A prospective comparative study on bladder volume measurement with portable ultrasound scanner and CT simulator in pelvic tumor radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: The consistency of bladder volume is very important in pelvic tumor radiotherapy, and portable bladder scanner is a promising device to measure bladder volume. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the bladder volume of patients with pelvic tumor treated with radiotherapy can be accurately measured using the Meike Palm Bladder Scanner PBSV3.2 manufactured in China and the accuracy of its measurement under different influencing factors. METHODS: A total of 165 patients with pelvic tumor undergoing radiotherapy were prospectively collected. The bladder volume was measured with PBSV3.2 before simulated localization. CT simulated localization was performed when the bladder volume was 200-400ml. The bladder volume was measured with PBSV3.2 immediately after localization and recorded. The bladder volume was then delineated on CT simulation images and recorded. To compare the consistency of CT simulation bladder volume and bladder volume measured by PBSV3.2. To investigate the accuracy of PBSV3.2 in different sex, age, treatment purpose, and bladder volume. RESULTS: There was a significant positive correlation with bladder volume on CT and PBSV3.2 (r = 0.874; p < 0.001). The mean difference between CT measured values and PBSV3.2 was (-0.14 ± 50.17) ml. The results of the different variables showed that the overall mean of PBSV3.2 and CT measurements were statistically different in the age ≥ 65 years, bladder volumes > 400ml and ≤ 400ml groups (p = 0.028, 0.002, 0.001). There was no statistical significance between the remaining variables. The volume difference between PBSV3.2 measurement and CT was 12.87ml in male patients, which was larger than that in female patients 3.27ml. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficient was 0.473 for bladder volume greater than 400ml and 0.868 for bladder volume less than 400ml; the correlation coefficient of the other variables ranged from 0.802 to 0.893. CONCLUSION: This is the first large-sample study to evaluate the accuracy of PBSV3.2 in a pelvic tumor radiotherapy population using the convenient bladder scanner PBSV3.2 made in China. PBSV3.2 provides an acceptable indicator for monitoring bladder volume in patients with pelvic radiotherapy. It is recommended to monitor bladder volume with PBSV3.2 when the planned bladder volume is 200-400ml. For male and patients ≥ 65 years old, at least two repeat measurements are required when using a bladder scanner and the volume should be corrected by using a modified feature to improve bladder volume consistency.

Single-port thoracoscopic removal of an azygos vein aneurysm: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Azygos vein aneurysms (AVAs) are extremely rare. The majority of patients have no obvious clinical symptoms, so they are found by physical examination or by chance. There is limited clinical treatment experience that can be referred to, and there are no clear guidelines or research evidence standardizing the surgical and interventional therapy. Here, we report a patient with idiopathic AVA whose three-dimensional reconstruction of the tumor was completed before surgery. On the basis of three-dimensional reconstruction, single-port thoracoscopic resection of the AVA was successfully completed and reported for the first time. The previously reported cases are summarized to provide guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with AVAs. CASE PRESENTATION: A 56-year-old man was transferred to our hospital due to "dysphagia". The diagnosis of AVA was made after enhanced computed tomography, gastroscopy, fiberoptic bronchoscopy, and three-dimensional reconstruction. Congenital weakness or degenerative changes causes the vein walls to be extremely thin that the AVA had the risk of ruptur. Furthermore, the patient had symptoms of dysphagia, he received single-port thoracoscopic surgery. After the operation, his dysphagia disappeared. The postoperative pathology confirmed hemangioma. The patient was discharged 3 days after surgery without any complications. CONCLUSIONS: AVAs are rare. Preoperative three-dimensional reconstruction can greatly help surgeons clarify the disease diagnosis, formulate the surgical plan, avoid damage to the surrounding vital organs, and reduce intraoperative bleeding. Thoracoscopic surgery to remove AVAs is difficult and has a high risk of bleeding, while more minimally invasive single-port thoracoscopic surgery is also safe and effective for the treatment of AVAs.

FAT10 Combined with Miltefosine Inhibits Mitochondrial Apoptosis and Energy Metabolism in Hypoxia-Induced H9C2 Cells by Regulating the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway.

Hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis is the main contributor to heart diseases. Human leukocyte antigen F-associated transcript 10 (FAT10), the small ubiquitin-like protein family subtype involved in apoptosis, is expressed in the heart and exhibits cardioprotective functions. This study explored the impact of FAT10 on hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and the involved mechanisms. The cardiomyocyte cell line H9C2 was cultivated in hypoxia-inducing conditions (94% N2, 5% CO2, and 1% O2) and the expression of FAT10 in hypoxia-stimulated H9C2 cells was identified. For this, FAT10 overexpression/interference vectors were exposed to transfection into H9C2 cells with/without the PI3K/AKT inhibitor, miltefosine. The results indicated that hypoxia exposure decreased the FAT10 expression, suppressed H9C2 cell growth, disrupted mitochondrial metabolism, and promoted H9C2 cell apoptosis and oxidative stress. However, these impacts were reversed by the FAT10 overexpression. In addition, the inhibition of PI3K/AKT in FAT10-overexpressing cells suppressed cell proliferation, impaired mitochondrial metabolism, and promoted apoptosis and oxidative stress response. The findings demonstrated that FAT10 inhibited mitochondrial apoptosis and energy metabolism in hypoxia-stimulated H9C2 cells through the PI3K/AKT pathway. This finding can be utilized for developing therapeutic targets for treating heart disorders associated with hypoxia-induced apoptosis.

[Association of polymorphisms of miR-146a rs2910164 locus with clinical features of rheumatoid arthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of microRNA-146a (miR-146a) with clinical features of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: In 126 patients with RA and 102 matched healthy controls, SNPs of miR-146a rs2910164 locus were determined with a high-resolution melting method. The association of such polymorphisms with disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) and clinical features of RA was assessed. RESULTS: The distribution of SNPs of miR-146a rs2910164 among RA patients did not differ from that of the control group. No significant association was found between miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism with DAS28. However, RA patients with a GG genotype had a greater chance to develop extra-articular manifestations (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Polymorphisms of miR-146a rs2910164 locus is not an independent risk factor for RA, though its GG genotype may be associated with extra-articular manifestations of RA.