Postoperative outcomes of acute-on-chronic liver failure in infants and children with biliary atresia.

INTRODUCTION: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is associated with increased mortality and morbidity in patients with biliary atresia (BA). Data on impact of ACLF on postoperative outcomes, however, are sparse. METHOD: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with BA aged <18 years who underwent LT between 2011 and 2021 at our institution. ACLF was defined using the pediatric ACLF criteria: ≥1 extra-hepatic organ failure in children with decompensated cirrhosis. RESULTS: Of 107 patients (65% female; median age 14 [9-31] months) who received a LT, 13 (12%) had ACLF during the index admission prior to LT. Two (15%) had Grade 1; 4 (30%) had Grade 2; and 7 (55%) had Grade ≥3 ACLF. ACLF cohort was younger at time of listing (5 [4-8] vs. 9 [6-24] months; p < .001) and at LT (8 [8-11] vs. 16 [10-40] months, p < .001) compared to no-ACLF group. Intraoperatively, ACLF patients had higher blood loss (40 [20-53] vs. 10 [6-19] mL/kg; p < .001) and blood transfusion requirements (33 [21-69] vs. 18 [7-25] mL/kg; p = .004). Postoperatively, they needed higher vasopressor support (31% vs. 10.6%; p = .04) and had higher total hospital length of stay (106 [45-151] vs. 13 [7-30] days; p = .023). Rate of return to the operating room, hospital readmission rates, and 1-year post-LT survival rates were comparable between the groups. CONCLUSION: Despite higher perioperative complications, survival outcomes for ACLF in BA after LT are favorable and comparable to those without ACLF. These encouraging data reiterate prioritization during organ allocation of these critically ill children for LT.

Gastric Linitis Plastica: Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes from the National Cancer Database.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Gastric linitis plastica (LP) is a rare type of gastric tumor with limited data. We sought to investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, and outcomes utilizing a national database. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was reviewed for LP of the stomach from 2004 to 2017. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards model were utilized to evaluate overall survival and predictors of survival. RESULTS: Out of 222,488 gastric cancer cases, 896 patients with histologically confirmed primary gastric LP were included. Patients were predominantly white (78.5%), female (51.9%) and presented at advanced stage disease (stage 4=69%). A total of 369 (41.2%) patients underwent surgical resection, 520 (58.0%) received chemotherapy and 158 (17.6%) received radiation therapy. The mean OS (overall survival) of the entire cohort was 16.9 months with 1-year and 5-year OS rates of 33% and 5%, respectively. Mean OS for the patients receiving surgery with chemotherapy and/or radiation, surgery alone, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy alone, and no treatment was 28.4, 17.1, 12.3, and, 8.1 months, respectively (p<0.001). On multivariate cox-regression analysis, advanced-stage disease (stage IV) (p<0.001), no surgical resection (p<0.001), and no receipt of chemotherapy (p<0.001) were associated with increased hazards of death. Over time, the proportion of patients receiving surgical resection (30.7% from 48.3%) and radiation therapy decreased (13.8% from 20.6%) and the use of chemotherapy increased (63.9% from 54.8%). CONCLUSION: Gastric LP is associated with a poor prognosis. Multimodal therapy including surgical resection and systemic therapy in the neoadjuvant setting seems to provide the best long-term outcomes.

Complete gastroesophageal junction avulsion after near drowning: A case report and review of literature.

INTRODUCTION: Gastroesophageal (GE) junction injuries are rare in the pediatric population. A complete GE junction separation in a child secondary to trauma has not reported in the literature yet. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 14-year-old boy presented with a complete GE junction avulsion after a near-drowning experience. He underwent immediate damage control surgery and delayed gastric pull-up esophageal reconstruction in 3-months. At the most recent clinic visit 5 months from the reconstruction, he can tolerate a regular diet without difficulty and is gaining weight and recovering well. CONCLUSION: Complete GE junction injuries and avulsions are rare with limited data to guide management. These injuries are associated with mortality rates from 25% to 33%, therefore, high index of suspicion, prompt recognition and careful surgical planning is needed for favorable outcomes.

Urinary NT-proBNP as a potential noninvasive biomarker for screening of pulmonary hypertension in preterm infants: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study aimed to determine the feasibility of urinary NT-proBNP (NT-proBNP) as a potential noninvasive screening marker for pulmonary hypertension (PH). STUDY DESIGN: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted. Preterm infants (PI) (birthweight <1500 gm and <30 weeks gestational age (GA)) were enrolled. Serial urinary NT-proBNP measurements and echocardiograms (ECHO) were performed at 28, 32, and 36 weeks. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients were included in the final analysis (BPD-PH group = 6, BPD group = 20, control = 10). Urinary NT-proBNP levels were higher in the BPD-PH group compared with BPD and control groups at all study intervals. A urine NT-proBNP cutoff level of 2345 pg/ml at 28 weeks of GA had a sensitivity and specificity of 83.3% and 84.2%, respectively, for detection of BPD-PH (AUC 0.816, p = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Urinary NT-proBNP measurement is feasible in preterm infants and appears to be a good noninvasive screening tool for PH.

Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Thoracic Soft Tissue Sarcomas: A Population-Based Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The role of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) in the management of thoracic soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) remains unclear. We aimed to study the characteristics of patients with thoracic STS who received RT after surgical resection and investigate the impact of RT on survival outcomes. METHODS: We queried National Cancer Database to identify patients with surgically resected thoracic STS from 2004 to 2012. Factors associated with receiving adjuvant RT were identified. Analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors and compare overall survival (OS) in both unmatched and propensity score-matched cohorts. RESULTS: Overall, 1215 patients were identified, of whom 557 (45.8%) received adjuvant RT. Tumor grade (odds ratio [OR], 2.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.18-3.77), tumor size (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.36-2.42), and tumor margins (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.43-2.72) were found to be significant predictors of receiving RT. Mean OS of patients receiving RT in the unmatched cohort was 91 months vs 88 months for patients who did not (P = .556). When adjusted for all variables, adjuvant RT was found to be associated with improved survival (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.61-0.96). Survival analysis of the matched cohort also demonstrated improved survival with adjuvant RT (120 months vs 100 months; P = .02). Subgroup analysis in both the unmatched and matched cohorts showed patients with high-grade tumors more likely to benefit from adjuvant RT. CONCLUSIONS: This population-based analysis is the largest dataset of primary thoracic STSs to date and suggests significant survival benefit associated with adjuvant RT. The improvement in OS was more notable in patients with high-grade tumors. Randomized prospective studies are warranted to further understand the benefit of RT in this group.

Primary Pediatric Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas of the Gastrointestinal Tract: A Population-based Analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this study was to present the clinical characteristics, natural history and survival outcomes of primary gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin lymphomas (PGINHL) in the pediatric population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was queried for patients aged 0 to 19 years with PGINHL between 1973 and 2014. RESULTS: A total of 452 cases were identified [mean age 11.0 (±5.1)] years, whites 84.1%, males (76.5%). The majority of tumors were noted in the small bowel (SB) (47.6%), followed by large bowel (LB) (28.5%) and the stomach (10.0%). Overall, the most common histological subtype was Burkitt lymphoma (51.8%), followed by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (26.1%). Mean overall survival (OS) of the entire cohort was 33,33 years with a 5-yr, 10-yr and 30-yr survival rate of 86%, 86% and 79%, respectively. Large bowel tumors had the best long-term survival rates whereas; gastric tumors had the worst with 30-yr survival rate 84% and 74%, respectively. Overall, 328 (72.6%) patients received surgery. No significant survival difference was noted between patients who underwent surgery and those who did not. CONCLUSION: This study presents the largest dataset of pediatric PGINHL and describes the clinical features and outcomes of these patients in addition to summarizing the literature.

Association of rs10490924 in ARMS2/HTRA1 with age-related macular degeneration in the Pakistani population.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease of the elderly in which central vision is lost because of degenerative changes of the macula. The current study investigated the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with AMD in the Pakistani population. Four SNPs were analyzed in this study: rs1061170 in the CFH, rs429608 near CFB, rs2230199 in the C3, and rs10490924 in ARMS2/HTRA1. This case-control association study was conducted on 300 AMD patients (125 wet AMD and 175 dry AMD) and 200 unaffected age- and gender-matched control individuals. The association of the SNP genotypes and allele frequency distributions were compared between patients and healthy controls, keeping age, gender, and smoking status as covariates. A significant genotype and variant allele association was found of rs10490924 in ARMS2/HTRA1 with wet AMD, while the SNPs in CFH, CFB, and C3 were not associated with AMD in the current Pakistani cohort. The lack of association of CFH, CFB, and C3 may be attributed to limited sample size. This study demonstrates that genetic causative factors of AMD differ among populations and supports the need for genetic association studies among cohorts from various populations to increase our global understanding of the disease pathogenesis.

Pulsed Ultrasounds Reduce Pain and Disability, Increasing Rib Fracture Healing, in a Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Rib fractures are an important health issue worldwide, with significant, pain, morbidity, and disability for which only symptomatic treatment exists. OBJECTIVES: Based on our previous experimental model, the objective of the current study was to assess for the first time whether pulsed ultrasound (PUS) application could have beneficial effects on humans. METHODS: Prospective, double-blinded, randomized, controlled trial of 51 patients. Four were excluded, and 47 were randomized into the control group (N = 23) or PUS group (N = 24). The control group received a PUS procedure without emission, and the PUS group received 1 Mhz, 0.5 W/cm2 for 1 min/cm2. Pain level, bone callus healing rate, physical and work activity, pain medication intake, and adverse events were blindly evaluated at baseline and one, three, and six months. RESULTS: There were no significant differences at baseline between groups. PUS treatment significantly decreased pain by month 1 (P = 0.004), month 3 (P = 0.005), and month 6 (P = 0.025), significantly accelerated callus healing by month 1 (P = 0.013) and month 3 (P < 0.001), accelerated return to physical activity by month 3 (P = 0.036) and work activity (P = 0.001) by month 1, and considerably reduced pain medication intake by month 1 (P = 0.057) and month 3 (P = 0.017). No related adverse events were found in the PUS group. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first evidence that PUS treatment is capable of improving rib fracture outcome, significantly accelerating bone callus healing, and decreasing pain, time off due to both physical activity and convalescence period, and pain medication intake. It is a safe, efficient, and low-cost therapy that may become a new treatment for patients with stable rib fractures.

Robotic Thoracic Surgery Training for Residency Programs: A Position Paper for an Educational Curriculum.

OBJECTIVE: Robotic-assisted surgery is increasingly being used in thoracic surgery. Currently, the Integrated Thoracic Surgery Residency Program lacks a standardized curriculum or requirement for training residents in robotic-assisted thoracic surgery. In most circumstances, because of the lack of formal residency training in robotic surgery, hospitals are requiring additional training, mentorship, and formal proctoring of cases before granting credentials to perform robotic-assisted surgery. Therefore, there is necessity for residents in Integrated Thoracic Surgery Residency Program to have early exposure and formal training on the robotic platform. We propose a curriculum that can be incorporated into such programs that would satisfy both training needs and hospital credential requirements. METHODS: We surveyed all 26 Integrated Thoracic Surgery Residency Program Directors in the United States. We also performed a PubMed literature search using the key word "robotic surgery training curriculum." We reviewed various robotic surgery training curricula and evaluation tools used by urology, obstetrics gynecology, and general surgery training programs. We then designed a proposed curriculum geared toward thoracic Integrated Thoracic Surgery Residency Program adopted from our credentialing experience, literature review, and survey consensus. RESULTS: Of the 26 programs surveyed, we received 17 responses. Most Integrated Thoracic Surgery Residency Program directors believe that it is important to introduce robotic surgery training during residency. Our proposed curriculum is integrated during postgraduate years 2 to 6. In the preclinical stage postgraduate years 2 to 3, residents are required to complete introductory online modules, virtual reality simulator training, and in-house workshops. During clinical stage (postgraduate years 4-6), the resident will serve as a supervised bedside assistant and progress to a console surgeon. Each case will have defined steps that the resident must demonstrate competency. Evaluation will be based on standardized guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Expansion and utilization of robotic assistance in thoracic surgery have increased. Our proposed curriculum aims to enable Integrated Thoracic Surgery Residency Program residents to achieve competency in robotic-assisted thoracic surgery and to facilitate the acquirement of hospital privileges when they enter practice.

Radiation therapy improves survival for unresectable postpneumonectomy lung tumors.

BACKGROUND: Additional resection for cancer in the single lung is often considered a prohibitive risk. The role of radiation therapy (RT) in this patient population is less clear with very limited available data. In this study, we sought to examine patients with postpneumonectomy lung cancer not amenable to surgery, identify factors associated with receiving RT, and determine the impact of RT on survival outcomes. METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1988-2013) was queried for patients with inoperable contralateral lung cancer after pneumonectomy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with the receipt of RT. Survival outcomes were examined using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: In total, 191 patients with inoperable postpneumonectomy lung cancer were included. RT was delivered to 122 (63.9%) patients; 69 (36.1%) patients did not receive RT. On multivariate analysis, disease stage was identified as the only predictor associated with receipt of RT (P < 0.001). The median overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) for patients receiving RT were higher than those for patients who did not receive RT (25 versus 8 mo and 29 versus 10 mo, respectively; P < 0.001). Similarly, patients who received RT had a higher 3-y OS (34% versus 14%, P < 0.001) than those who did not receive RT. On subset analysis, survival benefit with RT was observed in patients with all tumor size groups, and there was a trend toward superior survival in patients with stage I/II disease, who received RT compared with those who did not. On multivariate Cox regression analysis, RT use was independently associated with decreased hazards of death after adjusting for other factors (HR, 0.539; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Based on our analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, RT is associated with improved outcomes in inoperable patients with a contralateral lung cancer after pneumonectomy compared with observation alone.

Airway transplantation of adipose stem cells protects against bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease with poor prognosis. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) have demonstrated regenerative properties in several tissues. The hypothesis of this study was that airway transplantation of ADSC could protect against bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Fifty-eight lungs from 29 male Sprague-Dawley rats were analyzed. Animals were randomly divided into five groups: a) control (n=3); b) sham (n=6); c) BLM (n=6); d) BLM+ADSC-2d (n=6); and e) BLM+ADSC-14d (n=8). Animals received 500 µL saline (sham), 2.5 UI/kg BLM in 500 µL saline (BLM), and 2×106 ADSC in 100 µL saline intratracheally at 2 (BLM+ADSC-2d) and 14 days (BLM+ADSC-14d) after BLM. Animals were sacrificed at 28 days. Blinded Ashcroft score was used to determine pulmonary fibrosis extent on histology. Hsp27, Vegf, Nfkß, IL-1, IL-6, Col4, and Tgfß1 mRNA gene expression were determined using real-time quantitative-PCR. Ashcroft index was: control=0; sham=0.37±0.07; BLM=6.55±0.34 vs sham (P=0.006). BLM vs BLM+ADSC-2d=4.63±0.38 (P=0.005) and BLM+ADSC-14d=3.77±0.46 (P=0.005). BLM vs sham significantly increased Hsp27 (P=0.018), Nfkß (P=0.009), Col4 (P=0.004), Tgfß1 (P=0.006) and decreased IL-1 (P=0.006). BLM+ADSC-2d vs BLM significantly decreased Hsp27 (P=0.009) and increased Vegf (P=0.006), Nfkß (P=0.009). BLM+ADSC-14d vs BLM significantly decreased Hsp27 (P=0.028), IL-6 (P=0.013), Col4 (P=0.002), and increased Nfkß (P=0.040) and Tgfß1 (P=0.002). Airway transplantation of ADSC significantly decreased the fibrosis rate in both early and established pulmonary fibrosis, modulating the expression of Hsp27, Vegfa, Nfkß, IL-6, Col4, and Tgfß1. From a translational perspective, this technique could become a new adjuvant treatment for patients with IPF.

De novo descending aorta thrombus in a patient with metastatic colorectal cancer: A case report.

Thromboembolic events in patients with cancer are frequently reported in literature and usually involve the venous circulation. De novo thrombus formation in the arterial system without any underlying atherosclerosis, dissection or aneurysm is extremely rare. We report the case of a patient with metastatic colorectal carcinoma who developed a thrombus in the descending aorta without any intervention or risk factors. The patient presented with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms. A CT scan revealed an aortic thrombus obstructing 70% of the lumen. She opted for no treatment of her thrombus and was later complicated by extensive lower limb emboli. Patients with aortic thrombosis usually present with subtle symptoms which may be underestimated by both the patient and the physician. A high index of suspicion is required for early recognition and prevention of complications.

Knowledge and Perception Regarding Autism among Primary School Teachers: A Cross-sectional Survey from Pakistan, South Asia.

BACKGROUND: Early detection and intervention seem to improve development in autistic children, and teachers form an important part of their early social environment. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess baseline knowledge and misconceptions regarding autism among school teachers and evaluate factors influencing their knowledge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey enrolling primary school teachers using a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Seventy-three teachers (mean age of 34 years, 66% females) responded. Gaps in awareness and knowledge were found. About 52 (71.2%) teachers identified themselves as having some knowledge about autism, with 23 (44.2%) among this group understanding autism as a neurological/mental disorder. The majority (73.1%) believe that special education is a helpful intervention. The only significant factor that influenced knowledge among teachers was attendance of behavioral classes (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Results suggest that teachers have an inadequate understanding of autism due to several misconceptions. This calls for increased education of teachers with regard to autism and other childhood disorders.

Pulmonary Resection for Second Lung Cancer After Pneumonectomy: A Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary resection for a second lung cancer after pneumonectomy is generally considered to be at prohibitive risk. Using a population-based database, we examined treatment patterns and survival in patients who underwent pulmonary resection after pneumonectomy for lung cancer. METHODS: We queried the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1988-2012) to identify patients who underwent pneumonectomy and subsequently experienced contralateral non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the factors associated with the receipt of surgical resection. Survival was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Of 13,370 patients who underwent pneumonectomy, 402 (3.0%) experienced subsequent contralateral NSCLC, and 170 (42%) met the selection criteria. Surgical resection was performed in 63 (37.1%) cases (sublobar n = 56, lobectomy, n = 7). Patients with stage I/II disease and tumor size 2 cm or smaller were more likely to undergo surgical procedures. The 1-month and 3-month mortality after resection was 11.1% (sublobar resection 10.7%, lobectomy 14.3%) and 12.7% (sublobar 12.5%, lobectomy 14.3%), respectively. The overall 1-year and 3-year survival after surgical resection was 79% and 54%, respectively. The patients who underwent sublobar resection had higher median overall survival than did those who underwent lobectomy (42 vs 18 months). Similarly, median survival after resection for metachronous tumors was higher than after resection for metastatic cancers (40 vs 28 months). CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of our analysis of the SEER database, sublobar resection can be performed in selected patients with small tumors (≤2 cm) and early-stage disease (stage I/II). Although perioperative mortality is significant, the favorable 1-year and 3-year survival may justify the role of an additional procedure on the single lung.

Quality Assessment Of Focused Antenatal Care Service Delivery In Tertiary Care Health Facility.

BACKGROUND: Regardless of high maternal deaths in Pakistan, only 37% of pregnant women make four or more antenatal care visits during pregnancy. This proportion has further been diverged between urban and rural. About 62% of women visit clinics for WHO recommended sets of antenatal care (ANC) check-ups in urban as compared to 26% women in rural areas. This study was conducted with the aim to assess quality of Focused ANC service delivery in terms of examination, screening, treatment, counselling and to determine variation in service delivery with provider's clinical qualification and expertise. METHODS: Cross sectional study design was used. Data was collected from pregnant women when they were visiting hospital for their antenatal visits. Direct observation was also made regarding provision of services. RESULTS: Out of 278, 55% of study women were in 28-33 years age group and 21.2% made at least one visit. While 42.8% reported more than one visit, 98.9% received tetanus toxoid, 82% received proper screening. Counselling was done mostly regarding nutrition and self-care (42.8%), and significant association (p-value <0.05) was observed between provider's clinical qualification and provision of services such as for screening and counselling. CONCLUSIONS: The delivery of antenatal care services to pregnant women varied to some extent. Most of the routine investigation services were in accordance with recommended standards of optimal quality with little divergence from guidelines such as screening for HIV and syphilis. Better quality services were being provided to private participants in terms of counselling and danger sign screening.

Three-Dimensional-Printed Bioengineered Tracheal Grafts: Preclinical Results and Potential for Human Use.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to develop a process using three-dimensional (3D) printing to create bioengineered tracheal grafts (BETGs) for reconstruction of anterior tracheal defects in a large-animal model (porcine) that would have translational relevance for potential human use. METHODS: Preoperative computed tomographic scans were used to create virtual 3D models of the animal airways. Anatomically scaled tracheal grafts were subsequently developed using 3D-printed polycaprolactone and extracellular matrix. A 4-cm anterior tracheal defect (about 50% of the length of the subject trachea) was surgically created in 4-week-old female Yorkshire pigs and reconstructed using the customized grafts. Gross and microscopic analyses of the grafts were performed. RESULTS: The BETGs were implanted in 7 animals. There was adequate graft-native trachea size match at the operation. The trachea was successfully reconstructed in all cases. Gross examination at autopsy showed a structurally intact, well-incorporated graft. Histologic evaluation showed respiratory mucosal coverage and vascularity of the graft. Five of 7 animals outlived the 3-month study period. The animals had approximately 100% growth during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: We report of a 3D-printed BETG to repair long-segment anterior tracheal defects in a large-animal model. Although the study duration is short, this work presents an efficient strategy for tracheal graft bioengineering with potential translational relevance for human use.

Circumferential Three-Dimensional-Printed Tracheal Grafts: Research Model Feasibility and Early Results.

BACKGROUND: Methods for tracheal graft research have presented persistent challenges to investigators, and three-dimensional (3D)-printed biosynthetic grafts offer one potential development platform. We aimed to develop an efficient research platform for customizable circumferential 3D-printed tracheal grafts and evaluate feasibility and early structural integrity with a large-animal model. METHODS: Virtual 3D models of porcine subject tracheas were generated using preoperative computed tomography scans. Two designs were used to test graft customizability and the limits of the construction process. Designs I and II used 270-degree and 360-degree external polycaprolactone scaffolds, respectively, both encompassing a circumferential extracellular matrix collagen layer. The polycaprolactone scaffolds were made in a fused-deposition modeling 3D printer and customized to the recipient's anatomy. Design I was implanted in 3 pigs and design II in 2 pigs, replacing 4-ring tracheal segments. Data collected included details of graft construction, clinical outcomes, bronchoscopy, and gross and histologic examination. RESULTS: The 3D-printed biosynthetic grafts were produced with high fidelity to the native organ. The fabrication process took 36 hours. Grafts were implanted without immediate complication. Bronchoscopy immediately postoperatively and at 1 week demonstrated patent grafts and appropriate healing. All animals lived beyond a predetermined 1-week survival period. Bronchoscopy at 2 weeks showed significant paraanastomotic granulation tissue, which, along with partial paraanastomotic epithelialization, was confirmed on pathology. Overall survival was 17 to 34 days. CONCLUSIONS: We propose a rapid, reproducible, resource efficient method to develop various anatomically precise grafts. Further graft refinement and strategies for granulation tissue management are needed to improve outcomes.

Primary Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma of the Gallbladder: A Population-based Analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Primary Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the gallbladder (PNHL-GB) is extremely rare and data on clinical characteristics, optimal management and outcomes of these patients are limited to anecdotal reporting. We, therefore, sought to examine these patients using a population-based database. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database was queried between 1973 and 2013. RESULTS: One hundred and six cases with PNHL-GB were identified (mean age=70.5 ±15 years, whites 92%, male: female 1.03:1). The majority of patients had loco-regional disease (61%) and DLBCL histology (33%). Ninenty cases (85%) had undergone surgical resection, 6 (5.6%) received radiotherapy. Median overall survival (OS) of the entire cohort was 41 months with a 5-year survival rate of 40%. Patients receiving adjuvant RT had superior OS compared to surgery alone (140 ±27 vs. 86 ±16 months, respectively) and patients with DLBCL demonstrated lower survival compared to other histologies (13 vs. 53 months, respectively, p=0.034). CONCLUSION: Our study presents the largest dataset of PNHL-GB describing clinical features and outcomes of these patients in addition to summarizing the literature.

Ozone Therapy Protects Against Rejection in a Lung Transplantation Model: A New Treatment?

BACKGROUND: No satisfactory treatment exists for chronic rejection (CR) after lung transplantation (LT). Our objective was to assess whether ozone (O3) treatment could ameliorate CR. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley inbred rats (n = 36) were randomly assigned into four groups: (1) control (n = 6), (2) sham (n = 6), (3) LT (n = 12), and (4) O3-LT (n = 12). Animals underwent left LT. O3 was rectally administered daily for 2 weeks before LT (from 20 to 50 µg) and 3 times/wk (50 µg/dose) up to 3 months. CR; acute rejection; and Hspb27, Prdx, Epas1, Gpx3, Vegfa, Sftpa1, Sftpb, Plvap, Klf2, Cldn5, Thbd, Dsip, Fmo2, and Sepp1 mRNA gene expression were determined. RESULTS: Severe CR was observed in all animals of LT group, but none of the O3-LT animals showed signs of CR, just a mild acute rejection was observed in 1 animal. A significant decrease of Hspb27, Prdx, Epas1, Gpx3, Vegfa, Sftpa1, Sftpb, Plvap, Klf2, Cldn5, Thbd, Dsip, and Fmo2 gene expression in the O3-LT group was observed CONCLUSIONS: O3 therapy significantly delayed the onset of CR regulating the expression of genes involved in its pathogenesis. No known immunosuppressive therapy has been capable of achieving similar results. From a translational point of view, O3 therapy could become a new adjuvant treatment for CR in patients undergoing LT.