[Analysis of pathological characteristics of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw and discussion of clinical treatment strategies based on the pathological analysis results].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the pathological characteristics of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) specimens after jaw curettage or jaw osteotomy treatment and to comprehensively analyze the relationship between the different pathological features, treatment methods, and treatment effects to provide new ideas for effective treatment of MRONJ in clinical work. METHODS: The clinical and pathological data were collected from 23 patients with MRONJ who were treated with curettage (18 patients) and jaw osteotomy (5 patients) at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Peking University Hospital of Stomatology between June 2014 and December 2015. The pathological characteristics of MRONJ were summarized and analyzed with treatment effects based on various surgical treatment methods. The diagnostic criteria and disease staging of MRONJ were determined according to the 2014 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon's Position Paper. RESULTS: In this study, 5 patients have treated with jaw segmental osteotomy, and all of them were in stage Ⅲ; the other 18 patients were treated with jaw curettage, including 5 patients in stage Ⅱ and 13 patients in stage Ⅲ. The pathological features of MRONJ in five cases of jaw segmental osteotomy were divided into three adjacent regions from shallow to deep: inflammation region (IR), sclerosis region (SR), and bone remodeling layer (BRL). Moreover, three types of pathological features of specimens from traditional curettage were defined as type 1 (IR), type 2 (IR + SR), and type 3 (IR + SR + BRL). The pathological features of the patients treated with jaw curettage were: type Ⅰ, 38.9% (7/18); type Ⅱ, 44.4% (8/18); type Ⅲ, 16.7% (3/18). Complete healing was achieved in 5 patients treated with jaw segmental osteo-tomy. Moreover, 2 cases with type Ⅰ, 1 case with type Ⅱ, and 1 with type Ⅲ completely healed after jaw curettage, while 5 cases with type Ⅰ, 7 cases with type Ⅱ, and 2 cases with type Ⅲ experienced recurrence after surgery. CONCLUSION: Pathological features of continuous regions of inflammation, sclerosis, and bone remodeling layer were identified from shallow to deep, based on the microscopic observation of jaw segmental osteotomy samples. Insufficient removal of the sclerotic region during jaw curettage that blocks the required blood, nutritional factors, and mesenchymal stem cells seems to be a common cause for failed treatment of MRONJ after curettage surgery.

[Analysis of M2 macrophage infiltration and its clinical significance in 44 patients with multiple primary cancers of the head and neck].

Objective: To investigate and analyze the characteristics of M2 macrophage infiltration and the clinical significance in patients with multiple primary cancers (MPCs) of head and neck in order to explore its role in the diagnosis and prognosis for patients with MPCs. Methods: RNA-seq data were downloaded from the Genomic Data Commons data portal (TCGA) and the R software v4.0.3 was used to statistically analyze the differences. A retrospective analysis was conducted by screening the clinical data of 44 patients (17 males and 27 females) with MPCs in head and neck from July 1998 to February 2016 in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology. Clinical data from a batch of 41 patients (28 males and 13 females) with gingival cancer and without MPCs from August 2013 to December 2015 were collected and analyzed. The number of CD163 positive cells and the expression patterns in immunohistochemically panoramic slices were observed under high magnification. Chi-square test and Spearman correlation analysis were used to compare the difference and correlation between the CD163 positive counts and/or depths of invasion and the number of incidences. The descriptive statistics on the clinical features was performed by SPSS 25.0. Results: TCGA database analysis showed that the infiltration of macrophage in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (HNSCC) was increased compared to the para-cancer sites. A total of 142 tissue samples from 44 patients with MPCs were selected in the present single-center retrospective research. The number of CD163-positive cells in MPCs patients [90.9% (40/44)] was significantly increased compared to single gingival cancer patients [61.0%(25/41)] (r=0.353, P=0.001), which was related to the number of occurrence (r=0.368, P=0.001). The ratio of the CD163 counts in primary tumor to the depths of invasion was positively correlated with the number of onsets (r=0.331, P=0.03). In terms of clinical features, the 44 patients with MPCs were mainly female, non-smoking, no alcohol addiction, no systemic history, Tis-T2 stage and N0 stage squamous cell carcinoma. The number of incidences ranged from two to eight. The incidence of cancer relative to synchronous cancer increased with the increased occurrence of MPCs. The primary cancer mainly occurred in tongue, gingiva and buccal sites, while the proportion of onset sites in gingiva, buccal and palate areas increased with the increased occurrence. Conclusions: M2 type macrophage counts and/or ratio to depth of infiltration were associated with the occurrence of MPCs, which could be used as a clinical indicator to distinguish single and MPCs in HNSCC. For early stage of HNSCC, patients with clinical characters of women, non-smoking, no alcohol addiction, no systemic medical history and sites of tongue, gingiva, and buccal should be paid more attention on their follow-up plan. The findings in the present study was also helpful to explore new treatment methods for the patients with MPCs.

[Evaluation of the preliminary clinical effect of flap-raising combined with cortical-perforation technique in tooth extraction cases of patients with potential risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw].

Objective: To evaluate the preliminary clinical effect of flap-raising and cortical-perforation based extraction method in patients with potential risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). Methods: Eighteen patients, who needed teeth extraction in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from February 2016 to November 2020, with a history of using anti-resorption/anti-angiogenesis medication were included in this retrospective study. According to the characteristics of the patient's medication history, patients were stratified into three categories, low-dose anti-resorption drug group, high-dose anti-resorption drug group, and high-dose anti-resorption combined with anti-angiogenesis targeted drug group. There were 15 females and 3 males, the average age was 62.4 years (range from 27 to 87 years) old. A total of 31 teeth were indicated for extraction due to chronic infection. The flap-raising and cortical-perforation techniques were used to extract the affected teeth, and the patients were followed up closely. By observing the healing status and swelling degree of the mucosa of tooth extraction sites, whether there was a fistula, pus and bone exposure of jaw bone,the healing of the tooth extraction sites were evaluated. Results: Among the 18 patients, there were 9 cases of osteoporosis and 9 cases of malignant tumors. Classified by medication-using history, 10 cases were treated with low-dose anti-resorption drugs, 5 cases were high-dose anti-resorption drugs, and 3 cases were high-dose anti-resorption drugs combined with anti-angiogenesis drugs. A total of 31 teeth of the patients were extracted by flap-raising and cortical-perforation based extraction method. Thirteen patients completed treatment underwent local anesthesia and five cases were performed under general anesthesia. The shortest follow-up period was 3 months with an average of 13.2 months. Seventeen patients recovered well after the tooth extraction. One patient had the mandible exposed at one extraction site one month after the surgery, resulting in MRONJ. Conclusions: In patients with potential risks of MRONJ, the application of flap-raising and cortical-perforation based teeth extraction method could safely and effectively alleviate the dental inflammation in the oral cavity.

Surgical resection of clinically benign tumours in the maxillomandibular deep lobe of the parotid gland via sternocleidomastoid muscle-parotid space approach.

This article reports the surgical resection of clinically benign tumours in the maxillomandibular deep lobe of the parotid gland via sternocleidomastoid muscle-parotid space (SPS) approach. The use of maxillary-mandibular planes to subdivide the deep lobe of the parotid gland in order to establish the tumour location and accessibility is introduced. This approach, which does not raise a skin flap, may preserve the superficial lobe. Ten patients with clinically benign tumours in the maxillomandibular deep lobe of the parotid gland were treated via the SPS approach. The patients were followed up for 3-5 years and the surgical outcomes were analysed. All tumours were completely enucleated via the SPS approach with an optimal aesthetic outcome. No permanent facial weakness or tumour recurrence was identified during the 3-5 years of follow-up. The SPS approach to surgical resection is an ideal option for clinically benign tumours in the maxillomandibular deep lobe of the parotid gland and demonstrates good results.

LncRNA SNHG16 functions as an oncogene by sponging miR-200a-3p in pancreatic cancer.

Since this article has been suspected of research misconduct and the corresponding authors did not respond to our request to prove originality of data and figures, "LncRNA SNHG16 functions as an oncogene by sponging miR-200a-3p in pancreatic cancer, by J.-Q. Guo, Z.-J. Yang, S. Wang, Z.-Z. Wu, L.-L. Yin, D.-C. Wang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020; 24 (4): 1718-1724-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202002_20347-PMID: 32141539" has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/20347.

LncRNA SNHG16 functions as an oncogene by sponging miR-200a-3p in pancreatic cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is vital in tumor progression. Our study aims to identify the role of SNHG16 in the metastasis of pancreatic carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Real-Time quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to measure SNHG16 expression in 56 pancreatic carcinoma patients' tissues. Function assays, including wound healing assay, and transwell assay, were conducted to detect the effect of SNHG16 on the metastasis of pancreatic carcinoma. Besides, the luciferase assay was performed to explore the underlying mechanism. RESULTS: The expression level of SNHG16 was upregulated in pancreatic carcinoma samples compared with adjacent tissues. Moreover, cell migration and cell invasion were repressed via the knockdown of SNHG16, while cell migration and cell invasion were promoted via the overexpression of SNHG16. Moreover, the expression of miR-200a-3p was upregulated via knockdown of SNHG16 while the expression of miR-200a-3p was downregulated via the upregulation of SNHG16 in vitro. Furthermore, it was discovered that SNHG16 acted as a competing endogenous RNA via sponging miR-200a-3p in pancreatic carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that SNHG16 acts as an oncogene in pancreatic carcinoma and promotes cell metastasis via sponging miR-200a-3p, which might be a novel therapeutic strategy in pancreatic carcinoma.

[Plunging ranula presenting as a giant retroauricular mass: A case report].

Plunging ranula is rare and manifests as the submandibular or submental cystic mass, without intra-oral abnormality. It usually causes misdiagnosis and malpractice. This article reported a case of plunging ranula that appeared as a massive mass located behind the left ear. A 6-year-old child presented with recurrent left retroauricular swelling over six months without obvious inducement. The mass showed repeatedly swelling and persistent skin ulcers. Physical examinations described a fluctuant, nontender mass behind the left ear whose size was about 5 cm×5 cm×3 cm. The skin upon the surface of the mass was thin and red, and overflowed yellow slimelike contents. Computed tomography (CT) showed an extensive cystic lesion in the left neck. After local incision and drainage the mass was shrink. With the primary clinical diagnosis of branchial cyst, the patient underwent mass resection through postauricular incision. During the operation, the fistula was traced to the area around the sublingual gland, and the postoperative pathology report demonstrated cystic spaces occurring in soft tissue without lymphoid tissue. One month postoperatively, the patient presented the "egg-white", wire-drawing transparent viscous fluid outflowing from the left external auditory canal, indicating that the fluid in the external auditory canal originated from the sublingual gland and the disease was the plunging ranula presenting as a giant left retroauricular mass. We readmitted the patient to the hospital and the ipsilateral sublingual gland was completely removed in the mouth under general anesthesia. No clinical evidence of recurrence was found at the end of 9 months follow-up. So far, there is no literature reporting plunging ranula behind ear. This case report describes the clinical manifestation, diagnosis, and differential diagnosis and treatment of a case of plunging ranula, and reveals that, other than the submandibular or submental, plunging ranula also could be found in retroauricular region. The plunging ranula is difficult to fully confirm through a clinical character, and usually easy to be misdiagnosed as other tumors, like lymphatic malformation, venous malformations, etc. Radiographic examination and/or puncture fluid observation are required for identification. "Egg-white", wire-drawing mucous secretion is the most important characteristic in clinical diagnosis of sublingual gland cyst. However, if sublingual gland resection, i.e. removal of the source of cyst fluid is performed, a good prognosis can be achieved.

[Diagnostic test for detection of cervical lymph node metastasis from oral squamous cell carcinoma via infrared thermal imaging].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a non-invasive, non-radiating, economical and convenient infrared thermal imaging in the detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cervical lymph node metastasis, and evaluate its applicability via parallel test and series test. METHODS: This study was a prospective clinical study which passed the ethical review by the Biomedical Ethics Committee, Hospital of Stomatology, Peking University, and had been submitted for clinical trial registration. Totally 74 OSCC patients who were to undergo a neck dissection were included in this study. The inclusion criteria were patients who: (1) were pathologically diagnosed as malignant tumors and planned to undergo surgical treatment including neck dissection; (2) agreed to participate in this study. The exclusion criteria were those who: (1) had undergone surgeries at head and neck previously; (2) with a history of systemic tumor adjuvant therapies such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy etc; (3) were unwilling or unable to cooperate. Basal information as well as clinical examination results were collected, such as physical examination and contradictive enhanced CT. Besides, infrared thermal imaging was done ahead of surgery. Analysis of the diagnostic power of infrared thermal imaging followed the principles of diagnostic test. The positive signs of infrared thermal imaging were: (1) asymmetric thermographic pattern including vascular pattern in ROI; (2) thickening image of unilateral facial artery/vein, submental artery/vein or external carotid artery; (3) surface temperature of ROI raised over 1 °C compared with the opposite side; (4) changes of neck profile with abnormal temperature pattern. The gold standard of this diagnostic test was pathology diagnosis of cervical lymph nodes. RESULTS: The sensitivity of infrared thermal imaging was 75.0%, while the specificity was 69.0%, accuracy was 71.6%, positive predictive value was 64.9% and negative predictive value was 78.4%. The sensitivity of parallel test which stood for the combination of infrared thermal imaging and conventional clinical examinations was 87.9% while the specificity of series test was 97.6%. CONCLUSION: Infrared thermal imaging is a promising non-invasive, non-radiating and economical tool in the detection of cervical lymph node metastasis from OSCC when combined with conventional pre-operative examination.

[Delayed diagnosis of oral squamous cell neoplasms at different sites].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic delay of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma by self-designed questionnaire to find out the significant influencing factors, so as to identify the influencing factors of the patient's delay and the risk of oral cancer. METHODS: A total of 514 patients with primary oral squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled at Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from January 2014 to April 2016, including 334 men and 180 women, with a male to female ratio of 1.85:1. The youngest participant was 21 years old, with a maximum of 89 years and a median age of 57.6 years. The position of the disease according to International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) was divided into lip, buccal, gingival, retromolar, palate, floor of the mouth, tongue, and oropharynx. The age group is divided into 10 years. The level of education was divided into illiteracy, primary education level and advanced education level. Body mass index (BMI) was divided into three levels by 18 kg/m2 and 25 kg/m2. Visual analog scale (VAS) method was to evaluate the patient's preoperative pain. At the same time, the patients were examined by detailed questionnaire to understand the delay factors and delay characteristics, and use SPSS 18.0 software, analysis of variance and chi-square test to explore correlation. RESULTS: Among all patients, the proportion of patients developed in the tongue was the highest (43.3%). Delay was defined by a span of three months or longer from the onset of symptoms until treatment. The delays to diagnosis according to location were as follows (in months and in descending order): lip (6.1 months), buccal (4.1 months), floor of the mouth (3.9 months), tongue (3.6 months), oropharyngeal (2.9 months), retromolar (2.7 months), palatine (2.4 months), and gingival (2.4 months). Different sites and delayed diagnosis were statistically significant (P=0.048). There were no statistically significant differences in gender, education, pain, smoking, drinking and VAS score. CONCLUSION: The study has found that tumor positions and delay have a significant correlation. The position of the tumor is an obvious factor associated with the findings. The lip is the most likely to delay the diagnosis of oral positions. For the lip of the lesion, more than three months' obvious mass is recommended for timely treatment, while at admission, physicians should take the appropriate diagnostic method as soon as possible.

Correlation between serum P450arom and sex hormones in males with late-onset hypogonadism: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: The research aimed to investigate the correlation between serum P450arom and sex hormones in males with late-onset hypogonadism (LOH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 97 LOH patients and 301 matched healthy males of same age underwent androgen deficiency in the aging males (ADAM) and aging males' symptoms (AMS) scales as well as basic questionnaire survey. Serum P450arom, sex hormones, fasting blood glucose and lipid profiles were tested. General information, P450arom and sex hormone levels were compared between the LOH group and the control group. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between serum P450arom concentration and AMS score, blood glucose, lipid profiles, body mass index (BMI) and sex hormones. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the fasting blood glucose, body mass index (BMI), and Estrogen/Total Testosterone ratio (E2/TT) were significantly increased in LOH group (p<0.05), while TT, E2 and testosterone secreting index (TSI) were significantly decreased (p<0.05). No significant difference in P450arom concentration was observed between the two groups (p>0.05). The serum P450arom concentration was not related to TT, E2/TT, AMS score, and BMI. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that the serum P450arom concentration is unrelated to LOH symptom score and sex hormone levels and could not be used as an observation index and diagnostic basis for LOH.

[Retrospect on 60 years' history and prospect of Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University].

The Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University is the leading team in Shandong province. It is integrated with clinical treatment, scientific research, teaching, personnel training, and medical service for social crisis, which undertakes the tasks of giving lessons and offering chances for noviciate and internship of burns and plastic surgery in College of Medicine of Shandong University. It is not only the training unit affiliated to College of Medicine of Shandong University for master students and doctoral students major in burns and plastic surgery, but also the national training base for specialists of burns and plastic surgery. It is the national key clinical subject of burn surgery. Over the past 60 years, with the concerted efforts of several generations, it has made significant contributions to the development and innovation of burns and plastic surgery in Shandong province and the whole China.

Prognostic factors in mandibular gingival squamous cell carcinoma: A 10-year retrospective study.

The mandibular gingiva is the second most common site of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma. This retrospective study was designed to determine the clinicopathological features of squamous cell carcinoma of the mandibular gingiva (MGSCC) and to establish a new risk model to predict overall survival. The study included 207 patients with primary MGSCC from January 2000 to September 2009. The medical charts were reviewed and data related to clinical characteristics, treatment provided, histopathological analysis, and follow-up were recorded. All patients underwent surgery as the first-line therapy; follow-up ranged from 1 to 171 months (median 63 months). Clinical characteristics and pathological outcomes were analyzed with respect to the 5-year overall survival rate. A survival risk model was established, and patients were classified into low-, moderate-, and high-risk groups based on the prognostic index designed in this study. The 5-year overall survival rates for the low-, moderate-, and high-risk groups were 92.3%, 76.9%, and 34.2%, respectively. Pathological node metastasis, perineural invasion, and extracapsular spread were the most significant predictive factors for 5-year overall survival. MGSCC is not aggressive, and the survival outcomes of MGSCC are better than those of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) at other sites. It is suggested that patients with T2-T4 tumours undergo elective neck dissection and those with T1 tumours be followed up without addressing the neck.

[Experimental study of GeneXpert(®) system in the diagnosis of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of GeneXpert MTB/RIF for detection of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis and resistance to rifampin. METHODS: A total of 150 samples were collected, including 33 needle aspirates from lymphoid tuberculosis, 23 needle aspirates from spinal tuberculosis, 49 from tuberculous pleural effusions, 24 from cerebrospinal fluid of tuberculous cephalomeningitis, and 21 urinary sediment samples from renal tuberculosis. Smear microscopy, mycobacterium tuberculosis culture and the MTB/RIF method were used to examine these samples and their positive rates were compared. Rifampin susceptibility tests was performed for culture-positive strains using proportion method, which was compared with the result from GeneXpert MTB/RIF method. RESULTS: Of the 150 cases of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, 17 samples were smear-positive, with a sensitivity of 11.3% (17/150); 30 were culture-positive with a sensitivity of 20.0% (30/150); and 96 were positive by MTB/RIF method with a sensitivity of 64.0% (96/150). There was a significant difference between MTB/RIF method and the culture method (χ(2)=59.61, P<0.01). The differences were also significant when the MTB/RIF method was compared with the smear method (χ(2)=88.60, P<0.01) or compared with culture plus smear methods (χ(2)=4.26, P<0.05). Separately, the differences were statistically significant between GeneXpert MTB/RIF method and other 2 methods for diagnosis of lymphoid tuberculosis (n=33, χ(2)=20.56, P<0.01 vs. culture method; χ(2)=27.13, P<0.01 vs. smear results) while no difference was found between culture and smear method (χ(2)=0.67, P>0.05), spinal tuberculosis (n=23, χ(2)=12.74, P<0.01 vs. culture method; χ(2)=14.81, P< 0.01 vs. smear method), tuberculous pleurisy (n=49, χ(2)=32.34, P<0.01 vs.culture method; χ(2)=49.69, P<0.01 vs. smear method) and renal tuberculosis (n=21, χ(2)=4.20, P<0.05 vs. culture method; χ(2) =8.40, P<0.01 vs. smear results). The sensitivity for tuberculous meningitis had no difference among these 3 methods (n=24, P>0.05). Rifampicin-resistance of the strains from the 30 culture-positive cases of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (20.0%, 6/30) exhibited agreement with GeneXpert MTB/RIF test. CONCLUSION: The simplicity and high sensitivity of GeneXpert MTB/RIF technology make it a good diagnostic test for rapid detection of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis and resistance to rifampin.

[Inhibitory effect of imrecoxib combined with lobaplatin on tumor growth and lymph node metastasis of human lung cancer xenografts in nude mice].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the inhibitory effect of imrecoxib combined with lobaplatin on tumor growth and lymph node metastasis of human lung adenocarcinoma xenografts in nude mice, and to explore its possible mechanisms. METHODS: Human lung cancer A549 cells were injected into Bal B/c nude mice subcutaneously. Twenty-eight healthy male nude mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: the control group, imrecoxib group, lobaplatin group and imrecoxib combined with lobaplatin group. Each group was treated with appropriate drugs and the tumor size was measured every five days. The expression of ezrin and E-cadherin protein was detected by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Ezrin and E-cadherin mRNA were detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS: The tumor inhibition rates of imrecoxib group, lobaplatin group and combination group were 36.7%, 54.6% and 69.2%, respectively. The tumor volumes of imrecoxib group [(905.33±113.31) mm(3)] and combination group [(507.74±77.50) mm(3)] were significantly lower than that of the control group (1355.33±189.04) mm(3) (P<0.05), and the tumor weights were significantly reduced [(1.13±0.14) g, (0.63±0.10) g respectively] vs. (1.69±0.24) g (P<0.05). The expressions of ezrin protein and mRNA in the imrecoxib group and combined treatment group were significantly lower than that of the control group (136.53±35.52, 74.72±19.48 vs. 175.62±21.16 for protein expression level; 0.54±0.03, 0.36±0.03 vs. 1.02±0.02 for mRNA expression level, respectively, P<0.05 for both), while the expression of E-cadherin protein and mRNA in the imrecoxib group and combined treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group (253.78±38.87, 308.94±24.67 vs. 213.66±30.31 for protein expression level; 2.19±0.02, 3.02±0.02 vs. 1.05±0.03 for mRNA expression level, respectively, P<0.05 for both). There was a significant negative correlation between ezrin protein and E-cadherin protein (r=-0.737, P<0.01), as well as between ezrin mRNA and E-cadherin mRNA (r=-0.977, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Administration of imrecoxib combined with lobaphatin has inhibitory effects on the growth of non-small cell lung cancer xenografts and lymph node metastasis via down-regulated ezrin and upregulated E-cadherin. Imrecoxib and lobaplatin have a synergistic antitumor effect.

Temporal lobe dysplasia: a characteristic sonographic finding in thanatophoric dysplasia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of temporal lobe dysplasia (TLD) detected on prenatal ultrasound in thanatophoric dysplasia (TD) over an 11-year period in a tertiary referral center. METHODS: An 11-year retrospective review of perinatal autopsies from 2002 to 2013 was performed to identify cases of TD. The ultrasound images and corresponding reports of all TD cases were examined for the presence of TLD. The same set of images subsequently underwent a retrospective review by a perinatal radiologist with knowledge of the features of TLD to determine whether they could be identified. RESULTS: Thirty-one cases of TD underwent perinatal autopsy, and prenatal ultrasound imaging was available for review in 24 (77%). Mean gestational age at diagnosis of TD was 21.3 (range, 18-36) weeks. TLD was identified and reported in 6/24 (25%) cases; all six cases occurred after 2007. Retrospective interpretation of the ultrasound images identified features of TLD in 10 additional cases. In total, 16/24 (67%) cases displayed sonographic evidence of TLD. Temporal trends showed that TLD features were present in 50% (5/10) of all TD cases between 2002 and 2006 and in 79% (11/14) of those detected between 2007 and 2013. CONCLUSIONS: At present, the detection rate of TLD by ultrasound is low but may be increased by modified brain images that enhance visualization of the temporal lobes. Prenatal identification of TLD may help in the prenatal diagnosis of TD and thus provide more accurate prenatal counseling and guide molecular investigations to confirm the specific diagnosis of TD.

Beneficial effects of jejunal continuity and duodenal food passage after total gastrectomy: a retrospective study of 704 patients.

AIM: To evaluate effects of reconstruction procedures on post-operative outcomes and nutritional status after total gastrectomy. METHODS: The study group comprised 704 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent total gastrectomy between December 1985 and December 2003. Six alimentary reconstruction procedures were performed, including jejunal continuity [Braun, modified Braun I and II and functional jejunal interposition (FJI)] and jejunum transection ["P" Roux-en-Y and "P" jejunal interposition (PJI)]. The duodenal food passage was maintained only by FJI and PJI. We evaluated the time interval to restore food intake after surgery and the incidence of complications and nutritional status for 12 months. RESULTS: Patients who received jejunum transection required 7.8+/-2.5 days and 11.9+/-4.9 days to restore liquid and semi-liquid food intake, respectively, which reduced to 3.9+/-2.1 days for liquid and 7.9+/-3.9 days for semi-liquid food intake by jejunum continuity. The incidence rates of reflux esophagitis and Roux-en-Y syndrome in patients receiving jejunum transection were 23.5% and 42.4%, respectively, which were decreased to 9.35% and 14.7%, respectively, by jejunal continuity. Furthermore, prognostic nutrition index score of patients receiving the procedures maintaining duodenal food passage (52.9+/-10.9) was higher than that of patients without the duodenal food passage (46.7+/-8.2). CONCLUSION: Jejunal continuity and duodenal food passage showed beneficial effects on clinical outcomes after surgery. Among these six procedures, FJI was the only procedure to combine the benefits of jejunal continuity and maintaining the duodenal food passage, indicating that FJI has potential clinical application to improve the quality of patient's life after total gastrectomy.

Structural genomics efforts at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University.

Structural genomics efforts at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University are reported in this article. The major targets for the structural genomics project are targeted proteins expressed in human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, proteins related to blood diseases and other human proteins. Up to now 328 target genes have been constructed in expression vectors. Among them, more than 50% genes have been expressed in Escherichia coli, approximately 25% of the resulting proteins are soluble, and 35 proteins have been purified. Crystallization, data collection and structure determination are continuing. Experiences accumulated during this initial stage are useful for designing and applying high-throughput approaches in structural genomics.

Characterization of Na(+) currents in isolated dorsal unpaired median neurons of Locusta migratoria and effect of the alpha-like scorpion toxin BmK M1.

A primary cell culture was developed for efferent dorsal unpaired median (DUM) neurons of the locust. The isolated somata were able to generate Tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive action potentials in vitro. The alpha-like scorpion toxin BmK M1, from the Asian scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch, prolonged the duration of the action potential up to 50 times. To investigate the mechanism of action of BmK M1, the TTX-sensitive voltage gated Na(+) currents were studied in detail using the whole cell patch clamp technique. BmK M1 slowed down and partially inhibited the inactivation of the TTX-sensitive Na(+) current in a dose dependent manner (EC50=326.8+/-34.5 nM). Voltage and time dependence of the Na(+) current were described in terms of the Hodgkin-Huxley model and compared in control conditions and in the presence of 500 nM BmK M1. The BmK M1 shifted steady state inactivation by 10.8 mV to less negative potentials. The steady state activation was shifted by 5.5 mV to more negative potentials, making the activation window larger. Moreover, BmK M1 increased the fast time constant of inactivation, leaving the activation time constant unchanged. In summary, BmK M1 primarily affected the inactivation parameters of the voltage gated Na(+) current in isolated locust DUM neurons.

Purification of two depressant insect neurotoxins and their gene cloning from the scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch.

Insect-specific neurotoxins are important components of scorpion venoms. In this study, two toxins from the scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch (BmK) were purified. They shared high sequence homology with other depressant insect toxins and were designated BmK ITa and BmK ITb, respectively. They were able to suppress the action potential of cockroach isolated axon, which is due to a decrease in the peak sodium current. Furthermore, the effect of BmK ITb was lower than that of BmK ITa, and some of the electrophysiological characteristics of BmK ITb even resemble that of excitatory insect toxins. Their primary structures were determined by N-terminal partial sequence determination and cDNA cloning. The differences in their structures, especially the 31st residues, may result in the unique activity of BmK ITb.