• Textural analysis from computed tomography can be applied in gastric cancer. • Preoperative non-invasive texture features are related to prognosis in gastric cancer. • Texture analysis could help to evaluate the aggressiveness of this tumour.

Objectives:To explore whether time to diagnosis, time to treatment initiation and age to reach disability milestones has changed in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) according to different multiple sclerosis (MS)-diagnostic criteria periods.Methods:Retrospective study based on data prospective collected from the Barcelona-CIS cohort between 1994 and 2020. Patients were classified into five periods according to different MS criteria, and the time to MS diagnosis and treatment initiation were evaluated. The age at which MS patients reached an EDSS ≥3.0 was assessed by Cox regression analysis according to diagnostic criteria periods. Finally, in order to remove the classical “Will Rogers” phenomenon by which the use of different MS criteria over time might result on changes of prognosis, 2017 McDonald criteria were applied and age at EDSS ≥ 3.0 was also assessed by Cox regression.Results:1174 patients were included. The median time from CIS to MS diagnosis, and from CIS to treatment initiation showed a 77% and 82 reduction from the Poser to the McDonald 2017 diagnostic criteria periods, respectively. Patients of a given age diagnosed in more recent diagnostic criteria periods had a lower risk of reaching EDSS ≥3.0 than patients of the same age diagnosed in earlier diagnostic periods (reference category Poser period): Adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.47 (95% confidence interval 0.24-0.90) for McDonald 2001, aHR 0.25 (0.12-0.54) for McDonald 2005, aHR 0.30 (0.12-0.75) for McDonald 2010 and aHR 0.07 (0.01-0.45) for McDonald 2017. Early-treatment patients displayed an aHR of 0.53 (0.33-0.85) of reaching age at EDSS ≥3.0 compared to late-treatment. Changes in prognosis together with early-treatment effect were maintained after excluding possible bias derived from the use of different diagnostic criteria over time (so called, “Will Rogers” phenomenon)Conclusion:A continuous decrease in the time to MS diagnosis and treatment initiation were observed across diagnostic criteria periods. Overall, patients diagnosed in more recent diagnostic criteria periods displayed a lower risk of reaching disability. Importantly, the prognostic improvement is maintained after discarding the “Will Rogers” phenomenon, and early treatment appears to be the most likely contributing factor.

IntroductionProgression of arterial involvement is often observed in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TA) thought to be in remission. This reflects the failure of currently used biomarkers and activity criteria to detect smouldering inflammation occurring within arterial wall. Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) is a soluble pattern recognition receptor produced at sites of inflammation and could reveal systemic as well as localized inflammatory processes. We verified whether the blood concentrations of PTX3 and of C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TA) might reflect vascular wall involvement, as assessed by signal enhancement after contrast media administration, and the progression of arterial involvement.MethodsA cross-sectional single-centre study was carried out on 42 patients with TA that comprised assessment of PTX3, of CRP and erythrocyte sedimentation velocity (ESR). In total, 20 healthy controls and 20 patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE) served as controls. Vascular imaging was carried out by magnetic resonance angiography, doppler ultrasonography and computed tomography angiography.ResultsPatients with TA and SLE had higher plasmatic PTX3 and CRP concentrations than healthy controls (P = 0.009 and 0.017, respectively). PTX3 levels did not correlate with those of CRP. Patients with active systemic TA had significantly higher concentrations of CRP but similar levels of PTX3 than patients with quiescent disease. In contrast, patients with vascular inflammation detectable at imaging had higher PTX3 concentrations (P = 0.016) than those in which vessel inflammation was not evident, while CRP levels were similar. The concentration of PTX3 but not that of CRP was significantly higher in TA patients with worsening arterial lesions that were not receiving antagonists of tumor necrosis factor-α or interleukin-6.ConclusionsArterial inflammation and progression of vascular involvement influence plasma PTX3 levels in TA, while levels of CRP accurately reflect the burden of systemic inflammation. These results support the contention that PTX3 reflects different aspects of inflammation than CRP and might represent a biomarker of actual arteritis in TA.

ImportanceProgression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) is the main event responsible for irreversible disability accumulation in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS).ObjectiveTo investigate clinical and neuroimaging predictors of PIRA at the time of the first demyelinating attack and factors associated with long-term clinical outcomes of people who present with PIRA.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cohort study, conducted from January 1, 1994, to July 31, 2021, included patients with a first demyelinating attack from multiple sclerosis; patients were recruited from 1 study center in Spain. Patients were excluded if they refused to participate, had alternative diagnoses, did not meet protocol requirements, had inconsistent demographic information, or had less than 3 clinical assessments.ExposuresExposures included (1) clinical and neuroimaging features at the first demyelinating attack and (2) presenting PIRA, ie, confirmed disability accumulation (CDA) in a free-relapse period at any time after symptom onset, within (vs after) the first 5 years of the disease (ie, early/late PIRA), and in the presence (vs absence) of new T2 lesions in the previous 2 years (ie, active/nonactive PIRA).Main Outcomes and MeasuresExpanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) yearly increase rates since the first attack and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for predictors of time to PIRA and time to EDSS 6.0.ResultsOf the 1128 patients (mean [SD] age, 32.1 [8.3] years; 781 female individuals [69.2%]) included in the study, 277 (25%) developed 1 or more PIRA events at a median (IQR) follow-up time of 7.2 (4.6-12.4) years (for first PIRA). Of all patients with PIRA, 86 of 277 (31%) developed early PIRA, and 73 of 144 (51%) developed active PIRA. Patients with PIRA were slightly older, had more brain lesions, and were more likely to have oligoclonal bands than those without PIRA. Older age at the first attack was the only predictor of PIRA (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.23-1.65; P < .001 for each older decade). Patients with PIRA had steeper EDSS yearly increase rates (0.18; 95% CI, 0.16-0.20 vs 0.04; 95% CI, 0.02-0.05; P < .001) and an 8-fold greater risk of reaching EDSS 6.0 (HR, 7.93; 95% CI, 2.25-27.96; P = .001) than those without PIRA. Early PIRA had steeper EDSS yearly increase rates than late PIRA (0.31; 95% CI, 0.26-0.35 vs 0.13; 95% CI, 0.10-0.16; P < .001) and a 26-fold greater risk of reaching EDSS 6.0 from the first attack (HR, 26.21; 95% CI, 2.26-303.95; P = .009).Conclusions and RelevanceResults of this cohort study suggest that for patients with multiple sclerosis, presenting with PIRA after a first demyelinating event was not uncommon and suggests an unfavorable long-term prognosis, especially if it occurs early in the disease course.

Background The aim of this study was to prospectively compare the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in the preoperative locoregional staging of gastric cancer. Methods This study had Institutional Review Board approval, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. Fifty-two patients with biopsy-proven gastric cancer underwent preoperative 1.5-T MRI, 64-channel MDCT and EUS. All images were analysed blind, and the results were compared with histopathological findings according to the seventh edition of the TNM classification. After the population had been divided on the basis of the local invasion (T1-3 vs T4a-b) and nodal involvement (N0 vs N?), sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and accuracy were calculated and diagnostic performance measures were assessed using the McNemar test. Results For T staging, EUS showed higher sensitivity (94 %) than MDCT and MRI (65 and 76 %; p = 0.02 and p = 0.08). MDCT and MRI had significantly higher specificity (91 and 89 %) than EUS (60 %) (p = 0.0009 and p = 0.003). Adding MRI to MDCT or EUS did not result in significant differences for sensitivity. For N staging, EUS showed higher sensitivity (92 %) than MRI and MDCT (69 and 73 %; p = 0.01 and p = 0.02). MDCT showed better specificity (81 %) than EUS and MRI (58 and 73 %; p = 0.03 and p = 0.15). Conclusions Our prospective study confirmed the leading role of EUS and MDCT in the staging of gastric cancer and did not prove, at present, the value of the clinical use of MRI.

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In this pilot study, we have shown that MR with DWI could enrich the current pre-operative work-up for oesophageal cancer and could be used for T and N staging. However, larger studies will need to be carried out before introducing this technique in the standard diagnostic pathway, in order to understand if MR with DWI could change its management and replace more costly or invasive tests such as PET-CT or EUS. Advances in knowledge: This pilot study represents the first effort where the four techniques have been prospectively compared together for oesophageal cancer staging. The combination of MR and DWI could provide important, additional information for staging and initial treatment decision-making.