Surgeon Volume and Long-Term Oncologic Outcomes in Patients with Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Surgery is the most important curative treatment for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). The relationship between surgeon volume (the number of surgeries performed) and short-term surgical outcomes, such as increased postoperative complication or costs, is well established. This study evaluated whether surgeon volume influenced long-term oncologic outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 246 patients diagnosed with MTC after initial thyroid surgery from 1995 to 2019. After exclusion, 194 patients were eligible for inclusion in the study. Surgeons were categorized as low/intermediate volume (fewer than 100 operations per year) or high volume (at least 100 operations per year). RESULTS: Of the 194 included patients, 60 (30.9%) developed disease recurrence, and 9 (4.6%) died of MTC during the median follow-up of 92.5 months. Having a low/intermediate-volume surgeon was associated with high disease recurrence (log-rank test, p < 0.001). After adjustment for age, sex, tumor type (sporadic versus hereditary), primary tumor size, presence of central lymph node metastasis (LNM), presence of lateral LNM, extrathyroidal extension, and positive resection margin, surgeon volume was a significant factor for disease recurrence (hazard ratio 2.28, p = 0.004); however, cancer-specific survival was not affected by surgeon volume (hazard ratio 4.16, p = 0.115). CONCLUSIONS: Surgeon volume is associated with long-term oncologic outcome. MTC patients will be able to make the best decisions for their treatment based on the results of this study.

Age-associated changes in chronic rhinosinusitis endotypes.

BACKGROUND: Immunologic function in innate and adaptive immunity changes with the ageing process. Thus, age-related cytokine profiles in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) need to be investigated for precision medicine. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to characterize age-related changes in immunologic profiles according to CRS subtypes. METHODS: Subjects in control (n = 29), CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP, n = 86), and CRS with nasal polyps (eosinophilic NP: ENP, n = 81; non-eosinophilic NP: NENP, n = 113) were enrolled in this study. Twenty markers for type 1/2/3 inflammation and other inflammatory processes were measured in homogenates of sinonasal tissues and statistically analysed. RESULTS: In control tissues, type 2/3 and proinflammatory mediators showed an inverse correlation with age. CRSsNP and NENP showed an age-related increase in type 2 cytokines and a decline in type 3 cytokines. Interestingly, the age-related decrease in type 3 mediators was associated with those of CT scores in NENP. ENP showed an age-related increase in type 3 cytokines with type 2 mediators sustained at high levels. Smokers with ENP demonstrated age-associated increases in type 1/2/3 mediators as well as CT scores. These age-related patterns in each CRS were confirmed by statistically adjusting atopy status, smoking history, and disease duration. CONCLUSION: Age-associated cytokine changes differed among CRS subtypes and control tissues. CRSsNP and NENP demonstrated a decline in type 3 mediators and increase in type 2 mediators, whereas type 3 mediators increased with age in ENP.

Risk of high-grade malignancy in parotid gland tumors as classified by the Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology.

BACKGROUND: The Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology (Milan System) has previously shown its diagnostic utility by categorizing the seven cytology findings in salivary gland lesions. However, there has been lack of study about the risk of high-grade malignancy in the cytology diagnosis based on the Milan System. Thus, we tried to identify the diagnostic ability of the Milan System for high-grade malignancy and to suggest an improved diagnostic approach for preoperative estimation of high-grade malignancy using the Milan System. METHODS: A total of 413 patients with parotid gland tumors, who had undergone surgical resection from 2011 to 2015 were included in the present study retrospectively. Cytopathology was reclassified according to the Milan System by two independent reviewers. The outcomes were risk of malignancy and risk of high-grade malignancy. The diagnostic performance of the Milan System category [Malignant] for detecting high-grade malignancy was calculated. RESULTS: The risk of malignancy was 83.3% and 100% in the Milan System categories [Suspicious for Malignancy] and [Malignant], respectively. Meanwhile, the risk of high-grade malignancy was 16.7% and 55.9% in these two categories. Disease-free survival of patients with high-grade malignancy was significantly worse than those with low- and intermediate-grade malignancy. Union combining the Milan System category [Malignant] with the presence of nodal metastasis suggested high-grade malignancy with an acceptable diagnostic sensitivity (0.889-0.963) and negative predictive value (0.900-0.966). CONCLUSIONS: The Milan System category [Malignant] with the presence of nodal metastasis suggested parotid gland tumors as high-grade malignancy in a pretreatment setting.

Limited Effect of Later-Generation Fluoroquinolones in the Treatment of Ofloxacin-Resistant and Moxifloxacin-Susceptible Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis.

Recent data conflict on the clinical efficacy of later-generation fluoroquinolones, such as moxifloxacin or levofloxacin, for the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) that is resistant to ofloxacin but susceptible to moxifloxacin. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether later-generation fluoroquinolones can improve treatment outcomes in patients with ofloxacin-resistant, moxifloxacin-susceptible MDR-TB. A retrospective cohort study was performed on 208 patients with moxifloxacin-susceptible MDR-TB who were treated between 2006 and 2011. Later-generation fluoroquinolones were used for all patients. Overall, 171 patients (82%) had ofloxacin-susceptible, moxifloxacin-susceptible MDR-TB (ofloxacin-susceptible group), and 37 (18%) had ofloxacin-resistant, moxifloxacin-susceptible MDR-TB (ofloxacin-resistant group). Compared to the ofloxacin-susceptible group, the ofloxacin-resistant group was more likely to have a history of MDR-TB treatment (P < 0.001) and cavitary lesions on chest radiography (P < 0.001). In addition, the ofloxacin-resistant group was more likely than the ofloxacin-susceptible group to have resistance to the drugs pyrazinamide (P = 0.003), streptomycin (P = 0.015), prothionamide (P < 0.001), and para-aminosalicylic acid (P < 0.001). Favorable outcomes were more frequently achieved for the ofloxacin-susceptible group than for the ofloxacin-resistant group (91% [156/171] versus 57% [21/37], respectively [P < 0.001]). In multivariable regression logistic analysis, the ofloxacin-susceptible group was about 5.36 (95% confidence interval, 1.55 to 18.53) times more likely than the ofloxacin-resistant group (P < 0.001) to have favorable outcomes. Despite in vitro moxifloxacin susceptibility, the frequency of favorable treatment outcomes for ofloxacin-resistant MDR-TB was significantly lower than that for ofloxacin-susceptible MDR-TB, even when later-generation fluoroquinolones were used, indicating that more-aggressive therapies may be needed for ofloxacin-resistant MDR-TB.

Comparison of endoscopic submucosal dissection and surgery for superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been widely accepted for treating superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SESCC). However, long-term outcomes of ESD and esophagectomy for SESCC have not been compared. We compared the clinical outcomes of ESD and esophagectomy in a matched cohort. METHODS: Patients who underwent ESD and esophagectomy for SESCC were included. We selected SESCCs without obvious submucosal invasion from the surgical database by reviewing endoscopic images. To minimize the effect of selection bias, propensity score matching was performed. Overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and metachronous RFS were compared between the 2 groups. Adverse event rates were also compared. RESULTS: In a matched cohort of 120 pairs, OS, DSS, and RFS were comparable between the 2 groups. The 5-year OS, DSS, and RFS rates were 93.9% versus 91.2%, 100% versus 97.4%, and 92.8% versus 95.3% for the ESD and esophagectomy groups, respectively. The metachronous RFS was worse in the ESD group than in the esophagectomy group (P = .004). The 5-year metachronous RFS rates were 90.3% versus 100% for the ESD and esophagectomy groups, respectively. The esophagectomy group showed a higher overall adverse event rate than the ESD group (55.5% vs 18.5%, P < .0001). In each subgroup of mucosal and submucosal cancer, OS, DSS, and RFS were also comparable between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: ESD provides long-term outcomes comparable with esophagectomy in patients with SESCC without endoscopic evidence of obvious submucosal invasion. ESD should be considered as the first-line treatment for these patients.

Artifacts during the arterial phase of gadoxetate disodium-enhanced MRI: Multiple arterial phases using view-sharing from two different vendors versus single arterial phase imaging.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the usefulness of multiple arterial phase (AP) of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI using view-sharing of two different vendors to reduce transient severe motion (TSM) artifact in the AP. METHODS: This retrospective study included 298 patients (mean age 63 years) who underwent gadoxetic acid MRI with multiple AP from two different vendors; either triple (subcohort A, n=174) or quadruple (subcohort B, n=124) AP. 202 patients (143 vs. 59) underwent follow-up MRI with single AP. To compare multiple AP with single AP and between subcohorts, mean artifact score rated by two observers and frequency of significant artifacts were evaluated. Frequency of acquisition of late AP was also assessed. RESULTS: There was no difference in mean artifact score (p=0.086) or frequency of significant artifacts (p=0.219) between multiple AP and single AP. For the mean best score with multiple AP, subcohort B was better than subcohort A (p<0.001). Late AP was achieved more often with multiple AP (74.8 %, 98.3 %) than with single AP (64.3 %, 64.4 %). CONCLUSION: Multiple AP using different view-sharing failed to show differences in TSM artifacts in AP compared to single AP. Frequency of acquisition of late AP was higher with multiple AP. Mean best artifact score of multiple AP is different depending on view-sharing technique. KEY POINTS: • TSM artifacts were not significantly different between multiple AP and single AP. • The frequency of acquiring late AP was higher with multiple AP. • For multiple APs, TSM artifacts are different according to view-sharing technique.

Effect of the Mandibular Orthopedic Repositioning Appliance (MORA) on Forearm Muscle Activation and Grasping Power during Pinch and Hook Grip.

[Purpose] This study verified the changes in muscle activities and grasping power during maximal isometric exercise of the forearm and masseter muscle with and without a mandibular orthopedic repositioning appliance (MORA). It also offers basic data for defining the correlation of function of hand with mouth. [Methods] EMG was used to measure masticatory muscle, flexor bundle and extensor bundle activities with or without MORA while subjects performed the hook grip and pinch grip. The measuring tool used for measuring grip strength was the same as that used for measuring pinch and hook strength. The subjects were 28 healthy young adults. [Result] Muscle activity and grasping power significantly increased when wearing the MORA. [Conclusion] The result indicates that wearing MORA can increase muscle activity and grasping power of forearm and masseter muscle. We think wearing MORA might help improve the function of the forearm because it activates the function of the masseter.

The Protective Role of Protocol Biopsy for Allograft Kidney Maintenance in Kidney Transplantation.

Many studies have reported that protocol biopsy (PB) may help preserve kidney function in kidney transplant recipients. Early detection and treatment of subclinical rejection may reduce the incidence of chronic antibody-mediated rejection and graft failure. However, no consensus has been reached regarding PB effectiveness, timing, and policy. This study aimed to evaluate the protective role of routine PB performed 2 weeks and 1 year after kidney transplantation. We reviewed 854 kidney transplant recipients at the Samsung Medical Center between July 2007 and August 2017, with PBs planned at 2 weeks and 1 year after transplantation. We compared the trends in graft function, chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression, new-onset CKD, infection, and patient and graft survival between the 504 patients who underwent PB and 350 who did not undergo PB. The PB group was again divided into 2 groups: the single PB group (n = 207) and the double PB group (n = 297). The PB group was significantly different from the no-PB group in terms of the trends in graft function (estimated glomerular filtration rate). The Kaplan-Meier curve showed that PB did not significantly improve graft or overall patient survival. However, in the multivariate Cox analysis, the double PB group had advantages in graft survival, CKD progression, and new-onset CKD. PB can play a protective role in the maintenance of kidney grafts in kidney transplant recipients.

Effects of Treating Subclinical Rejection 2 Weeks After Kidney Transplantation, as Determined by Analyzing 1-Year Histologic Outcomes.

Subclinical rejection (SCR) is associated with chronic allograft nephropathy. Therefore, early detection and treatment of SCR through a protocol biopsy (PB) can reduce the incidence of pathologic changes. This study evaluates the impact of early detection and treatment of SCR using a routine PB 2 weeks after kidney transplantation (KT) by examining histologic outcomes 1 year later. We reviewed 624 KT recipients at the Samsung Medical Center between August 2012 and December 2018. Protocol biopsy was planned 2 weeks and 1 year after transplantation. We compared the histologic changes between the 2 biopsies. After a propensity score matching analysis, we divided the patients into 2 groups: the proven normal group (n = 256) and the rejection group (n = 96) at the PB taken 2 weeks post-transplant. The rejection group showed no significant difference from the normal group in the flow of graft function or the Kaplan-Meier curve for graft survival. In the histologic outcomes, the pathologic differences between the groups significantly improved between the 2 time points. Treating SCR through a PB 2 weeks after KT can contribute to the maintenance of graft function and improve histologic changes 1 year after KT.

Impact of Time Between Diagnosis and Treatment for Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease on Culture Conversion and All-Cause Mortality.

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available regarding when to start treatment after a diagnosis of nontuberculous mycobacteria-pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) or regarding how achieving culture conversion affects NTM-PD outcomes. RESEARCH QUESTION: Does the time between diagnosis and antibiotic initiation influence culture conversion or all-cause mortality in NTM-PD, and is there any association between achieving culture conversion after antibiotics and reduced all-cause mortality? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We evaluated 712 patients who received antibiotics for 6 or more months after diagnosis of NTM-PD between July 1997 and December 2013. Data on the waiting period, defined as the interval between diagnosis and treatment initiation, and on outcomes such as culture conversion by 6 months or death were collected. Factors associated with outcomes were analyzed after adjusting for disease severity, using the BMI, age, cavity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and sex (BACES) system. RESULTS: Thirty-eight percent of study patients had mild disease, 48% had moderate disease, and 14% had severe disease. The median waiting period without antibiotics among all patients was 4.8 (interquartile range, 1.3-20.8) months. After treatment initiation, 479 (67%) patients achieved culture conversion within 6 months, and 135 (19%) patients died. In univariable and multivariable models adjusted for BACES severity, no association between the waiting period and 6-month culture conversion or death was identified. However, 6-month culture conversion demonstrated a significant negative correlation with death (crude hazard ratio [HR], 0.46, 95% CI, 0.33-0.65; adjusted HR, 0.51, 95% CI, 0.35-0.74). In the subgroup treated for more than 12 months, 12-month culture conversion was also associated with reduced death (adjusted HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.33-0.78). INTERPRETATION: It may be reasonable to start antibiotics according to the "watchful waiting" strategy for NTM-PD, but given the survival benefits, achieving culture conversion is an important goal for patients in need of treatment.

Recurrence dynamics after curative surgery in patients with invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the patterns and timing of recurrence and death as well as prognostic factors based on clinicopathological and radiological factors in patients who underwent surgical treatment for invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA). METHODS: We reviewed clinicopathological findings including spread through air spaces (STAS) and CT findings of IMA such as morphology, solidity, margin, well-defined heterogeneous ground-glass opacity, CT angiogram, and air bronchogram signs from 121 consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection. Prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were identified. Hazard rate analyses were performed for the survival dynamics. RESULTS: T stage (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.102, p = 0.03), N stage (N2 vs. N0, HR = 7.653, p < 0.001), and consolidative CT morphology (HR = 3.556, p = 0.008) remained independent predictors for DFS. Age (HR = 1.110, p = 0.002), smoking (HR = 12.893, p < 0.001), T stage (HR = 13.005, p = 0.006), N stage (N2 vs. N0, HR = 7.653, p = 0.004), STAS (HR = 7.463, p = 0.008), and consolidative CT morphology (HR = 6.779, p = 0.007) remained independent predictors for OS. Consolidative morphology, higher T and N stage, and presence of STAS revealed initial sharp peaks after steep decline of the hazard rate curves for recurrence or death in follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Consolidative morphology, higher T and N stage, smoking, and STAS were indicators of significantly greater risk of early recurrence or death in patients with IMA. Thus, these findings could be incorporated into future surveillance strategies.

Clinical Outcomes and Adverse Events of Gastric Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection of the Mid to Upper Stomach under General Anesthesia and Monitored Anesthetic Care.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of gastric tumors in the mid-to-upper stomach is a technically challenging procedure. This study compared the therapeutic outcomes and adverse events of ESD of tumors in the mid-to-upper stomach performed under general anesthesia (GA) or monitored anesthesia care (MAC). METHODS: Between 2012 and 2018, 674 patients underwent ESD for gastric tumors in the midbody, high body, fundus, or cardia (100 patients received GA; 574 received MAC). The outcomes of the propensity score (PS)-matched (1:1) patients receiving either GA or MAC were analyzed. RESULTS: The PS matching identified 94 patients who received GA and 94 patients who received MAC. Both groups showed high rates of en bloc resection (GA, 95.7%; MAC, 97.9%; p=0.68) and complete resection (GA, 81.9%; MAC, 84.0%; p=0.14). There were no significant differences between the rates of adverse events (GA, 16.0%; MAC, 8.5%; p=0.18) in the anesthetic groups. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the method of anesthesia did not affect the rates of complete resection or adverse events. CONCLUSION: ESD of tumors in the mid-to-upper stomach at our high-volume center had good outcomes, regardless of the method of anesthesia. Our results demonstrate no differences between the efficacies and safety of ESD performed under MAC and GA.

Impact of Skeletal Muscle Loss and Visceral Obesity Measured Using Serial CT on the Prognosis of Operable Breast Cancers in Asian Patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of baseline values and temporal changes in body composition parameters, including skeletal muscle index (SMI) and visceral adipose tissue area (VAT), measured using serial computed tomography (CT) imaging on the prognosis of operable breast cancers in Asian patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study retrospectively included 627 Asian female (mean age ± standard deviation [SD], 53.6 ± 8.3 years) who underwent surgery for stage I-III breast cancer between January 2011 and September 2012. Body composition parameters, including SMI and VAT, were semi-automatically calculated on baseline abdominal CT at the time of diagnosis and follow-up CT for post-treatment surveillance. Serial changes in SMI and VAT were calculated as the delta values. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of baseline and delta SMI and VAT values with disease-free survival. RESULTS: Among 627 patients, 56 patients (9.2%) had breast cancer recurrence after a median of 40.5 months. The mean value ± SD of the baseline SMI and baseline VAT were 43.7 ± 5.8 cm²/m² and 72.0 ± 46.0 cm², respectively. The mean value of the delta SMI was -0.9 cm²/m² and the delta VAT was 0.5 cm². The baseline SMI and VAT were not significantly associated with disease-free survival (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.983; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.937-1.031; p = 0.475 and adjusted HR, 1.001; 95% CI, 0.995-1.006; p = 0.751, respectively). The delta SMI and VAT were also not significantly associated with disease-free survival (adjusted HR, 0.894; 95% CI, 0.766-1.043; p = 0.155 and adjusted HR, 1.001; 95% CI, 0.989-1.014; p = 0.848, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that baseline and early temporal changes in SMI and VAT were not independent prognostic factors regarding disease-free survival in Asian patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer.

Individualized Vancomycin Dosing with Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Pharmacokinetic Consultation Service: A Large-Scale Retrospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: To date, outcome data with a large sample size and data regarding the clinical outcomes of pharmacokinetic-guided (PK) dosing of vancomycin are limited. AIM: We evaluated the pharmacokinetic and clinical outcomes of a PK-guided dosing advisory program, pharmacokinetic consultation service (PKCS), in vancomycin treatment. METHODS: We investigated vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and PKCS use through a retrospective review of patients who had serum vancomycin trough concentration data from October 2017 to November 2018. Among these patients, we selected non-critically ill adult patients satisfying our selection criteria to evaluate the effect of PKCS. Target trough attainment rate, time to target attainment, vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity (VIN), vancomycin treatment failure rate, and duration of vancomycin therapy were compared between patients whose dosing was adjusted according to PKCS (PKCS group), and those whose dose was adjusted at the discretion of the attending physician (non-PKCS group). RESULTS: A total of 280 patients met the selection criteria for the VIN analysis (PKCS, n=134; non-PKCS, n=146). The incidence of VIN was similar between the two groups (PKCS, n=5; non-PKCS, n=5); however, the target attainment rate was higher in the PKCS group (75% vs 60%, P = 0.012). The time to target attainment was similar between the two groups. Further exclusions yielded 112 patients for the clinical outcome evaluation (PKCS, n=51; non-PKCS, n=61). The treatment failure rate was similar, and the duration of vancomycin therapy was longer in the PKCS group (12 vs 8 days, P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: In non-critically ill patients, an increase in target trough achieved by PKCS did not lead to decreased vancomycin treatment failures, shorter vancomycin treatment, or decreased nephrotoxicity in vancomycin treatment. Considering the excessive amount of effort currently put into vancomycin dosing and monitoring, more selective criteria for individualized pharmacokinetic-guided dosing needs to be applied.

Impact of Personal Protective Equipment on the First-Pass Success of Endotracheal Intubation in the ED: A Propensity-Score-Matching Analysis.

Various types and levels of personal protective equipment (PPE) are currently available to protect health-care workers against infectious diseases. However, wearing cumbersome PPE may negatively affect their performance in life-saving procedures. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of wearing extensive PPE, including a powered air-purifying respirator with a loose-fitting hood or an N95 filtering facepiece respirator, on the first-pass success (FPS) rate of endotracheal intubation (ETI) in the emergency department (ED). This study was a single-center, observational before-and-after study of 934 adult (≥18 years old) patients who underwent ETI in the academic ED. The study period was divided into a control period (from 20 January 2019, to 30 September 2019, and from 20 January 2018, to 30 September 2018) and an intervention period (from 20 January 2020, to 30 September 2020). Extensive PPE was not donned during the control period (control group, n = 687) but was donned during the intervention period (PPE group, n = 247). The primary outcome was the FPS rate. We used propensity score matching between the PPE and control groups to reduce potential confounding. Propensity score matching identified 247 cases in the PPE group and 492 cases in the control group. In the matched cohort, no significant difference was found in the FPS rate between the PPE and control groups (83.8% (n = 207) vs. 81.9% (n = 403); p = 0.522). In multivariable analysis, wearing PPE was not associated with the FPS rate (adjusted odds ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.57-1.40; p = 0.629) after adjusting for the level of the intubator (junior resident, senior resident, or emergency medicine (EM) specialist). In conclusion, the FPS rate is not significantly affected by wearing extensive PPE in the ED.

Cost-effectiveness and long-term outcomes of liver transplantation using hepatitis B core antibody-positive grafts with hepatitis B immunoglobulin prophylaxis in Korea.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc)-positive donors are used as an extended donor pool, and current guidelines recommend the usage of nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) as prophylaxis for preventing de novo hepatitis B virus infection (DNH). We analyzed the long-term outcomes of a large cohort of liver transplantation (LT) patients receiving anti-HBc-positive grafts and evaluated the risk of DNH when hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) monotherapy was used as prophylaxis. We also compared the cost-effectiveness of HBIG and NAs. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 457 patients with anti-HBc-positive grafts and 898 patients with anti-HBc-negative grafts who underwent LT between January 2001 and December 2018. We compared recipient characteristics according to the anti-HBc status of the donor, and compared the costs of using NAs for the rest of the patient's life and using HBIG to maintain hepatitis B surface antibody titers above 200 IU/L. RESULTS: The 1-, 5-, and 10-year patient survival rates were 87.7%, 73.5%, and 67.7%, respectively, in patients with anti-HBc-positive grafts, and 88.5%, 77.4%, and 70.3%, respectively, in patients with anti-HBc-negative grafts (P=0.113). Among 457 recipients with anti-HBc-positive grafts, 117 (25.6%) were non-HBV recipients. The overall incidence of DNH was 0.9%. When using HBIG under insurance coverage, the cumulative cost was lower compared with using NA continuously without insurance coverage in Korea. CONCLUSION: Anti-HBc-positive grafts alone do not affect patient survival or graft survival. HBIG monoprophylaxis has good outcomes for preventing DNH, and the patient's long-term cost burden is low in Korea because of the national insurance system in this cohort.

The Tumor-Fat Interface Volume of Breast Cancer on Pretreatment MRI Is Associated with a Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Adipocytes are active sources of numerous adipokines that work in both a paracrine and endocrine manner. It is not known that the direct contact between tumor and neighboring fat measured by pretreatment breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) affects treatment outcomes to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer patients. A biomarker quantifying the tumor-fat interface volume from pretreatment MRI was proposed and used to predict pathologic complete response (pCR) in breast cancer patients treated with NAC. The tumor-fat interface volume was computed with data-driven clustering using multiphasic MRI. Our approach was developed and validated in two cohorts consisting of 1140 patients. A high tumor-fat interface volume was significantly associated with a non-pCR in both the development and validation cohorts (p = 0.030 and p = 0.037, respectively). Quantitative measurement of the tumor-fat interface volume based on pretreatment MRI may be useful for precision medicine and subsequently influence the treatment strategy of patients.

Spread through air spaces (STAS) in invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung: Incidence, prognostic impact, and prediction based on clinicoradiologic factors.

BACKGROUND: Spread through air spaces (STAS) has recently been demonstrated to exhibit a negative impact on lung adenocarcinoma prognosis. However, most of these studies investigated STAS in nonmucinous adenocarcinoma. Here, we investigated the incidence of STAS in invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA) of the lung and evaluated whether tumor STAS was a risk factor of disease recurrence in IMA. We also examined clinicoradiologic factors in patients with IMA harboring STAS. METHODS: We reviewed pathologic specimens and imaging characteristics of primary tumors from 132 consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection for IMA to evaluate STAS. Patients with and without STAS were compared with respect to clinical characteristics as well as computed tomography (CT) imaging using logistic regression. The relationships between all variables including STAS and survival were analyzed. RESULTS: Among a total of 132 patients, full pathologic specimens were available for 119 patients, and STAS was observed in 86 (72.3%). IMA patients with STAS were significantly associated with older age, presence of lobulated and spiculated margins on CT scan (P = 0.009, P = 0.006, and P = 0.027). In multivariate analysis for overall survival (OS), STAS was a borderline independent poor prognostic predictor (P = 0.028). Older age, history of smoking, higher T stage, presence of lymph node metastasis, and consolidative morphologic type remained independent predictors for OS. CONCLUSIONS: STAS was associated with reduced OS and was a borderline independent poor prognostic factor in IMA. IMA with STAS was associated with older age and presence of lobulated and spiculated margins on CT scan. KEY POINTS: SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS OF THE STUDY: Compared with other subtypes, IMA shows a higher incidence of STAS, which is an independent poor prognostic predictor even in IMA. Lobulated and spiculated margins on CT are associated with STAS. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: Considering that STAS can carry the potential for aerogenous metastasis, predicting STAS using preoperative surrogate CT imaging is desirable to avoid limited resection.

Prognostic Impact of Sarcopenia and Skeletal Muscle Loss During Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUNDS: The relationship between sarcopenia, characterized by loss of muscle mass and strength, and survival outcomes of esophageal cancer is controversial. This study aimed to assess the effect of sarcopenia and skeletal muscle loss on overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of esophageal cancer patients. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the medical records of 248 male patients diagnosed with squamous cell esophageal cancer and who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) followed by surgery. We measured the cross-sectional area of the skeletal muscle at the L3 vertebra level using computed tomography images and calculated the skeletal muscle index (SMI). Sarcopenia was defined as SMI <52.4 cm2/m2, and excessive muscle loss was defined as SMI change <-10.0%/50 days during NACRT. Moreover, laboratory test results, such as albumin, prognostic nutritional index (PNI), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) before and after NACRT, were collected. RESULTS: In the univariable Cox analysis, pre- (p = 0.689) and post-radiotherapy (RT) sarcopenia (p = 0.669) were not associated with OS. However, excessive muscle loss had a significant association with OS in both the univariable and multivariable analyses (all p = 0.001). Excessive muscle loss was also related to RFS in both the univariable (p = 0.011) and multivariable (p = 0.022) Cox analysis. Patients with excessive muscle loss had significantly lower levels of post-RT albumin (p < 0.001) and PNI (p < 0.001), higher levels of post-RT NLR (p = 0.031) and PLR (p = 0.071), larger decrease in albumin (p < 0.001) and PNI (p < 0.001) after NACRT, and larger increase in NLR (p = 0.051) and PLR (p = 0.088) after NACRT than in those with non-excessive muscle loss. CONCLUSION: Excessive muscle loss rather than pre- and post-RT sarcopenia was a significant prognostic factor for OS and RFS, and it was also related to nutritional and inflammatory markers.

The Important Factors Associated with Treatment Response in Laser Treatment of Facial Scars: A Single-Institution Based Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: There is increased interest in laser treatment of facial scars. OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors associated with treatment response. METHODS: We conducted an institution-based retrospective study by including the patients treated with laser for facial scars from 2012 to 2015. Treatment methods were determined with an algorithm according to individual scar characteristics. In each treatment session, either a 595-nm pulsed-dye laser or a non-ablative fractional laser was used, often in combination with a corticosteroid injection. We evaluated treatment responses based on the number of treatment sessions required to reach the treatment endpoint. Data were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression analysis to examine the association between treatment response and various factors of the scar. RESULTS: A total of eighty-four scars were analyzed. The onset of treatment (defined as the period between the injury and treatment initiation), used laser modality, and the location of the scar were all found to be significantly associated with treatment responses. Early implementation was more likely to provide better treatment response. Scars on the perioral area were more likely to be associated with worse treatment response. CONCLUSION: The important factors for the treatment response in facial scars were the location of the scar and the timing of the initiation of treatment. Such information can be used to predict treatment response and tailor the treatment plan to the patient, depending on scar characteristics.