NOD-like receptor X1, tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 and NF-κB are associated with clinicopathological characteristics in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a common cancer worldwide and its precise mechanism is largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression levels of NOD-like receptor X1 (NLRX1), tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) and NF-κB in GC and normal gastric tissue samples to determine the association with the clinicopathological features of GC. GC and adjacent normal gastric tissues from 60 patients with GC were analyzed using immunohistochemistry and western blotting analysis. In addition, the association between NLRX1, TRAF6 and NF-κB expression levels were investigated by Spearman's correlation analysis. The results revealed that NLRX1 protein expression levels were downregulated in the GC tissues compared with the normal gastric tissues (P<0.05). Conversely, TRAF6 and NF-κB protein expression levels were upregulated in the GC tissues compared with the normal gastric tissues (P<0.05). A significant difference was identified between GC patients with high and low expression levels of each protein in the tumor size, vascular invasion, neural invasion, lymph node metastasis, differentiation, gross stage and clinical stage. In addition, a negative correlation was observed between NLRX1 and TRAF6, and NLRX1 and NF-κB expression levels, while a positive correlation was observed between TRAF6 and NF-κB expression levels. In conclusion, NLRX1 expression levels were discovered to be downregulated in GC tissues. The expression levels of NLRX1, TRAF6 and NF-κB were also significantly associated with the clinicopathological characteristics of GC, and the aforementioned results indicated that NLRX1 may be a biomarker in assessing GC.

Recovery from a biliary stricture of a common bile duct ligature injury: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Cholecystectomy is a common elective procedure for cholecystic diseases, including cholecystitis and cholelithiasis. Common bile duct injury is a major complication in both open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). The number of cholecystectomies performed has increased due to popularization and application of the laparoscopic technique, which has led to an increase in the number of bile duct injuries. CASE SUMMARY: A 65-year-old man presented to the General Surgery Department with a complaint of repeated right upper quadrant pain for 2 years that had worsened over the previous day. The patient had a history of gallstones and hypertension. A LC was performed; it was found that a biliary stricture of 53 h duration was caused by a ligature injury of the common bile duct during the LC. Another laparoscopic exploration was performed, and the stricture was released. CONCLUSION: LC is a common surgical procedure, but if a complication occurs, it is important for the surgeon to consider another exploratory surgery.

A Rare Ectopic Ovary Mimicking Colon Sigmoideum Mesenchymoma Presenting as an Intestinal Mesenchymoma.

Ectopic ovaries are a rare occurrence. A 33-year-old woman presented to our unit for evaluation of a 2-year history of sporadic abdominal pain that was becoming sharp and frequent. Computed tomography (CT) suggested a gastrointestinal tract mesenchymoma. An abdominal laparotomy was performed and the tumor was excised for pathologic evaluation. A rapid frozen section pathologic examination showed a solitary fibrous tumor (SFT). The final pathology report was an ectopic ovary with corpora lutea bleeding. Ectopic ovaries are benign and the present case is the first report involving an ectopic ovary mimicking a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). The patient recovered well after surgery. Maldevelopment of the genital tract can lead to ectopic ovaries and surgery is a good management choice. The present case provides a possible differential diagnosis for GISTs.

Acute Appendicitis and Mean Platelet Volume: A Systemic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis (AA) is a common condition in general surgery, often with serious consequences such as septicemia and intra-abdominal infection. Mean platelet volume (MPV) - a platelet parameter - could be an index of inflammation. We carried out the present study to perform a meta-analysis of AA and MPV. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in databases of PubMed and Embase from 1966 to 2015. Weighted mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI) were then calculated. Finally, statistical analysis was carried out using Stata 12.0 software. RESULTS: Of the 88 selected studies, five case-control studies met the selection criteria. These cases, comprised1416 cases of AA and 685 controls. The results showed a prominent decrease of MPV levels in patients suffering from AA, compared to the control group. (weighted mean difference, -0.64; 95% CI, -0.74 to -0.54; P=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: AA cases had a lower MPV than the controls, which supports MPV as a potential biomarker of AA.

Mammary myofibroblastoma in the right lateral abdominal wall.

BACKGROUND: A mammary-type myofibroblastoma is a rare soft tumor; extramammary myofibroblastomas are especially rare. CASE PRESENTATION: A 51-year-old woman presented to our department for evaluation of a mass on the right lower abdominal wall. The mass was then excised completely. Gross examination showed a huge, well-circumscribed soft tissue mass. The pathologic diagnosis was an extramammary myofibroblastoma. There was no recurrence after excision at the 6-month follow-up visit. CONCLUSIONS: A mammary-type myofibroblastoma is a benign soft tissue neoplasm. No malignant behavior and/or recurrence of mammary-type myofibroblastomas after surgical resection have been described as a function of size and location. The present case aimed to provide a possible differential diagnosis for such abdominal masses.

Mean Platelet Volume and Platelet Distribution Width as Markers in the Diagnosis of Acute Gangrenous Appendicitis.

INTRODUCTION: Acute gangrenous appendicitis (AGA) is a common medical condition; however, the grade of appendicitis usually cannot be established preoperatively. We have attempted to identify some indicators, such as the mean platelet volume (MPV) and the platelet distribution width (PDW), to diagnose AGA. Aims. To evaluate whether or not the MPV and PDW are suitable markers to diagnose AGA. METHODS: A retrospective study of 160 patients with AGA and 160 healthy patients was undertaken. Disease diagnosis was confirmed based on the pathologic examination of surgical specimens. Patient white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil ratio (NR), platelet (PLT) count, MPV, PDW, and hematocrit (HCT) were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of these indices in AGA. Results. There were no significant differences between the AGA and control groups in age and gender. Compared to the control group, the WBC count, NR, and PDW were significantly higher (P < 0.001, resp.) and the MPV and HCT were significantly lower (P < 0.001, resp.) in the AGA group. The diagnostic specificities of the WBC count, NR, PLT count, MPV, PDW, and HCT were 86.3%, 92.5%, 58.1%, 81.7%, 83.9%, and 66.3%, respectively. Therefore, the NR had the highest diagnostic specificity for the diagnosis of AGA. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to assess the MPV and PDW in patients with AGA. Our present study showed that the MPV is reduced and the PDW is increased in patients with AGA; the sensitivity of PDW was superior to the MPV. A decreased MPV value and an increased PDW could serve as two markers to diagnose AGA. The NR had the highest specificity for the diagnosis of AGA.

Terminal ileitis induced by Henoch-Schonlein purpura that presented as acute appendicitis: a case report.

Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) is a self-limited autoimmune disease, the cause of which is not clear. Gastrointestinal involvement is often the main symptom of HSP. We report an unusual and rare case in a patient who was diagnosed with HSP. This is the second report of terminal ileitis induced by HSP that presented as acute appendicitis. We report a 21-year-old man who presented with right lower abdominal pain, and was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. Terminal ileitis was diagnosed intraoperatively, and when a rash occurred postoperatively, the final diagnosis was HSP. When the rash occurred, HSP was diagnosed and methylprednisolone was administered for 5 days. The diagnosis of HSP is difficult to establish, especially when the purpura occurs after gastrointestinal involvement; thus, abdominal pain should not be ignored and HSP should be considered.

Schwannoma with an uncommon anal location.

Schwannomas are slow-growing mesenchymal neoplasms that arise from Schwann cells with low malignant potential. These uncommon neoplasms are nerve sheath tumors that arise at almost any anatomical site. The majority of schwannomas are benign, and few are malignant. The current study presents the rare case of an anal schwannoma that was successfully treated by surgery; there are few such cases previously reported in the literature. The patient was admitted to hospital following the identification of a mass incidentally. The tumor was so large that it compressed the tissue around it, although no symptoms were caused. The pre-operative clinical diagnosis was inconclusive in this case, and a final diagnosis was established based on radiographic and histopathological examination. The current study aimed to provide a possible differential diagnosis for such anally-located masses.

The protective effects of curcumin on experimental acute liver lesion induced by intestinal ischemia-reperfusion through inhibiting the pathway of NF-κB in a rat model.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the protective effect and mechanism of curcumin on a rat model of intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), which induces an acute liver lesion. METHODS: Curcumin was injected into rats in the curcumin groups through left femoral vein. The same volume of vehicle (0.9% normal saline) was injected into sham and I/R groups. Blood and liver tissue were gathered for serological and histopathological determination. RESULTS: Intestinal I/R led to severe liver injury manifested as a significant increase in serum AST and ALT levels; all of those were reduced by treatment with curcumin. Simultaneously, the activity of SOD in liver decreased after intestinal I/R, which was increased by curcumin treatment. On the other hand, curcumin reduced MPO activity of liver tissue, as well as serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels observably. This is in parallel with the decreased level of liver intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) expression. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that curcumin treatment attenuates liver lesion induced by intestinal I/R, attributable to the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effect via inhibition of the NF-κB pathway.

Grey-Turner's sign after modified Kugel herniorrhaphy.

Tension-free hernia repairing techniques is a popular herniorrhaphy for open inguinal hernioplasty and the modified Kugel herniorrhaphy (MKH) is a kind of tension-free hernia repairing technique. The modified Kugel herniorrhaphy (MKH) is a minimally invasive, non-laparoscopic, conventional anterior approach, preperitoneal and sutureless technique. It is well accepted by most people because of few complications and low recurrence rate. A case of an 82-year-old man underwent MKH. After the third day of postoperation, a strange symptom of Grey-Turner's sign appeared and maintained for 10 days.

[Prothymosin alpha and tumor: current status and perspective].

Prothymosin alpha (ProTalpha) is a small molecule of natively unstructured acidic protein, and widely exists in mammalian tissues. Nevertheless, its biological functions are still elusive. Recent studies indicate that ProTalpha is involved in carcinogenesis and cancer development. We reviewed current reports on the potential roles of ProTalpha in cell proliferation, carcinogenesis, apoptosis, and immunomodulatory, discussed the regulation of ProTalpha gene expression and possible molecular mechanisms underlying its internal and external actions in cells, and explored its significance in tumor diagnosis and treatment.