Changes of JAK2 V617F Allele Burden Over Time in Patients with Polycythemia Vera or Essential Thrombocythemia: A Retrospective Study of 172 Patients.

Abstract Abstract 1892 Poster Board I-915 There are conflicting results about quantitative modifications of V617F allele burden in patients (pts) with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) who are either therapy-naive or are treated with hydroxyurea (HU). In a retrospective single center study in 48 pts with polycythemia vera (PV) or essential thrombocythemia (ET) the granulocyte JAK2V617F allele burden remained stable over time (median follow-up was 34 months for PV and 23 for ET) irrespective of the pts being treated or not with cytotoxic therapy (Theocharides A et al, Haematologica 2008). Conversely, another study in 25 patients reported a significant reduction of V617F allele burden (>30% of baseline level) after HU therapy in 52% of the pts, becoming indetectable in 3 of them (Girodon F et al, Haematologica 2008). The aim of this study was to evaluate any modifications of JAK2V617F allele burden during long-term follow-up in patients with PV or ET and the effects of HU treatment. This two-center (Firenze and Bergamo) retrospective study concerned 172 patients with a diagnosis of PV or ET according to the WHO criteria. The only study inclusion criteria were the presence of JAK2V617F mutation and the availability of at least two sequential blood samples drawn at an interval time of at least 6 months. The JAK2-V617F allele load was measured by sensitive quantitative RT-PCR in granulocyte DNA according to the method of Lippert et al (Blood 2006). Differences between median values of JAK2 V617F allele burden were tested by the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test. Repeated measure test for JAK2 V617F mean change over time, irrespective of diagnosis, was also calculated to investigate a significant variance among ordered time measures. There were 103 pts with PV and 69 with ET; median age was 56 yr (range, 15–84), females were 49%. The median interval time between the baseline and follow-up sample in the whole pt population was 27 months (range 6–60), 26 and 28 months for ET and PV, respectively. The median patient follow-up was 3 years (range 0.5–25); no evolution to myelofibrosis or acute leukemia was recorded. According to previous reports, the mean V617F burden was significantly greater in PV than in ET pts (50 ± 26% and 32 ± 18%, respectively; p <0.0001). Sixty-nine pts (41 PV, 28 ET) remained untreated during follow-up (Group 1), whereas 103 received HU; of the latter, 60 pts were already on treatment at the time of first genotyping (Group 2) whereas 43 patients were chemotherapy-naive and started HU after the first blood sampling (Group 3). In Group 1 pts, the median interval between 1st and 2nd sample was 26 months (range 6–60)for PV pts and 24 mo (range 6–59) for ET pts. The JAK2 V617F allele burden was 47.7±22.3% and 48.3±18.9% in the 1st and 2nd sample in PV pts, respectively, and 25.2±13.1% and 28.6±13.5% in case of ET pts, without any significant difference. In pts included in Group 2, the median interval between 1st and 2nd sample was 28 months (range 6–54) for PV pts and 28 mo (range 6–60) for ET pts. The JAK2 V617F allele burden was 55.1±29.2% and 60.3±25.6% in the 1st and 2nd sample in PV pts, respectively, and 36.3±21.7% and 40.7±22.9% in case of ET pts (P=.039). Considering PV and ET pts together, there was a statistically significant increase of V617F allele burden over time from 47.9±28.0% in the 1st sample to 52.8±26.3% in the 2nd (P= .023, repeated measure test). Among pts of Group 3, the median interval time between 1st and 2nd sample was 32 months (range 10–48) for PV pts and 24 mo (range 7–58) for ET pts. The JAK2 V617F allele burden was 47.0±26.2% and 45.5±20.8% in the 1st and 2nd sample in PV pts, respectively, and 37.3±16.2% and 33.3±15.0% in case of ET pts (P= .024). In conclusion, within the observation period of this study we found no evidence for a time-dependent increase of V617F allele burden in untreated PV and ET pts, although we cannot exclude that these results might be related to the relatively short follow-up. Accordingly, in a previous study in ET pts we found that the mutant allele burden increased significantly after 10 years from diagnosis (Carobbio A et al., Exp Hematol, 2009). Furthermore, we observed a very modest reduction of V617F allele burden in HU newly treated ET patients, while in previously treated PV and ET patients the allele burden actually increased over time, suggesting that HU has very little if any likelihood to impact on the size of mutant hematopoietic cell clone. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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TSH variations in chronic heart failure outpatients: clinical correlates and outcomes

Endocrine Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871530321666210430131510 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 ◽

Author(s):

Paola Terlizzese ◽

Miriam Albanese ◽

Dario Grande ◽

Giuseppe Parisi ◽

Margherita Ilaria Gioia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Thyroid Function ◽

Echocardiographic Parameters ◽

Group 3 ◽

Group 2 ◽

One Year ◽

Tsh Levels ◽

Over Time ◽

Group 1

Background: Hypothyroidism is a frequently observed comorbidity in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), possibly giving rise to unfavorable outcomes. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of TSH changes over time on cardiac function and prognosis of outpatients with CHF. Methods: Patients underwent clinical, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic evaluations at baseline and after 12 months. Moreover, blood chemistry tests were performed to evaluate renal function, cardiac biomarkers, fT3, fT4, and TSH levels. Based on TSH serum levels, patients were retrospectively classified into four categories: Group 1, patients with improved thyroid function at one-year follow up vs. baseline; Group 2, patients with stable and mildly high TSH values (3.74 – 10 mUI/L); Group 3, patients with worsening thyroid function; Euthyroid patients Group, TSH levels within the normal range of reference at baseline as well as at 12 months follow-up. We considered as end-points: one-year changes of laboratory and echocardiographic parameters; hospitalizations due to worsening of HF (acute decompensated heart failure - ADHF); death for all causes. Results: Among 257 patients, 174 (67.7%) were euthyroid at baseline and after 12 months. Group 1 patients (n. 22, 8.6%) showed a significant improvement in systolic and diastolic function, filling pressures, NT-proBNP and Galectin-3. Group 2 patients (n. 34, 13.2%) did not exhibit significant modifications in studied parameters. Group 3 patients (n. 27, 10.5%) showed worsening of diastolic function and NT-proBNP and a greater risk of ADHF (HR: 2.12; 95%CI: 1.20-3.74; p: 0.009) and death (HR: 4.05; 95%CI: 2.01-8.15; p<0.001). Conclusion: In patients with CHF, changes in thyroid function over time influenced echocardiographic parameters and biomarkers reflecting modifications of cardiac function and prognosis, thus suggesting the clinical relevance of thyroid deficiency screening and correction.

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POS1325 COMPARISON OF THREE DIFFERENT ALGORITHMS FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHILDREN WITH POLYARTICULAR JIA: THE FIRST YEAR AFTER DIAGNOSIS

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.3448 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 945.1-945

Author(s):

K. Minden ◽

T. Schwarz ◽

F. Dressler ◽

I. Foeldvari ◽

J. P. Haas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Height ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Inactive Disease ◽

High Dose ◽

Pedsql 4.0 ◽

Group 3 ◽

Group 2 ◽

Over Time ◽

Group 1

Background:Various treatment strategies are used for children with newly diagnosed polyarticular JIA. MTX is usually prescribed, sometimes in combination with high-dose intravenous glucocorticoid pulses (HDGC) or multiple intra-articular GC injections (IAGC). These different approaches were considered in the German consensus-based treatment protocols for polyarticular JIA1, they were also the leading therapies in patients with rheumatoid factor-negative polyarthritis (RF- PA) included in the JIA inception cohort ICON.Objectives:To compare the effectiveness of three different treatment strategies in nearly DMARD-naïve patients with RF- PA.Methods:Patients with RF- PA who were included in the ICON cohort and received one of the following treatments within the first three months were considered for the analysis: Group 1: MTX + IAGC in >4 joints, Group 2: MTX + HDGC, Group 3: MTX, no IAGC in >4 joints, no HDGC. Propensity score-adjusted group differences in outcomes after one and two years were analysed by linear and logistic regression analyses.Results:The analysis included data from 150 patients (79% female, mean age 6.7±4.8 years) enrolled in ICON 1.6±1.9 months after the diagnosis of RF- PA, of whom 52 were in Group 1, 54 in Group 2 and 44 in Group 3. Disease activity did not differ significantly between the groups at treatment start (cJADAS-10 16.7±4.7, 15.8±5.7, 15.9±6.5, respectively).Of the total group, at 1- and 2-year follow-up (FU), 60.9%/60.1% and 52.3%/58.8% of patients had inactive disease (cJADAS ≤1/Wallace criteria2), 21.3% and 35.6% were in remission off drug2, and mean cJADAS-10 scores were 2.6±3.9 and 3.0±3.5, respectively. 60.5% and 67.0% had no functional limitations (CHAQ=0).Patients in Group 1 more often had an inactive disease (according to Wallace2) at the 1-year FU and tended to have inactive disease more often at 2-year FU than patients in Group 3 (78.1% vs. 45.2%, p=0.025; 73.3 vs. 49.1%, p=0.075, respectively). Group 2 patients (inactive disease in 56.1% and 53.4% at 1- and 2-year FU) did not differ significantly from either Group 1 or Group 3. In addition, Group 1 patients had a significantly better quality of life than patients of Group 2 at the 2-year FU (mean PedsQL 4.0 total score 90.4±9.3 vs. 83.8±11.2, p=0.031). At that time, Group 3 patients had a mean PedsQL 4.0 total score of 85.0±14.6, which was not significantly different from either Group 1 or 2.On the other hand, Group 1 patients tended to develop new uveitis more frequently within the first two years of treatment than patients in Groups 2 and 3 (13% vs. 2.2% and 3.6%, p=0.101 and 0.131, respectively). At the 2-year FU, patients in Group 1 also had a significantly lower mean height SDS than patients of Group 3 (-0.3±1.1 vs. 0.2±1.1, p=0.038). Mean height SDS was lowest (-0.5±0.8) in patients in Group 2 and significantly lower than in Group 3 (0.019). Mean body mass index SDS also differed significantly between the groups at 2-year follow-up. The mean BMI SDS was highest in Group 1 patients (0.2±0.8), differing significantly from Group 2 (-0.3±0.7, p=0.014) and Group 3 (-0.4±1.1, p=0.023).There were no significant differences in inactive disease (according to cJADAS) and functional status (CHAQ) between the three groups at 1- and 2-year FU. Over time, treatments were very different in the three groups. In Group 3, biologics were used significantly more often over time than in group 1 (54.0% vs. 18.3%, p=0.014), and Group 2 patients received bDMARDs in 36.1%.Conclusion:While patients with numerous early joint injections seem to achieve inactive disease more frequently and earlier, they have a slightly smaller body height and tend to develop uveitis slightly more often than patients with more intensive DMARD therapy. However, the differences are small between the groups. Further comparative effectiveness studies with higher patient numbers are needed to identify particularly effective and safe treatment strategies.References:[1]Horneff et al. Pediatric Rheumatology 2017;15:78.[2]Wallace et al. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 2011;63:929-36.Acknowledgements:The ICON study is funded by a research grant of the Federal ministry of education and research (BMBF, FKZ 01ER0812, FKZ 01ER1504A-C).Disclosure of Interests:Kirsten Minden Speakers bureau: Pfizer, Abbvie, Consultant of: Novartis, Tobias Schwarz: None declared, Frank Dressler: None declared, Ivan Foeldvari Consultant of: Gilead, Novartis, Pfizer, Hexal, BMS, Sanofi, MEDAC, Johannes-Peter Haas: None declared, Gerd Horneff Speakers bureau: Pfizer, Consultant of: Novartis, Toni Hospach Consultant of: Novartis, Jasmin Kümmerle-Deschner: None declared, Kirsten Moenkemoeller: None declared, Frank Weller-Heinemann Speakers bureau: Pfizer, AbbVie, SOBI, Roche, Novartis, Klaus Tenbrock: None declared, Martina Niewerth: None declared, Claudia Sengler: None declared, Dirk Foell: None declared, Jens Klotsche: None declared

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Effects of posterior tibial slope on the mid-term results of medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty

Arthroplasty ◽

10.1186/s42836-021-00070-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Zhijie Chen ◽

Kaizhe Chen ◽

Yufei Yan ◽

Jianmin Feng ◽

Yi Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Knee Flexion ◽

Tibial Slope ◽

Posterior Tibial ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Medial Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty ◽

Group 3 ◽

Group 2 ◽

Postoperative Knee ◽

Group 1

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effect of medial posterior tibial slope (PTS) on mid-term postoperative range of motion (ROM) and functional improvement of the knee after medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). Methods Medical records of 113 patients who had undergone 124 medial UKAs between April 2009 through April 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. The mean follow-up lasted 7.6 years (range, 6.2–11.2 years). Collected were demographic data, including gender, age, height, weight of the patients. Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral knee radiographs of the operated knees were available in all patients. The knee function was evaluated during office follow-up or hospital stay. Meanwhile, postoperative PTS, ROM, maximal knee flexion and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score (pre−/postoperative) of the operated side were measured and assessed. According to the size of the PTS, patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1 (<4°), group 2 (4° ~ 7°) and group 3 (>7°). The association between PTS and the knee function was investigated. Results In our cohort, the average PTS was 2.7° ± 0.6° in group 1, 5.6° ± 0.9° in group 2 and 8.7° ± 1.2° in group 3. Pairwise comparisons showed significant differences among them (p < 0.01). The average maximal flexion range of postoperative knees in each group was 112.4° ± 5.6°, 116.4° ± 7.2°, and 117.5° ± 6.1°, respectively, with significant difference found between group 1 and group 2 (p < 0.05), and between group 1 and group 3 (p < 0.05). However, the gender, age, and body mass index (BMI) did not differ between three groups and there was no significant difference between groups in terms of pre−/postoperative HSS scores or postoperative knee ROM. Conclusion A mid-term follow-up showed that an appropriate PTS (4° ~ 7°) can help improve the postoperative flexion of knee. On the other hand, too small a PTS could lead to limited postoperative knee flexion. Therefore, the PTS less than 4° should be avoided during medial UKA.

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The Relationship between Serum Ferritin Levels and 5-Year All-Cause Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients

Blood Purification ◽

10.1159/000515639 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Emre Erdem ◽

Ahmet Karatas ◽

Tevfik Ecder

Keyword(s):

Serum Ferritin ◽

Hemodialysis Patients ◽

Rank Test ◽

Significant Difference ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Group 3 ◽

Group 2 ◽

The Relationship ◽

Group 1

Introduction: The effect of high serum ferritin levels on long-term mortality in hemodialysis patients is unknown. The relationship between serum ferritin levels and 5-year all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients was investigated in this study. Methods: A total of 173 prevalent hemodialysis patients were included in this study. The patients were followed for up to 5 years and divided into 3 groups according to time-averaged serum ferritin levels (group 1: serum ferritin <800 ng/mL, group 2: serum ferritin 800–1,500 ng/mL, and group 3: serum ferritin >1,500 ng/mL). Along with the serum ferritin levels, other clinical and laboratory variables that may affect mortality were also included in the Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis. Results: Eighty-one (47%) patients died during the 5-year follow-up period. The median follow-up time was 38 (17.5–60) months. The 5-year survival rates of groups 1, 2, and 3 were 44, 64, and 27%, respectively. In group 3, the survival was lower than in groups 1 and 2 (log-rank test, p = 0.002). In group 1, the mortality was significantly lower than in group 3 (HR [95% CI]: 0.16 [0.05–0.49]; p = 0.001). In group 2, the mortality was also lower than in group 3 (HR [95% CI]: 0.32 [0.12–0.88]; p = 0.026). No significant difference in mortality between groups 1 and 2 was found (HR [95% CI]: 0.49 [0.23–1.04]; p = 0.063). Conclusion: Time-averaged serum ferritin levels >1,500 ng/mL in hemodialysis patients are associated with an increased 5-year all-cause mortality risk.

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Etiology of Cartilage Lesions Does Not Affect Clinical Outcomes of Patellofemoral Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation

Cartilage ◽

10.1177/19476035211030991 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 194760352110309

Author(s):

Alexandre Barbieri Mestriner ◽

Jakob Ackermann ◽

Gergo Merkely ◽

Pedro Henrique Schmidt Alves Ferreira Galvão ◽

Luiz Felipe Morlin Ambra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation ◽

Second Generation ◽

Cartilage Lesion ◽

Chondrocyte Implantation ◽

Group 3 ◽

Group 2 ◽

Autologous Chondrocyte ◽

Group 1

Objective To determine the relationship between cartilage lesion etiology and clinical outcomes after second-generation autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) in the patellofemoral joint (PFJ) with a minimum of 2 years’ follow-up. Methods A retrospective review of all patients that underwent ACI in the PFJ by a single surgeon was performed. Seventy-two patients with a mean follow-up of 4.2 ± 2.0 years were enrolled in this study and were stratified into 3 groups based on the etiology of PFJ cartilage lesions: patellar dislocation (group 1; n = 23); nontraumatic lesions, including chondromalacia, osteochondritis dissecans, and degenerative defects (group 2; n = 28); and other posttraumatic lesions besides patellar dislocations (group 3; n = 21). Patient’s mean age was 29.6 ± 8.7 years. Patients in group 1 were significantly younger (25.4 ± 7.9 years) than group 2 (31.7 ± 9.6 years; P = 0.025) and group 3 (31.5 ± 6.6 years; P = 0.05). Body mass index averaged 26.2 ± 4.3 kg/m2, with a significant difference between group 1 (24.4 ± 3.2 kg/m2) and group 3 (28.7 ± 4.5 kg/m2; P = 0.005). A clinical comparison was established between groups based on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and failure rates. Results Neither pre- nor postoperative PROMs differed between groups ( P > 0.05). No difference was seen in survivorship between groups (95.7% vs. 82.2% vs. 90.5%, P > 0.05). Conclusion Cartilage lesion etiology did not influence clinical outcome in this retrospective study after second generation ACI in the PFJ. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective comparative study.

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A tissue-engineered urinary conduit in a porcine urinary diversion model

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-94613-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Arkadiusz Jundziłł ◽

Piotr Kwieciński ◽

Daria Balcerczyk ◽

Tomasz Kloskowski ◽

Dariusz Grzanka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Computed Tomography ◽

Urinary Diversion ◽

Porcine Model ◽

Histological Evaluation ◽

Metabolic Complications ◽

Group 3 ◽

Group 2 ◽

The Right ◽

Group 1

AbstractThe use of an ileal segment is a standard method for urinary diversion after radical cystectomy. Unfortunately, utilization of this method can lead to numerous surgical and metabolic complications. This study aimed to assess the tissue-engineered artificial conduit for urinary diversion in a porcine model. Tissue-engineered tubular polypropylene mesh scaffolds were used for the right ureter incontinent urostomy model. Eighteen male pigs were divided into three equal groups: Group 1 (control ureterocutaneostomy), Group 2 (the right ureter-artificial conduit-skin anastomoses), and Group 3 (4 weeks before urostomy reconstruction, the artificial conduit was implanted between abdomen muscles). Follow-up was 6 months. Computed tomography, ultrasound examination, and pyelogram were used to confirm the patency of created diversions. Morphological and histological analyses were used to evaluate the tissue-engineered urinary diversion. All animals survived the experimental procedures and follow-up. The longest average patency was observed in the 3rd Group (15.8 weeks) compared to the 2nd Group (10 weeks) and the 1st Group (5.8 weeks). The implant’s remnants created a retroperitoneal post-inflammation tunnel confirmed by computed tomography and histological evaluation, which constitutes urostomy. The simultaneous urinary diversion using a tissue-engineered scaffold connected directly with the skin is inappropriate for clinical application.

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Evaluation of the TGS TA system for the detection of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies

Microbiologia Medica ◽

10.4081/mm.2017.6583 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Olivia Arpino ◽

Annalisa Cianflone ◽

Maria Teresa Manco ◽

Alessia Paganini ◽

Massimo De Paschale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Avidity ◽

Past Infection ◽

Recent Infection ◽

Igm Antibodies ◽

Igg Avidity ◽

Avidity Test ◽

Group 3 ◽

Group 2 ◽

Group 1

Background and aims. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the new chemiluminescence TGS TA system of Technogenetics (Milan, Italy) for detecting anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies and IgG avidity. The TGS TA system was compared with our chemiluminescence routinely used system, LIAISON XL, supplied by Diasorin (Saluggia, Italy), for the detection of IgG and IgM antibodies. Only in positive IgM samples (retrospective study) and for the IgG avidity (if existent), TGS TA system was compared to an Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) test (VIDAS, BioMérieux, Marcy-l’Étoile, France). Materials and methods. Three hundred and one sera samples, from women who came to our centre for the routine follow up pregnancy, were examined with the TGS TA system and divided in 3 groups according to IgG and IgM screening LIAISON XL tests: 106 were non-immune women (Group 1), 100 were pregnant with past infection (Group 2) and 95 were pregnant with positive or equivocal IgM (82 with positive IgG and 13 with negative IgG) (Group 3). Results. The overall concordance of the IgG results between LIAISON XL and TGS TA was 99.3%: 100% in Group 1, 98% in Group 2 and 100% in Group 3. The overall concordance of the IgM results between LIAISON XL and TGS TA was 93.9%: 100% in Group 1, 94% in Group 2 and 82.8% in Group 3. In Group 3, the concordance between the results of the IgG avidity with the ELFA and TGS TA tests was 81.7%. Comparing the clinical diagnosis obtained with our protocol and that of the TGS TA system, the overall concordance was 92.7%: 100% in Group 1, 92.0% in Group 2 and 78.9% in Group 3. Conclusions. The overall concordance of IgG antibodies is excellent for both protocols while for IgM antibodies is very high in the first group and lower in the third group, due to the presence of non-specific IgM subjects in this group. The TGS TA avidity test seems to predict ealier the maturation of the IgG compared to the ELFA test since many samples with low avidity with the ELFA were seen with moderate avidity with TGS TA and all those with borderline avidity with the ELFA were seen with high avidity with TGS TA. This system shows to be a valuable tool with overall good clinical correlation and able to clearly identify nonspecific subjects, those with a non-recent infection.

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Pro- and macroglycogenolysis: relationship with exercise intensity and duration

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/jappl.2001.90.3.873 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 90 (3) ◽

pp. 873-879 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

T. E. Graham ◽

K. B. Adamo ◽

J. Shearer ◽

I. Marchand ◽

B. Saltin

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Muscle ◽

Metabolic Regulation ◽

Human Skeletal Muscle ◽

Exercise Period ◽

Group 3 ◽

Group 2 ◽

Male Subjects ◽

Muscle Biopsies ◽

Over Time ◽

Group 1

We examined the net catabolism of two pools of glycogen, proglycogen (PG) and macroglycogen (MG), in human skeletal muscle during exercise. Male subjects ( n = 21) were assigned to one of three groups. Group 1 exercised 45 min at 70% maximal O2 uptake (V˙o 2 max) and had muscle biopsies at rest, 15 min, and 45 min. Group 2 exercised at 85%V˙o 2 max to exhaustion (45.4 ± 3.4 min) and had biopsies at rest, 10 min, and exhaustion. Group 3 performed three 3-min bouts of exercise at 100%V˙o 2 max separated by 6 min of rest. Biopsies were taken at rest and after each bout. Group 1 had small MG and PG net glycogenolysis rates (ranging from 3.8 ± 1.0 to 2.4 ± 0.6 mmol glucosyl units · kg−1 · min−1) that did not change over time. In group 2, the MG glycogenolysis rate remained low and unchanged over time, whereas the PG rate was initially elevated (11.3 ± 2.3 mmol glucosyl units · kg−1 · min−1) and declined ( P ≤ 0.05) with time. During the first 10 min, PG concentration ([PG]) declined ( P ≤ 0.05), whereas MG concentration ([MG]) did not. Similarly, in group 3, in both the first and the second bouts of exercise [PG] declined ( P ≤ 0.05) and [MG] did not, although by the end of the second exercise period the [MG] was lower ( P ≤ 0.05) than the rest level. The net catabolic rates for PG in the first two exercises were 22.6 ± 6.8 and 21.8 ± 8.2 mmol glucosyl units · kg−1 · min−1, whereas the corresponding values for MG were 17.6 ± 6.0 and 10.8 ± 5.6. The MG pool appeared to be more resistant to mobilization, and, when activated, its catabolism was inhibited more rapidly than that of PG. This suggests that the metabolic regulation of the two pools must be different.

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Comparison of Changes in Number of Hyperreflective Dots After İntravitreal Ranibizumab or Dexamethasone İmplant in Patients with Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion

10.21203/rs.3.rs-736656/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Aylin Karalezli ◽

Sema Kaderli ◽

Ahmet Kaderli ◽

Cansu Kaya ◽

Sabahattin Sul

Keyword(s):

First Year ◽

Intravitreal Ranibizumab ◽

Retinal Layers ◽

Vein Occlusion ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Group 3 ◽

The Mean ◽

Group 2 ◽

Group 1

Abstract Purpose: To compare the effect of intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) or intravitreal dexamethasone implants (IVD) on regression of hyperreflective dots (HRDs) on optical coherence tomography (OCT) B-scan in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). Methods: 37 eyes of 37 patients with cystoid macular edema who received IVR or IVD and followed up for at least 12 months were included in this study. The patients were divided into three groups according to intravitreal treatment. Group 1 consisted of 12 eyes who received only IVD, group 2 consisted of 10 eyes who received only IVR on a pro re nata and group 3 consisted of 15 eyes who received both IVD and IVR. OCT parameters (CMT, number of HRDs, status of external limiting membrane (ELM) and ellipsoid zone (EZ)) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were compared between the groups over the follow-up time. HRDs were categorized as HRD in inner retinal layers (from the internal limiting membrane to the inner nuclear layer) or HRD in outer retinal layers (from the outer plexiform layer to the outer border of the photoreceptor layer).Results: There was no significant difference between groups in terms of BCVA, CMT, HRDs in the inner and the outer retinal layers at baseline visit. (p˃0.05 for all) Comparing the baseline values in all groups, a significant decrease was observed in CMT in the first year. (For group 1; p=0.013, group 2; p=0.010; group 3, p<0.001) The BCVA was significantly increased after 1 year in all groups. (p=0.001, p=0.006, p<0.001) The mean number of HRDs in inner and outer retinal layers were significantly decreased in group 1 and group 3. (For group 1; p<0.001, p=0.001, for group 3; p<0.001, p<0.001) However, there was no significant difference in terms of the mean number of HRDs in inner and outer retinal layers for group 2. (p=0.134, p=0.477) At the first year, the number of HRDs in inner and outer retinal layers was significantly lower in group 1 and group 3 than group 2. (For inner HRDs; group 1 vs. group 2 p=0.007, group 2 vs. group 3 p<0.001. For outer HRDs group 1 vs. group 2 p<0.001, group 2 vs. group 3 p<0.001.) The BCVA was higher in group 3 than group 2 at 1year. (p=0.048). There was no significant difference in terms of post-treatment CMT and the number of HRDs between group 1 and group3 in posthoc tests (p=0.621, p=0.876, and p=0.632).Conclusion: The reduction in HRDs at 12 months and better BCVA after IVD intimates that the HRDs should be considered as inflammatory markers in the follow-up of CME in BRVO. Thus, IVD injection could be more appropriate for patients with higher HRDs after BRVO.

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Incidence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 infection among previously infected or vaccinated employees

10.1101/2021.07.03.21259976 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Noah Kojima ◽

Arash Roshani ◽

Matthew Brobeck ◽

Arthur Baca ◽

Jeffrey D Klausner

Keyword(s):

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Clinical Laboratory ◽

Exact Equation ◽

Previous Infection ◽

Group 3 ◽

Group 2 ◽

Measure Of Association ◽

Observation Period ◽

Group 1

Introduction: The protective effect of previous infection versus vaccination is poorly studied. Among a clinical laboratory that has been conducting routine workforce screening since the beginning of the pandemic, we aimed to assess the relative risk of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among individuals who were SARS-CoV-2 naive, previously infected, or vaccinated. Methods: Using an electronic laboratory information system, employees were divided into three groups: (1) SARS-CoV-2 naive and unvaccinated, (2) previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, and (3) vaccinated. Person-days were measured from the date of the employee first test and truncated at the end of the observation period. SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined as two positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests in a 30-day period. Individuals with fewer than 14 days of follow up were excluded. Incidence estimates and the 95% confidence intervals were calculated using the Poisson Exact equation. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) was used as a measure of association between groups. Analyses were performed on StataSE (StataCorp, College Station, TX). Results: We identified 4313, 254 and 739 employee records for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The median age of employees was 29.0 years (interquartile range: 23.6, 39.9). During the observation period, 254, 0, and 4 infections were identified among groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Group 1 had an incidence of 25.9 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 22.8-29.3). Group 2 had an incidence of 0 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 0-5.0). Group 3 had an incidence of 1.6 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 0.04-4.2). The IRR of reinfection among those with previous infection compared to SARS-CoV-2 naive was 0 (95% CI: 0-0.19). The IRR of those vaccinated compared to SARS-CoV-2 naive was 0.06 (95% CI: 0.02-0.16). The IRR of those vaccinated compared to prior SARS-CoV-2 was 0 (95% CI: 0-4.98). Conclusion: Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 were associated with decreased risk for infection or re-infection with SARS-CoV-2 in a routinely screened workforce. The was no difference in the infection incidence between vaccinated individuals and individuals with previous infection. Further research is needed to determine whether our results are consistent with the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.

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