Outcomes and Complications of Image-Guided Percutaneous Tumour Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma at the Irish National Liver Transplant Centre.

Image-guided tumour ablation is a minimally invasive treatment for early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our study reviews the complications and long term outcomes in patients treated at a tertiary referral centre. Retrospective study.

Beyond Stages: Predicting Individual Time Dependent Risk for Type 1 Diabetes.

Background: Essentially all individuals with multiple autoantibodies will develop clinical type 1 diabetes. Multiple autoantibodies (AABs) and normal glucose tolerance define stage 1 diabetes; abnormal glucose tolerance defines stage 2. However, the rate of progression within these stages is heterogeneous, necessitating personalized risk calculators to improve clinical implementation.

A standardized metric to enhance clinical trial design and outcome interpretation in type 1 diabetes.

The use of a standardized outcome metric enhances clinical trial interpretation and cross-trial comparison. If a disease course is predictable, comparing modeled predictions with outcome data affords the precision and confidence needed to accelerate precision medicine. We demonstrate this approach in type 1 diabetes (T1D) trials aiming to preserve endogenous insulin secretion measured by C-peptide.

Ara h 2 Peptide Mix Improves the Diagnosis of Peanut Allergy and Is Relevant for Ara h 2-Induced Mast Cell Activation.

Background: A precise diagnosis of peanut allergy is extremely important. We identified 4 Ara h 2 peptides that improved Ara h 2-specific IgE (sIgE) diagnostic accuracy.

Objective: To assess the diagnostic utility of sIgE to the mixture of these peptides and their role in mast cell response to peanut allergens.

Retrospective Evaluation of Splenic Artery Embolization Outcomes in the Management of Blunt Splenic Trauma: A Single Centre Experience at a Large Level 1 Trauma Centre.

Purpose: Retrospective review of splenic artery embolization (SAE) outcomes performed for blunt abdominal trauma.

Materials And Methods: 11-year retrospective review at a large level-1 Canadian trauma centre. All patients who underwent SAE after blunt trauma were included.

Defining the window of opportunity and target populations to prevent peanut allergy.

Background: Peanut allergy affects 1% to 2% of European children. Early introduction of peanut into the diet reduces allergy in high-risk infants.

Objective: We aimed to determine the optimal target populations and timing of introduction of peanut products to prevent peanut allergy in the general population.

Risk Modeling to Reduce Monitoring of an Autoantibody-Positive Population to Prevent DKA at Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis.

Context: The presence of islet autoimmunity identifies individuals likely to progress to clinical type 1 diabetes (T1D). In clinical research studies, autoantibody screening followed by regular metabolic monitoring every 6 months reduces incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis.

Objective: We hypothesized that DKA reduction can be achieved on a population basis with a reduced frequency of metabolic monitoring visits.

Patterns of Practice and Improvements in Survival Among Patients With Stage 2/3 Rectal Cancer Treated With Trimodality Therapy.

Importance: This study quantifies the trends in trimodality therapy use and its association with pathologic stage and overall survival of patients with rectal cancer at the population level.

Objective: To describe changes between 2006 and 2016 in the sequence and use of chemotherapy/radiation therapy (C/RT), multiagent (MA) chemotherapy, and total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) for patients with stage 2/3 rectal cancer and identify associations with pathologic stage and survival over time.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort analysis included patient records from the National Cancer Database between 2006 and 2016.

Characterising the age-dependent effects of risk factors on type 1 diabetes progression.

Aims/hypothesis: Age is known to be one of the most important stratifiers of disease progression in type 1 diabetes. However, what drives the difference in rate of progression between adults and children is poorly understood. Evidence suggests that many type 1 diabetes disease predictors do not have the same effect across the age spectrum.

A simple strategy for sample annotation error detection in cytometry datasets.

Mislabeling samples or data with the wrong participant information can affect study integrity and lead investigators to draw inaccurate conclusions. Quality control to prevent these types of errors is commonly embedded into the analysis of genomic datasets, but a similar identification strategy is not standard for cytometric data. Here, we present a method for detecting sample identification errors in cytometric data using expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I alleles.

Autoreactive T cell receptors with shared germline-like α chains in type 1 diabetes.

Human islet antigen reactive CD4+ memory T cells (IAR T cells) play a key role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D). Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) to identify T cell receptors (TCRs) in IAR T cells, we have identified a class of TCRs that share TCRα chains between individuals ("public" chains). We isolated IAR T cells from blood of healthy, new-onset T1D and established T1D donors using multiplexed CD154 enrichment and identified paired TCRαβ sequences from 2767 individual cells.

Chronic Liver Disease and Liver Cancer: What the Hepatologists, Oncologists, and Surgeons Want to Know from Radiologists.

Effective communication between radiologists and physicians involved in the management of patients with chronic liver disease is paramount to ensuring appropriate and advantageous incorporation of liver imaging findings into patient care. This review discusses the clinical benefits of innovations in radiology reporting, what information the various stakeholders wish to know from the radiologist, and how radiology can help to ensure the effective communication of findings.

Impact of BMI on Adverse Events After Laparoscopic and Open Surgery for Rectal Cancer.

Purpose: The impact of body mass index (BMI) on outcomes after open or laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer remains unclear. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to examine the interaction of body mass index and surgical modality (i.e.

Biomarkers of severity and threshold of allergic reactions during oral peanut challenges.

Background: Oral food challenge (OFC) is the criterion standard to assess peanut allergy (PA), but it involves a risk of allergic reactions of unpredictable severity.

Objective: Our aim was to identify biomarkers for risk of severe reactions or low dose threshold during OFC to peanut.

Methods: We assessed Learning Early about Peanut Allergy study, Persistance of Oral Tolerance to Peanut study, and Peanut Allergy Sensitization study participants by administering the basophil activation test (BAT) and the skin prick test (SPT) and measuring the levels of peanut-specific IgE, Arachis hypogaea 2-specific IgE, and peanut-specific IgG4, and we analyzed the utility of the different biomarkers in relation to PA status, severity, and threshold dose of allergic reactions to peanut during OFC.

IgE to epitopes of Ara h 2 enhance the diagnostic accuracy of Ara h 2-specific IgE.

Background: Understanding the discrepancy between IgE sensitization and allergic reactions to peanut could facilitate diagnosis and lead to novel means of treating peanut allergy.

Objective: To identify differences in IgE and IgG4 binding to peanut peptides between peanut-allergic (PA) and peanut-sensitized but tolerant (PS) children.

Methods: PA (n = 56), PS (n = 42) and nonsensitized nonallergic (NA, n = 10) patients were studied.

Autoantibody Reversion: Changing Risk Categories in Multiple-Autoantibody-Positive Individuals.

Objective: Most individuals with two or more islet autoantibodies progress to clinical type 1 diabetes. However, in some individuals, autoantibodies are subsequently lost. Here, our objectives were to determine the frequency of autoantibody loss (reversion) in multiple-autoantibody-positive individuals and to determine the association between reversion and progression to clinical disease.

Clinical and Virologic Outcomes Following Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy Among Seroconverters in the Microbicide Trials Network-020 Phase III Trial of the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring.

Background: A vaginal ring containing dapivirine, a non-nucleoside human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), was safe and effective in preventing HIV-1 infection in African women. We examined the impact of dapivirine ring use at the time of HIV-1 acquisition on subsequent HIV-1 disease progression and responses to NNRTI-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Methods: HIV-1 disease progression and virologic failure following initiation of ART were assessed among women who acquired HIV-1 while participating in Microbicide Trials Network-020, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of a monthly, dapivirine vaginal ring.

Bladder neck placement of a synthetic polypropylene sling for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence.

Introduction: Pubo-vaginal sling placed at the bladder neck is the gold standard treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The synthetic mid-urethral sling (MUS) is now widely used, as morbidity rates with this technique are substantially reduced. This is an initial report on long-term outcomes of a polypropylene sling (PPS) placed in the traditional bladder neck location.

Effect of Surgical Weight Loss on Plantar Fasciitis and Health-Care Use.

Background:: Plantar fasciitis (PF) is one of the most common causes of heel pain. Obesity is recognized as a major factor in PF development, possibly due to increased mechanical loading of the foot due to excess weight. The benefit of bariatric surgery is documented for other comorbidities but not for PF.

Impact of an embedded genetic counselor on breast cancer treatment.

Background: We predicted that embedding a genetic counselor within our breast practice would improve identification of high-risk individuals, timeliness of care, and appropriateness of surgical decision making. The aim of this study is to compare cancer care between 2012 and 2014, prior to embedding a genetic counselor in the breast center and following the intervention, respectively.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 (n = 471) and 2014 (n = 440) was performed to assess patterns of medical genetics referral, compliance with referral, genetic testing findings, and impact on treatment.

Variability in Surgical Treatment of Spondylolisthesis Among Spine Surgeons.

Background: There are a multitude of treatments for low-grade lumbar spondylolisthesis. There are no clear guidelines for the optimal approach.

Objective: To identify the surgical treatment patterns for spondylolisthesis among United States spine surgeons.

Implementation of a prospective pregnancy registry for antiretroviral based HIV prevention trials.

Background: Safety data on pregnancy and fetal outcomes among women in HIV prevention trials are urgently needed to inform use of effective antiretroviral agents for HIV prevention. We describe an effective, efficient, and novel method to prospectively collect perinatal safety data concurrent with on-going parent clinical trials.

Methods: The Microbicide Trials Network (MTN)-016 study is a multinational prospective pregnancy exposure registry designed to capture pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.