Exome Sequencing of Chinese Patients With Anticitrullinated Protein Antibody-Positive Rheumatoid Arthritis in Singapore.

Objective: More than 130 susceptibility loci for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been identified with genome-wide association studies. To investigate the genetic predisposition of Chinese patients to anticitrullinated protein antibody (ACPA)-positive RA, we carried out an exome sequencing study.

Methods: Patients were recruited from 3 major public hospitals in Singapore: Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), Singapore General Hospital, and the National University Hospital.

Association of Laparoscopic Surgery with Improved Perioperative and Survival Outcomes in Patients with Resectable Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis from Propensity-Score Matched Studies.

Background: Recent studies have associated laparoscopic surgery with better overall survival (OS) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM). The potential benefits of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) over open liver resection (OLR) have not been demonstrated in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCC).

Methods: A systematic review of the PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases was performed to search studies comparing OS and perioperative outcome for patients with resectable iCC.

An international multicentre propensity score matched analysis comparing between robotic versus laparoscopic left lateral sectionectomy.

Background: Left lateral sectionectomy (LLS) is one of the most commonly performed minimally invasive liver resections. While laparoscopic (L)-LLS is a well-established technique, over traditional open resection, it remains controversial if robotic (R)-LLS provides any advantages of L-LLS.

Methods: A post hoc analysis of 997 patients from 21 international centres undergoing L-LLS or R-LLS from 2006 to 2020 was conducted.

Utility of the Iwate difficulty scoring system for laparoscopic right posterior sectionectomy: do surgical outcomes differ for tumors in segments VI and VII?

Introduction: The Iwate Score (IS) have not been well-validated for specific procedures, especially for right posterior sectionectomy (RPS). In this study, the utility of the IS was determined for laparoscopic (L)RPS and the effect of tumor location on surgical outcomes was investigated.

Methods: Post-hoc analysis of 647 L-RPS performed in 40 international centers of which 596L-RPS cases met the inclusion criteria.

Sodium First Approach, to Reset Our Mind for Improving Management of Sodium, Water, Volume and Pressure in Hemodialysis Patients, and to Reduce Cardiovascular Burden and Improve Outcomes.

New physiologic findings related to sodium homeostasis and pathophysiologic associations require a new vision for sodium, fluid and blood pressure management in dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease patients. The traditional dry weight probing approach that has prevailed for many years must be reviewed in light of these findings and enriched by availability of new tools for monitoring and handling sodium and water imbalances. A comprehensive and integrated approach is needed to improve further cardiac health in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

KIR-favorable TCR-αβ/CD19-depleted haploidentical HCT in children with ALL/AML/MDS: primary analysis of the PTCTC ONC1401 trial.

We performed a prospective multicenter study of T-cell receptor αβ (TCR-αβ)/CD19-depleted haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in children with acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), to determine 1-year disease-free survival (DFS) and compare 2-year outcomes with recipients of other donor cell sources. Fifty-one patients aged 0.7 to 21 years were enrolled; donors were killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) favorable based on ligand mismatch and/or high B content.

Effects of Combined Cataract Surgery on Outcomes of Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis of literature-to-date regarding the effects of combined cataract surgery on outcomes of DMEK.

Methods: Multiple electronic databases were searched, including Cochrane Library databases, PubMed, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov.

An international multicenter propensity-score matched and coarsened-exact matched analysis comparing robotic versus laparoscopic partial liver resections of the anterolateral segments.

Background: Robotic liver resections (RLR) may have the ability to address some of the drawbacks of laparoscopic liver resections (LLR) but few studies have done a head-to-head comparison of the outcomes after anterolateral segment resections by the two techniques.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of 3202 patients who underwent minimally invasive LR of the anterolateral liver segments at 26 international centres from 2005 to 2020. Two thousand six hundred and six cases met study criteria of which there were 358 RLR and 1868 LLR cases.

Efficacy and Safety of Apatinib for Radiation-induced Brain Injury Among Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: An Open-Label, Single-Arm, Phase 2 Study.

Purpose: The treatment of radiation-induced brain injury (RI) caused by radiation therapy for head and neck cancer is challenging. Antiangiogenic therapy is a promising treatment. Apatinib is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor that selectively inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2.

Propensity Score-Matched Analysis Comparing Robotic and Laparoscopic Right and Extended Right Hepatectomy.

Importance: Laparoscopic and robotic techniques have both been well adopted as safe options in selected patients undergoing hepatectomy. However, it is unknown whether either approach is superior, especially for major hepatectomy such as right hepatectomy or extended right hepatectomy (RH/ERH).

Objective: To compare the outcomes of robotic vs laparoscopic RH/ERH.

Strategies to Facilitate Improved Recruitment, Development, and Retention of the Rural and Remote Medical Workforce: A Scoping Review.

Background: Medical workforce shortages in rural and remote areas are a global issue. High-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) seek to implement strategies to address this problem, regardless of local challenges and contexts. This study distilled strategies with positive outcomes and success from international peer-reviewed literature regarding recruitment, retention, and rural and remote medical workforce development in HICs and LMICs.

Minimally invasive liver resection for huge (≥10 cm) tumors: an international multicenter matched cohort study with regression discontinuity analyses.

Background: The application and feasibility of minimally invasive liver resection (MILR) for huge liver tumours (≥10 cm) has not been well documented.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of data on 6,617 patients who had MILR for liver tumours were gathered from 21 international centers between 2009-2019. Huge tumors and large tumors were defined as tumors with a size ≥10.

International multicentre propensity score-matched analysis comparing robotic versus laparoscopic right posterior sectionectomy.

Background: Minimally invasive right posterior sectionectomy (RPS) is a technically challenging procedure. This study was designed to determine outcomes following robotic RPS (R-RPS) and laparoscopic RPS (L-RPS).

Methods: An international multicentre retrospective analysis of patients undergoing R-RPS versus those who had purely L-RPS at 21 centres from 2010 to 2019 was performed.

Approaches for corneal endothelium regenerative medicine.

The state of the art therapy for treating corneal endothelial disease is transplantation. Advances in the reproducibility and accessibility of surgical techniques are increasing the number of corneal transplants, thereby causing a global deficit of donor corneas and leaving 12.7 million patients with addressable visual impairment.

Olive oil-based lipid emulsion is noninferior to soybean oil-based lipid emulsion in the acute care setting: A double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: Olive oil (OO)-based intravenous lipid emulsion (IVLE) may have biological advantages for nutrition and inflammation status compared with soybean oil (SO)-based IVLE. We aimed to compare prealbumin levels during infusion of OO- or SO-based IVLE in patients receiving parenteral nutrition in the acute-care setting.

Methods: In this prospective, noninferiority, double blind randomized controlled efficacy trial, patients received either OO-based or SO-based IVLE after providing consent.

Diabetic Corneal Neuropathy.

Diabetic keratopathy (DK) is a common, but underdiagnosed, ocular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) that has a significant economic burden. It is characterised by progressive damage of corneal nerves, due to DM-induced chronic hyperglycaemia and its associated metabolic changes. With advances in corneal nerve imaging and quantitative analytic tools, studies have shown that the severity of diabetic corneal neuropathy correlates with the status of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.