Perivascular fat attenuation for predicting adverse cardiac events in stable patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography

BackgroundInflammation surrounding the coronary arteries can be non-invasively assessed using pericoronary adipose tissue attenuation (PCAT). While PCAT holds promise for further risk stratification of patients with low coronary artery disease (CAD) prevalence, its value in higher risk populations remains unknown.MethodsCORE320 enrolled patients referred for invasive coronary angiography with known or suspected CAD. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) images were collected for 381 patients for whom clinical outcomes were assessed 5 years after enrollment. Using semi-automated image analysis software, PCAT was obtained and normalized for the right coronary (RCA), left anterior descending (LAD), and left circumflex arteries (LCx). The association between PCAT and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) during follow up was assessed using Cox regression models.ResultsThirty-seven patients were excluded due to technical failure. For the remaining 344 patients, median age was 62 (interquartile range, 55–68) with 59% having ≥1 coronary artery stenosis of ≥50% by quantitative coronary angiography. Mean attenuation values for PCAT in RCA, LAD, and LCx were ?74.9, ?74.2, and ?71.2, respectively. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for normalized PCAT in the RCA, LAD, and LCx for MACE were 0.96 (CI: 0.75–1.22, p ?= ?0.71), 1.31 (95% CI: 0.96–1.78, p ?= ?0.09), and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.78–1.22, p ?= ?0.84), respectively. For death, stroke, or myocardial infarction only, hazard ratios were 0.68 (0.44–1.07), 0.85 (0.56–1.29), and 0.57 (0.41–0.80), respectively.ConclusionsIn patients referred for invasive coronary angiography with suspected CAD, PCAT did not predict MACE during long term follow up. Further studies are needed to understand the relationship of PCAT with CAD risk.     

Bacterial infection disrupts established germinal center reactions through monocyte recruitment and impaired metabolic adaptation

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Robust antibody response after a third BNT162b2 vaccine compared to the second among immunocompromised and healthy individuals,a prospective longitudinal cohort study

PurposeAs protection from COVID-19 following two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine showed a time dependent waning, a third (booster) dose was administrated. This study aims to compare the antibody response following the third dose versus the second and to evaluate post-booster seroconversion.MethodsA prospective observational study conducted in Maccabi Healthcare Services. Serial SARS-CoV-2 Spike IgG tests, 1,2,3 and 6 months following the second vaccine dose and one month following the third were obtained. Neutralizing antibody levels were measured in a subset of participants. Per individual SARS-CoV-2 Spike IgG titer ratios were calculated one month after the booster administration compared to titers one month following the second dose and prior to booster.ResultsAmong 110 participants, 56 (51%) were women. Mean age was 61.7 ± 1.9 years and 66 (60%) were immunocompromised. One month after third dose, IgG titers were induced 7.83 (95 %CI 5.25–11.67) folds and 2.40 (95 %CI 1.90–3.03) folds compared to one month after the second, in the immunocompromised and immunocompetent groups, respectively. Of the 17 immunocompromised participants who were seronegative after the second dose, 4 (24%) became seropositive following the third. Comparing the titers prior to the third dose, an increase of 50.7 (95 %CI 32.5–79.1) fold in the immunocompromised group and 25.7 (95 %CI 19.1–34.7) fold in and immunocompetent group, was observed.ConclusionA third BNT162b2 vaccine elicited robust humoral response, superior to the response observed following the second, among immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals.     

Outcomes of Fluoroscopy-Guided Percutaneous High Ligation of the Great Saphenous Vein Combined With Foam Sclerotherapy for Symptomatic Great Saphenous Veins

PurposeTo evaluate the effectiveness and safety of fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous high ligation (FPHL) combined with fluoroscopy-guided foam sclerotherapy (FGFS) to treat varicose veins of the great saphenous veins (GSVs).Materials and MethodsThis was a retrospective study of 113 patients (mean age, 62.1 ± 10.8 years; 60 men) with varicose veins of the GSVs (133 limbs) that were treated with FPHL combined with FGFS between April 1 and October 31, 2019. Demographic and clinical data were collected from these patients before the FPHL procedure, after which FGFS was performed. The preterminal GSV was ligated percutaneously by a percutaneously-positioned polypropylene ligature under fluoroscopic guidance. The outcome of ligation was confirmed by venography. Then, foam sclerotherapy was performed under fluoroscopy. At 1-year follow-up, GSV occlusion was evaluated by ultrasound. The venous clinical severity scores (VCSSs) were compared between the preoperative and 1-year follow-up periods.ResultsThe technical success rate was 100% (133 limbs). Complete 12-month follow-up was available for 112 limbs (84.2%) and 103 of these limbs (92.0%) remained occluded during this period. The VCSS improved from 4.71 ± 2.15 to 0.74 ± 0.60 (V = 6328, P < .001). During follow-up, there were 16 limbs with thrombophlebitis and 38 limbs with saphenous junction pain; these events were alleviated within 2 weeks of the procedure. There was no deep venous thrombosis or other severe adverse events.ConclusionsFPHL combined with FGFS to treat varicose veins in the GSVs achieved an occlusion rate of 92% and improved the clinical symptoms within 1 year; this minimally-invasive procedure was safe and effective.     

A SEER analysis of survival and prognostic factors in merkel cell carcinoma of the head and neck region

While Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) of the head and neck is highly malignant, it remains poorly characterized due to its rarity. The purpose of this study was to examine prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) in patients with MCC of the head and neck region. The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry was reviewed for patients diagnosed between 1984 and 2016 with histologically confirmed, primary MCC of the head and neck region. A total of 2818 patients met the inclusion criteria, with a median age at diagnosis of 77 years. At five and 10 years, respectively, the OS was 42.4% and 25.1% and the DSS was 67.9% and 64.1%. Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that predictors of decreased DSS included age at diagnosis ≥75 years, white race, increasing tumor spread, lymph node involvement and either the lip or the scalp/neck as a primary site. When adjusting for the aforementioned factors, tumor depth was not found to be a prognostic factor for DSS. We anticipate these results will help clinicians to counsel patients regarding expectations and potential prognosis.     

The role of SPP1 as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common malignancies and has a low 5-year survival rate. Mounting evidence suggests that oral potentially malignant disorders, such as oral leukoplakia (OLK), may progress to HNSCC. Given that OLK and HNSCC are often insidious and asymptomatic, the identification of markers of OLK malignant transformation and therapeutic targets in HNSCC is critical. Using various online tools and publicly available gene expression datasets, the secreted phosphoprotein 1 gene (SPP1) was identified as a significant differentially expressed gene among OLK, HNSCC, and non-cancerous tissues. SPP1 mRNA levels were elevated in HNSCC tissues and were associated with cancer stage, tumor grade, and human papillomavirus infection status. High SPP1 mRNA levels were correlated with poor overall survival of HNSCC patients. In contrast, SPP1 mutations were not significantly associated with overall survival, although their frequency in HNSCC was very low (0.6%). Furthermore, SPP1 expression levels in HNSCC were positively correlated with the infiltration of CD4⁺ cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells. The study results suggest that SPP1 may represent a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, as well as a potential therapeutic target in HNSCC.     

Survival in node-positive early oral squamous cell carcinoma: sentinel node biopsy versus elective neck dissection

Patients undergoing sentinel node biopsy (SLNB) for early oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) who harbour occult metastases (pN+ve) may be at greater risk of mortality due to prolonged overall treatment times than those identified as pN+ve on elective neck dissection (ELND). A retrospective comparative survival analysis was therefore undertaken to test this hypothesis. Patients were identified from the South Glasgow multidisciplinary team (MDT) database. Group 1 comprised 38 patients identified as pN+ve, or who were false negative, on sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Group 2 comprised 146 patients staged pN+ve on ELND. The groups were compared with the Kaplan Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. In addition, a matched-pair analysis was performed. A unique and specifically designed algorithm was deployed to optimise the pairings. No difference in disease-specific or overall survival was found between the groups. Patients undergoing SLNB as the initial neck staging modality in early OSCC and are identified as pN+ve do not appear to be at a survival disadvantage compared with those staged with ELND.