Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a malignancy that commonly appears as lesions on the skin or mucosal surfaces but can also develop in other organs. This cancer is usually caused by the human herpesvirus 8 ...(HHV-8), recently known as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). KS is rare in the general population but can develop in kidney transplant recipients with varying incidence due to immunocompromised status from immunosuppression. The main aim of the present systematic review was to identify the prevalence and treatment of KS in kidney transplant patients. PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases were searched for studies until October 2023. Full-text studies with similar research objectives were included, while non-English articles, reviews, case reports, ongoing clinical trials, and studies evaluating KS in HIV patients or after other solid organ transplants were excluded. All studies were observational; therefore, methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The statistical analyses were performed with the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software (Biostat, Inc. Englewood, NJ). The pooled analysis from the 15 studies included showed that KS develops in 1.5% of kidney transplant recipients and is more prevalent in African (1.7%) and Middle Eastern (1.7%) recipients than in Western recipients (0.07%). KS was also significantly more prevalent among male recipients than female recipients (OR: 2.36; p < 0.0001). Additionally, cyclosporine-based immunosuppression accounts for most KS incidences (79.6%) compared to azathioprine-based immunosuppression (28.2%). Furthermore, reduction or withdrawal of immunosuppression alone resulted in 47.8% KS complete remissions. Post-kidney transplantation KS is more frequent among males and patients of Middle Eastern and African origin. However, the gender difference may be attributed to most patients undergoing kidney transplants being male. Therefore, if gender balance is considered in future studies, then the difference might be insignificant. Based on our results, we can concur that the mainstay treatment for post-transplant KS is reduction or withdrawal of immunosuppression. However, the patients should be closely monitored to avoid KS recurrence and kidney rejection. Furthermore, there is an increased risk for KS with the use of cyclosporine-based immunosuppression. However, this does not mean that the withdrawal of this immunosuppression agent might result in improved KS outcomes because the withdrawal of azathioprine with or without cyclosporine reduction has also led to improved outcomes.
1579 Background: The utilization of immunotherapy has become prevalent in the therapeutic approach to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), owing to its association with enhanced survival outcomes. ...Nevertheless, a notable gap exists in the available information regarding potential variations in the survival benefits of immunotherapy based on the racial demographics of NSCLC patients. Methods: A systematic search for articles published until January 2023 was performed on PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases. Articles that aligned with the research objective were included, while non-English articles, case reports, conference abstracts, studies combining immunotherapy with other cancer therapies, and studies on small-cell lung cancer were excluded. Data required for review and analysis was independently abstracted into separate Excel files by two reviewers. Furthermore, Statistical analyses were performed using the Review Manager software, and the methodological quality evaluation was done using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Results: Seven cohort studies were used for review and analysis. A subgroup analysis of data from these studies showed that Black/African American and Asian NSCLC patients receiving immunotherapy had improved overall survival (OS) than White patients (HR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.75 – 0.95; p = 0.006 and HR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.30 – 0.93; p = 0.03, respectively). However, the difference in OS is statistically insignificant when Hispanic patients are compared with white patients (HR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.46 – 1.00; p = 0.05). On the other hand, the subgroup analyses did not demonstrate any significant difference in progression-free survival (PFS) when comparing Black/African American, Asian or Hispanic patients to White patients (HR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.79 – 1.09; p = 0.35, HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.51 – 1.55; p = 0.69, and HR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.82 – 1.23; p = 0.96, respectively). Conclusions: Among non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing immunotherapeutic interventions, it is discerned that Black/African American and Asian individuals exhibit superior overall survival (OS) outcomes compared to their White counterparts. However, it is noteworthy that the observed racial disparity does not appear to exert a discernible influence on the progression-free survival (PFS) of NSCLC patients subjected to immunotherapy.
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Introduction:
Cadmium toxicity affects various organs, including the heart and kidneys. Whether the relationship between a broad range of cadmium levels, from normal to highly toxic and ...congestive heart failure (CHF), remains unclear.
Hypothesis:
Blood cadmium (Cd) level is associated with a higher prevalence of CHF.
Methods:
A nationwide cross-sectional study involving participants (≥ 18 years old) in the 2017 - 2020 NHANES was examined by using multiple logistic regression to determine the association between Cd levels and history of CHF informed by a doctor or other health professional.
Results:
Of 12,102 participants with blood cadmium (Cd) results were identified, of which mean age was 37±24 years, and 50.6% were female. The majority were White (33%), followed by Black (25%), Mexican American (13%), and Asian (10%). Among 8,074 participants with Cd results, 304 participants (3.8%) had a history of CHF. The participants were stratified into quartiles (Q) based on their Cd levels, with mean Cd levels of 0.08, 0.16, 0.29, and 0.93 μg/L for each quartile, respectively. Individuals in Q2, Q3, and Q4 were 2.48, 3.20, and 4.29 times more likely to experience CHF than those in Q1. (Q2: 95% CI 1.22, 5.06; Q3: 95% CI 1.61, 6.37; Q4: 95% CI 2.18, 8.45).After adjusting for age, gender, race, BMI, smoking status, high systolic blood pressure (<130 vs. >130 mmHg), diabetic status, and urine albumin creatinine ratio, participants in Q3 and Q4 remained at a higher risk of CHF compared to an individual in Q1, with a risk increase of 2.18 and 3.04, respectively. (Q3: 95% CI 1.02, 4.68; Q4: 95% CI 1.41, 6.52; Figure 1). While CHF was 2.11 times as likely to occur among participants in Q2 but not statically significant (Q2: 95% CI 0.97, 4.59; Figure 1).
Conclusions:
A graded association exists between blood cadmium levels, even within the non-toxic range, and an increased prevalence of CHF. Further longitudinal cohort studies are required to elucidate this relationship.
