Effects of tamoxifen on normal breast tissue histological composition: Results from a randomised six-arm placebo-controlled trial in healthy women

Tamoxifen prevents recurrence of breast cancer and is suggested for preventive risk-reducing therapy. Tamoxifen reduces mammographic density, a proxy for therapy response, but little is known about its effects in remodelling normal breast tissue. Our study, a substudy within the double-blinded dose-determination trial KARISMA, investigated tamoxifen-specific changes in breast tissue composition and histological markers in healthy women. We included 83 healthy women randomised to 6 months daily intake of 20, 10, 5, 2.5, 1 mg of tamoxifen or placebo. The groups were combined to “no dose” (0-1 mg), “low-dose” (2.5-5 mg) or “high-dose” (10-20 mg) of tamoxifen. Ultrasound-guided biopsies were collected before and after tamoxifen exposure. In each biopsy, epithelial, stromal and adipose tissues was quantified, and expression of epithelial and stromal Ki67, oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) analysed. Mammographic density using STRATUS was measured at baseline and end-of-tamoxifen-exposure. We found that different doses of tamoxifen reduced mammographic density and glandular-epithelial area in premenopausal women and associated with reduced epithelium and increased adipose tissue. High-dose tamoxifen also decreased epithelial ER and PR expressions in premenopausal women. Premenopausal women with the greatest reduction in proliferation also had the greatest epithelial reduction. In postmenopausal women, high-dose tamoxifen decreased the epithelial area with no measurable density decrease. Tamoxifen at both low and high doses influences breast tissue composition and expression of histological markers in the normal breast. Our findings connect epithelial proliferation with tissue remodelling in premenopausal women and provide novel insights to understanding biological mechanisms of primary prevention with tamoxifen.     

RWMAs in critically ill patients with non-obstructed coronary arteries

Introduction

Left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is estimated to occur in 10%–25% of the general intensive care unit (ICU) population and is frequently seen as regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMAs). Although RWMA is mostly attributed to myocardial ischemia or infarction, some studies have suggested that nonischemic RWMA might also be prevalent. We sought to establish that RWMA can be seen in critically ill patients with normal coronary arteries and to explore reasons for RWMA in this population.

Methods

In this retrospective study, data from the hospital angiography register and the ICU register were collated between 2012 and 2019. Patients were identified who underwent angiography in conjunction with their ICU stay and had RWMA on echocardiography. Patients were divided into either those with non-obstructed or those with obstructed coronary arteries. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) examinations were reviewed if they had been performed on patients with non-obstructed coronaries.

Results

We identified 53 patients with RWMA and non-obstructed coronary arteries and 204 patients with RWMA and obstructed coronary arteries. Patients with non-obstructed coronary arteries were more often female, younger, and had fewer cardiovascular risk factors. They less commonly had ST elevation, but more frequently had T-wave inversion or serious arrhythmias. Troponin levels were higher in patients with obstructed coronary arteries, but NT-proBNP was similar between the groups. There were no differences in risk-adjusted 90-day mortality between patients with non-obstructed versus obstructed coronary arteries (OR 1.21, [95% CI 0.56–2.64], p = .628). In those with non-obstructed coronary arteries, follow-up echocardiography was available for 38 patients, of whom 30 showed normalization of cardiac function. Of the 14 patients with non-obstructed coronary arteries on whom cMRI was performed, 7 had a tentative diagnosis of Takotsubo syndrome or myocardial stunning; 4 had a myocardial infarction (preexisting in 3 cases); 1 patient had acute myocarditis; 1 patient had post-myocarditis; and 1 patient was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Conclusion

RWMA can be seen to occur in critically ill patients in the absence of coronary artery obstruction. Several conditions can cause regional hypokinesia, and cMRI is useful to evaluate the underlying etiology.     

Correction: Thrombotic and bleeding events,mortality, and anticoagulant use among 546,656 hospitalized patients with COVID‑19 in the United States: a retrospective cohort study

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis -     

1401例超长住院日患者分布与影响因素分析

目的分析超长住院患者分布及影响因素,探讨减少超长住院日的措施。方法从江苏省某三甲医院病案管理系统中调取2020年1月1日-2020年12月31日134016例出院患者的住院病案首页资料,对住院时间≥30天的1401例超长住院患者的分布特征进行统计描述,采用Logistic回归模型分析超长住院日的影响因素。结果2020年全院平均住院日为7.13天,其中超长住院患者平均住院日为41.85天。超长住院患者以60岁以上年龄组最多(39.61%);出院科室主要分布在血液科(42.18%)、普通外科(11.85%)、骨科(7.49%)等;疾病类别主要为肿瘤(47.32%)、影响健康状态和与保健机构接触的因素(10.56%)、循环系统疾病(7.07%)等;多因素Logistic回归结果显示,男性(OR=1.188)、离院方式为非医嘱离院或其他(OR=2.046)和死亡病例(OR=3.362)是超长住院的危险因素。结论控制超长住院日对平均住院日影响显著,医院应加强重点人群、重点科室和重点病种管理提高诊疗管理水平,缩短平均住院日。     

集束化干预联合闭环管理对ICU多重耐药菌感染的防控效果

目的 探讨集束化干预策略联合闭环管理模式对ICU多重耐药菌感染的防控效果。方法选取2020年1~12月EICU住院患者275例作为对照组，实施常规管理；2021年1~10月EICU住院患者239例作为观察组，在常规管理基础上实施集束化干预策略联合闭环管理。结果实施后，观察组多重耐药菌感染发生率明显低于对照组；患者住院日显著低于对照组，4项护理措施执行率(隔离标识、手卫生、环境消毒、医务人员相关知识知晓)、病原学送检率显著高于对照组（均P<0.05）。结论集束化干预联合信息化闭环管理可有效降低EICU多重耐药菌感染发生率。     

腹腔镜与开腹手术治疗长径5~10 cm中危原发性胃间质瘤的安全性和有效性比较

目的　比较腹腔镜和开腹手术治疗长径5~10 cm的中危胃间质瘤的安全性和有效性，并评估患者术后使用伊马替尼辅助治疗是否有明显益处。方法　回顾性分析2010年1月—2020年7月在南京大学医学院附属鼓楼医院接受手术治疗的72例长径在5~10 cm的中危胃间质瘤患者资料。其中腹腔镜手术组28例，开腹手术组44例。比较两组患者基本资料、病理特征、围手术期结果、住院总费用。对比术后使用和不使用伊马替尼辅助治疗的生存率。结果　开腹组和腹腔镜组临床病理特征差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。腹腔镜组术后并发症发生率为32.1%（9/28），开腹组为52.3%（23/44），两组比较差异无统计学意义（P=0.094）。与开腹组相比，腹腔镜组总住院时间明显缩短［（12.5±3.2） d比（15.0±3.5） d，P=0.004］；术后中位住院天数明显缩短（7.5 d 比 9.0 d，P=0.006）；首次排气时间明显缩短（P=0.003）。中位随访时间58个月（13~129个月），期间未出现与肿瘤相关的死亡病例。开腹组有2例死亡，分别因乳腺癌和心脏病；腹腔镜组有1例死亡，死亡原因与胃间质瘤无关。72例患者中，40例术后接受伊马替尼辅助治疗，开腹组22例（50.0%），腹腔镜组18例（64.3%），两组接受伊马替尼辅助治疗的患者例数占比差异无统计学意义（χ2=1.414，P=0.234）。术后使用伊马替尼辅助治疗组总体生存率与未使用伊马替尼辅助治疗组相比差异有统计学意义 （P=0.015）。结论　与开腹手术相比，腹腔镜治疗长径在5~10 cm的中危胃间质瘤是一种安全有效的方法。实现R0切除的长径在5~10 cm的中危胃间质瘤患者术后使用伊马替尼辅助治疗未增加生存率，且未使用伊马替尼者未出现与肿瘤相关的死亡、复发及转移。     

Confounded association between proton pump inhibitor use and risk of biliary tract cancer: Result from three cohorts

Recent epidemiological studies suggested that proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use was associated with an increased risk of biliary tract cancer (BTC), however, confounders were not adequately controlled. Our study aimed to evaluate PPI use and subsequent risk of BTC and its subtypes in three well-established cohorts. We conducted a pooled analysis of the subjects free of cancers in UK Biobank (n = 463 643), Nurses' Health Study (NHS, n = 80 235) and NHS II (n = 95 869). Propensity score weighted Cox models were used to estimate marginal HRs of PPIs use on BTC risk, accounting for potential confounders. We documented 284 BTC cases in UK Biobank (median follow-up: 7.6 years), and 91 cases in NHS and NHS II cohorts (median follow-up: 15.8 years). In UK biobank, PPI users had a 96% higher risk of BTC compared to nonusers in crude model (HR 1.96, 95% CI 1.44-2.66), but the effect was attenuated to null after adjusting for potential confounders (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.60-1.49). PPI use was not associated with risk of BTC in the pooled analysis of three cohorts (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.60-1.43). We also observed no associations between PPI use with risk of intrahepatic (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.49-2.04), extrahepatic bile duct (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.52-2.27) and gallbladder cancers (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.26-1.66) in UK Biobank. In summary, regular use of PPIs was not associated with the risk of BTC and its subtypes.