Impact of modified-release opioid use on clinical outcomes following total hip and knee arthroplasty: a propensity score-matched cohort study

Modified-release opioids are often prescribed for the management of moderate to severe acute pain following total hip and knee arthroplasty, despite recommendations against their use due to increasing concerns regarding harm. The primary objective of this multicentre study was to examine the impact of modified-release opioid use on the incidence of opioid-related adverse events compared with immediate-release opioid use, among adult inpatients following total hip or knee arthroplasty. Data for total hip and knee arthroplasty inpatients receiving an opioid analgesic for postoperative analgesia during hospitalisation were collected from electronic medical records of three tertiary metropolitan hospitals in Australia. The primary outcome was the incidence of opioid-related adverse events during hospital admission. Patients who received modified with or without immediate-release opioids were matched to those receiving immediate-release opioids only (1:1) using nearest neighbour propensity score matching with patient and clinical characteristics as covariates. This included total opioid dose received. In the matched cohorts, patients given modified-release opioids (n = 347) experienced a higher incidence of opioid-related adverse events overall, compared with those given immediate-release opioids only (20.5%, 71/347 vs. 12.7%, 44/347; difference in proportions 7.8% [95%CI 2.3–13.3%]). Modified-release opioid use was associated with an increased risk of harm when used for acute pain during hospitalisation after total hip or knee arthroplasty.     

基于HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB信号通路研究木兰脂素对急性鼻窦炎大鼠的治疗作用及机制

目的： 观察木兰脂素对急性鼻窦炎(ARS)大鼠的治疗作用，并探讨其通过高迁移率家族蛋白1/ Toll样受体4/核因子-κB(HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB)信号通路的调控机制方法： 49只大鼠，随机取9 只作为正常组，40只用鼻窦腔内接种金黄色葡萄球菌法制备ARS模型，36只建模成功大鼠随机分为模型组、木兰脂素低剂量组、木兰脂素高剂量组、阳性组，各9只。木兰脂素低剂量组、木兰脂素高剂量组分别灌胃20、80 mg·kg^-1体质量的木兰脂素，模型组和正常组灌胃等体质量溶媒，阳性组灌胃40 mg·kg^-1 体质量左氧氟沙星，连续7 d。给药前、末次给药后1 h评估各组鼻窦炎症状评分；测定给药后各组血白细胞(WBC)计数及中性粒细胞占比，观察鼻窦黏膜病理组织学变化，检测鼻腔灌洗液中肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白介素(IL)-6水平及鼻黏膜中HMGB1、TLR4、NF-κB mRNA和蛋白表达情况结果： 给药后，木兰脂素低剂量组、高剂量组、阳性组的急性鼻窦炎症状评分及血WBC计数均低于模型组，但仍高于正常组，且木兰脂素高剂量组及阳性组均低于木兰脂素低剂量组，差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05)，而木兰脂素高剂量组与阳性组比较，差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05)。与给药前比较，给药后木兰脂素低剂量组、高剂量组及阳性组急性鼻窦炎症状评分均降低(P＜0.05)，正常组及模型组给药前后无明显差异(P＞0.05)。与模型组比较，木兰脂素低剂量组、木兰脂素高剂量组、阳性组中性粒细胞占比均降低，且木兰脂素高剂量组低于木兰脂素低剂量组，阳性组低于木兰脂素高剂量组，差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05)，而阳性组与正常组比较，差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05)。HE染色显示，模型组大鼠纤毛脱落、缺失、排列紊乱，黏膜上皮破损、变性，黏膜内及黏膜下可见大量炎症细胞浸润； 木兰脂素低剂量组、木兰脂素高剂量组及阳性组上述病理变化均减轻，且木兰脂素高剂量组和阳性组炎症反应减轻更为明显。与模型组比较，木兰脂素低剂量组、木兰脂素高剂量组、阳性组鼻腔灌洗液中 TNF-α、IL-6水平及鼻黏膜中HMGB1、TLR4、NF-κB mRNA和蛋白相对表达量均降低，但仍高于正常组，且木兰脂素高剂量组及阳性组均低于木兰脂素低剂量组，差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05)，而木兰脂素高剂量组及阳性组比较，差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05)结论： 木兰脂素治疗ARS效果显著，可能通过HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB信号通路抑制鼻黏膜炎症反应。     

Oral cancer prediction by noninvasive genetic screening

Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) develop in genetically altered epithelium in the mucosal lining, also coined as fields, which are mostly not visible but occasionally present as white oral leukoplakia (OL) lesions. We developed a noninvasive genetic assay using next-generation sequencing (NGS) on brushed cells to detect the presence of genetically altered fields, including those that are not macroscopically visible. The assay demonstrated high accuracy in OL patients when brush samples were compared with biopsies as gold standard. In a cohort of Fanconi anemia patients, detection of mutations in prospectively collected oral brushes predicted oral cancer also when visible abnormalities were absent. We further provide insight in the molecular landscape of OL with frequent changes of TP53, FAT1 and NOTCH1. NGS analysis of noninvasively collected samples offers a highly accurate method to detect genetically altered fields in the oral cavity, and predicts development of OSCC in high-risk individuals. Noninvasive genetic screening can be employed to screen high-risk populations for cancer and precancer, map the extension of OL lesions beyond what is visible, map the oral cavity for precancerous changes even when visible abnormalities are absent, test accuracy of promising imaging modalities, monitor interventions and determine genetic progression as well as the natural history of the disease in the human patient.     

Development of an automated production process of [64Cu][Cu (ATSM)] for positron emission tomography imaging and theranostic applications

Cyclotron-produced copper-64 radioisotope tracers offer the possibility to perform both diagnostic investigation by positron emission tomography (PET) and radiotherapy by a theranostic approach with bifunctional chelators. The versatile chemical properties of copper add to the importance of this isotope in medicinal investigation. [⁶⁴Cu][Cu (ATSM)] has shown to be a viable candidate for imaging of tumor hypoxia; a critical tumor microenvironment characteristic that typically signifies tumor progression and resistance to chemo-radiotherapy. Various production and radiosynthesis methods of [⁶⁴Cu][Cu (ATSM)] exist in labs, but usually involved non-standardized equipment with varying production qualities and may not be easily implemented in wider hospital settings. [⁶⁴Cu][Cu (ATSM)] was synthesized on a modified GE TRACERlab FXN automated synthesis module. End-of-synthesis (EOS) molar activity of [⁶⁴Cu][Cu (ATSM)] was 2.2–5.5 Ci/μmol (HPLC), 2.2–2.6 Ci/μmol (ATSM-titration), and 3.0–4.4 Ci/μmol (ICP-MS). Radiochemical purity was determined to be >99% based on radio-HPLC. The final product maintained radiochemical purity after 20 h. We demonstrated a simple and feasible process development and quality control protocols for automated cyclotron production and synthesis of [⁶⁴Cu][Cu (ATSM)] based on commercially distributed standardized synthesis modules suitable for PET imaging and theranostic studies.