Alpha-chloralose poisoning in 25 cats: clinical picture and evaluation of treatment with intravenous lipid emulsion

Objectives The aims of this study were to describe the clinical picture and progression in cats with alpha-chloralose (AC) intoxication and to determine if treatment with intravenous (IV) lipid emulsion (ILE) influenced either the serum concentration of AC or the clinical signs. Methods Cats with suspected AC poisoning admitted to a university small animal hospital were included. The cats were randomised into two groups: one receiving 20% ILE at a dose of 300 mg/kg as a 2 min bolus, followed by a 1500 mg/kg continuous rate infusion over 30 mins (IL+ group) and the other receiving IV fluid therapy with Ringer's acetate (IL- group). Serum samples were drawn at 0, 2, 12 and 24 h after admission. Samples were tested for AC with a novel validated, quantitative, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. Vital and predefined clinical signs were noted at the times of sampling and patients were scored using a previously described intoxication severity score. Telephone interviews were conducted after discharge to assess outcome. Results A total of 25 cats were enrolled: 13 cats in the IL+ group and 12 in the IL- group. The most common clinical signs at presentation were tremor (n = 22, 88.0%), cranial nerve deficits (n = 20, 80.0%) and bradycardia (n = 19, 76.0%). No significant difference in AC concentration or change in intoxication score over time was found between the IL+ and IL- groups at any time point (P >0.05). All cats recovered within 72 h. Conclusions and relevance ILE did not have any effect on the AC serum concentration or clinical signs in AC-poisoned cats. All cats survived until follow-up. In cats with an acute onset of the described neurological signs, AC intoxication is an important differential diagnosis with an excellent prognosis

Alpha-chloralose poisoning in cats: clinical findings in 25 confirmed and 78 suspected cases

Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the clinical picture in cats with alpha-chloralose (AC) intoxication and to confirm AC in serum from suspected cases of AC poisoning. Methods Suspected cases of AC poisoning were identified in patient records from a small animal university hospital from January 2014 to February 2020. Clinical signs of intoxication described in respective records were compiled, the cats were graded into four intoxication severity scores and hospitalisation time and mortality were recorded. Surplus serum from select cases in late 2019 and early 2020 was analysed to detect AC with a quantitative ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis, and the AC concentration was compared with the respective cat's intoxication severity score. Results Serum from 25 cats was available for analysis and AC poisoning was confirmed in all. Additionally, 78 cats with a clinical suspicion of AC intoxication were identified in the patient records, most of which presented from September to April. The most common signs of intoxication were ataxia, tremors, cranial nerve deficits and hyperaesthesia. The prevalence of clinical signs and intoxication severity differed from what has previously been reported, with our population presenting with less severe signs and no deaths due to intoxication. The majority had a hospitalisation time <48 h, irrespective of intoxication severity score. Conclusions and relevance This study describes the clinical signs and prognosis in feline AC intoxication. There were no mortalities in confirmed cases, indicating that AC-poisoned cats have an excellent prognosis when treated in a timely manner. Recognition of AC intoxication as a differential diagnosis for acute onset of the described neurological signs in areas where AC exposure is possible may influence clinical decision-making and help avoid excessive diagnostic procedures. A severe clinical picture upon presentation could be misinterpreted as a grave prognosis and awareness about AC poisoning may avoid unnecessary euthanasia

Development and Validation of a Quantitative UHPLC-MS-MS Method for the Determination of Alpha-Chloralose in Feline Blood and Application on Blood Samples Collected from Cats with Symptoms of Alpha-Chloralose Poisoning

Alpha-chloralose (AC) is used as a rodenticide as well as an anesthetic agent in laboratory animals. It was previously also used as an avicide. Detection of AC in blood samples or in body tissues collected postmortem is key for the diagnosis of clinical cases and a requirement for surveillance of secondary toxicosis, including potential cases in wild animals. Reports on poisoning of humans and non-laboratory animals confirmed by the detection of AC or its metabolites are available, however poisoning of domestic animals are rarely available. Furthermore, reports on clinical cases in domestic animals rarely report quantifications of AC in blood or body tissues. The present study describes the validation of a quantitative Ultrahigh Performance Liquid Chromatography tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-MS-MS) method that can be used in cases of suspected AC poisoning in cats. The validation study showed the method to be fit for purpose. In serum, the limit of quantification was 100 ng/mL and the limit of detection was 30 ng/mL. The new analytical method was applied on blood samples collected from 20 individual cats with a preliminary clinical diagnosis of acute AC poisoning. AC was confirmed in all 20 feline blood samples, and the concentration range of AC was 538-17,500 ng/mL. The quantitative method developed in this study was found to be a fast and selective method for confirmation of AC poisoning using blood samples from cats

High expression of cyclin D1 is associated to high proliferation rate and increased risk of mortality in women with ER-positive but not in ER-negative breast cancers

Cyclin D1 has a central role in cell cycle control and is an important component of estrogen regulation of cell cycle progression. We have previously shown that high cyclin D expression is related to aggressive features of ER-positive but not ER-negative breast cancer. The aims of the present study were to validate this differential ER-related effect and furthermore explore the relationship between cyclin D overexpression and CCND1 gene amplification status in a node-negative breast cancer case-control study. Immunohistochemical nuclear expression of cyclin D1 (n = 364) and amplification of the gene CCND1 by fluorescent in situ hybridization (n = 255) was performed on tissue microarray sections from patients with T1-2N0M0 breast cancer. Patients given adjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. The primary event was defined as breast cancer death. Breast cancer-specific survival was analyzed in univariate and multivariable models using conditional logistic regression. Expression of cyclin D1 above the median (61.7%) in ER breast cancer was associated with an increased risk for breast cancer death (OR 3.2 95% CI 1.5-6.8) also when adjusted for tumor size and grade (OR 3.1). No significant prognostic impact of cyclin D1 expression was found among ER-negative cases. Cyclin D1 overexpression was significantly associated to high expression of the proliferation markers cyclins A (rho 0.19, p = 0.006) and B (rho 0.18, p = 0.003) in ER-positive tumors, but not in ER-negative cases. There was a significant association between CCND1 amplification and cyclin D1 expression (p = 0.003), but CCND1 amplification was not statistically significantly prognostic (HR 1.4, 95% CI 0.4-4.4). We confirmed our previous observation that high cyclin D1 expression is associated to high proliferation and a threefold higher risk of death from breast cancer in ER-positive breast cancer.Peer reviewe

Somatic mTOR mutation in clonally expanded T lymphocytes associated with chronic graft versus host disease

Graft versus host disease (GvHD) is the main complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Here we report studies of a patient with chronic GvHD (cGvHD) carrying persistent CD4(+) T cell clonal expansion harboring somatic mTOR, NFKB2, and TLR2 mutations. In the screening cohort (n=134), we detect the mTOR P2229R kinase domain mutation in two additional cGvHD patients, but not in healthy or HSCT patients without cGvHD. Functional analyses of the mTOR mutation indicate a gain-of-function alteration and activation of both mTORC1 and mTORC2 signaling pathways, leading to increased cell proliferation and decreased apoptosis. Single-cell RNA sequencing and real-time impedance measurements support increased cytotoxicity of mutated CD4(+) T cells. High throughput drug-sensitivity testing suggests that mutations induce resistance to mTOR inhibitors, but increase sensitivity for HSP90 inhibitors. Our findings imply that somatic mutations may contribute to aberrant T cell proliferations and persistent immune activation in cGvHD, thereby paving the way for targeted therapies. Chronic graft versus host disease (cGvHD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Here the authors identify a recurrent activating mTOR mutation in expanded donor T-cell clones of 3 cGvHD patients, which suggests somatic mutations may contribute to GvHD pathogenesis and opens avenues to targeted therapies.Peer reviewe

Somatic mTOR mutation in clonally expanded T lymphocytes associated with chronic graft versus host disease

Graft versus host disease (GvHD) is the main complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Here we report studies of a patient with chronic GvHD (cGvHD) carrying persistent CD4+ T cell clonal expansion harboring somatic mTOR, NFKB2, and TLR2 mutations. In the screening cohort (n = 134), we detect the mTOR P2229R kinase domain mutation in two additional cGvHD patients, but not in healthy or HSCT patients without cGvHD. Functional analyses of the mTOR mutation indicate a gain-of-function alteration and activation of both mTORC1 and mTORC2 signaling pathways, leading to increased cell proliferation and decreased apoptosis. Single-cell RNA sequencing and real-time impedance measurements support increased cytotoxicity of mutated CD4+ T cells. High throughput drug-sensitivity testing suggests that mutations induce resistance to mTOR inhibitors, but increase sensitivity for HSP90 inhibitors. Our findings imply that somatic mutations may contribute to aberrant T cell proliferations and persistent immune activation in cGvHD, thereby paving the way for targeted therapies.</p

The prognostic impact of the tumour stroma fraction: A machine learning-based analysis in 16 human solid tumour types

Background: The development of a reactive tumour stroma is a hallmark of tumour progression and pronounced tumour stroma is generally considered to be associated with clinical aggressiveness. The variability between tumour types regarding stroma fraction, and its prognosis associations, have not been systematically analysed.Methods: Using an objective machine-learning method we quantified the tumour stroma in 16 solid cancer types from 2732 patients, representing retrospective tissue collections of surgically resected primary tumours. Image analysis performed tissue segmentation into stromal and epithelial compartment based on pan-cytokeratin staining and autofluorescence patterns.Findings: The stroma fraction was highly variable within and across the tumour types, with kidney cancer showing the lowest and pancreato-biliary type periampullary cancer showing the highest stroma proportion (median 19% and 73% respectively). Adjusted Cox regression models revealed both positive (pancreato-biliary type periampullary cancer and oestrogen negative breast cancer, HR(95%CI)=0.56(0.34-0.92) and HR (95%CI)=0.41(0.17-0.98) respectively) and negative (intestinal type periampullary cancer, HR(95%CI)=3.59 (1.49-8.62)) associations of the tumour stroma fraction with survival.Interpretation: Our study provides an objective quantification of the tumour stroma fraction across major types of solid cancer. Findings strongly argue against the commonly promoted view of a general associations between high stroma abundance and poor prognosis. The results also suggest that full exploitation of the prognostic potential of tumour stroma requires analyses that go beyond determination of stroma abundance.</p

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background: There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods: Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results: Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion: For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Pooled analysis of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist use and mortality after emergency laparotomy

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has fostered safe practice for 10 years, yet its place in emergency surgery has not been assessed on a global scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate reported checklist use in emergency settings and examine the relationship with perioperative mortality in patients who had emergency laparotomy. Methods In two multinational cohort studies, adults undergoing emergency laparotomy were compared with those having elective gastrointestinal surgery. Relationships between reported checklist use and mortality were determined using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapped simulation. Results Of 12 296 patients included from 76 countries, 4843 underwent emergency laparotomy. After adjusting for patient and disease factors, checklist use before emergency laparotomy was more common in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) (2455 of 2741, 89.6 per cent) compared with that in countries with a middle (753 of 1242, 60.6 per cent; odds ratio (OR) 0.17, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 0.21, P <0001) or low (363 of 860, 422 per cent; OR 008, 007 to 010, P <0.001) HDI. Checklist use was less common in elective surgery than for emergency laparotomy in high-HDI countries (risk difference -94 (95 per cent c.i. -11.9 to -6.9) per cent; P <0001), but the relationship was reversed in low-HDI countries (+121 (+7.0 to +173) per cent; P <0001). In multivariable models, checklist use was associated with a lower 30-day perioperative mortality (OR 0.60, 0.50 to 073; P <0.001). The greatest absolute benefit was seen for emergency surgery in low- and middle-HDI countries. Conclusion Checklist use in emergency laparotomy was associated with a significantly lower perioperative mortality rate. Checklist use in low-HDI countries was half that in high-HDI countries.Peer reviewe