Medical Sciences

Background: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed clinical and toxicity outcomes of 67 prostate cancer (PCa) patients undergoing moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy (RT) after prostatectomy, with adjuvant or salvage intent. Methods: Irradiation was delivered by volumetric modulated arc therapy. The median follow-up was 48 months. The 3- and 5-year biochemical relapse-free survival rates were 80% and 69%. The RT schedule consisted of a median total dose of 67.5 Gy with a median number of 25 fractions and a median fraction dose of 2.7 Gy to the prostate bed (PB) and 60% of patients simultaneously received whole pelvis irradiation (WP; fraction dose: 1.8 Gy, median total dose of 46.8 Gy). Results: The rate of acute toxicity was 54% for gastrointestinal (GI) and 36% for genitourinary (GU). No grade 3 acute toxicity was observed. Late toxicity was as follows: G1, G2, and G3 GI events in 25.5%, 3.6%, and 1.8% of the cases, respectively; G1, G2, and G3 GU events in 37.1%, 11.1%, and 7.4%, respectively. The toxicity-free survival (TFS) curves showed a different trend for acute and late toxicity. TFS was significantly associated with RT volume, except for acute GI toxicity. Specifically, the concomitant irradiation of PB and WP appeared to be a significant risk factor for late GI and GU toxicity (p = 0.029 and p = 0.012, respectively). Conclusions: At the 48-month median timepoint considered by our study, postoperative hypofractionated RT achieved promising results in terms of clinical outcomes with acceptable toxicity. Only the irradiated volume seems to be an important predictor for toxicity.

Background. Routine lymphocyte counting requires quality assurance validation using quality controls (QCs) that closely resemble fresh human blood leukocytes. This study aimed to evaluate a novel artificial product designed to mimic leukocyte light scatters and marker expression. Methods. FlowCytes and TruCytes, “artificial cell mimics” (Slingshot Biosciences, Emeryville, CA, USA), were tested on CE-IVD-certified systems, namely FACSCanto, FACSLyric (BD Biosciences), Navios, and DxFlex (Beckman Coulter), using routine staining, lysing, fixation, and no-wash procedures for T, B, and NK counting. Results. FlowCytes and TruCytes provided forward and side scatter profiles comparable to human leukocytes on the FACSCanto, FACSLyric, and DxFlex systems but not on Navios despite adapting the process to be slightly different from the manufacturer’s recommendations. TruCytes demonstrated robust immunolabeling of CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD19 on the FACSCanto, FACSLyric, and DxFlex systems, with fluorescence intensities and subset distributions being similar to those usually observed in fresh human blood. However, CD16 and CD56 labeling was inconsistent and depended on the antibody clones used. Regrettably, monocyte and granulocyte mimics lacked expression of CD4, CD16, and CD14. TruCytes also displayed significantly lower concentrations of TBNK lymphocyte subsets compared to healthy human blood. Conclusions. FlowCytes and TruCytes show promises as internal quality controls for T cell and B cell immunophenotyping, but not NK cells. They are compatible with most CE-IVD cytometers, even when using lysis/fixation/no-wash routine diagnosis procedures. Further multicentric studies are warranted to assess their performance relative to existing products, such as stabilized human blood.

Background: Chronic heart failure (HF) is a significant public health issue. The principal risk factors for left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) include older age, female sex, obesity, hypertension, smoking, and diabetes, among others, all of which can reduce physical activity. Additionally, peripheral factors such as skeletal muscle mass (SMM) abnormalities decrease maximal oxygen consumption. In elderly HF patients, the prevalence of sarcopenia is higher than in those without HF; however, the relationship between sarcopenia and HF remains insufficiently explained, particularly in right HF (RHF). Our objective was to describe the echocardiographic alterations between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic subjects with RHF. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Outpatients aged 18 years or older with a confirmed diagnosis of RHF were included. Sarcopenia was defined according to EWGSOP2. Results: A total of 183 patients were included; 24.5% had sarcopenia. The mean age was 64.34 ± 13.97 years. Echocardiographic characteristics revealed evidence of LVDD in sarcopenic subjects, as indicated by lower E wave velocity, E/A ratio, and e’ lateral and medial values, as well as lower right ventricular (RV) wall thickness compared with non-sarcopenic subjects. The multivariate model showed that sarcopenia subjects had lower RV wall thickness (B: −1.36 mm, 95% CI: −2.30 to −0.42), e’ medial (B: −1 cm/s, 95% CI: −1.99 to −0.02), and e’ lateral (B: −1.78 cm/s, 95% CI: −2.97 to −0.60). Conclusions: The prevalence of sarcopenia in RHF patients was 24.6%, which was associated with LVDD and lower RV wall thickness, suggesting a loss of cardiac muscle mass.