Safety and Potential Role of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Administration as Monotherapy in Ulcerative Colitis Patients with Mild-Moderate Clinical Activity.

Probiotics are microorganisms that confer benefits to the host, and, for this reason, they have been proposed in several pathologic states. Specifically, probiotic bacteria have been investigated as a therapeutic option in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, but clinical results are dishomogeneous. In particular, many probiotic species with different therapeutic schemes have been proposed, but no study has investigated probiotics in monotherapy in adequate trials for the induction of remission. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is the more intensively studied probiotic and it has ideal characteristics for utilization in UC patients. The aim of the present study is to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of LGG administration in an open trial, delivered in monotherapy at two different doses, in UC patients with mild-moderate disease. The UC patients with mild-moderate disease activity (Partial Mayo score ≥ 2) despite treatment with oral mesalamine were included. The patients stopped oral mesalamine and were followed up for one month, then were randomized to receive LGG supplement at dose of 1.2 or 2.4 × 1010 CFU/day for one month. At the end of the study, the clinical activity was evaluated and compared to that at the study entrance (efficacy). Adverse events were recorded (safety). The primary end-point was clinical improvement (reduction in the Partial Mayo score) and no serious adverse events, while the secondary end-points were the evaluation of different efficacies and safeties between the two doses of LGG. The patients with disease flares dropped out of the study and went back to standard therapy. The efficacy data were analyzed in an intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analysis. Out of the 76 patients included in the study, 75 started the probiotic therapy (n = 38 and 37 per group). In the ITT analysis, 32/76 (42%) responded to treatment, 21/76 (28%) remained stable, and 23/76 (30%) had a worsening of their clinical condition; 55 (72%) completed the treatment and were analyzed in a PP analysis: 32/55 (58%) had a clinical response, 21 (38%) remained stable, and 2 (4%) had a light worsening of their clinical condition (p < 0.0001). Overall, 37% of the patients had a disease remission. No severe adverse event was recorded, and only one patient stopped therapy due to obstinate constipation. No difference in the clinical efficacy and safety has been recorded between groups treated with different doses of LGG. The present prospective clinical trial demonstrates, for the first time, that LGG in monotherapy is safe and effective for the induction of remission in UC patients with mild-moderate disease activity (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04102852).

Probiotics and Vitamin D/Vitamin D Receptor Pathway Interaction: Potential Therapeutic Implications in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic conditions of unknown etiology and immunomediated pathogenesis. In the last years, the comprehension of the complex mechanisms involved in the intestinal mucosal homeostasis, and the analysis of the alterations potentially leading to inflammatory pathologic states, has consistently increased. Specifically, the extraordinary impulse in the field of research of the intestinal microbiome has opened the door to the investigation of possible novel approaches to the diagnosis, management and therapeutic applications in IBD. In line with that, administration of probiotic bacteria has been intensely evaluated, leading to much more exciting results in experimental models than in clinical practice. Considering the consistent heterogeneity of the available studies on probiotics, the increased knowledge of the properties of the single bacterial species would ideally lead to unravel potential mechanisms of action that may bring therapeutic applications in specific pathologic condition. Among the relevant molecular pathways for mucosal homeostasis maintenance, the vitamin D/vitamin D receptor (VDR) pathway has been intensely studied in the very last years. In fact, besides osteometabolic functions, the vitamin D exerts important homeostatic effects in the organism at multiple levels, such as immunomodulation, inflammation control, and microbiota regulation, which are likely to play a relevant role in intestinal mucosa protection. In the present review, recent findings about probiotic applications in IBD and mechanisms of action linking vitamin D/VDR pathway to IBD are reported. Available evidence for probiotic effect on vitamin D/VDR are reviewed and potential future application in IBD patients are discussed. At present, many aspects of IBD pathogenesis are still obscure, and current therapeutic options for IBD treatment are at best suboptimal. The increasing comprehension of the different pathways involved in IBD pathogenesis will lead to novel findings ideally leading to potential clinical applications. Microbiota manipulation and vitamin/VDR pathway appear a promising field for future research and therapeutic developments.

The ENETS TNM staging and grading system accurately predict prognosis in patients with rectal NENs.

BACKGROUND: Factors associated with rectal NENs prognosis are poorly investigated. AIM: To evaluate the prognostic role of the ENETs staging and grading systems in rectal NENs. METHODS: Tertiary referral, multicenter, retrospective study. Factors associated with OS and PFS were investigated by Cox-regression analysis, with best size cut-offs calculated by ROC analysis. RESULTS: Of 100 patients (mean age 55, 45% male, mean size 16.2 mm) 62, 5, 10 and 23 were TNM stage 1 to 4, and 63, 15 and 22 were G1, G2 and G3. Primary treatment was endoscopic snare resection in 62%, endoscopic mucosal resection/endoscopic submucosal dissection in 10%, surgery in 20% and medical treatment in 8%. The best size cut-offs to predict OS and PFS were 10 and 12 mm. During a mean follow-up of 40.7 months 12% died and 26% progressed. The 5-year OS and PFS were 79.5% and 65.2%. Stage IV and G3 were associated with worse OS (HR 8.16; p = 0.002; HR 15.57; p = 0.0004) and PFS (HR 14.26 p < 0.0001; HR 6.42; p = 0.0007). CONCLUSION: Both staging and grading accurately predict rectal NENs prognosis. Size alone has limited accuracy as 26% of patients with stage IV and 16% with G3 have a primary tumour≤10 mm.

Mucosal adhesion and anti-inflammatory effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in the human colonic mucosa: A proof-of-concept study.

AIM: To investigate the adhesion and anti-inflammatory effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) in the colonic mucosa of healthy and ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, both in vivo and ex vivo in an organ culture model. METHODS: For the ex vivo experiment, a total of 98 patients (68 UC patients and 30 normal subjects) were included. Endoscopic biopsies were collected and incubated with and without LGG or LGG-conditioned media to evaluate the mucosal adhesion and anti-inflammatory effects [reduction of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin (IL)-17 expression] of the bacteria, and extraction of DNA and RNA for quantification by real-time (RT)-PCR occurred after the incubation. A dose-response study was performed by incubating biopsies at "regular", double and 5 times higher doses of LGG. For the in vivo experiment, a total of 42 patients (20 UC patients and 22 normal controls) were included. Biopsies were taken from the colons of normal subjects who consumed a commercial formulation of LGG for 7 d prior to the colonoscopy, and the adhesion of the bacteria to the colonic mucosa was evaluated by RT-PCR and compared with that of control biopsies from patients who did not consume the formulation. LGG adhesion and TNFα and IL-17 expression were compared between UC patients who consumed a regular or double dose of LGG supplementation prior to colonoscopy. RESULTS: In the ex vivo experiment, LGG showed consistent adhesion to the distal and proximal colon in normal subjects and UC patients, with a trend towards higher concentrations in the distal colon, and in UC patients, adhesion was similar in biopsies with active and quiescent inflammation. In addition, bioptic samples from UC patients incubated with LGG conditioned media (CM) showed reduced expression of TNFα and IL-17 compared with the corresponding expression in controls (P < 0.05). Incubation with a double dose of LGG increased mucosal adhesion and the anti-inflammatory effects (P < 0.05). In the in vivo experiment, LGG was detectable only in the colon of patients who consumed the LGG formulation, and bowel cleansing did not affect LGG adhesion. UC patients who consumed the double LGG dose had increased mucosal concentrations of the bacteria and reduced TNFα and IL-17 expression compared with patients who consumed the regular dose (48% and 40% reduction, respectively, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In an ex vivo organ culture model, LGG showed consistent adhesion and anti-inflammatory effects. Colonization by LGG after consumption for a week was demonstrated in vivo in the human colon. Increasing the administered dose increased the adhesion and effectiveness of the bacteria. For the first time, we demonstrated that LGG effectively adheres to the colonic mucosa and exerts anti-inflammatory effects, both ex vivo and in vivo.

Vitamins D and K as Factors Associated with Osteopathy in Chronic Pancreatitis: A Prospective Multicentre Study (P-BONE Study).

BACKGROUND: Osteopathy is common in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), but previous studies carry several limitations. Vitamin K is essential for bone metabolism, but its role in this setting has never been investigated. Our aim is to assess the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in CP patients, and to investigate the association between osteopathy and CP features and nutritional parameters, especially vitamin D and K levels. METHODS: Multicentre cross-sectional study on CP patients diagnosed according to M-ANNHEIM criteria. Bone density was evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and pancreatic function by faecal elastase. Nutritional evaluation included vitamin D and vitamin K. Differences between patients with or without osteopathy were evaluated. The association between investigated variables and bone density were analysed with logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In total, 211 CP patients were enrolled at eight Centres (67% men; mean age 60). In total, 18% had advanced-marked CP, 56% suffered from pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and disease aetiology was alcoholic in 43%. Vitamin D and K were deficient in 56% and 32%, respectively. Osteopenia was diagnosed in 42% and osteoporosis in 22%. In the multivariate analysis, female sex (OR 2.78), age (OR 1.07 per year) and higher BMI (OR 0.84) were associated with the presence of osteoporosis. In male patients, the only factor associated with osteoporosis was vitamin K deficiency (OR 4.23). CONCLUSION: The present data confirm a high rate of osteopathy in CP patients and highlight the relevance of vitamin K deficiency as only factor associated with osteoporosis in male patients for the first time.

Competitive Testing of the WHO 2010 versus the WHO 2017 Grading of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Data from a Large International Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Joint Cancer Committee (AJCC) modified the grading of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms from a three-tier (WHO-AJCC 2010) to a four-tier system by introducing the novel category of NET G3 (WHO-AJCC 2017). OBJECTIVES: This study aims at validating the WHO-AJCC 2017 and identifying the most effective grading system. METHOD: A total of 2,102 patients were enrolled; entry criteria were: (i) patient underwent surgery; (ii) at least 2 years of follow-up; (iii) observation time up to 2015. Data from 34 variables were collected; grading was assessed and compared for efficacy by statistical means including Kaplan-Meier method, Cox regression analysis, Harrell's C statistics, and Royston's explained variation in univariable and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: In descriptive analysis, the two grading systems demonstrated statistically significant differences for the major category sex but not for age groups. In Cox regression analysis, both grading systems showed statistically significant differences between grades for OS and EFS; however, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two G3 classes of WHO-AJCC 2017. In multivariable analysis for the two models fitted to compare efficacy, the two grading systems performed equally well with substantially similar optimal discrimination and well-explained variation for both OS and EFS. The WHO-AJCC 2017 grading system retained statistically significant difference between the two G3 classes for OS but not for EFS. CONCLUSIONS: The WHO-AJCC 2017 grading system is at least equally performing as the WHO-AJCC 2010 but allows the successful identification of the most aggressive PanNET subgroup. Grading is confirmed as probably the most powerful tool for predicting patient survival.

Heterogeneity of Duodenal Neuroendocrine Tumors: An Italian Multi-center Experience.

BACKGROUND: The optimal management of duodenal neuroendocrine neoplasms (dNENs) is unclear, and endoscopic resection is increasingly performed instead of surgery. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of patients with histologically confirmed diagnosis of dNENs, managed at five Italian tertiary referral Centers in Italy. RESULTS: From 2000 to 2017, 108 patients (69 males, 39 females, median age 59.5 years) were included in this study. Seventy-one patients had G1, 21 G2, 4 G3 dNENs (12 Ki-67 not available). Fifty-four patients showed metastases at diagnosis, and 20 patients developed metachronous metastases. Thirty patients had a functioning dNEN (14 metastatic). Fifty-seven patients had the dNEN surgically resected, 16 endoscopically, 23 metastatic, received medical therapy + surgery or endoscopy. Seven patients underwent liver-directed therapies, and one patient had PRRT. Median OS was 187 months. During a median follow-up of 76 months, 20 patients died (19 of disease-related causes). At Cox's multivariate proportional hazard regression, grading and age were the only variables independently related to OS. Median PFS was 170 months. Grading and staging at the initial diagnosis were independently related to PFS. No differences in terms of OS and PFS were observed between patients treated surgically or endoscopically. CONCLUSIONS: dNENs prognosis may be highly variable. These tumors can be metastatic in up to 50% of cases at the time of first diagnosis and can develop metastases thereafter. Functioning neoplasms express high metastatic potential. Nuclear imaging should be performed to exclude distant metastases in all dNENs. Endoscopy and surgery play a primary role in the management of the disease. Further prospective studies are needed.

Results of surveillance in individuals at high-risk of pancreatic cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Data on surveillance for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in high-risk individuals (HRIs) with "familial pancreatic cancer" (FPC) and specific syndromes are limited and heterogeneous. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of PDAC surveillance studies in HRIs. METHODS: Prevalence of solid/cystic pancreatic lesions and of lesions considered a successful target of surveillance (proven resectable PDAC and high-grade precursors) was pooled across studies. The rate of lesions diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and across different HRI groups was calculated. RESULTS: Sixteen studies incorporating 1588 HRIs were included. The pooled prevalence of pancreatic solid and cystic lesions was 5.8% and 20.2%, respectively. The pooled prevalence of patients with lesions considered a successful target of surveillance was 3.3%, being similar to EUS or MRI and varying across subgroups, being 3% in FPC, 4% in hereditary pancreatitis, 5% in familial melanoma, 6.3% in hereditary breast/ovarian cancer, and 12.2% in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. The pooled estimated rate of lesions considered a successful target of surveillance during follow-up was 5/1000 person-years. CONCLUSION: Surveillance programs identify successful target lesions in 3.3% of HRIs with a similar yield of EUS and MRI and an annual risk of 0.5%. A higher rate of target lesions was reported in HRIs with specific DNA mutations.

Metformin Use Is Associated With Longer Progression-Free Survival of Patients With Diabetes and Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Receiving Everolimus and/or Somatostatin Analogues.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Metformin seems to have anticancer effects. However, it is not clear whether use of glycemia and metformin affect outcomes of patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs). We investigated the association between glycemia and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with pNETs treated with everolimus and/or somatostatin analogues, as well as the association between metformin use and PFS time. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 445 patients with advanced pNET treated at 24 medical centers in Italy from 1999 through 2015. Data on levels of glycemia were collected at time of diagnosis of pNET, before treatment initiation, and during treatment with everolimus (with or without somatostatin analogues), octreotide, or lanreotide. Diabetes was defined as prior or current use of glycemia control medication and/or fasting plasma glucose level ≥ 126 mg/dL, hemoglobin A1c ≥ 6.5% (48 mmol/L), or a random sample of plasma glucose ≥ 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L), with reported classic symptoms of hyperglycemia or hyperglycemic crisis. Patients were assigned to groups based on diagnosis of diabetes before or during antitumor therapy. PFS was compared between patients with vs without diabetes. Among patients with diabetes, the association between metformin use and PFS was assessed. We performed sensitivity and landmark analyses to exclude patients who developed diabetes while receiving cancer treatment and to exclude a potential immortal time bias related to metformin intake. RESULTS: PFS was significantly longer in patients with diabetes (median, 32.0 months) than without diabetes (median, 15.1 months) (hazard ratio for patients with vs without diabetes, 0.63; 95% confidence interval, 0.50-0.80; P = .0002). PFS of patients treated with metformin was significantly longer (median PFS, 44.2 months) than for patients without diabetes (hazard ratio for survival of patients with diabetes receiving metformin vs without diabetes, 0.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.32-0.62; P < .00001) and longer than for patients with diabetes receiving other treatments (median PFS, 20.8 months; hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.34-0.69; P < .0001). In multivariable analysis, adjusted for other factors associated with outcomes, metformin was associated with longer PFS but level of glycemia was not. Metformin was associated with increased PFS of patients receiving somatostatin analogues and in those receiving everolimus, with or without somatostatin analogues. Sensitivity and landmark analyses produced similar results. CONCLUSIONS: In a retrospective study of patients with pNETs, we found a significant association between metformin use and longer PFS.

Co-treatment with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel exerts additive effects on pancreatic cancer cell death.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive cancer and current treatments exert small effects on life expectancy. The most common adjuvant treatment for PDAC is gemcitabine. However, relapse almost invariably occurs and most patients develop metastatic, incurable disease. The aim of the present study was to assess the activity of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) alone or in combination with gemcitabine in PDAC cell lines displaying different degrees of sensitivity to gemcitabine treatment. We evaluated the effects of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel and their combination on cell proliferation, death, apoptosis and cell cycle distribution in PDAC cell lines either sensitive to gemcitabine, or with primary or secondary resistance to gemcitabine. Our results indicated that the dose­response of PDAC cell lines to nab-paclitaxel was similar, regardless of their sensitivity to gemcitabine. In addition, nab-paclitaxel elicited similar cytotoxic effects on a PDAC cell line highly resistant to gemcitabine that was selected after prolonged exposure to the drug. Notably, we found that combined treatment with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel exerted additive effects on cell death, even at lower doses of the drugs. The combined treatment caused an increase in cell death by apoptosis and in cell cycle blockage in S phase, as assessed by flow cytometry and western blot analysis of the PARP-1 cleavage. These results revealed that a combined treatment with nab-paclitaxel may overcome resistance to gemcitabine and may represent a valuable therapeutic approach for PDAC.

Sunitinib in patients with pre-treated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: A real-world study.

INTRODUCTION: Besides data reported in a Phase-III trial, data on sunitinib in pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (panNETs) are scanty. AIM: To evaluate sunitinib efficacy and tolerability in panNETs patients treated in a real-world setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of progressive panNETs treated with sunitinib. Efficacy was assessed by evaluating progression-free survival, overall survival, and disease control (DC) rate (stable disease (SD) + partial response + complete response). Data are reported as median (25th-75th IQR). RESULTS: Eighty patients were included. Overall, 71.1% had NET G2, 26.3% had NET G1, and 2.6% had NET G3 neoplasms. A total of 53 patients (66.3%) had received three or more therapeutic regimens before sunitinib, with 24 patients (30%) having been treated with four previous treatments. Median PFS was 10 months. Similar risk of progression was observed between NET G1 and NET G2 tumors (median PFS 11 months and 8 months, respectively), and between patients who had received ≥ 3 vs ≤ 2 therapeutic approaches before sunitinib (median PFS 9 months and 10 months, respectively). DC rate was 71.3% and SD was the most frequent observed response, occurring in 43 pts (53.8%). Overall, 59 pts (73.8%) experienced AEs, which were grade 1-2 in 43 of them (72.9%), grade 3 in 15 pts (25.4%), and grade 4 in one patient (1.7%). Six pts (7.5%) stopped treatment due to toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: The present real-world experience shows that sunitinib is a safe and effective treatment for panNETs, even in the clinical setting of heavily pre-treated, progressive diseases.

Recurrent biliary acute pancreatitis is frequent in a real-world setting.

BACKGROUND: Data about recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) are limited. AIMS: To evaluate the rate of RAP and associated factors. METHODS: Single-centre prospective study of consecutive patients at first episode of acute pancreatitis (AP) being followed-up. RESULTS: Of 266 consecutive AP patients, (47% biliary, 15.4% alcoholic, 14.3% idiopathic) 66 (24.8%) had RAP in a mean follow-up of 42 months; 17.9% of recurrences occurred within 30 days from discharge. Age, gender, smoking and severity of first AP were not associated with RAP risk. The rate of biliary RAP was 31.3% in patients who did not receive any treatment, 18% in those treated with ERCP only, 16% in those who received cholecystectomy only, and 0% in those treated both with surgery and ERCP. Patients with biliary AP who received cholecystectomy had a significantly longer time of recurrence-free survival and reduced recurrence risk (HR = 0.45). In patients with alcoholic AP, the rate of recurrence was lower in those who quit drinking (5.8% vs 33%; p = 0.05). The alcoholic aetiology was associated with a higher risk of having >2 RAP episodes. CONCLUSION: RAP occurs in about 25% of cases, and failure to treat biliary aetiology or quitting drinking is associated with increased recurrence risk.

Everolimus in advanced, progressive, well-differentiated, non-functional neuroendocrine tumors: RADIANT-4 lung subgroup analysis.

In the phase III RADIANT-4 study, everolimus improved median progression-free survival (PFS) by 7.1 months in patients with advanced, progressive, well-differentiated (grade 1 or grade 2), non-functional lung or gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) vs placebo (hazard ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35-0.67; P < .00001). This exploratory analysis reports the outcomes of the subgroup of patients with lung NETs. In RADIANT-4, patients were randomized (2:1) to everolimus 10 mg/d or placebo, both with best supportive care. This is a post hoc analysis of the lung subgroup with PFS, by central radiology review, as the primary endpoint; secondary endpoints included objective response rate and safety measures. Ninety of the 302 patients enrolled in the study had primary lung NET (everolimus, n = 63; placebo, n = 27). Median PFS (95% CI) by central review was 9.2 (6.8-10.9) months in the everolimus arm vs 3.6 (1.9-5.1) months in the placebo arm (hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.28-0.88). More patients who received everolimus (58%) experienced tumor shrinkage compared with placebo (13%). Most frequently reported (≥5% incidence) grade 3-4 drug-related adverse events (everolimus vs. placebo) included stomatitis (11% vs. 0%), hyperglycemia (10% vs. 0%), and any infections (8% vs. 0%). In patients with advanced, progressive, well-differentiated, non-functional lung NET, treatment with everolimus was associated with a median PFS improvement of 5.6 months, with a safety profile similar to that of the overall RADIANT-4 cohort. These results support the use of everolimus in patients with advanced, non-functional lung NET. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (no. NCT01524783).

Clinical Usefulness of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in the Diagnostic Algorithm of Advanced Entero-Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms.

BACKGROUND: The role of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) in the diagnostic algorithm of entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (EP NENs) is unclear because most available data derive from heterogeneous populations in terms of tumor biology and disease status at time of examination. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of 18F-FDG PET to identify patients with more aggressive disease among those with advanced EP NENs. Subjects, Materials, and Methods . Patients with advanced EP NENs and known disease status (progressive disease [PD] or stable disease [SD]) according to imaging procedures, who received 18F-FDG PET and computed tomography scans during a time frame of 1 month, were included. RESULTS: A total of 93 patients, including 69 patients with pancreatic NENs and 24 patients with small-intestine NENs, were included. At the time of study entry, 64 patients (68.8%) had PD, and the remaining 29 patients (31.2%) had SD. A total of 62 patients (66.7%) had positive 18F-FDG PET, whereas 18F-FDG PET was negative in the remaining 31 patients (33.3%). Overall, 18F-FDG PET sensitivity and specificity to detect PD were 90.6% and 86.2%, respectively, resulting in a diagnostic accuracy of 89.2%. A positive 18F-FDG PET was significantly associated with PD at the time of study entry (p < .0001 at multivariate analysis). Although a higher proportion of 18F-FDG PET-positive examinations were observed in patients with higher tumor grade (p = .01), 53.8% of patients with grade 1 neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) had positive 18F-FDG PET, and 37.5% of patients with grade 2 NETs had negative 18F-FDG PET. Overall survival was significantly shorter in 18F-FDG PET-positive patients (median: 60 months) in comparison with 18F-FDG PET-negative patients (median not reached; p = .008). CONCLUSION: 18F-FDG PET has a high diagnostic accuracy to identify progression of disease with unfavorable clinical outcome in patients with advanced EP NENs. Knowledge of disease status and G grading are key factors for physicians to better select patients for whom 18F-FDG PET is clinically useful. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The findings of the present study may help physicians dealing with advanced neuroendocrine neoplasms to select patients for whom 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography is useful to predict poor clinical outcome.

The prevalence of pancreatic cystic lesions in patients with liver cirrhosis is double that in controls.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) are commonly diagnosed incidentally and are often preneoplastic. Their presence may influence the management of patients with chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis (LC). This study evaluated the prevalence and nature of PCLs in LC patients. METHODS: The images of 192 LC patients and 192 controls who underwent either computed tomography scan or nuclear magnetic resonance were reviewed for the presence and nature of PCLs. The prevalence of PCLs in both groups and differences between LC patients with and without PCLs were analysed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors associated with PCLs. RESULTS: Thirty-five of 192 LC patients (18%) and 19/192 controls (10%) had PCLs (p = .027). The prevalence of presumptive intraductal pancreatic mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) was double in LC patients compared with controls (14% vs 7%; p = .065). In multivariate analysis, age, LC and having undergone a magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography were factors associated with PCLs and IPMNs. LC patients with PCLs were older at the time of imaging and had a longer history of liver disease (67 vs. 43 months; p = 0.039) compared with LC patients without PCLs. CONCLUSIONS: PCLs are more common in LC patients than in controls, and most are IPMNs. The occurrence of PCLs in LC patients seems to be related to age and disease duration.

Exclusive and Combined Use of Statins and Aspirin and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: a Case-Control Study.

Data on the association between aspirin and statin use and Pancreatic Ductal AdenoCarcinoma (PDAC) risk are conflicting. These drugs are often co-prescribed, but no studies evaluated the potential combined or confounding effect of the two at the same time. We aimed to investigate the association between aspirin and statin exclusive and combined use and PDAC occurrence. Data on environmental factors, family and medical history were screened in a case-control study. PDAC cases were matched to controls for age and gender. Power calculation performed ahead. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals(CI) were obtained from multivariable logistic regression analysis. In 408 PDAC patients and 816 matched controls, overall statin (OR 0.61; 95%CI,0.43-0.88), but not aspirin use was associated to reduced PDAC risk. Compared to non-users, exclusive statin (OR 0.51; 95%CI,0.32-0.80) and exclusive aspirin users (OR 0.64; 95%CI,0.40-1.01) had reduced PDAC risk. Concomitant statin and aspirin use did not further reduce the risk compared with statin use alone and no interaction was evident. Statin protective association was dose-dependent, and consistent in most subgroups, being stronger in smokers, elderly, obese and non-diabetic patients. The present study suggests that statin use is associated to reduced PDAC risk, supporting a chemopreventive action of statins on PDAC.

Hepatitis B in patients with hematological diseases: An update.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation (HBVr) in patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy is still a hot topic worldwide. Its prevention and management still represents a challenge for specialists dealing with immunosuppressed patients. Aim of this paper is to provide a critical review of the relevant information emerged in the recent literature regarding HBV reactivation following immunosuppressive treatments for oncohematological tumors. A computerized literature search in MEDLINE was performed using appropriate terms arrangement, including English-written literature only or additional relevant articles. Articles published only in abstract form and case reports not giving considerable news were excluded. Clinical manifestation of HBVr can be manifold, ranging from asymptomatic self-limiting anicteric hepatitis to life-threatening fulminant liver failure. In clusters of patients adverse outcomes are potentially predictable. Clinicians should be aware of the inherent risk of HBVr among the different virological categories (active carriers, occult HBV carriers and inactive carriers, the most intriguing category), and classes of immunosuppressive drugs. We recommend that patients undergoing immunosuppressive treatments for hematological malignancies should undergo HBV screening. In case of serological sign(s) of current or past infection with the virus, appropriate therapeutic or preventive strategies are suggested, according to both virological categories, risk of HBVr by immunosuppressive drugs and liver status. Either antiviral drug management and surveillance and pre-emptive approach are examined, commenting the current international recommendations about this debated issue.

Impact of Ki67 re-assessment at time of disease progression in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms.

BACKGROUND: Although re-assessment of proliferative activity by K67 evaluation during the course of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) is recommended in selected patients, its impact on patients' management is not clear due to the lack of data supporting this practice. AIM: To investigate Ki67 change at time of progressive disease (PD) in entero-pancreatic NENs (EP-NENs). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of sporadic EP-NENs which received histological re-assessment after PD once radiologically documented. RESULTS: Forty-three patients were evaluated, including 24 pancreatic NENs (PNENs), and 19 small intestine NENs (SI-NENs). At time of initial histological evaluation, 19 patients had grade 1 (G1) NETs (44.2%), and 24 grade 2 (G2) NETs (55.8%), overall median Ki67 being 3% (range 1%-20%). At time of PD, 13 patients had G1 NETs (30.2%), 26 G2 NETs (60.5%), and 4 had grade 3 (G3) NECs (9.3%), thus resulting in a significant median Ki67 increase (8%, range 1%-70%; p = 0.0006), and a G upgrading in 12 patients (27.9%). A statistically significant Ki67 increase and G grading change at time of PD was observed in PNENs (p = 0.0005 and p = 0.028, respectively). Conversely, no statistically significant change occurred in non-PNENs. CONCLUSIONS: In PNENs with documented PD, Ki67 increase occurs in a significant proportion of patients, providing useful information necessary to choose appropriate therapeutic options.

Risk and protective factors for the occurrence of sporadic pancreatic endocrine neoplasms.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PNENs) represent 10% of all pancreatic tumors by prevalence. Their incidence has reportedly increased over recent decades in parallel with that of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. PNENs are relatively rare, and of the few institutions that have published potential risk factors, findings have been heterogeneous. Our objective was to investigate the association between potential risk and protective factors for the occurrence of sporadic PNENs across a European population from several institutions. A multinational European case-control study was conducted to examine the association of selected environmental, family and medical exposure factors using a standardized questionnaire in face-to-face interviews. A ratio of 1:3 cases to controls were sex and age matched at each study site. Adjusted univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed for statistically significant factors. The following results were obtained: In 201 cases and 603 controls, non-recent onset diabetes (OR 2.09, CI 1.27-3.46) was associated with an increased occurrence of PNENs. The prevalence of non-recent onset diabetes was higher both in cases with metastatic disease (TNM stage III-IV) or advanced grade (G3) at the time of diagnosis. The use of metformin in combination with insulin was also associated with a more aggressive phenotype. Drinking coffee was more frequent in cases with localized disease at diagnosis. Our study concluded that non-recent onset diabetes was associated with an increased occurrence of PNENs and the combination of metformin and insulin was consistent with a more aggressive PNEN phenotype. In contrast to previous studies, smoking, alcohol and first-degree family history of cancer were not associated with PNEN occurrence.