Programme Hospitalier De Recherche Clinique Research Articles

First-in-man use of a cardiovascular cell-derived secretome in heart failure. Case report

BackgroundThere is increased evidence that the effects of stem cells can mostly be duplicated by administration of their secretome which might streamline the translation towards the clinics. MethodsThe 12-patient SECRET-HF phase 1 trial has thus been designed to determine the feasibility and safety of repeated intravenous injections of the extracellular vesicle (EV)-enriched secretome of cardiovascular progenitor cells differentiated from pluripotent stem cells in severely symptomatic patients with drug-refractory left ventricular (LV) dysfunction secondary to non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Here we report the case of the first treated patient (baseline NYHA class III; LV Ejection Fraction:25%) in whom a dose of 20x109 particles/kg was intravenously infused three times three weeks apart. FindingsIn addition to demonstrating the feasibility of producing a cardiac cell secretome compliant with Good Manufacturing Practice standards, this case documents the excellent tolerance of its repeated delivery, without any adverse events during or after infusions. Six months after the procedure, the patient is in NYHA Class II with improved echo parameters, a reduced daily need for diuretics (from 240 mg to 160 mg), no firing from the previously implanted automatic internal defibrillator and no alloimmunization against the drug product, thereby supporting its lack of immunogenicity. InterpretationThe rationale underlying the intravenous route is that the infused EV-enriched secretome may act by rewiring endogenous immune cells, both circulating and in peripheral organs, to take on a reparative phenotype. These EV-modified immune cells could then traffic to the heart to effect tissue repair, including mitigation of inflammation which is a hallmark of cardiac failure. FundingThis trial is funded by the French Ministry of Health (Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique AOM19330) and the “France 2030” National Strategy Program (ANR-20-F2II-0003). It is sponsored by Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris.

Hydrocortisone plus fludrocortisone for community acquired pneumonia-related septic shock: a subgroup analysis of the APROCCHSS phase 3 randomised trial

Glucocorticoids probably improve outcomes in patients hospitalised for community acquired pneumonia (CAP). In this a priori planned exploratory subgroup analysis of the phase 3 randomised controlled Activated Protein C and Corticosteroids for Human Septic Shock (APROCCHSS) trial, we aimed to investigate responses to hydrocortisone plus fludrocortisone between CAP and non-CAP related septic shock. APROCCHSS was a randomised controlled trial that investigated the effects of hydrocortisone plus fludrocortisone, drotrecogin-alfa (activated), or both on mortality in septic shock in a two-by-two factorial design; after drotrecogin-alfa was withdrawn on October 2011, from the market, the trial continued on two parallel groups. It was conducted in 34 centres in France. In this subgroup study, patients with CAP were a preselected subgroup for an exploratory secondary analysis of the APROCCHSS trial of hydrocortisone plus fludrocortisone in septic shock. Adults with septic shock were randomised 1:1 to receive, in a double-blind manner, a 7-day treatment with daily administration of intravenous hydrocortisone 50 mg bolus every 6h and a tablet of 50 μg of fludrocortisone via the nasogastric tube, or their placebos. The primary outcome was 90-day all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality at intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital discharge, 28-day and 180-day mortality, the number of days alive and free of vasopressors, mechanical ventilation, or organ failure, and ICU and hospital free-days to 90-days. Analysis was done in the intention-to-treat population. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00625209). Of 1241 patients included in the APROCCHSS trial, CAP could not be ruled in or out in 31 patients, 562 had a diagnosis of CAP (279 in the placebo group and 283 in the corticosteroid group), and 648 patients did not have CAP (329 in the placebo group and 319 in the corticosteroid group). In patients with CAP, there were 109 (39%) deaths of 283 patients at day 90 with hydrocortisone plus fludrocortisone and 143 (51%) of 279 patients receiving placebo (odds ratio [OR] 0·60, 95% CI 0·43-0·83). In patients without CAP, there were 148 (46%) deaths of 319 patients at day 90 in the hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone group and 157 (48%) of 329 patients in the placebo group (OR 0·95, 95% CI 0·70-1·29). There was significant heterogeneity in corticosteroid effects on 90-day mortality across subgroups with CAP and without CAP (p=0·046 for both multiplicative and additive interaction tests; moderate credibility). Of 1241 patients included in the APROCCHSS trial, 648 (52%) had ARDS (328 in the placebo group and 320 in the corticosteroid group). There were 155 (48%) deaths of 320 patients at day 90 in the corticosteroid group and 186 (57%) of 328 patients in the placebo group. The OR for death at day 90 was 0·72 (95% CI 0·53-0·98) in patients with ARDS and 0·85 (0·61-1·20) in patients without ARDS (p=0·45 for multiplicative interaction and p=0·42 for additive interaction). The OR for observing at least one serious adverse event (corticosteroid group vs placebo) within 180 days post randomisation was 0·64 (95% CI 0·46-0·89) in the CAP subgroup and 1·02 (0·75-1·39) in the non-CAP subgroup (p=0·044 for multiplicative interaction and p=0·042 for additive interaction). In a pre-specified subgroup analysis of the APROCCHSS trial of patients with CAP and septic shock, hydrocortisone plus fludrocortisone reduced mortality as compared with placebo. Although a large proportion of patients with CAP also met criteria for ARDS, the subgroup analysis was underpowered to fully discriminate between ARDS and CAP modifying effects on mortality reduction with corticosteroids. There was no evidence of a significant treatment effect of corticosteroids in the non-CAP subgroup. Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique of the French Ministry of Health, by Programme d'Investissements d'Avenir, France 2030, and IAHU-ANR-0004.

Impact of Cushing's syndrome on the gonadotrope axis and testicular functions in men.

Does Cushing's syndrome (CS) differently affect the gonadotrope axis and testicular functions (GA/TF) according to the hypercortisolism intensity and underlying etiology? Endogenous cortisol excess caused by CS leads to varying degrees of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) with more severe GA/TF impairment and altered spermatogenesis in men with intense hypercortisolism associated with paraneoplastic/ectopic adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) secretion (EAS). CS is very rarely studied in men due to its lower prevalence in men than in women. In a few old reports focusing exclusively on a limited number of men with Cushing's disease (CD), the occurrence of hypogonadism was reported. However, a detailed assessment of the impact of CS on the GA/TF in a significant series of patients has not been performed. Yet, hypogonadism could worsen CS-associated comorbidities such as osteoporosis and myopathy. To date, the full spectrum of GA/TF impairment in men with CS of different etiologies and intensity remains unknown. In this monocentric study, 89 men with CS diagnosed at a tertiary endocrine university center (Bicêtre, Paris Saclay) between January 1990 and July 2021 were evaluated and compared to 40 normal men of similar age. The CS patient cohort of 89 men included 51 with CD, 29 with EAS and 9 with CS of adrenal origin i.e. (ACTH-independent CS (AI-CS)). They all had frank hypercortisolism, with increased 24 h-urinary-free cortisol (24 h-UFC) in two separate samples. A case-control study was performed focusing on pituitary gonadotrope function and testicular sex steroids and peptides. An additional set of six CS men had an evaluation including semen analysis. In a subgroup of 20 men with available data after CS remission, a longitudinal analysis was conducted to assess the reversibility of GA/TF defects. Compared to controls, men with CS had significantly lower total testosterone (TT), bioavailable TT, and free TT (P < 0.0001). Hypogonadism, defined as serum TT levels <3.0 ng/ml, was present in 83% of men with EAS, in 61% of men with CD, and in 33% of men with AI-CS. Low-normal LH concentrations in the included men with hypercortisolism indicated HH. Serum sex hormone-binding globulin levels were moderately decreased in men with CD (P = 0.01 vs controls). Among the CS men, those with EAS had significantly lower TT, LH, and FSH levels than those with CD or AI-CS. When compared to controls, patients with EAS were the only group exhibiting a significant decrease in both serum FSH (P = 0.002) and the testicular peptides inhibin B (P < 0.0001) and anti-Müllerian hormone (P = 0.003). Serum INSL3 levels were significantly lower in men with CD than in the controls (P = 0.03). Of note, 24 h-UFC and ACTH were inversely and significantly associated with the majority of reproductive hormones including LH, FSH, TT, and inhibin B. Following successful curative therapy, reproductive assessment at a mean of 6.0 ± 4.3 years showed a significant increase in serum TT (P < 0.0001) and plasma LH (P = 0.02) levels, indicating a reversal of HH in 75% of the affected males. Among the six patients with available semen analysis, the two EAS cases exhibited a decrease in Sertoli cell peptides associated with a severe oligozoospermia, which completely normalized following removal of the source of hypercortisolism. The potential bias due to the retrospective design is counteracted by the analysis of the largest male CS cohort to date as well as the use of stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria. Due to the low number of patients with semen analysis in this study, further research is needed to unravel the full spectrum of spermatogenesis defects in men with CS. This work reveals the variable spectrum of reproductive impact in men with CS. We demonstrate that GA/TF impairment depends on the intensity of hypercortisolism which in turn is related to the underlying etiology. The causal link between hypercortisolism and GA/TF impairment was attested by its reversibility in most patients after CS remission. The wider implications of our findings lie in the potential generalization to a much commoner entity, iatrogenic CS due to chronic exposure to exogenous glucocorticoids. Several research grants were attributed to J.Y.: (i) a grant from Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique (PHRC # P081212 HYPOPROTEO); (ii) a grant from the French Association of Patients with Adrenal Diseases ('Association surrénales'); and (iii) independent Investigator Research Grants from HRA Pharma, Novartis and Recordati Pharma. A SICPA Foundation grant (Lausanne, Switzerland) allowed protected research time for G.E.P. The above sponsors were not involved in any part of the study. The authors have no competing or other conflicts of interest to declare. N/A.

Enoxaparin versus Placebo to Prevent Symptomatic Venous Thromboembolism in Hospitalized Older Adult Medical Patients

BackgroundAdmission to the hospital is a major risk factor for the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Whether thromboprophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin prevents symptomatic VTE in medically ill, hospitalized older adults remains debated.MethodsIn a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial, older adults (>70 years of age) hospitalized for acute medical conditions were randomly assigned to receive 40 mg a day of low-molecular-weight heparin (enoxaparin) or placebo for 6 to 14 days. The primary efficacy outcome was the cumulative incidence of symptomatic VTE (distal or proximal deep vein thrombosis, fatal or nonfatal pulmonary embolism) at 30 days. The primary safety outcome was major bleeding. Secondary outcomes included efficacy and safety outcomes at 90 days.ResultsThe trial was prematurely discontinued in September 2020, 5 years after enrollment began, because of drug supply issues. By the time of trial discontinuation, 2559 patients had been randomly assigned at 47 centers. Median age was 82 years and 60% of patients were female. In the intention-to-treat population, the primary efficacy outcome occurred in 22 out of 1278 (cumulative incidence, 1.8%) patients in the enoxaparin group and in 27 out of 1263 (cumulative incidence, 2.2%) patients in the placebo group (cumulative incidence difference, −0.4 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, −1.5 to 0.7), with no significant difference in time to VTE (P=0.46). The incidence of major bleeding was 0.9% in the enoxaparin group and 1.0% in the placebo group. At 90 days there were 14 symptomatic pulmonary emboli in the enoxaparin group and 25 in the placebo group; all 39 pulmonary embolism events resulted in hospital readmission and/or death, with 5 deaths from pulmonary embolism in the enoxaparin group and 11 deaths in the placebo group.ConclusionsThis trial of thromboprophylaxis in medically ill, hospitalized older adults did not demonstrate that enoxaparin reduced the risk of symptomatic VTE after 1 month. Because the trial was prematurely discontinued, larger trials are needed to definitively address this question. (Funded by the French Ministry of Health Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique, grant number PHRC-N-13-0283; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02379806.)

Allogeneic transplantation in advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CUTALLO): a propensity score matched controlled prospective study

Advanced-stage cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are rare, usually refractory, and fatal diseases. Case series have suggested that allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) might improve the prognosis of advanced-stage CTCLs. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of allogeneic HSCT compared with non-HSCT therapy on the outcome of individuals with advanced-stage CTCLs. In this prospective, multicentre, matched controlled trial, conducted at 30 hospitals, participants with advanced CTCLs were allocated treatment: if they had an available compatible related donor they were assigned to allogeneic HSCT, or if not they were allocated to non-allogeneic HSCT therapy. Key inclusion criteria were participants aged 18-70 years, with advanced stage mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome, and at least one poor prognostic criteria. Participants were excluded if they were not in complete or partial remission of the disease. Propensity score 1:1 matching with replacement (ie, that each participant treated with HSCT was matched to the participant with the closest propensity score treated with non-HSCT therapy, even if they had already been matched) was used to handle confounding factors, with the balance of covariate distribution between HSCT and non-HSCT groups assessed using standardised mean differences. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival in the matched intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02520908), and is currently active but not recruiting. From June 1, 2016, to March 3, 2022, total of 99 participants were enrolled at 17 centres in France. Participants with a sibling or matched unrelated donor were assigned to allogeneic HSCT (HSCT group, n=55 [56%]) and participants without a donor were assigned to non-allogeneic HSCT treatment (non-HSCT group, n=44 [44%]). The median follow-up among survivors was 12·6 months (IQR 11·0-35·2). In the HSCT group, 51 participants (93%) were 1:1 matched to participants from the non-HSCT group. In the intention-to-treat analysis, median progression-free survival was significantly longer in the HSCT group (9·0 months [95% CI 6·6-30·5]) than in the non-HSCT group (3·0 months [2·0-6·3]), with a hazard ratio of 0·38 (95% CI 0·21-0·69; p<0·0001). In the per-protocol population, 40 participants (78%) in the HSCT group had 101 serious events and 29 participants (67%) in the non-HSCT group had 70 serious adverse events. The most common serious adverse event other than graft-versus-host disease in both groups was infections, occurring in 30 participants (59%) in the HSCT group and in 19 participants (44%) in the non-HSCT group. Allogeneic HSCT was associated with significantly longer progression-free survival in participants with advanced-stage CTCLs. These results indicate that allogeneic HSCT treatment should be made available to individuals with high-risk, advanced-stage mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome who achieve pre-transplant disease remission. French Ministry of Health, National Cancer Institute, Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique en Cancérologie.

Impact of T-cell Receptor Status on Mutational Landscape and Outcome in T-ALL.

Impact of T-cell Receptor Status on Mutational Landscape and Outcome in T-ALL.

Effect of intravenous almitrine on intubation or mortality in patients with COVID-19 acute hypoxemic respiratory failure: A multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BackgroundSevere hypoxemia in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia might result from hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, contributing to ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) mismatch. Because almitrine improves V/Q, it might reduce the risk for mechanical ventilation (MV) in such patients. Our primary objective was to determine the effect of almitrine on the need for MV at day 7.MethodsIn a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial involving 15 ICUs, patients hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia and experiencing acute hypoxemic respiratory failure were randomly assigned to receive 5 days of intravenous low-dose (2 µg.kg−1.min−1) almitrine or placebo. The primary outcome was endotracheal intubation for MV or death within 7 days after randomisation. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, 28-day mortality, number of ventilator-free days, number of days in the ICU and the hospital, and treatment discontinuation for pre-specified adverse effects. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04357457.FindingsBetween September 3, 2020 and September 25, 2021 181 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to almitrine (n=89) or placebo (n=92). 179 patients (excluding two who withdrew from the study) were included in the intention-to-treat analysis (mean age: 60·1 years; 34% women) and analyzed. On day 7, the primary endpoint occurred in 32 patients assigned to almitrine (36%) and in 37 patients assigned to placebo (41%), for a difference of –4·3% (95% confidence interval: −18·7% to 10·2%). Secondary outcomes (28-day mortality, in-hospital mortality, ventilator-free days at day 28, days in the ICU and the hospital, and treatment discontinuation for pre-specified adverse effects) did not differ between the two groups.InterpretationIn patients with COVID-19 acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, low-dose almitrine failed in reducing the need for MV or death at day 7.FundingProgramme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique (PHRC COVID 2020) funded by the French Ministry of Health, Les Laboratoires Servier (Suresnes, France) providing the study drug free of charge.

Balloon pulmonary angioplasty versus riociguat for the treatment of inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (RACE): a multicentre, phase 3, open-label, randomised controlled trial and ancillary follow-up study

Riociguat and balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) are treatment options for inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). However, randomised controlled trials comparing these treatments are lacking. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BPA versus riociguat in patients with inoperable CTEPH. In this phase 3, multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial done in 23 French centres of expertise for pulmonary hypertension, we enrolled treatment-naive patients aged 18-80 years with newly diagnosed, inoperable CTEPH and pulmonary vascular resistance of more than 320 dyn·s/cm5. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to BPA or riociguat via a web-based randomisation system, with block randomisation (block sizes of two or four patients) without stratification. The primary endpoint was change in pulmonary vascular resistance at week 26, expressed as percentage of baseline pulmonary vascular resistance in the intention-to-treat population. Safety analyses were done in all patients who received at least one dose of riociguat or had at least one BPA session. Patients who completed the RACE trial continued into an ancillary 26-week follow-up during which symptomatic patients with pulmonary vascular resistance of more than 320 dyn·s/cm5 benefited from add-on riociguat after BPA or add-on BPA after riociguat. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02634203, and is completed. Between Jan 19, 2016, and Jan 18, 2019, 105 patients were randomly assigned to riociguat (n=53) or BPA (n=52). At week 26, the geometric mean pulmonary vascular resistance decreased to 39·9% (95% CI 36·2-44·0) of baseline pulmonary vascular resistance in the BPA group and 66·7% (60·5-73·5) of baseline pulmonary vascular resistance in the riociguat group (ratio of geometric means 0·60, 95% CI 0·52-0·69; p<0·0001). Treatment-related serious adverse events occurred in 22 (42%) of 52 patients in the BPA group and five (9%) of 53 patients in the riociguat group. The most frequent treatment-related serious adverse events were lung injury (18 [35%] of 52 patients) in the BPA group and severe hypotension with syncope (two [4%] of 53 patients) in the riociguat group. There were no treatment-related deaths. At week 52, a similar reduction in pulmonary vascular resistance was observed in patients treated with first-line riociguat or first-line BPA (ratio of geometric means 0·91, 95% CI 0·79-1·04). The incidence of BPA-related serious adverse events was lower in patients who were pretreated with riociguat (five [14%] of 36 patients vs 22 [42%] of 52 patients). At week 26, pulmonary vascular resistance reduction was more pronounced with BPA than with riociguat, but treatment-related serious adverse events were more common with BPA. The finding of fewer BPA-related serious adverse events among patients who were pretreated with riociguat in the follow-up study compared with those who received BPA as first-line treatment points to the potential benefits of a multimodality approach to treatment in patients with inoperable CTEPH. Further studies are needed to explore the effects of sequential treatment combining one or two medications and BPA in patients with inoperable CTEPH. Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique of the French Ministry of Health and Bayer HealthCare. For the French translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Risk for Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Subsegmental Pulmonary Embolism Managed Without Anticoagulation : A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study.

The incidence of pulmonary embolism has been increasing, but its case-fatality rate is decreasing, suggesting a lesser severity of illness. The clinical importance of patients with pulmonary embolism isolated to the subsegmental vessels is unknown. To determine the rate of recurrent venous thromboembolism in patients with subsegmental pulmonary embolism managed without anticoagulation. Multicenter prospective cohort study. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01455818). Eighteen sites between February 2011 and February 2021. Patients with isolated subsegmental pulmonary embolism. At diagnosis, patients underwent bilateral lower-extremity venous ultrasonography, which was repeated 1 week later if results were negative. Patients without deep venous thrombosis did not receive anticoagulant therapy. The primary outcome was recurrent venous thromboembolism during the 90-day follow-up period. Recruitment was stopped prematurely because the predefined stopping rule was met after 292 of a projected 300 patients were enrolled. Of the 266 patients included in the primary analysis, the primary outcome occurred in 8 patients, for a cumulative incidence of 3.1% (95% CI, 1.6% to 6.1%) over the 90-day follow-up. The incidence of recurrent venous thromboembolism was 2.1% (CI, 0.8% to 5.5%) and 5.7% (CI, 2.2% to 14.4%) over the 90-day follow-up in patients with single and multiple isolated subsegmental pulmonary embolism, respectively. No patients had a fatal recurrent pulmonary embolism. The study was restricted to patients with low-risk subsegmental pulmonary embolism. Overall, patients with subsegmental pulmonary embolism who did not have proximal deep venous thrombosis had a higher-than-expected rate of recurrent venous thromboembolism. Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and French Ministry of Health Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique.

Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for resectable cholangiocarcinoma.

Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for resectable cholangiocarcinoma.

Cyclophosphamide added to glucocorticoids in acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (EXAFIP): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial

The use of cyclophosphamide in patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is unknown. Our study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of four cyclophosphamide pulses in addition to high-dose methylprednisolone in this population. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 35 departments across 31 hospitals in France, adult patients (≥18 years) with acute exacerbation of IPF and those with suspected acute exacerbation of IPF were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio using a web-based system to receive either intravenous pulses of cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m2) plus uromitexan as haemorrhagic cystitis prophylaxis (200 mg/m2) at the time of cyclophosphamide administration and then again, 4 h later, or placebo at days 0, 15, 30, and 60. Random assignment was stratified according to the severity of IPF and was block-balanced with variable block sizes of four or six patients. Patients receiving mechanical ventilation, with active infection, with active cancer, or who were registered on the lung transplant waiting list were excluded. All patients received standardised high-dose glucocorticoids. The investigators, patients, and the sponsor were masked to the treatment assignments. The primary endpoint was 3-month all-cause mortality, analysed by a χ2 test adhering to an intention-to-treat principle. The trial is now complete and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02460588. Between Jan 22, 2016, and July 19, 2018, 183 patients were assessed for eligibility, of whom 120 patients were randomly assigned and 119 patients (62 [52%] with severe IPF) received at least one dose of cyclophosphamide (n=60) or placebo (n=59), all of whom were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The 3-month all-cause mortality was 45% (27/60) in patients given cyclophosphamide compared with 31% (18/59) in the placebo group (difference 14·5% [95% CI -3·1 to 31·6]; p=0·10). Similar results were found after adjustment by IPF severity (odds ratio [OR] 1·89 [95% CI 0·89-4·04]). The risk of death at 3 months, independent of the treatment received, was higher with severe than non-severe IPF (OR 2·62 [1·12-6·12]) and was lower with the use of antifibrotic therapy (OR 0·33 [0·13-0·82]). Adverse events were similar between groups by 6 months (25 [42%] in the cyclophosphamide group vs 30 [51%] in the placebo group) and their proportion, including infections, did not differ. Overall infection was the main adverse event and occurred in 20 (33%) of 60 patients in the cyclophosphamide group versus 21 (36%) of 59 patients in the placebo group. In patients with acute exacerbation of IPF, adding intravenous cyclophosphamide pulses to glucocorticoids increased 3-month mortality. These findings provide evidence against the use of intravenous cyclophosphamide in such patients. Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique of the French Ministry of Health (PHRC 2014-502), Roche Pharmaceuticals.

Antibiotic Therapy for 6 or 12 Weeks for Prosthetic Joint Infection

BackgroundThe management of prosthetic joint infection usually consists of a combination of surgery and antimicrobial therapy. The appropriate duration of antimicrobial therapy for this indication remains unclear.MethodsWe performed an open-label, randomized, controlled, noninferiority trial to compare 6 weeks with 12 weeks of antibiotic therapy in patients with microbiologically confirmed prosthetic joint infection that had been managed with an appropriate surgical procedure. The primary outcome was persistent infection (defined as the persistence or recurrence of infection with the initial causative bacteria, with an antibiotic susceptibility pattern that was phenotypically indistinguishable from that at enrollment) within 2 years after the completion of antibiotic therapy. Noninferiority of 6 weeks of therapy to 12 weeks of therapy would be shown if the upper boundary of the 95% confidence interval for the absolute between-group difference (the value in the 6-week group minus the value in the 12-week group) in the percentage of patients with persistent infection within 2 years was not greater than 10 percentage points.ResultsA total of 410 patients from 28 French centers were randomly assigned to receive antibiotic therapy for 6 weeks (205 patients) or for 12 weeks (205 patients). Six patients who withdrew consent were not included in the analysis. In the main analysis, 20 patients who died during follow-up were excluded, and missing outcomes for 6 patients who were lost to follow-up were considered to be persistent infection. Persistent infection occurred in 35 of 193 patients (18.1%) in the 6-week group and in 18 of 191 patients (9.4%) in the 12-week group (risk difference, 8.7 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, 1.8 to 15.6); thus, noninferiority was not shown. Noninferiority was also not shown in the per-protocol and sensitivity analyses. We found no evidence of between-group differences in the percentage of patients with treatment failure due to a new infection, probable treatment failure, or serious adverse events.ConclusionsAmong patients with microbiologically confirmed prosthetic joint infections that were managed with standard surgical procedures, antibiotic therapy for 6 weeks was not shown to be noninferior to antibiotic therapy for 12 weeks and resulted in a higher percentage of patients with unfavorable outcomes. (Funded by Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique, French Ministry of Health; DATIPO ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01816009.)

Comparison of two delayed strategies for renal replacement therapy initiation for severe acute kidney injury (AKIKI 2): a multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled trial

Delaying renal replacement therapy (RRT) for some time in critically ill patients with severe acute kidney injury and no severe complication is safe and allows optimisation of the use of medical devices. Major uncertainty remains concerning the duration for which RRT can be postponed without risk. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that a more-delayed initiation strategy would result in more RRT-free days, compared with a delayed strategy. This was an unmasked, multicentre, prospective, open-label, randomised, controlled trial done in 39 intensive care units in France. We monitored critically ill patients with severe acute kidney injury (defined as Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes stage 3) until they had oliguria for more than 72 h or a blood urea nitrogen concentration higher than 112 mg/dL. Patients were then randomly assigned (1:1) to either a strategy (delayed strategy) in which RRT was started just after randomisation or to a more-delayed strategy. With the more-delayed strategy, RRT initiation was postponed until mandatory indication (noticeable hyperkalaemia or metabolic acidosis or pulmonary oedema) or until blood urea nitrogen concentration reached 140 mg/dL. The primary outcome was the number of days alive and free of RRT between randomisation and day 28 and was done in the intention-to-treat population. The study is registered with ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT03396757 and is completed. Between May 7, 2018, and Oct 11, 2019, of 5336 patients assessed, 278 patients underwent randomisation; 137 were assigned to the delayed strategy and 141 to the more-delayed strategy. The number of complications potentially related to acute kidney injury or to RRT were similar between groups. The median number of RRT-free days was 12 days (IQR 0-25) in the delayed strategy and 10 days (IQR 0-24) in the more-delayed strategy (p=0·93). In a multivariable analysis, the hazard ratio for death at 60 days was 1·65 (95% CI 1·09-2·50, p=0·018) with the more-delayed versus the delayed strategy. The number of complications potentially related to acute kidney injury or renal replacement therapy did not differ between groups. In severe acute kidney injury patients with oliguria for more than 72 h or blood urea nitrogen concentration higher than 112 mg/dL and no severe complication that would mandate immediate RRT, longer postponing of RRT initiation did not confer additional benefit and was associated with potential harm. Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique.

Aneurysm Recanalisation after Coiling is Affected by Current Cigarette Smoking

Background: Cigarette smoking is associated with intracranial aneurysm growth and rupture, but its impact on recanalisation after aneurysm coiling is controversial. Methods: The Analysis of Recanalisation after Endovascular Treatment of intracranial Aneurysm (ARETA) study is a prospective, multicentre cohort study evaluating the association between cigarette smoking and aneurysm recanalisation after endovascular treatment. The current analysis is focused on patients treated by coiling or balloon-assisted coiling (BAC). Patient demographics, aneurysm characteristics, and endovascular techniques were recorded. Postoperative and mid-term vascular imaging were independently evaluated by two neuroradiologists using a 3-grade scale: complete occlusion, neck remnant, and aneurysm remnant. Evolution of aneurysm occlusion was evaluated by directly comparing postoperative and mid-term vascular imaging using a 3-grade scale: improved, stable, and worsened. Recanalisation was defined as any worsening of aneurysm occlusion. Findings: Between December 2013 and May 2015, 16 French neurointerventional departments enrolled 1289 patients (1359 treated aneurysms). A total of 945 aneurysms in 908 patients were treated with coiling or BAC. The overall rate of aneurysm recanalisation at mid-term follow-up was 29·5% (95% confidence interval [CI] [26·6-32·4]). Multivariate analyses identified one patient factor independently associated with recanalisation: current smoking (36·6% in current smokers versus 24·5% in current non-smokers (Odds ratio [OR] 1·8 [1·3-2·4]; p=0·0001). Two aneurysm factors were also independently associated with recanalisation: ruptured status (31·9% in ruptured aneurysms versus 25·1% in unruptured (OR 1·5 [1·1-2·1]; p=0·006), and size (48·8% in aneurysms ≥10 mm versus 26·5% in aneurysms <10 mm (OR 2·6 [1·8-3·9]; p<0·0001). Interpretation: Current smoking is associated with higher rate of aneurysm recanalisation after coiling. Patients should be strongly supported to stop smoking after aneurysm coiling. Trial Registration: The ARETA study was sponsored and entirely funded by the French Ministry of Health in a PHRC (Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique, No. 12-001-0372) and registered on www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01942512). Funding: The study was sponsored and funded by the French Ministry of Health. Declaration of Interest: LP reports grants from the French Health Ministry during the study, and personal fees from Balt, Microvention, Phenox, Vesalio, and Perflow outside the submitted work. FE reports personal fees from Biomodex SA consultancy outside the submitted work. GM reports personal fees from Medtronic and Microvention, outside the submitted work. LS reports personal fees from Medtronic, Microvention, and Balt outside the submitted work. PW reports grants from Medtronic, Penumbra, Stryker, and Microvention, and personal fees from Microvention outside the submitted work. All other authors have nothing to disclose. Ethical Approval: ARETA has been approved by the Consultative Committee of Information Processing in Health Care Research Program and the National Commission for Data Processing and Freedom

Cumulative Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Associated Risk Factors Among Frontline Health Care Workers in Paris, France: The SEROCOV Prospective Cohort Study

Background: With the COVID-19 pandemic, documenting whether health care workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 contamination and identifying risk factors is of major concern.Methods: In this multicenter prospective cohort study, HCWs from COVID-19 frontline departments were included in March and April 2020 and followed for 3 months. SARS-CoV-2 serology was performed at month 0 (M0), M1, and M3 and RT-PCR in case of symptoms. The primary outcome was laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (positive serology and/or positive RT-PCR result) at M3. Secondary outcomes were positive serology for SARS-CoV-2 at M0, M1 and M3. Risk factors of laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection at M3 were identified by multivariate logistic regression.Findings: Among 1,062 HCWs (median [interquartile range] age, 33 [28-42] years; 758 [71.4%] women; 321 [30.2%] physicians), the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection at M3 was 14.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] [12.5; 16.9]). Seroprevalence at M0, M1, and M3 was 5.9% [4.7; 7.5], 12.9% [10.9; 15.1] and 13.0% [11.1; 15.2], respectively. Risk factors were the working department specialty, with increased risk for intensive care units (odds ratio 1.80, 95%CI [0.38; 8.58]), emergency departments (3.91 [0.83; 18.43]) and infectious diseases departments (4.22 [0.92; 18.28]); active smoking was associated with reduced risk (0.36 [0.21; 0.63]). Age, sex, professional category, number of years of experience in the job or department, and public transportation use were not significantly associated with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection at M3.Interpretation: The rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection in frontline HCWs was 14.6% at the end of the first COVID-19 wave in Paris and occurred mainly early. Seroprevalence in May was higher than in the general population. The study argues for an origin of professional in addition to private life contamination and therefore including HCWs in the first-line vaccination target population. It also highlights that smokers were at lower risk.Trial Registration: The study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04304690Funding Statement: The sponsor of the study was Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), with study management by URC Pitié-Salpêtrière. This study was funded by the French Ministry of Health (Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique) and the French Agency for Research (Fond d’amorçage de l’Agence National pour la Recherche).Declaration of Interests: None to declare. Ethics Approval Statement: The SEROCOV study was approved by the ethics committee (CPP Sud-Ouest et Outre-Mer I, approval no. 2-20-023 id7257) and all participants signed informed consent before inclusion.

Effect of anakinra versus usual care in adults in hospital with COVID-19 and mild-to-moderate pneumonia (CORIMUNO-ANA-1): a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundPatients with COVID-19 pneumonia have an excess of inflammation and increased concentrations of cytokines including interleukin-1 (IL-1). We aimed to determine whether anakinra, a recombinant human IL-1 receptor antagonist, could improve outcomes in patients in hospital with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 pneumonia.MethodsIn this multicentre, open-label, Bayesian randomised clinical trial (CORIMUNO-ANA-1), nested within the CORIMUNO-19 cohort, we recruited patients from 16 University hospitals in France with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection confirmed by real-time RT-PCR, requiring at least 3 L/min of oxygen by mask or nasal cannula but without ventilation assistance, a score of 5 on the WHO Clinical Progression Scale (WHO-CPS), and a C-reactive protein serum concentration of more than 25 mg/L not requiring admission to the intensive care unit at admission to hospital. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) using a web-based secure centralised system, stratified by centre and blocked with varying block sizes (randomly of size two or four), to either usual care plus anakinra (200 mg twice a day on days 1–3, 100 mg twice on day 4, 100 mg once on day 5) or usual care alone. Usual care was provided at the discretion of the site clinicians. The two coprimary outcomes were the proportion of patients who had died or needed non-invasive or mechanical ventilation by day 4 (ie, a score of >5 on the WHO-CPS) and survival without need for mechanical or non-invasive ventilation (including high-flow oxygen) at day 14. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04341584, and is now closed to accrual.FindingsBetween April 8 and April 26, 2020, we screened 153 patients. The study was stopped early following the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring board, after the recruitment of 116 patients: 59 were assigned to the anakinra group, and 57 were assigned to the usual care group. Two patients in the usual care group withdrew consent and were not analysed. In the analysable population, the median age was 66 years (IQR 59 to 76) and 80 (70%) participants were men. In the anakinra group, 21 (36%) of 59 patients had a WHO-CPS score of more than 5 at day 4 versus 21 (38%) of 55 in the usual care group (median posterior absolute risk difference [ARD] −2·5%, 90% credible interval [CrI] −17·1 to 12·0), with a posterior probability of ARD of less than 0 (ie, anakinra better than usual care) of 61·2%. At day 14, 28 (47%; 95% CI 33 to 59) patients in the anakinra group and 28 (51%; 95% CI 36 to 62) in the usual care group needed ventilation or died, with a posterior probability of any efficacy of anakinra (hazard ratio [HR] being less than 1) of 54·5% (median posterior HR 0·97; 90% CrI 0·62 to 1·52). At day 90, 16 (27%) patients in the anakinra group and 15 (27%) in the usual care group had died. Serious adverse events occurred in 27 (46%) patients in the anakinra group and 21 (38%) in the usual care group (p=0·45).InterpretationAnakinra did not improve outcomes in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 pneumonia. Further studies are needed to assess the efficacy of anakinra in other selected groups of patients with more severe COVID-19.FundingThe Ministry of Health, Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique, Foundation for Medical Research, and AP-HP Foundation.

Neonatal Listeriosis Presentation and Outcome: A Prospective Study of 189 Cases

Background: Listeriosis is caused by the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. It can present as a maternal-neonatal infection. We implemented the nationwide prospective cohort MONALISA and analyzed the features of neonatal listeriosis. Methods: We studied all neonates born alive from mothers with microbiologically-proven maternal-neonatal listeriosis enrolled from November 2009 to December 2017. We analyzed presentation, neonatal outcome at discharge and predictors of severe presentation and outcome. Findings: We studied 189 infants. 133/189 (70%) had abnormal clinical status at birth, including acute respiratory distress in 106/189 (56%). 132/189 (70%) infants developed early-onset listeriosis and 12/189 (6%) late onset listeriosis who all presented with acute meningitis. 17/189 (9%) had major adverse outcomes: 3% death (5/189), 6% (12/189) severe brain injury, 2% (3/189) severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, 15/17 in infants born < 34 weeks of gestation (p < 0·0001 versus infants born ≥ 34 weeks of gestation). Maternal antimicrobial treatment ≥1 day before delivery was associated with a significant decrease of infants’ severity (resulting in significantly less inotropic drugs, fluid resuscitation, or mechanical ventilation requirement), OR 0·23 [95% confidence interval CI 0·09-0·51], p < 0·0001). Interpretation: Antenatal maternal antimicrobial treatment is associated with reduced neonatal listeriosis severity, justifying the prescription of preemptive maternal antimicrobial therapy when maternal-fetal listeriosis is suspected. Neonatal outcome is better than reported earlier, and its major determinant is gestational age at birth. Trial Registration: The study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01520597). Funding Statement: Institut Pasteur, Inserm, French Public Health Agency, Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique. Declaration of Interests: None to declare Ethics Approval Statement: All mothers provided written informed consent. In accordance with French legislation, the MONALISA Study received institutional review board approval by a local ethics committee (Comite de protection des personnes, Ile de France -3, Nov 6 2009).

The GETUG SEMITEP Trial: De-Escalating Chemotherapy in Good-Risk Metastatic Seminoma Based on Early FDG-PET/CT

The GETUG SEMITEP Trial: De-Escalating Chemotherapy in Good-Risk Metastatic Seminoma Based on Early FDG-PET/CT

Low-Dose IL-2 for Treating Moderate to Severe Alopecia Areata: A 52-Week Multicenter Prospective Placebo-Controlled Study Assessing its Impact on T Regulatory Cell and NK Cell Populations

Low-Dose IL-2 for Treating Moderate to Severe Alopecia Areata: A 52-Week Multicenter Prospective Placebo-Controlled Study Assessing its Impact on T Regulatory Cell and NK Cell Populations

GnRH stimulation testing and serum inhibin B in males: insufficient specificity for discriminating between congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism from constitutional delay of growth and puberty.

Are GnRH tests and serum inhibin B levels sufficiently discriminating to distinguish transient constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) from congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) that affects reproductive health for life? Both parameters lack the specificity to discriminate CDGP from CHH. GnRH tests and inhibin B levels have been proposed to differentiate CDGP from CHH. However, their diagnostic accuracies have been hampered by the small numbers of CHH included and enrichment of CHH patients with more severe forms. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of GnRH tests and inhibin B measurements in a large cohort of CHH male patients with the whole reproductive spectrum. From 2008 to 2018, 232 males were assessed: 127 with CHH, 74 with CDGP and 31 healthy controls. The participants were enrolled in two French academic referral centres. The following measurements were taken: testicular volume (TV), serum testosterone, inhibin B, LH and FSH, both at baseline and following the GnRH test. Among CHH patients, the LH response to the GnRH test was very variable and correlated with TV. Among CDGP patients, the LH peak was also variable and 47% of CHH patients had peak LH levels overlapping with the CDGP group. However, no patients with CDGP had an LH peak below 4.0 IU/l, while 53% CHH patients had LH peak below this threshold. Among CHH patients, inhibin B levels were also variable and correlated with TV and peak LH. Inhibin B was significantly lower in CHH patients than in CDGP patients but 50% of CHH values overlapped with CDGP values. Interestingly, all patients with CDGP had inhibin B levels above 35 pg/ml but 50% of CHH patients also had levels above this threshold. As CHH is very rare, an international study would be necessary to recruit a larger CHH cohort and consolidate the conclusion reached here. Peak LH and basal inhibin B levels are variable in both CHH and CDGP with significant overlap. Both parameters lack specificity and sensitivity to efficiently discriminate CHH from CDGP. This reflects the varying degree of gonadotropin deficiency inherent to CHH. These two diagnostic procedures may misdiagnose partial forms of isolated (non-syndromic) CHH, allowing them to be erroneously considered as CDGP. This study was funded by Agence Française de Lutte contre le Dopage: Grant Hypoproteo AFLD-10 (to J.Y.); Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR): Grant ANR-09-GENO-017-01 (to J.Y.); European Cooperation in Science and Technology, COST Action BM1105; Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique (PHRC), French Ministry of Health: PHRC-2009 HYPO-PROTEO (to J.Y.); and Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique (PHRC) "Variété", French Ministry of Health, N° P081216/IDRCB 2009-A00892-55 (to P.C.). There are no competing interests. N/A.