Higher Proportion Of Patients Research Articles

P585 Effectiveness of Switching to Subcutaneous Infliximab in Ulcerative Colitis Patients Experiencing Intravenous Infliximab Failure

Abstract Background Studies on elective switching to the subcutaneous (SC) formulation of infliximab revealed comparable efficacy and safety and higher infliximab level than those exhibited by intravenous (IV) infliximab. However, no studies have reported on the effectiveness of SC switching in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients who experienced IV infliximab failure during maintenance treatment. Methods This retrospective study included UC patients who had been switched to SC infliximab because of IV infliximab failure, between January 2021 and January 2023. Group A was defined as having clinically and biochemically active UC (secondary loss of response), and group B consisted of patients with stable symptoms but biochemically active UC. Results Twenty-three patients met the inclusion criteria: 15 in group A and 8 in group B. The serum infliximab levels significantly increased after SC switching in both groups. Electively switched group also exhibited increased infliximab levels after SC switching. Group A showed improved partial Mayo score with a significant decrease in faecal calprotectin (FC) and C-reactive protein after switching. In group B, the FC level significantly decreased without clinical relapse after switching. A high proportion of patients (≥ 80%) in both groups achieved clinical and/or biochemical response at last follow-up. During the follow-up period, only two patients in group A discontinued SC infliximab, and only one complained of severe injection site reaction. Conclusion In UC patients who experience IV infliximab failure during maintenance treatment, switching to SC infliximab may be a promising option because of its efficacy and safety.

P521 Impact of pouch leaks on quality of life and symptoms in patients after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis surgery

Abstract Background Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis(IPAA)is the procedure of choice in patients requiring total proctocolectomy.The reported leak rates after IPAA surgery range from 1-12% with well described significant impact on postoperative morbidity and recovery.However, the long-term impact of salvaged pouch leaks on the broader quality of life outcome and pouch function remains poorly understood.The aim of this study was to compare between patients with and without postoperative leaks after IPAA surgery, hypothesizing that patients with salvaged pouch leaks would have worse long-term quality of life and pouch function compared to matched patients without leaks. Methods This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent IPAA(n=4058) between 1995-2022.Leak was defined as abscess or fistula requiring intervention, who had definitive resolution of their pouch leaks, whether with conservative treatment or after salvage surgery or pouch excision with end ileostomy creation. The Leak group consisted of 194 patients with treated leaks.The No Leak group included 963 patients without leaks,matched 1:5 on sex, age(± 3 years),and surgery date.Questionnaire data were available for 85 of 194 patients with leaks and 614 of 963 without leaks. Quality of life(QoL) was assessed using SF-36, health status using EORTC QLQ-C30(QoH),and life enjoyment(QoE) using a standardized scale.Bowel movements,seepage,and pad usage were recorded.Outcomes were compared using Mann-Whitney U,t-tests, and chi-square tests. Results A total of 699 patients with IPAA were included, with 85(12%)in the leak group. The median age was 42 (IQR, 31-53) years, and 54% were male. Median time from surgery to the last QoL assessment was 6.58(IQR: 3.5-11.3) years in the Leak group and 6.05 (IQR: 2.5-11.2) days in the No Leak group. Patients with Leaks reported significantly lower QoL (median 7(IQR:5-9)vs8 (IQR:7-9);p<0.001), lower health status on the QoH scale (median 7(IQR: 5-8) vs 8 (IQR :7-9); p<0.001), and lower life enjoyment on the QoE scale (median 7(IQR: 5-8)vs7(IQR :6-9);p=0.003) compared to the No Leak group. A higher proportion of patients in the Leak group reported daytime (49%vs.20%,p<0.001) and nocturnal seepage (66%vs.38%, p=0.001), along with greater daytime(40%vs.22%,p=0.01) and nighttime pad usage (53%vs.30%,p=0.001). There were no significant differences in the number of bowel movements per 24h (p=0.54), daytime bowel movements(p=0.7), or nighttime bowel movements (p=0.695) between the groups. Conclusion In matched cohorts,salvaged pouch leaks were associated with reduced quality of life,health status,and life enjoyment compared with matched patients without leaks.Patients with leaks also had increased rates of seepage and pad usage,indicating worse pouch function.

Correlation between type of surgery and incidence of postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE)

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant complication in patients after undergoing major surgery. The type of surgery is believed correlated with the incidence of VTE. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between type of surgery and incidence of VTE among patients who underwent major surgery. It was a retrospective study conducted in Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta using medical record data of patients who underwent major surgery and were diagnosed with VTE between 2016 and 2020. Patients were grouped by surgery type, and length of stay (LoS). All caused deaths were also analyzed. Among 29,120 patients who underwent major surgery, 76 (0.26%) experienced VTE with females patients accounting for 75%. The mean age of the patients was 55 yr. All VTE cases had the mean LoS of 25 d. The highest proportion of patients who experienced VTE were patients who underwent tumor removal (67.0%) followed by trauma patients (18.4%). A significant difference in the incidence of mortality between the surgical groups was reported (p = 0.02). Post-cardiology had the highest risk of mortality (OR=7.46; 95% CI: 0.322 - 172.61) while age had the lowest risk of mortality (OR=1.01; 95% CI: 0.953 - 1.071). In conclusion, surgery type is correlated with the incidence of VTE. Surgery due to cancer and trauma has a higher risk of VTE compared to the others.

1899 Early intervention by physiotherapy and occupational therapy in older inpatient population

Abstract Background Currently, on inpatient medical wards at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, first contact by physiotherapy and occupational therapy is made when patients become medically optimised for discharge. This is due to a number of reasons such as staffing and resource shortages. Aim Analyse the effects of early intervention by therapy on patients on a geriatric medicine inpatient ward. It is hypothesised that earlier intervention can improve patient and service outcomes. Method A data sheet was created to capture baseline information including mobility/care needs prior to admission, date of initial contact by therapy, mobility/care on discharge, length of stay and discharge destination. Data was collected over two phases; initial therapy contact at point of patient being medically optimised, and then with the planned intervention of proactive therapy input early in a patient’s admission. Results The data shows an improvement in all measured patient outcomes in the intervention group. The average time from admission to therapy first contact reduced from 7 days to 2 days. The average length of stay reduced from 14.5 days to 7 days in the intervention group. 70% of patients left the hospital with a reduction in their mobility status in the control group, whereas only 32% of patients left with worse mobility in the intervention group. 41% of patients in the control group left with new or increased care provision compared to 36% in the intervention group. The data also showed that a higher proportion of patients were mobilised by ward staff and less patients were discharged to 24-hour care settings in the intervention group. Conclusion Therapy (with the help of the multi-disciplinary team) should proactively identify patients in need of therapy input as soon as safely possible. This research shows that adopting this approach leads to improvements for our patients and our service.

Single-Center Experience with the Balloon-Expandable Myval Transcatheter Aortic Valve System in Patients with Bicuspid Anatomy: Procedural and 30-Day Follow-Up.

Aims: To report our single-center data regarding the initial 52 consecutive patients with a bicuspid aortic valve who underwent a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedure using the new balloon-expandable MYVAL system. The focus is on reporting procedural details and outcomes over the 30-day postoperative period. Methods: From December 2019 to July 2023, 52 consecutive patients underwent a TAVI procedure with bicuspid anatomy. All patients had moderate to-high surgical risk or were unsuitable for surgical aortic valve replacement based on the Heart Team's decision. Outcomes were analyzed according to the VARC-2 criteria. The results of bicuspid patients were compared to patients with tricuspid anatomy in the overall study group, and further analysis involved a comparison between 52 pairs after propensity score matching. The device performance was evaluated using transthoracic echocardiography. Data collection was allowed by the Local Ethical Committee. Results: The mean age was 71 ± 7.1 years, and 65.4% were male. The mean Euroscore II and STS score were 3.3 ± 3.2 and 5.2 ± 3.3, respectively. Baseline characteristics and echocardiographic parameters were well balanced even in the unmatched comparison. Procedures were significantly longer in the bicuspid group and resulted in a significantly higher ARI index. All relevant anatomic dimensions based on the CT scans were significantly higher in bicuspid anatomy, including a higher implantation angulation, a higher rate of horizontal aorta and a higher proportion of patients with aortopathy. In the unmatched bicuspid vs. tricuspid comparison, postprocedural outcomes were as follows: in-hospital mortality 0% vs. 1.4% (p = 0.394), device success 100% vs. 99.1% (p = 0.487), TIA 1.9% vs. 0% (p = 0.041), stroke 1.9% vs. 0.9% (p = 0.537), major vascular complication 3.8% vs. 2.3% (p = 0.530), permanent pacemaker implantation 34% vs. 30.4% (p = 0.429), and cardiac tamponade 0% vs. 0.5% (p = 0.624). In the propensity-matched bicuspid vs. tricuspid comparison, postprocedural outcomes were as follows: in-hospital mortality 0% vs. 0%, device success 100% vs. 100%, TIA 1.9% vs. 0% (p = 0.315), stroke 1.9% vs. 0.9% (p = 0.315), major vascular complication 3.8% vs. 0% (p = 0.475), permanent pacemaker implantation 34% vs. 24% (p = 0.274), and cardiac tamponade 0% vs. 0%. There was no annular rupture nor need for second valve or severe aortic regurgitation in both the unmatched and matched comparison. The peak and mean aortic gradients did not differ at discharge and at 30-day follow-up between the two groups regardless of whether the comparison was unmatched or matched. There were no paravalvular leakages (moderate or above) in the bicuspid patients. Intermediate and extra sizes of the Myval THV system used a significantly higher proportion in bicuspid anatomy with a significantly higher oversize percentage in tricuspid anatomy. Conclusions: The TAVI procedure using the Myval THV system in patients with significant aortic stenosis and bicuspid aortic valve anatomy is safe and effective. Hemodynamic parameters do not differ between tricuspid and bicuspid patients. However, the permanent pacemaker implantation rate is higher than expected; its relevance on long-term survival is controversial.

Intra-tumoral T cells in pediatric brain tumors display clonal expansion and effector properties.

Brain tumors in children are a devastating disease in a high proportion of patients. Owing to inconsistent results in clinical trials in unstratified patients, the role of immunotherapy remains unclear. We performed an in-depth survey of the single-cell transcriptomes and clonal relationship of intra-tumoral T cells from children with brain tumors. Our results demonstrate that a large fraction of T cells in the tumor tissue are clonally expanded with the potential to recognize tumor antigens. Such clonally expanded T cells display enrichment of transcripts linked to effector function, tissue residency, immune checkpoints and signatures of neoantigen-specific T cells and immunotherapy response. We identify neoantigens in pediatric brain tumors and show that neoantigen-specific T cell gene signatures are linked to better survival outcomes. Notably, among the patients in our cohort, we observe substantial heterogeneity in the degree of clonal expansion and magnitude of T cell response. Our findings suggest that characterization of intra-tumoral T cell responses may enable selection of patients for immunotherapy, an approach that requires prospective validation in clinical trials.

Clinicopathological and molecular characteristics of colorectal adenosquamous carcinoma in an Asian population

BackgroundAdenosquamous carcinoma is a rare sub-type of colorectal cancer with a poor prognosis. Little is known about its clinicopathological and molecular characteristics in Asian populations. This study aimed to investigate these features in a cohort of patients with adenosquamous carcinoma in the colorectum.MethodsTumor cases pathologically diagnosed with colorectal adenosquamous carcinoma were retrieved from the Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University tissue archive between December 2012 and June 2020. Clinicopathological features, molecular characteristics, and oncology outcomes were analyzed.ResultsAmong 18,139 cases of colorectal cancer, 11 were diagnosed with adenosquamous carcinoma, providing an incidence rate of 0.061%. The median overall survival (OS) was 14 months, and the expected 3-year OS rate was 29.6%. As of October 14, 2022, four cases had local recurrence and five had distant metastasis. KRAS gene mutations were found in four of seven patients (57.1%), and three out of eleven (27.3%) patients had mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) tumors.ConclusionsAdenosquamous carcinoma is associated with a poor prognosis. Compared to other sub-types of colorectal cancer, a higher proportion of patients with dMMR and KRAS mutations were observed. These findings suggested that more patients with adenosquamous carcinoma could benefit from targeted therapies, such as immunotherapy.

Association of Designated Pediatric Trauma Center and Outcomes of Severely Injured Children Who Were Mechanically Ventilated and Underwent Tracheostomy: A Propensity-Matched Analysis.

The purpose of the study is to examine the outcomes of care delivered at the pediatric trauma center (PTC) in severely injured children who were intubated, mechanically ventilated, and underwent tracheostomy. The study data were obtained from the Trauma Quality Improvement Program database for the calendar years 2017 to 2019. All children aged ≤17 years who sustained severe injury, required intubation and mechanical ventilation for more than 96 hours, and underwent tracheostomy were included in the study. Patients' characteristics, injury severity, and outcomes were compared between the care provided at the PTCs (level I or level II) and nonpediatric trauma centers (NPTCs). The propensity score matching methodology was used to perform the analysis. All P values are 2-sided, and a P value of <0.0.5 is considered statistically significant. Of 2164 patients who were qualified for the study, 1288 (59%) of the patients were treated at PTCs, and 876 (40.5%) of the patients were treated at NPTCs. Propensity matching created 876 pairs of patients. There were no significant differences found between the 2 groups on patients' characteristics except for age. Patients who were treated at PTCs had a median age of 14 (10-16) versus 15 (11-17) years ( P < 0.001) when compared with care provided at NPTCs. A longer hospital stay was found in the PTC group when compared with the NPTC group (24 [23, 25] vs 22 [21, 24], P = 0.008). Patients who were treated at PTC were found to have significantly less sepsis occurrence (0.9% vs 2.2%), and a higher proportion of patients were discharged home without needing additional support (26.2% vs 18.5%). Care at the PTC was associated with a lower occurrence of sepsis complications. A higher number of patients were discharged home without additional services when the care was provided at PTC.

Impact of Tumor Subclassifications for Identifying an Appropriate Surgical Strategy in Patients with Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is subclassified into small and large duct types. The impact of these subclassifications for identifying appropriate surgical strategies remains unclear. This study included 118 patients with ICC who underwent liver resection. Based on the pathological examination results, the participants were divided into the small duct-type ICC group (n = 64) and large duct-type ICC group (n = 54). The clinicopathological features and postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups to investigate the impact of subclassification for selecting appropriate surgical strategies. Ten patients in the small duct-type ICC group had synchronous or metachronous hepatocellular carcinoma. The large duct-type ICC group had higher proportions of patients who underwent major hepatectomy, extrahepatic bile duct resection, portal vein resection, and lymph node sampling or dissection than the small duct-type ICC group. The large duct-type ICC group had significantly higher incidences of lymph node metastasis/recurrence and pathological major vessel invasion than the other. The small duct-type ICC group exhibited significantly higher recurrence-free and overall survival rates than the large duct-type ICC group. Further, the large duct-type ICC group had a significantly higher incidence of lymph node metastasis/recurrence than the small duct-type ICC at the perihilar region group. Suitable surgical strategies may differ between the small and large duct-type ICCs. In patients with large duct-type ICCs, hepatectomy with lymph node dissection and/or biliary reconstruction should be considered, whereas hepatectomy without these advanced procedures can be suggested for patients with small duct-type ICCs.

Epidemiology and molecular analyses of respiratory syncytial virus in the 2021-2022 season in northern Italy.

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infection among infants and young children worldwide, with seasonal peaks in January and February. This study aimed to characterize the RSV samples from a pediatric cohort in the 2021-2022 season in Italy. In total, 104 samples were collected from pediatric patients attending the "Vittore Buzzi" Children's Hospital in Milan, Italy in the 2021-2022 season. RT-PCR and next-generation sequencing were used to discriminate subgroups and obtain whole genomes. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic methods were used to analyze Italian sequences in the European contest and date Italian clusters. The median age was 78 days, and 76.9% of subjects required hospitalization, with a higher proportion of patients under 3 months of age. An equal proportion of subgroups A (GA2.3.5) and B (GB5.0.5a) was found, with significant differences in length of hospitalization, days of supplemental oxygen treatment, and intravenous hydration duration. Phylogeny highlighted 26 and 37 clusters containing quite the total of Italian sequences for RSV-A and -B, respectively. Clusters presented a tMRCA between December 2011-February 2017 and May 2014-December 2016 for A and B subgroups, respectively. Compared to European sequences, specific mutations were observed in Italian strains. These data confirmed a more severe clinical course of RSV-A, particularly in young children. This study permitted the characterization of recent Italian RSV whole genomes, highlighting the peculiar pattern of mutations that needs to be investigated further and monitored.

Biomarker Testing Journey Among Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors and Treatment Patterns by Homologous Recombination Repair Status: A Clinico-Genomic Database Study.

Defects in the homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway can include mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCAm) and other HRR genes (HRRm). These mutations are associated with a homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) phenotype. We evaluated testing journey and treatment patterns by BRCAm, HRRm, and HRD status in a real-world dataset. Deidentified data for patients who had undergone comprehensive genomic profiling using FoundationOne®CDx were collected through December 31, 2020, from a real-world multi-tumor clinico-genomic database (CGDB) capturing data from clinics in the United States. Patients eligible for inclusion in this analysis had a confirmed diagnosis with advanced or metastatic disease between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019, for 1 of 15 solid tumor types. Objectives were to evaluate patient treatment patterns by BRCAm, HRRm, and HRD status and to describe the timing of when (throughout disease course) comprehensive genomic profiling was performed. Among 9457 patients included in the overall population with evaluable biomarker status, 7856 (83.1%) received≥1 systemic therapy. Among the 7856 patients who received systemic therapy, 2324 (30.0%) underwent testing before first-line therapy, 4114 (52.4%) were tested after receiving first-line therapy and before receiving subsequent therapy (if any), 970 (12.3%) were tested after second-line therapy and before receiving subsequent therapy (if any), and 447 (5.7%) patients underwent testing after receiving third-line therapy. A higher proportion of patients with BRCAm, HRRm, or HRD-positive status were treated with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors across all lines of therapy. There was no evidence of a meaningful difference in the proportion of patients who received other treatment (including chemotherapy and immunotherapy) by BRCAm, HRRm, or HRD status. The majority of patients from this real-world dataset underwent FoundationOne®CDx testing after initiation of first-line treatment. Testing appeared to influence treatment patterns, with a higher proportion of patients with BRCAm, HRRm, and HRD-positive disease receiving PARP inhibitors.

Anxiety and depression among patients with insomnia during the first wave and the release of the COVID-19 in Northeast China: A cross-sectional survey

BackgroundThe global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic seriously affected people's lives. We evaluated anxiety and depression among patients with insomnia in northeast China during the first wave and release of COVID-19, providing a basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of insomnia. MethodsWe enrolled 4211 patients with insomnia from January 2016 to February 2020, August 2020 to February 2022, August 2022 to December 2022, and January 2023 to February 2023, from our institution. Sleep quality was evaluated using the Athens Insomnia Scale, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), while mood disorder and fatigue were evaluated using the Hhospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and Fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14). ResultsInsomnia with depression increased in prevalence after COVID-19 compared with before (12.8 % vs. 15.3 %, P < 0.05), while the age of patients decreased [(50.2 ± 15.2) vs. (47.5 ± 16.8), P < 0.05]. The number of patients with insomnia and severe depression increased compared with before COVID-19 (20.3 % vs. 25.3 %, P < 0.05). A higher proportion of patients with insomnia for >2 years had depression (P < 0.05). As the epidemic subsided, insomnia increased among young and male patients (young patients: 55.2 % vs. 37.0 %; male patients: 41 % vs. 27.4 %, respectively; P < 0.05). The proportion of patients with insomnia with anxiety and depression increased (53.8 % vs. 51.8 %，P < 0.05), the proportion with moderate to severe anxiety increased (7.6 % vs. 13.5 %, P < 0.05), and moderate and severe depression decreased (moderate: 25.6 % vs. 19.1 %, severe: 25.8 % vs. 20.3 %, P < 0.05, respectively). Middle-aged and elderly patients had higher PQSI scores in sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency, subjective sleep quality, and use of sleep medications than young patients (P < 0.05). The PSQI score was positively correlated with the PHQ-9 score (r = 0.526), GAD-7 score (r = 0.563), and FS-14 score (r = 0.316) (P < 0.05). LimitationsThe study was single-center, the sample size was small, and assessment data were lacking from early in the epidemic. The scale is subjective, which may affect the accuracy. ConclusionInsomnia with depression increased during COVID-19. The patients were younger than before the epidemic, and a higher proportion with insomnia for >2 years had depression. The proportion of patients with insomnia with anxiety and depression was higher after the epidemic period, and the degree worsened. The proportion of insomnia with depression decreased after the epidemic period, and the degree alleviated. The proportion of young male patients with insomnia increased. Middle aged and elderly patients with insomnia had poor sleep quality, which was positively correlated with anxiety, depression, and fatigue.

Is arthritis an associated risk factor for trigger finger occurrence after carpal tunnel release? A nationwide, population-based study in Korea.

We hypothesized that increased friction between the flexor tendon and surrounding structures due to hand arthritis is an important risk factor for trigger finger (TF) after carpal tunnel release (CTR). Therefore, we compared TF development according to the presence or absence of arthritis in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) patients treated with CTR. This retrospective study was based on data collected from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC) in the Republic of Korea between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2015. Patients diagnosed with TF between one month and one year after the CTR date or with a history of surgery were included in the study. During subsequent follow-up, the patients were divided into subgroups of those (1) with TF and (2) without TF. Sex, age, arthritis, and TF-related comorbidities were compared between the subgroups. The subgroup with TF had a higher proportion of women (9.43% vs 90.57%), the highest age range between 50 and 59 years, more cases of arthritis (32.55% vs 16.79%), and a higher proportion of patients with hypothyroidism (10.85% vs 4.60%) than the group without TF. The association between arthritis and TF after CTR was examined using a multivariate logistic regression model, showing arthritis to be a significant risk factor for TF after CTR (odds ratio, 1.35; P = 0.049). We identified arthritis as an important risk factor for the development of TF after CTR.

COVID-19 and End of Life in a Quaternary Australian Hospital: Referral for Palliative Care Consultation.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in complex physical and psychosocial symptom burden at end of life. The benefit of specialist palliative care input in other disease states has been established, however, there is little evidence on referral patterns to these services in patients dying from COVID-19. This retrospective audit investigated the referral patterns for patients who died from COVID-19 at a quaternary hospital in South Australia (the Royal Adelaide Hospital) over a six-month period in 2022, and whether demographic features or COVID-19 specific factors had an impact on whether these patients received specialist palliative care services (PCS). The second aim was to identify prescription patterns for patients in the last 24 hours of life, and whether this was impacted by referral. Data were obtained from electronic medical records and analyzed using binary logistic regressions for referral to PCS versus no referral based on various predictors. There was no significant difference comparing patient demographics or COVID-19 specific factors with referral to PCS. There was statistical significance between patients who received referral to PCS and those who had a higher oral morphine equivalent daily dose (OMEDD) in the 24 hours before death, as well as the presence of a continuous subcutaneous infusion. Although the cause of this relationship is undetermined, it may represent the prescription patterns of the palliative care physicians during consultation or potentially higher symptom burden prompting referral. There was also a higher proportion of patients who received hydromorphone compared with other opioids, though the OMEDD was consistent with other published literature.

Transcriptomic analysis of GITR and GITR ligand reveals cancer immune heterogeneity with implications for GITR targeting.

Glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor related protein (GITR) is a transmembrane protein expressed mostly on CD25+CD4+ regulatory T-cells (Tregs) and upregulated on all T-cells upon activation. It is a T-cell co-stimulatory receptor and has demonstrated promising anti-tumor activity in pre-clinical studies. To date, however, the efficacy of GITR agonism has been discouraging in clinical trials. This study explores GITR and GITR ligand (GITR-L) ribonucleic acid (RNA) expression in solid tumors in an attempt to delineate causes for variable responses to GITR agonists. RNA expression levels of 514 patients with a variety of cancer types were normalized to internal housekeeping gene profiles and ranked as percentiles. 99/514 patients (19.3%) had high GITR expression (defined as ≥ 75th percentile). Breast and lung cancer had the highest proportion of patients with high GITR expression (39% and 35%, respectively). The expression of concomitant high GITR and low-moderate GITR-L expression (defined as <75th percentile) was present in 31% and 30% of patients with breast and lung cancer respectively. High GITR expression also showed a significant independent association with high RNA expression of other immune modulator proteins, namely, PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) ≥1 (odds ratio (OR) 2.15, P=0.008), CTLA4 (OR=2.17, P=0.05) and OX40 high RNA expression (OR=2.64, P=0.001). Overall, these results suggest that breast and lung cancer have a high proportion of patients with a GITR and GITR-L RNA expression profile that merits further investigation in GITR agonism studies. The association of high GITR expression with high CTLA4 and OX40 RNA expression, as well as positive PD-L1 IHC, provides a rationale for a combination approach targeting these specific immune modulator proteins in patients whose tumors show such co-expression.

Patients’ experiences with receiving sick leave certificates via remote consultations in Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide online survey

ObjectivesTo explore patients’ experiences with receiving sick leave certificates via remote consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate whether there were differences among the types of remote consultation (telephone, video...

Spatial-temporal analysis of hepatitis E in Hainan Province, China (2013-2022): insights from four major hospitals.

Exploring the Incidence, Epidemic Trends, and Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Sporadic Hepatitis E in Hainan Province from 2013 to 2022 through four major tertiary hospitals in the Province. We collected data on confirmed cases of hepatitis E in Hainan residents admitted to the four major tertiary hospitals in Haikou City from January 2013 to December 2022. We used SPSS software to analyze the correlation between incidence rate and economy, population density and geographical location, and origin software to draw a scatter chart and SAS 9.4 software to conduct a descriptive analysis of the time trend. The distribution was analyzed using ArcMap 10.8 software (spatial autocorrelation analysis, hotspot identification, concentration, and dispersion trend analysis). SAS software was used to build an autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA) to predict the monthly number of cases in 2023 and 2024. From 2013 to 2022, 1,922 patients with sporadic hepatitis E were treated in the four hospitals of Hainan Province. The highest proportion of patients (n = 555, 28.88%) were aged 50-59 years. The annual incidence of hepatitis E increased from 2013 to 2019, with a slight decrease in 2020 and 2021 and an increase in 2022. The highest number of cases was reported in Haikou, followed by Dongfang and Danzhou. We found that there was a correlation between the economy, population density, latitude, and the number of cases, with the correlation coefficient |r| value fluctuating between 0.403 and 0.421, indicating a linear correlation. At the same time, a scatter plot shows the correlation between population density and incidence from 2013 to 2022, with r2 values fluctuating between 0.5405 and 0.7116, indicating a linear correlation. Global Moran's I, calculated through spatial autocorrelation analysis, showed that each year from 2013 to 2022 all had a Moran's I value >0, indicating positive spatial autocorrelation (p < 0.01). Local Moran's I analysis revealed that from 2013 to 2022, local hotspots were mainly concentrated in the northern part of Hainan Province, with Haikou, Wenchang, Ding'an, and Chengmai being frequent hotspot regions, whereas Baoting, Qiongzhong, and Ledong were frequent cold-spot regions. Concentration and dispersion analysis indicated a clear directional pattern in the average density distribution, moving from northeast to southwest. Time-series forecast modeling showed that the forecast number of newly reported cases per month remained relatively stable in 2023 and 2024, fluctuating between 17 and 19. The overall incidence of hepatitis E in Hainan Province remains relatively stable. The incidence of hepatitis E in Hainan Province increased from 2013 to 2019, with a higher clustering of cases in the northeast region and a gradual spread toward the southwest over time. The ARIMA model predicted a relatively stable number of new cases each month in 2023 and 2024.

CAR-T Cell Therapy for Follicular Lymphomas.

Follicular lymphoma is the second most diagnosed lymphoma in Western Europe. Significant advancements have considerably improved the survival of FL patients. However, 10-20% of these patients are refractory to standard treatments, and most of them will relapse. The treatment of follicular lymphoma patients with multiply relapsed or refractory disease represents an area of high-unmet needing new treatments with stronger efficacy. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy targeting B-cell antigens, such as CD19 or CD20, is emerging as an efficacious treatment for R/R follicular lymphoma patients, particularly for those with early relapse and refractory to alkylating agents and to anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, resulting in a high rate of durable responses in a high proportion of patients.

Poor Glycaemic Control and It’s Risk Factors Among Diabetes Patients in An Urban Area of Western India

Introduction: Diabetes is a major public health problem worldwide including India. Poor glycaemic control is a major risk factor for the development of diabetes-related complications. Hence, monitoring and achieving good glycaemic control is critical to reducing the risk of complications and improving outcomes in people with diabetes. This study conducted to determine the prevalence of poor glycaemic control and to identify the factors associated with poor glycaemic control. Methodology: This cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in an urban area among those patients having diabetes since more than five years. All participants were interviewed and tested for HbA1c. Cases with good glycaemic control (HbA1c &lt;7%) were compared with those with poor glycaemic control (HbA1c ≥7%). Multivariate analysis was conducted to find out independent determinants. Results: Out of 632 cases, poor glycaemic control was found in 81.3% cases. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that living without a spouse (p 0.036), Female gender (p 0.032), MBI &gt;23(kg/m2) (p &lt;0.001), poor medication adherence (p 0.022), and high perceived stress level (p 0.011) were independent predictors of poor glycaemic control. More than 10 years duration of diabetes was found to be associated with good glycaemic control (p 0.016) Conclusion: There are a high proportion of patients with poor glycaemic control. Higher BMI, poor drug adherence and higher stress level are independently associated with poor glycaemic control.

Effects of tertiary palliative care on the pattern of end-of-life care in patients with hematologic malignancies in Korea.

Patients with hematologic malignancies (HMs) often face challenges in accessing palliative care (PC) and receiving quality end-of-life (EOL) care. We examined factors associated with referrals to tertiary PC and the effects of tertiary PC on EOL care in patients with HMs. We included patients with HMs who were admitted to a university-affiliated hospital and died during hospitalization between January 2018 and December 2021. We investigated the receipt of PC consultations, patient characteristics, and EOL care indicators. Overall, 487 patients were included in the analysis, with 156 (32%) undergoing PC consultation. Sex, residence, disease status, and admission purpose were factors associated with the likelihood of PC consultation, and there has been an increasing trend in the frequency of consultations in recent cases. A higher proportion of patients who received PC completed advance statements and life-sustaining treatment documents. Patients who received PC had lower rates of aggressive EOL care, including chemotherapy and intensive care unit admission, than those who did not receive PC. Notably, PC reduced the number of blood transfusions. Tertiary PC aims to reduce aggressive EOL care through patient-centered goal-of-care discussions. Therefore, there is an imperative need for concerted efforts toward seamless integration of PC.