Clip-and-snare method with a pre-looping technique versus conventional method in the treatment of precancerous lesion and early gastric cancer: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Low grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) and high grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN) are potential precancerous lesion of gastric neoplasms. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is the first option for the treatment of precancerous lesion and early gastric cancer (EGC). Traction is an effective method to improve efficiency, and reduce complications during ESD. In this study, we shared a useful traction method using the clip-and-snare method with a pre-looping technique (CSM-PLT) for precancerous lesion and EGC. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients received ESD combined with CSM-PLT or conventional ESD from June 2018 to December 2021 in Shenzhen People's hospital. The primary outcome was resection speed. RESULTS: Forty-two patients were enrolled in ESD combined with CSM-PLT group and sixty-five patients in conventional ESD group respectively. Baseline characteristics were comparable among two groups (P>0.05). There were no significant differences in terms of R0 resection rate, en bloc resection rate (97.6% vs. 98.5%, P = 1.000 and 97.6% vs. 96.9%, P = 1.000, respectively), operation costs (933.7 (644.1-1102.4) dollars vs. 814.7 (614.6-988.3) dollars, P = 0.107), and hospital stays (8.0 ± 3.1 days vs. 7.3 ± 3.2 days, P = 0.236). In addition, no significant difference was observed with respect to complications (P>0.05). However, the resection speed of ESD combined with CSM-PLT was faster than that of conventional ESD (11.3 (9.4-14.9) mm2/min vs. 8.0 (5.8-10.9) mm2/min, P < 0.001), particularly lesions located in anterior wall and lesser curvature. In addition, the association between ESD combined with CSM-PLT and resection speed was still supported after propensity matching scores (PMS). CONCLUSIONS: CSM-PLT can help to improve ESD efficiency without reducing the en bloc resection rate or increasing the incidence of complications.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection for duodenal-type follicular lymphoma.

Duodenal-type follicular lymphoma (D-FL) is a special type of follicular lymphoma, which tends to occur in the descending segment of the duodenum. The lesion is mostly limited to the mucosal layer. The treatment approach for D-FL has not been clearly established and the watch and wait (WW) approach is generally recommended as a major option. Since D-FL may be transformed into a more serious type of lymphoma, it is of clinical significance to explore active treatment methods. We diagnosed and successfully treated a case of D-FL with Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Because D-FL is limited to mucosa in the descending segment of the duodenum, ESD can completely dissect the lesion to achieve the purpose of complete resection. Compared with the WW, the method of WW after endoscopic therapy is more active, safe and effective.

Successful removal of a duodenal lesion in difficult location using "a sandwich method".

A 69-year-old woman was diagnosed with a duodenal adenoma near major duodenal papilla during cancer screening examination (Figure 1A). Therefore, endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) was proposed to remove the duodenal lesion. Unfortunately, satisfactory visualization of the duodenal lesion was not obtained during gastroscopic operation. Unexpectedly, duodenoscopy provided optimal visualization of the duodenal lesion. Consequently, the "sandwich method" using duodenoscopy-gastroscopy-duodenoscopy was successfully performed to remove the challenging duodenal lesion. Firstly, the duodenoscopy was used to create a submucosal bleb through injecting saline containing 0.3 % indigo carmine. Subsequently, the gastroscopy with a transparent capwas used to remove the duodenal lesion with en bloc resection. Then, the duodenoscopy was reused to close the mucosal defect. Finally, pathologic examination showed a tubule-villous adenoma. The patient was recovered uneventfully, and discharged 2 days later.

Nursing Cooperation Pattern for Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer and Abdominal Pain Undergoing Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Celiac Plexus Neurolysis.

Context: Patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) at a late stage often suffer from severe abdominal pain due to the invasion of celiac plexus, and the analgesics they receive often have intolerable side effects. Endoscopic, ultrasound-guided, celiac plexus neurolysis (EUS-guided CPN) can have a good therapeutic effect. Objective: The study intended to evaluate the ability of two nursing cooperation patterns to reduce patients' pain, decrease operation times, increase operational efficiency, and increase nurses' satisfaction, for patients with advanced PC and abdominal pain who received EUS-guided CPN. Design: The research team designed a retrospective controlled study. Setting: The study took place at the Shenzhen People's Hospital of the Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University in Shenzhen, China, and at the Changhai Hospital of the Second Military Medical University in Shanghai, China. Participants: Participants were 40 patients with advanced PC who received EUS-guided CPN at one of the two hospitals between January 2019 and January 2020. Intervention: Twenty participants at Changhai Hospital received the traditional nursing cooperation pattern and became the control group, and 20 participants at the Shenzhen People's Hospital received the new nursing cooperation pattern and became the intervention group. Outcome Measures: The study measured clinical data, nursing measures, diagnostic significance, and key points for the two patterns as well as compared the effects of the new nursing cooperation method to that of traditional nursing. If the measurement data met the requirements for normality, the team used the two independent sample t-test for the intergroup comparisons. If normality wasn't satisfied, the team used medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) for expression and the rank sum test for the intergroup comparisons. Counting data were expressed using the constituent ratio, and team used the chi-square test for comparisons between groups. P < .05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The operations were successful, and no complications occurred. No significant difference existed in the pain scores between the control group and the intervention group (P > .05), while a significant difference occurred in the nurses' operation times and satisfaction. Not only were the scores for operation times for the control group (97) and the intervention group (59) significantly different, but also the nurses' satisfaction was significantly higher for the intervention group postintervention, at 83.35 ± 5.25, than for the control group, at 62.25 ± 8.18 (P < .001). Such a new nursing cooperation method could assist in patient's rehabilitation and increase nurses' satisfaction. Conclusions: The new nursing cooperation method for patients with advanced PC and abdominal pain undergoing EUS-guided CPN can reduce operation time and improve nurses' satisfaction.

Exosomal LINC00460/miR-503-5p/ANLN positive feedback loop aggravates pancreatic cancer progression through regulating T cell-mediated cytotoxicity and PD-1 checkpoint.

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00460 is an onco-lncRNA in a variety of cancers, including pancreatic cancer (PC). This study is aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of LINC00460 in PC. METHODS: The tumor and adjacent normal tissues were collected from 73 PC patients. The expression of LINC00460, miR-503-5p, and ANLN was detected using qRT-PCR. We then analyzed the proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis/cell cycle of PC cells by performing the MTT/EdU, transwell, and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The xenograft tumor model were utilized to confirm the effect of LINC00460 knockdown on PC through anti-PD-1 therapy in vivo, and the sensitivity of PANC-1 cells to the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells in vitro. Western blotting was used to determine the protein levels. A co-culture model was utilized to explore the effects of exosomes on macrophages. RESULTS: LINC00460 was up-regulated in PC tissues and cells. LINC00460 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, facilitated cell apoptosis and G0/G1 phase arrest, and inhibited the tumor growth through anti-PD-1 therapy. Both miR-503-5p down-regulation and ANLN up-regulation reversed the effects of LINC00460 knockdown on inhibiting the proliferation, migration and invasion, and on promoting the apoptosis, G0/G1 phase arrest, and the sensitivity of PC cells to the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells. Exosomes were uptaken by the ambient PC cells. PANC-1 cells-derived exosomal LINC00460-induced M2 macrophage polarization accelerates the cell migration and invasion. CONCLUSIONS: LINC00460 silencing attenuates the development of PC by regulating the miR-503-5p/ANLN axis and exosomal LINC00460-induced M2 macrophage polarization accelerates the migration and invasion of PANC-1 cells, thus LINC00460 may act as a possible therapeutic target for treating PC.

Abnormal submucosal artery mimicking a submucosal tumor in the stomach: the invisible threat that lies within.

A 74-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital, who complained of abdominal distension for 1 year with no previous history of disease. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed a submucosal tumor (SMT) in the gastric body.

Endoscopic resection in combination with ligation for the treatment of duodenal subepithelial lesions: a single-center experience.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: duodenal subepithelial lesions (SELs) are increasingly detected during endoscopic examinations. However, no feasible and safe methods are available to remove duodenal SELs. The present study aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of endoscopic resection in combination with ligation (ER-L) for the removal of duodenal SELs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: a total of 101 patients with duodenal SELs underwent ER-L from February 2010 to February 2020. The primary outcomes were complete resection, en bloc resection and R0 resection. The secondary outcomes included procedure duration, bleeding, perforation and residual lesions. A total of 101 patients with 101 duodenal SELs (ranged from 8.4 mm to 20.2 mm in size) were included in the study. RESULTS: most of the SELs (95.1 %) originated from the submucosal layer and were successfully removed using ER-L. The rates of complete resection, en bloc resection and R0 resection were 100 %, 96.0 % and 88.1 %, respectively. The median procedure duration was eight minutes. There were no severe complications, except for four patients who developed post-procedure bleeding (4.0 %) and recovered after conservative treatment. Furthermore, no residual lesions were detected during the follow-up period (median of 36 months). In fact, logistic regression analysis showed that the size of duodenal SELs was an independent factor for R0 resection during the ER-L procedure. CONCLUSION: in conclusion, ER-L is feasible and safe to remove duodenal SELs that originate from the submucosal layer and are less than 20 mm. However, the feasibility and safety of the ER-L should be further confirmed when removing the duodenal SELs that originate from the muscularis propria (MP) layer and are larger than 20 mm in diameter.

Modified submucosal double-tunneling endoscopic resection for the treatment of a large esophageal submucosal tumor originating from the muscularis propria.

A 69-year-old female complained of epigastric pain of 6 months' duration. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a transversal submucosal tumor (SMT) in the lower esophagus. Subsequently, endoscopic ultrasonography showed a hypoechoic lesion (25 mm x 12 mm) originating from the muscularis propria layer.

Efficacy of low-dose versus high-dose simethicone with polyethylene glycol for bowel preparation: A prospective randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Additional simethicone (SIM) can improve adequate bowel preparation and adenoma detection rate (ADR). However, there is no consensus on the optimal dose of SIM. In this study, we compared the adequate bowel preparation rate with supplementation of split-dose 2 L polyethylene glycol (PEG) with low-dose SIM (200 mg) versus high-dose SIM (1200 mg). METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, observer-blinded trial involving consecutive subjects undergoing colonoscopy. The primary outcome was adequate bowel preparation as assessed by Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) score. RESULTS: Four hundred subjects were randomly allocated to low-dose SIM or high-dose SIM group. Baseline characteristics were comparable in the two groups (P > 0.05). No significant between-group differences were observed with respect to total bubble scale (BS) (8.49 ± 1.00 vs 8.39 ± 1.10, P = 0.07), total BBPS score (8.70 ± 0.81 vs 8.29 ± 1.18, P = 0.98), ADR (33.68% vs 31.79%, P = 0.69) or withdrawal time (13 [range, 10-16] min vs 13 [10-15] min, P = 0.96). The intubation time in low-dose SIM group was significantly shorter than that in high-dose SIM group (8 (4-16) min vs 10 [6-17] min, P = 0.04). In addition, BS scores as well as diminutive ADR in right colon were superior in the low-dose SIM group (2.68 ± 0.59 vs 2.52 ± 0.73, P = 0.03 and 54.29% vs 30.30%, P = 0.046, respectively). CONCLUSION: Addition of low-dose SIM to split-dose 2 L PEG was as effective as addition of high-dose SIM with respect to adequate bowel preparation, ADR and patient tolerance. However, low-dose SIM was superior with respect to intubation time, right colon BS scores, right colon diminutive ADR and cost savings.

The influence of family support during endoscopic submucosal dissection on patient's anxiety.

Background: Psychological problems may promote peptic ulcers. Ulcer-like wounds can be formed after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). The influence of family support on the healing of gastric ESD-induced ulcers remains largely undetermined. Objective: In the present study, we aimed to assess the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores and the incidence of post-ESD complications in patients with family support in the care process and those in the non-relative group. Materials and methods: A total of 191 patients aged between 30 and 70 years who received gastric ESD were evaluated with the Chinese version of HADS. Differences in depression and anxiety between the two groups were compared using the chi-square test and t-test. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine whether anxiety and depression were the risk factors for post-ESD complications. Results: The mean values of HADS-A (4.61 ± 2.89 vs. 5.56 ± 3.07, p = 0.042) and HADS-D (4.14 ± 3.03 vs. 4.97 ± 2.61, p = 0.048) scores were significantly lower in patients with accompanying relatives compared with those in the non-relative group. Besides, through the pre-ESD and post-ESD self-contrast, the scores of anxiety and depression in the relative-group were 0.57 and 0.56, respectively (p < 0.001), while those in the non-relative group were increased by 1.43 and 1.49, respectively (p < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that HADS-A, HADS-D scores, and age were significantly correlated with post-ESD abdominal pain (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The occurrence and degree of adverse emotions such as psychological anxiety and depression in patients who received gastric ESD with accompanying relatives during hospitalization may were reduced, and the incidence of gastric post-ESD abdominal pain may was also decreased.

Oral higher dose prednisolone to prevent stenosis after endoscopic submucosal dissection for early esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal stenosis is one of the main complications of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for the treatment of large-area superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and precancerous lesions (≥ 3/4 of the lumen). Oral prednisone is useful to prevent esophageal stenosis, but the curative effect remains controversial. AIM: To share our experience of the precautions against esophageal stenosis after ESD to remove large superficial esophageal lesions. METHODS: Between June 2019 and March 2022, we enrolled patients with large superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia experienced who underwent ESD. Prednisone (50 mg/d) was administered orally on the second morning after ESD for 1 mo, and tapered gradually (5 mg/wk) for 13 wk. RESULTS: In total, 14 patients met the inclusion criteria. All patients received ESD without operation-related bleeding or perforation. There were 11 patients with ≥ 3/4 and < 7/8 of lumen mucosal defects and 1 patient with ≥ 7/8 of lumen mucosal defect and 2 patients with the entire circumferential mucosal defects due to ESD. The longitudinal extension of the esophageal mucosal defect was < 50 mm in 3 patients and ≥ 50 mm in 11 patients. The esophageal stenosis rate after ESD was 0% (0/14). One patient developed esophageal candida infection on the 30th d after ESD, and completely recovered after 7 d of administration of oral fluconazole 100 mg/d. No other adverse events of oral steroids were found. CONCLUSION: Oral prednisone (50 mg/d) and prolonged prednisone usage time may effectively prevent esophageal stricture after ESD without increasing the incidence of glucocorticoid-related adverse events. However, further investigation of larger samples is required to warrant feasibility and safety.

Comparison of Two Different Accesses Single Orifice Percutaneous Endoscopic Surgery in Diagnosis of Ascites of Unknown Origin: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Ascites is a common clinical finding caused by many different diseases, so we developed a technique termed single orifice percutaneous endoscopic surgery (SOPES) which can access peritoneal cavity through the contralateral McBurney's point or umbilicus to seek the underlying causes. In this study, we describe the initial clinical experience of SOPES and compare the application of two accesses. Methods: This is a retrospective study performed between 2007 and 2018. Patients with ascites of unknown origin who underwent these two kinds of SOPES were included. Main outcomes were measured by diagnostic accuracy, complication rate, procedure time, time till stitches removal, length of hospital stay, and hospital cost. Results: 148 patients successfully undergone SOPES via the contralateral McBurney's point (IM group, n = 70) or the umbilicus (UM group, n = 78). 63 patients in the IM group and 71 patients in the UM group reached clear diagnosis (90.0% vs. 91.0%, p = 0.831). The overall complication rate was 5.4%, while the UM group was higher than the IM group (10.3% vs. 0%, p = 0.017). All complications were resolved after medical treatment, and no mortality resulted from this procedure. The procedure time and the time until stitches removal in the UM group were longer than that in the IM group. There were no significant differences in length of hospital stay and hospital cost between the two groups. Conclusions: SOPES, which combines the strength of minimally invasive single orifice incision and flexible angles of examination and instrumentation, is a newly developed flexible endoscopic surgical modality that provides new important clinical valuable in evaluation of ascites of unknown origin. Moreover, SOPES via the contralateral McBurney's point was safer than the umbilicus approach.

Carbon Material Based Electrochemical Immunosensor for Gastric Cancer Markers Detection.

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors, and early diagnosis will be of great significance to improve the survival quality and overall treatment outcome evaluation of patients. Nanoelectrochemical immunosensor is an emerging biosensor combining nanotechnology, electrochemical analysis method and immunological technology, which has simple operation, fast analysis speed, high sensitivity, and good selectivity. This mini-review summarized immunoassay techniques, nanotechnology and electrochemical sensing for the early detection of gastric cancer. In particular, we focus on the tension of carbon nanomaterials in this field, including the functionalized preparation of materials, signal enhancement and the construction of novel sensing interfaces. Currently, various tumor markers are being developed, but the more recognized gastric cancer tumor markers are carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA), CD44V9, miRNAs, and programmed death ligand 1. Among them, the electrochemical immunosensor allows the detection of CEA, CA, and miRNAs. The mini-review focused on the development of using carbon based materials, especially carbon nanotubes and graphene for immunosensor fabrication and gastric cancer markers detection.

Long noncoding RNA KIF9-AS1 promotes cell apoptosis by targeting the microRNA-148a-3p/suppressor of cytokine signaling axis in inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic intestinal disease. This study was attempted to investigate the effects of long noncoding RNA KIF9-AS1 (KIF9-AS1) on the development of IBD and its underlying mechanism of action. METHODS: Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) was implemented to examine the expression of KIF9-AS1 and microRNA-148a-3p (miR-148a-3p). The IBD mouse model was induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). The body weight, disease activity index (DAI) score, colon length and histological injury were used to evaluate the colon injury. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA. In vitro, IBD was simulated by DSS treatment in colonic cells. Then the apoptosis of colonic cells was detected by flow cytometry assay. Furthermore, a dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to demonstrate the interactions among KIF9-AS1, miR-148a-3p and suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS3). RESULTS: KIF9-AS1 expression was upregulated in IBD patients, DSS-induced IBD mice and DSS-induced colonic cells, whereas miR-148a-3p expression was downregulated. KIF9-AS1 silencing attenuated the apoptosis of DSS-induced colonic cells in vitro and alleviated colon injury and inflammation in DSS-induced IBD mice in vivo. Additionally, the mechanical experiment confirmed that KIF9-AS1 and SOCS3 were both targeted by miR-148a-3p with the complementary binding sites at 3'UTR. Moreover, miR-148a-3p inhibition or SOCS3 overexpression reversed the suppressive effect of KIF9-AS1 silencing on the apoptosis of DSS-induced colonic cells. CONCLUSION: KIF9-AS1 silencing hampered the colon injury and inflammation in DSS-induced IBD mice in vivo, and restrained the apoptosis of DSS-induced colonic cells by regulating the miR-148a-3p/SOCS3 axis in vitro, providing a new therapeutic target for IBD.

Comprehensive analysis on the expression profile and prognostic values of Synaptotagmins (SYTs) family members and their methylation levels in gastric cancer.

Synaptotagmins (SYTs), constitute a family of 17 membrane-trafficking protein, palying crucial roles in the development and progression of human cancers. However, only very few studies have investigated the expression profile and prognostic values of SYTs family members in gastric cancer (GC). Therefore, we comprehensively evaluated the expression, methylation, prognosis and immune significance of SYTs family members through bioinformatics analysis from the online databases in GC. The expressions of SYT4, SYT9, and SYT14 were up-regulated, and negatively associated with their methylation levels in GC. Both the over-expression of SYT4, SYT9 and SYT14 and their hypomethylation levels contributed to an unsatisfactory overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in GC. Moreover, the low expressions of several methylation cg sites (cg02795029, cg07581146, cg15149095, cg19922137, cg25371503, cg26158959, cg02269161, cg03226737, cg08185661, cg16437728, cg22723056 and cg24678137) were significantly correlated with an unfavorable OS and PFS in GC. Furthermore, the expression of SYT4, SYT9 and SYT14 played a pivotal role in immune cells infiltration in GC. Collectively, our current finding suggested that SYT4, SYT9 and SYT14 might be potent prognostic indictors and promising immunotherapeutic targets for GC patients.

Metabolic Reprogramming in Gastric Cancer: Trojan Horse Effect.

Worldwide, gastric cancer (GC) represents the fifth most common cancer for incidence and the third leading cause of death in developed countries. Despite the development of combination chemotherapies, the survival rates of GC patients remain unsatisfactory. The reprogramming of energy metabolism is a hallmark of cancer, especially increased dependence on aerobic glycolysis. In the present review, we summarized current evidence on how metabolic reprogramming in GC targets the tumor microenvironment, modulates metabolic networks and overcomes drug resistance. Preclinical and clinical studies on the combination of metabolic reprogramming targeted agents and conventional chemotherapeutics or molecularly targeted treatments [including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and HER2] and the value of biomarkers are examined. This deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying successful pharmacological combinations is crucial in finding the best-personalized treatment regimens for cancer patients.

Feasibility and Safety of Mark-Guided Submucosal Tunneling Endoscopic Resection for Treatment of Esophageal Submucosal Tumors Originating from the Muscularis Propria: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Background: Submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) has effectively removed esophageal submucosal tumors (SMTs) originating from the muscularis propria (MP) layer. However, clinical failure and adverse events of STER remain concerned. In this study, we described a mark-guided STER (markings before creating entry point) and evaluated its feasibility and safety for esophageal SMTs originating from MP. Methods: Patients receiving the mark-guided STER from October 2017 to July 2020 were included and followed up (ranged from 3 to 30 months). The primary outcomes included complete resection, en bloc resection, and R0 resection rates. The secondary outcomes included procedure duration, main complication, and residual lesions. Results: A total of 242 patients with 242 SMTs (median diameter of 22 mm, ranging from 7 mm to 40 mm) received the mark-guided STER. The median procedure duration was 55 min (ranging from 35 min to 115 min). The complete resection, en bloc resection, and R0 resection rates were 100%, 98.3%, and 97.5%, respectively. The adverse event rate was 4.5%. However, there was no severe complication. No residual SMTs were detected during the follow-up period. Logistic regression demonstrated that the SMT size and procedure duration were independent factors associated with en bloc resection (P=0.02 and P=0.04, respectively). Moreover, logistic regression demonstrated that the SMT size was an independent risk factor for main complications (P=0.02). Conclusion: Mark-guided STER was feasible and safe to remove esophageal SMTs ≦40 mm. However, it is necessary to further verify the feasibility and safety for the esophageal SMTs >40 mm.