Does YouTube™ Provide Adequate Information on Oral Health During Pregnancy?

Background This study aimed to assess the reliability, quality, and content of the information provided by YouTube™ videos on oral health during pregnancy to reveal the effectiveness of the videos for patients. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted by two experienced dental specialists. They initiated the study by searching for YouTube™ videos using the keyword 'pregnancy oral health'. The videos were then assessed based on various parameters, including origin, type, number of days since upload, duration, number of views, number of likes and dislikes, and number of comments. The specialists also calculated the interaction index and viewing rate. The reliability and quality of the videos were evaluated using the global quality scale (GQS) and modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) scales, while the content was assessed with the comprehensiveness tailor-made index. The data were analyzed with the Shapiro-Wilk, the Kruskal-Wallis, the post-hoc Bonferroni, and Fisher's exact tests. The significance level was set at P < 0.05. Results After reviewing initially 224 videos, 129 were included in the study. Health professionals were the publishers of most videos. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between content scores and video duration, number of comments, interaction index, and total DISCERN scores (p<0.05) (r=0.445, r=0.186, r=0.552, r=0.241, r=0.200, r=0.681, respectively). Statistically significant associations were found between GQS scores, video duration, number of comments, and total mDISCERN scores (p<0.05) (r=0.510, r=225, r=0.156, r=0.768, respectively). Statistically significant relationships were identified between the total content score, video source, and GQS (p<0.05). According to the total content score, 57.4% of the videos had a score of 2, 35.7% had a score of 1, and only 7% had a score of 0. Conclusions This study's findings underscore the significant variability in the scientific accuracy, content, and quality of health information on the Internet, particularly on YouTube™. It reveals that, while there are videos that provide rich content and high-quality information, there are also poor-quality and inadequate videos that may mislead patients. Health professionals should be aware of misinformation found on YouTube™ and ensure that patients always have access to accurate and reliable information.

Prognostic significance of HER2 loss after HER2-targeted neoadjuvant treatment in patients with HER2-positive locally advanced breast cancer.

Loss of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression can be seen in almost 25-30 % patients after HER2 receptor directed neoadjuvant treatment. These patients have unclear clinical outcomes in previous studies. We aimed to investigate the importance of HER2 loss, additionally with predictive factors for the loss of HER2. This was a retrospective and multicenter study that included 272 HER2-positive BC patients with no pathological complete response who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus HER2-targeted treatments. The factors that may affect the loss of HER2 detected by immunohistochemistry(IHC) and the association with survival were analyzed.The rate of HER2 loss after neoadjuvant treatments(NAT) was 27.9 % (n = 76). Disease recurrence was observed in 18(23.7 %) patients with HER2 loss, while it was detected in 62 (31.7 %) patients without HER2 loss(p = 0.23). Pre and post-NAT ER status, and post-NAT ki-67 status had a significant impact on disease-free survival(DFS) (p = 0.0012, p = 0.004, and p = 0.04, respectively).There were no significant association between DFS and loss of HER2 (p = 0.64) and dual anti-HER2 blockade (p = 0.21). Pre-NAT clinical stage (HR:1.65 p = 0.013), post-NAT LN status (HR:3.18, p = 0.02) and pre-NAT ER status (HR:0.24, p = 0.041) were significant independent prognostic factors for DFS while post-NAT residual disease in axillar tissue was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR:1.54 p = 0.019). Moreover, age (<40 years vs ≥40 years) (p = 0.031) and tumor grade (p = 0.004) were predictive factors for HER2 loss. Our results showed that HER2 loss did not affect survivals. However, young age and being high grade tumor may predict HER2 loss.

Real-world evaluation of nivolumab in patients with non-nasopharyngeal recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer: a retrospective multi-center study by the Turkish Oncology Group (TOG).

OBJECTIVES: Head and neck cancers (HNCs) represent a significant global health concern due to high morbidity and mortality rates. Despite therapeutic advances, the prognosis for advanced or recurrent cases remains challenging. Nivolumab obtained approval for recurrent or metastatic HNC based on the Phase III CheckMate 141 trial. This study aimed to evaluate the real-world outcomes of nivolumab in patients with non-nasopharyngeal HNC. DESIGN: In this multicenter retrospective study, we analyzed 124 patients with recurrent or metastatic non-nasopharyngeal HNC who received nivolumab in the second-line setting and beyond. Data were collected from 20 different cancer centers across Turkey. The effectiveness and safety of the treatment and survival outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: Nivolumab exhibited favorable clinical responses, yielding an objective response rate of 29.9% and a disease control rate of 55.7%. Safety assessments revealed a generally well-tolerated profile, with no instances of treatment discontinuation or mortality due to side effects. Survival analysis disclosed a median overall survival (OS) of 11.8 (95% CI 8.4-15.2) months. Multivariate analysis revealed that ECOG-PS ≥ 1 (HR: 1.64, p = 0.045), laryngeal location (HR: 0.531, p = 0.024), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio > 3.5 (HR: 1.97, p = 0.007) were independent predictors of OS. CONCLUSIONS: Nivolumab is an effective and safe treatment option for patients with recurrent or metastatic non-nasopharyngeal HNC in real-world settings. Further studies are needed on factors affecting response to treatment and survival outcomes.

Clinicopathologic Features and Efficacy of Induction Chemotherapy in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Real-World Experience.

INTRODUCTION: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) accounts for 0.01% of all carcinomas, and 70% of patients have locally advanced disease with a poor prognosis. The mainstay therapy is chemoradiotherapy (CRT), and concurrent administration of platinum-based agents and irradiation provides high local control rates. However, induction (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy (ICT) prior to CRT is recommended for large tumors with a high tumor burden at the category 1 level. For ICT, platinum-based doublet or triplet combination regimens are recommended. Selected patients with a high tumor burden at the time of diagnosis who did not receive ICT before CRT were given adjuvant (consolidation) therapy after CRT. This multicenter study aimed to share our experience in treatment of NPC and evaluate the factors associated with survival. METHODS: The study included patients diagnosed with NPC who were followed and treated between 2008 and 2022. Hundred and forty-two patients from 6 centers were evaluated. The factors associated with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. RESULTS: The median age of our patients was 51 years (IQR: 16-81 years), and the male:female ratio was 2.5:1. A majority of patients (71%) had stage 3-4 disease. They had locally advanced disease, and 48 patients (34%) received ICT. Twenty patients (14%) received adjuvant therapy. The median follow-up was 41 months (range, 2.7-175.1 months). The median DFS in NPC was 92.6 months (range, 71.9-113.3 months), with a 40th month DFS of 70.9%. The median OS was 113 months (range, 91-135 months), with a 40th month OS of 84.7%. Median DFS was 95.3 months (range, 64.2-126.4 months) in patients who received ICT before CRT, which was longer than in the CRT-only group (p = 0.6). DFS at the 40th month was 75.1% in patients treated with ICT compared to 65.1% in the CRT-only group. Median OS was 117 months (range, 92-142 months) in patients receiving ICT, which was longer than in the CRT-only group (p = 0.4). OS at the 40th month was 86.7% in patients receiving ICT but 83.6% in the CRT-only group. CONCLUSIONS: Both the objective response rate and survival were longer in patients who radiologically responded to CRT following ICT. Nonresponse to ICT is a negative predictive indicator. The role of ICT in locally advanced NPC is increasing.

How much information regarding gingival enlargement can we get from TikTok and YouTube?

AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the reliability and quality of the information about gingival enlargements on YouTube and TikTok. METHODS: Two popular video sites, YouTube and TikTok, were searched for gingival enlargement and gingival hyperplasia. The reliability and quality of the first 300 videos for each search term, which is 1200 videos in total, were evaluated by social media video content evaluation tools: Global Quality Score (GQS) for quality and modified DISCERN for reliability. RESULTS: Health professionals uploaded 68.6% of the videos on YouTube and 54.5% on TikTok. It was observed that 50% of TikTok videos and 65.9% of YouTube videos were educational. In terms of quality, 2.7% of the videos on YouTube are of excellent quality, while in TikTok there are no videos of perfect quality. TikTok videos had considerably more views, likes, viewing rates, and interaction index scores than YouTube videos (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The videos and pieces of information on YouTube are more reliable and accurate in terms of gingival enlargement when compared to TikTok. Nevertheless, it was discovered that videos on both platforms were of poor reliability and quality in general.

Effect of non-surgical periodontal treatment on visfatin and chemerin concentration in the gingival crevicular fluid.

Visfatin, as a novel adipokine, is considered to play a role in periodontal inflammation. Chemerin is another newly identified adipokine that is possible to have a role in periodontitis firstly reported in our previous study. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of visfatin and chemerin in periodontitis and and compare these adipokine levels with before and after non-surgical periodontal treatment. Twenty-nine patients with Stage III Grade B periodontitis and eighteen healthy subjects included in this cross-sectional cohort study. Clinical periodontal parameters and GCF were obtained from all subjects. Eight weeks after the following non-surgical periodontal treatment including scaling and root planning, samples and clinical periodontal parameters were collected again in the periodontitis group. The levels of adipokines were analyzed with standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of visfatin and chemerin were statistically significantly higher at periodontitis group as compared to healthy group (P < 0.001). Although, no changes were observed in visfatin levels after periodontal treatment (P > 0.05), chemerin levels were significantly decreased (P < 0.001). Also, no differences were observed as compared to the healthy group (P > 0.05). Visfatin and chemerin may play a role in the periodontal disease process. In addition, it can be considered that the decreased chemerin levels after non-surgical periodontal treatment may play an important role for developing host modulation strategies.

Molecular Pattern and Clinical Implications of KRAS/NRAS and BRAF Mutations in Colorectal Cancer.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the incidence of KRAS/NRAS and BRAF mutations, analyze molecular patterns, and investigate associations with clinical parameters of these mutations in CRC KRAS/NRAS and BRAF mutations analyzed by next-generation sequencing. The detection rates of these mutations and patients' demographics were recorded and the relationship between them was evaluated using the chi-square test. KRAS mutation was detected in 332 of 694 patients, while the mutation rates in KRAS exons 2/3 and 4 were 39.6%/3.2% and 5%, respectively. The most common mutation pattern was KRAS G12D. Five atypical variants were detected: V14I in KRAS exon 2, A18D, Q22K and T50I in exon 3, and T148P in exon 4. NRAS mutation was detected in 29 (4.5%) patients. One atypical variant L80W was detected in NRAS exon 3. BRAF mutation was seen in 37 (5.3%) patients, with BRAFV600E (83.8%) being the most common mutation pattern. NRAS mutation was significantly more frequent in patients > 64 years of age, BRAF mutation in women, and NRAS/BRAF mutations in right colon tumors. Grouping BRAF mutations into BRAFV600E and BRAFnon-V600E and their analysis according to specific tumor localizations showed that all four BRAFnon-V600E mutations originated in the rectum. In our study, KRAS exon 2 and other RAS mutation rates were higher than in the literature, while the BRAF v.600E mutation rate was similar. NRAS and BRAF mutations were significantly more frequent in the right colon. BRAF mutation was more common in women and in the right colon.

Relationship between prognostic nutritional index and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio with overall survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving regorafenib.

Aim: In this study, we aimed to analyze the effect of prognostic nutritional index and neutrophile lymphocyte ratio on the overall survival (OS) in patients treated with regorafenib. Materials and Methods: Metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients who treated with regorafenib between 2016 and 2020 in a single center were evaluated retrospectively. ROC analysis was used for neutrophile lymphocyte ratio (NLR's) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI's) optimum cut-off value. The relationship between OS with PNI and NLR was investigated. Results: Fifty-two patient's data were analyzed. The median age was 57 years, 22 (41.5%) of the patients were female. The optimal cut-off value of PNI for OS was 45.7 according to ROC curve analysis. The median NLR value was accepted as 2.7. Median OS was 8.3 months. Patients who have high PNI value than 45.7 had longer OS (12.09 months vs. 6.31 months hazard ratio [HR]: 0.37 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.19-0.73 P = 0.003) and there was a tendency for longer OS with low NLR value then median (12.05 months vs. 6.14 months HR: 0.54 95% CI: 0.29-1.23 P = 0.057). Primary tumor resected patients had longer OS than nonresected patients (12.05 months vs. 6.30 months HR: 0.34 95% CI: 0.17-0.66 P = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, high PNI value more than 45.7 (HR: 0.40 95% CI: 0.18-0.88 P = 0.02) and resection of the primary tumor (HR: 0.40 95% CI: 0.21-0.80 P = 0.01) were the only independent factors for longer OS. Conclusion: Metastatic CRC patients with high pretreatment PNI and primary tumor resected are more likely to have longer OS with regorafenib. PNI is more reliable index than NLR to predict OS in metastatic CRC patients treated with regorafenib.

An experimental study: the effect of S. boulardii on abemaciclibinduced diarrhea.

BACKGROUND: In our study, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of Saccharomyces boulardii on abemaciclib-induced diarrhea model, which is a commonly used drug in breast cancer. METHODS: Thirty rats were divided into 3 groups as control (Group 1), abemaciclib (Group 2), and abemaciclib + Saccharomyces boulardii (Group 3) groups. The clinical status, body weight, and defecation status were monitored daily. At the end of the 15-day experiment period, the rats were killed with high-dose anesthesia and the resected small intestine segments were evaluated histopathologically. Lesions were classified according to thickening of the villus, inflammation and edema of mucosa and intraepithelial leukocyte accumulation. Then, mean values of both crypt depths and villi thicknesses were calculated for each rat. Normal distribution assumption was controlled with the Shapiro-Wilk test. One-way analysis of variance for normally distributed variables in the comparisons of more than two independent groups and Kruskal-Wallis test for nonnormally distributed variables were used. The significance value was accepted as 0.05. RESULTS: : There was one death in Group 3, but none in the others. There were no findings of mucositis in Group I. There was mild diarrhea and weight loss in only one rat in Group 1. For the comparison of the severity of diarrhea (72.5%/39%) and weight loss (72.5%/45%), a decrease was found in Group 3 according to Group 2 (p < 0.01). Histopathological findings such as edema, inflammation, and intraepithelial leukocyte accumulation also showed a decrease in Group 3 compared to Group 2 (p < 0.01). DISCUSSION: Saccharomyces boulardii should be considered as a treatment option in abaemaciclib (chemotherapy)-induced diarrhea. Further comparative studies and in vivo human randomized controlled studies can be conducted in the future.

The percentage of ALK-positive cells and the efficacy of first-line alectinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: is it a novel factor for stratification? (Turkish Oncology Group Study).

INTRODUCTION: Alectinib is an effective second-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) used in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced ALK-positive NSCLC. Recent studies demonstrated that the percentage of ALK-positive tumor cells in patient groups receiving crizotinib might affect outcomes. This study aimed to investigate whether the percentage of ALK-positive cells had a predictive effect in patients with advanced NSCLC who received first-line Alectinib as ALK-TKI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with advanced-stage NSCLC who received alectinib as a first-line ALK-TKI and whose percentage of ALK-positive cells was determined by FISH at 27 different centers. Patients who received any ALK-TKI before alectinib were not included in the study. Patients were separated into two groups according to the median (40%) value of the percentage of ALK-positive cells (high-positive group ≥ 40% and low-positive group < 40%). The primary endpoint was PFS, and the secondary endpoints were OS, ORR, and PFS of the subgroups based on different threshold values for the percentage of ALK-positive cells. RESULTS: 211 patients were enrolled (48.3% female, 51.7% male) to study. 37% (n = 78) of the patients had received chemotherapy previously. After a median of 19.4 months of follow-up, the median PFS was not reached in the high-positive group (n = 113), but it was 10.8 months in the low-positive group (n = 98) (HR 0.39; 95% CI 0.25-0.60, p < 0.001). The median OS in the high-positive group was not reached, whereas it was 22.8 months in the low-positive group (HR 0.37; 95% CI 0.22-0.63, p < 0.001). ORR was significantly higher in the high-positive group (87.2 vs. 68.5%; p = 0.002). According to the cut-off values of < 20%, 20-39%, 40-59%, and ≥ 60%, the median PFS was 4.5, 17.1, and 26 months, respectively, and could not be reached in the ≥ 60% group. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that the efficacy of alectinib varies significantly across patient subgroups with different percentages of ALK-positive cells. If these findings are prospectively validated, the percentage of ALK-positive cells may be used as a stratification factor in randomized trials comparing different ALK-TKIs.

Real-world data on efficacy and safety of first-line alectinib treatment in advanced-stage, ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer patients: a Turkish Oncology Group study.

Aims: In this multicenter study, the authors aimed to determine the real-life efficacy and safety of first-line alectinib. Materials & methods: This retrospective trial included advanced-stage, ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer patients who were treated with first-line alectinib in terms of ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitors, regardless of previous chemotherapy. The co-primary end points were progression-free survival both for all patients and for the treatment-naive population. The secondary end points were overall response rate, overall survival, rate of CNS progression and safety. Results & conclusion: A total of 274 patients (n = 177 for treatment-naive patients) were enrolled in the study. The median progression-free survival was 26 and 28.8 months for all patients and the treatment-naive group, respectively. The overall response rate, CNS progression rate and 1-year overall survival ratio were 77.9, 12.4 and 77%. Alectinib is a highly effective therapy with a favorable safety profile.

The advancements in cancer treatment, particularly in the last two decades, have been promising. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most important diseases experiencing these promising developments. ALK positivity, which is caused by the rearrangement of different gene fragments between two chromosomes, affects about 5% of NSCLC patients. This provides a target for next-generation therapies. One of these targeted therapy drugs is alectinib. The authors examined the outcomes of 271 patients with body-disseminated NSCLC who received alectinib as initial targeted therapy. These patients were not chosen to participate in a clinical phase study. They were treated with an approved drug; the study also included 97 patients who had previously received chemotherapy. The median duration of survival without disease worsening was 26 months for all patients receiving alectinib treatment. This value was 28.8 months in 177 patients who had not received any treatment before alectinib. Regardless of disease status, 77% of all patients were found to be alive at the end of the first year. Alectinib treatment resulted in a significant improvement of the disease in approximately four out of five patients. The treatment's side effects were generally tolerable or manageable. Only four patients were reported to have discontinued their medication due to treatment-related side effects. These real-world findings are compatible with previous clinical research. Alectinib is an important first-line treatment option for patients with advanced, ALK-positive NSCLC.

Is the benefit of using adjuvant capecitabine in patients with residual triple-negative breast cancer related to pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy?

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative-breast-cancer (TNBC) has a poor prognosis if pathologic complete response (pCR) cannot be achieved following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). The group of patients that benefit most from adjuvant capecitabine remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed data of 160 consecutive patients with residual TNBC from eight cancer-center. Pathologic response was defined into two groups as having good-pathologic-response (MillerPayneGrading (MPG) IV-III) or poor-pathologic-response (MPG I-II). The characteristics of patients were compared regarding adjuvant capecitabine usage. RESULTS: Univariate-analysis revealed that age, histology, clinical-stage, tumor-size, lymph-nodes number, menopausal status, and pathological-stage were significantly different between two groups. In multivariate-analysis, menopausal status (p = 0.043) and residual tumor-size (p < 0.001) were found to be independent prognostic factors for pathological response. The hazard-ratio for disease recurrence and death in the poor-response group with adjuvant capecitabine was 2.94 (95% confidence-interval (CI), 1.21 to 7.10; p = 0.016) and 4.080 (95% CI, 1.22 to 13.64; p = 0.022), respectively. DFS (p = 0.58) and OS (p = 0.89) improvements with adjuvant capecitabine were not demonstrated in good-response groups. CONCLUSION: This multicenter-study suggested that only the poor-response group to NAC achieved benefit from adjuvant capecitabine. Postmenopausal status and residual tumor-size were related to poor prognosis.

Recurrent delayed immune-related pneumonitis after immune-checkpoint inhibitor therapy for advanced osteosarcoma.

Introduction: The case of a patient who developed recurrent delayed immune-related pneumonitis (checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis [CIP]) after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy for advanced osteosarcoma treatment is presented. Case summary: A 25-year-old female patient with metastatic osteosarcoma was treated with atezolizumab. Grade 2 pneumonitis developed three times in the first two years. Treatment was discontinued after recovery from the last episode of pneumonitis, which was complicated with secondary spontaneous pneumothorax. 2 years after discontinuation of immunotherapy, the patient again developed CIP. Pneumonitis symptoms were regressed with oral steroid therapy during follow-up and a stable disease response continued. Conclusion: Immunotherapy can cause recurrent CIP at any time during the treatment period or after discontinuation of treatment.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been used in many types of cancer because they cause prolonged tumor responses. However, new side effects associated with these drugs have been identified. Pneumonia of the lung tissue may occur and recur during the use of these drugs or after their discontinuation. Patients with newly developing pulmonary symptoms during follow-up should be carefully monitored for this side effect.

Comparison of real-life data from patients with NGS panel negative and KRAS mutation positive metastatic lung adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinical and demographic characteristics and the results of cytotoxic treatments of KRASG12C, KRASother, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel negative patients. METHODS: NGS data of 1264 patients with non-small cell lung cancer were retrospectively evaluated. Among these patients, the mutation distributions of 1081 patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma were analyzed. A total of 150 patients with negative NGS panel or mutant KRAS followed up in our clinic were included. Clinical features, overall survival, first-line chemotherapy responses, and progression-free survival of NGS panel negative, KRASG12C, and KRASother groups were compared. RESULTS: In 1081 patients who underwent NGS from tumor tissue with the diagnosis of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma, 296 (27%) NGS panel negative and 276 (26%) KRAS mutant patients were detected. Among these patients, 150 patients whose data were available were 71 (47.3%) NGS panel negative, 54 (36%) KRASother, and 25 (16.7%) KRASG12C. Clinical features, brain metastasis, and first-line chemotherapy response were similar among groups. Bone metastases were detected more often in the NGS panel negative group (p = 0.03). The median follow-up was 8.4 months. Overall, 107 deaths had occurred at the time of analysis. There was no difference in overall survival (p = 0.56) or progression-free survival (p = 0.71) among NGS panel negative, KRASother, and KRASG12C patients. CONCLUSION: There is no difference in overall survival, first-line chemotherapy response, or progression-free survival among patients with NGS panel negative, KRASG12C, or KRASother metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. Bone metastases were observed more frequently in the NGS panel negative group.

Prognostic nutritional index and its dynamics after curative treatment are independent prognostic factors on survival in non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PURPOSE: We aimed to identify the prognostic and predictive values of post-treatment prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and PNI dynamics in nasopharyngeal cancer patients (NPC) in this study. METHODS: One hundred seven non-metastatic NPC patients were included. PNI was calculated by using the following formula: [10 × serum albumin value (gr/dL)] + [0.005 × total lymphocyte count (per mm3)]. ROC analysis was used for determining prognostic PNI values and univariate and multivariate statistical analyses for prognostic characterization of PNI. RESULTS: The statistically significant cut-off values for pre- and post-treatment PNI were 50.65 and 44.75, respectively. Of the pre-treatment PNI analysis, PNI ≤ 50.65 group had shorter loco-regional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and overall survival (OS). Furthermore, for post-treatment PNI analysis, PNI ≤ 44.75 group had shorter LRRFS and OS. In univariate analysis, only pre-treatment PNI was associated with LRRFS and DMFS, while pre- and post-treatment PNI were both associated with OS. In multivariate analysis, both PNI were independent prognostic markers for OS. In the combined analysis, pre- and post-treatment PNI, differences between the groups were statistically significant, and the PNI dynamics was an independent prognostic indicator for OS. CONCLUSION: PNI is a useful, independent prognostic marker for non-metastatic NPC patients. It is used for either pre- or post-treatment patients. Furthermore, changes in pre-treatment PNI value after curative treatment is a significant indicator for OS.

Prognostic Factors for Survival in Transverse Colon Cancers.

BACKGROUND: Transverse colon cancer (TCC) is a rare condition that accounts for 10% of all colon cancers. TCC was accepted more likely right-sided colon cancers. We aimed to investigate whether TCC differs from other colon tumors by using clinical, pathological, and molecular prognostic factors known to be important in colon cancer and if it differs in its own anatomical structure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated local and locally advanced TCC patients between 2007 and 2020 years for demographics data, symptoms, treatment status, and histopathological and molecular features. RESULTS: Overall, 107 TCC patients were included in this study. According to the molecular data analysis of 44, 35, and 23 patients for MSI, RAS, and BRAF status, respectively, 7 (15.9%) were MSI-H, 13 (37.1%) were RAS mutant, and 11 (47.8%) had BRAF V600E mutation. The median follow-up time was 31.5 months. Median disease-free survival (DFS) was 5.19 months, and median OS was 88.3 months for the whole study population. The tumor stage was the most significant prognostic factor for DFS and OS. Although BRAF mutation was not a significant marker for DFS, it was an independent prognostic marker for OS (HR 3.90 95% CI 1.42-10.7). There were no statistically significant differences between proximal two-thirds and distal one-third tumor location. CONCLUSION: TCC has molecular features and prognostic factors more likely RCC and no differences between proximal and distal sub-parts. BRAF V600E mutation status is an independent predictor of survival even in the early stages of TCC.

Is early change in systemic inflammatory markers associated with treatment response in patients who received pazopanib?

PURPOSE: To demonstrate whether early changes in systemic inflammatory markers are related with pazopanib treatment response in soft tissue sarcoma and renal cell carcinoma. METHODS: Forty-one patients with metastatic clear cell renal carcinoma (mRCC) (n=22) and advanced stage soft tissue sarcoma (STS) (n=19) were assessed. Systemic inflammatory markers such as neutrophils, lymphocytes, c-reactive protein (CRP), mean platelet volume (MPV), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) at both baseline and 1-month of pazopanib treatment were obtained and their relation with the first radiological response about 3-months later after pazopanib treatment was evaluated. RESULTS: Disease control rate (DCR) at the first initial radiological evaluation was 58.5 % for all, it was 77.3% for the RCC group and 36.8% in the STS group. Serum neutrophil, NLR and CRP levels were significantly decreased from baseline in RCC patients who had DCR with pazopanib treatment. Also, serum CRP levels after pazopanib treatment was significantly lower in RCC patients who had DCR (+) rather than those who progressed. CONCLUSIONS: Early decline in serum CRP, neutrophil and NLR levels in RCC patients who received pazopanib at the first month was significantly associated with disease control, assuming a predictive role for the first radiological assessment. However, there was no significant association between change in serum inflammatory marker levels and disease control in STS patients.

The relationship between positivity for COVID-19 RT-PCR and symptoms, clinical findings, and mortality in Turkey.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the correlation between nucleic acid amplification test (real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR) positivity of patients presenting with suspected COVID-19 and pneumonic infiltration consistent with COVID-19-specific pneumonia diagnosis on thoracic computed tomography (CT), with symptoms, laboratory findings, and clinical progression.Methods: The study included 286 patients (female:male 131:155; mean age, 53.3 ± 17.9 years) who were divided into two groups according to their RT-PCR test results. The symptoms, laboratory examinations, clinical findings, and thoracic CT imaging of the patients were evaluated.Results: While the physical examination, comorbidities, and total CT scores were similar between the groups, taste/smell abnormalities were observed more frequently in the PCR-positive group. The use of moxifloxacin, lopinavir/ritonavir, and tocilizumab was higher in the PCR-positive group (p = 0.016, p < 0.001, and p = 0.002, respectively). The duration of hospitalization, intensive care requirement, and mortality rate of the studied groups did not differ between the groups.Conclusions: Among patients presenting with suspected COVID-19 and pneumonic infiltration consistent with COVID-19 on thoracic CT, the symptoms, physical examination, total CT scores, duration of hospitalization, intensive care requirement, and mortality rate were similar between RT-PCR-positive and RT-PCR-negative patients. However, PCR-positive patients appeared to require more specific treatments.

The effects of a novel non-invasive application of platelet-rich fibrin on periodontal clinical parameters and gingival crevicular fluid transforming growth factor-ß and collagen-1 levels: A randomized, controlled, clinical study.

BACKGROUND: Several potential benefits have been attributed to the platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), including enhanced tissue healing properties. In this study, we hypothesized that the application of PRF as an adjunct to conventional scaling and root planing (ScRp) would enhance the outcomes of non-surgical periodontal therapy. METHODS: The present study was a split-mouth randomized controlled clinical trial design in 24 deep periodontal pockets in 12 patients with periodontitis. The pockets were randomly assigned as test or control. The test group received PRF as an adjunct to ScRp, whereas the control group received ScRp only. We measured periodontal clinical parameters at baseline, 3, and 6 months after the treatments. To study the initial healing in response to treatment, transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and collagen-1 (Col-1) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at baseline, third, seventh, and 14th days. RESULTS: The test group showed a significantly greater pocket reduction, higher clinical attachment gain, and less gingival recession than the control group at 3 and 6 months. The test Col-1 levels (1.27 ± 1.05, 1.35 ± 0.76, 0.97 ± 0.53 ng/site) and TGF-ß levels (11.93 ± 2.68, 12.54 ± 3.66, 17.19 ± 11.66 pg/site) were higher than the control Col-1 levels (0.76 ± 0.20, 0.84 ± 0.24, 0.57 ± 0.19 ng/site) and TGF-ß levels (6.34 ± 1.67, 6.35 ± 3.44, 7.51 ± 2.85 pg/site) at all measurement days respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Non-surgical application of the PRF as an adjunct to conventional ScRp may effectively improve the periodontal clinical parameters via increasing expression of the GCF TGF-ß and Col-1 levels.

Determining host factors contributing to disease severity in a family cluster of 29 hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients: Could genetic factors be relevant in the clinical course of COVID-19?

In this study, we report a large family cluster consisting of 29 genetically related patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). We sought to determine the clinical characteristics relevant to the clinical course of COVID-19 by comparing the family cluster to unrelated patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection so that the presence of potential determinants of disease severity, other than traditional risk factors previously reported, could be investigated. Twenty-nine patient files were investigated in group 1 and group 2 was created with 52 consecutive patients with COVID-19 having age and gender compatibility. The virus was detected for diagnosis. The clinical, laboratory and imaging features of all patients were retrospectively screened. Disease course was assessed using records regarding outcome from patient files retrospectively. Groups were compared with respect to baseline characteristics, disease severity on presentation, and disease course. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of comorbidity and smoking history. In terms of inhospital treatment, use differed not significantly between two groups. We found that all 29 patients in the group 1 had severe pneumonia, 18 patients had severe pneumonia. Hospitalization rates, length of hospital stay, and transferred to intensive care unit were found to be statistically significantly higher in the group 1. In the present study, COVID-19 cases in the large family cluster were shown to have more severe disease and worse clinical course compared with consecutive patients with COVID-19 presenting to the same time. We believe further studies into potential genetic mechanisms of host susceptibility to COVID-19 should include such family clusters.