The antibiotic strategies during percutaneous nephrolithotomy in China revealed the gap between the reality and the urological guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Correct perioperative antibiotic strategies are crucial to prevent postoperative infections during percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). We aimed to compare the realistic antibiotic strategies applied in China with current urological guidelines. METHODS: Between April and May 2020, urologists from China were invited to finish an online cross-sectional survey. The questionnaire was designed according to the current urological guidelines and literatures. RESULTS: 3393 completed responses were received. 61.1% (2073/3393) respondents had urological experience of more than 10 years. 72.4% urologists chose multiple-dose antibiotics for patients with both negative urine culture (UC-) and negative urine microscopy (UM-) preoperatively. Respondents in central China (OR = 1.518; 95% CI 1.102-2.092; P = 0.011), east China (OR = 1.528; 95% CI 1.179-1.979; P = 0.001) and northeast China (OR = 1.904; 95% CI 1.298-2.792; P = 0.001) were more likely to prescribe multiple-dose antibiotic for UC-UM- patients. Notably, the respondents who finished PCNL exceeded 100 cases per year were in favor of single-dose administration (OR = 0.674; 95% CI 0.519-0.875; P = 0.003). There are only 8.3% urologists chose single-dose antibiotic for UC-UM+ patients, whereas 65.5% administered antibiotics for 1-3 days. Meanwhile, for UC+ patients, 59.0% of the urologists applied antibiotics shorter than 1 week, and only 26.3% of the urologists carried out routine re-examination of UC. Moreover, postoperative antibiotics were frequently prescribed for 3-6 days (1815; 53.5%). Finally, although 88.2% urologists considered stone culture important for management of postoperative antibiotics as the guideline recommended, only 18.5% performed it routinely. CONCLUSIONS: The antibiotic strategies are different between current practice in China and the urological guidelines. The dissimilarities suggested that further studies should be conducted to investigate the reasons of the differences and standardize the application of antibiotics.

Comparison of two different minimally invasive percutaneous nephrostomy sheaths for the treatment of staghorn stones.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and effectiveness of using a conventional nephrostomy sheath (NS) vs using a new NS with suction and evacuation functions in minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy (MPCNL) for the treatment of staghorn stones. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective and randomised study of 60 patients with staghorn stones randomly assigned into two groups of 30 patients. One group underwent MPCNL using conventional NS, whereas the other group underwent MPCNL with suction-evacuation NS (SENS). Patient demographics, stone characteristics, intraoperative data, perioperative data, and surgical results were collected and analysed. RESULTS: The patient demographics and stone characteristics were similar amongst the two groups. The SENS group had a significantly lower peak and a significantly lower average renal pelvic pressure (RPP) throughout the procedure. The SENS group was more efficient for stone removal and had a much shorter stone treatment time, a lesser use of the stone extractor, and ultimately a higher stone-free rate (SFR). The effects of a lower RPP and shorter stone treatment time translated into less severe postoperative complications as measured per modified Clavien grade. CONCLUSION: Using SENS in MPCNL for the treatment of staghorn stones has the advantages of lower RPP, increased effectiveness in stone retrieval, decreased surgery related complications, and an improved SFR.

Mitochondrial E3 ubiquitin ligase 1 promotes autophagy flux to suppress the development of clear cell renal cell carcinomas.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the urinary system. Surgical intervention is the preferred treatment for ccRCC, but targeted biological therapy is required for postoperative recurrent or metastatic ccRCC. Autophagy is an intracellular degradation system for misfolded/aggregated proteins and dysfunctional organelles. Defective autophagy is associated with many diseases. Mul1 is a mitochondrion-associated E3 ubiquitin ligase and involved in the regulation of divergent pathophysiological processes such as mitochondrial dynamics, and thus affects the development of various diseases including cancers. Whether Mul1 regulates ccRCC development and what is the mechanism remain unclear. Histochemical staining and immunoblotting were used to analyze the levels of Mul1 protein in human renal tissues. Statistical analysis of information associated with tissue microarray and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was conducted to show the relationship between Mul1 expression and clinical features and survival of ccRCC patients. Impact of Mul1 on rates of cell growth and migration and autophagy flux were tested in cultured cancer cells. Herein we show that Mul1 promoted autophagy flux to facilitate the degradation of P62-associated protein aggresomes and adipose differentiation-related protein (ADFP)-associated lipid droplets and suppressed the growth and migration of ccRCC cells. Levels of Mul1 protein and mRNA were significantly reduced so that autophagy flux was likely blocked in ccRCC tissues, which is potentially correlated with enhancement of malignancy of ccRCC and impairment of patient survival. Therefore, Mul1 may promote autophagy to suppress the development of ccRCC.

Safety and efficacy of retrograde intrarenal surgery for the treatment of renal stone in solitary kidney patients.

PURPOSE: We present our experience of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) for the treatment of renal stones in patients with solitary kidneys and evaluate the safety and efficacy of this treatment modality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2011 and July 2015, the clinical records of 60 patients with renal stones in solitary kidneys who underwent RIRS were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic characteristics, preoperative urinary culture, blood biochemistry, stone location, and surface area were documented. The final stone-free rates (SFRs) were assessed one month after the last treatment session by computed tomography (CT). Preoperative, operative, and postoperative parameters were analyzed. Serum creatinine (Scr) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were measured preoperatively, one month postoperatively, and at each follow-up visit. RESULTS: The mean stone burden was 628 ± 27.2 mm2 (range 301-1199). The mean operative time was 84.4 ± 21.3 min (range 40-115). The mean drop in postoperative hemoglobin was 0.6 ± 0.21 g/dL (range 0.1-0.7). Twelve patients (20%) required second-stage RIRS for residual stones. The SFRs after the single and second procedures were 80% and 95%, respectively. The mean preoperative Scr level was 111.6 ± 45.59 µmol/L, and the mean postoperative Scr level was 96.7 ± 34.12 µmol/L. The change was statistically significant (p = .008). The same findings were observed for GFR. The mean preoperative GFR was 65.04 ± 25.37 ml/min, and the mean postoperative GFR was 76.89 ± 27.2 ml/min (p = .023). Minor complications occurred in nine patients (15%). One patient experienced septic shock and acute renal failure due to steinstrasse. This patient required hemodialysis and percutaneous nephrostomy drainage. One patient developed perirenal abscess and was treated with percutaneous drainage. CONCLUSION: RIRS is a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of renal stones in patients with solitary kidneys. RIRS did not adversely affect renal function at either the short-term or the long-term follow-up.

[Protective effect of urine-derived stem cells on erectile dysfunction in rats with cavernous nerve injury].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of human urine-derived stem cells (USCs) on erectile function and cavernous structure in rats with cavernous nerve injury (CNI). METHODS: Sixty adult male SD rats with normal sexual function were randomly divided into four groups of equal number: sham operation, bilateral CNI (BCNI) model control, phosphate buffered saline (PBS), and USC. The BCNI model was established in the latter three groups of rats by clamping the bilateral cavernous nerves. After modeling, the rats in the PBS and USC groups were treated by intracavernous injection of PBS at 200 µl and USCs at 1×106/200 µl PBS respectively for 28 days. Then, the maximum intracavernous pressure (mICP) and the ratio of mICP to mean arterial pressure (mICP/MAP) of the rats were calculated by electrical stimulation of the major pelvic ganglions, the proportion of nNOS- or NF200-positive nerve fibers in the total area of penile dorsal nerves determined by immunohistochemical staining, the levels of endothelial cell marker eNOS, smooth muscle marker α-SMA and collagen I detected by Western blot, and the smooth muscle to collagen ratio and the cell apoptosis rate in the corpus cavernosum measured by Masson staining and TUNEL, respectively. RESULTS: After 28 days of treatment, the rats in the USC group, as compared with those in the PBS and BCNI model control groups, showed significant increases in the mICP (ï¼»81 ± 9.9ï¼½ vs ï¼»31 ± 8.3ï¼½ and ï¼»33 ± 4.2ï¼½ mmHg, P <0.05), mICP/MAP ratio (0.72 ± 0.05 vs 0.36 ± 0.03 and 0.35 ± 0.04, P <0.05), the proportions of nNOS-positive nerve fibers (ï¼»11.31 ± 4.22ï¼½% vs ï¼»6.86 ± 3.08ï¼½% and ï¼»7.29 ± 4.84ï¼½% , P <0.05) and NF200-positive nerve fibers in the total area of penile dorsal nerves (ï¼»27.31 ± 3.12ï¼½% vs ï¼»17.38 ± 2.87ï¼½% and ï¼»19.49 ± 4.92ï¼½%, P <0.05), the eNOS/GAPDH ratio (0.52 ± 0.08 vs 0.31 ± 0.06 and 0.33 ± 0.07, P <0.05), and the α-SMA/GAPDH ratio (1.01 ± 0.09 vs 0.36 ± 0.05 and 0.38 ± 0.04, P <0.05), but a remarkable decrease in the collagen I/GAPDH ratio (0.28 ± 0.06 vs 0.68 ± 0.04 and 0.70 ± 0.10, P <0.05). The ratio of smooth muscle to collagen in the corpus cavernosum was significantly higher in the USC than in the PBS and BCNI model control groups (17.91 ± 2.86 vs 7.70 ± 3.12 and 8.21 ± 3.83, P <0.05) while the rate of cell apoptosis markedly lower in the former than in the latter two (3.31 ± 0.83 vs 9.82 ± 0.76, P <0.01; 3.31 ± 0.83 vs 9.75 ± 0.91, P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Intracavernous injection of USCs can protect the erectile function of the rat with cavernous nerve injury by protecting the nerves, improving the endothelial function, alleviating fibrosis and inhibiting cell apoptosis in the cavernous tissue.

SOX4 induces tumor invasion by targeting EMT-related pathway in prostate cancer.

SOX4 (sex-determining region Y-related high-mobility group box 4) is associated with tumor progression and poor clinical outcome in several cancers. This study aims to evaluate whether SOX4 affects the biological behaviors of prostate cancer and further elucidate whether this effect works through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathway. We investigated the expression of SOX4 in a series of prostate cancer tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues, as well as in a panel of prostate cancer cell lines. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were evaluated in SOX4 knockdown prostate cancer cell lines by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and Transwell assay. Our results showed that the expression of SOX4 was remarkably upregulated both in prostate cancer tissues and in cell lines. Knockdown of SOX4 repressed the ability of cell proliferation and migration of DU145 cells. Moreover, inhibition of SOX4 could reverse the epithelial-mesenchymal transition processes through upregulation of E-cadherin and downregulation of vimentin. This study provided evidence that SOX4 could serve as a potential therapeutic target in prostate cancer.

A prospective and randomized comparison of rigid ureteroscopic to flexible cystoscopic retrieval of ureteral stents.

BACKGROUND: Flexible cystoscopy has become an accepted alternative for stent retrieval. However, it is associated with higher cost. Some reports have described experiences of using rigid ureteroscope to retrieve ureteral stents. We compared rigid ureteroscopic to flexible cystoscopic retrieval of ureteral stents in a prospective and randomized clinical trial. METHODS: Three hundred patients treated with ureteral stents between July 2012 and July 2013 were accrued in this study. These patients were divided into two groups using the random number table method. Group A, with 162 patients, had stents removed with a flexible cystoscope and Group B, with 138 patients, had stents removed with a rigid ureteroscope. All procedures were performed under topical anesthesia by the same urologist. Patients in each group were compared in terms of preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative data. Postoperative data were collected using telephone interview on the postoperative day two. The postoperative questionnaire used included three items: hematuria, irritable bladder symptoms, and pain scores. RESULTS: All the stents were retrieved successfully. No statistical differences were noted between the two groups in terms of gender, age, laterality and duration of the stents, operative time, postoperative hematuria, irritable bladder symptoms, and pain scores. The per-use cost of instrument was much higher for the flexible cystoscopic group, RMB 723.1 versus 214.3 (USD 107.9 versus 28.2), P < 0.05. CONCLUSION: Ureteral stent retrieval using rigid ureteroscope under topical anesthesia is as safe and effective as flexible cystoscope but with a much lower cost to patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on March 27, 2017 (retrospective registration) with a trial registration number of ChiCTR-IOR-17010986 .

Simultaneous retrograde intrarenal surgery for ipsilateral asymptomatic renal stones in patients with ureteroscopic symptomatic ureteral stone removal.

BACKGROUND: Ipsilateral asymptomatic renal stone associated with symptomatic ureteral stone is not a rare event, and the recommended treatment policy was not declared clearly. This study was conducted to compare the outcomes of simultaneous retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) and ureteroscopy to ureteroscopy alone for this clinical event. METHODS: 415 patients with symptomatic ureteral stone and ipsilateral asymptomatic renal stones were reviewed to obtain two match groups, who were treating with simultaneous modality (group A, N = 72), or ureteroscopy alone (group B, N = 72). Matching criteria were ureteral and renal stone side, duration and location, the presence of pre-stented. Perioperative and postoperative characteristics were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Mean stone burdens were similar between group A and B. Mean operative duration for group A and B were 72.4 ± 21.3 and 36.4 ± 10.2 min, respectively (P < 0.001). Mean hospital duration was 6.4 ± 2.9 and 5.3 ± 2.1 days in group A and B, respectively (P = 0.521). Ureteral SFR was 100% in each group. Renal SFR for RIRS was 86.1%. Complication rates in group A were higher (22.2% vs 13.9%), but the differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.358). In group A, complications were significantly less in pre-stented patients (3/25 vs 5/11, P = 0.04). Auxiliary treatment rate was significant higher in group B (69.4% vs 5.6%, P < 0.001) during follow-up (mean >18 months). CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous RIRS for ipsilateral asymptomatic renal stones in patients with ureteroscopic symptomatic ureteral stone removal can be performed safely and effectively. It promises a high SFR with lower auxiliary treatment rate, and does not lengthen hospital duration and increase complications.

Using vacuum-assisted ureteral access sheath in the treatment of complex steinstrasse.

Steinstrasse is an iatrogenic condition resulting from upper urinary tract lithotripsy. Uncomplicated steinstrasse can be managed expectantly. Complex steinstrasse can pose a therapeutic challenge. The vacuum-assisted ureteral access sheath (vaUAS) is similar to a conventional ureteral access sheath but has a side branch that can be connected to vacuum apparatus. This device seemed to be useful in the management of complex steinstrasse. 35 patients with complex steinstrasse, defined as steinstrasse containing ≥ 4 stones or with an aggregate length of ≥ 1.5 cm, were treated in four tertiary medical centers using the vaUAS in this prospective and non-randomized study. The vaUAS was inserted into the ureter over a guidewire until the tip of the vaUAS was in contact with the lowermost stone fragment. A 7 Fr./8.4 Fr. semirigid ureteroscope and a holmium laser were used to pulverize the obstructing stone. All the stone fragments were aspirated either in the space between the scope and the sheath, or through the channel of the sheath by withdrawing the scope to the proximal of the aspiration port. All patients were steinstrasse-free at end of the procedure, as assessed visually and by KUB. At the 3-month follow-up, 94.3% of patients were stone-free with or without a supplementary procedure. There were no perioperative complications. Five patients experienced postoperative fever and/or significant hematuria, and one patient had transient sepsis, a grade I and IV Clavien complication, respectively. vaUAS can be an effective adjunctive device in the management of complex steinstrasse.

Risk Scores Based on Six Survival-Related RNAs in a Competing Endogenous Network Composed of Differentially Expressed RNAs Between Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients Carrying Wild-Type or Mutant Von Hippel-Lindau Serve Well to Predict Malignancy and Prognosis.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) carrying wild-type Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor are more invasive and of high morbidity. Concurrently, competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network has been suggested to play an important role in ccRCC malignancy. In order to understand why the patients carrying wild-type VHL gene have high degrees of invasion and morbidity, we applied bioinformatics approaches to identify 861 differentially expressed RNAs (DE-RNAs) between patients carrying wild-type and patients carrying mutant VHL from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, established a ceRNA network including 122 RNAs, and elected six survival-related DE-RNAs including Linc00942, Linc00858, RP13_392I16.1, hsa-miR-182-5p, hsa-miR-183-5p, and PAX3. Examining clinical samples from our hospital revealed that patients carrying wild-type VHL had significantly higher levels of all six RNAs than those carrying mutant VHL. Patients carrying wild-type VHL had significantly higher risk scores, which were calculated based on expression levels of all six RNAs, than those carrying mutant VHL. Patients with higher risk scores had significantly shorter survival times than those with lower risk scores. Therefore, the risk scores serve well to predict malignancy and prognosis.

RIRS with Vacuum-Assisted Ureteral Access Sheath versus MPCNL for the Treatment of 2-4 cm Renal Stone.

OBJECTIVE: Comparison of outcomes between RIRS with vacuum-assisted ureteral access sheath (V-UAS) and MPCNL in the treatment of renal stone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 28 patients with 2-4 cm renal stone were treated using RIRS with 14/16 F V-UAS. The outcomes were compared to those who underwent MPCNL with 16 F Amplatz sheath using a matched-pair analysis in a 1 : 2 scenario. Matching criteria included stone size, location and laterality, gender, age, BMI, and degree of hydronephrosis. Patients' demographics, perioperative and postoperative characteristics, complications, stone-free rate (SFR), and auxiliary procedures were compared. RESULTS: Mean operative times for the RIRS and MPCNL groups were 72.4 ± 21.3 minutes and 67.4 ± 25 minutes (P = 0.042). Postoperative pain was significantly less in the RIRS group. The initial SFR was 50% for the RIRS group and 73.2% for the MPCNL group (P = 0.035). The final SFR at postoperative three months improved to 89.3% for the RIRS group and 92.9% for the MPCNL group (P = 0.681). The auxiliary procedure rates were higher in the RIRS group (42.9% vs. 25%, P = 0.095). The overall complication rate in the RIRS group was lower, but the significant difference was not found. CONCLUSION: In the treatment of 2-4 cm renal stone, using V-UAS in RIRS can improve surgical efficiency with lower postoperative early pain scores. Comparing with MPCNL, its initial SFR was more depressed, and there is still a trend towards requiring more auxiliary procedures to achieve comparable final SFR.

Minimally Invasive Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy with a Novel Vacuum-assisted Access Sheath for obstructive calculous pyonephrosis ：A Randomized Study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the safety and efficacy of Minimally Invasive Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (MPCNL) combined with Vacuum-assisted Access Sheath in the treatment of obstructive calculous pyonephrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-six patients with obstructive calculous pyonephrosis, who were planned to receive MPCNL, were randomly divided into two groups. Group A was treated with Amplatz sheath combined with Cyberwand double probe ultrasound lithotripsy, and group B was treated with Vacuum-assisted Access Sheath (VAAS, ClearPetra, Well lead Medical) combined with holmium laser lithotripsy. The primary outcome was the operation successful rate. Other perioperative, and postoperative data such as operation time, stone free rate and complications were compared between groups. RESULTS: Single 20F access sheath was established in all cases. All patients underwent one-stage procedure. Compared with group A, group B had a higher initial stone-free rate (84.2% vs 63.1%, P= .037). The operation time of group B was 56.3 ± 19.83 min, significantly shorter than that of group A at 70.4 ± 14.83 min. The complication rate of B group was 15.8%, which was lower than that of group A (P= .035 ). Five patients (15.8 %) of group B had a postoperative fever (>38.5 ºC) (Clavien grade 2) that required additional antibiotics; whereas 8 patients (21.1 %) of group A (P= .361). There was no blood transfusion in group A, and one case in group B required transfusion. CONCLUSION: One-stage MPCNL combined with Vacuum-assisted Access Sheath and holmium laser lithotripsy is a simple, safe, effective, and ergonomically practical method for selected patients with obstructive calculous pyonephrosis.

Use of a Novel Vacuum-Assisted Access Sheath in Minimally Invasive Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Feasibility Study.

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of a novel vacuum-assisted access sheath (VAAS) in minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy (MPCNL). Materials and Methods: Seventy-five consecutive patients with single renal pelvic stone were treated with MPCNL combined with a novel VAAS. Patients' demographics and surgical outcomes, as well as perioperative and postoperative data, were recorded. Matched-pair analysis in a 1:1 scenario was done in patients who underwent MPCNL by peel-away access sheath (PAAS). All MPCNL was done with a rigid 12F mini-nephroscope and an 18F access sheath. MINDRAY-PM9000 monitor was used to record the renal pelvic pressure (RPP) data. Results: Patients' demographics, stone size, burden, and density (HU) were comparable between the two groups. Operative time was significantly shorter in the study group, at a mean of 32.4 ± 9.6 vs 46.2 ± 11.8 minutes (p < 0.001). The immediate stone-free rate was 89.3% for the VAAS group and 77.3% for the PAAS group (p = 0.049). Patients in the VAAS group had a lower visual analogue pain scale score at postoperative 6 and 24 hours. Mean perioperative RPP was lower in the VAAS group (10.3 ± 4.3 vs 17.8 ± 5.1 mmHg, p < 0.001). More than 50 seconds of accumulative time of high RPP (>30 mmHg) was shown in 13 patients of the VAAS group vs 30 of the PAAS group (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Combining VAAS with high-power holmium laser in MPCNL significantly improves the efficiency of stone retrieval with low RPP. This novel approach also reduces operative time, postoperative fever, and pain due to its simultaneous suction property.

Synergistic effect of CNTF and GDNF on directed neurite growth in chick embryo dorsal root ganglia.

It is often critical to improve the limited regenerative capacity of the peripheral nerves and direct neural growth towards specific targets, such as surgically implanted bioengineered constructs. One approach to accomplish this goal is to use extrinsic neurotrophic factors. The candidate factors first need to be identified and characterized in in vitro tests for their ability to direct the neurite growth. Here, we present a simple guidance assay that allows to assess the chemotactic effect of signaling molecules on the growth of neuronal processes from dorsal root ganglia (DRG) using only standard tissue culture materials. We used this technique to quantitatively determine the combined and individual effects of the ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) on neurite outgrowth. We demonstrated that these two neurotrophic factors, when applied in a 1:1 combination, but not individually, induced directed growth of neuronal processes towards the source of the gradient. This chemotactic effect persists without significant changes over a wide (10-fold) concentration range. Moreover, we demonstrated that other, more general growth parameters that do not evaluate growth in a specific direction (such as, neurite length and trajectory) were differentially affected by the concentration of the CNTF/GNDF mixture. Furthermore, GDNF, when applied individually, did not have any chemotactic effect, but caused significant neurite elongation and an increase in the number of neurites per ganglion.

MicroRNA-140 inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of prostate cancer via degrading SOX4.

PURPOSE: To explore the regulatory roles of microRNA-140 and SOX4 in prostate cancer (PCa) tissues and paracancerous tissues, and their underlying mechanism. METHODS: MicroRNA-140 expressions in PCa tissues, paracancerous tissues and PCa cell lines were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle of PCa cells after altering expressions of microRNA-140 and SOX4 were detected by MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The regulatory effect of microRNA-140 on SOX4 was detected by Western blot and qRT-PCR. The binding condition of microRNA-140 on SOX4 was verified by luciferase reporter gene assay. RESULTS: MicroRNA-140 was downregulated in PCa tissues compared to paracancerous tissues. In particular, lower expression of microRNA-140 was found in PCa with Grade I+II compared to Grade III+IV. In vitro, microRNA-140 expression was negatively correlated with proliferative and invasive abilities, while positively correlated with apoptosis of PCa cells. MicroRNA-140 promoted cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase. SOX4 expression was inhibited by microRNA-140 overexpression in PCa cells. CONCLUSIONS: Downregulated microRNA-140 promotes proliferation and cell cycle arrest, but inhibits apoptosis of PCa cells. MicroRNA-140 inhibits PCa development via degrading SOX4.

Fever and systemic inflammatory response syndrome after retrograde intrarenal surgery: Risk factors and predictive model.

This paper investigates the characteristics of patients who underwent retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) to determine the predictive factors for post-operative fever and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and to construct a predictive nomogram to help with risk-stratification. A retrospective study of 337 patients who underwent RIRS was performed. Fever and SIRS were defined according to a previous consensus. Multivariate logistic regression coefficients were used to generate nomograms. Post-operative fever was found in 59 patients (17.5%), and SIRS was found in 22 patients (6.5%). Septic shock developed in 2 patients (0.6%). Three patients (0.9%) suffered from obstructive hydronephrosis. By multivariate analysis, concomitant diabetes mellitus (p = 0.015), high pre-operative C-reactive protein (CRP) (p = 0.015), long surgical times (p = 0.007), high stone burden (p = 0.004) and positive stone culture (p = 0.003) were independent risk factors for fever. Only high pre-operative CRP (p = 0.001), long surgical times (p = 0.001) and high stone burden (p = 0.001) were found to significantly affect the occurrence of SIRS. Predictive nomograms were built for fever and SIRS and the c-statistics for the two predictive models were 0.766 and 0.887, respectively. All patients recovered well after proper treatment, which included antipyretics, antibiotics, and inotropic support and nephrostomy when needed. In conclusion, high stone burden, long surgical time, positive stone culture, high pre-operative CRP and the presence of diabetes mellitus was could increase the risk of fever or SIRS after RIRS for kidney stone. The constructed nomograms could help clinicians in evaluating the risk for post-operative infectious complications.

Effects of programmed death-ligand 1 expression on OK-432 immunotherapy following transurethral resection in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of the negative costimulatory molecule programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) on immunotherapy with OK-432, following transurethral resection of bladder tumors in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), and to elucidate the underlying mechanism. PD-L1 was detected by immunohistochemical staining in tumor specimens from 55 cases of NMIBC following postoperative immunotherapy with OK-432. The PD-L1 mRNA and protein expression levels were measured in the bladder cancer T24 cell line and the human uroepithelial SV-HUC-1 cell line, following treatment with interleukin (IL)-2, interferon (IFN)-α and IFN-γ, by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis, respectively. PD-L1 was widely expressed in the NMIBC tumors, with 56.4% (31/55) of specimens exhibiting positive staining. When compared with PD-L1-negative patients, PD-L1-positive patients exhibited significantly increased recurrence [48.4% (15/31) vs. 16.7% (4/24)] and progression [16.1% (5/31) vs. 4.2% (1/24)] rates (P<0.05). RT-qPCR and western blotting demonstrated that cytokines IL-2, IFN-α and IFN-γ markedly upregulated PD-L1 mRNA expression rates and protein levels in bladder cancer T24 cells (P<0.05), but had no significant effect in non-tumor SV-HUC-1 cells. In conclusion, PD-L1 expression was negatively-associated with the efficacy of OK-432 intravesical immunotherapy in patients with NMIBC. The results indicated that the involved mechanism occurred via upregulation of PD-L1 by immune cytokines, which in turn suppressed the antitumor effectiveness of the immune system, thereby promoting tumor recurrence and progression.

A long-forgotten indwelling single-J stent in a transplant kidney.

Ureteral stent placement is usual after renal transplantation to avoid ureteral obstruction and facilitate reconstruction. However, stent is prone to infection, encrustation, migration, fragmentation, obstruction, and even obstructive nephropathy with a long-indwelling time. Forgotten ureteric stent in renal transplant recipients is scarcely reported. Here, we present a case of long-forgotten indwelling single-J stent for 5 years in a transplant patient.

Combined minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy and retrograde intrarenal surgery for staghorn calculi in patients with solitary kidney.

BACKGROUND: To present our experience with simultaneous combined minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy (MPCNL) and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) to manage patients with staghorn calculi in solitary kidney, and evaluate the safety, efficiency and feasibility of this approach. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The study included 20 patients with staghorn calculi in solitary kidney. Demographic characteristics, stone location and surface area were recorded. After informed consent, the patients underwent one stage MPCNL firstly. Combined second stage MPCNL and RIRS simultaneously were performed at postoperative 5-7 days. Operative parameters, stone-free rate (SFR), stone analyses and complications were evaluated. Serum creatinine (Scr), glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) were measured preoperatively, postoperatively at 1 month, and each follow-up visit. All patients had staghorn stones involving multiple calyces. The mean stone burden was 1099.9 ± 843.95 mm(2). All patients had only one percutaneous access tract. The mean whole operative duration was 154.37 ± 32.45 min. The mean blood loss was 64 (12-140) ml. The final SFR was 90%. During the 1-month follow-up study period, four patients improved in CKD stage. Two patients who had CKD (stage 5) still needed dialysis postoperatively. Mean Scr of the rest patients preoperatively was 187.16 ± 94.12 compared to 140.99 ± 57.92 umol/L by the end of 1-month follow-up period (p = 0.019). The same findings were observed in GFR in that preoperatively it was 43.80 ± 24.74 ml/min and by the end of the 1-month follow-up it was 49.55 ± 21.18 ml/min (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Combined MPCNL and RIRS management effectively decrease the number and size of percutaneous access tracts, which is safe, feasible, and efficient for managing staghorn calculi in solitary kidney with satisfactory SFR and reducing blood loss, potential morbidity associated with multiple tracts. The approach did not adversely affect renal function at both short-term and long-term follow-up.