Comparison of confirmed and probable COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit during the normalization period

The decrease in social distance together with the normalization period as of June 1, 2020 in our country caused an increase in the number of COVID 19 patients. Our aim was to compare the demographic features, clinical courses and outcomes of confirmed and probable coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) during the normalization period. Critically ill 128 COVID-19 patients between June 1 - December 2, 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. The mean age was 69.7±15.5y (61.7% male). Sixty-one patients (47.7%) were confirmed. Dyspnea (75.0%) was the most common symptom and hypertension (71.1%) was the most common comorbidity. The mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation System (APACHE II) score; Glasgow Coma Score (GCS); Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores on ICU admission were 17.4 ± 8.2, 12.3 ± 3.9 and 5.9 ± 3.4, respectively. 101 patients (78.1%) received low flow oxygen, 48 had high flow oxygen therapy (37.5%) and 59 (46.1%) had invasive mechanical ventilation. 53 patients (41.4%) had vasopressor therapy and 30 (23.4%) patients had renal replacement therapy (RRT) due to acute kidney injury (AKI). Confirmed patients were more tachypneic (p=0.005) and more hypoxemic than probable patients (p<0.001). Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and AKI were more common in confirmed patients than probable (both p<0.001). Confirmed patients had higher values of hemoglobin, C- reactive protein, fibrinogen, D-dimer than probables (respectively, p=0.028, 0.006, 0.000, 0.019). The overall mortality was higher in confirmed patients (p=0.209, 52.6% vs 47.4%). Complications are more common among confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU. The mortality rate of confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU was found to be higher than probable patients. Mortality of confirmed cases were higher than prediction of APACHE-II scoring system.

Increased Circulating Levels of Ectodysplasin A in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic Patients

ObjectiveEctodysplasin A (EDA), a newly discovered hepatokine, has recently been considered to be closely related to glycolipid metabolism disorders, but the pathophysiological effects of EDA are still poorly understood. This study was the first time to determine the level of serum EDA in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, and to explore the relationships between serum EDA levels and various metabolic indexes.MethodsA total of 184 subjects were enrolled in the study, including 92 subjects with newly diagnosed T2DM and 92 subjects with age- and sex-matched normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Serum EDA levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Oral glucose tolerance test, glycosylated hemoglobin c (HbA1c), and insulin were also measured.ResultsSerum EDA levels were significantly increased in the T2DM group than in the NGT group (359.91 ± 117.99 vs. 265.82 ± 86.51 pg/ml, p &lt; 0.001). Serum EDA levels were positively correlated with body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), HbA1c, 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose (2hPG), fasting plasma insulin (FIns), fasting C peptide (FCP), triglyceride (TG), HOMA-IR, and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and HOMA-β (p &lt; 0.05). Multiple stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that 2hPG and FIns were independent influencing factors of serum EDA level (p &lt; 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that serum EDA level was significantly independently correlated with T2DM (p &lt; 0.05).ConclusionsSerum EDA levels are significantly higher in T2DM patients, suggesting that EDA may play a role in the occurrence and development of T2DM.

Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease Have a Higher Burden of Mitochondrial DNA Heteroplasmy

Background: The simple point mutation that causes sickle cell disease (SCD) belies the extensive systemic damage it can cause. While the sickle pathology is initiated by polymerization of HbS, the multiple end-organ damage is inflicted by years of on-going inflammation and vasculopathy. An emerging marker of inflammation is the accumulation of acquired heteroplasmy mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Given the underlying chronic inflammation in SCD, we hypothesized that SCD patients display increased rates of mtDNA mutations, and previously confirmed (1). Here, we further performed indepth analyses in an ethnically matched normal (HbAA) as well as sickle trait (HbAS) subjects from another independent cohort, the Jackson Heart Study (JHS). Methods: We analyzed and compared whole genome sequencing (WGS) data from the from NIH cohort of 676 SCD patients of African ancestry with that of 621 ethnic-matched indviduals from the 1000 Genomes Project (1KG), and 3,580 individuals from the JHS cohort. The NIH SCD cohort included 561 HbSS & HbSβ 0thalassemia (combined), 90 HbSC, and 25 HbSβ + thalassemia genotypes, the 1KG cohort - 516 HbAA and 105 HbAS and JHS cohort - 3,200 HbAA, 89 HbAC (hemoglobin C trait), and 291 HbAS. Additionally, to further understand any potential sequencing depth bias, as well as to compare between two patient cohorts (NIH SCD & JHS cohorts) with underlying conditons that may influence the heteroplasmy bias, we downsampled 300 NIH cohort HbSS samples to a sequencing depth similar to JHS cohort, and compared their heteroplasmy burden. Mitochondrial sequences extracted from the cleaned WGS data of these 3 cohorts were analyzed for heteroplasmic and homoplasmic variants using mitoCaller from the package mitoAnalyzer. Results: The average depth per locus was ~6,671X for the NIH SCD cohort , ~2,879X for the 1KG cohort, and ~2169X for JHS cohort. We compared the quantity of heteroplasmic variants across the different NIH SCD genotype with 1KG (HbAA & HbAS), and JHS (HbAA, HbAC and HbAS) genotypic groups. The median number of heteroplasmic variants per individual increased progressively from HbAA, HbAS, HbSβ +thalassemia, and HbSC with the highest median number of 118 in HbSS & HbSβ 0 (Fig 1A) in NIH SCD cohort. It is noteworthy that the median mtDNA heteroplasmy in HbAA individuals in 1KG cohort was significantly lower than those in JHS cohort (Table insert in Fig 1A) which may be related to the underlying cardiovascular disease in the JHS cohort; whereas similar heteroplasmy burden in HbAS individuals between these 2 cohorts may underscore the genotype (HbAS) as the driver of heteroplasmy in these cohorts. We compared the heteroplasmy burden of a downsampled subset (n=300) NIH HbSS with that of JHS HbAA, HbAC and HbAS genotypes (Fig 1B). Although, the 70% reduction in sequencing depth resulted in the slight reduction in heteroplasmy burden, we noticed higher heteroplasmic variability (standard deviation) in this subset of NIH HbSS patients. This variability may be attributable to extreme variation in SCD phenotypic severity. We then applied cumulative distribution function to this downsampled subset and compared with JHS genotypes. We found the NIH HbSS patients have disproportionately higher proportion of heteroplasmy variants (Fig 1D) when compared to the JHS genotypes (HbAA, HbAC, and HbAS). Conclusion: We conclude that there is an increased prevalence of heteroplasmic mtDNA variants in SCD compared to ethnic-matched normal (HbAA) populations. Normal individuals with HbAA in JHS cohort have significantly higher heteroplasmic burden compared to those in 1KG cohort, suggesting an underlying cardiovascular disease in JHS cohort as a driving factor. Within each 1KG and JHS cohorts, individuals with sickle cell trait (HbAS) have similar heteroplasmy burden and also higher than those with HbAA, highlighting the potential significance of this genotype. Reducing the sequencing depth by &gt; 70% (downsampling) led to the filtering out of heteroplasmy variants that would have been discovered with the original deeper sequencing depth of ~7300X. Nonetheless, downsampled HbSS samples still retained disproportionately higher heteroplasmy burden compared to non-SCD subjects. We are currently investigating if there is any correlation between mtDNA heteroplasmy burden and severity of clinical phenotypes among the SCD patients. 1. Ahmad, MM et al, Blood 136 (1):11-11 (2020) Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

HbA1c performs well in monitoring glucose control even in populations with high prevalence of medical conditions that may alter its reliability: the OPTIMAL observational multicenter study

IntroductionThe utility of HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin) to estimate glycemic control in populations of African and other low-resource countries has been questioned because of high prevalence of other medical conditions that may affect its reliability. Using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), we aimed to determine the comparative performance of HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (within 5 hours of a meal) and random non-fasting glucose (RPG) in assessing glycemic burden.Research design and methodsWe assessed the performance of HbA1c, FPG and RPG in comparison to CGM mean glucose in 192 Ugandan participants with type 2 diabetes. Analysis was undertaken in all participants, and in subgroups with and without medical conditions reported to affect HbA1c reliability. We then assessed the performance of FPG and RPG, and optimal thresholds, in comparison to HbA1c in participants without medical conditions thought to alter HbA1c reliability.Results32.8% (63/192) of participants had medical conditions that may affect HbA1c reliability: anemia 9.4% (18/192), sickle cell trait and/or hemoglobin C (HbC) 22.4% (43/192), or renal impairment 6.3% (12/192). Despite high prevalence of medical conditions thought to affect HbA1c reliability, HbA1c had the strongest correlation with CGM measured glucose in day-to-day living (0.88, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.91), followed by FPG (0.82, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.86) and RPG (0.76, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.81). Among participants without conditions thought to affect HbA1c reliability, FPG and RPG had a similar diagnostic performance in identifying poor glycemic control defined by a range of HbA1c thresholds. FPG of ≥7.1 mmol/L and RPG of ≥10.5 mmol/L correctly identified 78.2% and 78.8%, respectively, of patients with an HbA1c of ≥7.0%.ConclusionsHbA1c is the optimal test for monitoring glucose control even in low-income and middle-income countries where medical conditions that may alter its reliability are prevalent; FPG and RPG are valuable alternatives where HbA1c is not available.

Multispectral Imaging for MicroChip Electrophoresis Enables Point-of-Care Newborn Hemoglobin Variant Screening

Hemoglobin (Hb) disorders affect nearly 7% of the world's population. Globally, around 400,000 babies are born annually with sickle cell disease (SCD), primarily in sub-Saharan Africa where morbidity and mortality rates are high. Although treatments are available for Hb disorders, screening, early diagnosis, and monitoring are not widely accessible due to technical challenges and cost, especially in low-and-middle-income countries. We hypothesized that multispectral imaging will allow sensitive hemoglobin variant identification in existing affordable paper-based Hb electrophoresis, which is a clinical standard test for Hb variant screening. To test this hypothesis, we developed the first integrated point-of-care multispectral Hb variant test: Gazelle-Multispectral. Here, we evaluated the accuracy of Gazelle-Multispectral for Hb variant newborn screening in 321 completed tests in subjects younger than 6 months with known hemoglobin variants including hemoglobin A (Hb A), hemoglobin F (Hb F), hemoglobin S (Hb S) and hemoglobin C (Hb C). Gazelle-multispectral detected levels of Hb A, Hb F, Hb S, and Hb C, demonstrated high correlations with the results reported by laboratory gold standard high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) at Pearson Correlation Coefficient = 0.97, 0.97, 0.89, and 0.94. Gazelle-multispectral demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity in both disease vs normal and disease vs trait, 98.1% sensitivity and 97.0% specificity in trait vs normal in comparison to HPLC in newborns. The ability to obtain rapid and accurate results on newborn samples suggest that Gazelle-Multispectral is suitable for large-scale newborn screening and potentially for accurate diagnosis of SCD in low resource settings.

Is Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction a Limiting Factor of Exercise Functional Capacity in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease?

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) have reduced functional capacity due to anemia and cardio–respiratory abnormalities. Recent studies also suggest the presence of muscle dysfunction. However, the interaction between exercise capacity and muscle function is currently unknown in SCD. The aim of this study was to explore how muscle dysfunction may explain the reduced functional capacity. Nineteen African healthy subjects (AA), and 24 sickle cell anemia (SS) and 18 sickle cell hemoglobin C (SC) patients were recruited. Maximal isometric torque (Tmax) was measured before and after a self-paced 6-min walk test (6-MWT). Electromyographic activity of the Vastus Lateralis was recorded. The 6-MWT distance was reduced in SS (p < 0.05) and SC (p < 0.01) patients compared to AA subjects. However, Tmax and root mean square value were not modified by the 6-MWT, showing no skeletal muscle fatigue in all groups. In a multiple linear regression model, genotype, step frequency and hematocrit were independent predictors of the 6-MWT distance in SCD patients. Our results suggest that the 6-MWT performance might be primarily explained by anemia and the self-paced step frequency in SCD patients attempting to limit metabolic cost and fatigue, which could explain the absence of muscle fatigue.

Relationship of Homocysteine Plasma Levels with Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Psychobehavioral, and Functional Complications

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may be a vascular disorder with neurodegenerative consequences opening possibility of preventing AD by targeting vascular risk factors including homocysteine. Objective: The study aims were to assess homocysteine distribution in different forms and severity of cognitive impairment (CogI) [mild cognitive impairment (MCI), probable AD (Prob-AD), possible AD (Poss-AD), and vascular dementia (VaD)] and in NoCogI, and to estimate possible association between hyperhomocysteinemia levels with functional deficit severity and psychobehavioral complications. Methods: In total, 929 (M = 366, F = 563; mean age of 72.55±6.24 years) patients were evaluated with cognitive, neuropsychiatric, affective, and functional assessment scales. Homocysteine serum was set on two levels: between 0 and 10μmol/L and > 10μmol/L. For each patient, blood concentration of folate, vitamin B12, hemoglobin, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), cholesterol, triglycerides, and glycemia were measured. Results: CogI patients demonstrated significantly a higher frequency of homocysteine > 10 (p = 0.003), than NoCogI patients. Patients with moderate and severe dementia had a higher frequency of homocysteine > 10 (p < 0.0001), than MCI and mild dementia. Poss-AD and VaD had a higher frequency of homocysteine > 10 (p = 0.003), than Prob-AD patients. Homocysteine > 10 frequency is directly proportional to increased neuropsychiatric symptom severity (p < 0.0001), and functional impairment severity respectively for ADL (p < 0.0001) and IADL (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Higher homocysteine level seems to be significantly related to cognitive impairment frequency and severity, possible AD and VaD, neuropsychiatric symptom severity, and functional impairment severity.

P555 Outcomes of multiswitching from original infliximab to biosimilars in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Background Since 2013 multiple Infliximab (IFX) biosimilars became available in the market. While there is evidence that switching from original IFX (RemicadeÒ) to an approved biosimilar product is safe and effective, little is known about outcomes of reverse switching and multiple switching among biosimilars in IBD patients. As the access to biosimilars at competitive prices increases, it is necessary to evaluate multiple switches to provide data on their interchangeability. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetic profile in a cohort of IBD patients who experienced multiple switches. Methods This is a cohort retrospective observational study, enrolling patients with IBD who were successively switched from original IFX to one or more biosimilars (multiswitching). We compared clinical disease activity, assessed using the Harvey-Bradshaw index (HBI) and partial Mayo Score (pMS), biochemical markers (hemoglobin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin), IFX trough levels (ITL) and anti-IFX antibodies (ADA) immediately before and after multiswitching. Adverse and infusion-related events leading to drug discontinuation were registered. Results We included 26 patients (59% male, mean age 35±12 years), 85% (n=22) with Crohn’s Disease (CD) and 15% (n=4) with ulcerative colitis (UC) or indeterminate colitis. The mean disease duration from diagnosis was 9±6 years. According to Montreal classification, most patients were A2 (68%), had ileocolonic disease (L1 51%; L2 9%; L3 50%) and an inflammatory phenotype (B1 41%; B2 23% and B3 36%). Perianal disease was present in 44%. Half of patients had pancolitis (E3). About 51% of the patients had a prior resection surgery and 27% was on combination therapy when the first switch occurred. In 35% (n=9) of the patients three switches were observed. The mean follow-up from the first switch was 15±18 months. There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients in clinical remission (HBI &lt; 5; Mayo score &lt; 3) (91% vs 96%, p=NS). We found no differences in laboratory markers such as CRP (0,79 vs 0,67 mg/dl, p=NS), hemoglobin (13,83 vs 13,75g/dl, p=NS) and albumin (3,98 vs 4,37mg/dl, p=NS) before and after the multiswitching. No significant difference was observed in mean ITL (4,9 vs 4,05 μg/mL, p=NS) or in the proportion of patients with ITL&gt;3ug/ml (p=0.205). None of patients developed ADA, infusion-related events or loss of response leading to drug discontinuation. During our follow-up none of patients was operated. Drug persistence was 100%. Conclusion In our cohort, no significant changes in efficacy, safety or immunogenicity were observed when IBD patients experienced multiple switches between the original IFX and its biosimilars.

Evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of a hemoglobin S and C screening test: Sickle Scan

New tools for the rapid diagnosis of hemoglobinosis could encourage the extension of their screening in Africa. Our goal was to assess the analytical performances of a rapid hemoglobin S and C detection test, the Sickle Scan. This was a cross-sectional study carried out in March 2019 at the Yopougon Teaching Hospital. The subjects followed for hemoglobinosis as well as the subjects seeking out an electrophoresis of their hemoglobin were included. We carried out the hemogram, the electrophoresis of hemoglobin at alkaline pH (reference method) coupled with the metabisulfite sickling test (Emmel test) and the rapid detection test to be evaluated. This immunochromatographic test is capable of detecting hemoglobins A, S, and C, and to infer the hemoglobin phenotype from there. The study recruited 191 individuals. The test detected hemoglobins S and C with a sensitivity of 99.4% and 97.7% respectively; a specificity of 93.3% and 99.3%. The positive likelihood ratio for hemoglobins S and C was 15 and 144 respectively. The negative likelihood ratio was 0.01 for hemoglobin S, and 0.02 for hemoglobin C. The intrinsic characteristics obtained make this test an interesting screening tool for hemoglobinosis S and C. Keywords: Diagnostic test, hemoglobinosis, Abidjan, sensitivity, specificity.