Gastrointestinal metastases in renal cell carcinoma: A retrospective multicenter GETUG (Groupe d'Étude des Tumeurs Uro-Génitales) study.

BACKGROUND: Among patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), bone and visceral metastases have a poor prognosis, while endocrine gland metastases have a more favorable prognosis. Gastrointestinal metastases (GIMs) are rare, and their prognosis is still poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: To report clinical presentations, patient characteristics, therapeutic strategies, and prognosis of GIMs from RCC. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data from RCC patients presenting GIMs, in 10 French GETUG centers, between 2000 and 2021. RESULTS: We identified 74 patients with 87 GIMs, mostly gastric or duodenal. The median age at GIM diagnosis was 69 years and 76% of patients already had other metastases. GIMs occurred after a median duration of 5.4 years (IC95%=[4.2-7.1]) and 1.9 years (IC95%=[1.2-3.8]) from RCC diagnosis and first metastasis, respectively. GIMs were symptomatic in 52 patients (70%), with anemia in 41 patients (55%) and/or gastrointestinal bleeding in 31 patients (42%). Only 22 asymptomatic patients (30%) were fortuitously diagnosed. GIM management consisted of systemic treatment only in 29 GIMs (33%), local treatment only in 23 GIMs (26%), and both local and systemic treatment in 18 GIMs (21%). For 17 GIMs (20%), there was no therapeutic modification. After diagnosis of GIM, median overall survival was 19 months. CONCLUSION: We report the largest retrospective cohort of GIMs in RCC patients. They should be suspected in case of anemia or gastrointestinal bleeding in any patient with a history of RCC. Their management varies widely depending on their location in the digestive tract and whether or not they are symptomatic.

Spanish LupusPRO: cross-cultural validation study for lupus.

PURPOSE: LupusPRO is a disease-targeted, patient-reported, outcome measure that was developed and validated among US patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To expand the availability and use of the tool, we undertook a cross-cultural adaptation and validation study of the Spanish-translated version of the LupusPRO. METHOD: Forward and back translations of the 43-item English LupusPRO were undertaken and pretested in five individuals. The finalized Spanish version was administered to 211 SLE patients of Hispanic ancestry from the US and Latin America. Short Form-36 (Spanish) and Spanish LupusPRO were also administered. Disease activity was ascertained using the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index. A Spanish LupusPRO questionnaire that could be completed within 2-3 days was mailed to SLE patients of Hispanic ancestry and they mailed it back. Internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, criterion validity (against disease activity or health status) and convergent validity were tested. All reported p values are two-tailed. RESULTS: A total of 211 Spanish-speaking SLE patients (90% women) participated. Test-retest reliability of LupusPRO domains ranged from 0.80-0.95, while internal consistency reliability of the domains ranged from 0.71-0.96. Convergent validity with corresponding domains of the SF-36 was present. All health-related quality of life domains of the LupusPRO (except procreation) performed well against disease activity measures, establishing its criterion validity. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit. CONCLUSION: The Spanish LupusPRO has fair psychometric properties and is now available to be included in clinical trials and in longitudinal studies for testing of responsiveness to change.

Hydrodistillation-adsorption method for the isolation of water-soluble, non-soluble and high volatile compounds from plant materials.

Proposed method of hydrodistillation-adsorption (HDA) on activated carbon and hydrodistillation (HD) with solvent trap were compared for the isolation of water-soluble, non-soluble and high volatile compounds, such as acids, monoterpenes, isothiocyanates and others from carob (Certonia siliqua L.), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and rocket (Eruca sativa L.). Isolated volatiles were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The main advantages of HDA method over ubiquitous HD method were higher yields of volatile compounds and their simultaneous separation in three fractions that enabled more detail analyses. This method is particularly suitable for the isolation and analysis of the plant volatiles with high amounts of water-soluble compounds. In distinction from previously published adsorption of remaining volatile compounds from distillation water on activated carbon, this method offers simultaneous hydrodistillation and adsorption in the same apparatus.