Programme Hospitalier Recherche Clinique, Institut Pasteur, Inserm, French Public Health Agency.

Scavenger receptor BI (SR-BI) is the major receptor for high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (HDL-C). In humans, high amounts of HDL-C in plasma are associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Mice that have depleted Scarb1 (SR-BI knockout mice) have markedly elevated HDL-C levels but, paradoxically, increased atherosclerosis. The impact of SR-BI on HDL metabolism and CHD risk in humans remains unclear. Through targeted sequencing of coding regions of lipid-modifying genes in 328 individuals with extremely high plasma HDL-C levels, we identified a homozygote for a loss-of-function variant, in which leucine replaces proline 376 (P376L), in SCARB1, the gene encoding SR-BI. The P376L variant impairs posttranslational processing of SR-BI and abrogates selective HDL cholesterol uptake in transfected cells, in hepatocyte-like cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells from the homozygous subject, and in mice. Large population-based studies revealed that subjects who are heterozygous carriers of the P376L variant have significantly increased levels of plasma HDL-C. P376L carriers have a profound HDL-related phenotype and an increased risk of CHD (odds ratio = 1.79, which is statistically significant).

SummaryBackgroundLipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), an inflammatory enzyme expressed in atherosclerotic plaques, is a therapeutic target being assessed in trials of vascular disease prevention. We investigated associations of circulating Lp-PLA2 mass and activity with risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and mortality under different circumstances.MethodsWith use of individual records from 79 036 participants in 32 prospective studies (yielding 17 722 incident fatal or non-fatal outcomes during 474 976 person-years at risk), we did a meta-analysis of within-study regressions to calculate risk ratios (RRs) per 1 SD higher value of Lp-PLA2 or other risk factor. The primary outcome was coronary heart disease.FindingsLp-PLA2 activity and mass were associated with each other (r=0·51, 95% CI 0·47–0·56) and proatherogenic lipids. We noted roughly log-linear associations of Lp-PLA2 activity and mass with risk of coronary heart disease and vascular death. RRs, adjusted for conventional risk factors, were: 1·10 (95% CI 1·05–1·16) with Lp-PLA2 activity and 1·11 (1·07–1·16) with Lp-PLA2 mass for coronary heart disease; 1·08 (0·97–1·20) and 1·14 (1·02–1·27) for ischaemic stroke; 1·16 (1·09–1·24) and 1·13 (1·05–1·22) for vascular mortality; and 1·10 (1·04–1·17) and 1·10 (1·03–1·18) for non-vascular mortality, respectively. RRs with Lp-PLA2 did not differ significantly in people with and without initial stable vascular disease, apart from for vascular death with Lp-PLA2 mass. Adjusted RRs for coronary heart disease were 1·10 (1·02–1·18) with non-HDL cholesterol and 1·10 (1·00–1·21) with systolic blood pressure.InterpretationLp-PLA2 activity and mass each show continuous associations with risk of coronary heart disease, similar in magnitude to that with non-HDL cholesterol or systolic blood pressure in this population. Associations of Lp-PLA2 mass and activity are not exclusive to vascular outcomes, and the vascular associations depend at least partly on lipids.FundingUK Medical Research Council, GlaxoSmithKline, and British Heart Foundation.

The mantle plume underlying the Hawaiian Swell has been modelled numerically using a stationary steady axisymmetric plume under a solid conducting lid. A method of calculating the rate of melt production from the plume has been developed, and the total melt production rate, the residual depth anomaly and the geoid anomaly have been used to constrain the model. The plume has a central potential temperature of 1558 °C and the mechanical boundary layer is 72 km thick. An average of 6-6% melting occurs in a melt-producing region which has a vertical extent of ~55 km and a radial extent of ~ 130 km to produce 016 km 3 /y of melt. A parameterization of melt composition has been developed that is consistent with laboratory experiments, with models of MORB generation, and with primitive Hawaiian tholeiites containing ~ 16% MgO. There is no evidence that the major and minor element concentrations in the source region of Hawaiian tholeiites differ from those in the source region of MORB. The model is consistent with the REE contents of Kilauean tholeiites if the source region has primitive REE contents. The viscosity of the low-viscosity layer is constrained to bẽ 10 16 rn 2 /s.

Background Cancer patients are thought to have an increased risk of developing severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and of dying from the disease. In this work, predictive factors for COVID-19 severity and mortality in cancer patients were investigated. Patients and Methods In this large nationwide retro-prospective cohort study, we collected data on patients with solid tumours and COVID-19 diagnosed between March 1 and June 11, 2020. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality and COVID-19 severity, defined as admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) and/or mechanical ventilation and/or death, was one of the secondary endpoints. Results From April 4 to June 11, 2020, 1289 patients were analysed. The most frequent cancers were digestive and thoracic. Altogether, 424 (33%) patients had a severe form of COVID-19 and 370 (29%) patients died. In multivariate analysis, independent factors associated with death were male sex (odds ratio 1.73, 95%CI: 1.18-2.52), ECOG PS ≥ 2 (OR 3.23, 95%CI: 2.27-4.61), updated Charlson comorbidity index (OR 1.08, 95%CI: 1.01-1.16) and admission to ICU (OR 3.62, 95%CI 2.14-6.11). The same factors, age along with corticosteroids before COVID-19 diagnosis, and thoracic primary tumour site were independently associated with COVID-19 severity. None of the anticancer treatments administered within the previous 3 months had any effect on mortality or COVID-19 severity, except cytotoxic chemotherapy in the subgroup of patients with detectable SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR, which was associated with a slight increase of the risk of death (OR 1.53; 95%CI: 1.00-2.34; p = 0.05). A total of 431 (39%) patients had their systemic anticancer treatment interrupted or stopped following diagnosis of COVID-19. Conclusions Mortality and COVID-19 severity in cancer patients are high and are associated with general characteristics of patients. We found no deleterious effects of recent anticancer treatments, except for cytotoxic chemotherapy in the RT-PCR-confirmed subgroup of patients. In almost 40% of patients, the systemic anticancer therapy was interrupted or stopped after COVID-19 diagnosis.