Risk Model Establishment of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery for Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis: a Multicenter Study in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is the mainstay treatment for refractory chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Since various factors may contribute to the surgical outcome, it is challenging for physicians to predict surgical outcomes. The aim of study was to analyze the prognostic factors of postoperative outcomes and to establish the prediction model with the risk factors that impact the postoperative outcomes. METHODS: Medical records of CRS patients who underwent ESS at 9 institutions in 2005, 2010, and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. We classified the patients into 2 groups based on postoperative objective endoscopic outcomes. Demographics, nose-specific symptoms, olfactory function, eosinophil counts in blood (EoB) and nasal tissue (EoT), and Lund-Mackay CT score (LMS) were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed and established a prediction equation for postoperative endoscopic objective outcomes. RESULTS: In total (n = 1,249), 27.0% were not satisfied under postoperative endoscopic examination. Of 10 variables, LMS (> 5), sinus dominancy (maxillary sinus and ethmoid sinus), EoB (> 210), and EoT (> 100) were statistically significant in univariate analysis (P < 0.05, all). In multivariate analysis, EoT (> 100) and LMS (> 5) were significantly associated with poor postoperative outcome. Furthermore, 5 significant variables were employed to establish the risk model of postoperative outcomes and P (the value of prediction probability) = 1 / (1 + exp [-0.392 + 1.088 × EoT (> 100) + 0.123 × mean LMS (> 5) - 0.366 × sinus dominancy (maxillary) + 0.064 × sinus dominancy (similar) + 0.200 × EoB (4%) + 0.344 × EoB (> 210)] was developed. CONCLUSION: Tissue eosinophil count and radiographic severity predispose to a poorer outcome of ESS and the risk model established may be helpful to predict postoperative outcomes of ESS.

Prognostic Factors of Patients with Gastric Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor after Curative Resection: A Retrospective Analysis of 406 Consecutive Cases in a Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) have a highly variable clinical course, and recurrent disease sometimes develops despite curative surgery. This study was undertaken to investigate the surgical role in treating gastric GISTs and evaluate the clinicopathological features of a large series of patients who underwent curative resection for gastric GISTs to clarify which features were independent prognostic factors. METHODS: The clinicopathological data of 406 patients with gastric GISTs who underwent curative resection at 4 university hospitals in Daegu, South Korea, from March 1998 to March 2012 were reviewed. All cases were confirmed as gastric GISTs by immunohistochemical staining, in which CD117 or CD34 was positive. Clinical follow-up was performed periodically, and disease-free survival rates were retrospectively investigated using the medical records. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 42.9 months (range: 2-166). There were 11 recurrent patients (2.7%). Due to the small number of recurrences, age, sex and location were controlled using propensity score matching before performing any statistical analysis. Tumor size, mitotic count, NIH classification, and cellularity were judged to be independent prognostic factors for recurrence by univariate analysis. In a multivariate analysis, tumor size and mitotic count were significantly and independently related to recurrence, and tumor size was determined to be the most important prognostic factor for recurrence after curative resection (hazard ratio: 1.204; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this multicenter study demonstrate that disease-free survival rates are good. Tumor size was disclosed as the most important factor for recurrence in gastric GIST patients who underwent radical resection.

Are Only p-Values Less Than 0.05 Significant? A p-Value Greater Than 0.05 Is Also Significant!

Statistical hypothesis testing compares the significance probability value and the significance level value to determine whether or not to reject the null hypothesis. This concludes "significant or not significant." However, since this process is a process of statistical hypothesis testing, the conclusion of "statistically significant or not statistically significant" is more appropriate than the conclusion of "significant or not significant." Also, in many studies, the significance level is set to 0.05 to compare with the significance probability value, p-value. If the p-value is less than 0.05, it is judged as "significant," and if the p-value is greater than 0.05, it is judged as "not significant." However, since the significance probability is a value set by the researcher according to the circumstances of each study, it does not necessarily have to be 0.05. In a statistical hypothesis test, the conclusion depends on the setting of the significance level value, so the researcher must carefully set the significance level value. In this study, the stages of statistical hypothesis testing were examined in detail, and the exact conclusions accordingly and the contents that should be considered carefully when interpreting them were mentioned with emphasis on statistical hypothesis testing and significance level. In 11 original articles published in the Journal of Lipid and Atherosclerosis in 2022, the interpretation of hypothesis testing and the contents of the described conclusions were reviewed from the perspective of statistical hypothesis testing and significance level, and the content that I would like to be supplemented was mentioned.

A model study for the classification of high-risk groups for cardiac arrest in general ward patients using simulation techniques.

Currently, many hospitals use vital signs-based criteria such as modified early warning score (MEWS) and national early warning score (NEWS) to classify high-risk patients for cardiac arrest, but there are limitations in selecting high-risk patients with a possibility of cardiac arrest. The purpose of this study is to develop a cardiac arrest classification model to identify patients at high risk of cardiac arrest based on the patient family and past history, and blood test results after hospitalization, rather than vital signs. This study used electronic medical record (EMR) data from A university hospital, and patients in the high-risk group for cardiac arrest were defined as those who underwent cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after cardiac arrest. Considering the use of the rapid response team of A university hospital, patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICU), emergency medicine departments, psychiatric departments, pediatric departments, cardiology departments, and palliative care wards were excluded. This study included 325,534 patients, of which 3291 low-risk and 382 high-risk patients were selected for study. Data were split into training and validation data sets and univariate analysis was performed for 13 candidate risk factors. Then, multivariate analysis was performed using a bivariate logistic regression model, and an optimal model was selected using simulation analysis. In the training data set, it was calculated as sensitivity 75.25%, precision 21.59%, specificity 66.89%, accuracy 67.79%, F1 score 33.56, area under curve (AUC) 71.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 68.9-73.1 P value=<.001). In the validation data set, sensitivity 73.37%, precision 25.81%, specificity 75.03%, accuracy 74.86%, F1 score 38.19, AUC 74.2 (95% CI = 72.1-76.2, P value=<.001) were calculated. A model for classifying the high-risk group of cardiac arrest should be developed from various perspectives. In the future, in order to classify patients with high risk of cardiac arrest, a prospective study on the combined use of the model developed by this study and NEWS or MEWS should be conducted.

Associations of Polyp Characteristics in Children and Adolescents Presenting with Less Than Five Colorectal Polyps: A Full Colonoscopy Is Still Required.

Background/Aims: A full colonoscopy is currently required in children and adolescents with colorectal polyps, because of their potential of neoplastic transformation and complications such as intussusception. We aimed to analyze the associations of polyp characteristics in children and adolescents with colorectal polyps. Based on these findings, we also aimed to reevaluate the necessity of conducting a full colonoscopy. Methods: Pediatric patients <18 years of age who had undergone a colonoscopic polypectomy and those with <5 colorectal polyps were included in this multicenter, retrospective study. Baseline clinicodemographics, colonoscopic and histologic findings were investigated. Results: A total of 91 patients were included. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that polyp size was the only factor associated with the presence of any polyps located proximal to the splenic flexure (odds ratio [OR], 2.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28 to 4.28; p=0.007). Furthermore, polyp location proximal to the splenic flexure and sessile morphology were associated with the presence of any adenomatous polyp (OR, 8.51; 95% CI, 1.43 to 68.65; p=0.023; OR, 18.41; 95% CI, 3.45 to 173.81; p=0.002, respectively). Conclusions: In children and adolescents presenting with <5 colorectal polyps, polyp size and the presence of any adenomatous polyp were positively associated with polyp location proximal to the splenic flexure. This finding supports the necessity of a full colonoscopic exam in pediatric patients with colorectal polyps for the detection of polyps before the occurrence of complications such as intussusception or neoplastic transformation.

Comprehensive Laboratory Data Analysis to Predict the Clinical Severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in 1,952 Patients in Daegu, Korea.

BACKGROUND: Laboratory parameter abnormalities are commonly observed in COVID-19 patients; however, their clinical significance remains controversial. We assessed the prevalence, characteristics, and clinical impact of laboratory parameters in COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Daegu, Korea. METHODS: We investigated the clinical and laboratory parameters of 1,952 COVID-19 patients on admission in nine hospitals in Daegu, Korea. The average patient age was 58.1 years, and 700 (35.9%) patients were men. The patients were classified into mild (N=1,612), moderate (N=294), and severe (N=46) disease groups based on clinical severity scores. We used chi-square test, multiple comparison analysis, and multinomial logistic regression to evaluate the correlation between laboratory parameters and disease severity. RESULTS: Laboratory parameters on admission in the three disease groups were significantly different in terms of hematologic (Hb, Hct, white blood cell count, lymphocyte%, and platelet count), coagulation (prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time), biochemical (albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, lactate, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and electrolytes), inflammatory (C-reactive protein and procalcitonin), cardiac (creatinine kinase MB isoenzyme and troponin I), and molecular virologic (Ct value of SARS-CoV-2 RdRP gene) parameters. Relative lymphopenia, prothrombin time prolongation, and hypoalbuminemia were significant indicators of COVID-19 severity. Patients with both hypoalbuminemia and lymphopenia had a higher risk of severe COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Laboratory parameter abnormalities on admission are common, are significantly associated with clinical severity, and can serve as independent predictors of COVID-19 severity. Monitoring the laboratory parameters, including albumin and lymphocyte count, is crucial for timely treatment of COVID-19.

Safety and Efficacy of Living Donor Hepatectomy Without Systemic Heparinization: Short- and Long-Term Outcomes.

There is no consensus regarding the use of systemic heparin, and long-term outcomes of living donor hepatectomy (LDH) without systemic heparinization have not yet been determined. This study was performed to determine whether systemic heparinization can be omitted during LDH, with a focus on donor safety and long-term outcomes. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 175 cases of LDH performed in our institution between January 2011 and December 2014: group I (n = 79) received systemic heparinization, whereas group II (n = 96) did not, but liver graft was flushed with a heparinized perfusate. Postoperative bleeding requiring blood transfusion or intervention was more frequent in group I than in group II (P = .028). The decreases in donor hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, and platelet count during the early postoperative period, were greater in group I than in group II. In multivariate analysis, systemic heparin was the only independent risk factor for blood transfusion (odds ratio [OR] = 5.114; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.201-21.775; P = .027) and significant postoperative bleeding (OR = 7.731; 95% CI: 1.345-44.429; P = .022) after LDH. Most postoperative complications including graft vascular thrombosis were similar between the 2 groups, as was the survival rate, and neither graft loss due to vascular thrombosis nor non-anastomotic biliary stricture was evident. In conclusion, omission of systemic heparinization during LDH is a feasible and safe option without adverse effects.

Melanoma antigen-encoding gene family member A1-6 and hTERT in the detection of circulating tumor cells following CD45- depletion and RNA extraction.

A total of 76 blood samples from patients without malignant disease and 107 blood samples from patients with malignant disease were investigated for the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). To detect CTCs, hematopoietic cells were removed from the blood samples and different RNA extraction methods were used to amplify the melanoma antigen-encoding gene family member A1-family member A6 (MAGE A1-6) and the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene as potential CTC markers. Comparison between four methods for extracting RNA from the blood was performed. The samples were enriched by cluster of differentiation 45 (CD45) antibody capturing, and the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the MAGE A1-6 and hTERT genes. MAGE A1-6 and hTERT gene expression levels were also evaluated in 14 cancer cell lines, and the MAGE A1-6 and hTERT expression levels were 85.7 and 100%, respectively. The RNeasy method demonstrated the most sensitivity in the SNU1 cells mixed with blood, although the differences between methods was non-significant. The positive expression levels of MAGE A1-6 and hTERT was 11.8% in the control group and 58.9% in those with malignant disease. In the 70 patients with colorectal cancer, positive expression levels of MAGE A1-6 or hTERT were significantly higher in stages T3 and T4 compared with in stages T1 and T2. The CTC detection method involving CD45 antibody capture, RNA extraction and MAGE A1-6 and hTERT reverse transcription resulted in good rates of sensitivity and specificity. Thus, the present study concluded that MAGE A1-6 and hTERT genes may be potential and practical markers for CTCs in a clinical setting.

Comparison of short-term outcomes and acute inflammatory response between laparoscopy-assisted and totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic gastrectomy is widely used to treat early gastric cancer. The advantages of totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG) are unproven, and some concerns remain regarding the early surgical outcomes due to its technical difficulty. We compared the early surgical outcomes and acute inflammatory response between patients undergoing TLDG and laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) for treatment of early gastric cancer. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on 212 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer between January 2008 and June 2014. A total of 179 LADG cases and 33 TLDG cases were included. After age, sex, body mass index, and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status score were matched using propensity score matching (PSM), we compared the short-term surgical outcomes between the LADG and TLDG groups. RESULTS: The TLDG group had a shorter hospital stay (9.5 days vs. 11.0 days, P = 0.046) and less blood loss (116.6 mL vs. 141.5 mL, P = 0.031) than those in the LADG group. There were no differences in the preoperative WBC count and CRP level and the other clinical data between the two groups after PSM. Postoperative WBC count, serum CRP level, and decrease rate of WBC count in the TLDG group were significantly lower than those in the LADG group. CONCLUSION: The short-term outcomes of TLDG revealed better than that of LADG in this study. Therefore, TLDG is one of the safe and feasible procedure for the treatment of early gastric cancer.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) of the stomach: a multicenter, retrospective study of curatively resected gastric GISTs.

PURPOSE: The standard treatment for primary localized gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is surgical resection. The clinical behavior of gastric GIST after surgical resection is extremely variable. We conducted a multicenter, retrospective study of gastric GISTs patients who underwent curative surgical resection to evaluate clinical features and the prognosis of surgically treated gastric GISTs. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on 406 consecutive patients who underwent curative resections for localized gastric GIST at four university hospitals in Daegu, Korea, between March 1998 and March 2012. The retrospectively collected medical records were reviewed with respect to clinical parameters including age, gender, tumor location, surgical approach, and recurrence. RESULTS: There were 406 patients: 157 males (38.7%) and 249 females (61.3%), with a mean age of 60.8 ± 10.8 (standard deviation) years. The mean tumor size was 4.9 cm (range, 0.3-29 cm). Curative surgical resection was performed in all patients without tumor rupture or spillage. Laparoscopic wedge resections were performed in 156 patients (38.4%) and open resections in 250 patients (61.6%). The tumor size of the laparoscopic wedge resection group was smaller than that of open resection group (3.45 cm vs. 5.46 cm; P < 0.001). There were 11 recurrent cases (2.7%). No recurrence was observed in patients who underwent laparoscopic wedge resections. CONCLUSION: Gastric GISTs had a low recurrence rate after curative resection in our series. Laparoscopic gastric wedge resection is feasible for treating gastric GISTs in selected patients.