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Item Author Correction: Cross-reactive immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is low in pediatric patients with prior COVID-19 or MIS-C(Springer Nature, 2022-08-12) Tang, Juanjie; Novak, Tanya; Hecker, Julian; Grubbs, Gabrielle; Zahra, Fatema Tuz; Bellusci, Lorenza; Pourhashemi, Sara; Chou, Janet; Moffitt, Kristin; Halasa, Natasha B.; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Walker, Tracie C.; Tarquinio, Keiko M.; Zinter, Matt S.; Staat, Mary A.; Gertz, Shira J.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Loftis, Laura L.; Coates, Bria M.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Irby, Katherine; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Rowan, Courtney M.; Kong, Michele; Flori, Heidi R.; Maddux, Aline B.; Shein, Steven L.; Crandall, Hillary; Hume, Janet R.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Tremoulet, Adriana H.; Shimizu, Chisato; Burns, Jane C.; Chen, Sabrina R.; Moon, Hye Kyung; Lange, Christoph; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Khurana, Surender; Pediatrics, School of MedicineCorrection to: Nature Communications 10.1038/s41467-022-30649-1, published online 27 May 2022Item Changes in Distribution of Severe Neurologic Involvement in US Pediatric Inpatients With COVID-19 or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children in 2021 vs 2020(American Medical Association, 2023) LaRovere, Kerri L.; Poussaint, Tina Y.; Young, Cameron C.; Newhams, Margaret M.; Kucukak, Suden; Irby, Katherine; Kong, Michele; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Walker, Tracie C.; Bembea, Melania M.; Wellnitz, Kari; Havlin, Kevin M.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Hall, Mark W.; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Halasa, Natasha B.; Singh, Aalok R.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Bradford, Tamara T.; Gertz, Shira J.; Schwarz, Adam J.; Typpo, Katri V.; Loftis, Laura L.; Giuliano, John S., Jr.; Horwitz, Steven M.; Biagas, Katherine V.; Clouser, Katharine N.; Rowan, Courtney M.; Maddux, Aline B.; Soma, Vijaya L.; Babbitt, Christopher J.; Aguiar, Cassyanne L.; Kolmar, Amanda R.; Heidemann, Sabrina M.; Harvey, Helen; Zambrano, Laura D.; Campbell, Angela P.; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators; Pediatrics, School of MedicineImportance: In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, neurologic involvement was common in children and adolescents hospitalized in the United States for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-related complications. Objective: To provide an update on the spectrum of SARS-CoV-2-related neurologic involvement among children and adolescents in 2021. Design, setting, and participants: Case series investigation of patients reported to public health surveillance hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2-related illness between December 15, 2020, and December 31, 2021, in 55 US hospitals in 31 states with follow-up at hospital discharge. A total of 2253 patients were enrolled during the investigation period. Patients suspected of having multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) who did not meet criteria (n = 85) were excluded. Patients (<21 years) with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and/or antibody) meeting criteria for MIS-C or acute COVID-19 were included in the analysis. Exposure: SARS-CoV-2 infection. Main outcomes and measures: Patients with neurologic involvement had acute neurologic signs, symptoms, or diseases on presentation or during hospitalization. Life-threatening neurologic involvement was adjudicated by experts based on clinical and/or neuroradiological features. Type and severity of neurologic involvement, laboratory and imaging data, vaccination status, and hospital discharge outcomes (death or survival with new neurologic deficits). Results: Of 2168 patients included (58% male; median age, 10.3 years), 1435 (66%) met criteria for MIS-C, and 476 (22%) had documented neurologic involvement. Patients with neurologic involvement vs without were older (median age, 12 vs 10 years) and more frequently had underlying neurologic disorders (107 of 476 [22%] vs 240 of 1692 [14%]). Among those with neurologic involvement, 42 (9%) developed acute SARS-CoV-2-related life-threatening conditions, including central nervous system infection/demyelination (n = 23; 15 with possible/confirmed encephalitis, 6 meningitis, 1 transverse myelitis, 1 nonhemorrhagic leukoencephalopathy), stroke (n = 11), severe encephalopathy (n = 5), acute fulminant cerebral edema (n = 2), and Guillain-Barré syndrome (n = 1). Ten of 42 (24%) survived with new neurologic deficits at discharge and 8 (19%) died. Among patients with life-threatening neurologic conditions, 15 of 16 vaccine-eligible patients (94%) were unvaccinated. Conclusions and relevance: SARS-CoV-2-related neurologic involvement persisted in US children and adolescents hospitalized for COVID-19 or MIS-C in 2021 and was again mostly transient. Central nervous system infection/demyelination accounted for a higher proportion of life-threatening conditions, and most vaccine-eligible patients were unvaccinated. COVID-19 vaccination may prevent some SARS-CoV-2-related neurologic complications and merits further study.Item Characteristics and Outcomes of US Children and Adolescents With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Compared With Severe Acute COVID-19(AMA, 2021-02) Feldstein, Leora R.; Tenforde, Mark W.; Friedman, Kevin G.; Newhams, Margaret; Rose, Erica Billig; Dapul, Heda; Soma, Vijaya L.; Maddux, Aline B.; Mourani, Peter M.; Bowens, Cindy; Maamari, Mia; Hall, Mark W.; Riggs, Becky J.; Giuliano, John S.; Singh, Aalok R.; Li, Simon; Kong, Michele; Schuster, Jennifer E.; McLaughlin, Gwenn E.; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Walker, Tracie C.; Loftis, Laura L.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Halasa, Natasha B.; Doymaz, Sule; Babbitt, Christopher J.; Hume, Janet R.; Gertz, Shira J.; Irby, Katherine; Clouser, Katharine N.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Bradford, Tamara T.; Smith, Lincoln S.; Heidemann, Sabrina M.; Zackai, Sheemon P.; Wellnitz, Kari; Nofziger, Ryan A.; Horwitz, Steven M.; Carroll, Ryan W.; Rowan, Courtney M.; Tarquinio, Keiko M.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Coates, Bria M.; Jackson, Ashley M.; Young, Cameron C.; Son, Mary Beth F.; Patel, Manish M.; Newburger, Jane W.; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators; Pediatrics, School of MedicineImportance Refinement of criteria for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) may inform efforts to improve health outcomes. Objective To compare clinical characteristics and outcomes of children and adolescents with MIS-C vs those with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Setting, Design, and Participants Case series of 1116 patients aged younger than 21 years hospitalized between March 15 and October 31, 2020, at 66 US hospitals in 31 states. Final date of follow-up was January 5, 2021. Patients with MIS-C had fever, inflammation, multisystem involvement, and positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or antibody test results or recent exposure with no alternate diagnosis. Patients with COVID-19 had positive RT-PCR test results and severe organ system involvement. Exposure SARS-CoV-2. Main Outcomes and Measures Presenting symptoms, organ system complications, laboratory biomarkers, interventions, and clinical outcomes. Multivariable regression was used to compute adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) of factors associated with MIS-C vs COVID-19. Results Of 1116 patients (median age, 9.7 years; 45% female), 539 (48%) were diagnosed with MIS-C and 577 (52%) with COVID-19. Compared with patients with COVID-19, patients with MIS-C were more likely to be 6 to 12 years old (40.8% vs 19.4%; absolute risk difference [RD], 21.4% [95% CI, 16.1%-26.7%]; aRR, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.33-1.72] vs 0-5 years) and non-Hispanic Black (32.3% vs 21.5%; RD, 10.8% [95% CI, 5.6%-16.0%]; aRR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.17-1.76] vs White). Compared with patients with COVID-19, patients with MIS-C were more likely to have cardiorespiratory involvement (56.0% vs 8.8%; RD, 47.2% [95% CI, 42.4%-52.0%]; aRR, 2.99 [95% CI, 2.55-3.50] vs respiratory involvement), cardiovascular without respiratory involvement (10.6% vs 2.9%; RD, 7.7% [95% CI, 4.7%-10.6%]; aRR, 2.49 [95% CI, 2.05-3.02] vs respiratory involvement), and mucocutaneous without cardiorespiratory involvement (7.1% vs 2.3%; RD, 4.8% [95% CI, 2.3%-7.3%]; aRR, 2.29 [95% CI, 1.84-2.85] vs respiratory involvement). Patients with MIS-C had higher neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (median, 6.4 vs 2.7, P < .001), higher C-reactive protein level (median, 152 mg/L vs 33 mg/L; P < .001), and lower platelet count (<150 ×103 cells/μL [212/523 {41%} vs 84/486 {17%}, P < .001]). A total of 398 patients (73.8%) with MIS-C and 253 (43.8%) with COVID-19 were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 10 (1.9%) with MIS-C and 8 (1.4%) with COVID-19 died during hospitalization. Among patients with MIS-C with reduced left ventricular systolic function (172/503, 34.2%) and coronary artery aneurysm (57/424, 13.4%), an estimated 91.0% (95% CI, 86.0%-94.7%) and 79.1% (95% CI, 67.1%-89.1%), respectively, normalized within 30 days. Conclusions and Relevance This case series of patients with MIS-C and with COVID-19 identified patterns of clinical presentation and organ system involvement. These patterns may help differentiate between MIS-C and COVID-19.Item Community-Onset Bacterial Coinfection in Children Critically Ill With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection(Oxford University Press, 2023-03-06) Moffitt, Kristin L.; Nakamura, Mari M.; Young, Cameron C.; Newhams, Margaret M.; Halasa, Natasha B.; Reed, J. Nelson; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Spinella, Philip C.; Soma, Vijaya L.; Walker, Tracie C.; Loftis, Laura L.; Maddux, Aline B.; Kong, Michele; Rowan, Courtney M.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Riggs, Becky J.; McLaughlin, Gwenn E.; Michelson, Kelly N.; Hall, Mark W.; Babbitt, Christopher J.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Zinter, Matt S.; Maamari, Mia; Schwarz, Adam J.; Singh, Aalok R.; Flori, Heidi R.; Gertz, Shira J.; Staat, Mary A.; Giuliano, John S., Jr.; Hymes, Saul R.; Clouser, Katharine N.; McGuire, John; Carroll, Christopher L.; Thomas, Neal J.; Levy, Emily R.; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground: Community-onset bacterial coinfection in adults hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is reportedly uncommon, though empiric antibiotic use has been high. However, data regarding empiric antibiotic use and bacterial coinfection in children with critical illness from COVID-19 are scarce. Methods: We evaluated children and adolescents aged <19 years admitted to a pediatric intensive care or high-acuity unit for COVID-19 between March and December 2020. Based on qualifying microbiology results from the first 3 days of admission, we adjudicated whether patients had community-onset bacterial coinfection. We compared demographic and clinical characteristics of those who did and did not (1) receive antibiotics and (2) have bacterial coinfection early in admission. Using Poisson regression models, we assessed factors associated with these outcomes. Results: Of the 532 patients, 63.3% received empiric antibiotics, but only 7.1% had bacterial coinfection, and only 3.0% had respiratory bacterial coinfection. In multivariable analyses, empiric antibiotics were more likely to be prescribed for immunocompromised patients (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 1.34 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.01-1.79]), those requiring any respiratory support except mechanical ventilation (aRR, 1.41 [95% CI, 1.05-1.90]), or those requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (aRR, 1.83 [95% CI, 1.36-2.47]) (compared with no respiratory support). The presence of a pulmonary comorbidity other than asthma (aRR, 2.31 [95% CI, 1.15-4.62]) was associated with bacterial coinfection. Conclusions: Community-onset bacterial coinfection in children with critical COVID-19 is infrequent, but empiric antibiotics are commonly prescribed. These findings inform antimicrobial use and support rapid de-escalation when evaluation shows coinfection is unlikely.Item Cross-reactive immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is low in pediatric patients with prior COVID-19 or MIS-C(Springer Nature, 2022-05-27) Tang, Juanjie; Novak, Tanya; Hecker, Julian; Grubbs, Gabrielle; Tuz Zahra, Fatema; Bellusci, Lorenza; Pourhashemi, Sara; Chou, Janet; Moffitt, Kristin; Halasa, Natasha B.; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Walker, Tracie C.; Tarquinio, Keiko M.; Zinter, Matt S.; Staat, Mary A.; Gertz, Shira J.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Loftis, Laura L.; Coates, Bria M.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Irby, Katherine; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Rowan, Courtney M.; Kong, Michele; Flori, Heidi R.; Maddux, Aline B.; Shein, Steven L.; Crandall, Hillary; Hume, Janet R.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Tremoulet, Adriana H.; Shimizu, Chisato; Burns, Jane C.; Chen, Sabrina R.; Moon, Hye Kyung; Lange, Christoph; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Khurana, Surender; Pediatrics, School of MedicineNeutralization capacity of antibodies against Omicron after a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents is not well studied. Therefore, we evaluated virus-neutralizing capacity against SARS-CoV-2 Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron variants by age-stratified analyses (<5, 5-11, 12-21 years) in 177 pediatric patients hospitalized with severe acute COVID-19, acute MIS-C, and in convalescent samples of outpatients with mild COVID-19 during 2020 and early 2021. Across all patients, less than 10% show neutralizing antibody titers against Omicron. Children <5 years of age hospitalized with severe acute COVID-19 have lower neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 variants compared with patients >5 years of age. As expected, convalescent pediatric COVID-19 and MIS-C cohorts demonstrate higher neutralization titers than hospitalized acute COVID-19 patients. Overall, children and adolescents show some loss of cross-neutralization against all variants, with the most pronounced loss against Omicron. In contrast to SARS-CoV-2 infection, children vaccinated twice demonstrated higher titers against Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron. These findings can influence transmission, re-infection and the clinical disease outcome from emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and supports the need for vaccination in children.Item Data-driven clustering identifies features distinguishing multisystem inflammatory syndrome from acute COVID-19 in children and adolescents(Elsevier, 2021-08-31) Geva, Alon; Patel, Manish M.; Geva, Alon; Patel, Manish M.; Newhams, Margaret M.; Young, Cameron C.; Son, Mary Beth F.; Kong, Michele; Maddux, Aline B.; Hall, Mark W.; Riggs, Becky J.; Singh, Aalok R.; Giuliano, John S.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Loftis, Laura L.; McLaughlin, Gwenn E.; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Babbitt, Christopher J.; Halasa, Natasha B.; Gertz, Shira J.; Doymaz, Sule; Hume, Janet R.; Bradford, Tamara T.; Irby, Katherine; Carroll, Christopher L.; McGuire, John K.; Tarquinio, Keiko M.; Rowan, Courtney M.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Spinella, Philip C.; Staat, Mary A.; Clouser, Katharine N.; Soma, Vijaya L.; Dapul, Heda; Maamari, Mia; Bowens, Cindy; Havlin, Kevin M.; Mourani, Peter M.; Heidemann, Sabrina M.; Horwitz, Steven M.; Feldstein, Leora R.; Tenforde, Mark W.; Newburger, Jane W.; Mandl, Kenneth D.; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) consensus criteria were designed for maximal sensitivity and therefore capture patients with acute COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods We performed unsupervised clustering on data from 1,526 patients (684 labeled MIS-C by clinicians) <21 years old hospitalized with COVID-19-related illness admitted between 15 March 2020 and 31 December 2020. We compared prevalence of assigned MIS-C labels and clinical features among clusters, followed by recursive feature elimination to identify characteristics of potentially misclassified MIS-C-labeled patients. Findings Of 94 clinical features tested, 46 were retained for clustering. Cluster 1 patients (N = 498; 92% labeled MIS-C) were mostly previously healthy (71%), with mean age 7·2 ± 0·4 years, predominant cardiovascular (77%) and/or mucocutaneous (82%) involvement, high inflammatory biomarkers, and mostly SARS-CoV-2 PCR negative (60%). Cluster 2 patients (N = 445; 27% labeled MIS-C) frequently had pre-existing conditions (79%, with 39% respiratory), were similarly 7·4 ± 2·1 years old, and commonly had chest radiograph infiltrates (79%) and positive PCR testing (90%). Cluster 3 patients (N = 583; 19% labeled MIS-C) were younger (2·8 ± 2·0 y), PCR positive (86%), with less inflammation. Radiographic findings of pulmonary infiltrates and positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR accurately distinguished cluster 2 MIS-C labeled patients from cluster 1 patients. Interpretation Using a data driven, unsupervised approach, we identified features that cluster patients into a group with high likelihood of having MIS-C. Other features identified a cluster of patients more likely to have acute severe COVID-19 pulmonary disease, and patients in this cluster labeled by clinicians as MIS-C may be misclassified. These data driven phenotypes may help refine the diagnosis of MIS-C.Item Derivation, validation, and transcriptomic assessment of pediatric septic shock phenotypes identified through latent profile analyses: Results from a prospective multi-center observational cohort(Research Square, 2023-12-06) Atreya, Mihir R.; Huang, Min; Moore, Andrew R.; Zheng, Hong; Hasin-Brumshtein, Yehudit; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Weiss, Scott L.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Bigham, Michael T.; Jain, Parag N.; Schwarz, Adam J.; Lutfi, Riad; Nowak, Jeffrey; Thomas, Neal J.; Quasney, Michael; Dahmer, Mary K.; Baines, Torrey; Haileselassie, Bereketeab; Lautz, Andrew J.; Stanski, Natalja L.; Standage, Stephen W.; Kaplan, Jennifer M.; Zingarelli, Basilia; Sweeney, Timothy E.; Khatri, Purvesh; Sanchez-Pinto, L. Nelson; Kamaleswaran, Rishikesan; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground: Sepsis poses a grave threat, especially among children, but treatments are limited due to clinical and biological heterogeneity among patients. Thus, there is an urgent need for precise subclassification of patients to guide therapeutic interventions. Methods: We used clinical, laboratory, and biomarker data from a prospective multi-center pediatric septic shock cohort to derive phenotypes using latent profile analyses. Thereafter, we trained a support vector machine model to assign phenotypes in a hold-out validation set. We tested interactions between phenotypes and common sepsis therapies on clinical outcomes and conducted transcriptomic analyses to better understand the phenotype-specific biology. Finally, we compared whether newly identified phenotypes overlapped with established gene-expression endotypes and tested the utility of an integrated subclassification scheme. Findings: Among 1,071 patients included, we identified two phenotypes which we named 'inflamed' (19.5%) and an 'uninflamed' phenotype (80.5%). The 'inflamed' phenotype had an over 4-fold risk of 28-day mortality relative to those 'uninflamed'. Transcriptomic analysis revealed overexpression of genes implicated in the innate immune response and suggested an overabundance of developing neutrophils, pro-T/NK cells, and NK cells among those 'inflamed'. There was no significant overlap between endotypes and phenotypes. However, an integrated subclassification scheme demonstrated varying survival probabilities when comparing endophenotypes. Interpretation: Our research underscores the reproducibility of latent profile analyses to identify clinical and biologically informative pediatric septic shock phenotypes with high prognostic relevance. Pending validation, an integrated subclassification scheme, reflective of the different facets of the host response, holds promise to inform targeted intervention among those critically ill.Item A Description of COVID-19-Directed Therapy in Children Admitted to US Intensive Care Units 2020(Oxford University Press, 2022) Schuster, Jennifer E.; Halasa, Natasha B.; Nakamura, Mari; Levy, Emily R.; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Young, Cameron C.; Newhams, Margaret M.; Bourgeois, Florence; Staat, Mary A.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Dapul, Heda; Feldstein, Leora R.; Jackson, Ashley M.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Walker, Tracie C.; Maddux, Aline B.; Spinella, Philip C.; Loftis, Laura L.; Kong, Michele; Rowan, Courtney M.; Bembea, Melania M.; McLaughlin, Gwenn E.; Hall, Mark W.; Babbitt, Christopher J.; Maamari, Mia; Zinter, Matt S.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Michelson, Kelly N.; Gertz, Shira J.; Carroll, Christopher L.; Thomas, Neal J.; Giuliano, John S., Jr.; Singh, Aalok R.; Hymes, Saul R.; Schwarz, Adam J.; McGuire, John K.; Nofziger, Ryan A.; Flori, Heidi R.; Clouser, Katharine N.; Wellnitz, Kari; Cullimore, Melissa L.; Hume, Janet R.; Patel, Manish; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground: It is unclear how acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-directed therapies are used in children with life-threatening COVID-19 in US hospitals. We described characteristics of children hospitalized in the intensive care unit or step-down unit (ICU/SDU) who received COVID-19-directed therapies and the specific therapies administered. Methods: Between March 15, 2020 and December 27, 2020, children <18 years of age in the ICU/SDU with acute COVID-19 at 48 pediatric hospitals in the United States were identified. Demographics, laboratory values, and clinical course were compared in children who did and did not receive COVID-19-directed therapies. Trends in COVID-19-directed therapies over time were evaluated. Results: Of 424 children in the ICU/SDU, 235 (55%) received COVID-19-directed therapies. Children who received COVID-19-directed therapies were older than those who did not receive COVID-19-directed therapies (13.3 [5.6-16.2] vs 9.8 [0.65-15.9] years), more had underlying medical conditions (188 [80%] vs 104 [55%]; difference = 25% [95% CI: 16% to 34%]), more received respiratory support (206 [88%] vs 71 [38%]; difference = 50% [95% CI: 34% to 56%]), and more died (8 [3.4%] vs 0). Of the 235 children receiving COVID-19-directed therapies, 172 (73%) received systemic steroids and 150 (64%) received remdesivir, with rising remdesivir use over the study period (14% in March/April to 57% November/December). Conclusion: Despite the lack of pediatric data evaluating treatments for COVID-19 in critically ill children, more than half of children requiring intensive or high acuity care received COVID-19-directed therapies.Item Detrimental effects of PCSK9 loss-of-function in the pediatric host response to sepsis are mediated through independent influence on Angiopoietin-1(BMC, 2023-06-26) Atreya, Mihir R.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Weiss, Scott L.; Bigham, Michael T.; Jain, Parag N.; Schwarz, Adam J.; Lutfi, Riad; Nowak, Jeffrey; Allen, Geoffrey L.; Thomas, Neal J.; Grunwell, Jocelyn R.; Baines, Torrey; Quasney, Michael; Haileselassie, Bereketeab; Alder, Matthew N.; Lahni, Patrick; Ripberger, Scarlett; Ekunwe, Adesuwa; Campbell, Kyle R.; Walley, Keith R.; Standage, Stephen W.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground: Sepsis is associated with significant mortality. Yet, there are no efficacious therapies beyond antibiotics. PCSK9 loss-of-function (LOF) and inhibition, through enhanced low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) mediated endotoxin clearance, holds promise as a potential therapeutic approach among adults. In contrast, we have previously demonstrated higher mortality in the juvenile host. Given the potential pleiotropic effects of PCSK9 on the endothelium, beyond canonical effects on serum lipoproteins, both of which may influence sepsis outcomes, we sought to test the influence of PCSK9 LOF genotype on endothelial dysfunction. Methods: Secondary analyses of a prospective observational cohort of pediatric septic shock. Genetic variants of PCSK9 and LDLR genes, serum PCSK9, and lipoprotein concentrations were determined previously. Endothelial dysfunction markers were measured in day 1 serum. We conducted multivariable linear regression to test the influence of PCSK9 LOF genotype on endothelial markers, adjusted for age, complicated course, and low- and high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL). Causal mediation analyses to test impact of select endothelial markers on the association between PCSK9 LOF genotype and mortality. Juvenile Pcsk9 null and wildtype mice were subject to cecal slurry sepsis and endothelial markers were quantified. Results: A total of 474 patients were included. PCSK9 LOF was associated with several markers of endothelial dysfunction, with strengthening of associations after exclusion of those homozygous for the rs688 LDLR variant that renders it insensitive to PCSK9. Serum PCSK9 was not correlated with endothelial dysfunction. PCSK9 LOF influenced concentrations of Angiopoietin-1 (Angpt-1) upon adjusting for potential confounders including lipoprotein concentrations, with false discovery adjusted p value of 0.042 and 0.013 for models that included LDL and HDL, respectively. Causal mediation analysis demonstrated that the effect of PCSK9 LOF on mortality was mediated by Angpt-1 (p = 0.0008). Murine data corroborated these results with lower Angpt-1 and higher soluble thrombomodulin among knockout mice with sepsis relative to the wildtype. Conclusions: We present genetic and biomarker association data that suggest a potential direct role of the PCSK9-LDLR pathway on Angpt-1 in the developing host with septic shock and warrant external validation. Further, mechanistic studies on the role of PCSK9-LDLR pathway on vascular homeostasis may lead to the development of pediatric-specific sepsis therapies.Item Diagnosis, grading and management of toxicities from immunotherapies in children, adolescents and young adults with cancer(Springer Nature, 2021) Ragoonanan, Dristhi; Khazal, Sajad J.; Abdel-Azim, Hisham; McCall, David; Cuglievan, Branko; Tambaro, Francesco Paolo; Ahmad, Ali Haider; Rowan, Courtney M.; Gutierrez, Cristina; Schadler, Keri; Li, Shulin; Di Nardo, Matteo; Chi, Linda; Gulbis, Alison; Shoberu, Basirate; Mireles, Maria E.; McArthur, Jennifer; Kapoor, Neena; Miller, Jeffrey; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Tewari, Priti; Petropoulos, Demetrios; Gill, Jonathan B.; Duncan, Christine N.; Lehmann, Leslie E.; Hingorani, Sangeeta; Angelo, Joseph R.; Swinford, Rita D.; Steiner, Marie E.; Hernandez Tejada, Fiorela N.; Martin, Paul L.; Auletta, Jeffery; Choi, Sung Won; Bajwa, Rajinder; Garnes, Natalie Dailey; Kebriaei, Partow; Rezvani, Katavoun; Wierda, Willian G.; Neelapu, Sattva S.; Shpall, Elizabeth J.; Corbacioglu, Selim; Mahadeo, Kris M.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineCancer immunotherapies are associated with remarkable therapeutic response rates but also with unique and severe toxicities, which potentially result in rapid deterioration in health. The number of clinical applications for novel immune effector-cell therapies, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing cells, and other immunotherapies, such as immune-checkpoint inhibitors, is increasing. In this Consensus Statement, members of the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) Network Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-Cancer Immunotherapy (HCT-CI) Subgroup, Paediatric Diseases Working Party (PDWP) of the European Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), Supportive Care Committee of the Pediatric Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Consortium (PTCTC) and MD Anderson Cancer Center CAR T Cell Therapy-Associated Toxicity (CARTOX) Program collaborated to provide updated comprehensive recommendations for the care of children, adolescents and young adults receiving cancer immunotherapies. With these recommendations, we address emerging toxicity mitigation strategies, we advocate for the characterization of baseline organ function according to age and discipline-specific criteria, we recommend early critical care assessment when indicated, with consideration of reversibility of underlying pathology (instead of organ failure scores) to guide critical care interventions, and we call for researchers, regulatory agencies and sponsors to support and facilitate early inclusion of young patients with cancer in well-designed clinical trials.