Early monocyte response following local ablation in hepatocellular carcinoma

Local ablative therapies are established treatment modalities in the treatment of early- and intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Systemic effects of local ablation on circulating immune cells may contribute to patients’ response. Depending on their activation, myeloid cells are able to trigger HCC progression as well as to support anti-tumor immunity. Certain priming of monocytes may already occur while still in the circulation. By using flow cytometry, we analyzed peripheral blood monocyte cell populations from a prospective clinical trial cohort of 21 HCC patients following interstitial brachytherapy (IBT) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and investigated alterations in the composition of monocyte subpopulations and monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (mMDSCs) as well as receptors involved in orchestrating monocyte function. We discovered that mMDSC levels increased following both IBT and RFA in virtually all patients. Furthermore, we identified varying alterations in the level of monocyte subpopulations following radiation compared to RFA. (A) Liquid biopsy liquid biopsy of circulating monocytes in the future may provide information on the inflammatory response towards local ablation as part of an orchestrated immune response

Percutaneous Sclerotherapy of Venous Malformations of the Hand: A Multicenter Analysis

PURPOSE To evaluate the safety and outcome of percutaneous sclerotherapy for treating venous malformations (VMs) of the hand. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective multicenter trial of 29 patients with VMs primarily affecting the hand, including wrist, carpus, and/or fingers, treated by 81 percutaneous image-guided sclerotherapies using ethanol gel and/or polidocanol was performed. Clinical and imaging findings were assessed to evaluate clinical response, lesion size reduction, and complication rates. Substratification analysis was performed with respect to the Puig's classification, the sclerosing agent, the injected volume of the sclerosant, and to previously performed treatments. RESULTS The mean number of procedures per patient was 2.8 (± 2.2). Last follow-up (mean = 9.2~months) revealed a partial relief of symptoms in 78.9% (15/19), while three patients (15.8%) presented symptom-free and one patient (5.3%) with no improvement. Post-treatment imaging revealed an overall objective response rate of 88.9%. Early post-procedural complications occurred after 5/81 sclerotherapies (6.2%) and were entirely resolved by conservative means. Type of VM (Puig's classification) as well as sclerosing agent had no impact on clinical response (p = 0.85, p = 0.11) or complication rates (p = 0.66, p = 0.69). The complication rates were not associated with the sclerosant volume injected (p = 0.76). In addition, no significant differences in clinical success (p = 0.11) or complication rates (p = 0.89) were detected when comparing patients with history of previous treatments compared to therapy-naive patients. CONCLUSION Percutaneous sclerotherapy is both safe and effective for treating VMs of the hand. Even patients with history of previous treatments benefit from further sclerotherapy showing similar low complication rates to therapy-naive patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level 4, Retrospective study

Effect of mild cortisol cosecretion on body composition and metabolic parameters in patients with primary hyperaldosteronism

Objective To investigate the effects of simultaneous cortisol cosecretion (CCS) on body composition in computed tomography (CT)-imaging and metabolic parameters in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) with the objective of facilitating early detection. Design Retrospective cohort study. Patients Forty-seven patients with PA and CCS confirmed by 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST) with a cutoff of ≥1.8 µg/dL were compared with PA patients with excluded CCS (non-CCS, n = 47) matched by age and sex. Methods Segmentation of the fat compartments and muscle area at the third lumbar region was performed on non-contrast-enhanced CT images with dedicated segmentation software. Additionally, liver, spleen, pancreas and muscle attenuation were compared between the two groups. Results Mean cortisol after DST was 1.2 µg/dL (33.1 nmol/L) in the non-CCS group and 3.2 µg/dL (88.3 nmol/L) in the CCS group with mild autonomous cortisol excess (MACE). No difference in total, visceral and subcutaneous fat volumes was observed between the CCS and non-CCS group (p = .7, .6 and .8, respectively). However, a multivariable regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between total serum cholesterol and results of serum cortisol after 1-mg DST (p = .026). Classification of the patients based on visible lesion on CT and PA-lateralization via adrenal venous sampling also did not show any significant differences in body composition. Conclusion MACE in PA patients does not translate into body composition changes on CT-imaging. Therefore, early detection of concurrent CCS in PA is currently only attainable through biochemical tests. Further investigation of the long-term clinical adverse effects of MACE in PA is necessary

Gadoxetic acid uptake as a molecular imaging biomarker for sorafenib resistance in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a post hoc analysis of the SORAMIC trial

PURPOSE Gadoxetic acid uptake on hepatobiliary phase MRI has been shown to correlate with ß-catenin mutation in patients with HCC, which is associated with resistance to certain therapies. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of gadoxetic acid uptake on hepatobiliary phase MRI in patients with advanced HCC receiving sorafenib. METHODS 312 patients with available baseline hepatobiliary phase MRI images received sorafenib alone or following selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) within SORAMIC trial. The signal intensity of index tumor and normal liver parenchyma were measured on the native and hepatobiliary phase MRI images, and relative tumor enhancement higher than relative liver enhancement were accepted as high gadoxetic acid uptake, and its prognostic value was assessed using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS The median OS of the study population was 13.4 (11.8-14.5) months. High gadoxetic acid uptake was seen in 51 (16.3%) patients, and none of the baseline characteristics was associated with high uptake. In univariate analysis, high gadoxetic acid uptake was significantly associated with shorter overall survival (10.7 vs. 14.0~months, p = 0.005). Multivariate analysis confirmed independent prognostic value of high gadoxetic acid uptake (HR, 1.7 1.21-2.3, p = 0.002), as well as Child-Pugh class (p = 0.033), tumor diameter (p = 0.002), and ALBI grade (p = 0.015). CONCLUSION In advanced HCC patients receiving sorafenib (alone or combined with SIRT), high gadoxetic acid uptake of the tumor on pretreatment MRI, a surrogate of ß-catenin mutation, correlates with shorter survival. Gadoxetic acid uptake status might serve in treatment decision-making process