Incremental prognostic value of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in patients with severe LV dysfunction undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains a significant global health issue, particularly when complicated by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 35%. Although coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is recommended for such cases, the unclear prognosis necessitates further investigation. METHOD: This retrospective study aimed to determine whether cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging provides additional prognostic value in guiding effective clinical management. The study included patients with CAD and LVEF < 35% who underwent CABG surgery after enhanced CMR between March 2016 and March 2023. CMR was performed using a 3.0T scanner with steady-state free precession and phase-sensitive inversion recovery sequences. Prognostic analysis of clinical and CMR data was conducted, with the endpoint defined as cardiovascular death, revascularization, hospitalization for heart failure, or stroke. Statistical analysis included Student's t-test, chi-squared test, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, receiver operating characteristic analysis, Harrell C statistical analysis, integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and net reclassification improvement (NRI) analysis. RESULT: The study included 152 patients (mean age 58.6 ± 9.7 years; 138 men). During a mean follow-up of 2.0 years, 8 patients experienced cardiovascular death, while 1 case had revascularization, 13 had hospitalization for heart failure, and 11 had a stroke. Left atrial diameter index (LADi) (hazard ratio [HR], 1.08 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-1.15]; P = 0.04) and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) mass (HR, 1.03 [95% CI: 1.01-1.06]; P < 0.001) were associated with the endpoint, even after adjusting for multiple clinical variables. Adding LADi and LGE mass improved risk prediction for adverse events, as indicated by the C-index (0.738, p < 0.01), IDI (0.36), and NRI (0.13). CONCLUSION: Left atrial diameter index (LADi) and scar burden are valuable prognostic indicators in patients with LVEF < 35% undergoing CABG. They offer enhanced risk stratification beyond traditional clinical factors, highlighting their importance in guiding clinical management.

Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) is associated with better prognosis and possibly causes a non-inflamed tumour microenvironment in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) score is a reliable indicator of genomic instability. The significance of HRD in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), particularly its influence on prognosis and the immune microenvironment, has yet to be adequately explored. Understanding HRD status comprehensively can offer valuable insights for guiding precision treatment. We utilised three cohorts to investigate HRD status in NPC: the Zhujiang cohort from local collection and the Hong Kong (SRA288429) and Singapore (SRP035573) cohorts from public datasets. The GATK (genome analysis toolkit) best practice process was employed to investigate germline and somatic BRCA1/2 mutations and various bioinformatics tools and algorithms to examine the association between HRD status and clinical molecular characteristics. We found that individuals with a negative HRD status (no-HRD) exhibited a higher risk of recurrence [hazard ratio (HR), 1.43; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.03-333.76; p = 0.012] in the Zhujiang cohort, whereas, in the Singapore cohort, they experienced a higher risk of mortality (HR, 26.04; 95% CI, 1.43-34.21; p = 0.016) compared with those in the HRD group. In vitro experiments demonstrated that NPC cells with BRCA1 knockdown exhibit heightened sensitivity to chemoradiotherapy. Furthermore, the HRD group showed significantly higher tumour mutational burden and tumour neoantigen burden levels than the no-HRD group. Immune infiltration analysis indicated that HRD tissues tend to have a non-inflamed tumour microenvironment. In conclusion, patients with HRD exhibit a comparatively favourable prognosis in NPC, possibly associated with a non-inflammatory immune microenvironment. These findings have positive implications for treatment stratification, enabling the selection of more precise and effective therapeutic approaches and aiding in the prediction of treatment response and prognosis to a certain extent.

The prognostic value of the combined neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and neutrophil-to-platelet ratio (NPR) in sepsis.

Sepsis is a severe disease characterized by high mortality rates. Our aim was to develop an early prognostic indicator of adverse outcomes in sepsis, utilizing easily accessible routine blood tests. A retrospective analysis of sepsis patients from the MIMIC-IV database was conducted. We performed univariate and multivariate regression analyses to identify independent risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality within 28 days. Logistic regression was utilized to combine the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the neutrophil-to-platelet ratio (NPR) into a composite score, denoted as NLR_NPR. We used ROC curves to compare the prognostic performance of the models and Kaplan-Meier survival curves to assess the 28 day survival rate. Subgroup analysis was performed to evaluate the applicability of NLR_NPR in different subpopulations based on specific characteristics. This study included a total of 1263 sepsis patients, of whom 179 died within 28 days of hospitalization, while 1084 survived beyond 28 days. Multivariate regression analysis identified age, respiratory rate, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), neutrophil-to-platelet ratio (NPR), hypertension, and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score as independent risk factors for 28 day mortality in septic patients (P < 0.05). Additionally, in the prediction model based on blood cell-related parameters, the combined NLR_NPR score exhibited the highest predictive value for 28 day mortality (AUC = 0.6666), followed by NLR (AUC = 0.6456) and NPR (AUC = 0.6284). Importantly, the performance of the NLR_NPR score was superior to that of the commonly used SOFA score (AUC = 0.5613). Subgroup analysis showed that NLR_NPR remained an independent risk factor for 28 day in-hospital mortality in the subgroups of age, respiratory rate, and SOFA, although not in the hypertension subgroup. The combined use of NLR and NPR from routine blood tests represents a readily available and reliable predictive marker for 28 day mortality in sepsis patients. These results imply that clinicians should prioritize patients with higher NLR_NPR scores for closer monitoring to reduce mortality rates.

Predictive value of delta-radiomic features for prognosis of advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

Background: No robust predictive biomarkers exist to identify non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients likely to benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies. The aim of this study was to explore the role of delta-radiomics features in predicting the clinical outcomes of patients with advanced NSCLC who received ICI therapy. Methods: Data of 179 patients with advanced NSCLC (stages IIIB-IV) from two institutions (Database 1 =133; Database 2 =46) were retrospectively analyzed. Patients in the Database 1 were randomly assigned into training and validation dataset, with a ratio of 8:2. Patients in Database 2 were allocated into testing dataset. Features were selected from computed tomography (CT) images before and 6-8 weeks after ICI therapy. For each lesion, a total of 1,037 radiomic features were extracted. Lowly reliable [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) <0.8] and redundant (r>0.8) features were excluded. The delta-radiomics features were defined as the relative net change of radiomics features between two time points. Prognostic models for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were established using the multivariate Cox regression based on selected delta-radiomics features. A clinical model and a pre-treatment radiomics model were established as well. Results: The median PFS (after therapy) was 7.0 [interquartile range (IQR): 3.4, 9.1] (range, 1.4-13.2) months. To predict PFS, the model established based on the five most contributing delta-radiomics features yielded Harrell's concordance index (C-index) values of 0.708, 0.688, and 0.603 in the training, validation, and testing databases, respectively. The median survival time was 12 (IQR: 8.7, 15.8) (range, 2.9-23.3) months. To predict OS, a promising prognostic performance was confirmed with the corresponding C-index values of 0.810, 0.762, and 0.697 in the three datasets based on the seven most contributing delta-radiomics features, respectively. Furthermore, compared with clinical and pre-treatment radiomics models, the delta-radiomics model had the highest area under the curve (AUC) value and the best patients' stratification ability. Conclusions: The delta-radiomics model showed a good performance in predicting therapeutic outcomes in advanced NSCLC patients undergoing ICI therapy. It provides a higher predictive value than clinical and the pre-treatment radiomics models.

Prognostic Value of the 18F-FDG PET/CT and Haematological Parameters in Head and Neck Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Fluorine 18-fluoro-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) is commonly used for the staging of head and neck cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between 18F-FDG PET/CT, haematological parameters and prognosis in patients with advanced head and neck cancer. METHODS: This was a single-institutional retrospective study of 83 patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging before initial treatment between 2014 and 2018. 18F-FDG PET/CT after treatment was performed in 57 patients. The prognostic parameters of the pre- and post-treatment maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumour volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of primary tumours and haematological parameters were analysed to evaluate the association between overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: Pre-MTV, pre-TLG and post-SUVmax were significantly associated with poor OS and PFS (p < 0.05). Haematological parameters, including pretreatment neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, were associated with 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters. In multivariate analysis, post-SUVmax was an independent prognostic factor for OS and PFS. CONCLUSION: A correlation between PET/CT metabolic and haematological parameters was observed. The volume and intensity of 18F-FDG uptake region, in addition to haematological parameters, are feasible markers for predicting the progression of HNSCC in daily practice. Further, post-SUVmax could be an independent parameter for predicting poor survival.

Prognostic value of systemic immune-inflammation index in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with systemic therapy: a meta-analysis.

Objective: A novel systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), based on the neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelet counts, is associated with the prognosis of several cancers, including non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In the present study, we evaluate the prognostic significance of SII in patients with metastatic RCC (mRCC) treated with systemic therapy. Method: Relevant studies were searched comprehensively from Web of Science, PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library up to January 2024. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were extracted from each study to evaluate the prognostic value of SII in patients with mRCC treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) or immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI). Results: A total of 12 studies including 4,238 patients were included in the final analysis. High SII was significantly correlated to poor overall survival (OS, HR = 1.88; 95% CI 1.60-2.21; P < 0.001) and progression-free survival (PFS, HR = 1.66; 95% CI 1.39-1.99; P < 0.001). Stratified by therapy, high SII was also related to the poor OS (TKI: HR = 1.63, P < 0.001; ICI: HR = 2.27, P < 0.001) and PFS (TKI: HR = 1.67, P < 0.001; ICI: HR = 1.88, P = 0.002). Conclusion: In conclusion, high SII could serve as an unfavorable factor in patients with mRCC treated with systemic therapy. Stratified by therapies, the elevated SII was also associated with worse prognosis. Whereas, more prospective and large-scale studies are warranted to validate our findings. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024522831, identifier CRD42024522831.

Prognostic value of global longitudinal strain in patients with preserved left ventricular systolic function: A cardiac magnetic resonance real-world study.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial strain is a more sensitive parameter for cardiac function evaluation than left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). This study aimed to assess the predictive value of left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) by feature tracking-cardiac magnetic resonance (FT-CMR) imaging in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) with preserved left ventricular systolic function. METHODS: This retrospective cohort analysis enrolled patients with known or suspected CAD who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging from September 2017 to December 2019. LV-GLS was analyzed via feature-tracking analysis. Patients with LVEF <50% were excluded. The composite outcome comprised all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and heart failure. RESULTS: There was a total of 2613 patients. Mean follow-up duration was 39.7 ± 13.9 months. During follow-up, 194 patients (7.4%) experienced a composite outcome. The best cutoff of LV-GLS in the prediction of composite outcome from receiver operating characteristics was -14.4%. Patients were classified into 2 groups according to the LV-GLS; 1489 (57.0%) had LV-GLS <-14.4% and 1124 (43.0%) had LV-GLS ≥-14.4%. Patients with LV-GLS ≥-14.4% had a significantly higher rate of composite outcome than LV-GLS <-14.4% patients (3.59 vs. 1.39 per 100 person-years, respectively; p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that patients with LV-GLS ≥-14.4% had a significantly higher risk of experiencing a composite outcome event compared to global longitudinal strain <-14.4% patients (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.83, 95% confidence interval: 1.28-2.61; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: LV-GLS by FT-CMR was shown to be useful for predicting the prognosis of patients with known or suspected CAD with preserved left ventricular systolic function. LV-GLS -14.4% was the identified cutoff for prognostic determination.

Quantitative PSMA-PET parameters in localized prostate cancer: prognostic and potential predictive value.

BACKGROUND: PSMA-PET is increasingly used for staging prostate cancer (PCA) patients. However, it is not clear if quantitative imaging parameters of positron emission tomography (PET) have an impact on disease progression and are thus important for the prognosis of localized PCA. METHODS: This is a monocenter retrospective analysis of 86 consecutive patients with localized intermediate or high-risk PCA and PSMA-PET before treatment The quantitative PET parameters maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), tumor asphericity (ASP), PSMA tumor volume (PSMA-TV), and PSMA total lesion uptake (PSMA-TLU = PSMA-TV × SUVmean) were assessed for their prognostic significance in patients with radiotherapy or surgery. Cox regression analyses were performed for biochemical recurrence-free survival, overall survival (OS), local control, and loco-regional control (LRC). RESULTS: 67% of patients had high-risk disease, 51 patients were treated with radiotherapy, and 35 with surgery. Analysis of metric PET parameters in the whole cohort revealed a significant association of PSMA-TV (p = 0.003), PSMA-TLU (p = 0.004), and ASP (p < 0.001) with OS. Upon binarization of PET parameters, several other parameters showed a significant association with clinical outcome. When analyzing high-risk patients according to the primary treatment approach, a previously published cut-off for SUVmax (8.6) showed a significant association with LRC in surgically treated (p = 0.048), but not in primary irradiated (p = 0.34) patients. In addition, PSMA-TLU (p = 0.016) seemed to be a very promising biomarker to stratify surgical patients. CONCLUSION: Our data confirm one previous publication on the prognostic impact of SUVmax in surgically treated patients with high-risk PCA. Our exploratory analysis indicates that PSMA-TLU might be even better suited. The missing association with primary irradiated patients needs prospective validation with a larger sample size to conclude a predictive potential. Trial registration Due to the retrospective nature of this research, no registration was carried out.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: An analysis of the expression status of stress granules and their prognostic value.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global popular malignant tumor, which is difficult to cure, and the current treatment is limited. AIM: To analyze the impacts of stress granule (SG) genes on overall survival (OS), survival time, and prognosis in HCC. METHODS: The combined The Cancer Genome Atlas-Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC), GSE25097, and GSE36376 datasets were utilized to obtain genetic and clinical information. Optimal hub gene numbers and corresponding coefficients were determined using the Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator model approach, and genes for constructing risk scores and corresponding correlation coefficients were calculated according to multivariate Cox regression, respectively. The prognostic model's receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was produced and plotted utilizing the time ROC software package. Nomogram models were constructed to predict the outcomes at 1, 3, and 5-year OS prognostications with good prediction accuracy. RESULTS: We identified seven SG genes (DDX1, DKC1, BICC1, HNRNPUL1, CNOT6, DYRK3, CCDC124) having a prognostic significance and developed a risk score model. The findings of Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that the group with a high risk exhibited significantly reduced OS in comparison with those of the low-risk group (P < 0.001). The nomogram model's findings indicate a significant enhancement in the accuracy of OS prediction for individuals with HCC in the TCGA-HCC cohort. Gene Ontology and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis suggested that these SGs might be involved in the cell cycle, RNA editing, and other biological processes. CONCLUSION: Based on the impact of SG genes on HCC prognosis, in the future, it will be used as a biomarker as well as a unique therapeutic target for the identification and treatment of HCC.

Prognostic value of mild asymptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis stenosis in patients with hypertension.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mild asymptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (aICAS) is common in Chinese patients with hypertension. However, there are no data on its prognostic value in this population. The aim of the present study was to clarify the prevalence and associated cardiovascular risk factors of mild aICAS and determine its prognostic value for overall and cardiovascular mortality in patients with hypertension. METHODS: In total, 1813 participants were evaluated for aICAS using computed tomographic angiography. The predictive effect of mild to severe aICAS on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of mild aICAS was 35.7%. Poorly controlled hypertension, in combination with diabetes and dyslipidemia, was associated with aICAS. Patients with aICAS had an independently significant increase in the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death, with adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for mild to severe stenosis ranging from 1.52 to 3.03 for all-cause death and from 2.48 to 6.38 for cardiovascular death. Among the patients with mild aICAS, only those with more than two stenoses had increased mortality after adjustment, with an HR of 2.35 (95% CI: 1.36-4.04) for total death and 4.41 (95% CI: 1.78-10.93) for cardiovascular death. CONCLUSIONS: A significant association between mild aICAS and mortality in stroke-free patients with hypertension was revealed. The results indicate that mild aICAS might be an imaging marker for cerebrovascular lesions in patients with hypertension and poor control of blood pressure and lipids in this population requires further research.

Blood Vessel Invasion Is an Independent Prognostic Factor in Endometrial Endometrioid Carcinoma Compared to Lymph Vessel Invasion and Myometrial Invasion Pattern.

We studied 115 cases of EEC diagnosed on hysterectomy specimens. Double immunohistochemical staining (D2-40/CD31) was performed in all 115 cases to show LVI and BVI on the same slide. MELF pattern invasion was present in 24/115 (21%) cases. MELF-positive tumors had a higher frequency of LVI than MELF-negative tumors (58% and 23%, respectively); the frequency of BVI was twice as high in MELF-positive tumors in comparison to MELF-negative tumors (25% and 12%, respectively). These differences were significant (p ˂ 0.0001). All tumors with positive BVI also had a concomitant LVI. The presence of MELF invasion had no impact on overall survival, confirming previous studies. 5-year survival rates were almost equal in cases with negative LVSI and cases with positive isolated LVI (98% vs. 97%). However, in cases where BVI was also present, the 5-year survival rate was significantly lower, 63% (p ˂ 0.0001). Furthermore, BVI proved to be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival, disease-free survival, and recurrence in the multivariate analysis. In conclusion, MELF pattern invasion is a good predictor of lymphatic and blood vessel invasion but has no prognostic value. Our results suggest that BVI in EEC has greater clinical value than isolated LVI or myometrial invasion patterns, and the therapeutic approach should be guided by BVI presence. Therefore, we hope this study will promote the routine evaluation of BVI in the context of EEC diagnostic procedures.

Concentration of serum trace elements in leukemia and lymphoma: A case-control study.

Objective: Trace elements (TEs) have electrochemical and catalytic effects and play a crucial role in metabolism. A change in the concentrations of specific TEs may be associated with the incidence of various diseases such as solid tumors and hematological malignancies. By comparing the concentrations of TEs in the cases and controls, this study aims to provide insights into the possible impacts of TEs concentration on the incidence of leukemia and lymphoma. Materials and methods: In the current study, the serum concentrations of Zn, Cu, Cd, Fe, and Se were analyzed for 20 patients with leukemia and lymphoma and 20 healthy individuals. Those concentrations were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results: The serum Zn concentration in the cases was significantly lower than that in the controls (P < 0.05). The serum concentrations of Cu, Cd and Fe were also lower in the cases than in the controls. However, no significant difference was found (P > 0.05). Also, the serum concentration of Se was higher in the patients than in the controls, but no significant difference was found (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The results indicate that a low serum concentration of Zn may be associated with the incidence of leukemia and lymphoma. The assessment of TEs in hematological malignancies may be of a prognostic value and provide knowledge about the side effects of alterations in the concentration of those elements. It may also lead to the use of suitable strategies to better manage the clinical conditions of patients.

Prognostic significance of LRPPRC and its association with immune infiltration in liver hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Leucine rich pentatricopeptide repeat containing (LRPPRC) protein is a multifunctional protein involved in cell cycle progression and tumor development. However, its prognostic significance and association with immune infiltration in Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) remain unclear. METHODS: We utilized transcriptomic and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases of LIHC patients to investigate the potential pro-cancer role of LRPPRC, including differential expression of LRPPRC in LIHC, prognostic value, clinicopathological features, immune cell infiltration relevance and function enrichment analysis. RESULTS: Our findings suggest that LRPPRC is upregulated in LIHC and exhibits correlations with survival, clinical stage, and tumor grade in LIHC patients. Additionally, immune infiltration analysis revealed significant negative correlations between LRPPRC expression and multiple tumor-infiltrating immune cells, including CTLs, DCs, pDCs, B cells, Th17 cells, neutrophils, T cells, Mast cells, Th1 cells, Tregs, and NK cells, whereas a significant positive correlation was observed with infiltration of Th2 cells, T helper cells and Tcms. Furthermore, functional enrichment analysis indicated that LRPPRC may be involved in G2m checkpoint, mitotic spindle, E2f targets, Wnt Beta catenin signaling, spermatogenesis and other processes.

Prognostic value of the systemic immune-inflammation index in critically ill elderly patients with hip fracture: evidence from MIMIC (2008-2019).

Background: The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) showed an extensive link between immunological dysfunction and the activation of systemic inflammation. Several studies have confirmed the application of SII to orthopedic diseases. However, the significance of SII in critically ill elderly individuals with hip fracture who require intensive care unit (ICU) admission is not yet known. This study centered on exploring the relationship between SII and clinical outcomes among critically ill elderly hip fracture individuals. Methods: The study centered around elderly patients experiencing severe illness following hip fractures and requiring admission to the ICU. These patients from the MIMIC-IV database formed the basis of this study's cohort. We stratified them into quartiles according to their SII levels. The results involved the mortality at 30 days and 1 year post-admission. Then we employ Cox proportional hazards regression analysis as well as restricted cubic splines to explore the association between the SII and clinical results in critically ill elderly patients with hip fracture. Results: The study encompassed 991 participants, among whom 63.98% identified as females. Notably, the mortality rates attributed to any cause within 30 days and 1 year after hospitalization stood at 19.68 and 33.40%, respectively. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model disclosed a significant correlation between an elevated SII and all-cause mortality. Following adjustments for confounding variables, individuals with a high SII showed a notable correlation with 30-day mortality [adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 1.065; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.044-1.087; p < 0.001] and 1-year mortality (adjusted HR, 1.051; 95% CI, 1.029-1.074; p < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis of restricted cubic splines demonstrated a progressive increase in the risk of all-cause death as the SII value rose. Conclusion: Among critically ill elderly patients with hip fracture, the SII exhibits a non-linear association that positively correlates with both 30-day and 1-year all-cause mortality rates. The revelation indicates that the SII may play a vital role in identifying patients with hip fractures who face an escalated risk of mortality due to any cause.

Comparison of Controlling Nutritional Status Score with Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis Score and Atlanta Classification for Mortality in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis.

Background/Objectives: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is characterized by pancreatic gland inflammation, and its clinical course ranges from mild to severe. Predicting the severity of AP early and reliably is important. In this study, we investigate the potential use of the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score as a prognostic marker in acute pancreatitis. Methods: We examined 336 patients who had been hospitalized with an AP diagnosis in the internal medicine clinic. The patients included in the study were followed up for 5 years. The study analyzed the specific variables of age, gender, and AP etiology as recorded biochemical parameters for all study participants and calculated the effects of age, sex, Bedside Index of Severity in AP (BISAP), the revised Atlanta classification, and the CONUT score on mortality. Results: When compared with surviving patients, non-surviving patients had higher scores for BISAP, CONUT, and the Atlanta Classification (p ˂ 0.001). In the non-surviving group, hemoglobin, lymphocyte, and albumin levels were significantly lower and creatinine, uric acid, and procalcitonin levels were significantly higher compared to the surviving group (p ˂ 0.001, 0.003, ˂0.001, ˂0.001, 0.005, ˂0.001, respectively). The multivariate analysis showed a significant association of mortality with age, CONUT, and BISAP scores (p ˂ 0.003, 0.001, 0.012 respectively). The CONUT score was separated into two groups based on the median value. The predicted survival time in the group with a CONUT score > 2 (53.8 months) was significantly lower than in the group with a CONUT score ≤ 2 (63.8 months). The cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality was significantly higher in the patients with higher CONUT scores. Conclusions: This study has assigned the CONUT score as an independent risk factor for mortality in AP.

Prognostic value of noninvasive programmed stimulation in primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator recipients.

Background: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) offers an opportunity to study inducibility of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) by performing noninvasive programmed ventricular stimulation (NIPS). Whether NIPS can predict future arrhythmic events or mortality in patients with primary prevention ICD, has not yet been examined. Methods: From the NIPS-ICD study (ClinicalTrials ID: NCT02373306) 41 consecutive patients (34 males, age 64 ± 11 years, 76% ischemic cardiomyopathy [ICM]) had ICD for primary prevention indication. Patients underwent NIPS using a standardized protocol of up to three premature extrastimuli at 600, 500 and 400 ms drive cycle lengths. NIPS was classified as positive if sustained VT or VF was induced. The study endpoint was occurrence of sustained VT/VF during the follow-up. Results: At baseline NIPS, VT/VF was induced in 8 (20%) ICM patients. During the 5-year follow-up, the VT/VF occurred in 7 (17%) patients, all with ICM. The difference between NIPS-inducible versus NIPS-noninducible patients regarding VT/VF occurrence did not meet statistical significance (38% vs. 12%, log rank test p = .11). After a 5-year follow-up, the mortality rate was significantly higher in patients who had VT/VF induced at NIPS versus no VT/VF at NIPS (38% vs. 12%, p = .043). The occurrence of a composite endpoint consisting of VT/VF recurrence or death in patients with ICM was also most frequent in the NIPS-inducible group (75% vs. 35%, p = .037). Conclusions: Inducibility of VT/VF during NIPS in ICM patients with primary prevention ICD is associated with higher mortality and higher incidence of composite endpoint consisting of death or VT/VF during a long-term observation.

Prognostic value of liver metastases in colorectal cancer treated by systemic therapy: An ARCAD pooled analysis.

BACKGROUND: The liver is the most frequent site of metastases in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to assess the response rate and survival outcomes in metastatic CRC patients with non-liver metastases (NLM) compared to those with liver metastases (LM) across different lines of treatment. METHODS: A total of 17,924 mCRC patients included in 26 trials from the ARCAD CRC database were analyzed. The analysis was conducted based on the presence or absence of LM across different treatment groups: chemotherapy (CT) alone, CT + anti-VEGF, CT + anti-EGFR in KRAS wild-type tumors, within the first-line (1 L) and second-line (2 L), and patients enrolled in third-line (≥3 L) trials treated with trifluridine/tipiracil or regorafenib or placebo. The endpoints were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall response rate (ORR). RESULTS: Out of the 17,924 patients, 14,066 had LM (30.6 % with only liver involvement and 69.4 % with liver and other metastatic sites), while 3858 patients had NLM. In the CT alone and CT + anti-VEGF subgroups, NLM patients showed better OS and PFS in the 1 L and 2 L settings. However, in the CT + anti-EGFR 1 L and 2 L subgroups, there was no significant difference in OS and PFS between NLM and LM patients. In the ≥ 3 L subgroups, better OS and PFS were observed in NLM patients. ORRs were higher in LM patients than in NLM patients across all cohorts treated in the 1 L and only in the anti-EGFR cohort in the 2 L. CONCLUSION: LM is a poor prognostic factor for mCRC increasing from 1 L to ≥ 3 L except for patients in 1 L and 2 L receiving CT+anti-EGFR. These data justify using LM as a stratification factor in future trials for patients with unresectable mCRC.

Prognostic value of FGFR2 alterations in patients with iCCA undergoing surgery or systemic treatments: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Over recent years, there has been a notable rise in the incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), which presents a significant challenge in treatment due to its complex disease characteristics and prognosis. Notably, the identification of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusion/rearrangement, a potential oncogenic driver primarily observed in iCCA, raises questions about its impact on the prognostic outcomes of patients undergoing surgical intervention or other therapeutic approaches. METHODS: A comprehensive search from inception to July 2023 was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases. The objective was to identify relevant publications comparing the prognosis of FGFR2 alterations and no FGFR2 alterations groups among patients with iCCA undergoing surgical resection or other systemic therapies. The primary outcome indicators, specifically Overall Survival (OS) and Disease-Free Survival (DFS), were estimated using Hazard Ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and statistical significance was defined as p < .05. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.4 software and Stata, version 12.0. RESULTS: Six studies, involving 1314 patients (FGFR2 alterations group n = 173 and no FGFR2 alterations group n = 1141), were included in the meta-analysis. The analysis revealed that the FGFR2 alterations group exhibited a significantly better OS prognosis compared to the no FGFR2 alterations group, with a fixed-effects combined effect size HR = 1.31, 95%CI = 1.001-1.715, p = .049. Furthermore, meta-regression and subgroup analysis showed that the length of the follow-up period did not introduce heterogeneity into the results. This finding indicates the stability and reliability of the study outcomes. CONCLUSION: The current study provides compelling evidence that FGFR2 alterations are frequently associated with improved survival outcomes for patients with iCCA undergoing surgical resection or other systemic treatments. Additionally, the study suggests that FGFR2 holds promise as a safe and dependable therapeutic target for managing metastatic, locally advanced or unresectable iCCA. This study offers a novel perspective in the realm of targeted therapy for iCCA, presenting a new and innovative approach to its treatment.

Clinical study of the prognostic value of the Essen score for acute cerebral infarction.

OBJECTIVE: A few clinical studies have been conducted on the prognostic value of the Essen score in acute cerebral infarction (ACI), and this study explores whether the Essen score can assess the prognosis of ACI. METHODS: Data were collected from 1176 patients with ACI. The patients were divided into three groups on the basis of the Essen score, with groups 1, 2 and 3 having scores of 0-2, 3-6 and 7-9, respectively. Logistic multivariate analysis was performed to analyse the predictors of poor prognosis in patients with ACI. The X2 trend test was used to compare the poor-prognosis groups on the basis of the Essen score. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of patient prognosis was plotted using MedCalc software, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis of the good- and poor-prognosis groups of ACI showed that the Essen score and the male gender were predictors of poor prognosis. The X2 trend test was used to compare the poor-prognosis groups on the basis of the Essen score, and results suggested that the higher the Essen score was, the worse the prognosis was. The Essen score assessed the prognosis of ACI with an AUC of 0.787 and P < 0.001. CONCLUSION: The Essen score is a valuable scoring system for predicting the prognosis of patients with ACI.

Clinical application value of metagenome next-generation sequencing in pulmonary diffuse exudative lesions: a retrospective study.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the clinical application value of Metagenome Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS) for pulmonary diffuse exudative lesions. Methods: From January 1, 2014, to November 31, 2021, 136 cases with chest radiologic presentations of pulmonary diffuse exudative lesions admitted to Fujian Provincial Hospital were included in the study; of those, 77 patients underwent mNGS pathogen detection. Based on the pathogen detection outcomes and clinical diagnoses, patients were categorized into an infection group (IG) and a non-infection group (NIG). A comparison was made between the diagnostic efficacy of the mNGS technique and traditional culture methods. Meanwhile, 59 patients clinically identified as having infectious pulmonary diffuse exudative lesions but who did not receive mNGS testing were designated as the non-NGS infection group (non-IG). A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients in both the IG and non-IG, with a 30-day all-cause mortality endpoint used for follow-up. Outcomes: When compared to conventional culture methods, mNGS demonstrated an approximate 35% increase in sensitivity (80.0% vs 45.5%, P<0.001), without significant disparity in specificity (77.3% vs 95.5%, P=0.185). Under antibiotic exposure, the positivity rate detected by mNGS was notably higher than that by traditional culture methods, indicating that mNGS is less affected by exposure to antibiotics (P<0.05). Within 30 days, the all-cause mortality rate for patients in the IG versus the non-IG was 14.55% and 37.29%, respectively (P<0.05). Following a COX regression analysis to adjust for confounding factors, the analysis revealed that a CURB-65 score ≥3 points (HR=3.348, P=0.001) and existing cardiovascular disease (HR=2.473, P=0.026) were independent risk factors for these patients. Conversely, mNGS testing (HR=0.368, P=0.017) proved to be an independent protective factor. Conclusion: mNGS technology makes it easier to pinpoint the cause of pulmonary diffuse infectious exudative lesions without much interference from antibiotics, helping doctors spot and diagnose these issues early on, thereby playing a key role in helping them decide the best treatment approach for patients. Such conclusions may have a bias, as the performance of traditional methods might be underestimated due to the absence of complete results from other conventional diagnostic techniques like serological testing and PCR.