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To determine the predictive value of preoperative inflammatory markers in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with radiofrequency ablation (RFA).A total of 161 patients with HCC who underwent TACE combined with RFA were enrolled in this retrospective study. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to decide the cutoff value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and the prognostic nutritional index (PNI). The relationship between preoperative NLR, LMR, PLR, PNI, and survival outcomes was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression analyses.The cutoff value of NLR for the best discrimination of HCC prognosis was 2.95. The median recurrence-free survival (RFS) of the low NLR (≤2.95) group was longer than that of the high NLR (2.95) group (29 months vs. 20 months,NLR was confirmed as an independent predictive biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma prognosis after TACE combined with RFA.

BACKGROUND The treatment outcome of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) varies greatly due to the clinical heterogeneity of the patients. Therefore, several prognostic systems have been proposed for risk stratification and candidate identification for first TACE and repeated TACE (re-TACE). AIM To investigate the correlations between prognostic systems and radiological response, compare the predictive abilities, and integrate them in sequence for outcome prediction. METHODS This nationwide multicenter retrospective cohort consisted of 1107 unresectable HCC patients in 15 Chinese tertiary hospitals from January 2010 to May 2016. The Hepatoma Arterial-embolization Prognostic (HAP) score system and its modified versions (mHAP, mHAP2 and mHAP3), as well as the six-and-twelve criteria were compared in terms of their correlations with radiological response and overall survival (OS) prediction for first TACE. The same analyses were conducted in 912 patients receiving re-TACE to evaluate the ART (assessment for re-treatment with TACE) and ABCR (alpha-fetoprotein, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer, Child-Pugh and Response) systems for post re-TACE survival (PRTS). RESULTS All the prognostic systems were correlated with radiological response achieved by first TACE, and the six-and-twelve criteria exhibited the highest correlation (Spearman R = 0.39, P = 0.026) and consistency (Kappa = 0.14, P = 0.019), with optimal performance by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.71 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.68-0.74]. With regard to the prediction of OS, the mHAP3 system identified patients with a favorable outcome with the highest concordance (C)-index of 0.60 (95%CI: 0.57-0.62) and the best area under the receiver operating characteristic curve at any time point during follow-up; whereas, PRTS was well-predicted by the ABCR system with a C-index of 0.61 (95%CI: 0.59-0.63), rather than ART. Finally, combining the mHAP3 and ABCR systems identified candidates suitable for TACE with an improved median PRTS of 36.6 mo, compared with non-candidates with a median PRTS of 20.0 mo (log-rank test P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Radiological response to TACE is closely associated with tumor burden, but superior prognostic prediction could be achieved with the combination of mHAP3 and ABCR in patients with unresectable liver-confined HCC.

Clinically, when applying multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations in renal diseases, assessment of renal structure and function has to account for age- and sex-related effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of age and sex on multiparametric MRI assessment of renal structure and function in healthy human beings. Studies on 33 healthy volunteers were performed using multiparametric MRI on a 3.0-Tesla MR scanner, including T1-weighted imaging, blood oxygen level-dependent MRI (BOLD MRI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Our results revealed that the mean renal cortical thickness (RCT), ratio of cortex to parenchyma (CPR), and cortical R2* values were higher in males than in females. The cortical R2* value was higher in older group than in younger group (18.57 ± 0.99 vs 17.53 ± 0.58, p = 0.001); there was no significant difference in medullary R2* between the older and younger groups (38.18 ± 2.96 vs 36.45 ± 2.47, p = 0.077). The parenchymal thickness (PT) and medullary fractional anisotropy (FA) were lower in older group than in younger group (1.547 ± 0.06 vs 1.604 ± 0.05, p = 0.005 and 0.343 ± 0.03 vs 0.371 ± 0.03, p = 0.016, respectively). Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that PT and medullary FA were inversely related with age (r = −0.483, p = 0.004; r = −0.446, p = 0.009) while cortical R2* values was positively related (r = 0.511, p = 0.002, respectively). The medullary apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value had a significant association with PT (r = 0.359, p = 0.04). This study indicated that multiparametric renal MRI parameters are age and sex dependent.

To find the different electrophoretic profiles of prion protein in carcinous and individual pericarcinous tissues in lysates of gastric, colon, liver, lung, thyroid, and laryngeal cancers.Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot were used to test the amounts and electrophoretic patterns of total PrP and the tolerance of PK (protease K) digestion among six various cancer tissue types.A mass of PrP signals with a large molecular weight were identified in the homogenates of peripheral tissues. The amounts and electrophoretic patterns of total PrP did not differ significantly between carcinous and pericarcinous tissues. PrPs in all types of the tested cancer samples were PK sensitive but showed diversity in the tolerance of PK digestion among various tissue types.The study revealed that the included electrophoretic patterns of carcinous and pericarcinous tissues were almost similar. Unlike PrP-specific immunohistochemical assay, evaluation of PrP electrophoretic patterns in the peripheral organs and tissues by Western blot does not reflect tumor malignancy.

Background Cumulative evidence has shown that the non-invasive modality of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has evolved as an alternative to invasive coronary angiography, which can be used to quantify plaque burden and stenosis and identify vulnerable plaque, assisting in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. With the increasing elderly population, many patients scheduled for non-cardiovascular surgery may have concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of preoperative CCTA to rule out or detect significant CAD in this cohort of patients and the impact of CCTA results to clinical decision-making. Methods 841 older patients (age 69.5 ± 5.8 years, 74.6% males) with high risk non-cardiovascular surgery including 771 patients with unknown CAD and 70 patients with suspected CAD who underwent preoperative CCTA were retrospectively enrolled. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine predictors of significant CAD and the event of cancelling scheduled surgery in patients with significant CAD. Results 677 (80.5%) patients had non-significant CAD and 164 (19.5%) patients had significant CAD. Single-, 2-, and 3- vessel disease was found in 103 (12.2%), 45 (5.4%) and 16 (1.9%) patients, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that positive ECG analysis and Agatston score were independently associated with significant CAD, and the optimal cutoff of Agatston score was 195.9. The event of cancelling scheduled surgery was increased consistently according to the severity of stenosis and number of obstructive major coronary artery. Multivariate analysis showed that the degree of stenosis was the only independent predictor for cancelling scheduled surgery. In addition, medication using at perioperative period increased consistently according to the severity of stenosis. Conclusions In older patients referred for high risk non-cardiovascular surgery, preoperative CCTA was useful to rule out or detect significant CAD and subsequently influence patient disposal. However, it might be unnecessary for patients with negative ECG and low Agatston score. Trial registration Retrospectively registered.

This manuscript reported a case of fatal arsenic poisoning. A woman with schizophrenia took arsenic-containing "pills," which consisted of arsenic trioxide and realgar (arsenic (II) sulfide) and wrapped with gauze. The victim consumed 1.09 and 0.819 g arsenic on two occasions, respectively, with the interval between the two doses of 3 days. The woman died on the sixth day after the first dose without any treatment. In this case, pathological examination revealed fat degeneration of the liver rather than hepatomegaly, a rare finding in acute arsenic poisoning. Arsenic in tissue samples was measured, the total arsenic and inorganic arsenic in blood, liver, and gastric wall was 10.2 μg/mL (9.61 μg/mL), 23.1 μg/g (20.7 μg/g), and 32.3 μg/g (28.6 μg/g), respectively.

The prognosis of rectal cancer is directly related to the stage of the tumor at diagnosis. Accurate preoperative staging is essential for selecting patients to receive optimal treatment.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of MRI in tumor staging and circumferential resection margin involvement in rectal cancer.A systematic literature search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Web of Science database.Original articles from 2000 to 2016 on the diagnostic performance of MRI in the staging of rectal cancer and/or assessment of mesorectal fascia status were eligible.Pooled diagnostic statistics including sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio were calculated for invasion of muscularis propria, perirectal tissue, and adjacent organs and for circumferential resection margin involvement through bivariate random-effects modeling. Summary receiver operating characteristic curves were fitted, and areas under summary receiver operating characteristic curves were counted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of MRI for each outcome.Thirty-five studies were eligible for this meta-analysis. Preoperative MRI revealed the highest sensitivity of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.96-0.98) and specificity of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.96-0.98) for muscularis propria invasion and adjacent organ invasion. Areas under summary receiver operating characteristic curves indicated good diagnostic accuracy for each outcome, with the highest of 0.9515 for the assessment of adjacent organ invasion. Significant heterogeneity existed among studies. There was no notable publication bias for each outcome.This meta-analysis revealed relatively high diagnostic accuracy for preoperative MRI, although significant heterogeneity existed. Therefore, exploration should be focused on standardized interpretation criteria and optimal MRI protocols for future studies.MRI showed relatively high diagnostic accuracy for preoperative T staging and circumferential resection margin assessment and should be reliable for clinical decision making.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the gross tumor volume of resectable gastric adenocarcinoma on multidetector computed tomography could predict the presence of regional lymph node metastasis and could determine N categories. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 202 consecutive patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who had undergone gastrectomy 1 week after contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography were retrospectively identified. The gross tumor volume was evaluated on multidetector computed tomography images. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine whether the gross tumor volume could predict regional lymph node metastasis, and the Mann-Whitney U test was performed to compare the gross tumor volume among N categories. Additionally, a receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to identify the accuracy of the gross tumor volume in differentiating N categories. RESULTS: The gross tumor volume could predict regional lymph node metastasis (p

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) on growth performance, meat quality, immune functions, duodenal morphology and intestinal microbial populations of broilers fed a conventional corn-soybean meal basal diet. A total of 450 1-day-old commercial Arbor Acres male broiler chicks were randomly allocated by bodyweight to 1 of 5 treatments with 6 replicate cages (15 broilers per cage) for each of 5 treatments in a completely randomized design. Chicks were fed the basal corn-soybean meal diets supplemented with 0, 25, 50, 75, or 100 mg of XOS kg−1 of diet, respectively, for an experimental duration of 42 days. The results showed that supplementation of XOS affected feed conversion rate (feed/gain, F/G) during days 22–42 and 1–42 (P0.05) on all other measured indices. The chicks fed the diet supplemented with 100 mg of XOS kg−1 had the lowest (P

Rationale: Angiosarcoma is an extremely rare malignant tumor of endothelial origin. The majority of studies reporting angiosarcoma have been concerned with the clinical and pathological aspects, with limited reporting of their imaging findings. To our knowledge, angiosarcoma of the adrenal gland is very rare. Herein we firstly report a primary adrenal angiosarcoma depicted on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patient concerns: A 59-year-old man was referred to our hospital for 1 year left-flank pain that exacerbated in recent 4 months. Diagnosis: A regular mass with clear boundary was revealed on MRI in the region of left adrenal gland. Its signal intensity was inhomogeneous. It mainly showed isointensity with patchy slight hyperintensity on T1-weighted images and marked hyperintensity with patchy hypointensity on T2-weighted images. On contrast-enhanced images, it demonstrated significantly heterogeneous enhancement, and the peripheral solid component showed delayed enhancement. Bulky blood vessels and hemorrhage were identified in the tumor. Interventions: The mass was surgically excised under a left laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Outcomes: Left adrenal angiosarcoma was confirmed by pathological and immunohistochemical examinations. No evidence of recurrence was found 6 months after operation. Lessons: In conclusion, primary adrenal angiosarcoma has some MRI features corresponding to its pathological nature. It should be included in the differential diagnosis when a mass was detected in the adrenal gland.

To synthesize 3'-deoxy-3'-¹⁸F-fluorotyhymidine)(¹⁸F-FLT) using CFN-MPS-200 automatic synthesis module, and evaluate its distribution in Wistar rats.We used 3-N-Boc-5!d-O-dimethoxytrityl-3!d-O-nosyl-thymidine (Boc-FLT)-percursor as raw material to synthesize ¹⁸F-FLT without residual solvents. Its radiochemical purity was confirmed with radio-HPLC and thin layer chromatography (TLC). Normal Wistar rats were injected withThe entire preparation procedure took about 60 min, which resulted in a radio chemical yield of (24±5)% (after attenuation correction,Automated synthesis of ¹⁸F-FLT using CFN-MPS-200 is a stable method, with high yield, safety without solvent, and acceptable quality.

This paper presents the fabrication technologies related to flexible titanium-dioxide (TiO2) working electrodes and graphite counter electrodes on plastic substrates for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The DSSC on a plastic substrate had a sandwich structure consisting of a TiO2 working electrode, an electrolyte, and a graphite counter electrode. Nano-crystalline TiO2 powder, titanium (IV) bis (ammonium lactato) dihydroxide (TALH), de-ionized water (DI water), and Triton X-100 were added to the mixture of PDMS base and curing agents to form TiO2 colloids for the TiO2 working electrode. The material analysis of the TiO2 working electrode and the graphite counter electrode employed field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Nano-crystalline TiO2 powder was used to form the TiO2 working electrode. The surface characteristics of the TiO2 and graphite films were investigated herein. The low-cost fabrication technologies of the TiO2 working electrode and graphite counter electrode on the plastic substrate were clearly demonstrated.

In order to investigate the cause of the typical bush rupture and wear damages in the journal bearing of the steam turbine generator set, the lubrication turbulence and thermo-hydrodynamic effects were studied. The generalized Reynolds equation, energy equation and heat conduction equations were solved with the finite difference method, and the pressure, temperature, thickness distribution of the oil film were obtained. Analysis results can be well explains the bearing bush burst in bearings maximum pressure place because of heavy load running. The bearing bush burst made friction intensified that caused oil temperature increasing and the viscosity reduce, which led to the rotor eccentricity increase, the minimum film thickness smaller and bearing static working point down, thus causing the wear damages until shutdown.

A simple, rapid, and economical method is reported for the determination of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, tyrosine, 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid, 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, 4-hydroxyphenethylamine, and 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid in human serum by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection. Separation was achieved on a C18 column with isocratic elution using 95:5 (v/v) 50 mM ammonium formate buffer at pH 5.8 and acetonitrile. Fluorescence detection was performed with excitation and emission wavelengths of 277 and 316 nm, respectively. Under the optimized conditions, all compounds were eluted within 10 min. The effectiveness of various protein precipitants was investigated for the pretreatment of serum samples and 5% perchloric acid was selected as optimal. The calibration curves were linear (correlation coefficients > 0.9996), and the limits of detection and quantification for tyrosine and its metabolites ranged from 0.016 to 0.032 mg/L and 0.040 to 0.080 mg/L, respecti...

Rationale: Primary intracranial leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is an extremely rare tumor in the central nervous system (CNS), and usually seen in immunocompromised individuals. Only a few cases of primary intracranial LMS have been documented in the literature and no study focused on their MRI findings. We reported a case of primary intracranial leiomyosarcoma in a immunocompetent patient and review its imaging features. Patient concerns: A 20-year-old female was admitted to our hospital, complaining with nausea, weight loss and progressive headache in recent 2 years. Diagnosis: The magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain revealed a large well-defined extra-cerebral mass adherent to left temporal meninges. The mass was iso-intense on T1-weighted images (T1WI), lightly iso to hypointense on T2-weighted images (T2WI) and enhanced uniformly with contrast medium. The preoperative diagnosis is meningioma. Interventions: A left craniotomy was performed for the complete resection of the mass. Outcomes: The lesion was diagnosed via surgical histopathology and immunochemistry as leiomyosarcoma. No evidence of recurrence and complications were found in the following 13 months. Lessions: Primary intracranial leiomyosarcoma which has some special MR imaging features should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intracranial tumor.

Growing evidence has indicated that polymorphism present in the miRNA binding site of target gene can alter the ability of miRNAs to bind its target gene and modulate the development and progression of cancer. We aimed to investigate the association between let-7 KRAS rs712 polymorphism and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). The let-7 KRAS rs712 was analyzed in a case–control study, including 339 CRC patients and 313 age- and sex-matched controls; the relationship between the polymorphism and the clinicopathological features of CRC was also examined. Individuals carrying the let-7 KRAS rs712 TT genotype and T allele had an increased risk of developing CRC (TT vs. GG, adjusted OR = 2.18; 95 % CI, 1.00–4.77; T vs. G, adjusted OR = 1.50; 95 % CI, 1.15–1.96). Stratified analyses revealed that CRC patients with the let-7 KRAS rs712 TT genotype were more likely to have clinical stage III or IV disease (OR = 3.29, 95 % CI, 1.32–8.20) and distant metastasis (OR = 4.70, 95 % CI, 1.81–12.25). These findings provide evidence that the let-7 KRAS rs712 polymorphism may play crucial roles in the etiology of CRC.

A designed measuring device of soil interfacial shear stress is introduced in this paper. We used the device for measuring the shear stress between the soil interface, of which the moisture content was 30% and the clay content were 5%, 9%, 15%, 21%, 30% respectively. The results show that the shear strength of experimental soil and friction between the layers decreases with the clay content increasing when the moisture content is 30% and clay content is more than 15%, and the results increase with the clay content increasing when the clay content is less than15%. Based on the study of the laminar soil interfacial shear stress, it provides the basis for the future research of the laminar motion of the sediment and the deposition of the liquefied motion soil.

Blended elemental powders with the nominal compositions (at%) of Ti50Al50, was mechanically alloyed in a planetary ball milling system for up to 100h, an amorphous Ti50Al50 phase was obtained in the process. The amorphization process as a function of time of milling was monitored by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope. It is shown that, as first, Al atoms diffuse into the host lattice of hexagonal Ti; subsequently, the milling accumulates a critical density of disorder that causes the Ti (Al) crystalline phase to collapse into an amorphous phase, it is suggested the grain size condition for formation of amorphous phase is 12nm. On the basis of thermodynamic models, the formation of the amorphous phase is discussed.

Superplastic behaviors of a Ti-48Al-2.3Cr-0.2Mo alloy with the initial grain size of 0.6m, resulting from 3-steps forging, have been investigated at temperatures ranging from 950°C to 1100°C and at strain rates ranging from 810-5 s-1 to 210-4s-1. The elongations above 500% were obtained at 1050°C-1100°C. An maximum elongation of 566% was obtained at 1050°Cand at a strain rate of 810-5s-1. The flow softening and continuous strain hardening were observed in the curves of true stress-true strain, it is suggested dynamic recrystallization and high-density dislocation caused by pre-deformation are the reasons. By OA, TEM, microstructure evolutions during the deformation were observed. It is found that after superplastic deformation, the grain size become smaller, and the distribution of grain size become more uniform, the densities of dislocations become lower and the dislocations mainly distributed in the areas near grain triple junction. Grain boundary sliding accommodated by dislocation slip is the predominant deformation mechanism.

Gas-phase methanol carbonylation over HMOR catalyst was investigated for the synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) and acetic acid (HOAc). The results revealed that the selectivity of DME reached 98% and the methanol conversion was 45% under the reaction temperature of 493K. While, the selectivity of HOAc was 30% and the methanol conversion reached 80% when reaction temperature was increased to 573K. TEM, SEM, XRD, N2 physisorbtion, XPS and TG-DTG measurements were performed to characterize the texture and structure of the catalyst. Serious coking on the catalyst surface significantly limited the utilization of unmodified HMOR catalyst in the reaction.

K0.5Bi0.5TiO3 nanoparticles and quadrate nanoflakes were successfully prepared by a hydrothermal process. The as-synthesized powders were examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results suggest that the precursor plays an important role on the formation of K0.5Bi0.5TiO3 crystals and the formation mechanism was also discussed.

Solid acid catalyst has high catalytic esterification activity but with a free acid excess problem. In this paper, washing pretreatments were adopted in the catalyst preparation processes and their influences on catalytic activity and residual free acid amount were investigated. Residual free acid amount can be reduced by 33% with both washing before calcinations and washing after calcinations pretreatments. But their influences on catalyst activities were different. Washing before calcinations pretreatment reduced the catalytic activity from 80.29% to 57.72% while the other washing pretreatment had little influence on the catalyst activity. In order to describe the influence mechanism of washing pretreatments, catalysts were characterized by FT-IR and XRD. Finally, typical compounds in bio-oil were selected to form a bio-oil model compounds system. The catalyst pretreated by washing after calcinations was used on the esterification research of this bio-oil model system. The volume ratio of propanol to bio-oil model compound was 3:1. The reaction temperature was 90 °C and the amount of catalyst was 2wt% of total liquid mass. Combined with the GC-MS qualitative and quantitative results, carboxylic acids, such as formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid were converted to esters effectively.

Disc-rotor is composed of certain number of discs which are fastened as a single-shaft rotor by tie-rods. The rods must be very carefully tensioned in the course of rotor assembly to ensure a circumferentially uniform prestress, thus acceptable run-out value, as otherwise the rotor will be susceptible to vibrations particularly during start-up. Uniform prestress is also beneficial to improve the fatigue life of the rods. Initial preload for one rod is calculated and the appropriate tightening scheme is determined by finite element analysis, considering relaxation and elastic interaction. A kind of hydraulic tensioner is designed to assemble the disc-rotor. The experiment to fasten the disc-rotor by the tightening scheme above mentioned is presented.

The effect of active alumina on the sintering behavior of andalusite powder was studied. The results revealed that the addition of active alumina delayed the decomposition of andalusite and primary mullitization, beginning temperature of secondary mullitization was about 1350°C. The temperature at which the effect of expansion of the secondary mullitization emerged was about 1400°C, and the expansion effect of secondary mullitization did not yet complete at 1600°C.

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are a unique group of mesenchymal neoplasms of fibroblastic or myofibroblastic origin and are extremely rare in the oral cavity. The present study reported two additional cases of SFTs in the soft palate, along with the computed tomography characteristics, which demonstrated well-circumscribed soft tissue lesions with marked and homogenous enhancement. Following wide resection, one of the cases showed certain malignant pathological characteristics, including infiltration of mucinous gland, hypercellularity, nuclear atypia and weak positive staining for S-100. In our experience, SFTs should be considered as a differential diagnosis when a well-circumscribed and solid mass in the soft palate is identified.

AIM: To determine whether the combination of platelet count (PLT) with spleen volume parameters and right liver volume (RV) measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could predict the Child-Pugh class of liver cirrhosis and esophageal varices (EV). METHODS: Two hundred and five cirrhotic patients with hepatitis B and 40 healthy volunteers underwent abdominal triphasic-enhancement MRI and laboratory examination of PLT in 109/L. Cirrhotic patients underwent endoscopy for detecting EV. Spleen maximal width (W), thickness (T) and length (L) in mm together with spleen volume (SV) and RV in mm3 were measured by MRI, and spleen volume index (SI) in mm3 was obtained by W × T × L. SV/PLT, SI/PLT and RV × PLT/SV (RVPS) were calculated and statistically analyzed to assess cirrhosis and EV. RESULTS: SV/PLT (r = 0.676) and SI/PLT (r = 0.707) increased, and PLT (r = -0.626) and RVPS (r = -0.802) decreased with the progress of Child-Pugh class (P < 0.001 for all). All parameters could determine the presence of cirrhosis, distinguish between each class of Child-Pugh class, and identify the presence of EV [the areas under the curve (AUCs) = 0.661-0.973]. Among parameters, RVPS could best determine presence and each class of cirrhosis with AUCs of 0.973 and 0.740-0.853, respectively; and SV/PLT could best identify EV with an AUC of 0.782. CONCLUSION: The combination of PLT with SV and RV could predict Child-Pugh class of liver cirrhosis and identify the presence of esophageal varices.

Purpose: HAb18G/CD147 is a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-associated antigen. We developed iodine ( 131 I) metuximab injection (Licartin), a novel 131 I-labeled HAb18G/CD147-specific monoclonal antibody F(ab') 2 fragment, and evaluated its safety, pharmacokinetics, and clinical efficacy on HCC in Phase I/II trials. Methods and Materials: In a Phase I trial, 28 patients were randomly assigned to receive the injection in 9.25-, 18.5-, 27.75-, or 37-MBq/kg doses by hepatic artery infusion. In a multicenter Phase II trial, 106 patients received the injection (27.75 MBq/kg) on Day 1 of a 28-day cycle. Response rate and survival rate were the endpoints. Results: No life-threatening toxic effects were found. The safe dosage was 27.75 MBq/kg. The blood clearance fitted a biphasic model, and its half-life was 90.56–63.93 h. In the Phase II trial, the injection was found to be targeted and concentrated to tumor tissues. Of the 73 patients completing two cycles, 6 (8.22%) had a partial response, 14 (19.18%) minor response, and 43 (58.90%) stable disease. The 21-month survival rate was 44.54%. The survival rate of progression-free patients was significantly higher than that of patients with progressive disease after either one or two cycles ( p p = 0.0019). Conclusion: Iodine ( 131 I) metuximab injection is safe and active for HCC patients.

Objective To determine whether right liver lobe volume (RV) and spleen size measured utilizing magnetic resonance (MR) imaging could identify the presence and severity of cirrhosis in patients with hepatitis B. Methods Two hundred and five consecutive patients with clinically confirmed diagnosis of cirrhosis due to hepatitis B and 40 healthy control individuals were enrolled in this study and underwent abdominal triphasic enhanced scans using MR imaging. Spleen maximal width (W), thickness (T) and length (L), together with RV and spleen volume (SV), were measured utilizing MR imaging. Spleen multidimensional index (SI) was obtained by multiplying previously acquired parameters W×T×L. Then statistical assessment was performed to evaluate the ability of these parameters, including RV, SV, RV/SV and SI, to identify the presence of cirrhosis and define Child-Pugh class of this disease. Results SV and SI tended to increase (r = 0.557 and 0.622, respectively; all P

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is characterized by its highly invasive and metastatic features. Therefore, screening genetic biomarkers of NPC to achieve early diagnose would be of great value for NPC therapy. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in let-7 miRNA binding site in 3' untranslated region of KRAS mRNA have been found to be associated with various cancer risks. In this study, we genotyped the frequency of KRAS rs712 to test its effect on NPC risk in a hospital-based case-control study in a Chinese population, with 188 histologically confirmed NPC patients and 356 cancer-free controls, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. There was no significant difference in the genotype and allele frequencies of the rs712 polymorphism between the NPC patients and the control group (GT vs. GG, OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.57-1.21; TT vs. GG, OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.58-2.75). Our data suggest that the KRAS rs712 polymorphism in let-7 miRNA binding site has no association with NPC risk. Further experiments with larger sample size or other polymorphism sites are needed to verify the result, especially in different ethnic groups.

Evidence has suggested that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) may be involved in the etiology of primary intracerebral hemorrhage (PICH), but the underlying association between ACE I/D (rs4646994) polymorphism and PICH risk is still ambiguous. This meta-analysis was performed to quantitatively summarize the evidence for such a relationship.Eligible studies were identified by searching PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), CBM (Chinese biomedical literature database), and WANFANG databases within a range of published years from 1990 to August 2012. The odds ratio (OR) corresponding to the 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the different associations.A total of 28 studies with 2806 cases and 3612 controls were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled examination displayed an overall increased PICH risk associated with ACE I/D polymorphism in a recessive model (OR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.39-2.33, P0.001 for DD versus ID/II), however, this association was only present in Asians (OR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.45-2.51, P0.001) and not in Caucasians (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.55-2.44, P = 0.69). Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH) had a much greater risk (OR = 4.26, 95% CI = 2.87-6.32, P0.001) than general PICH (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.25-2.18, P0.001) in Asians, and subgroup with controls excluding hypertension had a greater risk (OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 1.78-3.95, P0.001) than that including hypertension (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.12-2.02, P = 0.01).This meta-analysis suggests that DD homozygote of ACE I/D polymorphism has an increased PICH risk in Asians, and may have a synergistic effect with hypertension.

To analyze the infection of human papillomavirus in lip squamous cell carcinoma patients.The pathological samples of 9 clinical diagnosed lip cancer patients were collected. Lunimex and PCR techniques were used to detect the HPV gene infection and immunohistochemistry method was used to analyze the HPV protein expression in the samples.In the 9 cases, 1 was positive for HPV16 gene and 7 were positive for HPV16/18 E6 protein expression. The total positive rate was about 8/9.The high HPV infection rate in lip cancer patients in the study indicated indirectly that the importance of the direct contact to the infection of HPV what was the basis for pathogenesis of the lip squamous cell carcinoma.

The serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene has been considered one of the risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but the association remains unconfirmed. This meta-analysis was performed to quantitatively summarize the evidence for such a relationship. PubMed, EMBASE, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched for eligible studies within a range of published years from 1990 to December 2015. The odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the different associations. A total of 8 studies with 624 cases and 796 controls were included for 5-HTT promoter polymorphism, 5 studies with 418 cases and 542 controls for intron 2, and 3 studies with 253 cases and 334 controls for haplotype. The pooled examinations showed an overall increased SIDS risk for the 5-HTT promoter polymorphism (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.03–2.63, P = 0.035 for LL vs. LS and SS; OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.04–2.04, P = 0.028 for L vs. S), but no association (OR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.75–1.33, P = 0.994 for 10 + 9 carriers vs. 12/12; OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.79–1.19, P = 0.753 for 10 + 9 vs. 12) for intron 2 polymorphism, and an unreliable association (OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.31–0.87, P = 0.013) for S-9 and S-10 haplotypes. This meta-analysis suggests that the L allele or LL homozygote of 5-HTT promoter polymorphism has an increased risk for SIDS, while intron 2 polymorphism has no association with SIDS.

To evaluate the function autotransplanted parathyroid tissues in thyroid surgery.The control group comprised 120 volunteers with normal parathyroid glands in whom serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in blood samples taken from the bilateral elbow head veins. The experimental group comprised 34 patients in whom the parathyroid glands, which were mistakenly cut or could not be preserved during thyroid surgery because of ischemia, were fragmented and autografted into the brachioradialis muscle of the nondominant forearm. On the day of surgery and at 3 days, 7 days, and 2 months postoperatively, contrast imaging and detection of serum PTH levels were performed to evaluate the function of the transplanted parathyroid tissues.In the control group, the mean value of the difference between the bilateral brachiocephalic vein PTH levels was (1.19 ± 0.98) ng/L (maximum 4.52 ng/L). In this study, twice the maximum value (9.04 ng/L) was taken as the effective standard. Based on the 9.04 ng/L effective value, the effective number was 26 patients and the effective rate was 76.5% at 2 months postoperatively in the 34 patients of the experimental group.The autotransplanted parathyroid tissues showed their functions in most patients, therefore, parathyroid gland autotransplantation is an effective method of preserving function of parathyroid glands that are free or severely ischemic in thyroid surgery.

Evidence has suggested that tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) may be involved in the aetiology of schizophrenia, but the underlying association between TNFα-308G/A polymorphism (rs1800629) and schizophrenia risk is still ambiguous. This meta-analysis was performed to quantitatively summarise the evidence for such a relationship. Eligible studies were identified by searching PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), CBM (Chinese Biomedical Literature Database) and WANFANG databases within a range of published years from 1990 to July 2012. The odds ratio (OR) corresponding to the 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the different associations. Twenty-one studies with 4340 cases and 5745 controls were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled examination displayed that there was no significant association between TNFα-308G/A polymorphism and susceptibility to schizophrenia overall (OR=1.047, 95% CI=0.876–1.253, P =0.614 for A vs. G), and no difference in Caucasian subgroup (OR=1.041, 95% CI=0.815–1.331, P =0.747) and Asian subgroup (OR=1.057, 95% CI=0.807–1.386, P =0.686). Lack of association was also found in males (OR=0.862, 95% CI=0.413–1.797, P =0.692) and females (OR=0.797, 95% CI=0.579–1.097, P =0.163) with a dominant model. Taken together, this meta-analysis suggests that TNFα-308G/A polymorphism may not be associated with schizophrenia susceptibility.