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Rima Tinawi-Aljundi,1 Lauren King,2 Shannon T Knuth,2 Michael Gildea,2 Carrie Ng,2 Josh Kahl,2 Jacqueline Dion,2 Chris Young,2 Edward W Schervish,1 J Rene Frontera,1 Jason Hafron,1 Kenneth M Kernen,1 Robert Di Loreto,1 Joan Aurich-Costa21Michigan Institute of Urology, St Claire Shores, MI, USA; 2Cellay, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA Background: Previously, we had developed and manufactured an oligonucleotide fluorescence in situ hybridization (OligoFISH) probe panel based on the most clinically sensitive chromosomes found in a reference set of bladder carcinoma cases. The panel was clinically validated for use as a diagnostic and monitoring assay for bladder cancer, reaching 100% correlation with the results of the UroVysion test. After 1 year of using this probe panel, we present here the comparison of cytology, cystoscopy, and pathology findings to the OligoFISH probe panel results to calculate its clinical performance. Materials and methods: In order to calculate clinical performance, we compared the OligoFISH results to the cytology and cystoscopy/pathology findings for 147 initial diagnoses and 399 recurrence monitorings. Finally, we compared clinical performance to published values for the UroVysion test, including both low- and high-grade tumors. Results: Chromosomes 3, 6, 7, and 20 were highly involved in bladder carcinoma aneuploidy. At the initial diagnosis, we obtained 90.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 84.5%–94.7%) accuracy, 96.8% sensitivity (95% CI: 91.0%–99.3%), 79.2% specificity (95% CI: 65.9%–87.8%), 89.2% positive predictive value (PPV; 95% CI: 81.5%–94.5%), and 93.3% negative predictive value (NPV; 95% CI: 81.7%–97.3%). When monitoring for recurrence, we obtained 85.2% accuracy (95% CI: 81.3%–88.5%), 82.0% sensitivity (95% CI: 76.0%–87.1%), 88.4% specificity (95% CI: 83.2%–92.5%), 87.7% PPV (95% CI: 82.1%–92.0%), and 83.0% NPV (95% CI: 77.3%–87.8%). When looking at low- and high-grade tumors, the test showed 100% sensitivity for high-grade tumors (95% CI: 92.5%–100%) and 87.5% sensitivity (95% CI: 68.8%–95.5%) for low-grade tumors. All the clinical parameters for the OligoFISH panel were higher than the UroVysion test's published performance. We found significantly higher clinical sensitivity and NPV at initial diagnosis and significantly higher specificity and PPV for recurrence. Conclusion: The OligoFISH probe panel is a fast, easy, and reproducible test for bladder cancer diagnosis and monitoring, with excellent clinical performance and utility. Keywords: UroVysion, FISH, urologic oncology, bladder neoplasm

There is conflicting evidence for a defect in mononuclear suppressor function(s) in dilated cardiomyopathy (DC). In order to assess immunoregulation in patients with DC, mononuclear suppressor cell inducibility was determined by a standard in vitro assay. Peripheral mononuclear cells (PMC) from 20 normals and 27 patients with DC were stimulated with Concanavalin-A (Con-A) in vitro for 2 days to activate suppressor cell populations, washed with α-methylmannoside, then co-cultured with autologous lymphocytes that were already undergoing lectin-induced or allogeneic stimulation in mixed lymphocyte culture.The expected absence of Con-A inducible suppressor cell activity was found in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). There was no significant defect in the ability of PMC from DC to attenuate an established mitogen or allogeneic proliferative reaction when compared to normals. These data, in contrast to the initial DC suppressor studies by others, provide further support fornormal in vitro PMC suppressor function in DC. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To establish a consensus for initial evaluation and follow-up of patients on active surveillance (AS) for T1 renal masses (T1RM)., Methods: A modified Delphi method was used to gather information about AS of T1RM, with a focus on patient selection, timing/type of imaging modality, and triggers for intervention. A consensus panel of Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative-affiliated urologists who routinely manage renal masses was formed. Areas of consensus (defined >80% agreement) about T1RM AS were established iteratively via 3 rounds of online questionnaires., Results: Twenty-six Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative urologists formed the panel. Consensus was achieved for 321/587 scenarios (54.7%) administered through 124 questions. Life expectancy, age, comorbidity, and renal function were most important for patient selection, with life expectancy ranking first. All tumors <3 cm and all patients with life expectancy <1 year were considered appropriate for AS. Appropriateness also increased with elevated perioperative risk, increasing tumor complexity, and/or declining renal function. Consensus was for multiphasic axial imaging initially (contrast CT for GFR >60 or MRI for GFR >30) with first repeat imaging at 3-6 months and subsequent imaging timing determined by tumor size. Consensus was for chest imaging for tumors >3 cm initially and >5 cm at follow up. Renal biopsy was not felt to be a requirement for entering AS, but useful in several scenarios. Consensus indicated rapid tumor growth as an appropriate trigger for intervention., Conclusion: Our consensus panel was able to achieve areas of consensus to help define a clinically useful and specific roadmap for AS of T1RM and areas for further discussion where consensus was not achieved., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Renal mass biopsy (RMB) has had limited and varied utilization to guide management of renal masses (RM)., Objective: To evaluate utilization of RMB for newly diagnosed cT1 RMs across diverse practice types and assess associations of outcomes with RMB., Design Setting and Participants: MUSIC-KIDNEY commenced data collection in September 2017 for all newly presenting patients with a cT1 RM at 14 diverse practices. Patients were assessed at ≥120 d after initial evaluation., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: Demographics and outcomes were compared for patients undergoing RMB versus no RMB. Clinical and demographic characteristics were summarized by RMB status using a χ 2 test for categorical variables and Student t test for continuous variables. A mixed-effects logistic regression model was constructed to identify associations with RMB receipt., Results and Limitations: RMB was performed in 15.5% ( n  = 282) of 1808 patients with a cT1 RM. Practice level rates varied from 0% to 100% ( p  = 0.001), with only five of 14 practices using RMB in >20% of patients. On multivariate analysis, predictors of RMB included greater comorbidity (Charlson comorbidity index ≥2 vs 0: odds ratio [OR] 1.44; p  = 0.025) and solid lesion type (cystic vs solid: OR 0.17; p  = 0.001; indeterminate vs solid: OR 0.58; p  = 0.01). RMB patients were less likely to have benign pathology at intervention (5.0% vs 13.5%; p  = 0.01). No radical nephrectomies were performed for patients with benign histology at RMB. The limitations include short follow-up and inclusion of practices with low numbers of RMBs., Conclusions: Utilization of RMB varied widely across practices. Factors associated with RMB include comorbidities and lesion type. Patients undergoing RMB were less likely to have benign histology at intervention., Patient Summary: Current use of biopsy for kidney tumors is low and varies across our collaborative. Biopsy was performed in patients with greater comorbidity (more additional medical conditions) and for solid kidney tumors. Pretreatment biopsy is associated with lower nonmalignant pathology detected at treatment., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Purpose: Nonmalignant pathology has been reported in 15% to 20% of surgeries for cT1 renal masses. We seek to identify opportunities for improvement in avoiding surgery for nonmalignant pathology., Materials and Methods: MUSIC-KIDNEY started collecting data in 2017. All patients with cT1 renal masses who had partial or radical nephrectomy for nonmalignant pathology were identified. Category for improvement (none-0, minor-1, moderate-2 or major-3) was independently assigned to each case by 5 experienced kidney surgeons. Specific strategies to decrease nonmalignant pathology were identified., Results: Of 1,392 patients with cT1 renal masses 653 underwent surgery and 74 had nonmalignant pathology (11%). Of these, 23 (31%) cases were cT1b. Radical nephrectomy was performed in 17 (22.9%) patients for 5 cT1a and 12 cT1b lesions. Only 6 patients had a biopsy prior to surgery (5 oncocytoma, 1 unclassified renal cell carcinoma). Review identified 25 cases with minor (34%), 26 with moderate (35%) and 10 with major (14%) quality improvement opportunities. Overall 17% of cases had no quality improvement opportunities identified (12 partial nephrectomy, 1 radical nephrectomy)., Conclusions: Review of patients with cT1 renal masses who underwent surgery for nonmalignant pathology revealed a significant number of cases in which this outcome may have been avoided. Approximately half of cases had moderate or major quality improvement opportunities, with radical nephrectomy for nonmalignant pathology being the most common reason. Our data indicate a lowest achievable and acceptable rate of nonmalignant pathology to be 1.9% and 5.4%, respectively. Avoiding interventions for nonmalignant pathology, particularly radical nephrectomy, is an important focus of quality improvement efforts. Strategies to decrease unnecessary interventions for nonmalignant pathology include greater use of repeat imaging, renal mass biopsy and surveillance.

Pheochromocytomas are rare tumors arising from chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla and extramedullary sympathetic ganglia. The incidence of asymptomatic disease is rising due to increased detection rates from widespread use of computed tomography. We describe a case of one of the largest documented pheochromocytomas resected in the United States, an 18-cm tumor in a patient who presented with exertional dyspnea, abdominal pain, constipation, weight loss, and intermittent hypertension. After biochemical and appropriate imaging workup, the patient underwent an open resection of the mass., (Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Between June 1999 and November 2001 a prospective study was conducted to evaluate the effects of pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy on kidney function using two different pressure settings (15 and 10 mm Hg). The effects were evaluated in both the donor's remaining kidney and the procured kidney in the recipient. There was no statistical significant difference in donors and recipients in regard to age, gender, and body mass index. In the two donor groups there was no difference in operative time (2.77 +/- 0.51 vs 2.70 +/- 0.52 hours; P = 0.579), intraoperative fluid (16.53 +/- 4.72 vs 19.54 +/- 7.04, P = 0.056), and urine output (1.81 +/- 0.53 vs 1.75 +/- 0.96 mL/kg/hour, P = 0.782) respectively. Donors' preoperative and first-day postoperative serum creatinine concentrations also did not differ for the groups (preoperative 0.87 +/- 0.21 vs 0.88 +/- 0.17 mg/dL; and postoperative 1.44 +/- 0.32 vs 1.38 +/- 0.29 mg dL, respectively; P = 0.696). Recipients' preoperative and postoperative serum creatinine concentrations on days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, and 30 differed over time (P < 0.001) but not between groups (P = 0.541). We conclude that procurement of kidneys under either 10 or 15 mm Hg abdominal pressure gives equally good intraoperative and postoperative results.

Fifty-nine consecutive patients underwent live donor nephrectomy for transplantation. Twenty-nine patients (Group I) had open kidney procurement, and 30 patients (Group II) had laparoscopic procurement. The mean operative time in Group I was 2:30 hours (range 1:55-2:59), whereas in Group II it was 3:01 hours (1:54-5:21). All kidneys functioned immediately after transplantation. The average warm ischemia time was not calculated in Group I; it was 3.9 minutes (2-15) in Group II. Intraoperative complications occurred in two patients in Group II. One patient had bleeding from an accessory renal artery. The second patient had a tear in the splenic capsule. No ureteral complications occurred in either group. Postoperatively one patient in Group I developed incisional hernia, one developed pneumothorax, and two developed atelectasis. In Group II one patient developed pancreatitis, one developed flank ecchymosis, and two had suprapubic wound hematomas. Using the laparoscopic approach the hospital stay decreased from 4.1 to 1.27 days (69%) (P < 0.001) and return to work decreased from 28.4 to 14.8 days (49%) (P < 0.01). Live donation increased by 67 per cent. We conclude that the laparoscopic procurement of kidneys for transplantation compares well with the open method. It offers several advantages that may increase the living donor pool.

Recently, laparoscopic harvesting of kidneys from live donors has been reported by major university centers. As a community transplant center, we adopted a multidisciplinary cooperative approach, including a full-time transplant surgeon, a laparoscopic general surgeon, and a urologist with laparoscopic experience, in order to perform our first successful laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy in December 1998. The operative time was 234 minutes, and the warm ischemia time was 2 minutes. No intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. The length of the renal artery was 2.4 cm, the renal vein was 3.0 cm, and the ureter was 10.0 cm. The donor was discharged home the next day and returned to work within 14 days. The transplanted kidney functioned immediately. The recipient serum creatinine concentration dropped from 9.3 mg/dL preoperatively to 3.4 mg/dL within 24 hours and to 1.3 mg/dL on the third day.

The incidence of bladder cancer has grown over the years, presumably in part because of increasing exposure to carcinogenic agents in modern-day life. Drs Badalament and Schervish outline the latest diagnostic and staging methods for the disease and summarize treatment options for superficial, invasive, and metastatic cancers, including discussion of various methods for urinary diversion following cystectomy.

We have used fluorescent in situ hybridization and simultaneous in vivo bromodeoxyuridine labelling of a solid bladder cancer to examine tumour cell subsets for possible proliferative growth differences. In this dual-labelled preparation, most tumour cell nuclei exhibited monosomy 9, consistent with reported karyotypes of bladder cancer. Incorporated bromodeoxyuridine was visualized with a fluoresceinated antibody in 5-6 per cent of the tumour cells, concordant with S-phase estimates by cell cycle analysis of the flow cytometric DNA histogram. A majority of the bromodeoxyuridine-positive cells also carried the monosomy 9 chromosome abnormality. This is the first report to demonstrate the feasibility of combined in situ hybridization and detection of bromodeoxyuridine incorporated in vivo in human tumour cells in order to provide information on the growth rate of specific subsets of tumour cells identified by chromosomal constitution.