Establishment and validation of a nomogram to predict overall survival of patients with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To establish a novel nomogram to predict overall survival of patients with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms (g-NEN). Methods: A case control study was conducted. Clinicopathological and follow-up data of patients with g-NEN who were treated in two academic medical centers in Southern China between July 2008 and June 2018 were retrospectively collected, including 174 patients from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center and 102 patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Univariate survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate analysis using Cox regression were performed to identify prognostic factors. A nomogram was subsequently established based on prognostic factors. Harrell's concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to verify the performance of the model according to differentiation, calibration and clinical utility. Results: A total of 276 patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 189 patients were male and 87 were female. The age at diagnosis was below 60 years old in 150 patients and 60 years or older in 126 patients. There were patients diagnosed with gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma (g-NEC) and 101 patients with gastric neuroendocrine tumor (g-NET). The number of patients with primary tumor locating at upper, middle and lower parts of stomach was 131, 98 and 47, respectively. As for TNM stage, 72 patients were categorized as stage I, 26 patients stage II, 93 patients stage III, and 85 patients stage IV. Univariate analysis indicated that age, pathological type, primary site, Ki-67 index, T stage, N stage, and M stage were associated with overall survival of g-NEN patients (all P<0.05). Multivariate regression analysis testified that high Ki-67 index, advanced T stage and advanced M stage were independent prognostic factors (all P<0.05). The C-index of the nomogram was 0.806 (95%CI: 0.769-0.863). The calibration curve of the nomogram showed that the predicted survival rate was consistent with the actual survival rate in g-NEN patients. The ROC curves and DCA showed that the nomogram had better differentiation and clinical utility than the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th TNM staging system (the area under the ROC curve was 0.862 vs. 0.792). Conclusion: The first nomogram to predict overall survival of patients with g-NEN is established and verified in this study, which provides individual prediction of 3-year overall survival rate and is applicable to both g-NET and g-NEC patients.

Intestinal dysfunction of spinal cord injury treated with moxibustion: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical effect on intestinal dysfunction of spinal cord injury (SCI) between the comprehensive therapy of moxibustion (moxibustion for opening the governor vessel and regulating the spirit) and rehabilitation training and the simple treatment with rehabilitation training.@*METHODS@#A total of 60 patients with intestinal dysfunction of SCI were randomized into a comprehensive therapy group and a rehabilitation group, 30 cases in each one (3 cases were dropped out in each group). On the base of the routine western medicine treatment and rehabilitation training, the bowel training and rectal function training were provided, once a day in the rehabilitation group. In the comprehensive therapy group, on the base of the treatment as the rehabilitation group, the moxibustion was exerted at Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Mingmen (GV 4), Zhiyang (GV 9), Dazhui (GV 14) and Baihui (GV 20), etc, once a day, 30 min each time. In both groups, the treatment for 4 weeks was as one course and 3 courses of treatment were required. Separately, before treatment, after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment, the scores of neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) and World Health Organization quality of life scale (WHOQOL-BREF) were observed and the clinical effect was evaluated after 12 weeks of treatment.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the total effective rate was 88.9% (24/27) in the comprehensive therapy group, which was higher than 74.1% (20/27) in the rehabilitation group (<0.05). After 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment, NBD scores were all reduced obviously as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (all <0.01). After 8 and 12 weeks of treatment, NBD scores in the comprehensive therapy group were lower than the rehabilitation group (both <0.05). After 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment, the scores of all of the domains (psychology, physiology, social relations and environment) in WHOQOL-BREF were higher than those before treatment in the two groups (all <0.01). After 4 weeks of treatment, the scores in the psychology and physiology domains in the comprehensive therapy group were higher than the rehabilitation group (all <0.05). After 8 and 12 weeks of treatment, the scores of all of the domains in the comprehensive therapy group were higher than the rehabilitation group (all <0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The comprehensive treatment of moxibustion and rehabilitation training achieves the better effect on intestinal dysfunction of SCI than the simple rehabilitation training and greatly improves the quality of life in SCI patients.

Effect of Mingmu Yanggan Pills combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops on IL-33, IL-6 levels in tears in perimenopausal women with dry eye and its clinical efficacy / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To investigate the effect of Mingmu Yanggan Pills combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops on the clinical efficacy of patients with dry eye(DE)in perimenopausal women and the influence on the levels of IL-33 and IL-6 in tears. <p>METHODS: Eighty patients(160 eyes)with perimenopausal women with dry eye were enrolled in this study. They were randomly divided into observation group(<i>n</i>=40)and control group(<i>n</i>=40). The control group was given sodium hyaluronate eye drops. The observation group was given Mingyu yanggan Pill on the basis of the control group. The curative effect of the two groups were observed. The changes of ocular surface disease index(OSDI)score, tear film break-up time(BUT), tear secretion test(SⅠt)and corneal fluorescein staining(FL)and IL-33 and IL-6 levels in tears before and after treatment were compared. <p>RESULTS: The total score of OSDI for the two groups after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment(<i>P</i><0.01). SⅠt and BUT were significantly higher than those before treatment(<i>P</i><0.01). The indicators in the observation group were better than those in the control group(<i>P</i><0.01). After treatment, the levels of IL-33 and IL-6 in tears of the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment. The levels of IL-33 and IL-6 in tears of the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group(<i>P</i><0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was 87.5%, which was higher than 65.0% in the control group, with significant difference(<i>χ</i>²=5.591, <i>P</i>=0.018). <p>CONCLUSION: Mingmu Yanggan Pills combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops has a good curative effect on the treatment of dry eye in perimenopausal women, which may be related to the decrease of IL-33 and IL-6 levels in tears.

Estimation of Lung Volume in Normal Population Using MSCT / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To estimate lung volume in normal population by a combination of multi-slice spiral CT and Pulmo software.@*METHODS@#Scans of the lung were performed on 45 normal individuals using Emotion 16-slice spiral CT and Pulmo software. A measurement instrument of work station was used to measure the vertical diameter of left and right lungs, the maximum anteroposterior and transverse diameters at the layers of apex pulmonis 1 cm below, arcus aortae, subcarinal and diaphragmatic dome, and the lung volume. Regression analysis was performed on normal lung volume and each measured parameter by SPSS 20.0 and an optimal model was selected.@*RESULTS@#The goodness of fit between the best curvilinear equations of the normal bilateral lung volumes was 0.981. The goodness of fit between the curvilinear equations of the normal bilateral lung volume and the product of the vertical diameter and the maximum transverse diameter of diaphragmatic dome were 0.977 and 0.972, respectively. Fifteen cases were selected to make a retrospective test on the 3 models. No significant difference was found between the estimated and measured with Pulmo software lung volumes.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The normal lung volume before injury can be estimated by the curvilinear equations established in this study. The percentage of lung compression can be measured based on the volume of compressed lung, which can provide a reference for the identification of lung compression degree.

Antidepressant effects of the extract of Dendrobium nobile Lindl on chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depressive mice / 生理学报

To investigate whether the extract of Dendrobium nobile Lindl (DNL) has an antidepressant effect on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depressive mice, 72 BALB/c male mice were randomly divided into the control group, the CUMS model group, the extract of DNL groups (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg DNL, i.g.) and the paroxetine group (10 mg/kg, i.g.). The different doses of DNL or the paroxetine was administered orally once daily to CUMS mice for 8 weeks (containing two-week preventive medication before the modeling). The same volume of distilled water was given to the control group and the CUMS group. Except for the control group, the other mice were exposed to chronic stress for 35 days. Behavioral tests were performed by using the sucrose preference test (SPT), the novelty-suppressed feeding (NSF) test, the tail suspension test (TST), and the forced swim test (FST). The levels of dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were measured by the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (LC-MS)/MS. Compared with the control group, obvious behavioral changes were observed in the CUMS group after 5-week CUMS, including a decrease in the sucrose consumption, an increase in the latency to feeding in the NSF test and a prolongation of the immobility time in the TST. Compared with the CUMS group, the application of DNL resulted in a dose-dependent increase in sucrose consumption (P < 0.01) as paroxetine (10 mg/kg) did and a significant dose-dependent decrease in the latency to feeding in the NSF test (P < 0.05). In the TST, the application of paroxetine (10 mg/kg) and the high-dose DNL (200 mg/kg) obviously decreased the immobility time when compared with the CUMS group (P < 0.05). In the FST, compared with the CUMS group, all the groups had no significant differences in the immobility time (P > 0.05). In addition, in the hippocampus and cortex, the levels of 5-HT and DA were significantly decreased in the CUMS group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In comparison with the CUMS group, paroxetine obviously increased the DA levels in the hippocampus and the cortex and the 5-HT level in the hippocampus (P < 0.05). DNL (50 and 200 mg/kg) significantly increased the DA level in cerebral cortex of the brain, and DNL (100 and 200 mg/kg) increased the DA level in the hippocampus. The 5-HT level in the 200 mg/kg DNL group was notably increased in both two brain regions (P < 0.05), but the 5-HT level in the 100 mg/kg DNL group was significantly increased only in the hippocampus (P < 0.01). These findings indicate that the extract of DNL has an antidepressant-like effect on CUMS-induced depressive mice and its mechanism may be related to the changes in DA and 5-HT in the hippocampus and cortex.

Clinical study Carbomer eye gel and rhEGF in treating dry eye after cataract surgery in diabetics / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

To investigate the effect of Carbomer eye gel and recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) on dry eye after cataract surgery in diabetics. ●METHODS: A total of 160 patients ( 160 eyes ) with diabetes undergone phacoemulsification with a diagnosis of dry eyes were randomized divided into two groups, treatment group (80 cases, 80 eyes) and control group (80 cases, 80 eyes). ln treatment group, the patients were treated by Carbomer eye gel and rhEGF. ln control group, the patients were treated by Carbomer eye gel. The subjective dry eye symptoms, tear break - up time (BUT), Schirmer l test ( S Ⅰ t) and cornea fluorescein staining ( FL) were observed before treatment, 1, 4wk after treatment. ●RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups before treatment (P> 0. 05). After treatment at 1, 4wk, the subjective dry eye symptoms and the results of three examination ( BUT, S Ⅰ t and FL) in two groups better than those before treatment ( P ●CONCLUSlON: Carbomer eye gel can relieve the dry eye symptoms of diabetes after phacoemulsification effectively, and it can be more effective to combine Carbomer eye gel with rhEGF at early stage after phacoemulsification.

Comparison of the different formulas in intraocular lens power calculations on high myopia after LASlK with cataract patients / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AlM: To compare the different formulas in intraocular lens(lOL) power calculations on high myopia after LASlK with cataract patients who received the phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation ( Phaco+lOL) . METHODS:This was a retrospective study. Data from 102 eyes of 61 cataract patients with high myopia, who received Phaco+lOL after LASlK, were collected. Patients were divided into three groups by formulas in lOL power calculations before surgery: Holladay group ( 11 cases, 21 eyes), Haigis-L group (30 cases, 47 eyes) and SRK-T group (20 cases, 34 eyes). The ratios of equivalent lOL power after LASlK were predicted and the accuracy of their predictions were compared 3mo after surgery. lt was an index of reliability of the formulas outcomes. RESULTS:The ratios of equivalent lOL power after LASlK using the Holladay, Haigis-L and SRK-T formulas were 0. 86 ± 0. 41D, 0. 43 ± 0. 30D and 1. 27 ± 0. 58D, respectively . There was no significant difference between Holladay group and SRK-T group ( t=-0. 271, P=0. 625>0. 05 ). However, significant difference was found between Haigis-L group and Holladay group ( t=2. 249, P=0.047 CONCLUSlON:The Haigis-L formula is more accurate than the SRK-T and Holladay formulas in predicting lOL power for cataract patients with high myopia after LASlK.

Pathological characteristics of sudden death caused by coronary thrombosis / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore medico-legal characteristics of sudden death caused by coronary heart disease combined with coronary thrombosis.@*METHODS@#Ninety-six cases of sudden death caused by coronary heart disease were collected and divided into two groups: thrombus positive and thrombus negative groups. The time onset, induction and pathological features of coronary artery disease were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Two groups showed man-dominant population. There were no statistical significant differences in season, circadian rhythm and induction factor. The thrombus positive group (age < 40) showed a higher disease incidence. Heart weight and degree of coronary stenosis were lower in thrombus positive group. However, there was no statistical difference in the number of atherosclerotic coronary arteries (> or = 2), the length of coronary lesions and myocardial infarct. But thrombosis positive group showed lower tendency.@*CONCLUSION@#Two groups are man-dominant population and similar induction factor, lesion position, mechanism of death. But thrombus positive group appeared more in a younger population and the degree of coronary stenosis is milder than thrombus negative group. Forensic pathologists should pay more attention to these characteristics in death investigation.

Screening and preliminary analysis of colorectal carcinoma-associated antigen genes / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To screen and identify the genes coding for colorectal carcinoma-associated antigen and analyze the bioinformation of their cDNA sequences.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Immunoscreening of the cDNA phage-display library derived from human colorectal carcinoma was performed with autologous or allogeneic serum antibody from patients with colorectal cancer through SEREX approach. After amplification of the positive phage clones, the phage DNA was extracted and purified with Qiagen kit, and the fragment sizes of the cDNA of positive clones were identified by PCR and EcoR I and Hind III restriction endonucleases. The cDNAs of the positive clones were ligated into pUCm-T vector and sequenced. The bioinformation of cDNA sequences were analyzed against GenBank+EMBL+DDBJ+PDB Sequences Database.</p><p><b>RESULTS AND CONCLUSION</b>Eleven positive clones were obtained after immunoscreening, and the sizes of the cDNA fragments were 1100, 1300, 1000, 2000, 1200, 1200, 700, 900, 600, 1200 and 1000 bp, respectively, representing 9 antigen genes, including 7 with homology with the known genes. Among the 11 obtained positive clones, 3 were the same cDNA having homology with interferon-induced transmembrance protein-1 and possessing anti-proliferation effect; another 6 represented different genes, namely human BAC clone RP11-453E17 whose function have not been cleared, human cartilage-hair hypoplasia region gene responsible for cartilage-hair hypoplasia, human chromosome 5 clone CTD-2030B15 with insertion mutation, human gene similar to anti tumor necrosis factor-alpha antibody light-chain Fab fragment associated with tumor growth, mRNA of human beta-2-microglobulin in relation to tumor cell proliferation, and human aldolase A gene promoting tumor cell proliferation. The other two cDNA sequences were not identified for homology with currently known genes in GenBank, and their functions awaits further investigation.</p>

Contribution of eukaryotic initiation factor-4E inhibition to heparanase expression and activity in human colon adenocarcinoma cell line LS-174T / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine whether the eukaryotic initiation factor-4E (eIF-4E) is involved in the cap-dependent translational regulation of heparanase and study the correlation between heparanase expression and metastatic potential of LS-174T cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The protein and mRNA levels of inhibited eIF-4E were tested by Western blot and RT-PCR. Heparanase activity was defined as the ability to degrade high molecular weight (40-100 000) radiolabeled ((35)S) heparan sulfate (HS) substrate into low molecular weight (5-15 000) HS fragments. The invasive potential of tumor cells in vitro was observed by Matrigel invasion assay system.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 20-mer antisense oligonucleotide (asODN) against eIF-4E specifically and significantly inhibited eIF-4E expression at both transcriptional and translational levels. The expression and the activity of heparanase were effectively lowered, which further decreased the invasive potential of LS-174T.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>eIF-4E, probably being involved in translational regulation of heparanase in colon adenocarcinoma cell line LS-174T, can be a particularly interesting target for heparanase regulation, based on of its critical function.</p>