Blood cell count-derived inflammation indices as predictors of the osteoporotic risk of postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the associations between osteoporosis (OP) and systemic immune inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in postmenopausal women. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 966 postmenopausal women. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were applied to explore the relationships between SII, NLR, MLR, and PLR with the bone mineral density (BMD) and risk of OP. RESULTS: Logistic regression analyses showed that SII, PLR, NLR, and MLR had independent negative associations with the OP risk. The ROC curve analysis showed that SII, NLR, and MLR predicted a low BMD, with NLR having the highest predictive value (area under the curve = 0.624). SII > 504.09, PLR > 131.87, NLR > 2.02, and MLR > 0.12 correlated with a particularly high OP risk. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of SII, PLR, NLR, and MLR were associated with a high OP risk. In particular, NLR > 2.02 strongly predicted the risk of OP, thereby representing a valuable and convenient inflammatory marker of the OP risk.

[Contrast-enhanced CT and texture analysis of mass-forming pancreatitis and cancer in the pancreatic head].

Objective: To explore the value of contrast-enhanced CT combined with texture analysis in differentiating pancreatic cancer from mass-forming pancreatitis in pancreatic head. Methods: A retrospective study collected 21 patients with pancreatic head mass-forming pancreatitis confirmed by surgery or biopsy and 47 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma confirmed by surgery. The patients visited the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine and the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College between January 2014 and December 2017. Gender, age and CT findings were collected. The parenchymal phase was selected for texture analysis. The minimum absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method was applied for dimensionality reduction.Two independent sample t-tests or Mann-Whitney U test were used for continuous variables based on the Shapiro-Wilks normality test results. Categorical variables were tested by Chi-square or Fisher test. By multivariable regression analysis, CT findings, CT texture analysis, CT findings combined with texture analysis prediction models were established. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of individual indicators and each prediction model. The Delong test was used to compare the area under the curve (AUC) of each model. Results: The CT findings prediction model consisted of CT value of lesion on pancreatic parenchymal phase and pancreatic duct penetrating sign. The texture analysis prediction model consists of root mean square and low grey level run emphasis_angle135. The AUC of them were not statistically different (Z=0.150,P>0.05). The combined predictive model had the better diagnostic performance (AUC 0.944, sensitivity 83.0%, specificity 95.2%, +LR 17.43, -LR 0.18) than CT sign prediction model (Z=2.008, P<0.05) and texture analysis prediction model(Z=2.236, P<0.05) were significantly different. Conclusions: The CT findings model and the texture analysis model have equivalent diagnostic performance in the differentiation of mass-forming pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. The enhanced CT combined with texture analysis model has the best diagnostic efficiency and can further improve the diagnostic ability.

Simultaneous assessment of the intraluminal pressure and transit time of the colon using a telemetry technique.

Colonic motility disorders are common conditions. However, our understanding of normal and pathological motor functions of the colon remains limited, mainly due to the technical difficulties in accessing this organ for study. To investigate colonic motility under normal physiological conditions, we have developed a novel monitoring system based on a telemetry technique. The system is capable of prolonged and noninvasive measurement of intraluminal pressure changes and transit time of intra-colonic contents. To test the in vivo performance of the monitoring system, 15 healthy volunteers and 15 patients with functional constipation (FC) participated in this study. A single-use telemetry capsule embedded with sensors was ingested by the subjects. The capsule is capable of transmitting colonic pressure and temperature wirelessly. The time of the telemetry capsule entering the segmental colon was detected by ultrasonic detection of the batteries in capsule. Pressure recordings confirmed in general a circadian behavior of colonic motility, as well as its response to waking and meals. In the FC patients, the contractile response to morning awakening and meal ingestion was significantly lower compared to the controls. The transit time measured using this method agreed with the time calculated from radiopaque markers (r = 0.89, p < 0.05). The clinical study proved both the reliability and the noninvasiveness of the system. This capsule-style manometric system may represent a useful tool for the study of physiology and pathology of colonic motor disorders.