Prognostic evaluation of quick sequential organ failure assessment score in ICU patients with sepsis across different income settings.

BACKGROUND: There is conflicting evidence on association between quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) and sepsis mortality in ICU patients. The primary aim of this study was to determine the association between qSOFA and 28-day mortality in ICU patients admitted for sepsis. Association of qSOFA with early (3-day), medium (28-day), late (90-day) mortality was assessed in low and lower middle income (LLMIC), upper middle income (UMIC) and high income (HIC) countries/regions. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of the MOSAICS II study, an international prospective observational study on sepsis epidemiology in Asian ICUs. Associations between qSOFA at ICU admission and mortality were separately assessed in LLMIC, UMIC and HIC countries/regions. Modified Poisson regression was used to determine the adjusted relative risk (RR) of qSOFA score on mortality at 28 days with adjustments for confounders identified in the MOSAICS II study. RESULTS: Among the MOSAICS II study cohort of 4980 patients, 4826 patients from 343 ICUs and 22 countries were included in this secondary analysis. Higher qSOFA was associated with increasing 28-day mortality, but this was only observed in LLMIC (p < 0.001) and UMIC (p < 0.001) and not HIC (p = 0.220) countries/regions. Similarly, higher 90-day mortality was associated with increased qSOFA in LLMIC (p < 0.001) and UMIC (p < 0.001) only. In contrast, higher 3-day mortality with increasing qSOFA score was observed across all income countries/regions (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that qSOFA remained associated with 28-day mortality (adjusted RR 1.09 (1.00-1.18), p = 0.038) even after adjustments for covariates including APACHE II, SOFA, income country/region and administration of antibiotics within 3 h. CONCLUSIONS: qSOFA was independently associated with 28-day mortality in ICU patients admitted for sepsis. In LLMIC and UMIC countries/regions, qSOFA was associated with early to late mortality but only early mortality in HIC countries/regions.

The importance of high total body water/fat free mass ratio and serial changes in body composition for predicting hospital mortality in patients with severe pneumonia: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of body composition variables on hospital mortality compared to other predictive factors among patients with severe pneumonia. Additionally, we aimed to monitor the dynamic changes in body composition variables over the course on days 1, 3, and 8 after intensive care unit (ICU) admission for each patient. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study, enrolling patients with severe pneumonia admitted to the medical intensive care unit at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from February 2020 to April 2022. We collected clinical data from all patients and assessed their body composition at 1, 3, and 8 days post-ICU admission. On day 1, we analyzed clinical and body composition variables to predict in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis identified the Modified Nutrition Risk in the Critically Ill (mNUTRIC) score and the ratio of total body water to fat-free mass (TBW/FFM) as independent factors associated with in-hospital mortality in severe pneumonia patients. Receiver operating characteristic analysis determined that the TBW/FFM ratio was the most reliable predictive parameter of in-hospital mortality, with a cutoff value of 0.74. General linear regression with repeated measures analysis showed that hospital non-survivors displayed notable fluctuations in body water, fat, and muscle variables over the course of days 1, 3, and 8 after ICU admission. CONCLUSIONS: The mNUTRIC score and TBW/FFM ratio emerged as independent factors for predicting hospital mortality, with the TBW/FFM ratio demonstrating the highest reliability as a predictive parameter.

Exploration of immunotherapy in advanced pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma.

Pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (PLELC) is a rare and histologically distinctive subtype of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). High expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and scarcity of druggable driver mutations raise the potential of immunotherapy for advanced PELEC. However, evidence on the clinical impact of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remained limited and unconvincing. The present study retrospectively enrolled advanced PLELC patients who received ICIs either as up-front or salvage therapy in SYSUCC between March 15, 2017 and March 15, 2022. The comparative efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy vs chemotherapy in the first-line setting and chemoimmunotherapy vs ICIs monotherapy in the ≥2 line setting was investigated. A total of 96 patients were finally enrolled; 49 PLELC patients received immunotherapy plus platinum-based chemotherapy, while 45 patients received platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment. Patients with chemoimmunotherapy significantly obtain more survival benefits than those receiving chemotherapy (median progression-free survival [PFS]: 15.6 vs 8.6 months, P = .0015). Additionally, patients with chemoimmunotherapy obtained more PFS benefits than those with ICIs monotherapy in the ≥2 line of therapy (median PFS: 21.7 months vs 7.8 months, P = .094). A significant correlation was observed between prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and favorable treatment outcomes in patients receiving first-line chemoimmunotherapy (median PFS: 17.8 months vs 7.6 months, P < .0001). Likewise, patients in the monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR)-high group had significantly shorter PFS than the MLR-low group (median PFS: 11.2 months vs not reached, P = .0009). Our study elucidated the superior efficacy of ICIs therapy, especially chemoimmunotherapy in advanced PLELC, which may provide new insight into the role of immunotherapy in advanced PLELC.

Safety and Clinical Activity of SHR7390 Monotherapy or Combined With Camrelizumab for Advanced Solid Tumor: Results From Two Phase I Trials.

BACKGROUND: SHR7390 is a novel, selective MEK1/2 inhibitor. Here, we report results from two phase I trials conducted to evaluate the tolerability, safety and antitumor activity of SHR7390 monotherapy for advanced solid tumors and SHR7390 plus camrelizumab for treatment-refractory advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients received SHR7390 alone or combined with fixed-dose camrelizumab (200 mg every 2 weeks) in an accelerated titration scheme to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). A recommended dose for expansion was determined based on the safety and tolerability of the dose-escalation stage. The primary endpoints were dose limiting toxicity (DLT) and MTD. RESULTS: In the SHR7390 monotherapy trial, 16 patients were enrolled. DLTs were reported in the 1.0 mg cohort, and the MTD was 0.75 mg. Grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were recorded in 4 patients (25.0%). No patients achieved objective response. In the SHR7390 combination trial, 22 patients with CRC were enrolled. One DLT was reported in the 0.5 mg cohort and the MTD was not reached. Grade ≥3 TRAEs were observed in 8 patients (36.4%), with the most common being rash (n=4). One grade 5 TRAE (increased intracranial pressure) occurred. Five patients (22.7%) achieved partial response, including one of 3 patients with MSS/MSI-L and BRAF mutant tumors, one of 15 patients with MSS/MSI-L and BRAF wild type tumors, and all 3 patients with MSI-H tumors. CONCLUSIONS: SHR7390 0.5 mg plus camrelizumab showed a manageable safety profile. Preliminary clinical activity was reported regardless of MSI and BRAF status.

The efficacy and safety of apatinib plus capecitabine in platinum-refractory metastatic and/or recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a prospective, phase II trial.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that monotherapy with apatinib, an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has promising efficacy for treating recurrent or metastatic (RM) nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. In this study, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of apatinib combined with capecitabine as a second-line therapy or beyond for treating RM-NPC patients who failed the first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. METHODS: In this single-arm, phase II study, we enrolled RM-NPC patients who had at least one measurable lesion according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST v1.1). The sample size was determined using Simon's two-stage design. All patients were administered with apatinib 500 mg once daily and capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice per day on days 1-14 of each 21-day cycle. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR), and the secondary endpoints comprised disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DoR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. RESULTS: We enrolled 64 patients from September 2018 to August 2020. The ORR and DCR were 39.1% (95% CI, 27.1-52.1) and 85.9% (95% CI, 75.0-93.4), respectively. The median DoR was 14.4 months (95% CI, 7.8-21.0). As of April 20, 2021, the median follow-up duration was 12.0 months. The median PFS was 7.5 months (95% CI, 5.0-10.0) and the median OS was 15.7 months (95% CI, 11.3-20.1). The most common toxicities of any grade were anemia (75.0%), hand-foot syndrome (65.6%), and proteinuria (64.0%). Grade 3-4 toxicities were observed in 36 (56.3%) patients, with hypertension (14.1%), mucositis (12.4%), and fatigue (10.9%) most commonly observed. CONCLUSIONS: Apatinib plus capecitabine shows promising efficacy as a second-line treatment option in pretreated platinum-refractory RM-NPC patients. Dose selection of this combination needs further investigation considering the toxicity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chi-CTR1800017229.

Role of antiangiogenic agents in first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC in the era of immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: "Anti-angiogenetic drugs plus chemotherapy" (anti-angio-chemo) and "immune checkpoint inhibitors plus chemotherapy" (ICI-chemo) are superior to traditional chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, in the absence of a direct comparison of ICI-chemo with anti-angio-chemo, the superior one between them has not been decided, and the benefit of adding anti-angiogenetic agents to ICI-chemo remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the role of antiangiogenic agents for advanced NSCLC in the era of immunotherapy. METHODS: Eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing chemotherapy versus therapeutic regimens involving ICIs or anti-angiogenetic drugs were included. Outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), and rate of grade 3-4 toxicity assessment. R-4.3.1 was utilized to perform the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 54 studies with a sample size of 25,046 were finally enrolled. "Atezolizumab + Bevacizumab + Chemotherapy" significantly improved the ORR compared with "Atezolizumab + Chemotherapy" (Odds ratio (OR) = 2.73, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.27-5.87). The trend also favored "Atezolizumab + Bevacizumab + Chemotherapy" in PFS and OS (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.39-1.31; HR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.77-1.16, respectively). In addition, "Pembrolizumab + Chemotherapy" and "Camrelizumab + Chemotherapy" significantly prolonged the PFS compared to "Bevacizumab + Chemotherapy" (HR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.46-0.92; HR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.41-0.97; respectively). Meanwhile, "Pembrolizumab + Chemotherapy" and "Sintilimab + Chemotherapy" yielded more OS benefits than "Bevacizumab + Chemotherapy" (HR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.56-0.83; HR = 0.64, 95%CI: 0.46-0.91; respectively). Scheme between "Atezolizumab + Bevacizumab + Chemotherapy" and "Atezolizumab + Chemotherapy" made no significant difference (OR = 1.18, 95%CI: 0.56-2.42) concerning the rate of grade 3-4 toxicity. It seemed that ICI-chemo yielded more improvement in quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) than "Bevacizumab + Chemotherapy" in cost-effectiveness analysis. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that ICI-chemo is associated with potentially longer survival, better cost-effectiveness outcomes, and comparable safety profiles than anti-angio-chemo. Also, adding bevacizumab to ICI-chemo seemed to provide additional therapeutic benefits without adding treatment burden. Our findings would supplement the current standard of care and help the design of future clinical trials for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC.

Epidemiology, Management, and Outcomes of Sepsis in ICUs among Countries of Differing National Wealth across Asia.

Rationale: Directly comparative data on sepsis epidemiology and sepsis bundle implementation in countries of differing national wealth remain sparse. Objectives: To evaluate across countries/regions of differing income status in Asia 1) the prevalence, causes, and outcomes of sepsis as a reason for ICU admission and 2) sepsis bundle (antibiotic administration, blood culture, and lactate measurement) compliance and its association with hospital mortality. Methods: A prospective point prevalence study was conducted among 386 adult ICUs from 22 Asian countries/regions. Adult ICU participants admitted for sepsis on four separate days (representing the seasons of 2019) were recruited. Measurements and Main Results: The overall prevalence of sepsis in ICUs was 22.4% (20.9%, 24.5%, and 21.3% in low-income countries/regions [LICs]/lower middle-income countries/regions [LMICs], upper middle-income countries/regions, and high-income countries/regions [HICs], respectively; P < 0.001). Patients were younger and had lower severity of illness in LICs/LMICs. Hospital mortality was 32.6% and marginally significantly higher in LICs/LMICs than HICs on multivariable generalized mixed model analysis (adjusted odds ratio, 1.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-3.37; P = 0.049). Sepsis bundle compliance was 21.5% at 1 hour (26.0%, 22.1%, and 16.2% in LICs/LMICs, upper middle-income countries/regions, and HICs, respectively; P < 0.001) and 36.6% at 3 hours (39.3%, 32.8%, and 38.5%, respectively; P = 0.001). Delaying antibiotic administration beyond 3 hours was the only element independently associated with increased mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 2.53; 95% confidence interval, 2.07-3.08; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Sepsis is a common cause of admission to Asian ICUs. Mortality remains high and is higher in LICs/LMICs after controlling for confounders. Sepsis bundle compliance remains low. Delaying antibiotic administration beyond 3 hours from diagnosis is associated with increased mortality. Clinical trial registered with www.ctri.nic.in (CTRI/2019/01/016898).

Efficacy and potential resistance mechanisms of afatinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with EGFR G719X/L861Q/S768I.

BACKGROUND: Afatinib is the only currently approved EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR G719X/L861Q/S768I. However, there are limited real-world data concerning the benefits and resistance mechanisms of afatinib in patients with these nonclassical mutations. To fill this gap, the present study was conducted. METHODS: All NSCLC patients treated with afatinib were screened, and patients with EGFR G719X/L861Q/S768I were enrolled into the analysis. Either tumor tissue or blood specimens were detected by the commercial next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels or amplification-refractory mutation system (ARMS)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to figure out the mutation genotype. RESULTS: A total of 106 advanced NSCLC patients with EGFR G719X/L861Q/S768I received afatinib treatment. The benefits of afatinib exhibited heterogeneity in different mutation genotypes. Notably, at baseline, NGS testing was performed in 59 patients, and TP53 was the most frequently coexisting mutation. Patients with TP53 mutations obtained fewer survival benefits than those with TP53 wild-type. A total of 68 patients ultimately experienced progression, and 27 patients received NGS testing to clarify the potential resistance mechanisms. EGFR-T790M, CDK4 amplification, FGFR1 amplification, PIK3CA, MET amplification, RET fusions, HER2, and BRAF mutations were identified in three (11.1%), three (11.1%), three (11.1%), three (11.1%), three (11.1%), one (3.7%), one (3.7%), and one (3.7%) of the cases, respectively. Five patients underwent ARMS-PCR testing for detecting EGFR-T790M mutation, and only one patient was T790M-positive. CONCLUSIONS: The present study elucidated the differential benefits of afatinib within different mutation genotypes and first revealed the spectrum of potential resistance mechanisms in patients with EGFR G719X/L861Q/S768I. The results of this study may provide practical clinical information that can guide optimal treatment in this setting.

A Phase Ib Study of Lucitanib (AL3810) in a Cohort of Patients with Recurrent and Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Lucitanib is a novel multi-target inhibitor of FGFR1-3, VEGFR 1-3, and PDGFR α/ß. Here, we evaluated the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of lucitanib in recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (RM-NPC). METHODS: Patients with pretreated RM-NPC were randomly divided into two treatment arms: continuous or intermittent treatment. The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability. Secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: One hundred percent of patients in the continuous arm and 90% of patients in the intermittent arm had at least one treatment-related AE (TRAE). Grade ≥3 related TRAEs occurred in 5 patients in the continuous arm (5/10, 50%). No TRAEs grade >3 occurred in the intermittent arm. The ORR and DCR of the continuous arm was 20% and 90%, and the intermittent arm was 10% and 60%, respectively. All responses were observed by the first evaluation. The duration of response was more than 1 year, with two patients still on treatment with sustained response at more than 3 years. CONCLUSION: Lucitanib has promising clinical activity and tolerable safety profile in heavily pretreated patients with NPC. Patients who responded to lucitanib treatment generally achieved a long DoR. Lucitanib is now being evaluated in phase II/III studies. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT03260179.

Rational application of gefitinib in NSCLC patients with sensitive EGFR mutations based on pharmacokinetics and metabolomics.

Gefitinib has been available in the market for 20 years, but its pharmacokinetic mechanism of response is little known. In this study, we examined the pharmacokinetic and metabolomic profiles in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with sensitive EGFR mutations. A total of 216 advanced NSCLC patients were enrolled, and administered gefitinib at the standard dosage of 250 mg/day, which was established in heterogeneous subjects with non-sensitive mutations. We identified and quantified three main metabolites (named as M1, M2 and M3) in the plasma of patients, the correlations between the concentration of gefitinib/metabolites and efficacy were analyzed. In exploratory and validation set, gefitinib concentration was not correlated with clinical effects. Considering the result that the therapeutic effects of 250 mg/2-day was better than that of 250 mg/day in a multiple center clinical trial, the standard dose might be higher than that for maximal efficacy according to the hypothetical dose-response curve. Among the three metabolites, the IC50 of M2 in HCC827 and PC9 cell lines was significantly lower, and Conc.brain/Conc.plasma of M2 in mice was significantly higher than those of gefitinib, suggesting its higher potential to penetrate blood-brain barrier and might be more effective in the treatment of brain metastatic tumor than gefitinib. Consistently and attractively, higher M2 plasma concentration was found to be correlated with better clinical outcome in patients with brain metastases (the median PFS of CM2 < 12 ng/mL and CM2 ≥ 12 ng/mL were 17.0 and 27.1 months, respectively, P = 0.038). The plasma concentration of M2 ≥ 12 ng/mL was a strong predictor of the PFS of NSCLC patients. In conclusion, for NSCLC patients with EGFR sensitive mutations, the standard dose is suspectable and could be decreased reasonably. M2 plays an important role in efficacy and may be more effective in the treatment of metastatic tumor than gefitinib.

Comparison of prone positioning and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in acute respiratory distress syndrome: A multicenter cohort study and propensity-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Both prone positioning and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are used as rescue therapies for severe hypoxemia in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This study compared outcomes between patients with severe influenza pneumonia-related ARDS who received prone positioning and those who received ECMO. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included eight tertiary referral centers in Taiwan. All patients who were diagnosed as having influenza pneumonia-related severe ARDS were enrolled between January and March 2016. We collected their demographic data and prone positioning and ECMO outcomes from medical records. RESULTS: In total, 263 patients diagnosed as having ARDS were included, and 65 and 53 of them received prone positioning and ECMO, respectively. The baseline PaO2/FiO2 ratio, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score did not significantly differ between the two groups. The 60-day mortality rate was significantly higher in the ECMO group than in the prone positioning group (60% vs. 28%, p = 0.001). A significantly higher mortality rate was still observed in the ECMO group after propensity score matching (59% vs. 36%, p = 0.033). In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, usage of prone positioning or ECMO was the single independent predictor for 60-day mortality (hazard ratio: 2.177, p = 0.034). CONCLUSION: While the patients receiving prone positioning had better outcome, the causality between prone positioning and the prognosis is unknown. However, the current data suggested that patients with influenza-related ARDS may receive prone positioning before ECMO support.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease as a Phenotype of Bronchiectasis for Long-Term Clinical Presentation and Treatment.

Background and Objectives: Bronchiectasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often coexist, although the causality is not currently clear. Currently, the clinical influence of COPD on patients with major bronchiectasis over time has not yet been investigated. Material and Methods: This retrospective study recruited consecutive patients with bronchiectasis from outpatient clinic between January 2006 and December 2007. Under the setting of quantification with HRCT, patients who should undergo multiple pulmonary function and exercise tests with regularclinic follow-up were included. The final analysis consisted of 66 eligible patients who were evaluated for clinical status, treatment, and sputum culture from up to 10-year electronic medical records. Results: Of these 66 patients, 45 (68%) had bronchiectasis without COPD and 21 (32%) had COPD. Patients with COPD group had a higher bronchiectasis extent score (32.21 ± 13.09 points vs. 21.89 ± 10.08 points, p = 0.001). Sputum production was reported more frequently by patients with COPD; however, no significant difference was observed after 3 years of follow-up (82.4% vs. 81.6%, p = 0.945). Bronchiectasis extent score correlated with positive sputum culture with Pseudomonas without a synergistic effect from COPD (odds ratio: 1.06, confidence interval: 1.00-1.12, p = 0.031). Regardless of COPD, after 10 years, the proportion of patients using inhaled corticosteroids and/or long-acting ß2-agonist between the two groups was not significantly different. Conclusion: COPD aggravated bronchiectasis extension, which was correlated with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonisation. Moreover, COPD would affect the medium-term (in 3-5 years) bronchiectasis treatment. Therefore, the COPD phenotype of bronchiectasis could be a clinical predictor of the course of treatment.

Human Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the safety, feasibility, and possible adverse events of single-dose human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells in patients with moderate-to-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. DESIGN: Prospective phase I clinical trial. SETTING: Medical center in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. PATIENTS: Moderate-to-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome with a PaO2/FIO2 ratio less than 200. INTERVENTIONS: Scaling for doses was required by Taiwan Food and Drug Administration as follows: the first three patients received low-dose human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (1.0 × 10 cells/kg), the next three patients with intermediate dose (5.0 × 10 cells/kg), and the final three patients with high dose (1.0 × 10 cells/kg) between December 2017 and August 2019. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Nine consecutive patients were enrolled into the study. In-hospital mortality was 33.3% (3/9), including two with recurrent septic shock and one with ventilator-induced severe pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema. No serious prespecified cell infusion-associated or treatment-related adverse events was identified in any patient. Serial flow-cytometric analyses of circulating inflammatory biomarkers (CD14CD33/CD11b+CD16+/CD16+MPO+/CD11b+MPO+/CD14CD33+) and mesenchymal stem cell markers (CD26+CD45-/CD29+CD45-/CD34+CD45-/CD44+CD45-/CD73+CD45-/CD90+CD45-/CD105+CD45-/CD26+CD45-) were notably progressively reduced (p for trend < 0.001), whereas the immune cell markers (Helper-T-cell/Cytotoxity-T-cell/Regulatory-T-cell) were notably increased (p for trend < 0.001) after cell infusion. CONCLUSIONS: The result of this phase I clinical trial showed that a single-dose IV infusion of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells was safe with favorable outcome in nine acute respiratory distress syndrome patients.

Critical Care Bed Capacity in Asian Countries and Regions.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the number of adult critical care beds in Asian countries and regions in relation to population size. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: Twenty-three Asian countries and regions, covering 92.1% of the continent's population. PARTICIPANTS: Ten low-income and lower-middle-income economies, five upper-middle-income economies, and eight high-income economies according to the World Bank classification. INTERVENTIONS: Data closest to 2017 on critical care beds, including ICU and intermediate care unit beds, were obtained through multiple means, including government sources, national critical care societies, colleges, or registries, personal contacts, and extrapolation of data. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Cumulatively, there were 3.6 critical care beds per 100,000 population. The median number of critical care beds per 100,000 population per country and region was significantly lower in low- and lower-middle-income economies (2.3; interquartile range, 1.4-2.7) than in upper-middle-income economies (4.6; interquartile range, 3.5-15.9) and high-income economies (12.3; interquartile range, 8.1-20.8) (p = 0.001), with a large variation even across countries and regions of the same World Bank income classification. This number was independently predicted by the World Bank income classification on multivariable analysis, and significantly correlated with the number of acute hospital beds per 100,000 population (r = 0.19; p = 0.047), the universal health coverage service coverage index (r = 0.35; p = 0.003), and the Human Development Index (r = 0.40; p = 0.001) on univariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Critical care bed capacity varies widely across Asia and is significantly lower in low- and lower-middle-income than in upper-middle-income and high-income countries and regions.

First tidal volume greater than 8 mL/kg is associated with increased mortality in complicated influenza infection with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

BACKGROUNDS: Severe influenza infection causes substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide and remains an important threat to global health. This study addressed factors related to treatment outcomes in subjects of complicated influenza infection with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during the Taiwan epidemic in the Spring of 2016. METHODS: This is a retrospective study conducted by Taiwan Severe Influenza Research Consortium (TSIRC), including eight tertiary referral medical centers. Patients with virology-proven influenza infection admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) between January and March 2016 were included for analysis. RESULTS: We identified 263 patients with complicated influenza infection who fulfilled ARDS criteria; the mean age was 59.8 ± 14.6 (years), and 66.1% (166/263) were male. Type A influenza (77.9%, 205/263) virus was the main pathogen during this epidemic. The 30-day mortality rate was 23.2% (61/263). The mean tidal volume (VT) in the first three days after intubation was greater than 8 mL/kg of predicted body weight (PBW). Patients whose first measured VT was >8 mL/kg PBW had an increased 30-day mortality (p = 0.04, log-rank test). In a multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model, an increase of 1 mL/kg PBW of first VT was associated with 26.1% increase in 30-day mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.261, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.072-1.484, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: First tidal volume, shortly after intubation, greater than 8 mL/kg PBW is an independent risk factor for mortality in complicated influenza infection with ARDS. Timely recognition of ARDS with strict adherence to protective ventilation strategy of lowering VT may be important in reducing mortality.

Defective formyl peptide receptor 2/3 and annexin A1 expressions associated with M2a polarization of blood immune cells in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Controversy exists in previous studies on macrophage M1/M2 polarization in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We hypothesized that formyl peptide receptor (FPR), a marker of efferocytosis and mediator of M1/M2 polarization, may be involved in the development of COPD. METHODS: We examined FPR 1/2/3 expressions of blood M1/M2a monocyte, neutrophil, natural killer (NK) cell, NK T cell, T helper (Th) cell, and T cytotoxic (Tc) cell by flowcytometry method in 40 patients with cigarette smoking-related COPD and 16 healthy non-smokers. Serum levels of five FPR ligands were measured by ELISA method. RESULTS: The COPD patients had lower M2a percentage and higher percentages of NK, NK T, Th, and Tc cells than the healthy non-smokers. FPR2 expressions on Th/Tc cells, FPR3 expressions of M1, M2a, NK, NK T, Th, and Tc cells, and serum annexin A1 (an endogenous FPR2 ligand) levels were all decreased in the COPD patients as compared with that in the healthy non-smokers. FPR1 expression on neutrophil was increased in the COPD patient with a high MMRC dyspnea scale, while FPR2 expression on neutrophil and annexin A1 were both decreased in the COPD patients with a history of frequent moderate exacerbation (≥ 2 events in the past 1 year). In 10 COPD patients whose blood samples were collected again after 1-year treatment, M2a percentage, FPR3 expressions of M1/NK/Th cells, FPR2 expression on Th cell, and FPR1 expression on neutrophil were all reversed to normal, in parallel with partial improvement in small airway dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide evidence for defective FPR2/3 and annexin A1 expressions that, associated with decreased M2a polarization, might be involved in the development of cigarette smoking induced persistent airflow limitation in COPD.

Chemotherapy Near the End of Life for Chinese Patients with Solid Malignancies.

INTRODUCTION: There are increasing concerns about the negative impacts of chemotherapy near the end of life (EOL). There is discrepancy among different countries about its use, and little is known about the real-world situation in China. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted at six representative hospitals across China. Adult decedents with a record of advanced solid cancer and palliative chemotherapy were consecutively screened from 2010 through 2014. The prevalence of EOL chemotherapy within the last 1 month of life was set as the primary outcome. The correlations among EOL chemotherapy, clinicopathological features, and overall survival (OS) were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 3,350 decedents who had had cancer were consecutively included; 2,098 (62.6%) were male and the median age was 56 years (range, 20-88). There were 177 (5.3%), 387 (11.6%), and 837 (25.0%) patients who received EOL chemotherapy within the last 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months of life, respectively. We identified inferior OS (median OS, 7.1 vs. 14.2 months; hazard ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-1.53; p < .001), more intensive treatments (e.g., admitted to intensive care unit [ICU] in the last month of life, received cardiopulmonary resuscitation and invasive ventilation support), and hospital death (odds ratio, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.14-2.06; p = .005) among patients who received continued chemotherapy within the last month compared with those who did not. However, subgroup analyses indicated that receiving oral agents correlated with fewer ICU admissions and lower rates of in-hospital death. CONCLUSION: This study showed that EOL chemotherapy is commonly used in China. Intravenous chemotherapy at the EOL significantly correlated with poor outcomes and the role of oral anticancer agents warrants further investigation. The Oncologist 2017;22:53-60Implications for Practice: The role of chemotherapy toward the end of life (EOL) in patients with solid cancers is debatable. This article is believed to be the first to report the current prevalence of EOL chemotherapy in China. This study found that, compared with oral anticancer agents, intravenous chemotherapy at the EOL was significantly associated with poor outcomes. Therefore, the role of oral anticancer agents at the EOL stage deserves further investigation.

Impact of epidermal growth factor receptor gene expression level on clinical outcomes in epidermal growth factor receptor mutant lung adenocarcinoma patients taking first-line epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are first-choice treatments for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients harboring EGFR mutations. Although EGFR mutations are strongly predictive of patients' outcomes and their response to treatment with EGFR-TKIs, early failure of first-line therapy with EGFR-TKIs in patients with EGFR mutations is not rare. Besides several clinical factors influencing EGFR-TKI efficacies studied earlier such as the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status or uncommon mutation, we would like to see whether semi-quantify EGFR mutation gene expression calculated by 2-ΔΔct was a prognostic factor in EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving first-line EGFR-TKIs. This retrospective study reviews 926 lung cancer patients diagnosed from January 2011 to October 2013 at the Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan. Of 224 EGFR-mutant adenocarcinoma patients, 148 patients who had 2-ΔΔct data were included. The best cutoff values of 2-ΔΔct for in-frame deletions in exon 19 (19 deletion) and a position 858 substituted from leucine (L) to an arginine (R) in exon 21 (L858R) were determined using receiver operating characteristic curves. Patients were divided into high and low 2-ΔΔct expression based on the above cutoff level. The best cutoff point of 2-ΔΔct value of 19 deletion and L858R was 31.1 and 104.7, respectively. In all, 92 (62.1%) patients showed high 2-ΔΔct expression and 56 patients (37.9%) low 2-ΔΔct expression. The mean age was 65.6 years. Progression-free survival of 19 deletion mutant patients with low versus high expression level was 17.07 versus 12.04 months (P = 0.004), respectively. Progression-free survival of L858 mutant patients was 13.75 and 7.96 months (P = 0.008), respectively. EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma patients with lower EGFR gene expression had longer progression-free survival duration without interfering overall survival.

Structure, Organization, and Delivery of Critical Care in Asian ICUs.

OBJECTIVES: Despite being the epicenter of recent pandemics, little is known about critical care in Asia. Our objective was to describe the structure, organization, and delivery in Asian ICUs. DESIGN: A web-based survey with the following domains: hospital organizational characteristics, ICU organizational characteristics, staffing, procedures and therapies available in the ICU and written protocols and policies. SETTING: ICUs from 20 Asian countries from April 2013 to January 2014. Countries were divided into low-, middle-, and high-income based on the 2011 World Bank Classification. SUBJECTS: ICU directors or representatives. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 672 representatives, 335 (50%) responded. The average number of hospital beds was 973 (SE of the mean [SEM], 271) with 9% (SEM, 3%) being ICU beds. In the index ICUs, the average number of beds was 21 (SEM, 3), of single rooms 8 (SEM, 2), of negative-pressure rooms 3 (SEM, 1), and of board-certified intensivists 7 (SEM, 3). Most ICUs (65%) functioned as closed units. The nurse-to-patient ratio was 1:1 or 1:2 in most ICUs (84%). On multivariable analysis, single rooms were less likely in low-income countries (p = 0.01) and nonreferral hospitals (p = 0.01); negative-pressure rooms were less likely in private hospitals (p = 0.03) and low-income countries (p = 0.005); 1:1 nurse-to-patient ratio was lower in private hospitals (p = 0.005); board-certified intensivists were less common in low-income countries (p < 0.0001) and closed ICUs were less likely in private (p = 0.02) and smaller hospitals (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This survey highlights considerable variation in critical care structure, organization, and delivery in Asia, which was related to hospital funding source and size, and country income. The lack of single and negative-pressure rooms in many Asian ICUs should be addressed before any future pandemic of severe respiratory illness.

Time courses and value of circulating microparticles in patients with operable stage non-small cell lung cancer undergoing surgical intervention.

Microparticles (MPs) are substantially increased in patients with operable stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) prior to lung resection surgery. This study tested the hypothesis that there is a decrease in MPs after surgical intervention. Between March 2012 and January 2015, 33 patients who had operable stage NSCLC were consecutively and prospectively enrolled into the study. Additionally, 31 healthy subjects who were consecutively enrolled in the study period served as age- and gender-matched controls. Circulating MPs (EDAc-MPs, EDAp-MPs, PDAc-MPs, PDAp-MPs) were measured by flow cytometry once in control subjects and twice (i.e., prior to and three months later after surgical intervention) in NSCLC patients. Compared with control subjects, these four types of circulating MPs were significantly higher in NSCLC patients prior to operation (all P < 0.005), but did not differ among the controls and NSCLC patients at 3 months after surgery (all P > 0.2). Additionally, a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) showed that these four types of MPs were significantly valuable predictors for detecting early stage NSCLC (all P < 0.004). Circulating MPs which were remarkably increased in the operable stage of NSCLC prior to surgery were substantially decreased 3 months later after surgery. These findings show that circulating MPs might be an accessory biomarker for monitoring those of NSCLC after receiving lung resection surgery.