Accuracy of a Seventh-Generation Continuous Glucose Monitoring System in Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Accuracy of a seventh-generation "G7" continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system was evaluated in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). METHODS: Sensors were worn on the upper arm and abdomen. The CGM data were available from 127 of 132 participants, ages 7 to 17 years, across 10.5 days of use, various glucose concentration ranges, and various rates of glucose change for comparisons with temporally matched venous blood glucose measurements (YSI). Data were also available from 28 of 32 participants, ages 2 to 6 years, for whom capillary (fingerstick) blood provided comparator glucose values. Accuracy metrics included the mean absolute relative difference (MARD) between CGM and comparator glucose pairs, the proportion of CGM values within 15 mg/dL or 15% of comparator values <100 or ≥100 mg/dL, respectively, and the analogous %20/20 and %30/30 agreement rates. RESULTS: For participants aged 7 to 17, a total of 15 437 matched pairs were obtained from 122 arm-placed and 118 abdomen-placed sensors. For arm-placed sensors, the overall MARD was 8.1% and overall %15/15, %20/20, and %30/30 agreement rates were 88.8%, 95.3%, and 98.7%, respectively. For abdomen-placed sensors, the overall MARD was 9.0% and overall %15/15, %20/20, and %30/30 agreement rates were 86.0%, 92.9%, and 97.7%, respectively. Good accuracy was maintained across wear days, glucose ranges, and rates of glucose change. Among those aged 2 to 6, a total of 343 matched pairs provided an overall MARD of 9.3% and an overall %20/20 agreement rate of 91.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The G7 CGM placed on the arm or abdomen was accurate in children and adolescents with T1D. NCT#: NCT04794478.

Accuracy and Safety of Dexcom G7 Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Adults with Diabetes.

Background: We evaluated the accuracy and safety of a seventh generation (G7) Dexcom continuous glucose monitor (CGM) during 10.5 days of use in adults with diabetes. Methods: Adults with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes (on intensive insulin therapy or not) participated at 12 investigational sites in the United States. In-clinic visits were conducted on days 1 or 2, 4 or 7, and on the second half of day 10 or the first half of day 11 for frequent comparisons with comparator blood glucose measurements obtained with the YSI 2300 Stat Plus glucose analyzer. Participants wore sensors concurrently on the upper arm and abdomen. Accuracy evaluation included the proportion of CGM values within 15% of comparator glucose levels >100 mg/dL or within 15 mg/dL of comparator levels ≤100 mg/dL (%15/15), along with the %20/20 and %30/30 agreement rates. The mean absolute relative difference (MARD) between temporally matched CGM and comparator values was also calculated. Results: Data from 316 participants (619 sensors, 77,774 matched pairs) were analyzed. For arm- and abdomen-placed sensors, overall MARDs were 8.2% and 9.1%, respectively. Overall %15/15, %20/20, and %30/30 agreement rates were 89.6%, 95.3%, and 98.8% for arm-placed sensors and were 85.5%, 93.2%, and 98.1% for abdomen-placed sensors. Across days of wear, glucose concentration ranges, and rates of change, %20/20 agreement rates varied by no more than 9% from the overall %20/20. No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions: The G7 CGM provides accurate glucose readings with single-digit MARD with arm or abdomen placement in adults with diabetes. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04794478.

A Multicenter Clinical Study To Demonstrate the Diagnostic Accuracy of the GenMark Dx ePlex Blood Culture Identification Gram-Negative Panel.

Bacteremia can progress to septic shock and death without appropriate medical intervention. Increasing evidence supports the role of molecular diagnostic panels in reducing the clinical impact of these infections through rapid identification of the infecting organism and associated antimicrobial resistance genes. We report the results of a multicenter clinical study assessing the performance of the GenMark Dx ePlex investigational-use-only blood culture identification Gram-negative panel (BCID-GN), a rapid diagnostic assay for detection of bloodstream pathogens in positive blood culture (PBC) bottles. Prospective, retrospective, and contrived samples were tested. Results from the BCID-GN were compared to standard-of-care bacterial identification methods. Antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) were identified using PCR and sequence analysis. The final BCID-GN analysis included 2,444 PBC samples, of which 926 were clinical samples with negative Gram stain results. Of these, 109 samples had false-negative and/or -positive results, resulting in an overall sample accuracy of 88.2% (817/926). After discordant resolution, overall sample accuracy increased to 92.9% (860/926). Pre- and postdiscordant resolution sample accuracy excludes 37 Gram-negative organisms representing 20 uncommon genera, 10 Gram-positive organisms, and 1 Candida species present in 5% of samples that are not targeted by the BCID-GN. The overall weighted positive percent agreement (PPA), which averages the individual PPAs from the 27 targets (Gram-negative and ARG), was 94.9%. The limit of detection ranged from 104 to 107 CFU/ml, except for one strain of Fusobacterium necrophorum at 108 CFU/ml.

Multicenter Evaluation of a PCR-Based Digital Microfluidics and Electrochemical Detection System for the Rapid Identification of 15 Fungal Pathogens Directly from Positive Blood Cultures.

Routine identification of fungal pathogens from positive blood cultures by culture-based methods can be time-consuming, delaying treatment with appropriate antifungal agents. The GenMark Dx ePlex investigational use only blood culture identification fungal pathogen panel (BCID-FP) rapidly detects 15 fungal targets simultaneously in blood culture samples positive for fungi by Gram staining. We aimed to determine the performance of the BCID-FP in a multicenter clinical study. Blood culture samples collected at 10 United States sites and tested with BCID-FP at 4 sites were compared to the standard-of-care microbiological and biochemical techniques, fluorescence in situ hybridization using peptide nucleic acid probes (PNA-FISH) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Discrepant results were analyzed by bi-directional PCR/sequencing of residual blood culture samples. A total of 866 clinical samples, 120 retrospectively and 21 prospectively collected, along with 725 contrived samples were evaluated. Sensitivity and specificity of detection of Candida species (C. albicans, C. auris, C. dubliniensis, C. famata, C. glabrata, C. guilliermondii, C. kefyr, C. krusei, C. lusitaniae, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis) ranged from 97.1 to 100% and 99.8 to 100%, respectively. For the other organism targets, sensitivity and specificity were as follows: 100% each for Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii, 98.6% and 100% for Fusarium spp., and 96.2% and 99.9% for Rhodotorula spp., respectively. In 4 of the 141 clinical samples, the BCID-FP panel correctly identified an additional Candida species, undetected by standard-of-care methods. The BCID-FP panel offers a faster turnaround time for identification of fungal pathogens in positive blood cultures that may allow for earlier antifungal interventions and includes C. auris, a highly multidrug-resistant fungus.

Clinical Performance of the Novel GenMark Dx ePlex Blood Culture ID Gram-Positive Panel.

Rapid identification from positive blood cultures is standard of care (SOC) in many clinical microbiology laboratories. The GenMark Dx ePlex Blood Culture Identification Gram-Positive (BCID-GP) Panel is a multiplex nucleic acid amplification assay based on competitive DNA hybridization and electrochemical detection using eSensor technology. This multicenter study compared the investigational-use-only (IUO) BCID-GP Panel to other methods of identification of 20 Gram-positive bacteria, four antimicrobial resistance genes, and both Pan Candida and Pan Gram-Negative targets that are unique to the BCID-GP Panel. Ten microbiology laboratories throughout the United States collected residual, deidentified positive blood culture samples for analysis. Five laboratories tested both clinical and contrived samples with the BCID-GP Panel. Comparator identification methods included each laboratory's SOC, which included matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and automated identification systems as well as targeted PCR/analytically validated real-time PCR (qPCR) with bidirectional sequencing. A total of 2,342 evaluable samples (1,777 clinical and 565 contrived) were tested with the BCID-GP Panel. The overall sample accuracy for on-panel organisms was 89% before resolution of discordant results. For pathogenic Gram-positive targets (Bacillus cereus group, Enterococcus spp., Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, Listeria spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Streptococcus spp., Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus anginosus group, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pyogenes), positive percent agreement (PPA) and negative percent agreement (NPA) ranged from 93.1% to 100% and 98.8% to 100%, respectively. For contamination rule-out targets (Bacillus subtilis group, Corynebacterium, Cutibacterium acnes, Lactobacillus, and Micrococcus), PPA and NPA ranged from 84.5% to 100% and 99.9% to 100%, respectively. Positive percent agreement and NPA for the Pan Candida and Pan Gram-Negative targets were 92.4% and 95.7% for the former and 99.9% and 99.6% for the latter. The PPAs for resistance markers were as follows: mecA, 97.2%; mecC, 100%; vanA, 96.8%; and vanB, 100%. Negative percent agreement ranged from 96.6% to 100%. In conclusion, the ePlex BCID-GP Panel compares favorably to SOC and targeted molecular methods for the identification of 20 Gram-positive pathogens and four antimicrobial resistance genes in positive blood culture bottles. This panel detects a broad range of pathogens and mixed infections with yeast and Gram-negative organisms from the same positive blood culture bottle.

Human papillomavirus oncogenic mRNA testing for cervical cancer screening: baseline and longitudinal results from the CLEAR study.

OBJECTIVES: This study determined the longitudinal clinical performance of a high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) E6/E7 RNA assay (Aptima HPV [AHPV]; Hologic, San Diego, CA) compared with an HR-HPV DNA assay (Hybrid Capture 2 [HC2]; Qiagen, Gaithersburg, MD) as an adjunctive method for cervical cancer screening. METHODS: Women 30 years or older with a negative result for intraepithelial lesions or malignancy cytology (n = 10,860) positive by AHPV and/or HC2 assays and randomly selected women negative by both assays were referred to colposcopy at baseline. Women without baseline cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 2 or higher (CIN2+) continued into the 3-year follow-up. RESULTS: The specificity of AHPV for CIN2 or lower was significantly greater at 96.3% compared with HC2 specificity of 94.8% (P < .001). Estimated sensitivities and risks for detection of CIN2+ were similar between the two assays. After 3 years of follow-up, women negative by either human papillomavirus test had a very low risk of CIN2+ (<0.3%) compared with CIN2+ risk in women with positive AHPV results (6.3%) or positive HC2 results (5.1%). CONCLUSIONS: These results support the use of AHPV as a safe and effective adjunctive cervical cancer screening method.

Detection of human papillomavirus 16, 18, and 45 in women with ASC-US cytology and the risk of cervical precancer: results from the CLEAR HPV study.

OBJECTIVES: The Aptima human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 18/45 Genotype (GT) assay (AHPV-GT) is a qualitative E6/ E7 oncogene messenger RNA test that detects HPV 16 and a pool of HPV 18 and 45. The CLEAR (Clinical Evaluation of APTIMA mRNA) study was the pivotal, prospective, multicenter US clinical study to validate the Aptima HPV (AHPV) assays. METHODS: In this analysis, we evaluated the clinical performance of AHPV and AHPV-GT assays for detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or more severe (CIN2 +) and grade 3 (CIN3) or adenocarcinoma in situ in 912 women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) Papanicolaou result. The AHPV-GT assay was performed on high-risk HPV (hrHPV) positives as determined by the AHPV assay. RESULTS: Overall, the percent positive for hrHPV was 38.8% (354/912), of which 34.2% (121/354) were GT positive. Among hrHPV-positive women, the risks of CIN2 + were 37.0% for HPV 16 positives, 15.9% for HPV 18/45 positives, 14.3% for other hrHPV positives, and 2.2% for AHPV negatives. The risks of CIN3 + were 20.5% for HPV 16 positives, 9.1% for HPV 18/45 positives, 4.3% for other hrHPV positives, and 0.7% for HPV negatives. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that AHPV-GT is a reliable and effective test for cervical cancer risk stratification in women with an ASC-US cytology diagnosis.

APTIMA HPV assay performance in women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance cytology results.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the APTIMA human papillomavirus (AHPV) assay for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in women 21 years old and older with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) cytology. STUDY DESIGN: Women 21 years old and older with ASC-US cytology had colposcopy/biopsy and molecular human papillomavirus testing. Performance of the AHPV and Hybrid Capture 2 assays was compared with a clinical diagnosis of CIN grade 2, CIN grade 3, or adenocarcinoma in situ (CIN2 or greater). RESULTS: Of 939 evaluable subjects, CIN2 or greater and CIN3 or greater prevalence was 9.7% and 4.4%, respectively. AHPV sensitivity and specificity was 86.8% and 62.9% for CIN2 or greater detection and 90.2% and 60.2% for CIN3 or greater, respectively. AHPV had a similar sensitivity to Hybrid Capture 2 but a significantly higher specificity (62.9% vs 55.8%, P < .001) for CIN2 or greater detection. CONCLUSION: Among women with ASC-US cytology, detection of high-risk human papillomavirus E6/E7 oncogenic messenger ribonucleic acid is an effective triage method for colposcopy referral.

Sex and age differences in the association of obesity and smoking with hypertension and type 2 diabetes in Southern California American Indians, 2002-2006.

OBJECTIVE: Assess age and sex differences in the association of obesity and smoking with diabetes and hypertension and report the prevalence of these cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Southern California American Indian/Alaska Native (AlAN) adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Visit data from 2002-2006 were extracted from one Southern California AlAN health clinic system. PARTICIPANTS: 10,351 AIAN adults visiting the health clinic system. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Odds ratios were examined to assess the association of obesity and smoking with diabetes and hypertension and prevalence rates for obesity, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension were reported. RESULTS: Obesity (women: 53%, men: 55%), smoking (women: 16%, men: 18%), diabetes (women: 14%, men: 16%), and hypertension (women: 32%, men: 37%) were very prevalent. For women aged -35 years, increasing obesity was significantly associated with diabetes. For men aged -25 years, morbid obesity and smoking were significantly associated with diabetes for many age groups. Increasing overweight/obesity and smoking were associated with hypertension among adults aged 18-65 years. CONCLUSIONS: Southern California AIANs had higher obesity, diabetes, and hypertension prevalence than the general Southern California population, and higher obesity prevalence compared to other AIANs. Highly prevalent risk factors create a great burden, as CVD is the leading cause of death among AIAN adults. AIANs are diverse and need interventions tailored to cultural customs and health problems most prevalent in each tribal community.

Obesity and other cardiovascular disease risk factors and their association with osteoarthritis in Southern California American Indians, 2002-2006.

OBJECTIVE: Assess age and sex differences in the association of obesity and other CVD risk factors with osteoarthritis (OA) in Southern California American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Southern California. PARTICIPANTS: 6,299 AIAN adults aged 35+ years from health clinic system. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Osteoarthritis prevalence. RESULTS: Age-adjusted OA prevalence was 16.5% in women and 11.5% in men. OA prevalence increased with age and was higher in women. Very and morbid levels of obesity were associated with higher OA prevalence in some age groups. Hypertension was strongly associated with increased OA and current smoking tended to be associated with increased OA. For men, we found no association between diabetes and OA; however, diabetes was associated with more OA for women aged 35-54 years. CONCLUSIONS: Southern California AIANs may have lower OA prevalence than the US population as a whole. Comparisons of OA prevalence with other AIAN communities were not possible due to lack of other similar published results. Further studies are needed to determine the impact of OA within this understudied minority population.

Complexes between the LKB1 tumor suppressor, STRAD alpha/beta and MO25 alpha/beta are upstream kinases in the AMP-activated protein kinase cascade.

BACKGROUND: The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) cascade is a sensor of cellular energy charge that acts as a 'metabolic master switch' and inhibits cell proliferation. Activation requires phosphorylation of Thr172 of AMPK within the activation loop by upstream kinases (AMPKKs) that have not been identified. Recently, we identified three related protein kinases acting upstream of the yeast homolog of AMPK. Although they do not have obvious mammalian homologs, they are related to LKB1, a tumor suppressor that is mutated in the human Peutz-Jeghers cancer syndrome. We recently showed that LKB1 exists as a complex with two accessory subunits, STRAD alpha/beta and MO25 alpha/beta. RESULTS: We report the following observations. First, two AMPKK activities purified from rat liver contain LKB1, STRAD alpha and MO25 alpha, and can be immunoprecipitated using anti-LKB1 antibodies. Second, both endogenous and recombinant complexes of LKB1, STRAD alpha/beta and MO25 alpha/beta activate AMPK via phosphorylation of Thr172. Third, catalytically active LKB1, STRAD alpha or STRAD beta and MO25 alpha or MO25 beta are required for full activity. Fourth, the AMPK-activating drugs AICA riboside and phenformin do not activate AMPK in HeLa cells (which lack LKB1), but activation can be restored by stably expressing wild-type, but not catalytically inactive, LKB1. Fifth, AICA riboside and phenformin fail to activate AMPK in immortalized fibroblasts from LKB1-knockout mouse embryos. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide the first description of a physiological substrate for the LKB1 tumor suppressor and suggest that it functions as an upstream regulator of AMPK. Our findings indicate that the tumors in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome could result from deficient activation of AMPK as a consequence of LKB1 inactivation.