Role of endogenous hydrogen sulfide in nerve-evoked relaxation of pig terminal bronchioles.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a gasotransmitter employed for intra- and inter-cellular communication in almost all organ systems. This study investigates the role of endogenous H2S in nerve-evoked relaxation of pig terminal bronchioles with 260 µm medium internal lumen diameter. High expression of the H2S synthesis enzyme cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) in the bronchiolar muscle layer and strong CSE-immunoreactivity within nerve fibers distributed along smooth muscle bundles were observed. Further, endogenous H2S generated in bronchiolar membranes was reduced by CSE inhibition. In contrast, cystathionine ß-synthase expression, another H2S synthesis enzyme, however was not consistently detected in the bronchiolar smooth muscle layer. Electrical field stimulation (EFS) and the H2S donor P-(4-methoxyphenyl)-P-4-morpholinylphosphinodithioic acid (GYY4137) evoked smooth muscle relaxation. Inhibition of CSE, nitric oxide (NO) synthase, soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) and of ATP-dependent K+, transient receptor potential A1 (TRPA1) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channels reduced the EFS relaxation but failed to modify the GYY4137 response. Raising extracellular K+ concentration inhibited the GYY4137 relaxation. Large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel blockade reduced both EFS and GYY4137 responses. GYY4137 inhibited the contractions induced by histamine and reduced to a lesser extent the histamine-induced increases in intracellular [Ca2+]. These results suggest that relaxation induced by EFS in the pig terminal bronchioles partly involves the H2S/CSE pathway. H2S response is produced via NO/sGC-independent mechanisms involving K+ channels and intracellular Ca2+ desensitization-dependent pathways. Thus, based on our current results H2S donors might be useful as bronchodilator agents for the treatment of lung diseases with persistent airflow limitation, such as asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease.

Results in mediastinal lymph node staging of surgical lung cancer: Data from the prospective cohort of the Spanish Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery Group.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of combined computerised tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) in mediastinal staging of surgical lung cancer based on data obtained from the prospective cohort of the Spanish Group for Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (GEVATS). METHODS: A total of 2782 patients underwent surgery for primary lung carcinoma. We analysed diagnostic success in mediastinal lymph node staging (cN2) using CT and PET. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed of the factors involved in this success. The risk of unexpected pN2 disease was analysed for cases in which an invasive testing is recommended: cN1, the tumour centrally located or the tumour diameter >3 cm. RESULTS: The overall success of CT together with PET was 82.9% with a positive predictive value of 0.21 and negative predictive value of 0.93. If the tumour was larger than 3 cm and for each unit increase in mediastinal SUVmax, the probability of success was lower with OR 0.59 (0.44-0.79) and 0.71 (0.66-0.75), respectively. In the video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) approach, the probability of success was higher with OR 2.04 (1.52-2.73). The risk of unexpected pN2 increased with the risk factors cN1, the tumour centrally located or the tumour diameter >3 cm: from 4.5% (0 factors) to 18.8% (3 factors) but did not differ significantly as a function of whether invasive testing was performed. CONCLUSIONS: CT and PET together have a high negative predictive value. The overall success of the staging is lower in the case of tumours >3 cm and high mediastinal SUVmax, and it is higher when VATS is performed. The risk of unexpected pN2 is higher if the disease is cN1, the tumour centrally located or the tumour diameter >3 cm but does not vary significantly as a function of whether patients have undergone invasive testing.

External validation of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons morbidity and mortality risk models.

OBJECTIVES: There is a wide variety of predictive models of postoperative risk, although some of them are specific to thoracic surgery, none of them is widely used. The European Society for Thoracic Surgery has recently updated its models of cardiopulmonary morbidity (Eurolung 1) and 30-day mortality (Eurolung 2) after anatomic lung resection. The aim of our work is to carry out the external validation of both models in a multicentre national database. METHODS: External validation of Eurolung 1 and Eurolung 2 was evaluated through calibration (calibration plot, Brier score and Hosmer-Lemeshow test) and discrimination [area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC ROC)], on a national multicentre database of 2858 patients undergoing anatomic lung resection between 2016 and 2018. RESULTS: For Eurolung 1, calibration plot showed suboptimal overlapping (slope = 0.921) and a Hosmer-Lemeshow test and Brier score of P = 0.353 and 0.104, respectively. In terms of discrimination, AUC ROC for Eurolung 1 was 0.653 (95% confidence interval, 0.623-0.684). In contrast, Eurolung 2 showed a good calibration (slope = 1.038) and a Hosmer-Lemeshow test and Brier score of P = 0.234 and 0.020, respectively. AUC ROC for Eurolung 2 was 0.760 (95% confidence interval, 0.701-0.819). CONCLUSIONS: Thirty-day mortality score (Eurolung 2) seems to be transportable to other anatomic lung-resected patients. On the other hand, postoperative cardiopulmonary morbidity score (Eurolung 1) seems not to have sufficient generalizability for new patients.

Surgical Risk Following Anatomic Lung Resection in Thoracic Surgery: A Prediction Model Derived from a Spanish Multicenter Database. / Riesgo quirúrgico tras resección pulmonar anatómica en cirugía torácica. Modelo predictivo a partir de una base de datos nacional multicéntrica.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to develop a surgical risk prediction model in patients undergoing anatomic lung resections from the registry of the Spanish Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery Group (GEVATS). METHODS: Data were collected from 3,533 patients undergoing anatomic lung resection for any diagnosis between December 20, 2016 and March 20, 2018. We defined a combined outcome variable: death or Clavien Dindo grade IV complication at 90 days after surgery. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed by logistic regression. Internal validation of the model was performed using resampling techniques. RESULTS: The incidence of the outcome variable was 4.29% (95% CI 3.6-4.9). The variables remaining in the final logistic model were: age, sex, previous lung cancer resection, dyspnea (mMRC), right pneumonectomy, and ppo DLCO. The performance parameters of the model adjusted by resampling were: C-statistic 0.712 (95% CI 0.648-0.750), Brier score 0.042 and bootstrap shrinkage 0.854. CONCLUSIONS: The risk prediction model obtained from the GEVATS database is a simple, valid, and reliable model that is a useful tool for establishing the risk of a patient undergoing anatomic lung resection.

Recommendations for acting in elective and urgent thoracic surgery during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery. / Recomendaciones de actuación en cirugía torácica electiva y urgente en contexto de pandemia por SARS-CoV-2 de la Sociedad Española de Cirugía Torácica (SECT).

Expansion of the pandemic produced by new coronavirus SATS-CoV-2 has made healthcare focused on patients with COVID-19 disease, leading to discontinue most of elective surgical procedures. Being thoracic surgery eminently oncological, an optimal triage of patients amenable to be safely operated on is mandatory. Moreover, severe pulmonary involvement by COVID-19 causes complications frequently needing urgent thoracic surgical procedures under a new context. The Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery (SECT) has developed this document to establish basic recommendations to keep up essential elective surgical activity and to guide surgeons facing thoracic urgencies in this new and unknown environment.

Indoor Radon in EGFR- and BRAF-Mutated and ALK-Rearranged Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer in the nonsmoking population. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends indoor concentrations of < 100 Bq/m³. Several molecular alterations have been described in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), mainly in nonsmokers, with no risk factors identified. We studied the role of indoor radon in NSCLC patients harboring specific driver alterations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We assessed the radon concentration from EGFR-, BRAF-mutated (m), and ALK-rearranged (r) NSCLC patients measured by an alpha-track detector placed in their homes between September 2014 and August 2015. Clinical characteristics were collected prospectively, and pathologic samples were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients were included (36 EGFRm, 10 ALKr, 2 BRAFm). Median radon concentration was 104 Bq/m³ (IQR 69-160) overall, and was 96 Bq/m³ (42-915) for EGFRm, 116 (64-852) for ALKr, and 125 for BRAFm, with no significant differences. Twenty-seven patients (56%) had indoor radon above WHO recommendations, 8 (80%) of 10 ALKr, 2 (100%) of 2 BRAFm, and 17 (47%) of 36 EGFRm. CONCLUSION: The median indoor radon concentration was above the WHO recommendations, with no differences between EGFR, ALK, and BRAF patients. Concentrations above the WHO recommendations were most common with ALKr and BRAFm. These findings should be validated in larger studies.

Trans-mediastinal Kirschner wire migration treated by video-assisted thoracoscopy.

The use of osteosynthesis material in shoulder and clavicle surgery is common in orthopedic surgery. Although migration is rare, it is widely documented and can lead to serious complications and even death. We present a rare case of trans-mediastinal migration of a Kirschner needle used to fix a clavicle fracture, which fortunately did not injure the mediastinal structures and was resolved favorably by a video-assisted thoracic surgery approach.

Management of a tracheoesophageal fistula in a patient with AIDS.

Despite the high frequency of gastrointestinal complications and opportunistic infections in HIV-1 infected patients, tracheoesophageal (TEF) and bronchoesophageal (BEF) fístulas are rare. Our objective is to comunicate an additional and unusual case of TEF in an HIV-1-infected patient whose immunologic status was good with complete suppression of viral replication, so although uncommon, TEF/BEF of an infectious origen should be considered in AIDS. Endoscopic treatment with tracheal/esophageal stents is not without morbidity and mortality. As long as the patient can undergo reconstructive surgery, this should be the technique of choice.

Recomendaciones de actuación en cirugía torácica electiva y urgente en contexto de pandemia por SARS-CoV-2 de la Sociedad Española de Cirugía Torácica (SECT) / Recommendations for acting in elective and urgent thoracic surgery during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery

La expansión de la pandemia producida por el nuevo coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 ha obligado a focalizar casi toda la asistencia sanitaria en pacientes con enfermedad COVID-19, obligando a suspender la mayoría de intervenciones quirúrgicas electivas programadas. La cirugía torácica es eminentemente oncológica, por lo que resulta obligada una adecuada priorización de los pacientes para ser intervenidos lo antes posible y en condiciones de máxima seguridad. Por otra parte, la afectación pulmonar grave COVID-19 presenta complicaciones que con frecuencia requieren procedimientos quirúrgicos torácicos urgentes en un contexto nuevo. La Sociedad Española de Cirugía Torácica (SECT) ha desarrollado este documento para establecer unas recomendaciones básicas para mantener la actividad quirúrgica electiva imprescindible y para orientar a los cirujanos que deban afrontar urgencias torácicas en este nuevo y desconocido entorno

Expansion of the pandemic produced by new coronavirus SATS-CoV-2 has made healthcare focused on patients with COVID-19 disease, leading to discontinue most of elective surgical procedures. Being thoracic surgery eminently oncological, an optimal triage of patients amenable to be safely operated on is mandatory. Moreover, severe pulmonary involvement by COVID-19 causes complications frequently needing urgent thoracic surgical procedures under a new context. The Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery (SECT) has developed this document to establish basic recommendations to keep up essential elective surgical activity and to guide surgeons facing thoracic urgencies in this new and unknown environment

Pseudoprogresión en una paciente con adenocarcinoma pulmonar metastásico tratada con nivolumab / Pseudoprogression in a Patient with Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma Treated with Nivolumab

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