Humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 infection among liver transplant recipients.

Objective: Immunosuppressive agents are known to interfere with T and/or B lymphocytes, which are required to mount an adequate serologic response. Therefore, we aim to investigate the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 in liver transplant (LT) recipients after COVID-19.

Design: Prospective multicentre case-control study, analysing antibodies against the nucleocapsid protein, spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 and their neutralising activity in LT recipients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19-LT) compared with immunocompetent patients (COVID-19-immunocompetent) and LT recipients without COVID-19 symptoms (non-COVID-19-LT).

Time interval between neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy and surgery in rectal cancer: is the long interval correct for all patients?

Background: Optimal time between neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy period and surgery remains controversial in patients with rectal cancer: an increasing number of studies show results in favor of a long interval.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the cases of low-middle rectal adenocarcinoma undergoing neoadjuvant RT-CT and surgery: the primary endpoint was the complete pathological response rate and the secondary endpoint the rate of complications. We analyzed cases from 1/01/2003 to 31/12/2018 divided in two periods: from 2003 to 2010 (23 pts) and from 2011 to 2018 (23 pts).

COVID-19 outbreak and acute cholecystitis in a Hub Hospital in Milan: wider indications for percutaneous cholecystostomy.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the Italian National Health Care system at many different levels, causing a complete reorganization of surgical wards. In this context, our study retrospectively analysed the management strategy for patients with acute cholecystitis.

Methods: We analysed all patients admitted to our Emergency Department for acute cholecystitis between February and April 2020 and we graded each case according to 2018 Tokyo Guidelines.