Predictors of Mortality among End-Stage Renal Disease Patients with COVID-19 Admitted in a Philippine Tertiary Government Hospital: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background And Objective: Several studies have examined the predictors of mortality among COVID-19-infected patients; however, to date, few published studies focused on end-stage renal disease patients. The present study, therefore, aims to determine the predictors of in-hospital mortality among end-stage renal disease patients with COVID-19 admitted to a Philippine tertiary hospital.

Methods: The researcher utilized a retrospective cohort design.

A Histomorphologic and Ultrastructural Report of an Oncocytic Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma With Clinicoradiologic Correlates.

Oncocytic adrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignant adrenal cortical tumor with limited documented case reports. Herein, a 65-year-old female patient presented with a large, solid adrenal mass. A diagnosis of oncocytic ACC was rendered with the following tumor characteristics: The tumor entirely consists of diffuse sheets of polygonal cells with bizarre nuclear atypia and deeply eosinophilic cytoplasm.

Impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the field of hematopoietic cell transplantation in the Asia-Pacific region: APBMT Activity Survey 2020/2021.

COVID-19 became a global pandemic in 2020 and significantly affected the activity of hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT) worldwide. Despite these challenges, a total of 28,793 transplants, including 18,518 allogeneic and 10,275 autologous transplants, were performed in 719 facilities in 2020 in the Asia-Pacific (AP) region. This represented a 5.

Liver Transplantation in the Philippines: Light at the End of the Tunnel.

End-stage liver disease is arguably one of the leading burdensome diseases among developing countries such as the Philippines. Although liver transplantation is considered the treatment of choice for decompensated cirrhosis, the establishment of a robust transplant program locally has been protracted as numerous obstacles continue to plague our transplant landscape. Issues on cost, options of having the transplant done overseas, and low rates of deceased donation are some of the difficulties that hamper our program's progress and development.

Supporting Financial Neutrality in Donation of Organs, Cells, and Tissues.

The avoidance of financial gain in the human body is an international ethical standard that underpins efforts to promote equity in donation and transplantation and to avoid the exploitation of vulnerable populations. The avoidance of financial loss due to donation of organs, tissues, and cells is also now recognized as an ethical imperative that fosters equity in donation and transplantation and supports the well-being of donors and their families. Nevertheless, there has been little progress in achieving financial neutrality in donations in most countries.

Toward Equity in Global Access to SoHO-based Therapies: Recommendations for Action.

Therapies derived from substances of human origin (SoHOs) such as organs, cells, and tissues provide life-saving or life-changing treatment for millions of people worldwide each year. However, many people lack timely access to SoHO-based therapies because of insufficient supplies of these exceptional health resources and/or broader barriers in access to healthcare. Despite well-established governmental commitments to promote health equity in general and equity of access to SoHOs in particular, information about inequities in access to most SoHO-based therapies is scarce.

Prevention of Trafficking in Organs, Tissues, and Cells.

Trafficking in human organs, cells, and tissues has long been a source of concern for health authorities and professionals, and several international ethical guidance documents and national laws have affirmed the prohibition of trade in these substances of human origin (SoHOs). However, despite considerable attention to the issue of organ trafficking, this remains a substantial and widespread problem internationally. In contrast, trafficking in cells, tissues, and medical products derived from SoHOs has received comparatively little attention, and the extent and nature of such trafficking remain largely unknown.

Efficacy of Adjunct Hemoperfusion Compared to Standard Medical Therapy on 28-Day Mortality in Leptospirosis Patients with Renal Failure and Shock: A Single-Center Randomized Controlled Trial.

Hemoperfusion is a novel adjunct therapy that targets the dysregulated inflammatory events in severe sepsis. Previous studies have reported conflicting results on its efficacy and safety. This study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of hemoperfusion among leptospirosis patients in septic shock and renal failure in terms of improvement in 28-day mortality, SOFA score, level of inflammatory markers, hemodynamics, and renal and pulmonary function.

Approach to Diagnosis of TFE3-rearranged Renal Cell Carcinoma in a Limited Resource Setting: A Case Report.

This report recounts the diagnostic workup of a pediatric female who presented with hematuria secondary to a large renal mass visualized on abdominal imaging. Histologic assessment and subsequent immunohistochemistry studies were performed. Intense, unequivocal immunohistochemical expression of TFE3 and alpha-methylacyl-CoA-racemase with corresponding negativity for carbonic anhydrase IX, along with highly distinctive clinical, radiologic, gross, and microscopic findings confirmed the diagnosis of a renal cell carcinoma with TFE3 gene rearrangement - the first ever reported case in the Philippines.

Liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma in the Asia-Pacific region: burden, trends, challenges and future directions.

Globally, nearly half of deaths from cirrhosis and chronic liver diseases (CLD) and three-quarters of deaths from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occur in the Asia-Pacific region. Chronic hepatitis B is responsible for the vast majority of liver-related deaths in the region. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common form of CLD, affecting an estimated 30% of the adult population.

Cost of Drivers among Patients in the First Year after Kidney Transplantation - A Retrospective Study.

The cost of kidney transplantation (KT) and its follow-up care greatly exceeds the mean annual family income. Governmental support during the post-transplant period is needed. This study aimed to identify the drivers of cost during the 1st year after KT.

Treatment Options for Hemodialysis-related Central Vein Occlusive Disease: Case Series and Review of Literature.

Central venous occlusive disease is commonly seen in patients undergoing hemodialysis and can threaten the viability of the arteriovenous access. Majority of cases are related to central venous catheter placement. This paper reports on three patients on chronic hemodialysis who presented with signs and symptoms of upper extremity venous hypertension and underwent three different therapeutic modalities, all with successful relief of symptoms.

NKX2‑1 copy number alterations are associated with oncogenic, immunological and prognostic remodeling in non‑small cell lung cancer.

NK2 homeobox 1 (NKX2-1) copy number alterations (CNAs) are frequently observed in lung cancer. However, little is known about the complete landscape of focal alterations in NKX2-1 copy number (CN), their clinical significance and their therapeutic implications in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The correlations between NKX2-1 expression and EGFR driver mutations and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) co-expression were studied using immunohistochemistry and PCR from the tumors of recruited Filipino patients (n=45).

A Case Report of Kidney Transplantation in a Patient With Pre-existing Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: The Role of Achieving Molecular Response and Treatment-Free Remission.

Background: Treatment-free remission (TFR) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is achieved when a patient who has discontinued tyrosine-kinase inhibitor treatment sustains major molecular response (MMR) and does not require restarting therapy. The feasibility of kidney transplantation (KT), and achieving TFR post-transplantation in patients with a pre-existing CML, are currently not well-studied.

Methods: We describe the clinical course of a 39-year-old Filipino woman with IgA nephropathy who developed CML during treatment.

Outcomes of Kidney Transplantation Among COVID-19 Recovered Patients in a Single Transplant Center.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly lowered kidney transplantation (KT) rates worldwide, and studies regarding outcomes of patients who developed COVID-19 infection before KT are limited, especially in low to middle-income countries.

Background: To determine the 1-year graft and patient survival of kidney transplant recipients who recovered from COVID-19 infection before KT.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all adult end-stage renal disease patients who underwent KT at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute from June 2020 through October 2021.

Psychosocial Burden of Psoriasis: A Systematic Literature Review of Depression Among Patients with Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is associated with various comorbidities with a notable psychosocial burden. This systematic literature review explores the burden of depression in patients with psoriasis, comparing it with that experienced by patients with other chronic medical conditions. Embase via Ovid, PubMed, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews via Ovid were searched for peer-reviewed studies published in English between January 1, 2016 and December 6, 2021 that reported real-world evidence or observational studies involving at least 100 adults (age ≥ 18 years) with general (unspecified) or plaque psoriasis experiencing symptoms of depression (but not restricted to patients with a clinical diagnosis).

The differential prognostic implications of PD-L1 expression in the outcomes of Filipinos with -mutant NSCLC treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Background: The tumor immune microenvironment influences tumor evolution in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Yet, the prognostic value of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant NSCLC remains controversial. Additionally, prognostic studies in Filipinos with EGFR-mutant NSCLC remain unexplored to this day.

Clip-and-line traction method for difficult ERCP cannulation due to choledochocoele.

Video 1Clip-and-line traction method for difficult ERCP cannulation due to choledochocoele.

Translating the efficacy of dapagliflozin in chronic kidney disease to lower healthcare resource utilization and costs: a medical care cost offset analysis.

Aims: Dapagliflozin was approved for use in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) based on results of the DAPA-CKD trial, demonstrating attenuation of CKD progression and reduced risk of cardio-renal outcomes and all-cause mortality (ACM) versus placebo, in addition to standard therapy. The study objective was to assess the potential medical care cost offsets associated with reduced rates of cardio-renal outcomes across 31 countries and regions.

Materials And Methods: A comparative cost-determination framework estimated outcome-related costs of dapagliflozin plus standard therapy versus standard therapy alone over a 3-year horizon based on the DAPA-CKD trial.