Leveraging the intratumoral microbiota to treat human cancer: are engineered exosomes an effective strategy?

Cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality. The tumor microbiota has increasingly been recognized as a key regulator of cancer onset and progression, in addition to shaping tumor responses to immunotherapy. Microbes, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other eukaryotic species can impact the internal homeostasis and health of humans. Research focused on the gut microflora and the intratumoral microbiome has revolutionized the current understanding of how tumors grow, progress, and resist therapeutic interventions. Even with this research, however, there remains relatively little that is known with respect to the abundance of microbes and their effects on tumors and the tumor microenvironment. Engineered exosomes are a class of artificial extracellular nanovesicles that can actively transport small molecule drugs and nucleic acids, which have the broad prospects of tumor cell therapy. The present review offers an overview of recent progress and challenges associated with the intratumoral microbiome and engineered exosomes in the context of cancer research. These discussions are used to inform the construction of a novel framework for engineered exosome-mediated targeted drug delivery, taking advantage of intratumoral microbiota diversity as a strategic asset and thereby providing new opportunities to more effectively treat and manage cancer in the clinic.

In-Situ Growth of One-Dimensional Blocking Layer to Mitigate Deficient Surface of Single-Crystal Perovskites.

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite (OIHP) single crystals are promising for optoelectronic application, but their high surface trap density and associated ion migration hinders device performance and stability. Herein, a one-dimensional (1D) perovskites are designed and proposed as blocking layer at the crystal/electrode interface to mitigate the surface issues. As a model system, the interface ion migration in Cs0.05FA0.95PbI3 (FA=formamidinium) single-crystal perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is obviously suppressed, leading to increase of T90 lifetime from 260 to 1000 hours, five times better than previously reported results. Besides, the reduction of surface iodide ion vacancies inhibits nonradiative recombination, thus increasing the efficiency from 22.1% to 23.8%, which is one of the highest values for single-crystal PSCs. Since the deficient crystal surface is a universal and open issue, our strategy is instructive for optimizing diverse single-crystal perovskite devices.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on sex disparities in the outcomes of fenestrated branched endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the risk of mortality and complications between male and female patients undergoing aortic aneurysm repair with fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic repair (FBEVAR). METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases were searched systematically for observational studies in patients undergoing elective fenestrated branched endovascular repair for aortic aneurysm. The included studies compared outcomes of interest based on the sex of the patients. The pooled effect sizes were reported as odds ratio (OR) and weighted mean difference (WMD). STATA software was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included nine studies. Compared with males, females had a higher risk of perioperative and in-hospital mortality (OR, 3.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.01-4.53), mortality within 1 year postoperatively (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.09-2.93) and mortality at more than 1 year postoperatively (OR, 1.31l 95% CI, 1.02-1.69). Female patients had significantly higher operative time (minutes) (WMD, 33.77; 95% CI, 12.01-55.52), length of hospital stay (days) (WMD, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.52-3.07), and the risk of major complications (OR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.36-6.32) There was an increased risk of respiratory complications (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.20-2.40), renal complications (OR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.25-5.74), stroke (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.44-5.22), sepsis (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.23-4.09), and ischemic colitis (OR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.48-4.68) in female patients, and they were less likely to be discharged home postoperatively (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.43-0.77). CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing FBEVAR, female sex is associated with higher risk of mortality and complications. These findings suggest the need for careful supervision and management by multidisciplinary team in females undergoing FBEVAR.

Transversus abdominis plane block vs quadratus lumborum block for postoperative analgesia in inguinal hernia repair: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The present review was designed to differentiate between the analgesic value of transversus abdominis plane block (TAP) vs the quadratus lumborum block (QLB) for patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgery. METHODS: PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, Open gray, and a clinical trial registry were searched up to 18th February 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing TAP and QLB for inguinal hernia repair. RESULTS: Six RCTs from India, Turkey, and Norway published between the years 2019 to 2023 were included. Anesthetic agents and dosages were similar for TAP and QLB groups in each study. On meta-analysis, pain scores were not statistically significant different between TAP and QLB at 3-6 h (MD: 0.46 95% CI: -0.11, 1.03 I2 = 86%), 12 h (MD: 1.34 95% CI: -0.12, 2.80 I2 = 97%), and 24 h (MD: 0.38 95% CI: -0.77, 1.53 I2 = 97%). Meta-analysis of total analgesic consumption showed a tendency of reduced analgesic consumption with QLB as compared to TAP but the difference was not significant (SMD: 0.69 95% CI: 0.00, 1.37 I2 = 83%). Data on complications was scarcely available. GRADE assessment of the evidence was low to moderate. CONCLUSION: Low to moderate-quality preliminary evidence suggests no difference in the analgesic efficacy of TAP and QLB for adult patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair. While there was a tendency for lower postoperative analgesic consumption with QLB, it needs to be verified by future studies.

[Clinical analysis of endoscopic esophageal dilation for the treatment of corrosive esophageal strictures in children]. / å† é•œä¸‹é£Ÿç®¡æ‰©å¼ æ²»ç–—å„¿ç«¥è èš€æ€§é£Ÿç®¡ç‹­çª„çš„ä¸´åºŠåˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical application of endoscopic esophageal dilation in the treatment of corrosive esophageal strictures in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 15 children with corrosive esophageal strictures who underwent endoscopic esophageal dilation in Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. The clinical features, treatment modality of endoscopic esophageal dilation, number of dilations, complications, and prognosis were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 96 esophageal dilations were performed in the 15 children with corrosive esophageal strictures, with a median of 6 dilations per child. Among them, 9 children (60%) underwent 6 or more dilations. The children with a stricture length of >3 cm had a significantly higher number of dilations than those with a stricture length of ≤3 cm (P<0.05). The children with strictures in a single segment had a significantly better treatment outcome than those with strictures in multiple segments (P=0.005). No complication was observed during all sessions of dilation. The overall effective rate (including significant improvement and improvement) of endoscopic esophageal dilation treatment was 87%, with 2 cases of failure. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic esophageal dilation is an effective and relatively safe treatment method for corrosive esophageal strictures in children, and children with strictures in a single segment tend to have a better treatment outcome than those with strictures in multiple segments.

Recurrent abdominal pain and vomiting with elevated triglyceride and positive antinuclear antibody in a girl aged 12 years. / 12å²å¥³å­©åå¤è ¹ç—›ã€å‘•åä¼´ä¸‰é °ç”˜æ²¹å‡é«˜ã€æŠ—æ ¸æŠ—ä½“é˜³æ€§.

A girl aged 12 years and 2 months presented with recurrent abdominal pain and vomiting for more than 2 years and arthrodynia for 3 months. She was diagnosed with recurrent acute pancreatitis with unknown causes and had been admitted multiple times. Laboratory tests showed recurrent significant increases in fasting serum triglyceride, with elevated immunoglobulin and positive antinuclear antibody. The girl was improved after symptomatic supportive treatment. The girl developed arthrodynia with movement disorders 3 months before, and proteinuria, hematuria, and positive anti-double-stranded DNA antibody were observed. The renal biopsy was performed, and the pathological examination and immunofluorescence assay suggested diffuse lupus nephritis (type Ⅳ). She was finally diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), lupus nephritis (type Ⅳ), and recurrent acute pancreatitis. Pancreatitis was suspected to be highly associated with SLE. She was treated with oral hydroxychloroquine sulfate and intravenous methylprednisolone sodium succinate and cyclophosphamide. Arthrodynia was partially relieved. She was then switched to oral prednisone acetate tablets. Intravenous cyclophosphamide and pump infusion of belimumab were regularly administered. Now she had improvement in arthrodynia and still presented with proteinuria and hematuria. It is concluded that recurrent acute pancreatitis may be the first clinical presentation of SLE. For pancreatitis with unknown causes, related immunological parameters should be tested, and symptoms of the other systems should be closely monitored to avoid delaying the diagnosis.

Tunable spatiotemporal mode-locked fiber laser at 1.55 µm.

We report the spatiotemporal mode-locked multimode fiber laser operating at 1.55 µm based on semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors with the mode-locking threshold as low as 104 mW. Benefiting from the multimode interference filtering effect introduced in the laser cavity not only the central wavelength can be continuously tuned from 1557 nm to 1567 nm, but also the number of the output pulses can be adjusted from 1 to 4 by simply adjusting the polarization controllers. This work provides a new platform for exploring the dynamic characteristics of spatiotemporal mode-locked pulses at negative dispersion regime. Moreover, this kind of tunable laser has potential applications in fields of all-optical signal processing, fiber sensing and information coding.

Switchable and spacing tunable dual-wavelength spatiotemporal mode-locked fiber laser.

We report a switchable and spacing tunable dual-wavelength spatiotemporal mode-locked (STML) laser based on the multimode interference filtering effect in an all-fiber linear cavity. The dual-wavelength STML operations combined with different pulse patterns are achieved. By adjusting the polarization controllers, the dual-wavelength STML pulses can be switched to single wavelength operation, which is tunable up to 35 nm under certain pump powers. Moreover, the dual-wavelength spacing can also be tuned from 8 nm to 22 nm. The obtained results contribute to understanding and exploring the spatiotemporal characteristics operating in the multi-wavelength regime of STML fiber lasers. All-fiber STML lasers with lasing wavelength tunability and flexibility may have applications in the fields of optical communications and optical measurements.

Synergism of rMV-Hu191 with cisplatin to treat gastric cancer by acid sphingomyelinase-mediated apoptosis requiring integrity of lipid raft microdomains.

BACKGROUND: DDP-based chemotherapy is one of the first-line treatment in GC. However, the therapeutic efficacy of DDP is limited due to side effects. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop novel adjuvants to synergize with DDP. We had demonstrated previously that rMV-Hu191 had antitumor activity in GC. Here we examined the synergism of rMV-Hu191 with DDP in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Cellular proliferation, the synergistic effect and cell apoptosis were evaluated by CCK-8 assay, ZIP analysis and flow cytometry, respectively. The protein levels and location of ASMase were monitored by western blot and immunofluorescence assay. shRNA and imipramine were used to regulate the expression and activity of ASMase. MßCD was administrated to disrupt lipid rafts. Mice bearing GC xenografts were used to confirm the synergism in vivo. RESULTS: From our data, combinational therapy demonstrated synergistic cytotoxicity both in resistant GC cell lines from a Chinese patient and drug-nonresistant GC cell lines, and increased cell apoptosis, instead of viral replication. Integrity of lipid rafts and ASMase were required for rMV-Hu191- and combination-induced apoptosis. The ASMase was delivered to the lipid raft microdomains at the initial stage of rMV-Hu191 treatment. In vivo GC mice xenografts confirmed the synergism of combinational treatment, together with increased apoptosis and trivial side-effects. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to demonstrate that rMV-Hu191 combined with DDP could be used as a potential therapeutic strategy in GC treatment and the ASMase and the integrity of lipid rafts are required for the synergistic effects.

Dynamical diversity of pulsating solitons in a fiber laser.

Pulsating behavior is a universal phenomenon in versatile fields. In nonlinear dissipative systems, the solitons also pulsate under proper conditions and show many interesting dynamics. However, the pulsation dynamics are generally concerned with single-soliton cases. Herein, by utilizing real-time spectroscopy technique, namely, dispersive Fourier-transform (DFT), we reveal the distinct dynamical diversity of pulsating solitons in a fiber laser. In particular, the weak to strong explosive behaviors of pulsating solitons, as well as the rogue wave generation during explosions are observed. Moreover, the concept of soliton pulsation is extended to the multi-soliton case. It is found that the simultaneous pulsations of energy, separation and relative phase difference could be observed for solitons inside the molecule, while the pulsations of each individual in a multi-soliton bunch could be regular or irregular. These findings will shed new insights into the complex nonlinear behavior of solitons in ultrafast fiber lasers as well as dissipative optical systems.

[Inflammatory bowel disease with growth hormone deficiency in adolescents: an analysis of 4 cases and literature review].

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic recurrent non-specific inflammatory disease in the intestinal tract. About 10%-56% of children with Crohn's disease and about 10% of children with ulcerative colitis have growth retardation. This study reports four adolescents with IBD and growth hormone deficiency who were diagnosed with Crohn's disease. There were three boys and one girl, with an age of 11.0-13.9 years and a disease duration of 11-85 months at diagnosis. The four patients had the involvement of the small intestine only, the colon only, both the small intestine and the upper gastrointestinal tract, and both the small intestine and the colon respectively. The pediatric Crohn's disease activity index ranged from 27.5 to 45 points. All four patients had a height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) of <-2, and the growth hormone provocative test suggested growth hormone deficiency. Of all four patients, two received recombinant human growth hormone combined with infliximab, one received infliximab only, and one received recombinant human growth hormone combined with mercaptopurine. All four patients had an improvement in HAZ after treatment.

Manipulating Depletion Region of Aqueous-Processed Nanocrystals Solar Cells with Widened Fermi Level Offset.

Water soluble nanocrystals (NCs) are promising materials in aqueous-processed solar cells because of their high extinction coefficient, low-cost, and favorable photoelectric characteristics. However, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the present aqueous-processed NC solar cells is restricted by the short depletion region of the active layer and limited Fermi level offset between NCs and the electron transport layer. Herein, these issues are effectively addressed by preparing Cdx Zn1- x Te NCs capped with 2-aminoethanethiol hydrochloride. The introduction of Zn2+ into CdTe NCs widens the Fermi level offset from 0.68 to 0.74 eV, lengthens the depletion region from 130 to 137 nm, and hence brings obvious improvement in the open circuit voltage (Voc ) and fill factor. Especially, the depletion region is successfully tuned from 137 to 171 nm, and even lengthened to a record thickness of 200 nm based on aqueous-processed solar cells. As a result, a champion thickness ratio (74%) of depletion region to active layer (200/270 nm) is achieved. A champion PCE of 5.96% and short-circuit current (Jsc ) of 21.2 mA cm-2 are achieved among aqueous-processed NC solar cells. This work provides a simple way to prepare polynary NCs and highlights a prospective method to develop more efficient and cost-effective solution-processed environment friendly solar cells.

Digital gene expression profiling analysis and its application in the identification of genes associated with improved response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to screen sensitive biomarkers for the efficacy evaluation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer. METHODS: In this study, Illumina digital gene expression sequencing technology was applied and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between patients presenting pathological complete response (pCR) and non-pathological complete response (NpCR) were identified. Further, gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were then performed. The genes in significant enriched pathways were finally quantified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to confirm that they were differentially expressed. Additionally, GSE23988 from Gene Expression Omnibus database was used as the validation dataset to confirm the DEGs. RESULTS: After removing the low-quality reads, 715 DEGs were finally detected. After mapping to KEGG pathways, 10 DEGs belonging to the ubiquitin proteasome pathway (HECTD3, PSMB10, UBD, UBE2C, and UBE2S) and cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions (CCL2, CCR1, CXCL10, CXCL11, and IL2RG) were selected for further analysis. These 10 genes were finally quantified by qRT-PCR to confirm that they were differentially expressed (the log2 fold changes of selected genes were - 5.34, 7.81, 6.88, 5.74, 3.11, 19.58, 8.73, 8.88, 7.42, and 34.61 for HECTD3, PSMB10, UBD, UBE2C, UBE2S, CCL2, CCR1, CXCL10, CXCL11, and IL2RG, respectively). Moreover, 53 common genes were confirmed by the validation dataset, including downregulated UBE2C and UBE2S. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that these 10 genes belonging to these two pathways might be useful as sensitive biomarkers for the efficacy evaluation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer.

[Clinical features and prognosis of gastrointestinal injury due to foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract in children: a retrospective analysis of 217 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical features and prognosis of gastrointestinal injury caused by foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 217 children who were diagnosed with foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract complicated by gastrointestinal injury by gastroscopy from January 2011 to December 2016, including clinical features, gastroscopic findings, complications, and prognosis. RESULTS: Among the 217 children, 114 (52.5%) were aged 1-3 years. The most common foreign body was coin (99/217, 45.6%), followed by hard/sharp-edged food (45/217, 20.7%) and metal (35/217, 16.1%). The most common gastrointestinal mucosal injury was ulceration (43.8%), followed by erosion (33.2%). Compared with other foreign bodies, button cells were significantly more likely to cause esophageal perforation (P<0.01). The esophagus was the most commonly injured organ (207/217, 95.4%). Of all the 217 children, 24 (11.1%) experienced infection. The children with perforation caused by foreign bodies had a significantly higher incidence rate of infection than those with ulceration caused by foreign bodies (P=0.003). Of all the 217 children, 204 (94.0%) underwent successful endoscopic removal of foreign bodies. Among these children, 98 were hospitalized due to severe mucosal injury and were given anti-infective therapy, antacids, and supportive care including enteral nutrition through a nasogastric tube and/or parenteral nutrition. Of all the children, 10 left the hospital and were lost to follow-up, and all the other children were improved and discharged. CONCLUSIONS: Most cases of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract occur at 1-3 years of age. Coin, hard/sharp-edged food, and metal are the most common foreign bodies. Button cells are more likely to cause esophageal perforation. The incidence rate of secondary infection increases with the increasing severity of gastrointestinal mucosal injury. Children undergoing endoscopic removal of foreign bodies and enteral nutrition through a nasogastric tube tend to have a good prognosis.

Constructing Post-Permeation Method to Fabricate Polymer/Nanocrystals Hybrid Solar Cells with PCE Exceeding 6.

A post-permeation method is constructed for fabricating bulk-heterojunction hybrid solar cells. Porous CdTe film is prepared by annealing the mixture solution of aqueous CdTe nanocrystals and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, after which the post-permeation of polymer is employed. By this method, kinds of polymers can be applied regardless of the intermiscibility with the nanoparticles. The inorganic nanocrystals and the polymer can be treated under respective optimized annealing temperatures, which can facilitate the growth of nanocrystals without damaging the polymers. A high power conversion efficiency of 6.36% in the polymer/nanocrystals hybrid solar cells is obtained via systematical optimization.

3D porous ZnO-SnS p-n heterojunction for visible light driven photocatalysis.

A novel two-step solution approach is put forward to design a unique three dimensional (3D) porous ZnO-SnS p-n heterojunction under mild conditions. This special 3D structure is induced via flower-like ZnO in which SnS serves as an efficient photosensitizer to improve the light harvesting across the whole visible range. A profound investigation of the mechanism shows that this 3D porous ZnO-SnS material effectively integrates the large surface area and high redox potential of ZnO, and wide visible-light harvesting of SnS, which largely promotes the transfer and separation rate of carriers. The systematic study on the active species generated during the photocatalysis illustrates that it is the photoelectrons, ˙OH and O2˙- that play the crucial role in the degradation of dyes. As a result, the noble-metal free photocatalyst degrades nearly 100% of rhodamine B (RhB) within 80 min and methylene blue (MB) in 40 min under visible light. The photocatalytic activity is 10 times higher than that of the pure flower-like ZnO and two times higher than that of the SnS material. Moreover, the photocatalyst is easily separated and reused at least four times without obvious change in efficiency and properties. This work provides an effective strategy for the synthesis of 3D porous p-n heterojunction semiconductor-based photocatalysts with low cost and low toxicity, which present promising applications in the field of solar energy storage and conversion.

Unravelling the working junction of aqueous-processed polymer-nanocrystal solar cells towards improved performance.

Hybrid solar cells (HSCs) based on aqueous polymers and nanocrystals are attractive due to their environmental friendliness and cost effectiveness. In this study, HSCs are fabricated from a series of water-soluble polymers with different highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) levels and nanocrystals with different Fermi levels. We demonstrate that the working principle of the aqueous-processed HSCs follows a p-n junction instead of a type-II heterojunction. The function of the polymer is to provide an interface dipole which can improve the build-in potential of the HSCs. Subsequently, the aqueous-processed HSCs are optimized following a p-n junction and an improved PCE of 5.41% is achieved, which is the highest for aqueous-processed HSCs. This study will provide instructive guidelines for the development of aqueous-processed HSCs.

The Influence of Surface Modification on the Photoluminescence of CdTe Quantum Dots: Realization of Bio-Imaging via Cost-Effective Polymer.

To impart biocompatibility, stability, and specificity to quantum dots (QDs)-and to reduce their toxicity-it is essential to carry out surface modification. However, most surface-modification processes are costly, complicated, and time-consuming. In addition, the modified QDs often have a large size, which leads to easy aggregation in biological environments, making it difficult to excrete them from in vivo systems. To solve these problems, three kinds of conventional polymers, namely, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA, neutral), sodium polystyrene sulfonate (PSS, negative charged), and poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) (PDDA, positive charged) were selected to modify the surface of QDs at low cost via a simple process in which the size of the QDs was kept small after modification. The effect of polymer modification on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of the QDs was systematically investigated. High quantum yields (QYs) of 65 % were reached, which is important for the realization of bio-imaging. Then, the cytotoxicity of CdTe QD-polymer composites was systematically investigated via MTT assay using the Cal27 and HeLa cell lines, especially for high concentrations of QD-polymer composites in vitro. The experimental results showed that the cytotoxicity decreased in the order CdTe-PDDA>CdTe>CdTe-PSS>CdTe-PVA, indicating that PSS and PVA can reduce the toxicity of the QDs. An obvious cytotoxicity of CdTe-PVA and CdTe-PSS was present until 120 h for the Cal27 cell line and until 168 h for the HeLa cell line. At last, the Cal27 cell line was selected to realize bio-imaging using CdTe-PSS and CdTe-PVA composites with different emission colors under one excitation wavelength.

Effect of different hand positions on trunk and shoulder kinematics and reaction forces in sitting pivot transfer.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the changes in trunk and shoulder angles, and reaction forces under the two hands elicited by different hand base of support positions during sitting pivot transfer. [Subjects and Methods] Eighteen unimpaired subjects performed independent sitting pivot transfer. Subjects performed sitting pivot transfer between an initial seat to a target seat by only using their hands positioned at the same height as and lower than the seat position. Trunk and shoulder kinematics, and reaction forces on the trailing and leading hands were calculated. Mean peak joint angles and forces were compared between the hand positions using the pared t-test for the lift phase of the transfer. [Results] There were significant increases in the trunk angles of forward and lateral flexion, even though rotation decreased while transferring in the lower hand position. Increased shoulder flexion, anterior/posterior forces and reduced lateral forces were also shown. [Conclusion] Placing the hands of the supporting arms lower than the seat position during sitting pivot transfer was identified as having biomechanical advantages. Therefore, the lower hand position can be recommended as an effective and safe method for sitting pivot transfer by patients with spinal cord injury and can be utilized as a reference data for considering the appropriate height of aids for a wheelchair.

[Timing of nasojejunal feeding tube placement and enteral nutrition in children with acute pancreatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of timing of nasojejunal feeding tube placement and enteral nutrition on clinical outcomes in children with acute pancreatitis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 31 children with acute pancreatitis, who received nasojejunal feeding between January 2008 and July 2013, to investigate the relationship of abdominal symptoms/signs and serum amylase level with the tolerability of catheterization and success rate of enteral nutrition. The treatment outcome and incidence of adverse reactions and complications were compared between the early enteral nutrition group ( ≤7 days from the onset of the disease) and late enteral nutrition group (>7 days from the onset of the disease). RESULTS: Abdominal symptoms/signs and serum amylase level were independent of the tolerable rate of catheterization and success rate of enteral nutrition. Compared with the late enteral nutrition group, the early enteral nutrition group had a shortened time to normal serum amylase level, significantly reduced incidence of systemic complications, length of hospital stay, and hospitalization expenses, and less weight gain. The tolerable rate of catheterization and success rate of enteral nutrition showed no significant difference between the two groups. Similarly, no significant differences were found in the increase in albumin level after enteral nutrition, duration of enteral nutrition, incidence of adverse reactions, and incidence of local complications. CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal symptoms/signs and serum amylase level cannot be used as a measure of whether nasojejunal feeding tube placement and enteral nutrition can be performed. Early enteral nutrition can better improve clinical outcomes in children with acute pancreatitis, and it is feasible.