Efficiency and safety of ethanol sclerotherapy for labial arteriovenous malformations.

BACKGROUND: Labial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), usually with accompanying cosmetic defects, pain, and bleeding, are aggressive with a high risk of recurrence and the absence of effective treatment. In the present report, we have described a technique of sclerotherapy for labial AVMs. METHODS: Patients with labial AVMs were treated with percutaneous ethanol sclerotherapy with or without polyvinyl alcohol particle embolization. The efficiency, complications, and recurrence rate were analyzed with imaging studies and clinical follow-up data. RESULTS: All 15 patients had received one or more treatment sessions, of whom 8 had experienced a cure (53.3%) and 5 had experienced remission (33.3%). The two patients who had not experienced an effective result were awaiting further treatment at the last follow-up examination. Four patients (26.7%) who had undergone ethanol sclerotherapy combined with polyvinyl alcohol particle embolization had experienced recurrence. No patient who had undergone only sclerotherapy had developed recurrence at a mean follow-up of 17.2 ± 8.1 months. Thirteen patients had experienced transient complications, including swelling, mild bleeding, and blistering. One patient had a postoperative scar of ∼0.5 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Ethanol sclerotherapy appears effective as a treatment of labial AVMs. Careful application of the treatment could reduce the occurrence of complications.

Complete genome sequence of citrus yellow spot virus, a newly discovered member of the family Betaflexiviridae.

A novel plant virus with a positive single-stranded (+ss) RNA genome was detected in Taibei pomelo (Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck cv. Taibeiyou) in China by high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Tentatively named "citrus yellow spot virus" (CiYSV), it has 8,061 nucleotides (nt) excluding the poly(A) tail and contains three open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 is predicted to encode a replicase polyprotein (RP) with conserved domains typical of members of the family Betaflexiviridae. ORF2 encodes a protein sharing the highest sequence identity with the putative movement protein (MP) found in the negative-stranded RNA virus Trifolium pratense virus B (TpVB, MH982249, genus Cytorhabdovirus). ORF3 overlaps ORF2 by 137 nt and encodes a predicted coat protein (CP) that is distantly related to those of betaflexiviruses. Phylogenetic analysis based on the MP amino acid sequence showed that the CiYSV clustered with cytorhabdoviruses rather than betaflexiviruses, whilst trees based on the whole genome, RP, and CP showed it to belong to the family Betaflexiviridae but to be distinct from any other known betaflexiviruses. These results suggest that the CiYSV should be considered the first member of a tentative new genus in the family Betaflexiviridae.

Correction: Transarterial strategies for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227475.].

Transarterial strategies for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review.

Conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE), drug-eluting beads (DEB-TACE) and transarterial radioembolization (TARE) are alternative strategies for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, which of these strategies is the best is still controversial. This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of DEB-TACE, TARE and cTACE in terms of overall survival (OS), tumor response and complications. A literature search was conducted using the EMBASE, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases from inception until July 2019 with no language restrictions. The primary outcome was overall survival, and the secondary outcomes included complete response and local recurrence. The comparison of DEB-TACE with cTACE indicated that DEB-TACE has a better OS at 1 year (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.67-0.93, p = 0.006), 2 years (RR 0.89; 95% CI 0.81-0.99, p = 0.046), and 3 years (RR 0.89; 95% CI 0.81-0.99, p = 0.035). The comparison of TARE with cTACE indicated that TARE has a better OS than cTACE at 2 years (RR 0.87; 95% CI 0.80-0.95, p = 0.003) and 3 years (RR 0.90; 95% CI 0.85-0.96, p = 0.001). The comparison of DEB-TACE with TARE indicated that DEB-TACE has a better OS than TARE at 2 years (RR 0.40; 95% CI 0.19-0.84, p = 0.016). The current meta-analysis suggests that DEB-TACE is superior to both TARE and cTACE in terms of OS. TARE has significantly lower complications than both DEB-TACE and cTACE for patients with HCC. Further multicenter, well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed, especially for evaluating DEB-TACE versus TARE.

Correction to: Molecular characterization of a novel citrivirus from citrus using next­generation sequencing.

Unfortunately, the Acknowledgement, ethical statement and the Conflict of interest statements were not included in the online publication and updated here in this Erratum.

Molecular characterization of a novel citrivirus from citrus using next-generation sequencing.

A novel positive-strand RNA virus infecting citrus with the tentative name "citrus leaf blotch virus 2" (CLBV-2), was identified in the present work. The complete genome sequence of CLBV-2 comprises 8,697 nucleotides (nt) excluding a poly(A) tail and three open reading frames (ORFs), showing the highest nucleotide sequence identity with the Actinidia strain (JN983456) of citrus leaf blotch virus (CLBV). The putative movement protein (ORF2), coat protein (ORF3), and 3' untranslated region (UTR) shared high sequence similarity with those of the extant CLBV isolates. In contrast, only low sequence similarity was observed in the 5' UTR and putative replicase polyprotein (ORF1) regions. The distant phylogenetic relationship between CLBV-2 and CLBV was deduced based on whole-genome nucleotide and whole-ORF1 amino acid sequence comparisons. Sequence comparisons suggest that CLBV-2 acquired an ORF2-ORF3-3' UTR region homologous to CLBV by recombination with of an unknown citrivirus. In view of the fact that this genomic recombination event appears to have occurred between members of different species in the genus Citrivirus, we propose that CLBV-2 should be considered a member of a distinct species.

Liver resection versus transarterial chemoembolization for the initial treatment of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIMS: Current evidence supporting the efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC)-B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial. The aim of this systematic review was to compare the benefits of liver resection (LR) versus TACE in BCLC-B HCC. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature review of the EMBASE, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Chinese Biomedical Literature databases for retrospective or prospective studies evaluating the efficacy of LR and TACE for the treatment of BCLC-B HCC. RESULTS: Eleven studies incorporating 3366 patients were included in this analysis. 1-year (RR 0.52 95% CI 0.43-0.63, p < 0.001; I2 = 59%, p = 0.006), 3-year (RR 0.63 95% CI 0.59-0.67, p < 0.001; I2 = 16%, p = 0.29), and 5-year (RR 0.69 95% CI 0.63-0.75, p < 0.001; I2 = 56%, p = 0.021) OS were significantly improved in BCLC-B HCC patients that underwent LR compared to those that underwent TACE. Child-Pugh A liver disease (B vs. A) (HR 1.45 95% CI 1.17-1.79, p < 0.001; I2 = 0%, p = 0.49) and AFP levels (> 400 vs. ≤ 400 ng/ml) (HR 1.36 95% CI 1.09-1.71, p = 0.007; I2 = 90%, p = 0.001) were associated with improved OS. CONCLUSION: Liver resection had significant survival benefits over TACE in selected BCLC-B HCC patients in comparison to TACE. However, LR was associated with a significantly increased incidence of treatment-related mortality and infection compared to TACE.

Transcriptome sequencing reveals novel Citrus bark cracking viroid (CBCVd) variants from citrus and their molecular characterization.

Citrus bark cracking viroid (CBCVd), previously called Citrus viroid IV, belongs to the genus Cocadviroid within the family Pospiviroidae. CBCVd has been identified as an important causative agent in citrus and hops. In this study, we obtained the full-length genomes of different variants of all detected citrus viroids from Pakistan through transcriptome sequencing. Different CBCVd variants were first found in Pakistan. These newly discovered Pakistani CBCVd variants were provisionally called "CBCVd-LSS" for their low sequence similarity (80.9%-88.9%) with the CBCVd RefSeq sequence (NC_003539). The two most predominant CBCVd sequences from Pakistan had the closest identity, 90.6% and 87.9%, with two CBCVd sequences isolated from hops. Identification and molecular characterization of CBCVd from citrus in Pakistan and China were also reported. The length of CBCVd from China ranged from 282 to 286 nucleotides, while that of the one from Pakistan ranged from 273 to 277 nucleotides. Based on genetic diversity and phylogenetic analysis, two main CBCVd clades were identified. CBCVd sequences from Pakistan, China, and other countries were further divided into six sub-clades. Sequence alignment revealed some nucleotide changes between these sub-clades, and analysis indicated that several mutations could significantly affect the primary and secondary structure of the viroid. Our results indicated that the CBCVd sequences from Pakistan and China were significantly different with respect to genome and secondary structure and Pakistan might be one of the independent geographical origins of CBCVd worldwide.

Development of an immunochromatographic strip test for rapid detection of citrus yellow vein clearing virus.

A rapid immunochromatographic strip (ICS) test for detection of citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) was developed. The test is based on an antibody sandwich format and uses the monoclonal antibody (MAb) 1E1, which is specific for CYVCV. MAb 1E1 labeled with 30-nm colloidal gold particles was coated on a gold conjugate pad. A secondary goat anti-mouse IgG was coated on the surface of a nitrocellulose filter membrane (NC) as the control (C) line, while 1E1 was coated on the surface of the NC as the test (T) line. The ICS test was evaluated for specificity and sensitivity and then applied for virus detection in field samples. There was no cross-reaction with citrus tristeza virus (CTV), satsuma dwarf virus (SDV), citrus tatter leaf virus (CTLV), citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd), citrus mosaic virus (CiMV), citrus psorosis virus (CPV), citrus ringspot virus (RSV) or 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas). The ICS test was still able to detect CYVCV in tissue extracts at a dilution of 1: 320 (w/v), which is as efficient as the dot-ELISA assay. In general, the ICS assay is less expensive, faster and simpler to conduct than conventional CYVCV detection methods, so it may be useful for large-scale detection or monitoring of CYVCV.

A Fast Measuring Method for the Inner Diameter of Coaxial Holes.

A new method for fast diameter measurement of coaxial holes is studied. The paper describes a multi-layer measuring rod that installs a single laser displacement sensor (LDS) on each layer. This method is easy to implement by rotating the measuring rod, and immune from detecting the measuring rod's rotation angles, so all diameters of coaxial holes can be calculated by sensors' values. While revolving, the changing angles of each sensor's laser beams are approximately equal in the rod's radial direction so that the over-determined nonlinear equations of multi-layer holes for fitting circles can be established. The mathematical model of the measuring rod is established, all parameters that affect the accuracy of measurement are analyzed and simulated. In the experiment, the validity of the method is verified, the inner diameter measuring precision of 28 µm is achieved by 20 µm linearity LDS. The measuring rod has advantages of convenient operation and easy manufacture, according to the actual diameters of coaxial holes, and also the varying number of holes, LDS's mounting location can be adjusted for different parts. It is convenient for rapid diameter measurement in industrial use.