Donor lungs cold preservation at 10 °C offers a potential logistic advantage in lung transplantation

Donor lung preservation at 10 °C appears to be an innovative and promising method that may improve transplant logistics by extending the cold ischemia time with excellent outcomes. We report the case of two lung transplants from two different donors involving the use of two different preservation methods, highlighting the benefits of using 10 °C lung storage.     

Lateral Lymph Nodes in Rectal Cancer: Do we all Think the Same? A Review of Multidisciplinary Obstacles and Treatment Recommendations

Lateral lymph nodes in low, locally advanced, rectal cancer have proven implications for local recurrence rates, which increase drastically in the presence of persistently enlarged lateral lymph nodes. These clinical implications warrant a thorough understanding of lateral nodal disease with awareness and knowledge from all three specialties involved – radiology, radiation oncology, and surgery – to ensure proper treatment. Relevant literature for each specialty, including all current guidelines and perspectives, were examined. Variations in definitions and treatment paradigms were evaluated. There is still no consensus for the standardized treatment of lateral nodal disease. Each discipline works according to their own available evidence, but relevant data are scarce. Current international guidelines and standard recommendations for the diagnostics and treatment of lateral lymph nodes are lacking. This results in differing perspectives and interpretations between the disciplines which can lead to challenging communication in an area where multidisciplinary collaboration is essential. This review addresses this by presenting the current evidence, perspectives and practices of each specialty and makes suggestions for each phase of the diagnostic and treatment process for patients with lateral nodal disease. By doing this, steps are taken toward achieving international consensus, and multidisciplinary collaboration.     

NUDT15 is a key genetic factor for prediction of hematotoxicity in pediatric patients who received a standard low dosage regimen of 6-mercaptopurine

6-Mercaptopurine (6-MP) is commonly used for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The incidence of hematotoxicity caused by this drug is quite high in Asians even using a standard low dosage regimen. The present study was aimed to elucidate the impact of thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT), a nucleoside diphosphate-linked moiety X-type motif 15 (NUDT15), inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) and ATP Binding Cassette Subfamily C Member 4 (ABCC4) polymorphisms on hematotoxicity in pediatric patients who received a standard low starting dose of 6-MP. One hundred and sixty-nine pediatric patients were enrolled and their genotypes were determined. Patients who carried NUDT15¹3 and NUDT15¹2 genotypes were at a 10–15 fold higher risk of severe neutropenia than those of the wild-type during the early months of the maintenance phase. Risk of neutropenia was not significantly increased in patients with other NUDT15 variants as well as in patients with TPMT, ITPA or ABCC4 variants. These results suggest that NUDT15 polymorphisms particularly, NUDT15¹3 and NUDT15¹2, play major roles in 6-MP-induced severe hematotoxicity even when using a standard low dosage of 6-MP and genotyping of these variants is necessary in order to obtain precise tolerance doses and avoid severe hematotoxicity in pediatric patients.     

Safety data from the MenB-FHbp clinical development program in healthy individuals aged 10 years and older

BackgroundThe MenB-FHbp vaccine (Trumenba®) is licensed in various countries for the prevention of meningococcal serogroup B disease in individuals ≥ 10 years of age. The clinical development program included 11 completed trials where, in each trial, MenB-FHbp had an acceptable safety profile after a primary vaccination series was administered to individuals 10–65 years of age. However, the detection of potential rare events was limited because of individual clinical trial size. The current safety analysis evaluates pooled reactogenicity and other adverse events (AEs) reported in these trials to identify new safety signals not detectable in individual trials.MethodsEleven trials contributed safety data, of which 10 recorded local and systemic reactogenicity events; 8 of the trials were controlled, and reactogenicity data were pooled for 7 of these 8 trials. Additional AE evaluations included immediate AEs (IAEs), medically attended AEs (MAEs), serious AEs (SAEs), newly diagnosed chronic medical conditions (NDCMCs), and autoimmune or neuroinflammatory conditions.ResultsLocal and systemic reactions were more frequent in the MenB-FHbp group (n = 15,294) compared with controls (n = 5509), although most reactions were transient and mild to moderate in severity. Frequencies of IAEs, SAEs, MAEs, NDCMCs, and autoimmune or neuroinflammatory conditions were similar between the MenB-FHbp and control groups.ConclusionsMenB-FHbp demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile in the clinical development program of > 15,000 vaccine recipients ≥ 10 years of age. No new safety signals were identified in the pooled analysis compared with data from the individual trials. Continued postmarketing safety surveillance is important for the identification of rare events.Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01299480; NCT000808028; NCT00879814; NCT00780806; NCT01352845; NCT01352793; NCT01461993; NCT01323270; NCT01830855; NCT01461980; NCT01768117.     

白藜芦醇联合顺铂对神经胶质瘤细胞的作用*

目的： 探讨白藜芦醇联合顺铂对神经胶质瘤细胞C6 的作用。方法：不同浓度的白藜芦醇与顺铂单独联合 作用于神经胶质瘤细胞C6，24、48 h 和72 h 后，CCK8法检测增殖，并选出合适浓度进行后续试验；不同浓度的 药物作用于细胞24 h 后，吖啶橙法观察细胞形态变化、流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡、细胞周期和免疫印迹检测蛋白 Bax、Bcl-2 和p-Erk1/2 变化。结果：白藜芦醇与顺铂能协同抑制神经胶质瘤细胞C6 的增殖。联合用药后细胞周 期抑制在S 期。免疫印迹结果显示凋亡蛋白Bax 的表达量增加，而凋亡抑制蛋白Bcl-2 的表达量减少，细胞外调 节蛋白激酶p-Erk1/2 的表达量减少。结论：白藜芦醇与顺铂联合对神经胶质瘤细胞具有相互增敏作用，能够协同 抑制细胞增殖，并通过Ras-Raf-MEK-Erk 信号通路促进其凋亡。     

Clearing hepatitis C virus with direct antiviral agents reduces cardiovascular events in patients with prediabetes. Commentary to Sasso and colleagues

Liver health is a key determinant of cardiovascular risk (CVR). Hepatic fibrosis is the shared common result of chronic hepatitis, irrespective of aetiology. Fibrosis profoundly distorts liver tissue architecture and perturbs hepatic physiology, dictates the course of chronic liver disease and is increasingly recognized as a CVR factor. The relative weights of pre-diabetes and hepatic fibrosis as risk factors for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with HCV remain an open issue. Sasso and Colleagues answered this research question by treating approximately half of 770 HCV positive pre-diabetic patients with direct antiviral agents (DAAs), while the rest served as historical controls. Data have shown that achieving HCV clearance with DAAs was associated with a 60% reduced risk of MACE, thereby implying that this antiviral strategy is recommended in HCV positive pre-diabetic patients, regardless of the severity of liver disease and concurrent CVR factors. This study paves the way for additional studies addressing the molecular patho-mechanisms and changes in the clinical spectrum involved in cardio-metabolic protection following HCV eradication in patients with pre-diabetes.     

CYP2C19*2、CYP2C19*3基因分型与急性缺血性脑卒中再发脑卒中的关系

目的探讨细胞色素P450药物代谢酶(CYP)2C19基因分型与氯吡格雷治疗的急性缺血性脑卒中患者再发脑卒中的关系。方法选取2018年5月—2018年12月常州市第一人民医院收治接受氯吡格雷治疗的159例急性缺血性脑卒中患者,检测患者入院后空腹外周血中CYP2C19*2,CYP2C19*3基因分型。对患者进行随访,随访截至2020年2月,观察再发脑卒中的情况,并分析CYP2C19*2,CYP2C19*3基因分型与再发脑卒中关系。结果随访时间14~22个月,平均随访时间为(18.2±1.5)个月,共7例患者失访,共20例(13.2%)患者复发缺血性脑卒中。再发脑卒中患者中CYP2C19*2 GG型及CYP2C19*3 GG型均低于无复发患者(P<0.05),CYP2C19*2 GA型,CYP2C19*2 AA型CYP2C19*3 GA型,CYP2C19*3AA型均高于无复发患者(P<0.05)。Kaplan-Meier法并Log-rank检验结果显示,CYP2C19*2 GG型无复发时间长于AA型,差异有统计学意义(Log-rank=6.759,P=0.034)。CYP2C19*3GG型无复发时间长于AA型,差异有统计学意义(Log-rank x2=8.660,P=0.013)。多因素Cox分析结果显示,糖尿病、氯吡格雷抵抗,CYP2C19*2及CYP2C19*3基因型是再发脑卒中影响因素(P<0.05)。结论在接受氯吡格雷治疗急性缺血性脑卒中患者中,CYP2C19*2及CYP2C19*3突变型再发脑卒中的风险明显增高。     

长效干扰素联合利巴韦林治疗慢性丙型肝炎患者疗效及其对静息能量消耗和营养状态的影响*

目的 探讨应用长效α-干扰素联合利巴韦林治疗慢性丙型肝炎(CHC)患者疗效及静息能量消耗和营养状态的变化。方法 2017年4月～2019年4月我院收治的CHC患者48例,采用随机数字表法分为观察组24例和对照组24例,分别给予聚乙二醇干扰素α-2a(peg-IFNα-2a)和利巴韦林治疗或干扰素α-2a(IFNα-2a)联合利巴韦林治疗48 w。测量静息能量消耗(REE)和预测静息能量消耗(pREE),常规检测血清前白蛋白(PA)和白蛋白(ALB)水平,计算体质指数(BMI)。结果 在治疗48 w结束和随访6 m时,观察组完全应答率分别为62.5%和54.2%,显著高于对照组的37.5%和29.2%,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);在观察组,用药前REE和pREE分别为(1504.6±481.5)kcal/d和(1432.3±229.3)kcal/d,在治疗结束时显著增加至(1822.1±546.7)kcal/d和(1241.8±208.6)kcal/d,对照组用药前REE和pREE分别为(1505.2±482.1)kcal/d和(1433.5±231.2)kcal/d,在治疗结束时,显著增加至(1824.4±547.6)kcal/d和(1243.1±208.8)kcal/d, 但两组之间REE和pREE变化无显著性差异(P>0.05);治疗前,观察组BMI及血清PA和ALB水平分别为(19.2±2.0)kg/m²、(161.5±45.2)mg/L和(38.4±4.2)g/L,在治疗结束时分别降为(17.1±1.5)kg/m²、(135.8±40.2)mg/L和(34.2±3.2)g/L,治疗前对照组BMI及血清PA和ALB水平分别为(19.3±2.1)kg/m²、(161.3±45.0)mg/L和(38.5±4.4)g/L,在治疗结束时分别降为(17.2±1.5)kg/m²、(136.3±40.2)mg/L和(34.2±3.1)g/L,但两组之间这些指标的变化无显著性差异(P>0.05)。结论 相对于IFNα-2a与利巴韦林联合,应用peg-IFNα-2a与利巴韦林联合治疗CHC患者能够获得更好的治疗效果,但无论何种治疗方案,均增加了能量消耗,降低了体质量和血清白蛋白水平,提示标准方案抗病毒治疗的不良反应还是值得重视的。     

A contemporary review of Clostridioides difficile infections in patients with haematologic diseases

Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile (C. difficile) infection is one of the most common causes of increased morbidity and mortality. Approximately 500 000 C. difficile infections (CDIs) occur each year in the United States, and they result in more than 29 000 deaths. Patients with haematologic diseases are at a higher risk for this infection due to frequent hospitalization and exposure to treatment-associated risk factors. Whilst several currently available antimicrobial agents offer resolution, recurrence of infection remains a major concern. Recent advancement in deciphering C. difficile virulence mechanisms and identification of its allies in contributing to the infection has led to the development of alternative treatment strategies. Here, we will provide a contemporary discussion of how major risk factors in haematologic diseases, such as immunosuppression, chemoradiation, use of antibiotic, proton pump inhibitor and opioid, and deficiency in butyrate and antimicrobial peptides contribute to C. difficile infection. Next, we will highlight different approaches to control and mitigate this infection such as antibiotic stewardship and faecal microbiota transplantation. Finally, we will explore several emerging treatments such as use of pre- and probiotics, immunotherapy and microbiome-sparing agents.