Objective To investigate the expressions of TESTIN gene and Caspase-3 protein and thier relations with the clinicopathological features and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas(ESCC). Methods The expressions of TESTIN and Caspase-3 in 50 ESCC tissues and paracancerous tissues (＞5 cm apart form the ESCC tissue) were detected by immunohistochemistry.The expression of TESTIN in 65 matched-pairs of ESCC tissues was detected by Western blotting and RT-PCR. The association of TESTIN and Caspase-3 with clinicopathological features and prognosis of ESCC were analyzed. Results The immunohistochemistry examination showed that the positive rates of TESTIN protein [30. 0% (15/50)] and Caspase-3 protein [24.0% ( 12/50)] were significantly lower in ESCC tissues than those in paracancerous tissues [(84. 0% (42/50) and 94. 0% (47/50),respectively, P＜0.01)]. The mRNA level of TESTIN was down-regulated in ESCC tissues (P＜0.05). Whereas the protein level of TESTIN was down-regulated in 45 (69.2%) of 65 ESCC tissues in comparison with paracancerous tissues. TESTIN expression was positively correlated with the differentiation of ESCC, but not associated with gender, age, tumor size, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. There was a positive correlation between TESTIN and Caspase-3 in protein expressions (P＜0. 05). Patients with negative expression of TESTIN had lower survival rate compared to those with positive expression (P＜0. 05). Conclusions The positive relation between low-expression of TESTIN and Caspase-3 implicates that both are involved in the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinogenesis, and TESTIN might be a novel ESCC marker with prognostic significance.

Background:The goals for treatment of achalasia are reducing lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP)and alleviating esophageal obstruction and its related symptoms.Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM)is a promising option for treating achalasia.Aims:To assess the short-term efficacy of POEM for treating achalasia by analyzing the dynamic changes in esophageal manometry.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted in 39 achalasia patients receiving POEM in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from Dec.2011 to Oct.2012.Data of water-perfusion esophageal manometry and one-month follow up were collected and analyzed.Results:Thirty-eight patients accomplished the POEM procedure and esophageal manometry three days after treatment.The post-POEM LESP was significantly reduced as compared with the pre-POEMones (P <0.01),while no significant difference was seen in LES relaxation rate before and after POEM.With regard to the motility of esophageal body,absence of peristalsis and increased synchronous contraction were observed both pre-and post-operatively.One month after POEM,LESP was still significantly lower than that before treatment (P <0.05).Thirty-seven patients had their dysphagia alleviated with an efficacy rate of 94.9%.Conclusions:POEM can reduce LESP and alleviate clinical symptoms of achalasia patients but has no effect on esophageal peristalsis during the short-term follow up.Esophageal manometry is useful for evaluating the short-term outcome postoperatively.

Objective To characterize the manifestations of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in nervous system with in-flammation-like presentation. Methods We reviewed clinical and laboratory data obtained from 3 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in nervous system with inflammation-like presentation.Those data include clinical manifestations,CSF examina-tions neuroimaging,pathology of biopsies,treatment and prognosis.Results The clinical manifestations of NHL in nervous system were variable and the findings of cerebrospinal fluid and imaging were not characteristic.Parital relief of symptoms by steroid cortisone could be achieved in some cases which maght further increased the difficulty in differentiating NHL from CNS inflammation.Several signs including no evidence of CNS inflammation,multiple organ involyements,especially the organ involvements outside CNS,and deterioration after a transient relief of symptoms by steroid cortisone,strongly suggest the possibility of NHL.Condusions We should increase physicians'awareness to NHL to reduce the misdiagnosis even though the final diagnosis relies on pathological examination.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safty of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in treatment of uppergastrointestinal ectopic pancreas. Methods 36 uppergastrointestinal ectopic pancreas were treated with ESD from January 1 2012 to November 30 2014. The definitive histological diagnosis of ectopic pancreas was made after the endoscopic treatment. We analyzed the operation method, dissected tissue, complication, retrospec-tively. Results 34 cases were located in stomach, the other 2 in duodenum. All cases underwent ESD, the mean op-erating time was 66 min. The mean dissected tissue diameter was 21 mm × 16 mm in the 36 cases. The curative re-section rate was 100.00 %. Bleeding rate of ESD was 2.77 %(1/36). Perferation rate of ESD was 2.77 %(1/36). 2 cases suffered from low grade fever. None need surgical intervention. Recurrence rate was 0.00%. Conclusions ESD is a minimally invasive technique that allows resection of whole lesions and provides precise histological information, which is particularly suitable for uppergastrointestinal ectopic pancreas.

Objective:To investigate the safety and efficacy of endoscopic treatment for sporadic non-ampullary descending duodenal adenoma, and to analyze high-risk endoscopic features of malignant adenoma.Methods:Data of 54 patients diagnosed as having non-ampullary descending duodenal adenoma in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from November 2012 to September 2019 were retrospectively studied. The patients were divided into two groups, the high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia/adenocarcinoma (HGIN/AC) group and the low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) group according to pathological grade. Clinical features including gender, age, size and color of lesions, therapeutic methods, complications and postoperative follow-up results were analyzed.Results:A total of 54 patients were divided into the HGIN/AC group ( n=12) and the LGIN group ( n=42). There were significant differences in size or color of lesions between the two groups (both P<0.05). All 54 patients received endoscopic treatment. Biopsy, endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection were performed on 8, 32 and 14 cases, respectively. A small perforation was found and clipped during operation without any complications. There were 2 cases of delayed hemorrhage, and the bleeding stopped under endoscopic treatment. The mean follow-up time was 2-58 months with no recurrence. Conclusion:Endoscopic treatment is safe and effective for non-ampullary descending duodenal adenoma. Lesions of size larger than 10 mm and those with a red surface have higher malignant tendency.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of endoscopic resection of giant gastric stromal tumors without explicit evidence of metastases.Methods A total of 12 giant gastric stromal tumors with no evidence of metastases diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and computed tomography (CT) scan were managed by endoscopic resection.Operation time,blood loss and the incidence rate of perforation were recorded respectively.The diagnoses of tissue specimens were made by pathological examination and immunohistochemistry.In order to assess local recurrence and distant metastases,endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound follow-up examinations were performed routinely at 2,6 and 12 months,and the whole abdominal CT scan was also performed at 12 months after operation.Results Endoscopic resections were successfully performed in 10 of 12 cases (83.3％),among which,6 underwent endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE) without unexpected perforation and 4 endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFR)with intentional perforation.The rate of intentional perforation was 33.3％ (4/12),and all the perforations could be sealed by endoscopic methods.The blood losses were all more than 100 ml,which could be controlled by argon plasma coagulation,electrocoagulation or hemostatic clips.In the 10 encapsulated tumors,8 could be smoothly removed from esophagus,whose long diameter of the minimum cross section was less than 3.5 cm,however,2 tumors whose diameters were larger than 3.5 cm were taken out after segmentation.In the 10 tissue samples,9 were confirmed as low risk GIST,1 larger than 5 cm was pathologically confirmed as high risk GIST.During 1-year follow-up,no local recurrence or peritoneal metastasis was found.2 tumors,larger than 5.0 cm,could not be removed by endoscopic methods due to uncontrolled bleeding.The rate of uncontrolled bleeding was 16.7％ (2/12).The patients were transferred to surgery,and pathologically confirmed as having high risk GIST.Conclusion For low-risk giant gastric stromal tumors whose diameters were less than 5cm without evidence of metastases,endoscopic resection is considered as a safe and effective procedure.Tumors with long diameter of the minimum cross section less than 3.5 cm are more suitable for endoscopic resection,which can be smoothly taken out through cardia.However,for high-risk GIST larger than 5.0 cm,the rate of uncontrolled bleeding is high,so endoscopic resection should be adopted with discretion.

Objective To evaluate the prophylactic effects of propranolol, propranolol plus endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) and propranolol plus endoscopic sclerotherapy (EVS), and to determine the most effective combination for secondary prevention of esophageal variceal bleeding.Methods After hemostasis, a total of 78 patients with esophageal variceal bleeding were randomly assigned to receive propranolol (propranolol group), propranolol plus EVL (ligation group) or propranolol plus sclerotherapy (EVS group), with 26 in each group.All patients were followed up for 12 months, and the rates of variceal re-bleeding, mortality, portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG), re-occurrence of esophageal varices and formation of gastric fundus varices were compared among different groups.Results During the 12-month follow-up, the rate of re-bleeding in EVL group (30.77%) was significantly lower than those of the EVS group (42.31%) or propranolol group (53.85%) (P<0.05).The occurrence of PHG and fundal varices in patients of EVL group was similar to that of propranolol group, which were both lower than that of EVS group (P<0.05), but the re-occurrence of esophageal varices in EVL group was significantly higher than that of EVS group (P<0.05).Conclusion EVL plus propranolol might be the most effective therapy for secondary prophylaxis of esophageal variceal bleeding.

Objective To investigate the intermediate and long-term efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early esophageal cancer(EEC).Methods A total of 56 patients with EEC underwent ESD at Jiangsu Province People's Hospital between April 2010 and June 2015.Among the 56 cases,there were 39 cases of intramucosal cancer,17 cases of submucosal cancer.Intravascular cancer embolus was found in 2 patients.The en bloc and complete resection rates,the residual,local tumor recurrence and new occurrence rates of EEC after ESD were evaluated.The average follow-up time was 24.4 months,ranging from 1 to 62 months.Results The en bloc and complete resection rates were 92.9％(52) and 87.5％ (49),respectively.Four patients were treated by additional esophagectomy.The cases of residual lesions,local tumor recurrence,new occurrence and second primary extra-esophageal cancer (gastric cancer) was 1 (1.8％),2 (3.6％),2 (3.6％) and 2 (3.6％),respectively.No additional surgical operations were performed in the 7 patients or no recurrence was found,and there was no death during the follow-up period.Conclusion ESD has the advantage of high complete resection rate,low residual and local tumor recurrence rate in treatment of EEC,and the intermediate and long-term outcomes are satisfactory.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility,safety and efficacy of ESD for precancerous lesions and early cancer of remnant stomach after partial gastrectomy.Methods ESD was performed in 11 cases of high grade intraepithelial neoplasia/early cancer of remnant stomach.The short-term and long-term indices including time of procedure,complication,En Bloc resection rate,R0resection rate,local recurrence rate as well as lymph node metastasis were recorded and analysed.Results ESD was completed in all patients with only one case of delayed massive bleeding which was controlled by endoscopy successfully.Average procedure time,En Bloc resection rate,R0 resection rate were 85.5 minutes,100％ and 90％,respectively.No local recurrence or lymph node metastasis was detected during post-ESD surveillance (15 ～ 51 months).Conclusion High grade intraepithelial neoplasia and early cancer of remnant stomach after partial gastrectomy might be indication for ESD because of its safety and definite effect.Additionally,careful management of the fibre tissue is the key to procedure success.

Objective To identify the risk factors for positive resection residues after endoscopic submucosal dissection ( ESD ) of early esophageal squamous carcinomas and precancerous lesions. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed in 315 patients with early esophageal squamous cancer and precancerous lesion who underwent ESD. The pathological features of all resection margins in the specimen and the follow?up outcome of the patients with positive resection margin were evaluated. Univariate and multi?variate analysis were used to determine the risk factors for resection margin residues after ESD. Results In 315 lesions,there were 290 lesions with negative resection margins and 25 with positive resection margins.The number of lesions with positive lateral, basal, or both resection margins was 13, 8, and 4, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the depth of invasion( submucosal layer invasion, P=0?048) was the only independent risk factor for positive basal resection margin. The proportion of circumferential extension (≥3/4,P=0?014) and the depth of invasion( exceeding muscularis mucosa, P=0?007) were independent risk factors for positive lateral resection margin. Conclusion The diameter of the lesions and the depth of tumor invasion are independent risk factors for esophageal ESD positive resection margins. Accurate evaluation of lesion extension and invasive depth is critical to avoid residual or recurrent tumor after esophageal ESD.