Adherence to Chronic Kidney Disease Screening Guidelines Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in a US Administrative Claims Database

ObjectiveTo examine the screening rates for kidney damage and function among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease stage at diabetes diagnosis using a US administrative claims database.Patients and MethodsThis cohort study used a claims database enriched with laboratory results data. Patients with T2D (defined as 1 inpatient or 2 outpatient claims for diabetes), aged 18 years or older, and with at least 1 year of follow-up enrollment were identified. Patients with type 1 diabetes, kidney disease, or other related conditions at baseline were excluded. We estimated screening rates using laboratory orders for serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) measurement and urine albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR). Chronic kidney disease severity was reported using the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes classification based on laboratory results.ResultsA total of 1,881,447 patients with T2D were eligible for analysis. Mean ± SD age was 63.1±13.1 years; 947,150 patients (50.3%) were male. Serum creatinine tests were ordered within 14 days of the index date among 290,722 patients of 622,915 (46.7%) patients with newly-recognized T2D. Overall, 1,595,964 patients (84.8%) had at least one serum creatinine test ordered during the 1-year follow-up period. Fewer patients received a UACR test during follow-up (814,897 [43.3%]). Less than half of all patients with T2D received a laboratory test order for both serum creatinine and urine albumin measurements during the follow-up period.ConclusionPhysicians treating patients with diabetes are selectively adhering to chronic kidney disease screening guidelines, as indicated by high rates of eGFR testing, but less frequent UACR testing. Despite recommendations to monitor both eGFR and UACR, less than half of patients were screened for albuminuria during the 1-year follow-up.     

Position paper on stress cardiac MRI in chronic coronary syndrome: Endorsed by the Société Française de Radiologie (SFR) the Société Française d’Imagerie CardioVasculaire (SFICV) and the Société Française de Cardiologie (SFC)

This position paper was intended to update the former consensus between the French Societies of Radiology and Cardiology about the use of stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in chronic coronary syndrome published in 2009. The Delphi method was used to build the present consensus. This expert panel consensus includes recommendations for indications, procedure with patient preparation, stress inducing drugs, acquisition protocol, interpretation and risk stratification by stress MRI.     

Clinical and microbiological characteristics of reflux cholangitis following bilio-enteric anastomosis

European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases - Twenty-five patients with reflux cholangitis (RC) defined as acute cholangitis (AC) with normal abdominal imaging...     

Growth hormone secretagogue receptor signalling affects high‐fat intake independently of plasma levels of ghrelin and LEAP2, in a 4‐day binge eating model

The growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) is a G protein‐coupled receptor that is highly expressed in the central nervous system. GHSR acts as a receptor for ghrelin and for liver‐expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2), which blocks ghrelin‐evoked activity. GHSR also displays ligand‐independent activity, including a high constitutive activity that signals in the absence of ghrelin and is reduced by LEAP2. GHSR activity modulates a variety of food intake‐related behaviours, including binge eating. Previously, we reported that GHSR‐deficient mice daily and time‐limited exposed to a high‐fat (HF) diet display an attenuated binge‐like HF intake compared to wild‐type mice. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether ligand‐independent GHSR activity affects binge‐like HF intake in a 4‐day binge‐like eating protocol. We found that plasma levels of ghrelin and LEAP2 were not modified in mice exposed to this binge‐like eating protocol. Moreover, systemic administration of ghrelin or LEAP2 did not alter HF intake in our experimental conditions. Interestingly, we found that central administration of LEAP2 or K‐(D‐1‐Nal)‐FwLL‐NH₂, which are both blockers of constitutive GHSR activity, reduced binge‐like HF intake, whereas central administration of ghrelin or the ghrelin‐evoked GHSR activity blockers [D‐Lys3]‐GHRP‐6 and JMV2959 did not modify binge‐like HF intake. Taken together, current data indicate that GHSR activity in the brain affects binge‐like HF intake in mice independently of plasma levels of ghrelin and LEAP2.     

Effect of body position on qualitative and quantitative ultrasound assessment of gastric fluid contents

We assessed the impact of raising the upper section of the bed, and patient positioning, on ultrasound assessment of gastric fluid contents. We performed ultrasound examinations in 25 subjects lying on their back, left and right sides at bed angles of 0°, 30°, 45° and 90°; this was carried out while the subjects were fasted, and repeated 10 min after drinking ≥ 50 ml water. After drinking, gastric contents were detected more frequently in the 45° semirecumbent position compared with the supine and 30° positions. The diagnostic performance of the Perlas qualitative grading scale to detect gastric fluid volume > 1.5 ml.kg⁻¹ was improved at 45°, compared with 0° and 30° angles. The use of a composite ultrasound grading scale at a 45° angle was associated with the best performance, with a sensitivity and specificity of 82%. Antral cross-sectional area was significantly increased when measured in the right lateral position, but there was no effect of raising the bed. In conclusion, raising the upper section of the bed significantly affected qualitative assessment of gastric fluid contents. Further studies are required to determine the most appropriate composite ultrasound grading scale and bed angle for fast and reliable qualitative ultrasound detection of fluid volumes > 1.5 ml.kg⁻¹.     

The combination of oral-recombinant methioninase and azacitidine arrests a chemotherapy-resistant osteosarcoma patient-derived orthotopic xenograft mouse model

Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology - Cancers are methionine (MET) and methylation addicted, causing them to be highly sensitive to MET restriction. The present study determined the efficacy of...     

Efficacy of late concurrent hypofractionated radiotherapy in advanced melanoma patients failing anti-PD-1 monotherapy

Advanced melanoma patients who failed anti-PD-1 therapy have limited options. We analyzed a cohort of 133 advanced melanoma patients receiving anti-PD-1 monotherapy in a referral center between April 2015 and December 2017, and included the 26 patients with confirmed progressive (PD) or stable disease who received additional radiotherapy with an unmodified anti-PD-1 mAb regimen. Tumor evaluations were done on radiated and nonradiated (RECIST 1.1) lesions, with abscopal effect defined as a partial (PR) or complete response (CR) outside radiated fields. Primary endpoint was the CR + PR rate in radiated + nonradiated lesions. Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), melanoma-specific survival (MSS) and safety. First late radiotherapy, consisting of hypofractionated radiotherapy (3–5 sessions, 20–26 Gy), standard palliative radiotherapy or brain radiosurgery was begun after a median of 6.3 months of anti-PD-1 in 23, 2 and 1 patient(s), respectively. Best response was 8 (31%) CR, 2 (8%) profound PR allowing surgical resection of remaining metastases and 16 (62%) PD. Abscopal effect was seen in 35% of patients. Median PFS and MSS since anti-PD-1 initiation was 15.2 [95% CI: 8.0 not achieved (na)] and 35.3 [95% CI: 18.5 na] months, respectively. PFS curves seemed to achieve a plateau. We discontinued anti-PD-1 therapy in 9/10 of patients with no residual evaluable disease and observed one relapse after a median of 10 months off anti-PD1-therapy. No unusual adverse event was recorded. Limitations of the study include its retrospective nature and limited size. Hypofractionated radiotherapy may enhance anti-PD1 monotherapy efficacy in patients who previously failed anti-PD-1 therapy. Controlled studies are needed.