Change of function and brain activity in patients of right spastic arm paralysis combined with aphasia after contralateral cervical seventh nerve transfer surgery.

Left hemisphere injury can cause right spastic arm paralysis and aphasia, and recovery of both motor and language functions shares similar compensatory mechanisms and processes. Contralateral cervical seventh cross transfer (CC7) surgery can provide motor recovery for spastic arm paralysis by triggering interhemispheric plasticity, and self-reports from patients indicate spontaneous improvement in language function but still need to be verified. To explore the improvements in motor and language function after CC7 surgery, we performed this prospective observational cohort study. The Upper Extremity part of Fugl-Meyer scale (UEFM) and Modified Ashworth Scale were used to evaluate motor function, and Aphasia Quotient calculated by Mandarin version of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB-AQ, larger score indicates better language function) was assessed for language function. In 20 patients included, the average scores of UEFM increased by .40 and 3.70 points from baseline to 1-week and 6-month post-surgery, respectively. The spasticity of the elbow and fingers decreased significantly at 1-week post-surgery, although partially recurred at 6-month follow-up. The average scores of WAB-AQ were increased by 9.14 and 10.69 points at 1-week and 6-month post-surgery (P < .001 for both), respectively. Post-surgical fMRI scans revealed increased activity in the bilateral hemispheres related to language centrals, including the right precentral cortex and right gyrus rectus. These findings suggest that CC7 surgery not only enhances motor function but may also improve the aphasia quotient in patients with right arm paralysis and aphasia due to left hemisphere injuries.

Transcatheter mitral valve replacement with Mi-thos system: First-in-human experience.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) has become an alternative for high-risk patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR). The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the Mi-thos TMVR system (NewMed Medical) for high-risk patients with severe MR. METHODS: This was a prospective, two-center, single-arm early feasibility study. Baseline characteristics, procedural data and 30-day follow-up outcomes were collected and analyzed. The primary endpoint was intraoperative success rate of device implantation. The second endpoints were all-cause mortality and major post-procedural complications. Echocardiographic data were evaluated by an independent core laboratory. Clinical events were adjudicated by a clinical events committee. RESULTS: Ten high-risk patients with severe MR were enrolled at two sites from August 2021 to November 2022. The median age was 70.5 years, and 60% of patients were female. The median Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality was 9.5%. The Mi-thos TMVR system was successfully implanted via transapical access in all patients. There was no pericedural mortality or major postpericedural complications during the 30-day follow-up. All implanted prosthetic valves had no or trace valvular or paravalvular MR, and the median mitral valve gradient at 30 days was 2.0 mmHg (IQR: 2.0-3.0 mmHg). There was one mild left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. CONCLUSIONS: The favorable short-term outcomes of the Mi-thos TMVR system demonstrated that it might be a feasible and safe therapeutic alternative for high-risk patients with severe MR. Nevertheless, further evaluation of the Mi-thos TMVR system is warranted.

A DNA methylation signature for the prediction of tumour recurrence in stage II colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: A major challenge in stage II colorectal carcinoma is to identify patients with increased risk of recurrence. Biomarkers that distinguish patients with poor prognosis from patients without recurrence are currently lacking. This study aims to develop a robust DNA methylation classifier that allows the prediction of recurrence and chemotherapy benefit in patients with stage II colorectal cancer. We performed a genome-wide DNA methylation capture sequencing in 243 stage II colorectal carcinoma samples and identified a relapse-specific DNA methylation signature consisting of eight CpG sites. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-three patients with stage II CRC were enrolled in this study. In order to select differential methylation sites among recurrence and non-recurrence stage II CRC samples, DNA methylation profiles of 62 tumour samples including 31 recurrence and 31 nonrecurrence samples were analysed using the Agilent SureSelectXT Human Methyl-Seq, a comprehensive target enrichment system to analyse CpG methylation. Pyrosequencing was applied to quantify the methylation level of candidate DNA methylation sites in 243 patients. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method was employed to build the disease recurrence prediction classifier. RESULTS: We identified a relapse-related DNA methylation signature consisting of eight CpG sites in stage II CRC by DNA methylation capture sequencing. The classifier showed significantly higher prognostic accuracy than any clinicopathological risk factors. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed an association of high-risk score with poor prognosis. In multivariate analysis, the signature was the most significant prognosis factor, with an HR of 2.80 (95% CI, 1.71-4.58, P < 0.001). The signature could identify patients who are suitable candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: An eight-CpG DNA methylation signature is a reliable prognostic and predictive tool for disease recurrence in patients with stage II CRC.

Does resection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy of docetaxel, oxaliplatin, and S-1 (DOS regimen) benefit for gastric cancer patients with single non-curable factor? a multicenter, prospective cohort study (Neo-REGATTA).

BACKGROUND: The Neo-REGATTA study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of Docetaxel, oxaliplatin, and S-1 (DOS regimen) followed by radical resection vs. chemotherapy in advanced gastric adenocarcinoma patients with single non-curable factor. METHODS: This cohort study prospectively enrolled advanced gastric adenocarcinoma patients with single non-curable factor between November 2017 and June 2021. Patients without progression after four cycles of DOS were divided into resection group and chemotherapy group. The outcomes included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and safety. Effectiveness analysis was also performed by propensity score matching (PSM). RESULTS: A total of 73 patients were enrolled and 13 patients were withdrawn due to disease progression after 4 cycles of DOS. Afterwards, 35 and 25 participants were in the resection and chemotherapy groups, respectively. After a median follow-up time of 30.0 months, the median PFS and OS were 9.0 months, and 18.0 months for the chemotherapy group, but not reached in the resection group. After PSM, 19 matched participants were in each group, and the median PFS and OS were longer in resection group than that in chemotherapy group. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events both in the resection group and chemotherapy groups were neutropenia (5.7%, 8.0%) and leukopenia (5.7%, 8.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Radical resection might provide survival benefit compared with continuous chemotherapy alone in advanced gastric adenocarcinoma patients who had a disease control after DOS, with a good safety profile. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol was registered on ClinicalTrial.gov (NCT03001726, 23/12/2016).

Perioperative and oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic versus open liver resection for combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) has now been established as a safe and minimally invasive technique that is deemed feasible for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). However, the role of LLR in treating combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC) patients has been rarely reported. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of LLR when compared with open liver resection (OLR) procedure for patients with cHCC-CC. METHODS: A total of 229 cHCC-CC patients who underwent hepatic resection (34 LLR and 195 OLR patients) from January 2014 to December 2018 in Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University were enrolled and underwent a 1:2 propensity score matching (PSM) analysis between the LLR and OLR groups to compare perioperative and oncologic outcomes. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) parameters were assessed by the log-rank test and the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: A total of 34 LLR and 68 OLR patients were included after PSM analysis. The LLR group displayed a shorter postoperative hospital stay (6.61 vs. 8.26 days; p value < 0.001) when compared with the OLR group. No significant differences were observed in the postoperative complications' incidence or a negative surgical margin rate between the two groups (p value = 0.409 and p value = 1.000, respectively). The aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and inflammatory indicators in the LLR group were significantly lower than those in the OLR group on the first and third postoperative days. Additionally, OS and RFS were comparable in both the LLR and OLR groups (p value = 0.700 and p value = 0.780, respectively), and similar results were obtained by conducting a sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSION: LLR can impart less liver function damage, better inflammatory response attenuation contributing to a faster recovery, and parallel oncologic outcomes when compared with OLR. Therefore, LLR can be recommended as a safe and effective therapeutic modality for treating selected cHCC-CC patients, especially for those with small tumors in favorable location.

Low ambient temperature and temperature drop between neighbouring days and acute aortic dissection: a case-crossover study.

AIMS: The incidence of acute aortic dissection (AAD) has been shown to have seasonal variation, but whether this variation can be explained by non-optimum ambient temperature and temperature change between neighbouring days (TCN) is not clear. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a time-stratified case-crossover study in the Registry of Aortic Dissection in China covering 14 tertiary hospitals in 11 cities from 2009 to 2019. A total of 8182 cases of AAD were included. Weather data at residential address were matched from nearby monitoring stations. Conditional logistic regression model and distributed lag nonlinear model were used to estimate the associations of daily temperature and TCN with AAD, adjusting for possible confounders. We observed an increase of AAD risk with lower temperature cumulated over lag 0-1 day and this association became statistically significant when daily mean temperature was below 24°C. Relative to the referent temperature (28°C), the odds ratios (ORs) of AAD onset at extremely low (-10°C) and low (1°C) temperature cumulated over lag 0-1 day were 2.84 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.69, 4.75] and 2.36 (95% CI: 1.61, 3.47), respectively. A negative TCN was associated with increased risk of AAD. The OR of AAD cumulated over lag 0-6 days was 2.66 (95% CI: 1.76, 4.02) comparing the extremely negative TCN (-7°C) to no temperature change. In contrast, a positive TCN was associated with reduced AAD risk. CONCLUSION: This study provides novel and robust evidence that low ambient temperature and temperature drop between neighbouring days were associated with increased risk of AAD onset. KEY QUESTION: Incidence of acute aortic dissection (AAD) was reported to have seasonal trends, but it remains unclear whether non-optimum ambient temperature and temperature change between neighbouring days (TCN) is associated with AAD onset. KEY FINDING: Daily mean temperature lower than 24°C was significantly associated with increased risk of AAD at lag 0-1 day. A negative TCN (temperature drop) was associated with increased risk of AAD, whereas a positive TCN was associated with decreased risk. TAKE HOME MESSAGE: This multi-centre, case-crossover study provides novel and robust evidence that low ambient temperature and temperature drop between neighbouring days were associated with increased AAD risk.

Predictors of the difficulty for endoscopic resection of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor and follow-up data.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are among the most common submucosal tumors in the stomach that require therapeutic intervention. We aim to identify the predictors of technical difficulty during endoscopic resection of gastric GIST and to investigate follow-up outcomes. METHODS: Patients with gastric GISTs were reviewed from June 2009 to June 2020 at Zhongshan Hospital. Clinical and pathological features, endoscopic procedure information, and follow-up data were collected and analyzed. A nomogram was developed and validated internally and externally. RESULTS: A total of 628 GISTs were finally analyzed. The difficulty was experienced in 66 cases. GISTs size (2-3 cm: OR 2.431 P = 0.018 and > 3 cm: OR 9.765 P < 0.001), invasion depth beyond submucosal (MP: OR 2.280, P = 0.038 and MP-ex: OR 4.295, P = 0.002), and lack of experience (OR 2.075, P = 0.016) were independent risk factors of difficulty. The nomogram prediction model showed a bias-corrected C-index value of 0.778 and acquired an area under curve (AUC) of 0.756 on the external validation cohort. At the cut-off of 0.15, the nomogram's negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy (ACC) were 94.9% and 79.8% in identifying non-difficult GISTs. Follow-up results showed that only five GIST patients had local recurrence after endoscopic resection. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor size, invasion depth, and endoscopists' experience were risk factors for the difficulty of endoscopic GIST resection. Our nomogram provided a valuable tool for screening non-difficult GIST resection.

Pharmacological Therapies for Osteoporosis: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND Numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have evaluated pharmacological therapies for osteoporosis. The aim of this Bayesian network meta-analysis was to compare the efficacy and safety of pharmacological therapies for osteoporosis patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS The electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for eligible RCTs from their inception up to January 2021. The primary endpoints were all fractures, vertebral fractures, and non-vertebral fractures, while the secondary endpoints were fractures at hip or peripheral locations, bone mineral density (BMD) at various sites, and potential adverse events. RESULTS We included 79 RCTs reporting a total of 108 797 individuals in the final quantitative analysis. The results of network analysis indicated that romosozumab (92.1%) was the most effective in reducing the risk for all fractures, with the best therapeutic effects on vertebral fracture (97.2%) and non-vertebral fracture (88.0%). Romosozumab (92.5%) provided better therapeutic effects for the reduction of hip fracture. The best treatment agents for improving whole-body BMD (100.0%), spine BMD (95.7%), hip BMD (92.4%), femoral neck BMD (86.7%), and trochanter BMD (95.5%) were alendronate, strontium ranelate, ibandronate, risedronate, and ibandronate, respectively. Finally, the use of bazedoxifene was associated with the highest incidence of any upper-gastrointestinal event, nasopharyngitis, and back pain, while risedronate was associated with higher incidence of abdominal pain and dyspepsia. CONCLUSIONS This study found that romosozumab yielded the best effects for preventing fracture risk, while abaloparatide was the most effective in reducing the risk of vertebral fracture and non-vertebral fracture.

Sarcopenia is associated with worse surgical complications but not relapse-free survival and overall survival in patients with retroperitoneal liposarcoma.

OBJECTIVE: This investigation aimed to explore the relationship between sarcopenia and severe postoperative complications, relapse-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) in patients with retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLPS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 72 RLPS patients (47 men, 25 women; mean age, 57.49 years, SD 10.92) who had abdominal CT exams. Clinical information was recorded, including RLPS characteristics (histologic subtypes, grade, size), laboratory assessment (ALB, PALB, A/G, Hb, SCr), relapse-free survival, overall survival, and postoperative complications. The relationships between those variables and RFS and OS were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: There were 8 severe postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade > 2). The chi-square test showed sarcopenia was associated with severe postoperative complications (P = 0.011). In multivariate analysis, sarcopenia was not associated with relapse-free survival (P = 0.574) and overall survival (P = 0.578). CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia predicts worse surgical complications but does not affect relapse-free survival and overall survival.

The effect of non-curative endoscopic resection on cT1N0M0 colorectal carcinoma patients who underwent additional surgery.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Radical surgery is recommended for T1 colorectal cancer with non-curative endoscopic resection. However, there is still insufficient evidence about whether the non-curative endoscopic resection prior to surgical resection affects the short-term and long-term outcomes of patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of non-curative endoscopic resection before surgical resection on short-term and long-term outcomes in patients with T1 colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with clinical T1N0M0 (cT1N0M0) colorectal cancer who underwent direct surgery or additional radical surgery after non-curative endoscopic resection were collected. We evaluated postoperative complications and long-term prognosis between the two groups. RESULTS: From 2011 to 2017, 779 patients were clinically diagnosed with T1N0M0 colorectal cancer at Zhongshan Hospital. We assessed patients who underwent additional surgery following the prior non-curative endoscopic resection (n = 145) and patients who underwent radical surgery directly (n = 336). There was no significant difference in 5-year OS (99.3% vs. 99.4%, P = 0.866) and 5-year DFS (97.2% vs. 97.3%, P = 0.909) between the two groups. The total complication rate was slightly higher in prior endoscopic resection group (15.2% vs. 9.5%, P = 0.111). The 5-year OS and 5-year DFS of patients who refused additional surgery (n = 95) were significantly lower than ER prior to surgery group (For OS, 92.6% vs. 99.3%, P = 0.017; for DFS, 91.2% vs. 97.2%, P = 0.021). CONCLUSION: In patients who underwent additional surgery, non-curative endoscopic resection of cT1 colorectal carcinoma did not have adverse effect on short-term and long-term outcomes. Additional surgery should be recommended in patients who received non-curative ER.

External use of Mirabilite combined with Lactulose improves postoperative gastrointestinal mobility among older patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

AIMS: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of Mirabilite combined with Lactulose in older patients after abdominal surgery. DESIGN: It is a retrospective observational cohort study with a pre and post intervention group. METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed of postoperative Intensive Care patients with postoperative gastrointestinal tract dysfunction (aged >60 years) in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit from January 2017-December 2018. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-seven post-surgical Intensive Care patients with postoperative gastrointestinal tract dysfunction were analysed; 74 patients received Mirabilite + Lactulose treatment and 93 patients received Lactulose treatment. The recovery rate of bowel sounds was better in the Mirabilite + Lactulose group (62.16%) compared with the Lactulose group (37.63%) after 3-day treatment (p = 0.002) and the relative risk (RR) was 1.65 (95% CI, 1.20, 2.27). Moreover 70.27% patients in the Mirabilite + Lactulose group finally had flatus or defecation compared with 46.24% patients in Lactulose group (p = 0.003) and the RR was 1.52 (1.17, 1.98). The abdominal girth and Inter Abdominal Pressure in Mirabilite + Lactulose group showed significantly greater decrease over a 3-day period compared with Lactulose group (4.86 vs. 3.46 cm, p = 0.027; 4.80 vs. 3.11 mmHg, p = 0.002 respectively). The pain score had greater decrease from the baseline in Mirabilite + Lactulose group than in Lactulose group (2.40 vs. 1.11; p < 0.01). Patients in the Mirabilite + Lactulose group had shorter hospital stay than the Lactulose group 12.5 (SD 3.51) versus 13.9 (SD 5.14), p = 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that external use of Mirabilite combined with Lactulose can be considered as an easy intervention to improve postoperative gastrointestinal mobility in older intensive care patients who suffer from postoperative gastrointestinal tract dysfunction after surgery. IMPACT: Our results provide a great option to alleviate the sufferings of postoperative patients. The externally use Mirabilite is a painless and safe interventions that is easy to implement by ICU nurses.

Efficacy of exenatide and insulin glargine on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of exenatide and insulin glargine in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: We performed a 24-week randomized controlled multicentre clinical trial. Seventy-six patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive exenatide or insulin glargine treatment. The endpoints included changes in liver fat content (LFC), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy, blood glucose, liver enzymes, lipid profile, body weight, and Fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4). RESULTS: LFC, VAT, SAT, and FIB-4 were significantly reduced after exenatide treatment (ΔLFC, -17.55 ± 12.93%; ΔVAT, -43.57 ± 68.20 cm2 ; ΔSAT, -28.44 ± 51.48 cm2 ; ΔFIB-4, -0.10 ± 0.26; all P < .05). In comparison, only LFC (ΔLFC, -10.49 ± 11.38%; P < .05), and not VAT, SAT, or FIB-4 index (all P > .05), was reduced after insulin glargine treatment. Moreover, exenatide treatment resulted in greater reductions in alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) than insulin glargine (P < 0.05). The body weight, waist circumference, postprandial plasma glucose, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the exenatide group also presented greater reductions than the insulin glargine group (P < .05). The proportion of adverse events were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Both exenatide and insulin glargine reduced LFC in patients with drug-naive T2DM and NAFLD; however, exenatide showed greater reductions in body weight, visceral fat area, liver enzymes, FIB-4, postprandial plasma glucose, and LDL-C.

The role of a multidisciplinary team in the management of portal hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal variceal hemorrhage is the most severe complication of portal hypertension, with a high mortality rate. The current recommendations for gastroesophageal varices include pharmacological treatment, endoscopic treatment, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement, and splenectomy with devascularization surgery. Multidisciplinary team (MDT) comprises of a group of medical experts and specialists across a range of disciplines, providing personalized and targeted patient care tailored to each individual's condition, circumstances, and expectations. METHODS: Patients referred to the MDT clinic since its establishment in September 2014 were prospectively enrolled and followed-up for at least 12 months. Patient baseline characteristics, treatment methods, outcome and survival were compared to non-MDT patients retrieved from a prospectively maintained database with propensity score matching. RESULTS: Propensity-score matching (PSM) was carried out to balance available covariates, resulting in 58 MDT patients vs. 111 non-MDT patients. Overall survival and variceal rebleed was compared between the two groups. The rate of variceal rebleed was significantly higher in the non-MDT group, while no difference in overall survival was observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to investigate the role of a multidisciplinary team in the management of gastroesophageal varices secondary to portal hypertension. Patients treated based on MDT clinic recommendations had a significantly lower risk for variceal rebleed.

LONGITUDINAL CHANGES IN CHOROIDAL AND RETINAL THICKNESSES IN CHILDREN WITH MYOPIC SHIFT.

PURPOSE: To elucidate the development of the choroid and retina in children, and to explore changes in these during myopic shift. METHODS: A total of 118 children aged 7 to 12 years participated in this 1-year longitudinal study. Children underwent several examinations at baseline and follow-up, including cycloplegic refraction, axial length measurement, and swept-source optical coherence tomography. Thickness changes in the choroid and retina were compared among children with or without myopic shift. RESULTS: Eighty-eight children (74.6%) developed a myopic shift after 1 year, and their central foveal choroid was significantly attenuated (P < 0.01). No significant change was observed in choroids of children without myopic shift (P = 0.83). Choroidal thickness decreased in all subfields during myopic shift, whereas the thickness of the retinal layers increased or were unchanged in most subfields. Axial length increase and central foveal choroidal thinning were associated with myopic shift (R = 0.157, P < 0.01), but axial length increase was not significantly related to choroidal thinning (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Choroidal thinning occurs early in myopic progression. Axial length increase and choroidal thinning are independently associated with myopic shift.

Incidence and risk factors of PostopeRativE delirium in intensive care unit patients: A study protocol for the PREDICt study.

AIM: The aims of this study are: (a) to determine the incidence of postoperative delirium (POD) among surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients in China and identify risk factors, especially, which are modifiable and have value for developing a prediction model; (b) to develop and validate a prediction model of delirium to recognize high-risk patients in surgical ICUs; (c) to investigate the short- and long-term outcomes of delirious patients and identify the predictors of patient outcomes. DESIGN: A single-centre prospective cohort study. METHODS: Patients will be enrolled from three surgical ICUs in a tertiary teaching hospital. Delirium assessment and perioperative data will be collected throughout the hospitalization. Delirious patients will be followed up for 2 years. The study was approved by the ethics committee in May 2018 and was funded by the clinical research grant from Zhongshan hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai. DISCUSSION: Developing POD can be a burden to patients both for the short- and long-term period. Due to the lack of effective treatments for POD, prevention remains the best strategy. This study will provide an effective tool for early screening of high-risk patients of POD and provide a better understanding of the aetiology and outcome of delirium. IMPACT: In clinical practice, a prediction model will offer an effective tool for ICU nurses to assess high-risk patients, which can support them to implement preventive strategies at the early stages to targeted patients. The follow-up results will help us better understand the impact of delirium on patients' long-term outcome.

Design and methodology of the Shanghai child and adolescent large-scale eye study (SCALE).

IMPORTANCE: Nearly half of children suffering vision impairment reside in China with myopia accounting for the vast majority. BACKGROUND: To describe the design and methodology of the Shanghai Child and Adolescent Large-scale Eye Study (SCALE). DESIGN: The SCALE was a city wide, school-based, prospective survey. PARTICIPANTS: Children and adolescents aged 4-14 years from kindergarten (middle and senior), primary schools and junior high schools of all 17 districts and counties of the city of Shanghai, China were examined in 2012-2013. METHODS: Each enrolled child underwent vision assessment (distance visual acuity; uncorrected and with corrective device if worn) and their parent/carer completed a questionnaire designed to elicit risk factors associated with myopia. Additionally, non-cycloplegic autorefraction and ocular axial length was measured in a subset of the larger sample. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence and the associated factors of vision impairment, myopia and high myopia in Shanghai. RESULTS: In 2012-2013, a total of 910 245 of the eligible 1 196 763 children and adolescents identified from census (76%, mean age 9.0 ± 2.7 years [4-14 years]) were enrolled with visual acuity screened in the city of Shanghai. Of these, 610 952 children (67% of the entire sample) underwent non-cycloplegic autorefraction and 219 188 (24% of the entire sample) had both non-cycloplegic autorefraction and axial length measurements. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The study results will provide insights on the burden of vision impairment, myopia and high myopia in children and adolescents in a metropolitan area of China, and contribute to the policies and strategies to address and limit the burden.

Comparison of Refractive Measures of Three Autorefractors in Children and Adolescents.

SIGNIFICANCE: Our study found a good agreement between three autorefractors. Not only will readers benefit as they can now compare data measured with either device in different studies but the three devices can be used in the same study to generate one pool of data, which can be analyzed together. PURPOSE: The present study aims to evaluate the agreement of three commonly used autorefractors in children and adolescents, and the potential for their interchangeable application in a large-scale study. METHODS: Participants from seven schools were enrolled using cluster sampling. Refractive errors were measured using the following three autorefractors under cycloplegic conditions in random sequence: Topcon KR-8900, Nidek ARK-510A, and Huvitz HRK-7000A. Refractive errors were compared in terms of spherical equivalent refraction (SER), cylinder power, and the J0 and J45 by repeated-measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA) and Bland-Altman 95% limits of agreement (95% LoA). RESULTS: A total of 2072 participants aged from 4 to 18 years were included. The mean ± SD and 95% LoA of the differences in SER between Topcon and Nidek, Topcon and Huvitz, and Nidek and Huvitz were 0.01 ± 0.24D (-0.46 to 0.48), -0.06 ± 0.31D (-0.66 to 0.54), and -0.07 ± 0.26D (-0.58 to 0.44), and those for the differences in cylinder power were -0.07 ± 0.26D (-0.57 to 0.44), 0.01 ± 0.32D (-0.63 to 0.64), and 0.07 ± 0.28D (-0.48 to 0.62), respectively (RM-ANOVA, P < .001). Further, the mean differences in J0 and J45 between each refractor pair ranged from -0.03 to 0.01, and the 95% LoA were -0.78 to 0.74, -0.79 to 0.74, and -0.73 to 0.72 for J0 and -0.86 to 0.87, -0.86 to 0.88, and -0.83 to 0.84 for J45, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study will allow for use of these three autorefractors interchangeably in large screening studies.

Comparison of minimally invasive and open colorectal resections for patients undergoing simultaneous R0 resection for liver metastases: a propensity score analysis.

PURPOSE: The role of minimally invasive colorectal resection for patients undergoing a simultaneous resection for synchronous liver metastases had not been established. This study compared the short- and long-term outcomes between minimally invasive and open colorectal resection for patients undergoing simultaneous resection for liver metastases. METHODS: This study reviewed 101 consecutive patients undergoing simultaneous colorectal resection and R0 resection of synchronous liver metastases between January 2008 and December 2012. In the study, 36 consecutive patients who underwent minimally invasive colorectal resection were matched with 36 patients who had an open approach by propensity scoring. The analyzed variables included patient and tumor characteristics and short-term and long-term outcomes. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, the two groups had similar clinicopathologic variables. No patient undergoing the minimally invasive procedure experienced conversion to the open technique. No postoperative mortality occurred in either group. In the minimally invasive group, the estimated blood loss (P < 0.007), bowel function return time (P < 0.016), and postoperative hospital stay (P < 0.011) were significantly lower than those in the open group, although the operating time was significantly longer (P < 0.001). No significant differences in postoperative complications were observed between the groups. The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of the 5-year overall survival rate (51 vs. 55 %; P = 0.794) and disease-free survival rate (38 vs. 27 %; P = 0.860). CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive colorectal resection with simultaneous resection of liver metastases has an outcome similar to open approach but some short-term advantages.

Aberrant expression of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 correlates with metachronous liver metastasis and poor prognosis in colorectal cancer.

There are currently no accurate predictive markers of metachronous liver metastasis from colorectal cancer. Recent studies demonstrated that the expression patterns of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) are altered in several tumors, but in colorectal cancer, the patterns remain unknown. Our study was designed to evaluate the expression and prognostic significance of S1PR1 protein in patients with colorectal cancer. The expression of S1PR1 was detected using the tissue microarray technique and immunohistochemical method and compared with clinicopathological parameters in 153 colorectal cancer patients. The prognostic value of S1PR1 expression was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis. A molecular prognostic stratification scheme incorporating S1PR1 expression was determined by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. S1PR1 was significantly highly expressed in 70.6 % (108/153) of the colorectal cancer lesions compared to their high expressions in only 5.9 % (9/153) of the adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Upregulated expression of S1PR1 was significantly associated with depth invasion and metachronous liver metastasis. Increased S1PR1 expression in colorectal cancer was positively correlated with poor overall survival. Multivariate survival analysis suggested that S1PR1 expression was an independent prognostic indicator for the disease. Applying the prognostic value of S1PR1 density to TNM stage system showed a better prognostic value in patients with colorectal cancer. Aberrant S1PR1 expression in colorectal cancer was associated with metachronous liver metastasis and worse survival outcome, and also, it was an independent prognostic factor. According to our analysis, combined TNM stage and intratumoral expression of S1PR1 demonstrated a better prognostic value than any of these two parameters alone. Conclusively, we suggest that detection and analysis of S1PR1 expression in colorectal cancer tissue might be used for predicting prognosis of colorectal cancer.

Five-year outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement with a novel bovine pericardial bioprosthesis.

OBJECTIVES: The short-term performance of the Cingular bovine pericardial aortic valve was proven. This study evaluated its 5-year safety and haemodynamic outcomes. METHODS: It enrolled 148 patients who underwent surgical aortic valve replacement with the Cingular bovine pericardial aortic valve between March 2016 and October 2017 in 5 clinical centres in China. Safety and haemodynamic outcomes were followed up to 5 years. The incidence of all-cause mortality, structural valve deterioration and reintervention was estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 67.7 [standard deviation (SD) 5.1] years, and 36.5% of patients were female. The mean follow-up was 5.3 (SD 1.2) years. Five-year freedom from all-cause mortality, structural valve deterioration and all-cause reintervention were 91.2%, 100% and 99.3%, respectively. At 5 years, the mean gradient and effective orifice area of all sizes combined were 14.0 (SD 5.5) mmHg and 1.9 (SD 0.3) cm2, respectively. For 19- and 21-mm sizes of aortic prostheses, the mean gradients and effective orifice area at 5 years were 17.5 (SD 7.0) mmHg and 1.6 (SD 0.2) cm2 and 13.7 (SD 6.7) mmHg and 1.8 (SD 0.3) cm2, respectively. The incidence of moderate or severe patient-prosthesis mismatch was 4.1% and 0.0% patients at 5 years, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-year safety and haemodynamic outcomes of Cingular bovine pericardial aortic valve are encouraging. Longer-term follow-up is warranted to assess its true durability.