Predictive value of thromboelastography for postoperative lower extremity deep venous thrombosis in gastric cancer complicated with portal hypertension patients.

BACKGROUND: To explore the predictive value of thromboelastography (TEG) for the occurrence of lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (LDVT) in gastric cancer combined with portal hypertension patients after operation. METHODS: 172 gastric cancer patients combined with portal hypertension were randomly divided into laparoscopic surgery or laparotomy groups. All patients were taken venous blood on an empty stomach 1 day before operation, 1 day, 3 days, and 5 days after operation. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in R value, K value, α angle, and MA before and after operation (P > .05). Compared with the same group before operation, the R value and K value were decreased at 1, 3, and 5 days after operation, while the α angle and MA were increased (P < .05). Compared with the non-LDVT group, the postoperative R value and K value in the LDVT group were significantly lower, while the α angle and MA were significantly higher (P < .05). The AUC of R value, K value, α angle, and MA levels at 3 days after surgery to identify patients with LDVT was 0.778, 0.718, 0.881, and 0.781, respectively. The estimated probability of the final model for LDVT was 0.622. Compared with the estimated probability ≥0.622 group, the LDVT rate in the estimated probability <0.622 group was significantly increased (χ2 = 60.128, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of R value, K value, α angle, and MA at 3 days after surgery has a moderately effective predictive effect for the occurrence of LDVT in gastric cancer patients combined with portal hypertension.

Risk factors for poor hemostasis of prophylactic uterine artery embolization before curettage in cesarean scar pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the hemostatic effect of prophylactic uterine artery embolization (UAE) in patients with cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) and to examine the risk factors for poor hemostasis. METHODS: Clinical data of 841 patients with CSP who underwent prophylactic UAE and curettage were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the hemorrhage volume during curettage. A hemorrhage volume ≥200 mL was termed as poor hemostasis. The risk factors of poor hemostasis were analyzed and complications within 60 days postoperation were recorded. RESULTS: Among the 841 patients, 6.30% (53/841) had poor postoperative hemostasis. The independent risk factors of poor hemostasis were gestational sac size, parity, embolic agent diameter (>1000 µm), multivessel blood supply, and incomplete embolization. The main postoperative complications within 60 days after UAE were abdominal pain, low fever, nausea and vomiting, and buttock pain, with incidence rates of 71.22% (599/841), 47.44% (399/841), 39.12% (329/841), and 36.39% (306/841), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic UAE before curettage in patients with CSP is safe and effective in reducing intraoperative hemorrhage. Gestational sac size, parity, embolic agent diameter, multivessel blood supply, and incomplete embolization of all arteries supplying blood to the uterus are risk factors of poor hemostasis.

CT characteristics and diagnostic value of COVID-19 in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the computed tomography (CT) characteristics and diagnostic value of novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP or COVID-19) in pregnancy. METHODS: This study included ten pregnant women infected with COVID-19, treated in the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from January 20, 2020 to February 6, 2020. Clinical and chest CT data were collected and clinical symptoms, laboratory indicators, and CT images were analyzed to explore CT characteristics and diagnostic value for COVID-19 during pregnancy. RESULTS: Laboratory examination showed that white blood cell count was normal in nine patients, and slightly higher in one patient (10.23 × 109). The lymphocyte ratio decreased in two patients by 12% and 14%, respectively. The levels of C-reactive protein was elevated in seven patients (range, 21.16-60.3 mg/L) and the levels of D-dimer was increased in eight patients (range, 507-2141 ng/mL). Six patients had low levels of total protein (range, 35.3-56.5 mg/L). Two patients showed small patchy ground glass opacity (GGO) involving single lung, while eight patients showed multilobe GGO in both the lungs, with partial consolidation. Peripheral and non-peripheral lesion distributions were seen in ten (100%) and four (40%) patients, respectively. There were four patients who had signs of intra-bronchial air-bronchogram, six patients had small bilateral pleural effusions, while none had lymphadenopathy. Dynamic observations were performed in four patients after COVID-19 treatment. Among these four patients, one patient showed normal on the initial examination, and new lesions were observed after 3 days; 1 patient showed progression after 7 days of treatment, with expansion of the lesion area; and the other 2 patients showed improvement after 14 days of treatment, with reduction in the density and area of lesions and appearance of linear opacity. CONCLUSIONS: The CT characteristics of COVID-19 in pregnancy were mainly observed in early and progressive stages, and multiple new lesions were common. And there were consolidations of varying sizes and degrees within the lesion. Moreover, the original ground glass lesions could be fused or partially absorbed. Six patients had small bilateral pleural effusion. In summary, CT scans can play an important role in early screening, dynamic observation, and efficacy evaluation of suspected or confirmed cases of pregnant women with COVID-19.

DJ­1 alleviates high glucose­induced endothelial cells injury via PI3K/Akt­eNOS signaling pathway.

Hyperglycemia mediated endothelial cells (ECs) injury is closely associated with diabetic vascular complications. It was revealed that DJ­1 possesses cellular protective effects by suppressing oxidative stress. The present study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of DJ­1 on high glucose (HG)­induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) injury and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms. HUVECs were incubated under 5.5 mM (control group) or 25 mM D­glucose (HG group) and then transfected with recombinant adenoviral vectors to overexpression of DJ­1. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured using the EdU incorporation assay and flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide double staining, respectively. Apoptotic­related proteins were determined using western blot analysis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and nitric oxide (NO) levels, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured. Results demonstrated that overexpression of DJ­1 promoted cell proliferation and inhibited HUVECs apoptosis stimulated by HG. DJ­1 also suppressed the HG­induced reduction in the Bcl­2/Bax ratio and HG activated ROS generation in HUVECs. Furthermore, HG significantly increased the levels of LDH and MDA, and reduced the level of SOD; however, these effects were reversed by Ad­DJ­1 transfection. Furthermore, the cellular protective effect of overexpression of DJ­1 enhanced p­Akt/Akt ratio, eNOS activation and NO production, and these trends were partially reversed by a phosphatidylinositol­4,5­bisphosphate 3­kinase (PI3K) inhibitor (LY294002). Taken together, the present study highlighted the involvement of DJ­1 in HG­related EC injury and identified that DJ­1 exerts a cellular protective effect in HUVECs exposed to HG induced oxidative stress via activation of the PI3K/Akt­eNOS signaling pathway.

Application of novel targeting nanoparticles contrast agent combined with contrast-enhanced computed tomography during screening for early-phase gastric carcinoma.

Gastric cancer is one of the most common human tumors worldwide. The biggest bottleneck is a lack of advanced and sensitive protocols for the diagnosis of patients with early-stage gastric cancer. Therefore, more sensitive methods of diagnosing gastric cancer are urgently required to improve survival rates. In this clinical study, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) with targeting nanoparticles contrast agent (CECT-TNCA) was used to diagnose early-stage gastric cancer. The specific-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors of gastric cancer, including platelet-derived growth factor receptor-ß, Ret and Kit, were used as TNCAs. A total of 484 patients with suspected gastric cancer were voluntarily recruited to investigate the efficacy of CECT-TNCA in the diagnosis of patients with early-stage gastric cancer. Patients with suspected gastric cancer were subjected CT and CECT-TNCA to detect whether gastric tumors existed. TNCA was orally administered before CT and CECT-TNCA (20 min). Our diagnostic data revealed that CECT-TNCA improved sensitivity and provided a new protocol to diagnose tumors in patients with suspected gastric cancer at the early stage. In addition, imaging using CECT-TNCA enabled the visualization of tiny nodules in the gastric area. CECT-TNCA diagnosed 182 patients with suspected gastric cancer as tumor-free. CECT-TNCA confirmed gastric cancer in 302 patients. Our novel diagnosis indicated significantly (P<0.01) differential signal enhancement in the gastric nodules via CECT-TNCA compared with CT, suggesting higher accuracy and the accumulation of TNCA in tumor nodules in the stomach. Furthermore, survival rates of patients detected by early-diagnosis of CECT-TNCA were significantly higher than the mean five-year survival (P<0.01). In conclusion, our investigations demonstrate that the sensibility and accuracy of CT is improved through combination with liposome-encapsulated nanoparticle contrast agent for the diagnosis of early stage gastric cancer when compared with single CT detection. CECT-TNCA improves the accuracy of CT and diagnostic confidence in assessing mural enhancement in patients with suspected gastric cancer.