A PCR-based method for the diagnosis of Enterobius vermicularis in stool samples, specifically designed for clinical application.

Background: Enterobius vermicularis (E. vermicularis) is a nematode that infects up to 200 million people worldwide, despite effective medications being available. Conventional diagnostic tests are hindered by low sensitivity and poor patient compliance. Furthermore, no biomolecular techniques are available for clinical application. The aim of this study was to develop a procedure specifically designed for clinical application to detect E. vermicularis by means of PCR. Materials and methods: Two subject groups were taken into account: a group of 27 infected patients and a control group of 27 healthy subjects. A nested-PCR was performed on fecal samples to detect E. vermicularis. Due to the intrinsic difficulties of the fecal matrix, several countermeasures were adopted to ensure the efficient performance of the method: (a) a large amount of feces for the extraction process (20 g instead of 200 mg); (b) a combination of chemical and physical treatments to grind the fecal matrix; (c) an additional purification process for the negative samples after the first nested-PCR; and (d) the selection of a very specific target region for the PCR. Results: Due to the lack of overlap with other organisms, a sequence of the 5S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) spacer region including the tract SL1 was chosen to design appropriate external and internal primers. The first nested-PCR detected E.vermicularis in 19/27 samples from infected patients. After further purification, 5/8 of the negative samples resulted positive at the second PCR. Conversely, all the samples from healthy controls resulted negative to both PCRs. Sensitivity and specificity of the method were, respectively, 88.9% and 100%. Conclusion: The results prove the high diagnostic accuracy of the proposed method, addressing and overcoming the challenges posed by both conventional tests and PCR-based approaches. Therefore, the method can be proposed for clinical application.

Healthy and pro-inflammatory gut ecology plays a crucial role in the digestion and tolerance of a novel Gluten Friendly™ bread in celiac subjects: a randomized, double blind, placebo control in vivo study.

Gluten Friendly™ (GF) is a new gluten achieved through a physicochemical process applied to wheat kernels. The goal of this research was to assess the in vivo effects of Gluten Friendly™ bread on celiac gut mucosa and microbiota. In a double-blind placebo-controlled intervention study, 48 celiac disease (CD) patients were randomized into 3 groups to eat 100 g of bread daily, containing different doses (0; 3 g; 6 g) of GF for 12 weeks. The small-bowel morphology (VH/CrD), intraepithelial densities of CD3+, celiac serology, MUC2, CB1, gut permeability, proinflammatory cytokines, gluten in stools, symptoms, and gut microbial composition were assessed. All 48 CD subjects experienced no symptoms. K-means analysis evidenced celiac subjects clustering around unknown parameters independent of GF dosage: K1 35%; K2 30%; K3 35%. VH/CrD significantly decreased in K1 and K2. VH/CrD did not correlate with IEL increase in K2. 33-mer was not detected in 47% and 73% of patients in both K1 and K2, respectively. VH/CrD and IEL did not change significantly and strongly correlated with the absence of 33-mer in K3. Inflammation and VH/CrD decrease are strongly related with the presence of proinflammatory species at the baseline. A boost in probiotic, butyrate-producing genera, is strongly related with GF tolerance at the end of the trial. Our research suggests that a healthy and proinflammatory ecology could play a crucial role in the digestion and tolerance of the new gluten molecule in celiac subjects. However, GF can be completely digested by gut microbiota of CD subjects and shapes it toward gut homeostasis by boosting healthy butyrate-producing populations. The clinical trial registry number is NCT03137862 (https://clinicaltrials.gov).

Germline Alterations in Patients With IBD-associated Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), are at risk of developing a colorectal cancer (CRC). No information is available on the contribution of patients' genetic background to CRC occurrence. This study investigates germline alterations in patients with IBD-associated CRC. METHODS: We profiled a panel of 39 genes potentially involved in cancer predisposition and searched for germline variants in IBD patients with CRC or high-grade dysplasia. RESULTS: After clinical exclusion of genetic cancer syndromes, 25 IBD patients (4 CD and 21 UC) with CRC or high-grade dysplasia were studied. After excluding variants with low likelihood of pathogenicity (classes 1 or 2 according the International Agency for Research on Cancer [IARC]), the panel identified pathogenic variants, likely pathogenic, or variants with unknown significance in 18 patients (72%). Six patients (24%) carried pathogenic or likely variants (IARC class 5 or 4). Of the identified variants, 4 encompassed the APC region, 3 the MLH1 gene, and the remaining ones the MSH2, MSH3, monoallelic MUTYH, EPCAM, BRCA1, CHEK2, POLD1, POLE, CDKN2A, and PDGFRA genes. Four patients carried at least 2 variants in different genes. Duration of IBD was significantly shorter in carriers of 4 or 5 IARC variants (7 years; range 0-21; P = .002) and in those with variants with unknown significance (12 years; range 0-22; P = .005) compared with patients without or with only benign variations (23.5 years; range 15-34). CONCLUSIONS: In silico analysis and sequence-based testing of germline DNA from IBD patients with CRC or high-grade dysplasia detected 24% of variants positioned in pathogenic classes. In patients with type 3, 4, and 5 variants, the onset of high-grade dysplasia or CRC was significantly earlier than in patients with benign or unidentified variants. The screening for these genes could identify IBD patients requiring a more intensive endoscopic surveillance for earlier detection of dysplastic changes.

Identification of Recessively Inherited Genetic Variants Potentially Linked to Pancreatic Cancer Risk.

Although 21 pancreatic cancer susceptibility loci have been identified in individuals of European ancestry through genome-wide association studies (GWASs), much of the heritability of pancreatic cancer risk remains unidentified. A recessive genetic model could be a powerful tool for identifying additional risk variants. To discover recessively inherited pancreatic cancer risk loci, we performed a re-analysis of the largest pancreatic cancer GWAS, the Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium (PanScan) and the Pancreatic Cancer Case-Control Consortium (PanC4), including 8,769 cases and 7,055 controls of European ancestry. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) showed associations with pancreatic cancer risk according to a recessive model of inheritance. We replicated these variants in 3,212 cases and 3,470 controls collected from the PANcreatic Disease ReseArch (PANDoRA) consortium. The results of the meta-analyses confirmed that rs4626538 (7q32.2), rs7008921 (8p23.2) and rs147904962 (17q21.31) showed specific recessive effects (p<10-5) compared with the additive effects (p>10-3), although none of the six SNPs reached the conventional threshold for genome-wide significance (p < 5×10-8). Additional bioinformatic analysis explored the functional annotations of the SNPs and indicated a possible relationship between rs36018702 and expression of the BCL2L11 and BUB1 genes, which are known to be involved in pancreatic biology. Our findings, while not conclusive, indicate the importance of considering non-additive genetic models when performing GWAS analysis. The SNPs associated with pancreatic cancer in this study could be used for further meta-analysis for recessive association of SNPs and pancreatic cancer risk and might be a useful addiction to improve the performance of polygenic risk scores.

Microbiome Analysis of Mucosal Ileoanal Pouch in Ulcerative Colitis Patients Revealed Impairment of the Pouches Immunometabolites.

The pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) is unknown, although genetic loci and altered gut microbiota have been implicated. Up to a third of patients with moderate to severe UC require proctocolectomy with ileal pouch ano-anastomosis (IPAA). We aimed to explore the mucosal microbiota of UC patients who underwent IPAA. METHODS: For microbiome analysis, mucosal specimens were collected from 34 IPAA individuals. Endoscopic and histological examinations of IPAA were normal in 21 cases, while pouchitis was in 13 patients. 19 specimens from the healthy control (10 from colonic and 9 from ileum) were also analyzed. Data were analyzed using an ensemble of software packages: QIIME2, coda-lasso, clr-lasso, PICRUSt2, and ALDEx2. RESULTS: IPAA specimens had significantly lower bacterial diversity as compared to normal. The microbial composition of the normal pouch was also decreased also when compared to pouchitis. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Gemmiger formicilis, Blautia obeum, Ruminococcus torques, Dorea formicigenerans, and an unknown species from Roseburia were the most uncommon in pouch/pouchitis, while an unknown species from Enterobacteriaceae was over-represented. Propionibacterium acnes and Enterobacteriaceae were the species most abundant in the pouchitis and in the normal pouch, respectively. Predicted metabolic pathways among the IPAA bacterial communities revealed an important role of immunometabolites such as SCFA, butyrate, and amino acids. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed specific bacterial signature hallmarks of dysbiosis and could represent bacterial biomarkers in IPAA patients useful to develop novel treatments in the future by modulating the gut microbiota through the administration of probiotic immunometabolites-producing bacterial strains and the addition of specific prebiotics and the faecal microbiota transplantation.

Circulating levels of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in patients with achalasia.

Idiopathic achalasia is a disease that is characterized by the absence of peristalsis and incomplete relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter, which is accompanied by dysphagia, regurgitation, chest pain and weight loss. The role of inflammatory infiltrates in the pathogenesis of achalasia remains controversial, although the infiltrating cell profile in the tissue has been previously characterized histologically and immunohistochemically. The present study aimed to evaluate the serum levels of 27 protein biomarkers to determine their association with achalasia and the clinical disease characteristics. The cytokine, chemokine and growth factor serum profiles of 68 patients with achalasia and 39 healthy individuals were explored using the 27-Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine assay. Reductions in the levels of inflammatory mediators IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, fibroblast growth factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon-γ, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein-1 (MIP-1)α and MIP-1ß, regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and presumably secreted, TNF-α and VEGF were detected in the serum samples of patients with achalasia compared with those in the control group (P<0.05). However, significant associations between the expression in the levels of inflammatory factors and clinical characteristics of the patients were not found (P>0.05). These results suggest that achalasia is a disease that has a local but not a systemic inflammatory pattern. Further studies are required to improve the current understanding of the mechanism underlying this disease.

Performance of the model for end-stage liver disease score for mortality prediction and the potential role of etiology.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Although the discriminative ability of the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score is generally considered acceptable, its calibration is still unclear. In a validation study, we assessed the discriminative performance and calibration of 3 versions of the model: original MELD-TIPS, used to predict survival after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS); classic MELD-Mayo; and MELD-UNOS, used by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). We also explored recalibrating and updating the model. METHODS: In total, 776 patients who underwent elective TIPS (TIPS cohort) and 445 unselected patients (non-TIPS cohort) were included. Three, 6 and 12-month mortality predictions were calculated by the 3 MELD versions: discrimination was assessed by c-statistics and calibration by comparing deciles of predicted and observed risks. Cox and Fine and Grey models were used for recalibration and prognostic analyses. RESULTS: In the TIPS/non-TIPS cohorts, the etiology of liver disease was viral in 402/188, alcoholic in 185/130, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in 65/33; mean follow-up±SD was 25±9/19±21 months; and the number of deaths at 3-6-12 months was 57-102-142/31-47-99, respectively. C-statistics ranged from 0.66 to 0.72 in TIPS and 0.66 to 0.76 in non-TIPS cohorts across prediction times and scores. A post hoc analysis revealed worse c-statistics in non-viral cirrhosis with more pronounced and significant worsening in the non-TIPS cohort. Calibration was acceptable with MELD-TIPS but largely unsatisfactory with MELD-Mayo and -UNOS whose performance improved much after recalibration. A prognostic analysis showed that age, albumin, and TIPS indication might be used to update the MELD. CONCLUSIONS: In this validation study, the performance of the MELD score was largely unsatisfactory, particularly in non-viral cirrhosis. MELD recalibration and candidate variables for an update to the MELD score are proposed. LAY SUMMARY: While the discriminative performance of the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score is credited to be fair to good, its calibration, the correspondence of observed to predicted mortality, is still unsettled. We found that application of 3 different versions of the MELD in 2 independent cirrhosis cohorts yielded largely imprecise mortality predictions particularly in non-viral cirrhosis. Thus, we propose a recalibration and suggest candidate variables for an update to the model.

Associations between pancreatic expression quantitative traits and risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most lethal cancers. Its poor prognosis is predominantly due to the fact that most patients remain asymptomatic until the disease reaches an advanced stage, alongside the lack of early markers and screening strategies. A better understanding of PDAC risk factors is essential for the identification of groups at high risk in the population. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been a powerful tool for detecting genetic variants associated with complex traits, including pancreatic cancer. By exploiting functional and GWAS data, we investigated the associations between polymorphisms affecting gene function in the pancreas (expression quantitative trait loci, eQTLs) and PDAC risk. In a two-phase approach, we analysed 13 713 PDAC cases and 43 784 controls and identified a genome-wide significant association between the A allele of the rs2035875 polymorphism and increased PDAC risk (P = 7.14 × 10-10). This allele is known to be associated with increased expression in the pancreas of the keratin genes KRT8 and KRT18, whose increased levels have been reported to correlate with various tumour cell characteristics. Additionally, the A allele of the rs789744 variant was associated with decreased risk of developing PDAC (P = 3.56 × 10-6). This single nucleotide polymorphism is situated in the SRGAP1 gene and the A allele is associated with higher expression of the gene, which in turn inactivates the cyclin-dependent protein 42 (CDC42) gene expression, thus decreasing the risk of PDAC. In conclusion, we present here a functional-based novel PDAC risk locus and an additional strong candidate supported by significant associations and plausible biological mechanisms.

Inverted colonic diverticulum (ICD): report of two cases and literature review of a not that unusual endoscopic challenge.

Inverted colonic diverticulum (ICD) is a rare intraluminal lesion occurring in about 0.7-1.7% of people, often endoscopically indistinguishable from polyps. Some unspecific endoscopic features may assist to distinguish polypoid ICD from true polyps. This differentiation bears relevance for the therapeutic approach, as colonic polyps require snare polypectomy, a practice which may be associated with colonic perforation in case of true ICD. The endoscopist, therefore, should be aware of the likelihood of detecting these lesions during colonoscopy. A close inspection and a gentle probing could assist in a correct diagnosis and avoid risky procedures such as biopsy or polypectomy. Rarely, a neoplasm arising over an ICD and its treatment has been described. We reported two cases, one of which with dysplasia, and their treatment, and reviewed all the ICD endoscopic cases so far reported in the literature, remarking the possibility of finding pedunculated ICDs or neoplasm arising over an ICD.

Accuracy and inter-observer agreement of the nice and kudo classifications of superficial colonic lesions: a comparative study.

PURPOSE: For superficial colonic lesions, the NICE and Kudo classifications are used in the in vivo prediction of histology and as guide to therapy. The NICE system derives information from unmagnified NBI endoscopic images. The Kudo one necessitates a magnification, but, as this tool is not commonly available, it is applied also to characterize unmagnified pictures to compare their diagnostic performances. METHODS: We conducted a prospective comparison of the NICE versus the Kudo classification for the differential diagnosis of colonic polyps taking histology as the gold standard. The inter-observer agreement for both classifications among 11 colonoscopists was also evaluated. Short unmagnified NBI videoclips of 64 colonic polyps were sent twice to the participants. In the first round, they classified the lesions according to the NICE classification; 4 months later, the same videos were assessed with the Kudo system. The diagnosis provided by the participants was grouped in non-neoplastic, non-invasive neoplasia, invasive neoplasia. RESULTS: Overall, the diagnostic accuracy was 82% (95%CI: 79-85) with the NICE system and 81% (95%CI: 78-84) with the Kudo one (ρ = 0.78). The accuracy of the NICE classification for non-neoplastic lesions was greater compared with the Kudo's (ρ = 0.03). Sensitivity sub-analyses revealed a higher ability of the NICE in distinguishing between neoplastic vs. non-neoplastic lesions (ρ = 0.01). The overall inter-rater agreement did not differ when the classifications were compared. CONCLUSION: The NICE and the Kudo classifications might be considered comparable. Our data could allow the use of the NBI Kudo classification even in those centers where magnification is not available.

Interobserver agreement of the Paris and simplified classifications of superficial colonic lesions: a Western study.

Background and study aims The Paris classification of superficial colonic lesions has been widely adopted, but a simplified description that subgroups the shape into pedunculated, sessile/flat and depressed lesions has been proposed recently. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and inter-rater agreement among 13 Western endoscopists for the two classification systems. Methods Seventy video clips of superficial colonic lesions were classified according to the two classifications, and their size estimated. The interobserver agreement for each classification was assessed using both Cohen k and AC1 statistics. Accuracy was taken as the concordance between the standard morphology definition and that made by participants. Sensitivity analyses investigated agreement between trainees (T) and staff members (SM), simple or mixed lesions, distinct lesion phenotypes, and for laterally spreading tumors (LSTs). Results Overall, the interobserver agreement for the Paris classification was substantial (κ = 0.61; AC1 = 0.66), with 79.3 % accuracy. Between SM and T, the values were superimposable. For size estimation, the agreement was 0.48 by the κ-value, and 0.50 by AC1. For single or mixed lesions, κ-values were 0.60 and 0.43, respectively; corresponding AC1 values were 0.68 and 0.57. Evaluating the several different polyp subtypes separately, agreement differed significantly when analyzed by the k-statistics (0.08-0.12) or the AC1 statistics (0.59-0.71). Analyses of LSTs provided a κ-value of 0.50 and an AC1 score of 0.62, with 77.6 % accuracy. The simplified classification outperformed the Paris classification: κ = 0.68, AC1 = 0.82, accuracy = 91.6 %. Conclusions Agreement is often measured with Cohen's κ, but we documented higher levels of agreement when analyzed with the AC1 statistic. The level of agreement was substantial for the Paris classification, and almost perfect for the simplified system.

Genome-wide scan of long noncoding RNA single nucleotide polymorphisms and pancreatic cancer susceptibility.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is projected to become the second cancer-related cause of death by 2030. Identifying novel risk factors, including genetic risk loci, could be instrumental in risk stratification and implementation of prevention strategies. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in regulation of key biological processes, and the possible role of their genetic variability has been unexplored so far. Combining genome wide association studies and functional data, we investigated the genetic variability in all lncRNAs. We analyzed 9893 PDAC cases and 9969 controls and identified a genome-wide significant association between the rs7046076 SNP and risk of developing PDAC (P = 9.73 × 10-9 ). This SNP is located in the NONHSAG053086.2 (lnc-SMC2-1) gene and the risk allele is predicted to disrupt the binding of the lncRNA with the micro-RNA (miRNA) hsa-mir-1256 that regulates several genes involved in cell cycle, such as CDKN2B. The CDKN2B region is pleiotropic and its genetic variants have been associated with several human diseases, possibly though an imperfect interaction between lncRNA and miRNA. We present a novel PDAC risk locus, supported by a genome-wide statistical significance and a plausible biological mechanism.

Transabdominal ultrasound-guided pancreatic biopsy: a neglected but safe, effective and inexpensive procedure that needs to be re-juvinalized.

BACKGROUND: For solid pancreatic masses, ultrasound endoscopic fine-needle biopsy is suggested as the front-line investigation for tissue achievement, notwithstanding the optimal performance of transabdominal ultrasound (TUS)-guided biopsy. PURPOSE: To reassess the efficacy and effectiveness of TUS-guided sampling and to determine the factors predictive of accurate histology. METHODS: In total, 142 patients with an indication for a TUS-guided biopsy of a pancreatic mass were analyzed. A single pass of an 18-gauge Biomol needle was carried out by the Menghini technique. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the procedure in terms of correctly diagnosing an inflammatory or neoplastic lesion were determined. The patients' characteristics, the size and location of the mass, and the sonographers' experience in performing TUS were recorded. RESULTS: The sampling was unsuccessful in 24 cases, owing to the deep localization of lesions (57%), bloating (33%), or low patient compliance (10%). The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the 118 successful biopsies were 81%, 79%, and 100%, respectively. A biopsy core was obtained in 90 of the 118 patients (76%) in whom the procedure was attempted. In the multivariate analysis, lesion size (≤ 20 mm vs. > 20 mm) (OR = 5.3 [1.7-17.0]) and operator experience (OR = 4.4 [1.6-12.1]) predicted the acquisition of adequate samples. With an expert sonographer, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 87%, 85%, and 100%, respectively. Two adverse events were registered: mild abdominal pain and a hypotensive crisis. CONCLUSIONS: The present investigation highlights the optimal performance of a TUS-guided biopsy of a pancreatic mass. Because of its simplicity and safety, the procedure needs to be included among the recommended investigative options.

Impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and the serum prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in patients with inflammatory bowel disease treated with biologic drugs.

BACKGROUND: Patients receiving biologic therapies are at risk for viral infections. This study investigated the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 infection and the serum prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treated with biologic drugs. METHODS: Information on demography, co-morbidities, clinical data regarding IBD, symptoms suggestive of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, close contacts with SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, hospitalization, and therapies administered for COVID-19 was collected for all patients who were being treated with biologic drugs. All patients underwent SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-nine patients (27 children) with a mean age of 42.2 ±â€¯16.7 years (range 9 - 88) and a mean duration of disease of 13.4 ±â€¯10 years (range 0.2 - 49) were enrolled. One hundred four patients (40.2%) had ulcerative colitis, and 155 (59.8%) had Crohn's disease. About the therapy: 62 patients were receiving infliximab, 89 adalimumab, 20 golimumab, 57 vedolizumab, 27 ustekinumab, 1 thalidomide, and 3 an experimental compound. The mean Charlson Comorbidity Index was 2. Thirty-two patients (12.3%) reported respiratory symptoms, and 2 of them were hospitalized (0.77%). Two patients resulted positive for IgG against SARS-CoV-2 (0.77%). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with IBD, treatment with biologic drug does not represent a risk factor for the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Safety and efficacy of switching from infliximab biosimilar CT-P13 to infliximab biosimilar SB2 in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

INTRODUCTION: For patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, switching from infliximab originator to biosimilars is effective and safe. Few data on single switch have been published, and data on multiple switches of different infliximab are unavailable. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients who switched from CT-P13 to SB2, and of those with multiple switches among different infliximab compounds was conducted. Clinical activity, C reactive protein (CRP), adverse events (AE) and loss of response (LOR) were recorded. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients (26 males, 14 Crohn's disease and 22 ulcerative colitis) were enrolled and followed up for >6 months. All patients switched from CT-P13 to SB2; 12 of them (33.3%) had already switched from reference Infliximab to CT-P13, and for the remaining patients CT-P13 was the first infliximab. The clinical remission rate six months before and three months after SB2-switch was the same (58.3%) and the rate of mild activity varied from 27.8 to 33.3% (P = 0.68); the percentage of patients with normal CRP values passed from 94.4 to 91.7% (P = 1). Two patients (5.5%) had AE and 11 (30.5%) a LOR. At univariate analysis, patients with a single switch had a non-significant risk of LOR during SB2 [odds ratio (OR) = 7.86; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87-71, P = 0.06]. SB2-LOR was associated with previous AE under CT-P13 (OR = 9.1, 95% CI 0.82-100, P = 0.07). None of such factors was significant at multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Switching from CT-P13 to SB2 seems to be safe and effective either in patients with a single than in those with multiple switches.

A New Intraepithelial γδ T-Lymphocyte Marker for Celiac Disease Classification in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) Duodenal Biopsies.

BACKGROUND: The histopathologic diagnosis of celiac disease (CD) may be challenging when the duodenal biopsies mucosal injury is limited. Intraepithelial T-lymphocytes (IELs) can be useful to characterize the degree of mucosal inflammation. A small fraction of IELs expresses the γδ T-cell receptor (named γδ-IELs), whose density, determined by flow cytometry or frozen section immunohistochemistry (IHC), is a specific marker for CD. AIM: To establish a new IHC assay for γδ-IELs applicable to formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) duodenal biopsies. METHODS: We analyzed γδ-IELs using IHC in 138 duodenal biopsies using a standard IHC staining protocol with a new monoclonal antibody H-41. IELs were quantitated with digital image analysis. RESULTS: Compared to those in non-celiac controls (n = 51), γδ-IEL density was significantly increased in newly diagnosed celiac disease patients (n = 22, p < 0.0001). In ROC-curve analysis, the cutoff of 6.5 γδ-IELs/100 enterocytes distinguished optimally active CD patients from non-celiac controls (sensitivity 96%, specificity 95%). γδ-IEL density in CD patients on a gluten-free diet (n = 53) were also higher than in controls (p < 0.0001), but lower than those in newly diagnosed CD (p < 0.0001). The diagnostic value of γδ-IELs outperformed that of CD3 + IELs in both patient groups. γδ-IELs were better than CD3 + IELs distinguishing between celiac disease and conditions histologically mimicking celiac disease (n = 12). CONCLUSIONS: Intraepithelial γδ T-lymphocytes can be stained and quantitated reliably in FFPE duodenal biopsies. The results showed excellent specificity and sensitivity for celiac disease. The new IHC method of detection of γδ-IELs is a promising addition to the routine histopathologic assessment methodology of celiac disease.

Early-Onset Diabetes as Risk Factor for Pancreatic Cancer: miRNA Expression Profiling in Plasma Uncovers a Role for miR-20b-5p, miR-29a, and miR-18a-5p in Diabetes of Recent Diagnosis.

The high prevalence of early-diabetes in patients with pancreatic cancer (PanC) implies that its recognition could help identify people at high risk of developing PanC. Candidate microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with recent diabetes were screened from our previous miRNA expression profiling on 10 pools of plasma from PanC patients and non-PanC controls, both including also subjects with early- and late-diabetes. The droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) was used to re-test candidate miRNAs in a new independent cohort of 69 subjects (40 PanC, 29 non-PanC) with early- (17 PanC, 13 non-PanC) or late-diabetes (23 PanC, 16 non-PanC), and in 100 non-diabetic healthy subjects (HS). miRNA levels were evaluated for differences between subjects enrolled into the study and for their diagnostic performance, also compared to the CA 19-9 determinations. MiR-20b-5p, miR-29a, and miR-18a-5p were selected from the previous miRNA expression profiling. The ddPCR confirmed the increase of miR-20b-5p and miR-29a levels in PanC with early- compared to those with late-diabetes. Conversely, miR-20b-5p, miR-29a, and miR-18a-5p were over-expressed in both PanC and non-PanC with recent diabetes compared to HS, and each miRNA achieved a similar diagnostic performance in distinguishing either PanC or non-PanC with early-diabetes from HS (miR-20b-5p: AUC = 0.877 vs. AUC = 0.873; miR-29a: AUC = 0.838 vs. AUC = 0.810; miR-18a-5p: AUC = 0.824 vs. AUC = 0.875). Despite miR-20b-5p and miR-29a expressions were also higher both in PanC and non-PanC with late-diabetes with respect to HS, the diagnostic accuracy in PanC with late-diabetes vs. HS reached by each miRNA (miR-20b-5p: AUC = 0.760; miR-29a: AUC = 0.630) was lower than the ones achieved in PanC with early-diabetes vs. HS. Furthermore, miR-20b-5p achieved a higher diagnostic accuracy to discriminate non-PanC with early-diabetes from HS (AUC = 0.868; SP = 81%; PPV = 32.1%) compared to the CA 19-9 (AUC = 0.700; SP = 40.0%; PPV = 15.5%), and the joint (miR-20b-5p and CA 19-9) discrimination ability was higher than the one achieved by the CA 19-9 tested alone (AUC = 0.900, p = 0.003). Our data highlighted the association between miR-18a-5p and early-diabetes, and suggested for miR-20b-5p and miR-29 a role in identifying early diabetes in PanC, albeit not as an early manifestation of cancer. MiR-20b-5p as more informative marker than CA 19-9 in distinguishing non-PanC with recent diabetes from HS was also uncovered.

Transcriptome and Gene Fusion Analysis of Synchronous Lesions Reveals lncMRPS31P5 as a Novel Transcript Involved in Colorectal Cancer.

Fusion genes and epigenetic regulators (i.e., miRNAs and long non-coding RNAs) constitute essential pieces of the puzzle of the tumor genomic landscape, in particular in mechanisms behind the adenoma-to-carcinoma progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). In this work, we aimed to identify molecular signatures of the different steps of sporadic CRC development in eleven patients, of which synchronous samples of adenomas, tumors, and normal tissues were analyzed by RNA-Seq. At a functional level, tumors and adenomas were all characterized by increased activity of the cell cycle, cell development, cell growth, and biological proliferation functions. In contrast, organic survival and apoptosis-related functions were inhibited both in tumors and adenomas at different levels. At a molecular level, we found that three individuals shared a tumor-specific fusion named MRPS31-SUGT1, generated through an intra-chromosomal translocation on chromosome 13, whose sequence resulted in being 100% identical to the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MRPS31P5. Our analyses suggest that MRPS31P5 could take part to a competitive endogenous (ce)RNA network by acting as a miRNA sponge or/and as an interactor of other mRNAs, and thus it may be an important gene expression regulatory factor and could be used as a potential biomarker for the detection of early CRC events.