[Changes in the penis size of prostate cancer patients after radical prostatectomy and its influencing factors].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes in the size of the penis after radical prostatectomy (RP) and the possible influencing factors. METHODS: This study included 45 cases of RP for PCa performed by the same surgeon from January to June 2019. Before and at 2 weeks after surgery, we measured the stretched penile length (SPL), flaccid penile length (FPL) and penile circumference of the patients. We conducted an IIEF-5 questionnaire investigation on the preoperative characteristics of the patients and their attitudes towards postoperative penile rehabilitation. We also analyzed the factors associated with the postoperative changes in the size of the penis. RESULTS: Compared with the baseline, the postoperative SPL (ï¼»9.72 ± 1.87ï¼½ vs ï¼»7.80 ± 1.57ï¼½ cm, P = 0), FPL (ï¼»6.26 ± 1.14ï¼½ vs ï¼»5.13 ± 1.10ï¼½ cm, P = 0) and penile circumference (ï¼»7.69 ± 0.83ï¼½ vs ï¼»7.26 ± 0.78ï¼½ cm, P = 0.012) were decreased significantly, by (1.92 ± 0.12) cm, (1.13 ± 0.09) cm and (0.43 ± 0.08) cm, respectively. The age of the patients was significantly correlated with the change of the FPL (P = 0.042), but not the other factors with the change of the penile size. Twenty-six (57.7%) cases of severe and moderate ED were observed in the patients postoperatively. Those with better preoperative sexual function took a more positive attitude towards penile rehabilitation and treatment postoperatively (n = 3, 75.0%). CONCLUSIONS: The penile size of the PCa patient is decreased markedly after radical prostatectomy, with a significant correlation between the patient's age and the postoperative change of the flaccid penile length. The patients with better preoperative sexual function are more likely to seek penile rehabilitation and treatment postoperatively.

N6-Methyladenine DNA Modification in the Human Genome.

DNA N6-methyladenine (6mA) modification is the most prevalent DNA modification in prokaryotes, but whether it exists in human cells and whether it plays a role in human diseases remain enigmatic. Here, we showed that 6mA is extensively present in the human genome, and we cataloged 881,240 6mA sites accounting for ∼0.051% of the total adenines. [G/C]AGG[C/T] was the most significantly associated motif with 6mA modification. 6mA sites were enriched in the coding regions and mark actively transcribed genes in human cells. DNA 6mA and N6-demethyladenine modification in the human genome were mediated by methyltransferase N6AMT1 and demethylase ALKBH1, respectively. The abundance of 6mA was significantly lower in cancers, accompanied by decreased N6AMT1 and increased ALKBH1 levels, and downregulation of 6mA modification levels promoted tumorigenesis. Collectively, our results demonstrate that DNA 6mA modification is extensively present in human cells and the decrease of genomic DNA 6mA promotes human tumorigenesis.

Comparison of titanium cable tension band and nickel-titanium patella concentrator for patella fractures.

BACKGROUND: Patellar fractures account for approximately 1% of all fractures. Due to the patella's importance as regards the extensor mechanism, effort should be made to preserve the patella. Several operative treatment methods have been introduced for patella fractures. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare the clinical effect of a titanium cable tension band and nickeltitanium (NiTi) patella concentrator (NT-PC) in treating patella fractures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-nine patients with patella fractures were enrolled in this retrospective study. All the patients were treated via the open reduction internal fixation procedure using a titanium cable tension band or NT-PC. All the patients were followed up over an average period of 13 months. The main outcome measures were operation time, time of fracture union, postoperative complications, and Böstman knee scores. Statistical analyses were conducted between the 2 groups. RESULTS: All the patients were operated on successfully. The operation time of the NT-PC treatment group was less than that of the titanium cable tension band treatment group (p < 0.05). The mean scores at the final follow-up were 28.2 and 27.6 points in the titanium cable tension band and NT-PC groups, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the excellent and good results (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both titanium cable tension band and NT-PC showed good efficacy for the treatment of patellar fractures. NT-PC fixation, a new option for the treatment of patella fractures, is a simple and effective fixation method.

The Value of Radionuclide Bone Imaging in Defining Fresh Fractures Among Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures.

Vertebral fractures are the most common osteoporotic fractures. To perform percutaneous vertebral body cement augmentation, it is essential to accurately identify the affected vertebrae. The study evaluated the role of radionuclide bone imaging in identifying fresh osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. A prospective study of 39 patients with acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures was carried out. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radionuclide bone imaging to determine if the fractures were fresh, followed by percutaneous kyphoplasty for the fresh fractures. The positive rate on radionuclide bone imaging was 92.1% (82/89), and the positive rate on MRI was 93.3% (83/89), with no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). Eighty-one vertebrae had the same positive identification by both radionuclide bone imaging and MRI, and 5 of the same vertebrae were diagnosed negative by both techniques. One patient with positive radionuclide bone imaging was negative according to MRI, and 2 patients were entirely positive by MRI but negative by radionuclide bone imaging. A kappa test showed good consistency between the 2 methods for detecting the affected vertebrae (Kappa = 0.751, P < 0.01). Radionuclide bone imaging is as sensitive as MRI in the diagnosis of fresh osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture, making it an effective method for detecting affected vertebrae for percutaneous vertebroplasty.

Chemotherapy with or without autologous cytokine-induced killer cell transfusion as the first-line treatment for stage IV gastrointestinal cancer: a phase II clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of autologous cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell therapy combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for the treatment of stage IV gastrointestinal (GI) cancer in the first-line setting. METHODS: Thirty-three patients diagnosed with stage IV GI cancer were divided into chemotherapy plus CIK group (chemo-CIK, n = 16) and chemotherapy-alone group (chemo-alone, n = 17). Autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated by flow cytometry, cultured in vitro to induce CIK cells, and transfused into patients on days 14 and 16 of the first and second chemotherapy cycles. RESULTS: The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.6 months for patients in the chemo-CIK group and 3.83 months for those in the chemo-alone group. The difference was borderline significant (P = 0.06), indicating a potential advantage for combined CIK cell transfusion with chemotherapy in improving PFS. A favored objective response rate was also observed in the chemo-CIK group than in the chemo-alone group. This study also revealed that CIK cell transfusion restored the cellular immunity in these GI cancer patients. The percentage of natural killer T cells, NK cells, CD3(+) T cells, and T-cell subgroups CD4(+) proportion in the peripheral blood of cancer patients significantly increased after the CIK cell transfusion, while the change in T-cell subgroups CD8(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) did not differ significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that the addition of CIK cell transfusion to traditional chemotherapy in the first-line setting was associated with a prolonged PFS and enhanced T-lymphocyte subset activity, supporting a potential treatment choice for advanced GI cancer patients.

Treatment of comminuted patellar fracture with the nitinol patellar concentrator.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical effect of the nitinol (NiTi)-patellar concentrator (NT-PC) for the treatment of comminuted patellar fractures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 32 patients with acute comminuted patellar fracture accepted open reduction and internal fixation with the NT-PC, and the curative effects were evaluated using the Böstman clinical grading scale. RESULTS: All fractures were anatomically reduced by surgery and all cases were followed-up for six to 18 months. The mean score of patients according to the Böstman clinical grading scale was 25.6, with 29 of 32 (90.7%) patients achieving excellent or good results. Two patients had traumatic arthritis, one had slippage of the NT-PC, and all patients received pharmacotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The application of the NT-PC is a satisfactory approach to the treatment of comminuted patellar fractures.

Cytokine-induced killer cells in the treatment of patients with solid carcinomas: a systematic review and pooled analysis.

BACKGROUND AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell therapy for solid carcinomas. METHODS: We performed a computerized search of phase II/III clinical trial databases of CIK cell-based therapy using a combination of the terms 'cytokine-induced killer cells', 'tumor' and 'cancer'. RESULTS: Treatment with CIK cells was associated with a significantly improved half-year survival (P = 0.003), 1-year survival (P = 0.0005), 2-year survival (P < 0.01) and mean survival time (MST) (P < 0.001). Patients in the CIK group showed a prolonged half-year progression-free survival (PFS) (P < 0.01), 1-year PFS (P < 0.01) and median time to progression (MTTP) (P < 0.001). A favored disease control rate (DCR) was observed in patients receiving CIK cell therapy, while the objective response rate (ORR) was not altered (P = 0.05) compared with the non-CIK group (P = 0.007). CIK cell therapy could also reduce the adverse effects of grade III and IV leukopenia caused by chemotherapy (P = 0.002) and diminish hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA content (P < 0.01). However, the incidence of fever in the CIK therapy group was significantly higher than in the non-CIK group (P = 0.02). The percentage of CD3(+), CD4(+), CD4(+)CD8(+), CD3(-) CD56(+) and CD3(+) CD56(+) T-lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of cancer patients was significantly increased, whereas the percentage of CD8(+) T-lymphocyte cells was significantly decreased in the CIK group compared with the non-CIK group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: CIK cell therapy has demonstrated a significant superiority in prolonging the MST, PFS, DCR and quality of life (QoL) of patients.

[Relationship between tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6 and erythropoietin in children's with chronic anemia and influence of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor alpha on erythropoietin gene expression].

OBJECTIVE: The anemia of chronic disease (ACD) is usually defined as mild to moderate anemia occurring during the chronic infection, inflammation, neoplasm or trauma. It is the most common anemia among in-hospital adults. The insufficient endogenous erythropoietin (EPO) production is probably one of the pathogenic mechanisms of ACD. Inflammatory cytokines play an important role in the ACD pathogenesis. But nowadays there are few published papers on the childhood ACD in the world. This study aimed to detect the EPO levels in children's ACD, to explore the relationship between EPO and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and, to evaluate the effect of recombinant human TNF alpha (rhTNF-alpha) on EPO gene expression. METHODS: Sixty children were divided into ACD group (20 children), non-anemia (NA) group (19 children) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) group (21 children) according to clinical diagnosis. Serum TNF alpha and IL-6 levels were detected with ELISA method. The EPO level was detected by chemical immulite method. The effect of rhTNF alpha on the expression of EPO gene was studied by culturing Hep G2 cell line and RT-PCR method. RESULTS: Serum EPO levels were different among the 3 groups (F = 44.68, P < 0.01). Serum EPO levels in ACD group were higher than those in NA group, while the hemoglobin levels were similar between the two groups. Serum EPO levels in ACD patients were lower than those in IDA patients. Serum TNF alpha levels were different among the 3 groups (F = 25.15, P < 0.01), and serum IL-6 levels were also different among the 3 groups (F = 13.16, P < 0.01). Serum TNF alpha and IL-6 levels in ACD group were higher than those in NA group. In ACD group, serum levels of both TNF alpha and IL-6 were not correlated to the serum level of EPO (r = -0.35, P > 0.05 and r = -0.05, P > 0.05, respectively). In vitro, rhTNF alpha inhibited the expression of EPO mRNA in hypoxia, and the inhibitory effects became stronger with the increase of rhTNF alpha (F = 64.20, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: EPO levels increased incompensatively in ACD children, which may be a cause of ACD. TNF alpha may cause anemia by inhibiting EPO production.