Clinical effect of early enteral nutrition support on critically ill neonates with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and clinical outcomes of early enteral nutrition (EN) in critically ill neonates supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 16 critically ill neonates who received ECMO support for respiratory and circulatory failure from July 2021 to December 2022 at our center. The patients were divided into two groups: the early EN group (< 24 h) and the late EN group (> 24 h). The related clinical and nutrition-related indicators between the groups were compared. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the time from ECMO treatment to the start of EN between the early EN group (9 patients, 56.2%) and the late EN group (7 patients, 43.8%) (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in ECMO duration, hospitalization time, vasoactive-inotropic score (VIS), intestinal oxygen saturation, or routine stool occult blood (OB) test between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The incidence of complications such as intestinal obstruction, abdominal distension, diarrhea, and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) was slightly lower in the early EN group, but the differences were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). The early EN group had a shorter time [3.6 (3.5, 5) vs. 7.5 (5.9, 8.5) d] to reach full gastrointestinal nutrition compared to the late EN group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Providing early nutritional support through enteral feeding to critically ill neonates receiving ECMO treatment is both safe and practical, but close monitoring of clinical and nutritional indicators is essential.

WeChat-assisted health education and preoperative care improve the mental state of parents of children with ventricular septal defect.

Many studies have shown that parents of children with congenital heart disease have more stress, anxiety and depression. This study was aimed to explore the effect of implementing WeChat-assisted health education and preoperative care on parents of children with the restrictive ventricular septal defect to improve the psychological state. A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted in a provincial hospital in China. Participants were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group to explore the psychological state of parents of children with the restricted ventricular septal defect. Before surgery, the state-trait anxiety inventory scale score (STAI) of the WeChat group were 26.8 ± 8.2 and 27.3 ± 7.0, which were significantly higher than those of the leaflet group (37.6 ± 12.9 and 39.3 ± 11.7). Compared with the STAI score at the first visit, the WeChat group preoperative score was significantly lower (P < 0.05). The rate of loss to follow-up in the WeChat group (0%) was significantly lower than that of the leaflet group (14.3%). The complication of the leaflet group was significantly higher than that of the WeChat group. Health education and preoperative care for parents of children with restrictive ventricular septal defect through WeChat can effectively improve the parents' mental state and reduce the incidence of complications and the rate of loss to follow-up.

Unplanned Return to Cardiac Intensive Care Unit of Children After Congenital Heart Surgery: Incidence, Outcomes, and Risk Factors.

OBJECTIVE: Factors leading to an unplanned return to the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) in children after congenital heart disease and their impact on mortality have not been well characterized. We sought to determine the incidence and outcomes of unplanned return to the CICU. A secondary objective was to identify risk factors. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the registration data collected by our unit. The study subjects included postoperative patients with congenital heart disease who survived to initial transfer out of the CICU. Patients who unexpectedly returned to the CICU due to an acute change in clinical status were defined as unplanned returns. Demographic, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were assessed. Univariate comparisons were performed between the return group and non-return group, and multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify potential risk factors for unplanned return to the CICU. RESULTS: Of the 531 children who met the inclusion criteria, 29 were unplanned returns to the CICU. Respiratory symptoms (41.4%) and cardiac symptoms (44.8%) were the most common reasons for returning to the CICU. Patients with unplanned returns had a higher mortality rate (13.8% vs. 0.56%, P < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, unplanned CICU admission was associated with chromosomal abnormalities (P < 0.01), longer ventilator duration (P < 0.01), and more prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass (P < 0.01) was associated with a return to independence. CONCLUSIONS: Unplanned return to the CICU during the same hospital stay was uncommon but associated with higher mortality. Chromosomal abnormalities, longer ventilator use duration, and prolonged CPB were significant risk factors for the entire cohort. We hope to minimize the impact of unplanned return after congenital heart disease surgery by changing the process of transferring these high-risk postoperative patients out of the CICU and early postoperative care.

Super-Dispersed Fe-N Sites Embedded into Porous Graphitic Carbon for ORR: Size, Composition and Activity Control.

Searching for high-efficient, good long-term stability, and low-cost electrocatalysts toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is highly desirable for the development of sustainable energy conversion devices. Iron-nitrogen doped carbon (Fe-N/C) catalysts have been recognized as the most promising candidates for traditional Pt-based catalysts that benefit from their high activity, excellent anti-poisoning ability, and inexpensiveness. Here, a super-dispersed and high-performance Fe-N/C catalyst was derived from chemically Fe-doped zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) by directly bonding Fe ions to imidazolate ligands within 3D frameworks. It produced a series of catalysts, whose sizes could be tuned in the range from 62 to over 473 nm in diameter. After rationally regulating the component and heating treatment, the best ORR activity was measured for the catalyst with a size of 105 nm, which was obtained when the Fe3+/Zn2+ molar ratio was 0.05 and carbonization temperature was 900 °C. It exhibited a high onset potential (Eonset = 0.99 V) and half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.885 V) compared with a commercial 20% Pt/C catalyst (Eonset = 0.10 V, E1/2 = 0.861 V) as well as much better durability and methanol resistance in an alkaline electrolyte.

Performance of remote health education via WeChat to improve the pre-operative nutritional status of infants with non-restrictive ventricular septal defects: A prospective randomised controlled study.

AIM: This study aimed to explore the effect of performing remote health education via WeChat to improve the pre-operative nutritional status of non-restrictive ventricular septal defects (VSD). METHODS: A prospective randomised controlled study was conducted in a provincial maternity and child hospital in China. Participants were randomised regarding education to the intervention group (WeChat) and the control group (leaflets). The nutritional status and complications of the patients were compared after intervening for 1 month. RESULTS: Nutrient status comparison at 1 month after intervention showed that the body weight, head circumference, haemoglobin, albumin and pre-albumin of the WeChat group were significantly higher than those of the leaflet group (P < 0.05). The STRONGkids score of the WeChat group was significantly lower than that of the leaflet group (P < 0.05). The incidence of feeding intolerance and respiratory tract infection in the WeChat group was significantly lower than that found in the leaflet group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of liver insufficiency and jaundice between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Providing pre-operative feeding and care guidance for parents of infants with non-restrictive VSD, via remote health education through WeChat, can effectively improve nutritional status and reduce the risk of malnutrition and feeding complications.

The effect of music therapy on chronic pain, quality of life and quality of sleep in adolescents after transthoracic occlusion of ventricular septal defect.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of music therapy on chronic pain, quality of life, and quality of sleep in adolescent patients after transthoracic occlusion of ventricular septal defects. METHODS: Patients were divided into 2 groups based on whether they received music therapy: a control group and a music group. The music group received 30 minutes of music therapy every day for 6 months after surgery. Patients in the control group received standard treatment and had 30 minutes of quiet time every day for 6 months after surgery. The short-form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ), the SF-36 scale and the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire (KSQ) was used as the evaluation tool for chronic pain, quality of life, and quality of sleep, respectively. RESULTS: In terms of the degree of postoperative chronic pain, the Pain Rating Index (PRI) emotion item score in the SF-MPQ evaluation of the music group was significantly lower than that of the control group (1.6 ± 1.1 versus 2.2 ± 0.9). The role emotional (RE) scores of the SF-36 in the music group were significantly higher than that in the control group (77.35 ± 18.55 versus 42.66 ± 22.63). KSQ scores were significantly higher in the music group than in the control group for sleep status (4.1 ± 1.0 versus 3.3 ± 0.9), falling asleep (3.9 ± 1.1 versus 3.1 ± 1.0), and not feeling refreshed by sleep (3.6 ± 1.3 versus 2.7 ± 0.9) (P < .05). CONCLUSION: This study preliminarily showed that music therapy could effectively reduce patients' chronic pain and improve quality of life and sleep after surgery. These results suggest that music therapy may be an essential therapy worth considering in managing patients' postoperative recovery after cardiovascular surgery.

A Comparative Study on Breast Milk Feeding and Formula Milk Feeding in Infants With Congenital Heart Disease After Surgery: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of breast milk feeding and formula milk feeding on infants after cardiac surgery in the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: Infants who underwent cardiac surgery in our ICU were divided into two groups, according to feeding type. Breast milk feeding and formula milk feeding were separately implemented in the two groups, and the remaining treatment regimens were the same. The related clinical data and feeding effects were recorded and compared. RESULTS: The prealbumin (147.3 ± 15.2 versus 121.5 ± 18.3mg/L) and albumin (46.4 ± 4.2 versus 40.5 ± 5.1 g/L) levels in the breast milk feeding group were better than those in the formula milk feeding group (P < .05). Infants in the breast milk feeding group achieved a better total enteral nutrition time (3.0 ± 1.2 versus 5.2 ± 2.1 d), average daily weight gain (19.0 ± 3.4 versus 14.4 ± 2.3 g/kg·d), length of ICU stay (6.0 ± 2.2 versus 8.1 ± 2.9 d) and length of hospital stay (13.9 ± 4.2 versus 17.8 ± 5.6 d) than those in the formula milk feeding group (P < .05). The incidence of complications such as feeding intolerance, anemia, dyspeptic diarrhea, and nosocomial infection was lower in the breast milk feeding group than in the formula milk feeding group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Breast milk feeding has a definite nutritional effect on infants after cardiac surgery. It is better than formula milk feeding, making it worthy of popularization and application.

Music Therapy for Early Postoperative Pain, Anxiety, and Sleep in Patients after Mitral Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effect of music therapy on early postoperative pain, anxiety, and sleep quality in patients after mechanical mitral valve replacement (MVR). METHODS: A total of 222 patients undergoing mechanical MVR were divided into two groups: the music group and the control group. The patients in the music group received 30 minutes of music therapy every day, whereas the patients in the control group had 30 minutes of quiet time. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the degree of pain, and the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) was used to evaluate the degree of early postoperative anxiety. We also recorded the sleep duration of the patients and used the Verran and Snyder-Halpern (VSH) Sleep Scale to evaluate the sleep quality of the patients. RESULTS: The VAS scores in the music group were significantly lower than those in the control group, and early postoperative anxiety in the music group was also significantly improved compared with that in the control group. The sleep duration in the music group was significantly greater than that in the control group. In the evaluation of sleep quality using the VSH Sleep Scale, the scores for sleep interruption, sleep length, sleep depth, degree of rest, and subjective sleep quality in the music group were significantly lower than those in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Music therapy can be an effective intervention to reduce early postoperative pain, relieve early postoperative anxiety, prolong sleep time, and improve the sleep quality of patients after mechanical MVR.

Effect of Music Therapy on the Chronic Pain and Midterm Quality of Life of Patients after Mechanical Valve Replacement.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of music therapy on the chronic pain and midterm quality of life of patients after mechanical valve replacement. METHODS: Patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not they received music therapy. The patients in the music group received 30 minutes of music therapy every day for 6 months after the operation. The patients in the control group received standard treatment and had 30 minutes of quiet rest time every day in the same period. The short-form of McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) was used to evaluate the degree of postoperative chronic pain, and the SF-36 was used to evaluate the midterm quality of life of patients. RESULTS: In terms of the degree of postoperative chronic pain, the score of the pain rating index (PRI) emotional item in the music group was significantly lower than that in the control group. In the evaluation of the postoperative midterm quality of life using the SF-36, the emotional function score in the music group was significantly higher than that in the control group. CONCLUSION: This study preliminarily showed that music therapy can effectively reduce chronic pain and improve midterm quality of life after surgery.

Effect of continuous nursing interventions on valve noise-related anxiety and quality of life in patients who underwent mechanical mitral valve replacement.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of continuous nursing interventions on valve noise-related anxiety in patients undergoing mechanical mitral valve replacement (MVR) and to analyze its impact on patient quality of life. METHODS: Ninety patients who underwent mechanical MVR were divided into two groups. All patients in group A received routine nursing care. In addition to this intervention, an assigned nurse periodically provided patients in group B with continuous nursing interventions and ongoing health consultations during a 1-year follow-up. A hospital anxiety and depression (HAD) scale, a customized questionnaire and a Short Form Health Status 36 (SF-36) score questionnaire were used as the research tools. RESULTS: The postoperative HAD scores were better in group B than in group A, but the differences in most of the data were not statistically significant between the groups, except for HA sections 0-7 and 11-21. Based on the customized questionnaire, the subjective disturbance level was significantly lower in group B than in group A (the results of Q1 and Q4 were statistically significant). With regard to the SF-36 scores, group B was superior to group A in general health, emotional function and mental health, while the other dimensions had no significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with routine care, patients who received continuous care intervention after mechanical MVR had fewer anxiety symptoms and better quality of life.

Parents' knowledge and attitudes regarding transthoracic device closure of VSD in children: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify Chinese parents' knowledge and attitudes toward transthoracic device closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD). METHODS: This cross-sectional study collected data on a total of 203 Chinese parents of patients with VSD were included, and an author-designed three-page questionnaire was used. RESULTS: A total of 73.9% of the parents had heard of transthoracic device closure of VSD; however, they lacked detailed knowledge. 88.2% parents expressed their willingness to undergo this procedure. Although there was no significant correlation between knowledge about the occluder material and acceptance of the method, knowledge of other information was significantly related to willingness to undergo the procedure. Some parents expressed some concerns and high expectations, but the postoperative risk reduced their desire for accepting the procedure. This study also found that most parents did not have a detailed understanding of such procedure. CONCLUSION: Parents of patients with VSD in China need continued education regarding transthoracic device closure of VSD, especially in terms of its benefits and limited postoperative complications. In addition, it is essential to reduce the cost of this procedure to promote its development and application.

Forkhead box P3 gene silencing inhibits the expression of chemokines and chemokine receptors associated with cell growth, migration, and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

The aberrant expression of forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) leads to the formation of malignant tumors. FOXP3 expression levels are also elevated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of FOXP3 silencing on cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis and chemokine/chemokine receptor expression in the MHCC-97H HCC cell line. Three FOXP3 short hairpin (sh)RNA constructs were designed: Sh-FOXP3-1-pGreenPuro, sh-FOXP3-2-pGreenPuro, and sh-FOXP3-3-pGreenPuro. MHCC-97H cells were transfected with shRNA-FOXP3, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of C-X-C motif chemokine (CXC) ligand 12 (CXCL12), CXCL11, CXC receptor 4 (CXCR4) and CXCR7 were measured. Cell Counting Kit-8, terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and Transwell assays were used to evaluate cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration, respectively. Of the three FOXP3 lentivirus carriers constructed, sh-FOXP3-1 significantly reduced FOXP3 expression levels and was chosen for further experiments. sh-FOXP3-1 inhibited cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis and inhibited cell migration compared with the negative control. The mRNA and protein expression levels of CXCL12, CXCL11, CXCR4 and CXCR7 were decreased significantly in response to FOXP3 silencing. FOXP3 silencing may therefore inhibit cell growth, induce apoptosis and inhibit migration in HCC cells, possibly by impairing the chemokine/chemokine receptor axes.

Comparison of Transthoracic Device Closure and Surgical Repair with Right Submammary or Right Infra-axillary Thoracotomy for Perimembranous VSD.

BACKGROUND: Transthoracic device closure (TTDC) and surgical repair with right infra-axillary thoracotomy (SRRIAT) or with right submammary thoracotomy (SRSMT) are all the primary alternative treatments for restrictive perimembranous ventricular septal defect (pmVSD). However, few studies have compared them in terms of effectiveness and complications. METHODS: Patients with restrictive pmVSD undergoing TTDC, or SRRIAT, or SRSMT from March 2016 to February 2017 were retrospectively reviewed in our cardiac center. There were no differences in age (1.3 ± 1.2 vs 1.1 ± 1.1 vs 1.2 ± 1.1 years), gender (35/37 vs 30/33 vs 29/29), body weight (8.3 ± 2.6 vs 8.2 ± 2.4 vs 8.1 ± 2.5 kg), and size of VSD (4.2 ± 1.1 vs 5.2 ± 1.3 vs 5.1 ± 1.2 mm) distribution between the three groups. RESULTS: The procedure success rates were similar in the three groups. The TTDC group had the shortest operative time, postoperative mechanical ventilation time, duration of intensive care, postoperative length of hospital stay, medical cost, and length of the incision. There were no significant differences in terms of operative time, aortic cross-clamping time, duration of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), blood transfusion volume, mechanical ventilation time, duration of intensive care, duration of hospital stays, pleural fluid drainage, or cost between the SRSMT and SRRIAT groups. No significant differences were noted in terms of major adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: TTDC, SRRIAT, and SRSMT all showed excellent outcomes and cosmetic appearances for selected VSD patients. TTDC had advantages over SRRIAT and SRSMT in terms of short operation duration and smaller incision size and shorter durations of intensive care and hospital stays.

The Short and Midterm Follow-Up of Transthoracic Device Closure of Perimembranous Ventricular Septal Defect in Adults.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the short- and mid-term follow-up results of transthoracic device closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect (pmVSD) in adults. METHODS: Sixty-one adults underwent transthoracic device closure of pmVSD at our institution from Jan. 2012 to Jan. 2016. All relevant clinical data were recorded and analyzed. All patients were invited to undergo contrast transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) for 12 months to 60 months after VSD closure. Phone interviews were conducted to further evaluate the cardiac function status. RESULTS: All patients were successfully occluded using this procedure. The most frequent complication was transient cardiac arrhythmia, which was easily treated during the perioperative period. During the follow-up period, we found no recurrence, malignant arrhythmia, thrombosis, device embolization, valve damage, device failure, or cases of death. The total occlusion rate was 100 percent in the 12 months of follow-up, and most of patients showed significant improvement in their clinical status. From the TTE data, the intracardiac structure and cardiac function were improved in the follow-up. CONCLUSION: Transthoracic device closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect in adults is a safe and feasible technique. The short- and mid-term follow-up results were satisfactory, but long-term follow-up is required to better assess the safety and feasibility of this method in adults.

The Comparison of Perventricular Device Closure with Transcatheter Device Closure and the Surgical Repair via Median Sternotomy for Perimembranous Ventricular Septal Defect.

BACKGROUND: Perventricular and transcatheter device closures are performed for perimembranous ventricular septal defect (pmVSD) to reduce the surgical trauma of conventional surgical repair via median sternotomy. Few comparative studies have been conducted among these three procedures. METHODS: From June 2015 to May 2016, 247 patients with isolated pmVSD who had undergone perventricular or transcatheter device closure or conventional surgical repair were reviewed to compare these three procedures. RESULTS: The procedure success rate was similar in these three groups. There were a statistically significant difference in operative time, aortic cross-clamping time, duration of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), blood transfusion amount, and medical cost in these three groups. Meanwhile, postoperative mechanical ventilation time, duration of intensive care, and length of hospital stay were longer in surgical group than the other two groups. The surgical group required the longest incision. No significant difference was noted in major adverse events. There were different advantages and disadvantages in these three kinds of procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Device closure may be alternative to conventional surgical repair for patients with isolated pmVSD. Perventricular device closure was the preferred procedure because it showed more maneuverable than transcatheter procedure with the same clinical result.

Surgical repair via submammary thoracotomy, right axillary thoracotomy and median sternotomy for ventricular septal defects.

BACKGROUND: Right submammary thoracotomy and right vertical infra-axillary thoracotomy are performed for ventricular septal defect (VSD) to reduce the invasiveness of the conventional surgical repair through median sternotomy approach. No comparative studies have been conducted among these three procedures. METHODS: From January 2016 to December 2016, 182 patients with isolated VSD who underwent surgical repair via one of these 3 approaches were reviewed to compare these three procedures. RESULTS: The procedure success rates were similar in these three groups. There was no statistically significant difference in operative time, aortic cross-clamping time, the duration of CPB, blood transfusion amount and medical cost. However, postoperative mechanical ventilation time, the duration of intensive care and postoperative length of hospital stay were longer in median sternotomy group than the other two groups. (P < 0.05) The median sternotomy group required the longest incision. No significant difference was noted in major adverse events. There were different advantages and disadvantages in the three kinds of operative procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Regarding conventional surgical repair VSD, right submammary thoracotomy and right vertical infra-axillary thoracotomy both delivered better cosmetic results for patients with isolated VSD, while all the three procedures could obtain satisfactory clinical effect.

Intraoperative Device Closure of Isolated Ventricular Septal Defects: Experience on 1,090 Cases.

BACKGROUND: This study summarizes the clinical experience and 8-year follow-up results of the intraoperative device closure of ventricular septal defects (VSD). METHODS: From January 2009 to June 2017, 1,090 patients with isolated VSD were enrolled at our institute to participate in the study. The procedure involved a small lower sternal incision that was performed after full evaluation of VSD by transesophageal/transthoracic echocardiographic (TEE/TTE) guidance and the deployment of a domestically made occluder to close the VSD periventricularly and off cardiopulmonary bypass. Follow-up was in the first 3 months and then every 1 to 2 years with TTE, electrocardiography, and upon symptoms. RESULTS: In all, 1,033 patients were occluded successfully under this approach, and the remaining patients were converted to surgical repair. The size of the occluder deployed ranged from 6 to 14 mm and included 825 symmetric devices and 208 asymmetric devices. A total of 25 patients developed severe arrhythmias, including 11 cases of complete atrioventricular block and 14 cases of Mobitz type II atrioventricular block, during and after the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive transthoracic device closure of VSD with an asymmetric or symmetric domestically made device on a beating heart is a safe and feasible alternative to conventional surgical repair. More experience in multicenter and long-term follow-up is necessary to assess the actual feasibility and safety of this procedure.

Development of an indolicidin-derived peptide by reducing membrane perturbation to decrease cytotoxicity and maintain gene delivery ability.

Indolicidin (IL) is a cationic antimicrobial peptide and our previous study has demonstrated its potential as a cell penetrating peptide (CPP) to promote gene delivery. However, the cytotoxicity of IL arisen from its membrane perturbation capacity may restrict its clinical application. To promote gene delivery safety and efficiency, an almost mirror-symmetric IL derivative, SAP10 (RRWKFFPWRR-CONH2), was designed in this study. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to understand the association between SAP10 and model lipid bilayers. By comparison with IL, SAP10 with high positively charged density resisted its deep insertion into lipid bilayers, which thus reduced its perturbation to lipid bilayers and improved biocompatibility. Consequently, we further mixed SAP10, polyethylenimine (PEI) and DNA to form the ternary nanocomplexes for gene delivery investigation. Both IL and SAP10 weakened the interaction between to DNA and PEI, which may be beneficial to promote the dissociation of internalized DNA from the carrier molecules. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the SAP10-associated ternary nanocomplexes highly promoted the transfection efficiency to various cells with low cytotoxicity. The effect of the SAP10 on promoting gene delivery was mainly contributed by the adsorbed peptides on the nanoparticles rather than the free ones. In particular, the dose of SAP10 could be increased to broaden the administration window, which ensured its safety on transfection. Therefore, our results suggested the argument that the designed SAP10 is a safe and an efficient peptide to promote PEI-mediated gene delivery.

Thoracoscope-Assisted Mitral Valve Replacement with a Small Incision in the Right Chest: A Chinese Single Cardiac Center Experience.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the safety, feasibility, and clinical effectiveness of thoracoscopy-assisted mitral valve replacement via thoracic right-anterior minimal incision. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted of 225 patients with mitral valve lesions who were treated in our hospital from August 2012 to August 2015. Group A included 105 patients undergoing thoracoscopy-assisted mitral valve replacement via a thoracic right-anterior minimal incision, and group B included 120 patients undergoing conventional mitral valve replacement. We collected and analyzed clinical data from both groups. RESULTS The procedures were successful in patients of both groups. No severe complications or mortality were reported. Postoperative mechanical ventilation time (8.6±2.4 h vs. 12.4±3.2 h), duration of intensive care (1.7±1.2 d vs. 2.8±1.3 d), duration of postoperative analgesia use (28.7±8.9 h vs. 36.3±7.5 h), postoperative length of hospital stay (8.2±2.2 d vs. 12.8±2.1 d), pleural fluid drainage (210.5±60.5 ml vs. 425.4±75.6 ml), blood transfusion amount (420.5±80.4 ml vs. 658.3±96.7 ml), and operative incision length (4.7±1.1 cm vs. 22.4±2.5 cm) were significantly shorter (or lower) in group A than in group B. There were different advantages and disadvantages in the 2 kinds of operative procedure in terms of postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS Thoracoscopy-assisted mitral valve replacement via thoracic right-anterior minimal incision has the same clinical efficacy, safety, and feasibility as conventional mitral valve replacement.

The expression levels of transcription factors T-bet, GATA-3, RORγt and FOXP3 in peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) of patients with liver cancer and their significance.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the expression of transcriptional factors (TFs) T-bet, GATA-3, RORγt and FOXP in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to evaluate the correlation between the imbalances of Th1/Th2, Th17/Treg at the expression levels and liver cancer Methods: The peripheral venous blood was drawn from 20 HCC-patients (HCC-group) and 20 health participants (C-group). The expression levels of Th1, Th2 and Th17 and the major Treg-specific TFs T-bet, GATA-3, RORγt and FOXP3 in the PBMC were measured with quantitative real-time PCR(RT-qPCR). RESULTS: The mRNA level of Th1-specific TF T-bet in HCC-group was significantly lower than that of C-group (52.34±34.07 VS 104.01±56.00, P<0.01); the mRNA level of Th2-specifc TF, GATA-3, in HCC group was significantly higher than that in C-group (1.38±1.15 VS 0.58±0.65, P<0.05) and T-bet mRNA/GATA-3 mRNA ratio was significantly lower in HCC-group than in C-group (86.01±116.71 VS 461.88±708.81, P<0.05). The mRNA level of Th17-specific TF RORγt in HCC-group was significantly higher than that of C-group (72.32±32.82 VS 33.07±22.86, P<0.01). Treg-specific TF FOXP3 mRNA level was significant higher in HCC-group than in C-group (3.17±1.59 VS 1.39±1.13, P<0.01) CONCLUSION: T-bet mRNA level was reduced whereas GATA-3 mRNA level was increased and T-bet/GATA-3 ratio was significantly reduced in PBMC, indicating that Th1/Th2 ratio was of imbalance at TF levels in PBMC of HCC, displaying Th2 thrift phenomena. The mRNA levels of RORγt and FOXP3 in PBMC of HCC were significantly increased, indicating the existence of a predominant phenomenon of Th17- and Treg-expressing PBMC in HCC.