Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma at baseline and 1 year after initiation of nucleos(t)ide analog therapy for chronic hepatitis B

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma at baseline and 1 year after initiation of nucleos(t)ide analog therapy for chronic hepatitis B via Journal of Medical Virology Abstract Background/Aims Nucleos(t)ide analogs (NA) cannot completely suppress the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study aimed to identify the risk factors for HCC development in naïve CHB patients treated with current NA. Methods Patients receiving NA (n = 905) were recruited retrospectively from the 17 hospitals of the Japanese Red Cross Liver Study Group. All treatment-naïve patients had been receiving current NA continuously for more than one year until the end of the follow-up. We analyzed the accuracy of predictive risk score using area under receiver operating characteristic curve. Results The albumin–bilirubin (ALBI) score was significantly improved by NA therapy (−0.171 ± 0.396; p < 0.001 at week 48). A total of 72 (8.0%) patients developed HCC over a median follow-up of 6.2 (1.03–15.7) years. An independent predictive factor of HCC development was older age, cirrhosis, lower pl atelet counts at baseline and ALBI score, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) at 1 year after NA therapy according to multivariate analysis. The accuracy was assessed using the PAGE-B, mPAGE-B, aMAP, APA-B, and REAL-B scores that included these factors. Discrimination was generally acceptable for these models. aMAP and REAL-B demonstrated high discrimination with 0.866/0.862 and 0.833/0.859 for 3- and 5- years prediction from the status of one year after NA therapy, respectively. Conclusion Baseline age and platelet count, as well as ALBI and AFP one year after NA, were useful for stratifying carcinogenesis risk. The aMAP and REAL-B scores were validated with high accuracy in Japanese CHB patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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The association between human papillomavirus and bladder cancer: evidence from meta‐analysis and two‐sample mendelian randomization

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader The association between human papillomavirus and bladder cancer: evidence from meta‐analysis and two‐sample mendelian randomization via Journal of Medical Virology Abstract Introduction Bladder cancer (BCa) is the tenth most common type of cancer worldwide, and human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection. However, the relationship between HPV infection and the risk of BCa is still controversial and inconclusive. Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the PRISMA 2020 reporting guideline. This study searched four bibliographic databases with no language limitation. The databases included PubMed (Medline), EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. Studies evaluating the interaction between HPV infection and the risk of BCa from inception through May 21, 2022 were identified and used in this study. This study estimated the overall and type-specific HPV prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using Random Effects (RE) models and Fixed Effects (FE) models. In addition, this study also calculated the pooled odds ratio (pOR) and pooled risk ratio (pRR) with 95% CI to assess the effect of HPV infection on the risk and prognosis of bladder cancer. Two-sample mendelian randomization (MR) study using genetic variants associated with HPV E7 protein as instrumental variables was also conducted. Results This study retrieved 80 articles from the four bibliographic databases. Of the total, 27 were case-control studies, and 53 were cross-sectional studies. The results showed that the prevalence of HPV was 16% (95% CI, 11%–21%) among the BCa patients, most of which were HPV-16 (5.99% [95% CI, 3.03%–9.69%]) and HPV-18 (3.68% [95% CI, 1.72%–6.16%]) subtypes. However, the study found that the prevalence varied by region, detection method, BCa histological type, and sample source. A significantly increased risk of BCa was shown for the positivity of overall HPV (OR, 3.35 [95%CI, 1.75–6.43]), which was also influenced by study region, detection method, histological type and sample source. In addition, the study found that HPV inf ection was significantly associated with the progression of BCa (RR, 1.73 [95%CI, 1.39–2.15]). The two-sample MR analysis found that both HPV 16 and 18 E7 protein exposure increased the risk of BCa (HPV 16 E7 protein: IVW odds ratio [OR] per unit increase in protein level = 1.0004 [95% CI, 1.0002–1.0006]; P=0.0011; HPV 18 E7 protein: IVW odds ratio [OR] per unit increase in protein level = 1.0003 [95% CI, 1.0001–1.0005]; P=0.0089). Conclusion In conclusion, HPV may play a role in bladder carcinogenesis and contribute to a worse prognosis for patients with BCa. Therefore, it is necessary for people, especially men, to get vaccinated for HPV vaccination to prevent bladder cancer. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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Clinical evaluations of alveolar ridge preservation in compromised extraction sockets with cortical‐lamina anchoring technique: Case series study

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Clinical evaluations of alveolar ridge preservation in compromised extraction sockets with cortical‐lamina anchoring technique: Case series study via Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research Abstract Objective The objective of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the clinical outcomes of alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) in the compromised extraction sockets using autogenous cortical-lamina anchoring technique (CAT). Material and methods Twenty patients were treated with ARP in the compromised extraction sockets by applying CAT. Then implant placement and crown delivery was performed. A planned follow-up was performed by analyzing various outcome measures to evaluate the clinical outcomes, including primary outcome measures [radiographic assessment of residual alveolar ridge height (RARH) and residual alveolar ridge width (RARW)] and secondary outcome measures [clinical assessment of the healing of the soft and hard tissue, survival rates of implants, marginal bone loss (MBL) evaluation of implants, buccal bone thickness (BBT), and esthetic treatment outcomes]. Results Among the 20 patients, 17 were consecutively treated and 3 dropped out after implant crown delivery because of loss to follow-up. After the ARP, the initial RARH (12.37 mm) significantly increased to 19.29 mm (P < .05). No significant difference was detected in the RARW before (7.92 ± 1.18 mm) and after (7.92 ± 1.18 mm) the ARP, but reduce to 6.99 ± 1.18 mm at the implant placement and 6.64 ± 0.77 mm at the 3-year follow-up (P < .05). The MBL at the implant crown delivery (0.13 ± 0.12 mm) significantly increased to 0.31 ± 0.14 mm at 1-year follow-up and 0.56 ± 0.23 mm at 3-year follow-up, respectively. The bone loss was limited (<1 mm) but statistically significant (P < .05). The BBT at the implant placement (2.53 ± 0.56 mm) significantly reduced to 2.23 ± 0.44 mm at implant crown delivery and 2.14 ± 0.40 mm at 3-year follow-up, respectively. The bone loss was als o limited (<0.5 mm) but statistically significant (P < .05). Each implant site showed acceptable aesthetic outcome and the average score was 16.4. The incisions healed uneventful in all patients and the implant survival rate was 100% during the 3-year follow-up. Conclusion Autogenous CAT was successfully applied to preserve the height and width of alveolar ridge in the compromised extraction sockets. View on Web

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Blood eosinophil count in the diagnosis of allergic‐like rhinitis with chronic rhinosinusitis

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Blood eosinophil count in the diagnosis of allergic‐like rhinitis with chronic rhinosinusitis via Clinical Otolaryngology Abstract Background Allergic rhinitis (AR) and nonallergic rhinitis (NAR) often are comorbid with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Finding a convenient test that distinguishes these complex conditions is helpful for effective treatment. We aimed to analyze blood parameter differences between AR and NAR patients with/without CRS. Methods Eight hundred thirteen patients, including AR and NAR with different conditions (CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP)) were analyzed in this retrospective study. Patients with a nasal deviation alone were included as healthy controls (HC). ROC analysis was used to assess the value of blood parameters for diagnosing AR or NAR with/without CRS. Results Compared to nonallergic-like rhinitis (HC, CRSwNP and CRSsNP), the blood eosinophil count was significantly increased in the allergic-like rhinitis groups, except for NAR-CRSsNP (AR, AR-CRSwNP, AR-CRSsNP, NAR and NAR-CRSwNP). The NAR-CRSsNP group had a higher level of eosinophils than the HC and CRSsNP groups. Among allergic-like rhinitis patients, eosinophils were higher in allergic-like rhinitis patients with CRSwNP (AR-CRSwNP and NAR-CRSwNP) than in allergic-like rhinitis patients without CRSwNP (AR, AR-CRSsNP, NAR and NAR-CRSsNP). However, no difference in blood eosinophils was observed between AR and NAR. There was also no difference among nonallergic-like rhinitis patients. Similar findings were found for the blood eosinophil proportion. Furthermore, the blood eosinophil count was a good predictor of allergic-like rhinitis, especially allergic-like rhinitis with CRSwNP. Conclusion The blood eosinophil count and proportion may be good diagnostic predictors of allergic-like rhinitis but cannot differentiate between AR and NAR. This indicator may be much better in predicting allergic-like rhinitis with CRSwNP. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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Quantifying Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission dynamics across global settings: a systematic analysis

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Quantifying Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission dynamics across global settings: a systematic analysis via American Journal of Epidemiology - Advance Access Abstract The degree to which individual heterogeneity in the production of secondary cases ("superspreading") affects tuberculosis (TB) transmission has not been systematically studied. We searched for population-based or surveillance studies in which whole genome sequencing was used to estimate TB transmission and the size distributions of putative TB transmission clusters were enumerated. We fit cluster size distribution data to a negative binomial branching process model to jointly infer the transmission parameters $R$ (the reproductive number) and dispersion parameter, $k$, which quantifies the propensity of superspreading in a population (generally, lower values of $k$ ($<1.0$) suggest increased heterogeneity). Of 4,796 citations identified in our initial search, nine studies met inclusion criteria ($n=5$ all TB; $n=4$ drug resistant TB) from eight global settings. Estimated $R$ values (range: 0.10, 0.73) were below 1.0, consistent with declin ing epidemics in the included settings; estimated $k$ values were well below 1.0 (range: 0.02, 0.48), indicating the presence of substantial individual-level heterogeneity in transmission across all settings. We estimated that a minority of cases (range 2-31%) drive the majority (80%) of ongoing transmission at the population level. Identifying sources of heterogeneity and accounting for them in TB control may have a considerable impact on mitigating TB transmission. View on Web

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Hypermitotic meningiomas harbor DNA methylation subgroups with distinct biological and clinical features

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Hypermitotic meningiomas harbor DNA methylation subgroups with distinct biological and clinical features via Neuro-Oncology Advance Access Abstract Background Meningiomas, the most common primary intracranial tumors, can be separated into 3 DNA methylation groups with distinct biological drivers, clinical outcomes, and therapeutic vulnerabilities. Alternative meningioma grouping schemes using copy number variants, gene expression profiles, somatic short variants, or integrated molecular models have been proposed. These data suggest meningioma DNA methylation groups may harbor subgroups unifying contrasting theories of meningioma biology. Methods 565 meningioma DNA methylation profiles from patients with comprehensive clinical follow-up at independent discovery (n=200) or validation (n=365) institutions were re-analyzed and classified into Merlin-intact, Immune-enriched, or Hypermitotic DNA methylation groups. RNA sequencing from the discovery (n=200) or validation (n=302) cohort were analyzed in the context of DNA methylation groups to identify subgroups. Biological featur es and clinical outcomes were analyzed across meningioma grouping schemes. Results RNA sequencing revealed differential enrichment of FOXM1 target genes across 2 subgroups of Hypermitotic meningiomas. Differential expression and ontology analyses showed the subgroup of Hypermitotic meningiomas without FOXM1 target gene enrichment was distinguished by gene expression programs driving macromolecular metabolism. Analysis of genetic, epigenetic, gene expression, or cellular features revealed Hypermitotic meningioma subgroups were concordant with Proliferative or Hypermetabolic meningiomas, which were previously reported alongside Merlin-intact and Immune-enriched tumors using an integrated molecular model. The addition of DNA methylation subgroups to clinical models refined prediction of postoperative outcomes compared to the addition of DNA methylation groups. Conclusions Meningiomas can be separated into 3 DNA methylation groups and Hypermitotic meningiomas can be su bdivided into Proliferative and Hypermetabolic subgroups, each with distinct biological and clinical features. View on Web

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Sociodemographic Disparities in the Diagnostic Management of Pediatric Thyroid Nodules

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Sociodemographic Disparities in the Diagnostic Management of Pediatric Thyroid Nodules via JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery Online First This cross-sectional study assesses the association of sociode mographic factors with the odds of receiving a biopsy, timeliness of the procedure, and risk of nodule malignancy. View on Web

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Association of Stapedotomy Volume and Patient Sex With Better Outcome

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Association of Stapedotomy Volume and Patient Sex With Better Outcome via JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery Current Issue This cross-sectional study evaluates demographic characte ristics, surgical characteristics, and audiometric data associated with closure of the air-bone gap to less than 10 dB or 15 dB. View on Web

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Association of Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab for OCSCC With Adverse Events After Surgery

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Association of Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab for OCSCC With Adverse Events After Surgery via JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery Current Issue This cohort study evaluates the incidence of postoperativ e adverse events in treatment-naive patients receiving neoadjuvant pembrolizumab for advanced oral cavity cancer when compared with matched controls. View on Web

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Plasma Circulating Tumor HPV DNA and HPV-Related Oropharynx Cancer—A Caution—Reply

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Plasma Circulating Tumor HPV DNA and HPV-Related Oropharynx Cancer—A Caution—Reply via JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery Current Issue In Reply Dr Johnson and colleagues raise a good point, as expressed in our article, that our findings should not be inferred to suggest that circulating tumor human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA (ctHPVDNA) is ready to be used for screening. Our observation that no ctHPVDNA was detected in healthy participants with detectable salivary HPV DNA or E6 serum antibody suggests a low false-positive rate (ie, suggests good specificity). However, as pointed out in the discussion of our research letter, and by Johnson et al, it is possible that the detecti on methods used in our study could be insensitive, and additional research is needed to verify the finding of high specificity in our study. View on Web

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