Application of a pattern-based approach to histological diagnosis in very early onset IBD (VEO-IBD) in a multicentric cohort of children with emphasis on monogenic disease with IBD-like morphology.

AIMS: Very early-onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEO-IBD) is a clinical umbrella term referring to IBD-like symptoms arising in children before the age of 6 years, encompassing both 'pure' IBD, such as ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) and monogenic diseases (MDs), the latter often involving genes associated with primary immunodeficiencies. Moreover, histological features in gastrointestinal (GI) biopsies in MD can also have IBD-like morphology, making differential diagnosis difficult. Correct diagnosis is fundamental, as MDs show a more severe clinical course and their inadequate/untimely recognition leads to inappropriate therapy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Biopsy samples from the lower and upper GI tract of 93 clinically diagnosed VEO-IBD children were retrospectively selected in a multicentre cohort and histologically re-evaluated by 10 pathologists blinded to clinical information. Each case was classified according to morphological patterns, including UC-like; CD-like; enterocolitis-like; apoptotic; eosinophil-rich; and IBD-unclassified (IBD-U). Nine (69%) MD children showed IBD-like morphology; only the IBD-U pattern correlated with MD diagnosis (P = 0.02) (available in 64 cases: 51 non-MD, true early-onset IBD/other; 13 MD cases). MD patients showed earlier GI symptom onset (18.7 versus 26.9 months) and were sent to endoscopy earlier (22 versus 37 months), these differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Upper GI histology was informative in 37 biopsies. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of the underlying cause of VEO-IBD requires a multidisciplinary setting, and pathology, while being one of the fundamental puzzle pieces, is often difficult to interpret. A pattern-based histological approach is therefore suggested, thus aiding the pathologist in VEO-IBD reporting and multidisciplinary discussion.

Clinicopathologic Features of Primary Immunodeficiency Monogenic Disease-related Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Focus on Gastrointestinal Histologic Features in IFIH1 Mutations.

Very early onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEO-IBD) is a clinical term referring to IBD-like symptomatology arising in children younger than 6 years. VEO-IBD may be due to polygenic etiology in "pure" IBD (Crohn disease-CD and ulcerative colitis-UC), or it may be caused by primary immunodeficiency underlined by monogenic disease. Primary immunodeficiency monogenic diseases have a Mendelian inheritance and affect the immune system with multiorgan morbidity and possible effects on the gastrointestinal system. Primary Immunodeficiency monogenic diseases differ from "pure" IBD as the latter primarily affect the gastrointestinal tract with mitigated extraintestinal symptomatology. Since their first description, primary immunodeficiency monogenic diseases, although rare, have been the subject of increasing interest due to their dramatic phenotype, difficulty in reaching a timely diagnosis, and specific therapeutic approach. In this paper, we present a brief review of primary immunodeficiency monogenic diseases, focusing on to their clinicopathologic features as well as delving, in greater detail, into monogenic diseases caused by IFIH1 mutations. The clinicopathologic features of 4 patients with IFIH1, a gene involved in interferon pathway deficiency, will be described using a histologic pattern of damage approach confirming the need to avoid the histologic diagnosis of VEO-IBD in children younger than 6 years.

A Novel DNA Variant in SMARCA4 Gene Found in a Patient Affected by Early Onset Colon Cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of death from neoplasia worldwide. Thanks to new screening programs, we are now seeing an increase in Early Onset of ColoRectal Cancer (EOCRC) in patients below the age of 50. Herein, we report a clinical case of a woman affected by EOCRC. This case illustrates the importance of genetic predisposition testing also in tumor patients. Indeed, for our patient, we used a combined approach of multiple molecular and cellular biology technologies that revealed the presence of an interesting novel variant in the SMARCA4 gene. The latter gene is implicated in damage repair processes and related, if mutated, to the onset of various tumor types. In addition, we stabilized Patient-Derived Organoids from the tumor tissue of the same patient and the result confirmed the presence of this novel pathogenic variant that has never been found before even in early onset cancer. In conclusion, with this clinical case, we want to underscore the importance of including patients even those below the age of 50 years in appropriate screening programs which should also include genetic tests for predisposition to early onset cancers.

DNA Methylation Profile of the SREBF2 Gene in Human Fetal Aortas.

Increasing evidence suggests that maternal cholesterol represents an important risk factor for atherosclerotic disease in offspring already during pregnancy, although the underlying mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Eighteen human fetal aorta samples were collected from the spontaneously aborted fetuses of normal cholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic mothers. Maternal total cholesterol levels were assessed during hospitalization. DNA methylation profiling of the whole SREBF2 gene CpG island was performed (p value <0.05). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between the 2 groups. For the first time, our study revealed that in fetal aortas obtained from hypercholesterolemic mothers, the SREBF2 gene shows 4 significant differentially hypermethylated sites in the 5'UTR-CpG island. This finding indicates that more effective long-term primary cardiovascular prevention programs need to be designed for the offspring of mothers with hypercholesterolemia. Further studies should be conducted to clarify the epigenetic mechanisms underlying the association between early atherogenesis and maternal hypercholesterolemia during pregnancy.

Prognostic Role of Mismatch Repair Status, Histotype and High-Risk Pathologic Features in Stage II Small Bowel Adenocarcinomas.

BACKGROUND: Small bowel adenocarcinoma is a relatively rare cancer, often diagnosed in an advanced stage. In localized and resectable disease, surgery alone or in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment. In the recently published National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice guidelines, criteria for selecting patients with stage II small bowel adenocarcinoma to receive adjuvant chemotherapy are provided, and they are mainly extrapolated from studies on colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the present study, we aimed to verify whether mismatch repair deficiency phenotype, high-risk pathologic features (including T4, positive resection margins and a low number of lymph nodes harvested), as well as tumor histologic subtype, were associated with cancer-specific survival in 66 stage II non-ampullary small bowel adenocarcinoma patients, collected through the Small Bowel Cancer Italian Consortium. A central histopathology review was performed. Mismatch repair deficiency was tested by immunohistochemistry for MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2, and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction for microsatellite instability. RESULTS: We identified mismatch repair deficiency, glandular/medullary histologic subtype, and celiac disease as significant predictors of favorable cancer-specific survival using univariable analysis with retained significance in bivariable models adjusted for pT stage. Among the high-risk features, only T4 showed a significant association with an increased risk of death; however, its prognostic value was not independent of mismatch repair status. CONCLUSIONS: Mismatch repair protein expression, histologic subtype, association with celiac disease, and, in the mismatch repair proficient subset only, T stage, may help identify patients who may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

The Role of Immunosuppressive Therapy in Aneurysmal Degeneration of Hemodialysis Fistulas in Renal Transplant Patients.

BACKGROUND: Venous aneurysms are long-term complications of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) for hemodialysis with an estimated incidence rate of around 5-6%. The purpose of our study is to investigate the role of immunosuppressive therapy in the development of AVF aneurysms in renal transplant patients, and to determine whether AVF closure following transplantation is necessary. METHODS: Forty-six patients with symptomatic venous AVF aneurysms underwent ligation and resection of their fistulas between January 2013 and January 2020. Immunohistochemical expression of CD3, CD4, and CD8 was assessed on the surgical specimens to characterize lymphocytic infiltrate in the aneurysm wall. Patients were subdivided into "Group A"-kidney transplant patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy which was comprised of 39 patients and "Group B"-patients who had not undergone kidney transplant which was comprised of 7 patients. The 2 groups did not significantly differ in age, sex nor risk factors for aneurysms. RESULTS: Group A showed a significantly higher aneurysm diameter (P < 0.0001), mean flow (P < 0.0001) and required a longer duration of surgery (P = 0.0007). A CD3+ lymphocytic infiltrate was significantly more common in Group A than in the Group B (90% vs 29%; P < 0.001). No significant differences in localization (adventitia, media or intima) and type (CD4+ vs CD8+) of lymphocytes were found between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: AVF venous aneurysms were significantly larger and with a more intense T-lymphocytic infiltrate in patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy. This finding suggests that immunosuppressive therapy plays a role in aneurysm formation, supporting the need for AVF closure in patients with an estimated low risk of rejection.

Hysteroscopic Intact Removal of Angular and Caesarean Scar Pregnancy: A Novel and Markedly Less Invasive Surgical Treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Ectopic pregnancy is the most common cause of mortality during the first trimester of pregnancy, and intrauterine ectopic pregnancies show significantly higher morbidity and mortality than extrauterine ones. Despite being less invasive, safety and effectiveness of the hysteroscopic treatment are still unclear. Moreover, such approach is not standardized. We aimed to evaluate safety and effectiveness of hysteroscopic intact removal of angular or cesarean section scar pregnancies, defining a novel and markedly less invasive hysteroscopic technique with a 5-mm Bettocchi hysteroscope or a 3.5-mm Versascope hysteroscope. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records and video archives were reviewed for all the patients with angular or caesarean scar pregnancies treated with hysteroscopic intact removal technique from January 2000 to December 2018 at our Department. Success and complication rates were assessed. RESULTS: Four patients with angular (n = 1) or cesarean scar pregnancy (n = 3) met inclusion criteria. Case #1 was treated with bipolar resectoscope, cases #2 and #3 with 5-mm Bettocchi hysteroscope, and case #4 with 3.5-mm Versascope hysteroscope. Cases #2-4 did not require cervical dilatation. Before hysteroscopic treatment, cases #2-4 underwent unsuccessful medical therapy with multiple-dose methotrexate. Hysteroscopic treatment success rate was 100%, while complication rate was 0%. All patients were treated with a novel technique: hysteroscopic intact removal of angular or cesarean scar pregnancies. Such technique was described step-by-step. CONCLUSIONS: Hysteroscopic treatment of angular and cesarean scar pregnancies may be a safe and effective minimally invasive option. The novel technique of hysteroscopic intact removal technique may allow a markedly less invasive approach.

Prediction of placenta accreta spectrum in patients with placenta previa using clinical risk factors, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging findings.

OBJECTIVES: To predict placental accreta spectrum (PAS) in patients with placenta previa (PP) evaluating clinical risk factors (CRF), ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. METHODS: Seventy patients with PP were retrospectively selected. CRF were retrieved from medical records. US and MRI images were evaluated to detect imaging signs suggestive of PAS. Univariable analysis was performed to identify CRF, US and MRI signs associated with PAS considering histology as standard of reference. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Multivariable analysis was also performed. RESULTS: At univariable analysis, the number of previous cesarean section, smoking, loss of the retroplacental clear space, myometrial thinning < 1 mm, placental lacunae, intraplacental dark bands (IDB), focal interruption of myometrial border (FIMB) and abnormal vascularity were statistically significant. The AUC in predicting PAS progressively increased using CRF, US and MRI signs (0.69, 0.79 and 0.94, respectively; p < 0.05); the accuracy of MRI alone was similar to that obtained combining CRF, US and MRI variables (AUC = 0.97) and was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that combining CRF and US (AUC = 0.83). Multivariable analysis showed that only IDB (p = 0.012) and FIMB (p = 0.029) were independently associated with PAS. CONCLUSIONS: MRI is the best modality to predict PAS in patients with PP independently from CRF and/or US finding. It is reasonable to propose the combined assessment of CRF and US as the first diagnostic level to predict PAS, sparing MRI for selected cases in which US findings are uncertain for PAS.

Correction: PD-L1 in small bowel adenocarcinoma is associated with etiology and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, in addition to microsatellite instability.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

PD-L1 in small bowel adenocarcinoma is associated with etiology and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, in addition to microsatellite instability.

Small bowel adenocarcinomas (SBAs) are often associated with poor prognosis and have limited therapeutic options. Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway blockade is an effective treatment in many microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) solid tumors. We aimed at investigating PD-L1 and PD-1 expression in non-hereditary, non-ampullary SBAs, associated with celiac disease (CeD), Crohn's disease (CrD), or sporadic, recruited through the Small Bowel Cancer Italian Consortium. We assessed PD-L1 and PD-1 by immunohistochemistry in a series of 121 surgically resected SBAs, including 34 CeD-SBAs, 49 CrD-SBAs, and 38 sporadic SBAs. PD-L1 and PD-1 expression was correlated with several clinico-pathological features, such as the etiology, microsatellite instability status, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density. The prevalence of PD-L1 positivity according to combined positive score (CPS) was 26% in the whole cohort of SBAs, with significantly (p = 0.001) higher percentage (35%) in both CeD-SBAs and CrD-SBAs in comparison with sporadic SBAs (5%). CPS ≥ 1 SBAs were significantly (p = 0.013) more frequent in MSI-H cases (41%) than in non-MSI-H ones (18%); however, 15 CPS ≥ 1 microsatellite stable SBAs were also identified. CPS ≥ 1 SBAs showed higher TIL and PD-1+ immune cell density, more frequently medullary histotype, as well as a better outcome in comparison with CPS < 1 cases. This study demonstrates an increased proportion of PD-L1+ cases in both CeD-SBAs and CrD-SBAs in comparison with sporadic SBAs. In addition, the identification of a subset of PD-L1+ microsatellite stable SBAs supports the need to ascertain additional biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors along with MSI-H.

The Role of Micro-RNAs and Circulating Tumor Markers as Predictors of Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

The response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) is a critical step in the management of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients. Only a minority of LARC patients responds completely to neoadjuvant treatments, thus avoiding invasive radical surgical resection. Moreover, toxic side effects can adversely affect patients' survival. The difficulty in separating in advances responder from non-responder patients affected by LARC highlights the need for valid biomarkers that guide clinical decision-making. In this context, microRNAs (miRNAs) seem to be promising candidates for predicting LARC prognosis and/or therapy response, particularly due to their stability, facile detection, and disease-specific expression in human tissues, blood, serum, or urine. Although a considerable number of studies involving potential miRNA predictors to nCRT have been conducted over the years, to date, the identification of the perfect miRNA signatures or single miRNA, as well as their use in the clinical practice, is still representing a challenge for the management of LARC patients. In this review, we will first introduce LARC and its difficult management. Then, we will trace the scientific history and the key obstacles for the identification of specific miRNAs that predict responsiveness to nCRT. There is a high potential to identify non-invasive biomarkers that circulate in the human bloodstream and that might indicate the LARC patients who benefit from the watch-and-wait approach. For this, we will critically evaluate recent advances dealing with cell-free nucleic acids including miRNAs and circulating tumor cells as prognostic or predictive biomarkers.

Clinicopathological factors associated with BRAF-V600E mutation in colorectal serrated adenomas.

Serrated adenomas are genetically heterogeneous, and the histological classification into sessile serrated (SSA) adenoma and traditional serrated adenoma (TSA) does not reflect the molecular landscape. The objective of this study was to assess clinical or pathological factors associated with BRAF-V600E mutation in serrated adenomas. Systematic review and meta-analysis was performed by searching electronic databases from January 2011 to January 2019 for studies assessing the association of BRAF-V600E mutation with clinical or pathological features of serrated adenomas. Odds ratio (OR) was calculated for each factor; a P-value <0.05 was considered significant. Forty studies assessing 3511 serrated adenomas (2375 SSAs and 1136 TSAs) were included. BRAF-V600E mutation was significantly associated with proximal localisation (OR = 2.71; P < 0.00001) and CIMP-H status (OR = 4.81; P < 0.0001) in both SSA and TSA, with polyp size <10 mm (OR = 0.41; P = 0.02) in TSA, and with endoscopic pit pattern II-O (OR = 13.11; P < 0.00001) and expression of MUC5A5 (OR = 4.43; P = 0.003) and MUC6 (OR = 2.28; P < 0.05) in SSA. Conversely, BRAF mutation was not associated with age <70 years (OR = 1.63; P = 0.34), age <60 years (OR = 0.86; P = 0.79), female sex (OR = 0.77; P = 0.12), flat morphology (OR = 1.52; P = 0.16), presence of any dysplasia (OR = 1.01; P = 0.59), serrated dysplasia (OR = 1.23; P = 0.72) and invasive cancer (OR = 0.67; P = 0.32), nuclear ß-catenin expression (OR = 0.73; P = 0.21) and p53 overexpression (OR = 1.24; P = 0.82). In conclusion, BRAF-V600E mutation is associated with proximal localisation and CIMP-H status in both SSA and TSA, with size <10 mm only in TSA, and with expression of MUC5A5 and MUC6 and endoscopic pit pattern II-O at least in SSA. In serrated adenomas, BRAF-V600E mutation does not seem to be associated with age and sex, with the prevalence of dysplasia and cancer and with the morphology of the dysplastic component.

Systemic treatment of malignant gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumour after childhood neuroblastoma: chemotherapy in malignant gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumour.

Malignant gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumour is an extremely rare neoplasm that arises in the wall of the small bowel, stomach or large bowel in young-aged and middle-aged adults. Histologically, it is generally characterized by monomorphic cells with clear cytoplasma, S-100 protein expression, and EWSR1 gene translocation. To the best of our knowledge, we describe for the first time, the case of a young woman with a diagnosis of metastatic gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumour arising from ileum, who had a childhood adrenal neuroblastoma with liver, bone and lymph nodes metastasis, treated with four cycles of chemotherapy with the schedule CADO-CVP (CADO: cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m/day on days 1-5, vincristine 1,5 mg/m/day on days 1 and 5, and doxorubicin 60 mg/m/day on day 5; CVP: cisplatin 40 mg/m/day on days 1-5 and etoposide 100 mg/m/day on days 1-5) followed by right adrenal, kidney, lymph nodes and liver lesion resection, conditioning chemotherapy (melphalan-carmustine-teniposide), stem cells autologous transplantation and consecutively radiotherapy on the spine (T9 to L3) for a total of 30 Gy. For the second diagnosis of gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumour with liver metastasis, she underwent ileal tumour resection and platinum-anthracycline based chemotherapy with initial shrinkage of liver metastasis. Unfortunately, despite the initial response and the following delivered therapies, she died for rapid progressive disease. Taking into account the late effects of past therapeutic modalities, a long-term surveillance of young child treated for neuroblastoma, is required to appreciate their overall risks of second malignancies.

Parameters for estimating the time of death at perinatal autopsy of stillborn fetuses: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Stillbirth is defined by the WHO as birth of a fetus with no vital signs, at or over 28 weeks of pregnancy age. The estimation of time of death in stillbirth appears crucial in forensic pathology. However, there are no validated methods for this purpose. OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review of the available literature regarding the estimation of the time of death in stillborn fetuses, in terms of hours or days. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched from their inception to August 2018 for relevant articles. Macroscopic, histologic, and radiologic parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: Nine studies with 664 stillborns were included. The evaluation of extent and location of fetal maceration signs showed good accuracy in estimating the time of death; by contrast, a dichotomous assessment of maceration (present vs absent) was found to be unreliable in a subsequent study. Histologic assessment of the loss of nuclear basophilia in fetal and placental tissues showed excellent accuracy; an "autolysis equation" was proposed to achieve an even higher accuracy in fetuses who had been dead for < 24 h. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lung parenchyma, pleural fluids, and brain parenchyma could estimate the death-to-autopsy time, but the results appeared weak and conflicting. CONCLUSION: Pathologic examination, based on the assessment of maceration, and even more of the loss of nuclear basophilia, may be a reliable method to estimate the time of death in stillborn fetuses. Further studies should be encouraged to validate these results. Imaging techniques have not yet found application in this field.

Treatments and overall survival in patients with Krukenberg tumor.

BACKGROUND: Krukenberg tumor (KT) is a rare secondary ovarian tumor, primarily localized at the gastrointestinal tract in most cases. KT is related to severe prognosis due to its aggressiveness, diagnostic difficulties and poor treatment efficacy. Several treatments have been used, such as cytoreductive surgery (CRS), adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) and/or hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). To date, it is still unclear which treatment or combination of treatments is related to better survival. OBJECTIVE: To assess the most effective therapeutic protocol in terms of overall survival (OS). METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed by searching MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, ClinicalTrial.gov, OVID, Web of Sciences, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar for all studies assessing the association of treatments with OS in KTs. The effectiveness of each treatment protocol was evaluated by comparing the OS between patients treated with different treatment protocols. RESULTS: Twenty retrospective studies, with a total sample size of 1533 KTs, were included in the systematic review. Therapeutic protocols used were CRS in 18 studies, CT in 13 studies, HIPEC in 7 studies, neoadjuvant CT in 2 studies, and some combinations of these in 6 studies. Seven studies showed that CRS significantly improved OS compared to other treatments or association of treatments without it. 11 studies showed that CRS without residual (R0 CRS) had a significantly better OS than CRS with residual (R + CRS). Five studies showed that CT significantly improved OS, but other five showed it did not. Two studies showed that HIPEC in association with CRS improved OS, while another study showed that efficacy of HIPEC was comparable to CT. Two studies evaluated neoadjuvant CT, but results were conflicting. CONCLUSION: CRS and in particular R0 CRS are the treatments showing the clearest results in improving OS in KT patients. Results about CT are conflicting. HIPEC appears effective both alone and in combination with CRS, and also related to fewer adverse effect than CT. The usefulness of neoadjuvant CT is still unclear. The association of R0 CRS with HIPEC seems to be the most effective and safe therapeutic protocol for KT patients.

Prognostic factors in Krukenberg tumor.

BACKGROUND: Krukenberg tumor (KT) is a rare secondary ovarian tumor. Little is known about clinicopathologic factors affecting prognosis in KT. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prognostic value of clinicopathologic factors in KT through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched from their inception to February 2019 for studies assessing the association of clinicopathologic factors with overall survival in KT. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) was calculated for each factor; a p value < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies with 1743 patients were included. A decreased overall survival was significantly associated with peritoneal involvement (HR 1.944; p = 0.003), ascites (HR 2.055; p = 0.034), synchronous presentation (HR 1.679; p = 0.034) and increased serum CEA levels (HR 1.380; p = 0.010), but not with age > 50 (HR 0.946; p = 0.743), menopausal status (HR 1.565; p = 0.204), gastric origin (HR 1.600; p = 0.201), size > 5 cm (HR 1.292; p = 0.119), size > 10 cm (HR 0.925; p = 0.714), bilateral ovarian involvement (HR 1.113; p = 0.347), non-peritoneal extaovarian metastases (HR 1.648; p = 0.237), liver metastases (HR 1.118, p = 0.555), predominant signet ring cell morphology (HR 1.322; p = 0.208) and levels of CA125 (HR 0.933; p = 0.828) and CA19.9 (HR 0.996; p = 0.992). CONCLUSION: Peritoneal involvement, synchronous presentation, ascites and increased serum CEA levels appear as unfavorable prognostic factors in KT and might affect the patient management.

Multiple clinical forms of dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis arise from mutations in PIEZO1.

Autosomal dominant dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis (DHSt) usually presents as a compensated hemolytic anemia with macrocytosis and abnormally shaped red blood cells (RBCs). DHSt is part of a pleiotropic syndrome that may also exhibit pseudohyperkalemia and perinatal edema. We identified PIEZO1 as the disease gene for pleiotropic DHSt in a large kindred by exome sequencing analysis within the previously mapped 16q23-q24 interval. In 26 affected individuals among 7 multigenerational DHSt families with the pleiotropic syndrome, 11 heterozygous PIEZO1 missense mutations cosegregated with disease. PIEZO1 is expressed in the plasma membranes of RBCs and its messenger RNA, and protein levels increase during in vitro erythroid differentiation of CD34(+) cells. PIEZO1 is also expressed in liver and bone marrow during human and mouse development. We suggest for the first time a correlation between a PIEZO1 mutation and perinatal edema. DHSt patient red cells with the R2456H mutation exhibit increased ion-channel activity. Functional studies of PIEZO1 mutant R2488Q expressed in Xenopus oocytes demonstrated changes in ion-channel activity consistent with the altered cation content of DHSt patient red cells. Our findings provide direct evidence that R2456H and R2488Q mutations in PIEZO1 alter mechanosensitive channel regulation, leading to increased cation transport in erythroid cells.

Gastroesophageal reflux in young children and adolescents: Is there a relation between symptom severity and esophageal histological grade?

BACKGROUND: The pediatric literature about the correlation between symptoms and histological lesions in patients investigated for gastroesophageal reflux disease is scarce and inconclusive. The primary aim of the present study was to assess the relation between the complained symptom severity and the esophageal histological grade, through the use of validated and reliable scores. METHODS: All children ages between 2 and 17 years referred to perform upper gastrointestinal endoscopy because of gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms were asked to complete the Pediatric Gastroesophageal Symptom and Quality of Life validated questionnaire, investigating the main symptoms complained and their impact on daily life and school activities. Esophageal mucosal samples taken during the procedure were analyzed and scored according to the Yerian-Fiocca classification. RESULTS: A total of 164 children were included in the study. No significant association was found between symptomatic score and histological score (r(s): 0.05, P: 0.49). Even when focusing only on adolescents with heartburn or chest pain, no correlation between symptom severity and esophageal lesions was found (r(s): -0.18, P: 0.264). Intercellular space diameter values did not mirror symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: The main finding of this study on children with reflux symptoms is the lack of correlation between symptom severity and esophageal histological grade. The magnitude of intercellular spaces was found not to be related with the clinical score as well.

Impact of hiatal hernia on pediatric dyspeptic symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: Hiatal hernia (HH) affects from 10% to 50% of adult population. The correlation between HH, gastroesophageal reflux disease, dyspeptic symptoms, and esophagitis has long been known in adults. The primary objective of our prospective observational study was to estimate the prevalence of HH in children undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), irrespective of their symptoms. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 111 consecutive children (48 boys and 63 girls; mean age 94.9 ± 52.3 months) referred for EGD. In all of the patients a symptomatic score assessment based on the Rome III criteria was used to measure frequency, severity, and duration of gastrointestinal symptoms. HH presence was endoscopically defined; esophagitis presence was evaluated either endoscopically and histologically. Children were divided in 2 age-range groups: <48 months (group 1) and >48 months (group 2). RESULTS: Twenty-three patients of 111 (20.7%) had evidence of a sliding HH at EGD. In children from group 2, we found a statistically significant association of HH with heartburn (P = 0.03, 95% confidence interval 1-9.3, r = 0.1) and regurgitation (P = 0.003, 95% confidence interval 1.7-20.4, r = 0.3). Regarding esophagitis presence, no association was found at any age either with defined esophagitis or with dilated intercellular spaces. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of HH in our study population was 20.7%. According to our data, HH correlates with the presence of heartburn and regurgitation in children, but not in toddlers. No association was found with esophagitis at any age.