Lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) catalyses collagen cross-linking and is implicated in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and ...safety of simtuzumab, a monoclonal antibody against LOXL2, in patients with IPF.
In this randomised, double-blind, phase 2 trial, we recruited patients aged 45-85 years with definite IPF diagnosed prior to 3 years of screening from 183 hospitals and respiratory clinics in 14 countries. Eligible patients, stratified by baseline forced vital capacity (FVC), serum LOXL2 (sLOXL2) concentrations, and pirfenidone and nintedanib use, were randomly assigned (1:1) to inject 125 mg/mL simtuzumab or placebo subcutaneously once a week. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival, defined as time to all-cause death or a categorical decrease from baseline in FVC % predicted, in the intention-to-treat population, in patients with sLOXL2 concentrations in the 50th percentile or higher, and in patients with sLOXL2 concentrations in the 75th percentile or higher. Treatment duration was event-driven, and interim analyses were planned and conducted after approximately 120 and 200 progression-free survival events, respectively, occurred. We compared treatment groups with the stratified log-rank test. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01769196.
Patients with IPF were recruited between Jan 31, 2013, and June 1, 2015. The intention-to-treat population included 544 randomly assigned patients (272 patients in both groups), and the safety population included 543 randomly assigned patients who received at least one dose of study medication. The study was terminated when the second interim analysis met the prespecified futility stopping criteria in the intention-to-treat population. We noted no difference in progression-free survival between simtuzumab and placebo in the intention-to-treat population (median progression free survival times of 12·6 months and 15·4 months for simtuzumab and placebo, respectively; stratified HR 1·13, 95% CI 0·88-1·45; p=0·329) and in patients with baseline sLOXL2 in the 50th percentile or higher (median progression-free survival 11·7 months and 14·3 months for simtuzumab and placebo, respectively; stratified HR 1·03, 95% CI 0·74-1·43; p=0·851), or in the 75th percentile or higher (median progression-free survival 11·6 months and 16·9 months for simtuzumab and placebo, respectively; stratified HR 1·20, 95% CI 0·72-2·00; p=0·475). The incidence of adverse events and serious adverse events was similar between treatment groups. The most common adverse events in both the simtuzumab and placebo groups were dyspnoea, cough, upper respiratory tract infection, and worsening of IPF; and the most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events were worsening of IPF, dyspnoea, and pneumonia.
Simtuzumab did not improve progression-free survival in a well-defined population of patients with IPF. Our data do not support the use of simtuzumab for patients with IPF.
Gilead Sciences Inc.
Background Preeclampsia complicates approximately 3–5% of pregnancies and remains a major cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. It shares pathogenic similarities with adult ...cardiovascular disease as well as many risk factors. Pravastatin, a hydrophilic, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, has been shown in preclinical studies to reverse various pathophysiological pathways associated with preeclampsia, providing biological plausibility for its use for preeclampsia prevention. However, human trials are lacking. Objective As an initial step in evaluating the utility of pravastatin in preventing preeclampsia and after consultation with the US Food and Drug Administration, we undertook a pilot randomized controlled trial with the objective to determine pravastatin safety and pharmacokinetic parameters when used in pregnant women at high risk of preeclampsia. Study Design We conducted a pilot, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of women with singleton, nonanomalous pregnancies at high risk for preeclampsia. Women between 120/7 and 166/7 weeks’ gestation were assigned to daily pravastatin 10 mg or placebo orally until delivery. Primary outcomes were maternal-fetal safety and pharmacokinetic parameters of pravastatin during pregnancy. Secondary outcomes included rates of preeclampsia and preterm delivery, gestational age at delivery, birthweight, and maternal and cord blood lipid profile ( clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01717586 ). Results Ten women assigned to pravastatin and 10 to placebo completed the trial. There were no differences between the 2 groups in rates of study drug side effects, congenital anomalies, or other adverse or serious adverse events. There was no maternal, fetal, or neonatal death. Pravastatin renal clearance was significantly higher in pregnancy compared with postpartum. Four subjects in the placebo group developed preeclampsia compared with none in the pravastatin group. Although pravastatin reduced maternal cholesterol concentrations, umbilical cord cholesterol concentrations and infant birthweight were not different between the groups. The majority of umbilical cord and maternal pravastatin plasma concentrations at the time of delivery were below the lower limit of quantification of the assay. Pravastatin use was associated with a more favorable pregnancy angiogenic profile. Conclusion This study provides preliminary safety and pharmacokinetic data regarding the use of pravastatin for preventing preeclampsia in high-risk pregnant women. Although the data are preliminary, no identifiable safety risks were associated with pravastatin use in this cohort. This favorable risk-benefit analysis justifies using pravastatin in a larger clinical trial with dose escalation.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Abstract BACKGROUND: The association between HIV and emphysema remains incompletely understood. We sought to determine whether HIV is an independent risk factor for emphysema severity and whether ...markers of HIV severity and systemic biomarkers of inflammation (IL-6), altered coagulation (D-dimer), and immune activation (soluble CD14) are associated with emphysema. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 114 participants with HIV infection and 89 participants without HIV infection in the Examinations of HIV-Associated Lung Emphysema (EXHALE) study. Participants underwent chest CT imaging with blinded semiquantitative interpretation of emphysema severity, distribution, and type. We generated multivariable logistic regression models to determine the risk of HIV for radiographic emphysema, defined as > 10% lung involvement. Similar analyses examined associations of plasma biomarkers, HIV RNA, and recent and nadir CD4 cell counts with emphysema among participants with HIV infection. RESULTS: Participants with HIV infection had greater radiographic emphysema severity with increased lower lung zone and diffuse involvement. HIV was associated with significantly increased risk for > 10% emphysema in analyses adjusted for cigarette smoking pack-years (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.12-4.48). In multivariable analyses restricted to participants with HIV infection, nadir CD4 < 200 cells/μL (OR, 2.98; 95% CI, 1.14-7.81), and high soluble CD14 level (upper 25th percentile) (OR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.04-6.22) were associated with increased risk of > 10% emphysema. IL-6 and D-dimer were not associated with emphysema in HIV. CONCLUSIONS: HIV is an independent risk factor for radiographic emphysema. Emphysema severity was significantly greater among participants with HIV infection. Among those with HIV, nadir CD4 < 200 cells/μL and elevated soluble CD14 level were associated with emphysema, highlighting potential mechanisms linking HIV with emphysema.
Study objective Although repeated intubation attempts are believed to contribute to patient morbidity, only limited data characterize the association between the number of emergency department (ED) ...laryngoscopic attempts and adverse events. We seek to determine whether multiple ED intubation attempts are associated with an increased risk of adverse events. Methods We conducted an analysis of a multicenter prospective registry of 11 Japanese EDs between April 2010 and September 2011. All patients undergoing emergency intubation with direct laryngoscopy as the initial device were included. The primary exposure was multiple intubation attempts, defined as intubation efforts requiring greater than or equal to 3 laryngoscopies. The primary outcome measure was the occurrence of intubation-related adverse events in the ED, including cardiac arrest, dysrhythmia, hypotension, hypoxemia, unrecognized esophageal intubation, regurgitation, airway trauma, dental or lip trauma, and mainstem bronchus intubation. Results Of 2,616 patients, 280 (11%) required greater than or equal to 3 intubation attempts. Compared with patients requiring 2 or fewer intubation attempts, patients undergoing multiple attempts exhibited a higher adverse event rate (35% versus 9%). After adjusting for age, sex, principal indication, method, medication, and operator characteristics, intubations requiring multiple attempts were associated with an increased odds of adverse events (odds ratio 4.5; 95% confidence interval 3.4 to 6.1). Conclusion In this large Japanese multicenter study of ED patients undergoing intubation, we found that multiple intubation attempts were independently associated with increased adverse events.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Efficacy and acute toxicity of proton craniospinal irradiation (p-CSI) were compared with conventional photon CSI (x-CSI) for adults with medulloblastoma.
Forty adult medulloblastoma patients treated ...with x-CSI (n=21) or p-CSI (n=19) at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from 2003 to 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Median CSI and total doses were 30.6 and 54 Gy, respectively. The median follow-up was 57 months (range 4-103) for x-CSI patients and 26 months (range 11-63) for p-CSI.
p-CSI patients lost less weight than x-CSI patients (1.2% vs 5.8%; P=.004), and less p-CSI patients had >5% weight loss compared with x-CSI (16% vs 64%; P=.004). p-CSI patients experienced less grade 2 nausea and vomiting compared with x-CSI (26% vs 71%; P=.004). Patients treated with x-CSI were more likely to have medical management of esophagitis than p-CSI patients (57% vs 5%, P<.001). p-CSI patients had a smaller reduction in peripheral white blood cells, hemoglobin, and platelets compared with x-CSI (white blood cells 46% vs 55%, P=.04; hemoglobin 88% vs 97%, P=.009; platelets 48% vs 65%, P=.05). Mean vertebral doses were significantly associated with reductions in blood counts.
This report is the first analysis of clinical outcomes for adult medulloblastoma patients treated with p-CSI. Patients treated with p-CSI experienced less treatment-related morbidity including fewer acute gastrointestinal and hematologic toxicities.
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GEOZS, IJS, NUK, OILJ, UL, UM, UPUK
The current usual interstitial pneumonitis (UIP)/idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis CT scan classification system excludes probable UIP as a diagnostic category. We sought to determine the predictive ...effect of probable UIP on CT scan on histology and the effect of the promoter polymorphism in MUC5B (rs35705950) on histologic and CT scan UIP diagnosis. METHODS The cohort included 201 subjects with pulmonary fibrosis who had lung tissue samples obtained within 1 year of chest CT scan. UIP diagnosis on CT scan was categorized as inconsistent with, indeterminate, probable, or definite UIP by two to three pulmonary radiologists. Tissue slides were scored by two expert pulmonary pathologists. All subjects with available DNA (N = 200) were genotyped for rs35705950. RESULTS The proportion of CT scan diagnoses were as follows: inconsistent with (69 of 201, 34.3%), indeterminate (72 of 201, 35.8%), probable (34 of 201, 16.9%), and definite (26 of 201, 12.9%) UIP. Subjects with probable UIP on CT scan were more likely to have histologic probable/definite UIP than subjects with indeterminate UIP on CT scan (82.4% 28 of 34 vs 54.2% 39 of 72; P = .01). CT scan and microscopic honeycombing were not associated with each other ( P = .76). The minor (T) allele of the MUC5B polymorphism was associated with concordant CT scan and histologic UIP diagnosis ( P = .03). CONCLUSIONS Probable UIP on CT scan is associated with a higher rate of histologic UIP than indeterminate UIP on CT scan suggesting that they are distinct groups and should not be combined into a single CT scan category as currently recommended by guidelines. CT scan and microscopic honeycombing may be dissimilar entities. The T allele at rs35705950 predicts a UIP diagnosis by both chest CT scan and histology.
Summary CNS metastases are the most common cause of malignant brain tumours in adults. Historically, patients with brain metastases have been excluded from most clinical trials, but their inclusion ...is now becoming more common. The medical literature is difficult to interpret because of substantial variation in the response and progression criteria used across clinical trials. The Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology Brain Metastases (RANO-BM) working group is an international, multidisciplinary effort to develop standard response and progression criteria for use in clinical trials of treatment for brain metastases. Previous efforts have focused on aspects of trial design, such as patient population, variations in existing response and progression criteria, and challenges when incorporating neurological, neuro-cognitive, and quality-of-life endpoints into trials of patients with brain metastases. Here, we present our recommendations for standard response and progression criteria for the assessment of brain metastases in clinical trials. The proposed criteria will hopefully facilitate the development of novel approaches to this difficult problem by providing more uniformity in the assessment of CNS metastases across trials.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
A Report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation Appropriate Use Criteria Task Force, Heart Rhythm Society, American Heart Association, American Society of Echocardiography, Heart Failure ...Society of America, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, and Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Technical Panel Steven R. Bailey, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FAHA, Moderator Andrea M. Russo, MD, FACC, FHRS, Writing Group Liaison* Suraj Kapa, MD, Writing Group Liaison Michael B. Alexander, MD, FACC§Health Plan Representative Steven R. Bailey, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FAHA||American College of Cardiology Foundation Representative Ulrika Birgersdotter-Green, MD, FHRS|| Alan S. Brown, MD, FACC, FAHA, FNLA|| Richard A. Grimm, DO, FACC, FASE¶American Society of Echocardiography Representative Paul J. Hauptman, MD#Heart Failure Society of America Representative Sharon A. Hunt, MD, FACC# Rachel Lampert, MD, FACC, FHRS* JoAnn Lindenfeld, MD, FACC**American Heart Association Representative David J. Malenka, MD, FACC|| Kartik Mani, MDdaggerdaggerSociety for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions Representative Joseph E. Marine, MD, FACC, FHRS* Edward T. Martin, MD, FACC, FACP, FAHAdouble daggerdouble daggerSociety for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Representative Richard L. Page, MD, FACC, FHRS, FAHA|| Michael W. Rich, MD, FACC§§American Geriatrics Society Representative Paul D. Varosy, MD, FACC, FHRS* Mary Norine Walsh, MD, FACC|| Appropriate Use Criteria Task Force Michael J. Wolk, MD, MACC, Chair Steven R. Bailey, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FAHA John U. Doherty, MD, FACC Pamela S. Douglas, MD, MACC, FAHA Robert C. Hendel, MD, FACC, FAHA, FASNC Christopher M. Kramer, MD, FACC James K. Min, MD, FACC Manesh R. Patel, MD, FACC Leslee Shaw, PhD, FACC, FASNC Raymond F. Stainback, MD, FACC, FASE Joseph M. Allen, MA Table of Contents Abstract... Special Conditions/Comorbidities in Patients for Primary Prevention (Meeting Indications of ICD Implant Related to HF Diagnosis With LVEF <=30% on Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy >3 Months)... .\n Groeneveld None None None None None None Stephen Hammill None None None None None None Charles A. Henrikson None None None Boston Scientific None None Michael Ho None None None None None None Mariell Jessup None None None None None None Stuart D. Katz None None None None None None Bradley P. Knight Boston Scientific Biotronik Boston Scientific Medtronic None None None None Wayne C. Levy None None None None None None Barbara Messinger-Rapport None None None None None None Gerald V. Naccarelli Medtronic None None None None None Robert M. Palmer None None None None None None Samir B. Pancholy None Medtronic None None None None Jeanne E. Poole Biotronik Boston Scientific Medtronic St. Jude Medical None None Medtronic Boston Scientific* Medtronic* St. Jude Medical* None Subha V. Raman None None None None None None Matthew R. Reynolds Medtronic None None None None None William G. Stevenson None None None None None None Cynthia M. Tracy None None None None None None Quynh A. Truong None None None St. Jude Medical* None None Paul J. Wang Boston Scientific Medtronic None None Boston Scientific* Medtronic* None None Bruce L. Wilkoff None None None None Medtronic St. Jude Medical None Appropriate Use Criteria Task Force Michael J. Wolk None None None None None None Steven R. Bailey None None None None None None John U. Doherty None None None None None None Pamela S. Douglas None None None None None None Robert C. Hendel None None None None None None Christopher M. Kramer St. Jude Medical None None None None None James K. Min None None None None None None Manesh R. Patel None None None None None None Leslee Shaw None None None None None None Raymond F. Stainback None None None None None None Joseph M. Allen None None None None None None * This table represents the relevant relationships with industry and other entities that were disclosed by participants at the time of participation. A person is deemed to have a significant interest in a business if the interest represents ownership of 5% or more of the voting stock or share of the business entity, or ownership of $10,000 or more of the fair market value of the business entity; or if funds received by the person from the business entity exceed 5% of the person's gross income for the previous year.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Objective To highlight an association of facial segmental hemangiomas with gastrointestinal bleeding in infants with infantile hemangiomas. Study design We conducted a multicenter retrospective case ...series study. Results Ten female patients met study inclusion criteria; 8 were Caucasian, 9 had a facial segmental hemangioma, and 9 cases met the diagnostic criteria for definitive posterior fossa malformations, hemangioma, arterial lesions, cardiac anomalies/coarctation of the aorta and eye abnormalities syndrome with abnormalities of the aorta and cerebral arteriopathy. Severe gastrointestinal bleeding requiring blood transfusion occurred in 9 cases, with age at presentation of gastrointestinal bleeding ranging from 8 days to 6 months. When detected, the location of the hemangioma in the small intestine was in the distribution of the superior mesenteric artery. More than one agent was required to control the gastrointestinal bleeding, including oral or intravenous steroids, vincristine, oral propranolol, interferon, and resection of the small intestine. All cases needed ongoing support care with red blood cell transfusions. Conclusions Gastrointestinal bleeding is a rare complication of true infantile hemangioma. The segmental pattern of the cutaneous hemangioma associated with gastrointestinal bleeding should suggest a segmental infantile hemangioma of the lower gastrointestinal tract.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK