IMMUNOREACT 9 metachronous rectal cancers have high HLA-ABC expression on healthy epithelium but a lower infiltration of CD3+ T cells than primary lesions.

Lynch syndrome is rarely associated with rectal cancer (RC) and thus, metachronous RC has been scarcely investigated. This study aimed to analyze the mucosal immune microenvironment in sporadic and metachronous RC. We analyzed the mucosal immune microenvironment in the 25 metachronous RCs present in the IMMUNOREACT 1 and 2 multicentre observational studies (624 patients).

Do the Activity Indices Used in Axial Spondyloarthritis Capture the Relationships Between Obesity, Smoking and Disease Activity in the Same Way?

Obesity and smoking have been related to increased disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), but these associations might vary depending on the composite index chosen to assess disease activity. We aimed to check this possibility. Three hundred and thirty consecutive patients were recruited from the monographic axSpA unit of a university center.

Extended sequential intravenous and oral antimicrobial therapy improves cure rate in postoperative intracranial neurosurgical infections: a Spanish multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Postoperative intracranial neurosurgical infections (PINI) complicate < 5% neurosurgeries. Scarce attention was dedicated to the extension and characteristics of its antimicrobial management considering their high morbidity, not negligible mortality, delayed hospital stay and increased healthcare costs.

Methods: We analyzed retrospectively (2014-2023) 162 PINI from eight Spanish third-level academic hospitals.

IMMUNOREACT 8: Immune markers of local tumor spread in patients undergoing transanal excision for clinically N0 rectal cancer.

Background: Transanal excision of rectal cancer can be considered the definitive surgical treatment if the depth spread is T1 or lower, and the lesion is completely included within the resection margin. This study aims to analyze the immune microenvironment in healthy rectal mucosa as a possible predictor of tumor infiltration depth, lateral tumor spread, and recurrence of rectal cancer after transanal local excision.

Methods: This study is a subanalysis of data from the IMMUNOREACT 1 and 2 trials (NCT04915326 and NCT04917263, respectively) including all the patients who underwent transanal excision of rectal cancer.

IMMUNOREACT 7: Regular aspirin use is associated with immune surveillance activation in colorectal cancer.

Background: Long-term daily use of aspirin reduces incidence and mortality due to colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to analyze the effect of aspirin on the tumor microenvironment, systemic immunity, and on the healthy mucosa surrounding cancer.

Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of CRC operated on from 2015 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed (METACCRE cohort).

[Primary care and natriuretic peptides: design of a care process as a pathway to improve the diagnosis of heart failure].

Introduction: There are few data about the optimal use of natriuretic peptides (NP) in the Primary Care (PC) setting. The aim to assess how, through a common coordinated PC-hospital care pathway, the use of NPs in patients with suspected heart failure (HF) is improved.

Material And Methods: Analytical, experimental, prospective, non-randomized study.

Hepatic Artery Anomalies in Pancreaticoduodenectomy: Outcomes from a High-Volume Center.

Introduction: Hepatic artery anomalies (HAA) may have an impact on surgical and oncological outcomes of patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).

Methods: Patients who underwent PD at our institution between July 2015 and January 2020 were retrospectively reviewed and classified into two groups: group 1, with presence of HAA, and group 2, with no HAA. A weighted logistic regression model was employed to assess the association between HAA and postoperative complications, and to assess the association between HAA and R status in patients with pancreatic cancer.

IMMUNOREACT 6: weak immune surveillance characterizes early-onset rectal cancer.

Background: Colon cancer in young patients is often associated with hereditary syndromes; however, in early-onset rectal cancer, mutations of these genes are rarely observed. The aim of this study was to analyse the features of the local immune microenvironment and the mutational pattern in early-onset rectal cancer.

Methods: Commonly mutated genes were analysed within a rectal cancer series from the University Hospital of Padova.

Predictive models for hepatocellular carcinoma development after sustained virological response in advanced hepatitis C.

Background & Aims: Life-long hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance is recommended after sustained virological response (SVR) in patients with advanced hepatitis C. Since the identification of patients who could be safely discontinued for surveillance is essential, we aimed to identify subsets of patients with low-risk HCC.

Methods: 491 patients with advanced and compensated fibrosis (≥F3) were prospectively followed after achieving SVR with interferon-free therapies.

The CCN2 Polymorphism rs12526196 Is a Risk Factor for Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm.

Cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2/CTGF) has been traditionally described as a downstream mediator of other profibrotic factors including transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and angiotensin II. However, recent evidence from our group demonstrated the direct role of CCN2 in maintaining aortic wall homeostasis and acute and lethal aortic aneurysm development induced by angiotensin II in the absence of CCN2 in mice. In order to translate these findings to humans, we evaluated the potential association between three polymorphisms in the gene and the presence of a thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA).

Obesity may not be related to pathologic response in locally advanced rectal cancer following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and body fat composition (measured with radiological fat parameters (RFP)) and pathological response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer patients. The secondary aim of the study was to assess the role of BMI and RFP on major surgical complications, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS).

Methods: All patients who underwent surgical resection following nCRT between 2005 and 2017 for mid-low rectal cancer were retrospectively collected.

A SuperLearner Approach to Predict Run-In Selection in Clinical Trials.

A critical early step in a clinical trial is defining the study sample that appropriately represents the target population from which the sample will be drawn. Envisaging a "run-in" process in study design may accomplish this task; however, the traditional run-in requires additional patients, increasing times, and costs. The possible use of the available a-priori data could skip the run-in period.

Prognostic significance of additional histologic features for subclassification of pathological T3 colon cancer.

Background: Additional histologic features of T3 colon cancer, such as tumour depth invasion beyond muscularis propria and elastic lamina invasion (ELI), have taken interest for a more accurate staging.

Methods: Patients with pT3 and pT4a (control group) colon adenocarcinoma were retrospectively collected from our institutional database. The study group was divided according to depth of tumour invasion < 5 mm and ≥ 5 mm, and into ELI - and ELI + .

Validation of a Nomogram to Predict Long Term Outcomes After Curative Surgery for Gastric Cancer in an Italian Cohort of Patients.

Aim Of The Study: Nomograms have been proposed to assess prognosis following curative surgery for gastric cancer. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the performance of the Gastric Cancer Collaborative Group nomograms developed in 2014 by Kim et al., using a cohort of patients from a 10-year single institution experience in gastric cancer management.

Oncological outcomes after major vascular resections for primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma.

Background: The surgical management of retroperitoneal sarcomas frequently involves complex multivisceral resections, however retroperitoneal liposarcoma (LPS) rarely invade major abdominal vessels. The aim of the study was to assess association of major vascular resections with outcome of primary LPS.

Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent resection at our institutions for primary LPS between 2002 and 2019 were included.

Biological versus mechanical aortic valve replacement in non-elderly patients: a single-centre analysis of clinical outcomes and quality of life.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate short- and long-term clinical outcomes, including the perceived health-related quality of life, in patients younger than 65 years having undergone aortic valve replacement either with biological or mechanical valve prostheses.

Methods: Between 2002 and 2013, 242 consecutive patients <65 years of age underwent isolated aortic valve replacement at our institution, either with biological (n = 134, 55.4%) or mechanical (n = 108, 44.