The usefulness of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging for intestinal perfusion assessment of intracorporeal anastomosis in laparoscopic colon cancer surgery.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to clarify the usefulness of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging (ICG-FI) in the assessment of intestinal vascular perfusion in patients who receive intracorporeal anastomosis (IA) in colon cancer surgery. METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective study using propensity score matching. We compared the surgical outcomes of colon cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic colonic resection with IA or external anastomosis (EA) with the intraoperative evaluation of anastomotic perfusion using ICG-FI from January 2019 to July 2021. The detection rate of poor anastomotic perfusion by ICG-FI was examined. RESULTS: A total of 223 patients were enrolled. After matching, 69 patients each were classified into the IA and EA groups. There were no significant differences in age, sex, body mass index, tumor localization, or progression between the two groups. The operation time was similar (172 min vs. 171 min, p = 0.62) and the amount of bleeding was significantly lower (0 ml vs. 2 ml, p = 0.0023) in the IA group. The complication rates (grade ≥ 2) of the two groups were similar (14.5% vs. 11.6%, p = 0.59). ICG-FI identified four patients (5.8%) with poor anastomotic perfusion in the IA group, but none in the EA group (p = 0.046). All four patients with poor perfusion in the IA group underwent additional resection; none of these patients developed postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: Poor anastomotic perfusion was detected in 5.8% of cases who underwent laparoscopic colon cancer surgery with IA. ICG-FI is useful for evaluating anastomotic perfusion in IA in order to prevent AL.

Preoperative evaluation of skeletal muscle mass in the risk assessment for the short-term outcome of elderly colorectal cancer patients undergoing colectomy.

The prevalence of colorectal cancer in the elderly population is increasing; therefore, surgical interventions with a risk of potential complications are more frequently performed. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether sarcopenia has a clinical impact on short-term outcomes, such as morbidity and hospital stay after surgery, in elderly patients with colorectal cancer. A total of 82 elderly patients undergoing colectomy for colorectal cancer between January 2011 and December 2015 in our institute were included in the study, and skeletal muscle mass was measured as total psoas area at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) using enhanced computed tomography scans. The patients were divided into two subgroups, namely those with and those without sarcopenia, based on median skeletal muscle mass in men and women, and the association with complications was analyzed. A total of 40 patients (48.8%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia. The patients with sarcopenia exhibited a significantly higher incidence of total complications (55 vs. 31.0%, P=0.028) and longer hospital stay (25.9±21.2 vs. 18.2±8.5 days, P=0.039). The multivariate logistic analysis revealed that sarcopenia was an independent risk factor for postoperative surgical complications. The short-term outcomes, such as postoperative surgical complications and hospital stay, were affected by preoperative sarcopenia in elderly colorectal cancer patients. To improve the short-term outcomes of such patients, it is necessary to carefully plan the surgical procedure, perioperative care and the surgical strategy using preoperative sarcopenia assessment.

Evaluation of the bitterness of green tea catechins by a cell-based assay with the human bitter taste receptor hTAS2R39.

Catechins have a broad range of physiological functions and act as the main taste ingredient of green tea. Although catechins show a strong bitterness, the bitter taste receptor for catechins has not been fully understood. The objective of this study was to identify the receptor for the major green tea catechins such as (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECg), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg). By the cell-based assay using cultured cells expressing human bitter taste receptor, a clear response of hTAS2R39-expressing cells was observed to 300µM of either ECg or EGCg, which elicit a strong bitterness in humans. The response of hTAS2R39-expressing cells to ECg was the strongest among the tested catechins, followed by EGCg. Because the cellular response to EC and EGC is much weaker than those of ECg and EGCg, galloyl groups was strongly supposed to be involved in the bitter intensity. This finding is similar to the observations of taste intensity obtained from a human sensory study. Our results suggest the participation of hTAS2R39 in the detection of catechins in humans, indicating the possibility that bitterness of tea catechins can be evaluated by using cells expressing hTAS2R39.

A case report of hepatorenal syndrome treated with plasma diafiltration (selective plasma filtration with dialysis).

Plasma diafiltration (PDF) (selective plasma filtration with dialysis) is blood purification therapy in which simple plasma exchange is performed using a membrane plasma separator (Evacure EC-2A) while dialysate flows outside of the hollow-fibers. A 74-year old man with hepatorenal syndrome underwent four sessions of PDF and three sessions of HDF. Finally he recovered from hepatorenal syndrome. In this therapy, the levels of total bilirubin, interleukin-18, creatinine, and cystatin C were significantly reduced. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in the total protein and albumin levels before and after PDF. PDF may be one of the most useful blood purification therapies for hepatorenal syndrome in terms of medical economics.