[The influence of different preparation methods on interappointment emergency and filling effect of root canal therapy].

PURPOSE: To compare the effect of different root canal preparation methods on the incidence of interappointment emergencies (IAE) and root canal filling. METHODS: A total of 96 teeth requiring root canal therapy due to pulpitis or periapical periodontitis from August 2018 to August 2021 were selected. They were randomly divided into 2 groups: MT group was treated with Mtwo root canal preparation method modified by Mtwo machine nickel-titanium file, while synchronous group was treated with modified Mtwo preparation method and synchronous root canal length measurement. After root canal preparation, the trial point film was taken, calcium hydroxide was used to seal the root canal, and routine thermoplasticizied gutta-percha root canal filling was performed during the follow-up visit. SPSS 22.0 software package was used to analyze the incidence of IAE and filling effect after root canal therapy. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the incidence of IAE between the two groups immediately after operation, three days and 1 week after operation(P＞0.05); the incidence of IAE in synchronous group was significantly lower than that in MT group at 1 and 2 days after operation(P＜0.05). The qualified rate of root canal filling in synchronous group was significantly higher than that in MT group (P＜0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Synchronous method can reduce mechanical stimulation of apical area during root canal preparation, strictly control the working length of root canal and maintain apical barrier, thus reducing the incidence of IAE and effectively improving the qualification rate of root canal filling.

Breast-conserving in centrally located breast cancer patients confirmed safe by SEER based study.

BACKGROUND: Due to the lack of high-level data, there is still controversy over the oncological safety of breast conservation in patients with centrally located breast cancer. This study aimed to assess the safety of breast-conserving surgery in patients with centrally located breast cancer based on the data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. METHODS: We collected data for all cases diagnosed with breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving surgery from 2012-2014 in the SEER database. The primary outcome of our study was disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS). The PSM was used to eliminate the effects of non-random statistics. Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression model on univariate and multivariate analysis were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Data from 79,214 patients who had undergone breast-conserving surgery were analyzed in this study, including those with breast cancer in the central region (n=3,128) and outside the central region (n=76,086). The DSS of central breast cancer patients and outside the central breast cancer patients was 58.1 months versus 58.0 months (P>0.05), respectively, while the OS of the 2 groups was 58.0 months versus 58.0 months (P>0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Breast cancer in the central region should not be contraindicated for breast conserving surgery and breast-conserving surgery can benefit a wider range of patients.

Risk factors for tumor recurrence in patients with pT3N0M0 thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after esophagectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the factors contributing to recurrence in patients with pT3N0M0 thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: Patients with pT3N0M0 thoracic ESCC who underwent esophagectomy from January 2008 to December 2012 were included retrospectively. The last date of follow-up was 1 December 2016. Multivariate proportional hazard Cox models were used to identify factors associated with total (i.e., any) recurrence (TR), locoregional recurrence (LR), and distant metastasis (DM). RESULTS: A total of 692 patients were included. The median follow-up was 53 months (range: 3-107). The 3- and 5-year TR, LR, and DM rates were 35.8% and 41.0%, 28.7% and 32.1%, and 16.8% and 21.1%, respectively. The Cox analyses showed that the tumor location, number of dissected lymph nodes, and postoperative therapies were significantly associated with LR. The subgroup analysis showed that postoperative therapies could significantly decrease LR in the mediastinum but not in the neck and upper abdomen regions. CONCLUSIONS: The recurrence rate of pT3N0M0 thoracic ESCC patients was high, especially for LR in the mediastinum. Postoperative therapies can significantly reduce the incidence of mediastinal recurrence.

Possible biomarkers for predicting lymph node metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a review.

Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common form of cancer worldwide, and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a major type of esophageal cancer that arises from epithelial cells of the esophagus. Local lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a typical sign of failure for ESCC clinical treatments, and a link has been established between LNM and the aberrant expression of specific biomarkers. In this review, we summarize what is known about nine factors significantly associated with LNM in ESCC patients: phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), mucin 1, vascular endothelial growth factor-C, tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8), Raf-1 kinase inhibitory protein, stathmin (STMN1), metastasis-associated protein 1, caveolin-1, and interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3. The function of these nine proteins involves four major mechanisms: tumor cell proliferation, tumor cell migration and invasion, epithelium-mesenchymal transition, and chemosensitivity. The roles of PTEN, STMN1, and TNFAIP8 involve at least two of these mechanisms, and we suggest that they are possible biomarkers for predicting LNM in ESCC. However, further retrospective research into PTEN, STMN1, and TNFAIP8 is needed to test their possibilities as indicators.

Association Between BRAFV600E Mutation and the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging, Reporting and Data System in Solitary Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between BRAFV600E mutation, the American College of Radiology (ACR) thyroid imaging, reporting and data system (TI-RADS) on ultrasound and clinicopathological characteristics in patients with a solitary papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 397 patients with a solitary PTC, proved pathologically. BRAFV600E mutation status was detected in postoperative samples by real-time fluorescent polymerase chain reaction. Associations of BRAFV600E mutation with the ACR TI-RADS and clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS: In this study, the incidence of BRAFV600E mutation was 81.4% (323/397) in patients with a solitary PTC. Univariate analyses showed that BRAFV600E mutation was significantly associated with margin, higher ACR TI-RADS point scores, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. In multivariate analyses, lobulated or irregular margin was independently associated with BRAFV600E mutation in total solitary PTC. Furthermore, both in total solitary PTC and papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, BRAFV600E mutation was associated with ACR TI-RADS point scores, which was positively correlated with the risk of BRAFV600E mutation. There was no significant relationship between BRAFV600E mutation and ACR TI-RADS point scores in PTC >10 mm. In addition, Hashimoto's thyroiditis had a significant negative association with BRAFV600E mutation. CONCLUSION: A lobulated or irregular margin of the thyroid nodule is independently associated with BRAFV600E mutation in patients with PTC. In addition, higher ACR TI-RADS point scores is an independent risk factor for BRAFV600E mutation, and ACR TI-RADS point scores is positively associated with the risk of BRAFV600E mutation in solitary PTC, especially in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. Our findings may be helpful for preoperative identification and medical management of PTC patients with BRAFV600E mutation.

Association of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Monoubiquitinated FANCD2-DNA Damage Repair Pathway Genes With Breast Cancer in the Chinese Population.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to estimate breast cancer risk conferred by individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms of breast cancer susceptibility genes. METHODS: We analyzed the 48 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms of 8 breast cancer susceptibility genes involved in the monoubiquitinated FANCD2-DNA damage repair pathway in 734 Chinese women with breast cancer and 672 age-matched healthy controls. RESULTS: Forty-five tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms were successfully genotyped by SNPscan, and the call rates for each tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms were above 98.9%. We found that 13 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms of 5 genes ( Parter and localizer of Breast cancer gene2 ( PALB2), Tumour protein 53 ( TP53), Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1, Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 ( PTEN), and Breast cancer gene 1 ( BRCA1-interacting protein 1)) were significantly associated with breast cancer risk. A total of 5 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs2299941 of PTEN, rs2735385, rs6999227, rs1805812, and rs1061302 of Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1) were tightly associated with breast cancer risk in sporadic cases, and 5 other tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs1042522 of TP53, rs2735343 of PTEN, rs7220719, rs16945628, and rs11871753 of BRCA1-interacting protein 1) were tightly associated with breast cancer risk in familial and early-onset cases. CONCLUSIONS: Some of the tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms of 5 genes ( PALB2, TP53, Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1, PTEN, and BRCA1-interacting protein 1) involved in the monoubiquitinated FANCD2-DNA damage repair pathway were significantly associated with breast cancer risk.

Overexpression of ANLN contributed to poor prognosis of anthracycline-based chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

PURPOSE: To investigate the associations of ANLN expression with prognosis of breast cancer and clinical outcome of anthracycline-based chemotherapy. METHODS: This study enrolled 308 breast cancer patients in which 264 of them received anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect ANLN expression level of the patients. Clinical characteristics of the patients were collected, and associations of ANLN expression with prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: Our results showed that ANLN expression was associated with survival of breast cancer patients, and it was also related to clinical outcome of patients received anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Breast cancer patients with high expression of ANLN would have poor prognosis and poor clinical outcome to anthracycline-based chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: ANLN could be an independent prognosis predictor for breast cancer, and its expression might be used to predict the anthracycline-based chemotherapy clinical outcome in breast cancer patients.

Development of a model based on biochemical, real­time tissue elastography and ultrasound data for the staging of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

The liver fibrosis index (LFI), based on real­time tissue elastography (RTE), is a method currently used to assess liver fibrosis. However, this method may not consistently distinguish between the different stages of fibrosis, which limits its accuracy. The aim of the present study was to develop novel models based on biochemical, RTE and ultrasound data for predicting significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. A total of 85 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) were prospectively enrolled and underwent a liver biopsy and RTE. The parameters for predicting significant fibrosis and cirrhosis were determined by conducting multivariate analyses. The splenoportal index (SPI; P=0.002) and LFI (P=0.023) were confirmed as independent predictors of significant fibrosis. Using multivariate analyses for identifying parameters that predict cirrhosis, significant differences in γ­glutamyl transferase (GGT; P=0.049), SPI (P=0.002) and LFI (P=0.001) were observed. Based on these observations, the novel model LFI­SPI score (LSPS) was developed to predict the occurrence of significant liver fibrosis, with an area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC) of 0.87. The diagnostic accuracy of the LSPS model was superior to that of the LFI (AUROC=0.76; P=0.0109), aspartate aminotransferase­to­platelet ratio index (APRI; AUROC=0.64; P=0.0031), fibrosis­4 index (FIB­4; AUROC=0.67; P=0.0044) and FibroScan (AUROC=0.68; P=0.0021) models. In addition, the LFI­SPI­GGT score (LSPGS) was developed for the purposes of predicting liver cirrhosis, demonstrating an AUROC value of 0.93. The accuracy of LSPGS was similar to that of FibroScan (AUROC=0.85; P=0.134), but was superior to LFI (AUROC=0.81; P=0.0113), APRI (AUROC=0.67; P<0.0001) and FIB­4 (AUROC=0.719; P=0.0005). In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that the use of LSPS and LSPGS may complement current methods of diagnosing significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with CHB.

[The appearance of parotid neoplasms on real-time elastosonography].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the features of parotid neoplasms on real-time elastosonography. METHODS: The elastograms of parotid lesions in 43 patients with 48 neoplasms were analyzed and classified into 5 grades, with pathologic diagnosis as the gold standard for comparision. The data was statistically analyzed with SPSS13.0 software package. RESULTS: The elastographic grades of most benign neoplasms were I-II, while those of malignancies were III-IV. The elastographic grades of benign and malignant lesions were of significant difference (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Some typical features of different parotid lesions on elastosonography are found, which are useful for differential diagnosis of parotid lesions.

Waveform patterns and peak reversed velocity in vertebral arteries predict severe subclavian artery stenosis and occlusion.

This study investigated the value of analyzing spectral Doppler waveform patterns and measuring the peak reversed velocity (PRV) of the vertebral artery (VA) in predicting proximal severe subclavian artery (SA) stenosis and occlusion. Fifty-one patients with proximal SA stenosis were studied retrospectively. Based on the depth of the mid-systolic notch, the Doppler waveforms of the ipsilateral VA were divided into five subtypes (type I, n = 8; type II, n = 8; type III, n = 6; type IV, n = 13; and type V, n = 16). PRV was also measured. PRV receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to obtain the best cutoff value for predicting severe SA stenosis or complete SA occlusion. The results indicated that both VA Doppler waveform and PRV were associated with the degree of SA stenosis (p < 0.05). PRV and the Doppler waveform in the VA had similar accuracy in predicting SA occlusion (84.3%, 43/51). PRV was more accurate than VA waveforms in predicting severe SA stenosis (98%, 50/51 vs. 94.1%, 48/51). However, no significant differences between the two methods in predicting severe SA stenosis were observed (p = 0.84). Thus, with severe obstruction of the SA, typical Doppler waveform patterns of the VA could be observed. PRV is a helpful criterion in predicting severe stenosis and occlusion of the SA.

Taller-than-wide sign for predicting thyroid microcarcinoma: comparison and combination of two ultrasonographic planes.

The aims of this study were to investigate the accuracy of using the taller-than-wide (TTW) sign in two ultrasonographic planes to predict thyroid microcarcinoma, and to confirm the hypothesis that the presence of a TTW sign in both the transverse and longitudinal ultrasonographic planes strongly suggests thyroid microcarcinoma. Nine hundred forty-two thyroid nodules ≤1 cm were submitted to surgical-histopathologic and ultrasonographic examination. TTW signs were divided into three types based on their detection only in the transverse plane (TTTW type, n = 100), only in the longitudinal plane (LTTW type, n = 61) or in both planes (BTTW type, n = 131). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (A(z)) for the three different TTW signs, as well as for the combination of all TTW signs (ATTW, n = 292), were compared. The results indicated that the A(z) values of the TTTW, LTTW, BTTW and ATTW signs in predicting thyroid microcarcinoma were 0.544, 0.531, 0.627 and 0.702, respectively. The ATTW sign was the most accurate (p < 0.05), and the BTTW sign was 100% accurate for predicting thyroid microcarcinoma. However, there was no significant difference between the A(z) values for the TTTW and LTTW signs (p > 0.05). Therefore, both the LTTW and TTTW signs are reliable markers of thyroid microcarcinoma. The BTTW sign strongly suggests thyroid microcarcinoma.

Completely reversed flow in the vertebral artery does not always indicate subclavian steal phenomenon.

We evaluated the causes, differential diagnosis and clinical significance of completely reversed flow (CRF) in the vertebral artery (VA). Twenty-three patients diagnosed with CRF in the VA by Doppler ultrasound were studied retrospectively. CRF was divided into intermittent CRF and continuous CRF. The peak reversed velocity (PRV) and ratio of time in intermittent CRF to one cardiac cycle (tICRF/CC) were calculated. Causes of CRF were determined on the basis of previous angiography results. The results indicated that subclavian steal phenomenon (SSP) caused all cases of continuous CRF (n = 8). Intermittent CRF was caused by SSP (n = 6) or proximal VA occlusion (n = 9). PRV and tICRF/CC were increased in SSP as compared with VA occlusion (p < 0.05). Using a cutoff of tICRF/CC = 0.30, we achieved excellent accuracy in predicting the cause of intermittent CRF (100%) and posterior circulatory infarction (91%). Thus, analysis of CRF patterns and measurements of VA parameters can be used in differential diagnosis of the causes of CRF and in prediction of posterior circulatory infarction.

Assessment of the rotation motion at the papillary muscle short-axis plane with normal subjects by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging: a basic clinical study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to observe the rotation patterns at the papillary muscle plane in the Left Ventricle(LV) with normal subjects using two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(2D-STI). METHODS: We acquired standard of the basal, the papillary muscle and the apical short-axis images of the LV in 64 subjects to estimate the LV rotation motion by 2D-STI. The rotational degrees at the papillary muscle short-axis plane were measured at 15 different time points in the analysis of two heart cycles. RESULTS: There were counterclockwise rotation, clockwise rotation, and counterclockwise to clockwise rotation at the papillary muscle plane in the LV with normal subjects, respectively. The ROC analysis of the rotational degrees was performed at the papillary muscle short-axis plane at the peak LV torsion for predicting whether the turnaround point of twist to untwist motion pattern was located at the papillary muscle level. Sensitivity and specificity were 97% and 67%, respectively, with a cut-off value of 0.34°, and an area under the ROC curve of 0.8. At the peak LV torsion, there was no correlation between the rotational degrees at the papillary muscle short-axis plane and the LVEF in the normal subjects(r = 0.000, p = 0.998). CONCLUSIONS: In the study, we conclude that there were three rotation patterns at the papillary muscle short-axis levels, and the transition from basal clockwise rotation to apical counterclockwise rotation is located at the papillary muscle level.

Bidirectional flow in the vertebral artery is not always indicative of the subclavian steal phenomenon.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the causes of bidirectional flow in the vertebral artery detected by Doppler sonography and its differential diagnosis. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with bidirectional flow in the vertebral artery were retrospectively studied. The vertebral artery parameters, including peak antegrade velocity (PAV), peak reversed velocity (PRV), maximum peak velocity (MPV), peak systolic velocity, resistive index (RI), and diameter, were measured. The MPV was defined as the MPV of bidirectional flow regardless of the velocity of antegrade or retrograde flow. To better predict the cause of bidirectional flow, receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed for these parameters, and the best cutoff values were obtained. The cause of bidirectional flow was determined by angiography. RESULTS: The causes of bidirectional flow were classified as the subclavian steal phenomenon (n = 21) and factors unrelated to the steal phenomenon (n = 8, including a hypoplastic vertebral artery [n = 4] and proximal vertebral artery stenosis and occlusion [n = 4]). Significant differences were observed between the steal phenomenon and non-steal phenomenon groups (P< .05) for MPV, PRV, PAV, target vertebral artery diameter, and contralateral RI. To determine the cause of bidirectional flow, areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the different parameters were obtained: 0.929 for MPV, 0.881 for PRV, 0.824 for PAV, 0.753 for target vertebral artery diameter, and 0.845 for contralateral RI. The cutoff value for MPV was 26.1 cm/s, and the accuracy was 93% (27 of 29). CONCLUSIONS: Bidirectional flow in the vertebral artery is not always indicative of the subclavian steal phenomenon. Measurement of hemodynamic parameters in the vertebral artery, such as MPV, can facilitate determination of the cause of bidirectional flow.

Clinical utility of endoscopic ultrasound elastography for identification of malignant pancreatic masses: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) elastography is not used for detection but rather for characterization of solid pancreatic masses. A meta-analysis was used to assess the accuracy of EUS elastography for identification of malignant pancreatic masses. METHODS: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and the ISI Web of Knowledge were searched. The studies relating to evaluation accuracy of qualitative or quantitative EUS elastography for identification of malignant pancreatic masses were collected. Language was limited to English. The sensitivity and specificity were used to examine the accuracy. Clinical utility was evaluated by likelihood ratio scattergram. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies including 893 pancreatic masses (646 malignant, 72.3%) were analyzed. The summary sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of malignant pancreatic masses were 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93-1.00) and 0.69 (95% CI 0.52-0.82) for qualitative EUS elastography, and 0.96 (95% CI 0.86-0.99) and 0.76 (95% CI 0.58-0.87) for quantitative EUS elastography, respectively. The hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.94 and 0.93 for qualitative and quantitative EUS elastography. The accuracy of quantitative methods was similar to qualitative methods. The positive and negative likelihood ratios were 3.15 and 0.03 for qualitative EUS elastography, and 3.94 and 0.05 for quantitative EUS elastography, respectively. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were useful for exclusion of presence of malignant pancreatic masses and not for its confirmation. CONCLUSIONS: EUS elastography could be used as a good identification tool for benign and malignant pancreatic masses, with its good performance for exclusion of presence of malignant pancreatic masses.

Clinical utility of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging for identification of malignant liver lesions: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the performance of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging for identification of malignant liver lesions using meta-analysis. METHODS: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the ISI Web of Knowledge and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched. The studies published in English or Chinese relating to evaluation accuracy of ARFI imaging for identification of malignant liver lesions were collected. A hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) curve was used to examine the ARFI imaging accuracy. Clinical utility of ARFI imaging for identification of malignant liver lesions was evaluated by Fagan plot analysis. RESULTS: A total of eight studies which included 590 liver lesions were analysed. The summary sensitivity and specificity for identification of malignant liver lesions were 0.86 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.74-0.93) and 0.89 (95 % CI 0.81-0.94), respectively. The HSROC was 0.94 (95 % CI 0.91-0.96). After ARFI imaging results over the cut-off value for malignant liver lesions ("positive" result), the corresponding post-test probability for the presence (if pre-test probability was 50 %) was 89 %; in "negative" measurement, the post-test probability was 13 %. CONCLUSIONS: ARFI imaging has a high accuracy in the classification of liver lesions. KEY POINTS: Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging is a novel ultrasound-based elastography method. This study comprehensively assessed the published performance of ARFI for liver lesions. ARFI imaging appears to have high sensitivity and specificity for liver lesions. ARFI can help differentiate liver lesions and may prevent unnecessary biopsies.

Performance of platelet count/spleen diameter ratio for diagnosis of esophageal varices in cirrhosis: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Platelet count/spleen diameter ratio (PSR) is a non-invasive method for the assessment of esophageal varices (EV), developed as an alternative to endoscopy. AIM: To assess the performance of PSR for diagnosis of EV using meta-analysis. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, ISI web of Knowledge, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and article references were searched. We included studies using endoscopy as a reference standard, with the data necessary to calculate the true and false positive, true and false negative diagnostic results of PSR for EV. The quality of the studies was rated with the QUADAS tool. The hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) was used to examine the PSR accuracy for the diagnosis of EV. Heterogeneity was explored using meta-regression. Clinical utility of PSR for EV was evaluated by a Fagan plot. RESULTS: In 20 studies (n = 3,063), the HSROC of the PSR for EV was 0.95 at various thresholds. At the threshold of 909, the summary sensitivities and specificities were 0.92 (95% CI, 0.79-0.97) and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.76-0.93), respectively. The HSROC was also 0.95 at the threshold of 909. If PSR was below 909 for EV ("positive" result), the post-test probability (if pre-test probability was 50%) was 87%, while if PSR was at or over 909 ("negative" result), the post-test probability was only 9%. PSR also had a high accuracy in diagnosis of EV in patients with compensated cirrhosis. CONCLUSIONS: PSR can identify EV in cirrhosis with a high accuracy. Application of this index may decrease the need for endoscopy among cirrhotic patients.

Real-time elastography for the differentiation of benign and malignant superficial lymph nodes: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Real-time elastography (RTE), as a non-invasive method, is used for the classification of benign and malignant lymph nodes (LNs) and developed as an alternative to biopsy. Elasticity score (ES) and strain ratio (SR) are used for the interpretation of RTE. We studied the performance of RTE for diagnosis of malignant LNs using meta-analysis. METHODS: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Knowledge, China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched. The studies published in English or Chinese relating to the diagnostic value of RTE for superficial LNs were collected. Hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) curve was used to examine the RTE accuracy. Clinical utility of RTE for LNs was evaluated by Fagan plot analysis. RESULTS: A total of 9 studies which included 835 LNs were analyzed. The summary sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of malignant LNs were 0.74 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.66-0.81) and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.82-0.94) for ES, and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.79-0.93) and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.49-0.95) for SR, respectively. Compared to ES, SR obviously improved the diagnostic sensitivity value. The HSROCs were 0.88 for ES and 0.91 for SR, respectively. After RTE results over the cut-off value for malignant LNs ("positive" result), the corresponding post-test probability for the presence (if pre-test probability was 50%) was 88% for ES and 82% for SR, respectively; while, in "negative" measurement, the post-test probability was 22% and 13%, respectively. CONCLUSION: RTE has a high accuracy in the classification of superficial LNs and can potentially help to select suspicious LNs for biopsy.

[Left ventricular longitudinal rotation changes in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy detected by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the left ventricular longitudinal rotation (LR) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). METHODS: Conventional echocardiography (GE-Vivid7) was performed in 35 healthy subjects and 42 DCM patients. Left atrial diameter was measured by M-mode echocardiography, left ventricular end-systolic, end-diastolic volume and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were calculated by bi-plane simpson's method. The peak velocity during early diastole (Ve) and late diastole (Va) of anterior mitral valve were measured by pulse-waved doppler, and the ratio Ve/Va was calculated. The peak radial systolic strain, strain rate in systolic, early and late diastolic periods were measured. Segmental LR and global LR were assessed using two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI). RESULTS: The peak radial systolic strain, strain rate in systolic, early and late diastolic periods in DCM group were significantly lower than in healthy subjects, the rotation degrees of the middle and base lateral, the apex and the base septum walls were significantly lower than those of the healthy subjects. A prominent counterclockwise LR (0.76° ± 2.63°) was shown in healthy subjects while prominent clockwise LR (-1.58° ± 3.42°) was present in DCM patients. The time delay between the left ventricular lateral wall and the base septum wall in DCM patients significantly correlated with the peak LR of the left ventricular (r = 0.409, P < 0.01; r = 0.396, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: 2D-STI can be used to assess the LR in DCM patients and a clockwise LR is present in DCM patients which might be caused by the time delay between the left ventricular lateral wall and the base-septum wall.

[Detection of urine DD3/PSA mRNA ratio by duplex TaqMan RT-PCR assay and evolution of its primary application].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a duplex TaqMan RT-PCR assay for urine DD3/PSA mRNA ratio, and to evaluate its effect in diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: Urine samples were obtained from 34 patients with PCa and 44 patients with benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) by prostate massage. A duplex TaqMan RT-PCR assay was developed: PCR primers were designed to amplify the fragments between the exon1 and exon2 in the PSA mRNA and between the exon1 and exon3 in the DD3 mRNA, and the PCR TaqMan-MGB probes were labeled with HEX and FAM respectively in 5' for PSA mRNA. LNCaP cells were used as template. DD3/PSA mRNA ratio was measured. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was drawn so as to evaluate its diagnostic efficacy. RESULTS: Sequencing showed that the PCR products were specific for PSA mRNA and DD3 mRNA. The minimum detection level was approximately 0.6 cells/reaction for PSA mRNA and was 60 cells/reaction for DD3 mRNA in the LNCaP cell cDNA. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation of DD3/PSA mRNA were 3.8%-4.7% and 4.1%-4.9% respectively. Urine DD3/PSA mRNA ratio in PCa group was significantly higher than the BPH group (P < 0.01). When the cutoff value was defined as 0.254, the area under curve (AUC) of DD3/PSA mRNA ratio was 0.746 (95% CI: 0.630-0.862), and the sensitivity and specificity were 64.7% and 77.3% respectively. The urine DD3/PSA mRNA ratio positive rate was not correlated with clinical and pathological parameters. CONCLUSION: A duplex TaqMan RT-PCR assay for urine DD3/PSA mRNA ratio has been established with an excellent clinical performance and specificity for PCa, saving time and reducing costs. It may be a promising method in the early diagnosis of PCa.