Active Surveillance for Taiwanese Men with Localized Prostate Cancer: Intermediate-Term Outcomes and Predictive Factors.

PURPOSE: Active surveillance (AS) is one of the management options for patients with low-risk and select intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PC). However, factors predicting disease reclassification and conversion to active treatment from a large population of pure Asian cohorts regarding AS are less evaluated. This study investigated the intermediate-term outcomes of patients with localized PC undergoing AS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cohort study enrolled consecutive men with localized non-high-risk PC diagnosed in Taiwan between June 2012 and Jan 2023. The study endpoints were disease reclassification (either pathological or radiographic progression) and conversion to active treatment. The factors predicting endpoints were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: A total of 405 patients (median age: 67.2 years) were consecutively enrolled and followed up with a median of 64.6 months. Based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) risk grouping, 70 (17.3%), 164 (40.5%), 140 (34.6%), and 31 (7.7%) patients were classified as very low-risk, low-risk, favorable-intermediate risk, and unfavorable intermediate-risk PC, respectively. The 5-year reclassification rates were 24.8%, 27.0%, 18.6%, and 25.3%, respectively. The 5-year conversion rates were 20.4%, 28.8%, 43.6%, and 37.8%, respectively. A prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) of ≥0.15 ng/mL² predicted reclassification (hazard ratio [HR] 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17-2.88) and conversion (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.05-2.31). A maximal percentage of cancer in positive cores (MPCPC) of ≥15% predicted conversion (15% to <50%: HR 1.41, 95% CI 0.91-2.18; ≥50%: HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.1453-3.40) compared with that of <15%. A Gleason grade group (GGG) of 3 tumor also predicted conversion (HR 2.69, 95% CI 1.06-6.79; GGG 3 vs 1). One patient developed metastasis, but none died of PC during the study period (2,141 person-years). CONCLUSIONS: AS is a viable option for Taiwanese men with non-high-risk PC, in terms of reclassification and conversion. High PSAD predicted reclassification, whereas high PSAD, MPCPC, and GGG predicted conversion.

Unilateral adrenalectomy in bilateral adrenal hyperplasia with primary aldosteronism.

PURPOSE: Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists are the first-line treatment for bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (BAH) with primary aldosteronism (PA), while unilateral adrenalectomy is the standard treatment for aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA). In this study, we investigated the outcomes of patients with BAH after unilateral adrenalectomy and compared them with those of patients with APA. METHODS: From January 2010 to November 2018, 102 patients with a diagnosis of PA confirmed by adrenal vein sampling (AVS) and available NP-59 scans were enrolled. All patients underwent unilateral adrenalectomy based on the lateralization test results. We prospectively collected the clinical parameters over 12 months and compared the outcomes of BAH and APA. RESULTS: A total of 102 patients were enrolled in this study: 20 (19.6%) had BAH and 82 (80.4%) had APA. Significant improvements in serum aldosterone-renin ratio (ARR), potassium level, and reduction of antihypertensive drugs were observed in both groups at 12 months after surgery (all p < 0.05). Patients with APA showed a significant decrease in blood pressure after surgery (p < 0.001) than those with BAH. Additionally, multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that APA was associated with biochemical success (odds ratio: 4.32, p = 0.024) compared to BAH. CONCLUSION: Patients with BAH had a higher failure rate in clinical outcomes, and APA was associated with biochemical success after unilateral adrenalectomy. However, significant improvements in ARR, hypokalemia, and a decreased use of antihypertensive drugs were noted in patients with BAH after surgery. Unilateral adrenalectomy is feasible and beneficial in selected patients, and could potentially serve as a treatment option.

A case report of right cardiac ventricle perforation by uncontrolled embolization coil inserted for treating penile veno-occlusive dysfunction.

Coil embolization (CE) is believed effective-safe for treating penile veno-occlusive dysfunction (VOD). From 2012 to 2016, refractory impotence prompted four men to seek further treatment, although they underwent six CEs elsewhere. Uncontrolled coils scattered along penile drainage veins including the deep dorsal veins (n = 3), periprostatic plexus (n = 1), iliac vein (n = 1), right pulmonary artery (n = 2), left pulmonary artery (n = 1), and right ventricle (n = 1). The last one occurred in a 40-year-old house builder, and the coil perforated the right ventricle wall and diaphragm 18 months later. Given no sustainable improvement, CE's safety and efficacy are unreliable for treating patients with VOD.

Factors associated with renal function change after unilateral adrenalectomy in patients with primary aldosteronism.

OBJECTIVES: Decreased glomerular filtration rate has been reported in patients with primary aldosteronism after unilateral adrenalectomy. Glomerular hyperfiltration has been assumed to mask the preoperative subtle renal impairment. In this study, we investigated predictors for decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate after adrenalectomy in patients with primary aldosteronism. METHODS: From January 2006 through September 2018, 328 patients with confirmatory diagnoses of primary aldosteronism received unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy and subsequent follow-up for 12 months. We prospectively collected related parameters of the clinical outcomes and renal function to identify predictors of renal function impairment at 12 months after surgery. RESULTS: Patients were stratified into three groups by preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate level: 144 (43.9%) with estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥90, 130 (39.6%) with estimated glomerular filtration rate within 60-89.9, and 54 (16.5%) with estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 . The estimated glomerular filtration rate decreased significantly at the 6th month and remained stable at the 12th month, postoperatively. Patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥90 had better clinical outcome with 59.6% success rate (P = 0.006) among three groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (odds ratio 1.012, P = 0.02) and hypokalemia (odds ratio 2.018, P = 0.024) were associated with renal impairment at 12th month after adrenalectomy. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed high preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (ß = 0.261, P < 0.001), high preoperative systolic blood pressure (ß = 0.168, P = 0.003), high level of microalbuminuria (ß = 0.024, P = 0.001), and low level of serum potassium (ß = -4.883, P = 0.007) were associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate percentage decline at 12th month after adrenalectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Estimated glomerular filtration rate declined significantly after adrenalectomy in patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥90. The study provided important information to identify primary aldosteronism patients with higher risk of estimated glomerular filtration rate decline after adrenalectomy and might help to adopt early interventions to improve the outcomes.

Novel robot-assisted laparoscopic total extra-peritoneal repair with primary fascial closure plus pre-peritonea mesh for large groin defects.

BACKGROUND: Since the introduction of robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery, a variety of conventional laparoscopic procedures have been explored via this approach. In the robotic era, most of the reported robot-assisted laparoscopic hernia repairs were performed with the trans-abdominal pre-peritoneal approach. According to the evidence extrapolated from laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, simultaneous fascial defect closure and mesh repair can significantly decrease the risk of seroma formation and recurrence over those without fascial closure. Therefore, we describe our novel technique of robot-assisted total extra-peritoneal (TEP) repair with primary fascial closure and pre-peritoneal mesh and its preliminary clinical outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our prospectively collected hernia database from October 2017 to July 2019, which included 26 consecutive patients with primary or recurrent groin hernias. Patients' baseline characteristics and perioperative outcomes were compared and analyzed. Perioperative factors included operative time, visual analog scale (VAS) score (0-100), hospital stay, perioperative complications, time to return to normal activity, and the modified Medical Outcome Study (MOS; item 3-12/36 items) score. RESULTS: All procedures were completed successfully without conversion to open or conventional laparoscopic surgery. The patients' age ranged from 28 to 74 years (median 57.5). The mean operative time was 115 minutes (range 95-172 min). There were no major procedure-related complications. Only four cases experienced asymptomatic seromas, which were detected by ultrasonography; and all resolved spontaneously within 6 weeks after the operation. The VAS and modified MOSs revealed quick recovery after robot-assisted endoscopic TEP repair. CONCLUSIONS: Robot-assisted endoscopic TEP repair combined with primary fascial closure and pre-peritoneal mesh is a safe and feasible technique for groin hernia repair.

A comprehensive study comparing tack and glue mesh fixation in laparoscopic total extraperitoneal repair for adult groin hernias.

BACKGROUND: Glue mesh fixation is thought to cause less pain compared to tack mesh fixation during laparoscopic total extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair (TEP). However, the clinical benefits of glue mesh fixation are still controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the acute pain, chronic pain, and recurrence rate between these two fixation methods. METHODS: After reviewing all patients in our prospective hernia repair database from February 2008 to December 2017, we identified 583 patients who underwent TEP with tack mesh fixation and 70 patients with glue fixation by a single surgeon. Acute post-operative pain and activity level were evaluated using a Visual Analog Score (VAS) and the modified Medical Outcome Study (MOS) score. The primary endpoint was chronic pain 6 months after TEP. The secondary endpoints were acute pain, activity level, complications, and recurrence. RESULTS: After adjustment for potential confounding factors, the glue mesh fixation had significant lower VAS at 2 h post operation during rest and coughing and on the first day after surgery during coughing (p = 0.005, p < 0.001, and p = 0.011). The modified MOS on the first day was higher in the glue group (p < 0.001). There were no reduced risk of chronic pain or increased risk of recurrence for the glue group compared to the tack group [Odds ratio (OR) = 0.237, p = 0.169; OR = 2.498, p = 0.299]. In the sub-group analysis for recurrent hernia repair, glue fixation is associated with better modified MOS (p = 0.031) on first day and lower VAS on the operative day and first day at rest (p = 0.003 and p = 0.024) after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Glue fixation method was superior to tack fixation method in acute post-operative pain and early post-operative activity level after laparoscopic TEP repair. However, both fixation methods had similar incidence of chronic pain-, recurrence-, and procedure-related complications after laparoscopic TEP repair.

Acute Kidney Injury and Septic Shock-Defined by Updated Sepsis-3 Criteria in Critically Ill Patients.

Sepsis is commonly associated with acute kidney injury (AKI), particularly in those requiring dialysis (AKI-D). To date, Sepsis-3 criteria have not been applied to AKI-D patients. We investigated sepsis prevalence defined by Sepsis-3 criteria and evaluated the outcomes of septic-associated AKI-D among critically ill patients. Using the data collected from a prospective multi-center observational study, we applied the Sepsis-3 criteria to critically ill AKI-D patients treated in intensive care units (ICUs) in 30 hospitals between September 2014 and December 2015. We described the prevalence, outcomes, and characteristics of sepsis as defined by the screening Sepsis-3 criteria among AKI-D patients, and compared the outcomes of AKI-D patients with or without sepsis using the Sepsis-3 criteria. A total of 1078 patients (median 70 years; 673 (62.4%) men) with AKI-D were analyzed. The main etiology of AKI was sepsis (71.43%) and the most frequent indication for acute dialysis was oliguria (64.4%). A total of 577 (53.3% of 1078 patients) met the Sepsis-3 criteria, and 206 among the 577 patients (19.1%) had septic shock. Having sepsis and septic shock were independently associated with 90-day mortality among these ICU AKI-D patients (hazard ratio (HR) 1.23 (p = 0.027) and 1.39 (p = 0.004), respectively). Taking mortality as a competing risk factor, AKI-D patients with septic shock had a significantly reduced chance of weaning from dialysis at 90 days than those without sepsis (HR 0.65, p = 0.026). The combination of the Sepsis-3 criteria with the AKI risk score led to better performance in forecasting 90-day mortality. Sepsis affects more than 50% of ICU AKI patients requiring dialysis, and one-fifth of these patients had septic shock. In AKI-D patients, coexistent with or induced by sepsis (as screened by the Sepsis-3 criteria), there is a significantly higher mortality and reduced chance of recovering sufficient renal function, when compared to those without sepsis.

Targeted treatment of primary aldosteronism - The consensus of Taiwan Society of Aldosteronism.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Even with the increasing recognition of primary aldosteronism (PA) as a cause of refractory hypertension and an issue of public health, the consensus of its optimal surgical or medical treatment in Taiwan has not been reached. Our objective was to develop a clinical practice guideline that is feasible for real-world management of PA patients in Taiwan. METHODS: The Taiwan Society of Aldosteronism (TSA) Task Force recognized the above-mentioned issues and reached this Taiwan PA consensus at its inaugural meeting, in order to provide updated information of internationally acceptable standards, and also to incorporate our local disease characteristics and constraints into PA management. RESULTS: In patients with lateralized PA, including aldosterone producing adenoma (APA), laparoscopic adrenalectomy is the 'gold standard' of treatment. Mini-laparoscopic and laparoendoscopic single-site approaches are feasible only in highly experienced surgeons. Patients with bilateral adrenal hyperplasia or those not suitable for surgery should be treated by mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. The outcome data of PA patient management from the literature, especially from PA patients in Taiwan, are reviewed. Mental health screening is helpful in early detection and management of psychopathology among PA patients. CONCLUSION: We hope this consensus will provide a guideline to help medical professionals to manage PA patients in Taiwan to achieve a better quality of care.

Risk of severe erectile dysfunction in primary hyperaldosteronism: A population-based propensity score matching cohort study.

BACKGROUND: An elevated plasma aldosterone level has been reported as an independent risk factor for severe erectile dysfunction in men. The aim of this study was to explore whether primary hyperaldosteronism patients experience erectile dysfunction after targeted treatment. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study of men with newly identified primary hyperaldosteronism/aldosterone-producing adenoma from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2009. Men with essential hypertension and normotension were matched to the primary hyperaldosteronism group according to propensity score matching. RESULTS: We identified 1,067 men with primary hyperaldosteronism (mean age, 46.7 ± 12.8 years) and matched them with the same number of men with essential hypertension or normotension. During the mean follow-up interval of 5.4 years, the incident rates of total erectile dysfunction were 5.7, 3.9, and 3.1 per 1,000 person-years for the primary hyperaldosteronism, essential hypertension, and normotension groups, respectively. Men with primary hyperaldosteronism exhibited a higher risk of erectile dysfunction compared with men with normotension (competing risks hazard ratio, 1.83), and no difference was seen in comparison with men who have essential hypertension. After adrenalectomy, men who have primary hyperaldosteronism had a higher risk of exhibiting severe erectile dysfunction compared with men who have essential hypertension (competing risks hazard ratio, 2.44) or normotension (competing risks hazard ratio, 2.90). CONCLUSION: Men with primary hyperaldosteronism reported a higher incidence of severe erectile dysfunction than normotension controls despite targeted treatment. The risk of severe erectile dysfunction increased after men who have primary hyperaldosteronism underwent adrenalectomy. This result raises the possibility of severe erectile dysfunction after adrenalectomy and calls for a prospective large-scale study of men who have aldosterone-producing adenoma regarding their erectile function both before and after adrenalectomy.

Plasma Aldosterone Concentration as a Determinant for Statin Use among Middle-Aged Hypertensive Patients for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.

The use of statin therapy on the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is recommended by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA); nevertheless, its validation on primary aldosteronism (PA) patients has not been reported. We investigated the risk of incident ASCVD in middle-aged patients with PA compared with essential hypertension (EH) based on ACC/AHA recommendations. We enrolled 461 PA patients and 553 EH patients. Even though the ratio of metabolic syndrome in each group was similar, the PA group had higher systolic blood pressures, higher low-density lipoprotein levels, higher plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), lower high-density lipoprotein levels, and higher 10-year ASCVD compared to the EH group. The discriminative power for predicting ASCVD by the recommended statin use from the ACC/AHA guidelines was proper in the PA group (i.e., under the receiver operating characteristic curve (95% confidence interval; 0.94 (0.91⁻0.96)). The generalized additive model showed patients with PAC higher than 60 ng/dL accompanying the standard timing of the statin use suggested by the ACC/AHA. The ACC/AHA guidelines have good discriminative power in the prediction of middle-aged high-risk hypertensive patients, while PAC identifies those high-risk individuals who may benefit from early statin therapy.

Effects of Statin Use in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease Patients.

Although statin treatment is recommended for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages I⁻IV, its potential benefits have not been reported in advanced CKD patients. Non-diabetic patients with advanced CKD (pre-dialysis patients, estimated glomerular filtration rate <15 mL/min/1.73 m²) were enrolled from a National Health Insurance Research Database with a population of 23 million. Statin users and non-users were matched using propensity scoring and analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models, taking mortality as a competing risk with subsequent end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and statin doses as time-dependent variables. A total of 2551 statin users and 7653 matched statin non-users were identified from a total 14,452 patients with advanced CKD. Taking mortality as a competing risk, statin use did not increase the risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM) or decrease the risk of de novo major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), but reduced all-cause mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.59 [95% CI 0.42⁻0.84], p = 0.004) and sepsis-related mortality (HR = 0.53 [95% CI 0.32⁻0.87], p = 0.012). For advanced CKD patients, statin was neither associated with increased risks of developing NODM, nor with decreased risk of de novo MACE occurrence, but with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality, mainly septic deaths.

miRNA-203 Modulates Aldosterone Levels and Cell Proliferation by Targeting Wnt5a in Aldosterone-Producing Adenomas.

Context: The aberrant expression or alternation of miRNA in the pathogenesis of aldosterone-producing adenomas (APAs) is still largely unknown. Objective: We investigated the role of miRNA-203 (screened from miRNA microarrays) and elucidated its effects on the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway regarding aldosterone production and cell proliferation in APAs. Methods: miR-203 expression was upregulated or downregulated by transfecting miR-203 mimics or inhibitors into primary APA cells, the human adrenocortical cell line HAC15, and C57BL/6 mice. In vitro and biochemical data were correlated with the respective clinical parameters of APAs to evaluate their clinical importance. Results: The expression of miR-203 in human APA samples was significantly lower than that of peritumor adrenal samples. Tumoral miR-203 abundance correlated negatively with both plasma aldosterone level and tumor size in patients with APAs. miR-203 inhibitors increased aldosterone production and cell proliferation in HAC15 cells, and restoration of expression via miR-203 mimics showed decreased cell proliferation and aldosterone hypersecretion in APA cell cultures. In vivo selective inhibition of miR-203 via intra-adrenal injection of miR-203 inhibitors in mice led to a substantial increase in systolic blood pressure and plasma aldosterone levels. Additionally, the dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that WNT5A is a direct target of miR-203. Furthermore, plasma Wnt5a levels in adrenal vein sampling were helpful in differentiating tumor localization, and preoperative plasma Wnt5a levels predicted the cure of hypertension after adrenalectomy. Conclusion: We have demonstrated that attenuated miR-203 expression in APAs increases aldosterone production and the tumorigenesis of adrenal cells by activating the Wnt5a/ß-catenin pathway.

Outcome Prediction of Acute Kidney Injury Biomarkers at Initiation of Dialysis in Critical Units.

: The ideal circumstances for whether and when to start RRT remain unclear. The outcome predictive ability of acute kidney injury (AKI) biomarkers measuring at dialysis initializing need more validation. This prospective, multi-center observational cohort study enrolled 257 patients with AKI undergoing renal replacement therapy (RRT) shortly after admission. At the start of RRT, blood and urine samples were collected for relevant biomarker measurement. RRT dependence and all-cause mortality were recorded up to 90 days after discharge. Areas under the receiver operator characteristic (AUROC) curves and a multivariate generalized additive model were applied to predict outcomes. One hundred and thirty-five (52.5%) patients died within 90 days of hospital discharge. Plasma c-terminal FGF-23 (cFGF-23) had the best discriminative ability (AUROC, 0.687) as compared with intact FGF-23 (iFGF-23) (AUROC, 0.504), creatinine-adjusted urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (AUROC, 0.599), and adjusted urine cFGF-23 (AUROC, 0.653) regardless whether patients were alive or not on day 90. Plasma cFGF-23 levels above 2050 RU/mL were independently associated with higher 90-day mortality (HR 1.76, p = 0.020). Higher cFGF-23 levels predicted less weaning from dialysis in survivors (HR, 0.62, p = 0.032), taking mortality as a competing risk. Adding cFGF-23 measurement to the AKI risk predicting score significantly improved risk stratification and 90-day mortality prediction (total net reclassification improvement = 0.148; p = 0.002). In patients with AKI who required RRT, increased plasma cFGF-23 levels correlated with higher 90-day overall mortality after discharge and predicted worse kidney recovery in survivors. When coupled to the AKI risk predicting score, cFGF-23 significantly improved mortality risk prediction. This observation adds evidence that cFGF-23 could be used as an optimal timing biomarker to initiate RRT.

Urinary biomarkers predict advanced acute kidney injury after cardiovascular surgery.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiovascular surgery is a serious complication. Little is known about the ability of novel biomarkers in combination with clinical risk scores for prediction of advanced AKI. METHODS: In this prospectively conducted multicenter study, urine samples were collected from 149 adults at 0, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h after cardiovascular surgery. We measured urinary hemojuvelin (uHJV), kidney injury molecule-1 (uKIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL), α-glutathione S-transferase (uα-GST) and π-glutathione S-transferase (uπ-GST). The primary outcome was advanced AKI, under the definition of Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) stage 2, 3 and composite outcomes were KDIGO stage 2, 3 or 90-day mortality after hospital discharge. RESULTS: Patients with advanced AKI had significantly higher levels of uHJV and uKIM-1 at 3, 6 and 12 h after surgery. When normalized by urinary creatinine level, uKIM-1 in combination with uHJV at 3 h post-surgery had a high predictive ability for advanced AKI and composite outcome (AUC = 0.898 and 0.905, respectively). The combination of this biomarker panel (normalized uKIM-1, uHJV at 3 h post-operation) and Liano's score was superior in predicting advanced AKI (AUC = 0.931, category-free net reclassification improvement of 1.149, and p <  0.001). CONCLUSIONS: When added to Liano's score, normalized uHJV and uKIM-1 levels at 3 h after cardiovascular surgery enhanced the identification of patients at higher risk of progression to advanced AKI and composite outcomes.

Feasibility and safety of elective laparoscopic total extraperitoneal preperitoneal groin hernia repair in the elderly: a propensity score-matched comparison.

BACKGROUND: Several studies of hernia registries have revealed that elderly patients have higher perioperative complication rates compared with younger patients. However, the incidence of hernia increases with the aging process. To evaluate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic hernia repair in elderly patients (≥75 years), we conducted a prospective case-matched control study to compare perioperative outcomes between patients older and younger than 75 years. METHODS: Between September 2008 and July 2015, 572 consecutive patients undergoing endoscopic hernia repair were included in this prospective study. This case-matched control study was matched based on sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, and body mass index between patients younger and ≥75 years. The propensity-score matching of two groups was carried out on a 1:1 basis. Perioperative data were prospectively recorded for all patients including demographic data, operation time, length of hospital stay, narcotic dose, and complications. RESULTS: In the final analysis, 54 patients who were <75 years were extracted to match the 54 patients ≥75 years. These two groups had similar baseline characteristics excluding age. They also had similar perioperative outcomes in hernia recurrence, metachronous contralateral hernia occurrence, complication rate and chronic pain. The patients ≥75 years of age had lower requirements for analgesics than those who were <75 years of age (p=0.047). CONCLUSION: This is the first comparative cohort study investigating the impact of aging in an Asian hernia population. Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair is feasible and safe for older patients, with comparable perioperative outcomes to patients <75 years.

Hemojuvelin Predicts Acute Kidney Injury and Poor Outcomes Following Cardiac Surgery.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is detrimental after cardiac surgery. In this multicenter study, the novel biomarker hemojuvelin (HJV) was evaluated for AKI prediction following cardiac surgery. Urinary HJV, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and urinary creatinine were measured in 151 patients after surgery. The outcomes of advanced AKI (KDIGO stages 2 and 3) and all causes of in-hospital mortality as the composite outcome were recorded. Areas under the receiver operator characteristic curves (AUC) and a multivariate generalized additive model (GAM) were applied to predict these outcomes of interest. Urinary HJV differentiated patients with/without AKI, advanced AKI or composite outcome after surgery (p < 0.001, by a generalized estimating equation) in this study. At three hours post-surgery, urinary HJV predicted advanced AKI (p < 0.001) and composite outcome (p < 0.001) with corresponding AUC values of 0.768 and 0.828, respectively. The performance of creatinine-adjusted HJV was also superior to NGAL in predicting advanced AKI (AUC = 0.784 and 0.694; p = 0.037) and composite outcome (AUC = 0.842 and 0.676; p = 0.002). The integration of HJV into the Cleveland Clinic score for advanced AKI led to a significant increase in risk stratification (net reclassification improvement [NRI] = 0.598; p < 0.001).

Factors affecting operative efficiency and post-operative convalescence in laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) adrenalectomy.

BACKGROUND: Laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) adrenalectomy is a novel challenging technique which is still under clinical evaluation. Initial reports have revealed its superiority in patient convalescence. In addition, it has been reported that some patient or anatomic factors might affect the ergonomics of LESS adrenalectomy. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible factors that might affect procedural efficiency and patient convalescence in LESS adrenalectomy. METHODS: Between October 2009 and July 2015, 105 consecutive adult patients with benign adrenal tumors, who underwent LESS retroperitoneal adrenalectomy were enrolled in this study. All the relevant peri-operative parameters were prospectively collected for later analysis. By using stepwise linear regression and stepwise selection of these peri-operative parameters, those that might affect the operative efficiency and patient convalescence were analyzed. RESULTS: Finally, 78 patients who completed follow-up and were eligible for stepwise linear regression were enrolled for final analysis. For parameters affecting operative efficiency, the fitted model revealed that patients with a pre-operative diagnosis of pheochromocytoma, a higher BMI, and an associated co-morbidity of heart disease are associated with a longer operative time. In addition, the fitted model revealed that patients with a lower post-operative pain score, a delayed oral intake, and a diagnosis of non-functioning adrenal tumor were associated with a lengthier period before returning to normal activity. CONCLUSION: A higher BMI is the only anatomic factor that affects procedural efficiency in LESS adrenalectomy. In addition, post-operative pain score, time to oral intake, and a diagnosis of non-functioning adrenal tumor are the factors affecting patient convalescence.

Case detection and diagnosis of primary aldosteronism - The consensus of Taiwan Society of Aldosteronism.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Even though the increasing clinical recognition of primary aldosteronism (PA) as a public health issue, its heightened risk profiles and the availability of targeted surgical/medical treatment being more understood, consensus in its diagnosis and management based on medical evidence, while recognizing the constraints of our real-world clinical practice in Taiwan, has not been reached. METHODS: The Taiwan Society of Aldosteronism (TSA) Task Force acknowledges the above-mentioned issues and reached this Taiwan PA consensus at its inaugural meeting, in order to provide updated information of internationally acceptable standards, and also to incorporate our local disease characteristics into the management of PA. RESULTS: When there is suspicion of PA, a plasma aldosterone to renin ratio (ARR) should be obtained initially. Patients with abnormal ARR will undergo confirmatory laboratory and image tests. Subtype classification with adrenal venous sampling (AVS) or NP-59 nuclear imaging, if AVS not available, to lateralize PA is recommended when patients are considered for adrenalectomy. The strengths and weaknesses of the currently available identification methods are discussed, focusing especially on result interpretation. CONCLUSION: With this consensus we hope to raise more awareness of PA among medical professionals and hypertensive patients in Taiwan, and to facilitate reconciliation of better detection, identification and treatment of patients with PA.

Risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus in primary aldosteronism: a population study over 5 years.

OBJECTIVE: Abnormal glucose metabolism due to insulin resistance has been linked to aldosterone overproduction. However, the long-term incidence of new-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM) among patients with primary aldosteronism after targeted treatment has not been well documented. METHODS: The diagnosis of primary aldosteronism and essential hypertension were identified, and then the occurrence of NODM, all-cause mortality among these patients, was ascertained by a validated algorithm from a 23-million population insurance registry. RESULTS: From 1999 to 2007, 2367 primary aldosteronism patients without previously diabetes mellitus were identified and propensity score-matched with 9468 patients with essential hypertension. Among those primary aldosteronism patients, 754 aldosterone-producing adenomas patients were identified and matched with 3016 essential hypertension controls. After a mean 5.2 years of follow-up, primary aldosteronism patients who underwent adrenalectomy had an attenuated NODM incidence (hazard ratio = 0.60, P < 0.01, versus essential hypertension); whereas those treated with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist had augmented risk of NODM (hazard ratio = 1.16, P < 0.001, versus essential hypertension). Among the aldosterone-producing adenoma patients, adrenalectomy is also protective from developing NODM (hazard ratio = 0.61, P < 0.001, versus essential hypertension), however, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist treatment did not alter the risk of NODM (P = 0.10, versus essential hypertension). Adjusted hazard ratios for long-term risk of mortality from this analysis revealed that adrenalectomy is protective, but NODM and major cardiovascular disease are deleterious. CONCLUSION: The primary aldosteronism patients who underwent adrenalectomy had reduced risk for incident NODM and all-cause of mortality, compared with matched hypertensive controls. This observation adds more evidence on the association of primary aldosteronism with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome and long-term mortality.

Earlier versus later initiation of renal replacement therapy among critically ill patients with acute kidney injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Although the optimal timing of initiation of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury has been extensively studied in the past, it is still unclear. METHODS: In this systematic review, we searched all related randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that directly compared earlier and later RRT published prior to June 25, 2016, from PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE. We extracted the study characteristics and outcomes of all-cause mortality, RRT dependence, and intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay (LOS). RESULTS: We identified 51 published relevant studies from 13,468 screened abstracts. Nine RCTs with 1627 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Earlier RRT was not associated with benefits in terms of mortality [relative risk (RR) 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68-1.14, p = 0.33] and RRT dependence (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.46-1.42, p = 0.46). There were also no significant differences in the ICU and hospital LOS between patients who underwent earlier versus later RRT [standard means difference -0.08 (95% CI -0.26 to 0.09) and -0.11 (95% CI -0.37 to 0.16) day, respectively]. In subgroup analysis, earlier RRT was associated with a reduction in the in-hospital mortality among surgical patients (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.64-0.96) and patients who underwent continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.67-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with later RRT, earlier initiation of RRT did not show beneficial impacts on patient outcomes. However, a lower rate of death was observed among surgical patients and in those who underwent CRRT. The included literature is highly heterogeneous and, therefore, potentially subject to bias. Further high-quality RCT studies are warranted.