Objectives: This article reports on a prospective controlled study that challenges the aspect of weight gain in posttonsillectomy patients in both an objective and subjective manner. This study found that although there is increased oral intake in post-tonsillectomy patients there is also an increase in physical activity. Design: Prospective case controlled study Participants: A total of 100 patients between the ages of 2 and 14 years who underwent tonsillectomy were randomly selected, but 53 of them came for regular follow-up and were monitored for their growth by measuring their height and weight for 1-year post-tonsillectomy. The postoperative body mass index (BMI) Z score variation over three different time points was compared to controls. Questionnaires were used as a subjective method for analysis. Results: Statistical analysis failed to show significant weight gain in post-tonsillectomy patients compared to control group at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. Results of questionnaires were analyzed and showed that patients who confirmed an increase in oral intake and sleep also confirmed an increase in the level of physical activity.

Acquired Aplastic anemia (AA) is a bone marrow failure syndrome characterized by pancytopenia and marrow hypoplasia, and is mediated by immune destruction of hematopoietic stem cells. Mutations in several genes including telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein enzyme complex, consisting of a reverse transcriptase enzyme (TERT), an RNA template (TERC), and several stabilizing proteins, and the associated shelterin complexes have been found in both congenital and idiopathic AA. In particular, several TERT and TERC mutations reduce telomerase activity in vitro and accelerate telomere attrition in vivo. Shortened telomeres have been observed in a third of idiopathic AA patients, but only 10% of these patients have mutations in genes of the telomerase complex. We have recently demonstrated that in addition to keeping telomeres from shortening, telomerase directly regulates transcriptional programs of developmentally relevant genes (Ghosh et al, Nat Cell Biol, 2012, 14, 1270). We postulate that changes in expression of telomerase associated genes, specifically TERT, contribute to the etiology of aplastic anemia. In an effort to better understand the molecular and clinical correlates of this disease, 24 idiopathic AA patient samples were collected at a tertiary medical center in Bangalore, India. Following informed consent, we performed RT-PCR analysis on harvested RNA from each patient and measured levels of TERT expression compared to that of normal controls (n=6). An 8 fold reduction in TERT expression was observed in 17/24 patients, while 7/24 patients maintained normal TERT expression. In general, TERT-low patients were younger in age (mean age 29y) compared with the TERT-normal patients (mean age 40y). TERT-low patients were more likely to have severe aplastic anemia (SAA) leading to higher mortality and poorer response to therapy, with 6/17 patients dying and 4/17 not responding to ATG therapy. Targeted panel sequencing of the 24 samples on an Illumina platform revealed that while TERT-normal patients had no mutations in genes associated with the telomerase/shelterin complex, TERT-low patients carried predicted pathogenic variants in TERT, TEP1, TINF2, NBN, TPP1, HSP90A and POT1 genes, all associated with the telomerase complex. Somatic gene variants were also identified in other AA associated genes, PRF1 and CDAN1, in the TERT-low cohort. In addition, novel predicted pathogenic mutations associated with the shelterin complex were found in two TERT-low patients in the TNKS gene. We also detected mutations in TET2, BCORL1, FLT-3, MLP and BRAF genes in TERT-low patients. Mutations in these genes are associated with clonal evolution, disease progression and poor prognosis. Our observations were further illustrated in a single patient where normal TERT expression was noted at initial clinical presentation. ATG therapy led to CR, but the patient returned within a year and succumbed to E.coli related sepsis. At that stage he had low TERT expression, suggesting that TERT expression can change as the disease progresses. Taken together, our data support the hypothesis that loss of TERT expression correlates with disease severity and poor prognosis. Our observations further suggest that preliminary and periodic evaluation of TERT expression levels in AA patients is likely to serve as a predictor of disease severity and influence the choice of therapy. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

BACKGROUND : Clinical Phenotype and outcomes of patients with Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the Indian subcontinent differs from published literature. A younger age at diagnosis and higher induction mortality complicate AML management in India(1). Metaphase Karyotyping represents the backbone of prognostication and risk stratification in AML. Optimal treatment strategies for the cohort of Cytogenetically normal AML are still under evaluation. Applications of Next generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques in AML have unravelled the genetic heterogeneity of this disease. Whole genome sequencing has identified many novel mutations leading to tremendous improvements in diagnosis and risk stratification. Development of therapies targeting these genetic alterations is enabling a gradual shift from non-specific approaches to personalised therapy tailored to an individual patient's genome. This will undoubtedly translate to better clinical outcomes for this disease, with otherwise poor prognosis. Whole genome sequencing is still in a nascent stage in Indian settings with no published literature on genomics in AML till date. We aimed to study the genomic landscape of AML in the Indian population and to co-relate this with clinical outcomes over the course of 1 year. METHODS: We recruited 34 newly diagnosed patients with AML who presented to our Centre (Mazumdar Shaw Medical Centre, Narayana Health City, Bangalore, India) between November 2017 and May 2018. Clinical and laboratory details of all patients were recorded. Bone marrow and paired peripheral blood samples were drawn before initiating therapy. Whole genome sequencing and Exome capture was done for each sample using Ilumina HiSeq platform. Patients were risk stratified as per ELN 2017 and treated as per NCCN guidelines. Patients were followed up prospectively for one year from initial diagnosis. Genetic results were stratified according to gene function and analysed with respect to predefined clinical outcomes (remission status post induction, relapse rates, progression free and overall survival). RESULTS: Amongst the 34 study participants, 5 patients failed QC during sequencing and were de-recruited. Hence 29 patients were available for final analysis. Median age of patients was 42 years with 13 patients (44.8%) less than 40 years of age.18 patients (60%) had normal cytogenetics at baseline.17 patients (58%) were classified as intermediate risk and 6 patients each as Standard and high risk, as per ELN 2017. 22 patients (79.3%) patients received standard Induction chemotherapy (3+7 regimen) while 6 patients received hypomethylating agents. Overall CR rate following induction at Day 28 was 50% and Induction mortality was 21.42%. 6 patients underwent an Allogenic Stem cell transplant. A total of 96 mutations (47 driver and 49 VUS mutations) in 123 genes were identified. The average number of Driver mutations was 1.48 per patient. IDH genes were the most frequently mutated Driver genes followed by FLT3 mutations. Frequency of NPM1 mutations was significantly low (17.25%). Highest frequency of VUS mutations was seen in the ETV6, ATM and CBLC genes. Highest frequency of somatic mutations were identified in the genes encoding for myeloid transcription factors and DNA methylation. Average driver mutations showed significant co-relation to Age (> 60 years) and high burden of Bone marrow blasts (>30%). An updated risk stratification incorporating mutation analysis findings resulted in re-stratification of 8 intermediate risk patients into high risk. 2 patients with detectable FLT3 ITD mutation by NGS were negative by PCR. Choice of consolidation therapy and Driver mutation status were found to show statistically significant association with both Event free survival and Overall survival at 1 year. Increased driver mutation burden was associated with increased refractoriness to chemotherapy and poor EFS and OS. Mutations in Tumour suppressor genes, were associated with suboptimal treatment outcomes and poor survival. CONCLUSIONS Genomic landscape of AML in Indian patients shows significant differences from published literature. This may hold clues to the differing biological characteristics of AML seen in this population. Genome based risk stratification and tailored therapy needs to be adapted into the management of AML. This data provides valuable insights into developing therapeutic strategies for Indian patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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