Evaluation of Gas 6 as a Prognostic Marker in Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas 6) is a ligand that plays a role in proliferation and migration of cells. For several tumor entities, high levels of Gas 6 are associated with poorer survival. We examined the prognostic role of Gas 6 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), especially in papillary RCC (pRCC), which is still unclear. METHODS: The patients' sample collection is a joint collaboration of the PANZAR consortium. Patients' medical history and tumor specimens were collected from n = 240 and n = 128 patients with type 1 and 2 pRCC, respectively. Expression of Gas 6 was determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In total, Gas 6 staining was evaluable in 180 of 240 type 1 and 110 of 128 type 2 pRCC cases. Kaplan-Meier analysis disclosed no significant difference in 5-year overall survival for all pRCC nor either subtype. Also, Gas+ and Gas- groups did not significantly differ in any tumor or patient characteristics. CONCLUSION: Gas 6 was not found to be an independent prognostic marker in pRCC. Future studies are warranted to determine if Gas 6 plays a role as prognostic marker or therapeutic target in pRCC.

The Prognostic Impact of PD-L2 in Papillary Renal-Cell Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Programmed death-1 ligand (PD-L1) has been often studied in different types of renal-cell carcinoma (RCC). For example, in clear-cell renal carcinoma it is well established that programmed death-1 receptor and PD-L1 are important prognostic markers. In contrast, the role of programmed death-2 ligand (PD-L2) as prognostic marker remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate if PD-L2 expression could play a role as a prognostic marker for papillary RCC (pRCC). METHODS: The patients' sample collection was a joint collaboration of the PANZAR consortium. Patients' medical history and tumor specimens were collected from n = 240 and n = 128 patients with type 1 and 2 pRCC, respectively. Expression of PD-L2 was determined by immunohistochemistry. In total, PD-L2 staining was evaluable in 185 of 240 type 1 and 99 of 128 type 2 pRCC cases. RESULTS: PD-L2 staining was positive in 67 (36.2%) of type 1 and in 31 (31.3%) of type 2 pRCC specimens. The prevalence of PD-L2+ cells was significantly higher in high-grade type 1 tumors (p = 0.019) and in type 2 patients with metastasis (p = 0.002). Kaplan-Meier analysis disclosed significant differences in 5-year overall survival (OS) for patients with PD-L2- compared to PD-L2+ in pRCC type 1 of 88.4% compared to 73.6% (p = 0.039) and type 2 of 78.8% compared to 39.1% % (p < 0.001). However, multivariate analysis did not identify the presence of PD-L2+ cells neither in type 1 nor type 2 pRCC as an independent predictor of poor OS. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: PD-L2 expression did not qualify as an independent prognostic marker in pRCC. Future studies will have to determine whether anti-PD-L2-targeted treatment may play a role in pRCC and expression can potentially serve as a predictive marker for these therapeutic approaches.

First-line pazopanib in intermediate- and poor-risk patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma: Final results of the FLIPPER trial.

Temsirolimus has long been the only approved first-line standard of care (SOC) with overall survival (OS) benefit in poor-risk patients with advanced or metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC). However, tyrosine kinase inhibitors are also commonly used in clinical practice. Pazopanib is an SOC for first-line mRCC treatment, but for poor-risk patients data are scarce. The FLIPPER (First-Line Pazopanib in Poor-Risk Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma) study aimed to assess efficacy and safety of first-line pazopanib in poor-risk mRCC patients. FLIPPER was a single-arm, multicenter, Phase IV trial. Key inclusion criteria were treatment-naive clear cell, inoperable advanced or mRCC, poor-risk according to MSKCC with slight modification, Karnofsky performance status (KPS) ≥60% and adequate organ function. Oral pazopanib 800 mg was given daily. Primary endpoint was the 6-month progression-free survival rate (PFS6). Secondary endpoints included PFS, OS, overall response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR) and safety. For analysis, descriptive statistics were used. Between 2012 and 2016, 60 patients had been included. Forty-three patients qualified for safety analyses, 34 for efficacy. Median age was 66 years, 64.7% of patients were poor-risk, 82.4% had a KPS ≤70%. PFS6 was 35.3% (95% CI, 19.7-53.5). Median PFS and OS were 4.5 months (95% CI, 3.6-7.8) and 9.3 months (95% CI, 6.6-22.2), respectively. ORR was 32.4% (95% CI, 17.4-50.5), median DOR 9.7 months (95% CI, 1.8-12.4). The most common treatment-related grade 3/4 adverse event reported in 4.7% of patients was hypertension. No treatment-related death occurred. Since pazopanib is active and well tolerated in poor-risk patients with clear cell mRCC, our results support its use as first-line treatment in this setting.

Serum Hepcidin and GDF-15 levels as prognostic markers in urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract and renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a life-threatening disease that causes every fourth death. It is often hard to determine the time point of progression. Therefore, biomarkers for cancer entities that indicate disease progression or aggressiveness and thereby guide therapeutic decisions are required. Unfortunately, reliable biomarkers are rare. In this study, the potential of serum hepcidin and serum GDF-15 as biomarkers that correlate with patient's survival in the two entities upper urinary tract urothelial carcinomas (UUTUC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were analyzed. METHODS: In this retrospective study n = 38 patients suffering from UUTUC, n = 94 patients suffering from RCC and n = 21 patients without infections or cancer, all hospitalized at the University Hospital Muenster, were included. Serum samples of patients were retrospectively analyzed. Serum hepcidin and GDF-15 levels were measured and correlated to aggressiveness and progression of the disease as well as patient's outcome. RESULTS: For both entities, UUTUC and RCC, serum hepcidin levels as well as serum GDF-15 levels were increased compared to sera of controls. High serum hepcidin and GDF-15 levels were associated with metastases and cancer relapse. Also, in both entities, the overall survival was decreased in patients with increased serum hepcidin and GDF-15 levels. Hence, high serum hepcidin and GDF-15 levels correlated with patient's outcome. CONCLUSION: To conclude, the data of this study show a correlation of high serum hepcidin and GDF-15 levels with aggressiveness and progression of the disease and demonstrate potential prognostic properties of serum hepcidin and GDF-15 levels. The data support the further assessment of serum hepcidin and GDF-15 as prognostic markers in RCC and UUTUC.

Protein Abundance of Clinically Relevant Drug Transporters in The Human Kidneys.

Renal drug transporters such as the organic cation transporters (OCTs), organic anion transporters (OATs) and multidrug resistance proteins (MRPs) play an important role in the tubular secretion of many drugs influencing their efficacy and safety. However, only little is known about the distinct protein abundance of these transporters in human kidneys, and about the impact of age and gender as potential factors of inter-subject variability in their expression and function. The aim of this study was to determine the protein abundance of MDR1, MRP1-4, BCRP, OAT1-3, OCT2-3, MATE1, PEPT1/2, and ORCTL2 by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based targeted proteomics in a set of 36 human cortex kidney samples (20 males, 16 females; median age 53 and 55 years, respectively). OAT1 and 3, OCT2 and ORCTL2 were found to be most abundant renal SLC transporters while MDR1, MRP1 and MRP4 were the dominating ABC transporters. Only the expression levels of MDR1 and ORCTL2 were significantly higher abundant in older donors. Moreover, we found several significant correlations between different transporters, which may indicate their functional interplay in renal vectorial transport processes. Our data may contribute to a better understanding of the molecular processes determining renal excretion of drugs.

Tetraspanin CD63 controls basolateral sorting of organic cation transporter 2 in renal proximal tubules.

CD63 is a ubiquitously expressed member of the tetraspanin superfamily. Using a mating-based split-ubiquitin-yeast 2-hybrid system, pull-down experiments, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, Förster resonance energy transfer, and biotinylation assays, we found that CD63 interacts with human organic cation transporter 2 (hOCT2), which transports endogenous and exogenous substrates, such as neurotransmitters and drugs in several epithelial cells. CD63 overexpression affects cellular localization of hOCT2 expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK)293 cells. Studies with CD63-knockout mice indicate that in renal proximal tubules, CD63 determines the insertion of the mouse ortholog of the transporter into the proper membrane domain and mediates transporter regulation by trafficking processes. In polarized Madin-Darby kidney canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells, CD63 and hOCT2 colocalize with the small GTPase Rab4, which controls the rapid recycling from sorting endosomes back to the cell surface. Suitable negative and positive control experiments were performed for each experimental approach. Empty vector transfected cells and wild-type mice were used as control. CD63 seems to play a role in the recycling of hOCT2 from endosomes to the basolateral membrane in polarized epithelia. These data indicate that CD63 has a previously uncharacterized function in regulating trafficking of specific membrane proteins in polarized cells.-Schulze, U., Brast, S., Grabner, A., Albiker, C., Snieder, B., Holle, S., Schlatter, E., Schröter, R., Pavenstädt, H., Herrmann, E., Lambert, C., Spoden, G. A., Florin, L., Saftig, P., Ciarimboli, G. Tetraspanin CD63 controls basolateral sorting of organic cation transporter 2 in renal proximal tubules.

Preoperative anemia and extensive transfusion during stay-in-hospital are critical for patient`s mortality: A retrospective multicenter cohort study of oncological patients undergoing radical cystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative anemia and allogeneic blood transfusions (ABTs) may affect outcomes in cancer surgery. The prevalence of anemia, the use of ABTs, the risks of transfusions, lengths of stay and mortality of oncological patients undergoing radical cystectomy were investigated in three University Hospitals in Germany. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Hospital records of 220 consecutive patients undergoing radical cystectomy from 2010 to 2012 were retrospectively analyzed for independent risk factors of ABT and unfavorable outcomes (readmission, increased length of stay (LOS) or death) using multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: Preoperative anemia was present in 40%. 70% of patients received blood transfusions. Low preoperative and intraoperative nadir hemoglobin levels were associated with receipt of ABT (OR 1.33, P = 0.04 and OR 2.94, P < 0.001 respectively). Transfusion of ten or more red blood cell units (RBCs) during the entire hospital stay was a predictor of an increased LOS (P < 0.001) and death (OR 52, 95%CI [5.9, 461.3], P < 0.001), compared to non-transfused patients. Preoperative ABT and ASA scores were associated with ≥10RBCs. CONCLUSION: Anemic patients undergoing radical cystectomy had a high risk to receive ABTs. Preoperative transfusions and transfusion of ≥10RBCs during the entire hospital stay may increase patient`s mortality. Prospective, randomized controlled studies have to follow this study.

Influence of Body Mass Index on Clinical Outcome Parameters, Complication Rate and Survival after Radical Cystectomy: Evidence from a Prospective European Multicentre Study.

Background/Aims/Objectives: To evaluate the influence of body mass index (BMI) on complications and oncological outcomes in patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC). METHODS: Clinical and histopathological parameters of patients have been prospectively collected within the "PROspective MulticEnTer RadIcal Cystectomy Series 2011". BMI was categorized as normal weight (<25 kg/m2), overweight (≥25-29.9 kg/m2) and obesity (≥30 kg/m2). The association between BMI and clinical and histopathological endpoints was examined. Ordinal logistic regression models were applied to assess the influence of BMI on complication rate and survival. RESULTS: Data of 671 patients were eligible for final analysis. Of these patients, 26% (n = 175) showed obesity. No significant association of obesity on tumour stage, grade, lymph node metastasis, blood loss, type of urinary diversion and 90-day mortality rate was found. According to the -American Society of Anesthesiologists score, local lymph node (NT) stage and operative case load patients with higher BMI had significantly higher probabilities of severe complications 30 days after RC (p = 0.037). The overall survival rate of obese patients was superior to normal weight patients (p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence of correlation between obesity and worse oncological outcomes after RC. While obesity should not be a parameter to exclude patients from cystectomy, surgical settings need to be aware of higher short-term complication risks and obese patients should be counselled -accordingly.

Systemic therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Current systemic treatment of targeted therapies, namely the vascular endothelial growth factor-antibody (VEGF-AB), VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, have improved progression-free survival and replaced non-specific immunotherapy with cytokines in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). METHODS: A panel of experts convened to review currently available phase 3 data for mRCC treatment of approved agents, in addition to available EAU guideline data for a collaborative review as the plurality of substances offers different options of first-, second- and third-line treatment with potential sequencing. RESULTS: Sunitinib and pazopanib are approved treatments in first-line therapy for patients with favorable- or intermediate-risk clear cell RCC (ccRCC). Temsirolimus has proven benefit over interferon-alfa (IFN-α) in patients with non-clear cell RCC (non-ccRCC). In the second-line treatment TKIs or mTOR inhibitors are treatment choices. Therapy options after TKI failure consist of everolimus and axitinib. Available third-line options consist of everolimus and sorafenib. Recently, nivolumab, a programmed death-1 (PD1) checkpoint inhibitor, improved overall survival benefit compared to everolimus after failure of one or two VEGFR-targeted therapies, which is likely to become the first established checkpoint inhibitor in mRCC. Data for the sequencing of agents remain limited. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high level of evidence for first and second-line treatment in mRCC, data for third-line therapy are limited. Possible sequences include TKI-mTOR-TKI or TKI-TKI-mTOR with the upcoming checkpoint inhibitors in perspective, which might settle a new standard of care after previous TKI therapy.

Dynamic changes of alkaline phosphatase are strongly associated with PSA-decline and predict best clinical benefit earlier than PSA-changes under therapy with abiraterone acetate in bone metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Significant progress in treatment of metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has been made. Biomarkers to tailor therapy are scarce. To facilitate decision-making we evaluated dynamic changes of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) under therapy with Abiraterone. METHODS: Men with bone mCRPC (bmCRPC) on Abiraterone 12/2009-01/2014 were analyzed. Dynamic ALP-, LDH- and PSA-changes were analyzed as predictors of best clinical benefit and overall survival (OS) with logistic-regression, Cox-regression and Kaplan-Meier-analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-nine pre- and 45 post-chemotherapy patients with a median follow up of 14.0 months were analyzed. ALP-Bouncing can be observed very early during therapy with Abiraterone. ALP-Bouncing is defined as rapidly rising ALP-levels independent of baseline ALP during the first 2-4 weeks of Abiraterone-therapy with subsequent equally marked decline to pretreatment levels or better within 8 weeks of therapy, preceding potentially delayed PSA-decline. In univariate analysis failure of PSA-reduction ≥ 50% and failure of ALP-Bouncing were the strongest predictors of progressive disease (p = 0.003 and 0.021). Rising ALP at 12 weeks, no PSA-reduction ≥ 50% and no ALP-Bouncing were strongest predictors of poor OS, (all p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier-analysis showed worse OS for rising ALP at 12 weeks, no PSA-reduction ≥ 50% and no ALP-Bouncing (p < 0.001). In subgroup-analysis of oligosymptomatic patients all parameters remained significant predictors of poor OS, with no PSA-reduction ≥ 50% and rising ALP at 12 weeks being the strongest (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis PSA-reduction ≥ 50% remained an independent predictor of OS for the whole cohort and for the oligosymptomatic subgroup (both p = 0.014). No patient with ALP-Bouncing had PD for best clinical benefit. Patients with rising ALP at 12 weeks had no further benefit of Abiraterone. CONCLUSIONS: Dynamic changes of ALP, LDH and PSA during Abiraterone-therapy are associated with best clinical benefit and OS in bmCRPC. ALP-Bouncing occurring earlier than PSA-changes as well as prior to equivocal imaging results and rising ALP at 12 weeks under Abiraterone may help to decide whether to discontinue Abiraterone. An external validation of these findings on a prospective cohort is planned.

Prediction of Locally Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder Using Clinical Parameters before Radical Cystectomy--A Prospective Multicenter Study.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed at developing and validating a pre-cystectomy nomogram for the prediction of locally advanced urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) using clinicopathological parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Multicenter data from 337 patients who underwent radical cystectomy (RC) for UCB were prospectively collected and eligible for final analysis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were applied to identify significant predictors of locally advanced tumor stage (pT3/4 and/or pN+) at RC. Internal validation was performed by bootstrapping. The decision curve analysis (DCA) was done to evaluate the clinical value. RESULTS: The distribution of tumor stages pT3/4, pN+ and pT3/4 and/or pN+ at RC was 44.2, 27.6 and 50.4%, respectively. Age (odds ratio (OR) 0.980; p < 0.001), advanced clinical tumor stage (cT3 vs. cTa, cTis, cT1; OR 3.367; p < 0.001), presence of hydronephrosis (OR 1.844; p = 0.043) and advanced tumor stage T3 and/or N+ at CT imaging (OR 4.378; p < 0.001) were independent predictors for pT3/4 and/or pN+ tumor stage. The predictive accuracy of our nomogram for pT3/4 and/or pN+ at RC was 77.5%. DCA for predicting pT3/4 and/or pN+ at RC showed a clinical net benefit across all probability thresholds. CONCLUSION: We developed a nomogram for the prediction of locally advanced tumor stage pT3/4 and/or pN+ before RC using established clinicopathological parameters.

Evidence from the 'PROspective MulticEnTer RadIcal Cystectomy Series 2011 (PROMETRICS 2011)' study: how are preoperative patient characteristics associated with urinary diversion type after radical cystectomy for bladder cancer?

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine preoperative patients' characteristics associated with the urinary diversion (UD) type (continent vs. incontinent) after radical cystectomy (RC) and UD-associated postoperative complications. MATERIALS: In 2011, 679 bladder cancer patients underwent RC at 18 European tertiary care centers. Data were prospectively collected within the 'PROspective MulticEnTer RadIcal Cystectomy Series 2011' (PROMETRICS 2011). Logistic regression models assessed the impact of preoperative characteristics on UD type and evaluated diversion-related complication rates. RESULTS: Of 570 eligible patients, 28.8, 2.6, 59.3, and 9.3% received orthotopic neobladders, continent cutaneous pouches, ileal conduits, and ureterocutaneostomies, respectively. In multivariable analyses, female sex (odds ratio [OR] 3.9; p = 0.002), American Society of Anesthesiologists score ≥3 (OR 2.3; p = 0.02), an age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥3 (OR 4.1; p < 0.001), and a positive biopsy of the prostatic urethra in the last transurethral resection of the bladder prior to RC (OR 4.9; p = 0.03) were independently associated with incontinent UD. There were no significant differences in 30- and/or 90-day complication rates between the UD types. Perioperative transfusion rates and 90-day mortality were significantly associated with incontinent UD (p < 0.001, respectively). Limitations included the small sample size and a certain level of heterogeneity in the application of clinical pathways between the different participating centers. CONCLUSIONS: Within this prospective contemporary cohort of European RC patients treated at tertiary care centers, the majority of patients received an incontinent UD. Female sex and pre-existing comorbidities were associated with receiving an incontinent UD. The risk of overall complications did not vary according to UD type.

Everolimus in metastatic renal cell carcinoma after failure of initial anti-VEGF therapy: final results of a noninterventional study.

BACKGROUND: Data are limited regarding routine use of everolimus after initial vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted therapy. The aim of this prospective, noninterventional, observational study was to assess efficacy and safety of everolimus after initial VEGF-targeted treatment in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in routine clinical settings. METHODS: Everolimus was administered per routine clinical practice. Patients with mRCC of any histology from 116 active sites in Germany were included. The main objective was to determine everolimus efficacy in time to progression (TTP). Progression-free survival (PFS), treatment duration, tumor response, adherence to everolimus regimen, treatment after everolimus, and safety were also assessed. RESULTS: In the total population (N = 334), median follow-up was 5.2 months (range, 0-32 months). Median treatment duration (safety population, n = 318) was 6.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 5-8 months). Median TTP and median PFS were similar in populations investigated. In patients who received everolimus as second-line treatment (n = 211), median (95% CI) TTP was 7.1 months (5-9 months) and median PFS was 6.9 months (5-9 months). Commonly reported adverse events (safety population, n = 318) were dyspnea (17%), anemia (15%), and fatigue (12%). Limitations of the noninterventional design should be considered. CONCLUSIONS: This study reflects routine clinical use of everolimus in a large sample of patients with mRCC. Favorable efficacy and safety were seen for everolimus after previous therapy with one VEGF-targeted agent. Results of this study confirm everolimus as one of the standard options in second-line therapy for patients with mRCC. Novartis study code, CRAD001LD27: VFA registry for noninterventional studies ( http://www.vfa.de/de/forschung/nisdb/).

Optimizing outcome reporting after radical cystectomy for organ-confined urothelial carcinoma of the bladder using oncological trifecta and pentafecta.

UNLABELLED: Radical cystectomy (RC) for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) is associated with heterogeneous functional and oncological outcomes. The aim of this study was to generate trifecta and pentafecta criteria to optimize outcome reporting after RC. METHODS: We interviewed 50 experts to consider a virtual group of patients (age ≤ 75 years, ASA score ≤ 3) undergoing RC for a cT2 UCB and a final histology of ≤pT3pN0M0. A ranking was generated for the three and five criteria with the highest sum score. The criteria were applied to the Prospective Multicenter Radical Cystectomy Series 2011. Multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the impact of clinical and histopathological parameters on meeting the top selected criteria. RESULTS: The criteria with the highest sum score were negative soft tissue surgical margin, lymph node (LN) dissection of at least 16 LNs, no complications according to Clavien-Dindo grade 3-5 within 90 days after RC, treatment-free time between TUR-BT with detection of muscle-invasive UCB and RC <3 months and the absence of local UCB-recurrence in the pelvis ≤12 months. The first three criteria formed trifecta, and all five criteria pentafecta. A total of 334 patients qualified for final analysis, whereas 35.3 and 29 % met trifecta and pentafecta criteria, respectively. Multivariable analyses showed that the relative probability of meeting trifecta and pentafecta decreases with higher age (3.2 %, p = 0.043 and 3.3 %, p = 0.042) per year, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Trifecta and pentafecta incorporate essential criteria in terms of outcome reporting and might be considered for the improvement of standardized quality assessment after RC for UCB.

The calcium-activated chloride channel Anoctamin 1 contributes to the regulation of renal function.

The role of calcium-activated chloride channels for renal function is unknown. By immunohistochemistry we demonstrate dominant expression of the recently identified calcium-activated chloride channels, Anoctamin 1 (Ano1, TMEM16A) in human and mouse proximal tubular epithelial (PTE) cells, with some expression in podocytes and other tubular segments. Ano1-null mice had proteinuria and numerous large reabsorption vesicles in PTE cells. Selective knockout of Ano1 in podocytes (Ano1-/-/Nphs2-Cre) did not impair renal function, whereas tubular knockout in Ano1-/-/Ksp-Cre mice increased urine protein excretion and decreased urine electrolyte concentrations. Purinergic stimulation activated calcium-dependent chloride currents in isolated proximal tubule epithelial cells from wild-type but not from Ano1-/-/Ksp-Cre mice. Ano1 currents were activated by acidic pH, suggesting parallel stimulation of Ano1 chloride secretion with activation of the proton-ATPase. Lack of calcium-dependent chloride secretion in cells from Ano1-/-/Ksp-Cre mice was paralleled by attenuated proton secretion and reduced endosomal acidification, which compromised proximal tubular albumin uptake. Tubular knockout of Ano1 enhanced serum renin and aldosterone concentrations, probably leading to enhanced compensatory distal tubular reabsorption, thus maintaining normal blood pressure levels. Thus, Ano1 has a role in proximal tubular proton secretion and protein reabsorption. The results correspond to regulation of the proton-ATPase by the Ano1-homolog Ist2 in yeast.

Clearance of refractory bile duct stones with Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy: higher failure rate in obese patients.

OBJECTIVE: Bile duct stones that cannot be removed endoscopically are still a challenge in interventional gastroenterology. Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) with subsequent endoscopic extraction of residual fragments is an established treatment option if other endoscopic means are not successful. Our study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of ESWL for clearance of refractory bile duct stones. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 73 consecutive patients treated for refractory choledocholithiasis with ESWL were retrospectively analyzed. Success and complication rates were calculated. RESULTS: Complete stone clearance was achieved in 66 cases (90%). Patients with complete clearance had a significantly lower body mass index or BMI (25.55 ± 5.01 kg/m² vs. 31.60 ± 6.26 kg/m², p = 0.035) and needed less ESWL treatments (3.61 ± 1.87 vs. 5.00 ± 1.63, p = 0.048). A relevant drop of hemoglobin occurred significantly more often in the group with partial clearance (43% vs. 6%, p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: ESWL proves to be an excellent clearing approach to refractory bile duct stones with high success rates. However, obesity is one risk factor for ESWL failure and higher procedural hazard.

Everolimus in metastatic renal cell carcinoma after failure of initial vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (VEGFr-TKI) therapy: results of an interim analysis of a non-interventional study.

BACKGROUND: Everolimus is approved for treatment of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-refractory patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Clinical trials rarely mirror treatment reality. Thus, a broader evaluation of everolimus is valuable for routine use. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A German multicenter non-interventional study documented mRCC patients starting everolimus after failure of initial VEGF-targeted therapy. Primary endpoint was effectiveness, defined as time to progression (TTP) according to investigator assessment (time from first dose to progression). RESULTS: Of 382 documented patients, 196 were included in this interim analysis. In the efficacy population (n = 165), median TTP was 7.0 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 5.1-9.0). Among patients with < or ≥ 6 months of previous VEGF-targeted therapy, median TTP was 6.6 months (95% CI 3.8-not estimable) and 7.4 months (95% CI 4.6-9.6), respectively. Most common adverse events were anemia (13%) and dyspnea (14%). Physicians assessed high tolerance and documented high adherence to everolimus therapy (approximately 97%). CONCLUSION: In routine clinical practice, everolimus is effective, as measured by median TTP (longer than median progression-free survival in RECORD-1 trial), and well tolerated. Our results support everolimus use in anti-VEGF-refractory patients with mRCC.

External validation of a risk model to predict recurrence-free survival after radical cystectomy in patients with pathological tumor stage T3N0 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

PURPOSE: Patients with stage pT3N0 urothelial bladder cancer vary in outcome after radical cystectomy. To improve prognosis estimation a model was recently developed that defines 3 risk groups for recurrence-free survival based on pT substaging, lymphovascular invasion and positive surgical margin. We present what is to our knowledge the first external validation of this risk model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Analogous to the risk model derivation cohort our study group comprised 472 patients with stage pT3, pN0, cM0 disease without perioperative chemotherapy and with a median followup of 42 months (IQR 20-75). The primary end point was recurrence-free survival. The effect of variables was determined by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, and predictive accuracy was determined by ROC analysis. RESULTS: Stage pT3aN0 and pT3bN0 cases showed significantly different recurrence-free survival after 5 years (51% vs 29%, p<0.001). In the multivariate Cox model pT3 substage (HR 1.86, p<0.001), lymphovascular invasion (HR 1.48, p=0.002), positive surgical margins (HR 1.90, p=0.030) and patient age with a dichotomy at 70 years (HR 1.51, p=0.001) had an independent effect on recurrence-free survival. In the low (221 patients or 47%), intermediate (184 or 39%) and high (67 or 14%) risk groups the 5-year recurrence-free survival rate was 55%, 45% and 13%, respectively (p<0.001). The concordance index of the risk model to predict recurrence-free survival was 0.64 (95% CI 0.59-0.69). CONCLUSIONS: This user friendly risk model can be recommended to estimate prognosis in patients with stage pT3N0 after radical cystectomy. Patients at high risk showed clearly compromised recurrence-free survival and should be included in adjuvant therapy studies.

cMET: a prognostic marker in papillary renal cell carcinoma?

The tyrosine-protein kinase c-Met plays a decisive role in numerous cellular processes, as a proto-oncogene that supports aggressive tumor behavior. It is still unknown whether c-Met could be relevant for prognosis of papillary RCC (pRCC). Specimen collection was a collaboration of the PANZAR consortium. Patients' medical history and tumor specimens were collected from 197 and 110 patients with type 1 and 2 pRCC, respectively. Expression of cMET was determined by immunohistochemistry. In total, cMET staining was evaluable in of 97 of 197 type 1 and 63 of 110 type 2 pRCC cases. Five-year overall survival revealed no significant difference in dependence of cMET positivity (cMET- vs. cMET+: pRCC type 1: 84.8% vs. 80.3%, respectively [p = 0.303, log-rank]; type 2: 71.4% vs. 64.4%, respectively [p = 0.239, log-rank]). Interestingly, the subgroup analyses showed a significant difference for cMET expression in T stage and metastases of the pRCC type 2 (p = 0.014, p = 0.022, chi-square). The cMET-positive type 2 collective developed more metastases than the cMET-negative cohort (pRCC type 2 M+: cMET-: 2 [4.3%] vs. cMET+: 12 [19%]). cMET expression did not qualify as a prognostic marker in pRCC for overall survival.

The prognostic impact of Claudin 6 in papillary renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Claudins are promising biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis or targets for treatment. They play a major role in signal transduction and are important in nearly all aspects of tumorigenesis. Claudin 6 is a member of the claudin family and is part of the tight junction molecule. It is reactivated in several cancer types and serves as prognostic marker in, for example, gastric, breast or non small cell lung cancer. The prognostic role of Claudin 6 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), especially in papillary RCC (pRCC), is still unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patients' sample collection was a joint collaboration of the PANZAR consortium. Patients' medical history and tumor specimens were collected from n = 240 and n = 128 patients with type 1 and 2 pRCC, respectively. Expression of Claudin 6 was determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In total, Claudin 6 staining was positive in 55 of 240 type 1 and 30 of 128 type 2 pRCC cases. Kaplan-Meier analysis disclosed an overall survival of 84% for Claudin 6- compared to 78% for Claudin 6 + in pRCC type 1 tumors (p = 0.449, log-rank) and 68% for Claudin 6- compared to 65.4% for Claudin 6 + in pRCC type 2 tumors (p = 0.364, log-rank). CONCLUSION: In this study, claudin 6 expression showed no significant association regarding overall survival (OS) and therefore did not qualify as a prognostic marker in pRCC. Future studies will have to determine, whether Claudin 6 plays a prognostic role in other RCC entities. In addition, the function of Claudin 6 as a predictive marker for therapeutic approaches has to be evaluated in future studies.