Prognostic relevance of normocytic anemia in elderly patients affected by cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND Anemia associated with cardiovascular diseases(CVD) is a common condition in older persons. Prevalence and prognostic role of anemia were extensively studied in patients with myocardial infarction(MI) or congestive heart failure(CHF) whereas limited data were available on patients with atrial fibrillation(AF). This study was conducted to assess the clinical prevalence and prognostic relevance of anemia in elderly patients affected by AF and other CVDs.METHODS A total of 866 elderly patients(430 men and 436 women, age: 65-98 years, mean age: 85 ± 10 years) were enrolled.Among these patients, 267 patients had acute non-ST-segment elevation MI(NSTEMI), 176 patients had acute CHF, 194 patients had acute AF and 229 patients were aged-matched healthy persons(CTR). All parameters were measured at the hospital admission and cardiovascular mortality was assessed during twenty-four months of follow-up.RESULTS The prevalence of anemia was higher in NSTEMI, CHF and AF patients compared to CTR subjects(50% vs. 15%, P <0.05), with normocytic anemia being the most prevalent type(90%). Adjusted mortality risk was higher in anemic patient versus non-anemic patient in all the groups of patients [NSTEMI: hazard ratio(HR) = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.06-2.13;CHF: HR = 2.49, 95% CI:1.31-4.75;AF: HR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.01-3.88]. Decreased hemoglobin levels(P = 0.001) and high reticulocyte index(P = 0.023) were associated with higher mortality in CVD patients.CONCLUSIONS The significant associations between CVD and anemia and the prognostic relevance of anemia for elderly patients with CVD were confirmed in this study. The presence of anemia in AF patients is associated with a two-fold increased mortality risk compared with non-anemic AF patients. Low hemoglobin and high reticulocyte count independently predict mortality in elderly patients with CVD.

Prostate cancer volume associates with preoperative plasma levels of testosterone that independently predicts high grade tumours which show low densities(quotient testosterone/tumour volume)

Objective:To investigate potential associations of preoperative total testosterone(TT)with tumor volume(TV)and grade of prostate cancer(PCa).Methods:Patients who were under medications impacting on the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal-testis-prostate axis were excluded.TT was measured preoperatively at least 1 month after biopsies and TV was calculated on the removed prostate specimen.Other continuous variables included total prostate specific antigen(PSA),percentage of positive cores(Pt)and weight(W)of the removed prostate.Patients were categorized according to the pathologic Gleason score(pGS)in 3 groups(pGS 6,7 and>7).Invasion of the seminal vesicles was coded as seminal vesicle invasion(SVI).Results:The median levels of TT were significantly and increasingly higher from pGS 6(14.7 nmol/L)to pGS 7(15.0 nmol/L)and pGS>7(18.8 nmol/L).The median values of TV were also detected significantly and increasingly higher from pGS 6(5.6 mL)to pGS 7(8.1 mL)and pGS>7(14.8 mL).The median preoperative levels of PSA were also increasing from pGS 6(5.9 μg/L)to pGS 7(6.2 μg/L)and pGS>7(7.7 μg/L).There was a significant and positive correlation of TV to PSA,TT and Pt.Multiple linear regression analysis showed that TV was significantly and independently predicted by TT,PSA and Pt.High grade PCa(pGS>7)independently associated with TV,TT,Pt and SVI.The median density values of TT relative to TV(quotient TT/TV)significantly decreased from pGS 6(2.6 nmol/L/mL)to pGS 7(1.9 nmol/L/mL)and pGS>7(1.4 nmol/L/mL).The median density values of PSA relative to TV(quotient PSA/TV)also significantly decreased from pGS(1.1 μg/L/mL)to pGS 7(0.7 μg/L/mL)and pGS>7(0.6 μg/L/mL).Conclusion:The investigation shows that TT relates to volume and grade of PCa;moreover,the density of TT relative to TV inversely associates with rate of increase of cancer that depends on the grade of the tumour.

Alcohol use disorder and liver injury related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Alcohol use disorder is a complex and heterogeneous phenomenon that can be studied from several points of view by focusing on its different components.Alcohol is a hepatotoxin whose metabolism creates profound alterations within the hepatocyte.The liver is the central organ in the metabolism of alcohol,a process that also involves other organs and tissues such as the brain,heart and muscles,but the most relevant organ is the liver.The anatomopathological alterations in the liver associated with the prolonged use of alcohol range from the simple accumulation of neutral fats in the hepatocytes,to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.Alcohol abuse frequently leads to liver disease such as steatosis,steatohepatitis,fibrosis,cirrhosis,and tumors.Following the spread of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),there was an increase in alcohol consumption,probably linked to the months of lockdown and smart working.It is known that social isolation leads to a considerable increase in stress,and it is also recognized that high levels of stress can result in an increase in alcohol intake.Cirrhotic patients or subjects with liver cancer are immunocompromised,so they may be more exposed to COVID-19 infection with a worse prognosis.This review focuses on the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has made the emergence of alcohol-induced liver damage a major medical and social problem.

Role of blood AFP mRNA and tumor grade in the preoperative prognostic evaluation of patients with hepatoceiluiar carcinoma

AIM： To explore the potential prognostic role of preoperative tumor grade and blood AFP mRNA in a cohort of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） eligible for radical therapies according to a well-defined treatment algorithm not including nodule size and number as absolute selection criteria. METHODS： Fifty patients with a diagnosis of HCC were prospectively enrolled in the study. Inclusion criteria were： （1） histological assessment of tumor grade by means of percutaneous biopsies; （2） determination of AFP mRNA status in the blood; （3） patient＇s eligibility for radical therapies. RESULTS： At preoperative evaluation, 54% of the study group had a well-differentiated HCC, 42% had AFP mRNA in the blood, 40% had a tumor larger than 5 cm and 56% had more than one nodule. Surgery （resection or liver transplantation） was performed in 29 patients, while 21 had percutaneous ablation procedures. After a median follow-up of 28 too, 12-, 24-, and 36-mo survival rates were 78%, 58%, and 51%, respectively. Surgical therapy, performance status and three tumor-related variables （AFP mRNA, HCC grade and gross vascular invasion） resulted as significant survival predictors at univariate analysis. Nodule size and number did not perform as significant prognosticators. Multivariate study selected only surgical therapy and a biologically early HCC profile （AFP mRNA negative and well-differentiated tumor without gross vascular invasion） as independent survival variables. CONCLUSION： The preoperative determination of tumor grade and blood AFP mRNA status may potentially refine the prognostic evaluation of HCC patients and improve the selection process for radical therapies.

Repeated anastomotic recurrence of colorectal tumors: Genetic analysis of two cases

AIM: To investigate genetics of two cases of colorectal tumor local recurrence and throw some light on the etiopathogenesis of anastomotic recurrence. METHODS: Two cases are presented: a 65-year-old female receiving two colonic resections for primary anastomotic recurrences within 21 mo, and a 57-year-old female undergoing two local excisions of recurrent anastomotic adenomas within 26 mo. A loss of heterozygosity (LOH) study of 25 microsatellite markers and a mutational analysis of genes BRAF , K-RAS and APC were performed in samples of neoplastic and normal colonic mucosa collected over the years. RESULTS: A diffuse genetic instability was present in all samples, including neoplastic and normal colonic mucosa. Two different patterns of genetic alterations (LOH at 5q21 and 18p11.23 in the first case, and LOH at 1p34 and 3p14 in the second) were found to be associated with carcinogenesis over the years. A role for the genes MYC-L (mapping at 1p34) and FIHT (mapping at 3p14.2) is suggested, whereas a role for APC (mapping at 5q21) is not shown. CONCLUSION: The study challenges the most credited intraluminal implantation and metachronous carcinogenesis theories, and suggests a persistent, patient-specific alteration as the trigger of colorectal cancer anastomotic recurrence.