Transperitoneal vs retroperitoneal laparoscopic radical nephrectomy: a double-arm, parallel-group randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcomes of patients undergoing Retroperitoneal laparoscopic Radical nephrectomy (RLRN) and Transperitoneal laparoscopic Radical nephrectomy (TLRN). METHODS: A total of 120 patients with localized renal cell carcinoma were randomized into either RLRN or TLRN group. Mainly by comparing the patient perioperative related data, surgical specimen integrity, pathological results and tumor results. RESULTS: Each group comprised 60 patients. The two group were equivalent in terms of perioperative and pathological outcomes. The mean integrity score was significantly lower in the RLRN group than TLRN group. With a median follow-up of 36.4 months after the operation, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed no significant difference between RLRN and TLRN in overall survival (89.8% vs. 88.5%; P = 0.898), recurrence-free survival (77.9% vs. 87.7%; P = 0.180), and cancer-specific survival (91.4% vs. 98.3%; P = 0.153). In clinical T2 subgroup, the recurrence rate and recurrence-free survival in the RLRN group was significantly worse than that in the TLRN group (43.2% vs. 76.7%, P = 0.046). Univariate and multivariate COX regression analysis showed that RLRN (HR: 3.35; 95%CI: 1.12-10.03; P = 0.030), male (HR: 4.01; 95%CI: 1.07-14.99; P = 0.039) and tumor size (HR: 1.23; 95%CI: 1.01-1.51; P = 0.042) were independent risk factor for recurrence-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that although RLRN versus TLRN had roughly similar efficacy, TLRN outperformed RLRN in terms of surgical specimen integrity. TLRN was also significantly better than RLRN in controlling tumor recurrence for clinical T2 and above cases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=24400 ), identifier: ChiCTR1800014431, date: 13/01/2018.

Grape Seed Proanthocyanidins Inhibit Migration and Invasion of Bladder Cancer Cells by Reversing EMT through Suppression of TGF-ß Signaling Pathway.

Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common cancer of the urinary system. Despite advances in diagnosis and therapy, the prognosis is still poor because of recurrence and metastasis. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered to play an important role in the invasion and metastasis of BC. Grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) exhibit chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities against several types of cancer. However, their effects and underlying mechanisms on the invasive potential of BC remain unclear. In this study, we found that GSPs inhibited migration, invasion, and MMP-2/-9 secretion of both T24 and 5637 bladder cancer cells at noncytotoxic concentrations. We also discovered that 5637 cells were more suitable than T24 cells for the EMT study. Further study showed that GSPs inhibited EMT by reversing the TGF-ß-induced morphological change and upregulation of mesenchymal markers N-cadherin, vimentin, and Slug as well as downregulation of epithelial markers E-cadherin and ZO-1 in 5637 cells. GSPs also inhibited TGF-ß-induced phosphorylation of Smad2/3, Akt, Erk, and p38 in 5637 cells without affecting the expression of total Smad2/3, Akt, Erk, and p38. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrate that GSPs effectively inhibit the migration and invasion of BC cells by reversing EMT through suppression of the TGF-ß signaling pathway, which indicates that GSPs could be developed as a potential chemopreventive and therapeutic agent against bladder cancer.

Identifying risk factors for chronic kidney disease stage 3 in adults with acquired solitary kidney from unilateral nephrectomy: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine the risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3 among adults with ASK from unilateral nephrectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data from adult patients with ASK between January, 2009 and January, 2019, identified from a tertiary hospital in China. The clinical data were compared between patients who developed CKD stage 3 and those who did not develop CKD stage 3 during follow-up. RESULTS: In total, 172 patients with ASK (110 men; median 58.0 years) were enrolled, with a median follow-up duration of 5.0 years. During follow-up, 91 (52.9%) and 24 (14.0%) patients developed CKD stage 3 and end-stage renal disease, respectively. Multiple regression analyses showed that age (odds ratio [OR] 1.076, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.039-1.115, p < 0.001), diabetes (OR 4.401, 95% CI 1.693-11.44, p = 0.002), hyperuricemia (OR 2.733, 95% CI 1.104-6.764, p = 0.03), a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (OR 5.583, 95% CI 1.884-18.068, p = 0.002), and ASK due to renal tuberculosis (OR 8.816, 95% CI 2.92-26.62, p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for developing CKD stage 3 among patients with ASK. CONCLUSIONS: Regular follow-up of renal function is needed among adult patients with ASK. Optimal management of diabetes, hyperuricemia, and CVD may reduce their risk of CKD stage 3, especially among those that undergo unilateral nephrectomy for renal tuberculosis.

Downregulation of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 Represses Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion Through Mediating PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling by miR-342-3p/CUL4B Axis in Prostate Cancer.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer among men, threatening men's health and life. Long noncoding RNA Zinc-finger E-box binding homeobox 1 antisense gene 1 (ZEB1-AS1) and Cullin 4B (CUL4B) were reported to be connected with the tumorigenesis of PCa. However, it is unclear whether ZEB1-AS1 regulates the expression of CUL4B in PCa. Materials and Methods: The levels of ZEB1-AS1 and CUL4B in PCa tissues and cells were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Protein levels of CUL4B, p21, CyclinD1, matrix metalloprotease 9 (MMP9), E-cadherin, phosphorylated-phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (p-PI3K), PI3K phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT), AKT, p-mTOR and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in PCa tissues or cells were assessed by Western blot analysis. The proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of PCa cells were determined with 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-YI)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) or transwell assay. The interaction between ZEB1-AS1 or CUL4B and microRNA-342-3p (miR-342-3p) was predicted using starBase v2.0 database and confirmed by the dual-luciferase reporter assay. Results: ZEB1-AS1 and CUL4B were upregulated and miR-342-3p was downregulated in PCa tissues and cells. Both ZEB1-AS1 and CUL4B inhibition constrained proliferation, migration, and invasion of PCa cells. Moreover, the elevation of CUL4B reversed the effects of ZEB1-AS1 silencing on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PCa cells. Importantly, ZEB1-AS1 modulated CUL4B expression by sponging miR-342-3p in PCa cells. Besides, ZEB1-AS1 mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal pathway by miR-342-3p/CUL4B axis in PCa cells. Conclusion: ZEB1-AS1 modulated PCa progression through mediating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling by miR-342-3p/CUL4B axis, providing a possible strategy for the treatment of PCa.

Single-Use Versus Reusable Digital Flexible Ureteroscopes for the Treatment of Renal Calculi: A Prospective Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of a single-use digital flexible ureteroscope (f-URS) and a reusable digital f-URS (URF-V) for the treatment of renal stones in adults. Patients and Methods: In this randomized open-label noninferiority trial, we randomly selected patients with renal stones to receive ureteroscopy through a single-use digital f-URS (ZebraScope™; Happiness Workshop, Beijing, China) or a URF-V (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan). The primary endpoint was the 1-month postsurgical stone-free rate (SFR). The secondary efficacy endpoints assessed were the high-quality rate of images, the eligible rate of operability, the operative time, and the length of hospital stay. The safety outcomes assessed were the presence of postoperative complications, adverse events (AEs), and serious AEs (SAEs). The noninferiority margin was set at -10%. Results: In total, 126 patients completed the study (i.e., 63 patients in each group). The demographic and preoperative parameters were comparable between the two groups. The 1-month SFR was 77.78% for the ZebraScope group and 68.25% for the URF-V group (two-sided 95% confidence interval [CI]: -5.95 to 25.01). The high-quality rate of images and the eligible rate of operability were 100% in both groups (two-sided 95% CI: -5.27 to 5.35). There was no difference between the two groups in the operative time (p = 0.687), the length of hospital stay (p = 0.430), the presence of postoperative complications (p = 0.310), the presence of AEs (p = 0.709), and the presence of SAEs (p = 0.648). The most important and fatal SAE was acute urinary tract obstruction. Conclusion: The single-use digital f-URS (ZebraScope) appears to be at least noninferior to URF-V regarding the 1-month SFR, the high-quality rate of images, and the eligible rate of operability. Single-use digital f-URSs are an effective and safe alternative to URF-V.