Digestive Diseases最新文献

Introduction: Major hepatectomy is the mainstay of curative-intent resection for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) patients. Textbook outcomes in liver surgery (TOLS) are a new composite parameter for evaluating the short-term outcomes of surgery; however, their association with overall survival (OS) is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between TOLS and OS in pCCA patients following major hepatectomy.

Methods: Consecutive pCCA patients who underwent major hepatectomy between 2014 and 2020 at 5 hospitals were included in this analysis. TOLS were defined as no intraoperative grade ≥2 incidents, no postoperative grade B/C bile leakage, no postoperative grade B/C liver failure, no postoperative major morbidity, no readmission within 90 days due to surgery-related major morbidity, no mortality within 90 days after hospital discharge, and R0 resection. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare OS rates between patients who achieved TOLS and those who did not. Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for poor OS.

Results: In total, 399 patients were included in this study, 214 (53.6%) of whom achieved TOLS. After excluding patients who died within 90 days, the 5-year OS rate of patients who achieved TOLS was significantly greater than that of patients who did not achieve TOLS (5-year OS rate: 26.2% vs. 17.3%, p = 0.001). TOLS were independently associated with OS for pCCA patients following major hepatectomy.

Conclusions: TOLS were achieved in approximately half of the pCCA patients following major hepatectomy, and the patients who achieved TOLS had better survival.

Introduction: Biopsy-specimen examination is the gold standard for the preoperative histological diagnosis of early gastric cancer (EGC). However, few studies have compared the diagnostic accuracies of biopsy and magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging or blue laser imaging (ME-NBI/BLI). Thus, we compared the diagnostic accuracy of biopsy specimens and ME-NBI/BLI to evaluate whether ME-NBI/BLI is a feasible preoperative diagnostic tool for EGC.

Methods: This retrospective single-center study enrolled 185 patients who underwent gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) between January and December 2018. The sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of the histological diagnosis of ME-NBI/BLI and biopsy were evaluated. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the risk factors for the misdiagnosis of biopsy specimens and ME-NBI/BLI.

Results: In total, 158 patients with EGC were analyzed. Sensitivities of biopsy and ME-NBI/BLI were 1 and 0 for adenomas (p = 0.333), 0.693 and 0.971 for differentiated adenocarcinomas (p < 0.001), and 0.688 and 0.625 for undifferentiated adenocarcinomas (p > 0.999), respectively. PPVs of biopsy and ME-NBI/BLI were 0.077 and 0 for adenomas (p > 0.999), 0.960 and 0.958 for differentiated adenocarcinomas (p > 0.999), and 0.750 and 0.750 for undifferentiated adenocarcinomas (p > 0.999), respectively. The underdiagnosis rate for differentiated adenocarcinomas was significantly higher in biopsy examination than in ME-NBI/BLI (27.9% vs. 0%, respectively, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: ME-NBI/BLI had a higher sensitivity than biopsy examination for the preoperative diagnosis of differentiated adenocarcinomas. Therefore, performing ME-NBI/BLI for these lesions may be preferable regardless of their diagnosis as noncancerous lesions from biopsy specimens.

Introduction: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) receiving immunosuppressive therapy might have an increased risk of developing a severe course of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the development of antibodies in immunosuppressed patients with IBD compared to a healthy control group and to determine the effect of immunomodulators on the level of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels before and after a third vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: This is a single-center study with a retrospective observational design. Seventy-one IBD patients matched by propensity score to 71 healthy employees (control group) were included. Blood was taken from both groups at predetermined times before and after the third booster vaccination.

Results: All patients with IBD (n = 71, 100%) received immunomodulatory therapy. The mean antibody level before the third vaccination was 1,352.88 U/mL (SD = 1,011.489) in the IBD group and was not lower compared to the control group (p = 0.088). Gender, age, and disease duration had no significant impact on the development of antibody levels. Patients with TNF-alpha blockers had significantly lower antibody titers (p = 0.011) compared to the control group. Patients with integrin inhibitor therapy had significantly higher antibody titers (p = 0.003) than the controls. After the third vaccination, an increase in antibody titers was recorded in all patients in the IBD group.

Conclusion: We recorded an antibody titer in all patients with IBD that was not significantly lower compared to healthy controls despite immunomodulatory therapy. The booster vaccination led to an increase in antibody levels in all patients with IBD.

Introduction: Adequate bowel preparation is indispensable for high-quality colonoscopy. We have developed an ultralow-volume (500 mL) polyethylene glycol (PEG) combined with other laxatives (sennoside, sodium picosulfate, and lactulose) and applied this regimen clinically to all patients with colonoscopy for 3 decades. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of this ultralow-volume bowel preparation regimen.

Methods: This single-center, retrospective study analyzed data from consecutive outpatients who underwent colonoscopy between January 2022 and December 2022. All the patients took sennoside (24 mg) two nights before, sodium picosulfate (75 mg) one night before, and 500 mL of PEG with lactulose (58.5 g) on the day of examination. Cleaning efficacy was evaluated using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS). Adequate bowel preparation was defined as a total BBPS score ≥6, with all colon segments scoring ≥2.

Results: Out of 862 patients with colonoscopy, 773 were eligible for this study, and the median age was 66 years. The adequate bowel preparation rate was 91.8% (710/773). Notably, the BBPS full score "9" was observed in 50.5% (390/773). The median cecal intubation time and examination time were 8 and 20 min, respectively. Only 3 patients vomited as a side effect. In the multivariate analysis, age ≥70 years, diabetes mellitus, and diverticula were significantly independent risk factors for inadequate bowel preparation.

Conclusions: Our established ultralow-volume (500 mL) PEG is safe and useful as a bowel preparation method.

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors globally. Macrophages, as essential components of the immune system, play crucial roles in immune regulation, inflammation modulation, and antitumor activity. However, it remains unclear whether tumor-associated macrophages can serve as prognostic markers for HCC.

Methods: First, we identified tumor-associated macrophages based on single-cell data from GSE140228. Then, using a machine learning approach with a combination of 101 module genes, we constructed an optimal prognostic model. Subsequently, we compared our constructed model with other published prognostic models for HCC. Finally, we utilized the generated model score to predict the response to chemotherapy and immune therapy.

Results: First, we identified clusters of tumor-associated macrophages using single-cell data. Subsequently, we calculated the tumor-associated macrophage score based on module genes from the previous step. Compared to traditional clinical indicators, tumor-associated macrophage signature (TAMS) exhibits significant advantages. The TAMS C-index not only predicts overall survival, but also recurrence-free survival in HCC patients. Additionally, there was a higher prevalence of TP53 mutations in HCC patients with high TAMS. Furthermore, patients with low TAMS showed greater sensitivity to immunotherapy compared to those with high TAMS. Notably, the number and intensity of interactions between TAM and other T lymphocytes were significantly higher than those involving other cell populations. Interestingly, the high TAMS group exhibited significantly elevated levels of immune checkpoint markers and M2 macrophage markers.

Conclusion: TAMS can serve as a novel and potent tool, offering improved treatment options and prognostic assessment for patients with HCC.