Necrotizing Pancreatitis Infected with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: An Emerging Rare Multidrug-Resistant Organism

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SM) is a multidrug-resistant, Gram-negative (GN) bacillus that is an increasingly recognized nosocomial and environment pathogen. It is intrinsically resistant to carbapenems, a drug commonly utilized in the management of necrotizing pancreatitis (NP). We report a 21-year-old immunocompetent female with NP complicated by pancreatic fluid collection (PFC) infected with SM. One-third of patients with NP will develop infections by GN bacteria, while broad-spectrum antibiotics, including carbapenems, cover most infections, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is the first-line treatment antibiotic for SM. This case is critical because it highlights a rare pathogen that should be considered a causal pathogen in patients who do not respond to their care plan.

The Association of Antibiotic Exposure with New-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

The role of antibiotics in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains controversial, primarily due to conflicting data from individual studies. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to study the effect of antibiotic exposure on IBD development.

METHODOLOGY

The MEDLINE and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were queried from their inception to April 2021 for published articles studying the association between antibiotic exposure and new-onset IBD. Our analysis was stratified by timing of antibiotic exposure - exposure in childhood and any lifetime exposure. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from each study were pooled using a random-effects model.

RESULTS

10 case-control studies and 2 cohort studies (N=29,880 IBD patients and N=715,548 controls) were included. Patients with Crohn's Disease (CD), compared with controls, were associated significantly with antibiotic exposure in childhood and any lifetime exposure to antibiotics (OR 1.52 [1.23-1.87]; p<0.00001). Patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC), compared with controls, reported non-significant association with antibiotic exposure in childhood and any lifetime exposure. (OR 1.11 [0.93-1.33]; p=0.25) CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggests that exposure to antibiotics significantly increases the odds of developing CD and IBD in general. These findings re-emphasize the importance of cautious and judicious use of antibiotics.

A phase II study of siG12D-LODER in combination with chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (PROTACT)

TPS4672

Background: KRAS alterations are the most frequent driver alterations identified in pancreas cancer; however, KRAS has remained an elusive therapeutic target. siG12D-LODER is a novel, miniature bio-degradable polymeric matrix encompassing a novel small interfering RNA targeting KRAS G12D and all additional G12X mutations (G12C, G12V...). The siG12D-LODER is inserted directly into the pancreas tumor via endoscopic intervention. A Phase 1/2a dose escalation and expansion study of patients receiving a one-time dose of siG12D-LODER with ongoing chemotherapy demonstrated that the combination was well-tolerated and safe and exhibited promising potential efficacy with 10/12 patients achieving disease control and median overall survival 15.1 months (Golan, Oncotarget 2015). Methods: This phase 2 study was initially designed as a randomized, two arm, open label study of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel with or without siG12D-LODER for patients with locally advanced pancreas cancer with planned 40 patients in each arm and primary endpoint of progression-free survival. Eighteen patients were enrolled in the chemotherapy alone arm and 18 in the chemotherapy and siG12D-LODER arm. After an interim analysis, the study design has been amended and is now a single arm study in which patients (N=39) with both borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreas cancer will receive investigator’s choice of chemotherapy (the combination of gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel or modified FOLFIRINOX) and all patients will receive up to three doses of the siG12D-LODER administered once every 12 weeks. Primary endpoint is overall response rate after final siG12D-LODER insertion. Secondary endpoints include duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival, time to response, percentage of patients proceeding to surgical resection, and percentage of patients receiving radiation therapy. Exploratory analyses include evaluation of KRAS mutation status and monitoring of circulating free DNA and circulating tumor cells. The amended protocol is now open for accrual and four patients having been enrolled to date. Trial accrual is anticipated to be completed by December 2020. Clinical trial information: NCT01676259 .