Activated CD8CD38 Cells Are Associated With Worse Clinical Outcome in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), that spread around the world during the past 2 years, has infected more than 260 million people worldwide and has imposed an important burden on the healthcare system. Several risk factors associated with unfavorable outcome were identified, including elderly age, selected comorbidities, immune suppression as well as laboratory markers. The role of immune system in the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection is indisputable: while an appropriate function of the immune system is important for a rapid clearance of the virus, progression to the severe and critical phases of the disease is related to an exaggerated immune response associated with a cytokine storm.

Single-course bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (1xBEP) as adjuvant treatment in testicular nonseminoma clinical stage 1: outcome, safety, and risk factors for relapse in a population-based study.

Introduction: Clinical stage 1 (CS1) nonseminomatous (NS) germ cell tumors involve a 30% probability of relapse upon surveillance. Adjuvant chemotherapy with one course of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (1xBEP) can reduce this risk to <5%. However, 1xBEP results are based solely on five controlled trials from high-volume centers.

Can Previous Chemotherapy Affect the Outcome of Nivolumab Treatment in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer?

Aim: This study compared the results of nivolumab treatment in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinomas based upon previous chemotherapeutic regimens.

Patients And Methods: The data source for this retrospective study was the Czech VILP registry of patients with nivolumab-treated adenocarcinomas in second and higher lines of treatment. In relation to objective response rate, progression-free interval, and overall survival, three comparisons of patient were made: A: Those treated in first line with cisplatin and pemetrexed versus carboplatin with paclitaxel or vinorelbine; B: treatment with cisplatin and pemetrexed versus carboplatin with paclitaxel/vinorelbine and bevacizumab; and C: treatment in previous lines with pemetrexed (first-line cisplatin and pemetrexed plus those treated in second line with pemetrexed) versus treatment with taxane (first-line carboplatin and paclitaxel only plus those treated with second-line docetaxel).

The landscape of Mucopolysaccharidosis in Southern and Eastern European countries: a survey from 19 specialistic centers.

Background: Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of lysosomal storage disorders caused by defects in genes coding for different lysosomal enzymes which degrade glycosaminoglycans. Impaired lysosomal degradation causes cell dysfunction leading to progressive multiorgan involvement, disabling consequences and poor life expectancy. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is now available for most MPS types, offering beneficial effects on disease progression and improving quality of life of patients.

Heart failure-related quality-of-life impairment after myocardial infarction.

Aims: Recent advances in therapy led to a significant decrease in mortality and morbidity after myocardial infarction (MI). However, little is known about quality of life (QoL) after MI. We examined heart failure (HF)-related quality-of-life (QoL) impairment, its trajectories, and determinants after MI.

Durvalumab, with or without tremelimumab, plus platinum-etoposide in first-line treatment of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: 3-year overall survival update from CASPIAN.

Background: In the phase III CASPIAN study, first-line durvalumab in combination with etoposide plus either cisplatin or carboplatin (EP) significantly improved overall survival (OS) versus EP alone in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Durvalumab plus tremelimumab plus EP numerically improved OS versus EP, but did not reach statistical significance. Here we report updated OS in censored patients after median follow-up of >3 years.

Exercise Tolerance in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Effect of Supplemental Oxy-Gen.

Exercise tolerance in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis IPF is mainly limited by mechanical constrain of ventilation and high physiologic dead space. Oxygen enriched gas inhalation seems to increase ventilatory efficiency by reduction of dead space to tidal volume ratio (VD/VT) which probably mirrors improved pulmonary capillary flow and leads to longer physical tolerance at lower level of minute ventilation. The effect is noticeable at FIO2 that can be delivered in rehabilitation purposes or daily living activities.

An Algorithm for Strategic Continuation or Restriction of Asthma Medication Prior to Exercise Challenge Testing in Childhood Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction.

Exercise induced bronchial (EIB) constriction is a common and highly specific feature of pediatric asthma and should be diagnosed with an exercise challenge test (ECT). The impact of EIB in asthmatic children's daily lives is immense, considering the effects on both physical and psychosocial development. Monitoring childhood asthma by ECT's can provide insight into daily life disease burden and the control of asthma.

Laboratory Parameters Associated With Inflammation Do Not Affect PD-L1 Expression in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background/aim: Due to some interconnectedness at the molecular level, this study assessed the possible influence of laboratory parameters associated with systemic inflammatory environment on programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: We assessed effects of c-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, haemoglobin, neutrophil, and lymphocyte levels on PD-L1 expression in NSCLC. Patient data were obtained retrospectively from LUCAS, the Czech registry of patients with lung carcinomas.

Effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other eicosanoid pathway modifiers on antiviral and allergic responses: EAACI task force on eicosanoids consensus report in times of COVID-19.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other eicosanoid pathway modifiers are among the most ubiquitously used medications in the general population. Their broad anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic effects are applied against symptoms of respiratory infections, including SARS-CoV-2, as well as in other acute and chronic inflammatory diseases that often coexist with allergy and asthma. However, the current pandemic of COVID-19 also revealed the gaps in our understanding of their mechanism of action, selectivity, and interactions not only during viral infections and inflammation, but also in asthma exacerbations, uncontrolled allergic inflammation, and NSAIDs-exacerbated respiratory disease (NERD).

Diagnosis, course and management of hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is a complex and heterogeneous interstitial lung disease (ILD) that occurs when susceptible individuals develop an exaggerated immune response to an inhaled antigen. In this review, we discuss the latest guidelines for the diagnostic evaluation of patients with suspected HP, the importance of identifying patients with fibrotic and progressive disease, and the evidence supporting the drugs commonly used in the treatment of HP. Differential diagnosis of HP can be challenging and requires a thorough exposure history, multidisciplinary discussion of clinical and radiologic data, and, in some cases, assessment of bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytosis and histopathologic findings.

Urachal yolk sac tumor penetrating the bladder as a diagnostic challenge: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Yolk sac tumor (YST) is a germ cell tumor. It is primarily located in the gonads but can also occur extragonadally (extragonadal yolk sac tumor - EGYST), most commonly in the pelvis, retroperitoneum or mediastinum. Only a few YSTs of the urachus have been described.

Differences in Baseline Characteristics and Access to Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Patients With IPF in the EMPIRE Countries.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare lung disease with poor prognosis. The diagnosis and treatment possibilities are dependent on the health systems of countries. Hence, comparison among countries is difficult due to data heterogeneity.

Association of circulating short chain fatty acid levels with colorectal adenomas and colorectal cancer.

Background & Aims: Short chain fatty acid (SCFAs) are bacterially derived metabolites suggested to have protective roles against colorectal cancer (CRC) development. However, there is sparse evidence from epidemiological studies in this context. Here, we assessed whether circulating SCFA concentrations varied in patients with colorectal adenomas (CRA) and CRC.

Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs) in NSCLC: From Prognosis to Therapy Design.

Designing optimal (neo)adjuvant therapy is a crucial aspect of the treatment of non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Standard methods of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy represent effective strategies for treatment. However, in some cases with high metastatic activity and high levels of circulating tumour cells (CTCs), the efficacy of standard treatment methods is insufficient and results in treatment failure and reduced patient survival.

Pontocerebellar atrophy is the hallmark neuroradiological finding in late-onset Tay-Sachs disease.

Purpose: Late-onset Tay-Sachs disease (LOTS) is a form of GM2 gangliosidosis, an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia, lower motor neuron disease, and psychiatric impairment due to mutations in the HEXA gene. The aim of our work was to identify the characteristic brain MRI findings in this presumably underdiagnosed disease.

Methods: Clinical data and MRI findings from 16 patients (10F/6 M) with LOTS from two centers were independently assessed by two readers and compared to 16 age- and sex-related controls.

Tryptophan: A Unique Role in the Critically Ill.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid whose metabolites play key roles in diverse physiological processes. Due to low reserves in the body, especially under various catabolic conditions, tryptophan deficiency manifests itself rapidly, and both the serotonin and kynurenine pathways of metabolism are clinically significant in critically ill patients. In this review, we highlight these pathways as sources of serotonin and melatonin, which then regulate neurotransmission, influence circadian rhythm, cognitive functions, and the development of delirium.

Ventilatory constraint is more severe in walking than cycling in patients with COPD.

Due to its effectivity in assessing functional capacity and adding prognostic information to the staging of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, the 6-min walk test (6MWT) is extensively used in clinical evaluation. Currently, there is little information about the physiological response this test elicits in patients, especially when compared to cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). The aim of the study was to compare ventilatory and metabolic responses between these tests commonly used for the assessment of clinical outcome.

Lung Cancer in Non-smokers in Czech Republic: Data from LUCAS Lung Cancer Clinical Registry.

Background/aim: LUCAS is a clinical lung cancer registry (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier is NCT04228237), prospectively collecting data from newly diagnosed lung cancer patients in seven pneumooncology centers in the Czech Republic, since June 1, 2018. The aim of the study was to assess the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis, percentage of morphological types, survival, percentage of driving mutations, eligibility for radical surgery, and percentage of patients who undergo radical surgery, in the non-smoking population in comparison with smokers and former smokers.

Low vitamin K status, high sclerostin and mortality risk of stable coronary heart disease patients.

We explored whether matrix Gla protein (MGP, natural calcification inhibitor) and sclerostin (glycoprotein responsible for osteoblast differentiation) interact in terms of mortality risk in coronary patients. 945 patients after myocardial infarction and/or coronary revascularization were followed in a prospective study. All-cause death, fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular events and heart failure hospitalizations were registered.

Rapid screening of depression and anxiety in cancer patients: Interview validation of emotion thermometers.

Background And Objective: This study aimed to determine the degree of depression and anxiety in cancer patients using the Emotion Thermometers (ET) and confirming their clinical usefulness compared to the gold standard interview, as well as determining optimal cut-off values for the appropriate identification of cancer patients' distress.

Methods: We included 238 cancer patients and we used ET (Emotion Thermometers) to screen depression and anxiety and the Beck depression inventory for adults (BDI-II), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.

Analysis of MicroRNA Expression Changes During the Course of Therapy In Rectal Cancer Patients.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression in a tissue-specific manner. However, little is known about the miRNA expression changes induced by the therapy in rectal cancer (RC) patients. We evaluated miRNA expression levels before and after therapy and identified specific miRNA signatures reflecting disease course and treatment responses of RC patients.

rs2076295 variants influence nintedanib and pirfenidone outcomes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a pilot study.

Background: The antifibrotic drugs nintedanib and pirfenidone are used for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We analysed the association of common profibrotic polymorphisms in (mucin 5B, rs35705950) and (desmoplakin, rs2076295) on antifibrotic treatment outcomes in IPF.

Methods: rs35705950 and rs2076295 were assessed in IPF patients ( = 210, 139 men/71 women) from the Czech EMPIRE registry and age- or sex-matched healthy individuals ( = 205, 125 men/80 women).