90-Day outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia treated with invasive mechanical ventilation.

BACKGROUND: There are few reports detailing the prognostic factors of severe COVID-19 pneumonia requiring invasive ventilation. We investigated the long-term prognosis and evaluated which factors influenced outcomes in these patients. METHODS: Data was reviewed from severe adult COVID-19 cases admitted to our hospital and treated with mechanical ventilation between February 1, 2020, and October 30, 2021. On admission to our hospital, comorbidities and laboratory findings were collected from clinical records. Prognostic information for 90 days after diagnosis was also obtained from hospitals where patients were transferred after their conditions stabilized. RESULTS: Prognostic information was obtained in 133 patients, of which 106 were males (79.7 %). Of the 133 patients, 67 were discharged (51.5 %), 21 continued inpatient care (15.8 %), and 45 died (33.8 %). Age, Charlson Risk Index, and the number of patients on hemodialysis were significantly higher in the deceased group. There were no differences in therapeutic interventions between survivors and those who died except for a higher rate of muscle relaxant and vasopressor usage in the deceased group. Laboratory findings on admission showed significantly higher levels of BUN, creatinine, and serum Krebs von den Lungen 6 (KL-6), and significantly lower platelet counts, hemoglobin, and alanine aminotransferase in those who died. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, hemodialysis, lower platelet counts, and higher KL-6 were independent predictors for 90-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Older age, hemodialysis, lower platelet counts and high KL-6 on admission were identified as independent predictors of 90-day mortality in patients with respiratory failure due to severe COVID-19 under invasive mechanical ventilation.

Reclassification of Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasms and Associated Pseudomyxoma Peritonei According to the Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group International Consensus: Clinicopathological Reflections of a Two-Center Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: International consensus on classifications of appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (AMNs) and associated pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) have been carefully made but clinicopathological associations supporting decision making remain scarce. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess interdependence between AMNs and PMP and provide directions for clinical management. METHODS: This two-center retrospective cohort study reviewed patients with PMP treated with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy between 2005 and 2021. The primary objective was to reassess histopathologic grade of AMNs and PMP according to the Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group International classification and to establish its interdependence. Secondary outcomes were recurrence rate, PMP grade progression, ovarian involvement, and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Of 105 patients included, 78 (74.3%) had low-grade AMNs as the primary tumor, 8 (7.6%) had high-grade AMNs, 7 (6.7%) had mucinous adenocarcinoma (MAC), 1 (0.9%) had MAC with signet ring cells (SRC), and 11 (10.5%) had unidentified tumors. Overall, 11 patients (10.5%) had no PMP, 21 (20.0%) had acellular mucin, 56 (53.3%) had low-grade PMP, 12 (11.4%) had high-grade PMP, and 5 (4.8%) had PMP-SRC. In 11 cases (13.3%), AMNs and matching PMP grade differed. Over a 16-year follow-up, recurrence occurred in 31.8%, with three cases showing histopathologically changed PMP. Ovarian involvement was observed in 43/65 females (66.2%). Median OS was 13.8 years, and 5-year OS rates were 100%, 74.4%, 44.4%, and 20% for acellular mucin, low-grade PMP, high-grade PMP and PMP-SRC, respectively (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: AMN histology does not always reflects its associated PMP grade, while PMP grade strongly influences survival. Ovarian involvement and recurrent PMP showing unchanged histopathological features are common.

Systemic immune-inflammatory markers and long-term prognosis after revascularization in Moyamoya disease: a retrospective study.

Background: Systemic immune-inflammatory markers combine various individual inflammatory cell parameters to comprehensively explore their relationship with the development and long-term outcomes of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and oncological disorders. The systemic immune-inflammatory marker index has not been extensively studied in terms of its impact on the long-term prognosis following cerebral revascularization in MMD patients. Our research aims to address this gap and improve the prediction of long-term outcomes for these patients. Methods: We included 851 patients with Moyamoya disease who underwent cerebral revascularization at our medical center from 2009 to 2021. Systemic immune-inflammatory markers were calculated based on routine blood test results at admission, and follow-up was conducted for over 6 months after surgery. During monitoring and upon release, we evaluated patient neurological condition by utilizing the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). We examined the correlation between alterations in mRS ratings and systemic immune-inflammatory markers. Results: Comparing the unfavorable long-term prognosis group to the favorable long-term prognosis group, it was found that the NLR level was markedly higher (p = 0.037), while the LMR was lower in the unfavorable long-term prognosis group (p = 0.004). Results from logistic regression analysis revealed that the high-level LMR group had a lower risk of unfavorable long-term prognosis compared to the low-level group (T3: OR = 0.433, 95% CI [0.204-0.859], p = 0.026). The AUC of the model was 0.750 (95% CI [0.693-0.806]). Conclusion: Lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio levels are independently linked to an increased risk of unfavorable long-term prognosis, highlighting LMR as a new and effective predictor for postoperative Moyamoya patients.

Short- and Long-Term Prognosis in Hemodynamically Stable Pulmonary Embolism With Unresectable or Metastatic Malignancies: The Role of Performance Status.

BACKGROUND: The simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) has limitations when evaluating acute pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with concurrent malignancy. Despite its utility in predicting outcomes among cancer patients, the role of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) in acute PE remains underexplored. This study aims to assess the prognostic significance of ECOG PS ≥ 3 on short- and long-term mortality in acute PE with malignancy, correlating it with the sPESI. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively analyzed 44 hemodynamically stable acute PE patients with unresectable or metastatic malignancies ineligible for curative treatment at Kameda Medical Center, a tertiary medical facility in Japan, from April 1, 2019, to March 2, 2023. Of these patients, 16 (36.4%) had ECOG PS ≥ 3. No 30-day mortality occurred in patients with ECOG PS ≤ 2, compared to 18.8% in those with ECOG PS ≥ 3 (p = 0.04). Groups were similar in the sPESI scores, hospital-onset PE proportion, and initial treatments. Post PE diagnosis, 92.9% of ECOG PS ≤ 2 patients and 50% of ECOG PS ≥ 3 patients received chemotherapy (p = 0.002). Cox regression analysis revealed ECOG PS ≥ 3 was independently associated with increased overall survival hazard (adjusted HR = 4.0; P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: ECOG PS ≥ 3 suggests a poorer short-term prognosis and independently predicts a worse long-term prognosis in hemodynamically stable acute PE patients with advanced malignancies.

Long-Term Outcomes of Carbon Dioxide Insufflation in Thoracoscopic Esophagectomy After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Thoracoscopic esophagectomy (TE) with carbon dioxide (CO2) insufflation is increasingly performed for esophageal cancer; however, there is limited evidence of the long-term outcomes of CO2 insufflation on postoperative survival. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the long-term outcomes of TE with or without CO2 insufflation. METHODS: We enrolled 182 patients who underwent TE for esophageal cancer between January 2003 and October 2013 and categorized them into two groups: with and without CO2 insufflation. The primary endpoint was five-year overall survival (5y-OS). Secondary endpoints included long-term outcomes, such as five-year relapse-free survival (5y-RFS) and five-year cancer-specific survival (5y-CSS), and short-term outcomes, such as surgical and non-surgical complications and reoperation within 30 days. RESULTS: Follow-up until death or the five-year postoperative period was 98.9% (median follow-up duration was six years in survivors). After adjusting for age, sex, and yield pathologic tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) stage, we found no significant differences in 5y-OS (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.66-1.91), 5y-RFS (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.67-1.83), or 5y-CSS rates (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.57-1.75). For short-term outcomes, significant intergroup differences in operation time (p=0.02), blood loss (p<0.001), postoperative length of stay (p<0.001), and incidence of atelectasis (p=0.004) were observed. The results of the sensitivity analysis were similar to the main results. CONCLUSIONS: In thoracoscopic procedures, CO2 insufflation significantly improved short-term outcomes, and it appears that the recurrence risk of esophageal cancer may not impact the long-term prognosis. While the influence of CO2 insufflation in thoracoscopic esophageal surgery remains unclear, our study suggests that the long-term prognosis is not compromised in other thoracic surgeries.

Early decompressive surgery improves long-term prognosis in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Multiple studies have shown that early decompressive surgery in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage can effectively limit hematoma expansion, reduce perihematomal edema, and improve prognosis. However, these studies are limited by small sample sizes and short follow-up times. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of early decompressive surgery on the long-term prognosis of patients with cerebral hemorrhage and identify the influencing factors for poor prognosis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 78 patients with cerebral hemorrhage admitted between January 2020 and December 2022 was conducted. Patients were divided into early and delayed surgery groups for comparison of outcomes such as mortality rate, modified Rankin Scale score, and Short Form-36 scores. Additionally, factors influencing long-term prognosis were analyzed through logistic regression based on significant differences observed between groups. RESULTS: The early decompressive surgery group showed superior outcomes with lower mortality rates, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores, hematoma expansion rates, and perihematomal edema volumes compared to the delayed surgery group (P< 0.05). Additionally, age, preoperative Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, preoperative hematoma volume, and a history of hypertension or diabetes were identified as independent prognostic factors for patients with cerebral hemorrhage, with odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1. CONCLUSIONS: Early decompressive surgery can improve the long-term prognosis and quality of life of patients with cerebral hemorrhage, reduce mortality rates, and decrease hematoma expansion and perihematomal edema. Older patients, those with higher preoperative hematoma volume and GCS score, and those with coexisting hypertension and diabetes should be given special attention to decrease the occurrence of adverse prognosis.

Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of Ru'ai Shuhou recipe for the prevention of lung metastases from breast cancer: a retrospective study based on propensity score matching.

Background: Breast cancer lung metastasis occurs at a high rate and at an early stage, and is the leading cause of death in breast cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Ru'ai Shuhou Recipe (RSR) intervention on the occurrence of recurrent metastases, especially lung metastases, in postoperative patients with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was implemented at Shuguang Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China between January 2014 to January 2019. Female patients were included according to the propensity score matching (PSM) method and balanced on the basis of general and clinical information such as age, body mass index, neo-adjuvant therapy, and surgical approach. Patients with pathological diagnosis of breast cancer were included in this study. Breast cancer patients were divided into exposed and non-exposed groups according to whether they took RSR-based botanical drugs after surgery. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox survival analysis to explore the relationship between RSR and 5-year disease-free survival and incidence of lung metastases in breast cancer patients after surgery. Results: 360 female patients were assessed and 190 patients were included in the study after PSM (95 in each of the exposed and non-exposed groups). Of the 190 patients after PSM, 55.79% were over 50 years of age. The mean follow-up time was 60.55 ± 14.82 months in the exposed group and 57.12 ± 16.37 months in the non-exposed group. There was no significant baseline characteristics difference between two groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the 5-year incidence of lung metastases was significantly lower in the exposed group, and the disease-free survival of patients was significantly longer. Cox univariate and multivariate analysis showed that neoadjuvant chemotherapy and lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors for the development of breast cancer lung metastasis, with risk ratios of 17.188 and 5.812, while RSR treatment was an independent protective factor against the development of breast cancer lung metastasis, with a risk ratio of 0.290. Conclusion: Standard biomedical treatment combined with RSR intervention can better prevent breast cancer recurrence and metastasis, reduce the incidence of lung metastasis in patients, and improve long-term prognosis.

Association of Oral Microbiome Diversity and All-Cause Mortality in the General US Population and in Individuals With Chronic Diseases: A Prospective Cohort Study.

AIM: To investigate whether oral microbiome diversity is associated with all-cause mortality in the general US population and in individuals with chronic diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 8224 individuals with oral microbiome diversity data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009-2012), representing 164,000,205 US adults, using a survey-weighted analysis method. Cox regression analyses were performed to identify the association between oral microbiome diversity and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: During a survey-weighted mean follow-up period of 8.86 years, 429 all-cause deaths (survey-weighted number: 7,124,920) occurred in 8224 participants. Cox regression analysis revealed that higher oral microbiome diversity was significantly associated with a lower all-cause mortality risk. Significant differences in all-cause mortality risk were observed among the different clusters based on oral microbiome ß-diversity (log-rank p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed that the oral microbiome diversity was independently associated with all-cause mortality in individuals with diabetes mellitus and hypertension. A multivariate logistic regression model showed that current smoking and antibiotic use were significantly associated with lower oral microbiome α diversity. CONCLUSIONS: Higher oral microbiome diversity was significantly associated with a lower all-cause mortality risk in the general US population and in individuals with diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

New Indicator of Arterial Stiffness START-Is There a Prognostic Value of Its Dynamics in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease?

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the one-year dynamics of the new index START in patients with coronary artery disease after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: Patients with coronary artery disease (n = 196) whose START index was assessed before CABG and one year after surgery. Depending on the dynamics of the stiffness index, three groups of patients were identified: 1st-with a decrease in haSTART (n = 79, 40.3%), 2nd-without dynamics (n = 52, 26.5%), and 3rd. Patients were followed for 10 years, and groups were compared for all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischemic attack, and a composite endpoint. RESULTS: In the group with an increase in the haSTART index, type D personality was identified more often (53.8%) than in the group without changes in haSTAR (26.9%) or with a decrease in the haSTAR index (34.2%) (p = 0.008). In the long-term follow-up period, death from all causes was significantly more common in the group with an increase in haSTART (33.9%) and in the group without changes in haSTART (23.1%) than in the group with a decrease in haSTART (11.4%, p = 0.005). Patients with an increase in haSTART more often had MACE (death, MI, stroke/TIA)-in 47.7% of cases (p = 0.01), compared with patients with a decrease in haSTART (in 24.1% of cases) and without change in haSTART (by 30.8%). Kaplan-Meier curves revealed better long-term survival rates in the group with a decrease in the haSTART index (p = 0.024). Multivariate analysis showed that a decrease in the haSTART index one year after CABG was associated with a decrease in mortality (HR 0.462; 95% CI 0.210-1.016; p = 0.055). CONCLUSIONS: The dynamics of the haSTART arterial stiffness index one year after CABG has prognostic significance in the long-term follow-up period. In addition, in the group with an increase in the haSTART index, personality type D is more common. Further studies need to study which interventions in patients with coronary artery disease can cause favorable dynamics in the haSTART index and to what extent psychological characteristics can influence these dynamics.

Noninferiority of additional gastrectomy after endoscopic submucosal dissection compared with surgery alone on long-term prognosis: a propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients in whom endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has resulted in noncurative resection need further surgical treatment. However, the oncologic outcome of additional gastrectomy after ESD compared with surgery alone remains unclear. METHODS: The clinical data of 778 patients who underwent gastrectomy for early gastric cancer (EGC) from January 2008 to December 2019 in Ishikawa Prefectural Central Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Of these 778 patients, 187 underwent additional gastrectomy after ESD [ESD (+) group] and 591 underwent surgery alone [ESD (-) group]. We compared the overall survival and disease-free survival between the ESD (+) and ESD (-) groups, using propensity score matching (PSM) to adjust for baseline characteristics. We also assessed early postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: After PSM based on sex (male or female), age, tumor diameter, tumor gross type, and operative procedure, each group comprised 144 patients with no significant differences in clinical background characteristics. After matching, the 5-year overall survival rate in the ESD (+) and ESD (-) group was 90.9% and 87.8%, respectively, with no significant difference (P = .470). In addition, there was no significant difference in the disease-free survival rate (97.6% vs 95.8%, respectively; P = .504). The postoperative complication rate was similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: Additional gastrectomy for patients in whom ESD resulted in noncurative resection did not adversely affect the long-term prognosis. Additional gastrectomy after ESD is oncologically acceptable for EGC.

Long-term prognosis for teeth with external cervical resorption based on periapical images and cone beam CT: A clinical study.

AIM: To evaluate whether supplemental information from CBCT changed long-term prognosis for teeth with external cervical resorption (ECR) compared to periapical (PA) images. Furthermore, to assess predictive findings in PA images and evaluate which findings in CBCT affected the long-term prognosis of teeth with ECR. METHODOLOGY: One hundred and ninty-four patients, mean age 41.2, range 13-81, having 244 teeth with ECR were included. An initial long-term prognosis determined either good or poor was established based on intraoral images. Afterwards, the patients underwent CBCT, and final long-term prognosis was decided. From the PA images and CBCT, ECR using Heithersay's classification system, pulp involvement and extension of ECR was assessed. In CBCT, the number of surface lesion(s) was additionally assessed. Descriptive statistics evaluated changes in long-term prognosis after CBCT. Logistic regression analyses tested if findings in PA images and CBCT affected the long-term prognosis. RESULTS: Based on CBCT, out of 244 teeth the long-term prognosis was assessed to be poor for 173 (70.9%) teeth and good for 71 (29.1%) teeth. The long-term prognosis changed in 76 (31.1%) teeth after CBCT; 5 (2.0%) changed from poor to good, and 71 (29%) changed from good to poor long-term prognosis. In 81 (33.2%) teeth the H-class increased, and in 10 (4.1%) teeth the H-class decreased after assessing CBCT. In 70 (28.7%) teeth, there was a change from no pulp involvement to involvement of the pulp after CBCT; eight (3.3%) teeth changed in the opposite direction. H-class 2 and 4 in PA images significantly increased the probability for a change in long-term prognosis compared to an H-class 3 (p < .05). H-class 4, pulp involvement, ECR in the oral 1/3 of the root, and more than two surface lesions seen in CBCT significantly influenced a poor long-term prognosis (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Supplemental information from CBCT changed long-term prognosis in almost one third of teeth with ECR. In most cases, the long-term prognosis changed from good to poor. H-class 3 in PA images had a significant influence on change in long-term prognosis. Several findings in CBCT influenced a poor long-term prognosis.

Efficacy of rituximab and risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with childhood-onset steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome: a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of rituximab in steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) is controversial. We previously reported that rituximab in combination with methylprednisolone pulse therapy (MPT) and immunosuppressants was associated with favorable outcomes. We determined risk factors for poor response following rituximab treatment, which remains unknown. METHODS: This retrospective study included 45 patients with childhood-onset SRNS treated with rituximab across four pediatric kidney facilities. Treatment effects were categorized as complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR), and no remission (NR) at one year after rituximab treatment. The primary outcome was the rate of CR, PR, and NR. Risk factors for non-CR were calculated with multivariate logistic regression. Adverse events and the relationship between disease status at one year and long-term prognosis were also evaluated. RESULTS: The rates of CR, PR, and NR at one year were 69%, 24%, and 7%, respectively. The median time from rituximab administration to CR was 90 days. The median follow-up period after rituximab administration was 7.4 years. In multivariate analysis, significant risk factors for poor response were the pathologic finding of focal segmental glomerular sclerosis and a long interval between SRNS diagnosis and rituximab administration. The rates of CR were 90.3% and 21.4% in patients receiving rituximab within and after 6 months following SRNS diagnosis, respectively (p < 0.001). Five patients developed chronic kidney disease stage G5, including 2 of the 11 patients with PR and all 3 patients with NR, whereas none of the 31 patients with CR developed chronic kidney disease stage G5. CONCLUSION: Early administration of rituximab in combination with MPT and immunosuppressants might achieve favorable outcomes in patients with SRNS.

Long-term prognosis after endoscopic submucosal dissection for esophageal cancer in older adult patients.

BACKGROUND: The validity of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in older individuals with comorbidities remains unclear. Therefore, this study evaluated the safety and efficacy of ESD and additional treatment for ESCC in older adult patients. METHODS: The clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes of 398 consecutive older adult patients (≥ 65 years) with 505 lesions who underwent ESD for ESCC at the Hiroshima University Hospital between September 2007 and December 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. Additionally, the prognoses of 381 patients who were followed up for > 3 years were assessed. RESULTS: The mean patient age and procedure time were 73.1 ± 5.8 years and 77.1 ± 43.5 min, respectively. The histological en bloc resection rate was 98% (496/505). Postoperative stenosis, perforation, pneumonia, and delayed bleeding were conservatively treated in 82 (16%), 19 (4%), 15 (3%), and 5 (1%) patients, respectively. The 5-year overall and disease-specific survival rates were 78.9% and 98.0%, respectively (mean follow-up time: 71.1 ± 37.3 months). Multivariate analysis showed that age and the American Society of Anesthesiologists classification of physical status class ≥III (hazard ratio: 1.27; 95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.59, p = 0.0392) were independently associated with overall survival. A significantly lower overall survival rate was observed in the high-risk follow-up group than in the low-risk follow-up and high-risk additional treatment groups (p < 0.01). However, no significant difference in disease-specific survival was observed among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: ESD is safe for ESCC treatment in patients aged ≥ 65 years. However, additional treatments should be considered based on the patient's general condition.

Dynamics of the State of Arterial Stiffness as a Possible Pathophysiological Factor of Unfavorable Long-Term Prognosis in Patients after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

The aim of this study was to examine the long-term prognostic value of changes in the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) within a year after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: Patients with coronary artery disease (n = 251) in whom CAVI was assessed using the VaSera VS-1000 device before and one year after CABG. Groups with improved CAVI or worsened CAVI were identified. We assessed the following events at follow-up: all-causes death, myocardial infarction, and stroke/transient ischemic attack. RESULTS: All-causes death was significantly more common in the group with worsened CAVI (27.6%) than in the group with CAVI improvement (14.8%; p = 0.029). Patients with worsened CAVI were more likely to have MACE, accounting for 42.2% cases, compared with patients with CAVI improvement, who accounted for 24.5%; p = 0.008. Worsened CAVI (p = 0.024), number of shunts (p = 0.006), and the presence of carotid stenosis (p = 0.051) were independent predictors of death from all causes at 10-year follow-up after CABG. The presence of carotid stenosis (p = 0.002) and the group with worsened CAVI after a year (p = 0.008) were independent predictors of the development of the combined endpoint during long-term follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with worsening CAVI one year after CABG have a poorer prognosis at long-term follow-up than patients with improved CAVI. Future research would be useful to identify the most effective interventions to improve CAVI and correspondingly improve prognosis.

Trends and predictors of changes in renal function after radical nephrectomy for renal tumours.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common postoperative complication in patients who undergo radical nephrectomy for renal tumours. However, the factors influencing long-term renal function require further investigation. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the trends in renal function changes and risk factors for renal function deterioration in renal tumour patients after radical nephrectomy. METHODS: We monitored changes in renal function before and after surgery for 3 years. The progression of renal function was determined by the progression and degradation of CKD stages. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to analyse the causes of renal function progression. RESULTS: We analysed the data of 329 patients with renal tumours who underwent radical nephrectomies between January 2013 and December 2018. In this study, 43.7% of patients had postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI), and 48.3% had CKD at advanced stages. Further research revealed that patients' renal function stabilized 3 months after surgery. Additionally, renal function changes during these 3 months have a substantial impact on the progression of long-term renal function changes in patients. CONCLUSION: AKI may be an indicator of short-term postoperative changes in renal function. Renal function tests should be performed in patients with AKI after radical nephrectomy to monitor the progression of functional impairment, particularly within the first 3 months after radical nephrectomy.

Comparison of the prognosis among in-hospital survivors of cardiogenic shock based on etiology: AMI and Non-AMI.

BACKGROUND: Current data on post-discharge mortality and rehospitalization is still insufficient among in-hospital survivors of cardiogenic shock (CS), including acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and non-AMI survivors. METHODS: Patients with CS who survived after hospital discharge were selected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Each patient was followed up at 3-year intervals. Mortality and rehospitalization were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models. RESULTS: There were 16,582 eligible patients. Of these, 42.4% and 57.6% were AMI-CS and non-AMI-CS survivors, respectively. The overall mortality and rehospitalization rates were considerably high, with reports of 7.0% and 22.1% at 30 days, 24.5% and 58.2% at 1 year, and 38.9% and 73.0% at 3 years, respectively, among in-hospital CS survivors. Cardiovascular (CV) problems caused approximately 40% mortality and 60% rehospitalization. Overall, the non-AMI-CS group had a higher mortality burden than the AMI-CS group owing to older age and a higher prevalence of comorbidities. In multivariable models, the non-AMI-CS group exhibited a lower risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60 to 0.78) and CV mortality (aHR 0.65, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.78) compared to the AMI-CS group. However, these risks diminished and even reversed after one year (aHR 1.13, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.25 for all-cause mortality; aHR 1.27, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.49 for CV mortality).This reversal was not observed in all-cause and CV rehospitalization. For rehospitalization, AMI-CS was associated with the risk of CV rehospitalization in the entire observation period (aHR:0.80, 95% CI:0.76-0.84). CONCLUSIONS: In-hospital AMI-CS survivors had an increased risk of CV rehospitalization and 30-day mortality, whereas those with non-AMI-CS had a greater mortality risk after 1-year follow-up.

Clinical manifestations, diagnosis and long-term prognosis of adult autoimmune enteropathy: Experience from Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune enteropathy (AIE) is a rare disease whose diagnosis and long-term prognosis remain challenging, especially for adult AIE patients. AIM: To improve overall understanding of this disease's diagnosis and prognosis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical, endoscopic and histopathological characteristics and prognoses of 16 adult AIE patients in our tertiary medical center between 2011 and 2023, whose diagnosis was based on the 2007 diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: Diarrhea in AIE patients was characterized by secretory diarrhea. The common endoscopic manifestations were edema, villous blunting and mucosal hyperemia in the duodenum and ileum. Villous blunting (100%), deep crypt lymphocytic infiltration (67%), apoptotic bodies (50%), and mild intraepithelial lymphocytosis (69%) were observed in the duodenal biopsies. Moreover, there were other remarkable abnormalities, including reduced or absent goblet cells (duodenum 94%, ileum 62%), reduced or absent Paneth cells (duodenum 94%, ileum 69%) and neutrophil infiltration (duodenum 100%, ileum 69%). Our patients also fulfilled the 2018 diagnostic criteria but did not match the 2022 diagnostic criteria due to undetectable anti-enterocyte antibodies. All patients received glucocorticoid therapy as the initial medication, of which 14/16 patients achieved a clinical response in 5 (IQR: 3-20) days. Immunosuppressants were administered to 9 patients with indications of steroid dependence (6/9), steroid refractory status (2/9), or intensified maintenance medication (1/9). During the median of 20.5 months of follow-up, 2 patients died from multiple organ failure, and 1 was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The cumulative relapse-free survival rates were 62.5%, 55.6% and 37.0% at 6 months, 12 months and 48 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: Certain histopathological findings, including a decrease or disappearance of goblet and Paneth cells in intestinal biopsies, might be potential diagnostic criteria for adult AIE. The long-term prognosis is still unsatisfactory despite corticosteroid and immunosuppressant medications, which highlights the need for early diagnosis and novel medications.

Analysis of clinical efficacy and long-term prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with PD-L1 inhibitor targeting.

BACKGROUND: The most effective clinical treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is surgery, but most patients are diagnosed when the disease has progressed. OBJECTIVE: To examine the long-term prognosis and clinical effectiveness of PD-L1 inhibitor-targeted therapy for patients suffering from HCC. METHODS: Ninety-six patients with advanced HCC who were admitted to our hospital between December 2019 and April 2022 were split into two groups based on the treatment plan after a retrospective analysis: 43 patients in the control group underwent sorafenib-based targeted therapy, while dulvalizumab was used to treat 53 patients in the observation group. Observation indexes were used to assess the clinical effectiveness and long-term prognosis of HCC patients receiving targeted therapy with dulvalizumab, which included the disease control rate, tumor markers, immune function, survival, quality of survival, and the occurrence of unfavorable side effects such as thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, vomiting, and rash. RESULTS: The initial KPS scores, CEA, CA199, AFP, CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+, IgG, IgM, and IgA levels did not differ significantly between the two groups (P> 0.05). After treatment, the observation group showed a significantly higher disease control rate (92.45% vs. 74.42%) and improved KPS score, OS, PFS, CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+, IgG, IgM, and IgA levels compared to the control group. Additionally, the observation group exhibited significantly reduced CEA, CA199, and AFP levels, and a lower overall incidence of adverse reactions (16.98% vs. 51.16%) compared to the control group (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The clinical efficacy of dulvalizumab-targeted treatment of HCC among PD-L1 inhibitors is better, enhancing the disease's ability to be controlled considerably lowering patients' levels of tumor markers. This greatly boosts patients' immune systems, extends their lives and improves the quality of their survival. The frequency of negative reactions is minimal and safe.

Molecular and Clinical Features of Congenital Hypothyroidism Due to Multiple DUOX2 Variants.

Background: DUOX2 is one of the major causative genes of congenital hypothyroidism (CH). Still, the mutation spectrum and clinical outcomes of biallelic DUOX2 variants are not fully understood. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular features and long-term clinical manifestations of CH caused by multiple pathogenic DUOX2 variants. Methods: A total of 255 patients with CH were screened for rare variants of 11 known causative genes. DUOX2 variants were classified according to their protein structure and residual activity. In vitro assays were performed for several variants of unknown functions. Clinical analyses were conducted for patients with multiple pathogenic variants of DUOX2 but not of other genes. Results: We identified 24 pathogenic variants of DUOX2, together with two benign variants and seven variants of uncertain significance, in 63 patients. The pathogenic variants included three missense substitutions and one frameshift variant that have not yet been linked to CH. Twenty-one patients carried multiple pathogenic DUOX2 variants without any other pathogenic gene variants. Three of the 21 patients harbored homozygous variants. Family analysis, long-read amplicon sequencing, and haplotype phasing confirmed compound heterozygosity of the DUOX2 variants in 14 patients, whereas the allelic positions of the variants in the remaining four patients could not be determined. Of the 21 patients, 19 were treated with levothyroxine; their ages at drug withdrawal ranged from 9 months to 21.4 years. Three patients required retreatment after drug-free intervals of 6 months, 8 months, and 10 years. There were no differences in clinical severity among patients with DUOX2 amorphic/amorphic, amorphic/hypomorphic, and hypomorphic/hypomorphic variants. Conclusions: These results broaden the mutational spectrum of DUOX2. Furthermore, our data imply that patients with multiple pathogenic DUOX2 variants typically exhibit transient CH without significant genotype-phenotype correlations. Most importantly, this study demonstrated for the first time that these patients are at risk of developing recurrent hypothyroidism after a long drug-free interval.

Development of a score model to predict long-term prognosis after community-onset pneumonia in older patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The identification of factors associated with long-term prognosis after community-onset pneumonia in elderly patients should be considered when initiating advance care planning (ACP). We aimed to identify these factors and develop a prediction score model. METHODS: Patients aged 65 years and older, who were hospitalized for pneumonia at nine collaborating institutions, were included. The prognosis of patients 180 days after the completion of antimicrobial treatment for pneumonia was prospectively collected. RESULTS: The total number of analysable cases was 399, excluding 7 outliers and 42 cases with missing data or unknown prognosis. These cases were randomly divided in an 8:2 ratio for score development and testing. The median age was 82 years, and there were 68 (17%) deaths. A multivariate analysis showed that significant factors were performance status (PS) ≥2 (Odds ratio [OR], 11.78), hypoalbuminemia ≤2.5 g/dL (OR, 5.28) and dementia (OR, 3.15), while age and detection of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria were not associated with prognosis. A scoring model was then developed with PS ≥2, Alb ≤2.5, and dementia providing scores of 2, 1 and 1 each, respectively, for a total of 4. The area under the curve was 0.8504, and the sensitivity and specificity were 94.6% and 61.7% at the cutoff of 2, respectively. In the test cases, the sensitivity and specificity were 91.7% and 63.1%, respectively, at a cutoff value of 2. CONCLUSION: Patients meeting this score should be considered near the end of life, and the initiation of ACP practices should be considered.