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Retrospective studies suggest that chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy may lead to cardiac injury, but this has not been assessed systematically or prospectively. In this prospective study of 40 patients who received CAR T, we systematically measured high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTropT) and N-terminal pro-B natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) at baseline and on day 1, days 7, and 21 after CAR T. Biomarker elevations with respect to timepoint and cytokine release syndrome (CRS) status were examined using repeated measure analysis of variance. hsTropT did not differ with time or with the presence of grade 2 CRS. Median hsTropT was 12.1 ng/L [interquartile range (IQR): 9.2, 20.1] at baseline, 13.1 ng/L (IQR: 9.6, 24.2) at day 1, 11.9 ng/L (IQR: 9.6, 18.0) at day 7, and 15.3 ng/L (10.8, 20.2) at day 21. In contrast, NTproBNP rose on day 1 (P Wilcox = 0.0002) and day 7 (P Wilcox = 2.7 × 10-5), and the degree of elevation differed by the presence of grade 2 CRS (P interaction = 0.002). Median NTproBNP was 179 pg/mL (IQR: 116, 325) at baseline, 357 pg/mL (IQR: 98, 813) at day 1, 420 pg/mL (IQR: 239, 1242) at day 7, and 177 pg/mL (IQR: 80, 278) at day 21. In conclusion, hsTropT l did not differ across timepoints after CAR T therapy, but NTproBNP rose at day 7, the prognostic implications of which should be the target of future research, as the indications for this therapy expand.

Background: Research implicates inflammation in the vicious cycle between depression and obesity, yet few longitudinal studies exist. The rapid weight loss induced by bariatric surgery is known to improve depressive symptoms dramatically, but preoperative depression diagnosis may also increase the risk for poor weight loss. Therefore, we investigated longitudinal associations between depression and inflammatory markers and their effect on weight loss and clinical outcomes in bariatric patients. Methods: This longitudinal observational study of 85 patients with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery included 41 cases with depression and 44 controls. Before and 6 months after surgery, we assessed depression by clinical interview and measured serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10. Results: Before surgery, depression diagnosis was associated with significantly higher serum hsCRP, IL-6, and IL-6/10 ratio levels after controlling for confounders. Six months after surgery, patients with pre-existing depression still had significantly higher inflammation despite demonstrating similar weight loss to controls. Hierarchical regression showed higher baseline hsCRP levels predicted poorer weight loss (β = −0.28, p = 0.01) but had no effect on depression severity at follow-up (β = −0.02, p = 0.9). Instead, more severe baseline depressive symptoms and childhood emotional abuse predicted greater depression severity after surgery (β = 0.81, p < 0.001; and β = 0.31, p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Depression was significantly associated with higher inflammation beyond the effect of obesity and other confounders. Higher inflammation at baseline predicted poorer weight loss 6 months after surgery, regardless of depression diagnosis. Increased inflammation, rather than depression, may drive poor weight loss outcomes among bariatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eosinophilic phenotypes in polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) are rare and poorly characterized. Co-occurring JAK2 mutations in cis, specifically L611S or N622Y mutations, appear to result in a more aggressive clinical phenotype. PV/ET with eosinophilic phenotypes may require full next-generation sequencing to capture co-occurring mutations as opposed to more prevalent single-gene assays. These eosinophilic phenotypes are highly thrombotic and systemic symptoms appear responsive to early use of the janus kinase inhibitor ruxolitinib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Postprandial hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia with neuroglycopenia is an increasingly recognized complication of Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass and gastric sleeve surgery that may detrimentally affect patient quality of life. One likely causal factor is glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1), which has an exaggerated rise following ingestion of carbohydrates after bariatric surgery. This paper sought to assess the role of GLP‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1RAs) in managing postprandial hypoglycemia following bariatric surgery. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), ClinicalTrials.gov, and Scopus were systematically and critically appraised for all peer‐reviewed publications that suitably fulfilled the inclusion criteria established a priori. This systematic review was developed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐Analyses Protocols (PRISMA‐P). It followed methods outlined in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and is registered with PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews; identifier CRD420212716429). Results and Conclusions: Postprandial hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia remains a notoriously difficult to manage metabolic complication of bariatric surgery. This first, to the authors' knowledge, systematic review presents evidence suggesting that use of GLP‐1RAs does not lead to an increase of hypoglycemic episodes, and, although this approach may appear counterintuitive, the findings suggest that GLP‐1RAs could reduce the number of postprandial hypoglycemic episodes and improve glycemic variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a reply to a letter from Dr. Chen and his colleagues regarding a recently published article on the role of Ursodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA) in preventing gallstones in bariatric patients. The authors express gratitude for the interest and positive comments on their article. They mention that the incidence of cholesterol gallstones after bariatric surgery is high and that the burden of gallstone disease on healthcare is likely to increase with the rising rates of obesity and bariatric surgeries. The authors conducted a sensitivity analysis to assess the reliability of their pooled estimates and found that UDCA is beneficial in reducing the risk of gallstone disease in post-operative bariatric patients. They suggest that future research should focus on determining the optimal dose and duration of UDCA in these patients. [Extracted from the article]

We present a frail 83-year-old female with Bouveret syndrome managed using an endoscopic approach. Our patient attended the emergency department with abdominal pain, vomiting and signs of sepsis. She had a recent admission with acute cholecystitis that which had been managed conservatively. Axial imaging revealed aerobilia with a 14 mm common bile duct and a 3.5 cm calculus impacted in the duodenum, in association with a cholecysto-duodenal fistula. After resuscitation, an oesphagoduodenoscopy was performed under general anaesthesia. The large stone was seen impacted in the first part of duodenum. Mechanical lithotripsy and the Kudo snare were employed to fragment the stone and remove large fragments. Bouveret syndrome is rarely managed with success through endoscopy. The syndrome typically occurs in frail, elderly co-morbid patients who would benefit from endoscopic management over open surgery. Despite low success rates historically, endoscopic management is a reasonable and viable option in cases of Bouveret syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Chimaeric antigen receptor T‐cell (CAR T) therapy has evolved at an exponential pace and seeks to revolutionize the CAR T space with next‐generation CARs and expanding indications in plasma cell dyscrasias. Recent developments in Bispecific T‐cell engager therapy (BiTEs) may level the playing field with CAR T therapy, offering key advantages with off‐the‐shelf or on‐demand treatment and a manageable toxicity profile to encompass a wider pool of eligible patients in the outpatient setting. The coexistence of both modalities will remain important in overall management and accelerate the next iteration of both cellular and BiTEs. This article summarises the current progress, potential future of both therapies for haematologic malignancies, and their economic implications on the healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]