Blood Serum and Drainage Microbial and Mitochondrial Metabolites in Patients after Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers in the world despite improvements in clinical care and an understanding of the biology of pancreatic cancer. A study of 64 patients with verified pancreatic cancer who underwent surgery was included. Sampling was carried out at three points: before surgery and on days 1-3 after surgery and 5-7 days after surgery. Drainage fluid collection was taken from the drains installed intraoperatively one day after surgery. Tyrosine and phenylalanine metabolites and two mitochondrial metabolites, namely succinic and fumaric acids, were identified and quantified by GC-MS in the serum of healthy donors and patients. Differences in the metabolomic profile were found between the patients and healthy people. A statistically significant decrease in the level of p-hydroxyphenyllactic acid (p-HPhLA), the amount of sum 3 sepsis-associated metabolites (Σ 3AMM), as well as fumaric and succinic acids in patients was observed. It was also noted that p-hydroxyphenyllactic acid in the preoperative period may be considered as a predictor of complications and longer postoperative recovery.

Withdrawal Syndrome After Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Discontinuation in Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in the Russian Prospective Study RU-SKI.

We aimed to characterize withdrawal syndrome (WS) and evaluate factors associated with its development in the prospective clinical study RU-SKI in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia with deep molecular response who discontinued tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. In total, 98 adult patients with chronic myeloid leukemia chronic phase, TKI therapy ≥ 3 years, and deep molecular response (BCR-ABL ≤ 0.01%) ≥ 2 years were enrolled and observed without treatment. WS was defined as newly observed or worsening musculoskeletal pain after TKI cessation. WS symptoms were found in 41 (42%) of 98 patients with a median time of observation of 25 months (range, 12-42 months). WS grades 1 to 2 and grade 3 were observed in 39 (95%) and in 2 (5%) patients, respectively. The median duration of WS was 5 months (range, 1-25 months). WS was resolved in 37 (90%) patients. Anti-inflammatory therapy was used in 21 (51%) patients. Older age (P = .039) and longer TKI therapy (P = .001) were associated with WS. The 2-month landmark analysis found no association of WS development and the rate of molecular relapses. In total, 42% of the patients experienced WS after TKI therapy discontinuation in the RU-SKI study. Physicians should be warned about the possibility of WS development, and patients of older age and with longer TKI treatment need special attention.

Organic-inorganic materials containing nanoparticles of zirconium hydrophosphate for baromembrane separation.

Organic-inorganic membranes were obtained by stepwise modification of poly(ethyleneterephthalate) track membrane with nanoparticles of zirconium hydrophosphate. The modifier was inserted inside pores of the polymer, a size of which is 0.33 µm. Inner active layer was formed by this manner. Evolution of morphology and functional properties of the membranes were investigated using methods of porosimetry, potentiometry and electron microscopy. The nanoparticles (4 to 10 nm) were found to form aggregates, which block pores of the polymer. Pores between the aggregates (4 to 8 nm) as well as considerable surface charge density provide significant transport numbers of counter ions (up to 0.86 for Na(+)). The materials were applied to baromembrane separation of corn distillery. It was found that precipitate is formed mainly inside the pores of the pristine membrane. In the case of the organic-inorganic material, the deposition occurs onto the outer surface and can be removed by mechanical way. Location of the active layer inside membranes protects it against damage.