The Gut Microbiome, Microsatellite Status and the Response to Immunotherapy in Colorectal Cancer.

There is increasing evidence in a range of cancer types that the microbiome plays a direct role in modulating the anti-cancer immune response both at the gut level and systemically. Differences in the gut microbiota have been shown to correlate with differences in immunotherapy responses in a range of non-gastrointestinal tract cancers. DNA mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer (CRC) is radically different to DNA mismatch repair-proficient (pMMR) CRC in clinical phenotype and in its very good responses to immunotherapy.

The impact of bariatric surgery on the resolution of obstructive sleep apnoea.

Objective: Obesity is associated with a high incidence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Bariatric surgery is postulated to lead to OSA resolution, but there is inconclusive evidence on its efficacy. We used objective measurements to determine the rate of resolution or improvement of OSA in patients who had bariatric procedures in our unit.

Haematuria and the retro-aortic left renal vein.

The authors present the case of a 10-year-old boy with a 2-year history of intermittent macroscopic haematuria. After exclusion of other causes of haematuria through history, examination and a number of investigations, MRI revealed the finding of a retro-aortic left renal vein, which appeared to be compressed between the aorta and the L3 vertebral body. The retro-aortic left renal vein or 'posterior nutcracker syndrome" is a rare but important cause of haematuria and other manifestations of left renal vein hypertension.