Pain and Health-Related Quality of Life in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: Results from a National Patient-Powered Registry.

Rationale & Objective: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) including pain, discomfort, fatigue, emotional distress, and impaired mobility. Stakeholders prioritized kidney cyst-related pain as an important core outcome domain in clinical trials, leading to the development of disease-specific assessment tools. Study Design: The ADPKD Registry is hosted online with multiple disease-specific patient-reported outcomes modules to characterize the patient experience in the United States. Setting & Participants: The ADPKD Registry allows consented participants access to a Core Questionnaire that includes demographics, comorbid conditions, current symptoms, and kidney function. Participants complete subsequent modules on a 3-month schedule, including 2 validated HRQoL tools, the ADPKD-Pain and Discomfort Scale (ADPKD-PDS), the ADPKD Impact Scale (ADPKD-IS) and a Healthcare Access and Utilization module. Exposures: Patient-reported latest estimated glomerular filtration rate or creatinine used to calculate stage of chronic kidney disease. Outcomes: Health-related quality of life, measured using validated ADPKD-specific tools; access to polycystic kidney disease-specific health care. Analytical Approach: For the 2 HRQoL tools, scores were calculated for physical, emotional, and fatigue domains; pain severity; and pain interference (based on the licensed user manuals). Associations to health care access were also assessed. Results: By July 2022, 1,086 individuals with ADPKD completed at least 1 of the HRQoL modules, and 319 completed 4 over a year. Participants were an average age of 53. In total, 71% were women, and 91% were White, with all chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages represented. In total, 2.5% reported being treated with dialysis, and 23% had a kidney transplant. CKD stage 4/5 participants reported the most dull kidney pain, whereas sharp kidney pain was evenly distributed across early CKD stages. Dull kidney pain had an impact on sleep regardless of CKD stage. There was a strong positive correlation between the ADPKD-PDS and ADPKD-IS. Patients with a neutral or positive HRQoL were less likely to have been denied access to imaging or other care. Limitations: Currently, all the information collected is patient reported without health record validation of clinical variables. Conclusions: Use of the HRQoL tools in the ADPKD Registry provided a broad cross-sectional assessment in the United States and provided granular information on the burden of pain across the CKD spectrum in ADPKD. The ADPKD Registry allowed assessment of ADPKD impact in a community that experiences decline in health and kidney function over decades.

The Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease Registry is a longitudinal, patient-powered research tool created with the goal to better understand the impacts of ADPKD on affected individuals in the United States. Here, we analyze pain and other health-related quality of life outcomes in 1,086 individuals using validated tools and comment on the utility of these tools for future use in clinical trials and observational studies. We found that sharp pain, dull pain, fullness discomfort, and other related impacts affected individuals across the disease spectrum, although some participants reported more dull pain in later stages (CKD stages 4 and 5). Future analysis of these trends over time will be valuable in understanding how to assess and address the burden of pain in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Design and Basic Characteristics of a National Patient-Powered Registry in ADPKD.

Background: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common form of inherited kidney disease worldwide. Over the past five years, the therapeutic pipeline for ADPKD has expanded, leading to a growing need for patient enrollment in clinical trials and improved understanding of patient-centered outcomes that can be used in trial design. To advance these goals, the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation (PKDF) established a national web-based ADPKD Registry. Methods: The ADPKD Registry is hosted on a secure, HIPAA-compliant, online platform (IQVIA, oc-meridian.com/pkdcure). Participants are consented through the online system and complete a series of modules. The Core Questionnaire includes patient-reported diagnosis, latest creatinine values, and comorbidities. Additional modules include surveys of family history, diet, quality of life, extrarenal manifestations, and attitudes surrounding research participation. Results: As of October 2021, 1563 ADPKD patients across the United States have registered and completed the Core Questionnaire. Participants have a median age of 44 years and are 72% women, 93% White, with 4% self-identifying as Hispanic/Latino and 2% as Black. All CKD stages are present, including post kidney transplant. To date, seven clinical studies have used the Registry as a recruitment tool. Additionally, quality-of-life burden scores revealed a correlation with disease stage as determined by kidney function. Conclusions: The Registry described here is the only one of its kind and is a valuable longitudinal research tool encompassing all stages of ADPKD. The registry will allow investigators to pursue a range of research questions related to the management of ADPKD, including definition of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes and recruitment for a variety of observational and therapeutic clinical protocols.

Multivalent RNA aptamers that inhibit CTLA-4 and enhance tumor immunity.

The potency of cancer immunotherapy can be enhanced by administration of high-avidity ligands specific to receptors expressed on T cells. Antibodies or cytokines are the main agents used in such capacity. Antibody-mediated inhibition of cytotoxic T cell antigen-4 (CTLA-4) function in mice augments antitumor immunity and could serve as an important adjunct in cancer immunotherapy. However, antibody-based therapy used in the setting of chronic diseases such as cancer poses significant cost, manufacturing, and regulatory challenges. Here we describe the development of RNA aptamers that bind CTLA-4 with high affinity and specificity. These aptamers inhibit CTLA-4 function in vitro and enhance tumor immunity in mice. Moreover, assembly of the aptamers into tetrameric forms significantly enhances their bioactivity in vitro and in vivo. These results demonstrate that aptamers can be used to manipulate the immune system for therapeutic applications and that multivalent versions of aptamers may be particularly potent agents in vivo.