Impact of perioperative airway pathogens on living-donor lobar lung transplantation outcomes.

PURPOSE: To elucidate the clinical impact of pathogenic organism (PO) positivity early after transplantation, we evaluated the impact of perioperative airway POs on outcomes after living-donor lobar lung transplantation (LDLLT), where the graft airway is supposed to be sterile from a healthy donor. METHOD: A retrospective review of 67 adult LDLLT procedures involving 132 living donors was performed. Presence of POs in the recipients' airways was evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively in intensive-care units. RESULTS: POs were detected preoperatively in 13 (19.4%) recipients. No POs were isolated from the donor airways at transplantation. POs were detected in 39 (58.2%) recipients postoperatively; most were different from the POs isolated preoperatively. Postoperative PO isolation was not associated with short-term outcomes other than prolonged postoperative ventilation. The 5-year overall survival was significantly better in the PO-negative group than in the PO-positive group (89.1% vs. 63.7%, P = 0.014). In the multivariate analysis, advanced age (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.041 per 1-year increase, P = 0.033) and posttransplant PO positivity in the airway (HR: 3.684, P = 0.019) significantly affected the survival. CONCLUSIONS: The airways of the living-donor grafts were microbiologically sterile. PO positivity in the airway early after transplantation negatively impacted long-term outcomes.

Circulating microRNA Panel for Prediction of Recurrence and Survival in Early-Stage Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients remain at substantial risk for recurrence and disease-related death, highlighting the unmet need of biomarkers for the assessment and identification of those in an early stage who would likely benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. To identify circulating miRNAs useful for predicting recurrence in early-stage LUAD, we performed miRNA microarray analysis with pools of pretreatment plasma samples from patients with stage I LUAD who developed recurrence or remained recurrence-free during the follow-up period. Subsequent validation in 85 patients with stage I LUAD resulted in the development of a circulating miRNA panel comprising miR-23a-3p, miR-320c, and miR-125b-5p and yielding an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.776 in predicting recurrence. Furthermore, the three-miRNA panel yielded an AUC of 0.804, with a sensitivity of 45.8% at 95% specificity in the independent test set of 57 stage I and II LUAD patients. The miRNA panel score was a significant and independent factor for predicting disease-free survival (p < 0.001, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.51-4.22) and overall survival (p = 0.001, HR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.17-1.94). This circulating miRNA panel is a useful noninvasive tool to stratify early-stage LUAD patients and determine an appropriate treatment plan with maximal efficacy.

Long-term outcomes following surgical treatment for thymic epithelial tumor in Japan and an analysis of prognostic factors based on the Japanese Association for Research on the Thymus nationwide database.

PURPOSE: Patients with a thymic epithelial tumor (TET), comprising thymoma, thymic carcinoma (TC), and thymic neuroendocrine neoplasm (TNEN), are rarely encountered. The present study was conducted to determine the recent outcomes of surgical treatment for TET in Japan and clarify the significance of prognostic factors by analyzing a nationwide database created by the Japanese Association for Research on the Thymus (JART). METHODS: The JART database includes records of 2471 thymoma, 285 TC, and 56 TNEN cases surgically treated between 1991 and 2010. At the time of the final follow-up examination, 439 patients had died, with tumor the cause of death in 188. The disease-specific survival was examined using the Kaplan-Meier method, with Cox's proportional hazards model utilized to determine independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: The 10-year survival rate according to TNM-based Stage I, II, IIIA, IIIB, IVA, and IVB classification was 98.7%, 76.8%, 85.0%, 68.9%, 66.2%, and 59.8%, respectively. The T factor, M factor, and tumor size were independent prognostic factors in both thymoma and thymic carcinoma cases, while the N factor had tendency to be a prognostic factor in thymoma but not in thymic carcinoma cases. The WHO histological type was an independent factor in thymoma cases. CONCLUSION: The significance of pathology and TNM classification as prognostic factors was confirmed.

[Robot-assisted Extended Thymectomy via a Bilateral Approach for Patients with Myasthenia Gravis].

Extended thymectomy is a procedure to remove the thymus gland and surrounding adipose tissue, while the traditional approach via a median sternotomy, minimally invasive approaches such as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) have been adopted. This report described the technique of bilateral approach for extended thymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) by robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, and also showed the perioperative outcomes and postoperative exacerbation rates of 11 patients. In most patients, score of MG symptom were reduced and levels of anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies declined postoperatively. In a small number of cases, the safety and efficacy of a RATS bilateral approach for extended thymectomy were confirmed.

[Postoperative Complications of Open Window Thoracostomy:Report of a Case].

While open window thoracostomy is used to treat empyema with a high rate of infection control, it is an invasive procedure that leads to a decline in the quality of life. An 80-year-old man who had undergone wedge resection for pulmonary nodules subsequently developed postoperative empyema and underwent open window thoracostomy. After thoracostomy, the patient developed several complications, including bleeding from the lung surface and air leakage. Window closure was planned at this time;however, the plan was scuttled due to his low nutritional status and pulmonary air leakage. After the patient's condition improved with persistent conservative treatment, window closure was performed, and he overcame his complications. Patients with postoperative empyema requiring thoracostomy are at a high risk of developing postoperative complications. Therefore, it is important to manage the patients' condition persistently so that they can receive window closure at an appropriate time.

Predictive value of EGFR mutation in non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with platinum doublet postoperative chemotherapy.

The mutation status of tumor tissue DNA (n = 389) of resected stage II-III non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (Ns-NSCLC) was analyzed using targeted deep sequencing as an exploratory biomarker study (JIPANG-TR) for the JIPANG study, a randomized phase III study of pemetrexed/cisplatin (Pem/Cis) vs vinorelbine/cisplatin (Vnr/Cis). The TP53 mutation, common EGFR mutations (exon 19 deletion and L858R), and KRAS mutations were frequently detected. The frequency of the EGFR mutation was significant among female patients. Patients with an EGFR mutation-positive status had a significantly shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS) time (24 mo vs not reached) (HR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.22-2.21; P = .0011 for EGFR mutation status). Multivariable analysis identified both the pathological stage and EGFR mutation status as independent prognostic factors for RFS (HR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.30-2.44; P = .0003 for disease stage; and HR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.15-2.16; P = .0050 for EGFR mutation status). This study demonstrated that the EGFR mutation has either a poor prognostic or predictive impact on a poor response to postoperative chemotherapy with platinum doublet chemotherapy for stage II-III Ns-NSCLC patients. This result supports a role for mandatory molecular diagnosis of early-stage Ns-NSCLC for precision oncology and signifies the importance of adjuvant for the 3rd generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor rather than platinum-based chemotherapy. This study is registered with the UMIN Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN 000012237).

Pleural Invasion Depth of Disseminated Nodules in Patients with Stage IVa or Recurrent Thymoma: Assessment, Curative Impact, and Surgical Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Thymoma patients with pleural dissemination are difficult to manage, and their treatment strategy remains undefined. This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathologic features of these patients, focusing on the association between the depth of pleural invasion and prognosis. METHODS: Between 2003 and 2019, the study identified 120 disseminated lesions in 20 thymoma patients. Seven patients had de novo stage IVa thymoma and 13 were recurrent cases. Extrapleural pneumonectomy was performed for 8 patients and debulking surgery for 12 patients. Invasion depth of pleural tumors was classified into two groups: when the disseminated tumors invaded the pleura beneath the elastic layer, the tumor was diagnosed as Da, and when the disseminated tumors invaded the pleura beyond the elastic layer, the tumor was diagnosed as Db. RESULTS: Of 120 nodules, 31 (26%), found in eight patients with recurrent malignancies, were classified as Db. The pathologic status of the surgical margin (PSM) was positive in eight patients, seven of whom had Db nodules. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 100% in the Da group and 75% in the Db group (P = 0.02). The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 66.7% in the Da group and 25% in the Db group (P = 0.02). Cox univariate analysis showed that PFS was significantly influenced by the depth of invasion (P = 0.04) and PSM (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Depth of pleural invasion may influence survival outcomes for thymoma patients with pleural dissemination. The patients in this study with Da-disseminated nodules had an increased probability of a longer OS and PFS and tended to achieve negative PSM compared with the patients with Db.

Changes in the health-related quality of life and social reintegration status after lung transplantation following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PURPOSE: Late-onset non-infectious pulmonary complications (LONIPCs) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are fatal; however, lung transplantation might achieve good survival. Nevertheless, improving the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is still a major concern. This study aimed to investigate, in detail, the recovery in HRQoL and social reintegration status after lung transplantation in patients with LONIPC after allo-HSCT. METHODS: This prospective cohort study involving 18 patients examined changes in the health and social reintegration status after lung transplantation following LONIPC. RESULTS: Physical function and HRQoL were lowest before lung transplantation. Two years after lung transplantation, the dyspnea scores and performance status improved. Most patients had made a successful return to society, and patients who achieved social reintegration were significantly younger and had a good performance status. However, their Physical Functioning score and Physical Component Summary did not show significant improvement after lung transplantation. Moreover, recipients who were unemployed before lung transplantation were likely to remain unemployed and continued to show poor HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed poor recovery of HRQoL, especially in terms of physical function, and the likelihood of failure to reintegrate into society within 2 years after lung transplantation. It is necessary to consider long-term follow-up and physical training to improve social reintegration and HRQoL.

Patient-reported dyspnea and health predict waitlist mortality in patients waiting for lung transplantation in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Waitlist mortality due to donor shortage for lung transplantation is a serious problem worldwide. Currently, the selection of recipients in Japan is mainly based on the registration order. Hence, scientific evidence for risk stratification regarding waitlist mortality is urgently needed. We hypothesized that patient-reported dyspnea and health would predict mortality in patients waitlisted for lung transplantation. METHODS: We analyzed factors related to waitlist mortality using data of 203 patients who were registered as candidates for lung transplantation from deceased donors. Dyspnea was evaluated using the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, and the health status was determined with St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). RESULTS: Among 197 patients who met the inclusion criteria, the main underlying disease was interstitial lung disease (99 patients). During the median follow-up period of 572 days, 72 patients died and 96 received lung transplantation (69 from deceased donors). Univariable competing risk analyses revealed that both mMRC dyspnea and SGRQ Total score were significantly associated with waitlist mortality (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively) as well as age, interstitial lung disease, arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and forced vital capacity. Multivariable competing risk analyses revealed that the mMRC and SGRQ score were associated with waitlist mortality in addition to age and interstitial lung disease. CONCLUSIONS: Both mMRC dyspnea and SGRQ score were significantly associated with waitlist mortality, in addition to other clinical variables such as patients' background, underlying disease, and pulmonary function. Patient-reported dyspnea and health may be measured through multi-dimensional analysis (including subjective perceptions) and for risk stratification regarding waitlist mortality.

Impacts of single nucleotide polymorphisms in Fc gamma receptor IIA (rs1801274) on lung transplant outcomes among Japanese lung transplant recipients.

This study aimed to analyze the influences of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Fc gamma receptor IIA (FCGR2A) on postoperative outcomes after lung transplantation (LTx). We enrolled 191 lung transplant recipients [80 undergoing living-donor lobar lung transplants (LDLLTs) and 111 undergoing deceased-donor lung transplants (DDLTs)] in this study. We identified SNPs in FCGR2A (131 histidine [H] or arginine [R]; rs1801274) and reviewed the infectious complication-free survival after ICU discharge. The SNPs in FCGR2A comprised H/H (n = 53), H/R (n = 24), and R/R (n = 3) in LDLLT and H/H (n = 67), H/R (n = 42), and R/R (n = 2) in DDLT. Recipients with H/H (H/H group) and those with H/R or R/R (R group) were compared in the analyses of infectious complications. In multivariate analyses, the R group of SNPs in FCGR2A was associated with pneumonia-free survival {HR: 2.52 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.35-4.71], P = 0.004}, fungal infection-free survival [HR: 2.50 (95% CI: 1.07-5.84), P = 0.035], and cytomegalovirus infection-free survival [HR: 2.24 (95% CI: 1.07-4.69), P = 0.032] in LDLLT, but it was not associated with infectious complication-free survival in DDLT. Therefore, in LDLLT, more attention to infectious complications might need to be paid for LTx recipients with H/R or R/R than for those with H/H.

Physical function after lung transplantation for late-onset noninfectious pulmonary complications after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PURPOSE: Late-onset noninfectious pulmonary complications (LONIPCs) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) are fatal, and lung transplantation is the only curative treatment. Although lung transplantation for LONIPCs may confer good survival rates, it is unclear whether or how impaired physical functioning is restored. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the long-term course and associated changes in physical functions after lung transplantation in patients with LONIPCs after allo-HSCT. METHODS: This prospective cohort study enrolled 15 patients who received lung transplantation for LONIPCs after allo-HSCT between 2012 and 2018. Dyspnea scores, performance status, physical function, and exercise tolerance were assessed before lung transplantation and up to 2 years after transplantation. RESULTS: Two years after lung transplantation, the dyspnea scores and performance status improved, but did not recover completely. Physical function was assessed using the knee extensor strength (KES) and 6-min walk test (6MWT); the results were poor until 3 months after transplantation but improved over 2 years. The 6MWT distance showed improvement to a nearly healthy level (562.7 m). Recovery of exercise tolerance was associated with recovery in % vital capacity (%VC; r=0.5) and KES (r=0.4) from 3 months to 2 years after lung transplantation. Furthermore, a flat thorax, which is a characteristic of patients with LONIPCs, affected the %VC at 2 years after transplantation (r=0.8). CONCLUSION: Lung transplantation for LONIPCs may restore impaired physical function. A multifaceted rehabilitation program should be considered, especially to improve muscle weakness and pulmonary function.

Sleep quality and its association with health-related quality of life of patients on lung transplantation waitlist in Japan.

PURPOSE: Poor quality of sleep is a common feature in patients with various lung diseases and affects their health-related quality of life (HRQL). We evaluated sleep quality and HRQL in patients on the waitlist for lung transplantation in Japan. METHODS: In this prospective study, patient-reported and physiological data were collected from patients newly registered on the waitlist for lung transplantation in Japan. Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and HRQL using the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). The frequency of poor sleep quality, correlations between sleep quality and various clinical parameters, and predictive factors of sleep quality were examined. RESULTS: Of 193 patients, the three most-frequent indications for lung transplantation were interstitial pneumonia (n = 96), pulmonary complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (n = 25), and pulmonary hypertension (n = 17). Poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5) was observed in 102 patients (53%) and was significantly associated with worse Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score (HADS), worse SGRQ score, worse modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea score, and shorter 6-min walk distance. However, it was not associated with sex, pulmonary function, interstitial pneumonia, or arterial blood gas. Stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that poor sleep quality was explained significantly by HADS anxiety (23%) and SGRQ Symptoms (10%). CONCLUSION: Poor sleep quality was found to be common among patients on the lung transplantation waitlist in Japan. The two most significant factors responsible for impaired sleep quality were anxiety and respiratory symptoms. Additional care should be taken to ensuring a better quality of sleep for such patients.

[Retransplantation after Bilateral Living-donor Lobar Lung Transplantation].

Living-donor lobar lung transplantation( LDLLT) is an established therapy for patients with end-stage lung disease, but living-donor lobar lung retransplantation (re-LDLLT) is rarely reported. We previously reported a case of unilateral antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) after bilateral LDLLT in the presence of newly formed donor-specific antibodies against a right-lobe donor. The same patient developed contralateral bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), resulting in bilateral BOS. Re-LDLLT was performed under extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Eight and a half years after re-LDLLT, the patient is doing well without any anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies. Four lobes from four different donors were transplanted in this patient. Herein, we report this rare case and discuss several issues in comparison with the findings in the previously reported similar cases.

Living-donor single-lobe lung transplantation for pulmonary hypertension due to alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins.

This is a case report of a successful single-lobe lung transplantation for pulmonary hypertension secondary to alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins (ACD/MPV). A 6-year-old boy underwent living-donor single-lobe transplantation with the right lower lobe from his 31-year-old mother. The pretransplantation graft size matching was acceptable: the estimated graft forced vital capacity (FVC) was 96.5% of the recipient's predicted FVC, and the graft size measured by computed tomography (CT) volumetry was 166% of the recipient's chest cavity volume. Right pneumonectomy followed by implantation was performed under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The pulmonary arterial pressure was significantly decreased to 31/12 mm Hg immediately after transplantation, and the first PaO2 /FiO2 in the intensive-care unit (ICU) was 422 mm Hg. Lung perfusion scintigraphy showed 97.5% perfusion to the right implanted lung 3 months after transplantation. Chest CT showed a mass rapidly growing in the native left upper lobe 6 months after transplantation, which was diagnosed as posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) by a CT-guided biopsy. After immunosuppressant reduction and six courses of chemotherapy with rituximab, he underwent native left upper lobectomy for salvage lung resection 13 months after transplantation. Seven months after lobectomy, he has returned to normal school life without any sign of tumor recurrence.

Diameter of the dilated main pulmonary artery in patients with pulmonary hypertension decreases after lung transplantation.

PURPOSE: The pulmonary artery (PA) in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) becomes dilated. We analyzed the postoperative changes of the main PA after lung transplantation (LuTx). METHODS: The subjects of this retrospective study were 68 LuTx recipients, divided into a PH group (n = 36) and a non-PH group (n = 32), based on preoperative right heart catheterization findings. The PA diameter was measured on chest computed tomography. We evaluated the correlation between the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) and the main PA diameter and compared the main PA diameters before and 3 months after LuTx. RESULTS: The main PA diameter was significantly correlated with the mPAP (r = 0.423, P < 0.001). Preoperatively, the mean main PA diameter in the PH group was significantly greater than that in the non-PH group. However, by 3 months after LuTx, the main PA diameter in the PH group had decreased significantly from 32.4 ± 6.7 to 26.9 ± 4.8 mm (P < 0.001), while that in the non-PH group had decreased minimally from 28.3 ± 4.9 to 26.4 ± 4.6 mm (P < 0.001), resulting in no significant difference in postoperative main PA diameters between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The main PA diameter in recipients with PH was enlarged and correlated with the mPAP. The dilated main PA diameter in PH patients decreased shortly after LuTx.

Diagnostic yield of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration to assess tumor-programmed cell death ligand-1 expression in mediastinal lymph nodes metastasized from non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: We investigated the utility of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) to evaluate programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA between April 2017 and April 2019 was conducted. Among patients diagnosed with NSCLC, we investigated the rate of successful evaluation of tumor PD-L1 expression, compared the relevant factors between patients with evaluable and those with unevaluable PD-L1 expression, and examined the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) after EBUS-TBNA. RESULTS: Of the 40 patients assessed, 32 (80%) had evaluable PD-L1 expression. Patients with evaluable PD-L1 expression were older than those with unevaluable PD-L1 expression (p = 0.017), and we noted a tendency for a larger diameter of the biopsied lymph node (p = 0.12). The response rate to ICIs was 100% in patients with a tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥ 50%, 33% in those with a TPS 1-49%, and 0% in those with a TPS < 1%. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA to evaluate PD-L1 expression in advanced NSCLC appeared acceptable in association with relevant clinical outcomes after treatment with ICIs. A further prospective study with a larger sample size is required to confirm our findings.

Trametinib Attenuates Delayed Rejection and Preserves Thymic Function in Rat Lung Transplantation.

Delayed immunological rejection after human lung transplantation causes chronic lung allograft dysfunction, which is associated with high mortality. Delayed rejection may be attributable to indirect alloantigen presentation by host antigen-presenting cells; however, its pathophysiology is not fully understood. The mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway is activated in T cells upon stimulation, and we previously showed that the MEK inhibitor, trametinib, suppresses graft-versus-host disease after murine bone marrow transplantation. We investigated whether trametinib suppresses graft rejection after two types of rat lung transplantation and analyzed its immunological mode of action. Major histocompatibility complex-mismatched transplantation from brown Norway rats into Lewis rats and minor histocompatibility antigen-mismatched transplantation from Fischer 344 rats into Lewis rats were performed. Cyclosporine (CsA) and/or trametinib were administered alone or consecutively. Acute and delayed rejection, lymphocyte infiltration, and pulmonary function were evaluated. Administration of trametinib after CsA suppressed delayed rejection, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrosis within the graft, and preserved pulmonary functions at Day 28. Trametinib suppressed functional differentiation of T and B cells in the periphery but preserved thymic T cell differentiation. Donor B cells within the graft disappeared by Day 14, indicating that delayed graft rejection at Day 28 was mainly due to indirect presentation by host antigen-presenting cells. Finally, trametinib administration without CsA preconditioning suppressed rejection after minor histocompatibility antigen-mismatched transplantation. Trametinib attenuates delayed rejection upon major histocompatibility complex-mismatched transplantation by suppressing indirect presentation and is a promising candidate to treat chronic lung allograft dysfunction in humans.

Nutrition-related factors associated with waiting list mortality in patients with interstitial lung disease: A retrospective cohort study.

Japanese patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) sometimes die waiting for lung transplantation (LTx) because it takes about 2 years to receive it in Japan. We evaluated nutrition-related factors associated with waiting list mortality. Seventy-six ILD patients were hospitalized in Kyoto University Hospital at registration for LTx from 2013 to 2015. Among them, 40 patients were included and analyzed. Patient background was as follows: female, 30%; age, 50.3 ± 6.9 years; body mass index, 21.1 ± 4.0 kg/m2 ; 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), 356 ± 172 m; serum albumin, 3.8 ± 0.4 g/dL; serum transthyretin (TTR), 25.3 ± 7.5 mg/dL; and C-reactive protein, 0.5 ± 0.5 mg/dL. Median observational period was 497 (range 97-1015) days, and median survival time was 550 (95% CI 414-686) days. Survival rate was 47.5%, and mortality rate was 38.7/100 person-years. Cox analyses showed that TTR (HR 0.791, 95% CI 0.633-0.988) and 6MWD (HR 0.795, 95% CI 0.674-0.938) were independently correlated with mortality and were influenced by body fat mass and leg skeletal muscle mass, respectively. It is suggested that nutritional markers and exercise capacity are important prognostic markers in waitlisted patients, but further study is needed to determine whether nutritional intervention or exercise can change outcomes.

Survival outcomes after minimally invasive thymectomy for early-stage thymic carcinoma.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has occasionally been used for selected patients with thymoma, but there is little information on the MIS approach for thymic carcinoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate survival outcomes after MIS for early-stage (Masaoka stage I-II) thymic carcinoma and thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma. A retrospective chart review of the cases recorded in our multi-institutional database was performed to identify patients who underwent resection for thymic carcinoma between 1995 and 2017. MIS thymectomy was performed in 17 cases (VATS, n = 14; RATS, n = 3. male, 41%; median age, 72 years). The median follow-up period was 32.7 (range 7.4-106) months. The five-year overall survival and relapse-free survival rates were 84.4% and 77.8%, respectively. The present study demonstrated encouraging preliminary results regarding MIS for the treatment of early-stage thymic carcinoma and thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma. Further studies with a larger sample size are required to evaluate the indications for this surgery.

GATA6-positive lung adenocarcinomas are associated with invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma morphology, hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α expression, and KRAS mutations.

AIMS: GATA6 is known to play a role in lung development. However, its role in the carcinogenesis of lung cancer is not well studied. The aim of this study was to analyse GATA6 expression in lung adenocarcinomas (LAs) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in order to define its association with clinicopathological characteristics. METHODS AND RESULTS: IHC analysis of GATA6 was performed with tissue microarray slides containing 348 LAs. The association between GATA6 expression and clinicopathological parameters was evaluated. GATA6 expression in epithelial tumours other than lung cancer was also evaluated. GATA6 expression was found in 47 LAs (13.5%). This occurred more frequently in younger patients (P = 0.005), and was associated with the absence of lymph node metastasis (P =0.024), well-differentiated to moderately differentiated tumours (P < 0.001), the absence of lymphatic invasion (P = 0.020), and the absence of vascular invasion (P = 0.011). GATA6 expression was associated with mucin production (P < 0.001), the invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma subtype (P < 0.001), KRAS mutations (P = 0.026), expression of MUC2 (P < 0.001), CDX2 (P = 0.049), and MUC5AC (P < 0.001), and absence of expression of TTF-1 (P = 0.002). GATA6 expression was also associated with hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) expression (P < 0.001). GATA6 expression tended to indicate better prognoses, whereas patients with HNF4α expression had significantly worse prognoses (P = 0.033). Of 270 tumours other than lung cancer, 110 expressed GATA6. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that GATA6 might interact with HNF4α and contribute to the development of mucinous-type LAs.