Objective: To determine the extract from Radix Astragali. Methods : Astragaloside IV in extract from Radix Astragali was determined by TLC-Scanning. Results : The linear relationship was at the rang of 0.78 ?g～ 4.68 ?g. The average recovery was 99.06% ( RSD=1.17% and n =5). Conclusion : The method is available with a good reproducibility. The pretreatment is simple and easy to operate.

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy of Da Vinci robot-assisted esophagectomy and combined thoracoscopy-and laparoscopy-assisted esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.Methods The retrospective cohort study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 116 patients who underwent minimally invasive radical resection of esophageal cancer in the Shanghai Chest Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University between November 2015 and September 2016 were collected.Fifty-eight patients undergoing combined thoracoscopy-and laparoscopy-assisted esophagectomy and 58 undergoing Da Vinci robot-assisted esophagectomy were respectively allocated into the thoracoscopy-and laparoscopy-assisted and Da Vinci robot-assisted groups.Patients received esophagectomy by right thorax-left cervico-abdominal triple incisions,thorax-cervico 2-field lymph node dissection of esophageal cancer and digestive tract reconstruction via assisted incision.Observation indicators:(1) surgical and postoperative situations;(2) follow-up and survival situations.Follow-up using outpatient examination and telephone interview was performed to detect the survival of patients and tumor recurrence or metastasis up to March 2017.Measurement data with normal distribution were described as (x)±s.Measurement data with skewed distribution were described as M (range).Comparison between groups was analyzed by the nonparametric test,and comparisons of count data were done by the chi-square test and Fisher's exact probability.Results (1) Surgical and postoperative situations:all patients received successful surgery,without conversion to open surgery.The number of lymph nodes dissected along the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and duration of postoperative hospital stay were 2.8±2.2,13 days (range,9-131 days) in the thoracoscopy-and laparoscopy-assisted group and 4.8±3.7,11 days (range,7-81 days) in the Da Vinci robot-assisted group,respectively,with statistically significant differences between the 2 groups (t =3.480,Z =2.361,P＜0.05).The total operation time,numbers of patients with overall complications,anastomotic leakage,injury of the RLN,pleural effusion,pulmonary infection,respiratory failure,chylothorax,arrhythmia and tracheoesophageal fistula were respectively (276±61)minutes,24,15,7,6,5,4,2,1,0 in the thoracoscopy-and laparoscopy-assisted group and (261±50)minutes,21,8,10,4,2,2,1,1,1 in the Da Vinci robot-assisted group,with no statistically significant difference (t =1.296,x2 =0.327,2.657,0.620,0.438,1.368,0.703,0.342,1.009,P＞0.05).Some of the patients had postoperative multiple complications.Patients with anastomotic leakage received local dressing changes,continuous gastrointestinal decompression and vacuum aspiration.The pronunciation and bucking response were observed in patients with injury of the RLN (unilateral injury).Patients with pleural effusion received pleural puncture fluid or closed thoracic drainage.Patients with pulmonary infection underwent antibiotic therapy and regular aerosol inhalation.Patients with respiratory failure underwent tracheotomy and assisted breathing with ventilator.Patients with chylothorax received fasting and closed thoracic drainage.Patients with arrhythmia were treated by drug.Patients with tracheo-esophageal fistula underwent conservative treatment.All the patients with complications were improved or cured.There were no wotmd infection,deep venous thrombosis of lower extremity,pulmonary embolism,reoperation and death within 30 days postoperatively in patients of 2 groups.(2) Follow-up and survival situations:all the 116 patients were followed up for 5-15 months,with a median time of 8 months.Numbers of patients with tumor-free survival,tumor recurrence and tumor metastasis were 50,6,4 (2 with simultaneous tumor recurrence and metastasis) in the thoracoscopy-and laparoscopy-assisted group and 51,5,4 (2 with simultaneous tumor recurrence and metastasis) in the Da Vinci robot-assisted group,respectively,showing no significant difference between the 2 groups (x2=0.077,1.000,P＞0.05).Conclusions Da Vinci robot-assisted esophagectomy is safe and feasible in the treatment of esophageal cancer.Compared with combined thoracoscopy-and laparoscopy-assisted esophagectomy,Da Vinci robot-assisted esophagectomy has comparable operation time,and is associated with a greater yield of lymph nodes along the RLN.

Robotic assisted surgery system is the most advanced minimally invasive surgical platform in the world, and this system has been widely used in cardiac surgery, urology surgery, gynecology surgery and general surgery. Although the application of this system was relative late in esophageal surgery, it has been developing vigorously. According to the research progress and practical experience in the world, robot assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) has the same safety and effectiveness as traditional open esophagectomy (OE) and thoracoscopic laparoscopic esophagectomy (TLE). In this paper, several aspects on this novel operation were demonstrated, including the origin, safety evaluation, lymph node dissection, learning curve, prognosis of RAMIE, comparison among RAMIE, OE and TLE and the role of RAMIE in multidisciplinary treatment of esophageal cancer, in order to promote the rational application of RAMIE in esophagectomy.

Objective To investigate our early results of robot-assisted esophagectomy (RAE) and present our learning curve experience with the largest study from one-single institution of China.Methods Between November 2015 and April 2017,a series of consecutive patients undergoing RAE at Shanghai Chest Hospital were reviewed.The patients'demographics,operative and postoperative outcomes were demonstrated.Results A total of 154 patients underwent RAE during the study.All patients received Mckeown esophagectomy and extensive thoraco-abdominal two-field lymph node dissection.Of these,122 were male and 32 were female.The mean total operative duration was 179-445 (271.0 ±61.5) min and the operative duration of the thoracic phase was 51-142 (96.7 ± 27.0)min.The mean estimated blood loss was 100 -1 000 (230.4 ±74.4)ml.The pathological results showed that 150 had squamous cell carcinoma,2 had adenocarcinoma,and 2 had small cell carcinoma.The R0 resection was 92.2％.The mean number of lymph node dissection was 11-64 (20.4 ± 8.5) and the lymph node sampling rate along left and right recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) were 92.2％ and 88.3％.The morbidity was present in 64 of 154 patients (41.6％).The major complications rate was anastomotic leak (12.3％),and vocal cord paralysis (16.9％).Intensive care unit (ICU) hospital stay time was 0-27 (2.7 ± 3.6) d,the median length of hospital stay was 7-81 (15.8 ± 11.6)days.There was no 90-day mortality.Conclusions RAE is a safe and feasible alternative for treatment of esophageal cancer.RAE can improve the efficacy of lymph node dissection,especially for the lymphadenectomy along recurrent laryngeal nerve.

The efficacy of surgery alone for locally advanced esophageal cancer is poor, which requires the active participation of multimodality treatment. Neoadjuvant therapy, especially neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, could significantly lead to tumor downstage, bring higher radical resection rate and improve the prognosis. The NEOCRTEC5010 trial, a multicenter prospective randomized controlled trial on neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma has provided sufficient and valuable evidence for us, especially for some key questions after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, such as perioperative complications, value of systemic lymphadenectomy, the post-operation recurrence pattern, pathological complete response, long-term prognosis and survival. In addition, the current development of tumor immunotherapy is so rapid that the role of immunotherapy in the first line treatment of advanced or relapsed/metastatic esophageal cancer has been confirmed. In the near future, neoadjuvant therapy based on immunnology-led combined with traditional chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy is expected to become a new theraputic strategy to further improve the treatment efficacy of locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. This paper focused on the classical research of neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and the development of immunotherapy for esophageal cancer, aiming to improve the understanding of neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. This will help to carry out optimal clinical work and to design better clinical study.

The efficacy of surgery alone for locally advanced esophageal cancer is poor, which requires the active participation of multimodality treatment. Neoadjuvant therapy, especially neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, could significantly lead to tumor downstage, bring higher radical resection rate and improve the prognosis. The NEOCRTEC5010 trial, a multicenter prospective randomized controlled trial on neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma has provided sufficient and valuable evidence for us, especially for some key questions after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, such as perioperative complications, value of systemic lymphadenectomy, the post-operation recurrence pattern, pathological complete response, long-term prognosis and survival. In addition, the current development of tumor immunotherapy is so rapid that the role of immunotherapy in the first line treatment of advanced or relapsed/metastatic esophageal cancer has been confirmed. In the near future, neoadjuvant therapy based on immunnology-led combined with traditional chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy is expected to become a new theraputic strategy to further improve the treatment efficacy of locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. This paper focused on the classical research of neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and the development of immunotherapy for esophageal cancer, aiming to improve the understanding of neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. This will help to carry out optimal clinical work and to design better clinical study.

PURPOSE: Four polymorphisms, -765G>C, -1195G>A, 8473T>C, and Val511Ala, in the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene were identified to be associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. However, the results are inconsistent. The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between these four polymorphisms and the risk of CRC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All eligible case-control studies published up to December 2012 on the association between the four polymorphisms of COX-2 and CRC risk were identified by searching PubMed and Web of Science. The CRC risk associated with the four polymorphisms of the COX-2 gene was estimated for each study by odds ratio (OR) together with its 95 % confidence interval (CI), respectively. RESULTS: A total of 15 case-control studies were included. Overall, no evidence has indicated that the -1195A allele, -765C allele, 8473C allele, and 511Ala allele are associated with susceptibility to CRC (-1195G>A: OR=1.11, 95 % CI: 0.82-1.51, p=0.78; -765G>C: OR=1.08, 95 % CI: 0.96-1.21, p=0.07; 8473T>C: OR=1.03, 95 % CI: 0.89-1.18, p=0.91; Val511Ala: OR=0.71, 95 % CI: 0.46-1.09, p=0.94). However, stratified analysis with ethnicity indicated that individuals with -765GC or GC/CC genotypes had an increased risk of CRC among Asian populations (GC vs. GG: OR=1.05, 95 % CI: 0.87-1.28, p=0.03; GC+CC vs. GG: OR=1.08, 95 % CI: 0.96-1.21, p=0.07). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis indicated that -765G>C polymorphism was significantly associated with susceptibility to CRC in Asian populations.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Case-Control Studies ; Colorectal Neoplasms/*genetics ; Cyclooxygenase 2/*genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease/genetics ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic/*genetics

Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of esophageal replacement with ileocolon graft. Methods: Totally 34 cases of esophageal replacement with ileocolon graft from July 2015 to November 2017 at Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University were analyzed retrospectively, including 24 male and 10 female, aging from 7 to 72 years old. Esophageal replacement with ileocolon graft by right and/or middle colic artery as a blood supply using retrosternal route except one subcutaneous route. The primary esophageal disease, postoperative complication rate and quality of life were analyzed. Results: The overall postoperative complication rate was 23.5% (8/34), cervical anastomotic leakage rate of 5.9% (2/34), necrosis of colon graft of 5.9% (2/34). There were 3 patients experienced re-operation including 2 patients with colon graft necrosis and 1 patient with intestinal obstruction after ERC. One patient with colon graft necrosis died of septic shock after reoperation. Six cases of cervical esophago-jejunal anastomosis stenosis and 1 case of diarrhea occurred in the later time. All patients were followed up for a median time of 9 months (range: 1 to 28 months), 32 cases survived but 1 patient died until last follow-up by the end of December 2017. Conclusion Esophageal replacement with ileocolon graft by right and/or middle colic artery as a blood supply using retrosternal route was safe and effective.

Nowadays, thoracoscopic laparoscopic esophagectomy (TLE) has been widely used in the treatment of esophageal cancer. In recent years, robot assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) has been developing vigorously. According to the research progress and practical experience in the world, RAMIE has the same safety and effectiveness as TLE. In this paper, several aspects on this novel operation were demonstrated, including the safety evaluation, lymph node dissection, prognosis of RAMIE, comparison of RAMIE and TLE, and the role of RAMIE in multidisciplinary treatment of esophageal cancer, in order to promote the rational application of RAMIE in esophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the development of tissue engineering has provided a new approach for the treatment of periodontal bone defect. Tissue engineering therapy includes seed cells, scaffolds and growth factors. Platelet gel contains a large number of platelet growth factors, and collagen is often used for the preparation of scaffold materials. Therefore, the platelet gel and collagen biologically active composite membrane can provide scaffolds and growth factors for the defect bone. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of autologous platelet gel-collagen biologically active composite membrane on the repair of periodontal bone defect in rats. METHODS: Forty-two Wistar rats (Shanghai Xipuer-Bikai Experimental Animal Co., Ltd., China) were selected. (1) Collagen was cut into 5 mm×2 mm size, and 10 mL of whole blood was extracted from 6 rats to obtain platelet-rich plasma. Autologous platelet gel-collagen composite membrane was prepared by adding bovine thrombin, calcium chloride and collagen in a certain proportion. Platelets in whole blood and in platelet-rich plasma were detected. The levels of platelet derived growth factor AB, transforming growth factor-β, basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in whole blood and platelet-rich plasma were detected by ELISA. (2) The models of mandibular periosteal defect were established in 36 rats (the size of the bone defect was 5 mm×2 mm, and the root surface cementum was removed) , and randomly divided into two groups. Autologous platelet gel-collagen group placed the autologous platelet gel-collagen composite membrane in the bone defect, and the control group did not place any materials. The hematoxylin-eosin staining of periodontal tissues of rats in each group was analyzed at 2, 4 and 8 weeks after surgery. Rate of new born, new centumum formation, new alveolar bone formation, and new periodontal ligament tissue formation height were measured. The expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 was detected by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The mean platelet count in platelet-rich plasma was 4.78 times as high as the whole blood, indicating that the number of platelets increased significantly after prepared into platelet-rich plasma (P < 0.05) . The levels of platelet derived growth factor AB, transforming growth factor-β, basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in platelet-rich plasma were 3.10, 3.45, 7.17 and 5.45 times of the whole blood, respectively (P < 0.05) . (2) The results of hematoxylin-eosin staining observed that the rate of new born, new centumum formation, new alveolar bone formation, and new periodontal ligament tissue formation height at 2 weeks in the autologous platelet gel-collagen group showed no significant difference from the control group (P> 0.05) . At 4 and 8 weeks, all above indexes in the autologous platelet gel-collagen group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05) . (3) Results of immunohistochemical staining revealed that at 2 weeks, bone morphogenetic protein-2 in the autologous platelet gel-collagen group began to express, and the expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 was highest at 4 weeks (P < 0.05) , and the positive expression was weakened at 8 weeks (P> 0.05) . (4) Our results clarify that autologous platelet gel-collagen bioactive composite membrane can significantly promote the regeneration of new tooth, which is associated with the expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2, and reduce the repair time after periodontal tissue defect.