Comparison of first- and second-generation drug-eluting stent efficacies for treating left main and/or three-vessel disease: a propensity matched study

The efficacy of second-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) for the treatment of left main disease (LM) and/or three vessel disease (3VD) remains unclear. We compared 2-year outcomes of second- versus first -generation DES implantation among patients with LM and/or 3VD and to assess the differential of risk by complexity of coronary artery disease using synergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with taxus and cardiac surgery (SYNTAX) scores. Between April 2007 and December 2012, 341 patients with LM and/or 3VD were treated by percutaneous coronary intervention; 154 with first-generation DES and 137 with second-generation DES. After propensity matching, 101 patients remained in each group. The rate of target lesion revascularization (TLR) and major adverse cardiac event (MACE) were compared. TLR and MACE at 2 years were more common in the first- compared with second-generation DES group (TLR 19.8 vs. 8.9 %; p = 0.016, MACE 24.8 vs. 10.9 %; p = 0.008). In patients with low (0–22) and intermediate (23–32) SYNTAX scores, TLR and MACE tended to occur more often with first-generation DES group. In patients with high SYNTAX scores (≧33), TLR and MACE were significantly more common with first-generation DES group (TLR 29.0 vs. 11.1 %; p = 0.035, MACE 35.5 vs. 13.9 %; p = 0.034). Compared with first-generation DES, second-generation DES proved beneficial in reducing risk of TLR and MACE in patients with LM and/or 3VD, particularly among those with high SYNTAX scores (≧33).     

Comparison between drug-coated balloon angioplasty and second-generation drug-eluting stent placement for the treatment of in-stent restenosis after drug-eluting stent implantation

Even though drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty has emerged as a treatment option for drug-eluting stent in-stent restenosis (DES–ISR), the most effective treatment strategy for DES–ISR is still under debate. Therefore, we compared long-term clinical outcomes following DCB treatment of DES–ISR with those following 2nd-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) treatment. We identified 248 DES–ISR lesions in 238 patients that were treated with either 2nd-generation DES implantation (n = 56) or DCB angioplasty (n = 192). We compared the incidences of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in the two groups during the 2-year period following treatment. MACE was defined as cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or target-vessel revascularization. The percentage of patients with diabetes and the mean age of patients in the DCB group were greater than in the DES group. The DCB group also had a smaller reference vessel diameter. The DES group had a larger post-intervention minimal luminal diameter. We found no significant difference in the MACE rate between the two groups during the 2 years following treatment (11.0 % in the DCB group vs. 8.9 % in the DES group, p = 0.660). Reference segment diameter was the only independent predictive factor for MACE in the post-treatment period (hazard ratio 0.35, 95 % confidence interval: 0.15–0.82, p = 0.016). Clinical efficacy of DCB angioplasty for treatment of DES–ISR was comparable to that of 2nd-generation DES implantation as measured by the rate of MACEs in the two groups. Reference segment diameter was the only statistically significant independent predictor for MACE in the 2-year period following treatment.     

Short- and long-term benefits of drug-eluting stents compared to bare metal stents even in treatment for large coronary arteries

Although drug-eluting stents (DES) for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have dramatically reduced the incidence of in-stent restenosis, their deployment for large-size coronary lesions is still controversial because of problems such as late in-stent thrombosis and late catch-up in DES. We aimed to evaluate the long-term outcome beyond 2 years of bare metal stents (BMS) as compared with DES in large vessels. Consecutive 228 patients who underwent PCI with large-size stents (>3.5 mm in diameter) in our hospital were enrolled in this study. The end points of this study are target lesion revascularization (TLR) and occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) for subject patients. We analyzed 183 patients (152 men, mean age 65.8 ± 10.5 years) whose outcome could be followed up for at least 2 years. At the first 8-month follow-up, clinically driven TLR rate was significantly higher in patients who received BMS than those who received DES (17.2 vs. 2.2 %, p < 0.05), although the rate of TLR was not different between the 2 groups beyond 8 months. Thus, overall rate of TLR was higher in BMS than in DES (22.7 vs. 5.4 %, p < 0.05). Under these conditions, the higher rate of TLR for BMS was observed in simple as well as complex lesions with or without diabetes, although there were no significant differences in MACE between BMS and DES. Multivariate analysis showed that BMS was an only independent factor of TLR at the 8 month follow-up period [p = 0.004, odds ratio 9.58, 95 % confidence interval (2.10–43.8)]. These results demonstrate that the rate of in-stent restenosis in large-size coronary lesions was transiently higher in the first 8 months for patients implanted with BMS compared with DES in which no in-stent thrombosis and TLR beyond 2 years were observed. We suggest using the DES even in large-size coronary lesions in terms of short- and long-term outcomes.     

Paclitaxel-eluting stents versus sirolimus-eluting stents in patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Uncertainties exist with regard to the efficacy of paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) versus sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) in diabetes patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to investigate the outcome of PES versus SES in diabetes patients undergoing PCI. A literature search was started, and we found all studies conducted from 2005 to 2016. We systematically searched the literature through the MEDLINE, Cochrane library, and EMBASE. Quality assessments were evaluated with the Jadad scale. Data were extracted considering the characteristics of efficacy and the safety of the designs. 12 RCTs satisfy the inclusion criteria. There is a significant decrease of target lesion revascularization (TLR) (MD = 0.65, 95 % CI = 0.42–1.00, P = 0.05) in a year and more than 1 year (MD = 0.54, 95 % CI = 0.37–0.78, P = 0.00010). A significant decrease of target vessel revascularization (TVR) in more than 1 year is (MD = 0.62, 95 % CI = 0.47–0.81, P = 0.0004). A significant decrease of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in more than 1 year is (MD = 0.73, 95 % CI = 0.60–0.89, P = 0.002). Nevertheless, there is no significant difference in mortality (MD = 0.85, 95 % CI = 0.66–1.11, P = 0.24), stent thrombosis (ST) (MD = 0.65, 95 % CI = 0.35–1.21, P = 0.18), or myocardial infarction (MD = 1.04, 95 % CI = 0.71–1.51, P = 0.84). SES may be more significant in decreasing TLR, TVR, and MACE than PES without significantly increasing mortality, ST and MI in diabetes patients.     

Nitinol stent implantation for femoropopliteal disease in patients on hemodialysis: results of the 3-year retrospective multicenter APOLLON study

The clinical outcomes of nitinol stents for femoropopliteal arterial (FP) disease in patients on hemodialysis were assessed. Endovascular therapy (EVT) is accepted for symptomatic FP disease. However, the clinical outcomes of patients on dialysis are not well known. A multicenter retrospective study was conducted with data between November 2010 and August 2013. A total of 484 consecutive patients who successfully underwent EVT for FP disease with nitinol stents were recruited and analyzed. Patients were categorized into the hemodialysis group (N = 161) and non-hemodialysis group (N = 323). The primary measure was primary patency verified by duplex ultrasound at a rest peak systolic velocity (PSVR) of >2.5, and secondary measures were freedom from target lesion revascularization (TLR) and major amputation-free survival (AFS). Average follow-up duration was 19.5 ± 13.5 months. The primary patency rate at 3 years was significantly lower in the hemodialysis group than the non-hemodialysis group (33.8 vs. 43.7 %; p = 0.036). Freedom from TLR at 3 years was 55.0 % in the hemodialysis group and 66.1 % in the non-hemodialysis group (p = 0.032). The hemodialysis group showed a significantly lower AFS rate at 3 years than the non-hemodialysis group (86.4 vs. 58.2 %; p < 0.001). In hemodialysis patients, nitinol stent use resulted in a lower patency rate, higher TLR rate, and lower AFS rate compared to non-hemodialysis patients. These data suggest that nitinol stent implantation for FP arteries in hemodialysis patient needs to be reconsidered.     

Correlation of NLRP3 with severity and prognosis of coronary atherosclerosis in acute coronary syndrome patients

We decided to assess the prognostic value of NLRP3 inflammasome level in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients and whether it was related to coronary atherosclerotic severity. Study population included one-hundred and twenty-three (123) subjects. Peripheral blood monocyte NLRP3 protein level was correlated with clinical presentation, angiographic characteristics and its scoring systems as well as GRACE and TIMI risk scores. Follow-up for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) was carried out at 180 days. Peripheral blood monocyte NLRP3 was found to be elevated in ACS patients (P < 0.05) and showed positive correlation with GRACE score (r = 0.619), TIMI score (r = 0.580), SYNTAX score (r = 0.550), Clinical SYNTAX score (r = 0.564) and Gensini score (r = 0.516). NLRP3 was also increased with increasing number of vessels, the number of lesions present and the presence bifurcation lesions (P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed NLRP3 to be an independent predictor of MACE (P = 0.043). Kaplan–Meier analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves for NLRP3 showed good predictive value for MACE. There is a positive correlation of NLRP3 level with severity of coronary atherosclerosis. NLRP3 level is a promising prognostic utility and is efficient in event prediction for MACE.     

Assessment of risk factors and left ventricular function in patients with slow coronary flow

Slow coronary flow (SCF) is characterized by delayed distal vessel opacification in the absence of significant epicardial coronary disease. Life-threatening arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death can occur; however, the pathological mechanism and influence on left ventricular function remain undetermined. We aimed to assess the risk factors and left ventricular (LV) function in SCF and evaluate the relationships between thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count (TFC) and the number of involved coronary arteries with LV function in patients with SCF. We included 124 patients who underwent coronary angiography because of symptoms of angina; 71 patients with angiographically proven SCF and 53 cases with normal coronary flow pattern. SCF was diagnosed as TFC >27 in at least one coronary artery. Complete blood count and biochemical parameters were compared between the two groups. Conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging were used to assess LV systolic and diastolic function. Platelet aggregation rate induced by ADP was an independent predictor of SCF and positively correlated with coronary artery mean TFC (mTFC) (r = 0.514, P < 0.001) and the number of coronary arteries with SCF (r = 0.628, P < 0.001). Early diastolic mitral inflow velocity (E) (0.66 ± 0.15 vs. 0.74 ± 0.17, P = 0.008), ratio of early to late diastolic mitral inflow velocity (E/A) (0.95 ± 0.29 vs. 1.15 ± 0.35, P = 0.002), global myocardial peak early diastolic velocity (gVe) (4.41 ± 1.25 vs. 4.96 ± 1.45, P = 0.037), and ratio of global myocardial peak early to late diastolic velocity (gVe/gVa: 1.09 ± 0.45 vs. 1.36 ± 0.58, P = 0.006) were decreased in patients with SCF compared with controls. gVe (3 vs. 0 branches, 4.08 ± 1.14 vs. 4.97 ± 1.45, respectively, P = 0.008) deteriorated significantly in patients with SCF involving three coronary arteries. mTFC negatively correlated with E and E/A (r = ?0.22, P = 0.02; r = ?0.20, P = 0.04, respectively). The number of coronary arteries with SCF negatively correlated with E, E/A, gVe and gVe/gVa (r = ?0.23, P = 0.02; r = ?0.25, P = 0.009; r = ?0.25, P = 0.008; r = ?0.21, P = 0.03, respectively). Platelet aggregation rate induced by ADP was an independent predictor of SCF and positively correlated with coronary artery TFC and the number of affected coronary arteries. Left ventricular global and regional diastolic function was impaired in SCF patients. Furthermore, the number of coronary arteries involved rather than coronary artery TFC determined the severity of left ventricular dysfunction in patients with SCF.     

TLR9 polymorphisms and systemic lupus erythematosus risk: an update meta-analysis study

It has been reported that the Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) gene polymorphisms may be associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) risk. However, some studies yielded conflicting results. Therefore, a comprehensive meta-analysis was performed to assess the precise association between TLR9 polymorphisms and SLE susceptibility. We performed a systematic search in PubMed, Embase (Ovid), China National Knowledge Internet, and Wanfang databases up to July 15, 2015. Odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were used to pool the effect size. Statistical analyses were performed with STATA 11.0 software. In total, 21 studies from nineteen articles with 10,273 subjects were included in this meta-analysis. The overall results suggested that there was a statistically significant association between TLR9 rs187084 polymorphism and SLE risk observed in recessive model (TT vs. TC + CC: OR 1.17, 95 % CI 1.05–1.30, P = 0.005), codominant model (TT vs. CC: OR 1.22, 95 % CI 1.03–1.43, P = 0.019), and allele model (T vs. C: OR 1.15, 95 % CI 1.02–1.30, P = 0.020) in Asians. However, we found that there may be no significant association between the other three TLR9 polymorphisms and SLE risk in either Asians or non-Asians. In conclusion, the meta-analysis results suggested that TLR9 rs187084 polymorphism may increase the risk of SLE in Asians. However, no significant association between TLR9 SNPs (rs352139, rs352140, and rs5743836) and SLE risk was identified.     

The efficacy of everolimus-eluting stent implantation in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: outcomes of 2-year clinical follow-up

First-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) demonstrated delay in vascular healing and increase in incidence of late and very late stent thrombosis compared with bare-metal stents (BMS). Second-generation DES, however, have shown a reduction of late and very late stent thrombosis compared with first-generation DES. Thus, we decided to evaluate whether the second-generation everolimus-eluting stent (EES) has an advantage over BMS in Japanese patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This study was conducted in two centers, retrospective, non-randomized and observational design in patients with STEMI. Three-hundred eighty patients were randomly selected to receive EES (198 patients) or cobalt-chromium BMS (182 patients). The primary endpoints were cardiac death, recurrent myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), target vessel revascularization (TVR), and stent thrombosis (ST). At 2 years, the rates of TLR, TVR, and recurrent MI were significantly lower in the EES group than in the BMS group (TLR 1.5 vs. 8.3 %, p < 0.05; TVR 2.5 vs. 9.4 %, p < 0.05; recurrent MI 1.0 vs. 4.1 %, p < 0.05), and the rate of ST was also significantly lower in the EES group than in the BMS group (0.5 vs. 4.3 %, p < 0.05). Thus, major adverse cardiac events defined at the composite cardiac death, MI, TLR, TVR, or ST were significantly lower in EES group than in BMS group (3.0 vs. 9.9 %, p = 0.008). The rate of cardiac death, however, did not differ between both groups. In STEMI patients, EES may be associated with improved outcomes—specifically, a significant reduction in TVR, ST, and recurrent MI compared to BMS throughout 2 years.     

The clinical utility of serum IL-35 in patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis

The objectives of this study are to assess the levels of serum Interleukin-35 (IL-35) in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) and to evaluate the association between IL-35 levels and IIM-related features. Serum IL-35 was detected in 76 patients with dermatomyositis (DM), 28 patients with polymyositis (PM), 98 disease controls (40 rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 34 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 12 systemic sclerosis (SSc), and 12 sjogren syndrome (SS)), and 43 healthy controls by ELISA. Follow-up was conducted on 34 patients. Serum IL-35 was higher in myositis (PM/DM) patients than in healthy controls (median 76.6 pg/ml [interquartile range (IQR) 57.9–136.2] vs. 29.9 pg/ml (IQR 21.9–65.5), P < 0.001) and disease controls. Serum IL-35 in IIM patients negatively correlated with disease duration moderately (r = ?0.35, P < 0.01). Patients with dysphagia had higher IL-35 than those without (median149.35 pg/ml (IQR 87.97–267.32) vs. 70.72 pg/ml (IQR 54.49–123.42), P = 0.001). Cross-sectional correlation analysis showed a weak positive correlation between serum IL-35 and CK (r = 0.293, P = 0.003), moderate positive correlation with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (r = 0.304, P = 0.002), serum ferritin (SF) (r = 0.467, P = 0.001) and LDH levels (r = 0.401, P < 0.001). Additionally, serum IL-35 was higher in patients who were positive for anti-HMGCR (median 292.04 pg/ml (IQR 67.9–442.86) vs. 74.66 pg/ml (IQR 57.24–131.32), P = 0.038) and anti-SRP antibody (median 130.33 pg/ml (IQR 88.04–481.28) vs. 73.06 pg/ml (IQR 56.78–134.28), P = 0.009) than in negative patients, respectively. Follow-up study showed that changes in IL-35 levels after treatment correlated with changes in MYOACT scores moderately (r = 0.375, P = 0.029). These data indicate that increased serum IL-35 could act as a disease activity marker and as a risk factor for esophageal involvement in IIM. IL-35 may participate in the pathophysiological processes of IIM, but it still needs further study to confirm.     

Preventive effect of oral nicorandil on contrast-induced nephropathy in patients with renal insufficiency undergoing elective cardiac catheterization

This study aims to investigate the preventive effect of oral nicorandil on contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients with renal insufficiency undergoing elective cardiac catheterization. A total of 240 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 60 mL/min or less, who were undergoing elective cardiac catheterization, were randomly assigned to nicorandil group (n = 120, 10 mg nicorandil, three times daily from 2 days before to 3 days after procedure) or control group (n = 120, matching placebo as the same method). The primary endpoint was the incidence of CIN defined as 25 % increase in serum creatinine (SCr) from baseline or 44 μmol/L (0.5 mg/dL) increase in absolute value within 72 h after exposure to contrast medium. The secondary endpoints were: (1) the changes of SCr, Cystatin-C (Cys-C) and eGFR within 72 h; (2) major adverse events (MACE) occurring within 30 days. Baseline characteristics of the patients in the two groups were similar. The incidence of CIN was significantly lower in nicorandil group compared with control group (6.67 vs. 17.5 %, P = 0.017). Compared with the control group, nicorandil group tended to have a lower SCr and Cys-C levels as well as a higher eGFR at 48 h after the procedure (all P < 0.05). There was no difference about the incidence of MACE within 30 days between nicorandil group and control group (4.16 vs. 5.83 %, P = 0.767). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that nicorandil was an independent protective factor against CIN (OR = 0.260, 95 % CI = 0.1–0.676, P = 0.006). Therefore, we concluded that oral nicorandil was associated with a decline in the incidence of CIN in patients with renal insufficiency undergoing elective cardiac catheterization.     

Impact of residual urine volume decline on the survival of chronic hemodialysis patients in Kinshasa

Background

Despite the multiple benefits of maintaining residual urine volume (RUV) in hemodialysis (HD), there is limited data from Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of RUV decline on the survival of HD patients.

Methods

In a retrospective cohort study, 250 consecutive chronic HD patients (mean age 52.5 years; 68.8% male, median HD duration 6 months) from two hospitals in the city of Kinshasa were studied, between January 2007 and July 2013. The primary outcome was lost RUV. Preserved or lost RUV was defined as decline RUV?<?25 (median decline) or?≥?25 ml/day/month, respectively. The second endpoint was survival (time-to death). Survival curves were built using the Kaplan-Meier methods. We used Log-rank test to compare survival curves. Predictors of mortality were assessed by Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Results

The cumulative incidence of patients with RUV decline was 52, 4%. The median (IQR) decline in RUV was 25 (20.8–33.3) ml/day/month in the population studied, 56.7 (43.3–116.7) in patients deceased versus 12.9 (8.3–16.7) in survivor patients (p?<?0.001). Overall mortality was 78 per 1000 patient years (17 per 1000 in preserved vs 61 per 1000 lost RUV). Forty six patients (18.4%) died from withdrawal of HD due to financial constraints. The Median survival was 17 months in the whole group while, a significant difference was shown between lost (10 months, n?=?119) vs preserved RUV group (30 months, n?=?131; p?=?0001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models showed that, decreased RUV (adjusted HR 5.35, 95% CI [2.73–10.51], p?<?0.001), financial status (aHR 2.23, [1.11–4.46], p?=?0.024), hypervolemia (a HR 2.00, [1.17–3.40], p?=?0.011), lacking ACEI (aHR 2.48, [1.40–4.40], p?=?0.002) or beta blocker use (aHR 4.04, [1.42–11.54], p?=?0.009), central venous catheter (aHR 6.26, [1.71–22.95], p?=?0.006), serum albumin (aHR 0.93, [0.89–0.96], p?<?0.001) and hemoglobin (aHR 0.73, [0.63–0.84], p?<?0.001) had emerged as the independent predictors of all-cause mortality.

Conclusion

More than half of HD patients in this cohort study experienced fast RUV decline which contributed substantially to increase mortality, highlighting the need for its prevention and management.

     

Moderate vasomotor response to acetylcholine provocation test as an indicator of long-term prognosis

The acetylcholine (ACh) provocation test (ACh-test) is used for the diagnosis of vasospastic angina (VSA). However, subjects often show a moderate spasm (MS) response for which diagnosis of VSA is not definitive, and the clinical significance of this response is unknown. We assessed moderate coronary vasomotor response to the ACh test as an indicator of long-term prognosis. A total of 298 consecutive patients who underwent the ACh test for suspected VSA were retrospectively investigated. Coronary spasm severity after intracoronary administration of isosorbide dinitrate was evaluated by measuring epicardial coronary artery diameter reduction after ACh injection. Patients were divided into three groups according to the diameter reduction during the ACh test: severe spasm (SS) showing ≥75 % diameter reduction, MS showing ≥50 % diameter reduction, and others (N). In Kaplan–Meier analysis, the major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rates with a median follow-up of 4.6 years were significantly worse in SS (11.1 %) and MS (8.5 %) than N (1.9 %), (SS vs N; P = 0.009, MS vs N; P = 0.029). Significant difference in MACE rates was not observed between SS and MS (P = 0.534). Cox regression analysis revealed that MS remained an independent predictor of MACE after adjustment for other confounders (HR: 7.18, 95 % CI 1.42–36.4, P = 0.017). Patients with MS by ACh test had a cardiac event rate comparable with that of patients with SS and significantly worse than that of patients with normal vasomotor responses.     

Impact of age on intermittent hypoxia in obstructive sleep apnea: a propensity-matched analysis

Purpose

To determine independent relationship of aging with chronic intermittent hypoxia, we compared hypoxia-related polysomnographic variables of geriatric patients (aged ≥ 65 years) with an apnea–hypopnea index (AHI)-, gender-, body mass index (BMI)-, and neck circumference-matched cohort of non-geriatric patients.

Methods

The study was conducted using clinical and polysomnographic data of 1280 consecutive patients who underwent complete polysomnographic evaluation for suspected sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) at a single sleep disorder center. A propensity score-matched analysis was performed to obtain matched cohorts of geriatric and non-geriatric patients, which resulted in successful matching of 168 patients from each group.

Results

Study groups were comparable for gender (P = 0.999), BMI (P = 0.940), neck circumference (P = 0.969), AHI (P = 0.935), and severity of SDB (P = 0.089). The oximetric variables representing the duration of chronic intermittent hypoxia such as mean (P = 0.001), the longest (P = 0.001) and total apnea durations (P = 0.003), mean (P = 0.001) and the longest hypopnea durations (P = 0.001), and total sleep time with oxygen saturation below 90% (P = 0.008) were significantly higher in the geriatric patients as compared with younger adults. Geriatric patients had significantly lower minimum (P = 0.013) and mean oxygen saturation (P = 0.001) than non-geriatric patients.

Conclusions

The study provides evidence that elderly patients exhibit more severe and deeper nocturnal intermittent hypoxia than the younger adults, independent of severity of obstructive sleep apnea, BMI, gender, and neck circumference. Hypoxia-related polysomnographic variables in geriatric patients may in fact reflect a physiological aging process rather than the severity of a SDB.

     

Poor prognosis of young patients with colorectal cancer: a retrospective study

Purpose

The present study aimed to explore the survival outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) aged 35 years and younger.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included a total of 995 patients with CRC treated between January 2003 and September 2011. The patients were assorted into the young (aged 18–35 years) and older (aged 36–75 years) groups. The clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of the patients in the young group were compared with those of the patients in the older group for evaluation.

Results

Compared with the older group, a significantly higher number of patients in the young group had right-sided colon cancer (30.9 vs. 19.6%, P = 0.026), high histologic grade tumor (14.7 vs. 6.4%, P = 0.021), and stage III disease (50.0 vs. 35.5%, P = 0.016). In stage III disease, compared with the older group, the patients in the young group had worse survival outcome in terms of 5-year overall survival (OS, P = 0.007), cancer-specific survival (CSS, P = 0.010), and disease-free survival (DFS, P = 0.039). Multivariate analysis revealed that age ≤35 years was an independent risk factor in terms of 5-year OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.68; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12–2.54; P = 0.012), CSS (HR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.15–2.65; P = 0.009), and DFS (HR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.06–2.35; P = 0.024).

Conclusions

The young patients with CRC aged 35 years and younger had worse prognosis compared with older patients, especially for stage III disease.

     

Misalignment between physicians and patient satisfaction with psoriatic arthritis disease control

The main objective of the present study is to evaluate the misalignment between psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patient- and physician-reported satisfaction with PsA control. Data came from the Adelphi Rheumatology Disease Specific Programme, a retrospective, cross-sectional survey of US-based rheumatologists and patients. Physicians provided satisfaction and clinical characteristics on tender joint count, swollen joint count, and percent body surface area (BSA) affected by psoriasis. Patients provided data on satisfaction, the Work Productivity Activity Impairment and Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) questionnaires. Based on their satisfaction response, patient-physician pairs were classified into aligned (both satisfied or dissatisfied) or misaligned (rated satisfaction differently) groups. Multivariate analysis evaluated association of characteristics with misalignment. Among 305 paired patient-physician records analyzed, 23.6% were misaligned and 76.4% were aligned. The misaligned group had shorter disease duration (mean years, 5.2 vs. 6.4), used fewer biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (49.3 vs. 62.9%), had more swollen (mean, 3.7 vs. 1.9, P = 0.0002) and tender joints (mean, 5.6 vs. 2.9, P < 0.0001), greater proportion of patients with comorbidities (72.2 vs. 63.1%), and >3% BSA affected by psoriatic skin lesions (64.2 vs. 55.1%). Misaligned patients reported greater work impairment (mean, 38.7 vs. 21.4, P = 0.0004), daily activities (mean, 38.7 vs. 22.3, P < 0.0001), and higher disease burden (mean HAQ-DI; 0.56 vs. 0.37, P = 0.0001). Multivariate analysis found the number of swollen joints (P = 0.02) and HAQ-DI score (P = 0.03) was significantly associated with misalignment among all patients; however, not in the subgroup of employed patients. Patient-physician misalignment is associated with increased disease activity and disability among patients with PsA.     

Outcomes of laparoscopic surgery in pathologic T4 colon cancers compared to those of open surgery

Introduction

Despite the oncologic safety of laparoscopic surgery in colon cancer management, laparoscopy is not regarded as a standard treatment for T4 colon cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the short-term and long-term oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic surgery in patients with locally advanced colon cancer.

Material and method

From March 2003 to June 2013, a total of 109 consecutive patients with proven pathologic T4 colon cancer were enrolled. These patients were divided into the laparoscopy group (LG, n = 52) and the open group (OG, n = 57). Perioperative and long-term oncologic outcomes were compared between the two groups.

Results

In the LG, open conversion occurred in four patients (7.6%). Combined resection was less commonly performed in the LG (13.5%) than in the OG (36.8%, P = 0.005). Operation time was similar between the two groups. In the LG, blood loss (129 mL vs. 437 mL, P < 0.001) and overall complication rate (13.5 vs. 36.8%, P = 0.005) were lower and length of hospital stay was shorter (median 7 vs. 17 days, P < 0.001) than in the OG. The 5-year overall survival rate was 60.7% for the LG and 61.9% for the OG (P = 0.817). Local recurrence-free survival did not differ between the groups (88.9% in LG vs. 88.1% in OG, P = 0.725).

Conclusion

Considering the benefits of early recovery and similar oncologic outcomes, laparoscopic surgery in T4 colon cancer could be a viable option in selected patients.

     

DK mini-culotte stenting in the treatment of true coronary bifurcation lesions: a propensity score matching comparison with T-provisional stenting

The conventional culotte technique remains not to be widely used for the treatment of coronary bifurcation lesions due to its inherent drawbacks. Here, we developed a double kissing mini-culotte stenting (DK mini-culotte) and assessed its efficacy and safety by a propensity score matching comparison (PSM) with T-provisional stenting. From June 2010 to June 2012, a total of 223 consecutive patients with true coronary bifurcation lesions (TCBLs) were treated with DK mini-culotte (91 patients with 92 lesions) or T-provisional stenting (132 patients with 135 lesions). We performed a PSM to correct the confounders from clinical and lesion’s characteristics. The primary endpoint was cumulative major adverse cardiac event (MACE) at 1 year including cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization or target lesion revascularization (TVR/TLR). The secondary endpoint was the rate of side branch (SB) restenosis at 12 months. After a PSM, there were 66 patients in each group. Additional SB stenting in the T-provisional group was performed in 10 (15.2 %) lesions. The incidence of 1-year cumulative MACE was 4.55 % for the DK mini-culotte versus 13.6 % for T-provisional stenting (P = 0.127), the rate of TVR/TLR was 1.52 % for DK mini-culotte versus 12.12 % for T-provisional stenting (P = 0.033). The SB binary restenosis rate was 5.6 % in the DK mini-culotte group and 22.4 % in the T-provisional group (P = 0.014). In summary, despite that there is no difference in MACE between groups, DK mini-culotte significantly reduce TVR/TLR and SB restenosis in the treatment of true coronary bifurcation lesions.     

Minimally invasive esophagectomy in the prone position improves postoperative outcomes: role of C-reactive protein as an indicator of surgical invasiveness

Background

The aim of the study was to assess serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level immediately after minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) as a surrogate of surgical invasiveness in patients who underwent esophagectomy.

Methods

In total, 104 patients were enrolled in the study: 37 patients underwent MIE in the left lateral decubitus position (MIE-LP) and 67 patients underwent MIE in the prone position (MIE-PP). Serum CRP levels were assessed on POD 1, 3, 5, and 7 after MIE, and were compared with surgical outcomes and duration of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) to investigate less invasiveness of the MIE.

Results

Reduced serum CRP level on POD 1 was associated with PP during MIE (P < 0.001) and decreased blood loss (P = 0.03). MIE-PP was identified as a significant independent predictor of reduced CRP level on POD 1 (odds ratio 3.65, P = 0.042). CRP level on POD 7 was associated with gender (P = 0.02), position of MIE (P = 0.011), blood loss (P = 0.02), and respiratory complications and/or anastomotic leakage (P < 0.001). Postoperative respiratory and/or anastomotic complication was identified as a significant predictor of elevated serum CRP level on POD 7 (odds ratio 3.44, P = 0.048). Shorter duration of SIRS was shown in the patients with reduced serum CRP level on POD 1 and 7 (P = 0.03 and P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

Serial assessments of serum CRP level immediately after MIE may be a possible indicator that can reflect surgical invasiveness and postoperative complications.

     

Final analysis of the randomised PEAK trial: overall survival and tumour responses during first-line treatment with mFOLFOX6 plus either panitumumab or bevacizumab in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma

Purpose

To report planned final overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) analyses from the phase II PEAK trial (NCT00819780).

Methods

Patients with previously untreated, KRAS exon 2 wild-type (WT) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) were randomised to mFOLFOX6 plus panitumumab or bevacizumab. The primary endpoint was PFS; secondary endpoints included OS, objective response rate, duration of response (DoR), time to response, resection and safety. Treatment effect by tumour RAS status was a prespecified objective. Exploratory analyses included early tumour shrinkage (ETS) and depth of response (DpR).

Results

One hundred seventy patients had RAS WT and 156 had RAS WT/BRAF WT mCRC. Median PFS was longer for panitumumab versus bevacizumab in the RAS WT (12.8 vs 10.1 months; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.68 [95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.48–0.96]; p = 0.029) and RAS WT/BRAF WT (13.1 vs 10.1 months; HR = 0.61 [95% CI = 0.42–0.88]; p = 0.0075) populations. Median OS (68% OS events) for panitumumab versus bevacizumab was 36.9 versus 28.9 months (HR = 0.76 [95% CI = 0.53–1.11]; p = 0.15) and 41.3 versus 28.9 months (HR = 0.70 [95% CI = 0.48–1.04]; p = 0.08), in the RAS WT and RAS WT/BRAF WT populations, respectively. Median DoR (11.4 vs 9.0 months; HR = 0.59 [95% CI = 0.39–0.88]; p = 0.011) and DpR (65.0 vs 46.3%; p = 0.0018) were improved in the panitumumab group. More panitumumab patients experienced ≥30% ETS at week 8 (64 vs 45%; p = 0.052); ETS was associated with improved PFS/OS. No new safety signals occurred.

Conclusions

First-line panitumumab + mFOLFOX6 increases PFS versus bevacizumab + mFOLFOX6 in patients with RAS WT mCRC.