Predictive Marker Research Articles

Evaluation of cardiac findings using speckle tracking in fetuses with hemoglobin Bart's disease.

Hemoglobin (Hb) Bart's disease is a severe manifestation of alpha thalassemia, resulting in fetal tissue hypoxia and severe anemia. There is limited research available on assessing fetal speckle tracking analysis as a response to fetal anemia caused by Hb Bart's disease and its utility as a sonographic predictor for Hb Bart's disease. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of fetal cardiac parameters derived from speckle tracking echocardiography for distinguishing between affected and unaffected fetuses in pregnancies at risk of Hb Bart's disease during the 17-24 gestational weeks. A total of 115 pregnant women at risk for fetal Hb Bart's disease, who underwent either amniocentesis or cordocentesis at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok Thailand, were included. Speckle tracking analysis was performed on the 4-chamber view (4CV) of the fetal heart, assessing heart size, shape, ventricular contractility, and left ventricular function prior to invasive prenatal testing. Logistic regression analysis determined significant cardiac predictors and calculated the probability of a fetus having Hb Bart's disease. Among the cohort, 38 fetuses (33%) were diagnosed with Hb Bart's disease, and 9 cases (7.8%) exhibited frank hydropic signs. In comparison to the control group, affected fetuses displayed a notable enlargement of the 4CV and a more globular shape specifically in the right ventricular chamber. Additionally, there were significant differences in the left global and longitudinal contractility between affected and unaffected fetuses. However, at mid-gestation, no significant distinctions were observed in terms of transverse contractility and left ventricular function between the two groups. Based on logistic regression analysis, combined cardiac parameters derived from speckle tracking analysis as a function of head circumference, could differentiate non-hydropic fetuses with Hb Bart's disease from unaffected fetuses, achieving a maximum sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 98.7%, and overall accuracy of 99.06%. Speckle tracking echocardiography has the potential to accurately identify early fetal heart changes in individuals at risk of developing Bart's anemia during the second trimester. This not only offers a novel predictive marker for Hb Bart's disease but also helps address the question of the underlying mechanisms of heart failure associated with anemia. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Role of the systemic immune-inflammation index in predicting spontaneous stone passage in patients with renal colic

ABSTRACT Objectives Renal colic (RC) is one of the most frequent reasons for presentation to the emergency department (ED) and creates a high economic and medical burden. Management strategies for RC range from waiting for spontaneous passage to surgical intervention. However, factors determining spontaneous stone passage (SSP) are still poorly understood. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the role of the systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) in predicting SSP. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of 924 patients aged over 18 years, who were diagnosed with RC in our clinic between 1 January 2019, and 30 May 2022, and had ureteral stones of ≤ 10 mm. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether they had SSP. The clinical and laboratory characteristics of the patients in the ED were evaluated. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and SII (neutrophil count x platelet count/lymphocyte count) values of the patients were calculated. Stone size and location were also recorded. Results In the univariate analysis of SSP, a ureteral stone size of ≤ 5 mm (p < 0.001), distal ureteral location (p < 0.001), SII (p < 0.001), NLR (p < 0.001), and PLR (p = 0.036) were significantly correlated with SSP. ROC analysis showed that an SII level < 721.8 (Sensitivity %82.6, Specificity %74.7, p < 0.001) was an independent predictor of SSP. Conclusion Our findings showed that a low SII level was associated with SSP and could be used as a predictive marker of SSP as a more valuable parameter than NLR. SII and NLR, together with other indicators, are inflammatory markers that can be used in the clinical decision-making process for ureteral stone treatment.

Serum concentration of anti-Müllerian hormone and its relationship with ovarian reserve in Brahman oocyte donors

Objetive. To evaluate the relationship of AMH blood concentration with ovarian follicular count and in vitro embryo production in female Brahman cattle. Material and methods. To standardize the AMH quantification for Brahman donors, experiment 1 was performed, blood samples were taken from 10 heat synchronized Brahman females, in three different days of the estrous cycle, with more than 90 days postpartum and with normal reproductive evaluation. Serum concentration of AMH was determined with a commercial immunoenzymatic kit. After the technique was standardized, blood samples were taken from 100 non-synchronized Brahman oocyte donors, an ovum pick-up session was performed for in vitro embryo production and the number of follicles greater than 2 mm in the two ovaries was registered. Results. There were no differences in AMH concentration between the evaluated days of estrous cycle and a correlation of 0.82 (p&lt;0.001) was found between antral follicle population (AFP) and AMH concentration. Serum AMH concentration ranged from 0.02 to 2.69 ng/ml in Brahman oocyte donors. Also, a correlation of 0.73 (p&lt;0.001)  between AMH and AFP and 0.54 between the AMH and the percentage of blastocysts were found in donors. Conclusions. The AMH can be used as a satisfactory endocrine marker of ovarian reserve prediction for in vitro embryo production in Brahman cattle.  

Detection of Oncogene Hotspot Mutations in Female NSCLC Tumor DNA and Cell-Free DNA

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent type of lung cancer, with extensively characterized mutational spectra. Several biomarkers (such as EGFR, BRAF, KRAS gene mutations, etc.) have emerged as predictive and prognostic markers for NSCLC. Unfortunately, the quality of the available tumor biopsy and/or cytology material is not always adequate to perform the necessary molecular testing, prompting the search for alternatives. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) found in plasma is emerging as a highly promising avenue or a supplementary method for assessing the efficacy of cancer treatments. This is especially valuable in instances where conventional biopsy specimens, like formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE), or freshly frozen tumor tissues prove inadequate for conducting molecular pathology analyses subsequent to the initial diagnostic procedures. By leveraging cfDNA from plasma, clinicians gain an additional tool to gauge the effectiveness of cancer therapies, thereby enhancing their ability to optimize tailored treatment strategies. In this study, 51 Lithuanian females with NSCLC were analyzed, with adenocarcinoma being the predominant pathology diagnosis in 40 cases (78%). Target mutations were identified in 38 out of 51 patients (74.5%) in tumor tissue samples, while in plasma samples, they were identified in only 10 patients’ samples (19.6%). Even though we did not have enough voluminous plasma samples in our study, gene mutations were detected in plasma from ten women, three of whom were diagnosed with early stages of lung cancer (stages I and II). For these patients, the following mutations were detected: deletion in exon 19 of the EGFR gene and single nucleotide polymorphisms in the TP53 and MET genes. All other women were diagnosed with stages III or IV of lung cancer. This indicates that the later stages of cancer contribute more cfDNA in plasma, making extraction less complicated.

Abstract PO5-15-11: A Novel Biosignature to Predict Radiation Therapy Response in Early-Stage Invasive Breast Cancer Treated with Breast-Conserving Surgery

Abstract Introduction: Radiation therapy (RT) is a standard component of treatment for most patients with early-stage, hormone receptor-positive, invasive breast cancer (BC) following breast-conserving surgery (BCS). RT recommendations are primarily based on clinicopathologic (CP) factors, such as tumor size, nodal status, and histological grade. While these factors provide prognostic information, their ability to accurately identify patients at a higher risk of ipsilateral breast recurrence (IBR) or those who will significantly benefit from RT is unclear. Therefore, incorporation of additional predictive markers beyond CP factors is warranted and there remains a need to refine the selection criteria for patients who will derive the greatest benefit from RT. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of immune and metabolic signaling axes as potential predictive markers for RT response in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients. Methods: A cohort of 939 women from Sweden were diagnosed with BC between 1987 and 2004. A subset of 471 patients was diagnosed with T1-T2N0M0 BC and underwent BCS with negative margins. Patients were treated with BCS plus/minus RT (median dose 50Gy) based upon physician preference. Biomarkers were assayed in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue micro arrays using multiplex immunofluorescence and multi-spectral imaging in a CLIA lab (Laguna Hills, CA). Immune and metabolic axes were defined employing biomarkers and used to classify patients into three risk groups: 1) Low Risk (lower baseline risk and no RT benefit), 2) Elevated Risk (higher baseline risk and significant RT benefit), and 3) Residual Risk (higher baseline risk and suboptimal RT benefit). Risk groups were analyzed for IBR rate using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analyses. Risk group prognosis and RT prediction was assessed for RT-risk group interaction in multivariable analysis, adjusting for CP factors. Results: Among the patients with complete biomarker data, 261 were hormone receptor-positive, and had a median follow-up of 140 months. Median age was 62 years (28-88 years), and median tumor size was 1.1 cm (0.1-4 cm). Some patients (21%) received endocrine therapy (ET), and most (76%) received RT, with 79% of patients who received ET also receiving RT. In the overall population, RT following BCS was associated with a reduction in HR for recurrence (HR=0.3, 95%CI [0.1, 0.5], p&amp;lt; 0.001). Patients classified as Low Risk (41%) did not have a significant benefit from RT (HR=0.9, 95%CI [0.1, 8.3], p=0.95) in multivariable analysis adjusted for CP factors. For patients who were classified as Elevated Risk (31%), multivariable analysis showed a higher IBR rate without RT (HR=5.7, 95%CI [1.3, 25.1], p&amp;lt; 0.021) relative to the Low Risk group who had a significant benefit from RT (HR=0.1, 95%CI [0.02, 0.2], p&amp;lt; 0.001). Patients classified into the Residual Risk group (28%) had no significant reduction from RT (HR=0.7, 95%CI [0.2, 2.0], p=0.61). However, in multivariable analysis adjusted for CP factors, patients treated with RT in the Residual Risk group had higher IBR rates (HR=3.7, 95%CI [1.6, 8.7], p=0.0026) compared to RT-treated patients in other risk groups. The biosignature was predictive for RT benefit in multivariable analysis adjusted for CP factors (p-interaction &amp;lt; 0.001). Conclusions:The biosignature used in this study demonstrated the potential to identify patients who may derive limited benefit from RT, allowing for tailored therapeutic approaches. These findings underscore the importance of individualized treatment decisions based on risk stratification. Further clinical validation and refinement of risk stratification strategies are warranted to optimize outcomes in hormone receptor-positive, BC patients undergoing BCS. Citation Format: Troy Bremer, Karuna Mittal, Chirag Shah, Frank Vicini, Steven Shivers, Charlotta Wadsten. A Novel Biosignature to Predict Radiation Therapy Response in Early-Stage Invasive Breast Cancer Treated with Breast-Conserving Surgery [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-15-11.

Abstract RF01-03: PARSIFAL-LONG: Extended follow-up of hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer patients treated with fulvestrant and palbociclib vs. letrozole and palbociclib in the PARSIFAL study

Abstract Background: The Phase 2 PARSIFAL study assessed whether fulvestrant (FUL) or letrozole (LET) was the optimal endocrine partner for the cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) palbociclib (PAL) in patients (pts) with untreated, endocrine-sensitive, hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/HER2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC) in the first-line setting. This trial failed to demonstrate an improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) of PAL+FUL over PAL+LET (Llombart-Cussac et al. Jama Oncol 2021). Following progression on CDK4/6i-based regimens in the metastatic setting, the EMERALD study (Bardia et al, SABCS 2022 GS3-01) identified early progressions (&amp;lt; 12 months [mo]) as a strong predictor of resistance to subsequent endocrine therapies. Here, we report updated PFS and overall survival (OS) from PARSIFAL, exploring a PFS &amp;lt;12 mo threshold as a prognostic factor for poor outcomes. Methods: This was an observational, international, multicenter study that included pts from the prospective PARSIFAL study, in which pts were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive PAL (oral 125 mg/day, 28-day cycles; 3 weeks on, 1 week off) plus FUL or LET at conventional doses. The primary objective was to extend the assessment of OS of PARSIFAL study with a longer median follow-up. Secondary objectives included extended PFS, other post-progression efficacy data, and the identification of new prognostic and predictive markers. The design had a planned recruitment of at least 388 pts with 195 deaths. The 2-sided stratified log-rank test (α = 0.05) had a 70% power to detect a hazard ratio ≤0.70 in favor of FUL + PAL arm. Results: A total of 389 pts (80.5%) from the PARSIFAL study were included in this analysis, involving 32 of the 47 original sites. Pts signed a new informed consent form according to local regulations. Demographic and baseline disease characteristics were similar between the PARSIFAL-LONG and the overall PARISFAL intention-to-treat populations. At the time of analysis, after a median follow up of 5.0 years (range, 0.1-7.3), 241 and 213 events were reported for PFS and OS, respectively. No differences in efficacy were observed between treatment arms whether for PFS (hazard ratio, 1.0, p=0.985) or OS (hazard ratio, 0.94, p=0.635). In accordance with the protocol for PARSIFAL-LONG, both arms were combined for subsequent analysis. The median PFS (mPFS) for the first-line PAL-based regimen population was 33.2 mo (95%CI, 27.7-39.5), with a median OS (mOS) of 65.4 mo (95%CI, 57.8-72.0). A total of 86 pts (22.1% of the population) had a mPFS time &amp;lt;12 mo (early progressors). mOS and mPFS for this early progressor subgroup were 24.0 mo (95%CI, 17.3-30.1) and 7.0 mo (95%CI, 5.6-8.3), respectively, and only 11 pts (12.8%) were still alive at the time of analysis. The remaining 303 pts (77.9%) were progression-free on PAL-based regimens at 12 mo (PFS≥12). The number of events for PFS and OS at this time were 165 (54.5%) and 138 (45.5%), respectively. mOS from randomization for the PFS≥12 subgroup was 81.5 mo (95%CI, 70.2-not achieved) and the mPFS was 49.8 mo (95%CI, 40.9-59.8). Following progression on PAL-based regimens, the PFS≥12 criteria was a strong predictor for mOS, with 27.0 vs 18.0 mo (hazard ratio, 0.67, 95%CI, 0.51-0.90, p=0.007) for PFS≥12 and early progressors, respectively. These differences may increase in the future, as 54.5% of pts with PFS≥12 are still alive compared to 12.8% of pts with an early progression. Conclusions: Extended follow-up analysis from PARSIFAL study confirms no major differences between LET or FUL when combined with PAL. mPFS and mOS results are consistent with those reported in other first-line trials involving different CDK4/6i. Progression within the first year of first-line CDK4/6i-based regimen for HR+/HER2- ABC pts may be prognostic of less favorable outcomes. Citation Format: Antonio Llombart-Cussac, José Manuel Pérez-García, Meritxell Bellet- Ezquerra, Florence Dalenc, Miguel Gil-Gil, Manuel Ruíz - Borrego, Joaquín Gavilá, Peter Schmid, Pilar Zamora, Duncan Wheatley, Eduardo Martínez-de Dueñas, Kepa Amillano, Antonio Antón, Paul Cottu, Gemma Viñas, Thierry Petit, Petra Tesarová, Juan Cueva, Marco Colleoni, Maria Purificación Martínez del Prado, Raquel Andrés, Marta Díaz Cabo, Susana Victorino, Miguel Sampayo-Cordero, Javier Cortés. PARSIFAL-LONG: Extended follow-up of hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer patients treated with fulvestrant and palbociclib vs. letrozole and palbociclib in the PARSIFAL study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr RF01-03.

Abstract PO1-18-10: ANNE: A phase II single-arm clinical trial to assess the feasibility and efficacy of neoadjuvant anastrozole in patients with luminal breast cancer and low proliferative index in TNM stages II and III

Abstract Background: Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) is recommended for the treatment of invasive breast cancer (BC), particularly luminal subtypes, in locally advanced stages. Previous randomized studies have demonstrated the benefits of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) in this context. However, in clinical practice, NET is typically reserved for elderly or frail patients who may not tolerate neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Ideally, after identifying suitable candidates for NET, patients undergo tumor re-biopsy after 2 to 4 weeks of treatment, and only those with Ki67 ≤ 10% proceed with NET. Limitations of this strategy include the standardization of re-biopsy and the reliability of Ki67 immunohistochemical analysis, as treatment decisions are based on these results. Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of NET in postmenopausal patients with stage II and III luminal BC and to identify predictive biomarkers of therapeutic response. The efficacy will be measured by the rate of patients with Ki67 ≤ 10% after 4 weeks and Preoperative Endocrine Prognostic Index (PEPI) score 0 on the surgical specimen. The feasibility of the study will be assessed by the acceptance rate of participating in the study (recruitment rate ≥ 50%) and the inclusion rate of &amp;gt;2 patients per month. Methods: This non-randomized phase II clinical trial includes postmenopausal women with invasive breast carcinoma, Scarf-Bloom-Richardson histological grades 1 or 2, Estrogen Receptor positive (Allred ≥ 6), progesterone receptor positive (any value), HER2 negative, Ki-67 antigen &amp;lt; 50% on immunohistochemistry, stages TNM II-III, with palpable tumor ≥ 2 cm, and ECOG 0-2. All eligible patients will receive anastrozole (1 mg/day) continuously until the day before the surgical procedure or exclusion from the study (in case of disease progression during endocrine therapy). After 2 to 4 weeks, a re-biopsy of the breast tumor will be performed. If Ki67 &amp;gt; 10%, endocrine therapy will be suspended, and the patient will be excluded from the study and redirected to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (routine care) or immediate surgery (as per attending clinical oncologist and surgeon). If Ki67 ≤ 10%, the patient will continue to receive NET. Extended NET will be administered for up to 10 months, with monthly physical examinations (using calipers) and bimonthly breast ultrasound. The presence of stable disease on ultrasound at 4, 6, and 8 months indicates scheduling surgery within 2 months thereafter, and disease progression at any time indicates surgery within one month. Patients will complete the EORTC QLQ-C30 and its supplemental module BR45 questionnaires every 2 months. Toxicity will be assessed using CTCAE version 4.0, and patients will respond to 11 specific items extracted from the Brazilian version of PRO-CTCAE. The radiological response will be evaluated by RECIST 1.1. Blood samples for molecular analyses will be collected at baseline and during re-biopsy. MicroRNA profiles will be evaluated using Nanostring, and extracellular vesicles will be examined using ATR-FTIR to identify predictive markers of therapeutic response (Ki67 &amp;lt; 10%) in re-biopsy. All cases will be evaluated using PAM50 at the initial biopsy and at surgery to determine the molecular phenotype (luminal A, B, or other) and molecular response (ROR score difference). Pathologic therapeutic response will be assessed using the PEPI score in all operated cases. The sample size was calculated to be 59 patients. The study was initiated in July 2022, and since then, a total of 26 patients have been enrolled. This study is registered with The Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC): RBR-5pygzhj. Citation Format: Carlos Paiva, Izabella Oliveira, Vitor Guimarães, Alinne Faria, Domício Lacerda, Anapaula Uema, Nilton Onari, Bianca Paiva, Augusto Antoniazzi, Karina Oikawa, Maria Fernanda Machado, Matheus Godinho, Cristiano Souza, Chrissie Amirati, Gustavo Teixeira, Idam de Oliveira Jr, Márcia Marques, Yara Maia. ANNE: A phase II single-arm clinical trial to assess the feasibility and efficacy of neoadjuvant anastrozole in patients with luminal breast cancer and low proliferative index in TNM stages II and III [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-18-10.

Abstract PO3-04-04: Long term survival of metastatic HER2 positive breast cancer patients with no radiographic evidence of disease (NED) on HER2 antibody therapy

Abstract Introduction A small proportion of women with human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2) positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC) achieve “no evidence of disease” (NED) status with HER2 monoclonal antibody therapy. Patients who achieve NED status have excellent long term outcomes with overall (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) rates greater than 95%. Presently there are no reliable biologic or clinical factors which are predictive of NED. It is also unclear in NED patients when it would be safe to discontinue therapy. Therefore, even in HER2+ mBC NED patients, HER2 therapy is often continued indefinitely. In this study, we characterize clinical outcomes in HER2+ mBC patients who achieved NED status and received HER2 antibody therapy for 5+ years. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients at a U.S. academic medical center. Patients with HER2+ mBC who had received at least 5 years of either trastuzumab or trastuzumab/pertuzumab (from 2014- 2023) were identified for our NED cohort. For a non-NED comparator group, we identified women with stage IV HER2+ mBC from the tumor registry (from 2012-2021). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic information and clinical characteristics. Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test was used to analyze OS and PFS between both patient cohorts. Results 102 patients were identified that received trastuzumab or trastuzumab/pertuzumab for 5+ years. From this group, 33 patients were identified as NED based on clinical documentation and imaging. From our tumor registry data, there were 58 stage IV HER2+ patients. 34 patients met inclusion criteria for our non-NED cohort. The median follow-up time was 132 (range: 39 - 296) months for the NED cohort and 26 (range: 1-99) months for the non-NED cohort. The average diagnosis age was significantly older for the NED cohort (61 vs. 52 years, P=0.001). No other significant differences with respect to hormone receptor expression, race, or the presence of brain metastases were observed between groups. With respect to HER2 therapy, 61% of NED patients had received trastuzumab alone, and 39% trastuzumab/pertuzumab. By contrast in the non-NED cohort most received trastuzumab/pertuzumab (59%). The median time on HER2 therapy for the NED group was 125 months—70% of patients in the NED cohort were still receiving therapy vs, 12% for the non-NED cohort. As expected, the median OS (NR vs. 25.5 months; P&amp;lt; 0.0001) and PFS (NR vs. 7.9 months; P&amp;lt; 0.0001) were significantly longer in the NED cohort. 5 and 10 year OS rates for the NED cohort were 90.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 80.8-100%) and 87% (95% CI: 75.9-99.8%), respectively. By contrast, for the non-NED cohort 5 and 10 year OS rates were only 21.3% (95% CI: 11.06-41.1%) and 0% (95% CI: 0-0%), respectively. 5 and 10 year PFS rates were 84.1% (95% CI: 72.2-97.9%) and 76.6% (95% CI: 67.7-93.6%), respectively for the NED cohort, and both were 0% for the non-NED cohort. The presence of brain metastases in the NED cohort was associated with reduced 5 and 10 year OS rates: 60% (95% CI: 29.3-100%) and 40% (95% CI: 13.7-100%), respectively. We observed in the NED cohort was associated with a drop in ejection fraction and clinically significant heart failure in 24% of patients while on HER2 therapy. Conclusions HER2+ mBC patients who achieve NED status have an excellent prognosis with starkly different clinical outcomes compared to HER2+ mBC patients who do not. We observed that 10 year OS rates in HER2+ NED patients was approximately 90%, which did not differ from 5 year OS rates. This suggests that HER2 therapy could be potentially discontinued after 5 years in mBC patients who achieve NED. More studies are needed to develop robust predictive markers for patients likely to achieve NED with HER2 targeted therapy. Citation Format: Alexis Bennett, Zhengyi Chen, James Martin, Naji Mallat, Pingfu Fu, Alberto Montero. Long term survival of metastatic HER2 positive breast cancer patients with no radiographic evidence of disease (NED) on HER2 antibody therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO3-04-04.

Abstract PO2-06-05: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) Predict the Outcome Significance for Primary Tumor Surgery in Patients with De novo stage Ⅳ Breast Cancer

Abstract [Background] Although several prospective randomized trials have not shown a statistically significant difference in overall survival(OS),and quality-of-life(QOL) for the primary tumor surgery(PTS) of De novo stageⅣ breast cancer(BC), but more recent studies showed that could prolong OS in selected cases. This study respectively evaluated the value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR) as a biomarker for predicting the benefit of PTS in patients(pts) with stageⅣ BC. [Method] The clinical outcome and associated prognostic factors of pts with De novo stageⅣ BC were investigated. The decision of surgery option for primary tumor was shared with pts and determined by treating physicians according to the clinical symptoms. Laboratory blood examinations were performed before and after surgery or each treatment courses. The kinetics of peripheral blood lymph cell counts, NLR etc. were analyzed simultaneously. [Result] A total of 141 pts with stageⅣ BC were treated and enrolled from January 2004 to December 2022. 61 pts (Surgery group: SG) received and 80 pts (Non surgery group: NSG) not received PTS. The biological subtypes of primary BC included that 76 HR+(Luminal), 13 HR+Her2+(Luminal Her2), 29 Her2+ and 21 triple negative, respectively. The median PFS of SG and NSG were 88 ms and 30.3 ms, the median OS were 100.1 ms and 31.8 ms, respectively. Pts of SG who had high NLR ( &amp;gt;3) before the surgery showed a significant worse OS (p= &amp;lt; 0.0001)( Fig.1). And pts who responded to the systemic therapies prior to PTS for longer than 8.1 months showed a better OS(p=0.044). In contrast, pts of NSG who had a low ALC(≦1500/μL) at 6 months(p=0.026) and 1 year(p=0.007) after systemic therapies, and high NLR( &amp;gt;3) at 1 year(p=0001) had worse prognosis. [Summary] Our results suggested that pts with De novo stageⅣ BC who responded to the systemic therapies prior to PTS longer than 8.1 months, and who had a preoperative low NLR(≦3) might be benefit to PTS after the systemic therapies. And peripheral blood NLR before surgery may be a predictive marker for the indication of PTS in those pts. Further larger scale prospective studies are warranted. Citation Format: Rie Sugihara, Uhi Toh, Hidetaka Watanabe, Yuriko Katagiri, Shuntaro Matsushima, Okabe Mina, Yuko Takao, Nobutaka Iwakuma, Fumihiko Fujita. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) Predict the Outcome Significance for Primary Tumor Surgery in Patients with De novo stage Ⅳ Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO2-06-05.

Abstract PO4-14-06: Impact of Serum HER2 Extracellular Domain in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (T-DXd)

Abstract Background: Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is a standard of care as 2nd line and after prior chemotherapy for HER2 positive and low metastatic breast cancer (MBC), respectively, based on Destiny Breast03 and 04 results. However, biopsies over time during treatment have shown that HER2 expression is variable. The predictive factors of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) for MBC with HER2 positive and low are unclear. The HER2 extracellular domain (HER2-ECD) has been confirmed as a prognosis marker and predictive marker of treatment for HER2-positive MBC. Especially, HER2-ECD is considered a promising biomarker in cases where HER2 expression in metastases is unconfirmed. We hypothesized that HER2-ECD could serve as a biomarker for T-DXd. Patients and methods: A retrospective study of consecutively treated patients in a single center between 2019-2023 with HER2-low and HER2-positive MBC was performed using chart review. HER2 status was diagnosed according to 2020 ASCO-CAP guidelines. HER2-ECD high was defined as &amp;gt;15.0 ng/ml. HER2-ECD was collected prior to T-DXd treatment. We compared overall response (ORR), progression-free survival (OFS), overall survival (OS), and disease control rate (DCR) at HER2-ECD high and low groups. Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the ORR. We used the Kaplan-Meier method to estimate the PFS and OS and the log-rank test to compare each treatment group. Results: A total of 41 MBC patients were included in this study. Patients with HER-positive and HER2-low were 34 and 7, respectively. Among HER2 positive (n=34), HER2-ECD high and low are 14 (41%) and 20 (59%) patients, respectively. Among HER2 low (n=7), HER2-ECD high and low are 3 (43%) and 4 (57%) patients, respectively. Twenty-six patients received T-DM1 prior to T-DXd treatment for MBC with HER2 positive, but no patients received CPT-11 before T-DXd for MBC with HER2 positive and low. The ORR of T-DXd was 89% and 52% in the HER2-ECD high and low groups, respectively (p&amp;lt; 0.001). All 6 cases with CR were HER2-ECD high. Among HER2 low group (n=7), ORR of T-DXd was 67% (2/3) and 25% (1/4) in HER2-ECD high and low groups, respectively. The median PFS in the HER2-ECD high group showed longer than the HER2-ECD low group, 21.8 vs. 8.0 months (HR 0.31; 95%CI, 0.13-0.78, p=0.012). Although there were no significant differences in OS, HER2 ECD high group tended to show longer OS (HR 0.23; 95%CI, 0.04-1.16, p=0.07). The DCR was 100% in the HER2 ECD high group and 87% in the low group. Conclusion: T-DXd showed significantly better response and prolonged PFS in the group with high HER2-ECD. HER2-ECD has the potential to become a biomarker for T-DXd. Further study is warranted to assess the HER2-ECD as a biomarker, especially for HER2 low MBC patients treated with T-DXd. Table. Association between the response and the HER2 status or HER2-ECD status Citation Format: Kazuki Nozawa, Maho Kusudo, Nari Kureyama, Akira Nakakami, Rie Komaki, Yuka Endo, Ayumi Kataoka, Haruru Kotani, Akiyo Yoshimura, Masaya Hattori, Masataka Sawaki, Hiroji Iwata. Impact of Serum HER2 Extracellular Domain in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (T-DXd) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-14-06.

Abstract PO5-13-08: Impact of systemic inflammation markers in response to neoadjuvant pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer - a retrospective analysis

Abstract Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment landscape for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Systemic inflammation has been linked to cancer development and overall poor outcomes. Routine blood parameters have been investigated as potential inflammatory biomarkers in patients (pts) with various types of cancer, such as the derived NLR (neutrophils/(leucocytes-neutrophils) ratio (dNLR). A high dNLR has been associated with worse survival in several types of cancer. Specifically, it has been linked to lower pathologic complete response (pCR) rates after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CTx). We investigated the association between systemic inflammation markers (dNLR, LIPI score and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio [PLR]) and pCR in early TNBC pts treated with CTx + pembrolizumab (Pemb). Methods: Retrospective analysis of pts with early TNBC treated with Pemb + CTx from April 2022 to March 2023. dNLR was estimated from analytical values of peripheral blood collected before treatment (baseline). dNLR was calculated as the ratio of the absolute neutrophil number to the difference between absolute total leukocyte and absolute neutrophil counts. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore the association of dNLR with main clinical characteristics and dNLR capability (distributed as a continuous variable, using median cut-off) to predict pCR. Results: The study included 86 TNBC pts with a median age of 51 years (IQR: 42.2 – 56-7). Most pts had stage II disease (64%) and presented grade 3 tumours (n=66; 78.5%). HER2 low tumours represented 27% (n=23) of the cohort. Germline mutations were present in 20 pts (23%) with the following distribution: BRCA1 (n=14), BRCA 2 (n=5) and PALB2 (n=1). The median stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was 20% (IQR: 10-30%). The median Ki67 was 70% (IQR:50%-80%). All pts received Pemb. The majority of pts received carboplatin plus paclitaxel, followed by EC90 (n=77 (90%), while 10% (n=9) did not receive anthracyclines. Data concerning surgical outcomes was available in 80 pts. Pathological complete response rate was 61.2% (n=49). Pts achieving pCR presented significantly higher TILs (p&amp;lt; 0.01). Residual cancer burden (RCB) class (n=80) was distributed as follows: 0: 61% (n=49); I: 13% (n=10); II: 20% (n=16); III: 1% (n=1) and non-assigned: 5% (n=4). In pts with germline mutations (n=20), the pCR rate was 85% (n=17). Median dNLR at baseline was 1.30 (interquartile range (IQR): 0.99 – 1.86). High baseline dNLR levels considered a continuous variable was associated with a higher likelihood of achieving a pCR in univariate (OR: 2.59; 95% CI: 1.01–6.6; p-value = 0.046) but not in multivariate (OR: 2.33; 95%; CI: 0.85–6.33; p-value = 0.097) logistic regression analysis (adjusted for stage and histologic grade). High baseline dNLR, defined by the median cut-off, was associated with an increased likelihood of achieving pCR in both univariate (OR: 3.85; 95% CI: 1.47–10.1; p-value = 0.006) and multivariate (OR: 3.72; 95% CI: 1.28–10.8; p-value = 0.016) logistic regression analysis (adjusted for stage and histologic grade). Conclusion: In this real-life cohort of early TNBC pts treated with Pemb and CTx we found similar pCR rates (61.2%) to the ones reported in the KN522 trial. No association between PLR or LIPI score with pCR was evidenced. High baseline dNLR (assessed as a continuous variable or by the median cut-off) was associated with a higher likelihood of pCR in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, only high baseline dNLR defined by the median cut-off retained an association with pCR after stage and histologic grade adjustment. Despite several limitations, these exploratory data provide initial evidence of a potential association between dNLR values and independent prediction of pCR. Further research to assess the role of dNLR as a predictive marker for pCR in early TNBC pts treated with CTx + immunotherapy is needed. Citation Format: Martina Spotti, Elie Rassy, Alessandro Viansone, Fiona Pham, Layal Rached, Barbara Pistilli, Charles-Antoine Dutertre, Joana Mourato Ribeiro. Impact of systemic inflammation markers in response to neoadjuvant pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer - a retrospective analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-13-08.

Abstract PO5-15-03: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and absolute lymphocyte count, inflammatory markers, may predict lymph node metastasis in elderly patients with operable breast cancer

Abstract Background: Blood-derived systemic inflammatory markers such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) have been demonstrated as predictive markers of recurrence and prognosis in several malignancies. Increased chronic inflammation with aging has been reported to be involved in cancer cells and their microenvironment. Several studies have also reported a close relationship between inflammatory markers and cancer grade and prognosis in the elderly. In this study, we retrospectively examined the relationship between lymphocyte-related inflammatory markers and prognosis in elderly breast cancer patients. Method: We included 602 patients diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer at 8 institutions between 2008 and 2013, all of whom were older than 70 years old and had undergone breast cancer surgery. Preoperative blood collection data were used to analyze the relationship between NLR, PLR, LMR, ALC and clinicopathological data including recurrence. Results: The pathological stages of the 602 patients were Stage I: 275, Stage II: 276, and Stage III: 51, with median NLR, PLR, LMR, and ALC values of 2.21, 134.51, 6.76, and 1840, respectively. The mean age of the patients was 75.3 years. The median follow-up was 72.8 months. 76 patients relapsed, and the mean time to relapse was 42.7 months. Lymphocyte-associated inflammatory markers and Li Sheng pathological characteristics showed no significant differences in stage, presence or absence of recurrence, or form of recurrence, but lymph node metastasis on surgical pathology showed significant differences between cases with and without lymph node metastasis in NLR and ALC (P&amp;lt; 0.05). Conclusions: LMR and ALC were considered useful biomarkers that can be easily measured to predict lymph node metastasis in operable elderly breast cancer Citation Format: Emi Tokuda, Midori Morita, Akihiko Shimomura, Yoshiya Horimoto, Yukino Kawamura, Yumiko Ishizuka, Katsutoshi Sekine, Sayaka Obayashi, Yuki Kojima, Toru Higuchi. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and absolute lymphocyte count, inflammatory markers, may predict lymph node metastasis in elderly patients with operable breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-15-03.

Abstract PO5-13-11: Quantitative Assessment of HER2 Expression in Intraductal Neoplasms of the Breast

Abstract HER2 (ERBB2) is an established prognostic and predictive marker for patients with invasive breast cancer and used in HER2-targeted therapy. The clinical and biological significance of expression of HER2 protein in patients with intraductal neoplasms of the breast is not well characterized. In this study, we used our HS-HER2 (High Sensitivity-HER2) which is a CAP/CLIA certified laboratory derived test (LDT) using quantitative immunofluorescence (QIF). We evaluated HER2 expression in DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ) and benign lesions to correlate with their clinicopathologic characteristics. Thirty- eight cases of DCIS, and fourteen cases of LCIS and thirty benign cases were selected from the Yale Pathology department archives and 252 ROIs (regions of interest) were annotated by a board-certified pathologist. DCIS is classified according to the three-tier nuclear grading system: low, intermediate, and high-nuclear grade. LCIS is classified as PLCIS (pleomorphic variant) and CLCIS (classic LCIS) according to the WHO classification of breast tumors. Serial sections of FFPE tumor specimens were used to accurately quantify the HER2 expression by the HS-HER2 assay and the acquisition by QuPath v.04 with Qymia extension. According to the LOD (limit of detection,3 amol/mm2), LOQ (limit of quantification, 9 amol/mm2) and LOL (limit of linearity, 23 amol/mm2) of the optimized HS-HER2 assay as performed in our CLIA lab shows a broad range of HER2 expression in both DCIS and LCIS lesions, ranging from 0.7 amol/mm2 to 111.4 amol/mm2 in DCIS and 3.6 amol/mm2 to 49.9 amol/mm2 in LCIS. High grade DCIS lesions express higher average HER2 levels (111.4 + 0.7 amol/mm2) than combined low and intermediate grade DCIS (77.9 +1.9 amol/mm2) with no significant difference between low/intermediate and high-grade DCIS. CLCIS lesions express higher average HER2 level (49.9 + 3.6 amol/mm2) than PLCIS (35.1 + 5.4amol/mm2) but again this is not statistically significant. HER protein expression is relatively low in benign lesions ranging from 0.8 to 8.4 amol/mm2. Using the HS-HER2 assay, our results show quantitative level HER2 levels in DCIS and LCIS breast lesions. These findings may be important as HER2 targeted therapies that work in gene-unamplified cancer (HER2 conjugated ADCs) gain broader usage in the clinic. Citation Format: Nay Nwe Nyein Chan, Haiying Zhan, Revekka Khaimova, Thazin Aung, Charles Robbins, Patricia Gaule, David Rimm. Quantitative Assessment of HER2 Expression in Intraductal Neoplasms of the Breast [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-13-11.

Abstract PO1-19-03: The T-REX trial: a randomized international non-inferiority trial on Tailored Regional EXternal beam radiotherapy in clinically node-negative breast cancer patients with 1-2 sentinel node macrometastases

Abstract Background: Modern systemic treatment has reduced the incidence of regional recurrences and improved survival in breast cancer (BC). It is thus questionable whether regional radiotherapy (RT) is still indicated in patients with sentinel lymph node (SLN) macrometastases. Postoperative regional RT is associated with an increased risk of arm morbidity, pneumonitis, cardiac disease, and secondary cancer. Therefore, there is a need to individualize the indication for regional RT in relation to risk of recurrence. Trial design: In this multicenter, prospective randomized phase 3 trial, eligible patients have a clinically node-negative, estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative BC with 1-2 SLN macrometastases, and have not undergone completion axillary lymph node dissection. Participants are randomly assigned to receive regional RT (standard arm) or not (intervention arm). Regional RT includes the axillary levels I-III and the supraclavicular fossa. Internal mammary nodes are targeted in selected patients. After breast-conserving surgery (BCS), RT to the remaining breast is given in both groups while after mastectomy, chest-wall RT is only given in the standard arm. In the intervention arm, chest wall RT may be indicated in selected cases with extensive multifocality, according to national guidelines. RT quality assurance is an integral part of the trial. In addition, material from the primary tumor, SLN metastases and any recurrences is subjected to gene expression analysis to identify both prognostic markers for locoregional recurrence and predictive markers for the benefit of regional RT. After confirmation of eligibility and written informed consent, patients are randomized 1:1 between the treatment arms. Allocation is stratified by trial site and breast surgery (BCS vs. mastectomy). Participation in T-REX should not affect decisions on systemic adjuvant treatment. Eligibility criteria: Trial inclusion and exclusion criteria are given in Table 1. Specific aims: The main aim of the trial is to investigate if the omission of regional RT is non-inferior to routine regional RT in clinically node-negative BC patients with estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative T1-2 tumors with 1-2 SLN macrometastases not receiving axillary lymph node dissection. Secondary aims are to investigate whether refraining from regional RT reduces arm morbidity and late RT side effects, and improves short- and long-term health-related quality of life. In addition, the use of genomic classifiers for the prognostication of locoregional recurrences and the prediction of a benefit from regional RT will be investigated. Statistical methods: Primary outcome is recurrence free survival (RFS) at five years. Non-inferiority will be declared if the outcome in the intervention arm is not more than 4.5 percentage units below the standard arm, corresponding to a hazard ratio of 1.41 assuming 88% 5-year RFS with standard treatment. Secondary outcomes include locoregional recurrence, overall survival, patient-reported arm morbidity, and health-related quality of life. Accrual: The trial will include 1350 patients in Sweden, Norway and Finland from April 2023 to December 2028. First sites have been opened in April 2023. Contact information: Primary Investigator: Sara Alkner, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, sara.alkner@med.lu.se. Responsible for the biobank: Per Karlsson, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg University, per.karlsson@oncology.gu.se. Inclusion and exclusion criteria Citation Format: Sara Alkner, Jana de Boniface, Dan Lundstedt, Ingvil Mjaaland, Lisa Rydén, Johan vikström, Pär-Ola Bendahl, Erik Holmberg, Helena Sackey, Elinore Wieslander, Per Karlsson. The T-REX trial: a randomized international non-inferiority trial on Tailored Regional EXternal beam radiotherapy in clinically node-negative breast cancer patients with 1-2 sentinel node macrometastases [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-19-03.

Real-World Data Analysis of CDK4/6 Inhibitor Therapy—A Patient-Centric Single Center Study

Background: The quest to comprehend the real-world efficacy of CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDKis) in breast cancer continues, as patient responses vary significantly. Methods: This single-center retrospective study evaluated CDKi use outside the trial condition from November 2016 to May 2020. Progression-free survival (PFS), time-to-treatment failure (TTF), short-term and prolonged treatment benefit (≥4 and ≥10 months), as well as prognostic and predictive markers were assessed with Kaplan–Meier and multivariate regression analyses. Results: Out of 86 identified patients, 58 (67.4%) had treatment failure of which 40 (46.5%) were due to progression. Median PFS and TTF were 12 and 8.5 months, respectively. A total of 57 (66.3%) and 42 (48.8%) patients experienced short-term and prolonged treatment benefit. Independent, significant predictors for PFS were progesterone receptor expression (HR: 0.88), multiple metastatic sites (HR: 2.56), and hepatic metastasis (HR: 2.01). Significant predictors for TTF were PR expression (HR: 0.86), multiple sites (HR: 3.29), adverse events (HR: 2.35), and diabetes (HR: 2.88). Aside from tumor biology and adverse events, treatment modifications like pausing and switching of CDKi were predictive for short-term (OR: 6.73) and prolonged (OR: 14.27) therapeutic benefit, respectively. Conclusions: These findings emphasize the importance of tailored treatment strategies, highlighting the role of PR expression, metastatic burden, and therapeutic adjustments in optimizing patient outcomes in real-world breast cancer management.

Platelet indices as a predictive marker in neonates with respiratory distress

BackgroundThe neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) frequently gets admissions due to respiratory distress (RD). Platelet indices are a beneficial biomarker in order to gauge the severity of neonatal RD. We aimed to assess platelet indices as a potential predictor in neonates with RD.MethodsThis prospective research involved 120 neonates who had been admitted to the NICU with evidence of RD. On admission and after respiratory support was reduced; a complete blood count (CBC) was performed to determine platelet count (PC), mean platelet volume (MPV), plateletcrit (PCT), platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet mass index (PMI), and platelet large cell ratio (PLCR).ResultsMPV and PDW were significantly higher after respiratory support reduction. PC and PMI were significantly higher in neonates exhibiting moderate and severe distress. PC of 276.5*109/L had the highest degree of predictability of RD severity (area under curve (AUC) 0.762, sensitivity 81.5%, specificity 64.3%), 95% confidence interval (0.7–0.9), while PMI of 2473.5 fL/nL was the best cut-off point to predict severity of RD (AUC 0.663, sensitivity 63%, specificity 57.1%) 95% confidence interval (0.6–0.8). There was a significant difference in the average PC between different oxygen modes.ConclusionHigher PMI and PC are associated with moderate and severe RD and can be used to predict the severity of neonatal RD.

Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in sensory-motor networks and limbic system as a potential predictor of treatment response in patients with schizophrenia

BackgroundPrevious investigations have revealed substantial differences in neuroimaging characteristics between healthy controls (HCs) and individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (SCZ). However, we are not entirely sure how brain activity links to symptoms in schizophrenia, and there is a need for reliable brain imaging markers for treatment prediction. MethodsIn this longitudinal study, we examined 56 individuals diagnosed with 56 SCZ and 51 HCs. The SCZ patients underwent a three-month course of antipsychotic treatment. We employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) along with fractional Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations (fALFF) and support vector regression (SVR) methods for data acquisition and subsequent analysis. ResultsIn this study, we initially noted lower fALFF values in the right postcentral/precentral gyrus and left postcentral gyrus, coupled with higher fALFF values in the left hippocampus and right putamen in SCZ patients compared to the HCs at baseline. However, when comparing fALFF values in brain regions with abnormal baseline fALFF values for SCZ patients who completed the follow-up, no significant differences in fALFF values were observed after 3 months of treatment compared to baseline data. The fALFF values in the right postcentral/precentral gyrus and left postcentral gyrus, and the left postcentral gyrus were useful in predicting treatment effects. ConclusionOur findings suggest that reduced fALFF values in the sensory-motor networks and increased fALFF values in the limbic system may constitute distinctive neurobiological features in SCZ patients. These findings may serve as potential neuroimaging markers for the prognosis of SCZ patients.

Interventricular Septal Thickness on Cardiac CT as a Novel Risk Factor for Conduction Disturbances in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

We examined whether thickness of the basal muscular interventricular septum (IVS), as measured by pre-procedural computed tomography (CT), could be used to identify the risk of conduction disturbances following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The IVS is a pivotal region of the electrical conduction system of the heart where the atrioventricular conduction axis is located. Included were 78 patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent CT imaging prior to TAVR. The thickness of muscular IVS was measured in the coronal view, in systolic phases, at 1, 2, 5, and 10 mm below the membranous septum (MS). The primary endpoint was a composite of conduction disturbance following TAVR. Conduction disturbances occurred in 24 out of 78 patients (30.8%). Those with conduction disturbances were significantly more likely to have a thinner IVS than those without conduction disturbances at every measured IVS level (2.98 ± 0.52 mm vs. 3.38 ± 0.52 mm, 4.10 ± 1.02 mm vs. 4.65 ± 0.78 mm, 6.11 ± 1.12 mm vs. 6.88 ± 1.03 mm, and 9.72 ± 1.95 mm vs. 10.70 ± 1.55 mm for 1, 2, 5 and 10 mm below MS respectively, p < 0.05 for all). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that pre-procedural IVS thickness (<4 mm at 2 mm below the MS) was a significant independent predictor of post-procedural conduction disturbance (adjOR 7.387, 95% CI: 2.003-27.244, p = 0.003). Pre-procedural CT assessment of basal IVS thickness is a novel predictive marker for the risk of conduction disturbances following TAVR. The IVS thickness potentially acts as an anatomical barrier protecting the underlying conduction system from mechanical compression during TAVR.

In search of the ratio of miRNA expression as robust biomarkers for constructing stable diagnostic models among multi-center data

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are promising biomarkers for the early detection of disease, and many miRNA-based diagnostic models have been constructed to distinguish patients and healthy individuals. To thoroughly utilize the miRNA-profiling data across different sequencing platforms or multiple centers, the models accounting the batch effects were demanded for the generalization of medical application. We conducted transcription factor (TF)-mediated miRNA–miRNA interaction network analysis and adopted the within-sample expression ratios of miRNA pairs as predictive markers. The ratio of the expression values between each miRNA pair turned out to be stable across multiple data sources. A genetic algorithm-based classifier was constructed to quantify risk scores of the probability of disease and discriminate disease states from normal states in discovery, with a validation dataset for COVID-19, renal cell carcinoma, and lung adenocarcinoma. The predictive models based on the expression ratio of interacting miRNA pairs demonstrated good performances in the discovery and validation datasets, and the classifier may be used accurately for the early detection of disease.

Retrospective Analysis of Fever in Pediatric Age: Our Experience over the Last 5 Years

Background: Fever is one of the most frequent symptoms highlighted during medical assistance. Due to this great impact, our study has the purpose of analyzing the demographic and laboratory characteristics of patients hospitalized in our center and identifying predictive markers to make the differential diagnosis between infectious and non-infectious fever. Methods: Our population included 220 children, collected from January 2017 to August 2022, hospitalized for continuous fever (4 days or more in duration with at least one temperature peak ≥37.5 °C) and excluded cases of discharge against medical advice and/or transfer to other operating units. Demographic (mean age at the time of admission, frequency of hospitalization, and mean days of hospitalization), laboratory, and instrumental variables were analyzed in order to find correlation with fever etiology. Results: Older age at the time of hospitalization, family history of periodic fever, fever lasting more than 8 days, and longer hospitalization are strongly associated with non-infectious fever, together with anemia, high platelet count, high CRP and ferritin, and hyponatremia at the time of admission. Paracetamol is the preferred antipyretic treatment. Echocardiogram has shown anomalies in patients with infectious fever, while ECG anomalies were detected in non-infectious fever. Conclusions: Our data underline the importance of predictive markers, such as clinical and laboratory parameters, to differentiate infectious from non-infectious fevers, but further studies are necessary.