Treatment and Long-Term Safety Outcomes of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy for Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumours: An Asian Experience.

PURPOSE: Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is a targeted molecular therapy used to treat neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). It has been shown to be effective and well tolerated in patients with metastatic NETs in several centres in the USA, Europe, and Australia. Tolerability and efficacy data emerging from Asian centres remain few. Epidemiological evidence suggests that there are differences in neuroendocrine neoplasms between the population groups. We aim to describe the treatment and safety outcomes of PRRT in the Asian population. METHODS: One hundred and seven (107) patients with metastatic NETs who had undergone PRRT treatment from January 2012 to March 2019 were included in this retrospective study. The response rates using RECIST 1.1 and qualitative analysis were examined. The overall and progression-free survival curves were also evaluated. RESULTS: The median progression-free survival was 49 months. Response assessment after completion of treatment showed that 33 (37.9%) of 87 patients had partial or complete response. Subgroup analysis comparing high- and low-grade NET showed that there was a significant difference in the time to progression curves. Comparison of the number of cycles and progression-free and overall survival also showed a significant difference. Ten patients (9%) had grade 3 or more haematological toxicities. Four patients (4%) had grade 3/4 hepatobiliary toxicities, although the presence of extensive liver metastases was a confounding factor. None of the patients had grade 3/4 acute kidney injury. CONCLUSION: Our results show that PRRT is safe and effective in the treatment of metastatic NET in the Asian population. There was a significant difference in the progression-free survival curves between low-grade and high-grade NET and in the progression-free and overall survival comparing the number of cycles received.

Heterogeneity by age and gender in the association of kidney function with mortality among patients with diabetes - analysis of diabetes registry in Singapore.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to explore the three-way interaction among age, gender, and kidney function on the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study, patients aged > 40 years with T2D with serum creatinine and urine albumin measured from 2013 to 2019 were included from a multi-institutional diabetes registry. The exposure was estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), outcomes were all-cause mortality (primary outcome) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality (secondary outcome). We applied multivariable cox proportional hazards regression analysis to compute the association between eGFR and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 36,556 patients were followed for up to 6 years during which 2492 (6.82%) died from all causes, and 690 (1.9%) died from CVD. We observed a significant three-way interaction (p = 0.021) among age (younger, < 65; older, ≥65 years), gender and eGFR for the risk of all-cause mortality. Using age- and gender-specific eGFR of 90 ml/min/1.73m2 as the reference point, the adjusted hazard rate (HR) (95% CI) for all-cause mortality at eGFR of 40 ml/min/1.73m2 was 3.70 (2.29 to 5.99) in younger women and 1.86 (1.08 to 3.19) in younger men. The corresponding adjusted HRs in older women and older men were 2.38 (2.02 to 2.82) and 2.18 (1.85 to 2.57), respectively. Similar results were observed for CVD deaths, although the three-way interaction was not statistically significant. Sensitivity analysis yielded similar results. CONCLUSIONS: In this T2D population, younger women with reduced kidney function might be more susceptible to higher risks of all-cause mortality and CVD mortality than younger men.

Age- and sex-specific reference values of biventricular flow components and kinetic energy by 4D flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance in healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND: Advances in four-dimensional flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (4D flow CMR) have allowed quantification of left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) blood flow. We aimed to (1) investigate age and sex differences of 4D flow CMR-derived LV and RV relative flow components and kinetic energy (KE) parameters indexed to end-diastolic volume (KEiEDV) in healthy subjects; and (2) assess the effects of age and sex on these parameters. METHODS: We performed 4D flow analysis in 163 healthy participants (42% female; mean age 43 ± 13 years) of a prospective registry study (NCT03217240) who were free of cardiovascular diseases. Relative flow components (direct flow, retained inflow, delayed ejection flow, residual volume) and multiple phasic KEiEDV (global, peak systolic, average systolic, average diastolic, peak E-wave, peak A-wave) for both LV and RV were analysed. RESULTS: Compared with men, women had lower median LV and RV residual volume, and LV peak and average systolic KEiEDV, and higher median values of RV direct flow, RV global KEiEDV, RV average diastolic KEiEDV, and RV peak E-wave KEiEDV. ANOVA analysis found there were no differences in flow components, peak and average systolic, average diastolic and global KEiEDV for both LV and RV across age groups. Peak A-wave KEiEDV increased significantly (r = 0.458 for LV and 0.341 for RV), whereas peak E-wave KEiEDV (r = - 0.355 for LV and - 0.318 for RV), and KEiEDV E/A ratio (r = - 0.475 for LV and - 0.504 for RV) decreased significantly, with age. CONCLUSION: These data using state-of-the-art 4D flow CMR show that biventricular flow components and kinetic energy parameters vary significantly by age and sex. Age and sex trends should be considered in the interpretation of quantitative measures of biventricular flow. Clinical trial registration  https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov . Unique identifier: NCT03217240.

Ventricular flow analysis and its association with exertional capacity in repaired tetralogy of Fallot: 4D flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance study.

BACKGROUND: Four-dimensional (4D) flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) allows quantification of biventricular blood flow by flow components and kinetic energy (KE) analyses. However, it remains unclear whether 4D flow parameters can predict cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) as a clinical outcome in repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). Current study aimed to (1) compare 4D flow CMR parameters in rTOF with age- and gender-matched healthy controls, (2) investigate associations of 4D flow parameters with functional and volumetric right ventricular (RV) remodelling markers, and CPET outcome. METHODS: Sixty-three rTOF patients (14 paediatric, 49 adult; 30 ± 15 years; 29 M) and 63 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (14 paediatric, 49 adult; 31 ± 15 years) were prospectively recruited at four centers. All underwent cine and 4D flow CMR, and all adults performed standardized CPET same day or within one week of CMR. RV remodelling index was calculated as the ratio of RV to left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volumes. Four flow components were analyzed: direct flow, retained inflow, delayed ejection flow and residual volume. Additionally, three phasic KE parameters normalized to end-diastolic volume (KEiEDV), were analyzed for both LV and RV: peak systolic, average systolic and peak E-wave. RESULTS: In comparisons of rTOF vs. healthy controls, median LV retained inflow (18% vs. 16%, P = 0.005) and median peak E-wave KEiEDV (34.9 µJ/ml vs. 29.2 µJ/ml, P = 0.006) were higher in rTOF; median RV direct flow was lower in rTOF (25% vs. 35%, P < 0.001); median RV delayed ejection flow (21% vs. 17%, P < 0.001) and residual volume (39% vs. 31%, P < 0.001) were both greater in rTOF. RV KEiEDV parameters were all higher in rTOF than healthy controls (all P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, RV direct flow was an independent predictor of RV function and CPET outcome. RV direct flow and RV peak E-wave KEiEDV were independent predictors of RV remodelling index. CONCLUSIONS: In this multi-scanner multicenter 4D flow CMR study, reduced RV direct flow was independently associated with RV dysfunction, remodelling and, to a lesser extent, exercise intolerance in rTOF patients. This supports its utility as an imaging parameter for monitoring disease progression and therapeutic response in rTOF. Clinical Trial Registration https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT03217240.

Right ventricular energetic biomarkers from 4D Flow CMR are associated with exertional capacity in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) offers comprehensive right ventricular (RV) evaluation in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Emerging four-dimensional (4D) flow CMR allows visualization and quantification of intracardiac flow components and calculation of phasic blood kinetic energy (KE) parameters but it is unknown whether these parameters are associated with cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET)-assessed exercise capacity, which is a surrogate measure of survival in PAH. We compared 4D flow CMR parameters in PAH with healthy controls, and investigated the association of these parameters with RV remodelling, RV functional and CPET outcomes. METHODS: PAH patients and healthy controls from two centers were prospectively enrolled to undergo on-site cine and 4D flow CMR, and CPET within one week. RV remodelling index was calculated as the ratio of RV to left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volumes (EDV). Phasic (peak systolic, average systolic, and peak E-wave) LV and RV blood flow KE indexed to EDV (KEIEDV) and ventricular LV and RV flow components (direct flow, retained inflow, delayed ejection flow, and residual volume) were calculated. Oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2) and minute ventilation (VE) were measured and recorded. RESULTS: 45 PAH patients (46 ± 11 years; 7 M) and 51 healthy subjects (46 ± 14 years; 17 M) with no significant differences in age and gender were analyzed. Compared with healthy controls, PAH had significantly lower median RV direct flow, RV delayed ejection flow, RV peak E-wave KEIEDV, peak VO2, and percentage (%) predicted peak VO2, while significantly higher median RV residual volume and VE/VCO2 slope. RV direct flow and RV residual volume were significantly associated with RV remodelling, function, peak VO2, % predicted peak VO2 and VE/VCO2 slope (all P < 0.01). Multiple linear regression analyses showed RV direct flow to be an independent marker of RV function, remodelling and exercise capacity. CONCLUSION: In this 4D flow CMR and CPET study, RV direct flow provided incremental value over RVEF for discriminating adverse RV remodelling, impaired exercise capacity, and PAH with intermediate and high risk based on risk score. These data suggest that CMR with 4D flow CMR can provide comprehensive assessment of PAH severity, and may be used to monitor disease progression and therapeutic response. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov . Unique identifier: NCT03217240.

Development of local guidelines to prevent perioperative hypothermia in children: a prospective observational cohort study.

PURPOSE: Perioperative hypothermia (PH) is defined as core body temperature < 36°C during the perioperative period. The incidence of PH is not well established in children because of variations in perioperative temperature monitoring and control measures. We sought to 1) establish the incidence of pediatric PH, 2) assess its adverse outcomes, and 3) identify risk factors in our pediatric population to develop local guidelines for prevention of PH. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational cohort study at a single tertiary hospital (KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore) from June 2017 to December 2017 based on existing institutional practice. We recruited patients aged ≤ 16 yr undergoing surgery and determined the incidence and adverse outcomes of hypothermia. We identified risk factors for PH using univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis and used these to develop local guidelines. RESULTS: Of 1,766 patients analyzed, 213 (12.1%; 95% confidence interval, 10.6 to 13.7) developed PH. Among these cases of PH, only 4.5% would have been detected by a single measurement in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). Adverse outcomes included a longer stay in the PACU (47 vs 39 min; P < 0.01), a higher incidence of shivering (7.1 vs 2.6%; P = 0.01), and more discomfort (3.8 vs 1.4%; P = 0.02) compared with normothermic patients. Risk factors for PH included preoperative temperature < 36°C, surgery duration > 60 min, ambient operating room temperature < 23.0°C, and several "high-risk" surgeries. Guidelines were developed based on these risk factors and customized according to clinical and workflow considerations. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative hypothermia was a common problem in our pediatric population and was associated with significant adverse outcomes. Guidelines developed based on risk factors identified in the local context can facilitate workflow and implementation within the institution.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: L'hypothermie périopératoire (HP) est définie par une température corporelle centrale < 36 °C pendant la période périopératoire. L'incidence de l'HP chez les enfants n'est pas connue avec précision en raison des variations dans le suivi de la température périopératoire et des mesures de contrôle. Nous avons cherché à (1) déterminer l'incidence de l'HP pédiatrique, (2) évaluer ses effets préjudiciables et (3) identifier les facteurs de risque dans notre population pédiatrique afin d'élaborer des lignes directrices locales pour la prévention de l'HP. MéTHODES: Nous avons mené une étude de cohorte observationnelle prospective dans un seul hôpital de niveau tertiaire (KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapour) de juin 2017 à décembre 2017 sur la base des pratiques existantes dans l'établissement. Nous avons recruté des patients âgés de 16 ans ou moins subissant une intervention chirurgicale et nous avons déterminé l'incidence et les effets secondaires de l'hypothermie. Nous avons identifié les facteurs de risque de l'HP en utilisant des analyses de régression logistique monofactorielle et multifactorielle qui nous ont servi à élaborer ces lignes directrices locales. RéSULTATS: Parmi les 1 766 cas de patients analysés, 213 (12,1 %; intervalle de confiance à 95 % : 10,6 à 13,7) ont développé une HP. Parmi ceux-ci, seulement 4,5 % auraient été détectés par une mesure unique dans l'unité de soins post anesthésie (salle de réveil). Les événements indésirables ont inclus un séjour plus long en salle de réveil (47 contre 39 minutes; P < 0,01), une plus grande incidence de tremblements (7,1 % contre 2,6 %; P = 0,01) et plus d'inconfort (3,8 % contre 1,4 %; P = 0,02), comparativement aux patients normothermiques. Les facteurs de risque d'HP étaient, notamment, une température préopératoire < 36 °C, la durée de la chirurgie > 60 min, la température de la salle d'opération < 23,0°C et plusieurs chirurgies à « risque élevé ¼. Des lignes directrices ont été élaborées à partir de ces facteurs de risque et adaptées en tenant compte de considérations cliniques et des flux de travail. CONCLUSIONS: L'hypothermie périopératoire était un problème fréquent dans notre population pédiatrique et a été associée à des effets secondaires significatifs. Des lignes directrices élaborées en fonction de facteurs de risque dans un contexte local peuvent faciliter le flux de travail et leur mise en œuvre au sein d'un établissement.

Pharmacokinetics of oral versus intravenous ibuprofen for closure of patent ductus arteriosus: A pilot randomised controlled study.

AIM: This pilot study aimed to compare the pharmacokinetic profiles of oral (PO) and intravenous (IV) ibuprofen for treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm neonates. METHODS: In a single-centre, parallel, randomised open-label trial, neonates ≤35 weeks, weight <1800 g with haemodynamically significant PDA during the first week of life were recruited between June 2017 and February 2019 and randomised to receive either PO or IV ibuprofen at standard dosage of 10, 5 and 5 mg/kg every 24 h for three consecutive days. Plasma concentrations of ibuprofen were quantified using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography method and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated. Treatment outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: Eleven neonates participated in the trial, six and five patients receiving PO and IV ibuprofen, respectively. Pharmacokinetic analysis reveals similar ibuprofen exposure levels in treatment groups. Median dose- and weight-normalised Cmax values of PO and IV groups were 2.12 and 2.53 g/mL respectively (P = 0.082) and median AUC0-24 levels were comparable (PO: 34.6 g*h/mL vs. IV: 50.7.6 g*h/mL, P = 0.25). CONCLUSION: This exploratory study demonstrates comparable pharmacokinetics of PO and IV formulations of ibuprofen in preterm neonates. Larger prospective studies are required to validate these findings.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance-assessed fast global longitudinal strain parameters add diagnostic and prognostic insights in right ventricular volume and pressure loading disease conditions.

BACKGROUND: Parameters of myocardial deformation may provide improved insights into right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. We quantified RV longitudinal myocardial function using a fast, semi-automated method and investigated its diagnostic and prognostic values in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), who respectively exemplify patients with RV volume and pressure overload conditions. METHODS: The study enrolled 150 patients (rTOF, n = 75; PAH, n = 75) and 75 healthy controls. RV parameters of interest were fast global longitudinal strain (GLS) and strain rates during systole (GLSRs), early diastole (GLSRe) and late diastole (GLSRa), obtained by tracking the distance from the medial and lateral tricuspid valve insertions to the RV epicardial apex on cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). RESULTS: The RV fast GLS exhibited good agreement with strain values obtained by conventional feature tracking approach (bias - 4.9%, error limits (± 2·standard deviation) ± 4.3%) with fast GLS achieving greater reproducibility and requiring reduced analysis time. Mean RV fast GLS was reduced in PAH and rTOF groups compared to healthy controls (PAH < rTOF < healthy controls: 15.1 ± 4.9 < 19.3 ± 2.4 < 24.4 ± 3.0%, all P < 0.001 in pairwise comparisons). In rTOF patients, RV fast GLS was significantly associated with metabolic equivalents, peak oxygen consumption (PVO2) and percentage of predicted PVO2 achieved during cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Lower RV fast GLS was associated with subnormal exercise capacity in rTOF (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.822, sensitivity = 72%, specificity = 91%, cut-off = 19.3%). In PAH patients, reduced RV fast GLS was associated with RV decompensated hemodynamics (AUC = 0.717, sensitivity = 75%, specificity = 58%, cut-off = 14.6%) and higher risk of clinical worsening (AUC = 0.808, sensitivity = 79%, specificity = 70 %, cut-off = 16.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative RV fast strain and strain rate parameters assessed from CMR identify abnormalities of RV function in rTOF and PAH and are predictive of exercise capacity, RV decompensation and clinical risks in these patients. Trial registry Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03217240.

Would Removal of All Ultrasound Abnormal Metastatic Lymph Nodes Without Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Be Accurate in Patients with Breast Cancer with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy?

LESSONS LEARNED: Removal of sonographically abnormal (up to 3) metastatic clipped nodes, without sentinel lymph node biopsy, could accurately predict axillary status in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. ypT and the first clipped node status were statistically significant factors for nodal pathologic complete response. This novel approach requires validation in larger studies. BACKGROUND: In patients who have node-positive breast cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy could result in nodal pathologic complete response (pCR) and avoid an axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Axillary staging, in such cases, can be performed using targeted axillary dissection (TAD) with a low false negative rate. However, identification of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) after chemotherapy can be difficult, and currently, it is the standard to remove only one clipped node in TAD. We aimed to determine if removal of all sonographically abnormal metastatic clipped nodes, without SLN biopsy, could accurately predict the axillary status post neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: Patients with breast cancer with one to three sonographically abnormal metastatic axillary nodes were prospectively recruited. Each abnormal node had histology and clip insertion before neoadjuvant chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, the patients underwent removal of clipped nodes using the Skin Mark clipped Axillary nodes Removal Technique (SMART) and ALND. RESULTS: Fourteen patients were recruited, having a total of 21 sonographically abnormal metastatic nodes, with nine, three, and two patients having 1, 2, and 3 malignant nodes clipped, respectively. Mean age was 55.5 years; 92.9% and 57.1% of patients had invasive ductal carcinoma and grade III tumors, respectively; and 35.7% patients achieved nodal pCR. The first clipped node predicted the axillary status with a false negative rate of 7.1%. Adding to this another second clipped node, the false negative rate was 0%. Pathologic tumor staging after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (ypT) (p = .0390) and the first clipped node pathological response status (p = .0030) were statistically significant predictors for nodal pCR. CONCLUSION: Removal of sonographically abnormal metastatic clipped nodes using SMART, without sentinel lymph node biopsy, could accurately predict axillary status. This finding needs validation in larger studies.

Long-term Prognostic Value of Cardiac MRI Left Atrial Strain in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background Left atrial (LA) dysfunction is associated with morbidity and mortality. To the knowledge of the authors, the relationship of LA strain to long-term prognosis in participants with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is unknown. Purpose To evaluate LA strain as a long-term outcome predictor in STEMI in a prospective, multicenter cardiac MRI cohort. Materials and Methods Participants with STEMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention and cardiac MRI from 10 sites (EARLY-MYO-CMR registry, clinical trial number NCT03768453) were included. The parent study took place between August 2013 and December 2018. LA longitudinal strain and strain rate parameters were derived from cine cardiac MRI by using an in-house semiautomated method. Major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) were defined as cardiovascular death, myocardial reinfarction, hospitalization for heart failure, and stroke. The association between LA performance and MACE was evaluated by using time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and multivariable Cox regression analysis. Results A total of 321 participants (median age, 59 years; age range, 27-75 years; 90% men) were included in this study. During median follow-up of 3.7 years, MACE occurred in 76 participants (23.7%). Participants with impaired reservoir (≤22%) and conduit strain (≤10%) had a higher risk of MACE than those with reservoir strain greater than 22% and conduit strain greater than 10% (P < .001). Reservoir strain (hazard ratio, 0.84; 95% confidence interval: 0.77, 0.91; P < .001) and conduit strain (hazard ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval: 0.73, 0.89; P < .001) were independent predictors for MACE after adjustment for known risk factors. Finally, LA reservoir and conduit strains provided incremental prognostic value over traditional outcome predictors (Uno C statistic comparing models, 0.75 vs 0.68; P = .04). Conclusion Assessment of left atrial strain, as a measure of left atrial function, provided incremental prognostic information to established predictors in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. © RSNA, 2020 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Kawel-Boehm and Bremerich in this issue.

Fast long-axis strain: a simple, automatic approach for assessing left ventricular longitudinal function with cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

OBJECTIVES: In some cardiac pathologies, impairment of left ventricular (LV) longitudinal function may precede reduction in LV ejection fraction. This study investigates the effectiveness of a fast method to quantify long-axis LV function compared to conventional feature tracking and manual approaches. METHODS: The study consisted of 50 normal controls and 100 heart failure (HF) patients including 40 with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), 30 with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF), and 30 with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Parameters including fast long-axis strain (FLAS) at end-systole and peak strain rates during systole (FLASRs), early diastole (FLASRe), and atrial contraction (FLASRa) were derived by a fast semi-automated approach on cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance. RESULTS: FLAS exhibited good agreement with strain values obtained using conventional feature tracking (bias - 2.9%, limits of agreement ± 3.0%) and the manual approach (bias 0.6%, limits of agreement ± 2.1%), where FLAS was more reproducible and required shorter measurement time. The mean FLAS (HFrEF < HFmrEF < HFpEF < controls; 6.1 ± 2.4 < 9.9 ± 2.4 < 11.0 ± 2.5 < 16.9 ± 2.3%, all p < 0.0001) was decreased in all the HF patient groups. A FLAS of 12.3% (mean-2SD of controls) predicted the presence of systolic dysfunction in 67% of patients with HFpEF, and 87% with HFmrEF. Strain parameters using the fast approach were superior to those obtained by conventional feature tracking and manual approaches for discriminating HFpEF from controls. Notable examples are area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity for FLAS (0.94, 93%, and 86%) and FLASRe (0.96, 90%, and 94%). CONCLUSIONS: The fast approach-derived LV strain and strain rate parameters facilitate reproducible, reliable, and effective LV longitudinal function analysis. KEY POINTS: • Left ventricular long-axis strain can be rapidly derived from cine CMR with shorter measurement time and higher reproducibility compared to conventional feature tracking and the manual approach. • Progressive reductions in left ventricular long-axis strain and strain rate measurements were observed from HFpEF, HFmrEF, to HFrEF group. • Based on long-axis strain, systolic abnormalities were evident in HFmrEF and HFpEF indicating common coexistence of systolic and diastolic dysfunction in the HF phenotypes.

Extended 36-joint sonographic examination: What it reveals about bone erosions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

PURPOSE: To identify joints commonly exhibiting bone erosions using an extended 36-joint sonographic (US) examination in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to study bone erosion in relation to US-detected joint inflammation. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, power Doppler (PD) and gray-scale (GS) joint inflammation scores (semi-quantitative [0-3] grading) at each joint recess were summed to obtain a combined US score (CUS). Bone erosion was scored as present/absent. Generalized Estimating Equations were used to compare mean US scores between joint recesses with and without bone erosion. RESULTS: Bone erosion was found in 144/1080 (13.3%) joints and 189/1800 (10.5%) joint recesses in 30 RA patients. The five joints most frequently associated with bone erosion were: wrist, n = 49/144 (34.0%); first MTPJ, n = 19/144 (13.2%); thumb IPJ, n = 13/144 (9.0%); second MCPJ, n = 11/144 (7.6%); and third MCPJ, n = 11/144 (7.6%). Mean (95% CI) US scores for joint recesses with and without bone erosion were PD: 0.36 (0.21, 0.50) vs 0.01 (0.00, 0.02); GS: 1.77 (1.54, 2.00) vs 0.47 (0.40, 0.55); and CUS: 2.13 (1.78, 2.47) vs 0.49 (0.41, 0.57) (all differences significant at P < .001). CONCLUSION: The five joints most frequently showing bone erosion were identified. Joint recesses with bone erosion are more likely to exhibit greater PD and GS joint inflammation severity.

Validation of the kidney failure risk equation for end-stage kidney disease in Southeast Asia.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE), which predicts ESKD risk among patients with CKD, has not been validated in primary care clinics in Southeast Asia (SEA). Therefore, we aimed to (1) evaluate the performance of existing KFRE equations, (2) recalibrate KFRE for better predictive precision, and (3) identify optimally feasible KFRE thresholds for nephrologist referral and dialysis planning in SEA. METHODS: All patients with CKD visiting nine primary care clinics from 2010 to 2013 in Singapore were included and applied 4-variable KFRE equations incorporating age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). ESKD onset within two and five years were acquired via linkage to the Singapore Renal Registry. A weighted Brier score (the squared difference between observed vs predicted ESKD risks), bias (the median difference between observed vs predicted ESKD risks) and precision (the interquartile range of the bias) were used to select the best-calibrated KFRE equation. RESULTS: The recalibrated KFRE (named Recalibrated Pooled KFRE SEA) performed better than existing and other recalibrated KFRE equations in terms of having a smaller Brier score (square root: 2.8% vs. 4.0-9.3% at 5 years; 2.0% vs. 6.1-9.1% at 2 years), less bias (2.5% vs. 3.3-5.2% at 5 years; 1.8% vs. 3.2-3.6% at 2 years), and improved precision (0.5% vs. 1.7-5.2% at 5 years; 0.5% vs. 3.8-4.2% at 2 years). Area under ROC curve for the Recalibrated Pooled KFRE SEA equations were 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93 to 0.95) at 5 years and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.95 to 0.97) at 2 years. The optimally feasible KFRE thresholds were > 10-16% for 5-year nephrologist referral and > 45% for 2-year dialysis planning. Using the Recalibrated Pooled KFRE SEA, an estimated 82 and 89% ESKD events were included among 10% of subjects at highest estimated risk of ESKD at 5-year and 2-year, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Recalibrated Pooled KFRE SEA performs better than existing KFREs and warrants implementation in primary care settings in SEA.

Evaluation of neurological behaviour in late-preterm newborn infants using the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination.

AIM: We hypothesise that clinically well late-preterm infants (LPI) (34+0 -36+6 weeks) are neurologically more immature than their term counterparts, and this immaturity persists even when these infants reach term-corrected age (TCA). The primary aim of our study was to characterise and contrast the neurodevelopmental profile of well LPI with full-term infants (FTI) (39+0 -41+6 weeks) using the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination (HNNE). Our secondary aim was to obtain local reference ranges for the 34 items in the HNNE in an Asian-dominant population. METHODS: LPI were assessed at two time points: 12-72 h of life and at TCA of 39+0 -41+6 weeks, while FTI were assessed at 12-72 h of life using the HNNE. Each of the 34 items on the HNNE was assigned an optimality score (OS) of 0, 0.5 or 1, totalling up to 34. A quantitative comparison of the neurobehavioral patterns was made using two-sample t-tests. RESULTS: A total of 212 infants (79 LPI and 133 FTI) were recruited. Mean OSs for LPI and FTI at birth were (25.11 ± 3.36)/34 and (31.19 ± 1.50)/34, respectively, with a mean difference of 6.08 (P value <0.0001). The mean OS for LPI on reaching TCA was (28.91 ± 2.30)/34, with a mean difference of 2.28 (P value <0.0001). Reference OSs for the 34 items on the HNNE were also obtained. CONCLUSION: LPI are more immature than their term counterparts even on reaching TCA, with discrepancies most apparent in 'tone' and 'movement'. We provide reference OSs of 34 items in the HNNE for infants in an Asian-dominant population.

The East-West late lumen loss study: Comparison of angiographic late lumen loss between Eastern and Western drug-eluting stent study cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Regulatory decisions approving new coronary drug-eluting stent (DES) require mechanistic observations of angiographic late lumen loss (LLL). Patient safety and device approval times could be enhanced if angiographic follow-up data were found to be generalizable across jurisdictions and geographies. The objectives were to assess the comparability of in-segment LLL in Eastern and Western DES populations using the world's largest compilation of follow-up quantitative coronary angiography data. METHODS: Data from 4 manufacturers involving 29 DES clinical trials in Eastern and Western hemispheres were compiled. "East" and "West" cohorts were defined by trial location. Independent core laboratories quantified in-segment LLL for all studies. East and West were compared before and after adjustment for clinical and anatomic covariates known to correlate with LLL via conditioning on propensity score quintiles. An international panel of experts and regulators prospectively established a clinically meaningful difference between East and West mean in-segment LLL of ±0.40 mm. RESULTS: The data set comprised 2,047 East and 4,456 West patients. Unadjusted mean ± SD for West and East in-segment LLL (mm) was 0.25 ± 0.46 and 0.12 ± 0.42, respectively (difference 0.13 mm; 95% CI 0.11-0.16). Propensity score-adjusted in-segment LLL East and West least squares means were 0.11 and 0.26 mm, respectively (difference 0.15 mm; 95% CI 0.13-0.18). CONCLUSIONS: In the world's largest compilation of DES protocol 8- to 13-month angiographic follow-up data, clinically meaningful comparability of in-segment LLL by independent core laboratory quantitative coronary angiography in East and West cohorts was demonstrated in both unadjusted and adjusted comparisons. These findings suggest that DES LLL, once characterized, could be generalized across regulatory jurisdictions over the course of global registration efforts.

Validation of a rapid semi-automated method to assess left atrial longitudinal phasic strains on cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal left atrial (LA) function is a marker of cardiac dysfunction and adverse cardiovascular outcome, but is difficult to assess, and hence not, routinely quantified. We aimed to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of a fast method to measure long-axis LA strain and strain rate (SR) with standard cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) compared to conventional feature tracking (FT) derived longitudinal strain. METHODS: We studied 50 normal controls, 30 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and 100 heart failure (HF) patients, including 40 with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), 30 mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) and 30 preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). LA longitudinal strain and SR parameters were derived by tracking the distance between the left atrioventricular junction and a user-defined point at the mid posterior LA wall on standard cine CMR two- and four-chamber views. LA performance was analyzed at three distinct cardiac phases: reservoir function (reservoir strain εs and strain rate SRs), conduit function (conduit strain εe and strain rate SRe) and booster pump function (booster strain εa and strain rate SRa). RESULTS: There was good agreement between LA longitudinal strain and SR assessed using the fast and conventional FT-CMR approaches (r = 0.89 to 0.99, p < 0.001). The fast strain and SRs showed a better intra- and inter-observer reproducibility and a 55% reduction in evaluation time (85 ± 10 vs. 190 ± 12 s, p < 0.001) compared to FT-CMR. Fast LA measurements in normal controls were 35.3 ± 5.2% for εs, 18.1 ± 4.3% for εe, 17.2 ± 3.5% for εa, and 1.8 ± 0.4, - 2.0 ± 0.5, - 2.3 ± 0.6 s- 1 for the respective phasic SRs. Significantly reduced LA strains and SRs were observed in all patient groups compared to normal controls. Patients with HFpEF and HFmrEF had significantly smaller εs, SRs, εe and SRe than hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and HFmrEF had significantly impaired LA reservoir and booster function compared to HFpEF. The fast LA strains and SRs were similar to FT-CMR for discriminating patients from controls (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.79 to 0.96 vs. 0.76 to 0.93, p = NS). CONCLUSIONS: Novel quantitative LA strain and SR derived from conventional cine CMR images are fast assessable parameters for LA phasic function analysis.

Serum progesterone distribution in normal pregnancies compared to pregnancies complicated by threatened miscarriage from 5 to 13 weeks gestation: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Progesterone is a critical hormone in early pregnancy. A low level of serum progesterone is associated with threatened miscarriage. We aim to establish the distribution of maternal serum progesterone in normal pregnancies compared to pregnancies complicated by threatened miscarriage from 5 to 13 weeks gestation. METHODS: This is a single centre, prospective cohort study of 929 patients. Women from the Normal Pregnancy [NP] cohort were recruited from antenatal clinics, and those in the Threatened Miscarriage [TM] cohort were recruited from emergency walk-in clinics. Women with multiple gestations, missed, incomplete or inevitable miscarriage were excluded from the study. Quantile regression was used to characterize serum progesterone levels in the NP and TM cohorts by estimating the 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles from 5 to 13 weeks gestation. Pregnancy outcome was determined at 16 weeks of gestation. Subgroup analysis within the TM group compared progesterone levels of women who subsequently miscarried with those who had ongoing pregnancies at 16 weeks of gestation. RESULTS: Median serum progesterone concentration demonstrated a linearly increasing trend from 57.5 nmol/L to 80.8 nmol/L from 5 to 13 weeks gestation in the NP cohort. In the TM cohort, median serum progesterone concentration increased from 41.7 nmol/L to 78.1 nmol/L. However, median progesterone levels were uniformly lower in the TM cohort by approximately 10 nmol/L at every gestation week. In the subgroup analysis, median serum progesterone concentration in women with ongoing pregnancy at 16 weeks gestation demonstrated a linearly increasing trend from 5 to 13 weeks gestation. There was a marginal and non-significant increase in serum progesterone from 19.0 to 30.3 nmol/L from 5 to 13 weeks gestation in women who eventually had a spontaneous miscarriage. CONCLUSIONS: Serum progesterone concentration increased linearly with gestational age from 5 to 13 weeks in women with normal pregnancies. Women with spontaneous miscarriage showed a marginal and non-significant increase in serum progesterone. This study highlights the pivotal role of progesterone in supporting an early pregnancy, with lower serum progesterone associated with threatened miscarriage and a subsequent complete miscarriage at 16 weeks gestation.

Greater rheumatoid arthritis joint improvement with more subjects achieving response across improvement categories using novel versus existing ultrasound methods.

We compared the change in joint inflammation and the proportion of subjects achieving threshold levels of improvement using the existing methods employing ultrasonography on pre-determined joint sites versus novel methods. These novel methods select the most affected joints based on (i) ultrasonography-the Individualized-Ultrasound (IUS) method, or (ii) ultrasonography and clinical joint assessment-the individualized-Composite-Ultrasound (ICUS) method. Mean 3-month change in total inflammation score (ΔTIS) and 95% CI was computed for each method on 24 RA subjects initiated or escalated on treatment. Individual improvement in TIS per subject, calculated as the 3-month ΔTIS divided by the maximum possible TIS score expressed as a percentage, was used to obtain the proportion of subjects achieving response across improvement categories. Mean 3-month ΔTIS was significantly greater (p values ranging from 0.0003 to 0.0026) for novel versus existing methods using 12- and 7-joint approaches. Using 12-joint approach, percentages of subjects in improvement categories ≥5%, ≥10%, ≥15% and ≥20% were, respectively, 50, 37.5, 12.5 and 8.3% for IUS; 58.3, 37.5, 12.5 and 8.3% for ICUS; and 16.7, 0, 0 and 0% for the existing method. Using 7-joint approach, the respective category percentages were 62.5, 37.5, 25 and 12.5% for IUS; 62.5, 41.7, 16.7 and 8.3% for ICUS; and 12.5, 4.2, 4.2 and 0% for the existing method. Novel ultrasound methods are more likely to detect improvement in joint inflammation, with more subjects achieving response across improvement categories, thereby representing a substantial advantage over the existing methods. However, this requires confirmation in larger RA cohorts.

Validation of serum progesterone <35nmol/L as a predictor of miscarriage among women with threatened miscarriage.

BACKGROUND: Our recent paper, based on a pilot cohort of 119 women, showed that serum progesterone <35 nmol/L was prognostic of spontaneous miscarriage by 16 weeks in women with threatened miscarriage in early pregnancy. Using a larger cohort of women from the same setting (validation cohort), we aim to assess the validity of serum progesterone <35 nmol/L with the outcome of spontaneous miscarriage by 16 weeks. METHODS: In a prospective cohort study, 360 pregnant women presenting with threatened miscarriage between gestation weeks 6-10 at a tertiary hospital emergency unit for women in Singapore were recruited for this study. The main outcome measure measured is spontaneous miscarriage prior to week 16 of gestation. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) and test characteristics (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value) at a serum progesterone cutpoint of <35 nmol/L for predicting high and low risk of spontaneous miscarriage by 16 weeks were compared between the Pilot and Validation cohorts. RESULTS: Test characteristics and AUC values using serum progesterone <35 nmol/L in the validation cohort were not significantly different from those in the Pilot cohort, demonstrating excellent accuracy and reproducibility of the proposed serum progesterone cut-off level. CONCLUSIONS: The cut-off value for serum progesterone (35 nmol/L) demonstrated clinical relevance and allow clinicians to stratify patients into high and low risk groups for spontaneous miscarriage.