Carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9) is reportedly overexpressed in several types of carcinomas and is generally considered a marker of malignancy. The current study explored the effect of CA9 gene polymorphisms on the susceptibility of developing urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) and the clinicopathological status. A total of 442 participants, including 221 healthy people and 221 patients with UCC, were recruited for this study. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CA9 gene were assessed by a real-time PCR with the TaqMan assay. After adjusting for other co-variants, the individuals carrying at least one A allele at CA9 rs1048638 had a 2.303-fold risk of developing UCC than did wild-type (CC) carriers. Furthermore, UCC patients who carried at least one A allele at rs1048638 had a higher invasive stage risk (p< 0.05) than did patients carrying the wild-type allele. Moreover, among the UCC patients with smoker, people with at least one A allele of CA9 polymorphisms (rs1048638) had a 4.75-fold (95% CI = 1.204–18.746) increased risk of invasive cancer. The rs1048638 polymorphic genotypes of CA9 might contribute to the prediction of susceptibility to and pathological development of UCC. This is the first study to provide insight into risk factors associated with CA9 variants in carcinogenesis of UCC in Taiwan.

The purpose of this study was to identify the significant risk factors of urinary bladder recurrence (UBR) after nephroureterectomy (NUx) in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). A total of 550 patients diagnosed with UTUC between January 2001 and December 2015 were included in this retrospective study. The median age of our patients was 68 (range 24–93) and the median follow-up time after NUx was 40.3 months (range 8–191). The most important censored point of this study was the first episode of UBR. Of the 550 patients, UBR occurred in 164 patients (29.8%). One hundred and forty-two (86.6%) patients with UBR were identified within two years after NUx for UTUC, with the median time interval between NUx and UBR being 8.4 months (range 3–59.8). Through univariate analysis, the positive surgical margin (p = 0.049) and tumor multifocality (p = 0.024) were both significant prognostic factors for UBR-free survival after NUx in patients with UTUC. However, only tumor multifocality (p = 0.037) remained a significant prognostic factor by multivariate analysis. In conclusion, tumor multifocality is a significant risk factor of UBR after nephroureterectomy in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

The da Vinci robot system has become the mainstay of minimally invasive surgery and has been used in numerous complex reconstructive procedures. Due to the success of this innovative technology, we attempted to expand our practical model and application of the da Vinci robot system into other urologic surgeries, beginning with robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP). We retrospectively reviewed a total of 683 patients who underwent robotic-assisted urologic surgery between December 2005 and December 2012. We divided this 8-year course of device use into three periods, and analyzed the surgical capability of operations in 1 day over different periods through a retrospective analysis. In the first period (2005-2008), 159 cases of robotic-assisted urologic surgeries were performed. A total of 195 cases were performed in the second group (2009-2010), and 329 cases in the third (2011-2012). Starting with radical prostatectomy in December 2005, we performed various types of procedures such as partial nephrectomy, pyeloplasty, nephroureterectomy with cystoprostatectomy, nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff, radical cystoprostatectomy/cystectomy with ileal conduit reconstruction, partial cystectomy, adrenalectomy, nephropexy, simple prostatectomy, ureteral reconstruction, and pyelolithotomy/ureterolithotomy. The mean operation times of prostatectomy, partial nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy with radical cystectomy/cystectoprostatectomy, and nephroureterectomy were 154, 140, 295, and 129 minutes, respectively. Based on our experience, a robotic system can be applied to many different types of urologic surgeries both safely and efficiently.

Purpose In Taiwan, the incidence of urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract (UTUC) is high and intravesical recurrence is approximately 22%–47%. Thus, postoperative cystoscopy and urine cytology follow-up, which require experienced cytologists, are needed. The AIxURO system aligns with The Paris System (TPS) guidelines for reporting urinary cytology. This study assessed the benefit of early detection of intravesical recurrence after nephroureterectomy using the AIxURO system. Methods Urine cytology slides (n = 296) from 113 patients with UTUC were retrieved and patient data, pre-operative and postoperative cytology, pathology, and follow-up series for the intravesical recurrence group were collected. Cytology slides were digitized and independently assessed by the AIxURO system, and the results were compared to cytology reports. Results From January 2022 to August 2023, 113 patients with UTUC underwent nephroureterectomy. Eighty-eight patients (88/113, 77.8%) received 1 or 2 cytology examinations pre-operatively, 44 slides (44/204, 21.5%) were positive and 34 patients (34/113, 30.1%) were diagnosed with UTUC. Postoperative intravesical recurrence was detected in 27 patients (27/113, 23%) at an average of 190.62 days. Thirty-four slides (34/56, 60.7%) were negative for UTUC. Eight patients (8/27, 29.6%) met the criteria for early diagnosis of intravesical recurrence. The AIxURO system identified two more patients (10/27, 37.0%) with early intravesical recurrence. Conclusion The AIxURO system enhanced postoperative urine cytology reporting confidence and could identify some underdiagnosed slides to enhance the early detection of UTUC with intravesical recurrence. AIxURO may be used for post-nephroureterectomy follow-up and reduce the necessity for cystoscopy.

Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are commonly prescribed for erectile dysfunction (ED) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), but their cardiovascular and renal associations in this population remain unexamined. This study evaluated these associations in male KTRs with ED or BPH. This retrospective cohort study used TriNetX Global Collaborative Network data (January 2015-December 2023). Male KTRs ≥ 40 years with ED or BPH were identified using a unified diagnosis index date in both arms, with PDE5 inhibitor exposure bounded to days 0-365. Three drug strata (tadalafil 5 mg daily, tadalafil, sildenafil) were propensity-matched 1:1 against controls on thirty covariates. Balance was assessed by standardized mean differences. Primary outcomes (all-cause mortality, MACE excluding death, MAKE excluding death) were analyzed by Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier methods. Secondary outcomes comprised individual components (AMI, stroke, and dialysis initiation). All-cause mortality was inversely associated with PDE5 inhibitor exposure across all six strata (HR 0.574-0.697). MACE excluding death was inversely associated in the ED cohort for tadalafil 5 mg daily (HR 0.527) and tadalafil all doses (HR 0.620), but not sildenafil; no composite associations reached significance in the BPH cohort. Two secondary outcomes survived Benjamini-Hochberg correction: MACE excluding death and AMI in the ED tadalafil all-doses stratum (q = 0.023 and q = 0.041). Negative control outcomes near unity supported propensity score balance. PDE5 inhibitor exposure was associated with lower all-cause mortality in male KTRs with ED or BPH. Composite cardiovascular and renal associations were stratum-dependent. These findings are hypothesis-generating and require prospective evaluation.