Associations of RBC counts and incidence of DVT in patients with spinal cord injury: a five year observational retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The role of red blood cell (RBC) counts as potential independent risk factors for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) remains uncertain. This study aims to clarify the associations between RBC counts and DVT incidence among this population. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 576 patients with SCI admitted to the rehabilitation medicine department from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021. After exclusions, 319 patients were analyzed, among which 94 cases of DVT were identified. RESULTS: Mode of injury, D-dimer and anticoagulant therapy were significant covariates (P < 0.05). Age, fibrinogen, D-dimer, anticoagulant therapy and American Spinal Cord Injury Association impairment scale (AIS) grades were associated with RBC counts and DVT incidence (P < 0.05). Adjusting for these factors, a 1.00 × 10^12/L increase in RBC counts correlated with a 45% decrease in DVT incidence (P = 0.042), revealing a "U" shaped relationship with a pivot at 4.56 × 10^12/L (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: RBC counts below 4.56 × 10^12/L serve as a protective factor against DVT, while counts above this threshold pose a risk. These findings could inform the development of DVT prevention strategies for patients with SCI, emphasizing the need for targeted monitoring and management of RBC counts.

Histopathological and immunohistochemical changes of gastric fundus and duodenum after bariatric embolization in the New Zealand rabbits / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To investigate the histopathological and immunohistochemical changes of gastric fundus and duodenum after bariatric embolization of left gastric artery and gastroduodenal artery in obesity New Zealand rabbit models.Methods:Twenty obesity New Zealand rabbit models were successfully established and divided into two groups using stratified randomization. Left gastric artery and gastroduodenal artery were embolized with gelatin sponge (350-560 μm) in experimental group, left gastric artery and gastroduodenal artery were perfused with normal saline in control group. All animals were sacrificed for pathological, immunohistochemical examination and Western Blot analysis 4 weeks post embolization, the density of ghrelin producing cells and the gray ratio of ghrelin protein band were measured and compared by the independent sample t test. Results:Macropathological examination showed ulceration in the anterior wall of the gastric body in one rabbit, histopathological examination showed mucosa ulceration in the gastric body in 3 rabbits in experimental group. Immunohistochemical examination showed that the ghrelin producing cells of gastric fundus and duodenum in the experimental group were significantly less than those in the control group (10.0±5.1 vs.27.7±3.4, t=12.35, P<0.05;5.6±2.6 vs. 12.3±2.1, t=4.73, P<0.05). Western Blot analysis showed that the gray ratio of ghrelin bands of gastric fundus and duodenum in the experimental group were significantly lower than that in the control group (0.65±0.05 vs.1.12±0.09, t=9.62, P<0.05;0.55±0.03 vs. 0.94±0.08, t=7.98, P<0.05). Conclusions:Immunohistochemical and Western Blot analysis showed that the ghrelin-producing cells of gastric fundus and duodenum in the experimental group were significantly less than those in the control group after bariatric embolization, histopathologic analysis indicated that bariatric embolization was a safe technique.

Percutaneous vertebral-disc plasty for very severe osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of percutaneous vertebral-disc plasty (PVDP) in the treatment of very severe osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (vsOVCF).Methods:A total of 26 patients with vsOVCF were treated by PVDP at Department of Spine Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Nantong University from November 2019 to August 2021. They were 8 males and 18 females with an age of (77.9±5.2) years. Fracture sites: T11 in 9 cases, T12 in 13 cases, L1 in 7 cases, and L2 in 2 cases. The loss of vertebral height exceeded 2/3 of its original height. The curative effects were evaluated by comparing the visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI) and local kyphosis angle (LKA) at preoperation, 1 day postoperation and the last follow-up.Results:This cohort was followed up for 12(10, 15) months. No obvious neurological damage or other serious complications occurred. The VAS scores [(2.9±0.7) and (2.2±0.7) points] and ODIs [28.0%±4.8% and 16.9%±4.0%] at 1 day postoperation and the final follow-up were significantly lower than the preoperative values respectively [(6.7±0.8) points and 66.7%±6.0%], and the values at the last follow-up were significantly lower than those at 1 day postoperation ( P<0.05). The LKAs at 1 day postoperation and the last follow-up (18.1°±4.1° and 19.5°±4.4°) were significantly smaller than that before operation (32.0°±5.2°) ( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between 1 day postoperation and the last follow-up in LKA ( P>0.05). Conclusion:PVDP is an effective surgical treatment of vsOVCF, because it can relieve pain and improve local kyphosis with satisfactory clinical outcomes.

Proposal of a Risk Scoring System to Facilitate the Treatment of Enteroenteric Intussusception in Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome

Background/Aims@#Enteroenteric intussusception in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (EI-PJS) is traditionally treated by surgery. However, enteroscopic treatment is a minimally invasive approach worth attempting. We aimed to develop a risk scoring system to facilitate decision-making in the treatment of EI-PJS. @*Methods@#This was a single-center case-control study, including 80 patients diagnosed with PJS and coexisting intussusception between January 2015 and January 2021 in Air Force Medical Center. We performed logistic regression analysis to identify independent risk factors and allocated different points to each subcategory of risk factors; the total score of individuals ranged from 0 to 9 points. Then, we constructed a risk stratification system based on the possibility of requiring surgery: 0–3 points for “low-risk,” 4–6 points for “moderate-risk,” and 7–9 points for “high-risk.” @*Results@#Sixty-one patients (76.25%) were successfully treated with enteroscopy. Sixteen patients (20.0%) failed enteroscopic treatment and subsequently underwent surgery, and three patients (3.75%) received surgery directly. Abdominal pain, the diameter of the responsible polyp, and the length of intussusception were independent risk factors for predicting the possibility of requiring surgery. According to the risk scoring system, the incidence rates of surgery were 4.44% in the low-risk tier, 30.43% in the moderate-risk tier, and 83.33% in the high-risk tier. From low- to high-risk tiers, the trend of increasing risk was significant (p<0.001). @*Conclusions@#We developed a risk scoring system based on abdominal pain, diameter of the responsible polyps, and length of intussusception. It can preoperatively stratify patients according to the risk of requiring surgery for EI-PJS to facilitate treatment decision-making.

Aerosolized Ad5-nCoV booster vaccination elicited potent immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant after inactivated COVID-19 vaccine priming

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant around the world and exhibits immune escape to current COVID-19 vaccines to some extent due to its numerous spike mutations. Here, we evaluated the immune responses to booster vaccination with intramuscular adenovirus-vectored vaccine (Ad5-nCoV), aerosolized Ad5-nCoV, a recombinant protein subunit vaccine (ZF2001) or homologous inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac) in those who received two doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines 6 months prior. We found that the Ad5-nCoV booster induced potent neutralizing activity against the wild-type virus and Omicron variant, while aerosolized Ad5-nCoV generated the greatest neutralizing antibody responses against the Omicron variant at day 28 after booster vaccination, at 14.1-fold that of CoronaVac, 5.6-fold that of ZF2001 and 2.0-fold that of intramuscular Ad5-nCoV. Similarly, the aerosolized Ad5-nCoV booster produced the greatest IFN{gamma} T-cell response at day 14 after booster vaccination. The IFN{gamma} T-cell response to aerosolized Ad5-nCoV was 12.8-fold for CoronaVac, 16.5-fold for ZF2001, and 5.0-fold for intramuscular Ad5-nCoV. Aerosolized Ad5-nCoV booster also produced the greatest spike-specific B cell response. Our findings suggest that inactivated vaccine recipients should consider adenovirus-vectored vaccine boosters in China and that aerosolized Ad5-nCoV may provide a more efficient alternative in response to the spread of the Omicron variant.

Differential Prognostic Implications of Pre- and Post-Stent Fractional Flow Reserve in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background and Objectives@#The influence of pre-intervention coronary physiologic status on outcomes post percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not well known. We sought to investigate the prognostic implications of pre-PCI fractional flow reserve (FFR) combined with post-PCI FFR. @*Methods@#A total of 1,479 PCI patients with pre-and post-PCI FFR data were analyzed. The patients were classified according to the median values of pre-PCI FFR (0.71) and post-PCI FFR (0.88). The primary outcome was target vessel failure (TVF) at 2 years. @*Results@#The risk of TVF was higher in the low pre-PCI FFR group than in the high pre-PCI FFR group (hazard ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.15–2.87; p=0.011). In 4 group comparisons, the cumulative incidences of TVF at 2 years were 3.8%, 4.1%, 4.8%, and 10.2% in the high pre-/high post-, low pre-/high post-, high pre-/low post-, and low pre-/low post-PCI FFR groups, respectively. The risk of TVF was the highest in the low pre-/low post-PCI FFR group among the groups (p values for comparisons 0.05). When the prognostic value of the post-PCI FFR was evaluated according to the pre-PCI FFR, the risk of TVF significantly decreased with an increase in postPCI FFR in the low pre-PCI FFR group, but not in the high pre-PCI FFR group. @*Conclusions@#Pre-PCI FFR was associated with clinical outcomes after PCI, and the prognostic value of post-PCI FFR differed according to the pre-PCI FFR.

Evaluation of Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms after Endovascular Aneurysm Repair

Background and Objectives@#Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) participate in vascular repair and predict cardiovascular outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between EPCs and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). @*Methods@#and Results: Patients (age 67±9.41 years) suffering from AAAs (aortic diameters 58.09±11.24 mm) were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients received endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Blood samples were taken preoperatively and 14 days after surgery from patients with aortic aneurysms. Samples were also obtained from age-matched control subjects. Circulating EPCs were defined as those cells that were double positive for CD34 and CD309. Rat models of AAA formation were generated by the peri-adventitial elastase application of either saline solution (control; n=10), or porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE; n=14). The aortas were analyzed using an ultrasonic video system and immunohistochemistry. The levels of CD34＋/CD309＋ cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cell populations were measured by flow cytometry. The baseline numbers of circulating EPCs (CD34＋/CD309＋) in the peripheral blood were significantly smaller in AAA patients compared with control subjects. The number of EPCs doubled by the 14th day after EVAR. A total of 78.57% of rats in the PPE group (11/14) formed AAAs (dilation ratio ＞150%). The numbers of EPCs from defined AAA rats were significantly decreased compared with the control group. @*Conclusions@#EPC levels may be useful for monitoring abdominal aorta aneurysms and rise after EVAR in patients with aortic aneurysms, and might contribute to the rapid endothelialization of vessels.

The single nucleotide polymorphism rs1814521 in long non-coding RNA ADGRG3 associates with the susceptibility to silicosis: a multi-stage study

BACKGROUND@#This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and susceptibility to silicosis.@*METHODS@#First, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data were comprehensively analyzed in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of eight participants (four silicosis cases and four healthy controls) exposed to silica dust to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs (DE-lncRNAs). The functional SNPs in the identified DE-lncRNAs were then identified using several databases. Finally, the association between functional SNPs and susceptibility to silicosis was evaluated by a two-stage case-control study. The SNPs of 155 silicosis cases and 141 healthy silica-exposed controls were screened by genome-wide association study (GWAS), and the candidate SNPs of 194 silicosis cases and 235 healthy silica-exposed controls were validated by genotyping using the improved Mutiligase Detection Reaction (iMLDR) system.@*RESULTS@#A total of 76 DE-lncRNAs were identified by RNA-seq data analysis (cut-offs: fold change > 2 or fold change < 0.5, P < 0.05), while 127 functional SNPs among those 76 DE-lncRNAs were identified through multiple public databases. Furthermore, five SNPs were found to be significantly correlated with the risk of silicosis by GWAS screening (P < 0.05), while the results of GWAS and iMLDR validation indicated that the variant A allele of rs1814521 was associated with a reduced risk of silicosis (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.62-0.94, P = 0.011).@*CONCLUSION@#The presence of the SNP rs1814521 in the lncRNA ADGRG3 is associated with susceptibility to silicosis. Moreover, ADGRG3 was found to be lowly expressed in silicosis cases. The underlying biological mechanisms by which lncRNA ADGRG3 and rs1814521 regulate the development of silicosis need further study.

Physiologic Assessment after Coronary Stent Implantation

The presence of myocardial ischemia is a prerequisite for the benefit of coronary revascularization. In the cardiac catheterization laboratory, fractional flow reserve and non-hyperemic pressure ratios are used to define the ischemia-causing coronary stenosis, and several randomized studies showed the benefit of physiology-guided coronary revascularization. However, physiology-guided revascularization does not necessarily guarantee the relief of ischemia. Recent studies reported that residual ischemia might exist in up to 15–20% of cases after angiographically successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Therefore, post-PCI physiologic assessment is necessary for judging the appropriateness of PCI, detecting the lesions that may benefit from additional PCI, and risk stratification after PCI. This review will focus on the current evidence for post-PCI physiologic assessment, how to interpret these findings, and the future perspectives of physiologic assessment after PCI.

Association of Quantitative Flow Ratio with Lesion Severity and Its Ability to Discriminate Myocardial Ischemia

Background and Objectives@#Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is an angiography-based technique for functional assessment of coronary artery stenosis. This study investigated the response of QFR to different degree of stenosis severity and its ability to predict the positron emission tomography (PET)-defined myocardial ischemia. @*Methods@#From 109 patients with 185 vessels who underwent both 13 N-ammonia PET and invasive physiological measurement, we compared QFR, fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) for the responses to the different degree of anatomical (percent diameter stenosis [%DS]) and hemodynamic (relative flow reserve [RFR], coronary flow reserve, hyperemic stenosis resistance, and stress myocardial flow) stenosis severity and diagnostic performance against PET-derived parameters. @*Results@#QFR, FFR, and iFR showed similar responses to both anatomic and hemodynamic stenosis severity. Regarding RFR, the diagnostic accuracy of QFR was lower than FFR (76.2% vs. 83.2%, p=0.021) and iFR (76.2% vs. 84.3%, p=0.031). For coronary flow capacity (CFC), QFR showed a lower accuracy than iFR (74.1% vs. 82%, p=0.031) and lower discriminant function than FFR (area under curve: 0.74 vs. 0.79, p=0.044). Discordance between QFR and FFR or iFR was shown in 14.6% of cases and was driven by the difference in %DS and heterogeneous distribution of PET-derived RFR and stress myocardial blood flow. @*Conclusions@#QFR demonstrated a similar response to different anatomic and hemodynamic stenosis severity as FFR or iFR. However, its diagnostic performance was inferior to FFR and iFR when PET-derived RFR and CFC were used as a reference.

Physiologic Assessment after Coronary Stent Implantation

The presence of myocardial ischemia is a prerequisite for the benefit of coronary revascularization. In the cardiac catheterization laboratory, fractional flow reserve and non-hyperemic pressure ratios are used to define the ischemia-causing coronary stenosis, and several randomized studies showed the benefit of physiology-guided coronary revascularization. However, physiology-guided revascularization does not necessarily guarantee the relief of ischemia. Recent studies reported that residual ischemia might exist in up to 15–20% of cases after angiographically successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Therefore, post-PCI physiologic assessment is necessary for judging the appropriateness of PCI, detecting the lesions that may benefit from additional PCI, and risk stratification after PCI. This review will focus on the current evidence for post-PCI physiologic assessment, how to interpret these findings, and the future perspectives of physiologic assessment after PCI.

Association of Quantitative Flow Ratio with Lesion Severity and Its Ability to Discriminate Myocardial Ischemia

Background and Objectives@#Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is an angiography-based technique for functional assessment of coronary artery stenosis. This study investigated the response of QFR to different degree of stenosis severity and its ability to predict the positron emission tomography (PET)-defined myocardial ischemia. @*Methods@#From 109 patients with 185 vessels who underwent both 13 N-ammonia PET and invasive physiological measurement, we compared QFR, fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) for the responses to the different degree of anatomical (percent diameter stenosis [%DS]) and hemodynamic (relative flow reserve [RFR], coronary flow reserve, hyperemic stenosis resistance, and stress myocardial flow) stenosis severity and diagnostic performance against PET-derived parameters. @*Results@#QFR, FFR, and iFR showed similar responses to both anatomic and hemodynamic stenosis severity. Regarding RFR, the diagnostic accuracy of QFR was lower than FFR (76.2% vs. 83.2%, p=0.021) and iFR (76.2% vs. 84.3%, p=0.031). For coronary flow capacity (CFC), QFR showed a lower accuracy than iFR (74.1% vs. 82%, p=0.031) and lower discriminant function than FFR (area under curve: 0.74 vs. 0.79, p=0.044). Discordance between QFR and FFR or iFR was shown in 14.6% of cases and was driven by the difference in %DS and heterogeneous distribution of PET-derived RFR and stress myocardial blood flow. @*Conclusions@#QFR demonstrated a similar response to different anatomic and hemodynamic stenosis severity as FFR or iFR. However, its diagnostic performance was inferior to FFR and iFR when PET-derived RFR and CFC were used as a reference.

A potent neutralizing human antibody reveals the N-terminal domain of the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 as a site of vulnerability

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) presents a global public health threat. Most research on therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 focused on the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the Spike (S) protein, whereas the vulnerable epitopes and functional mechanism of non-RBD regions are poorly understood. Here we isolated and characterized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) derived from convalescent COVID-19 patients. An mAb targeting the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein, named 4A8, exhibits high neutralization potency against both authentic and pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2, although it does not block the interaction between angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and S protein. The cryo-EM structure of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein in complex with 4A8 has been determined to an overall resolution of 3.1 Angstrom and local resolution of 3.4 Angstrom for the 4A8-NTD interface, revealing detailed interactions between the NTD and 4A8. Our functional and structural characterizations discover a new vulnerable epitope of the S protein and identify promising neutralizing mAbs as potential clinical therapy for COVID-19.

Role of transcatheter arterial embolization in the management of refractory hematuria of prostatic origin / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in the management of refractory hematuria of prostatic origin (RHPO). Methods This retrospective study from 6 hospitals in china consisted of 31 patients (mean age 75.0±7.5 years, range 58 to 84 years) who underent transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for RHPO between February 2011 and January 2017. Patients with RHPO who had complete imaging and clinical data were enrolled. Patients with incomplete clinical data, inability to assess hemostasis, and contraindications to TAE were excluded. The cause of RHPO was benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in nine patients, prostate cancer in twelve, transurethral resection of prostate in four, open prostatectomy in two and prostatic sarcoma in four. Superselective arterial embolization, non-superselective arterial embolization or intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy was performed according to the etiology and angiography. Angiographic findings, technical success rate, clinical success rate, complications were recorded. Results Of the 31 patients, 6 patients (19.4％) were with active bleeding, 4 (12.9％) with aneurysm and 27 (87.1％) with abnormal neovascularization on the angiogram. The 31 patients underwent a totle of 37 TAE, the technical success rate was 100.0％(37/37) and the recent hemostasis success rate was 90.3％(28/31). The incidence of mild complications was 38.7％(13/31), there was no serious complication associated with TAE. Conclusion TAE is a safe and effective method for the treatment of refractory hematuria of prostatic origin.

Advances in the research of transcatheter arterial thrombolysis for severe frostbite therapy / 中华烧伤杂志

Severe frostbite (grade Ⅲ to Ⅳ) is a common disease accompanied with high disability rate in cold regions, especially for military training and disaster events in cold regions. The treatment of severe frostbite mainly includes rapid rewarming in the early stage and amputation in the later stage; while the damage of vascular endothelial cells, microvascular thrombosis, and decreased tissue perfusion secondary to severe frostbite are important factors affecting prognosis. Transcatheter arterial thrombolysis is a new technique for the treatment of severe frostbite. It has the advantages of minimally invasive, high safety, and significantly reduced amputation rate. We reviewed the advances in the research of transcatheter arterial thrombolysis for the treatment of severe frostbite.

Dynamic analysis of antibodies induced by leptospiral vaccines / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the dynamic changes of antibodies induced by leptospiral vaccines.@*Methods@#Antigens for antibody detection were screened out. ELISA was used to analyze antibody responses induced at different time points after immunizing guinea pigs with different batches of leptospiral vaccines from different manufacturers. To investigate the relationship between antibody responses induced by leptospiral vaccines and their protective effects in animal model, guinea pigs were challenged with Leptospira after immunization.@*Results@#There was no significant antigen-antibody reaction between the LigA protein or Patoc Ⅰ antigen and the serum samples of guinea pigs immunized with leptospiral vaccines. Notable IgG and IgM antibody reactions were observed in all vaccination groups when using bacterial proteins from seven Leptospira reference strains which were used for the preparation of leptospiral vaccines as envelope antigens. Antigen-specific IgG antibodies peaked at 35 d after the last immunization, and the highest peak of antigen-specific IgM antibodies was reached 11 d after the last immunization. Results of the challenge test showed that non-diluted leptospiral vaccines induced significant IgG and IgM antibody reactions in guinea pigs as compared with those diluted three or nine times, showing good protective effects.@*Conclusions@#Analysis of the dynamic changes of antibodies induced by leptospiral vaccines revealed that there was correlation between the induced serum antibody responses and the protective effects. This study provided reference for further study on alternative methods for evaluating leptospiral vaccine potency.

A clinical study comparing two different treatment methods in patients with polycystic liver disease using super selective hepatic arterial embolization / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective To compare the effectiveness and safety of two different treatment methods for patients with polycystic liver disease using super selective hepatic arterial embolization. Methods This retrospective study enrolled 41 patients with polycystic liver disease treated from June 2008 to June 2016 in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital. The patients underwent transcatheter super-selective hepatic arterial embdization (TAE). There were 5 men and 36 women. The age ranged from 36 to 68 years. The patients were divided into the observation group (n=14) and the control group ( n=27). The observation group underwent treatment using an emulsion of iodized oil and bleomycin and N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate. The control group underwent iodized oil and N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate. The clinical symptoms, operative complications, volumes of intrahepatic cysts, hepatic parenchyma volumes of pre-TAE and post-TAE at 3, 6 months and every 6 monthly were compared. Results TAE was technically successful in all the patients. The follow-up periods ranged from 24 to 72 months. The clinical symptoms improved re-markably in the observation group at 3 month, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months, being 92. 9% (13/14), 92. 9% (13/14), 92. 9% (13/14), 92. 3% (12/13), respectively. One patient was lost to follow-up 24 months after operation. The clinical symptoms improved remarkably in the control group at 3 month, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months, being 88. 9% ( 24/27 ), 85. 2% (23/27), 84. 6% ( 22/26 ), 81. 8% (18/22), respectively. One patient was lost to follow-up 12 months after operation and five patients were lost to follow-up 24 months after operation. Compared with preoperative, the abdominal circumference of two groups had decreased, the total volume of intrahepatic cyst and liver decreased at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months after surgery (P＜0. 05). Conclusions TAE was a safe and effective treatment for polycystic liver disease. Patients in the observation group had more effective treatment outcomes on follow-up.

Transcriptional information revealed differentially expressed circular RNAs in facet joint osteoarthritis.

Circular RNAs are newly identified RNAs that regulate gene expression and execute various biological activities. Facet joint osteoarthritis (FJOA) is a severe facet joint cartilage degeneration disease that induces chronic low back pain to a larger population. The molecular mechanisms of FJOA, especially the presence and changes of circular RNAs in FJOA have not been investigated. In the current study, we analyzed RNA deep sequencing outcomes from healthy control group and FJOA group, identified and annotated circular RNAs, and determined the expressions of circular RNAs. Differentially expressed circular RNAs in the FJOA group were then screened and the host genes of these differentially expressed circular RNAs were functional analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Enrichment of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and protein-protein interaction network analysis. Seven circRNAs were arbitrarily selected to confirm the trustworthiness of these profiles by quantitative qRT-PCR. The potential binding sites of microRNAs (miRNAs) and identified circular RNAs were also predicted. Our current study provided valuable bioinformation regarding circular RNAs in FJOA and expanded our knowledge of FJOA.

Weight loss after transcatheter left gastric arterial embolization in rabbit model / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To investigate weight, ghrelin changes following transcatheter left gastric artery embolization in rabbit model of obesity, and evaluate its safety. Methods Thirty New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into three groups, ten New Zealand rabbits in each group, group A:left gastric artery embolization using gelatin sponge, group B:left gastric artery and gastroduodenal artery embolization using gelatin sponge, group C (control group): left gastric artery and gastroduodenal artery perfusion using normal saline. Ghrelin, weight and liver and kidney function were measured at preoperative and postoperative 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks. T test was used to compare the differences in the levels of preoperative and postoperative average ghrelin, weight, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), creatinine and urea in each group. The ANOVA of repeated measurement was used to compare the difference of preoperative and postoperative each time points between the three groups. Results The preoperative and postoperative ghrelin levels in group A were (4057±61)and (3708±141) pg/ml with statistically significant differences (t=4.5, P<0.05). The preoperative and postoperative ghrelin levels in group B were (4137 ± 89) and (3608 ± 239) pg/ml with statistically significant differences (t=6.8, P<0.05). The preoperative and postoperative ghrelin levels in the control group were (3986 ± 82)and (4044 ± 72) pg/ml with no statistically significant differences (t=0.7, P>0.05). The level of ghrelin in group B decreased significantly compared with group A and the difference was statistically significant (t=3.8, P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in postoperative ghrelin levels between the three groups (F=15.6, P<0.05). The preoperative and postoperative weight in group A were (6.12±0.38)and (5.66±0.39) kg with statistically significant differences (t=2.7, P<0.05). The preoperative and postoperative weight in group B were (5.99 ± 0.57)and (5.24 ± 0.61) kg with statistically significant differences (t=3.1, P<0.05). The preoperative and postoperative weight in the control group were (5.94 ± 0.45)and (6.24 ± 0.42) kg with no statistically significant differences (t=1.2, P>0.05). The weight loss of group B was significantly greater than that of group A and the difference was statistically significant (t=5.2, P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in postoperative weight between the three groups (F=5.1, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in ALT, AST, creatinine and urea levels at preoperative and postoperative each time points in each group (P>0.05). Conclusion Left gastric artery embolization can become a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment for obesity and left gastric artery and gastroduodenal artery embolization at the same time could achieve more weight loss.

Safety and effectiveness of prostatic arterial embolization for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of prostatic arterial embolization as a primary treatment for patients with lower urinary tract symptoms as a result of large benign prostatic hyperplasia.Methods This was a prospective,single-center study enrolling 64 patients with prostates>80 ml from January 2010 to December 2013.Prostatic arterial embolization was carried out using a combination of 50 μm and 100 μm particles.Clinical follow up was carried out using the International Prostate Symptom Score, quality of life, peak urinary flow, postvoid residual volume, International Index of Erectile Function Short Form, prostate-specific antigen, and prostatic volume at 1, 3, 6 month following embolization, the parameters were compared by using t test. Results Prostatic arterial embolization was technically successful in 60 of 64 patients (93.8%). Follow-up data were available for 60 patients with a mean of 18 months,a total of 42 patients had completed the follow up at 24 months after prostatic arterial embolization. A clinical improvement,defined as reduction of International Prostate Symptom Score and increase of peak urinary flow, at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and 24 months, was achieved in 95.0%(57/60), 95.0%(57/60),93.3%(56/60),92.6%(50/54) and 90.5%(38/42), respectively. There was an improvement in terms of mean International Prostate Symptom Score, mean quality of life, mean peak urinary flow, mean post-void residual volume and prostatic volume were significantly different with respect to baseline(all P<0.05).No serious complications occurred.Conclusion Prostatic arterial embolization appears to be a safe and effective treatment method for patients with lower urinary tract symptoms as a result of large benign prostatic hyperplasia.