The impact of bariatric surgery on liver enzymes in people with obesity: A 5-year observational study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has increasing worldwide prevalence, fuelled by rising obesity rates, and weight reduction is the mainstay of its management. We sought to study the effect of bariatric surgery, the most effective long-term treatment for obesity and associated metabolic disorders, on liver function in people with obesity. METHODS: We performed a retrospective longitudinal cohort study of 511 patients who had undergone bariatric surgery (71 sleeve gastrectomy and 440 gastric bypass) over 60 months of follow-up. Patients were stratified into groups based on their baseline alanine aminotransferase (ALT) into Group A (ALT < 40 U/L) and Group B (ALT > 40 U/L). Postoperative follow-up weight loss, liver function tests, HbA1c, blood pressure and lipid profiles were collected. FINDINGS: Bariatric surgery resulted in nadir total weight loss of 33.1% by 24 months (p < 0.001) with no significant difference between groups. In people with raised baseline ALT (Group B), ALT and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels decreased significantly by 4 months postoperatively (p < 0.001) and sustained over 60 months of follow-up. There was also significant and sustained reduction in HbA1c, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and non-HDL cholesterol overall with no differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery results in significant weight loss, improves liver function tests and metabolic outcomes in people with obesity. Bariatric surgery could be a therapeutic consideration for patients with NAFLD associated with severe obesity who have otherwise been unresponsive to conservative management.

Weight Loss Following Bariatric Surgery in People with or without Metabolic Syndrome: A 5-Year Observational Comparative Study.

AIM: Whilst bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for severe obesity, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether postoperative weight loss is similar in patients with or without metabolic syndrome. METHODS: We performed a 5-year observational retrospective comparative cohort analysis of bariatric surgery in 333 patients (72% women) without (Group A, n = 133) or with (Group B, n = 200) metabolic syndrome at baseline. RESULTS: Overall mean (SD) baseline body mass index was 51.7 (7.5) with no significant difference between groups. Overall mean percent total weight loss (%TWL) was 31.9% by 24 months after surgery. Although %TWL was greater in Group A (34.9%) than in Group B (30.2%, p = 0.006) at 24 months, there were no significant differences between groups subsequently up to 60 months of follow-up. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures and lipid profiles improved in both groups. In patients with metabolic syndrome at baseline, mean HbA1c reduced by 36.4% at 12 months and was sustained over the study period. CONCLUSIONS: We report that bariatric surgery results in comparable long-term weight loss in patients with or without metabolic syndrome alongside expected improvements in metabolic comorbidities.

Alemtuzumab-Induced Autoimmune Thyroid Dysfunction.

Alemtuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody used as a disease-modifying treatment in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), frequently causes autoimmunity as its principal adverse effect. We describe a typical case of a young man treated with two courses of alemtuzumab presenting 18 months later with initial hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease (GD) followed by persistent hypothyroidism. We discuss the pathophysiological role of stimulating and blocking thyrotropin receptor antibodies in the development of alemtuzumab-induced autoimmune thyroid dysfunction and clinical challenges posed by spontaneous, bidirectional switching between hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Guidelines recommend monitoring thyroid function pre-treatment and every three months for four years following alemtuzumab treatment. Patient education is crucial for maintaining adherence to monitoring programs.

Is skipped nodal metastasis a phenomenon of cutaneous melanoma?

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Skipped nodal metastasis (SNM) is a recognized phenomenon of visceral cancers when metastases bypass the regional basin and skip to a distant nodal basin without evidence of distant metastases. Its occurrence is undocumented in cutaneous melanoma patients but of potential prognostic significance. We therefore assessed the frequency of SNM in a large series of patients with limb melanomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied melanoma patients attending a tertiary oncology hospital in northwest England using two approaches. First, we systematically searched medical records of an unselected patient sample treated 2002-2015, and second, we studied lymphoscintigrams of all patients with limb melanoma who underwent sentinel node biopsy 2008-2019. RESULTS: Of 672 melanoma patients whose clinical records were examined, 16 had regional nodal metastases without apparent visceral spread and one appeared to have SNM but further scans were uncovered that showed concurrent pulmonary metastases. Of 667 limb melanoma patients with lymphoscintigrams, 7 showed dual lymphatic drainage patterns to distal as well as regional nodal basins, but none had micro-metastases solely in the distant basin. CONCLUSION: Occurrence of SNM in cutaneous melanoma is highly unlikely.

Axillary Lymph Node Dissection in Angiosarcomas of the Breast: An Asian Institutional Perspective.

Angiosarcomas of the breast (ASB) are rare, making up to less than 8% of all angiosarcomas. The surgical management for this disease continues to vary throughout centres worldwide due to the current limited evidence. We aim to examine the necessity of axillary lymph node dissection in this pathology through a retrospective study of axillary metastasis and recurrence patterns in patients treated at our institution. A retrospective review of a prospectively-maintained database was performed. All adult patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of ASB seen at the National Cancer Centre Singapore between 2006 and 2019 were identified. Axillary lymph node status, treatment, survival, and recurrence data were collated. Thirteen patients were identified with a confirmed diagnosis of ASB, of which there were 11 primary and 2 secondary angiosarcoma cases. Eight patients had some form of axillary lymph node dissection and 5 did not. No positive nodes were found in any examined axillary nodes despite high median number of nodes harvested (13, range 8-24). 5/13 patients had disease progression, of whom none had locoregional recurrence to the axilla. ASB continues to be rare and recurrent and presents as a challenge to treat. Axillary lymph node involvement is most likely not present in a majority of patients. Prophylactic removal is unwarranted in patients presenting without lymph node involvement due to the lack of axillary metastasis.