Large clones of Clonal Hematopoiesis affect outcome in Mantle Cell Lymphoma: Results from The FIL MCL0208 Clinical Trial.

Although recent evidence suggests that myeloid clonal hematopoiesis (M-CH) may influence lymphoma clinical outcome, its impact in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) remains unclear. Here, we report a comprehensive NGS-based analysis of the M-CH mutational landscape at baseline and follow-up in patients enrolled in the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL) MCL0208 phase 3 trial (NCT02354313), evaluating lenalidomide maintenance versus observation after chemoimmunotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in untreated young MCL patients. Overall, 254/300 (85%) enrolled patients (median age 57 years [32-66]) had a baseline sample available for CH analysis.

How We Treat ANCA-Associated Vasculitis: A Focus on the Maintenance Therapy.

Recent progress has notably improved outcomes for patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV), namely granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis. Since 2021, several international scientific societies have recommended rituximab (RTX) as the preferred primary treatment for maintaining remission in AAV patients. Decisions regarding retreatment with RTX are based on individual patient risk factors for disease flare-ups and the potential consequences of such flares.

Insights into the real-world practice of vascular access care pathways in Italy: data from a national survey.

Background: International guidelines issued recommendations for vascular access (VA) care for hemodialysis, but there are no registry data regarding this topic in Italy.

Methods: A survey consisting of 17 items was sent to all Italian dialysis wards, via the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN) website, from April to June 2021. The items were defined, discussed and approved by experts in vascular access management within the Italian Society of Nephrology.

Overall survival in patients with endometrial cancer treated with dostarlimab plus carboplatin-paclitaxel in the randomized ENGOT-EN6/GOG-3031/RUBY trial.

Background: Part 1 of the RUBY trial (NCT03981796) evaluated dostarlimab plus carboplatin-paclitaxel compared with placebo plus carboplatin-paclitaxel in patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (EC). At the first interim analysis, the trial met one of its dual primary endpoints with statistically significant progression-free survival benefits in the mismatch repair-deficient/microsatellite instability-high (dMMR/MSI-H) and overall populations. Overall survival (OS) results are reported from the second interim analysis.

Might maintenance therapy be discontinued once clinical remission is achieved in ANCA-associated vasculitis?

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) encompasses a group of rare, multisystem autoimmune disorders characterised by the occurrence of inflammation and damage to small blood vessels, leading to a wide range of clinical manifestations. They include granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). Outcomes for patients with MPA and GPA have been transformed over recent years.

Randomized phase II BGOG/ENGOT-cx1 study of paclitaxel-carboplatin with or without nintedanib in first-line recurrent or advanced cervical cancer.

Objective: Nintedanib is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting, among others, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor. The aim was to establish the role of nintedanib in addition to paclitaxel and carboplatin in first-line recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer.

Methods: Double-blind phase II randomized study in patients with first-line recurrent or primary advanced (FIGO stage IVB) cervical cancer.

INOVATYON/ ENGOT-ov5 study: Randomized phase III international study comparing trabectedin/pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) followed by platinum at progression vs carboplatin/PLD in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer progressing within 6-12 months after last platinum line.

Background: This trial investigated the hypothesis that the treatment with trabectedin/PLD (TP) to extend the platinum-free interval (TFIp) can improve overall survival (OS) in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer (OC).

Methods: Patients with OC (up to two previous platinum-based lines), with a TFIp of 6-12 months, were randomised to receive carboplatin/PLD (CP) or TP followed by platinum therapy at relapse. The primary endpoint was OS (HR: 0.

A comprehensive investigation of histotype-specific microRNA and their variants in Stage I epithelial ovarian cancers.

isomiRs, the sequence-variants of microRNA, are known to be tissue and cell type specific but their physiological role is largely unknown. In our study, we explored for the first time the expression of isomiRs across different Stage I epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) histological subtypes, in order to shed new light on their biological role in tumor growth and progression. In a multicentric retrospective cohort of tumor biopsies (n = 215) we sequenced small RNAs finding 971 expressed miRNAs, 64% of which are isomiRs.

Copy number alterations in stage I epithelial ovarian cancer highlight three genomic patterns associated with prognosis.

Background: Stage I epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) encompasses five histologically different subtypes of tumors confined to the ovaries with a generally favorable prognosis. Despite the intrinsic heterogeneity, all stage I EOCs are treated with complete resection and adjuvant therapy in most of the cases. Owing to the lack of robust prognostic markers, this often leads to overtreatment.

Lumbar swelling and migrating edema in 3- and 4-year-old boys.

Henoch-Schönlein purpura is the most common systemic vasculitis in children, characterized by IgA deposits in small vessels. The etiology is unknown, but Henoch-Schönlein purpura typically follows an upper respiratory infection, or less frequently other infective or chemical triggers. The classic tetrad of symptoms includes palpable purpura (mandatory criterion), arthralgias, abdominal pain, and renal involvement.

Anakinra for constrictive pericarditis associated with incessant or recurrent pericarditis.

Objective: Frequent flares of pericardial inflammation in recurrent or incessant pericarditis with corticosteroid dependence and colchicine resistance may represent a risk factor for constrictive pericarditis (CP). This study was aimed at the identification of CP in these patients, evaluating the efficacy and safety of anakinra, a third-line treatment based on interleukin-1 inhibition, to treat CP and prevent the need for pericardiectomy.

Methods: Consecutive patients with recurrent or incessant pericarditis with corticosteroid dependence and colchicine resistance were included in a prospective cohort study from 2015 to 2018.

Colchicine for acute and chronic coronary syndromes.

Colchicine is an ancient drug, traditionally used for the treatment and prevention of gouty attacks; it has become standard of treatment for pericarditis with a potential role in the treatment of coronary artery disease. Atherosclerotic plaque formation, progression, destabilisation and rupture are influenced by active proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 that are generated in the active forms by inflammasomes, which are cytosolic multiprotein oligomers of the innate immune system responsible for the activation of inflammatory responses. Colchicine has a unique anti-inflammatory mechanism: it is not only able to concentrate in leucocytes, especially neutrophils, and block tubulin polymerisation, affecting the microtubules assembly, but also inhibits (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome.

Vanishing Middle Bronchus in Bilateral Lung Transplant After Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion.

Lung transplant has become the mainstay of therapy for most end-stage lung diseases. Airway complications are one of the most important problems during the first year after lung transplant. In this context, the most severe form of bronchial stenosis reported in the literature is vanishing bronchus syndrome, which is the obliteration with atresia of the ostium of a lobar bronchus, usually related to ischemia and infection.

Untargeted Metabolomic Profile for the Detection of Prostate Carcinoma-Preliminary Results from PARAFAC2 and PLS-DA Models.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is the main biomarker for the screening of prostate cancer (PCa), which has a high sensibility (higher than 80%) that is negatively offset by its poor specificity (only 30%, with the European cut-off of 4 ng/mL). This generates a large number of useless biopsies, involving both risks for the patients and costs for the national healthcare systems. Consequently, efforts were recently made to discover new biomarkers useful for PCa screening, including our proposal of interpreting a multi-parametric urinary steroidal profile with multivariate statistics.

Ovarian Cancer Immunotherapy: Turning up the Heat.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of death among gynecological malignancies. Despite surgery and chemotherapy, 5-years survival rates have improved only modestly over the past few decades remaining at 45% for advanced stages. Therefore, novel therapies are urgently needed.

The first post-cardiac injury syndrome reported following transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a case report.

Background: Post-cardiac injury syndrome is a form of secondary pericarditis with or without pericardial effusion, which typically occurs weeks to months following an injury to the heart or pericardium. Disease activity can be followed with serial testing of inflammatory markers e.g.

The effect of microbial activity on soil water diffusivity.

Unlabelled: In this study, we explored the effects of microbial activity on the evaporation of water from cores of a sandy soil under laboratory conditions. We applied treatments to stimulate microbial activity by adding different amounts of synthetic analogue root exudates. For comparison, we used soil samples without synthetic root exudates as control and samples treated with mercuric chloride to suppress microbial activity.

Number of lymph nodes assessed has no prognostic impact in node-negative rectal cancers after neoadjuvant therapy. Results of the "Italian Society of Surgical Oncology (S.I.C.O.) Colorectal Cancer Network" (SICO-CCN) multicentre collaborative study.

Introduction: We retrospectively investigated the impact of number or complete absence of nodes retrieved on survival of patients with rectal cancer (RC) treated with neoadjuvant radiation-therapy (NAT).

Methods: All patients with RC treated with NAT followed by curative surgery from 2000 to 2014 in 14 Italian referral Centres for Colorectal Surgery were enrolled. Information about number of nodes harvested, node ratio, type of radiation therapy schedule and tumour stage were recorded.