Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) treated with omalizumab, dupilumab, or mepolizumab: A systematic review of the current knowledge towards an attempt to compare agents' efficacy

BACKGROUND

The heterogeneity of existing studies, along with the fact that there are no published head-to-head trials, are the main reasons for the lack of guidelines regarding the selection of the proper biologic in treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps. The aim of this study is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the efficacy of omalizumab, dupilumab, and mepolizumab in CRS treatment. We also attempt to proceed to an indirect comparison of the agents and try to answer the tricky question: which agent to select and why?

METHODS

An extensive search in English literature was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Database/Library. Eligibility criteria included papers with full text published in English, adult population studies, clearly described intervention protocol, and documented primary and secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

The studies included numbered 37. All agents provided significant improvement in polyp size, sinuses opacification, severity of symptoms, need for surgery and systemic corticosteroids use. Analysis of available systematic reviews, meta-analyses and indirect treatment comparison studies showed that dupilumab appeared to be the most beneficial agent, in terms of primary and secondary outcomes. However, these results are of relatively low level of evidence due to several methodological limitations.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the present analysis showed a moderate supremacy of dupilumab, there is still no evidence-based answer to the question "which biologic agent is the most effective in CRS treatment?" Improved statistical methodology, head-to-head trials, and real-life studies could lead to more robust conclusions, establishing the real role of the specific biologic agents.

The differential anti-inflammatory effects of exercise modalities and their association with early carotid atherosclerosis progression in patients with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

Adipokines, visfatin, apelin, vaspin and ghrelin have emerged as novel cardiovascular risk factors. We aimed to evaluate the effects of different exercise modalities on the aforementioned novel adipokines and carotid intima-media thickness in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

One hundred patients with Type 2 diabetes were equivalently (n = 25) randomized into four groups: (1) a control group with patients encouraged to perform self-controlled exercise; (2) a supervised aerobic exercise group (exercise four times/week, 60 min/session, 60-75% of maximum heart rate); (3) a resistance training group (60-80% baseline maximum load achieved in one repetition); and (4) a combined aerobic exercise plus resistance training group, as in groups 2 and 3. All participants had HbA(1c) levels ≥ 48 mmol/mol (≥ 6.5%), without overt diabetic vascular complications. Blood samples, clinical characteristics, peak oxygen uptake and carotid intima-media thickness measurements were obtained at baseline and at the end of the study, after 6 months.

RESULTS

At baseline, there were non-significant differences between groups. All active groups significantly ameliorated glycaemic profile, insulin sensitivity and triglycerides levels compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Aerobic training further improved lipids, systolic blood pressure and exercise capacity compared with the resistance training and the control groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and visfatin decreased, while vaspin and apelin circulating levels increased within the aerobic exercise group and the aerobic exercise plus resistance training group, and compared with the other groups (P < 0.05). Within- and between-group comparisons showed negligible alterations in ghrelin serum levels and body weight after all exercise modalities. Finally, aerobic training attenuated the carotid intima-media thickness progression (0.017 ± 0.006 mm) compared with the control subjects (0.129 ± 0.042 mm, P < 0.001). That effect was independently associated with visfatin and amelioration of peak oxygen uptake.

CONCLUSIONS

In subjects with Type 2 diabetes, all exercise training modalities improved metabolic profile. Importantly, aerobic training predominantly ameliorated adipokines concentrations and carotid intima-media thickness progression.

The behaviour of Ailanthus altissima weed and its effects on natural ecosystems

Ailanthus altissima is an invasive species for the native flora of Greece and it could pose a serious threat to the biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the spreading of Ailanthus altissima in urban and non urban areas of North and Central Greece and also to evaluate the effects of its spreading on species composition and floristic diversity in natural ecosystems. The spreading of Ailanthus altissima in urban areas is very intense, mainly in abandoned places (35.29%). It is commonly found in non urban areas of Greece, especially in hedgerows of arable lands (36%) and adjacent wetlands (17%). It is less common in forests (4%), shrublands (11%) and grasslands (9%). The spread of Ailanthus altissima in urban and natural ecosystems is relatively recent. Although it has been recorded at altitudes of up to 640 m, it usually appears at low altitudes of up to 200 m. Floristic diversity was found to be higher in the stands that it dominated (H' = 1.574, H' = 1.890) in comparison to stands that were dominated by Quercuspubescens (H' = 1.468) or Q. coccifera (H' = 1.716). This may be contributed to the fact that in those stands synanthropic species, which are usually found in regions of intense human activity, were present together with typical forest vegetation species.

Dieulafoy-like lesion of the colon presenting with massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding

The Dieulafoys lesion is a rare cause of severe gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The lesion is usually located in the stomach, although it may occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract. It is characterized by severe bleeding from a minute submucosal arteriole that bleeds through a punctate erosion in an otherwise normal mucosa. We describe an elderly patient who presented with severe lower gastrointestinal bleeding caused by a colonic Dieulafoy-like lesion. This is the third report of colonic Dieulafoys lesion treated successfully with endoscopic hemoclipping. We review the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of this rare disease.

Endoscopic snare resection of an intrapapillary pedunculated villous adenoma presenting as acute recurrent pancreatitis

Tumors of the papillary region are an unusual and heterogeneous group of neoplasms that arise from the major papilla, the ampulla of Vater, and the peripapillary duodenum. Benign adenomas of the papilla of Vater are an increasingly recognized condition in those with familial adenomatous polyposis syndromes as well as sporadic cases. Papillary adenoma is a recognized but rare cause of acute pancreatitis. We describe a patient who presented with acute recurrent pancreatitis that was attributed to an intrapapillary pedunculated villous adenoma. Following diagnosis by endoscopic needle knife sphincterotomy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, endoscopic snare resection of the adenoma resulted in symptomatic improvement.

Pyogenic cholangitis after inadvertent submucosal contrast injection in the papilla of Vater in a patient with cholestatic hepatitis

Common bile duct stones and tumors constitute the leading cause of acute biliary tract obstruction and cholangitis. Septic complications after diagnostic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are very unusual in unobstructed bile ducts. There are only three reported cases of patients without evidence of biliary tract disease who developed cholangitis and liver abscesses due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Biliary endoscopists believe that the inadvertent submucosal injection of contrast into the papilla of Vater is an innocent accident that has no serious consequences other than increasing the percentage of unsuccessful catheterizations of the common bile duct. Herein we describe a patient with drug-induced cholestatic hepatitis who developed pyogenic cholangitis after the inadvertent injection of submucosal contrast in the papilla of Vater.