Depicting the cellular complexity of pancreatic adenocarcinoma by Imaging Mass Cytometry: focus on cancer-associated fibroblasts.

Introduction: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents the complexity of interaction between cancer and cells of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Immune cells affect tumor cell behavior, thus driving cancer progression. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are responsible of the desmoplastic and fibrotic reaction by regulating deposition and remodeling of extracellular matrix (ECM).

Myoinositol and Metformin in the Prevention of Gestational Diabetes in High-Risk Patients: A Narrative Review.

Our hypothesis is that myoinositol and metformin in pregnant women with high-risk factors for glucose intolerance would reduce insulin resistance and consequently lower the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a metabolic disorder of pregnancy characterized by maternal hyperglycemia due to deficient response to physiological insulin resistance, which may have a negative impact on perinatal outcome and long-term sequelae. In recent years, this pathology has become increasingly important given the global obesity epidemic and the delay in becoming pregnant, especially in industrialized countries. For this reason, the attempt to prevent, rather than cure, gestational diabetes is particularly important.

Virtual interviews and equity: The pediatric pulmonary fellow perspective.

Background And Objectives: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic shifted medical training programs to utilize virtual interviews (VIs) starting with the 2020 interview cycle. Fellowship interviews continue in the virtual format. It is unknown how this shift has affected equity for applicants as compared to in-person interviews.

Optilume drug-coated balloon for anterior urethral stricture: 2-year results of the ROBUST III trial.

Objective: The aim of this study is to report the updated 2-year results of the intervention arm of the ROBUST III randomized trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Optilume drug-coated balloon (DCB) versus standard endoscopic management of recurrent male anterior urethral stricture.

Materials And Methods: Eligible patients included men with recurrent anterior urethral stricture ≤3 cm in length and ≤12Fr in diameter, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) ≥11 and peak flow rate (Qmax) <15 mL/s. Patients were randomized to treatment with the Optilume DCB or standard-of-care endoscopic management.

d-Chiro-Inositol in Clinical Practice: A Perspective from the Experts Group on Inositol in Basic and Clinical Research (EGOI).

Background: d-Chiro-inositol is a natural molecule that, in association with its well-studied isomer myo-inositol, may play a role in treating various metabolic and gynecological disorders.

Objectives: This perspective seeks to explore the mechanisms and functions of d-chiro-inositol, laying the foundations to discuss its use in clinical practice, across dysmetabolism, obesity, and hormonal dysregulation.

Methods: A narrative review of all the relevant papers known to the authors was conducted.

Multiplexed Imaging Mass Cytometry Analysis in Preclinical Models of Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers. PDAC is characterized by a complex tumor microenvironment (TME), that plays a pivotal role in disease progression and resistance to therapy. Investigating the spatial distribution and interaction of TME cells with the tumor is the basis for understanding the mechanisms underlying disease progression and represents a current challenge in PDAC research.

Identification of an optimal mutant allele frequency to detect activating , , and mutations in a commercial cell-free DNA next-generation sequencing assay in colorectal and pancreatic adenocarcinomas.

Background: Evaluation for activating mutations in , , and in colorectal cancer (CRC) and in in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is essential for clinical care. Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) next-generation sequencing (NGS) allows convenient assessment of a tumor's molecular profile, however low tumor DNA shedding limits sensitivity. We investigated mutant allele frequency (MAF) of other oncogenic dominant genes to identify a threshold for accurate detection of and mutations in cfDNA.

Long-term risk of carotid stenosis and cerebrovascular disease after radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.

Background: Recipients of radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) are at significantly increased risk for carotid artery stenosis (CAS) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD). We sought to determine (1) cumulative incidences of CAS and CVD among HNC survivors after RT and (2) whether CAS is associated with a RT dose response effect.

Methods: This single-institution retrospective cohort study examined patients with nonmetastatic HNC who completed (chemo)RT from January 2000 through October 2020 and subsequently received carotid imaging surveillance ≤2 years following RT completion and, in the absence of CAS, every 3 years thereafter.

The PINNACLE Study: A Double-blind, Randomized, Sham-controlled Study Evaluating the Optilume BPH Catheter System for the Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Secondary to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

Purpose: The Optilume BPH Catheter System is a novel drug/device combination minimally invasive surgical therapy for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia. The PINNACLE study is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of Optilume BPH against a sham surgical procedure.

Materials And Methods: Eligible patients were men 50 years or older with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia and a prostate size between 20 and 80 g.

Pan-Cancer Proteomics Analysis to Identify Tumor-Enriched and Highly Expressed Cell Surface Antigens as Potential Targets for Cancer Therapeutics.

The National Cancer Institute's Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) provides unique opportunities for cancer target discovery using protein expression. Proteomics data from CPTAC tumor types have been primarily generated using a multiplex tandem mass tag (TMT) approach, which is designed to provide protein quantification relative to reference samples. However, relative protein expression data are suboptimal for prioritization of targets within a tissue type, which requires additional reprocessing of the original proteomics data to derive absolute quantitation estimation.

Anti-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 IgG Is Present in the Amniotic Fluid of both Infected and Vaccinated Women at Second Trimester of Pregnancy: A Cohort Study.

Introduction: Pregnant women are protected from the complications of COVID-19 infection, thanks to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination. The benefit of this vaccination to prevent morbidity and mortality in the fetus has not yet been completely elucidated. Our aim was to test the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the amniotic fluid during the second trimester of pregnancy and then to compare them to the antibody levels in maternal serum to evaluate their correlation and to improve amniotic fluid immunological characteristics knowledge.

Adaptive Positron Emission Tomography Radiation Therapy in Patients With Locally Advanced Vulvar Cancer: A Prospective Study.

Purpose: In this prospective trial, we aim to determine whether fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT)-based adaptive radiation therapy (ART) improves dosimetry outcomes for patients treated with definitive radiation for locally advanced vulvar cancer.

Methods And Materials: Patients were enrolled in 2 sequential institutional review board-approved prospective protocols for PET/CT ART from 2012 to 2020. Patients were planned with pretreatment PET/CT to 45 to 56 Gy in 1.

Divergent Interpretations of Imaging After Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Lung Cancer.

Purpose: Conflicting information from health care providers contributes to anxiety among cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate discordant interpretations of follow-up imaging studies after lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) between radiologists and radiation oncologists.

Methods And Materials: Patients treated with SBRT for stage I non-small cell lung cancer from 2007 to 2018 at Duke University Medical Center were included.

Screening of GDM during COVID pandemic in an Italian setting: comparison between IADPSG and WHO '99 criteria.

Background: During pandemic period, a single fast glycemia value (≥ 92 mg/dl) performed within the recommended time window for the risk level defined by the Italian guidelines, was considered an acceptable surrogate for GDM diagnosis following Italian Diabetes Association recomendations.

Methods: All pregnant women who performed an OGTT following Italian Guidelines from march 2020 to september 2021 and then delivered at our University Hospital were prospectively enrolled in this study. Primary outcome of the study was the number of women diagnosed with GDM with only the FPG value (≥ 92 mg/dl), following Italian Diabetes Societies recommendations for COVID 19 pandemic period.

Impact of assisted reproduction techniques on the neuro-psycho-motor outcome of newborns: a critical appraisal.

Subfertility and infertility are common problems among couples of reproductive age, and they increasingly require the use of assisted reproductive techniques (ART). Understandably, doubts about the safety of such methods are increasing among future parents. The purpose of this review is to analyse the real impact of ART, such as fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), on the health of the unborn baby; in particular, this work is focussed on the problems related to the neuro-psycho-motor area.

Diagnosing Gestational Diabetes with a Probably Too Simplified Diagnostic Procedure Compared to International Criteria: The Indian Case Study.

Diagnostic procedures for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are not uniformly defined worldwide. We retrospectively applied two diagnostic procedures (i.e.

Hereditary cancer risk assessment and genetic testing in the community urology practice setting.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of integrating a hereditary cancer risk assessment (HCRA) process in the community urology practice setting for patients with prostate cancer (PCa).

Methods: In this prospective intervention, an HCRA process was implemented across six different community urology clinics between May 2019 and April 2020. The intervention included a process integration during which the workflow at each site was refined, a post-integration period during which HCRA was conducted in all patients with PCa, and a follow-up period during which healthcare providers and patients reported their satisfaction with the HCRA and genetic testing process.

The Analytical Reliability of the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test for the Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes: An Observational, Retrospective Study in a Caucasian Population.

The Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) is currently the gold standard reference test for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Several critical issues related to analytical variables have challenged its reproducibility and accuracy. This study aimed to assess the analytical reliability of the OGTT for the diagnosis of GDM.

Recommendations on Complementary Feeding as a Tool for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)-Paper Co-Drafted by the SIPPS, FIMP, SIDOHaD, and SINUPE Joint Working Group.

Adequate and balanced nutrition is essential to promote optimal child growth and a long and healthy life. After breastfeeding, the second step is the introduction of complementary feeding (CF), a process that typically covers the period from 6 to 24 months of age. This process is, however, still highly controversial, as it is heavily influenced by socio-cultural choices, as well as by the availability of specific local foods, by family traditions, and pediatrician beliefs.

One-Year Results for the ROBUST III Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Optilume Drug-Coated Balloon for Anterior Urethral Strictures.

Purpose: The Optilume® drug-coated balloon (DCB) is a urethral dilation balloon with a paclitaxel coating that combines mechanical dilation for immediate symptomatic relief with local drug delivery to maintain urethral patency. The ROBUST III study is a randomized, single-blind trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Optilume DCB against endoscopic management of recurrent anterior urethral strictures.

Materials And Methods: Eligible patients were adult males with anterior strictures ≤12Fr in diameter and ≤3 cm in length, at least 2 prior endoscopic treatments, International Prostate Symptom Score ≥11 and maximum flow rate <15 ml per second.

Inositols: From Established Knowledge to Novel Approaches.

Myo-inositol (myo-Ins) and D-chiro-inositol (D-chiro-Ins) are natural compounds involved in many biological pathways. Since the discovery of their involvement in endocrine signal transduction, myo-Ins and D-chiro-Ins supplementation has contributed to clinical approaches in ameliorating many gynecological and endocrinological diseases. Currently both myo-Ins and D-chiro-Ins are well-tolerated, effective alternative candidates to the classical insulin sensitizers, and are useful treatments in preventing and treating metabolic and reproductive disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and male fertility disturbances, like sperm abnormalities.

Primary Chemoablation of Low-Grade Intermediate-Risk Nonmuscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Using UGN-102, a Mitomycin-Containing Reverse Thermal Gel (Optima II): A Phase 2b, Open-Label, Single-Arm Trial.

Purpose: Low-grade intermediate-risk nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (LG IR NMIBC) is a recurrent disease, thus requiring repeated transurethral resection of bladder tumor under general anesthesia. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of UGN-102, a mitomycin-containing reverse thermal gel, as a primary chemoablative therapeutic alternative to transurethral resection of bladder tumor for patients with LG IR NMIBC.

Materials And Methods: This prospective, phase 2b, open-label, single-arm trial recruited patients with biopsy-proven LG IR NMIBC to receive 6 once-weekly instillations of UGN-102.