Prognostic significance of 68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT in patients with bone metastases in various cancers

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare 18FDGPET/CT in patients who develop bone metastases due to various cancers and to investigate the prognostic significance of the 68FAPI-PET/CT SUVmax value for survival.

METHODS

Patients with bone metastases who underwent both 68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT and 18FDGPET/CT within a 1 week period were included in this retrospective study. The effect of the SUVmax value of bone lesions on overall survival was analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 75 eligible patients with 139 bone lesions were included in this study. The median age of the patients was 55 (30-83) and 48(64%) patients were newly diagnosed. The primary lesion median 68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT SUVmax value was higher than the median 18FDGPET/CT SUVmax (10.75 versus 6.7). Bone lesions 68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT SUVmax median (IQR) were 7.8 (4.6-13.2), and 18FDGPET/CT SUVmax of bone lesions were 5.9 (3.8-8.2). More bone lesions were detected on 68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT than on 18FDGPET/CT(median IQR 4 [1-9] versus 2 [1-6] (p = 0.014). The extra lesions observed on 68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT were mostly sclerotic bone lesions (p = 0.001).68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT SUVmax was significantly higher in vertebra and thorax lesions (p = 0.011 and p = 0.018, respectively). While the bone lesion 68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT SUVmax affected the OS, the 18FDGPET/CT SUVmax value did not affect the OS (p < 0.001 and p = 0.079, respectively). In ROC analysis, a cut-off-off value of 68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT SUVmax > 7.7 was found for OS (AUC: 0.619). The median OS in the group above the cut-off value was worse than that in the group below the cut-off value (32 versus 45) months (p = 0.002). In the multivariate analysis for OS, the 68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT SUVmax of bone lesions was an important parameter, as well as cancer subtype, ALP level, and disease occurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT detected more bone lesions and higher SUVmax values than 18FDGPET/CT in various cancers. The prognostic value of the SUVmax value of 68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT bone lesions was observed regardless of disease subtype.

Clinical and angiographic outcomes following percutaneous treatment of non-occlusive vs. chronically total occluded coronary lesions

Background

Recent advancements in recanalization techniques, introduction of dedicated equipment and elaboration of systematic algorithmic approaches have significantly improved procedural success of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures. However, despite their undisputable merits in terms of procedural success, direct comparisons of mid-term clinical and angiographic outcomes following CTO and non-CTO-PCI are missing.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and angiographic outcomes of patients undergoing successful CTO-PCI as compared to a propensity matched cohort of patients undergoing PCI of non-occlusive coronary lesions.

Methods

All consecutive patients undergoing successful CTO recanalization procedures at our center between 2015 and 2018 were included (N=453; 472 lesions). For matching purposes, all patients undergoing non-CTO-PCI present in our database were included (N=14733; 23458 lesions). A 1-to-1 nearest neighbour matching using baseline clinical and angiographic variables was performed to identify one patient undergoing non-CTO-PCI (N=453; 472 vessels) for each patient undergoing CTO-PCI (N=453; 472 vessels). Surveillance angiography was scheduled at 6–9 months and clinical follow-up was performed up to 12 months. The primary clinical endpoint of interest was the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI) and target lesion revascularization (TLR). The secondary angiographic endpoint was in-segment binary restenosis.

Results

Patients undergoing CTO-PCI displayed a tendency towards higher degrees of binary restenosis at surveillance angiography as compared to those undergoing non-CTO-PCI (CTO vs. non-CTO: 30.5% vs. 24.0%; P=0.058), despite not meeting statistical significance. Of note, the incidence of occlusive restenosis was low and comparable between groups (2.2% vs. 1.4%; P=0.603). At 12 months follow-up, MACE occurred in 83 patients (19.7%) in the CTO-PCI and 59 patients (14.1%) in the non-CTO-PCI group (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–2.01; P=0.033). TLR rates were significantly higher following CTO- as compared to non-CTO-PCI (17.2% vs. 10.3%; HR=1.72 [1.18–2.51], P=0.005). The incidence of all-cause death (2.6% vs. 3.3%; P=0.548) and MI (0.5% vs. 1.4%; P=0.177) was not significantly different between the groups.

Conclusion

In this large, propensity-matched comparison of clinical and angiographic outcomes following CTO- vs. non-CTO-PCI, we found CTO-PCI to be associated with a higher MACE rate at 12 months, primarily driven by significantly higher TLR rates. The incidence of occlusive restenosis was low and comparable between groups.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

[miR-485-3p and miR-4728-5p as Tumor Suppressors in Pathogenesis of Colorectal Cancer]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that have major functions in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. The aim of the current research was to assess the role of miR-485-3p and miR-4728-5p in the pathogenesis of CRC. In this study, fresh tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissue samples were obtained from a total of 59 CRC patients, 37 from colon and 22 from rectum. The expression profiles of miR-485-3p and miR-4728-5p were determined using qRT-PCR. miRNA-related transcription factor (TF) regulatory networks were constructed using the TransmiR v2.0, TF-regulated target genes were determined using the Human.mirFFL.DB and TRRUST v2.0, functional annotation and pathway enrichment analyses were performed using DIANA-mir-Path v3.0 and -Tarbase v7.0. The results demonstrated that the expression levels of both miR-485-3p and miR-4728-5p were very significantly downregulated in CRC tissues (fold changes = 0.42 ± 0.70 and 0.59 ± 1.06, respectively; both p = 0.000). On the other hand, lower expression levels of miR-485-3p were detected in the both rectum and colon. Moreover, the decrease in the expression levels of miR-4728-5p was correlated with increasing age. However, these differences were not statistically significant according to the FDR-related p-values (0.126 and 0.168, respectively). By bioinformatics analyses, miR-485-3p and miR-4728-5p-related TFs were identified. Some of these TFs, namely, AR, CREB1, CEBPB, FOXA1, GTF2I, MAZ, NCOR2, NFIC, NRF1, SIN3A, SREBF1, SREBF2, p53 and YY1, appeared to be associated with CRC and were, therefore, selected to construct miRNA-TF-gene networks of potential targets for the early diagnosis and treatment of CRC. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated Hippo signaling pathway as heavily regulated by miR-485-3p. It seems that the decrease in expression levels of miR-485-3p and miR-4728-5p might be associated with development of colorectal cancer.

Efficacy and safety of ticagrelor versus prasugrel in smokers and nonsmokers with acute coronary syndromes

Background

The efficacy and safety of ticagrelor versus prasugrel according to smoking status in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are not known.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor versus prasugrel according to smoking status in patients with ACS undergoing invasive evaluation.

Methods

This pre-specified analysis of the ISAR-REACT 5 trial included 1349 smokers and 2652 nonsmokers randomised to receive ticagrelor or prasugrel. The primary endpoint was the incidence of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke; the secondary endpoint was the incidence of Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 3 to 5 bleeding. Both endpoints were assessed at 12 months after randomisation.

Results

There was no significant treatment arm-by-smoking status interaction regarding the efficacy outcome. The primary endpoint occurred in 47 patients (7.0%) in the ticagrelor group and 41 patients (6.2%) in the prasugrel group in smokers (hazard ratio [HR]=1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76–1.75; P=0.510) and in 133 patients (10.2%) in the ticagrelor group and 94 patients (7.2%) in the prasugrel group in nonsmokers (HR=1.44 [1.10–1.87], P=0.007; Pint=0.378). The secondary endpoint occurred in 27 patients (4.6%) in the ticagrelor group and 33 patients (5.6%) in the prasugrel group in smokers (HR=0.81 [0.49–1.35]; P=0.412) and in 66 patients (6.0%) in the ticagrelor group and 46 patients (4.4%) in the prasugrel group in nonsmokers (HR=1.38 [0.94–2.01]; P=0.097).

Conlusions

Although there was no significant interaction between smoking and treatment effect, the present findings suggest a greater advantage of prasugrel over ticagrelor in nonsmoker vs. smoker patients with ACS.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): German Centre for Cardiovascular Research;Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Germany

Prognostic and Predictive Significance of PD-L1 Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients: A Single-Center Experience

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prognostic and predictive value of PD-L1 expression in operated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and to analyze its relationship with clinicopathological factors.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

A total of 90 patients with operable NSCLC were included in this retrospective single center study. Tumor blocks of patients were stained immunohistochemically with PD-L1 polyclonal antibody. When evaluated immunohistochemically and statistically, patients with tumor staining percentage of ≥5%, those with +2 and +3 membranous staining intensity, and those with ≥50% H-Score were considered positive. The relationship between PD-L1 expression status and clinicopathological features in addition to the prognostic effect of PD-L1 on survival were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

The frequency of PD-L1 expression was 37%, 15% and 5% according to the staining percentage, staining intensity, and the H-Score, respectively. There was no significant relationship between PD-L1 expression and age, gender, smoking, tumor stage and histological subtype (p > 0.05). However, PD-L1 expression was relatively higher in patients < 65 years of age, men, smokers, patients with advanced tumor stage, and squamous cell subtype. Based on the analysis of the H-Score, no significant difference was noted regarding disease-free survival time between PD-L1 positive and PD-L1 negative patients (median 20 [95% CI 1.2-38.7] months vs. median 27 [95% CI 17.5-36] months, p=0.208). However, overall survival time was significantly shorter in PD-L1 positive compared to PD-L1 negative patients (median 24 months [95% CI 9.9-38] vs. median 48 months [95% CI 33.6-62.3], p=0.049).

CONCLUSION

In patients with high PD-L1 expression, the biological behavior of the cancer was more aggressive, and the life expectancy was shorter. PD-L1 expression seems to be a poor prognostic marker in NSCLC patients.

A rare coexistence--Chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Kaposi sarcoma: Case report and review of the literature

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia worldwide. Skin lesions associated with CLL mostly develop on the bases of infectious or a hemorrhagic origin with an estimated incidence of 25% of all the cases. Kaposi sarcoma (KS)-associated with human herpes virus-8 infection is a spindle-cell, malignant, low-grade tumor originating from vascular and lymphatic endothelium. KS mostly presents with skin lesions as the initial presentation. The relation between these two pathologies has not yet been clarified up to date. Herein, we report a case of KS along with CLL to illustrate the possible relation between these two pathologies.

Krukenberg tumor presenting with amenorrhea as the sole initial symptom: Case report and review of the literature

Krukenberg tumor (KT), mostly originates from gastric cancer, is the metastatic tumor of ovaries accounting for 1-2% of all ovarian cancer. Common presenting symptoms include abdominal pain, distension, and ascites. Rests of the patients have non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms including dyspepsia, weight loss, nausea and vomiting. Gynecologic symptoms such as virilization, menstrual bleeding or irregularity and amenorrhea are much less frequent in the literature cases. Here, we present an unusual case of KT presented with amenorrhea as the sole initial symptom.