Objective:To verify the prognostic value of perineural invasion and lymphovascular tumor embolus for patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy and postoperative chemotherapy, and establish a prognostic prediction nomogram model.Methods:According to 7∶3 radio, 781 gastric cancer patients were randomly divided into training cohort and internal validation cohort. One hundred fifty patients were utilized as the external validation cohort. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to evaluate the prognostic value of perineural invasion and lymphovascular tumor embolus, and construct the dynamic nomogram. The concordance index (C-index), net reclassification index and integrated discrimination improvement index, receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curves and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the nomogram.Results:Perineural invasion ( HR=1.486, 95% CI: 1.150-1.919, P<0.01) and lymphovascular tumor embolus ( HR=1.321, 95% CI: 1.030-1.693, P<0.05) were independent prognostic risk factors for patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy and postoperative chemotherapy. C-index (training cohort: 0.734, internal validation cohort: 0.755, external validation cohort: 0.715), net reclassification index (training cohort: 0.228 for 3-year and 0.213 for 5-year OS prediction; internal validation cohort: 0.211 for 3-year and 0.279 for 5-year OS prediction; external validation cohort: 0.220 for 3-year and 0.440 for 5-year OS prediction) and integrated discrimination improvement index (training cohort: 0.051 for 3-year and 0.041 for 5-year OS prediction; internal validation cohort: 0.027 for 3-year and 0.036 for 5-year OS prediction; external validation cohort: 0.063 for 3-year and 0.153 for 5-year OS prediction) indicated that the nomogram performed better than the traditional TNM staging system ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Perineural invasion and lymphovascular tumor embolus are independent prognostic risk factors of gastric cancer patients after postoperative chemotherapy. The novel dynamic nomogram model based on perineural invasion and lymphovascular tumor embolus provides better assistance in evaluating prognosis of gastric cancer patients.

Objective:To verify the prognostic value of perineural invasion and lymphovascular tumor embolus for patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy and postoperative chemotherapy, and establish a prognostic prediction nomogram model.Methods:According to 7∶3 radio, 781 gastric cancer patients were randomly divided into training cohort and internal validation cohort. One hundred fifty patients were utilized as the external validation cohort. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to evaluate the prognostic value of perineural invasion and lymphovascular tumor embolus, and construct the dynamic nomogram. The concordance index (C-index), net reclassification index and integrated discrimination improvement index, receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curves and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the nomogram.Results:Perineural invasion ( HR=1.486, 95% CI: 1.150-1.919, P<0.01) and lymphovascular tumor embolus ( HR=1.321, 95% CI: 1.030-1.693, P<0.05) were independent prognostic risk factors for patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy and postoperative chemotherapy. C-index (training cohort: 0.734, internal validation cohort: 0.755, external validation cohort: 0.715), net reclassification index (training cohort: 0.228 for 3-year and 0.213 for 5-year OS prediction; internal validation cohort: 0.211 for 3-year and 0.279 for 5-year OS prediction; external validation cohort: 0.220 for 3-year and 0.440 for 5-year OS prediction) and integrated discrimination improvement index (training cohort: 0.051 for 3-year and 0.041 for 5-year OS prediction; internal validation cohort: 0.027 for 3-year and 0.036 for 5-year OS prediction; external validation cohort: 0.063 for 3-year and 0.153 for 5-year OS prediction) indicated that the nomogram performed better than the traditional TNM staging system ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Perineural invasion and lymphovascular tumor embolus are independent prognostic risk factors of gastric cancer patients after postoperative chemotherapy. The novel dynamic nomogram model based on perineural invasion and lymphovascular tumor embolus provides better assistance in evaluating prognosis of gastric cancer patients.

【Objective】 To evaluate the clinical implications of ARL5B in esophageal cancer and its underlying mechanisms by using bioinformatics methods. 【Methods】 ARL5B transcriptomic expression data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), R software was employed to detect the differential expression mRNAs, and related clinical information was collected for survival analysis. To validate the bioinformatics results, Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were carried out for clinical specimens of esophageal cancer tumor tissues and adjacent tissues. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of ARL5B and its associated clinicopathologic features. The underlying mechanisms of ARL5B in esophageal cancer were preliminarily explored by bioinformatics and qRT-PCR. 【Results】 Bioinformatics method showed that the expression of ARL5B in human esophageal cancer tissues was significantly higher than in adjacent tissues and correlated with poor prognosis. Clinical specimens were detected, the expressions of ARL5B mRNA and protein were the highest in metastases lymph node, followed by esophageal cancer tissues and adjacent tissues, which corresponded with bioinformatics results. The expression of ARL5B was strongly correlated with lymph node metastases and advanced clinical stage. Kaplan-Meier analysis results denoted high ARL5B level, indicating poor prognosis. Enrichment analysis showed that ARL5B was associated the biological processes such as vacuolar transport, late endosome to lysosome transport, and organelle localization. Protein-protein interaction analysis (PPI) suggested that ARL5B might interact with VPS16, KIF1A and TOM1, whose expressions were verified by qRT-PCR and positively correlated with ARL5B expression. 【Conclusion】 ARL5B was highly expressed in esophageal cancer and associated with lymph node metastases, advanced clinical stage, and poor prognosis. ARL5B may be involved in the progression of esophageal cancer with several molecular mechanisms.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of low-dose esketamine for postoperative analgesia on the postoperative depression in patients with gastrointestinal tumors.Methods:This study was a prospective randomized controlled trial. Eighty patients, aged 18-64 yr, with a body mass index of 18-25 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅱ or Ⅲ, scheduled for elective radical resection of the gastrointestinal tumor under general anesthesia from June to November 2023 in our hospital, were divided into 2 groups ( n=40 each) using a random number table method: esketamine group (group E) and control group (group C). Each patient received postoperative patient-controlled intravenous analgesia(PCIA). The PCIA solution in group E contained esketamine 0.5 mg/kg, dezocine 0.5 mg/kg, dexmetomidine 1.5 μg/kg and flurbiprofen ester 100 mg in 100 ml of normal saline. The PCIA solution in group C contained dezocine 0.5 mg/kg, dexmetomidine 1.5 μg/kg and flurbiprofen ester 100 mg in 100 ml of normal saline. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to assess the patients′ anxiety and depression at 1 day before operation (T 0) and 2 days after operation (T 1). The Quality of Recovery-15 scale was used to evaluate the early postoperative recovery quality. Visual analog scale scores, the pressing times of patient-controlled analgesia and the number of rescue analgesia were recorded within 2 days after operation. The occurrence of drug-related adverse reactions was also recorded. Results:Seventy-eight patients were finally included, with 39 cases in group E and 39 cases in group C. Compared with group C, the postoperative HADS-depression scale score and incidence of depression were significantly decreased, the Quality of Recovery-15 scale score was increased, the visual analog scale scores were decreased ( P<0.05), and no significant changes were found in the postoperative HADS-anxiety scale score and incidence of anxiety, the pressing times of patient-controlled analgesia and the number of rescue analgesia in group E ( P>0.05). Visual hallucination was found at 1 day after operation in one patient and relieved at 2 days after operation in group E. There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative dizziness, nausea and vomiting between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Postoperative analgesia with 0.5 mg/kg esketamine can alleviate postoperative depressive symptoms, enhance the efficacy of analgesia and improve the early postoperative recovery quality in patients with gastrointestinal tumors.

Objective:To investigate the effect of tumor deposits on the prognosis and lymph node staging in patients with gastric cancer.Methods:The clinicopathological data of 907 patients with gastric cancer admitted to the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from Jan to Dec 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the pathological diagnosis, the patients were divided into tumor deposits positive group (121 cases) and tumor deposits negative group (786 cases), and the relationship between tumor deposits and clinicopathological features and prognosis was analyzed.Results:Tumor deposits were found in 121 patients among 907 cases. Univariate analysis showed that tumor deposits were correlated with pT stage, pN stage, pTNM stage, tumor diameter, nerve invasion and vascular invasion (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that pT stage ( P<0.001), pN stage ( P=0.002), pTNM stage ( P=0.001), tumor diameter ( P=0.033),nerve invasion ( P=0.017), vascular invasion ( P=0.011) were the independent influencing factors of positive tumor deposits. The prognosis of patients with tumor deposits was worse than those without ( χ2=77.869, P<0.001). By univariate analysis, age, tumor location, size, pT stage, pN stage, pTNM stage, tumor thrombus, nerve invasion, tumor deposits and number affected prognosis (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that age, pT stage, pN stage, pTNM stage, nerve invasion, vascular invasion and the number of tumor deposits were independent prognostic factors (all P<0.05). By stratified analysis tumor deposits were found to have statistical difference in N0~N3a stage (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Tumor deposits is an independent risk factor affecting the prognosis of gastric cancer patients.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of intravenous infusion of dexmedetomidine before induction of anesthesia on concentrations of blood potassium and blood glucose in the patients with gastrointestinal tumors.Methods:One hundred and twenty patients, irrespective of gender, aged 18-75 yr, with body mass index of 18-28 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ-Ⅲ, scheduled for elective radical gastrointestinal tumor surgery, were divided into 3 groups ( n=40 each) using a random number table method: control group (group C), dexmedetomidine 0.5 μg/kg group (group D 1), and dexmedetomidine 1.0 μg/kg group (group D 2). Dexmedetomidine 0.5 and 1.0 μg/kg were intravenously infused prior to anesthesia induction over 10 min in D 1 and D 2 groups, while the equal volume of normal saline 20 ml was intravenously infused instead in group C. Before intravenous infusion (T 0), at 15 min after intravenous infusion (T 1), and at 30 min after intravenous infusion (T 2), blood samples from the radial artery were collected for blood gas analysis, and concentrations of blood potassium and blood glucose were recorded. The occurrence of complications such as hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, hyperkalemia, hypokalemia, hypotension, hypertension, tachycardia and bradycardia was also recorded. Results:Compared with C group, the blood glucose concentrations were significantly increased at T 1 in D 1 and D 2 groups and at T 2 in D 2 group ( P<0.05). The blood glucose concentrations were significantly higher at T 1, 2 in D 2 group than in D 1 group ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in blood potassium concentrations at T 0-T 2 among the three groups ( P>0.05). No patients presented with complications such as hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, hyperkalemia, hypokalemia, hypotension, hypertension, tachycardia and bradycardia. Conclusions:Intravenous infusion of dexmedetomidine before induction of anesthesia exerts no marked effect on blood potassium concentrations and can increase glucose concentrations to a certain extent, but the elevation has no clinical significance in the patients with gastrointestinal tumors.

Objective:To explore the risk factors of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in early gastric cancer (ECG), and establish a risk-prediction model based on LNM.Method:Four hundred and twenty-seven EGC patients undergoing curative radical gastrectomy were enrolled in this study. The risk factors for LNM of ECG were analyzed with Logistic regression. LNM risk was stratified and risk-predicting model was established. The risk-predicting model was measured by area under ROC curve. According to the same standard, clinical data of 133 patients with EGC who underwent radical surgery were selected for external verification of the model.Results:The frequency of LNM was 13.3% (32/427) in EGC patients. The LNM ratio of intramucosal carcinoma and submucosal carcinoma was 1.3% (3/237), 15.3% (29/190) respectively. Ulcer presence, tumor size >2 cm, undifferentiated tumor, submucosal invasion, neural invasion, and vascular tumor thrombus were significantly associated with LNM in EGC patients ( χ2=3.408, 16.379, 4.808, 29.804, 25.305, 47.120, respectively P<0.05). Multivariate analysis suggested that ulcer presence, tumor size >2 cm, depth of invasion, neural invasion, and vascular tumor thrombus were independent predictors of LNM in EGC patients, ( OR=0.326, 2.924, 11.824, 13.047, 7.756, respectively P<0.05). LNM predicting model is established, P=e^x/(1+e^x),x=-4.792-1.122 ulcer presence+1.073 tumor size+2.470 depth of invasion+2.569 neural invasion+2.048 vascular tumor thrombus,ROC-AUC of risk-predicting model was 0.845, the best cut-off was 0.094, the sensitivity was 72.70%, the specificity was 77.20%. The external verification result revealed the AUC of ROC was 0.840. The four-grid table is constructed by predicting model results and the postoperative pathological examination. The sensitivity and specificity of the model are calculated to be 82.35% and 68.96%, respectively. Conclusions:EGC patients with ulcer presence, tumor size >2 cm, depth of invasion, vascular tumor thrombus, and neural invasion have higher risk of LNM, the risk-predicting model can identify the high probability of LNM .

Objective:To investigate the influence of different injection time of carbon nanoparticle tracer on the acquisition of lymph nodes in adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junc-tion (AEG) treated by neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) combined with surgical resection.Methods:The prospective randomized controlled study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 120 AEG patients who were treated by nCRT combined with surgical resection in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from March 2020 to March 2021 were selected. Based on random number table, patients were allocated into two groups. Patients undergoing endoscopic injection of carbon nanoparticle tracer 24 hours before nCRT were allocated into the experiment group, and patients undergoing endoscopic injection of carbon nanoparticle tracer 24 hours before surgical resection were allocated into the control group. All patients received the same plan of nCRT combined with D 2 radical gastrectomy. Observation indicators: (1) grouping situations of the enrolled patients; (2) surgical and postoperative pathological situations; (3) postoperative complications and treatment. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the independent sample t test. Measurement date with skewed distribution were represented as M( Q1, Q3), and comparison between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data was analyzed using the non-parameter rank sum test. Results:(1) Grouping situations of the enrolled patients. A total of 120 patients were selected for eligibility. There were 85 males and 35 females, aged (60±9)years. There were 60 patients in the experiment group and 60 patients in the control group, respectively. (2) Surgical and postoperative pathological situations. Patients in the two groups underwent D 2 radical gastrectomy successfully, with R 0 resection. The number of lymph nodes harvest, the number of lymph nodes stained, the number of metastatic lymph nodes stained, the number of micro lymph nodes, the number of inferior mediastinal lymph nodes, the number of inferior mediastinal lymph nodes stained, cases in postoperative pathological stage N0, stage N1, stage N2, stage N3a were 40.6±13.9,20.1±7.7, 1.0(0,3.0), 8.1±2.8, 3.7±1.3, 2.0(1.0,2.0), 18, 13, 23, 6 in patients of the experiment group, respectively. The above indicators were 30.4±8.3, 12.7±3.5, 0(0,1.0), 6.2±2.0, 2.4±1.2, 1.0(0,1.0), 23, 21, 15, 1 in patients of the control group, respectively. There were significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( t=-5.01, 6.85, Z=-3.78, t=-4.04, -5.57, Z=-5.48, -2.12, P<0.05). (3) Postoperative complications and treatment. There were 5 cases of the experiment group and 7 cases of the control group with postoperative complications, showing no significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=0.37, P>0.05). The patients with postoperative complications were improved after symptomatic treatment. Conclusion:Compared with injection of carbon nanoparticle tracer 24 hours before surgical resection, injection of carbon nanoparticle tracer 24 hours before nCRT can improve the acquisition of lymph nodes in AEG treated by nCRT combined with surgical resection.

Objective:To investigate the clinically relevant factors of progressive disease (PD) after neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced gastric cancer.Methods:From Jun 2011 to Mar 2016, 569 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer(cT3/4N0/+ M0) admitted to the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University were retrospectively analyzed .Results:All 569 patients completed neoadjuvant therapy, 59 patients (10.4%) had PD. Univariate analysis showed that tumor size (χ 2=10.091, P=0.001), pathological type (χ 2=4.110, P=0.043), Borrmann type (χ 2=91.941, P=0.001), pre-treatment cT stage (χ 2=7.980, P=0.005) were associated with PD after neoadjuvant therapy for gastric cancer. The results of multi-factor regression analysis showed that pathological type, Borrmann type, pre-treatment cT stage were independent factors influencing the occurrence of PD after neoadjuvant therapy for advanced gastric cancer. The overall survival and progression-free suruival time of patients with PD is significantly shorter than that of patients without PD . Conclusion:The pathological type, Borrmann typing and pre-treatment cT stage are the influencing factors for the occurrence of PD after neoadjuvant treatment in advanced gastric cancer, and the prognosis of PD patients is poor.

Objective:To investigate the expression of KLF11 in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines as well as its effect on proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells BGC823.Methods:Sixty pairs gastric cancer tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues were collected. The expression of KLF11 mRNA in gastric cancer tissues and their adjacent tissues was detected by RT-PCR. The expression of KLF11 was detected in gastric cancer cells. KLF11 expression was silenced. The proliferation of cells were detected by using MTT assay. Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle and cell apoptosis rate. Western bloting was used to examine the changes of concentration of proteins associated with cell cycle,cell apoptosis and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway related proteins. The activity of Caspase3 enzyme was detected by spectrophotometry.Results:The relative expression of KLF11 mRNA in gastric carcinoma tissues was significantly higher than that of the adjacent tissues ( t=11.38, P<0.05). Its expression was related to tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and TNM clinical stage (all P<0.05). The proliferation of BGC823 cells was significantly suppressed after KLF11 silencing ( F=19.56, P<0.05), and the cell cycle was arrested in G 0/G 1 phase [(41.40%±0.98%) vs. (66.53%±1.01%), F=32.69, P<0.05]. Meanwhile, the apoptosis rate was significantly increased by KFL11 silencing [(41.44%±1.59%) vs. (15.42%±0.86%), F=35.35, P<0.05]. The results of Western blotting revealed that the expression of Bax and Cleaved Caspase3 was significantly increased ( F=23.33, 33.63; both P<0.05), wheras that of β-catenin, Bcl-2, CyclinD1and CyclinE was significantly reduced ( F=22.21, 16.24, 26.75, 33.42; all P<0.05). The activity of Caspase3 enzyme was enhanced ( F=16.56, P<0.05). Conclusion:KLF11 was highly-expressed in gastric cancer tissues and cells, KFL11 silencing could inhibit gastric cancer cells proliferation and induce cell apoptosis via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.