Clinical review and literature analysis of hepatic epithelioid angiomyolipoma in alcoholic cirrhosis: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic epithelioid angiomyolipoma (HEA) has a low incidence and both clinical manifestations and imaging lack specificity. Thus, it is easy to misdiagnose HEA as other tumors of the liver, especially in the presence of liver diseases such as hepatitis cirrhosis. This article reviewed the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with HEA and alcoholic cirrhosis, and analyzed the literature, in order to improve the understanding of this disease. CASE SUMMARY: A 67-year-old male patient with a history of alcoholic cirrhosis was admitted due to the discovery of a space-occupying lesion in the liver. Based on the patient's history, laboratory examinations, and imaging examinations, a malignant liver tumor was considered and laparoscopic partial hepatectomy was performed. Postoperative pathology showed HEA. During outpatient follow-up, the patient showed no sign of recurrence. CONCLUSION: HEA is difficult to make a definite diagnosis before surgery. HEA has the potential for malignant degeneration. If conditions permit, surgical treatment is recommended.

Identification of therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers of the ephrin receptor subfamily in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the significance of ephrin receptor A2 (EphA2) expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) and its associated mechanism. METHODS: EphA2 mRNA expression patterns were compared in pancreatic cancer and normal tissues using GEPIA. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to examine the correlation between EphA2 expression and PAAD patient prognosis. EphA2 gene methylation and associations with tumor immune cell infiltration were analyzed with UALCAN and TIMER, respectively. EphA2-interacting proteins were investigated with GeneMANIA, while STRING helped predict potentially relevant signaling pathways. EphA2 protein expression was examined with immunohistochemistry (IHC) in PAAD patient tissues. RESULTS: EphA2 was highly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues and associated with pathological stage. PAAD patients with high EphA2 expression had shorter overall survival and disease-free survival times. EphA2 expression levels were significantly and positively associated with CD4+ T cell infiltration. EphA2 can interact with ENFNA1, ACP1, and CDC42. High EphA2 mRNA expression was enriched for regulation of cell size and cell proliferation. IHC assays suggested that pancreatic cancer tissues had higher EphA2 protein levels than normal pancreatic tissues. CONCLUSIONS: EphA2 is highly expressed in PAAD and closely related to poor patient prognosis, and is therefore a potential biomarker and target for PAAD diagnosis and treatment.

Knockdown of PKMYT1 is associated with autophagy inhibition and apoptosis induction and suppresses tumor progression in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a cancerous tumor that ranks as the third leading cause of cancer death across the globe. Protein kinase membrane-associated tyrosine/threonine kinase 1 (PKMYT1) is overexpressed in many cancer types, including HCC, but the potential mechanism and biological function of PKMYT1 are not fully understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression level of PKMYT1 was detected in human HCC tissues and adjacent tissues. We then established HCC cell lines with PKMYT1 knockdown and observed proliferation, migration, autophagy, apoptosis in cell lines and tumor growth in a nude mouse model. To investigate the underlying mechanism by which PKMYT1 regulates autophagy and apoptosis, RNA sequencing was performed in HCC-LM3 cells with and without PKMYT1 knockdown. RESULTS: Here, we observed that human HCC tissues had higher expression of PKMYT1 than adjacent tissues. Overexpression of PKMYT1 was closely associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients. PKMYT1 knockdown inhibited the proliferative potential and migration of HCC cell lines. We also found that downregulation of PKMYT1 inhibited autophagy and induced apoptosis. RNA sequencing analysis showed that the MAPK and PI3K-AKT pathways, which have been reported to affect autophagy and apoptosis, may be regulated after PKMYT1 knockdown by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Furthermore, we identified that knockdown of PKMYT1 attenuated the phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK, ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR, which might mediate autophagy inhibition and apoptosis induction via these signaling pathways to inhibit the development of HCC. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that PKMYT1 functions as an oncogene and may be a new target for HCC treatment.

Repeated bacteremia and hepatic cyst infection lasting 3 years following pancreatoduodenectomy: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Simple hepatic cysts are commonly occurring lesions that are usually asymptomatic and require no treatment. Hepatic cyst infection, however, is considered a severe complication. We report a case of hepatic cyst infection following pancreatoduodenectomy with repeated fever lasting for almost 3 years, and two cysts were infected successively. CASE SUMMARY: A 72-year-old woman diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of duodenal papilla underwent pancreatoduodenectomy with Child reconstruction. She then suffered repeated occurrences of bacteremia and hepatic cyst infection for 3 years. Blood cultures were positive for Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli a total of 7 times and 4 times, respectively. During the early stage, we suspected that postoperative reflux cholangitis was the cause of fever and bacteremia. Multiple cysts were observed, so it was difficult to determine which cyst was infected. Through repeat examination, we found the focus of infection, and we treated the patient with antimicrobials and performed percutaneous cyst drainage. The patient did not experience another cyst infection for more than 4 years. CONCLUSION: Biliary reconstruction inducing hepatic cyst infection is easily misdiagnosed as biliary reflux infection, Repeated imaging examination is a method for identifying the infected focus.

The complete chloroplast genome of Ottelia acuminate var. crispa, an endangered aquatic herb with extremely narrow distribution.

Ottelia acuminate var. crispa is an endangered aquatic herb with extremely narrow distribution. In this study, we assembled the chloroplast genome of this species based on the second-generation high-throughput sequencing. The genome is 157,783 bp in length with a typical quadripartite structure including a large single-copy region (LSC) of 88,294 bp, a small single-copy region (SSC) of 49,379 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 10,055 bp each. A total of 128 genes were annotated, including 83 protein-coding genes (PCG), 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The phylogenetic tree shows that O. acuminate var. crispa has a close relationship with the genus Elodea. The chloroplast genome presented here provides a valuable resource to conserve this endangered species.

MiR-20b-5p promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion by down-regulating CPEB3.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the functional mechanism of the miRNA-20b-5p/cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein 3 (miR-20b-5p/CPEB3) axis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) so as to provide a new idea for targeted therapy of HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bioinformatics analysis was employed to obtain markedly differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs in The Cancer Genome Atlas-Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) dataset, so as to find target miRNA and its target mRNA. Real-time quantitative PCR was conducted to detect miR-20b-5p and CPEB3 mRNA expression. Western blot was performed to determine CPEB3 protein expression. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was carried out to verify the targeting relationship between miR-20b-5p and CPEB3. Cell counting kit-8 assay, wound healing assay, Transwell invasion assay and flow cytometry were conducted to evaluate the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of HCC cells. RESULTS: Bioinformatics analysis suggested that miR-20b-5p and CPEB3 were markedly highly and lowly expressed, respectively, in HCC tissue in TCGA-LIHC dataset. Over-expressing miR-20b-5p facilitated the proliferation, migration and invasion, and suppressed the apoptosis of HCC cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assay validated that there was a targeting relationship between miR-20b-5p and CPEB3. The inhibitory effect of CPEB3 over-expression on HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion was reversed by over-expressing miR-20b-5p. CONCLUSIONS: The present study proved that miR-20b-5p promotes HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion by inhibiting CPEB3 expression, which may provide a theoretical basis for the prognosis and treatment of HCC patients.

Inflammatory indexes in preoperative blood routine to predict early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after curative hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND: The inflammation indexes in blood routine play an essential role in evaluating the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, but the effect on early recurrence has not been clarified. The study aimed to investigate the risk factors of early recurrence (within 2 years) and recurrence-free survival after curative hepatectomy and explore the role of inflammatory indexes in predicting early recurrence. METHODS: The baseline data of 161 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were analyzed retrospectively. The optimal cut-off value of the inflammatory index was determined according to the Youden index. Its predictive performance was compared by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to determine the risk factors of early recurrence and recurrence-free survival. RESULTS: The area under the curve of monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR) for predicting early recurrence was 0.700, which was better than systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII). MLR, tumour size, tumour differentiation and BCLC stage are all risk factors for early recurrence and recurrence-free survival of HCC. Combining the above four risk factors to construct a joint index, the area under the curve for predicting early recurrence was 0.829, which was better than single MLR, tumour size, tumour differentiation and BCLC stage. Furthermore, with the increase of risk factors, the recurrence-free survival of patients is worse. CONCLUSION: The combination of MLR and clinical risk factors is helpful for clinicians to identify high-risk patients with early recurrence and carry out active postoperative adjuvant therapy to improve the prognosis of patients.

The value of preoperative systemic immune-inflammation index in predicting vascular invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

Vascular invasion and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) are risk factors for the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. At present, the correlation between the two is not clear. This meta-analysis explored the relationship between preoperative SII and vascular invasion in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. According to the search formula, the Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, and CNKI databases were searched for the relevant research until March 2020. After the quality evaluation of the included literature, the odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were used as the effect measure. Stata 15. 0 software was used for statistical analysis. The meta-analysis eventually included seven retrospective cohort studies of 3583 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The results showed that the choice of SII cut-off value affects SII's efficiency in predicting the risk of vascular invasion. In the cohort of studies with appropriate SII cut-off value, the high SII preoperative group had a higher risk of vascular invasion (OR=2.62; 95%CI: 2.07-3.32; P=0.000) and microvascular invasion (OR=1.82; 95%CI: 1.01-3.25; P=0.045) than the low SII group. The tumor diameter (OR=2.88; 95%CI: 1.73-4. 80; P=0.000) of the high SII group was larger than that of the low SII group. There was no publication bias in this study (Begg's test, P=0.368). As a routine, cheap, and easily available index, SII can provide a certain reference value for clinicians to evaluate vascular invasion before operation.

The value of preoperative systemic immune-inflammation index in predicting vascular invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis

Vascular invasion and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) are risk factors for the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. At present, the correlation between the two is not clear. This meta-analysis explored the relationship between preoperative SII and vascular invasion in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. According to the search formula, the Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, and CNKI databases were searched for the relevant research until March 2020. After the quality evaluation of the included literature, the odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were used as the effect measure. Stata 15. 0 software was used for statistical analysis. The meta-analysis eventually included seven retrospective cohort studies of 3583 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The results showed that the choice of SII cut-off value affects SII's efficiency in predicting the risk of vascular invasion. In the cohort of studies with appropriate SII cut-off value, the high SII preoperative group had a higher risk of vascular invasion (OR=2.62; 95%CI: 2.07-3.32; P=0.000) and microvascular invasion (OR=1.82; 95%CI: 1.01-3.25; P=0.045) than the low SII group. The tumor diameter (OR=2.88; 95%CI: 1.73-4. 80; P=0.000) of the high SII group was larger than that of the low SII group. There was no publication bias in this study (Begg's test, P=0.368). As a routine, cheap, and easily available index, SII can provide a certain reference value for clinicians to evaluate vascular invasion before operation.

Exosomes function as nanoparticles to transfer miR-199a-3p to reverse chemoresistance to cisplatin in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a frequently seen malignant tumor globally. The occurrence of cisplatin (DDP) resistance is one of the main reasons for the high mortality of HCC patients. Therefore, it is of great theoretical significance and application value to explore the mechanism of chemotherapy resistance. Drug resistance can be modulated by exosomes containing mRNAs, micro RNAs (miRNAs) and other non-coding RNA (ncRNAs). Exosomal miR-199a-3p (Exo-miR-199a-3p) was subjected to extraction and verification. Whether exo-miR-199a-3p could make HCC cells sensitive to DDP in vitro was verified via flow cytometry, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, immunofluorescence assay and Transwell assay. Intravenous injection of exo-miR-199a-3p and intraperitoneal injection of DDP were carried out in vivo. Moreover, the possible targets of miR-199a-3p were screened through bioinformatics analysis, which were ascertained by Western blotting (WB). Then, miR-199a-3p levels in human normal liver epithelial cell line HL-7702 and HCC cell lines HuH7 and HuH7/DDP were elevated in a concentration-dependent manner. Exo-miR-199a-3p has abilities to adjust underlying targets and conjugate cells, to repress cells to invade, stimulate their apoptosis and abate their ability. Additionally, the caudal injection of exo-miR-199a-3p reversed the chemoresistance of tumors and slowed down their growth in the body owing to the up-regulation of miR-199a-3p and down-regulation of underlying target proteins in tumors. Finally, exo-miR-199a-3p was found to overturn the HCC's resistance to DDP, and it may function in DDP-refractory HCC therapy as an underlying option in the future.

Inflammatory and Senescent Phenotype of Pancreatic Stellate Cells Induced by Sqstm1 Downregulation Facilitates Pancreatic Cancer Progression.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has unique microenvironment with extensive infiltration of fibroblasts, which are mainly derived from the resident pancreatic stellate cells (PaSCs). As activated PaSCs constitute a major contributor to pancreatic cancer progression, the mechanisms underlying their activation have been being intensively studied. Previous studies showed that Sequestosome-1 (sqstm1) can modulate the functional status of fibroblasts in cancer. Here, we further delineated the role of sqstm1 in PaSCs. The analysis of PDAC patient samples revealed reduction of sqstm1 expression in activated PaSCs in both mRNA and protein level. Downregulated sqstm1 via shRNA in PaSCs led to an inflammatory and senescent phenotype with increased IL8, CXCL1, and CXCL2 expression. Further analysis demonstrated that increased intracellular reactive oxygen species level contributed to the senescence in sqstm1-downregulated PaSCs. This was mediated via impaired NRF2 activity since reduced sqstm1 resulted in accumulation of KEAP1. Meanwhile, we found that sqstm1 degradation caused by enhanced autophagy was not associated with transformation of senescent phenotype. At last, the data revealed that sqstm1-downregulated PaSCs promoted pancreatic tumor cell growth, invasion, and macrophage phenotype transformation. Collectively, the current study indicated that sqstm1 controlled transformation of senescent phenotype of PaSCs, which in turn is pro-tumorigenic.

Impact of enhanced recovery after surgery on postoperative rehabilitation, inflammation, and immunity in gastric carcinoma patients: a randomized clinical trial.

We determined the effects of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in patients undergoing radical surgery for gastric carcinoma. Sixty patients undergoing radical gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma in Lishui Hospital between March and October 2016 were randomized to receive either ERAS (30 patients) or conventional care (30 patients, controls). Clinical, economic, and laboratory indices were analyzed. ERAS patients showed faster recovery and shorter postoperative hospital stays than the controls (P<0.05). Some clinical indices (i.e., time to first flatus and defecation, time to removal of drainage tubes, time to resumption of oral feeding, time to postoperative mobilization, and postoperative complications) were significantly better in ERAS patients than in controls. Duration of postoperative infusion was lower in ERAS patients than in controls (P<0.05). In ERAS patients, serum albumin and prealbumin were higher on postoperative day 7, C-reactive protein was lower on postoperative days 3 and 7, and neutrophil count was lower on postoperative day 3 compared to the values in controls (P<0.05 for all). IgM levels were higher in ERAS patients on postoperative days 3 and 7 (P<0.05), while IgG levels were higher on postoperative day 3 (P<0.05). Total T lymphocytes were higher in ERAS patients on postoperative day 3, while helper T cells and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were higher on postoperative days 3 and 7 (P<0.05 for all). In gastric carcinoma patients, ERAS may reduce perioperative inflammation, improve immunity and postoperative nutrition, shorten hospitalization, and enhance rehabilitation.

MicroRNA-383 inhibits doxorubicin resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A2.

Drug resistance occurs commonly in cancers, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in tumour chemoresistance. However, little is known about the role of miR-383 in HCC chemoresistance. In the present study, RT-PCR and western blotting were used to identify the expression profile of miR-383 and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A2 (EIF5A2). The bioinformatics website Targetscan was used to predict the target genes of miR-383. In vitro and in vivo loss- and gain-of-function studies were performed to reveal the effects and potential mechanism of the miR-383/EIF5A2 axis in chemoresistance of HCC cells. The expression level of miR-383 correlated negatively with doxorubicin (Dox) sensitivity. Overexpression of miR-383 promoted HCC cells to undergo Dox-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis, whereas miR-383 knockdown had the opposite effects. EIF5A2 was predicted as a target gene of miR-383. EIF5A2 knockdown sensitized HCC cells to Dox. Moreover, miR-383 inhibition-mediated HCC Dox resistance could be reversed by silencing EIF5A2. Finally, we demonstrated that miR-383 inhibition could enhance Dox sensitivity by targeting EIF5A2 in vivo. The results indicated that miR-383 inhibited Dox resistance in HCC cells by targeting EIF5A2. Targeting the miR-383/EIF5A2 axis might help to alleviate the chemoresistance of HCC cells.

Impact of enhanced recovery after surgery on postoperative rehabilitation, inflammation, and immunity in gastric carcinoma patients: a randomized clinical trial

We determined the effects of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in patients undergoing radical surgery for gastric carcinoma. Sixty patients undergoing radical gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma in Lishui Hospital between March and October 2016 were randomized to receive either ERAS (30 patients) or conventional care (30 patients, controls). Clinical, economic, and laboratory indices were analyzed. ERAS patients showed faster recovery and shorter postoperative hospital stays than the controls (P<0.05). Some clinical indices (i.e., time to first flatus and defecation, time to removal of drainage tubes, time to resumption of oral feeding, time to postoperative mobilization, and postoperative complications) were significantly better in ERAS patients than in controls. Duration of postoperative infusion was lower in ERAS patients than in controls (P<0.05). In ERAS patients, serum albumin and prealbumin were higher on postoperative day 7, C-reactive protein was lower on postoperative days 3 and 7, and neutrophil count was lower on postoperative day 3 compared to the values in controls (P<0.05 for all). IgM levels were higher in ERAS patients on postoperative days 3 and 7 (P<0.05), while IgG levels were higher on postoperative day 3 (P<0.05). Total T lymphocytes were higher in ERAS patients on postoperative day 3, while helper T cells and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were higher on postoperative days 3 and 7 (P<0.05 for all). In gastric carcinoma patients, ERAS may reduce perioperative inflammation, improve immunity and postoperative nutrition, shorten hospitalization, and enhance rehabilitation.

GC7 blocks epithelial-mesenchymal transition and reverses hypoxia-induced chemotherapy resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Hypoxia is common in solid tumors and results in the activation of hypoxia-response genes. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is thought to reflect major cellular adaptation to hypoxia and contributes to chemoresistance in various tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). N1-guanyl-1,7-diaminoheptane (GC7) is an inhibitor which suppresses the active eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A-2 (eIF5A2), preventing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in chemoresistance. In this study, we investigated the role of GC7 in the therapeutic effect of doxorubicin in hypoxia in HCC. We utilized four types of HCC cell line (Huh7, Hep3B, SNU387 and SNU449) in this study. Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to detect expression of epithelial/mesenchymal markers for EMT evaluation and HIF-1α was knocked down using HIF-1α-siRNA. Hypoxia-induced EMT contributed to doxorubicin chemoresistance in HCC cells. Low concentrations of GC7 sensitized Huh7 and Hep3B to doxorubicin by reversing EMT. Knockdown of HIF-1α attenuated hypoxia-induced EMT and abolished the unique feature of GC7. GC7 enhanced sensitivity to doxorubicin in HCC by reversing hypoxia-induced EMT via the HIF-1α-mediated signaling pathway. We suggest a new method of enhancing cytotoxicity of chemotherapy and improving the long-term survival rate in HCC.

High expression of angiogenic factor AGGF1 is an independent prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis plays a critical role in tumor growth and metastasis. Angiogenic factor with G patch and FHA domains 1 (AGGF1) has been recently identified as a novel initiator of angiogenesis. However, the function and the prognostic values of AGGF1 in hepatocellular carcinoma remain poorly understood. Our aim is to provide more information to assist design the angiogenesis therapy that targets AGGF1 in HCC. RESULTS: AGGF1-positive frequency in HCC tissues was significantly higher than in peritumor tissues. The high expression of AGGF1 expression in HCC tissue was well associated with the increased expression of VEGF and the high microvessel density (MVD). AGGF1 expression predicts a poor prognosis and AGGF1 was an independent prognostic factor for DFS. METHODS: The expression levels of AGGF1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and microvessel density (MVD) were identified by immunohistochemistry in 79 HCC tumor tissues and 24 corresponding peritumor tissues. The expression level of AGGF1 and MVD were quantified by counting the positively stained endothelial cells in the HCC and the peritumor tissue on the immunohistochemically stained tissue slides. The prognostic value of AGGF1 was evaluated by survival analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that AGGF1 is identified as the independent prognostic factor for the disease-free survival (DFS) of patients after the surgical resection. contribute to tumor angiogenesis in HCC, which indicates that AGGF1 may be a new potential therapeutic target for anti-angiogenesis treatment for patients with HCC.

Isolated sarcoidosis of accessory spleen in the greater omentum: A case report.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic disease of unknown origin characterized by the formation of non-caseating granulomas. Thoracic involvement is the most common presentation; however, sarcoidosis can involve almost any other organ. To the best of our knowledge there have been only 10 cases of splenic sarcoidosis reported in the English literature, with no reports of sarcoidosis of an accessory spleen. The present study reports a case of isolated sarcoidosis of an accessory spleen in the greater omentum, which was identified postoperatively in a 44-year-old female. Chest X-ray results were normal. Gastric endoscopy demonstrated an ulcer in the antrum, which was confirmed to be a signet-ring cell carcinoma via biopsy. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed mild thickening of the posterior antrum, and a mass in the inferior pole of the left kidney. Intraoperatively, no masses were detected in the liver and spleen. Moreover, no enlarged lymph nodes were detected in the abdominal cavity, pelvic cavity, mesenteric and para-aorta. Following a radical distal gastrectomy and left radical nephrectomy, postoperative pathology demonstrated signet-ring cell carcinoma in the antrum, left renal clear cell cancer and a red lesion measuring 0.5×0.5 cm in the greater omentum, which was similar to the spleen in the splenic cavity and was regarded as an accessory spleen. Following exclusion of fungi and acid-fast bacilli as causative agents, sarcoidosis of the accessory spleen in the greater omentum was confirmed. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged on day 8 postoperation. The patient remained alive after two-year follow-up without sarcoidosis and malignant tumor recurrence. The present case demonstrated that, intraoperatively, comprehensive exploration should be conducted to exclude the accessory spleen, which may also suffer from sarcoidosis.

Abdominal distension and diarrhea as the main symptoms of primary amyloidosis: A case report and literature review.

Amyloidosis is a systemic disease caused by the accumulation of extracellular protein into amyloid deposits. Due to the involvement of a variety of organs and tissues, the disease has no specific clinical features and a high rate of misdiagnosis. The present study describes one case of primary amyloidosis, as confirmed by biopsies of rectal and renal tissues using Congo red staining, demonstrating that abdominal distension and diarrhea were the main symptoms of disease. The current case is also discussed within the context of a review of the associated literature.

Gastric bronchogenic cysts: A case report and literature review.

Gastric bronchogenic cysts are rare lesions, first described in 1956, with only 34 cases reported in the literature to date. The present study described a case of bronchogenic cyst of the stomach in a 17-year-old female who presented with periodic epigastric pain. In addition, the study analyzed the existing literature on these lesions. Gastric bronchogenic cysts are more common in females (female:male ratio, 21:14) and the median age of their development is 43 years. In total, 48.57% of the 34 previously reported cases were identified incidentally, and the remainder presented mainly with epigastric pain. Cyst sizes varied between 1.7 and 15 cm. In 3 cases, preoperative diagnosis was performed using needle biopsy, whereas several studies were initially misdiagnosed as stromal tumors. In 85% of the cases (31/35), cyst resection was performed, with laparoscopy used in 4 of the cases. The findings of the present study and literature review suggested that bronchogenic cysts of the stomach are rare, and surgical resection is warranted to treat symptoms and prevent malignant transformation.

Diagnostic accuracy of serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen and squamous cell carcinoma antigen-immunoglobulin M for hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis.

A number of individual studies have evaluated the diagnostic efficiency of serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) and SCCA-immunoglobulin (IgM) for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the results have been conflicting. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of serum SCCA and SCCA-IgM for HCC. A systematic review of related studies was conducted and relevant data on the accuracy of serum SCCA and SCCA-IgM in the diagnosis of HCC were pooled using random-effects models. Summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) analysis was used to summarize the overall test performance. A total of 12 studies were included in our meta-analysis. The summary estimates for serum SCCA and SCCA-IgM for HCC diagnosis in the included studies were as follows: Sensitivity = 0.59 (95% CI: 0.56-0.62) vs. 0.60 (95% CI: 0.56-0.63); specificity = 0.76 (95% CI: 0.73-0.79) vs. 0.70 (95% CI: 0.67-0.73); diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) = 6.68 (95% CI: 3.71-12.03) vs. 7.32 (95% CI: 3.31-16.15); and area under the SROC curve = 0.7826 vs. 0.7955. Therefore, SCCA and SCCA-IgM exhibited moderate diagnostic accuracy for HCC. Due to the design limitations, the results of published studies should be interpreted with caution. In addition, well-designed studies including larger sample sizes should be conducted to rigorously evaluate the diagnostic value of SCCA and SCCA-IgM.