Pretreatment Controlling Nutritional Status Score and Lactate Dehydrogenase as Predictive Markers of Survival in Patients with Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationships between the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score and ascites fluid lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, and prognosis in patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM). METHODS: A total of 125 patients with MPeM were selected for the study using a pathological screening method. Once the diagnosis is established, before the treatment their clinical characteristics and nutritional evaluations were recorded including CONUT score and ascites LDH level. The associations between CONUT, ascites LDH, and other clinicopathological features including body mass index, asbestos exposure, pathological type, and treatment method were analyzed. Prognostic parameters predicting overall survival (OS) were analyzed by Cox regression. RESULTS: High CONUT score, high ascites LDH level were positively associated with poor prognosis in patients with MPeM according to univariate analyses (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively), and CONUT score and ascites LDH were independent predictors of a poor prognosis according to multivariate analysis. When the CONUT score is greater than 3 and the ascites LHD is greater than 474 IU/l, it indicates a poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: CONUT score and ascites LDH are important factors influencing the prognosis of MPeM patients and should thus be considered in clinical applications.

CT differentiation of diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma and peritoneal carcinomatosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (DMPM) and peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) have similar imaging in computer tomography (CT). We aimed to distinguish them. METHODS: Computer tomography findings were evaluated in 48 DMPM and 47 PC for the peritoneal, mesenteric, omentum, lymph nodes, viscera infiltration, ascites and pleural plaques. RESULTS: Two groups had no difference in terms of thickness, clinical manifestation, diameter of lymph nodes, ascites, and viscera infiltration. But they showed differences in the following: Ratio of asbestos exposure in DMPM group was higher. Smooth and irregular peritoneal thickening were more seen in DMPM group; peritoneal nodules were more commonly detected in PC group. Forty-eight cases of peritoneum in DMPM showed mild enhanced, while 14 patients in PC showed severe enhanced. Nodular type of omentum was more common in PC group than in DMPM group; omental cake was more commonly detected in DMPM group. Mesentery involvement was more commonly seen in DMPM group. Location of enlarged lymph nodes in cardiophrenic region was more frequently identified in DMPM, whereas location of enlarged lymph nodes in retroperitoneal region was more frequently identified in PC. Lymph nodes fusion was more frequently visualized in PC. Fixation of the intestinal wall was more common in DMPM. Pleural plaque was more common in DMPM. PC had distant metastasis except primary foci and peritoneum. In PC, tumor origins were ovary in 10, digestive system in 21, breast in one. CONCLUSION: Using a combination of CT findings may increase our ability to distinguish PC from DMPM.

CT differentiation of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma and tuberculous peritonitis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine which computed tomography (CT) findings were useful in differentiating malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) and tuberculous peritonitis (TBP). METHODS: CT scans performed in 53 patients with MPM and 27 patients with TBP confirmed by pathology were retrospectively reviewed. The CT findings were evaluated for the morphologic appearance of ascites, peritoneum, mesenterium and omentum involvement, enlarged lymph nodes, solid abdominal viscera infiltration and metastases, and thoracic changes. The Pearson χ (2) test was used to compare differences between groups. RESULTS: Patients in both groups displayed a high proportion of peritoneum and mesenterium thickening. However, there were no obvious differences observed for ascites or swollen lymph nodes. There were significant differences in the following aspects between the two groups: (1) smooth peritoneal thickening was more frequent in patients with TBP, while irregular thickening was more frequently observed in patients with MPM; (2) caked omentum stratification was more common in patients with MPM; (3) mesentery involvement was less commonly observed in patients with TBP; (4) abdominal viscera infiltration and pleural plaques were more common in patients with MPM (46/53 and 48/53, respectively) than in those with TBP (0/27 and 0/27); and (5) more patients in the TBP group (14/27) displayed pleural effusion, and extraperitoneal tuberculosis was more common in patients with TBP (20/27). CONCLUSION: Although most CT findings analyzed are observed in both diseases, each disease has its own several unique characteristics. Therefore, using a combination of CT findings may increase our ability to distinguish TBP from MPM.

Prognostic Significance of Blood, Serum, and Ascites Parameters in Patients with Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma or Peritoneal Carcinomatosis.

To determine effects of the biochemical and cytological properties of blood, serum, and ascites on survival of patients with malignant peritoneal effusion (MPeE), including malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM) and peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC), we conducted a retrospective study of patients with MPeE and healthy controls. Potential prognostic factors were identified as follows: age, sex, blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), serum parameters, ascites parameters, serum-ascites albumin gradient, and the ascites-serum LDH ratio. Compared to those of the control group, serum albumin levels were significantly lower, and the NLR and serum LDH levels were significantly higher in the MPeE group. Overall survival (OS) was longer in patients with MPeM compared to that in patients with PC. Compared with patients in the MPeM, patients with PC had higher NLRs, ascites glucose levels, serum-ascites albumin gradients, and serum LDH levels. In contrast, their ascites albumin levels and ascites-serum LDH ratios were lower. Univariate analyses indicated that the NLR, serum LDH levels, ascites LDH levels, ascites coenocyte levels, and the ascites coenocyte-to-monocyte ratios affected the OS. Multivariate analyses identified only serum and ascites LDH levels as independent prognostic factors.

[Soil nematode community structure in the rhizosphere of Lycium barbarum.] / å®å¤æž¸æžæ ¹é™ åœŸå£¤çº¿è™«ç¾¤è½ç‰¹å¾.

Lycium barbarum (Solanaceae) is an important Chinese herbal medicine and tonic species, having great contribution to local economic growth in Ningxia. It is important to study the rhizosphere nematode community structure at different conditions to prevent soil degradation of L. barbarum. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of seasonal changes, planting age and soil layers on soil nematodes community structure. The research was based on Zhongning County, where L. barbarum originated. The results showed that the abundance of soil nematode in summer was the highest and Rhabditidae and Acrobeloides were the dominant genera; the abundance of nematode in spring was significantly less than that in summer and in autumn; Rhabditidae, Pararotylenchus and Rotylenchus were the dominant genera in spring. The type and quantity of rare genera decreased gradually from spring to autumn. The abundance of nematode was increased then decreased in spring and autumn. The abundance of nematode gradually decreased with the planting age in summer. The proportion of bacterivores was the highest, and fungivorous nematodes and predators-omnivores had the lowest abundance. Plant parasites nematode was relatively higher at young and over 9-year stages. The abundance of nematode in 20-40 cm soil layer was 49.4% higher than that in 0-20 cm soil layer in summer. With the increase of planting age, Shannon diversity index (H), evenness index and richness index of nematode were in a decreased-increased-decreased pattern of change, and dominance index decreased then increased. There was significant positive correlation between soil pH and dominance index in summer. Organic matter was significantly positively correlated while available P was negatively correlated with plant parasites nematodes. Alkali-hydrolyzable N was significantly positively correlated with abundance of nematode, while available K and many nematode indexes were significantly negatively correlated. On the whole, the abundance of nematode had an increased-decreased tendency with the increasing of planting age in spring and autumn, while the abundance of nematode decreased in summer and diversity of nematode community decreased, gradually. In addition, the reproduction of plant parasites nematodes should be inhibited at young and over 9-years to ensure the L. barbarum live through the following periods.

Malignant Peritoneum Mesothelioma with Hepatic Involvement: A Single Institution Experience in 5 Patients and Review of the Literature.

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma with invasion of the liver is an invariably fatal disease. We aimed to clarify the characteristics of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma cases with liver involvement. The clinical presentation, computed tomography images, and immunohistochemical and histopathological features of 5 patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma and liver involvement were evaluated. The diagnosis was established by imaging and immune profiles of the tumours. A review of 8 cases with primary or invading malignant mesothelioma in liver is presented. All 5 mesothelioma cases were asbestos-related. CT images of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma with the liver involvement typically showed that the lesion grew inside the liver along the capsule and was possibly accompanied by capsule breakthrough and extrahepatic infiltration. The tumours exhibited a common epithelioid appearance in all 5 patients and most cases revealed positive Cal, CK, and MC with negative CEA and HeP. Different from our findings, the review of literature revealed that most malignant mesothelioma of liver was due to primary intrahepatic malignant mesothelioma. Finally, we concluded that the diagnosis of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma cases with liver invasion is reliably achieved by the history of asbestos exposure, the characteristic CT imaging, and immune profiles of the tumours.

[Effects of irrigation amount on leaf structure, photosynthetic physiology, and fruit yield of Lycium barbarum in arid area].

Lycium barbarum is an important traditional medicinal plant in China. Under controlled condition, a field experiment was conducted to study the effects of different monthly irrigation quota on the leaf structure, photosynthetic physiology, and fruit yield of L. barbarum, aimed to determine an appropriate irrigation amount for the plant. When the monthly irrigation quota was less than 900 m3 x hm(-2), the leaf area, leaf thickness, palisade tissue thickness, cell tense ratio (CTR), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE), stomatal limitation value (Ls), and fruit yield of L. barbarum all increased significantly with monthly irrigation quota, while leaf stoma density and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) showed a reverse trend. When the irrigation quota was more than 900 m3 x hm(-2), the Ci increased with irrigation quota, the leaf area, stoma density, and fruit yield had no obvious change, whereas the other indices showed a reverse trend. The leaf transpiration rate and Gs were the highest at irrigation quota 450 m3 x hm(-2), being 8.02 and 324 mmol x m(-2) x s(-1), respectively; whereas at other irrigation quota, these two indices were lower than the control. In terms of saving water, the monthly irrigation quota 900 m3 x hm(-2) was more appropriate for Lycium barbarum.