Complications after radiofrequency ablation of hyperparathyroidism secondary to chronic kidney disease.

OBJECTIVE: To study the complications of ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients undergoing renal replacement therapy with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed the clinical data, including general information, examination results, treatment times, time interval, and postoperative complications, of 103 SHPT patients who received ultrasound-guided RFA treatment from July 2017 to January 2021. RESULTS: Of 103 patients, 52 required two sessions of RFA within a month. The incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury at the second treatment was significantly higher than that at the first treatment (first session vs. second session, 5.77% vs. 21.15%; p = .021). Of all the enrolled 103 patients, 27 suffered complications after the first session of RFA. When we separated patients into complications group and non-complication group, we detected more ablated nodules in the complications group (Z = -2.222; p = .0026). Subgroup analysis further showed that the patients in the severe hypocalcemia group were younger (p = .005), had more ablated nodules (p = .003) and higher blood phosphorus (p = .012) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels (p = .002). Univariate analysis showed that age, serum phosphorus, ALP, and number of ablated nodules were associated with a higher risk of severe hypocalcemia after the first session of RFA. CONCLUSIONS: An interval of more than 1 month between two treatments may help to avoid recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Age, serum phosphorus, ALP, and number of ablated nodules were associated with a higher risk of severe hypocalcemia after the first session of RFA.

The role of peritoneal alternatively activated macrophages in the process of peritoneal fibrosis related to peritoneal dialysis.

It has been confirmed that alternatively activated macrophages (M2) participate in tissue remodeling and fibrosis occurrence, but the effect of M2 on peritoneal fibrosis related to peritoneal dialysis (PD) hasn't been elucidated. This study was therefore conducted to assess the association between M2 and peritoneal fibrosis related to PD. In this study, peritoneal fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of Lactate-4.25% dialysate (100 mL/kg) to C57BL/6J mice for 28 days, and liposome-encapsulated clodronate (LC, the specific scavenger of macrophages) was used to treat the peritoneal fibrosis mice model by i.p. injection at day 18 and day 21. All animals were sacrificed at day 29. Parietal peritonea were stained with Masson's trichrome, and the expression of type I collagen (Col-I), fibronectin, mannose receptor (CD206), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß), chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7), chitinase 3-like 3 (Ym-1) and arginase-1 (Arg-1) was determined by Western blotting, immunofluorescence and quantitative real-time PCR. Our results revealed that peritoneal thickness, Col-I, fibronectin, CD206, TGF-ß, Ym-1 and Arg-1 were upregulated in the peritoneal fibrosis mice model, and all of these indexes were downregulated in those treated with LC. Additionally, there was no difference in the level of CCR7 between the model and treatment group. Our study indicated that peritoneal M2 played an important role in the process of peritoneal fibrosis related to PD and might be a potential target for intervention therapy of peritoneal fibrosis.

Brassinosteroid alleviates polychlorinated biphenyls-induced oxidative stress by enhancing antioxidant enzymes activity in tomato.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants often found in the atmosphere. Phytoremediation of airborne PCBs is an emerging new concept to minimize potential human exposure. However, effects of atmospheric PCBs on plant growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant defence system are poorly understood area. Brassinosteroids have been reported to alleviate different abiotic stresses including organic pollutants-induced stress. Hence, we studied the effects of PCBs and 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) on biomass accumulation, photosynthetic machinery and antioxidant system in tomato plants. PCBs (0.4, 2.0 and 10 µg/l) mist spray significantly decreased dry weight, photosynthesis, chlorophyll contents in a dose dependent manner. Both stomatal and non-stomatal factors were involved in PCBs-induced photosynthetic inhibition. Likewise, the maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), the quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Φ(PSII)) and photochemical quenching coefficient were increasingly decreased by various levels of PCBs, suggesting an induction of photoinhibition. Increased accumulation of H(2)O(2) and O(2)(-) accompanied with high lipid peroxidation confirmed occurrence of oxidative stress upon PCBs exposure. Meanwhile, antioxidant enzymes activity was decreased following exposure to PCBs. Foliar application of EBR (100 nM) increased biomass, photosynthetic capacity, chlorophyll contents and alleviated photoinhibition by enhancing Fv/Fm, Φ(PSII) and qP. EBR significantly decreased harmful ROS accumulation and lipid peroxidation through the induction of antioxidant enzymes activity. Our results suggest a protective role of EBR against PCBs stress which may strengthen phytoremediation approaches by enhancing plant tolerance.