Association of the advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) with immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The advanced lung cancer inflammation index [ALI: body mass index × serum albumin/neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)] reflects systemic host inflammation, and is easily reproducible. We hypothesized that ALI could assist guidance of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 672 stage IV NSCLC patients treated with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors alone or in combination with chemotherapy in 25 centers in Greece and Germany, and a control cohort of 444 stage IV NSCLC patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy without subsequent targeted or immunotherapy drugs. The association of clinical outcomes with biomarkers was analyzed with Cox regression models, including cross-validation by calculation of the Harrell's C-index. RESULTS: High ALI values (>18) were significantly associated with longer overall survival (OS) for patients receiving ICI monotherapy [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.402, P < 0.0001, n = 460], but not chemo-immunotherapy (HR = 0.624, P = 0.111, n = 212). Similar positive correlations for ALI were observed for objective response rate (36% versus 24%, P = 0.008) and time-on-treatment (HR = 0.52, P < 0.001), in case of ICI monotherapy only. In the control cohort of chemotherapy, the association between ALI and OS was weaker (HR = 0.694, P = 0.0002), and showed a significant interaction with the type of treatment (ICI monotherapy versus chemotherapy, P < 0.0001) upon combined analysis of the two cohorts. In multivariate analysis, ALI had a stronger predictive effect than NLR, PD-L1 tumor proportion score, lung immune prognostic index, and EPSILoN scores. Among patients with PD-L1 tumor proportion score ≥50% receiving first-line ICI monotherapy, a high ALI score >18 identified a subset with longer OS and time-on-treatment (median 35 and 16 months, respectively), similar to these under chemo-immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The ALI score is a powerful prognostic and predictive biomarker for patients with advanced NSCLC treated with PD-L1 inhibitors alone, but not in combination with chemotherapy. Its association with outcomes appears to be stronger than that of other widely used parameters. For PD-L1-high patients, an ALI score >18 could assist the selection of cases that do not need addition of chemotherapy.

Effect of timing, technique and molecular features on brain control with local therapies in oncogene-driven lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The improved efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) mandates reappraisal of local therapy (LT) for brain metastases (BM) of oncogene-driven non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included all epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated (EGFR+, n = 108) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase-rearranged (ALK+, n = 33) TKI-naive NSCLC patients diagnosed with BM in the Thoraxklinik Heidelberg between 2009 and 2019. Eighty-seven patients (62%) received early LT, while 54 (38%) received delayed (n = 34; 24%) or no LT (n = 20; 14%). LT comprised stereotactic (SRT; n = 40; 34%) or whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT; n = 77; 66%), while neurosurgical resection was carried out in 19 cases. RESULTS: Median overall survival (OS) was 49.1 months for ALK+ and 19.5 months for EGFR+ patients (P = 0.001), with similar median intracranial progression-free survival (icPFS) (15.7 versus 14.0 months, respectively; P = 0.80). Despite the larger and more symptomatic BM (P < 0.001) of patients undergoing early LT, these experienced longer icPFS [hazard ratio (HR) 0.52; P = 0.024], but not OS (HR 1.63; P = 0.12), regardless of the radiotherapy technique (SRT versus WBRT) and number of lesions. High-risk oncogene variants, i.e. non-del19 EGFR mutations and 'short' EML4-ALK fusions (mainly variant 3, E6:A20), were associated with earlier intracranial progression (HR 2.97; P = 0.001). The longer icPFS with early LT was also evident in separate analyses of the EGFR+ and ALK+ subsets. CONCLUSIONS: Despite preferential use for cases with poor prognostic factors, early LT prolongs the icPFS, but not OS, in TKI-treated EGFR+/ALK+ NSCLC. Considering the lack of survival benefit, and the neurocognitive effects of WBRT, patients presenting with polytopic BM may benefit from delaying radiotherapy, or from radiosurgery of multiple or selected lesions. For SRT candidates, the improved tumor control with earlier radiotherapy should be weighed against the potential toxicity and the enhanced intracranial activity of newer TKI. High-risk EGFR/ALK variants are associated with earlier intracranial failure and identify patients who could benefit from more aggressive management.

Risk stratification of EGFR+ lung cancer diagnosed with panel-based next-generation sequencing.

OBJECTIVE: Panel-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) is increasingly used for the diagnosis of EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and could improve risk assessment in combination with clinical parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To this end, we retrospectively analyzed the outcome of 400 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-treated EGFR+ NSCLC patients with validation of results in an independent cohort (n = 130). RESULTS: EGFR alterations other than exon 19 deletions (non-del19), TP53 co-mutations, and brain metastases at baseline showed independent associations of similar strengths with progression-free (PFS hazard ratios [HR] 2.1-2.3) and overall survival (OS HR 1.7-2.2), in combination defining patient subgroups with distinct outcome (EGFR+NSCLC risk Score, "ENS", p < 0.001). Co-mutations beyond TP53 were rarely detected by our multigene panel (<5%) and not associated with clinical endpoints. Smoking did not affect outcome independently, but was associated with non-del19 EGFR mutations (p < 0.05) and comorbidities (p < 0.001). Laboratory parameters, like the blood lymphocyte-to-neutrophil ratio and serum LDH, correlated with the metastatic pattern (p < 0.01), but had no independent prognostic value. Reduced ECOG performance status (PS) was associated with comorbidities (p < 0.05) and shorter OS (p < 0.05), but preserved TKI efficacy. Non-adenocarcinoma histology was also associated with shorter OS (p < 0.05), but rare (2-3 %). The ECOG PS and non-adenocarcinoma histology could not be validated in our independent cohort, and did not increase the range of prognostication alongside the ENS. CONCLUSIONS: EGFR variant, TP53 status and brain metastases predict TKI efficacy and survival in EGFR+ NSCLC irrespective of other currently available parameters ("ENS"). Together, they constitute a practical and reproducible approach for risk stratification of newly diagnosed metastatic EGFR+ NSCLC.

Polyglactin 910 suture compared with polyglactin 910 coated with triclosan in dental implant surgery: randomized clinical trial.

Antibacterial coating of surgical sutures is a suggested approach to prevent surgical site infections. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of surgical site infection following the use of polyglactin 910 (Vicryl) and polyglactin 910 coated with triclosan (Vicryl Plus) sutures in dental implant surgery. This single-blind, randomized clinical trial evaluated patients who received three implants in the posterior mandible. Patients were randomly divided into two groups to receive either Vicryl Plus sutures (group 1) or Vicryl sutures (group 2). A total of 320 patients were included in the study (n=160 in each group). Twelve patients (7.5%) in group 1 and 11 patients (6.9%) in group 2 had a surgical site infection. Analysis of the data did not demonstrate any significant difference in the incidence of surgical site infection between the two groups (P=0.5). The incidence of surgical site infection in fresh socket implant placement was higher than that in delayed implant placement, irrespective of the type of suture used (P=0.001). Triclosan-coated Vicryl sutures did not decrease the incidence of surgical site infection in dental implant surgery.

Identification of a highly lethal V3+ TP53+ subset in ALK+ lung adenocarcinoma.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have improved prognosis in metastatic anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-driven lung adenocarcinoma, but patient outcomes vary widely. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical course of all cases with assessable baseline TP53 status and/or ALK fusion variant treated at our institutions (n = 102). TP53 mutations were present in 17/87 (20%) and the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-ALK variant 3 (V3) in 41/92 (45%) patients. The number of metastatic sites at diagnosis was affected more by the presence of V3 than by TP53 mutations, and highest with both factors (mean 5.3, p < 0.001). Under treatment with ALK TKI, progression-free survival (PFS) was shorter with either TP53 mutations or V3, while double positive cases appeared to have an even higher risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.9, p = 0.015). The negative effect of V3 on PFS of TKI-treated patients was strong already in the first line (HR = 2.5, p = 0.037) and decreased subsequently, whereas a trend for PFS impairment under first-line TKI by TP53 mutations became stronger and statistically significant only when considering all treatment lines together. Overall survival was impaired more by TP53 mutations (HR = 4.9, p = 0.003) than by V3 (HR = 2.4, p = 0.018), while patients with TP53 mutated V3-driven tumors carried the highest risk of death (HR = 9.1, p = 0.02). Thus, TP53 mutations and V3 are independently associated with enhanced metastatic spread, shorter TKI responses and inferior overall survival in ALK+ lung adenocarcinoma. Both markers could assist selection of cases for more aggressive management and guide development of novel therapeutic strategies. In combination, they define a patient subset with very poor outcome.

Rosiglitazone reduces angiotensin II and advanced glycation end product-dependent sustained nuclear factor-kappaB activation in cultured human proximal tubular epithelial cells.

Tubular damage is a major feature in the development of diabetic nephropathy. This study investigates the effects of the thiazolidindione rosiglitazone on angiotensin II and advanced glycation end product-induced tubular activation in human proximal tubular epithelial cells IN VITRO. Angiotensin II and advanced glycation end products, both induced a dose-dependent sustained activation of the redox-sensitive transcription factor, Nuclear Factor KAPPA B (NF-kappaB). Nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB was evident already after one hour and persistent for more than four days. Co-incubation of proximal tubular epithelial cells with rosiglitazone significantly reduced angiotensin II and advanced glycation end product-mediated generation of reactive oxygen species, angiotensin II-dependent advanced glycation end product formation, NF-kappaB activation, and NF-kappaB-dependent pro inflammatory gene expression. Most importantly, rosiglitazone effects on NFkappaB activation were maximal at later time points, indicating that rosiglitazone treatment confers long lasting renoprotective effects.