Yield of Screening for COVID-19 in Asymptomatic Patients Before Elective or Emergency Surgery Using Chest CT and RT-PCR (SCOUT): Multicenter Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the yield of preoperative screening for COVID-19 with chest CT and RT-PCR in patients without COVID-19 symptoms. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Many centers are currently screening surgical patients for COVID-19 using either chest CT, RT-PCR or both, due to the risk for worsened surgical outcomes and nosocomial spread. The optimal design and yield of such a strategy are currently unknown. METHODS: This multicenter study included consecutive adult patients without COVID-19 symptoms who underwent preoperative screening using chest CT and RT-PCR before elective or emergency surgery under general anesthesia. RESULTS: A total of 2093 patients without COVID-19 symptoms were included in 14 participating centers; 1224 were screened by CT and RT-PCR and 869 by chest CT only. The positive yield of screening using a combination of chest CT and RT-PCR was 1.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.8-2.1]. Individual yields were 0.7% (95% CI: 0.2-1.1) for chest CT and 1.1% (95% CI: 0.6-1.7) for RT-PCR; the incremental yield of chest CT was 0.4%. In relation to COVID-19 community prevalence, up to ∼6% positive RT-PCR was found for a daily hospital admission rate >1.5 per 100,000 inhabitants, and around 1.0% for lower prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: One in every 100 patients without COVID-19 symptoms tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 with RT-PCR; this yield increased in conjunction with community prevalence. The added value of chest CT was limited. Preoperative screening allowed us to take adequate precautions for SARS-CoV-2 positive patients in a surgical population, whereas negative patients needed only routine procedures.

Evidence for shared genetic risk factors between lymphangioleiomyomatosis and pulmonary function.

INTRODUCTION: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare low-grade metastasising disease characterised by cystic lung destruction. The genetic basis of LAM remains incompletely determined, and the disease cell-of-origin is uncertain. We analysed the possibility of a shared genetic basis between LAM and cancer, and LAM and pulmonary function. METHODS: The results of genome-wide association studies of LAM, 17 cancer types and spirometry measures (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC ratio and peak expiratory flow (PEF)) were analysed for genetic correlations, shared genetic variants and causality. Genomic and transcriptomic data were examined, and immunodetection assays were performed to evaluate pleiotropic genes. RESULTS: There were no significant overall genetic correlations between LAM and cancer, but LAM correlated negatively with FVC and PEF, and a trend in the same direction was observed for FEV1. 22 shared genetic variants were uncovered between LAM and pulmonary function, while seven shared variants were identified between LAM and cancer. The LAM-pulmonary function shared genetics identified four pleiotropic genes previously recognised in LAM single-cell transcriptomes: ADAM12, BNC2, NR2F2 and SP5. We had previously associated NR2F2 variants with LAM, and we identified its functional partner NR3C1 as another pleotropic factor. NR3C1 expression was confirmed in LAM lung lesions. Another candidate pleiotropic factor, CNTN2, was found more abundant in plasma of LAM patients than that of healthy women. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests the existence of a common genetic aetiology between LAM and pulmonary function.

Detection of Cutibacterium acnes in granulomas of patients with either hypersensitivity pneumonitis or vasculitis reveals that its presence is not unique for sarcoidosis.

Presence of C. acnes in granulomas is not unique to sarcoidosis but can also be found in patients with HP or EGPA. C. acnes may be involved in the pathogenesis of those granulomatous diseases in a mitogenic way. https://bit.ly/3pU0PeC.

The MUC5B Promoter Polymorphism Associates With Severe COVID-19 in the European Population.

Background: Diversity in response on exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 may be related to the innate immune response in the elderly. The mucin MUC5B is an important component of the innate immune response and expression levels are associated with the MUC5B promoter polymorphism, rs35705950. The high expressing T-allele is a risk allele for the non-infectious aging lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We investigated if MUC5B rs35705950 associates with severe COVID-19. Methods: In this retrospective candidate gene case-control study we recruited 108 Dutch patients (69% male, median age 66 years, 77% white) requiring hospitalization for COVID-19 (22% ICU stay, 24% died). For validation, genotypes were obtained from the UK-Biobank (n = 436, 57% male, median age 70 years, 27% died), for replication data from the severe COVID-19 GWAS group from Italy (n = 835) and Spain (n = 775) was used, each with a control cohort (n = 356,735, n = 1,255, n = 950, respectively). MUC5B association analysis was performed including adjustment for age and sex. Results: The rs35705950 T-allele frequency was significantly lower in Dutch white patients (n = 83) than in controls (0.04 vs. 0.10; p = 0.02). This was validated in the UK biobank cohort (0.08 vs. 0.11; p = 0.001). While age and sex differed significantly between cases and control, comparable results were obtained with age and sex as confounding variables in a multivariate analysis. The association was replicated in the Italian (p = 0.04), and Spanish (p = 0.03) case-control cohorts. Meta-analysis showed a negative association for the T-allele with COVID-19 (OR = 0.75 (CI: 0.67-0.85); p = 6.63 × 10-6). Conclusions: This study shows that carriage of the T-allele of MUC5B rs35705950 confers protection from development of severe COVID-19. Because the T-allele is a known risk allele for IPF, this study provides further evidence for the existence of trade-offs between optimal mucin expression levels in the aging lung.

Heterogeneity and Cancer-Related Features in Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Cells and Tissue.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare, low-grade metastasizing disease characterized by cystic lung destruction. LAM can exhibit extensive heterogeneity at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. However, the molecular similarities and differences among LAM cells and tissue, and their connection to cancer features are not fully understood. By integrating complementary gene and protein LAM signatures, and single-cell and bulk tissue transcriptome profiles, we show sources of disease heterogeneity, and how they correspond to cancer molecular portraits. Subsets of LAM diseased cells differ with respect to gene expression profiles related to hormones, metabolism, proliferation, and stemness. Phenotypic diseased cell differences are identified by evaluating lumican (LUM) proteoglycan and YB1 transcription factor expression in LAM lung lesions. The RUNX1 and IRF1 transcription factors are predicted to regulate LAM cell signatures, and both regulators are expressed in LAM lung lesions, with differences between spindle-like and epithelioid LAM cells. The cancer single-cell transcriptome profiles most similar to those of LAM cells include a breast cancer mesenchymal cell model and lines derived from pleural mesotheliomas. Heterogeneity is also found in LAM lung tissue, where it is mainly determined by immune system factors. Variable expression of the multifunctional innate immunity protein LCN2 is linked to disease heterogeneity. This protein is found to be more abundant in blood plasma from LAM patients than from healthy women. IMPLICATIONS: This study identifies LAM molecular and cellular features, master regulators, cancer similarities, and potential causes of disease heterogeneity.

Histamine signaling and metabolism identify potential biomarkers and therapies for lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

Inhibition of mTOR is the standard of care for lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). However, this therapy has variable tolerability and some patients show progressive decline of lung function despite treatment. LAM diagnosis and monitoring can also be challenging due to the heterogeneity of symptoms and insufficiency of non-invasive tests. Here, we propose monoamine-derived biomarkers that provide preclinical evidence for novel therapeutic approaches. The major histamine-derived metabolite methylimidazoleacetic acid (MIAA) is relatively more abundant in LAM plasma, and MIAA values are independent of VEGF-D. Higher levels of histamine are associated with poorer lung function and greater disease burden. Molecular and cellular analyses, and metabolic profiling confirmed active histamine signaling and metabolism. LAM tumorigenesis is reduced using approved drugs targeting monoamine oxidases A/B (clorgyline and rasagiline) or histamine H1 receptor (loratadine), and loratadine synergizes with rapamycin. Depletion of Maoa or Hrh1 expression, and administration of an L-histidine analog, or a low L-histidine diet, also reduce LAM tumorigenesis. These findings extend our knowledge of LAM biology and suggest possible ways of improving disease management.

Extensive pulmonary sarcoid reaction in a patient with BMPR-2 associated idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a progressive life-threatening disease characterized by vascular remodeling. There is evidence that varied immune mechanism play an important role in progression of pulmonary hypertension.  We describe a case of a 35-year-old woman with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and a novel BMPR2 mutation, who underwent a successful lung transplantation.  Extensive granulomatous inflammation was seen in the resected lungs. The granulomatous inflammation found in the histology supports  a sarcoid-like reaction due to pulmonary hypertension in the context of the BMPR2 mutation.