Effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on the microorganisms of expressed prostatic secretion in patients with IIIB prostatitis.

To detect and analyze the changes of microorganisms in expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) of patients with IIIB prostatitis before and after low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) treatment, and to explore the mechanism of LIPUS in the treatment of chronic prostatitis (CP). 25 patients (study power was estimated using a Dirichlet-multinomial approach and reached 96.5% at α = 0.05 using a sample size of 25) with IIIB prostatitis who were effective in LIPUS treatment were divided into two groups before and after LIPUS treatment. High throughput second-generation sequencing technique was used to detect and analyze the relative abundance of bacterial 16 s ribosomal variable regions in EPS before and after treatment. The data were analyzed by bioinformatics software and database, and differences with P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Beta diversity analysis showed that there was a significant difference between groups (P = 0.046). LEfSe detected four kinds of characteristic microorganisms in the EPS of patients with IIIB prostatitis before and after LIPUS treatment. After multiple comparisons among groups by DESeq2 method, six different microorganisms were found. LIPUS may improve patients' clinical symptoms by changing the flora structure of EPS, stabilizing and affecting resident bacteria or opportunistic pathogens.

Colorectal cancer mouse metastasis model combining bioluminescent and micro-computed tomography imaging for monitoring the effects of 5-fluorouracil treatment.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fifth most fatal cancer with a low probability of surgery and limited treatment options, especially in metastatic CRC. In this study, we investigated whether a mouse model of metastatic CRC mimicked tumor progression and evaluated the effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment. Methods: The CT26 mouse derived CRC cancer cell line was inoculated into mice, and the tumor bearing mice were divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group. Micro-computed tomography (CT) and in vivo fluorescence were used to monitor the progression of metastatic CRC. A lung metastasis mouse model was employed to determine the effects of 5-FU on metastasis. Results: Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and computed tomography (CT), as non-invasive methods, can continuously monitor the growth of tumors in vivo. Thus, imaging techniques can be used to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate tumor growth indicators. 5-FU injected intravenously reduced the viability of metastatic CRC cells and resulted in prolonged survival compared to the control group. Moreover, the 5-FU-treated group had significantly reduced fluorescence of the CT26 cells in the lung. The results observed by BLI and CT are consistent with the tissue morphology and structure presented in pathological examination. Conclusions: In summary, a successful mouse model of CRC metastasis for clinical application has been established.

The Predictive Significance of Prognostic Nutritional Index and Serum Albumin/Globulin Ratio on the Overall Survival of Penile Cancer Patients Undergoing Penectomy.

Objective: To assess the value of using the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and serum albumin/globulin ratio (AGR) in predicting the overall survival (OS) of patients with penile cancer (PC) undergoing penectomy. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of 123 patients who were admitted to our hospital due to PC from April 2010 to September 2021 and who underwent penectomy were included in the study. The optimal cut-off value of the PNI and AGR was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Cox proportional hazard model were used to evaluate the correlation between the PNI, AGR, and OS in patients with PC. Results: A total of 16 of the 123 patients died during the follow-up period, and the median follow-up time was 58.0 months. The best cut-off values of the PNI and AGR were set to 49.03 (95% confidence interval 0.705-0.888, Youden index = 0.517, sensitivity = 57.9%, specificity = 93.7%, p < 0.001) and 1.28 (95% confidence interval 0.610-0.860, Youden index = 0.404, sensitivity = 84.1%, specificity = 56.2%, p = 0.003). The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the OS of the patients in the high PNI group and the high AGR group was significantly higher than that of the patients in the low PNI group and the low AGR group (p < 0.001). The univariable analysis showed that the aCCI, the clinical N stage, the pathological stage, and the PNI, AGR, SII, and PLR are all predictors of OS in patients with PC (p < 0.05). The multivariable analysis showed that the PNI (risk rate [HR] = 0.091; 95% CI: 0.010-0.853; p = 0.036) and the AGR (risk rate [HR] = 0.171; 95% CI: 0.043-0.680; p = 0.012) are independent prognostic factors for predicting OS in patients with PC undergoing penectomy. Conclusions: Both the PNI score and the serum AGR are independent prognostic factors for predicting OS in patients with PC undergoing penectomy.

The prognostic nutritional index predicts the biochemical recurrence of patients treated with robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in predicting the biochemical recurrence (BCR) of patients treated with robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP). METHODS: The clinical data of 136 patients treated with RALP in the Department of Urology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University were retrospectively analyzed. The endpoint of observation was BCR. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was evaluated to determine the optimal cutoff value of PNI. The correlation of the PNI with BCR was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The optimal cutoff value of the PNI was 46.03 according to the ROC curve. (95% confidence interval: 0.604-0.805, Youden index = 0.401, sensitivity = 82.5%, specificity = 57.6%, p < 0.01). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that clinical staging, prostate-specific antigen, and PNI were independent prognostic factors for predicting BCR in patients treated with RALP. CONCLUSION: PNI is an independent prognostic factor for predicting BCR in patients treated with RALP. The incorporation of the PNI into risk assessments may provide additional prognostic information.

Primary abdominal cocoon with cryptorchidism: a case report.

BACKGROUND: We report a rare case of primary abdominal cocoon with bilateral cryptorchidism. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient had a history of laparoscopic surgery for bilateral cryptorchidism 6 years earlier. He was admitted to the hospital again due to intestinal obstruction. Surgery was performed on the patient after the failure of conservative treatment. The patient was diagnosed with primary abdominal cocoon. Instead of the greater omentum, many cocoon-like tissues surrounding the bowel were seen during operation. Abdominal surgery can increase the risk of intestinal adhesion, which is one of the main causes of intestinal obstruction, especially in patients with abdominal cocoon. We hypothesize that the surgery 6 years earlier to address transabdominal bilateral cryptorchidism accelerated the patient's intestinal obstruction. CONCLUSION: This case implies that it is important for urologists to evaluate whether their patients exhibit abdominal cocoon before cryptorchidism surgery, to choose better surgical methods and reduce the risks of poor prognosis.