The impact of obesity on the predictive accuracy of PSA in men undergoing prostate biopsy

Purpose

Obese men have been reported to have lower serum PSA values relative to normal-weight men in population-based studies, screening cohorts, and in men with prostate cancer (CaP) treated with surgery. There are concerns that PSA may be less accurate in detecting prostate cancer in men with increased body mass index (BMI). We determine whether the diagnostic potential of PSA is negatively influenced by obesity by comparing its operating characteristics across BMI categories among men undergoing prostate biopsy.

Methods

Demographic, clinical, and histopathological data on 917 men who underwent trans-rectal ultrasound-guided prostate needle biopsy from 2002 to 2010 at a University hospital in Italy were used in the study. Men were categorized for BMI as follows: <25 kg/m² (normal weight), 25–29.9 kg/m² (overweight), and ≥30 kg/m² (obese). Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curves were used to assess PSA accuracy for predicting prostate cancer overall and then stratified according to digital rectal examination (DRE) findings using the area under the ROC curve (AUC).

Results

The obesity rate of the study cohort was 21 %. There was no statistically significant difference in the overall AUCs of PSA for predicting CaP among normal-weight (AUC = 0.56), overweight (AUC = 0.60), and obese men (AUC = 0.60; p = 0.68) in either DRE-positive or negative men.

Conclusions

In a cohort of Italian men undergoing prostate biopsy, the performance accuracy of PSA as a predictor of CaP is not significantly altered by BMI. Obesity does not negatively impact the overall ability of PSA to discriminate between CaP and benign conditions.     

Prosthodontic Considerations in the Implant‐Supported All‐Ceramic Restoration of Congenitally Missing Maxillary Lateral Incisor: A Clinical Report

The congenitally missing maxillary lateral incisor is the most common agenesis in the anterior region. There are several treatment options for this anomaly, which causes severe deficiencies: orthodontic space closure, tooth‐supported restoration, or single‐tooth implant. Each of these solutions has a high degree of success if used in the correct situation. An implant‐supported restoration with an interdisciplinary approach provides a predictable outcome. This article describes the treatment of a patient with agenesis of the maxillary left lateral incisor. After orthodontic space management, it was decided to restore the tooth with an all‐ceramic crown cemented on a zirconia custom abutment, which fractured after only 6 weeks of service. Fractographic analysis revealed that the failure was due to over‐reduction of the buccal wall to correct the labial emergence of the implant. Zirconia abutments should be designed with even wall thicknesses of at least 0.8 mm to avoid areas that may compromise functional success.     

Baseline glycated hemoglobin levels are associated with duodenal-jejunal bypass liner-induced weight loss in obese patients

Introduction

Endoscopic treatment with the duodenal-jejunal bypass liner (DJBL) leads to significant weight loss in obese patients. We sought to identify clinical factors associated with weight loss in obese patients treated with the DJBL for 1 year.

Methods

Subjects with morbid obesity were enrolled in a single-arm, open-label, prospective trial and implanted with the DJBL. Patient demographics along with baseline comorbidities, anthropometrics, and biochemical variables were selected for univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

The DJBL was implanted in 79 subjects and 61 completed 12 months of follow-up. There were 18 early removals. Baseline mean age and body mass index (BMI) were 35.4 ± 9.7 years and 43 ± 5.6 kg/m², respectively. Forty-four (72 %) were women. This population included 22 subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Twelve months after treatment, patients had a mean excess body weight loss (%EBWL) of 46 ± 18 %. Univariate analysis identified that fasting glycemia (r ² = ?0.303, p < 0.013), insulin-resistance determined by HOMA-IR (r ² = ?0.457, p < 0.019), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (r ² = ?0.471, p < 0.013) were associated inversely with %EBWL at 1 year. In this cohort of patients, the multivariate analysis indicated that only baseline HbA1c levels were associated inversely with %EBWL after 1 year of treatment (β adjusted coefficient ?0.758, p < 0.016). Importantly, no differences at 1 year in %EBWL were observed between patients with or without T2DM (%EBWL T2D 46.7 ± 20 % vs. non-T2DM 46.8 ± 18.6 %, p = 0.988).

Conclusions

This analysis indicates that higher baseline HbA1c levels are associated independently with diminished body weight loss in obese patients treated with the DJBL independent of their diabetic status. These results show that DJBL induces clinically significant weight loss in both T2DM and non-T2DM patients.     

Fibrin glue as adjuvant treatment for gastrocutaneous fistula after gastrostomy tube removal

Gastrocutaneous fistulas are infrequent after gastrostomy tube removal. However, if the fistulous tract remains permeable, even low-volume output can produce significant cutaneous burns. The use of biodegradable adhesives has been described, where fibrin glue is applied directly over the fistulous tract or under the guidance of procedures such as upper or lower gastrointestinal endoscopy or fistuloscopy. We studied the use of fibrin glue in five consecutive adult patients with gastrocutaneous fistulas after gastrostomy tube removal, with no complications that might impede spontaneous closure. A comparison group included seven patients treated during the preceding 2 years with conservative medical management, who were not treated with fibrin glue. There was no difference between the two groups with regard to age and gender, nor with regard to type of gastrostomy (surgical or endoscopic). The mean output volume from the fistulas was 151.4 +/- 146.1 ml/24 h in the study group and 115.0 +/- 42.7 ml/24 h in the control group, which was not significantly different ( P = 0.80). The duration of previous conservative treatment was 93.8 +/- 85.1 days for the study group and 95.8 +/- 80.7 days for the control group and this also did not differ significantly ( P = 0.93). The time to achieve total fistula closure was 7.0 +/- 3.1 days in the study group and 32.7 +/- 15.7 days in the control group. This difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.004). The time required before oral feeding could be recommenced after spontaneous or induced closure was similar in the two groups, at 2.8 +/- 1.3 days and 4.71 +/- 2.36 days, respectively. Endoscopic guidance allows direct instillation of fibrin glue via the external opening through the whole fistulous tract. This procedure reduces the time required for the closure of gastrocutaneous fistulas.     

Virological response after short-term CCR5 antagonist exposure in HIV-infected patients: frequency of subjects with virological response and associated factors

The virological response after an 8-day maraviroc monotherapy has been proposed to be an alternative method to determine whether an CCR5 antagonist should be prescribed to HIV-infected patients. The frequency of patients eligible for a combined antiretroviral therapy which includes maraviroc on the basis of the result of this clinical test is not well-known at the moment. In the same way, clinical and immunovirological factors associated with the virological response after antagonist exposure need to be determined. Ninety consecutive HIV-infected patients were exposed to an 8-day maraviroc monotherapy. The virological response was considered positive if either a reduction of ≥1-log₁₀ HIV RNA copies/ml or an undetectable viral load (<40 HIV RNA copies/ml) was achieved. CXCR4- and CCR5-tropic virus levels were determined by using patients'' viral isolates and multiple rounds of infection of indicator cell lines (U87-CXCR4 and U87-CCR5). The frequency of patients with a positive virological response was 72.2% (94.7% and 66.2% for treatment-naïve and pretreated patients, respectively). The positive response rates dramatically decreased in patients with lower CD4⁺ T-cell counts. The CXCR4-tropic virus level was the only variable independently associated with the virological response after short-term maraviroc exposure. Lower CD4⁺ T-cell strata were associated with higher CXCR4-tropic virus levels. These results support the suggestion that CCR5 antagonists should be an early treatment option before the expansion of CXCR4-tropic strains.     

High serum cortisol level is associated with increased risk of delirium after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a prospective cohort study

Introduction  

The pathophysiology of postoperative delirium remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between serum cortisol level and occurrence of early postoperative delirium in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.