Low blood levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are positively associated with cancer.

Purpose: There is a growing body of evidence suggesting a decisive involvement of the human lipid metabolism in cancer development. However, clinical data on the association between blood triglyceride or cholesterol levels including the cholesterol transporters high-density and low-density lipoproteins (LDL, HDL) and cancer incidence have remained inconclusive. Here, we investigated the association between blood triglyceride as well as total, LDL and HDL cholesterol levels and cancer among outpatients from Germany.

The fecal mycobiome in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background & Aims: Studies investigating the gut-liver axis have largely focused on bacteria, whereas little is known about commensal fungi. We characterized fecal fungi in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and investigated their role in a fecal microbiome-humanized mouse model of Western diet-induced steatohepatitis.

Methods: We performed fungal internal transcribed spacer 2 sequencing using fecal samples from 78 patients with NAFLD, 16 controls and 73 patients with alcohol use disorder.

Comparative Analysis of Circulating Biomarkers for Patients Undergoing Resection of Colorectal Liver Metastases.

Surgical tumor resection has evolved as a potentially curative therapy for patients with resectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). However, disease recurrence is common and the available preoperative stratification strategies are often imprecise to identify the ideal candidates for surgical treatment, resulting in a postoperative 5-year survival rate below 50%. Data on the prognostic value of CEA, CA19-9 and other common laboratory parameters after CRLM resection are scarce and partly inconclusive.

Evidence of extensive cellular immune response after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in ocrelizumab-treated patients with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Patients with multiple sclerosis receiving ocrelizumab-treatment are in desperate need of a protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: In this study, Euroimmun semi-quantitative Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG for detection of humoral response and ELISpot assays for detection of SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell-response were used in 10 ocrelizumab-treated patients with multiple sclerosis twice vaccinated with Comirnaty® mRNA vaccine. This data was compared with a control group of 20 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers, who had all previously received a full SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination with Comirnaty® or Spikevax®.

Sarcopenia Predicts Cancer Mortality in Male but Not in Female Patients Undergoing Surgery for Cholangiocellular Carcinoma.

Introduction: Surgery represents the only curative treatment option for patients with cholangiocarcinoma. However, complete tumor resection requires extensive surgery in many patients, and it is still debated which patients represent the ideal candidates for such therapy in terms of overall survival. Sarcopenia has been associated with an adverse outcome for various malignancies, but its role in the context of patients undergoing tumor resection for cholangiocellular adenocarcinoma (CCA) is only poorly understood.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with an increased incidence of osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and osteoporosis are common diseases with a rising incidence worldwide. Both diseases occur in similar patient populations, however, data on their mutual influence are conflicting. Here, we aimed to evaluate the impact of NAFLD on the incidence of osteoporosis and fractures by using the Disease Analyzer database featuring data on diagnoses, prescriptions, and demographic aspects of 7.

Diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased incidence of aortic valve stenosis.

Background: The prognosis of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is particularly determined by vascular comorbidities. A recent theory implies that DM could also promote aortic valve stenosis (AS). The present study investigates this association in a large collective of outpatients.

Sarcopenia and Myosteatosis as Prognostic Markers in Patients with Advanced Cholangiocarcinoma Undergoing Palliative Treatment.

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) represents the second most common primary liver cancer and is characterized by a very poor outcome, but reliable prognostic markers are largely missing. Sarcopenia, the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength, as well as myosteatosis have been associated with an unfavorable outcome in several clinical conditions, including cancer. Here, we evaluated the prognostic relevance of sarcopenia and myosteatosis using routine abdominal CT (computed tomography) scans in advanced stage CCA patients undergoing palliative treatment.

The prognostic role of in-hospital transfusion of fresh frozen plasma in patients with cholangiocarcinoma undergoing curative-intent liver surgery.

Introduction: Major hepatectomy for perihilar and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is often associated with a significant intraoperative blood loss and the requirement for perioperative transfusion of blood products. The aim of this study was to investigate the oncological impact of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusion during hospitalization in patients undergoing hepatectomy for CCA as adverse effects have been described in other malignancies.

Material And Methods: Patients undergoing hepatectomy for CCA from 2010 to 2019 at a single institution were eligible for this study.

Does timing matter in radiotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma? An experimental study in mice.

This study investigates whether a chronotherapeutic treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may improve treatment efficacy and mitigate side effects on non-tumoral liver (NTL). HCC was induced in Per2::luc mice which were irradiated at four time points of the day. Proliferation and DNA-double strand breaks were analyzed in irradiated and nonirradiated animals by detection of Ki67 and γ-H2AX.

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy in conjunction with a frameshift deletion in FGFR4.

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is characterized by increased serum bile acid levels in the third trimester of pregnancy and resolves quickly after delivery. Here, we present the case of a 29-year-old woman who developed idiopathic liver damage during puberty, and subsequently ICP and severe pruritus during two pregnancies. DNA sequencing revealed a heterozygous deletion (c.

Telomere Shortening in Peripheral Leukocytes Is Associated With Poor Survival in Cancer Patients Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy represents a new standard of care for an increasing number of malignancies. Nevertheless, response rates and outcome of ICI treatment vary between individuals and the identification of predictive markers or hints towards immune cell exhaustion during therapy has remained a major challenge. Leukocyte telomere length is an established predictive biomarker of replicative aging and cellular proliferative potential in various hematological diseases.

The Role of miRNA in the Pathophysiology of Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) represent a tumor group that is both rare and heterogeneous. Prognosis is largely determined by the tumor grading and the site of the primary tumor and metastases. Despite intensive research efforts, only modest advances in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches have been achieved in recent years.

Decreased Bone Mineral Density Is a Predictor of Poor Survival in Critically Ill Patients.

Alterations in bone mineral density (BMD) have been suggested as independent predictors of survival for several diseases. However, little is known about the role of BMD in the context of critical illness and intensive care medicine. We therefore evaluated the prognostic role of BMD in critically ill patients upon admission to an intensive care unit (ICU).

Enlarged extracellular vesicles are a negative prognostic factor in patients undergoing TACE for primary or secondary liver cancer-a case series.

Background: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has evolved as a standard treatment option in patients with intermediate stage, unresectable HCC [Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B] as well as in patients with liver metastases, when surgery or systemic therapy is considered not appropriate. Concentration and sizes of extracellular vesicles (EVs) recently emerged as novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in patients with liver cancer, but no data on its prognostic relevance in the context of TACE exists. Here, we evaluate pre-interventional EVs as a potential biomarker in patients undergoing TACE for primary and secondary hepatic malignancies.

Dataset for the reporting of carcinoma of the exocrine pancreas: recommendations from the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR).

Aims: Current guidelines for pathology reporting on pancreatic cancer differ in certain aspects, resulting in divergent reporting practices and a lack of comparability of data. Here, we report on a new international dataset for pathology reporting on resection specimens with cancer of the exocrine pancreas (ductal adenocarcinoma and acinar cell carcinoma). The dataset was produced under the auspices of the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR), which is a global alliance of major (inter)national pathology and cancer organisations.

The APAC Score: A Novel and Highly Performant Serological Tool for Early Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis.

(1) Background: Surveillance of at-risk patients for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highly necessary, as curative treatment options are only feasible in early disease stages. However, to date, screening of patients with liver cirrhosis for HCC mostly relies on suboptimal ultrasound-mediated evaluation and α-fetoprotein (AFP) measurement. Therefore, we sought to develop a novel and blood-based scoring tool for the identification of early-stage HCC.

Levels of Circulating PD-L1 Are Decreased in Patients with Resectable Cholangiocarcinoma.

Unlabelled: Tumor resection represents the only curative treatment option for patients with biliary tract cancers (BTCs), including intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), perihilar and extrahepatic CCA and gallbladder cancer. However, many patients develop early tumor recurrence and are unlikely to benefit from surgery. Therefore, markers to identify ideal surgical candidates are urgently needed.

Heart failure is associated with an increased incidence of cancer diagnoses.

Aims: The prognosis and quality of life of heart failure patients is determined to a significant extent by co-morbidities. New data suggest that heart failure may be associated with an increased incidence of cancer. The present retrospective study investigates this association in a large collective of outpatients with heart failure.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with a higher incidence of coeliac disease.

Background: Recently the incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has risen to become the most frequent liver disease worldwide. NAFLD is not a disease limited to the liver, but rather represents a systemic inflammatory disease involving multiple organ systems. Previous studies have suggested an association between NAFLD and coeliac disease, another disease related to inflammation.