Background: Probiotics may facilitate the clinical management of allergic diseases. However, their effects on allergic rhinitis (AR) remain unclear. We examined the efficacy and safety of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei GM-080 in a mouse model of airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) and in children with perennial AR (PAR) by using a double-blind, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled design. Methods: The production of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-12 was measured by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. GM-080 safety was evaluated via the whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of virulence genes. An ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AHR mouse model was constructed, and lung inflammation was evaluated by measuring the infiltrating leukocyte content of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. A clinical trial was conducted with 122 children with PAR who were randomized to receive different doses of GM-080 or the placebo for 3 months, and their AHR symptom severity scores, total nasal symptom scores (TNSSs), and Investigator Global Assessment Scale scores were examined. Results: Among the tested L. paracasei strains, GM-080 induced the highest IFN-γ and IL-12 levels in mouse splenocytes. WGS analysis revealed the absence of virulence factors or antibiotic-resistance genes in GM-080. The oral administration of GM-080 at 1 × 10⁷ colony forming units (CFU)/mouse/day for 8 weeks alleviated OVA-induced AHR and reduced airway inflammation in mice. In children with PAR, the oral consumption of GM-080 at 2 × 10⁹ CFU/day for 3 months ameliorated sneezing and improved Investigator Global Assessment Scale scores significantly. GM-080 consumption led to a nonsignificant decrease in TNSS and also nonsignificantly reduced IgE but increased INF-γ levels. Conclusion: GM-080 may be used as a nutrient supplement to alleviate airway allergic inflammation.

Single incision laparoscopic colectomy (SILC) and single incision robotic colectomy (SIRC) are both advanced minimally invasive operative techniques. However, studies comparing these two surgical methods have not been published. The purpose of this study is to compare and evaluate the short-term outcomes of SIRC with those of SILC. A total of 21 consecutive patients underwent SIRC and 136 consecutive patients underwent SILC in separate institutes between January 2013 and December 2019. We used retrospective cohort matching to analyze these patients. Prior to matching, patients who underwent SIRC had a lower percentage of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grades III-IV (5% vs. 19%, P = 0.11) compared with patients who underwent SILC. The SIRC group revealed a higher proportion of sigmoid colon lesions and anterior resections than the SILC group (61% vs. 45%, P = 0.16). After 1:4 cohort matching, 21 patients were enrolled in the SIRC group and 84 patients were enrolled in the SILC group. No statistically significant difference in terms of operative time (SIRC: 185 ± 46 min, SILC: 208 ± 53 min; P = 0.51), estimated blood loss (SIRC: 12 ± 22 ml, SILC: 85 ± 234 ml; P = 0.12), and complications (SIRC: 4.7%, SIRC: 7.1%; P = 0.31) was observed between these groups. Length of postoperative hospital stay (SIRC: 8.3 ± 1.7 days, SILC: 9.3 ± 6.5; P = 0.10) and number of harvested lymph nodes (SIRC: 21.3 ± 10.3, SILC: 21.3 ± 9.5; P = 0.77) were also similar between the two groups. In subgroup analysis, numbers of harvested lymph node is less in SIRC than SILC (SIRC: 18.1 ± 4.7 vs. SILC: 18.9 ± 8.1, P = 0.04) in anterior resection. SIRC and SILC are safe and feasible procedures with similar surgical and pathological outcomes for right- and left-side colectomy.

Percutaneous ablative therapies are widely used to treat colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), particularly in patients who are not candidates for surgical resection. Frailty has been associated with poor outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC) and liver resections. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of frailty on short-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous ablative therapies for CRLM. This population-based, retrospective study used data from the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample database (2005-2020). Adults aged ≥ 50 years diagnosed with CRLM who underwent percutaneous ablative therapies were included. Frailty was confirmed using the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS). Associations between frailty and in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay (LOS), non-home discharge, total hospital charges, and postoperative complications were evaluated using univariate and multivariable regression analyses. A total of 670 patients (mean age: 66.3 years) were included, of whom 23% were categorized as frail (HFRS ≥ 5). Multivariable analysis showed that frail patients had significantly increased risks of complications (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.80, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.04-7.59), longer LOS (adjusted Beta [aBeta] = 1.69 days, 95% CI: 1.68-1.70), and higher total hospital charges (aBeta = $22.04 thousand, 95% CI: $21.92-$22.16). Complications with the highest risks in frail patients included, sepsis/shock (aOR = 17.39), surgical site infection (aOR = 3.55), respiratory failure/mechanical ventilation (aOR = 4.43), acute kidney injury (aOR = 9.37), and bleeding (aOR = 4.79). In conclusion, in adults aged ≥ 50 years undergoing percutaneous ablative therapies for CRLM, frailty independently predicted worse short-term outcomes, including higher complication rates, longer LOS, and increased hospital charges. The absence of detailed tumor characteristics and specific types of ablative therapy performed underscores the need for further research.