Smoking is a major risk factor for anastomotic leak in patients undergoing low anterior resection

AIM

To examine modifiable risk factors for anastomotic leak in patients undergoing low anterior resection.

METHOD

In total 233 patients undergoing low anterior resection for benign and malignant disease over a 10-year period at a single surgical unit were identified from a prospective database. The relationships between anastomotic leak and 17 variables were examined, including patient demographics, operative technique, tumour pathology, preoperative physiological function and smoking status.

RESULTS

The majority (91%) of operations were carried out for rectal cancers, and 24 procedures (10%) were performed with laparoscopic assistance. The overall anastomotic leak rate was 14% (33/233). Patients with anastomotic leak had higher 30-day mortality (6%vs 1%, P<0.05) and stayed significantly longer in hospital (median 23 vs 10 days, P<0.001). On multivariate analysis, current smokers (OR 3.68, 95% CI 1.38-9.82, P=0.009) and patients with evidence of metastatic malignant disease (OR 3.43, 95% CI 1.29-9.13, P=.013) were at increased risk of anastomotic leak.

CONCLUSION

Smoking and the presence of metastatic disease are major risk factors for the development of anastomotic leak following low anterior resection.

An assessment of the long-term health outcome of renal transplant recipients in Ireland

BACKGROUND

Renal transplantation remains the preferred method of renal replacement therapy in terms of patient survival, quality of life and cost. However, patients have a high risk of complications ranging from rejection episodes, infection and cancer, amongst others.

AIMS AND METHODS

In this study, we sought to determine the long-term health outcomes and preventive health measures undertaken for the 1,536 living renal transplant patients in Ireland using a self-reported questionnaire. Outcomes were divided into categories, namely, general health information, allograft-related information, immunosuppression-related complications and preventive health measures.

RESULTS

The results demonstrate a high rate of cardiovascular, neoplastic and infectious complications in our transplant patients. Moreover, preventive health measures are often not undertaken by patients and lifestyle choices can be poor.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the work needed by the transplantation community to improve patient education, adjust immunosuppression where necessary and aggressively manage patient risk factors.

Cetuximab in locally advanced head-and-neck cancer: defining the population

Encouraging data for targeted therapy in head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma are opening new options for treatment. Phase III trials of cetuximab, an antibody directed against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have demonstrated benefit in the locally advanced and metastatic settings. Recognizing the importance of emerging therapies, Cancer Care Ontario published guideline recommendations for EGFR-targeted therapy in stage III and IV head-and-neck cancer. The present paper takes a further look at the population for whom an offer of cetuximab therapy may be appropriate.

WAXS studies of the structural diversity of hemoglobin in solution

Specific ligation states of hemoglobin are, when crystallized, capable of taking on multiple quaternary structures. The relationship between these structures, captured in crystal lattices, and hemoglobin structure in solution remains uncertain. Wide-angle X-ray solution scattering (WAXS) is a sensitive probe of protein structure in solution that can distinguish among similar structures and has the potential to contribute to these issues. We used WAXS to assess the relationships among the structures of human and bovine hemoglobins in different liganded forms in solution. WAXS data readily distinguished among the various forms of hemoglobins. WAXS patterns confirm some of the relationships among hemoglobin structures that have been defined through crystallography and NMR and extend others. For instance, methemoglobin A in solution is, as expected, nearly indistinguishable from HbCO A. Interestingly, for bovine hemoglobin, the differences between deoxy-Hb, methemoglobin and HbCO are smaller than the corresponding differences in human hemoglobin. WAXS data were also used to assess the spatial extent of structural fluctuations of various hemoglobins in solution. Dynamics has been implicated in allosteric control of hemoglobin, and increased dynamics has been associated with lowered oxygen affinity. Consistent with that notion, WAXS patterns indicate that deoxy-Hb A exhibits substantially larger structural fluctuations than HbCO A. Comparisons between the observed WAXS patterns and those predicted on the basis of atomic coordinate sets suggest that the structures of Hb in different liganded forms exhibit clear differences from known crystal structures.

DNA copy-number loss on 1p36.1 harboring RUNX3 with promoter hypermethylation and associated loss of RUNX3 expression in liver fluke-associated intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Runt-related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) is a candidate tumor suppressor gene, localized on 1p36, involved in TGF-beta-Smads signaling. To assess its role in liver fluke-associated intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), the promoter methylation status was investigated in 53 ICCs by methylation-specific PCR, with determination of loss of 1p36.1 by microarray comparative genomic hybridization and RUNX3 protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Loss at 1p36.1 was found 41.5% of ICCs (22/53). In addition, DNA hypermethylation of the RUNX3 promoter was found in 49.1% (26/53) of cancers and 57.1% (4/7) of ICC cell lines. The protein was highly expressed in normal bile ducts but mostly decreased in ICCs, 67.9% (n= 36) being negative for immunohistochemical staining. Promoter hypermethylation of RUNX3 was associated with reversible decrease or absence of RUNX3 protein expression (p<0.001), but this was not found to differ with the ICC subtype. In contrast, loss of 1p36.1 demonstrated a significant link (p= 0.020). In conclusion, RUNX3 promoter hypermethylation and loss of 1p36.1 are causal mechanisms for loss of RUNX3 function in liver fluke-associated ICC carcinogenesis.

Natural history and predictors for progression of mild childhood obstructive sleep apnoea

AIMS

The natural history of mild childhood obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) was examined and factors associated with disease progression were identified.

METHODS

Subjects were recruited from an epidemiological study which examined the prevalence of OSA in Chinese children aged 6-13 years. The first 56 consecutive children identified with mild OSA (apnoea-hypopnoea index 1-5) were invited for a repeat assessment 2 years after the diagnosis.

RESULTS

45 children participated in the follow-up study, in 13 of whom (29%) the OSA was found to have worsened. Compared with those in whom OSA had not worsened, the worsened OSA group had a greater increase in waist circumference, a higher prevalence of large tonsils (occupying > or =50% of the airway) at both baseline and follow-up, and a higher prevalence of habitual snoring at both baseline and follow-up. The presence of large tonsils had a positive predictive value of 53% and a negative predictive value of 83% for worsening OSA over a 2-year period. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the change in obstructive apnoea-hypopnoea index was associated with age at baseline (beta (SE) = -0.92 (0.34), p = 0.009), gender (male = 1; female = 0) (beta (SE) = 4.69 (1.29), p<0.001), presence of large tonsils at baseline (beta (SE) = 4.36 (1.24), p = 0.001), change in waist circumference (beta (SE) = 0.30 (0.09), p = 0.002) and persistently large tonsils (beta (SE) = 5.69 (1.36), p<0.001) over the 2-year period.

CONCLUSIONS

Mild OSA in the majority of children does not resolve spontaneously. Subjects with tonsillar hypertrophy, especially boys, should be closely monitored to allow early detection of worsening OSA. Weight control should be stressed in the management of childhood OSA.

Transcriptome-wide mutation discovery in patients in a phase II clinical trial of first-line erlotinib for clinically selected patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

8102

Background: The purpose of this study was to clinically select a population of patients (pts) likely to benefit from erlotinib and to perform extensive genetic profiling of fresh tissue tumour to identify predictive biomarkers. Methods: Treatment was erlotinib 150 mg p.o. daily until disease progression. Eligibility criteria included: stage IIIB/IV NSCLC; no prior chemo; ECOG ≤2; at least 2 of the following 4 criteria: women, never-smokers, Southeast Asian origin, adenocarcinoma and/or BAC. All pts had baseline serum samples and a fresh frozen tumour biopsy. EGFR and KRAS were sequenced using traditional methods to identify known mutations of erlotinib. Transcribed coding regions of all other expressed genes were sequenced to uncover novel mutations and other genetic features. Results: From Sept-06 to Oct-08, 65 pts have been enrolled. Of these 60 have completed at least 8 wks of erlotinib (or progressed before 8 wks). 49F and 11M; 45 never smokers. PS 0/1/2: 10/39/11. 18 Caucasian and 42 Asian. Pathology: 44 ACA; 3 BAC;1 squamous carcinoma; 13 NSCLC NOS. Responses: PR - 21 (35%); SD - 24 (DCR 75%); PD - 10; NE - 5. 85% did not progress at 8 weeks. 19 of 51 (37%) pre-treatment samples had an EGFR mutation. 10 of the 28 pts with response data (24pts still on drug) had a PR and 7 of these had either an LREA deletion or L858R point mutation. 1 of 3 post-treatment samples developed a T790M mutation on erlotinib. 3 of 51 pts have KRAS mutations. Analysis of over 21 Giga basepairs of aligned transcriptome sequencing data from 20 tumour samples has uncovered 1089 putative non-conservative gene mutations of which 15 are seen in multiple tumours: TUBA1C, EPS8L1, ARID4B, RPL22, C20orf52, CCT8, HLA-DRB5, TRIP6, and PLP2 in 4 tumours, C20orf52 and CTSL1 in 5 tumours, and SERF2, TMEM173, and an uncharacterized gene in 6 tumours. Conclusions: Clinical selection of pts enriches the EGFR mutation positive and KRAS mutation negative population and leads to high rates of non-progression. Full tumour RNA analysis identified several recurrent mutations that may describe mechanisms of erlotinib response and resistance. The discovery of novel mutations in multiple pts suggests patterns that may shed light on lung cancer specific behaviour.

[Table: see text]

Meta-analysis of the impact of human papillomavirus on cancer risk and overall survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

6080

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an important etiologic factor in HNSCC and its prevalence has been reported in several independent studies. We conducted a meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of HPV, its impact on risk of developing HNSCC and overall survival (OS). Methods: Pubmed search terms “HPV” and “HNSCC” were used to identify 40 clinical and translational studies between the years 1980–2008 that reported the prevalence of HPV in HNSCC. Statistical software STATA 10.0 was used in the meta-analyses to identify the association of HPV and HNSCC risk and OS. Pooled adjusted odds ratio (OR) or hazard ratio (HR) were obtained using a random-effects model. The amount of heterogeneity between studies was estimated with both the Chi-squared based Q test and the I2 statistic model. Potential sources of publication bias were detected using funnel plots. OS between the trials was compared in forest plot. Results: A total of 6,794 patients (pts) were included. The prevalence of HPV among HNSCC pts was 24.2%; and 86.8% of all HPV(+) tumors were HPV16. Thirteen studies (n = 1933 pts) determined HPV status by serology and the remainder detected HPV DNA in tumor tissue by PCR. Overall, HPV positivity conferred an increased risk for HNSCC (OR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.04–1.82). Risk for HNSCC among HPV16(+) pts was 4.47 times that of HPV16(-) pts. The OS was improved in HPV(+) pts compared to HPV(-) pts (HR = 0.40; 0.27–0.53). In HPV16(+) pts the HR for OS was 0.41 and the survival benefit was even more pronounced in the subgroup of HPV16(+) oropharyngeal cancers (HR = 0.38;0.17–0.58). Conclusions: This meta-analysis provides further evidence supporting the role of HPV as an important causative agent in HNSCC and supports HPV(+) HNSCC as a separate biologic entity which likely should be treated differently than HPV(-) HNSCC. Additional analysis on treatment outcomes to systemic and local therapy is ongoing.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Dual epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibition: Phase I study combining cetuximab (C225) and erlotinib (E) in advanced solid tumors

3552

Background: The EGFR pathway is implicated in lung tumorigenesis by aberrantly regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion. Maximal blockade of the EGFR can be achieved by dually inhibiting the extracellular and intracellular domain with the monoclonal antibody C225 and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, E. Given preclinical synergy of C225 and E, we hypothesized this combination would be feasible and result in improved therapeutic benefit. Methods: Patients (pts) with advanced solid tumors were enrolled using a standard phase I dose escalation design. C225 was administered IV weekly, with no loading dose, and E given orally daily on a 28-day cycle. Four dose levels were studied: C225 150 mg/m2, E 100 mg; C225 200 mg/m2, E 100 mg; C225 250 mg/m2, E 100 mg; and C225 250 mg/m2, E 150 mg. Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as: grade (Gr) 4 platelets, Gr 3 platelets with bleeding, febrile neutropenia, ≥ Gr 3 ANC with documented infection, or clinically significant > Gr 3 non-hematologic toxicity. Gr 3 rash based solely on pain or Gr 3 hypersensitivity infusion reactions were not considered DLTs. Results: 18 pts were treated: 13 NSCLC, 3 H&N, 1 pancreas, and 1 invasive thymoma. Characteristics: Age range 41–80, median 62.5; Gender: 7 M; ECOG PS ≤1 = 17; Prior chemo ≤1 = 10. Planned dose escalation was completed without reaching the MTD. The highest dose level was expanded to 6 pts. A single DLT for Gr 3 diarrhea was observed at the second dose level (C225 200 mg/m2, E 100 mg). Gr 3/4 toxicities were: lymphopenia (3), acneiform rash (3), nausea/vomiting (3), pruritis (1), fatigue (1), diarrhea (1), confusion (1), hypomagnesemia (1), hypocalcemia (1), hyponatremia (1), hyperkalemia (1), and anemia (1). Of 13 evaluable pts, 1 PR (NSCLC) and 4 with SD (2 NSCLC, 2 H&N). Median cycles: 2 (1–14) with one NSCLC pt on therapy for 8 cycles and one H&N pt receiving 14 cycles. Biomarker analysis of EGFR polymorphisms, gene copy number via FISH, and protein expression will be presented, along with the mutation status of EGFR and KRAS. Conclusions: 1) Dual EGFR inhibition with C225 250 mg/m2 weekly and E 150 mg daily is feasible, well tolerated, and the recommended phase II dose. 2) Efficacy of this combination in NSCLC is being evaluated in a phase II trial.

[Table: see text]

Cardiac remodelling and dysfunction in children with obstructive sleep apnoea: a community based study

BACKGROUND

Childhood obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is suggested to be associated with cardiac structural abnormalities and dysfunction but existing evidence is limited and the treatment effect on echocardiographic outcome remains controversial.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the presence of subclinical cardiac abnormalities in childhood OSA and the effects of treatment on cardiac changes.

METHODS

Polysomnography (PSG) and echocardiographic examinations were performed in 101 children aged between 6 and 13 years who were invited from a community based questionnaire survey. They were classified into a reference group (apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) <1, n = 35), mild OSA group (AHI 1-5, n = 39) and moderate to severe group (AHI >5, n = 27) based on the PSG results. Treatments, including adenotonsillectomy or nasal steroids, were offered to the mild and moderate to severe OSA groups.

RESULTS

The moderate to severe OSA group had greater right ventricular (RV) systolic volume index (RVSVI), lower RV ejection fraction (RVEF) and higher RV myocardial performance index (RVMPI) than the reference group. They also had more significant left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction and remodelling with larger interventricular septal thickness index (IVSI) and relative wall thickness than those with lower AHI values. The moderate to severe OSA group had an increased risk of abnormal LV geometry compared with the reference group (odds ratio 4.21 (95% CI 1.35 to 13.12)). Log transformed AHI was associated with RVSVI (p = 0.0002), RVEF (p = 0.0001) and RVMPI (p<0.0001), independent of the effect of obesity. Improvement in RVMPI, IVSI and E/e' were observed in those with a significant reduction in AHI (>50%) comparing 6 month with baseline data.

CONCLUSIONS

OSA is an independent risk factor for subclinical RV and LV dysfunction, and improvement in AHI is associated with reversibility of these abnormalities.

The effects of strontium ranelate in Asian women with postmenopausal osteoporosis

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of strontium ranelate in the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in Taiwan. In this 12-month multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 125 women with osteoporosis were randomly given either strontium ranelate 2 g daily or placebo. Lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total-hip bone mineral density (BMD) and biochemical markers of bone turnover were measured; adverse events and tolerability were recorded and assessed. Subjects treated with strontium ranelate showed significant increases in BMD of 5.9% at the lumbar spine, 2.6% at the femoral neck, and 2.7% at the total hip, while the placebo group exhibited no significant change at 12 months. Serum level of a formation marker (bone-specific alkaline phosphatase) was also significantly increased at 6 and 12 months. Thus, although the sample size and the treatment duration of this study could not show its effect of reducing osteoprotic fractures, strontium ranelate showed bone protection effects by increasing BMD and concentrations of a bone formation marker. Safety assessment revealed adverse events were mild and not significantly different from placebo.

Tactile and Multisensory Spatial Warning Signals for Drivers

The last few years have seen many exciting developments in the area of tactile and multisensory interface design. One of the most rapidly-moving practical application areas for these findings is in the development of warning signals and information displays for drivers. For instance, tactile displays can be used to awaken sleepy drivers, to capture the attention of distracted drivers, and even to present more complex information to drivers who may be visually-overloaded. This review highlights the most important potential costs and benefits associated with the use of tactile and multisensory information displays in a vehicular setting. Multisensory displays that are based on the latest cognitive neuroscience research findings can capture driver attention significantly more effective than their unimodal (i.e., tactile) counterparts. Multisensory displays can also be used to transmit information more efficiently, as well as to reduce driver workload. Finally, we highlight the key research questions currently awaiting further research, including questions such as: Are tactile warning signals really intuitive? Are there certain regions of the body (or in the space surrounding the body) where tactile/multisensory warning signals are particularly effective? To what extent is the spatial coincidence and temporal synchrony of the individual sensory signals critical to determining the effectiveness of multisensory displays? And, finally, how does the issue of compliance vs. reliance (or the 'cry wolf' phenomenon associated with the presentation of signals that are perceived as false alarms) influence the effectiveness of tactile and/or multisensory warning signals?

Development of multiple complications in type 2 diabetes is associated with the increase of multiple markers of chronic inflammation

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are known at risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), nephropathy, and cancer. We were interested to find out whether multiple markers associated with chronic inflammation are detectable in patients with T2DM and are increased in patients with T2DM who developed additional clinical complications. A sequence of multiple risk markers for atherogenesis, associated with chronic inflammation, was measured in patients with T2DM before and after the development of clinical complications. We found that multiple clinical complications frequently developed simultaneously in patients with T2DM. At the early stage of T2DM, only low levels and low percent elevations of multiple risk markers were detected. However, both the level and the percent elevation of these markers were found to increase with disease progression and the development of clinical complications. We believe that chronic inflammation not only contributes to the pathogenesis of T2DM but also continues to increase in T2DM patients who are developing additional clinical complications. It appears that these multiple markers are potentially useful not only for monitoring the progression of T2DM but also predicting the risk of developing macro- and microvascular disease, nephropathy, and cancer.

Ambulatory blood pressure in children with obstructive sleep apnoea: a community based study

BACKGROUND

Childhood obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is increasingly being recognised. Its effects on blood pressure (BP) elevation and hypertension are still controversial.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between OSA and ambulatory BP in children.

METHODS

Children aged 6-13 years from randomly selected schools were invited to undergo overnight sleep study and ambulatory BP monitoring after completing a validated OSA questionnaire. OSA was diagnosed if the obstructive apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) was >1, and normal controls had AHI <1 and snoring <3 nights per week. Children with OSA were subdivided into a mild group (AHI 1-5) and moderate to severe group (AHI >5).

RESULTS

306 subjects had valid sleep and daytime BP data. Children with OSA had significantly higher BP than normal healthy children during both sleep and wakefulness. BP levels increased with the severity of OSA, and children with moderate to severe disease (AHI >5) were at significantly higher risk for nocturnal systolic (OR 3.9 (95% CI 1.4 to 10.5)) and diastolic (OR 3.3 (95% CI 1.4 to 8.1)) hypertension. Multiple linear regression revealed a significant association between oxygen desaturation index and AHI with daytime and nocturnal BP, respectively, independent of obesity.

CONCLUSIONS

OSA was associated with elevated daytime and nocturnal BP, and is an independent predictor of nocturnal hypertension. This has important clinical implications as childhood elevated BP predicts future cardiovascular risks. Future studies should examine the effect of therapy for OSA on changes in BP.

Implantable hemodynamic monitoring (the Chronicle IHM system): remote telemonitoring for patients with heart failure

(1) Remote monitoring for ambulatory heart failure patients uses an implantable device to record hemodynamic data and transmit it to a central server for continuous assessment. (2) Preliminary evidence from observational studies suggests a potential for reducing hospitalizations with the use of right ventricle implantable hemodynamic monitoring (IHM). However, although a multicentre, randomized controlled trial (COMPASS-HF) showed a reduction in hospitalizations in the IHM group the results were not statistically significant and the US Food and Drug Administration panel concluded the trial failed to meet its primary efficacy endpoint. (3) In the COMPASS-HF study the most common device-related complication was lead dislodgement. (4) Large randomized controlled trials are needed to demonstrate the clinical utility of IHM, particularly in terms of its impact on reducing hospitalization and improving patient outcomes.

Higher diagnostic accuracy with the ThinPrep method in a simulated intraoperative environment

OBJECTIVE

To compare the accuracy of intraoperative fine needle aspiration cytology samples prepared by the ThinPrep method to conventional cytological methods. Specimen adequacy and turn around time (TAT) were also assessed.

METHODS

Fifty consecutive fresh tumours submitted for histological analysis were aspirated and each prepared as follows: (i) direct smear with H&E stain, (ii) direct smear with Pap stain, (iii) ThinPrep slide with H&E stain, and (iv) ThinPrep slide with Pap stain. The slides were randomly distributed to three cytopathologists for interpretation. The quality of the preparation, the diagnosis and the time needed for interpretation were recorded.

RESULTS

Accuracy was measured as the percentage of absolute agreement between the cytological and the histopathological diagnoses of the lesions. Histologically, there were 43 malignant and six benign lesions and one atypical lipoma. The TAT began when the slides/cytolyte specimens arrived at the lab and ended with the pathologist's diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

In terms of accuracy and specimen adequacy, ThinPrep slides with Pap stain is the best procedure. This advantage however is offset by the longer testing time.

An audit of the value of pre-operative electrocardiograms before surgery (general anaesthetic) in a day surgery unit

BACKGROUND

As the population presenting for day-case surgery and anaesthesia increases, so does the challenge of adequate pre-operative assessment. The resting 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is relatively insensitive and frequently normal even in the presence of severe coronary artery disease but it is quick, easy to perform and frequently requested, thus its value in day-case surgery remains unproven.

AIMS

To assess whether patients at Day Surgery Unit, Gartnavel General Hospital who fit the ECG criteria get an immediate ECG and also to review whether abnormal ECG results leads to any change in the patient's management.

METHODS

A prospective audit was performed on all patients coming in for noncardiac day-case surgery over a 3-week period between February 2006 and March 2006. Patient notes were reviewed before their surgery.

RESULTS

60 patients presenting for day-case surgery over this period should have had an ECG done but only 24 were referred. A significant abnormality was noted in 12.5% of ECGs. None of these patients had their surgery postponed or management changed. No adverse events occurred in patients proceeding to surgery and there were no cases of peri-operative cardiovascular complications or admissions to hospital.

CONCLUSION

The finding of ECG abnormalities did not prevent the patient proceeding directly to anaesthesia and surgery. Furthermore, they did not predict intra-operative, postoperative complications or hospital admission following the procedure. The ECG is of limited value in the risk stratification of patients selected for day-case surgery.