Case Report: Vision Loss in a Child Caused by Streptococcus constellatus.

PURPOSE: We present a rare case of Streptococcus constellatus -induced odontogenic orbital cellulitis. METHODS: An 8-year-old boy presented to an outpatient clinic with complaints of right-sided toothache, right eye swelling, and decreased visual acuity. He was referred to a pediatric critical care department for further management. Comprehensive diagnostic assessments, such as ophthalmic examination, blood tests, computed tomography, and MRI, were performed. RESULTS: On presentation, the best-corrected visual acuities were 20/250 and 20/20 in the right and left eyes, respectively. Examination revealed grade 2+ eyelid edema and erythema and grade 4+ chemosis and exophthalmos in the right eye. The patient displayed restricted eye movements in all directions. Blood tests revealed a total white blood cell count of 12,100 cells/µL. Axial and coronal computed tomography revealed right-sided maxillary sinus, ethmoidal sinus, and orbital abscesses. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed with septicemia, orbital cellulitis, and orbital apex syndrome in the right eye. Intravenous antibiotics were administered; paracentesis of the orbital abscess was performed under local anesthesia. However, the patient's condition worsened, resulting in a complete loss of light perception in the right eye. Accordingly, surgery was performed under general anesthesia within 24 hours of admission; the surgery involved drainage of the orbital abscess through an inferior intraorbital incision, as well as drainage of the ethmoid sinus and maxillary sinus abscesses via nasal endoscopy. A culture obtained from the orbital abscess yielded S. constellatus . The infection was managed by a combination of surgical intervention, antibiotics, steroids, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. However, because of optic nerve injury, vision in the affected eye partially recovered to 20/200. CONCLUSIONS: Streptococcus constellatus -induced pediatric orbital cellulitis can result in significant morbidity. The significant improvement in vision, from no light perception to 20/200, emphasizes the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment in patients who present with acute orbital cellulitis and vision loss symptoms.

Comparation of robotic-assisted surgery and laparoscopic­assisted surgery in children with Hirschsprung's disease: a single-centered retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: There are few studies comparing robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) and laparoscopic-assisted surgery (LAS) in Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR). This study aimed to compare intraoperative and postoperative outcomes between RAS and LAS performed during the same period. METHODS: All consecutive 75 patients with pathologically diagnosed as HSCR who underwent Swenson pull-through surgery from April 2020 to Nov 2022, were included. Patients were divided into RAS group and LAS group and a retrospective analysis was performed based on clinical indexes and prognosis. RESULTS: A total of 75 patients were included, among which, 31 patients received RAS and 44 received LAS. The RAS and LAS groups had similar ages, sex, weight, postoperative hospital stays, and fasting times. Compared with LAS, blood loss (p = 0.002) and the incidence of Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis (p = 0.046) were significantly lower in the RAS group. The first onset of Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis in patients younger than 3 months occurred significantly earlier (p = 0.043). Two patients experienced anastomotic leakage in the LAS group and one patient experienced incisional hernia in the RAS group. The cost of RAS was significantly higher than that of LAS (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: RAS is a safe and effective alternative for HSCR children, and a delaying primary surgery until later in infancy (> 3 months) may improve outcomes.

Monocytic HLA-DR Expression in Immune Responses of Acute Pancreatitis and COVID-19.

Acute pancreatitis is a common gastrointestinal disease with increasing incidence worldwide. COVID-19 is a potentially life-threatening contagious disease spread throughout the world, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. More severe forms of both diseases exhibit commonalities with dysregulated immune responses resulting in amplified inflammation and susceptibility to infection. Human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-DR, expressed on antigen-presenting cells, acts as an indicator of immune function. Research advances have highlighted the predictive values of monocytic HLA-DR (mHLA-DR) expression for disease severity and infectious complications in both acute pancreatitis and COVID-19 patients. While the regulatory mechanism of altered mHLA-DR expression remains unclear, HLA-DR-/low monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells are potent drivers of immunosuppression and poor outcomes in these diseases. Future studies with mHLA-DR-guided enrollment or targeted immunotherapy are warranted in more severe cases of patients with acute pancreatitis and COVID-19.

FAM171B as a Novel Biomarker Mediates Tissue Immune Microenvironment in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

The purpose of this study was to uncover potential diagnostic indicators of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), evaluate the function of immune cells in the pathogenesis of the disease, and find innovative treatment targets and medicines with the potential to enhance prognosis. Gene Expression Omnibus was utilized to acquire the PAH datasets. We recognized differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and investigated their functions utilizing R software. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operators, and support vector machines were used to identify biomarkers. The extent of immune cell infiltration in the normal and PAH tissues was determined using CIBERSORT. Additionally, the association between diagnostic markers and immune cells was analyzed. In this study, 258DEGs were used to analyze the disease ontology. Most DEGs were linked with atherosclerosis, arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and lung disease, including obstructive lung disease. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that compared to normal samples, results from PAH patients were mostly associated with ECM-receptor interaction, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, the Wnt signaling pathway, and focal adhesion. FAM171B was identified as a biomarker for PAH (area under the curve = 0.873). The mechanism underlying PAH may be mediated by nave CD4 T cells, resting memory CD4 T cells, resting NK cells, monocytes, activated dendritic cells, resting mast cells, and neutrophils, according to an investigation of immune cell infiltration. FAM171B expression was also associated with resting mast cells, monocytes, and CD8 T cells. The results suggest that PAH may be closely related to FAM171B with high diagnostic performance and associated with immune cell infiltration, suggesting that FAM171B may promote the progression of PAH by stimulating immune infiltration and immune response. This study provides valuable insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of PAH.

Circ-ZNF124 downregulation inhibits non-small cell lung cancer progression partly by inactivating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway via mediating the miR-498/YES1 axis.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major type of lung cancer, leading to a high fatality rate. The role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in cancer has been increasingly emphasized and studied. However, the function of circ-ZNF124 in NSCLC is largely unclear, and associated regulatory mechanism is not studied. Here, we examined the expression pattern of circ-ZNF124 using quantitative real-time PCR. For functional analysis, cell proliferation, cell apoptosis/cycle and cell invasion were investigated using MTT [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay, flow cytometry assay and transwell assay, respectively. As results, we found that the expression of circ-ZNF124 was elevated in NSCLC tissues and cells. Functionally, circ-ZNF124 downregulation inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation and invasion but induced apoptosis and cycle arrest in vitro, and blocked tumor growth in vivo by animal experiments. Mechanistically, we identified that miR-498 was a target of circ-ZNF124, and miR-498 directly bound to YES proto-oncogene 1 (YES1). Besides, rescue experiments discovered that the cellular effects caused by circ-ZNF124 downregulation could be reversed by miR-498 inhibition or YES1 overexpression. Moreover, we discovered that circ-ZNF124 downregulation inactivated the expression of ß-catenin and c-Myc by mediating the miR-498/YES axis. In conclusion, these findings supported that circ-ZNF124 regulated the expression of YES1 by acting as a sponge of miR-498, thus restraining NSCLC development by inactivating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, which provided a novel strategy to treat NSCLC.

The effect of ventilator-associated pneumonia on the prognosis of intensive care unit patients within 90 days and 180 days.

BACKGROUND: Mechanical ventilation (MV) is often applied in critically ill patients in intensive care unit (ICU) to protect the airway from aspiration, and supplement more oxygen. MV may result in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in ICU patients. This study was to estimate the 90-day and 180-day mortalities of ICU patients with VAP, and to explore the influence of VAP on the outcomes of ICU patients. METHODS: Totally, 8182 patients who aged ≥18 years and received mechanical ventilation (MV) in ICU from Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC III) database were involved in this study. All subjects were divided into the VAP group (n = 537) and the non-VAP group (n = 7626) based on the occurrence of VAP. Clinical data of all participants were collected. The effect of VAP on the prognosis of ICU patients was explored by binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The results delineated that the 90-day mortality of VAP patients in ICU was 33.33% and 180-day mortality was 37.62%. The 90-day and 180-day mortality rates were higher in the VAP group than in the non-VAP group. After adjusting the confounders including age, ethnicity, heart failure, septicemia, simplified acute physiology score II (SAPSII) score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, serum lactate, white blood cell (WBC), length of ICU stay, length of hospital stay, length of ventilation, antibiotic treatment, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.aeruginosa), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), other pathogens, the risk of 90-day and 180-day mortalities in VAP patients were 1.465 times (OR = 1.465, 95%CI: 1.188-1.807, P < 0.001) and 1.635 times (OR = 1.635, 95%CI: 1.333-2.005, P < 0.001) higher than those in non-VAP patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that ICU patients with VAP had poorer prognosis than those without VAP. The results of this study might offer a deeper insight into preventing the occurrence of VAP.

The associated factors of cesarean section during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in nine cities of China.

BACKGROUND: Improving and maintaining the health of mothers and newborns is indisputably a global priority, especially during a pandemic. This study intends to examine the factors associated with cesarean section (CS) during lockdown time. METHODS: A total of 678 women who just gave birth within 7 days were enrolled from maternal and children hospitals in nine cities of China from April to May 2020. The delivery modes and potential influencing factors were investigated. The subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were used to examine the association of CS and risk factors among populations with different characteristics and to control for possible confounding, respectively. RESULTS: The overall rate of cesarean delivery was 37.3%. In multi-variant model, maternal age > 30 years (OR, 95% CI = 1.71, 1.21-2.41), higher pre-gestational BMI (OR, 95% CI = 1.16, 1.10-1.23), living in regions with confirmed COVID-19 cases > 500 (OR, 95% CI = 2.45, 1.74-3.45), and excess gestational weight gain (OR, 95% CI = 1.73, 1.17-2.55) were associated with cesarean delivery. These trends of associations were not changes in sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis. Cesarean delivery occurred more in women who got more nutrition instruction during the pandemic period in the univariant model; however, this association showed insignificance in the multiple-variant analysis. CONCLUSION: A high cesarean delivery rate was found in uninfected women who experienced lockdown in their third trimester. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more medical support should be provided in severely affected regions to ensure and promote health in pregnancy.

Kushenin induces the apoptosis of HCV-infected cells by blocking the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway via inhibiting NS5A.

With the increased burden induced by HCV, there is an urgent need to develop better-tolerated agents with good safety. In this study, we evaluated the anti-HCV capability of kushenin, as well as the possible mechanism to Huh7.5-HCV cells. The results demonstrated that kushenin significantly inhibited the HCV-RNA level. Similarly, the expression of HCV-specific protein NS5A was also decreased. Molecular docking results displayed that kushenin bonded well to the active pockets of HCV NS5A, further confirming the effects of kushenin on HCV replication. Coimmunoprecipitation assay determined that kushenin suppressed the interaction between PI3K and NS5A in HCV-replicon cells. Furthermore, kushenin exerted an obviously induced function on HCV-replicon cells apoptosis by inhibiting PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway, which could be ameliorated by the specific activator IGF-1 addition. Taken together, kushenin possesses the ability to inhibit HCV replication, and contributes to the increased apoptosis of HCV-infected cells by blocking the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway via inhibiting NS5A. Our results provide important evidence for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of HCV infection, and suggest that kushenin has the potential to treat HCV disease.

Nanoprecipitation of Fluorescent Conjugated Polymer onto the Surface of Plasmonic Nanoparticle for Fluorescence/Dark-Field Dual-Modality Single Particle Imaging.

In this work, a hybridized nanoparticle with fluorescence/dark-field dual-modality imaging capability was prepared by nanoprecipitation of fluorescent conjugated polymer onto the surface of silica-coated rod-shape plasmonic nanoparticle. According to the spectroscopic and microscopic characterizations, the fluorescence intensity of conjugated polymer poly[(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-alt-co-(1,4-benzo(2,1',3)-thiadiazole)] (PFBT) could be enhanced around 2-fold after assembling onto the silica-decorated metal nanorod surface compared with the fluorescence intensity of regular PFBT polymer dots without the metal core. The in situ nanorod etching experiment further confirmed this result at the single particle level. In addition to the fluorescence enhancement effect, improved fluorescence stability was obtained from the single particle fluorescence intensity characterizations. As a consequence, this self-assembled functional nanoparticle could be extensively applied to biological imaging such as cellular labeling and single particle tracking owing to the novel and unique optical features, for example, the superior optical stability and specific identification capability from the scattering and fluorescence domain, respectively. Furthermore, the amendable peripheral polymer surface of this nanostructure will promote its applications in biological sensing and imaging-guided functional molecule delivery in the future.

Orientational Imaging of a Single Gold Nanorod at the Liquid/Solid Interface with Polarized Evanescent Field Illumination.

Understanding the mechanistic information on many kinetic processes requires the exploration of dynamic rotational information on the target object at the single particle (or molecule) level. In this work, we developed a new strategy, total internal reflection scattering (TIRS) microscopy, to determine the full three-dimensional (3D) angular information on a single gold nanorod (GNR) close to the liquid/solid interface. It was found that the 3D orientational information on individual GNR could be readily elucidated by using p-polarized TIRS illumination through deciphering the orientation-coded intensity distribution pattern in a single TIRS image. In comparison with the previously reported strategies, this method does not require complicated focal plane correction, affording a versatile pathway to track the rotational dynamics close to the interface in a high throughput manner. The methodology presented here, therefore, demonstrates a promising approach that can be applied to fluidic membranes, including membranes with polymers, bound proteins, and so on.

A Double-Negative Feedback Interaction between MicroRNA-29b and DNMT3A/3B Contributes to Ovarian Cancer Progression.

BACKGROUND: Epigenetic abnormalities are increasingly observed in multiple malignancies, including epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), and their effects can be significantly counteracted by tumor-suppressor microRNAs, namely epi-miRNAs. Here, we investigated the role of miR-29b, a well-established epi-miRNA, in the DNA methylation regulation of EOC cells. METHODS: The correlation between miR-29b and DNMT3A/3B expression was evaluated by RT-qPCR, western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis. The functional roles of miR-29b and DNMT3A/3B were tested by anti-miRs and microRNA precursors. A luciferase reporter assay was employed to detect the direct binding of miR-29b to DNMT3A/3B 3' UTRs. Co-IP was utilized for investigating Id-1 binding activity. RESULTS: miR-29b was negatively correlated with DNMT3A/3B expression at the cellular/histological levels. miR-29b silencing was correlated with increased DNMT3A/3B levels, whereasmiR-29b over-expression caused DNMT3A/3B down-regulation. Luciferase reporter assays confirmed that the miR-29b-mediated downregulation of DNMT3A/3Boccurred through the direct targeting of theirmRNAs'3'-UTRs,whereasBGS assays found that DNMT3A/3B knockdown increased miR-29b expression via CpG island promoter hypomethylation, thus suggesting a crucial crosstalk betweenmiR-29b and DNMT3A/3B via a double-negative feedback loop. Co-IP assay confirmed direct binding between DNMT3A and Id-1. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our study sheds light on a novel epigenetic circuitry regulating EOC progression and may provide novel options for miR-29b-based epi-therapeutic approaches for future EOC treatment.

[Research on the Combined Detection of Urine UmAlb and Urinary Nephrin, Podocalyxin in Podocyte of MKR Mice with Diabetic Nephropathy].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the combined detection of urine UmAlb and urinary nephrin (Unephrin), podocalyxin (UPCX) in podocyte of MKR mice with diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: Thirty 8 weeks old MKR mice were randomly divided into two groups as follows: negative control group, DN model group, and another 15 wild C57 mice were used as normal control. Mice in DN model group were received unilateral nephrectomy and high-fat diet feed for 2 months. The morphological structure changes of the podocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopes. The levels of FBG were detected by electrochemical detection method, The nephrin and PCX protein expression were measured by western blotting. The levels of UmAlb, Unephrin and UPCX were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: The podocyte damage in the mice of DN model group increased significantly when compared with normal control. As compared with normal control, FBG in the model group increased significantly (P<0. 01), the expression level of nephrin and PCX in Renal Tissue and Unephrin, UPCX, and urine UmAlb were also increased significantly (P<0. 01). CONCLUSION: The level of Unephrin and UPCX were positive correlated with the level of urine UmAlb, the loss of podocyte strcture protein might be one of the mechanism in leading proteinuria in diabetic nephropathy.

Modulation of CD147-induced matrix metalloproteinase activity: role of CD147 N-glycosylation.

Degradation of the basement membrane by MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases) is one of the most critical steps in tumour progression. CD147 is a tumour-associated antigen that plays a key regulatory role for MMP activities. In the present study, mass spectrum analysis demonstrated that the purified native CD147 from human lung cancer tissue was N-glycosylated and contained a series of high-mannose and complex-type N-linked glycan structures. Moreover, native glycosylated CD147 existed exclusively as oligomers in solution and directly stimulated MMP production more efficiently than non-glycosylated prokaryotic CD147. The glycosylation site mutation results indicated that, among three N-glycan attachment sites, the N152Q mutants were retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and unfolded protein response signalling was activated. This improper intracellular accumulation impaired its MMP-inducing activity. Increased ß1,6-branching of N-glycans as a result of overexpression of GnT-V (N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V) plays an important role in tumour metastasis. In the present study, we identified CD147 as a target protein of GnT-V and found that overexpression of GnT-V resulted in an elevated level of CD147 at the plasma membrane and in cell-conditioned medium, thereby increasing the induction of MMPs. The present study reveals the important role of N-glycosylation of CD147 in its biological function and implied that targeting aberrant ß1,6-branching of N-glycans on CD147 would be valuable for the development of novel therapeutic modalities against carcinoma.

Association between blood urea nitrogen levels and diabetic retinopathy in diabetic adults in the United States (NHANES 2005-2018).

Objective: To investigate the association between blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in adults with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: Seven cycles of cross-sectional population information acquired from NHANES(national health and nutrition examination surveys) 2005-2018 were collected, from which a sample of diabetic adults was screened and separated into two groups based on whether or not they had DR, followed by weighted multivariate regression analysis. This study collected a complete set of demographic, biological, and sociological risk factor indicators for DR. Demographic risk factors comprised age, gender, and ethnicity, while biological risk factors included blood count, blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference, and glycated hemoglobin. Sociological risk factors included education level, deprivation index, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. Results: The multiple regression model revealed a significant connection between BUN levels and DR [odds ratio =1.04, 95% confidence interval (1.03-1.05), p-value <0.0001],accounting for numerous variables. After equating BUN levels into four groups, multiple regression modeling showed the highest quartile (BUN>20 mg/dl) was 2.22 times more likely to develop DR than the lowest quartile [odds ratio =2.22, 95% confidence interval (1.69-2.93), p- value <0.0001]. Subgroup analyses revealed that gender, race, diabetes subtype, and duration of diabetes had a regulating effect on the relationship between BUN and DR. Conclusion: BUN levels were related with an increased prevalence of DR, particularly in individuals with BUN >20 mg/dl. These findings highlight the significance of BUN level in assessing the risk of DR.

Progress in diagnosis and treatment of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy.

Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a mitochondrial genetic disease with central vision loss as the main symptom. It is one of the diseases that cause vision loss and optic atrophy in young and middle-aged people. The mutations of these three primary mitochondrial mutations, m.11778G>A, m.14484T>C, and m.3460G>A, are the main molecular basis, but their pathogenesis is also affected by nuclear genes, mitochondrial genetic background, and environmental factors. This article summarizes the research progress on molecular pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, and treatment of LHON in recent years, aiming to summarize the genetic pathogenesis and clinical treatment points of LHON.

Blunt pancreatic injury in children: Lessons from 11-year experience in a pediatric center.

OBJECTIVE: To study the diagnosis, management strategies, and outcomes of pediatric patients with blunt pancreatic injury. METHODS: The clinical data of patients with blunt pancreatic injury at Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2011 to September 2022 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 51 patients were enrolled. According to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) classification of pancreatic injury, 41 patients were categorized in the low-grade and nine in the high-grade groups. On admission, serum amylase and lipase levels in the high-grade group were significantly higher than in the low-grade group (P = 0.025 and P = 0.021, respectively). The peak levels of serum amylase and lipase in the high-grade group were considerably higher than in the low-grade group (P = 0.017 and P = 0.038, respectively). Two patients received surgical treatment, but none experienced pancreatectomy. The remaining 49 patients were successfully treated with conservative methods. The incidence of pancreatic pseudocysts in patients was 47.1% (24/51), and half required external drainage. CONCLUSION: Conservative management is safe for most children with blunt pancreatic injury, surgical intervention should be adopted in patients with hemodynamic instability or multiple organ failure.

Robot-assisted abdominal surgery in children less than 5 months of age: retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Robot-assisted surgery is increasingly used in children. While robot-assisted surgery in children has been proved to be safe and feasible, use in infants is controversial. The purpose of this study was to present a study of robot-assisted abdominal surgery in children less than5 months of age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 111 patients less than 5 months of age who underwent abdominal surgery from April 2020 to December 2022 in our hospital. The data included clinical information, operative details, and postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: Among these 111 patients, 67 underwent robot-assisted surgery and 44 underwent laparoscopic-assisted surgery, the robot-assisted group includes 40 patients with Hirschsprung disease, 20 patients with choledochal cysts, and 7 patients with intestinal duplication, the laparoscopic-assisted group includes 26 patients with Hirschsprung disease, 9 patients with choledochal cysts, and 9 patients with intestinal duplication. For Hirschsprung disease, the operation time was significantly longer ( P =0.013) and the intraoperative bleeding was significantly less ( P =0.000) in the robot-assisted group than the laparoscopic assisted group. For choledochal cysts, the median operation time of 180 mins for the robot-assisted group was not significantly longer than the laparoscopic assisted surgery group at 160 mins ( P =0.153). For intestinal duplication, the operation time was significantly longer ( P =0.002) in the robot-assisted group than the laparoscopic assisted group. For these three diseases, the hospitalization expense was significantly higher ( P <0.05) in the robot-assisted group than the laparoscopic assisted group, there were no significant differences in complications, and postoperative fasting time between two groups ( P >0.05). CONCLUSION: Robot-assisted abdominal surgery in children less than 5 months of age is safe and feasible. This study showed that the surgical indications for the Da Vinci robot system in children can be extended to infants.

Robotic-Assisted and Laparoscopic Splenectomy in Children: A Single Center Comparative Study.

Background: To explore the safety, efficacy, advantages, and disadvantages of robotic-assisted splenectomy (RS) in children by analyzing and comparing the clinical data of RS and laparoscopic splenectomy (LS). Methods: The clinical data of 35 children who underwent laparoscopic or RS or partial splenectomy from February 2010 to October 2022 were included. A retrospective analysis based on general information, clinical data, and prognosis were performed. Results: Among 35 cases, 14 cases, and 21 cases underwent RS and LS, respectively. The average operation time was 167 (120-224) minutes in the RS group and 176 (166-188) minutes in the LS group. The intraoperative blood loss was significantly larger in LS group than RS group (P = .0009). The length of hospital stay was significantly longer in LS group than RS group (P = .0015), and the hospitalization cost was significantly higher in RS group than LS group (P < .0001). There were no cases of conversion to laparotomy in the RS group, but two cases in the LS group. In terms of postoperative complications, there were one and three cases in the RS and LS groups, respectively. Conclusion: The Robotic Surgical System was safe and feasible in pediatric splenectomy or partial splenectomy which was an alternative to laparoscopic surgery.

Artesunate attenuates the tumorigenesis of choroidal melanoma via inhibiting EFNA3 through Stat3/Akt signaling pathway.

PURPOSE: Choroidal melanoma (CM), a kind of malignant tumor, is the main type of Uveal melanoma and one half of CM patients develop metastases. As a member of Eph/ephrin pathway that plays vital role in tumors, EphrinA3 (EFNA3) has been proved to promote tumorigenesis in many tumors. But the effect of EFNA3 in CM has not been studied yet. Through inhibiting angiogenesis, inducing apoptosis and autophagy and so on, Artesunate (ART) plays a key anti-tumor role in many tumors, including CM. However, the exact mechanisms of anti-tumor in CM remain unclear. METHODS: The UALCAN and TIMER v2.0 database analyzed the role of EFNA3 in CM patients. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blot were used to detect the expression of EFNA3 in CM. The growth ability of CM was tested by clonogenic assay and Cell counting kit-8 assay, and the migration ability using Transwell assay. RESULTS: Our results found EFNA3 boosted CM cells' growth and migration through activating Stat3/Akt signaling pathway, while ART inhibited the tumor promoting effect of CM via downregulating EFNA3. In xenograft tumor model, EFNA3 knockdown and ART significantly inhibited tumor growth. CONCLUSION: EFNA3 could be a valuable prognostic factor in CM.