Artificial Intelligence-Generated Scientific Literature: A Critical Appraisal.

BACKGROUND: Review articles play a critical role in informing medical decisions and identifying avenues for future research. With the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI), there has been a growing interest in the potential of this technology to transform the synthesis of medical literature. Open AI's Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT-4) (Open AI Inc, San Francisco, CA) tool provides access to advanced AI that is able to quickly produce medical literature following only simple prompts. The accuracy of the generated articles requires review, especially in subspecialty fields like Allergy/Immunology. OBJECTIVE: To critically appraise AI-synthesized allergy-focused minireviews. METHODS: We tasked the GPT-4 Chatbot with generating 2 1,000-word reviews on the topics of hereditary angioedema and eosinophilic esophagitis. Authors critically appraised these articles using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool for text and opinion and additionally evaluated domains of interest such as language, reference quality, and accuracy of the content. RESULTS: The language of the AI-generated minireviews was carefully articulated and logically focused on the topic of interest; however, reviewers of the AI-generated articles indicated that the AI-generated content lacked depth, did not appear to be the result of an analytical process, missed critical information, and contained inaccurate information. Despite being provided instruction to utilize scientific references, the AI chatbot relied mainly on freely available resources, and the AI chatbot fabricated references. CONCLUSIONS: The AI holds the potential to change the landscape of synthesizing medical literature; however, apparent inaccurate and fabricated information calls for rigorous evaluation and validation of AI tools in generating medical literature, especially on subjects associated with limited resources.

Impact of disseminated tumor cells in the bone marrow on survival and disease progression in patients with left-sided colorectal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) are a subset of circulating tumor cells that migrate to the bone marrow. Colorectal cancer is a heterogeneous disease depending on the site of the primary tumor. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the association between the presence of DTCs in the bone marrow and tumor characteristics as well as long­term treatment outcomes in patients with left­sided colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective study included 91 patients with left­sided colorectal cancer (37 with colon cancer and 54 with rectal cancer) treated between 2007 and 2012 in a single tertiary center. Fifteen patients had stage I cancer; 26, stage II; 26, stage III; and 24, stage IV. Overall survival and cancer relapse rates were compared between patients with different cancer stages and DTC status. RESULTS: Bone marrow DTCs were identified in 42 patients (46.1%). The prevalence of DTCs was not related to tumor infiltration depth, nodal involvement, distant metastasis, tumor stage, or primary tumor site. The 5­year overall survival rates were 59.5% and 53% in the DTC­positive and DTC­negative groups, respectively (P = 0.19). There was a notable trend favoring survival in patients with DTCs with stage II and III disease (both separately and when combined). The number of metachronous distant metastases was significantly lower in DTC­positive patients. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of DTCs in the bone marrow is not associated with primary tumor characteristics and seems to reduce metastasis formation in left­sided colorectal cancer. There is also a trend for improved overall survival in DTC­positive patients. These results are intriguing and warrant further confirmation.

T Regulatory CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Lymphocytes in the Peripheral Blood of Left-Sided Colorectal Cancer Patients.

Background and objectives: T regulatory lymphocytes (Treg) are one of the subsets of T-lymphocytes involved in the interaction of neoplastic tumors and the host immune system, and they may impair the immune reaction against cancer. It has been shown that Treg are increased in the peripheral blood of patients with various cancers. In colorectal cancer, the prognostic role of Treg remains controversial. Colorectal cancer is a heterogenous disease, with many variations stemming from its primary tumor location. The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between the amount of Treg in the peripheral blood of patients with left-sided colorectal cancer in various stages of disease and long-term survival. Materials and Methods: A prospective analysis of 94 patients with left-sided colorectal cancer and a group of 21 healthy volunteers was carried out. Treg levels in peripheral blood were analysed using flow cytometry. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the amount of Treg in the Ist and IInd TNM stages (p = 0.047). The number of Treg in the entire study group was significantly lower than in the control group (p = 0.008) and between patients in stages II and III and the control group (p = 0.003 and p = 0.018). The group of pT3+pT4 patients also had significantly lower Treg counts in their peripheral blood than the control group (p = 0.005). In the entire study group, the level of Treg cells in the peripheral blood had no influence on survival. The analysis of the TNM stage subgroups also showed no difference in survival between patients with "low" and "high" Treg counts. Conclusion: The absolute number of Treg in the peripheral blood of patients with left-sided colorectal cancer was significantly decreased in comparison to healthy controls, especially for patients with stage II+III disease. Treg presence in the peripheral blood had no impact on survival.

Is coagulopathy a common consequence of a Vipera berus bite? A retrospective single centre study.

INTRODUCTION: The Vipera berus (common viper) is the only species of venomous snake found in Poland. The aim of this study was to determine to what extent coagulopathy has occurred as a post-bite complication. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The medical records of 138 adult patients in the Sucha Beskidzka hospital with the diagnosis of snake bite between 2001-2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected. Antivenom was given to all patients, except one, with snake bites, but laboratory test were taken prior to administration of antivenom. Obtained results were compared to those of the control group, composed of 176 adults hospitalized in the same period for an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. RESULTS: The mean platelet count in the study group was 239.94×109/L (SD=56.56) and 248.77×109/L (SD=57.82) in the control group. In 98% of the study group and 100% of the control group the platelet value (PLT) fell within laboratory norms (130 to 420×109/L), 2 patients after snake bites had a PLT lower than normal, and thrombocytosis was not observed in either group. A reference range of 0.85-1.3 INR below normal was found in 2 patients in the study group and 15 from the control group, while values above the normal range were found in 8 patients (6.7%) from the snake bite group and no patients from the control group. In the study group, the INR ranged from 0.78-1.43 with a mean of 1.046 (SD=0.14), while in the control group the range was from 0.79-1.28, with a mean of 0.95 (SD=0.08). There was a significant difference in INR between the study and control groups (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The bite from V. berus does not result in severe thrombocytopenia, with only a moderate increase in INR values observed in about 7% of patients.