Efficacy and safety of CD24Fc in hospitalised patients with COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study.

Background: Non-antiviral therapeutic options are required for the treatment of hospitalised patients with COVID-19. CD24Fc is an immunomodulator with potential to reduce the exaggerated inflammatory response to tissue injuries. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CD24Fc in hospitalised adults with COVID-19 receiving oxygen support.

Endoscopic Management of a Tubulovillous Adenoma Within a Diverticulum: Report of a Case and Review of Literature.

Adenomas or adenocarcinomas located within a colonic diverticulum are considered a rare phenomenon that has been described in the literature. These lesions are technically difficult to manage endoscopically and usually require surgical intervention for removal. There is also an increased risk of perforation upon endoscopic resection owing to the lack of a muscular layer within the diverticulum.

The band and slough technique is effective for management of diminutive type 1 gastric and duodenal neuroendocrine tumors.

 Endoscopic resection is recommended as initial treatment for early-stage gastric and duodenal neuroendocrine tumors (G-NETs and D-NETs). However, it can cause serious adverse events. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the band and slough (BAS) technique as a novel and less aggressive endoscopic therapy for management of such tumors.

Multiple gastric metastases from ovarian carcinoma diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound with fine needle aspiration.

Metastasis to the stomach from nongastric tumors is a rare event. We present a case of ovarian cancer metastasis to the gastric wall that presented as multiple subepithelial gastric lesions. A 55-year-old female with known stage III b serous ovarian cancer was admitted to the hospital with melena and anemia.

Treatment of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma with interleukin-12: rationale and preliminary evidence of clinical activity.

In this article, we review the preliminary evidence for the activity of interleukin-12 (IL-12) against Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and discuss these results in the context of the biology of IL-12 and KS. IL-12 is a cytokine that enhances type 1 immunity, induces production of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), and mediates antiangiogenic effects. In addition, it can downregulate a constitutively active G protein coupled receptor that is encoded by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, the causative agent of KS.

Rapidly progressive metastatic multicentric epithelioid angiosarcoma of the small bowel: a case report and a review of literature.

Background: Angiosarcoma is a rare high-grade neoplasm that frequently involves the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Rarely, angiosarcoma can occur in the gastrointestinal tract where it frequently exhibits multicentric epithelioid morphology.

Design: We report a case of multicentric epithelioid angiosarcoma (EAS) of the small intestine in a 73-year-old male patient who presented with weakness and melena, and was found to have bleeding lesions in the small intestine on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Phase 2 study of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in combination with interleukin-12 for AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma.

Thirty-six patients with AIDS-associated Kaposi sarcoma (KS) requiring chemotherapy were treated for six 3-week cycles of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (20 mg/m(2)) plus interleukin-12 (IL-12; 300 ng/kg subcutaneously twice weekly), followed by 500 ng/kg subcutaneous IL-12 twice weekly for up to 3 years. All received highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Twenty-two had poor-prognosis KS (T(1)S(1)).

Phase I clinical evaluation of a six-plasmid multiclade HIV-1 DNA candidate vaccine.

Needle-free delivery of a six-plasmid HIV-1 DNA vaccine encoding EnvA, EnvB, EnvC, and subtype B Gag, Pol, and Nef underwent open-label evaluation in 15 subjects; 14 completed the 0, 1, 2 month vaccination schedule. T cell responses to HIV-specific peptide pools were detected by intracellular cytokine staining of CD4(+) [13/14 (93%)] and CD8(+) [5/14 (36%)], and by ELISpot in 11/14 (79%). Ten of 14 (71%) had ELISA antibody responses to Env proteins.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease-associated esophagitis induces endogenous cytokine production leading to motor abnormalities.

Background & Aims: Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a condition frequently associated with esophagitis and motor abnormalities. Recent evidence suggests that proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-6, may be implicated because they reduce esophageal muscle contractility, but these results derive from in vitro or animal models of esophagitis. This study used human esophageal cells and tissues to identify the cellular source of cytokines in human esophagitis investigate whether cytokines can be induced by gastric refluxate, and examine whether esophageal tissue- or cell-derived mediators affect muscle contractility.

Phase 1 safety and immunogenicity evaluation of a multiclade HIV-1 candidate vaccine delivered by a replication-defective recombinant adenovirus vector.

Background: The development of an effective human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine is a high global priority. Here, we report the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of a replication-defective recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (rAd5) vector HIV-1 candidate vaccine.

Methods: The vaccine is a mixture of 4 rAd5 vectors that express HIV-1 subtype B Gag-Pol fusion protein and envelope (Env) from subtypes A, B, and C.

Possible therapeutic vaccine strategy against human immunodeficiency virus escape from reverse transcriptase inhibitors studied in HLA-A2 transgenic mice.

Mutation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) leading to escape from anti-HIV drugs is the greatest challenge to the treatment of HIV infection. High-grade resistance to the nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitor lamivudine (also known as 3TC) is associated with a substitution of valine for methionine at position 184 of RT. This amino acid residue is contained within the HLA-A2-restricted epitope VIYQYMDDL (RT-WT).

Activity of subcutaneous interleukin-12 in AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma.

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) enhances Th1-type T-cell responses and exerts antiangiogenic effects. We initiated a phase 1 pilot study of IL-12 in 32 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related Kaposi sarcoma (KS) whose KS was progressing while on antiretroviral therapy. Fifteen patients had poor prognosis T(1)S(1) disease.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine trials: a novel assay for differential diagnosis of HIV infections in the face of vaccine-generated antibodies.

All current human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine candidates contain multiple viral components and elicit antibodies that react positively in licensed HIV diagnostic tests, which contain similar viral products. Thus, vaccine trial participants could be falsely diagnosed as infected with HIV. Additionally, uninfected, seropositive vaccinees may encounter long-term social and economic harms.

Predictors of cancer in patients with suspected pancreatic malignancy without a tissue diagnosis.

Background: The aim of this study was to identify predictive factors for malignancy in patients undergoing surgery for suspected pancreatic cancer without a preoperative tissue diagnosis.

Methods: Patients were identified by International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision and current procedural terminology codes, respectively, for pancreatic cancer and pancreaticoduodenectomy at a single tertiary referral center between January 1998 and May 2004. Data were collected retrospectively by chart review.

Acute pancreatitis in patients on chronic peritoneal dialysis: an increased risk?

Objectives: The primary aim of this study is to determine if patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on peritoneal dialysis (PD) have a higher risk of developing acute pancreatitis (AP) than patients on hemodialysis (HD). The secondary aim is to compare the outcomes of AP between the two groups.

Method: This is a retrospective case-control study.

Innovative methods of biliary tract diagnosis: intraductal ultrasound and tissue acquisition.

Tissue can be acquired from the bile and pancreatic duct with either brush cytology or biopsy forceps, often without the need for sphincterotomy. Although the diagnosis of malignancy with these sampling techniques is often specific, the sensitivity is limited, and a wide range of diagnostic accuracies has been reported. A combination of biopsy and brush cytology along with some newer techniques in the development stage may increase the sensitivity.

Long-term follow-up of patients with clinically indeterminate suspicion of pancreatic cancer and normal EUS.

Background: EUS often is performed because of a clinical suspicion of pancreatic cancer when the results of other noninvasive diagnostic tests are indeterminate. The aim of this study was to determine the true negative predictive value of a normal EUS in a cohort of patients with an indeterminate suspicion of pancreatic cancer by obtaining long-term follow-up information.

Methods: Patients referred for EUS of the pancreas for the following indications were identified: elevated carbohydrate-associated antigen (CA 19-9) without other definitive evidence of pancreatic cancer, subtle abnormalities on CT of the pancreas, and unexplained abdominal pain and/or weight loss.

Clinical utility of intraductal US for evaluation of choledocholithiasis.

Background: Intraductal US can improve the diagnostic accuracy of cholangiography performed under C-arm fluoroscopy in patients with suspected choledocholithiasis. This study aimed to determine the clinical utility of intraductal US for patient management.

Methods: Patients with suspected choledocholithiasis undergoing ERCP with a C-arm fluoroscope at two tertiary academic medical centers were enrolled.

Prospective evaluation of 4-mm diameter endoscopes for esophagoscopy in sedated and unsedated patients.

Background: Unsedated esophagoscopy with small-diameter endoscopes is generally well tolerated but of limited sensitivity for the diagnosis of esophageal mucosal disease. This study evaluated the sensitivity of esophagoscopy performed with new 4-mm diameter prototype battery-powered and video endoscopes. Patient tolerance for an unsedated examination with the 4-mm endoscopes was assessed and the performance characteristics of the battery-powered and video 4-mm endoscopes were compared.

Patient tolerance and acceptance of unsedated ultrathin esophagoscopy.

Background: Unsedated endoscopy has not gained wide acceptance in the United States. Factors that may predict tolerance and acceptance of unsedated endoscopy are ill defined.

Methods: Outpatients referred for standard EGD were recruited to undergo unsedated ultrathin esophagoscopy (UUE) with a new 3.

Accuracy of a narrow-diameter battery-powered endoscope in sedated and unsedated patients.

Background: Esophagoscopy with a portable battery-powered endoscope could provide a safe, inexpensive, and minimally invasive way to screen for Barrett's esophagus or esophageal varices. The use of such an instrument in an unsedated fashion has not been previously evaluated.

Methods: Patients referred for an EGD were recruited to undergo an additional examination with the battery-powered endoscope before EGD.