LOGGIC/FIREFLY-2: a phase 3, randomized trial of tovorafenib vs. chemotherapy in pediatric and young adult patients with newly diagnosed low-grade glioma harboring an activating RAF alteration.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG) is essentially a single pathway disease, with most tumors driven by genomic alterations affecting the mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK (MAPK) pathway, predominantly KIAA1549::BRAF fusions and BRAF V600E mutations. This makes pLGG an ideal candidate for MAPK pathway-targeted treatments. The type I BRAF inhibitor, dabrafenib, in combination with the MEK inhibitor, trametinib, has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the systemic treatment of BRAF V600E-mutated pLGG. However, this combination is not approved for the treatment of patients with tumors harboring BRAF fusions as type I RAF inhibitors are ineffective in this setting and may paradoxically enhance tumor growth. The type II RAF inhibitor, tovorafenib (formerly DAY101, TAK-580, MLN2480), has shown promising activity and good tolerability in patients with BRAF-altered pLGG in the phase 2 FIREFLY-1 study, with an objective response rate (ORR) per Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology high-grade glioma (RANO-HGG) criteria of 67%. Tumor response was independent of histologic subtype, BRAF alteration type (fusion vs. mutation), number of prior lines of therapy, and prior MAPK-pathway inhibitor use. METHODS: LOGGIC/FIREFLY-2 is a two-arm, randomized, open-label, multicenter, global, phase 3 trial to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of tovorafenib monotherapy vs. current standard of care (SoC) chemotherapy in patients < 25 years of age with pLGG harboring an activating RAF alteration who require first-line systemic therapy. Patients are randomized 1:1 to either tovorafenib, administered once weekly at 420 mg/m2 (not to exceed 600 mg), or investigator's choice of prespecified SoC chemotherapy regimens. The primary objective is to compare ORR between the two treatment arms, as assessed by independent review per RANO-LGG criteria. Secondary objectives include comparisons of progression-free survival, duration of response, safety, neurologic function, and clinical benefit rate. DISCUSSION: The promising tovorafenib activity data, CNS-penetration properties, strong scientific rationale combined with the manageable tolerability and safety profile seen in patients with pLGG led to the SIOPe-BTG-LGG working group to nominate tovorafenib for comparison with SoC chemotherapy in this first-line phase 3 trial. The efficacy, safety, and functional response data generated from the trial may define a new SoC treatment for newly diagnosed pLGG. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05566795. Registered on October 4, 2022.

Pictilisib for oestrogen receptor-positive, aromatase inhibitor-resistant, advanced or metastatic breast cancer (FERGI): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is a promising approach to overcome resistance to endocrine therapy in breast cancer. Pictilisib is an oral inhibitor of multiple PI3K isoforms. The aim of this study is to establish if addition of pictilisib to fulvestrant can improve progression-free survival in oestrogen receptor-positive, endocrine-resistant breast cancer. METHODS: In this two-part, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 study, we recruited postmenopausal women aged 18 years or older with oestrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer resistant to treatment with an aromatase inhibitor in the adjuvant or metastatic setting, from 123 medical centres across 21 countries. Part 1 included patients with or without PIK3CA mutations, whereas part 2 included only patients with PIK3CA mutations. Patients were randomly allocated (1:1 in part 1 and 2:1 in part 2) via a computer-generated hierarchical randomisation algorithm to daily oral pictilisib (340 mg in part 1 and 260 mg in part 2) or placebo starting on day 15 of cycle 1, plus intramuscular fulvestrant 500 mg on day 1 and day 15 of cycle 1 and day 1 of subsequent cycles in both groups. In part 1, we stratified patients by presence or absence of PIK3CA mutation, primary or secondary aromatase inhibitor resistance, and measurable or non-measurable disease. In part 2, we stratified patients by previous aromatase inhibitor treatment for advanced or metastatic disease or relapse during or within 6 months of an aromatase inhibitor treatment in the adjuvant setting and measurable or non-measurable disease. All patients and those administering treatment and assessing outcomes were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population for both parts 1 and 2 and also separately in patients with PIK3CA-mutated tumours in part 1. Tumour assessment (physical examination and imaging scans) was investigator-assessed and done at screening and after 8 weeks, 16 weeks, 24 weeks, and 32 weeks of treatment from day 1 of cycle 1 and every 12 weeks thereafter. We assessed safety in as-treated patients who received at least one dose of study medication. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01437566. FINDINGS: In part 1, between Sept 27, 2011, and Jan 11, 2013, we randomly allocated 168 patients to the pictilisib (89 [53%]) or placebo (79 [47%]) group. In part 2, between March 18, 2013, and Jan 2, 2014, we randomly allocated 61 patients to the pictilisib (41 [67%]) or placebo (20 [33%]) group. In part 1, we found no difference in median progression-free survival between the pictilisib (6·6 months [95% CI 3·9-9·8]) and placebo (5·1 months [3·6-7·3]) group (hazard ratio [HR] 0·74 [95% CI 0·52-1·06]; p=0·096). We also found no difference when patients were analysed according to presence (pictilisib 6·5 months [95% CI 3·7-9·8] vs placebo 5·1 months [2·6-10·4]; HR 0·73 [95% CI 0·42-1·28]; p=0·268) or absence (5·8 months [3·6-11·1] vs 3·6 months [2·8-7·3]; HR 0·72 [0·42-1·23]; p=0·23) of PIK3CA mutation. In part 2, we also found no difference in progression-free survival between groups (5·4 months [95% CI 3·8-8·3] vs 10·0 months [3·6-13·0]; HR 1·07 [95% CI 0·53-2·18]; p=0·84). In part 1, grade 3 or worse adverse events occurred in 54 (61%) of 89 patients in the pictilisib group and 22 (28%) of 79 in the placebo group. 19 serious adverse events related to pictilisib treatment were reported in 14 (16%) of 89 patients. Only one (1%) of 79 patients reported treatment-related serious adverse events in the placebo group. In part 2, grade 3 or worse adverse events occurred in 15 (36%) of 42 patients in the pictilisib group and seven (37%) of 19 patients in the placebo group. Four serious adverse events related to pictilisib treatment were reported in two (5%) of 42 patients. One treatment-related serious adverse event occurred in one (5%) of 19 patients in the placebo group. INTERPRETATION: Although addition of pictilisib to fulvestrant did not significantly improve progression-free survival, dosing of pictilisib was limited by toxicity, potentially limiting its efficacy. For future assessment of PI3K inhibition as an approach to overcome resistance to hormonal therapy, inhibitors with greater selectivity than that of pictilisib might be needed to improve tolerability and potentially increase efficacy. No further investigation of pictilisib in this setting is ongoing. FUNDING: F Hoffmann-La Roche.

Prenatal air pollution exposure and ultrasound measures of fetal growth in Los Angeles, California.

BACKGROUND: Few previous studies examined the impact of prenatal air pollution exposures on fetal development based on ultrasound measures during pregnancy. METHODS: In a prospective birth cohort of more than 500 women followed during 1993-1996 in Los Angeles, California, we examined how air pollution impacts fetal growth during pregnancy. Exposure to traffic related air pollution was estimated using CALINE4 air dispersion modeling for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and a land use regression (LUR) model for nitrogen monoxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and NOx. Exposures to carbon monoxide (CO), NO2, ozone (O3) and particles <10µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) were estimated using government monitoring data. We employed a linear mixed effects model to estimate changes in fetal size at approximately 19, 29 and 37 weeks gestation based on ultrasound. RESULTS: Exposure to traffic-derived air pollution during 29 to 37 weeks was negatively associated with biparietal diameter at 37 weeks gestation. For each interquartile range (IQR) increase in LUR-based estimates of NO, NO2 and NOx, or freeway CALINE4 NOx we estimated a reduction in biparietal diameter of 0.2-0.3mm. For women residing within 5km of a monitoring station, we estimated biparietal diameter reductions of 0.9-1.0mm per IQR increase in CO and NO2. Effect estimates were robust to adjustment for a number of potential confounders. We did not observe consistent patterns for other growth endpoints we examined. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal exposure to traffic-derived pollution was negatively associated with fetal head size measured as biparietal diameter in late pregnancy.

An exploratory study of ambient air toxics exposure in pregnancy and the risk of neuroblastoma in offspring.

Little is known about the etiology of neuroblastoma, the most common cancer in infancy. In this study, we examined maternal exposure to ambient air toxics in pregnancy in relation to neuroblastoma in the child. We ascertained all cases of neuroblastoma listed in the California Cancer Registry 1990-2007 that could be linked to a California birth certificate, and controls were selected at random from California birth records. Average air toxics exposures during pregnancy were determined based upon measures from community-based air pollution monitors. The study included 75 cases and 14,602 controls who lived with 5 km of an air pollution monitor, and we additionally examined results for those living within a smaller radius around the monitor (2.5 km). Logistic regression was used to determine the risk of neuroblastoma with one interquartile range increase in air toxic exposure. Neuroblastoma risk was increased with higher maternal exposure to carbon tetrachloride (OR=2.65, 95%CI 1.07, 6.53) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OR=1.39, 95%CI 1.05, 1.84), particularly indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene and dibenz(a,h)anthracene. Hexavalent chromium was associated with neuroblastoma at the 5 km distance (OR=1.32, 95%CI 1.00, 1.74) but not at the 2.5 km distance. This is one of the first studies to report associations between neuroblastoma and these air toxics.

Phase 1 study of the pan-RAF inhibitor tovorafenib in patients with advanced solid tumors followed by dose expansion in patients with metastatic melanoma.

PURPOSE: Genomic alterations of BRAF and NRAS are oncogenic drivers in malignant melanoma and other solid tumors. Tovorafenib is an investigational, oral, selective, CNS-penetrant, small molecule, type II pan­RAF inhibitor. This first-in-human phase 1 study explored the safety and antitumor activity of tovorafenib. METHODS: This two-part study in adult patients with relapsed or refractory advanced solid tumors included a dose escalation phase and a dose expansion phase including molecularly defined cohorts of patients with melanoma. Primary objectives were to evaluate the safety of tovorafenib administered once every other day (Q2D) or once weekly (QW), and to determine the maximum-tolerated and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) on these schedules. Secondary objectives included evaluation of antitumor activity and tovorafenib pharmacokinetics. RESULTS: Tovorafenib was administered to 149 patients (Q2D n = 110, QW n = 39). The RP2D of tovorafenib was defined as 200 mg Q2D or 600 mg QW. In the dose expansion phase, 58 (73%) of 80 patients in Q2D cohorts and 9 (47%) of 19 in the QW cohort had grade ≥ 3 adverse events. The most common of these overall were anemia (14 patients, 14%) and maculo-papular rash (8 patients, 8%). Responses were seen in 10 (15%) of 68 evaluable patients in the Q2D expansion phase, including in 8 of 16 (50%) patients with BRAF mutation-positive melanoma naïve to RAF and MEK inhibitors. In the QW dose expansion phase, there were no responses in 17 evaluable patients with NRAS mutation-positive melanoma naïve to RAF and MEK inhibitors; 9 patients (53%) had a best response of stable disease. QW dose administration was associated with minimal accumulation of tovorafenib in systemic circulation in the dose range of 400-800 mg. CONCLUSIONS: The safety profile of both schedules was acceptable, with QW dosing at the RP2D of 600 mg QW preferred for future clinical studies. Antitumor activity of tovorafenib in BRAF-mutated melanoma was promising and justifies continued clinical development across multiple settings. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT01425008.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and the risk of Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Experimental evidence supports a preventative role for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: We investigated associations between use of aspirin, nonaspirin NSAIDs, and acetaminophen and PD in a large population-based case-control study using Danish health and pharmacy registries. We identified 1,931 PD cases reported in hospital or outpatient clinic records who had received a primary diagnosis of PD between 2001 and 2006, and 9,651 age- and sex-matched controls from the Danish population register. Prescription medication use was documented in a pharmacy database covering all residents of Denmark since 1995. RESULTS: Adjusting for age, sex, use of cardiovascular disease drugs, diagnosis of chronic pulmonary obstructive disorder, and Charlson comorbidity scores, and excluding prescriptions filled within 5 years before diagnosis, we found no evidence for an association between PD and either aspirin use (OR = 0.97; 95% CI 0.82, 1.14) or nonaspirin NSAID use (OR = 0.97; 95% CI 0.86, 1.09), regardless of intensity of use; further, there was no association between use of ibuprofen or acetaminophen and PD. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide no evidence for a protective effect of nonaspirin and aspirin NSAID prescription drug use shortly before PD onset.

Long-range correlation of renal sympathetic nerve activity in both conscious and anesthetized rats.

In this study we employed both detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and multiscale entropy (MSE) measurements to compare the long-range temporal correlation (LRTC) of multifibre renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) between conscious and anesthetized Wistar rats. It was found that both methods showed the obvious LRTC properties in conscious state. Moreover, the scaling exponent of the RSNA in conscious rats was significantly higher than that in anesthetized rats. The results of MSE analysis showed that the entropy values, derived from the conscious group, increased on small time scales and then stabilized to a relatively constant value whereas the entropy measure, derived from anesthetized animals, almost monotonically decreased. This suggests that the fractal properties of underlying dynamics of the system have been reduced by anesthesia. The results demonstrate that apparently random fluctuations in multifibre RSNA are dictated by a complex deterministic process that imparts "long-term" memory to the dynamic system. However, this memory is significantly weakened by anesthesia.

Weakened long-range correlation of renal sympathetic nerve activity in Wistar rats after anaesthesia.

In this study we employed multiscale entropy (MSE) measurement to assess the long-range temporal correlation (LRTC) of multifibre renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) signals in conscious and anaesthetized Wistar rats. It was found that both groups presented more complex MSE profiles than an uncorrelated process. Moreover, the results of MSE analysis of RSNA demonstrated that the entropy values, derived from the conscious group, increased on small time scales and then stabilized to a relatively constant value, however, the entropy measure, derived from animals with anaesthesia, almost monotonically decreased. The present study shows that while LRTC in the temporal dynamics of energy fluctuations of RSNA does not implicate a unique mechanism, the data for the first time provide evidence of much less temporal correlation in anaesthetized condition. This suggests the fractal properties of underlying dynamical system have been effectively eliminated by anaesthesia. These results demonstrate that apparently random fluctuations in multifibre RSNA are dictated by a complex deterministic process that imparts "long-term" memory to the dynamic system. However, this memory is significantly weakened by anaesthesia.

Clinical activity and molecular correlates of response to atezolizumab alone or in combination with bevacizumab versus sunitinib in renal cell carcinoma.

We describe results from IMmotion150, a randomized phase 2 study of atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1) alone or combined with bevacizumab (anti-VEGF) versus sunitinib in 305 patients with treatment-naive metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Co-primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) in intent-to-treat and PD-L1+ populations. Intent-to-treat PFS hazard ratios for atezolizumab + bevacizumab or atezolizumab monotherapy versus sunitinib were 1.0 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.69-1.45) and 1.19 (95% CI, 0.82-1.71), respectively; PD-L1+ PFS hazard ratios were 0.64 (95% CI, 0.38-1.08) and 1.03 (95% CI, 0.63-1.67), respectively. Exploratory biomarker analyses indicated that tumor mutation and neoantigen burden were not associated with PFS. Angiogenesis, T-effector/IFN-γ response, and myeloid inflammatory gene expression signatures were strongly and differentially associated with PFS within and across the treatments. These molecular profiles suggest that prediction of outcomes with anti-VEGF and immunotherapy may be possible and offer mechanistic insights into how blocking VEGF may overcome resistance to immune checkpoint blockade.

Publisher Correction: Clinical activity and molecular correlates of response to atezolizumab alone or in combination with bevacizumab versus sunitinib in renal cell carcinoma.

In the version of this article originally published, there was an error in Fig. 2n. The top line of the HR comparison chart originally was Atezo + bev vs sun. It should have been Atezo + bev vs atezo. The error has been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of this article.

Phase II Trial of Atezolizumab As First-Line or Subsequent Therapy for Patients With Programmed Death-Ligand 1-Selected Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (BIRCH).

Purpose BIRCH was designed to examine the efficacy of atezolizumab, a humanized anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) monoclonal antibody, in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) across lines of therapy. Patients were selected on the basis of PD-L1 expression on tumor cells (TC) or tumor-infiltrating immune cells (IC). Patients and Methods Eligible patients had advanced-stage NSCLC, no CNS metastases, and zero to two or more lines of prior chemotherapy. Patients whose tumors expressed PD-L1 using the SP142 immunohistochemistry assay on ≥ 5% of TC or IC (TC2/3 or IC2/3 [TC or IC ≥ 5% PD-L1-expressing cells, respectively]) were enrolled. Atezolizumab 1,200 mg was administered intravenously every 3 weeks. Efficacy-evaluable patients (N = 659) comprised three cohorts: first line (cohort 1; n = 139); second line (cohort 2; n = 268); and third line or higher (cohort 3; n = 252). The primary end point was independent review facility-assessed objective response rate (ORR; Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors [RECIST] version 1.1). Secondary end points included median duration of response, progression-free survival, and overall survival (OS). Results BIRCH met its primary objective of demonstrating a significant ORR versus historical controls. With a minimum of 12 months of follow-up, the independent review facility-assessed ORR was 18% to 22% for the three cohorts, and 26% to 31% for the TC3 or IC3 subgroup; most responses are ongoing. Responses occurred regardless of EGFR or KRAS mutation status. The median OS from an updated survival analysis (minimum of 20 month follow up) for cohort 1 was 23.5 months (26.9 months for TC3 or IC3 patients); the median OS in cohorts 2 and 3 was 15.5 and 13.2 months, respectively. The safety profile was similar across cohorts and consistent with previous atezolizumab monotherapy trials. Conclusion BIRCH demonstrated responses with atezolizumab monotherapy in patients with PD-L1-selected advanced NSCLC, with good tolerability. PD-L1 status may serve as a predictive biomarker for identifying patients most likely to benefit from atezolizumab.

Heterogeneity and clinical significance of ESR1 mutations in ER-positive metastatic breast cancer patients receiving fulvestrant.

Mutations in ESR1 have been associated with resistance to aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy in patients with ER+ metastatic breast cancer. Little is known of the impact of these mutations in patients receiving selective oestrogen receptor degrader (SERD) therapy. In this study, hotspot mutations in ESR1 and PIK3CA from ctDNA were assayed in clinical trial samples from ER+ metastatic breast cancer patients randomized either to the SERD fulvestrant or fulvestrant plus a pan-PI3K inhibitor. ESR1 mutations are present in 37% of baseline samples and are enriched in patients with luminal A and PIK3CA-mutated tumours. ESR1 mutations are often polyclonal and longitudinal analysis shows distinct clones exhibiting divergent behaviour over time. ESR1 mutation allele frequency does not show a consistent pattern of increases during fulvestrant treatment, and progression-free survival is not different in patients with ESR1 mutations compared with wild-type patients. ESR1 mutations are not associated with clinical resistance to fulvestrant in this study.

Retinoblastoma and ambient exposure to air toxics in the perinatal period.

We examined ambient exposure to specific air toxics in the perinatal period in relation to retinoblastoma development. Cases were ascertained from California Cancer Registry records of children diagnosed between 1990 and 2007 and matched to California birth certificates. Controls were randomly selected from state birth records for the same time period. We chose 27 air toxics for the present study that had been listed as possible, probable, or established human carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Children (103 cases and 30,601 controls) included in the study lived within 5 miles of an air pollution monitor. Using logistic regression analyses, we modeled the risk of retinoblastoma due to air toxic exposure, separately for exposures in pregnancy and the first year of life. With a per interquartile range increase in air toxic exposure, retinoblastoma risk was found to be increased with pregnancy exposure to benzene (OR=1.67, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.64) and other toxics which primarily arise from gasoline and diesel combustion: toluene, 1,3-butadiene, ethyl benzene, ortho-xylene, and meta/para-xylene; these six toxics were highly correlated. Retinoblastoma risk was also increased with pregnancy exposure to chloroform (OR=1.35, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.70), chromium (OR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.60), para-dichlorobenzene (OR=1.24, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.49), nickel (OR=1.48, 95% CI: 1.08, 2.01), and in the first year of life, acetaldehyde (OR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.48). Sources of these agents are discussed.

Using Animal Instincts to Design Efficient Biomedical Studies via Particle Swarm Optimization.

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is an increasingly popular metaheuristic algorithm for solving complex optimization problems. Its popularity is due to its repeated successes in finding an optimum or a near optimal solution for problems in many applied disciplines. The algorithm makes no assumption of the function to be optimized and for biomedical experiments like those presented here, PSO typically finds the optimal solutions in a few seconds of CPU time on a garden-variety laptop. We apply PSO to find various types of optimal designs for several problems in the biological sciences and compare PSO performance relative to the differential evolution algorithm, another popular metaheuristic algorithm in the engineering literature.

Prenatal exposure to air toxics and risk of Wilms' tumor in 0- to 5-year-old children.

OBJECTIVE: To study prenatal air toxic exposure and Wilms' tumor in children. METHODS: We identified 337 Wilms' tumor cases among children younger than 6 years (1988 to 2008) from the California Cancer Registry, randomly selected 96,514 controls from California birth rolls in 20:1 ratio matched to all cancer cases, then linked birth addresses to air monitors within 15 miles to assess exposures. Multiple logistic regressions were applied to estimate effects. RESULTS: Children prenatally exposed to formaldehyde, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, perchloroethylene, or acetaldehyde in the third trimester had an increased odds of Wilms' tumor per interquartile increase in concentration (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.28 [1.12 to 1.45], 1.10 [0.99 to 1.22], 1.09 [1.00 to 1.18], 1.25 [1.07 to 1.45], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We found positive associations for four air toxics. This is the first study of this kind. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Risk of leukemia in relation to exposure to ambient air toxics in pregnancy and early childhood.

There are few established causes of leukemia, the most common type of cancer in children. Studies in adults suggest a role for specific environmental agents, but little is known about any effect from exposures in pregnancy to toxics in ambient air. In our case-control study, we ascertained 69 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 46 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) from California Cancer Registry records of children

Childhood cancer and traffic-related air pollution exposure in pregnancy and early life.

BACKGROUND: The literature on traffic-related air pollution and childhood cancers is inconclusive, and little is known on rarer cancer types. OBJECTIVES: We sought to examine associations between childhood cancers and traffic-related pollution exposure. METHODS: The present study included children < 6 years of age identified in the California Cancer Registry (born 1998-2007) who could be linked to a California birth certificate (n = 3,590). Controls were selected at random from California birthrolls (n = 80,224). CAlifornia LINE Source Dispersion Modeling, version 4 (CALINE4) was used to generate estimates of local traffic exposures for each trimester of pregnancy and in the first year of life at the address indicated on the birth certificate. We checked our findings by additionally examining associations with particulate matter (≤ 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter; PM2.5) pollution measured by community-based air pollution monitors, and with a simple measure of traffic density. RESULTS: With unconditional logistic regression, a per interquartile range increase in exposure to traffic-related pollution during the first trimester (0.0538 ppm carbon monoxide, estimated using CALINE4) was associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL; first trimester odds ratio (OR) = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.10]; germ cell tumors (OR = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.29), particularly teratomas (OR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.41); and retinoblastoma (OR = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.21), particularly bilateral retinoblastoma (OR = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.33). Retinoblastoma was also associated with average PM2.5 concentrations during pregnancy, and ALL and teratomas were associated with traffic density near the child's residence at birth. CONCLUSIONS: We estimated weak associations between early exposure to traffic pollution and several childhood cancers. Because this is the first study to report on traffic pollution in relation to retinoblastoma or germ cell tumors, and both cancers are rare, these findings require replication in other studies.

Heat stress preconditioning improves cognitive outcome after diffuse axonal injury in rats.

This study investigates the influence of heat stress preconditioning on cognitive outcome for rats with diffuse axonal injury (DAI), and attempts to examine the underlying mechanisms. Wistar rats were divided into four groups: rats subjected to heat stress preconditioning 24 h before induction of DAI (n = 10; HSDAI group), a DAI alone group (n = 10), a heat stress alone group (n = 10), and a sham-injury group (n = 10). From day 14 post-injury, the rats' learning abilities and memory were tested using the Morris water maze (MWM) task, followed by long-term potentiation (LTP) recording of the hippocampus. In addition, hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E) and immunohistochemical staining (IHC) were conducted to determine the presence of brain lesions and expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) at 24 h, and on days 14 and 20 post-injury. The rats in the DAI group displayed impaired MWM performance and attenuated LTP compared to the sham group (p < 0.05); the rats in the HSDAI and HS groups showed significant improvement in both MWM and LTP compared with the DAI group (p < 0.05), and no significant differences with the sham group (p > 0.05). Following injury, retraction balls, shrunken neurons, and HSP70 expression were visible in the brains of rats from the DAI and HSDAI groups; recovery was expedited in the rats belonging to the HSDAI group, as these pathological changes were alleviated, coincident with higher expression of HSP70. The rats' abilities for learning and memory were impaired following DAI; this may be due to the disconnection of brain regions, damage to neurons in the hippocampus, and a decrease in synaptic plasticity. Heat stress preconditioning is able to significantly attenuate this cognitive impairment, possibly mediated by the neuroprotective effect of HSP70.