Disease severity drives risk of venous thrombotic events in women with sickle cell disease in a single-center retrospective study.

Background: Estrogen-containing hormonal contraception (HC) is a well-established risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Women with sickle cell disease (SCD) also have an increased risk of VTE. However, it is unknown if exposure to HC exacerbates the risk of VTE in women with SCD. Objectives: Assess the impact of HC on VTE risk in women with SCD and explore additional risk factors contributing to VTE development. Methods: We analyzed a retrospective cohort of women of reproductive age (15-49 years) with SCD at the University of North Carolina from 2010 to 2022. Results: We identified 370 women with SCD, and 93 (25.1%) had a history of VTE. Among 219 women exposed to HC, 38 of 184 (20.6%) had a VTE while actively using HC, whereas 20 of 151 (13.2%) women never exposed to HC had a VTE. Of the patients exposed to HC, 64 of 184 (34.7%) were on estrogen-containing HC, with 120 of 184 (65.3%) using progestin-only formulations. Cox regression analysis found that progestin-only formulations increased VTE risk (hazard ratio: 2.03; 95% CI: 1.107-3.726, P < .05). However, when accounting for disease severity, the association between progestin-only treatment and VTE risk was not significant. Indeed, a nuanced analysis revealed that both severe (odds ratio: 11.79; 95% CI: 5.14-27.06; P < .001) and moderate (odds ratio: 4.37; 95% CI: 1.77-10.76; P = .001) disease increased risk compared with mild disease. Neither genotype nor hydroxyurea use influenced VTE risk. Conclusion: Overall, we found that increased thrombotic risk is more likely influenced by disease status than HC exposure and should play a role in shared decision-making with patients.

Online social network use by health care providers in a high traffic patient care environment.

BACKGROUND: The majority of workers, regardless of age or occupational status, report engaging in personal Internet use in the workplace. There is little understanding of the impact that personal Internet use may have on patient care in acute clinical settings. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the volume of one form of personal Internet use-online social networking (Facebook)-generated by workstations in the emergency department (ED) in contrast to measures of clinical volume and severity. METHODS: The research team analyzed anonymous network utilization records for 68 workstations located in the emergency medicine department within one academic medical center for 15 consecutive days (12/29/2009 to 1/12/2010). This data was compared to ED work index (EDWIN) data derived by the hospital information systems. RESULTS: Health care workers spent an accumulated 4349 minutes (72.5 hours) browsing Facebook, staff cumulatively visited Facebook 9369 times and spent, on average, 12.0 minutes per hour browsing Facebook. There was a statistically significant difference in the time spent on Facebook according to time of day (19.8 minutes per hour versus 4.3 minutes per hour, P<.001). There was a significant, positive correlation between EDWIN scores and time spent on Facebook (r=.266, P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Facebook use constituted a substantive percentage of staff time during the 15-day observation period. Facebook use increased with increased patient volume and severity within the ED.

Managing the Cerebrovascular Complications of Sickle Cell Disease: Current Perspectives.

The importance of protecting brain function for people with sickle cell disease (SCD) cannot be overstated. SCD is associated with multiple cerebrovascular complications that threaten neurocognitive function and life. Without screening and preventive management, 11% of children at 24% of adults with SCD have ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes. Stroke screening in children with SCD is well-established using transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD). TCD velocities above 200 cm/s significantly increase the risk of stroke, which can be prevented using chronic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. RBC transfusion is also the cornerstone of acute stroke management and secondary stroke prevention. Chronic transfusion requires long-term management of complications like iron overload. Hydroxyurea can replace chronic transfusions for primary stroke prevention in a select group of patients or in populations where chronic transfusions are not feasible. Silent cerebral infarction (SCI) is even more common than stroke, affecting 39% of children and more than 50% of adults with SCD; management of SCI is individualized and includes careful neurocognitive evaluation. Hematopoietic stem cell transplant prevents cerebrovascular complications, despite the short- and long-term risks. Newer disease-modifying agents like voxelotor and crizanlizumab, as well as gene therapy, may treat cerebrovascular complications, but these approaches are investigational.

Clinical significance of NTRK family gene expression in neuroblastomas.

BACKGROUND: Neuroblastomas (NBs) are characterized by clinical heterogeneity, from spontaneous regression to relentless progression. The pattern of NTRK family gene expression contributes to these disparate behaviors. TrkA/NTRK1 is expressed in favorable NBs that regress or differentiate, whereas TrkB/NTRK2 and its ligand brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are co-expressed in unfavorable NBs, representing an autocrine survival pathway. We determined the significance of NTRK family gene expression in a large, representative set of primary NBs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed the expression of the following genes in 814 NBs using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR): NTRK1, NTRK2, NTRK3, P75/NGFR, nerve growth factor (NGF), BDNF, IGFR1, and EGFR. Expression (high vs. low) was dichotomized by median expression value and compared to clinical and biological variables as well as outcome. RESULTS: High NTRK1 expression was strongly correlated with favorable age, stage, MYCN status, histology, ploidy, risk group, and outcome (P < 0.0001 for all). However, it did not add significantly to the panel of prognostic variables currently used for cooperative group trials. NTRK2 expression was associated with risk factors but not with outcome. High NGF expression was also associated with most risk factors and weakly with unfavorable outcome. CONCLUSIONS: High expression of NTRK1 is strongly associated with favorable risk factors and outcome in a large, representative population of NB patients. It did not add significantly to the current risk prediction algorithm, but it may contribute to future expression classifiers. Indeed, prospective assessment of NTRK1 and NTRK2 expression will identify tumors that would be candidates for NTRK-targeted therapy, either alone or in combination with conventional agents.

Trk receptor expression and inhibition in neuroblastomas.

Neuroblastoma, the most common and deadly solid tumor in children, exhibits heterogeneous clinical behavior, from spontaneous regression to relentless progression. Current evidence suggests that the TRK family of neurotrophin receptors plays a critical role in these diverse behaviors. Neuroblastomas expressing TrkA are biologically favorable and prone to spontaneous regression or differentiation, depending on the absence or presence of its ligand (NGF) in the microenvironment. In contrast, TrkB-expressing tumors frequently have MYCN amplification and are very aggressive and often fatal tumors. These tumors also express the TrkB ligand (BDNF), resulting in an autocrine or paracrine survival pathway. Exposure to BDNF promotes survival, drug resistance, and angiogenesis of TrkB-expressing tumors. Here we review the role of Trks in normal development, the different functions of Trk isoforms, and the major Trk signaling pathways. We also review the roles these receptors play in the heterogeneous biological and clinical behavior of neuroblastomas, and the activation of Trk receptors in other cancers. Finally we address the progress that has been made in developing targeted therapy with Trk-selective inhibitors to treat neuroblastomas and other tumors with activated Trk expression.

Measuring quality: caries-related emergency department visits and follow-up among children.

OBJECTIVE: This study validated two Dental Quality Alliance system-level measures of oral healthcare quality for children - caries-related emergency department (ED) visits and timely follow-up of those visits with a dentist - including formal validation of diagnosis codes used to identify caries-related ED visits and measurement of follow-up care. METHODS: The measures were specified for implementation with administrative claims data and validated using data from the Florida and Texas Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs. Measure specification testing and measure score validation used administrative data for 7,007,765 children. We validated the diagnosis codes in claims data by comparisons with manual reviews of 300 records from a Florida hospital ED and calculation of the kappa statistic, sensitivity, and specificity. RESULTS: Overall agreement in caries-related ED visit classifications between the claims data and record reviews was 87.7 percent with kappa = 0.71, sensitivity = 82 percent, and specificity = 90 percent. The calculated measure scores using administrative data found more than four-fold variation between programs with the lowest and highest caries-related ED visit rates (6.90/100,000 member months and 30.68/100,000 member months). The percentage of follow-up visits within 7 days and 30 days ranged from 22-39 percent and 34-49 percent, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These National Quality Forum endorsed measures provide valid methodologies for assessing the rate of caries-related ED visits, an important system-level outcome indicator of outpatient prevention and disease management, and the timeliness of follow-up with a dentist. There is significant variation in caries-related ED visits among state Medicaid programs, and most ED visits do not have follow-up with a dentist within 30 days.

Dyspnea, tachycardia, and new onset seizure as a presentation of wilms tumor: a case report.

Wilms tumor is found in 1 in 10,000 children and most commonly presents in asymptomatic toddlers whose care givers notice a nontender abdominal mass in the right upper quadrant. This case of Wilms tumor presented as a critically ill eleven-year old with significant tachypnea, dyspnea, vague abdominal pain, intermittent emesis, new onset seizure, metabolic acidosis, and hypoxemia. This is the first case in the literature of Wilms Tumor with cavoatrial involvement and seizure and pulmonary embolism resulting in aggressive resuscitation and treatment. Treatment included anticoagulation, chemotherapy, nephrectomy, and surgical resection of thrombi, followed by adjunctive chemotherapy with pulmonary radiation.

Emergency department crowding and time to antibiotic administration in febrile infants.

INTRODUCTION: Early antibiotic administration is recommended in newborns presenting with febrile illness to emergency departments (ED) to avert the sequelae of serious bacterial infection. Although ED crowding has been associated with delays in antibiotic administration in a dedicated pediatric ED, the majority of children that receive emergency medical care in the United States present to EDs that treat both adult and pediatric emergencies. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between time to antibiotic administration in febrile newborns and crowding in a general ED serving both an adult and pediatric population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 159 newborns presenting to a general ED between 2005 and 2011 and analyzed the association between time to antibiotic administration and ED occupancy rate at the time of, prior to, and following infant presentation to the ED. RESULTS: We observed delayed and variable time to antibiotic administration and found no association between time to antibiotic administration and occupancy rate prior to, at the time of, or following infant presentation (p>0.05). ED time to antibiotic administration was not associated with hospital length of stay, and there was no inpatient mortality. CONCLUSION: Delayed and highly variable time to antibiotic treatment in febrile newborns was common but unrelated to ED crowding in the general ED study site. Guidelines for time to antibiotic administration in this population may reduce variability in ED practice patterns.

Mechanisms of CHD5 Inactivation in neuroblastomas.

PURPOSE: Neuroblastomas (NBs) have genomic, biological, and clinical heterogeneity. High-risk NBs are characterized by several genomic changes, including MYCN amplification and 1p36 deletion. We identified the chromatin-remodeling gene CHD5 as a tumor suppressor gene that maps to 1p36.31. Low or absent CHD5 expression is associated with a 1p36 deletion and an unfavorable outcome, but the mechanisms of CHD5 inactivation in NBs are unknown. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We examined (i) the CHD5 sequence in 188 high-risk NBs investigated through the TARGET initiative, (ii) the methylation status of the CHD5 promoter in 108 NBs with or without 1p36 deletion and/or MYCN amplification, and (iii) mRNA expression of CHD5 and MYCN in 814 representative NBs using TaqMan low-density array microfluidic cards. RESULTS: We found no examples of somatically acquired CHD5 mutations, even in cases with 1p36 deletion, indicating that homozygous genomic inactivation is rare. Methylation of the CHD5 promoter was common in the high-risk tumors, and it was generally associated with both 1p deletion and MYCN amplification. High CHD5 expression was a powerful predictor of favorable outcome, and it showed prognostic value even in multivariable analysis after adjusting for MYCN amplification, 1p36 deletion, and/or 11q deletion. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that (i) somatically acquired CHD5 mutations are rare in primary NBs, so inactivation probably occurs by deletion and epigenetic silencing; (ii) CHD5 expression and promoter methylation are associated with MYCN amplification, suggesting a possible interaction between these 2 genes; and (iii) high CHD5 expression is strongly correlated with favorable clinical/biological features and outcome.

AZ64 inhibits TrkB and enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy and local radiation in neuroblastoma xenografts.

Neuroblastoma is a common pediatric tumor characterized by clinical heterogeneity. Because it is derived from sympathetic neuroblasts, the NTRK family of neurotrophin receptors plays an integral role in neuroblastoma cell survival, growth, and differentiation. Indeed, high expression of NTRK1 is associated with favorable clinical features and outcome, whereas expression of NTRK2 and its ligand, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), are associated with unfavorable features and outcome. AZ64 (Astra Zeneca) is a potent and selective inhibitor of the NTRK tyrosine kinases that blocks phosphorylation at nanomolar concentrations. To determine the preclinical activity of AZ64, we performed intervention trials in a xenograft model with NTRK2-overexpressing neuroblastomas. AZ64 alone significantly inhibited tumor growth compared to vehicle-treated animals (p = 0.0006 for tumor size). Furthermore, the combination of AZ64 with conventional chemotherapeutic agents, irinotecan and temozolomide (irino-temo), showed significantly enhanced anti-tumor efficacy compared to irino-temo alone [(p < 0.0001 for tumor size, p < 0.0005 for event-free survival (EFS)]. We also assessed the combination of AZ64 and local radiation therapy (RT) on a neuroblastoma hindlimb xenograft model, and the efficacy of local RT was significantly increased when animals were treated simultaneously with AZ64 (p < 0.0001 for tumor size, p = 0.0006 for EFS). We conclude that AZ64 can inhibit growth of NTRK-expressing neuroblastomas both in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, it can significantly enhance the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy as well as local RT, presumably by inhibition of the NTRK2/BDNF autocrine survival pathway.

The effect of P75 on Trk receptors in neuroblastomas.

Neuroblastomas (NBs) with favorable outcome usually express TrkA, whereas unfavorable NBs frequently express TrkB and its cognate ligand BDNF. P75 (p75(LNTR), NGFR, TNFRSF16) binds NGF-related neurotrophins with low affinity and usually is coexpressed with Trk receptors in NBs. Here, we investigated the importance of p75 coexpression with Trk receptors in NBs. We transfected p75 into two Trk-null NB cell lines, SH-SY5Y and NLF that were also engineered to stably express TrkA or TrkB. Cell numbers were compared between single (Trk alone) and double (Trk+p75) transfectants, and proliferation was assessed by flow cytometry. P75 coexpression had little effect on cell growth in Trk NB cells in the absence of ligand, but it increased sensitivity and greatly enhanced the effect of cognate ligand. Exogenous NGF induced greater phosphorylation of TrkA and AKT. This was associated with increased cell number in TrkA/p75 cells compared to TrkA cells (p<0.01), which was due to increased proliferation in TrkA/p75 cells (p<0.05), followed by differentiation. Exogenous BDNF also increased cell number in TrkB/p75 compared to TrkB cells (p<0.01), due to an increase in proliferation, but without differentiation. Coexpression of p75 also increased specificity of Trk-expressing cells to ligand. NT3-induced phosphorylation of TrkA and AKT was reduced in TrkA/p75 cells. NT3-induced phosphorylation of TrkB (as well as AKT and MAPK) was also reduced with p75 coexpression. Our results suggest that p75 plays an important role in enhancing both the sensitivity of Trk receptors to low levels of ligand, as well as increasing the specificity of Trks to their cognate ligands. It also enhances ligand-induced differentiation in TrkA/p75 but not TrkB/p75 cells.