Antibodies, Viral ; Antibody Formation ; BNT162 Vaccine ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Female ; Humans ; Milk, Human ; Pilot Projects ; RNA, Messenger ; Vaccination

Gastric cancer (GC) has a good prognosis, if detected at an early stage. The intestinal subtype of GC follows a stepwise progression to carcinoma, which is treatable with early detection and intervention using high-quality endoscopy. Premalignant lesions and gastric epithelial polyps are commonly encountered in clinical practice. Surveillance of patients with premalignant gastric lesions may aid in early diagnosis of GC, and thus improve chances of survival. An expert professional workgroup was formed to summarise the current evidence and provide recommendations on the management of patients with gastric premalignant lesions in Singapore. Twenty-five recommendations were made to address screening and surveillance, strategies for detection and management of gastric premalignant lesions, management of gastric epithelial polyps, and pathological reporting of gastric premalignant lesions.
Adenomatous Polyps ; Endoscopy ; Humans ; Precancerous Conditions/therapy* ; Singapore ; Stomach Neoplasms/therapy*

Humans ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; Singapore

INTRODUCTION: Pregnant women are reported to be at increased risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to underlying immunosuppression during pregnancy. However, the clinical course of COVID-19 in pregnancy and risk of vertical and horizontal transmission remain relatively unknown. We aim to describe and evaluate outcomes in pregnant women with COVID-19 in Singapore. METHODS: Prospective observational study of 16 pregnant patients admitted for COVID-19 to 4 tertiary hospitals in Singapore. Outcomes included severe disease, pregnancy loss, and vertical and horizontal transmission. RESULTS: Of the 16 patients, 37.5%, 43.8% and 18.7% were infected in the first, second and third trimesters, respectively. Two gravidas aged ≥35 years (12.5%) developed severe pneumonia; one patient (body mass index 32.9kg/m2) required transfer to intensive care. The median duration of acute infection was 19 days; one patient remained reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive >11 weeks from diagnosis. There were no maternal mortalities. Five pregnancies produced term live-births while 2 spontaneous miscarriages occurred at 11 and 23 weeks. RT-PCR of breast milk and maternal and neonatal samples taken at birth were negative; placenta and cord histology showed non-specific inflammation; and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific immunoglobulins were elevated in paired maternal and umbilical cord blood (n=5). CONCLUSION The majority of COVID-19 infected pregnant women had mild disease and only 2 women with risk factors (obesity, older age) had severe infection; this represents a slightly higher incidence than observed in age-matched non-pregnant women. Among the women who delivered, there was no definitive evidence of mother-to-child transmission via breast milk or placenta.
Abortion, Spontaneous/epidemiology* ; Adult ; COVID-19/transmission* ; COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing ; COVID-19 Serological Testing ; Cohort Studies ; Disease Transmission, Infectious/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Fetal Blood/immunology* ; Humans ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical/statistics & numerical data* ; Live Birth/epidemiology* ; Maternal Age ; Milk, Human/virology* ; Obesity, Maternal/epidemiology* ; Placenta/pathology* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/physiopathology* ; Pregnancy Outcome/epidemiology* ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Prospective Studies ; RNA, Viral/analysis* ; Risk Factors ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Severity of Illness Index ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Umbilical Cord/pathology* ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Impaired recovery from left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is a major prognostic factor after myocardial infarction (MI). Because P2Y12 receptor blockade inhibits myocardial injury, ticagrelor with off-target properties may have myocardial protection over clopidogrel. In animal models, ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel protects myocardium against reperfusion injury and improves remodeling after MI. We aimed to investigate the effect of ticagrelor on sequential myocardial remodeling process after MI. METHODS: High platelet inhibition with ticagrelor to improve LV remodeling in patients with ST-segment elevation MI (HEALING-AMI) is an investigator-initiated, randomized, open-label, assessor-blinded, multi-center trial done at 10 sites in Korea. Patients will be enrolled if they have ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention and a planned duration of dual antiplatelet treatment of at least 6 months. Screened patients will be randomly assigned (1:1) using an internet-based randomization with a computer-generated blocking with stratification across study sites to either ticagrelor or clopidogrel treatment. The co-primary primary endpoints are LV remodeling index with three-dimensional echocardiography and the level of N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) at 6 months representing post-MI remodeling processes. Changes of LV end-systolic/diastolic volume indices and LV ejection fraction between baseline and 6-month follow-up will be also evaluated. Analysis is per protocol. CONCLUSIONS: HEALING-AMI is testing the effect of ticagrelor in reducing adverse LV remodeling following STEMI. Our trial would show the benefit of ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel related to the recovery of post-MI LV dysfunction beyond potent platelet inhibition. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02224534
Blood Platelets ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Models, Animal ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardium ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Random Allocation ; Reperfusion Injury ; Ventricular Remodeling

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Impaired recovery from left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is a major prognostic factor after myocardial infarction (MI). Because P2Y12 receptor blockade inhibits myocardial injury, ticagrelor with off-target properties may have myocardial protection over clopidogrel. In animal models, ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel protects myocardium against reperfusion injury and improves remodeling after MI. We aimed to investigate the effect of ticagrelor on sequential myocardial remodeling process after MI. METHODS: High platelet inhibition with ticagrelor to improve LV remodeling in patients with ST-segment elevation MI (HEALING-AMI) is an investigator-initiated, randomized, open-label, assessor-blinded, multi-center trial done at 10 sites in Korea. Patients will be enrolled if they have ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention and a planned duration of dual antiplatelet treatment of at least 6 months. Screened patients will be randomly assigned (1:1) using an internet-based randomization with a computer-generated blocking with stratification across study sites to either ticagrelor or clopidogrel treatment. The co-primary primary endpoints are LV remodeling index with three-dimensional echocardiography and the level of N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) at 6 months representing post-MI remodeling processes. Changes of LV end-systolic/diastolic volume indices and LV ejection fraction between baseline and 6-month follow-up will be also evaluated. Analysis is per protocol. CONCLUSIONS HEALING-AMI is testing the effect of ticagrelor in reducing adverse LV remodeling following STEMI. Our trial would show the benefit of ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel related to the recovery of post-MI LV dysfunction beyond potent platelet inhibition.TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02224534

With recent advances in molecular diagnostic methods and targeted cancer therapies, several molecular tests have been recommended for gastric cancer (GC) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Microsatellite instability analysis of gastrointestinal cancers is performed to screen for Lynch syndrome, predict favorable prognosis, and screen patients for immunotherapy. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor has been approved in metastatic CRCs with wildtype RAS (KRAS and NRAS exon 2–4). A BRAF mutation is required for predicting poor prognosis. Additionally, amplification of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and MET is also associated with resistance to EGFR inhibitor in metastatic CRC patients. The BRAF V600E mutation is found in sporadic microsatellite unstable CRCs, and thus is helpful for ruling out Lynch syndrome. In addition, the KRAS mutation is a prognostic biomarker and the PIK3CA mutation is a molecular biomarker predicting response to phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors and response to aspirin therapy in CRC patients. Additionally, HER2 testing should be performed in all recurrent or metastatic GCs. If the results of HER2 immunohistochemistry are equivocal, HER2 silver or fluorescence in situ hybridization testing are essential for confirmative determination of HER2 status. Epstein-Barr virus–positive GCs have distinct characteristics, including heavy lymphoid stroma, hypermethylation phenotype, and high expression of immune modulators. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing technologies enable us to examine various genetic alterations using a single test. Pathologists play a crucial role in ensuring reliable molecular testing and they should also take an integral role between molecular laboratories and clinicians.

Adult ; Biopsy ; Cerebral Ventricle Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Male ; Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial ; diagnosis ; Third Ventricle ; diagnostic imaging

INTRODUCTIONUp to 30% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) respond inadequately to conventional non-biologic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (nbDMARDs), and may benefit from therapy with biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs). However, the high cost of bDMARDs limits their widespread use. The Chapter of Rheumatologists, College of Physicians, Academy of Medicine, Singapore aims to define clinical eligibility for government-assisted funding of bDMARDs for local RA patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODSEvidence synthesis was performed by reviewing 7 published guidelines on use of biologics for RA. Using the modified RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method (RAM), rheumatologists rated indications for therapies for different clinical scenarios. Points reflecting the output from the formal group consensus were used to formulate the practice recommendations.

RESULTSTen recommendations including diagnosis of RA, choice of disease activity measure, initiation and continuation of bDMARD and option of first and second-line therapies were formulated. The panellists agreed that a bDMARD is indicated if a patient has (1) active RA with a Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) score of ≥3.2, (2) a minimum of 6 swollen and tender joints, and (3) has failed a minimum of 2 nbDMARD combinations of adequate dose regimen for at least 3 months each. To qualify for continued biologic therapy, a patient must have (1) documentation of DAS28 every 3 months and (2) at least a European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) moderate response by 6 months after commencement of therapy.

CONCLUSIONThe recommendations developed by a formal group consensus method may be useful for clinical practice and guiding funding decisions by relevant authorities in making bDMARDs usage accessible and equitable to eligible patients in Singapore.