Assessing the Prognostic Value of NLR, PLR, APRI, SII, and Liver Function Tests for Fistula Formation after Colorectal Cancer Surgery.

Background: This study evaluates the predictive value of preoperative inflammatory markers (NLR, PLR, APRI, SII) and liver function tests in determining the risk of fistula development postcolorectal cancer surgery. The objective was to determine the association between elevated marker levels and fistula risk and establish thresholds for preoperative risk stratification. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the "Pius Brinzeu" Clinical Emergency Hospital from 2018 to 2023, analyzing data from 219 patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery. Results: Among the markers studied, the Systemic Inflammation Index (SII) with a cutoff 460.5 showed the highest sensitivity (75.6%) and specificity (71.3%), resulting in an AUC of 0.774 (p=0.001). Albumin levels 2.9 g/dL also significantly predicted fistula occurrence with 77.3% sensitivity and 73.8% specificity (AUC 0.788, p 0.001). Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) presented cutoffs of 3.95 and 191.6 respectively, demonstrating substantial predictive value with AUCs of 0.732 and 0.746 (p 0.001 and p=0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Elevated levels of specific preoperative inflammatory markers and liver function tests are significantly associated with the risk of developing fistulas in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery. These findings support the integration of these biomarkers into preoperative evaluations to enhance patient risk stratification and optimize surgical outcomes, providing a valuable tool for clinical decision-making in colorectal surgery settings.

Impact of Systemic Treatments on Outcomes and Quality of Life in Patients with RAS-Positive Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review critically evaluates the impact of systemic treatments on outcomes and quality of life (QoL) in patients with RAS-positive stage IV colorectal cancer, with studies published up to December 2023 across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. From an initial pool of 1345 articles, 11 relevant studies were selected for inclusion, encompassing a diverse range of systemic treatments, including panitumumab combined with FOLFOX4 and FOLFIRI, irinotecan paired with panitumumab, regorafenib followed by cetuximab ± irinotecan and vice versa, and panitumumab as a maintenance therapy post-induction. Patient demographics predominantly included middle-aged to elderly individuals, with a slight male predominance. Racial composition, where reported, showed a majority of Caucasian participants, highlighting the need for broader demographic inclusivity in future research. Key findings revealed that the addition of panitumumab to chemotherapy (FOLFOX4 or FOLFIRI) did not significantly compromise QoL while notably improving disease-free survival, with baseline EQ-5D HSI mean scores ranging from 0.76 to 0.78 and VAS mean scores from 70.1 to 74.1. Improvements in FACT-C scores and EQ-5D Index scores particularly favored panitumumab plus best supportive care in KRAS wild-type mCRC, with early dropout rates of 38-42% for panitumumab + BSC. Notably, cetuximab + FOLFIRI was associated with a median survival of 25.7 months versus 16.4 months for FOLFIRI alone, emphasizing the potential benefits of integrating targeted therapies with chemotherapy. In conclusion, the review underscores the significant impact of systemic treatments, particularly targeted therapies and their combinations with chemotherapy, on survival outcomes and QoL in patients with RAS-positive stage IV colorectal cancer, and the need for personalized treatment.

Three-Year Analysis of the Rectal Cancer Care Trajectory after the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The global pandemic period from 2020 to 2022 caused important alterations in oncology care. This study aimed to describe the trends and variations in patient characteristics, comorbidities, and treatment approaches during this time in Romania. We conducted a retrospective database search to identify patients with rectal cancer who underwent surgical intervention between 2020 and 2022 and the year 2019, which served as a pre-pandemic period control. This study included 164 patients, with a yearly increase of approximately 10% in surgical interventions noted from 2020 (1709 interventions) to 2022 (2118 interventions), but an overall 34.4% decrease compared with the pre-pandemic period. Notable shifts were observed in the type of surgeries performed, with laparoscopic procedures doubling from 2020 (25%) to 2022 (47.5%), confirming the decrease in emergency presentations during the last year of the COVID-19 pandemic and a recovery to normality with planned, elective interventions. Elective interventions increased significantly in 2022 (79.7%) compared with the previous years (p = 0.043), with a concurrent rise in neoadjuvant therapy uptake in 2022 (35.6%). However, significant alterations in the TNM staging, from 12.5% stage IV cases in 2020 to 25.4% in 2022 (p = 0.039), indicated an increased diagnosis of advanced stages of rectal cancer as the years progressed. There was a significant difference in albumin levels over the years (p = 0.019) and in the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) scores (from 6.2% ASA stage IV in 2020 to 16.9% in 2022), denoting an increase in case complexity (p = 0.043). This study reveals a trend of increasing surgical interventions and the prevalence of more advanced stages of rectal cancer during the pandemic years. Despite the subtle fluctuations in various patient characteristics and treatment approaches, notable shifts were documented in the severity at diagnosis and surgery types, pointing toward more advanced disease presentations and changes in surgical strategies over the period studied. Nevertheless, the trends in ICU admission rates and mortality did not alter significantly during the pandemic period.

Exploring Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Anal Fistulas: A Comprehensive Study.

Anal fistulas often cause significant impairment to patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the HRQOL between patients with anal fistulas with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and those without, hypothesizing significant differences in HRQOL scores between these groups. The secondary objectives were to identify specific aspects of life quality most affected and explore potential variables influencing HRQOL. The study was conducted at the Clinical Emergency Hospital "Pius Brinzeu" in Timisoara, Romania, using a convenience sample of 175 adult patients diagnosed with anal fistulas, stratified into IBD and non-IBD groups. Quality of life was evaluated at initial hospital admission and three months post-treatment using four questionnaires: SF-36, GIQLI, HADS, and the WHOQOL-BREF. Initial SF-36 scores were marginally lower in the IBD group, with mean physical and mental scores of 52.0 and 54.5, respectively. Both groups showed an improvement after intervention, but the mean difference was higher in the IBD group, with an increase of 1.1 in physical score. Initial GIQLI scores were significantly lower in the IBD group (110) compared to the non-IBD group (116). Post-intervention, the mean scores increased to 116 and 121, respectively. HADS scores suggested higher anxiety levels in the non-IBD group (7.5 vs. 6.1), although depression scores were similar. Post-intervention, anxiety scores decreased more substantially in the non-IBD group (-0.9 vs. -0.3). The WHOQOL-BREF scores were lower across all domains for the IBD group at the initial test (physical health: 12.4, psychological health: 14.9, social relationships: 14.4, environment: 13.0). Post-intervention, scores increased marginally in the IBD group (physical health: 12.7, psychological health: 15.9, social relationships: 14.1, environment: 13.8) but varied in the non-IBD group. HRQOL, as measured by multiple questionnaires, is impacted differently in anal fistula patients with and without IBD. These findings highlight the importance of a tailored approach to managing this patient population to improve their quality of life post-treatment.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Stress-Related Disorders in Patients with Complicated Diverticular Disease under Conservative Management.

Diverticular disease is a common gastrointestinal disorder with increasing prevalence in advanced age. This study aimed to investigate the impact of age and complexity of diverticulitis on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and stress-related disorders. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 180 patients, including adults (18-64 years) with complicated diverticular disease, the elderly (≥65 years) with complicated diverticular disease, and a control group with uncomplicated symptomatic diverticular disease. HRQoL and stress-related disorders were assessed using the SF-36, GIQLI, HADS, and PHQ-9 questionnaires at baseline and six months after the initial episode of diverticulitis. At diagnosis, the adult group had significantly lower mean physical and mental scores compared with the elderly and control groups (p < 0.001). At the 6-month follow-up, the mean physical score increased for all groups, but the difference between adults and the elderly remained significant (p = 0.028). The adult group had a significantly lower mean GIQLI score at diagnosis compared with the elderly and control groups (p < 0.001), although after 6 months it increased and the difference became insignificant. Anxiety scores at diagnosis were significantly higher in the adult group compared with the control group (p = 0.009). The complexity of diverticulitis and age significantly impacted HRQoL at diagnosis, with adults having lower physical and mental scores compared with elderly patients and controls. Although improvements were observed after 6 months, the difference between adults and the elderly remained significant for physical HRQoL scores. This highlights the need for tailored management strategies and psychosocial support to optimize patient outcomes across age groups and diverticulitis complexity.

New Molecular and Epigenetic Expressions as Novel Biomarkers in Critically Ill Polytrauma Patients with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI).

BACKGROUND: A high percentage of the critically ill polytrauma patients develop acute kidney injury (AKI) secondary to trauma and are therefore prone to high morbidity and mortality rates. One of the main objectives in these cases is the fast detection of the condition and continuous rigorous monitoring of the patients. Currently the panel of biomarkers available for monitoring and for the prognosis of AKI is limited. Numerous studies have proven the importance of microRNAs in this field. In this actualization paper we wish to summarize the most relevant microRNAs that can be used as biomarkers for patients with AKI. METHODS: For this paper, we looked into the studies available in scientific databases such as PubMed and Scopus. For the analysis we used the following key words: "miRNAs biomarker", "acute kidney injury AKI", "genetic expression in AKI", and "epigenetic microRNAs biomarkers in AKI". RESULTS: Numerous studies have shown high specificity for certain microRNA species in the case of patients with AKI. Moreover, they have reported a series of microRNAs that present high specificity and that have a strong expression in fluids that can be sampled through non-invasive methods, such as urine and saliva. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of microRNAs can be successfully used in the future as a non-invasive method for the evaluation and monitoring of AKI patients.

Comparative analysis of microvessel density quantified through the immunohistochemistry expression of CD34 and CD105 in rectal cancer.

Endothelial cells are highlighted using a variety of endothelial markers. One of the best known markers is CD34, a surface antigen. The most used immunohistochemical marker for identification of activated endothelial cells is CD105. We chose to compare these two markers in order to evaluate angiogenesis of the rectal cancers by determining the microvessel density (MVD). Our study included 31 patients with rectal cancer between 2010-2014, who underwent rectal resection at Arad and Timisoara Counties Hospitals, Romania. We used MVD quantification by highlighting the tumor blood vessels with two different endothelial markers using the immunohistochemical protocols. The CD34 evaluation of MVD was 37 vessels/field/×200 peritumoral (PT), compared with normal rectal mucosa with 17 vessels/field/×200. Intra-tumoral (IT) MVD for CD34 positive vessels was between 7 and 120 vessels/field/×200. Average IT MVD CD105+ was 13.7 vessels/field/×200, the PT MVD CD105+ was 10 vessels/field/×200. Usually, IT MVD CD105 is smaller than PT MVD CD105, a pattern that was not respected in our study. There was a statistical significant correlation between IT MVD CD34 and PT MVD CD34 with p=0.008, also IT MVD CD34 and IT MVD CD105 with p=0.009, PT MVD CD34 with PT MVD CD105, p=0.001. PT MVD CD34 had a statistical significant correlation with T, p=0.004. IT MVD CD105 associated with T, p=0.004, and with N, p=0.004. The evaluation of both CD34-CD105 showed the role of angiogenesis in the cancer proliferation and local spread, the angiogenesis level being maintained high even in the advanced stages of the disease. There was observed a difference between the intratumoral and peritumoral MVD, the study of this difference possibly leading to a better assessment of prognosis and adjusted therapies in the future.