Metastasectomy and BRAF mutation; an analysis of survival outcome in metastatic colorectal cancer

Background: Resection of oligometastases improves survival in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). It is unclear whether the benefit is consistent for BRAF V600E mutant (MT) and wild type (WT) mCRC. This retrospective analysis explores the influence of BRAF MT on survival after metastasectomy. Methods: Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) for BRAF MT and WT mCRC were evaluated. Survival was also analyzed in the cohort of BRAF MT with or without metastasectomy. Results: Five hundred and thirteen patients who had undergone metastasectomy were identified, 6% were BRAF-MT. Median age 63. Median OS in BRAF MT vs WT: 25.7 vs 48.5 months (hazard ratio [HR] 1.95; 1.18-3.22). However, difference was not significant in a multivariate model. Right primary tumor, intact primary, >1 metastatic site, non-R0 resection, peritoneal metastasis, and synchronous metastasis were independent predictors of worse OS. Among 364 patients with RFS data there was no difference between BRAF MT and WT (16 vs 19 months, p=0.09). In another cohort of 158 BRAF-MT patients, OS was significantly better after metastasectomy compared to “no metastasectomy” (HR 0.34; 0.18-0.65, P= 0.001). Proficient mismatch repair status showed a trend toward worse survival after metastasectomy in BRAF MT (HR 1.71, P = 0.08). Conclusion: OS did not differ after metastasectomy between BRAF MT and WT in a multivariate model. Median OS was >2 years in this study after metastasectomy among BRAFV600E MT patients suggesting a survival benefit of metastasectomy in this group where systemic therapeutic options are limited. Metastasectomy may be considered in carefully selected BRAF-MT patients.     

Integration of geriatric assessment into clinical oncology practice: A scoping review

Sixty percent of newly diagnosed cancers occur in older adults and more complex planning is required to sustain quality care for older populations. Individualized care incorporating geriatric assessment can predict early mortality and treatment toxicity for older cancer patients. We mapped and summarized the available evidence on the integration of geriatric assessment into clinical oncology practice, and ascertained which domains have been implemented. We systematically searched bibliographic databases and trial registries for reports of clinical studies, clinical practice guidelines, systematic and non-systematic reviews, and grey literature published in English. We gathered data on study characteristics, geriatric domains and strategies evaluated, and relevant study objectives and findings. From a total of 10,124 identified citations, 38 articles met our eligibility criteria, 3 of which were clinical practice guidelines. Nearly half of these articles came from the United States. Domains of the geriatric assessment implemented in studies ranged from 1 to 12, with varied combinations. We identified 27 studies on strategies for implementing geriatric assessment and 24 studies on feasibility of implementing geriatric assessment, into clinical oncology practice. We also identified 3 main geriatric assessment models: 2 from the United States and 1 from Australia. Furthermore, we identified 2 reviews that reported varied components of geriatric assessment models. There is increasingly robust evidence to implement formal geriatric assessment in oncology practice. There remains a great deal of variation in the tools recommended to address each of the domains in a geriatric assessment, with only 1 guideline (American Society of Clinical Oncology guideline) settling on a specific best practice.Protocol registration: Open Science Framework osf.io/mec93.     

大麻制剂HU210对实验性急性胰腺炎的干预作用及其与Toll样受体4信号通路的可能关系

目的:研究大麻类制剂HU210对雨蛙肽(caerulein,CAE)诱导的野生型(wild-type,WT)和Toll样受体4基因敲除(tlr4~(-/-))小鼠急性胰腺炎(acute pancreatitis,AP)的干预作用,并探讨其作用机制。方法:将成年C57BL/10J小鼠及相同背景的tlr4~(-/-)小鼠各随机分成3组:AP组、AP+HU210组及正常对照组。小鼠腹腔注射CAE(50μg·kg~(-1)·h~(-1))6次及脂多糖(10 mg/kg)1次复制AP模型;AP+HU210组在造模前及造模后各腹腔注射1次HU210(50μg/kg);对照组注射生理盐水替代CAE和脂多糖。造模处理后3 h,取血处死小鼠,取胰腺、肺组织及肠道Peyer’s结。结果:与对照组相比,无论在WT或tlr4~(-/-)小鼠,AP造模后胰腺病理评分,血浆淀粉酶活性,血浆IL-6、TNF-α及MCP-1水平,以及肺MPO活性均明显升高(P0.05),P38蛋白表达明显上调(P0.05)。同时,AP造模后,与WT小鼠相比,tlr4~(-/-)小鼠血浆IL-6、TNF-α及MCP-1水平,以及胰腺P38及p-P38蛋白表达均明显降低(P0.05),Peyer’s结CD3~+、CD4~+T淋巴细胞百分比及CD4~+/CD8~+比值明显降低(P0.05)。HU210干预使2种小鼠AP模型的胰腺病理学评分和肺MPO活性的升高明显得到改善(P0.05);在WT小鼠,而非tlr4~(-/-)小鼠,AP引起的血浆淀粉酶活性和胰腺P38及p-P38蛋白表达的变化在HU210干预后明显逆转(P0.05)。结论:TLR4主要参与AP全身炎症反应,其机制可能依赖TLR4-P38 MAPK信号通路;大麻制剂HU210对AP的干预主要通过抑制炎症细胞的浸润发挥组织保护作用,与TLR4信号通路的关系似乎不明显。     

山西省艾滋病流行现状分析

目的 分析山西省艾滋病流行现状,为进一步制定艾滋病防治策略提供参考依据.方法 对2009年山西省艾滋病疫情监测到的艾滋病病毒(human immunodeficiency virus,HIV)感染者和艾滋病(acquired immunodeficiency syndrome,AIDS)病人资料进行分析.结果 HIV感染者男女比例2.8∶1,以太原市最多,年龄分布以20～29岁组所占比例最大,以注射毒品和异性性传播为主;AIDS病人男女比例1.5∶1,以运城市最多,年龄以30～ 39岁居多,以异性性传播为主;HIV/AIDS发现途径中,自愿咨询检测仅占16.78％.结论 山西省艾滋病防治形势依然严峻,传播途径以性传播为主,自愿咨询检测点利用率不高.相关部门应加大对各地区(尤其是太原、运城)的监测力度,加强自愿咨询检测的宣传.     

Periprosthetic knee joint infection caused by Sneathia sanguinegens

Sneathia sanguinegens is a fastidious, Gram-negative, rod-shape organism rarely isolated from human specimens. In the present report, we describe a case of periprosthetic knee joint infection due to the organism, which occurred in a female patient receiving immunosuppressants for underlying lupus nephritis. The causative organism was isolated from the synovial fluid in the affected knee joint through inoculating the material on chocolate agar and incubation for 15 days under 5% CO₂. Moreover, the organism was capable to be subcultured on chocolate agar with incubation for a few days under 5% CO₂, demonstrating that this uncommon organism, although generally considered as a strict anaerobe, is culturable in aerobic condition if appropriate media and a sufficient incubation time are given. The patient was treated with intravenous cefepime, an antibiotic highly active to the isolated organism in an in vitro study, in addition to intraarticular debridement and exchanging a polyethylene insert in the affected joint. The antimicrobial therapy with cefepime was given for 19 days and, thereafter, changed with oral levofloxacin. Although the patient showed full recovery after administration of levofloxacin for 100 days, an in vitro study conducted later revealed that levofloxacin was inactive to the isolated organism.     

Staphylococcus pettenkoferi bacteremia in a tertiary care hospital in Japan: Report of three cases

Staphylococcus pettenkoferi is a coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) species first isolated in 2002. Human infections caused by S. pettenkoferi are rare. We herein report three cases of S. pettenkoferi bacteremia in a tertiary care hospital in Japan. Staphylococcus pettenkoferi can be a causative pathogen of catheter related blood stream infection including complicated infection, and unknown source of bacteremia. All of the patients presented with fever and shaking chills, and good clinical outcome. Further research is needed to determine the role of this organism as a pathogen and frequency.     

Experimental Study of Assessment on Ventricular Activation Origin and Contraction Sequence by Doppler Tissue Imaging

Doppler tissue imaging(DTI) is a newly de-veloping technique that is based on color Dopplerimaging principles for evaluation of the ventricularwall motion by analyzing Doppler signals from car-diac tissues[1] .There are three DTI displayingmodes:acceleration mode,M- mode and spectralmode[2 ] .DTIcan be used to evaluate the position,size and severe degree of ventricular wall dysfunc-tion[2 ] .Recent studies demonstrated that the my-ocardial contraction sequence,activation origin andelectric…