Can Ultrasound-Guided Continuous Paravertebral Block Reduce the Incidence of Chronic Postsurgical Pain in Patients with Thoracoscopic Lung Cancer Surgery? A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery is accompanied by severe pain. Both continuous paravertebral block (CPVB) and continuous wound infiltration (CWI) are widely used for perioperative analgesia in thoracoscopic surgery. However, the effects of these different methods on chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) are still unknown. Patients and Methods. This prospective randomized controlled trial assessed the eligibility of 113 patients. Ninety-seven patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a CPVB group and a CWI group, and 80 patients were analyzed in the final study. The primary outcome measures were the incidence and intensity of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) at 3, 6, and 9 months after surgery. The secondary outcome measures were the numerical rating scale (NRS) score of rest and activity at 12, 18, and 24 hours and on the 2nd, 3rd, and 7th days postoperatively; the Barthel Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score of activity levels on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 7th days postoperatively; and the long-term quality of the life score at 3, 6, and 9 months postoperatively. Results: The incidence of chronic postsurgical pain in the CWI group was significantly higher than that in the CPVB group at 3, 6, and 9 months after surgery (all P < 0.05). The intensity of chronic postsurgical pain was significantly decreased in the CPVB group at 3, 6, and 9 months after surgery (P < 0.05). NRS-R and NRS-A scores were significantly decreased in the CPVB group within the first week after thoracoscopic surgery (P < 0.001). ADL scores were increased in the CPVB group within 3 days postoperatively. However, there were no differences in the ADL score on the 7th postoperative day or the long-term quality of the life score at 3, 6, and 9 months postoperatively. Conclusion: Continuous ultrasound-guided paravertebral block reduced the intensity of acute pain within 7 days postoperatively and reduced the incidence of chronic pain at 3, 6, and 9 months after surgery, but there was no significant advantage in long-term quality of life. This trial is registered with ChiCTR2000038505.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Allergic Rhinitis in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) has increased tremendously in the recent year in China. Evidence-based medicine to objectively evaluate the prevalence and risk factors for AR in China is urgently required. Toward this, we systematically searched four English and four Chinese databases to identify the literature on the same, from the year of website establishment until November 2021. A total of 51 studies were evaluated, and data were obtained through Stata 16 analysis. Overall pooled risk factors for adult AR were smoking (odds ratio [OR] = 1.89, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25, 2.87), asthma (OR = 3.30, 95% CI: 1.48, 7.39), a family history of AR (OR = 3.17, 95% CI: 2.31, 4.34), a family history of asthma (OR = 3.99, 95% CI: 2.58, 6.16), drug allergy (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.38, 1.89), food allergy (OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.39, 3.78), pollen allergy history (OR = 2.41, 95% CI: 1.67, 3.46), antibiotic use (OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.28, 3.36), occupational dust exposure (OR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.70, 2.47), home renovation (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 0.99, 3.02), and middle school education (OR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.06). Overall pooled risk factors for AR in children were passive smoking (OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.82), asthma (OR = 3.26, 95% CI: 2.42, 4.39), a family history of AR (OR = 2.59, 95% CI: 2.07, 3.24), a family history of allergy (OR = 4.84, 95% CI: 3.22, 7.26), a history of allergic diseases (OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.52, 2.94), eczema(OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.36, 3.85), owning pets (OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.37, 1.77), eating seafood (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.55), boys (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.43, 1.74), and breastfeeding (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.55, 1.22). The results of our meta-analysis showed that the prevalence of allergy rhinitis was 19% (95% CI 14-25) among adults and 22% (95% CI 17-27) among children, with boys showing a higher prevalence than girls. The development of AR in China is associated with several factors, including allergic diseases (eczema, asthma, pollen allergy, and food allergy), a family history of allergy (AR, asthma, and other allergies), and dwelling and working environment (smoking or passive smoking, occupational dust exposure, and owning pets); conversely, breastfeeding can reduce the risk.

hnRNPC regulates cancer-specific alternative cleavage and polyadenylation profiles.

Alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) can occur at more than half of all human genes, greatly enhancing the cellular repertoire of mRNA isoforms. As these isoforms can have altered stability, localisation and coding potential, deregulation of APA can disrupt gene expression and this has been linked to many diseases including cancer progression. How APA generates cancer-specific isoform profiles and what their physiological consequences are, however, is largely unclear. Here we use a subcellular fractionation approach to determine the nuclear and cytoplasmic APA profiles of successive stages of colon cancer using a cell line-based model. Using this approach, we show that during cancer progression specific APA profiles are established. We identify that overexpression of hnRNPC has a critical role in the establishment of APA profiles characteristic for metastatic colon cancer cells, by regulating poly(A) site selection in a subset of genes that have been implicated in cancer progression including MTHFD1L.

Fluorometric determination of the activity of the biomarker terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase via the enhancement of the fluorescence of silver nanoclusters by in-situ grown DNA tails.

The activity of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdTase) is a biomarker for routine diagnosis of acute leukemia. A method has been developed for the determination of TdTase activity. It is based on the use of silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) whose yellow fluorescence is enhanced by an in-situ grown DNA tail of TdTase-polymerized and guanine-rich DNA at the 3' end of a hairpin DNA. The fluorescence, best measured at excitation/emission peaks of 530/585 nm, increases linearly in the 1 to 35 mU mL-1 TdTase activity range. The detection limit is 0.8 mU mL-1. The method is cost-efficient, selective and convenient. It integrates enhancement of the fluorescence of AgNCs and target recognition into a single process. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of a method for determination of TdTase activity. It is based on AgNCs fluorescence enhanced by in-situ grown TdTase-polymerized G-rich DNA tail. The method integrates AgNCs fluorescence enhancement and the target recognition into a single process.