Deployment of an Artificial Intelligence Histology Tool to Aid Qualitative Assessment of Histopathology Using the Nancy Histopathology Index in Ulcerative Colitis.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by increased stool frequency, rectal bleeding, and urgency. To streamline the quantitative assessment of histopathology using the Nancy Index in UC patients, we developed a novel artificial intelligence (AI) tool based on deep learning and tested it in a proof-of-concept trial. In this study, we report the performance of a modified version of the AI tool.

Arrhythmia Burden Among Adult Patients With Congenital Heart Disease: A Population-Based Study.

Background: A significant percentage of patients with congenital heart disease surviving into adulthood will develop arrhythmias. These arrhythmias are associated with an increased risk of adverse events and death. We aimed to assess arrhythmia prevalence, risk factors, and associated health care usage in a large national cohort of patients with adult congenital heart disease.

SNG100, a novel topical treatment for moderate atopic dermatitis, in patients aged 6 years or older: A randomised, double-blind, active-controlled trial.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases. It is associated with significant itch and impaired quality of life. Systemic treatments are efficient but associated with side effects.

Addition of elotuzumab to lenalidomide and dexamethasone for patients with newly diagnosed, transplantation ineligible multiple myeloma (ELOQUENT-1): an open-label, multicentre, randomised, phase 3 trial.

Background: Elotuzumab plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone has shown improved progression-free and overall survival versus lenalidomide and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. We aimed to assess these regimens in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT).

Methods: ELOQUENT-1 is an open-label, multicentre, randomised, phase 3 trial conducted at 185 hospitals, oncology practices, and research centres in 19 countries.

Pulmonary Hypertension Is Associated With Systemic Arterial Hypertension Among Patients With Normal Left Ventricular Diastolic Function.

Background The association of pulmonary and systemic arterial hypertension is believed to be mediated through hypertensive left heart disease. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether pulmonary hypertension (PHT) is associated with systemic arterial hypertension among patients with apparently normal left ventricular diastolic function. Methods and Results Consecutive patients who had echocardiographic evaluation between 2007 and 2019 were enrolled.

Vedolizumab and Anti-Tumour Necrosis Factor α Real-World Outcomes in Biologic-Naïve Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: Results from the EVOLVE Study.

Background And Aims: This study aimed to compare real-world clinical effectiveness and safety of vedolizumab, an α4β7-integrin inhibitor, and anti-tumour necrosis factor-α [anti-TNFα] agents in biologic-naïve ulcerative colitis [UC] and Crohn's disease [CD] patients.

Methods: This was a 24-month retrospective medical chart study in adult UC and CD patients treated with vedolizumab or anti-TNFα in Canada, Greece and the USA. Inverse probability weighting was used to account for differences between groups.

Health Service Utilization Patterns Among Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: A Population-Based Study.

Background Several studies have examined hospitalizations among patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD). Few investigated other services or utilization patterns. Our aim was to study service utilization patterns and predictors among patients with ACHD.

Impact of High-Power Short-Duration Radiofrequency Ablation on Long-Term Lesion Durability for Atrial Fibrillation Ablation.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to compare lesion durability between high-power short-duration (HP-SD) and moderate-power moderate-duration (MP-MD) ablation strategies.

Background: HP-SD radiofrequency ablation (RFA) was developed to improve pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) by reducing the effect of catheter instability inherent to MP-MD ablation strategies. However, its long-term effect on lesion durability for the treatment of atrial fibrillation is unknown.

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment: Is It Suitable for Identifying Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease?

Background: Administering an abbreviated global cognitive test, such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), is necessary for the recommended first-level diagnostic criteria for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Parkinson's disease (PD). Level II requires administering cognitive functioning neuropsychological tests. The MoCA's suitability for identifying PD-MCI is questionable and, despite the importance of cognitive deficits reflected through daily functioning in identifying PD-MCI, knowledge about it is scarce.

Influence of risk factors in the ESC-EHRA EORP atrial fibrillation ablation long-term registry.

Background: The influence of risk factors on atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation recurrence is increasingly recognized. We present a sub-analysis of the European Society of Cardiology-European Heart Rhythm Association-European Society of Cardiology AF ablation long-term registry on the effect of traditional risk factors for AF on postablation recurrence, reablation, and complications using real-world data.

Methods: Risk factors for AF were defined as body mass index ≥27 kg/m², hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, alcohol ≥2 units/day, sleep apnea, smoking, no/occasional sports activity, moderate/severe mitral or aortic valve disease, any cardiomyopathy, peripheral vascular disease, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, coronary artery disease/infarction, and previous pacemaker/defibrillator implant.

Arrhythmic burden among asymptomatic patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

Background: The clinical benefit of primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy in asymptomatic patients (New York Heart Association [NYHA] functional class I) with ischemic cardiomyopathy and left ventricular dysfunction is continually disputed.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias, mortality rates, and appropriate device therapies by NYHA class in a prospective national ICD registry.

Methods: The study comprised 1670 consecutive patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy who were implanted with a primary prevention ICD and enrolled in the prospective national Israeli ICD Registry from 2010.

[ACUTE DIVERTICULAR DISEASE - IS IT STILL A "SURGICAL" CONDITION?].

The therapeutic approach to diverticular disease has changed significantly in recent decades. From a disease treated almost exclusively by surgery, diverticulitis is nowadays treated operatively in specific indications, shifting the majority of patients towards an outpatient based treatment. Significant changes occurred not only in uncomplicated diverticular disease but also in complicated cases, treated in the past with emergency surgery.

The prognostic significance of improvement in exercise capacity in heart failure patients who participate in cardiac rehabilitation programme.

Introduction There are limited contemporary data regarding the association between improvement in cardiovascular fitness in heart failure patients who participate in a cardiac rehabilitation programme and the risk of subsequent hospitalisations. Methods The study population comprised 421 patients with heart failure who participated in our cardiac rehabilitation programme between the years 2009 and 2016. All were evaluated by a standard exercise stress test before initiation, and underwent a second exercise stress test on completion of 3 ± 1 months of training.

Changing paradigms in the management of diverticulitis.

The management of diverticular disease has evolved in the last few decades from a structured therapeutic approach including operative management in almost all cases to a variety of medical and surgical approaches leading to a more individualized strategy. There is an ongoing debate among surgeons about the surgical management of diverticular disease, questioning not only the surgical procedure of choice, but also about who should be operated and the timing of surgery, both in complicated and uncomplicated diverticular disease. This article reviews the current treatment of diverticulitis, with a focus on the indications and methods of surgery in both the emergency and elective settings.

An antibody to amphiregulin, an abundant growth factor in patients' fluids, inhibits ovarian tumors.

Growth factors of the epidermal growth factor (EGF)/neuregulin family are involved in tumor progression and, accordingly, antibodies that intercept a cognate receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/ERBB1, or a co-receptor, HER2, have been approved for cancer therapy. Although they might improve safety and delay onset of chemoresistance, no anti-ligand antibodies have been clinically approved. To identify suitable ligands, we surveyed fluids from ovarian and lung cancer patients and found that amphiregulin (AREG) is the most abundant and generalized ligand secreted by advanced tumors.

Antibiotics in agriculture and the risk to human health: how worried should we be?

The use of antibiotics in agriculture is routinely described as a major contributor to the clinical problem of resistant disease in human medicine. While a link is plausible, there are no data conclusively showing the magnitude of the threat emerging from agriculture. Here, we define the potential mechanisms by which agricultural antibiotic use could lead to human disease and use case studies to critically assess the potential risk from each.

Optimizing multiple sclerosis diagnosis: gene expression and genomic association.

Objective: The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) at disease onset is sometimes masqueraded by other diagnostic options resembling MS clinically or radiologically (NonMS). In the present study we utilized findings of large-scale Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) to develop a blood gene expression-based classification tool to assist in diagnosis during the first demyelinating event.

Methods: We have merged knowledge of 110 MS susceptibility genes gained from MS GWAS studies together with our experimental results of differential blood gene expression profiling between 80 MS and 31 NonMS patients.

Gamma delta T cells in non-immune patients during primary schistosomal infection.

The mevalonate pathway is critical for the survival of Schistosoma. γδ T cells, a small subset of peripheral blood (PB) T cells, recognize low molecular weight phosphorylated antigens in the mevalonate pathway, which drive their expansion to exert protective and immunoregulatory effects. To evaluate their role in schistosomiasis, we measured γδ T cells in the PB of non-immune travelers who contracted Schistosoma hematobium or Schistosoma mansoni in Africa.

Are there specific endosonographic features in Crohn's patients with perianal fistulae?

Both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional endoanal ultrasounds have been shown to be accurate in the definition of the anatomy of complex fistulae-in-ano in patients with perianal Crohn's disease. Recently, a Crohn's Ultrasound Fistula Sign (CUFS) has been suggested as a discriminating feature of perianal Crohn's disease as has the presence of fistulous debris and fistular bifurcation. We blindly assessed 197 patients (39 Crohn's fistulae and 158 cryptogenic fistulae) to determine if these signs differentiated fistula types.