Showing papers by "Elizabeth J. Atkinson published in 2022"

Comprehensive assessment of multimorbidity burden in a population-based cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract: Objective To comprehensively assess multimorbidity burden in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in order to unify the multimorbidity definition for RA research and clinical practice. Methods In this population-based study, residents of eight Minnesota counties with prevalent RA on 1 January 2015 were identified. Age, sex and county-matched non-RA comparators were selected from the same population. Diagnostic codes were retrieved for 5 years before 1 January 2015. Using two codes ≥30 days apart, 44 previously defined morbidities and 78 non-overlapping chronic disease categories based on Clinical Classification Software were defined. Prevalence of each morbidity in the RA versus non-RA cohorts was compared using false discovery rate to adjust for multiple comparisons. Morbidities more common in RA than non-RA and those with prevalence ≥5% were retained. Results 1643 patients with RA and 1643 non-RA subjects (72% women; mean age 63.1 years) were studied. Using the 44 morbidities, multimorbidity (defined as 2+ morbidities) was present in 1411 (86%) of RA and 1164 (71%) of non-RA subjects (p<0.001) with 5+ morbidities present in 907 (55%) of RA and 619 (38%) of non-RA (p<0.001). Patients with RA had significantly higher prevalence of 24 of the 44 morbidities compared with non-RA, especially interstitial lung disease, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Among the additional 78 categories, 7 were significantly higher in RA than non-RA, including organic sleep disorders, vitamin D deficiency and foot ulcers. Conclusion Patients with RA have a higher prevalence of multimorbidity compared with non-RA subjects. These results confirm the list of 44 morbidities and add several other morbidities of interest in RA.

Associations between biomarkers of cellular senescence and physical function in humans: observations from the lifestyle interventions for elders (LIFE) study

Abstract: Abstract Cellular senescence is a plausible mediator of age-associated declines in physical performance. To test this premise, we examined cross-sectional associations between circulating components of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and measures of physical function and muscle strength in 1377 older adults. We showed significant associations between multiple SASP proteins and the short physical performance battery (SPPB), its subcomponents (gait speed, balance, chair rise time), and 400-m walk time. Activin A, ICAM1, MMP7, VEGFA, and eotaxin showed strong associations based on gradient boost machine learning (GBM), and, when combined with other proteins, effectively identified participants at the greatest risk for mobility disability (SPPB score $$\le$$ ≤ 7). Senescence biomarkers were also associated with lower grip strength, and GBM identified PARC, ADAMTS13, and RANTES as top candidates in females, and MMP2, SOST, and MCP1 in males. These findings highlight an association between senescence biomarkers and physical performance in older adults. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01072500.

Clinical predictors of response to methotrexate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a machine learning approach using clinical trial data

Abstract: Abstract Background Methotrexate is the preferred initial disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, clinically useful tools for individualized prediction of response to methotrexate treatment in patients with RA are lacking. We aimed to identify clinical predictors of response to methotrexate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using machine learning methods. Methods Randomized clinical trials (RCT) of patients with RA who were DMARD-naïve and randomized to placebo plus methotrexate were identified and accessed through the Clinical Study Data Request Consortium and Vivli Center for Global Clinical Research Data. Studies with available Disease Activity Score with 28-joint count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) at baseline and 12 and 24 weeks were included. Latent class modeling of methotrexate response was performed. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and random forests methods were used to identify predictors of response. Results A total of 775 patients from 4 RCTs were included (mean age 50 years, 80% female). Two distinct classes of patients were identified based on DAS28-ESR change over 24 weeks: “good responders” and “poor responders.” Baseline DAS28-ESR, anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA), and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score were the top predictors of good response using LASSO (area under the curve [AUC] 0.79) and random forests (AUC 0.68) in the external validation set. DAS28-ESR ≤ 7.4, ACPA positive, and HAQ ≤ 2 provided the highest likelihood of response. Among patients with 12-week DAS28-ESR > 3.2, ≥ 1 point improvement in DAS28-ESR baseline-to-12-week was predictive of achieving DAS28-ESR ≤ 3.2 at 24 weeks. Conclusions We have developed and externally validated a prediction model for response to methotrexate within 24 weeks in DMARD-naïve patients with RA, providing variably weighted clinical features and defined cutoffs for clinical decision-making.

Pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A (PAPP‐A) is a key component of an interactive cellular mechanism promoting pulmonary fibrosis

Abstract: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease with few effective treatment options. We found a highly significant correlation between pregnancy‐associated plasma protein (PAPP)‐A expression in IPF lung tissue and disease severity as measured by various pulmonary and physical function tests. PAPP‐A is a metalloproteinase that enhances local insulin‐like growth factor (IGF) activity. We used primary cultures of normal adult human lung fibroblasts (NHLF) to test the hypothesis that PAPP‐A plays an important role in the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Treatment of NHLF with pro‐fibrotic transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β stimulated marked increases in IGF‐I mRNA expression (>20‐fold) and measurable IGF‐I levels in 72‐h conditioned medium (CM). TGF‐β treatment also increased PAPP‐A levels in CM fourfold (p = 0.004) and proteolytic activity ~2‐fold. There was an indirect effect of TGF‐β to stimulate signaling through the PI3K/Akt pathway, which was significantly inhibited by both IGF‐I‐inactivating and PAPP‐A inhibitory antibodies. Induction of senescence in NHLF increased PAPP‐A levels in CM 10‐fold (p = 0.006) with attendant increased proteolytic activity. Thus, PAPP‐A is a novel component of the senescent lung fibroblast secretome. In addition, NHLF secreted extracellular vehicles (EVs) with surface‐bound active PAPP‐A that were increased fivefold with senescence. Regulation of PAPP‐A and IGF signaling by TGF‐β and cell senescence suggests an interactive cellular mechanism underlying the resistance to apoptosis and the progression of fibrosis in IPF. Furthermore, PAPP‐A‐associated EVs may be a means of pro‐fibrotic, pro‐senescent communication with other cells in the lung and, thus, a potential therapeutic target for IPF.

Using Unsupervised Machine Learning Methods to Cluster Comorbidities in a Population‐Based Cohort of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract: To identify clusters of comorbidities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using 4 methods and to compare to patients without RA.

DNA methylation profile of liver tissue in end-stage cholestatic liver disease

Abstract: Aims: In this methylome-wide association study of cholestatic liver diseases (primary sclerosing cholangitis and primary biliary cholangitis), the authors aimed to elucidate changes in methylome and pathway enrichment to identify candidate genes. Patients & methods: Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing was performed on liver tissue from 58 patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (n = 13), primary biliary cholangitis (n = 20), alcoholic liver disease (n = 21) and live liver donors (n = 4). Pathway enrichment and network analysis were used to explore key genes/pathways. Results: Both cholestatic liver diseases were characterized by global hypomethylation, with pathway enrichment demonstrating distinct genes and pathways associated with the methylome. Conclusions: This novel study demonstrated that differential methylation in cholestatic liver disease was associated with unique pathways, suggesting it may drive disease pathogenesis.

PSUN28 Factors Associated with False-positive Fractionated Metanephrines in Plasma and Urine

Abstract: Abstract Context Plasma and 24-hr urine metanephrine (M) and normetanephrine (NM) are the standard of care tests used in the biochemical diagnosis of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL). Considering the rarity of PPGL, false positive (FP) results represent a challenge because they lead to additional investigations, healthcare burden, and uncertainty for the patient. The impact of medications on the rate of FP results is not fully established. Objective We aimed to identify the medications associated with the FP rate of 24-hr urine and plasma M and NM measured by the HPLC-MS/MS method. Methods We conducted a single-center study of patients who had 24-hour urine or plasma M and NM testing between 09/27/2015 and 02/15/2021, and who had a follow-up of at least 6 months. Results were considered FP if M/NM were > upper limit of the normal ranges (ULN) and there was absence of PPGL. Results were considered true negative (TN) when M/NM were within the reference ranges in patients without PPGL. Age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using logistic regression models. Results Plasma M/NM testing was performed in 3152 patients and 24-hr urine M/NM was performed in 2008 patients. The FP rate for the M fraction (plasma: 0.8%, urine: 1.3%) was much lower than the FP rate for NM (plasma: 16%, urine: 4.4%); thus, the impact of medications on FP rate was examined only for NM. In those with FP NM, the median degrees of elevation were 24% (IQR 10-46) >ULN in plasma and 26% (IQR 11-45) >ULN in urine. When compared to patients with TN results, patients with FP plasma NM were more likely to be treated with opioids (OR=1.29, 95%CI, 1.04-1.60), tricyclic antidepressants (OR=1.61, 95%CI,1.14-2.27), serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (OR=1.85, 95%CI, 1.35-2.53), second generation antipsychotics (OR=2.32, 95%CI, 1.28-4.20), but not first generation antipsychotics (OR=1.23, 95% CI, 0.86-1.75) when compared to the TN group. When compared to patients with TN results, patients with FP urine NM were more likely to be treated with opioids (OR=1.96 95%CI, 1.26-3.06), tricyclic antidepressants (OR=2.61, 95%CI, 1.47-4.65), serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (OR=2.20, 95%CI, 1.20-4.02), and both first (OR=3.06, 95%CI, 1.74-5.38) and second generation antipsychotics (OR=2.51, 95%CI, 1.03-6.13). Conclusion The plasma NM FP rate was 16% and 3-fold higher than the same measurement in urine (4.4%). Several classes of medications had a significant impact on the rate of FP NM. Clinicians should consider use of 24-hr urine M and NM in low suspicion cases of PPGL where the diagnosis simply needs to be excluded. Presentation: Sunday, June 12, 2022 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

OR12-4 Metabolic Profiling in Adrenal Tumors Demonstrates Enhanced Chronic Inflammation, Branched Chain Amino Acids and Ketone Bodies, Biomarkers that Predict High Cardiometabolic Risk

Abstract: Abstract Background Patients with adrenal hormone excess demonstrate an increased cardiovascular risk and mortality. We aimed to determine the impact of adrenal hormone excess on the metabolic profile that included plasma lipoproteins, total branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), ketone bodies, and GlycA (a proinflammatory glycoprotein biomarker). Method: We conducted a single-center cross-sectional study of consecutive patients with adrenal adenomas, Cushing syndrome (CS), and pheochromocytoma/paragangliomas (PPGL) between January 2015 and May 2021. Adrenal adenomas comprised nonfunctioning adenomas (NFA), adenomas with mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS), and primary aldosteronism (PA). Malignant and other benign tumors were excluded. Collected fasting plasma samples were measured using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for lipoproteins, BCCA, ketone bodies and GlycA. The results were compared to referent subjects from PREVEND (Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-stage Disease) study. Lipoprotein Insulin Resistance Index (LP-IR) which predicts incident diabetes was calculated based on 6 lipoprotein parameters. Results NFA (n=166, median age 60.1years, 63.3% women), MACS (n=158 (median age 61.8 years, 62. 0% women), CS (n=101, median age 43.8 years, 85.1% women), PA (n=71 (median age 55.8 years, 31. 0% women), PPGL (n=43, median age 55.5 years, 46.5% women) was diagnosed in 539 patients. Referent subjects (n=6540) were younger with a median age of 48.4, 50.2% women. When compared to referent subjects, and after age and sex-adjustment, GlycA was highest in patients with CS (OR 3.3, 95% CI 2.8-3.8), followed by PPGL (OR 2.3, 95%CI 1.8-2.9), MACS (OR 2, 95%CI 1.7-2.3), NFA (OR 1.9, 95%CI 1.7-2.2), and PA (OR 1.5, 95%CI 1.2-1.8). When compared to referent subjects, and after sex- and age adjustment, all patient groups demonstrated increase in BCAA: CS (OR 2.7 (95%CI 2.3-3.2), PPGL (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.8-2.9), NFA (OR 2.4, 95% CI 2.1-2.7), PA (OR 2. 0, 95%CI 1.7-2.5), MACS (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.7-2.6). Total ketone bodies were increased in patients with cortisol excess (OR of 1.4, 95%CI 1.2-1.5 in CS, and OR of 1.2, 95%CI 1-1.3 in MACS) and NFA (OR 1.2, 95%CI 1.1-1.3), but not in PA or PPGL. All patient groups except PPGL were more likely to have a higher LP-IR score. When compared to referent subjects, the highest sex- and age-adjusted LP-IR increase was in patients with CS (OR 1.9 (95%CI 1.5-2.2), followed by MACS (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.7), PA (OR 1.4, 95%CI 1.1-1.8), and NFA (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.7). Conclusion Patient with adrenal adenomas and PPGL demonstrate an increase in GlycA, BCAA, and ketone bodies - biomarkers associated with adverse cardiometabolic disorders and mortality. All patients except those with PPGL also demonstrated a higher LP-IR index that was reported to predict incident diabetes. Patients with NFA demonstrated an adverse metabolic profile similar to patients with MACS. Presentation: Sunday, June 12, 2022 11:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.