Objective To evaluate the value of power Doppler and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in the detection of tumor after microwave tissue coagulation (MTC). Methods Ultrasound Microwave Theraphy-1 (UMT-1) equipment was used,and a 9 mm length antenna was inserted directly into the tumor at laparotomy in 10 VX 2-bearing rabbits. The energy output was 60 W?120 s per bout. Two-dimensional, power and contrast-enhanced (Levovist, 300 mg/ml, 0.3 ml/kg) imaging was performed pre- and post-treatment. Pathology examination was applied in contrast. Results Along the needle being narrow hyper echoic imaging, broad-equable hypo echoic imaging was observed around the center after MTC immediately and the edge of tumor was unclear. Intratumoral blood flow was observed in 4 VX 2 tumors with power ultrasonography while there was enhanced-signal in 10 VX 2 tumors using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. These tumors were confirmed incomplete necrosis by pathology. Conclusions Contrast-enhanced power Doppler ultrasonography shows more sensitive in assessing the therapeutic effect of microwave on VX 2 tumor. Residual tumor can be seen as persistent color enhancement by using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography.

Objective To compare the effectiveness of acetic acid injection(AI) and microwave(MW) coagulation in the treatment of rabbits hepatic VX 2 tumors. Methods Eighteen rabbits with VX 2 tumor were divided into two groups randomly,one was treated by precutaneous acetic acid injection,and the other by microwave at laparotomy. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (Levovist) was used to assess the therapeutic effect after treatment. Pathologic changes were observed chronologically. Results Anomalo-necrosis areas including tumors and surrounding normal liver tissue were observed after AI,multiple point or sheet necrosis was confirmed by pathology. Long oval-shap coagulated areas were observed after MW,incomplete necrosis after treatment was immediately confirmed by pathology and changed to complete necrosis in two weeks. Conclusions AI is more effective in the treatment of liver tumors,but diffuses easily to normal liver and the necrosis area is not stable. MW thermal field is steady and necrosis area is reliable.

Objective To study the value of color Doppler ultrasonography in assessing the severity of deep venous insufficiency of the lower extremities.Methods Forty-five patients (46 lower extremities) in patient group confirmed as venous insufficiency by descending phlebography and 20 volunteers (40 lower extremities) in control group were assessed by color Doppler ultrasonography. The results of 45 patients were compared with those of 20 volunteers.Results The diameters of superficial femoral vein measured by color Doppler ultrasonography were correlated with the severity of venous reflux showed in phlebography(r=(0.771),P(0.05)).Conclusions The reflux distance in superficial femoral vein is a useful parameter in assessing the degree of venous insufficiency.

Objective To investigate the role of sonoporation and the deblic of microbubbles with perfluoropropane gas and albumin in the mechanisms of microbubble-mediated gene enhancement by experimenting in skeletal muscle in C57B10/mdx mice. Methods Plasmid DNA (10 μg) encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) was mixed with Optison or SonoVue dissolved in saline and injected into the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle of /C57B10/mdx mice with and without adjunct ultrasound. The efficiencies of GFP transgene expression were determined under different experimental conditions. C57B10 mice as normal control:①C57B10 mice + saline (4 left TAs);②C57B10 mice + saline + ultrasound (4 right TAs) ;③C57B10 mice + Optison(4 left TAs);④C57B10 mice+ Optison + ultrasound(4 right TAs);⑤ C57B10 mice + SonoVue(4 left TAs) ;⑥C57B10 mice + SonoVue + ultrasound(4 right TAs). Mdx mice groups:① mdx mice + saline(4 left TAs) ;② mdx mice + saline + ultrasound(4 right TAs);③ mdx mice + Optison (4 left TAs) ; ④ mdx mice + Optison + ultrasound (4 right TAs); ⑤mdx mice + SonoVue(4 left TAs) ;⑥mdx mice + SonoVue + ultrasound(4 right TAs). Mice were sacrificed 1 week after plasmid DNA injection. Fibres with fluorescence green signals were determined as GFP-positive fibres by fluorescence microscopy. Readout was performed on the section with the maximum number of transfected fibers. Results C57B10 mice: ?Optison without ultrasound had significantly increased gene expression compared with negative control ( P <0. 01). SonoVue without ultrasound did not enhance gene expression. ?Optison with ultrasound had significantly increased gene expression compared with negative control (P < 0.01). ?SonoVue with ultrasound had significantly increased gene expression compared with negative control ( P<0. 01).Mdx mice:? Compared with C57B10 mice, GFP alone demonstrated significant GFP expression in mdx mice ( P <0. 01) , Optison demonstrated significant GFP expression in mdx mice ( P <0.01), and SonoVue demonstrated significant GFP expression in mdx mice ( P <0. 01). ?Microbubble groups (Optison and SonoVue) had significantly increased gene expression compared with negative control (P <0. 01). Conclusions In the mechanisms of microbubble-mediated gene enhancement, sonoporation is the key step. The deblic of microbubbles with perfluoropropane gas and albumin is the main constituent in the mechanisms of Optison-mediated gene enhancement. fibers.Results C5781 0 mice:①Optison without ultrasound had significantly increased gene expressioncompared with negative control(P<0.01).SonoVue without ultrasound did not enhance gene expression.②Optison with ultrasound had significantly increased gene expression compared with negative control(P<0.01).③SonoVue with ultrasound had significantly increased gene expression compared with negativecontr01(P

Objective To explore the clinical value of early diagnosis of atherosclerosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using vascular echo-tracking technique and to detect changes of elastieity of carotid artery quantitatively in SLE patients.Methods Fifry patients with SLE were divided into SLE1 group(duration≤1 year),and SLE2 group(duration>1 year)based on different course.An ultrasonic echo-tracking method was used to measure patients'pressure strain elastic modulus (Ep),the stiffness constant(β),arterial compliance(AC),augmentation index(AI),pulse wave velocity (PWVβ) and intimamedia thickness(IMT)of the common carotid arteries in 50 patients with SLE and in 25 healthy control subjects.Results Among carotid artery elasticity indicators of three groups,there was no significant difference in AI(P>0.05).Ep,β,PWVβ parameters of SLE1 group and SLE2 group were statistically higher than that of the control group[Ep of SLE1 group,SLE2 group,control group was (69±20),(103±40),(48±18)kPa respectively;β was 5.2±1.9,8.0±3.1,4.2±1.3 respectively;PWVβ was 5.2±0.7,6.3±1.1,4.5±0.7]respectively,but AC(AC of SLE1 group,SLE2 group,control group was(1.1±0.3),(0.8±0.3),(1.2±0.6)mm2/k respectively]lower than the controls(P<0.01).Ep,β,PWVβ in SLE2 group was significantly increased compared with SLE1 group,but AC was decreased (P<0.01).Conclusion The application of echo-tracking technology can be used to diagnose early atherosclerosis.Complications of cardiovascular disease in SLE have high clinical value.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of nanoscale bubbles transfering gene in skeletal muscle cells in mice.MethodsPlasmid DNA encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) was mixed with bubbles dissolved in saline and injected into the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle of C57B10 mice with and without ultrasound (US).The ultrasound frequency was 1 MHz and the pulse repetition frequency was 100 Hz with 20％ duty cycle.The spatial peak temporal peak intensity (ISPTP) power level was 2 W/cm2.The entire treatment period was 30 seconds.The efficiencies of GFP transgene expression were determined under different experinmental conditions.Mice were sacrificed 1 week after plasmid DNA injection.Fibres with fluorescence green signals were determined as GFP-positive fibres by fluorescence microscopy.Readout was performed on the section with the maximum number of transfected fibers.Results1 )Albumin nanobubbles:in the conditon of with or without ultrasound,albumin nanobubbles had significantly increased gene expression compared with negative control (P ＜0.05),but significantly decreased gene expression compared with positive control ( P ＜ 0.05 ).2) Phospholipid nanobubbles:In the conditon of without ultrasound,there were no significant differences compared with negative and positive control ( P ＞0.05).In the conditon of with ultrasound,phospholipid nanobubbles had significantly increased gene expression compared with negative control ( P ＜0.05).No significant difference was observed between phospholipid nanobubbles and positive control ( P ＞ 0.05).ConclusionsNanobubbles could enhance gene transfection efficiency for skeletal muscle fibres in mice.Nanobubbles with perfluoropropane gas and albumin have potentiality in gene-enhanced transfection.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the implication of ultrasonographic features of primary breast cancer tumors and axillary lymph nodes in predicting axillary lymph nodes metastasis in patients with breast cancer.MethodsA total of 108 patients with breast cancer were underwent examination of primary breast tumors and axillary lymph nodes by high frequency linear-array probes of ultrasound.The ages of patients,locations of primary tumors,numbers of tumors,maximum diameters of tumors,the longitudinal transverse axis ratio of tumors,mass boundary,ultrasonic patterns,micro-calcification,classification of blood supply,color pixel density(CPD),peak systolic velocity,resistance index,the longitudinal transverse axis ratio of axillary lymph nodes and maximum cortical thickness of axillary lymph nodes were recorded.ResultsOut of 108 patients with breast cancer,the longitudinal transverse axis ratio of tumor were greater than 1 in 75 (69.4 ％ ),micro-calcification in 57(52.8 ％ ),classification of blood supply were Ⅱ - Ⅲ in 57 (52.8％ ),CPD were greater than or equal to 10％ in 48 (44.4％),maximum cortical thickness of axillary lymph node were greater than or equal to 3 mm in 51 (47.2％),and longitudinal transverse axis ratio of lymph nodes were less than 1.5 in 59 (54.6％).Univariate analysis revealed that these six parameters were correlated to the axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer ( P ＜0.05).However,ages of patients,location of tumor in the breast,numbers of tumors,maximum diameters of tumors,mass boundary,ultrasonic patterns,peak systolic velocity and resistance index were not related to the axillary lymph node metastasis( P ＞0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that CPD (OR:16.337,95％ CI:4.537- 58.826),longitudinal transverse axis ratio of lymph nodes (OR:3.754,95％ CI:1.269- 11.108) and microcalcificationand (OR:3.033,95 ％ CI:1.040 - 8.840) were risk factors of axillary lymph nodes metastasis in patients with breast cancer.ConclusionsThe application of ultrasonography in patients with breast cancer is useful in predicting axillary lymph nodes metastasis.

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of peripheral blood Th17 cells and their cytokines in the patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma.Methods Sixty-six cases of tongue squamous cell carcinoma in our hospital from January 2013 to January 2016 served as the research subjects and contemporaneous 42 volunteers undergoing healthy physical examination were selected as the control group.Peripheral blood was collected in all subjects.The proportion of peripheral blood Th17 cells was detected by flow cytometry.The IL-17,TGF-β and IL-6 cytokine levels were detected by ELISA.Results The proportion of peripheral blood Th17 cells,IL-17,TGF-β and IL-6 in the observation group and the control group were (1.46±0.41)% vs.(0.31±0.12)%,(123.36±21.20)pg/mL vs.(20.76±8.95)pg/mL,(215.80±21.52)pg/mL vs.(26.90±10.41)pg/mL,(17.32±8.02)pg/mL vs.(5.85±1.49)pg/mL respectively,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The proportion of peripheral blood Th17 cells,IL-17,TGF-β and IL-6 levels were increased with the increase of tongue squamous cell carcinoma clinical stage (P<0.01).The TGF-β level was positively correlated with the IL-17 level (r=0.626,P=0.021),the IL-6 level was positively correlated with the proportion of Th17 cells and IL-17 (r=0.626,0.597,P=0.021,0.034).Conclusion The increase of Th17 cells and IL-17 expression plays an important role in the development and progression of tongue squamous cell carcinoma,Th17 cells and IL-17 cytokine can become the important target spots of anti-tumor therapy.

Objective To assess the vaIue of speckle tracking imaging (STI) in quantifying the regional myocardial strain in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) group.Methods ① Sixty subjects were divided into SLE group and normal group.High frame rate two-dimensional images were recorded from the apical two-chamber view,long-axis view and four-chamber view of the left ventricle (LV).Peak systolic strain of each view of 18 segments were measured by automated functional imaging (AFI) software of 2-DSE.All parameters were compared between the two groups.② Twenty cases were randomly taken from the normal group.The same observer at different times and two observers measure the strain of left ventricular respectively.The results of the measurement between the two groups were compared with unpaired t test and its relevance was analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis.ResultsLeft ventricular two-dimensional longitudinal strain gradually increased from the base to apex in the normal group.There were statistically differences between the apical segments and the basal,middle segments of every left ventricular wall (P＜0.05).The same wall segment time to peak myocardial systolic peak strain was consistent.Left ventricular two-dimensional longitudinal strain gradually increased from the base to apex in the SLE group,except for the anterio-septal and anterior wall [ (-18.7±4.2)％,(-16.3±9.4)％,(-18.1±10.5)％ vs (-19.0±9.0)％,(-18.6±7.9)％,(-17.7±1.4)％ ].There was no statistically significant difference between the apical segments and the basal,middle segments of every left ventricular wall(P＞0.05).All parameters of S were significantly higher in the normal group than those of the SLE group.The difference was statistically signoficant (P＜0.05).The time to peak systolic peak strain of every segments was not consistent.The results from the same observer at different times and peak systolic myocardial strain measurements by the two observers were correlated well(P＜0.01).Conclusion The myocardial function assessment by STI technology in the SLE patients is significantly different from that of the normal control:SLE patients with left ventricular myocardial damage can be manifested as reduced regional myocardial systolic peak strain.

Liver metastases (LMs) are common in lung cancer. Despite substantial advances in diagnosis and treatment, the survival rate of patients with LM remains low as the immune-suppressive microenvironment of the liver allows tumor cells to evade the immune system. The impact of LMs on the outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with solid tumors has been the main focus of recent translational and clinical research. Growing evidence indicates that the hepatic microenvironment delivers paracrine and autocrine signals from non-parenchymal and parenchymal cells. Overall, these microenvironments create pre- and post-metastatic conditions for the progression of LMs. Herein, we reviewed the epidemiology, physiology, pathology and immunology, of LMs associated with non-small cell lung cancer and the role and potential targets of the liver microenvironment in LM in each phase of metastasis. Additionally, we reviewed the current treatment strategies and challenges that should be overcome in preclinical and clinical investigations. These approaches target liver elements as the basis for future clinical trials, including combinatorial interventions reported to resolve hepatic immune suppression, such as immunotherapy plus chemotherapy, immunotherapy plus radiotherapy, immunotherapy plus anti-angiogenesis therapy, and surgical resection.