Electrocardiographic Abnormalities In Patients With Covid-19 Pneumonia And Raised Interleukin-6
Sinus tachycardia followed by atrial fibrillation and right bundle branch block are common ECG changes in patients with COVID-19 infection with raised IL-6.
KEY FINDINGS: Sinus tachycardia followed by atrial fibrillation and right bundle branch block are common ECG changes in patients with COVID-19 infection with raised IL-6. The possible association of cardiac injury in patients with COVID-19 infection with coexisting raised IL-6 levels should be explored further.
BACKGROUND: Cardiac injury is associated with high mortality in patients with COVID-19 infection. Electrocardiographic changes can give clues to the underlying cardiovascular abnormalities. Raised inflammatory markers like raised interleukin-6 (IL-6) are associated with arrhythmia, heart failure, and coronary artery disease. However, past studies have not highlighted the electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with COVID-19 infection with raised IL- 6 levels. This study compared the electrocardiogram (ECG) changes in COVID-19 patients with high and normal IL-6 levels.
DETAILS: A retrospective analysis of ECG of 306 patients with COVID-19 infection was done, out of which 250 patients had normal IL- 6 levels, whereas 56 patients had raised IL-6 levels. IL-6 levels were measured in all the patients. Detailed clinicodemographic profile of all the serial COVID-19 patients admitted with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia was noted from the hospital record section. Electrocardiographic findings and biochemical parameters of all the patients were noted. Out of 56 patients with raised IL-6 levels, 41 (73.2%) patients had ECG abnormalities compared to 177 (70.8%) patients with normal IL-6 levels. This difference was not statistically significant. However, ECG abnormality such as sinus tachycardia was significantly more common in patients with raised IL-6 levels than those with normal levels. Among patients with raised IL-6 levels who were discharged, 5 (16.6%) had sinus tachycardia, 2 (6.6%) had ST/T wave changes as compared to 15 (57.6%), and 10 (38.4%) who had tachycardia and ST/T wave change respectably succumbed to death. This difference was statistically significant.
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Copyright © Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. All rights reserved.
Source: Kaeley, N., Mahala, P., Walia, R., et al. (2022). Electrocardiographic Abnormalities In Patients With Covid-19 Pneumonia And Raised Interleukin-6. J Family Med Prim Care. 2022; 11(10): 5902-5908. Published: October, 2022. DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_135_22.
Clinical Outcomes and Risk Stratification of Early-Stage Melanoma Micrometastases
Patients with AJCC IIIA melanoma with SN tumor deposits 0.3 mm and above in maximum dimension are at higher risk of disease progression and may benefit from adjuvant systemic therapy or enrollment into a clinical trial.
Summary
Implications for the Management of American Joint Committee on Cancer IIIA Disease
[Posted 9/Dec/2022]
AUDIENCE: Oncology
KEY FINDINGS: Patients with AJCC IIIA melanoma with SN tumor deposits >= 0.3 mm in maximum dimension are at higher risk of disease progression and may benefit from adjuvant systemic therapy or enrollment into a clinical trial. Patients with SN deposits < 0.3 mm in maximum dimension can be managed similar to their SN-negative, AJCC IB counterparts, thereby avoiding regular radiological surveillance and more intensive follow-up.
BACKGROUND: Indications for offering adjuvant systemic therapy for patients with early-stage melanomas with low disease burden sentinel node (SN) micrometastases, namely, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC; eighth edition) stage IIIA disease, are presently controversial. The current study sought to identify high-risk SN-positive AJCC stage IIIA patients who are more likely to derive benefit from adjuvant systemic therapy.
DETAILS: Patients were recruited from an intercontinental (Australia/Europe/North America) consortium of nine high-volume cancer centers. All were adult patients with pathologic stage pT1b/pT2a primary cutaneous melanomas who underwent SN biopsy between 2005 and 2020. Patient data, primary tumor and SN characteristics, and survival outcomes were analyzed. Three thousand six hundred seven patients were included. The median follow-up was 34 months. Pairwise disease comparison demonstrated no significant survival difference between N1a and N2a subgroups. Survival analysis identified a SN tumor deposit maximum dimension of 0.3 mm as the optimal cut point for stratifying survival. Five-year disease-specific survival rates were 80.3% and 94.1% for patients with SN metastatic tumor deposits >= 0.3 mm and < 0.3 mm, respectively (hazard ratio, 1.26 [1.11 to 1.44]; P < .0001). Similar findings were seen for overall disease-free and distant metastasis-free survival. There were no survival differences between the AJCC IB patients and low-risk (< 0.3 mm) AJCC IIIA patients. The newly identified high-risk (>= 0.3 mm) subgroup comprised 271 (66.4%) of the AJCC IIIA cohort, whereas only 142 (34.8%) patients had SN tumor deposits < 1 mm in maximum dimension.
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Copyright © American Society of Clinical Oncology. All rights reserved.
Source: Moncrieff, M. D., Lo, S. N., Scolyer, R. A., et al. (2022). Clinical Outcomes and Risk Stratification of Early-Stage Melanoma Micrometastases From an International Multicenter Study: Implications for the Management of American Joint Committee on Cancer IIIA Disease. J Clinical Oncology. 2022; 40(34): 3940-3951. Published: December 1, 2022. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.21.02488.
Clinical Significance of Early Pulmonary Hypertension in Preterm Infants
Early PH is highly prevalent (55%) in preterm infants and associated with the development of BPD, independent of the phenotype of PH.
KEY FINDINGS: Early PH is highly prevalent (55%) in preterm infants and associated with the development of BPD, independent of the phenotype of PH. Infants with PPHN had the poorest survival. Early PH presents in various phenotypes characterized by differences in etiology, pathophysiology, and associated long-term sequelae.
BACKGROUND: Aim of this study is to characterize different phenotypes of early pulmonary hypertension (PH) in preterm infants and their respective associations with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and survival.
DETAILS: A prospective cohort study in a tertiary university medical center from June 2016 until March 2019. Infants with a gestational age 30 weeks and/or a birth weight 1000 g were included. Echocardiographic assessment for PH was performed at 3-10 days after birth. Subsequent development of BPD at 36 weeks postmenstrual age and mortality were assessed. Early PH was identified in 55% of 104 included infants, including 21% with persistent PH of the newborn (PPHN), 61% with flow-associated PH, and 18% PH without shunt. Only PPHN was associated with placental fetal vascular malperfusion, lower gestational age, and low Apgar score. Both PPHN and flow PH were associated with the development of BPD. Early PH was associated with poorer survival, driven by PPHN.
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Source: Arjaans, S., Fries, M. W. F., Schoots, M. H., et al. (2022). Clinical Significance of Early Pulmonary Hypertension in Preterm Infants. J Pediatr.. 2022; 151: 74-81. Published: December, 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.07.039.
Cognitive-Driven Activities of Daily Living Impairment as a Predictor for Dementia in Parkinson Disease
The importance of differentiating between cognitive and motor aspects on ADL function in PD and monitoring cognitive ADL impairment in the prodromal stage of dementia is paramount.
KEY FINDINGS: The importance of differentiating between cognitive and motor aspects on ADL function in PD and monitoring cognitive ADL impairment in the prodromal stage of dementia is paramount. Patients with PD-MCI and cognitive IADL impairment may be a valuable target group for clinical trials aiming to slow down the development of dementia.
BACKGROUND: One-third of Parkinson disease (PD) patients with PD-mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) convert to dementia within a few years. Markers with a high prognostic value for dementia conversion are needed. Loss of everyday function primarily caused by cognitive dysfunction is the core criterion for the diagnosis of PD dementia, with an onset of more complex instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) dysfunction in the prodromal stage. This study evaluated the phenotype associated with cognitive IADL impairment and its predictive value for defining a high-risk group for PD dementia.
DETAILS: An observational longitudinal study using cognitive and clinical scores in addition to genetic and CSF biomarkers was conducted. The Functional Activities Questionnaire quotient (cut-off >=1), indicating more cognitive than motor-driven IADL impairment, defined cognitive IADL impairment status at baseline. Hazard ratios (HRs) were used to compare the impact of baseline classifications on dementia conversion. Of 268 patients with PD assessed at baseline, 108 (40.3%) had PD-MCI. After a period of 3.78 ± 0.84 years, 164 (61.2%) patients were reassessed. At follow-up, 93 (56.7%) patients had no cognitive impairment, 54 (32.9%) fulfilled PD-MCI criteria, and 17 (10.4%) had developed dementia. The HR of baseline cognitive IADL impairment (n = 37) for dementia conversion was descriptively higher than for PD-MCI, but highest in patients with both markers (HR = 12.01, 95% CI 4.47-32.22, p < 0.001). In the follow-up sample, nearly half of the patients (n = 10, 47.6%) with baseline classification of cognitive IADL impairment and PD-MCI converted to dementia. Baseline status of cognitive IADL impairment was associated with higher nonmotor burden, worse cognitive performance, and more severe IADL progression over the study period.
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Copyright © American Academy of Neurology. All Rights Reserved.
Source: Becker, S., Bode, M., Brockmann, K., et al. (2022). Cognitive-Driven Activities of Daily Living Impairment as a Predictor for Dementia in Parkinson Disease: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. AAN. 2022; 99(23): e2548-e2560. Published: December 6, 2022. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000201201.
Clinical Implications of the "Broken Line" Angiographic Pattern in Patients With SCAD
Patients with SCAD presenting the BKL angiographic pattern are more frequently female and present more often as intramural hematoma with longer lesions and severe vessel tortuosity but have better coronary flow.
KEY FINDINGS: Patients with SCAD presenting the BKL angiographic pattern are more frequently female and present more often as intramural hematoma with longer lesions and severe vessel tortuosity but have better coronary flow. Patients with the BKL morphology have a favorable prognosis.
BACKGROUND: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare but increasingly recognized cause of acute myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography remains the best diagnostic tool; however, clinical suspicion and experience is required to interpret angiographic findings.
DETAILS: This study sought to assess the clinical implications of the "broken line"”" (BKL) angiographic pattern in a large, nationwide, cohort of patients with SCAD. The Spanish SCAD registry prospectively enrolled consecutive patients with SCAD. All angiograms were centrally analyzed and the BKL pattern was systematically assessed. The BKL angiographic pattern was found in 64 of 389 patients (16%). Patients with the BKL appearance were more frequently female (97 vs 87%, p <0.05), presented more often as intramural hematoma (83 vs 58%, p <0.001), had longer lesions (47 ± 29 vs 36 ± 22 mm, p <0.01), and had severe tortuosity (25 vs 10%, p <0.01) but showed better initial coronary flow (thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow 2.6 ± 0.8 vs 2.1 ± 1.2, p <0.01). Patients with BKL received more frequently conservative medical management (91 vs 76%, p <0.01). At late clinical follow-up (median 29 months, interquartile range 17 to 38) predefined adverse events (death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, recurrent SCAD, or stroke) occurred less frequently (3.5 vs 15%, p <0.05) in patients with the BKL appearance. The better clinical outcomes of patients in the BKL group persisted after adjusting for potential confounders (adjusted hazard ratio 0.2, 95% confidence interval 0.1 to 0.9, p <0.05).
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Source: Alfonso, F., Sanz-Ruiz, R., Sabate, M., et al. (2022). Clinical Implications of the "Broken Line" Angiographic Pattern in Patients With Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection. Am J Cardiol.. 2022; 185: 1-9. Published: December 15, 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2022.09.017.
A Novel Unconventional T Cell Population Enriched In Crohn's Disease
Identified and characterised a subpopulation of unconventional Crohn-associated invariant T (CAIT) cells. Multiple evidence suggests these cells to be part of the NKT type II population.
KEY FINDINGS: Identified and characterised a subpopulation of unconventional Crohn-associated invariant T (CAIT) cells. Multiple evidence suggests these cells to be part of the NKT type II population. The potential implications of this population for CD or a subset thereof remain to be elucidated, and the immunophenotype and antigen reactivity of CAIT cells need further investigations in future studies.
BACKGROUND: One of the current hypotheses to explain the proinflammatory immune response in IBD is a dysregulated T cell reaction to yet unknown intestinal antigens. As such, it may be possible to identify disease-associated T cell clonotypes by analysing the peripheral and intestinal T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of patients with IBD and controls.
DETAILS: Bulk TCR repertoire profiling of both the TCR alpha and beta chains was performed using high-throughput sequencing in peripheral blood samples of a total of 244 patients with IBD and healthy controls as well as from matched blood and intestinal tissue of 59 patients with IBD and disease controls. It was further characterised specific T cell clonotypes via single-cell RNAseq. Identified a group of clonotypes, characterised by semi-invariant TCR alpha chains, to be significantly enriched in the blood of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and particularly expanded in the CD8+ T cell population. Single-cell RNAseq data showed an innate-like phenotype of these cells, with a comparable gene expression to unconventional T cells such as mucosal associated invariant T and natural killer T (NKT) cells, but with distinct TCRs.
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Copyright © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & British Society of Gastroenterology. All rights reserved.
Source: Rosati, E., Rios Martini G., Pogorelyy, M. V., et al. (2022). A Novel Unconventional T Cell Population Enriched In Crohn's Disease. Gut. 2022; 71(11): 2194-2204. Published: November, 2022. DOI: XXXXXXXX.
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