Meningoencephalitis following Le Fort I osteotomy: a case report

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Meningoencephalitis following Le Fort I osteotomy: a case report via International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery via MedWorm.com Le Fort I osteotomies, although they are common procedures, carry a degree of risk of injury to the surrounding structures. Skull base fractures and cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea are amongst the most serious on the list of complications. This is the first reported case of meningoencephalitis post Le Fort I osteotomy, shedding some light on its identification, causes, and management. (Source: International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery) View on Web

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VG161 activates systemic anti‐tumor immunity in pancreatic cancer models as a novel oncolytic herpesvirus expressing multiple immunomodulatory transgenes

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader VG161 activates systemic anti‐tumor immunity in pancreatic cancer models as a novel oncolytic herpesvirus expressing multiple immunomodulatory transgenes via Journal of Medical Virology Abstract The VG161 represents the first recombinant oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 carrying multiple synergistic anti-tumor immuno-modulating factors. Here, we report its anti-tumor mechanisms and thus provide firm theoretical foundation for the upcoming clinical application in pancreatic cancer. Generally, the VG161-mediated anti-tumor outcomes were analyzed by a collaboration of techniques, namely the single cell sequencing, airflow-assisted desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (AFADSI-MSI) and Nanostring techniques. In vitro, the efficacy of VG161 together with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has been successfully shown to grant a long-term anti-tumor effect by altering tumor immunity and remodeling tumor microenvironment (TME) metabolisms. Cellular functional pathways and cell subtypes detected from patient samples before and after the treatment had undergone distinctive changes including upregulated CD8+ T and NK cells. More importantly, significant antitumor signals have emerged since the administration of VG161 injection. In conclusion, VG161 can systematically activate acquired and innate immunity in pancreatic models, as well as improve the tumor immune microenvironment, indicative of strong anti-tumor potential. The more robusting anti-tumor outcome for VG161 monotherapy or in combination with other therapies on pancreatic cancer is worth of being explored in further clinical trials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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Long‐Term Binaural Hearing Improvements for Cochlear Implant Users with Asymmetric Hearing Loss

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Long‐Term Binaural Hearing Improvements for Cochlear Implant Users with Asymmetric Hearing Loss via The Laryngoscope Cochlear implant (CI) recipients with unilateral hearing loss reached early asymptote for binaural hearing abilities, and CI recipients with asymmetric hearing loss continued to improve out to 5-years post-activation for spatial release from masking when the masker was presented toward the better hearing ear. There was a significant correlation with improvement and age at implantation and contralateral hearing thresholds which may influence these differences. Objective To assess long-term binaural hearing abilities for cochlear implant (CI) users with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) or asymmetric hearing loss (AHL). Methods A prospective, longitudinal, repeated measures study was completed at a tertiary referral center evaluating adults with UHL or AHL undergoing cochlear implantation. Binaural hearing abilities were assessed with masked speech recognition tasks using AzBio sentences in a 10-talker masker. Performance was evaluated as the ability to benefit from spatial release from masking (SRM). SRM was calculated as the difference in scores when the masker was presented toward the CI-ear (SRMci) or the contralateral ear (SRMcontra) relative to the co-located condition (0°). Assessments were completed pre-operatively and at annual intervals out to 5 years post-activation. Results Twenty UHL and 19 AHL participants were included in the study. Linear Mixed Models showed significant main effects of interval and group for SRMcontra. There was a significant interaction between interval and group, with UHL participants reaching asymptotic performance early and AHL participants demonstrating continued growth in binaural abilities to 5 years post-activation. The improvement in SRM showed a significant positive correlation with contralateral unaided hearing thresholds (p = 0.050) as well as age at implantation (p = 0.031). Conclusions CI recipients with UHL and AHL showed improved SRM with long-term device use. The time course of improvement varied by cohort, with the UHL cohort reaching asymptotic performance early and the AHL cohort continuing to improve beyond 1 year. Differences between cohorts could be driven by differences in age at implantation as well as contralateral unaided hearing thresholds. Level of Evidence Level III Laryngoscope, 2022 View on Web

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Endoscopic pituitary surgery: A national database review

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Endoscopic pituitary surgery: A national database review via Head & Neck Abstract Background Pituitary tumors surgery is increasingly performed via endoscopic transsphenoidal approach (TSP). This study describes outcomes of TSP surgery in the United States. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of adult patients with pituitary adenoma was performed using the Nationwide Readmissions Database, 2010–2015. Results A total of 5891 patients were identified. The average age was 51.29 ± 0.29 years. The risk of postoperative epistaxis, diabetes insipidus, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, and other general postoperative complications was 0.71%, 10.20%, 8.35%, and 2.37%, respectively. Independent risk factors of CSF leak included: age <65-year, male, body mass index ≥25, and multiple comorbidities (p < 0.001 each). The prevalence of CSF leak was not associated with hospital TSP volume and teaching status. Conclusion This study provides a national epidemiological perspective on TSP in the United States. The risk of postoperative CSF leak appears to be associated with intrinsic patient factors rather than resource and expertise availability. View on Web

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Non‐neutropenic fever in children with cancer: Management, outcomes and clinical decision rule validation

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Non‐neutropenic fever in children with cancer: Management, outcomes and clinical decision rule validation via Pediatric Blood & Cancer Abstract Introduction Fever and infection are an important complication of childhood cancer therapy. Most research and guideline development has focussed on febrile neutropenia, with a paucity directed at non-neutropenic fever (NNF). We describe the clinical presentation, management and outcomes of NNF in children with cancer, and externally validate the Esbenshade Vanderbilt (EsVan) clinical decision rules (CDR) to predict bacteraemia. Method Using a prospective database, retrospective data were collected on consecutive NNF episodes (fever ≥38.0°C and absolute neutrophil count >1.0 cells/mm3). Sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) of the CDR were compared to derivation study. Results There were 203 NNF episodes occurring in 125 patients. Severe sepsis was uncommon (n = 2, 1%) and bacteraemia occurred in 10 (4.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.7%–8.8%) episodes. A confirmed or presumed bacterial infection requiring antibiotics occurred in 31 (15%) patients. Total 202 (99%) episodes received at least one dose of intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotic and 141 (70%) episodes were admitted to hospital. Six (3%) episodes required intensive care unit (ICU)-level care and there were no infection-related deaths. The EsVan 1 rule had an AUC-ROC of 0.67, 80% were identified as low risk, and sensitivity and specificity were 50% and 81.5%, respectively, for a risk threshold of 10%. Conclusions Serious infection and adverse outcome are uncommon in children with NNF. Many children did not have a bacterial cause of infection identified, but were still treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and admitted to hospital. National clinical practice guidelines should be developed for this important cohort to enable risk stratification and optimise antibiotic management. Further research is required to determine appropriateness of EsVan CDR in our cohort. View on Web

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Effect of Helicobacter pylori on immunotherapy is gaining more attention

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Effect of Helicobacter pylori on immunotherapy is gaining more attention via Helicobacter Abstract Background Immunotherapy, especially immune checkpoint inhibitors, has been widely used in tumor therapy and have shown ideal clinical efficacy. However, some cancers still do not respond to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy effectively. Helicobacter pylori infection might affect the curative effect of immunotherapy while it is rarely reported. We aimed to visualize the research hotspots and trends of H. pylori and immunotherapy using a bibliometric analysis to help understand the future development of basic and clinical research. Methods The relevant publications on H. pylori and immunotherapy were searched on April 20, 2022, in the Web of Science Core Collection Database (WOSCC). The document types were limited to articles and reviews. The VOSviewer 1.6.16 software was used to assess the co-authorship, co-occurrence, citation of countries, institutions, authors, journals, and hotspot keywords. The research status and trend change of H. pylori and immunotherapy were analyzed by bibliometric analysis. Results A total of 95 studies authored by 561 researchers were eventually included in this study. The majority of the retrieved studies were 55 (58%) original research articles. China conducted the greatest number of studies, followed by USA and Italy. The related topics included the following three aspects: the relationship between microorganisms and cancer, the relationship between gastric cancer and immunity, and the relationship between H. pylori and immunotherapy, including purified/cloned components of H. pylori acting as efficient adjuvant to boost tumor responses and H. pylori infection which modulate host immune responses and impact on the efficacy of antitumor immunity initiated by immune checkpoint inhibitors. The timing diagram revealed that the current research hotspots focused on effects of microorganisms on immunotherapy. Conclusion The effect of H. pylori on cancer immunotherapy is getting more and more attention in these years. It still remains uncertain, and more studies are needed in the future. View on Web

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Survival Outcomes of Patients with Mycosis Fungoides Involving the External Ear and Ear Canal

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Survival Outcomes of Patients with Mycosis Fungoides Involving the External Ear and Ear Canal via The Laryngoscope This manuscript reports our retrospective review of 40 patients with mycosis fungoides, and it demonstrates a comparison in outcomes of patients with ear involvement with those without ear involvement. Overall survival was shorter when the ear canals were involved. Objectives/Hypothesis Mycosis Fungoides (MF) is the most common subtype of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Disease involvement of specific locations may be more significant than simply the symptoms associated with that site; it is possible that involvement of certain sites could be associated with poor prognosis. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of patients with MF with documented involvement of the EAC and external ear. Study Design Retrospective analysis. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 40 patients with MF that were treated by otologists between 2012 and 2021. Results We report the largest series of patients with MF involving the external ear and EAC. Of the 40 patients included in this study, 17 presented with Mycosis Fungoides in the otologic region (MFO). Of these 17 MFO patients, 2/17 had involvement of the external ear only, 3/17 of the EAC only, 11/17 of both the external ear and EAC, and 1/17 of the periauricular skin. Of note, 11/14 (79%) patients presenting with EAC disease died compared to11/26 (42%) of patients without involvement. In addition, eight of the 13 (62%) patients with external ear involvement died compared to 14/27 (52%) of patients without involvement. Ear canal involvement was associated with a statistically significant shorter overall survival duration in patients with MF (p = 0.03). Furthermore, disease in the EAC was found to have a hazard ratio value of 2.565 (CI 1.102–5.970). Conclusions Involvement of the EAC by MF portends a poor prognosis. This finding highlights the need for a more in-depth otologic evaluation of patients with MF. Level of Evidence Level 4 Laryngoscope, 2022 View on Web

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Association of trauma severity with antibody seroconversion in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: A multicenter, prospective, observational study

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Association of trauma severity with antibody seroconversion in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: A multicenter, prospective, observational study via Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery - Current Issue BACKGROUND Heparin administration can induce the production of anti–platelet factor 4 (PF4)/heparin antibodies with platelet-activating properties, causing heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Previous studies have suggested that trauma severity influences HIT immune responses, but their relationship has not been fully explained. This study aimed to clarify this association by multicenter prospective observational study. METHODS Trauma patients who met the criteria of age 18 years or older and Injury Severity Scores (ISSs) of ≥9 from March 2018 to February 2019 were included. Patients who did not receive any heparin and those who received it as flushes or for treatment were also included. Patients were divided into three groups based on trauma severity (to mild [ISS 9–15], moderate [ISS 16–24], and severe injury groups [ISS ≥25]) and were compared by the seroconversion time and rate, as well as the disappearance rate of antibodies on day 30. RESULTS A total of 184 patients were included: 55, 62, and 67 patients were classified into the mild, moderate, and severe injury groups, respectively. Overall, the seroconversion rates of anti-PF4/heparin immunoglobulin G (IgG) and HIT antibodies by washed platelet activation assay were 26.6% and 16.3%, respectively. There was a significant difference in the seroconversion rates of anti-PF4/heparin IgG (p = 0.016) and HIT antibodies (p = 0.046) among the groups. Seroconversion rates in both assays increased with increasing trauma severity. The time required to achieve seroconversion was similar (between 5 and 10 days of trauma onset) regardless of heparin administration. Anti-PF4/heparin IgG and HIT antibodies were no longer detected on day 30 in 28.6% and 60.9% of seroconverted patients, respectively. CONCLUSION Development of HIT antibodies was observed commonly in severely injured trauma patients. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia antibody development may be related to trauma severity, with a high disappearance frequency on day 30. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic/Care Management; Level III. View on Web

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Asthma inflammatory phenotypes on four continents: most asthma is non-eosinophilic

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Asthma inflammatory phenotypes on four continents: most asthma is non-eosinophilic via International Journal of Epidemiology - Advance Access Abstract Background Most studies assessing pathophysiological heterogeneity in asthma have been conducted in high-income countries (HICs), with little known about the prevalence and characteristics of different asthma inflammatory phenotypes in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study assessed sputum inflammatory phenotypes in five centres, in Brazil, Ecuador, Uganda, New Zealand (NZ) and the United Kingdom (UK). Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 998 asthmatics and 356 non-asthmatics in 2016–20. All centres studied children and adolescents (age range 8–20 years), except the UK centre which involved 26–27 year-olds. Information was collected using questionnaires, clinical characterization, blood and induced sputum. Results Of 623 asthmatics with sputum results, 39% (243) were classified as eosinophilic or mixed granulocytic, i.e. eosinophilic asthma (EA). Adjusted for age and sex, with NZ as ba seline, the UK showed similar odds of EA (odds ratio 1.04, 95% confidence interval 0.37–2.94) with lower odds in the LMICs: Brazil (0.73, 0.42–1.27), Ecuador (0.40, 0.24–0.66) and Uganda (0.62, 0.37–1.04). Despite the low prevalence of neutrophilic asthma in most centres, sputum neutrophilia was increased in asthmatics and non-asthmatics in Uganda. Conclusions This is the first time that sputum induction has been used to compare asthma inflammatory phenotypes in HICs and LMICs. Most cases were non-eosinophilic, including in settings where corticosteroid use was low. A lower prevalence of EA was observed in the LMICs than in the HICs. This has major implications for asthma prevention and management, and suggests that novel prevention strategies and therapies specifically targeting non-eosinophilic asthma are required globally. View on Web

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A rare case of facial asymmetry caused by simultaneous development of osteochondroma and synovial chondromatosis at the temporomandibular joint

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader A rare case of facial asymmetry caused by simultaneous development of osteochondroma and synovial chondromatosis at the temporomandibular joint via ScienceDirect Publication: Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Medicine, and Pathology Publication date: Available online 30 August 2022 Source: Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Medicine, and Pathology Author(s): Ichiro Kaneko, Masaaki Karino, Rie Osako - Sonoyama, Shinji Ishizuka, Erina Toda, Junichi Kanayama, Satoe Okuma, Hiroto Tatsumi, Tatsuo Okui, Takahiro Kanno View on Web

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