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An increased interest in gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP NENs) has recently been observed. These are rare neoplasms and their detection in recent years has improved. Over 50% of GEP NENs are carcinoids, and they are usually found incidentally during surgery in the small intestine and appendix and at diagnosis in distant metastases, mainly to the liver. There is a need for co-operation between specialists in various disciplines of medicine in order to work out the diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines. In this publication, we present general recommendations of the Polish Network of Neuroendocrine Tumours for the management of patients with GEP NENs, developed at the Consensus Conference which took place in Kamień Śląski in April 2013. Members of the guidelines working groups were assigned sections of the 2008 guidance to update. In the subsequent parts of this publication, we present the rules of diagnostic and therapeutic management of: -neuroendocrine neoplasms of the stomach and duodenum (including gastrinoma); -pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms; -neuroendocrine neoplasms of the small intestine and the appendix; -colorectal neuroendocrine neoplasms. The proposed recommendations by Polish and foreign experts representing different fields of medicine (endocrinology, gastroenterology, surgery, oncology, nuclear medicine and pathology) will be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of GEP NENs patients.

Aims Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the cellular entry point for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)—the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the effect of renin-angiotensin system (RAS)-inhibition on ACE2 expression in human tissues of key relevance to blood pressure regulation and COVID-19 infection has not previously been reported. Methods and results We examined how hypertension, its major metabolic co-phenotypes, and antihypertensive medications relate to ACE2 renal expression using information from up to 436 patients whose kidney transcriptomes were characterized by RNA-sequencing. We further validated some of the key observations in other human tissues and/or a controlled experimental model. Our data reveal increasing expression of ACE2 with age in both human lungs and the kidney. We show no association between renal expression of ACE2 and either hypertension or common types of RAS inhibiting drugs. We demonstrate that renal abundance of ACE2 is positively associated with a biochemical index of kidney function and show a strong enrichment for genes responsible for kidney health and disease in ACE2 co-expression analysis. Conclusion Our results indicate that neither hypertension nor antihypertensive treatment is likely to alter the expression of the key entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2 in the human kidney. Our data further suggest that in the absence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, kidney ACE2 is most likely nephro-protective but the age-related increase in its expression within lungs and kidneys may be relevant to the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

We present revised Polish guidelines regarding the management of patients harbouring neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) of the small intestine and appendix. The small intestine, especially the ileum, is the most common origin of these neoplasms. Most of them are well differentiated with slow growth. Rarely, they are less differentiated, growing fast with a poor prognosis. Since symptoms can be atypical, the diagnosis is often accidental. Typical symptoms of carcinoid syndrome occur in less than 10% of patients. The most useful laboratory marker is chromogranin A; 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid is helpful in the monitoring of carcinoid syndrome. Ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, colonoscopy, video capsule endoscopy, balloon enteroscopy and somatostatin receptors scintigraphy are used in the visualisation. A histological report is crucial for the proper diagnostics and therapy of NENs, and it has been extensively described. The treatment of choice is surgery, either radical or palliative. Somatostatin analogues are crucial in the pharmacological treatment of the hormonally active and non-active small intestine NENs and NENs of the appendix. Radioisotope therapy is possible in patients with a good expression of somatostatin receptors. Chemotherapy is not effective in general. Everolimus therapy can be applied in patients with generalised NENs of the small intestine in progression and where there has been a failure or an inability to use other treatment options. Finally, we make recommendations regarding the monitoring of patients with NENs of the small intestine and appendix. (6) w mniej niż 10% przypadków. W diagnostyce laboratoryjnej najbardziej przydatne jest oznaczenie stężenia chromograniny A, badanie stężenia kwasu 5-hydroksyindolooctowego jest pomocne w monitorowaniu zespołu rakowiaka. W obrazowaniu stosuje się ultrasonografię, tomografię komputerową, rezonans magnetyczny, kolonoskopię, wideoendoskopię kapsułkową, enteroskopię dwubalonową, scyntygrafię receptorów somatostatynowych. Szczegółowe badanie histologiczne jest kluczowym dla właściwego rozpoznania i leczenia chorych z NEN jelita cienkiego i wyrostka robaczkowego. Leczeniem z wyboru jest postępowanie chirurgiczne, radykalne lub paliatywne. W leczeniu farmakologicznym czynnych i nieczynnych hormonalnie NEN jelita cienkiego i wyrostka robaczkowego podstawowe znaczenie mają analogi somatostatyny. Terapia radioizotopowa u chorych z dobrą ekspresją receptorów somatostatynowych stanowi kolejną opcję terapeutyczną. Chemioterapia jest na ogół nieskuteczna. U pacjentów z rozsianym NEN jelita cienkiego i progresją choroby oraz nieskutecznością innych metod terapii można zastosować ewerolimus. Przedstawiono także zalecenia odnośnie monitorowania chorych z NEN jelita cienkiego i wyrostka robaczkowego. (Endokrynol Pol 2013; 64 (6): 444-493)

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