Biochar alters the selectivity of MnFe2O4-activated periodate process through serving as the electron-transfer mediator.

Constructing green and sustainable advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the degradation of organic contaminants is of great importance but still remains big challenge. In this work, an effective AOP (MnFe2O4-activated periodate, MnFe2O4/PI) was established and investigated for the oxidation of organic contaminants. To avoid the severe aggregation of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles, a hybrid MnFe2O4-biochar catalyst (MnFe2O4-BC) was further synthesized by anchoring MnFe2O4 nanoparticles on chemically inert biochar substrate. Intriguingly, MnFe2O4-BC/PI exhibited different selectivity towards organic contaminants compared with MnFe2O4/PI, revealing that biochar not only served as the substrate, but also directly participated into the oxidation process. Electron-transfer mechanism was comprehensively elucidated to be responsible for the abatement of pollutants in both MnFe2O4/PI and MnFe2O4-BC/PI. The surface oxygen vacancies (OVs) of MnFe2O4 were identified as the active sites for the formation of high potential complexes MnFe2O4-PI*, which could directly and indirectly degrade the organic pollutants. For the hybrid MnFe2O4-BC catalyst, biochar played multiple roles: (i) substrate, (ii) provided massive adsorption sites, (iii) electron-transfer mediator. The differences in selectivity of MnFe2O4/PI and MnFe2O4-BC/PI were determined by the adsorption affinity between biochar substrate and organics. Overall, the findings of this study expand the knowledge on the selectivity of PI-triggered AOPs.

Effect of DBD Plasma Treatment on Activity of Mo-Based Sulfur-Resistant Methanation Catalyst.

By combining the advantages of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) low temperature plasma and fluidized bed, the effect of plasma on the performance of supported Mo-based catalyst was studied in this paper. The performance of the catalyst obtained by plasma treatment, calcined, plasma+calcined was compared, and the appropriate catalyst preparation scheme was explored. Comparing with the three catalysts, it was concluded that the catalyst average conversion after 30 W plasma treatment is 33.40 %, which was 8.94 % and 12.75 % higher than the other two, respectively. The structure and properties of the catalyst were characterized by N2-Physisorption, H2-chemisorption, XRD, TEM, XPS, Raman and NO-pulse adsorption. Then, by analyzing the characterization results, it can be seen that plasma can make the catalyst have a higher specific surface area and a more dispersed active metal with smaller grain size. Through the surface species identification characterization, it was found that plasma can produce more defective structures and expose more active sites, which is the main reason for the difference in conversion.

Molecular Imaging of Fibrosis in Benign Diseases: An Overview of the State of the Art.

Fibrosis is a progressive pathological process participating in the progression of many diseases and can ultimately result in organ malfunction and failure. Around 45% of deaths in the United States are believed to be attributable to fibrotic disorders, and there are no favorable treatment regiments available to meet the need of blocking fibrogenesis, reversing established fibrosis, and curing diseases, especially in the terminal stage. Therefore, early detection and continuous monitoring provide valuable benefits for patients. Among all the advanced techniques developed in recent years for fibrosis evaluation, molecular imaging stands out with its distinct advantage of visualizing biochemical processes and patterns of target localization at the molecular and cellular level. In this review, we summarize the current state of the art in molecular imaging of benign fibrosis diseases. We will first introduce molecular pathways underlying fibrosis processes and potential targets. We will then elaborate on molecular probes that have been developed thus far, expounding on their mechanisms and current states of translational advancement. Finally, we will delineate the extant challenges impeding further progress in this area and the prospective benefits after overcoming these problems.

Association between GSTP1 I105V polymorphisms and responses to GSTP1 inhibitor treatment: in silico and in vitro insights.

Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) has gradually become a promising target for cancer prevention and treatment. However, subtle variations in GSTP1 can lead to the occurrence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The correlation between specific genotypes of GSTP1 and the clinical outcome of the disease has been extensively investigated, demonstrating a significant area of research in this field. However, their impact on the responses to GSTP1 inhibitor treatment remains to be elucidated. Among the various SNPs of GSTP1, I105V polymorphisms is the most widely studied. In this study, a silico model of GSTP1 I105V polymorphism was successfully established to predict the changes of binding model and binding affinity between GSTP1 I105(WT) or GSTP1 V105 and ethacrynic acid via molecular docking and molecular dynamics, and ultimately further evaluated for its anticancer effects. The result demonstrated that the binding capacity of ethacrynic acid decreases with the I105V mutation of GSTP1, indicating the changes in its anticancer activities. Cancer cells expressing GSTP1 V105 may exhibit greater tolerance to ethacrynic acid-induced toxicity compared to other genotypes. In summary, this study provides the first evidence that the GSTP1 I105V polymorphism may impact cancer cell sensitivity to its inhibitor through theoretical prediction. Furthermore, a comprehensive understanding of the correlation between GSTP1 I105V polymorphisms and responses to GSTP1 inhibitor treatment would offer valuable insights for future drug development targeting GSTP1 in cancer-related diseases.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Adenoma location, size, and morphology are risk factors for FOBT false-negative results in inpatients with advanced colorectal adenoma.

Recently, advanced adenoma (AA) has been recognized as a target for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. However, the fecal occult blood test (FOBT), the primary non-invasive screening method, shows limited sensitivity in detecting AA. This study investigates the relationship between adenoma characteristics and FOBT false-negative results. In a retrospective cohort study conducted from 2015 to 2022, we examined 342 inpatients with AA who underwent colonoscopy and received qualitative FOBT. FOBT sensitivity was analyzed about various adenoma characteristics, and logistic regression models were employed to investigate the relationship between adenoma features and FOBT false-negative outcomes. FOBT sensitivity in AA inpatients was 52.63%. Significant differences in sensitivity were observed based on adenoma location (left vs. right), morphology (with or without pedunculation), and size (≤ 10 mm vs. > 10 mm). After adjusting for several potential confounders, FOBT showed a reduced false-negative rate in AA with large-sized (OR, 0.49; 95% CI 0.31-0.77), left-sided location (OR, 0.53; 95% CI 0.31-0.89), and pedunculated morphology (OR, 0.73; 95% CI 0.43-1.24). AA with large size, left-sided location, and pedunculated morphology independently contribute to a decreased rate of FOBT false-negative results. However, these adenoma characteristics are not actively modifiable. Therefore, novel non-invasive methods are needed to improve AA detection accuracy.

Alpha-fetoprotein-elevated postpubertal testicular teratoma with retroperitoneal metastasis on 18F-FDG PET/CT: case report and literature review.

Postpubertal testicular teratoma exhibits malignant biological behavior and has metastatic potential. We report a case of a 17-year-old patient diagnosed with postpubertal testicular teratoma with massive retroperitoneal metastasis. The pathological examination revealed a mature teratoma without any other components. However, the patient had a significantly increased level of AFP, and 18F-FDG PET/CT showed the retroperitoneal metastasis had increased FDG uptake, with a SUVmax of 15.6, suggesting the coexistence of other germ cell tumor components, and the patient might have a poor prognosis. After resection of the retroperitoneal tumor, PET/CT further revealed multiple abdominal and pelvic metastases, with a SUVmax of 22.5. Therefore, the patient received a cycle of chemotherapy and follow-up PET/CT imaging showed the achievement of complete metabolic response after the treatment. In this case, PET/CT played a crucial role in detecting metastasis, compensating for the limitations of pathological sampling, thus establishing a definitive diagnosis and predicting prognosis. And it was evident that PET/CT also has the advantage of evaluating therapeutic efficacy.

Squalene epoxidase promotes hepatocellular carcinoma development by activating STRAP transcription and TGF-ß/SMAD signalling.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Squalene epoxidase (SQLE) is a key enzyme involved in cholesterol biosynthesis, but growing evidence also reveals that SQLE is abnormally expressed in some types of malignant tumours, even though the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Bioinformatics analysis and RNA sequencing were applied to detect differentially expressed genes in clinical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MTT, colony formation, AnnexinV-FITC/PI, EdU, wound healing, transwell, western blot, qRT-PCR, IHC, F-actin, RNA-sequencing, dual-luciferase reporters, and H&E staining were used to investigate the pharmacological effects and possible mechanisms of SQLE. KEY RESULTS: SQLE expression was specifically elevated in HCC, correlating with poor clinical outcomes. SQLE significantly promoted HCC growth, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. RNA sequencing and functional experiments revealed that the protumourigenic effect of SQLE on HCC was closely related to the activation of TGF-ß/SMAD signalling, but the stimulatory effect of SQLE on TGF-ß/SMAD signalling and HCC development is critically dependent on STRAP. SQLE expression is well correlated with STRAP in HCC, and further, to amplify TGF-ß/SMAD signalling, SQLE even transcriptionally increased STRAP gene expression mediated by AP-2α. Finally, as a chemical inhibitor of SQLE, NB-598 markedly inhibited HCC cell growth and tumour development. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Taken together, SQLE serves as a novel oncogene in HCC development by activating TGF-ß/SMAD signalling. Targeting SQLE could be useful in drug development and therapy for HCC.

An Optimization-Based Motion Planner for Car-like Logistics Robots on Narrow Roads.

Thanks to their strong maneuverability and high load capacity, car-like robots with non-holonomic constraints are often used in logistics to improve efficiency. However, it is difficult to plan a safe and smooth optimal path in real time on the restricted narrow roads of the logistics park. To solve this problem, an optimization-based motion planning method inspired by the Timed-Elastic-Band algorithm is proposed, called Narrow-Roads-Timed-Elastic-Band (NRTEB). Three optimization modules are added to the inner and outer workflow of the Timed-Elastic-Band framework. The simulation results show that the proposed method achieves safe reversing planning on narrow roads while the jerk of the trajectory is reduced by 72.11% compared to the original method. Real-world experiments reveal that the proposed method safely and smoothly avoids dynamic obstacles in real time when navigating forward and backward. The motion planner provides a safer and smoother trajectory for car-like robots on narrow roads in real time, which greatly enhances the safety, robustness and reliability of the Timed-Elastic-Band planner in logistics parks.

Retroperitoneal alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma intruding into spinal canal: A case report and literature review.

Background: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most frequent soft sarcoma in children and adolescents. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is a relatively rare subtype that is characterized by aggressive behavior and an unsatisfactory prognosis. An ARMS can arise anywhere but most commonly occurs at extremity sites with a very small fraction in the retroperitoneum. The utility of 2-Deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) remains to be established in ARMS. Case Report: A 3-year-old female child was accidentally found with a large left upper abdominal mass for a day. CT examination indicated a huge soft tissue mass in the left retroperitoneum extending superiorly to the level of the left hilus renalis and inferiorly to the left acetabulum in the pelvic cavity, with intrusion into the lumbar foramens. 18F-FDG PET/CT found a mass in the left retroperitoneum from the level of T12 to the left acetabulum, with the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of about 7.0, and a CT value of about 39 HU, invading the left L3-5 intervertebral foramina and protruding into the spinal canal, with unclear boundary with the spinal cord. Retroperitoneal tumor resection and the repair operation of vascular exploration were performed. An ARMS was confirmed by postoperative biopsy, immunohistochemical staining, and genetic detection with the rupture of the fork head in rhabdomyosarcoma (FKHR). The patient received chemotherapy and was in a good condition with no recurrence and obvious complications. Conclusion: Retroperitoneal ARMS is rare and indicates a poor outcome with the potential to involve vital organs and intrude into the spinal canal. Accurate diagnosis and staging using PET/CT would contribute to better risk stratifications and appropriate treatment individually.

A rare B-cell type chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection patient mimicking lymphoma on 18F-FDG PET/CT and literature review.

A 13-year-old girl suffered from worsen snoring and persistent bilateral nasal congestion for one year. Paranasal sinus computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) found nasopharyngeal passages and sinus were occupied with soft tissues and bilateral neck enlarged lymph nodes 6 months ago. Tumor markers were normal. The titers of anti-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) IgM, anti-EBV IgG, early antigen (EA) IgG, and Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA) IgG increased. 2-Deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography combined with CT (PET/CT) revealed thickened soft tissues in nasopharynx and oropharynx, enlarged multiple lymph nodes in the neck, bilateral armpits, abdominal cavity and retroperitoneum, and pelvic cavity, diffuse thickening of the gastric wall of the antrum with hypermetabolism. According to the age, situation, regions, and abnormal FDG uptake, an initial diagnosis of EBV-related lymphoma was made. However, the pathological results of the nasopharyngeal mass and the abdominal lymph node confirmed the final diagnosis of a B-cell type chronic active Epstein-Barr virus disease (CAEBV), a rare type of EBV associated lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD). After receiving adoptive immune cells therapy, the EBV load decreased. At present, the patient is being followed up.

SGSNet: A Lightweight Depth Completion Network Based on Secondary Guidance and Spatial Fusion.

The depth completion task aims to generate a dense depth map from a sparse depth map and the corresponding RGB image. As a data preprocessing task, obtaining denser depth maps without affecting the real-time performance of downstream tasks is the challenge. In this paper, we propose a lightweight depth completion network based on secondary guidance and spatial fusion named SGSNet. We design the image feature extraction module to better extract features from different scales between and within layers in parallel and to generate guidance features. Then, SGSNet uses the secondary guidance to complete the depth completion. The first guidance uses the lightweight guidance module to quickly guide LiDAR feature extraction with the texture features of RGB images. The second guidance uses the depth information completion module for sparse depth map feature completion and inputs it into the DA-CSPN++ module to complete the dense depth map re-guidance. By using a lightweight bootstrap module, the overall network runs ten times faster than the baseline. The overall network is relatively lightweight, up to thirty frames, which is sufficient to meet the speed needs of large SLAM and three-dimensional reconstruction for sensor data extraction. At the time of submission, the accuracy of the algorithm in SGSNet ranked first in the KITTI ranking of lightweight depth completion methods. It was 37.5% faster than the top published algorithms in the rank and was second in the full ranking.

Degradation of pefloxacin by hybrid hydrodynamic cavitation with H2O2 and O3.

The degradation of toxic chemicals, antibiotics and other residues in organic wastewater has attracted much attention. Among various degradation technologies, hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) reactors have the advantage of being simple to operate. Through the combination of HC and other oxidants, the removal efficiency and energy efficiency of organic matter can be greatly improved, and the consumption of chemicals and the processing costs can be reduced. In this work, HC technology combined with oxidants was used to degrade pefloxacin (PEF), and the effect of different operating conditions on PEF degradation was investigated. The results indicated that the removal efficiency of PEF treated with HC alone was 84.9% under the optimal HC conditions of pH 3.3 and 120 min, which is much higher than that (35.5%) of pH 5.3. When co-treating the PEF solution with HC and H2O2 at 0.3 MPa and pH 5.3, the optimal molar ratio of PEF to H2O2 was 1:5, the highest PEF removal efficiency was 69.7%, and the synergy index (SI) was 4.4. When combining HC with O3, the PEF removal efficiency gradually elevated with increasing ozone addition. When the addition amount of ozone was 0.675 g/h, the removal efficiency of PEF was the highest, which was 91.5% after treatment of 20 min. The intermediate products in the reaction process were analyzed based on UV-Vis spectroscopy and LC-MS, and the mechanism and reaction pathways of PEF were proposed.

Effect of S-ketamine on Postoperative Quality of Recovery in Patients Undergoing Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: S-ketamine is associated with effective postoperative analgesia and enhanced quality of recovery (QoR). The study aimed to investigate the effect of perioperative S-ketamine on postoperative quality of recovery in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: Single institution, tertiary university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty adult patients aged 18-to-65 undergoing VATS were eligible for participation. INTERVENTIONS: Patients enrolled in this study were randomized to receive either S-ketamine (a bolus of 0.25 mg/kg, followed by an infusion of 0.125 mg/kg/h until 15 minutes before the end of the surgical procedure), or identical volumes and rates of 0.9% saline. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Postoperative quality of recovery was measured with QoR-40 score 48 hours after surgery. The postoperative pain was assessed postoperatively using the numeric rating scale at 0.5, 6, 24, and 48 hours. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Depression subscale (HADS-D) scores and other secondary outcomes also were recorded. The final analysis included 77 patients. The global QoR-40 score at 48 hours postoperatively was higher in the S-ketamine group compared with the saline group (median [interquartile range]: 181.5 [178-184] v 174.5 [169-177]), estimated median difference 7 (95% confidence interval 5-10, p < 0.001). Patients who received S-ketamine treatment had lower pain scores at rest (p = 0.017 and p = 0.006, respectively) and coughing (p < 0.001 and p = 0.007, respectively) at 24 and 48 hours postoperatively than those who received saline treatment. The requirement and consumption of opioid for rescue analgesic were lower in the S-ketamine (p = 0.045 and p = 0.047, respectively). Compared with the saline group, S-ketamine reduced HADS-D scores (p = 0.003) at 48 hours after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The present study's findings suggested that perioperative S-ketamine enhanced the quality of recovery in patients undergoing VATS. S-ketamine also improved postoperative analgesia and postoperative depression.

Intelligent Bus Platoon Lateral and Longitudinal Control Method Based on Finite-Time Sliding Mode.

Considering the rapid convergence of the longitudinal and lateral tracking errors of the platoon, a finite-time tracking control method for the longitudinal and lateral directions of the intelligent bus platoon is proposed. Based on the bus platoon model and desired motion trajectory, a distributed longitudinal and lateral finite-time sliding mode tracking control framework of the platoon is designed. Considering the finite-time convergence of the sliding mode of the system, a nonsingular integral terminal sliding mode (NITSM) is designed. An adaptive power integral reaching law (APIRL) is proposed for the finite-time accessibility of the system approaching mode. Based on NITSM-APIRL, a distributed longitudinal and lateral finite-time sliding mode tracking controller for the bus platoon is designed, and a Lyapunov function is created to analyze the finite-time stability and string stability of the system. Based on the Trucksim/Simulink joint simulation experiment platform, the control performance of the method is contrasted with the existing methods, and the actual vehicle test verification is completed by relying on the National Intelligent Connected Vehicle testing zone, which proves the practicability of the method.

18F-FDG PET/CT imaging of primary malignant melanoma of rectum with liver metastases mimicking rectum cancer: case report and literature review.

Malignant melanoma (MM) is an aggressive malignant tumor, which mostly occurs on the skin, uvea, etc. The mucosal MM accounts for a small proportion of all MM and can occur in the digestive tract. Primary MM of the digestive tract is rare and can be found in the middle and lower third of the esophagus and the rectum containing melanocytes. Primary rectal MM often occurs in middle-aged and elderly women, with rapid progress and strong invasion. We report a case of a 61-year-old man diagnosed with primary malignant melanoma of the rectum with liver metastases mimicking rectum cancer. 18F-FDG PET/CT showed the rectal wall was markedly thickened with a high metabolic level (SUVmax 10.6) and the boundary between the lesions and the prostate was unclear. In addition, increased FDG uptake were found in multiple lymph nodes, lung, liver, and bones, suggesting metastasis. In this case, 18F-FDG PET/CT shows the advantage of evaluating the whole-body situation and provides valuable information for the diagnosis, tumor stage, evaluation of treatment efficacy, and prognosis of MM.

Sodium Arsenite Inhibits Lung Fibroblast Differentiation and Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic interstitial lung disease with a high mortality and poor prognosis. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß plays crucial roles in the pathogenesis of IPF. To investigate the role of sodium arsenite (SA) on fibroblast differentiation and pulmonary fibrosis, we checked the effects of SA on TGF-ß-induced normal human lung fibroblasts (NHLFs) differentiation, and the anti-fibrotic effect of SA on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mouse. SA treatment significantly inhibits α-smooth muscle actin and fibronectin (FN) expression in TGF-ß treated NHLFs; and SA also inhibits TGF-ß stimulated expression of NADPH oxidase 4 and accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species. TGF-ß-induced the phosphorylation of ERK and Smad3 were also blocked by SA. The administration of SA (IP) suppressed BLM-induced lung fibrosis characterized as the inhibition of collagen deposition, TGF-ß accumulation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and the expression of FN and collagen 1a2 in lung tissue. This study revealed that SA inhibits TGF-ß-induced lung fibroblast differentiation and BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice, suggesting that SA could be a potential therapeutic approach to IPF.

P120-catenin regulates pulmonary fibrosis and TGF-ß induced lung fibroblast differentiation.

P120-catenin (P120) was known to function in adhesion between cells and signal transduction in many types of cells. In this study, we investigated the expression and role of P120 in pulmonary fibrosis and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) mediated lung fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation (fibroblast differentiation). Our data indicated that P120 expression increased in lung fibrotic foci and primary lung fibroblasts isolated from bleomycin- (BLM) challenged mice, compared to controls. In vitro, TGF-ß induced P120 expression in human lung fibroblasts, and siRNA-mediated SMAD3 depletion inhibited TGF-ß stimulated P120 expression. Blocking nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) pathway through chemical inhibitor or knockdown of NF-kB p65 subunit also suppressed TGF-ß induced P120 expression in human lung fibroblast. Knockdown of P120 expression inhibited TGF-ß induced human lung fibroblast differentiation, as well as suppressed the activation of SMAD and ERK signaling pathways. Administration of lentivirus coding mouse P120 sh-RNA into mouse lung tissue dramatically attenuated the expression of P120 in lung tissue and lung fibroblast, suppressed BLM induced increase of TGF-ß, alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibronectin (FN) expression, and decreased the deposition of collagen and pulmonary fibrosis. Collectively, these results suggested that P120 involved in lung fibroblast differentiation and pulmonary fibrosis, and inhibition of P120 expression decreased pulmonary fibrosis in BLM challenged mice. Thus, attenuation of P120 expression might be a potential therapeutic strategy for human lung fibrosis.

Effect of Huangqi San on AMPK/ACC/CPT1 pathway in hyperlipidemia rats / 中国中药杂志

To investigate the mechanism of the treatment of hyperlipidemia rats induced by Huangqi San. The 40 male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, Huangqi San low and high dose group (1, 2 g·kg⁻¹), and positive lipitor group (2 mg·kg⁻¹). The normal group feeds on base feed, and other groups feed on high-fat feed. After 8 weeks, the hyperlipidemia model was successful. After intervention by drugs for 13 weeks, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol content of all rats were measured. The pathological changes of liver and skeletal muscle of rats were observed in rats. Real-time PCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of AMPK signaling pathway in the liver and skeletal muscles (AMPK, ACC, CPT1A, SREBP2, HMGCR). The degree of FPG, TC, TG and LDL-C were the highest in the model group, and the liver and skeletal muscle pathology were the most obvious. After intervention by Huangqi San and lipitor, a significant reduction in the blood sugar blood fat, liver, and skeletal muscle injury has improved significantly, except SREBF2 and HMGCR mRNA and protein expression of this enzyme is reduced, other AMPK pathway related mRNA and protein expression increased significantly. Huangqi San effect is superior to lipitor. Huangqi San may improve hyperlipidemia by regulating the AMPK signaling pathway, increasing the oxidation of fatty acids and inhibiting cholesterol synthesis.

Sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation of the spleen in a patient with Maffucci syndrome: a case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Maffucci syndrome is a congenital, non-hereditary mesodermal dysplasia characterized by multiple enchondromas and hemangiomas. The presence of visceral vascular lesions in this syndrome is exceedingly rare. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a 26-year-old female who was diagnosed with Maffucci syndrome along with sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation (SANT) of the spleen. The patient underwent a laparoscopic splenectomy. Immunostaining of the excised specimen revealed 3 distinct types of vessels in the angiomatoid nodules: CD34-/CD8-/CD31+ small veins, CD34-/CD8+/CD31+ sinusoids, and CD34+/CD8-/CD31+ capillaries, leading to the diagnosis of SANT of the spleen. CONCLUSIONS: This case reports the first patient in the literature exhibiting the features of Maffucci syndrome along with SANT of the spleen. The spleen is probably a predilection site of visceral vascular lesions in this syndrome with a proportion of 4 out of 14. An abdominal Computed Tomography (CT) scan is recommended for any cases of abdominal discomfort. Surgical excision is usually sufficient because of the relatively benign behavior of SANT, however, a more aggressive follow-up is proposed due to the high risk of malignant transformation of enchondromas and development of other neoplasms associated with this syndrome. Further studies are required to reveal its genetic basis for comprehensive prognosis evaluation and therapeutic guidance.