The Effect of Patient Resilience on Postoperative Scores After One- and Two-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between resilience and outcomes of pain and neck-related disability after single- and double-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). METHODS: Patients who underwent single- or double-level ACDF were sent a survey between 6 months and 2 years after surgery. The survey included the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ-2). Patients completed the VAS and NDI twice, once describing preoperative pain and disability and once describing current pain and disability. Respondents were classified as high resilience (HR), medium resilience (MR), or low resilience (LR). Demographics, PSEQ-2 scores, pre- and postoperative VAS and NDI scores, and change in VAS (ΔVAS) and NDI (ΔNDI) scores were compared between groups. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients comprised the HR group, 273 patients comprised the MR group, and 47 patients comprised the LR group. All groups demonstrated postoperative improvement in VAS and NDI scores that exceeded previously established MCID values. The HR group demonstrated greater improvement in pain compared with the LR group (ΔVAS: -5.8 for HR vs. -4.4 for LR, P = 0.05). Compared with the MR group, the LR group demonstrated greater postoperative pain (VAS: 3.2 for LR vs. 2.5 for MR, P = 0.02) and disability (NDI: 11.9 for LR vs. 8.6 for MR, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Patients demonstrated improvement in pain and neck-related disability after single- and double-level ACDF, regardless of resilience score. Patients with greater resilience may be expected to demonstrate more improvement in pain after ACDF.

Pre-analytic decrease of phenylalanine in plasma of patients with phenylketonuria treated with pegvaliase.

Treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU) has evolved since the initial introduction of a phenylalanine (Phe) restricted diet. The most recent option for adults affected with PKU is treatment with an alternate enzyme, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), that metabolizes excess Phe. Proper management of all patients with PKU relies on accurate measurement of Phe levels in blood, to comply with guidance intended to minimize the neurological symptoms. Recently, our laboratory was notified of discrepant results for a patient with PKU who is treated with pegvaliase. Two specimens were collected at the same time but yielded unexpectedly different Phe concentrations. After exclusion of specimen mix-ups or analytical errors, we suspected that there was residual pegvaliase activity in the specimens continuing to degrade Phe after collection. To investigate this possibility, we performed spiking studies that showed the degradation of Phe over time at ambient temperatures. Sample preparation by protein crash appears to deactivate pegvaliase and prevents further Phe degradation. However, because pegvaliase deactivation would be required immediately following blood collection, appropriate mitigation measures must be implemented, including stringent pre-analytical requirements, alternate sample matrices such as dried blood spots, or point of care testing. Until then, health care professionals need to be cautious in their interpretation of Phe levels in their patients with PKU that are treated with pegvaliase.

A complement C4-derived glycopeptide is a biomarker for PMM2-CDG.

BACKGROUNDDiagnosis of PMM2-CDG, the most common congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG), relies on measuring carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) and genetic testing. CDT tests have false negatives and may normalize with age. Site-specific changes in protein N-glycosylation have not been reported in sera in PMM2-CDG.METHODSUsing multistep mass spectrometry-based N-glycoproteomics, we analyzed sera from 72 individuals to discover and validate glycopeptide alterations. We performed comprehensive tandem mass tag-based discovery experiments in well-characterized patients and controls. Next, we developed a method for rapid profiling of additional samples. Finally, targeted mass spectrometry was used for validation in an independent set of samples in a blinded fashion.RESULTSOf the 3,342 N-glycopeptides identified, patients exhibited decrease in complex-type N-glycans and increase in truncated, mannose-rich, and hybrid species. We identified a glycopeptide from complement C4 carrying the glycan Man5GlcNAc2, which was not detected in controls, in 5 patients with normal CDT results, including 1 after liver transplant and 2 with a known genetic variant associated with mild disease, indicating greater sensitivity than CDT. It was detected by targeted analysis in 2 individuals with variants of uncertain significance in PMM2.CONCLUSIONComplement C4-derived Man5GlcNAc2 glycopeptide could be a biomarker for accurate diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of patients with PMM2-CDG and other CDGs.FUNDINGU54NS115198 (Frontiers in Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation: NINDS; NCATS; Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD; Rare Disorders Consortium Disease Network); K08NS118119 (NINDS); Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics; Rocket Fund; R01DK099551 (NIDDK); Mayo Clinic DERIVE Office; Mayo Clinic Center for Biomedical Discovery; IA/CRC/20/1/600002 (Center for Rare Disease Diagnosis, Research and Training; DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance).

SLC6A8 creatine transporter deficiency can be detected by plasma creatine and creatinine concentrations.

Creatine transporter deficiency has been described with normal or uninformative levels of creatine and creatinine in plasma, while urine has been the preferred specimen type for biochemical diagnosis. We report a cohort of untreated patients with creatine transporter deficiency and abnormal plasma creatine panel results, characterized mainly by markedly decreased plasma creatinine. We conclude that plasma should be considered a viable specimen type for the biochemical diagnosis of this disorder, and abnormal results should be followed up with further confirmatory testing.

Older Age, Male Sex, and Early Start Time Lengthen the Recovery Room Stay Following Total Joint Arthroplasty in an Ambulatory Surgical Center.

Background: Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) performed in the ambulatory surgical center (ASC) has been shown to be safe and cost-effective for an expanding cohort of patients. As criteria for TJA in the ASC become less restrictive, data guiding the efficient use of ASC resources are crucial. Purpose: We sought to identify factors associated with length of stay in the recovery room after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) performed in the ASC. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 411 patients who underwent primary THA or TKA at our institution's ASC between November 2020 and March 2022. We collected patient demographics, perioperative factors, success of same-day discharge (SDD), and length of time in the recovery room. Results: Of 411 patients, 100% had successful SDD. The average length of time spent in recovery was 207 minutes (SD: 73.9 minutes). Predictors of longer time in recovery were increased age, male sex, and operative start time before 9:59 am. Body mass index, preoperative opioid use, Charlson Comorbidity Index, type of surgery (THA vs TKA), urinary retention risk, and type of anesthesia (spinal vs general) were not significant predictors of length of time in the recovery room. Conclusion: In this retrospective study, factors associated with increased length of time in the recovery room included older age, male sex, and operative start time before 9:59 am. Such factors may guide surgeons in determining the optimal order of cases for each day at the ASC, but further prospective studies should seek to confirm these observations.

Neurological manifestations in PMM2-congenital disorders of glycosylation (PMM2-CDG): Insights into clinico-radiological characteristics, recommendations for follow-up, and future directions.

PURPOSE: In the absence of prospective data on neurological symptoms, disease outcome, or guidelines for system specific management in phosphomannomutase 2-congenital disorders of glycosylation (PMM2-CDG), we aimed to collect and review natural history data. METHODS: Fifty-one molecularly confirmed individuals with PMM2-CDG enrolled in the Frontiers of Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation natural history study were reviewed. In addition, we prospectively reviewed a smaller cohort of these individuals with PMM2-CDG on off-label acetazolamide treatment. RESULTS: Mean age at diagnosis was 28.04 months. Developmental delay is a constant phenotype. Neurological manifestation included ataxia (90.2%), myopathy (82.4%), seizures (56.9%), neuropathy (52.9%), microcephaly (19.1%), extrapyramidal symptoms (27.5%), stroke-like episodes (SLE) (15.7%), and spasticity (13.7%). Progressive cerebellar atrophy is the characteristic neuroimaging finding. Additionally, supratentorial white matter changes were noted in adult age. No correlation was observed between the seizure severity and SLE risk, although all patients with SLE have had seizures in the past. "Off-label" acetazolamide therapy in a smaller sub-cohort resulted in improvement in speech fluency but did not show statistically significant improvement in objective ataxia scores. CONCLUSION: Clinical and radiological findings suggest both neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative pathophysiology. Seizures may manifest at any age and are responsive to levetiracetam monotherapy in most cases. Febrile seizure is the most common trigger for SLEs. Acetazolamide is well tolerated.

PIGO-CDG: A case study with a new genotype, expansion of the phenotype, literature review, and nosological considerations.

The phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis class O protein (PIGO) enzyme is an important step in the biosynthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI), which is essential for the membrane anchoring of several proteins. Bi-allelic pathogenic variants in PIGO lead to a congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG) characterized by global developmental delay, an increase in serum alkaline phosphatase levels, congenital anomalies including anorectal, genitourinary, and limb malformations in most patients; this phenotype has been alternately called "Mabry syndrome" or "hyperphosphatasia with impaired intellectual development syndrome 2." We report a 22-month-old female with PIGO deficiency caused by novel PIGO variants. In addition to the Mabry syndrome phenotype, our patient's clinical picture was complicated by intermittent hypoglycemia with signs of functional hyperinsulinism, severe secretory diarrhea, and osteopenia with a pathological fracture, thus, potentially expanding the known phenotype of this disorder, although more studies are necessary to confirm these associations. We also provide an updated review of the literature, and propose unifying the nomenclature of PIGO deficiency as "PIGO-CDG," which reflects its pathophysiology and position in the broad scope of metabolic disorders and congenital disorders of glycosylation.

The Effect of Preoperative Exposure to Benzodiazepines on Opioid Consumption After One and Two-level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. OBJECTIVE: Investigate the relationship between preoperative benzodiazepine exposure and postoperative opioid use in patients undergoing primary 1 or 2-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effect of preoperative benzodiazepine exposure on postoperative opioid use in spine surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing primary 1 or 2-level ACDF at a single institution from February 2020 to November 2021 were identified through electronic medical records. The prescription drug monitoring program was utilized to record the name, dosage, and quantity of preoperative benzodiazepines/opioids filled within 60 days before surgery and postoperative opioids 6 months after surgery. Patients were classified as benzodiazepine naïve or exposed according to preoperative usage, and postoperative opioid dose and duration were compared between groups. Regression analysis was performed for outcomes that demonstrated statistical significance, adjusting for preoperative opioid use, age, sex, and body mass index. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients comprised the benzodiazepine-exposed group whereas 90 comprised the benzodiazepine-naïve group. There was no significant difference in average daily morphine milligram equivalents between groups (median: 96.0 vs 65.0, P = 0.11). The benzodiazepine-exposed group received postoperative opioids for a longer duration (median: 32.0 d vs 12.0 d, P = 0.004) with more prescriptions (median: 2.0 vs 1.0, P = 0.004) and a greater number of pills (median: 110.0 vs 59.0, P = 0.007). On regression analysis, preoperative benzodiazepine use was not significantly associated with postoperative opioid duration [incidence rate ratio (IRR): 0.93, P = 0.74], number of prescriptions (IRR: 1.21, P = 0.16), or number of pills (IRR: 0.89, P = 0.58). CONCLUSIONS: While preoperative benzodiazepine users undergoing primary 1 or 2-level ACDF received postoperative opioids for a longer duration compared with a benzodiazepine naïve cohort, preoperative benzodiazepine use did not independently contribute to this observation. These findings provide insight into the relationship between preoperative benzodiazepine use and postoperative opioid consumption. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Tracer metabolomics reveals the role of aldose reductase in glycosylation.

Abnormal polyol metabolism is predominantly associated with diabetes, where excess glucose is converted to sorbitol by aldose reductase (AR). Recently, abnormal polyol metabolism has been implicated in phosphomannomutase 2 congenital disorder of glycosylation (PMM2-CDG) and an AR inhibitor, epalrestat, proposed as a potential therapy. Considering that the PMM2 enzyme is not directly involved in polyol metabolism, the increased polyol production and epalrestat's therapeutic mechanism in PMM2-CDG remained elusive. PMM2-CDG, caused by PMM2 deficiency, presents with depleted GDP-mannose and abnormal glycosylation. Here, we show that, apart from glycosylation abnormalities, PMM2 deficiency affects intracellular glucose flux, resulting in polyol increase. Targeting AR with epalrestat decreases polyols and increases GDP-mannose both in patient-derived fibroblasts and in pmm2 mutant zebrafish. Using tracer studies, we demonstrate that AR inhibition diverts glucose flux away from polyol production toward the synthesis of sugar nucleotides, and ultimately glycosylation. Finally, PMM2-CDG individuals treated with epalrestat show a clinical and biochemical improvement.

Novel insights into the phenotype and long-term D-gal treatment in PGM1-CDG: a case series.

Phosphoglucomutase-1-congenital disorder of glycosylation (PGM1-CDG) (OMIM: 614921) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited metabolic disease caused by the deficiency of the PGM1 enzyme. Like other CDGs, PGM1-CDG has a multisystemic presentation. The most common clinical findings include liver involvement, rhabdomyolysis, hypoglycemia, and cardiac involvement. Phenotypic severity can vary, though cardiac presentation is usually part of the most severe phenotype, often resulting in early death. Unlike the majority of CDGs, PGM1-CDG has a treatment: oral D-galactose (D-gal) supplementation, which significantly improves many aspects of the disorder. Here, we describe five PGM1-CDG patients treated with D-gal and report both on novel clinical symptoms in PGM1-CDG as well as the effects of the D-gal treatment. D-gal resulted in notable clinical improvement in four patients, though the efficacy of treatment varied between the patients. Furthermore, there was a significant improvement or normalization in transferrin glycosylation, liver transaminases and coagulation factors in three patients, creatine kinase (CK) levels in two, while hypoglycemia resolved in two patients. One patient discontinued the treatment due to urinary frequency and lack of clinical improvement. Furthermore, one patient experienced recurrent episodes of rhabdomyolysis and tachycardia even on higher doses of therapy. D-gal also failed to improve the cardiac function, which was initially abnormal in three patients, and remains the biggest challenge in treating PGM1-CDG. Together, our findings expand the phenotype of PGM1-CDG and underline the importance of developing novel therapies that would specifically treat the cardiac phenotype in PGM1-CDG.

An update on benefits and challenges of treating PGM1-CDG with galactose PGM1-CDG is a rare genetic disorder that affects glycosylation, an important biochemical process happening in every cell of the body. Because glycosylation is essential for correct functioning of the cells and happens in every tissue and organ, patients with PGM1-CDG can have a variety of symptoms affecting many different organs. Main symptoms include low blood glucose levels, hyperinsulinism, bleeding disorder, liver, muscle, heart problems, and so on. This disorder is usually diagnosed based on the genetic testing, patient's symptoms, and transferrin glycosylation test, which detects abnormalities in glycosylation in blood. So far, more than 60 patients have been reported. Unlike many genetic disorders, PGM1-CDG has a treatment in the form of a sugar called galactose, which naturally occurs in milk, and can treat many symptoms of the disorder. The patients are advised to take it every day by mouth in the form of powder. Here, we describe five more patients with PGM1-CDG, who were treated with galactose. Each of the patients had novel symptoms and they responded to the treatment differently, which helps us to better understand the disorder and the effects of therapy better. We found that many symptoms improved or normalized; however, some patients experienced persistent symptoms and even adverse events that made them stop treatment. Unfortunately, we did not observe any improvement of heart-related issues. Given that heart issues are the most severe aspect of PGM1-CDG and can result in early death, therapies that target heart issues in PGM1-CDG are still necessary. In conclusion, we describe novel aspects of PGM1-CDG, which will help understand and diagnose the disorder better, and highlight the importance of developing new therapies for this disorder that would specifically treat the heart.

The Complication of a Retained Broken Distal Interlocking Screw Within a Cephalomedullary Nail During Conversion Hip Arthroplasty: A Case Report.

In patients who undergo femoral fracture fixation with a cephalomedullary nail, the breakage of one or more of the distal interlocking screws is a well-described phenomenon. The presence of a broken interlocking screw in patients who require the removal of their cephalomedullary nail presents a unique challenge. The broken interlocking screw may be retrieved, or the screw may be retained if it is not engaged within the nail and the nail can safely be removed while leaving the broken screw fragment behind. We report a hip conversion arthroplasty case with a broken interlocking screw where the nail was removed with ease and the broken screw was assumed to have been left behind. Cerclage wires were placed for an apparent proximal femoral fracture. Postoperative X-rays demonstrated a large lucency tracking from the prior location of the distal interlocking screw to the calcar region. This finding made it evident that the broken screw had been retained in the nail and was dragged up the femur upon nail removal, causing a large gouge spanning the entire femur.

Fractionated plasma N-glycan profiling of novel cohort of ATP6AP1-CDG subjects identifies phenotypic association.

ATP6AP1-CDG is an X-linked disorder typically characterized by hepatopathy, immunodeficiency, and an abnormal type II transferrin glycosylation pattern. Here, we present 11 new patients and clinical updates with biochemical characterization on one previously reported patient. We also document intrafamilial phenotypic variability and atypical presentations, expanding the symptomatology of ATP6AP1-CDG to include dystonia, hepatocellular carcinoma, and lysosomal abnormalities on hepatic histology. Three of our subjects received successful liver transplantation. We performed N-glycan profiling of total and fractionated plasma proteins for six patients and show associations with varying phenotypes, demonstrating potential diagnostic and prognostic value of fractionated N-glycan profiles. The aberrant N-linked glycosylation in purified transferrin and remaining plasma glycoprotein fractions normalized in one patient post hepatic transplant, while the increases of Man4GlcNAc2 and Man5GlcNAc2 in purified immunoglobulins persisted. Interestingly, in the single patient with isolated immune deficiency phenotype, elevated high-mannose glycans were detected on purified immunoglobulins without glycosylation abnormalities on transferrin or the remaining plasma glycoprotein fractions. Given the diverse and often tissue specific clinical presentations and the need of clinical management post hepatic transplant in ATP6AP1-CDG patients, these results demonstrate that fractionated plasma N-glycan profiling could be a valuable tool in diagnosis and disease monitoring.

Utilizing augmented artificial intelligence for aminoacidopathies using collaborative laboratory integrated reporting- A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Plasma amino acids profiling can aid in the screening and diagnosis of aminoacidopathies. The goal of the current study was to analyze and report the metabolic profiles of plasma amino acid (PAA) and additionally to compare PAA-reference intervals (RI) from Pakistan with more countries utilizing Clinical Laboratory Integrated Reports (CLIR). Methods: This was a cross sectional prospective single center study. Twenty-two amino acids were analyzed in each sample received for one year at the clinical laboratory. Data was divided into reference and case data files after interpretation by a team of pathologists and technologists. All PAA samples were analyzed using ion-exchange high-performance chromatography. The CLIR application of Amino Acid in Plasma (AAQP) was used for statistical analysis for both data sets and post-analytical interpretive tools using a single condition tool was applied. Result: The majority of 92% (n = 1913) of PAA profiles out of the total 2081 tests run were non-diagnostic; the PAA values were within the age-specific RI. The PAA median was in close comparison close to the 50th percentile of reference data available in CLIR software. Out of the total 2081 tests run, one hundred and sixty-eight had abnormal PAA levels; 27.38% were labeled as non-fasting samples, and the main aminoacidopathies identified were Phenylketonuria and Maple Syrup Urine Disorder. Conclusion: An agreement of >95% was observed between the reporting done by the pathologists and technologists' team and then after the application of CLIR. Augmented artificial intelligence using CLIR can improve the accuracy of reporting rare aminoacidopathies in a developing country like ours.

Scalable detection of technically challenging variants through modified next-generation sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Some clinically important genetic variants are not easily evaluated with next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods due to technical challenges arising from high- similarity copies (e.g., PMS2, SMN1/SMN2, GBA1, HBA1/HBA2, CYP21A2), repetitive short sequences (e.g., ARX polyalanine repeats, FMR1 AGG interruptions in CGG repeats, CFTR poly-T/TG repeats), and other complexities (e.g., MSH2 Boland inversions). METHODS: We customized our NGS processes to detect the technically challenging variants mentioned above with adaptations including target enrichment and bioinformatic masking of similar sequences. Adaptations were validated with samples of known genotypes. RESULTS: Our adaptations provided high-sensitivity and high-specificity detection for most of the variants and provided a high-sensitivity primary assay to be followed with orthogonal disambiguation for the others. The sensitivity of the NGS adaptations was 100% for all of the technically challenging variants. Specificity was 100% for those in PMS2, GBA1, SMN1/SMN2, and HBA1/HBA2, and for the MSH2 Boland inversion; 97.8%-100% for CYP21A2 variants; and 85.7% for ARX polyalanine repeats. CONCLUSIONS: NGS assays can detect technically challenging variants when chemistries and bioinformatics are jointly refined. The adaptations described support a scalable, cost-effective path to identifying all clinically relevant variants within a single sample.

Predicting Hepatic Clearance of Psychotropic Drugs in Isolated Perfused Fish Livers Using a Combination of Two In Vitro Assays.

In vitro biotransformation assays with primary trout hepatocytes (RT-HEP) or liver subcellular fractions (RT-S9) have been proposed as valuable tools to help scientists and regulators better understand the toxicokinetics of chemicals. While both assays have been applied successfully to a diversity of neutral organic chemicals, only the RT-S9 assay has been applied to a large number of ionizable organic chemicals. Here, a combination of an in vitro biotransformation assay with RT-HEP with an active transport assay based on the permanent rainbow trout liver cell line RTL-W1 was used to qualitatively predict the potential hepatic clearance of nine psychotropic drugs with various degrees of ionization. Predictions were compared with rates of clearance measured in isolated perfused rainbow trout livers, and the importance of active transport was verified in the presence of the active transport inhibitor cyclosporin A. For the first time, it was demonstrated that a combination of biotransformation and active transport assays is powerful for the prediction of rates of hepatic clearance of ionizable chemicals. Ultimately, it is expected that this approach will allow for use of fewer animals while at the same time improving our confidence in the use of data from in vitro assays in chemical risk assessment.

The effect of long-term opioid use on back-specific disability and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain.

CONTEXT: Opioids are commonly utilized for the treatment of chronic pain. However, research regarding the long-term (≥12 months) outcomes of opioid therapy remains sparse. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the effects of long-term opioid therapy on measures of back-specific disability and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, patients with chronic low back pain who reported consistent opioid use or abstinence for at least 12 months while enrolled in the Pain Registry for Epidemiological, Clinical, and Interventional Studies and Innovation Pain Research Registry were classified as long-term opioid users or nonusers, respectively. For comparison, intermediate-term and short-term opioid users and nonusers were also identified. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to compare back-specific disability (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire [RMDQ]) and health-related quality of life (29-item Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System [PROMIS]) between opioid users and nonusers while controlling for pain intensity, depression, age, body mass index (BMI), and eight common comorbid conditions (herniated disc, sciatica, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and asthma). Statistically significant findings were assessed for clinical relevance. RESULTS: There were 96 long-term opioid users and 204 long-term opioid nonusers. After controlling for potential confounders, long-term opioid use was a predictor of worse back-specific disability (adjusted mean difference=2.85, p<0.001), physical function (adjusted mean difference=-2.90, p=0.001), fatigue (adjusted mean difference=4.32, p=0.001), participation in social roles (adjusted mean difference=-4.10, p<0.001), and pain interference (adjusted mean difference=3.88, p<0.001) outcomes. Intermediate-term opioid use was a predictor of worse back-specific disability (adjusted mean difference=2.41, p<0.001), physical function (adjusted mean difference=-2.26, p=0.003), fatigue (adjusted mean difference=3.70, p=0.002), and sleep disturbance outcomes (adjusted mean difference=3.03, p=0.004), whereas short-term opioid use was a predictor of worse back-specific disability (adjusted mean difference=2.42, p<0.001) and physical function outcomes (adjusted mean difference=-1.90, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study are largely consistent with existing literature regarding the outcomes of long-term opioid therapy. Taken in conjunction with the well-established risks of opioid medications, these findings draw into question the utility of long-term opioid therapy for chronic low back pain.

Validation of Methods for in Vitro-in Vivo Extrapolation Using Hepatic Clearance Measurements in Isolated Perfused Fish Livers.

In vitro biotransformation assays using hepatocytes or liver subcellular fractions, combined with in vitro-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) models, have been proposed as an alternative to live fish bioconcentration studies. The uncertainty associated with IVIVE approaches to date has been attributed to assay protocols, model assumptions, or variability of in vivo data. An isolated perfused trout liver model that measures hepatic clearance has been proposed for validating IVIVE predictions in the absence of other confounding factors. Here, we investigated the hepatic clearances of five chemicals (pyrene, phenanthrene, 4-n-nonlyphenol, deltamethrin, and methoxychlor) in this model and compared measured rates to values predicted from published in vitro intrinsic clearances for validation of IVIVE models. Additionally, we varied protein concentrations in perfusates to test binding assumptions of these models. We found that measured and predicted hepatic clearances were in very good agreement (root mean squared error 16.8 mL h-1 g-1) across three levels of protein binding and across a more diverse chemical space than previously studied within this system. Our results show that current IVIVE methods can reliably predict in vivo clearance rates and indicate that discrepancies from measured bioconcentration factors might be driven by other processes, such as extrahepatic biotransformation, etc., and help streamline optimization efforts to the processes that truly matter.

A Decade's Experience in Pediatric Chromosomal Microarray Reveals Distinct Characteristics Across Ordering Specialties.

Chromosomal microarray (CMA) is a testing modality frequently used in pediatric patients; however, published data on its utilization are limited to the genetic setting. We performed a database search for all CMA testing performed from 2010 to 2020, and delineated the diagnostic yield based on patient characteristics, including sex, age, clinical specialty of providers, indication of testing, and pathogenic finding. The indications for testing were further categorized into Human Phenotype Ontology categories for analysis. This study included a cohort of 14,541 patients from 29 different medical specialties, of whom 30% were from the genetics clinic. The clinical indications for testing suggested that neonatology patients demonstrated the greatest involvement of multiorgan systems, involving the most Human Phenotype Ontology categories, compared with developmental behavioral pediatrics and neurology patients being the least. The top pathogenic findings for each specialty differed, likely due to the varying clinical features and indications for testing. Deletions involving the 22q11.21 locus were the top pathogenic findings for patients presenting to genetics, neonatology, cardiology, and surgery. Our data represent the largest pediatric cohort published to date. This study is the first to demonstrate the diagnostic utility of this assay for patients seen in the setting of different specialties, and it provides normative data of CMA results among a general pediatric population referred for testing because of variable clinical presentations.

De novo and bi-allelic variants in AP1G1 cause neurodevelopmental disorder with developmental delay, intellectual disability, and epilepsy.

Adaptor protein (AP) complexes mediate selective intracellular vesicular trafficking and polarized localization of somatodendritic proteins in neurons. Disease-causing alleles of various subunits of AP complexes have been implicated in several heritable human disorders, including intellectual disabilities (IDs). Here, we report two bi-allelic (c.737C>A [p.Pro246His] and c.1105A>G [p.Met369Val]) and eight de novo heterozygous variants (c.44G>A [p.Arg15Gln], c.103C>T [p.Arg35Trp], c.104G>A [p.Arg35Gln], c.229delC [p.Gln77Lys∗11], c.399_400del [p.Glu133Aspfs∗37], c.747G>T [p.Gln249His], c.928-2A>C [p.?], and c.2459C>G [p.Pro820Arg]) in AP1G1, encoding gamma-1 subunit of adaptor-related protein complex 1 (AP1γ1), associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) characterized by mild to severe ID, epilepsy, and developmental delay in eleven families from different ethnicities. The AP1γ1-mediated adaptor complex is essential for the formation of clathrin-coated intracellular vesicles. In silico analysis and 3D protein modeling simulation predicted alteration of AP1γ1 protein folding for missense variants, which was consistent with the observed altered AP1γ1 levels in heterologous cells. Functional studies of the recessively inherited missense variants revealed no apparent impact on the interaction of AP1γ1 with other subunits of the AP-1 complex but rather showed to affect the endosome recycling pathway. Knocking out ap1g1 in zebrafish leads to severe morphological defect and lethality, which was significantly rescued by injection of wild-type AP1G1 mRNA and not by transcripts encoding the missense variants. Furthermore, microinjection of mRNAs with de novo missense variants in wild-type zebrafish resulted in severe developmental abnormalities and increased lethality. We conclude that de novo and bi-allelic variants in AP1G1 are associated with neurodevelopmental disorder in diverse populations.