Butyrate-producing gut bacteria and viral infections in kidney transplant recipients: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The gut microbiome is being associated increasingly with development of infections besides Clostridium difficile infection. A recent study found an association between butyrate-producing gut (BPG) bacteria and less frequent development of lower respiratory viral infections in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients (Haak et al, Blood 131(26): 2978, 2018). In this investigation, we examine the relationship between the abundance of BPG bacteria and the development of viral infections in a cohort of kidney transplant recipients. METHODS: We recruited 168 kidney transplant recipients who provided 510 fecal specimens in the first 3 months after transplantation and profiled the gut microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V4-V5 hypervariable region. We classified the kidney transplant recipients into higher BPG Bacteria Group and lower BPG Bacteria Group using the same criteria of 1% relative gut abundance of BPG bacteria as the Haak et al study. RESULTS: Administration of antibiotics against anaerobes was associated with a significant decrease in the relative gut abundance of BPG bacteria. The higher BPG Bacteria Group was associated with less development of respiratory viral infections (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 0.28, P = .01) but not with less development of CMV viremia (HR: 0.38, P = .13) or BK viremia (HR: 1.02, P = .98) at 2 years post transplantation. CONCLUSION: Our pilot investigation supports future validation of the relationship between high relative gut abundance of BPG bacteria and decreased risk for development of respiratory viral infections.

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Lung Cancer Following Neoadjuvant Therapy in the United States.

Introduction: Pulmonary resections following neoadjuvant therapy (NT) can be technically demanding. There is a paucity of data regarding the use of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) approaches in that setting on the National level. In this study, we explored the trends of using MIS approaches following NT and its associated outcomes. Methods: The study included all adult patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent pulmonary resection following NT between 2010 and 2016. Propensity score (PS) matching (MIS versus open) was performed and the perioperative outcomes were compared. Results: The study included 11,287 patients who underwent pulomonary resection after NT. The percentage of patients undergoing MIS lung resection and the number of hospitals performing one or more MIS increased from 19% and 166 (2010) to 41% and 305 (2016), respectively. When compared with thoracotomy, MIS lung resections were more frequently performed in academic centers in patients with higher income (P < .001). In PS matched groups, the use of MIS was associated with shorter hospital length of stay (5 days versus 6 days; P < .001), compared with open approach. However, there were no differences between the two groups in readmission rate (P = .513), or 30-/90-day mortality (P = .145/.685). In multivariable regression analysis, MIS approach was not associated with worse long-term, all-cause, survival (confidence interval: 0.91-1.09). Conclusion: The use of MIS approaches after NT increased significantly over the study period and was associated with perioperative outcomes and long-term survival comparable to those noted with the open approach.

National trends and perioperative outcomes of robotic oesophagectomy following induction chemoradiation therapy: a National Cancer Database propensity-matched analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Oesophagectomy following induction chemoradiation therapy (CRT) is technically challenging. To date, little data exist to describe the feasibility of a robotic approach in this setting. In this study, we assessed national trends and outcomes of robotic oesophagectomy following induction CRT compared to the traditional open approach. METHODS: The National Cancer Database was queried for patients who underwent oesophagectomy following induction CRT (2010-2014). Trends of robotic utilization were assessed by a Mantel-Haenszel test of trend. Propensity matching controlled for differences in age, gender, comorbidity, stage, histology and tumour location between the robotic and open groups. Overall survival was estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis and compared by a log-rank test. RESULTS: Oesophagectomy following induction CRT was performed in 6958 patients. Of them, 555 patients (8%) underwent robotic surgery (5% converted to an open approach). Between 2010 and 2014, utilization of a robotic approach increased from 3% to 11% (Mantel-Haenszel, P < 0.001) and the number of hospitals performing at least 1 robotic oesophagectomy increased from 23 to 57. Compared to the traditional open approach, robotic oesophagectomy was used more frequently at academic hospitals (76% vs 60%, P < 0.001), and in patients living in metropolitan areas (85% vs 77%, P < 0.001) and those living in the Midwest (41% vs 33%, P < 0.001). In the matched groups, a robotic approach was associated with shorter median hospital stay (9 vs 10 days, P = 0.004) and dissection of more lymph nodes (median, 16 vs 12, P < 0.001). However, there were no differences in rates of positive margin resection (5% for both groups, P = 0.95), 30-day readmissions (5% vs 7%, P = 0.18), 30-day mortality (2.5% vs 4%, P = 0.79), 90-day mortality (9% vs 8.5%, P = 0.89) or 5-year overall survival (42% vs 39%, P = 0.19) between patients undergoing robotic and open surgery, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic oesophagectomy after induction CRT is feasible and associated with shorter hospitalization compared to an open approach, and does not compromise the adequacy of oncological resection, perioperative outcomes or long-term survival.

Management and outcome of an appendiceal collision tumour composed of neuroendocrine and mucinous neoplasms.

We report an appendiceal collision tumour in a 23-year-old woman who presented with constipation and abdominal fullness. Imaging revealed a right lower quadrant abdominal mass that was laparoscopically resected. Histology revealed an appendiceal collision tumour composed of a low-grade mucinous neoplasm and well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasm. A right hemicolectomy for complete oncological control was performed revealing metastatic spread of the neuroendocrine component to the lymph nodes. No further treatment was recommended and the patient was followed with expectant management. At 2-year follow-up, no evidence of disease was found on surveillance imaging. Appendiceal collision tumours can arise in young adults; treatment should be guided by oncological principles of the component tumours.

Gut uropathogen abundance is a risk factor for development of bacteriuria and urinary tract infection.

The origin of most bacterial infections in the urinary tract is often presumed to be the gut. Herein, we investigate the relationship between the gut microbiota and future development of bacteriuria and urinary tract infection (UTI). We perform gut microbial profiling using 16S rRNA gene deep sequencing on 510 fecal specimens from 168 kidney transplant recipients and metagenomic sequencing on a subset of fecal specimens and urine supernatant specimens. We report that a 1% relative gut abundance of Escherichia is an independent risk factor for Escherichia bacteriuria and UTI and a 1% relative gut abundance of Enterococcus is an independent risk factor for Enterococcus bacteriuria. Strain analysis establishes a close strain level alignment between species found in the gut and in the urine in the same subjects. Our results support a gut microbiota-UTI axis, suggesting that modulating the gut microbiota may be a potential novel strategy to prevent UTIs.

Methods for imaging individual cilia in living echinoid embryos.

The embryos of echinoids (sea urchins and sand dollars) serve as excellent models for studying cilia differentiation and stages of the cilia life cycle including ciliogenic initiation, growth, maintenance, and retraction. Early in echinoid development, uniform motile cilia form on all cells simultaneously but then rapidly differentiate into multiple cilia types that differ in morphology, motility, and signaling sensitivity. Metal ion treatments that shift germ layer boundaries and thereby "animalize" or "vegetalize" embryos can be used to enrich for low-abundance cilia types rendering those specialized cilia and the differentiation processes they exhibit much easier to study. The experimental advantages of having robust cilia growth and differentiation is tempered by the challenge of restraining ciliated embryos well enough to view the process of ciliogenesis live. We have developed four observation chambers as modifications of the Kiehart chamber for long-term light microscopic imaging of ciliated echinoid embryos. One of these systems employs paramagnetic beads to render ciliated larvae magnetic so they can be gently and reversibly trapped directly under the objective lens. With this magnetic trapping system, the larva can be positioned and repositioned until they achieve the orientation with the clearest view of any cilia of interest. These methods of gentle embryo restraint allow normal embryo development and the normal ciliogenic cycle and ciliary differentiation processes to continue in direct view. Sequential image series can then be collected and analyzed to quantitatively study the wide spectrum of cilia behaviors and properties that arise in developing echinoid embryos.