Serological response and breakthrough infection after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with cirrhosis and post-liver transplant

BACKGROUND

Vaccine hesitancy and lack of access remain major issues in disseminating COVID-19 vaccination to liver patients globally. Factors predicting poor response to vaccination and risk of breakthrough infection are important data to target booster vaccine programs. The primary aim of the current study was to measure humoral responses to 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Secondary aims included the determination of factors predicting breakthrough infection.

METHODS

COVID-19 vaccination and Biomarkers in cirrhosis And post-Liver Transplantation is a prospective, multicenter, observational case-control study. Participants were recruited at 4-10 weeks following first and second vaccine doses in cirrhosis [n = 325; 94% messenger RNA (mRNA) and 6% viral vaccine], autoimmune liver disease (AILD) (n = 120; 77% mRNA and 23% viral vaccine), post-liver transplant (LT) (n = 146; 96% mRNA and 3% viral vaccine), and healthy controls (n = 51; 72% mRNA, 24% viral and 4% heterologous combination). Serological end points were measured, and data regarding breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection were collected.

RESULTS

After adjusting by age, sex, and time of sample collection, anti-Spike IgG levels were the lowest in post-LT patients compared to cirrhosis (p < 0.0001), AILD (p < 0.0001), and control (p = 0.002). Factors predicting reduced responses included older age, Child-Turcotte-Pugh B/C, and elevated IL-6 in cirrhosis; non-mRNA vaccine in AILD; and coronary artery disease, use of mycophenolate and dysregulated B-call activating factor, and lymphotoxin-α levels in LT. Incident infection occurred in 6.6%, 10.6%, 7.4%, and 15.6% of cirrhosis, AILD, post-LT, and control, respectively. The only independent factor predicting infection in cirrhosis was low albumin level.

CONCLUSIONS

LT patients present the lowest response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. In cirrhosis, the reduced response is associated with older age, stage of liver disease and systemic inflammation, and breakthrough infection with low albumin level.

Long-term outcomes of direct acting antivirals in post-transplant advanced hepatitis C virus recurrence and fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis

Long-term functional outcomes of sofosbuvir-based antiviral treatment were evaluated in a cohort study involving 16 Italian centres within the international compassionate use programme for post-transplant hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence. Seventy-three patients with cirrhosis (n=52) or fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis (FCH, n=21) received 24-week sofosbuvir with ribavirin±pegylated interferon or interferon-free sofosbuvir-based regimen with daclatasvir/simeprevir+ribavirin. The patients were observed for a median time of 103 (82-112) weeks. Twelve of 73 (16.4%) died (10 non-FCH, 2 FCH) and two underwent re-LT. Sustained virological response was achieved in 46 of 66 (69.7%): 31 of 47 (66%) non-FCH and 15 of 19 (79%) FCH patients. All relapsers were successfully retreated. Comparing the data of baseline with last follow-up, MELD and Child-Turcotte-Pugh scores improved both in non-FCH (15.3±6.5 vs 10.5±3.8, P<.0001 and 8.4±2.1 vs 5.7±1.3, P<.0001, respectively) and FCH (17.3±5.9 vs 10.1±2.8, P=.001 and 8.2±1.6 vs 5.5±1, P=.001, respectively). Short-treatment mortality was higher in patients with baseline MELD≥25 than in those with MELD<25 (42.9% vs 4.8%, P=.011). Long-term mortality was 53.3% among patients with baseline MELD≥20 and 7.5% among those with MELD<20 (P<.0001). Among deceased patients 75% were Child-Turcotte-Pugh class C at baseline, while among survivors 83.9% were class A or B (P<.0001). Direct acting antivirals-based treatments for severe post-transplant hepatitis C recurrence, comprising fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis, significantly improve liver function, even without viral clearance and permit an excellent long-term survival. The setting of severe HCV recurrence may require the identification of "too-sick-to-treat patients" to avoid futile treatments.

The prevention of analgesic opioids abuse: expert opinion

Opioids are drugs of reference for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. Their proper use and a periodic assessment of the patient are crucial to prevent misuse. A multidisciplinary group suggests strategies for all stakeholders involved in the management of pain and suggests the importance of the doctor-patient relationship.

Is surgical restaging indicated in apparent stage IA pure ovarian dysgerminoma? The MITO group retrospective experience

OBJECTIVE

Conservative surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy is considered the standard approach for pure ovarian dysgerminoma (POD), except for correctly staged IA patients. The aim of study was to evaluate the outcome of IA POD patients with incomplete surgical staging in order to define the proper management.

METHODS

Data concerning primary treatment and recurrence were reviewed for 26 patients with stage IA POD treated in MITO (Multicenter Italian Trials in Ovarian Cancer) centers.

RESULTS

Median age was 22.5years. Primary surgery was fertility sparing for 17 patients (65.4%) and radical surgery was performed in 9 patients due to older age or gonadal dysgenesis. Only five patients (19.2%) had complete surgical staging; 38.5% had lymph node dissection, 46.2% had peritoneal biopsies and/or omentectomy and 65.4% had peritoneal washing. Seven patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Overall recurrence rate was 11.5%: all recurrences occurred in the group submitted to incomplete staging procedure. No patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy relapsed. One patient had pelvic recurrence, one patient relapsed in the abdomino-pelvic peritoneum and lymph nodes and the third patient showed a peritoneum, lymph nodal and residual ovary relapse. All patients with recurrence were cured by salvage therapy: 2 patients were treated with surgery plus chemotherapy and one only with chemotherapy. After a median follow-up of 100months all patients are alive without evidence of disease. Six patients opted for conception and delivered healthy infants, two with IVF with donor oocyte.

CONCLUSIONS

IA POD prognosis is excellent. Conservative surgery with a complete surgical staging is the gold standard. Patients with incomplete staging could undergo surgical restaging or surveillance. Chemotherapy should be reserved to relapse with excellent chances of therapeutic success.

Is adjuvant chemotherapy indicated in stage I pure immature ovarian teratoma (IT)? A multicentre Italian trial in ovarian cancer (MITO-9)

OBJECTIVE

Conservative surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy is considered the standard approach for stage I immature ovarian teratoma (IT), except for stage IA G1. Nevertheless the use of chemotherapy in stage IA G2-3 and IB-IC is controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with IT in order to define the role of chemotherapy in stage I disease.

METHODS

Twenty-eight patients with stage I IT treated in MITO centers were retrospectively reviewed. Grade, stage, age, surgical and postoperative treatment were analyzed using χ(2) test and T test looking for association with recurrence.

RESULTS

Median age was 25.5. Twenty-four patients underwent fertility-sparing surgery. FIGO stages were 19 IA, 2 IB, and 7 IC. Nine patients had grade 1 tumor, 12 grade 2, and 7 grade 3. Nine patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Overall recurrence rate was 21.4% (2 in chemotherapy group and 4 in the group without treatment). No patients with G1 had recurrence, whereas 25% of G2 and 42.9% of G3 relapsed. Recurrence rate was not significantly different according to stage, grade or adjuvant chemotherapy, whereas it was greater in the group not operated in a MITO center, not staged and of age lower than 20 years, with statistical significance. At recurrence 4 patients presenting with mature teratoma were treated with surgery alone, whereas 2 recurring with IT were treated with surgery plus chemotherapy. After a median follow-up of 59 months all patients are NED.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that chemotherapy may be withheld for primary therapy and utilized only for recurrence.

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography introduction in the clinical management of patients with suspected recurrence of ovarian cancer: a cost-effectiveness analysis

Aim of this study was to evaluate the economic impact of the introduction of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the early detection of recurrent ovarian cancer through a cost-effectiveness analysis of different diagnostic strategies. Thirty-two consecutive patients with suspected ovarian cancer recurrence, studied by both contrast enhanced abdominal CT and PET/CT, were retrospectively included in the study. Three different diagnostic strategies were evaluated and compared: (1) CT only or baseline strategy; (2) PET/CT for negative CT or strategy A; (3) PET/CT for All or strategy B. For each one, expected costs, avoided surgery and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were calculated to identify the most cost-effective strategy. The number of positive patients increased from baseline strategy (20/32) to strategy A and B (30/32 and 29/32 respectively). Positron emission tomography/computed tomography reoriented physician choice in 31% and 62% of patients (strategies A and B respectively). Strategy A is dominated by strategy B, which is more expensive (2909 euro vs. 2958 euro), but also more effective (3 cases of surgery avoided) and presents an ICER of 226.77 euro per surgery avoided (range: 49.50-433.00 euro). Positron emission tomography/computed tomography introduction in this population is cost-effective and allowed to redirect the clinical management of patients towards more appropriate therapeutic choices.

Integrated PET/CT as a first-line re-staging modality in patients with suspected recurrence of ovarian cancer

PURPOSE

The aims of this study were to compare CT with PET/CT results in patients with suspected ovarian cancer recurrence and to assess the impact of the PET/CT findings on their clinical management.

METHODS

Thirty-two consecutive patients with suspected ovarian cancer recurrence were retrospectively included in the study. Abdominal contrast-enhanced CT and PET/CT with [(18)F]FDG, in addition to conventional follow-up, were performed in all 32 patients. After the comparison between CT and PET/CT results, based on clinical reports, changes in the clinical management of patients (intermodality changes) due to PET/CT information were analysed.

RESULTS

Twenty of the 32 patients were positive at CT (62.5%) versus 29 (90.6%) at PET/CT. Intermodality changes in management, i.e. use of a different treatment modality, after PET/CT examination were indicated in 14/32 (44%) patients. In particular, before PET/CT study, the planned management was as follows: wait-and-see in 7/32 (22%), further instrumental examinations in 4/32 (12%), chemotherapy in 10/32 (31%), diagnostic surgical treatment in 6/32 (19%) and surgical treatment in the remaining 5/32 (16%). After PET/CT study, wait-and-see was indicated in 1/32 (3%), further instrumental examinations in 7/32 (22%), chemotherapy in 16/32 (50%), diagnostic surgical treatment in 2/32 (6%) and surgical treatment in the remaining 6/32 (19%).

CONCLUSION

Integrated PET/CT could detect tumour relapse in a higher percentage of patients than could CT. A change in the clinical management was observed in 44% of cases when PET/CT information was added to conventional follow-up findings.

Palliative care for intestinal obstruction in recurrent ovarian cancer: a multivariate analysis

Bowel obstruction is the most common complication in patients with ovarian cancer. Management of this situation is controversial. The aim of our retrospective study was to determine the best approach for managing bowel obstruction in recurrent ovarian cancer. A retrospective analysis of data on 47 patients with intestinal obstruction by ovarian cancer was performed. Twenty-seven patients were submitted to surgery, with 21 intestinal procedures performed, 2 gastrostomy tubes placed, and 4 patients deemed inoperable. Twenty patients were managed medically with Octreotide (mean dosage of 0.48 mg/day), of which 1 patient required a nasogastric tube. Age, performance status, diagnosis of tumor to occlusion time, obstruction site, previous chemotherapy or radiotherapy, presence of ascites, or palpable masses were the variables analyzed. Student's t-test and Pearson chi-square test were used to compare the two different groups of treatment (surgical vs medical therapy). Disease-free-survival curves were plotted according to the Kaplan-Meier method and analyzed by the log-rank test. Cox's proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis. Values less than or equal to 0.05 were considered significant. The mean age of the patients was 58.7 years. Perioperative mortality and morbidity were both 22%. All patients died with minimal distress. Performance status results were significantly different between the patients submitted to surgery and patients treated with Octreotide (P= 0.03). No significant differences were found in the other variables analyzed. In multivariate analysis, only type of treatment emerges as a strong predictor of poor outcome (P < 0.001). Both surgery and Octreotide therapy are able to control distressing symptoms in end-stage ovarian cancer. Survival was significantly longer in the surgical group, and surgical palliation should be considered first in patients with good performance status.

Advanced ovarian carcinoma: usefulness of [(18)F]FDG-PET in combination with CT for lesion detection after primary treatment

AIM

To determine the additional value of [(18)F]FDG-PET in combination with computed tomography (CT) over CT used alone, for evaluating ovarian cancer patients after primary treatment.

METHODS

Twenty-five women (mean age: 53.6 years) had primary debulking surgery followed by chemotherapy for histologically proven ovarian carcinoma. At initial diagnosis, the tumor types were papillary serous adenocarcinoma (n=20), endometroid carcinoma (n=3), mixed mullerian tumor (n=1), and granulosa cell tumor (n=1). All patients underwent [(18)F]FDG-PET and contrast enhanced CT examinations, within 30 days of the completion of chemotherapic treatment. [(18)F]FDG-PET images were interpreted with the knowledge of CT findings (PET+CT); conversely, CT images were evaluated with no knowledge of the [(18)F]FDG-PET results. Within 7 day of imaging studies, 2(nd)-look laparoscopy (n=7) or laparotomy (n=18) was performed for histological confirmation. In all cases, imaging findings were then correlated with results of histopathologic examination.

RESULTS

Of the 23 neoplastic viable lesions, all histologically confirmed, 16 could be detected by CT alone and 19 by PET+CT. An inflammatory lymph-node was misdiagnosed as viable tumor with both PET+CT and CT alone; an area of scar tissue in the presacral region was also misinterpreted as malignant tissue with CT alone. Overall lesion-based sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in assessing focal areas of residual tumor were as follows: 69.56%, 83.33%, 74.28% for CT, and 82.60%, 91.67%, 85.71% for PET+CT. The negative predictive value of PET+CT was markedly higher (73.33%), compared to that of CT alone (58.82%).

CONCLUSION

PET used in combination with CT allows to accurately assess tumor response. A major advantage of PET+CT over CT alone is in excluding the presence of residual viable lesions after treatment.

Identification of high risk patients with endometrial carcinoma. Prognostic assessment of endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVES

To verify the importance of DNA ploidy on clinical outcome in endometrial carcinoma and to investigate whether the prognostic information obtained by this variable is independent from other clinical-pathologic features.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Univariate and multivariate analysis of clinical and pathologic prognostic factors obtained from 203 consecutive cases of endometrial cancer, that had been surgically treated in our hospital, were performed.

RESULTS

Significant prognostic factors according to the Kaplan-Meier method were age at the time of diagnosis, grade of differentiation, peritoneal cytology, node involvement, vascular invasion, myometrial infiltration and ploidy. At multivariate analysis only DNA ploidy resulted to be an independent variable.

CONCLUSIONS

In our analysis DNA content is the only parameter which preserved prognostic significance in multivariate analysis.

Indirect calorimetry and nutritional problems in clinical practice

Indirect calorimetry is a simple and affordable tool for measuring energy expenditure and for quantifying the utilization of macronutrients. Its use is becoming increasingly widespread, but it is necessary to know its methodological features and its theoretical and practical limitations. Indirect calorimetry measures the rate of resting energy expenditure (REE), the major component of the total daily energy expenditure. Thus, indirect calorimetry reliably estimates the individual energy needs. Coupling the measurement of body composition to that of REE expands the diagnostic potential of indirect calorimetry. Once the lean and fat compartments have been measured, it is possible to establish on the basis of REE whether an individual is hyper- or hypometabolic. The evaluation of substrate oxidation by indirect calorimetry is subject to more severe theoretical constraints, because certain metabolic assumptions must be made. The clinical applications are practically unlimited. In the critically ill, a major goal is to maintain energy balance during the hypermetabolic response following trauma. The REE measurement is valuable from the diagnostic standpoint, because it recognizes discrepancies from the expected time-course of hypermetabolism, for example signaling a potentially catastrophic hypometabolic response. REE is also indispensable for providing correct nutritional support because both hyper- and undernutrition lead to increased mortality. In young or elderly patients, in whom energy consumption may be very different from that predicted from equations based on anthropometric measures, indirect calorimetry is particularly useful.

Influence of caloric intake on gastric emptying of solids assessed by 13C-octanoic acid breath test

BACKGROUND

The 13C-octanoic breath test (13C-OBT), a recently developed technique to evaluate gastric emptying of solids, has been validated in comparison to scintigraphy with low caloric meals (250 kcal). However, there is consensus that for clinical studies total caloric load should be in excess of 300 kcal, but studies comparing 13C-OBT results after low and medium caloric meals are lacking.

METHODS

Ten healthy subjects were given a 250-kcal and a 550-kcal meal in randomized order. Gastric emptying was assessed simultaneously by ultrasonography and 13C-OBT. Breath samples were taken according to both classic (21 samples over 5 h) and simplified (11 samples) schedules.

RESULTS

Increasing the meal energy content resulted in significantly longer half emptying time (T(1/2)) estimates by both ultrasonography (P < 0.01, Wilcoxon test) and 13C-OBT (P < 0.05). T(1/2) estimates by the two methods significantly correlated for both the 250 (r(s) = 0.733, P = 0.018) and the 550 (r(s) = 0.637, P = 0.035) kcal meal. However, differences between T(1/2) estimates by 13C-OBT and ultrasonography were greater after the 550- than the 250-kcal meal (median 172.5 versus 76.5 min, P < 0.05). Interindividual variability was also 2-fold greater for indexes estimated by 13C-OBT with the 550-kcal meal compared with the 250-kcal meal. For both meals 13C-OBT yielded similar results with the classic and simplified schedules.

CONCLUSIONS

In healthy subjects caloric intake is a major determinant of gastric emptying rate. However, after a medium caloric meal 13C-OBT shows some inaccuracy, which raises questions about its routine clinical application. Nevertheless, when using 13C-OBT one must take into account that the simplified schedule is just as effective as the classic one, and is far lower in cost.

[Assessment of the myometrial infiltration of endometrial carcinoma (FIGO stage I-II). The accuracy of magnetic resonance (1.5 T)]

Thirty-three patients with histological diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma were studied with MR imaging at 1.5 T. All patients were clinically diagnosed as having stage I or II disease (FIGO) and underwent abdominal hysterectomy. MR tissue characteristics and morphological features were compared with morphological features were compared with microscopic pathological findings, in all patients. The following initials were adopted for statistical comparison: M0 = tumor confined to endometrium; M1 = infiltration of the inner third of myometrium; M2 = invasion of the central third of myometrium; M3 = infiltration of the outer third of myometrium. T1-weighted (SE 600/30) and T2-weighted (SE 2000/35.90) (SE 1500/28.60) images were obtained in sagittal plane (section thickness = mm 4). Overall MR accuracy in determining the extent of myometrial invasion was 78%. Correct evaluation of myometrial invasion is essential in patients with stage I or II endometrial carcinoma who are to undergo transvaginal hysterectomy without lymphadenectomy (M0, M1).

A double-blind trial of fentonium bromide in the treatment of incontinent unstable bladder

The effects of fentonium were compared with those of placebo in a double-blind, cross-over trial involving 28 incontinent women with unstable bladder. Fentonium bromide proved significantly more effective in reducing urgency and urge incontinence (p less than 0.05), in reducing detrusor pressure rise during bladder filling (p less than 0.01) and in increasing bladder volume at first stimulus (p less than 0.05). Well tolerated, fentonium bromide proved useful in the treatment of unstable bladder.