Surgical indication and strategy for liver hemangioma in the caudate lobe: a multi-institutional retrospective analysis with 137 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the surgical indication and tactics for liver hemangioma in the caudate lobe METHODS: From January 1994 to July 2019, 137 patients, including 51 males and 86 females with the average age of 49.2 years old were diagnosed with liver hemangioma in caudate lobe and received treatment at five tertiary referral hospitals. Clinical features, correlations between tumor size and clinical manifestations, treatments, and prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 137 patients identified, 40 (29.20%) patients were asymptomatic, whereas other 94 patients had clinical symptoms mainly presented as upper abdominal discomfort, epigastric distention, upper abdominal dull pain, nausea, and vomiting. Fifteen (93.75%), 18 (39.13%), and 7 (10.45%) patients presented no clinical symptoms among those tumor size was less than 3 cm (D ≤ 3 cm, n = 16), 3 cm < D ≤ 6 cm (n = 46), and 6 cm < D ≤ 9 cm (n = 67), respectively, while all 8 patients with tumor larger than 9 cm were symptomatic. Tumor diameter was obviously associated with the presence of clinical symptoms. In follow-up period, 7 patients in the conservative group (n = 39) received surgery because of tumor growth or symptom appearance. Totally 105 patients received operation including partial resection or isolated complete resection of caudate lobe and caudate lobe resection combined with liver segment resection, right liver resection, or left liver resection. All operations went smoothly, and no severe complications appeared. CONCLUSION: Tumor diameter was obviously associated with the presence of clinical symptoms in patients with hemangioma in caudate lobe. Surgical therapy is not recommended for asymptomatic patients and available for patient who has symptoms. Effective surgical strategies should be put into use to reduce operative bleeding.

"Total arterial devascularization first" technique for resection of pancreatic head cancer during pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Integrated resection of the pancreatic head is the most difficult step in radical pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) in patients with the portal vein (PV) and superior mesenteric vein (SMV) invasion or oppression by the tumor. This study introduced a new idea and skill named the "total arterial devascularization first" (TADF) technique and its applications in RPD. Three arterial blood supplies of pancreatic head were obstructed before dissection of veins. The critical steps included exposure of the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta (AA) by completely transecting neural and connective tissue between superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and pancreatic mesounsinate, and transection of the mesounsinate from the origin of SMA to the root of the celiac trunk. From January 2012 through May 2013, a total of 58 patients with PV/SMV invasion or oppression underwent RPD using this technique. The median operative time was 5.1 h (ranging 4.5-8.1 h). The median intraoperative blood loss was 450 mL (ranging 200-900 mL). No intraoperative and postoperative bleeding of pancreatic head region occurred. Among the 58 patients, 21 were subjected to vessel lateral wall angiectomy or angiorrhaphy, and 10 to angiectomy and end-to-end anastomosis. The incidence of postoperative bleeding, postoperative pancreatic fistula and biliary fistula was 5.2%, 6.8%, and 1.7%, respectively. No patients died 3 months after operation. The TADF technique is a new method for intricate RPD and could improve the security of surgery and reduce intraoperative bleeding, which is expected to become standardized surgical approach for RPD.

[The role of preoperative TACE on hepatocellular carcinoma located in caudate lobe].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of preoperative transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) on hepatocellular carcinoma located in caudate lobe. METHODS: Totally 29 cases of caudate lobe hepatocellular carcinoma admitted from January 2001 to December 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. Among the 29 patients, 23 were male and the other 6 were female. The median age was 52 years. According to receiving preoperative TACE or not, the 29 cases were divided into two groups: preoperative TACE plus surgery (group A, n = 11) and surgery only (group B, n = 18). The surgical results and long-term survival were compared between two groups. RESULTS: After TACE, the diameter of the tumour reduced by over 33.3% in 3 patients, 10.0% to 33.3% in 6 patients, and less than 10.0% in 2 patients. The duration of surgery and intraoperative blood loss in group A were (298 ± 39) minutes and (1031 ± 310) ml, respectively. The duration of surgery and intraoperative blood loss in group B were (281 ± 54) minutes and (868 ± 403) ml, respectively. No significant difference was found in terms of these two groups (t = 1.006, P = 0.324; t = 1.223, P = 0.232). In addition, 6 cases in group A developed complications and 4 cases in group B did so. Only one patient died because of postoperative complication, and this patient belonged to group A. No significant difference was found between two groups (χ(2) = 0.028, P = 0.868; χ(2) = 0.633, P = 0.426). The 5-year survival rate was 56.8% in group A and 34.9% in group B. The difference did not reach significant difference (P = 0.132). CONCLUSIONS: For hepatocellular carcinoma located in caudate lobe, preoperative TACE does not significantly increase the surgical difficulty and impair the safety. In addition, preoperative TACE has the tendency to provide benefit to long-term survival.

Case report: A de novo ERBB3 mutation develops in a gallbladder cancer patient carrying BRCA1 mutation after effective treatment with olaparib.

Background: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is highly lethal and resistant to most chemotherapeutic drugs. GBC was reported to carry multiple genetic mutations such as TP53, K-RAS, and ERBB2/3. Here, we unexpectedly identified a patient with GBC harboring germline BRCA1 p.Arg1325Lys heterozygous mutation. We sought to determine if olaparib, the poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) commonly treated for BRCA mutation, can inhibit cancer development via a therapeutic trial on this patient. Case presentation: The patient received GBC R0 resection after an 8-week olaparib treatment. After surgery and 6-month follow-up treatment with olaparib, the patient's blood carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level declined from 328 to 23.6 U/ml. No recurrence in CT scanning was observed, indicating a disease-free survival of 6 months with conventional therapy. Two months later, CT examination and CA19-9 level showed cancer relapse. A blood biopsy revealed a new ERBB3 p.Gly337Arg mutation. GBC cell lines ectopically expressing BRCA1 p.Arg1325Lys together with ERBB3 p.Gly337Arg mutations were challenged with olaparib and/or afatinib, an ERBB2/3 inhibitor. The dual mutation cells were more responsive to the combined olaparib with afatinib than a single drug in the cell proliferation assay. Conclusion: Olaparib is effective in a GBC patient with a BRAC1 mutation. The efficacy of olaparib and afatinib in both cultured BRAC1 and ERBB3 mutation cell lines suggests that a combined regimen targeting BRCA1/2 and ERBB2/3 mutations may be an optimal strategy to treat GBC patients who carry both gene mutations.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the pancreas: a case report and a review of literature.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the pancreas is rare. Here, a 63-year-old woman with left upper abdominal pain and abdominal distension is presented. Her mucoepidermoid carcinoma was located at the left upper abdomen, arising from the pancreatic body and tail without invasion of pancreatic capsule. On pathologic examination, the tumor consisted of three types of cells, the majority being poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma cells with mucin products in their cytoplasm, and some moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma with a tendency to form ducts. In addition, there were epidermoid cells and intermediate undifferentiated cells. She survived for 12 months after surgery.

[Binding pancreatic duct to mucosa anastomosis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility of binding pancreatic duct to mucosa anastomosis (BDM)-a complementary procedure to both binding pancreaticojejunostomy and binding pancreaticogastrostomy. METHODS: (1) Animal experimental study:gastrostomy and jejunostomy were performed on six adult New Zealand rabbits. The gastrostomy and jejunostomy shared a same stent (rubber urethral catheter, silicone tube or plastic infusion tube). Both ends of the stent were placed in gastric and enteric cavity. Purse-string suture was performed around the stent before the jejunum and the stomach were brought together for fixation by few stitches. And to observe whether the purse-string suture around a plastic tube, rubber tube or silicon tube inserted into jejunum and/or stomach can prevent leaking out of the jejunal or gastric content to cause peritonitis. (2) Clinically 7 patients were performed with BDM anastomosis. The procedure was consisted of five steps: preparation of the pancreatic stump;preparation of the jejunum; preparation of the fixing sutures between the pancreatic stump and the jejunum; implementation of the anastomosis; lastly, fixation of the jejunum beside the pancreas stump. Post-operative periodic examination of the blood amylase and the amylase in the abdominal drainage. Pancreatic fistula was classified in to two categories: parenchymal fistula (pancreatic cut surface fistula) and anastomotic leakage. RESULTS: Animal experiment did not show any leakage around the plastic tube or silicon tube inserted into jejunum and(or) stomach. There was no anastomotic leak in all the patients. There was transient increase of amylase in two cases, but the volume of drainage did not exceed 50 ml/d and the recovery of the patients was not affected. CONCLUSIONS: BDM is a simple, safe and easy procedure to perform. It provides to the surgeons with a new option in different situations to achieve the most ideal surgical result.

Patient-centered developments in colon- and rectal cancer with a multidisciplinary international team: From translational research to national guidelines.

Rarely, scientific developments centered around the patient as a whole are published. Our multidisciplinary group, headed by gastrointestinal surgeons, applied this research philosophy considering the most important aspects of the diseases "colon- and rectal cancer" in the long-term developments. Good expert cooperation/knowledge at the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm (CCCU) were applied in several phase III trials for multimodal treatments of primary tumors (MMT) and metastatic diseases (involving nearly 2000 patients and 64 centers), for treatment individualization of MMT and of metastatic disease, for psycho-oncology/quality of life involving the patients' wishes, and for disease prevention. Most of the targets initially were heavily rejected/discussed in the scientific communities, but now have become standards in treatments and national guidelines or are topics in modern translational research protocols involving molecular biology for e.g., "patient centered individualized treatment". In this context we also describe the paths we had to tread in order to realize our new goals, which at the end were highly beneficial for the patients from many points of view. This description is also important for students and young researchers who, with an actual view on our recent developments, might want to know how medical progress was achieved.

[Binding pancreaticogastrostomy].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the value of a new technique of the binding pancreaticogastrostomy (BPG) in pancreaticoduodenectomy. METHODS: From May 2008 to October 2008, 15 patients were performed with BPG, included pancreatic head cancer in 7 cases, duodenal adenocarcinoma in 2 cases,mass-type chronic pancreatitis with pancreatolithiasis in 1 case, ampullary carcinoma in 1 case, gallbladder cancer in 1 case, islet cell tumor in 1 case and cholangiocarcinoma in 2 cases. The main procedures of BPG included: isolating remnant pancreas; slitting partial posterior wall of stomach and preplaced with seromuscular purse-string suture; cutting gastric anterior wall; performing pancreaticogastrostomy (binding of outer seromuscular and inner mucous layer of stomach). RESULTS: The procedures were successful in 15 patients. Postoperative complications included small amount of pleural effusion in 2 cases, delayed gastric emptying in 2 cases and bile leakage in 2 cases. All patients were cured in 2 weeks. No mortality and anastomosis leakage occurred. CONCLUSION: The application of BPG technique can prevent the anastomosis leakage and improve the safety for pancreaticoduodenectomy.

[A pancreas suture-less type II binding pancreaticogastrostomy].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and safety of type II binding pancreaticogastrostomy (BPG) in pancreaticoduodenectomy and mid-segmentectomy of pancreas. METHODS: From November 2008 to May 2009, 26 patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy and mid-segmentectomy of pancreas with type II BPG reconstruction, including 13 cases of pancreatic head cancer, 3 cases of duodenal adenocarcinoma, 2 cases of ampullary carcinoma, 4 cases of cholangiocarcinoma, 1 case of bile duct cell severe atypical hyperplasia, and 1 case of stomach cancer. The process of type II BPG was described as the following: after pancreas remnant was mobilized for 2-3 cm, a piece of sero-muscular layer at the posterior gastric wall was excised and then a sero-muscular depth purse-suturing with 3-0 prolene was pre-placed (outer purse-string). Incising anterior gastric wall or opening part of the closed distal gastric stump, the mucosa layer at the sero-muscular defect was incised and then purse-suture at the mucosal tube was pre-placed (inner purse-string). Through the two pre-placed purse-strings, the pancreas remnant was pulled into the gastric lumen and then posterior gastric wall was pushed backward to keep it closely in contact with the retro-peritoneal wall. Thereafter, the outer purse-string was tied (outer binding) and then the inner purse-string was tied (inner binding). RESULTS: All cases underwent BPG of type II. The operative time ranged from 3 to 5.5 hours. The postoperative hospital stay ranged from 6 to 48 days. Postoperative complications included 1 case of ascites, 2 cases of delayed gastric emptying and 1 case of intra-abdominal bleeding. All cases with complications were cured after nonsurgical treatment. No mortality or pancreatic leakage occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Pancreaticogastrostomy is good for accommodating a large pancreas stump. Binding technique is very helpful in minimizing the leak rate of pancreaticogastrostomy. While type I BPG is safe and easy to perform, type II is even safer and easier to be done.

Pancreatogastrostomy vs pancreatojejunostomy after pancreaticoduodenectomy: An updated meta-analysis of RCTs and our experience.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) is one of the most important operations in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery. AIM: To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) and pancreaticogastrostomy (PG). METHODS: This meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3. All clinical randomized controlled trials, in which patients underwent PD with pancreatico-digestive tract reconstruction via PJ or PG, were included. RESULTS: The search of PubMed, Wanfang Data, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library provided 125 citations. After further analysis, 11 trials were included from nine counties. In all, 909 patients underwent PG and 856 underwent PJ. Meta-analysis showed that pancreatic fistula (PF) was a significantly lower morbidity in the PG group than in the PJ group (odds ratio [OR] = 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.53-0.86, P = 0.002); however, grades B and C PF was not significantly different between the two groups (OR = 0.61, 95%CI: 0.34-1.09, P = 0.09). Postoperative hemorrhage showed a significantly lower morbidity in the PJ group than in the PG group (OR = 1.47, 95%CI: 1.05-2.06, P = 0.03). Delayed gastric emptying was not significantly different between the two groups (OR = 1.09, 95%CI: 0.83-1.41, P = 0.54). CONCLUSION: There is no difference in the incidence of grades B and C PF between the two groups. However, postoperative bleeding is significantly higher in PG than in PJ. Binding PJ or binding PG is a safe and secure technique according to our decades of experience.

Experimental study on operative methods of pancreaticojejunostomy with reference to anastomotic patency and postoperative pancreatic exocrine function.

AIM: To assess the patency of pancreaticoenterostomy and pancreatic exocrine function after three surgical methods. METHODS: A pig model of pancreatic ductal dilation was made by ligating the main pancreatic duct. After 4 wk ligation, a total of 36 piglets were divided randomly into four groups. The piglets in the control group underwent laparotomy only; the others were treated by three anastomoses: (1) end-to-end pancreaticojejunostomy invagination (EEPJ); (2) end-to-side duct-to-mucosa sutured anastomosis (ESPJ); or (3) binding pancreaticojejunostomy (BPJ). Anastomotic patency was assessed after 8 wk by body weight gain, intrapancreatic ductal pressure, pancreatic exocrine function secretin test, pancreatography, and macroscopic and histologic features of the anastomotic site. RESULTS: The EEPJ group had significantly slower weight gain than the ESPJ and BPJ groups on postoperative weeks 6 and 8 (P < 0.05). The animals in both the ESPJ and BPJ groups had a similar body weight gain. Intrapancreatic ductal pressure was similar in ESPJ and BPJ. However, pressure in EEPJ was significantly higher than that in ESPJ and BPJ (P < 0.05). All three functional parameters, the secretory volume, the flow rate of pancreatic juice, and bicarbonate concentration, were significantly higher in ESPJ and BPJ as compared to EEPJ (P < 0.05). However, the three parameters were similar in ESPJ and BPJ. Pancreatography performed after EEPJ revealed dilation and meandering of the main pancreatic duct, and the anastomotic site exhibited a variable degree of occlusion, and even blockage. Pancreatography of ESPJ and BPJ, however, showed normal ductal patency. Histopathology showed that the intestinal mucosa had fused with that of the pancreatic duct, with a gradual and continuous change from one to the other. For EEPJ, the portion of the pancreatic stump protruding into the jejunal lumen was largely replaced by cicatricial fibrous tissue. CONCLUSION: A mucosa-to-mucosa pancreatico-jejunostomy is the best choice for anastomotic patency when compared with EEPJ. BPJ can effectively maintain anastomotic patency and preserve pancreatic exocrine function as well as ESPJ.

[Ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of hepatic malignancies with cool-tip needle].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy, indication and complication of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with cool-tip needle in patients with hepatic malignancies. METHODS: 421 patients with hepatic malignancies underwent ultrasound-guided RFA with cool-tip needle under local anaesthesia. The tumor size was from 1.0 to 15 cm in diameter with an average diameter of 4.3 cm. RESULTS: The complete ablation (CA) rate was 91.4% (382/418) in the patients with a tumor < 3 cm, 78.9% (97/123) in those with a tumor of 3 to 5 cm and 37.6% (35/93) in the patients with a tumor > 5 cm. No patient died or changed to celiotomy during the 1121 times of RFA for 634 lesions in 421 patients. No hemorrhage occurred in any of these patients after the RFA treatment. The complications included abdominal pain in 32.3% (136/421), nausea in 9.0% (38/421), fever in 34.9% (147/421) and biliary leakage in 0.2% (1/421) of the patients. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation with cool-tip needle is effective and safe in the treatment of liver tumors.

[Laparoscopic ultrasonography in laparoscopic hepatectomy: experience with 22 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of laparoscopic ultrasonography in laparoscopic hepatectomy. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with liver diseases underwent laparoscopic ultrasonography. A 10 mm 7.5/10 MHz linear, side viewing laparoscopic ultrasonography probe was used intra-operatively to examine the convergence of intrahepatic biliary ducts and blood vessels, confirm and correct the resection line, guide the laparoscopic resection, examine the tumor margin, and discover the residue of calculi. RESULTS: One additional tumor was detected in one primary liver tumor case during the laparoscopic hepatectomy. Laparoscopic hepatectomy was accomplished successfully in 21 patients one of which had to be transferred to laparotomy due to severe liver cirrhosis and uncontrollable bleeding. The average operation time was 157 min with the average examining and guiding time of 14 min. The intra-operative bleeding amount was 520 ml. No calculus and tumor residue were found. One case of post-operative liver wound bile leakage and one case of subphrenic hydrops were found and they both recovered after drainage. CONCLUSION: Intra-operative laparoscopic ultrasonography helps evaluate the entire liver and decide the resection line accurately. Under its guiding the laparoscopic hepatectomy can be performed smoothly.

Better surgical treatment method for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) is a disease that is not uncommon, but the treatments vary drastically between Eastern and Western countries. In Europe and America, the first line of treatment is systemic therapy such as sorafenib and the surgical treatment is not a recommend option. While an increasing number of studies from China and Japan have suggested that surgical treatment results in better outcomes when compared to transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), sorafenib, or other nonsurgical treatments, and two classification systems, Japanese Vp classification and Chinese Cheng's classification, were very useful to guide the surgical treatment. We have also found that surgical treatment may be more effective, as we have performed surgical treatment for HCC-PVTT patients over a period of approximately 15 years and achieved good results with the longest surviving time being 13 years and onward. In this study, we review the efficacy and principles of current surgical treatments and introduce our new, more effective surgical technique named "thrombectomy first", which means the tumor thrombus in the main portal vein, the bifurcation or the contralateral portal vein should be removed prior to liver resection. Thus, compression and crushing of PVTT during the operation could be avoided and new intrahepatic metastases caused by tumor thrombus to the remnant liver minimized. The new technique is even beneficial to the prognosis of Cheng's classification Types III and IV PVTT. The vital tips and tricks for the surgical approach are described.

Laparoscopic hepatectomy by curettage and aspiration: a new technique.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic surgery is advantageous for minimal invasiveness and rapid postoperative recovery. Since the use of laparoscopic hepatectomy in liver resection in the 1990s, it has been performed in a few institutions worldwide. Lack of efficient and safe techniques for liver transaction is the major obstacle preventing from its further development. We developed a new technique for laparoscopic hepatectomy by curettage and aspiration in 1998. In this paper we analyze the clinical outcomes of this technique after 7 years of practice. METHODS: Altogether 59 consecutive patients underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy by curettage and aspiration from August 1998 to January 2005 at our institution. These patients included 33 males and 26 females, with a mean age of 47 years. For liver transection laparoscopic Peng's multifunctional operative dissector (LPMOD) was used. Lesions included malignant liver tumors in 19 patients, benign liver tumors in 17, intrahepatic calculus in 18, and other liver lesions in 5. Procedures included local resections in 30 patients, left lateral segmentectomy in 28, and right hemihepatectomy in 1. RESULTS: Laparoscopic operation was completed in 57 patients. Two patients (3.4%) had the operation converted to laparotomy. The mean operating time was 143 minutes and the mean intraoperative blood loss was 456 ml. The mean length of postoperative hospital stay was 7 days. Complications occurred in 2 patients (3.4%), and there was no perioperative death. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic hepatectomy by curettage and aspiration is efficient and safe for liver resection.

Congenital choledochal cysts in adults: twenty-five-year experience.

BACKGROUND: Choledochal cyst is rare in western countries. The relatively high incidence of coexistent hepatobiliary disease increases the difficulty of the surgical management of choledochal cyst. Here we analyze the diagnosis and treatment of congenital bile duct cyst in 122 Chinese adults. METHODS: The clinical data of 122 patients with congenital choledochal cysts admitted from 1981 to 2006 were analyzed. RESULTS: Clinical symptoms in most cases were nonspecific, resulting in delayed diagnosis. Sixty-one patients (50%) had coexistent pancreatobiliary disease. Among the 122 patients, 119 patients underwent ultrasonic examination; ERCP/MRCP was performed in 63 cases and CT in 102 cases. Abnormal pancreatobiliary duct junction was found in 48 patients. Sixteen patients had malignant lesions in the bile duct, arising in 11 of them from incomplete choledochal cyst that underwent various operations including cystenterostomy or cystojejunostomy. There was significant difference between the patients who underwent incomplete cyst resection and complete cyst resection in malignancy rate of bile duct (Chi square test, P = 0.000; odds ratio, 7.800; 95% confidence interval, 2.450 to 24.836). CONCLUSIONS: ERCP, CT and MRCP had proved their great values in the classification of the disease. Cyst excision with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy is recommended as the treatment of choice for patients with type I or type IV cysts. For type V cyst (Caroli's disease) with recurrent cholangitis, liver transplantation should be considered.

[Laparoscopic splenectomy and pericardial devascularization for treatment of portal hypertension due to liver cirrhosis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) and pericardial devascularization in treatment of portal hypertension due to liver cirrhosis. METHODS: Twenty three cases with hepatitis B and schistosoma cirrhosis and portal hypertension underwent LS and paraesophagogastric devascularization performed by one treatment team. Follow-up was conducted for 9 months. RESULTS: LS combined with pericardial devascularization was successfully performed on these 20 cases. Three cases were converted to open surgery due to intra-operative bleeding. The mean operative time was 235 min (180 - 350), and mean intra-operative blood loss was 520 ml (200 - 1600 ml). All patients were treated with plasma transfusion, antibiotics, and abdominal drainage post-operatively. Peristalsis of stomach and intestine recovered 24 - 72 hours after operation. The mean hospitalization time was 8.5 days (6 - 17 days). The peri-operative complication included plural effusion in 3 cases and subphrenic abscess in one case, .mild ascites in two cases, and wound dehiscence in one case. No mortality occurred. Rebleeding rare was 0%. CONCLUSION: LS combined with pericardial devascularization is relatively safe and effective in treatment of portal hypertension due to liver cirrhosis. The keys to success include experienced laparoscopic skills, use of harmonic scalpel and careful manipulation.

[Mesenchymal stem cells inhibit the expression of CD25 on phytohaemagglutinin-activated lymphocytes].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the regulatory effects of rat mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) on T lymphocyte proliferation by examining the early activated markers such as CD25 and CD69. METHODS: MSC had been isolated and expanded in vitro. Then it was identified by cell morphology, membrane phenotype, and differentiation potential. Nylon wool column was applied to purify T-lymphocytes. MSCs and T-lymphocytes were cultured together and were stimulated by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), and then the expressions of CD25 and CD69 were assessed. The levels of TGF-beta1 and IL-10 in the supernatants of MSC cultures were detected by using ELISA. RESULTS: (1) The expression of CD25 is suppressed in a dose-dependent manner when the T-lymphocytes are co-cultured with 10,000 MSCs or more, while 100 MSCs have no detectable effect; (2) The suppression of CD25 can be lasted more than 96 hrs; (3) The down regulation of CD25 is mediated by some soluble factors; (4) The reduced expression of CD25 caused by MSC inhibition is not mediated by TGF-beta1 and IL-10. CONCLUSION: MSCs have significant immune regulatory effects on PHA-stimulated T-lymphocyte culture. It might provide a remarkable immune suppression in organ-transplantation to achieve better outcome in the near future.