Clinical determinants of intestinal failure and death in preterm infants with surgical necrotizing enterocolitis.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the clinical determinants of intestinal failure and death in preterm infants with surgical NEC. METHODS: Retrospective comparison of clinical information between Group A = intestinal failure (Parenteral nutrition (PN) >90 days) and death and Group B = survivors and with PN dependence < 90 days in preterm infants with surgical NEC. RESULTS: Group A (n = 99/143) had a lower mean gestational age (26.4 weeks [SD3.5] vs. 29.4 [SD 3.5]; p = 0.013), lower birth weight (873 gm [SD 427g] vs. 1425 gm [894g]; p = <0.001), later age of NEC onset (22 days [SD20] vs. 16 days [SD 17]; p = 0.128), received surgery later (276 hours [SD 544] vs. 117 hours [SD 267]; p = 0.032), had cholestasis, received dopamine (80.6% vs. 58.5%; p = 0.010) more frequently and had longer postoperative ileus time (19.8 days [SD 15.4] vs. 11.8 days [SD 6.5]; p = <0.001) and reached full feeds later (93 days [SD 45] vs. 44 [SD 22]; p = <0.001) than Group B.On multivariate logistic regression, higher birth weight was associated with lower risk (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.15-0.82; p = 0.016) of TPN > 90 days or death. Longer length of bowel resected (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.02-3.02; p = 0.039) and longer postoperative ileus (OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.26-6.53; p = 0.011) were also independently associated with TPN >90days or death adjusted for gestational age and antenatal steroid treatment. CONCLUSION: In preterm infants with surgical NEC, clinical factors such as lower birth weight, longer bowel loss, and postoperative ileus days were significantly and independently associated with TPN >90 days or death.

The Influence of Systemic Inflammation on Treatment Response and Survival in Anal Squamous Cell Cancer.

AIMS: The incidence of anal squamous cell cancer (SCCA) is rising. Although chemoradiotherapy (CRT) provides a chance of cure, a proportion of patients have an incomplete response or develop recurrence. This study assessed the value of inflammation-based prognostic indicators, including the modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio (NLR), in patients with SCCA treated by CRT with curative intent. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with histologically confirmed SCCA were identified from pathology records. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed and clinical, pathological and treatment characteristics were abstracted. The mGPS (0 = normal C-reactive protein [CRP] and albumin, 1 = CRP >10 mg/l and 2 = CRP >10 mg/l and albumin <35 mg/l) and NLR were calculated from routine blood tests obtained prior to CRT. RESULTS: In total, 118 patients underwent CRT for SCCA between December 2007 and February 2018. Of these, 99 patients had appropriate pretreatment blood results available. Systemic inflammation as indicated by NLR >3 and mGPS >0 was present in 41% and 39% of patients, respectively. Most patients had T2 or larger tumours (n = 85, 86%) without nodal involvement (n = 64, 65%). An elevated mGPS was associated with more advanced T-stage (56% versus 35%, P = 0.036). NLR >5 was associated with nodal positivity (56% versus 31%, P = 0.047). On multivariate analysis, more advanced T-stage (odds ratio 7.49, 95% confidence interval 1.51-37.20, P = 0.014) and a raised mGPS (odds ratio 5.13, 95% confidence interval 1.25-21.14, P = 0.024) were independently related to incomplete CRT response. An elevated mGPS was prognostic of inferior survival (hazard ratio 3.09, 95% confidence interval 1.47-6.50, P = 0.003) and cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio 4.32, 95% confidence interval 1.54-12.15, P = 0.006), independent of TNM stage. CONCLUSION: Systemic inflammation, as measured by the mGPS, is associated with an incomplete CRT response and is independently prognostic of inferior survival in patients with SCCA. The mGPS may offer a simple marker of inferior outcome that could be used to identify high-risk patients.

Mesh inlay, mesh kit or native tissue repair for women having repeat anterior or posterior prolapse surgery: randomised controlled trial (PROSPECT).

OBJECTIVE: To compare standard (native tissue) repair with synthetic mesh inlays or mesh kits. DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Thirty-three UK hospitals. POPULATION: Women having surgery for recurrent prolapse. METHODS: Women recruited using remote randomisation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prolapse symptoms, condition-specific quality-of-life and serious adverse effects. RESULTS: A Mean Pelvic Organ Prolapse Symptom Score at 1 year was similar for each comparison (standard 6.6 versus mesh inlay 6.1, mean difference [MD] -0.41, 95% CI -2.92 to 2.11: standard 6.6 versus mesh kit 5.9, MD -1.21 , 95% CI -4.13 to 1.72) but the confidence intervals did not exclude a minimally important clinical difference. There was no evidence of difference in any other outcome measure at 1 or 2 years. Serious adverse events, excluding mesh exposure, were similar at 1 year (standard 7/55 [13%] versus mesh inlay 5/52 [10%], risk ratio [RR] 1.05 [0.66-1.68]: standard 3/25 [12%] versus mesh kit 3/46 [7%], RR 0.49 [0.11-2.16]). Cumulative mesh exposure rates over 2 years were 7/52 (13%) in the mesh inlay arm, of whom four women required surgical revision; and 4/46 in the mesh kit arm (9%), of whom two required surgical revision. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find evidence of a difference in terms of prolapse symptoms from the use of mesh inlays or mesh kits in women undergoing repeat prolapse surgery. Although the sample size was too small to be conclusive, the results provide a substantive contribution to future meta-analysis. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: There is not enough evidence to support use of synthetic mesh inlay or mesh kits for repeat prolapse surgery.

Achieving Self-Directed Integrated Cancer Aftercare (ASICA) in melanoma: protocol for a randomised patient-focused pilot trial of delivering the ASICA intervention as a means to earlier detection of recurrent and second primary melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Melanoma is common; 15,906 people in the UK were diagnosed with melanoma in 2015 and incidence has increased fivefold in 30 years. Melanoma affects old and young people, with poor prognosis once metastatic. UK guidelines recommend people treated for cutaneous melanoma receive extended outpatient, hospital follow up to detect recurrence or new primaries. Such follow up of the growing population of melanoma survivors is burdensome for both individuals and health services. Follow up is important since approximately 20% of patients with early-stage melanoma experience a recurrence and 4-8% develop a new primary; the risk of either is highest in the first 5 years. Achieving Self-directed Integrated Cancer Aftercare (ASICA) is a digital intervention to increase total-skin-self-examination (TSSE) by people treated for melanoma, with usual follow up. METHODS: We aim to recruit 240 adults with a previous first-stage 0-2C primary cutaneous melanoma, from secondary care in North-East Scotland and the East of England. Participants will be randomised to receive the ASICA intervention (a tablet-based digital intervention to prompt and support TSSE) or control group (treatment as usual). Patient-reported and clinical data will be collected at baseline, including the modified Melanoma Worry Scale (MWS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADs), the EuroQoL 5-dimension 5-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5 L), and questions about TSSE practice, intentions, self-efficacy and planning. Participants will be followed up by postal questionnaire at 3, 6 and 12 months following randomization, along with a 12-month review of clinical data. The primary timepoint for outcome analyses will be12 months after randomisation. DISCUSSION: If the ASICA intervention improves the practice of TSSE in those affected by melanoma, this may lead to improved psychological well-being and earlier detection of recurrent and new primary melanoma. This could impact both patients and National Health Service (NHS) resources. This study will determine if a full-scale randomised controlled trial can be undertaken in the UK NHS to provide the high-quality evidence needed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. ASICA is a pilot study evaluating the effectiveness of the practice of digitally supported TSSE in those affected by melanoma. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials.gov, NCT03328247 . Registered on 1 November 2017.

'We've made the best of it. But we do not have a normal life': families' experiences of tuberous sclerosis complex and seizure management.

BACKGROUND: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a complex multisystem genetic disorder. Approximately 84% of people with TSC have epilepsy. However, there is little literature available regarding families' experiences with TSC and seizure management. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to explore families' positive and negative experiences, and attitudes towards TSC, epilepsy and medical management of seizures. METHODS: Framework analysis informed an open exploration of families' experiences with TSC, epilepsy and medical management of seizures. Using structured interviews, 11 parents of people with TSC and 2 people with TSC were interviewed, providing the data set for transcription and thematic analysis. RESULTS: 'TSC rules our life' overarched three subordinate themes: 'Our normal', 'Burnout' and 'Seizure management has given us our life back'. Families had to adapt to the normality of needing to constantly supervise their child even as they become an adult. They express a feeling of fear particularly of seizures, and this has impact throughout the family. There are frequent expressions of exhaustion and struggling to fight for access and support. There are some positives and cautious hope with the gaining of control from seizures as being able to predict or plan improves activity and participation. These interviews provided a rich insight into the lives of those with TSC and their families. CONCLUSION: There are exciting developments with respect to scientific understanding of the pathophysiology of TSC, which opens opportunity for new treatments. Holistic family centred health care and practical support (e.g. opportunities for parental respite) is as important as medical intervention. As TSC is such a complex condition, there is a need for specialist clinics and TSC-specific research.

Expression of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) and hENT1 predicts survival in pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) tumour expression may provide added value to human equilibrative nucleoside transporter-1 (hENT1) tumour expression in predicting survival following pyrimidine-based adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: DPD and hENT1 immunohistochemistry and scoring was completed on tumour cores from 238 patients with pancreatic cancer in the ESPAC-3(v2) trial, randomised to either postoperative gemcitabine or 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid (5FU/FA). RESULTS: DPD tumour expression was associated with reduced overall survival (hazard ratio, HR = 1.73 [95% confidence interval, CI = 1.21-2.49], p = 0.003). This was significant in the 5FU/FA arm (HR = 2.07 [95% CI = 1.22-3.53], p = 0.007), but not in the gemcitabine arm (HR = 1.47 [0.91-3.37], p = 0.119). High hENT1 tumour expression was associated with increased survival in gemcitabine treated (HR = 0.56 [0.38-0.82], p = 0.003) but not in 5FU/FA treated patients (HR = 1.19 [0.80-1.78], p = 0.390). In patients with low hENT1 tumour expression, high DPD tumour expression was associated with a worse median [95% CI] survival in the 5FU/FA arm (9.7 [5.3-30.4] vs 29.2 [19.5-41.9] months, p = 0.002) but not in the gemcitabine arm (14.0 [9.1-15.7] vs. 18.0 [7.6-15.3] months, p = 1.000). The interaction of treatment arm and DPD expression was not significant (p = 0.303), but the interaction of treatment arm and hENT1 expression was (p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: DPD tumour expression was a negative prognostic biomarker. Together with tumour expression of hENT1, DPD tumour expression defined patient subgroups that might benefit from either postoperative 5FU/FA or gemcitabine.

Intratumoural expression of deoxycytidylate deaminase or ribonuceotide reductase subunit M1 expression are not related to survival in patients with resected pancreatic cancer given adjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Deoxycytidylate deaminase (DCTD) and ribonucleotide reductase subunit M1 (RRM1) are potential prognostic and predictive biomarkers for pyrimidine-based chemotherapy in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining of DCTD and RRM1 was performed on tissue microarrays representing tumour samples from 303 patients in European Study Group for Pancreatic Cancer (ESPAC)-randomised adjuvant trials following pancreatic resection, 272 of whom had received gemcitabine or 5-fluorouracil with folinic acid in ESPAC-3(v2), and 31 patients from the combined ESPAC-3(v1) and ESPAC-1 post-operative pure observational groups. RESULTS: Neither log-rank testing on dichotomised strata or Cox proportional hazard regression showed any relationship of DCTD or RRM1 expression levels to survival overall or by treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: Expression of either DCTD or RRM1 was not prognostic or predictive in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma who had had post-operative chemotherapy with either gemcitabine or 5-fluorouracil with folinic acid.

Early barriers to neonatal porcine islet engraftment in a dual transplant model.

Porcine islet xenografts have the potential to provide an inexhaustible source of islets for ß cell replacement. Proof-of-concept has been established in nonhuman primates. However, significant barriers to xenoislet transplantation remain, including the poorly understood instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction and a thorough understanding of early xeno-specific immune responses. A paucity of data exist comparing xeno-specific immune responses with alloislet (AI) responses in primates. We recently developed a dual islet transplant model, which enables direct histologic comparison of early engraftment immunobiology. In this study, we investigate early immune responses to neonatal porcine islet (NPI) xenografts compared with rhesus islet allografts at 1 hour, 24 hours, and 7 days. Within the first 24 hours after intraportal infusion, we identified greater apoptosis (caspase 3 activity and TUNEL [terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling])-positive cells) of NPIs compared with AIs. Macrophage infiltration was significantly greater at 24 hours compared with 1 hour in both NPI (wild-type) and AIs. At 7 days, IgM and macrophages were highly specific for NPIs (α1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout) compared with AIs. These findings demonstrate an augmented macrophage and antibody response toward xenografts compared with allografts. These data may inform future immune or genetic manipulations required to improve xenoislet engraftment.

Long-term results and recurrence patterns from SCALOP: a phase II randomised trial of gemcitabine- or capecitabine-based chemoradiation for locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: SCALOP, a randomised, phase II trial, tested the activity and safety of gemcitabine (GEM)-based and capecitabine (CAP)-based chemoradiation (CRT) for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). Here we present the long-term outcomes. METHODS: Eligibility: histologically proven LAPC ⩽7 cm. Following 12 weeks of induction GEMCAP chemotherapy (three cycles: GEM 1000 mg m-2 days 1, 8, 15; CAP 830 mg m-2 days 1-21 q28 days) patients with stable/responding disease, tumour ⩽6 cm, and WHO Performance Status 0-1 were randomised to receive one cycle GEMCAP followed by CAP (830 mg m-2 b.d. on weekdays only) or GEM (300 mg m-2 weekly) with radiation (50.4 Gy per 28 fractions). RESULTS: One-hundred fourteen patients (28 UK centres) were registered between 24 December 2009 and 25 October 2011, and 74 were randomised (CAP-RT=36; GEM-RT=38). At the time of this analysis, 105 of the 114 patients had died and the surviving 9 patients had been followed up for a median of 10.9 months (IQR: 2.9-18.7). Updated median OS was 17.6 months (95% CI: 14.6-22.7) in the CAP-CRT arm and 14.6 months (95% CI: 11.1-16.0) in the GEM-CRT arm (intention-to-treat adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 0.68 (95% CI: 0.38-1.21, P=0.185)); median progression-free survival (PFS) was 12.0 months (95% CI: 10.0-15.2) in the CAP-CRT arm and 10.4 months (95% CI: 8.8-12.7) in the GEM-CRT arm (intention-to-treat adjusted HR: 0.60 (95% CI: 0.32-1.14, P=0.120)). In baseline multivariable model, age ⩾65 years, better performance status, CA19.9<613 IU l-1, and shorter tumour diameter predicted improved OS. CAP-CRT, age ⩾65 years, better performance status, CA19.9 <46 IU ml-1 predicted improved OS and PFS in the pre-radiotherapy model. Nine-month PFS was highly predictive of OS. CONCLUSIONS: CAP-CRT remains the superior regimen. SCALOP showed that patients with CA19.9 <46 IU ml-1 after induction chemotherapy are more likely to benefit from CRT.

Carbon dating cancer: defining the chronology of metastatic progression in colorectal cancer.

Background: Patients often ask oncologists how long a cancer has been present before causing symptoms or spreading to other organs. The evolutionary trajectory of cancers can be defined using phylogenetic approaches but lack of chronological references makes dating the exact onset of tumours very challenging. Patients and methods: Here, we describe the case of a colorectal cancer (CRC) patient presenting with synchronous lung metastasis and metachronous thyroid, chest wall and urinary tract metastases over the course of 5 years. The chest wall metastasis was caused by needle tract seeding, implying a known time of onset. Using whole genome sequencing data from primary and metastatic sites we inferred the complete chronology of the cancer by exploiting the time of needle tract seeding as an in vivo 'stopwatch'. This approach allowed us to follow the progression of the disease back in time, dating each ancestral node of the phylogenetic tree in the past history of the tumour. We used a Bayesian phylogenomic approach, which accounts for possible dynamic changes in mutational rate, to reconstruct the phylogenetic tree and effectively 'carbon date' the malignant progression. Results: The primary colon cancer emerged between 5 and 8 years before the clinical diagnosis. The primary tumour metastasized to the lung and the thyroid within a year from its onset. The thyroid lesion presented as a tumour-to-tumour deposit within a benign Hurthle adenoma. Despite rapid metastatic progression from the primary tumour, the patient showed an indolent disease course. Primary cancer and metastases were microsatellite stable and displayed low chromosomal instability. Neo-antigen analysis suggested minimal immunogenicity. Conclusion: Our data provide the first in vivo experimental evidence documenting the timing of metastatic progression in CRC and suggest that genomic instability might be more important than the metastatic potential of the primary cancer in dictating CRC fate.

Runx1 Orchestrates Sphingolipid Metabolism and Glucocorticoid Resistance in Lymphomagenesis.

The three-membered RUNX gene family includes RUNX1, a major mutational target in human leukemias, and displays hallmarks of both tumor suppressors and oncogenes. In mouse models, the Runx genes appear to act as conditional oncogenes, as ectopic expression is growth suppressive in normal cells but drives lymphoma development potently when combined with over-expressed Myc or loss of p53. Clues to underlying mechanisms emerged previously from murine fibroblasts where ectopic expression of any of the Runx genes promotes survival through direct and indirect regulation of key enzymes in sphingolipid metabolism associated with a shift in the "sphingolipid rheostat" from ceramide to sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). Testing of this relationship in lymphoma cells was therefore a high priority. We find that ectopic expression of Runx1 in lymphoma cells consistently perturbs the sphingolipid rheostat, whereas an essential physiological role for Runx1 is revealed by reduced S1P levels in normal spleen after partial Cre-mediated excision. Furthermore, we show that ectopic Runx1 expression confers increased resistance of lymphoma cells to glucocorticoid-mediated apoptosis, and elucidate the mechanism of cross-talk between glucocorticoid and sphingolipid metabolism through Sgpp1. Dexamethasone potently induces expression of Sgpp1 in T-lymphoma cells and drives cell death which is reduced by partial knockdown of Sgpp1 with shRNA or direct transcriptional repression of Sgpp1 by ectopic Runx1. Together these data show that Runx1 plays a role in regulating the sphingolipid rheostat in normal development and that perturbation of this cell fate regulator contributes to Runx-driven lymphomagenesis. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1432-1441, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Extrinsic origins of the somatostatin and neuropeptide Y innervation of the rat basolateral amygdala.

The amygdalar basolateral nuclear complex (BLC) is a cortex-like structure that receives inputs from many cortical areas. It has long been assumed that cortico-amygdalar projections, as well as inter-areal intracortical connections, arise from cortical pyramidal cells. However, recent studies have shown that GABAergic long-range nonpyramidal neurons (LRNP neurons) in the cortex also contribute to inter-areal connections. The present study combined Fluorogold (FG) retrograde tract tracing with immunohistochemistry for cortical nonpyramidal neuronal markers to determine if cortical LRNP neurons project to the BLC in the rat. Injections of FG into the BLC produced widespread retrograde labeling in the cerebral hemispheres and diencephalon. Triple-labeling for FG, somatostatin (SOM), and neuropeptide Y (NPY) revealed a small number of FG+/SOM+/NPY+ neurons and FG+/SOM+/NPY- neurons in the lateral entorhinal area, amygdalopiriform transition area, and piriform cortex, but not in the prefrontal and insular cortices, or in the diencephalon. In addition, FG+/SOM+/NPY+ neurons were observed in the amygdalostriatal transition area and in a zone surrounding the intercalated nuclei. About half of the SOM+ neurons in the lateral entorhinal area labeled by FG were GABA+. FG+ neurons containing parvalbumin were only seen in the basal forebrain, and no FG+ neurons containing vasoactive intestinal peptide were observed in any brain region. Since LRNP neurons involved in corticocortical connections are critical for synchronous oscillations that allow temporal coordination between distant cortical regions, the LRNP neurons identified in this study may play a role in the synchronous oscillations of the BLC and hippocampal region that are involved in the retrieval of fear memories.

GABAergic somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons in the amygdala project to the entorhinal cortex.

The entorhinal cortex and other hippocampal and parahippocampal cortices are interconnected by a small number of GABAergic nonpyramidal neurons in addition to glutamatergic pyramidal cells. Since the cortical and basolateral amygdalar nuclei have cortex-like cell types and have robust projections to the entorhinal cortex, we hypothesized that a small number of amygdalar GABAergic nonpyramidal neurons might participate in amygdalo-entorhinal projections. To test this hypothesis we combined Fluorogold (FG) retrograde tract tracing with immunohistochemistry for the amygdalar nonpyramidal cell markers glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), parvalbumin (PV), somatostatin (SOM), neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and the m2 muscarinic cholinergic receptor (M2R). Injections of FG into the rat entorhinal cortex labeled numerous neurons that were mainly located in the cortical and basolateral nuclei of the amygdala. Although most of these amygdalar FG+ neurons labeled by entorhinal injections were large pyramidal cells, 1-5% were smaller long-range nonpyramidal neurons (LRNP neurons) that expressed SOM, or both SOM and NPY. No amygdalar FG+ neurons in these cases were PV+ or VIP+. Cell counts revealed that LRNP neurons labeled by injections into the entorhinal cortex constituted about 10-20% of the total SOM+ population, and 20-40% of the total NPY population in portions of the lateral amygdalar nucleus that exhibited a high density of FG+ neurons. Sixty-two percent of amygdalar FG+/SOM+ neurons were GAD+, and 51% were M2R+. Since GABAergic projection neurons typically have low perikaryal levels of GABAergic markers, it is actually possible that most or all of the amygdalar LRNP neurons are GABAergic. Like GABAergic LRNP neurons in hippocampal/parahippocampal regions, amygdalar LRNP neurons that project to the entorhinal cortex are most likely involved in synchronizing oscillatory activity between the two regions. These oscillations could entrain synchronous firing of amygdalar and entorhinal pyramidal neurons, thus facilitating functional interactions between them, including synaptic plasticity.

Sharpin is a key regulator of skeletal homeostasis in a TNF-dependent manner.

OBJECTIVES: SHARPIN is a subunit of LUBAC and regulates activation of NF-κB, a pivotal transcription factor in skeletal homeostasis. Mutated SHARPIN gene (cpdm) mice develop chronic proliferative dermatitis and systemic inflammation. Cpdm mice have an osteopaenic phenotype characterised by decreased cortical and trabecular bone volume, but whether this is a consequence of the hyper-inflammatory phenotype is unknown. The inflammatory phenotype of cpdm mice is prevented by Tnf deficiency so we examined cpdm.Tnf (-/-) mice to examine the role of SHARPIN in skeletal development. METHODS: This research determined the extent to which SHARPIN and TNF interact within the skeleton through analyses of gene expression, µCT and biomechanical properties of bones of control (CTRL), cpdm, Tnf (-/-) (TNF KO) and cpdm.Tnf (-/-) (cpdm/TNF KO) mice. RESULTS: Gene expression of IL-1ß, TNF and caspase-3 increased in cpdm mice but was comparable to control values in cpdm/TNF KO mice. Decreased cortical and trabecular bone in cpdm mice translated to a loss in bone strength (ultimate stress and peak force). Cpdm/TNF KO mice developed bones similar to, or stronger than, control bones. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that SHARPIN plays a significant role in skeletal homeostasis and that this role is strongly regulated through TNF pathways.

Testosterone deficiency and quality of life in Australasian testicular cancer survivors: a prospective cohort study.

This is the first prospective study in a contemporary Australian/New Zealand population to determine the prevalence of testosterone deficiency in testicular cancer survivors at 12 months from treatment, and any association with poorer quality of life. Hormone assays from 54 evaluable patients in a prospective cohort study revealed biochemical hypogonadism in 18 patients (33%) and low-normal testosterone in 13 patients (24%). We found no association between testosterone levels and quality of life (all P > 0.05). Hypogonadal patients should be considered for testosterone replacement to prevent long-term morbidity.

Applications of pathology-assisted image analysis of immunohistochemistry-based biomarkers in oncology.

Immunohistochemistry-based biomarkers are commonly used to understand target inhibition in key cancer pathways in preclinical models and clinical studies. Automated slide-scanning and advanced high-throughput image analysis software technologies have evolved into a routine methodology for quantitative analysis of immunohistochemistry-based biomarkers. Alongside the traditional pathology H-score based on physical slides, the pathology world is welcoming digital pathology and advanced quantitative image analysis, which have enabled tissue- and cellular-level analysis. An automated workflow was implemented that includes automated staining, slide-scanning, and image analysis methodologies to explore biomarkers involved in 2 cancer targets: Aurora A and NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE). The 2 workflows highlight the evolution of our immunohistochemistry laboratory and the different needs and requirements of each biological assay. Skin biopsies obtained from MLN8237 (Aurora A inhibitor) phase 1 clinical trials were evaluated for mitotic and apoptotic index, while mitotic index and defects in chromosome alignment and spindles were assessed in tumor biopsies to demonstrate Aurora A inhibition. Additionally, in both preclinical xenograft models and an acute myeloid leukemia phase 1 trial of the NAE inhibitor MLN4924, development of a novel image algorithm enabled measurement of downstream pathway modulation upon NAE inhibition. In the highlighted studies, developing a biomarker strategy based on automated image analysis solutions enabled project teams to confirm target and pathway inhibition and understand downstream outcomes of target inhibition with increased throughput and quantitative accuracy. These case studies demonstrate a strategy that combines a pathologist's expertise with automated image analysis to support oncology drug discovery and development programs.

Short versus long-acting local anaesthetic in open carpal tunnel release: which provides better preemptive analgesia in the first 24 hours?

Open carpal tunnel release is commonly performed under local anaesthesia. No study has compared intra-operative short- versus long-acting local anaesthetics as preemptive analgesics in carpal tunnel surgery. In this single-blinded prospective study, 100 consecutive carpal tunnel releases were performed by a single surgeon at one institution with either lignocaine (n = 50) or ropivacaine (n = 50). Allocation was performed via the method of alternation. Subjects were given a questionnaire to answer the following: (1) time to first incidence of pain, (2) quality of first night's sleep, and (3) mean numerical pain scores in the first 24 hours. The time to the first postoperative pain was significantly shorter in the lignocaine group (5.58 vs. 9.17 hours, p < 0.035). There were no significant difference in the incidence of poor first night's sleep (16% vs. 26%, p = 0.28) or mean pain scores in the first day (3.6 vs. 2.9, p = 0.16). Existing evidence advocates for long-acting intraoperative local anaesthetic because it results in a longer duration of postoperative analgesia, however, our study suggests that it may also result in a poorer first night's sleep.