors included lung, breast, colorectum, kidney, and melanoma. Initial analysis showed that patients undergoing surgical resection, compared with those who had SRS, typically had larger brain metastases (median, 28 mm vs. 20 mm) and more often had 1 brain metastasis (98.2% vs. 74.0%). Mass locality also differed between groups; compared with patients receiving SRS, surgical patients more often had metastases in the posterior fossa (26.3% vs. 7.8%) and less often in the parietal lobe (18.4% vs. 39.6%).
After median follow-up of 39.9 months, risks of local recurrence were similar between surgical and SRS groups (hazard ratio, 1.15). Stratifying by interval, however, showed that surgical patients were at much higher risk of local recurrence in the first 3 months following treatment (HR for 0-3 months, 5.94). Of note, this risk faded with time (HR for 3-6 months, 1.37; HR for 6-9 months, 0.75; HR for 9 months or longer, 0.36). From the 6-9 months interval onward, surgical patients had lower risk of recurrence, compared with SRS patients, and the risk even decreased after the 6-9 month interval.
“Prospective controlled trials are warranted to direct the optimal local approach for patients with brain metastases and to define whether any population may benefit from escalation in local therapy,” the investigators concluded.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, and Fonds Cancer in Belgium. One author reported receiving financial compensation from Pfizer via her institution.
SOURCE: Churilla T et al. JAMA Onc. 2018. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.4610.
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) provides better early local control of brain metastases than complete surgical resection, but this advantage fades with time, according to investigators.
By 6 months, lower risks associated with SRS shifted in favor of those who had surgical resection, reported lead author Thomas Churilla, MD, of Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and his colleagues.
“Outside recognized indications for surgery such as establishing diagnosis or relieving mass effect, little evidence is available to guide the therapeutic choice of SRS vs. surgical resection in the treatment of patients with limited brain metastases,” the investigators wrote in JAMA Oncology.
The investigators performed an exploratory analysis of data from the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 22952-26001 phase 3 trial, which was designed to evaluate whole-brain radiotherapy for patients with one to three brain metastases who had undergone SRS or complete surgical resection. The present analysis involved 268 patients, of whom 154 had SRS and 114 had complete surgical resection.
Primary tumors included lung, breast, colorectum, kidney, and melanoma. Initial analysis showed that patients undergoing surgical resection, compared with those who had SRS, typically had larger brain metastases (median, 28 mm vs. 20 mm) and more often had 1 brain metastasis (98.2% vs. 74.0%). Mass locality also differed between groups; compared with patients receiving SRS, surgical patients more often had metastases in the posterior fossa (26.3% vs. 7.8%) and less often in the parietal lobe (18.4% vs. 39.6%).
After median follow-up of 39.9 months, risks of local recurrence were similar between surgical and SRS groups (hazard ratio, 1.15). Stratifying by interval, however, showed that surgical patients were at much higher risk of local recurrence in the first 3 months following treatment (HR for 0-3 months, 5.94). Of note, this risk faded with time (HR for 3-6 months, 1.37; HR for 6-9 months, 0.75; HR for 9 months or longer, 0.36). From the 6-9 months interval onward, surgical patients had lower risk of recurrence, compared with SRS patients, and the risk even decreased after the 6-9 month interval.
“Prospective controlled trials are warranted to direct the optimal local approach for patients with brain metastases and to define whether any population may benefit from escalation in local therapy,” the investigators concluded.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, and Fonds Cancer in Belgium. One author reported receiving financial compensation from Pfizer via her institution.
SOURCE: Churilla T et al. JAMA Onc. 2018. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.4610.
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) provides better early local control of brain metastases than complete surgical resection, but this advantage fades with time, according to investigators.
By 6 months, lower risks associated with SRS shifted in favor of those who had surgical resection, reported lead author Thomas Churilla, MD, of Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and his colleagues.
“Outside recognized indications for surgery such as establishing diagnosis or relieving mass effect, little evidence is available to guide the therapeutic choice of SRS vs. surgical resection in the treatment of patients with limited brain metastases,” the investigators wrote in JAMA Oncology.
The investigators performed an exploratory analysis of data from the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 22952-26001 phase 3 trial, which was designed to evaluate whole-brain radiotherapy for patients with one to three brain metastases who had undergone SRS or complete surgical resection. The present analysis involved 268 patients, of whom 154 had SRS and 114 had complete surgical resection.
Primary tumors included lung, breast, colorectum, kidney, and melanoma. Initial analysis showed that patients undergoing surgical resection, compared with those who had SRS, typically had larger brain metastases (median, 28 mm vs. 20 mm) and more often had 1 brain metastasis (98.2% vs. 74.0%). Mass locality also differed between groups; compared with patients receiving SRS, surgical patients more often had metastases in the posterior fossa (26.3% vs. 7.8%) and less often in the parietal lobe (18.4% vs. 39.6%).
After median follow-up of 39.9 months, risks of local recurrence were similar between surgical and SRS groups (hazard ratio, 1.15). Stratifying by interval, however, showed that surgical patients were at much higher risk of local recurrence in the first 3 months following treatment (HR for 0-3 months, 5.94). Of note, this risk faded with time (HR for 3-6 months, 1.37; HR for 6-9 months, 0.75; HR for 9 months or longer, 0.36). From the 6-9 months interval onward, surgical patients had lower risk of recurrence, compared with SRS patients, and the risk even decreased after the 6-9 month interval.
“Prospective controlled trials are warranted to direct the optimal local approach for patients with brain metastases and to define whether any population may benefit from escalation in local therapy,” the investigators concluded.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, and Fonds Cancer in Belgium. One author reported receiving financial compensation from Pfizer via her institution.
SOURCE: Churilla T et al. JAMA Onc. 2018. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.4610.
FROM JAMA ONCOLOGY
Key clinical point: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) provides better early local control of brain metastases than surgical resection, but this advantage fades with time.
Major finding: Patients treated with surgery were more likely to have local recurrence in the first 3 months following treatment, compared with patients treated with SRS (hazard ratio, 5.94).
Study details: An exploratory analysis of data from the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 22952-26001 phase 3 trial. Analysis involved 268 patients with one to three brain metastases who underwent whole-brain radiotherapy or observation after SRS (n = 154) or complete surgical resection (n = 114).
Disclosures: The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, and Fonds Cancer in Belgium. Dr. Handorf reported financial compensation from Pfizer, via her institution.
Source: Churilla T et al. JAMA Onc. 2018. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.4610.
Cardiovascular disease risk unchanged in men with hemophilia A
Concerns may be unfounded for risks of earlier-onset cardiovascular disease in men with hemophilia A, according to investigators.
Cardiovascular comorbidities between groups were generally comparable, regardless of hemophilia A status, reported lead author Thomas J. Humphries, MD, of Bayer, and his colleagues.
“To date, there have been conflicting data in the literature regarding the risks of [cardiovascular] comorbidities in patients with hemophilia A, compared with the general population,” the investigators wrote in Advances in Medical Sciences. “Some studies have reported lower mortality from [cardiovascular] diseases and/or decreased atherogenesis in patients with hemophilia … conversely, other reports indicate comparable or higher [cardiovascular] comorbidities in patients with hemophilia, compared with the general population.”
In two previous commercial database reviews conducted by Dr. Humphries and his colleagues, cardiovascular disease appeared to occur more commonly and at a younger age in men with hemophilia A. More concerning, patients aged under 40 years showed elevated incidence of stroke and thrombosis. The authors sought to clarify these findings in the present study.
The retrospective chart review involved 74 men with hemophilia A and 222 men without the condition, matched by study year, payer type, race, and age. Patients presented at any of 31 medical facilities within the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. Diagnoses were made between Jan. 1, 1995, and Dec. 31, 2014.
For the most part there were no significant differences in cardiovascular disease prevalence between the two cohorts. Rates of hypertension, obesity, coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, venous and arterial thrombosis, ventricular arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, and chronic renal disease were numerically higher in the control group, but those differences were not statistically significant. There were significantly higher prevalence rates for diabetes (P = .0108) and hyperlipidemia (P = .0001) in the control group versus patients with hemophilia A.
The investigators pointed out that meaningful statistical differences using standardized differences were not reached for venous and arterial thrombosis and atrial fibrillation.
“It is worth noting that in the hemophilia A group, hypertension appeared first in the 18- to 29-year age group, as did venous thrombosis,” the investigators wrote, suggesting that monitoring, starting in the late teens, may be warranted.
The investigators also noted multiple study limitations, notably the small sample size, compared with commercial databases that were reviewed in previous studies. Additionally, the severity of disease was unknown for some of the hemophilia A patients and the study only followed patients for 1 year.
“The results of this retrospective chart review did not confirm diffuse statistically significant differences in [cardiovascular] comorbidities and their earlier onset in hemophilia A versus controls,” the investigators concluded.
The study was funded by Bayer. Three of the authors were employed by Bayer when the study was conducted. Other authors reported employment with Xcenda and the Henry Ford Health System and research funding from Xcenda.
SOURCE: Humphries TJ et al. Adv Med Sci. 2018;63(2):329-33.
Concerns may be unfounded for risks of earlier-onset cardiovascular disease in men with hemophilia A, according to investigators.
Cardiovascular comorbidities between groups were generally comparable, regardless of hemophilia A status, reported lead author Thomas J. Humphries, MD, of Bayer, and his colleagues.
“To date, there have been conflicting data in the literature regarding the risks of [cardiovascular] comorbidities in patients with hemophilia A, compared with the general population,” the investigators wrote in Advances in Medical Sciences. “Some studies have reported lower mortality from [cardiovascular] diseases and/or decreased atherogenesis in patients with hemophilia … conversely, other reports indicate comparable or higher [cardiovascular] comorbidities in patients with hemophilia, compared with the general population.”
In two previous commercial database reviews conducted by Dr. Humphries and his colleagues, cardiovascular disease appeared to occur more commonly and at a younger age in men with hemophilia A. More concerning, patients aged under 40 years showed elevated incidence of stroke and thrombosis. The authors sought to clarify these findings in the present study.
The retrospective chart review involved 74 men with hemophilia A and 222 men without the condition, matched by study year, payer type, race, and age. Patients presented at any of 31 medical facilities within the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. Diagnoses were made between Jan. 1, 1995, and Dec. 31, 2014.
For the most part there were no significant differences in cardiovascular disease prevalence between the two cohorts. Rates of hypertension, obesity, coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, venous and arterial thrombosis, ventricular arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, and chronic renal disease were numerically higher in the control group, but those differences were not statistically significant. There were significantly higher prevalence rates for diabetes (P = .0108) and hyperlipidemia (P = .0001) in the control group versus patients with hemophilia A.
The investigators pointed out that meaningful statistical differences using standardized differences were not reached for venous and arterial thrombosis and atrial fibrillation.
“It is worth noting that in the hemophilia A group, hypertension appeared first in the 18- to 29-year age group, as did venous thrombosis,” the investigators wrote, suggesting that monitoring, starting in the late teens, may be warranted.
The investigators also noted multiple study limitations, notably the small sample size, compared with commercial databases that were reviewed in previous studies. Additionally, the severity of disease was unknown for some of the hemophilia A patients and the study only followed patients for 1 year.
“The results of this retrospective chart review did not confirm diffuse statistically significant differences in [cardiovascular] comorbidities and their earlier onset in hemophilia A versus controls,” the investigators concluded.
The study was funded by Bayer. Three of the authors were employed by Bayer when the study was conducted. Other authors reported employment with Xcenda and the Henry Ford Health System and research funding from Xcenda.
SOURCE: Humphries TJ et al. Adv Med Sci. 2018;63(2):329-33.
Concerns may be unfounded for risks of earlier-onset cardiovascular disease in men with hemophilia A, according to investigators.
Cardiovascular comorbidities between groups were generally comparable, regardless of hemophilia A status, reported lead author Thomas J. Humphries, MD, of Bayer, and his colleagues.
“To date, there have been conflicting data in the literature regarding the risks of [cardiovascular] comorbidities in patients with hemophilia A, compared with the general population,” the investigators wrote in Advances in Medical Sciences. “Some studies have reported lower mortality from [cardiovascular] diseases and/or decreased atherogenesis in patients with hemophilia … conversely, other reports indicate comparable or higher [cardiovascular] comorbidities in patients with hemophilia, compared with the general population.”
In two previous commercial database reviews conducted by Dr. Humphries and his colleagues, cardiovascular disease appeared to occur more commonly and at a younger age in men with hemophilia A. More concerning, patients aged under 40 years showed elevated incidence of stroke and thrombosis. The authors sought to clarify these findings in the present study.
The retrospective chart review involved 74 men with hemophilia A and 222 men without the condition, matched by study year, payer type, race, and age. Patients presented at any of 31 medical facilities within the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. Diagnoses were made between Jan. 1, 1995, and Dec. 31, 2014.
For the most part there were no significant differences in cardiovascular disease prevalence between the two cohorts. Rates of hypertension, obesity, coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, venous and arterial thrombosis, ventricular arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, and chronic renal disease were numerically higher in the control group, but those differences were not statistically significant. There were significantly higher prevalence rates for diabetes (P = .0108) and hyperlipidemia (P = .0001) in the control group versus patients with hemophilia A.
The investigators pointed out that meaningful statistical differences using standardized differences were not reached for venous and arterial thrombosis and atrial fibrillation.
“It is worth noting that in the hemophilia A group, hypertension appeared first in the 18- to 29-year age group, as did venous thrombosis,” the investigators wrote, suggesting that monitoring, starting in the late teens, may be warranted.
The investigators also noted multiple study limitations, notably the small sample size, compared with commercial databases that were reviewed in previous studies. Additionally, the severity of disease was unknown for some of the hemophilia A patients and the study only followed patients for 1 year.
“The results of this retrospective chart review did not confirm diffuse statistically significant differences in [cardiovascular] comorbidities and their earlier onset in hemophilia A versus controls,” the investigators concluded.
The study was funded by Bayer. Three of the authors were employed by Bayer when the study was conducted. Other authors reported employment with Xcenda and the Henry Ford Health System and research funding from Xcenda.
SOURCE: Humphries TJ et al. Adv Med Sci. 2018;63(2):329-33.
FROM ADVANCES IN MEDICAL SCIENCES
Key clinical point:
Major finding: Prevalence rates of diabetes (P = .0108) and hyperlipidemia (P = .0001) were higher in the control group, compared with patients with hemophilia A.
Study details: A retrospective chart review involving 74 men with hemophilia A and 222 men without the condition, matched by study year, payer type, race, and age.
Disclosures: The study was funded by Bayer. Three authors were employed by Bayer when the study was conducted. Other authors reported employment by Xcenda and the Henry Ford Health System and research funding from Xcenda.
Source: Humphries TJ et al. Adv Med Sci. 2018;63(2):329-33.