Correction to: Prenatal attachment: Using measurement invariance to test the validity of comparisons across eight culturally diverse countries

Archives of Women's Mental Health - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-021-01122-7     

Anomalous coronary circulation: left anterior descending and left circumflex coronary arteries arising from the right sinus of valsalva

Approximately 1% of adults who undergo cardiac catheterization have coronary anomalies. Patients may present with chest pain, arrhythmias, presyncope, and sometimes sudden cardiac death. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is an excellent tool for identifying coronary artery anomalies and defining their course and relationship to the great vessels and surrounding structures; its value is incremental to conventional angiography. We present a rare case of a coronary anomaly involving three separate ostia at the right sinus of Valsalva for the left and right coronary vessels.     

Structure modeling and docking study of HCV NS5B-3a RNA polymerase for the identification of potent inhibitors

Homology modeling in combination with molecular docking studies has been applied to predict the binding modes of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5B-3a inhibitors within the pocket of NS5B polymerase of HCV genotype 3a. Structure modeling and docking using Genetic Optimization for Ligand Docking (GOLD) were carried out to understand the ligand binding properties of NS5B-3a and to identify a potent inhibitor against it. The three-dimensional homology model of Pakistani strain is not available and was built based on the HCV-J4 NS5B polymerase structure. Compound 1 possessing high GOLD fitness score of 62.17 with IC50 value of 0.04 μM was selected as the potent inhibitor. The docking analysis depicted that hydrogen bonding, ionic and hydrophobic interactions contributed significantly for its ligand binding and the amino acid residues Arg442 and His403 seemed to be the anchor residues for receptor recognition. For developing a connection between the experimental bioactivities and GOLD fitness scores, a squared correlation coefficient was calculated and found as acceptable with the value of r ² = 0.67. These findings may act as potent lead in designing effective NS5B-3a inhibitors.     

Treatment of AL Amyloidosis: Mayo Stratification of Myeloma and Risk-Adapted Therapy (mSMART) Consensus Statement 2020 Update

Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a clonal plasma cell disorder leading to progressive and life-threatening organ failure. The heart and the kidneys are the most commonly involved organs, but almost any organ can be involved. Because of the nonspecific presentation, diagnosis delay is common, and many patients are diagnosed with advanced organ failure. In the era of effective therapies and improved outcomes for patients with AL amyloidosis, the importance of early recognition is further enhanced as the ability to reverse organ dysfunction is limited in those with a profound organ failure. As AL amyloidosis is an uncommon disorder and given patients’ frailty and high early death rate, management of this complex condition is challenging. The treatment of AL amyloidosis is based on various anti–plasma cell therapies. These therapies are borrowed and customized from the treatment of multiple myeloma, a more common disorder. However, a growing number of phase 2/3 studies dedicated to the AL amyloidosis population are being performed, making treatment decisions more evidence-based. Supportive care is an integral part of management of AL amyloidosis because of the inherent organ dysfunction, limiting the delivery of effective therapy. This extensive review brings an updated summary on the management of AL amyloidosis, sectioned into the 3 pillars for survival improvement: early disease recognition, anti–plasma cell therapy, and supportive care.     

Malignant gastroparesis: pathogenesis and management of an underrecognized disorder

Gastroparesis is a disorder of the stomach caused by delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction. Symptoms of gastroparesis include nausea, vomiting, early satiety, bloating, and abdominal discomfort. Gastroparesis has been described as a complication of several malignancies, including gastric, pancreatic, gallbladder, esophageal, and lung cancers, as well as leiomyosarcoma.The prevalence of malignant gastroparesis (MG) is unknown, and this entity is widely underrecognized and undertreated. Diabetes mellitus is the most common identifiable cause of benign gastroparesis, ie, gastroparesis occurring in the absence of an underlying malignant pathology. In the setting of malignancy, gastroparesis may result from the cancer itself or may be a complication of its treatment with such modalities as surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. Coexisting conditions, including diabetes, hypothyroidism, and neurologic diseases, may further exacerbate MG. The pathogenesis of MG is not clearly understood at present. However, mechanisms suggested in the literature include postvagotomy syndrome, malignant infiltration of the autonomic nervous system, and paraneoplastic dysmotility with autoantibody-mediated destruction of the enteric nervous system (the interstitial cells of Cajal, also called the intrinsic pacemaker of the gastrointestinal tract, or the myenteric plexus). Appropriate treatment of MG may help to avoid serious consequences, such as cancer cachexia, intolerance of oral anticancer agents, dehydration, and hospitalization. In this article, we will describe our institutional experience with MG and will provide a concise review of the literature. Guidelines for management will be suggested.     

Trends in Early Mortality From Multiple Myeloma: A Population-Based Analysis

IntroductionDespite significant improvements in multiple myeloma (MM) treatment modalities, patient mortality early in the course of disease has been identified as a persistent phenomenon with variable reported rates and causes. Trends in early mortality over time have not been clearly defined.Patients and MethodsThe Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database was used to identify adult patients with MM between 1975 and 2015. Association of available sociodemographic factors with all-cause and MM-specific early mortality (death within 6 months after the diagnosis of MM) was conducted by multivariate analysis. Trends in early mortality were studied by joinpoint regression analysis.ResultsOf the 90,975 MM cases included in this analysis, early mortality was noted in 21%. Median age was 68 years overall, and 75 years for the early mortality cohort (P < .01). The most common causes of death for early mortality were MM itself, followed by cardiovascular, infections, and renal failure. Male gender, “other” race/ethnicity group, advancing age, and West, Midwest or South regions (reference Northeast) were associated with increased risk of both all-cause and MM-specific early mortality. Joinpoint regression analysis of trends data resulted in 1 joinpoint for all-cause 6-month mortality (2006-2015), while 2 joinpoints were noticed for myeloma-specific 6-month mortality (1975-1987 and 2003-2015).ConclusionEarly mortality remains a significant unmet need for MM patient care, despite improving trends in recent years. Understanding the factors associated with early mortality can help develop individualized plans of patient care and mitigate circumstances that may contribute to early mortality among MM patients.     

Bendamustine and rituximab (BR) versus dexamethasone,rituximab, and cyclophosphamide (DRC) in patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia

The treatment approaches for Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) are largely based upon information from single-arm phase II trials, without comparative data. We compared the efficacy of two commonly used regimens in routine practice (bendamustine-rituximab (BR) and dexamethasone, rituximab plus cyclophosphamide (DRC)) and evaluated their activity with respect to the patients’ MYD88^L265P mutation status. Of 160 consecutive patients, 60 received BR (43 with relapsed/refractory WM) and 100 received DRC (50 had relapsed/refractory WM). In the treatment-naïve setting, overall response rate (ORR) was 93% with BR versus 96% with DRC (p?=?0.55). Two-year progression-free survival (PFS) with BR and DRC was 88 and 61%, respectively (p?=?0.07). In salvage setting, ORR was 95% with BR versus 87% with DRC, p?=?0.45; median PFS with BR was 58 versus 32 months with DRC (2-year PFS was 66 versus 53%; p?=?0.08). Median disease-specific survival was not reached with BR versus 166 months with DRC (p?=?0.51). The time-to-event endpoints and depth of response were independent of the MYD88 mutation status. Grade ≥?3 adverse events of both regimens were comparable. A trend for longer PFS was observed with BR although the regimens have comparable toxicities. The activity of BR and DRC appears to be unaffected by patients’ MYD88 mutation status.     

What Research Questions Should the Next Generation of Birth Cohort Studies Address? An International Delphi Study of Experts

ObjectiveBirth cohort studies (BCS) have generated a wealth of invaluable basic scientific and policy-relevant information on a wide range of issues in child health and development. This study sought to explore what research questions are currently a priority for the next generation of BCS using a 3-round Delphi survey of interdisciplinary experts.MethodsTwenty-four (Round I, N = 17; Round II, N = 21; Round III, N = 18) experts across a wide range of fields (eg, psychology, public health, and maternal/child health) agreed to participate. In Round I, the expert panel was invited to freely respond to the question, “what are the key scientific questions future birth cohort studies should address?” Content analysis of answers was used to identify 47 questions for rating on perceived importance by the panel in Round II and consensus-achieving questions were identified. Questions that did not reach consensus in Round II were posed again for expert re-rating in Round III.ResultsTwenty six of 47 questions reached consensus in Round II, with an additional 6 reaching consensus in Round III. Consensus-achieving questions rated highly on importance spanned a number of topics, including environmental effects on child development, intergenerational transmission of disadvantage, and designing BCS to inform intervention strategies.ConclusionInvestigating the effects of family/environmental factors and social disadvantage on a child's development should be prioritized in designing future BCS. The panel also recommended that future BCS are designed to inform intervention strategies.