Objective To investigate the effect of sulfasalazine on serum procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in elderly patients with ulcerative colitis. Methods A total of 80 elderly patients with ulcerative colitis who were admitted to hospital were randomly divided into two groups. Mesalazine was given to the control group and sulfasalazine was added to the observation group. The patient's disease activity, light pathological morphology, fecal occult blood, mucosal histology score, colonoscopy morphology, overall treatment effect, serum PCT, CRP and other indicators were observed. Results The disease activity index (DAI) score, Mayo score, fecal occult blood (OB) score, Geboes index, CRP, PCT, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), interleukin (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P ＜ 0. 05), while the clinical efficiency rate, hemoglobin (Hb) and albumin (ALb) levels weresignificantly higher than the control group (P ＜ 0. 05). The intestinal mucosa repair status of the observation group was better than that of the control group. Conclusion Sulfasalazine has significant therapeutic effect on ulcerative colitis in the elderly, which can obviously improve inflammatory factors such as PCT, CRP, and improve the level of intestinal mucosal repair.

Objective To investigate the effect of sulfasalazine on serum procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in elderly patients with ulcerative colitis. Methods A total of 80 elderly patients with ulcerative colitis who were admitted to hospital were randomly divided into two groups. Mesalazine was given to the control group and sulfasalazine was added to the observation group. The patient's disease activity, light pathological morphology, fecal occult blood, mucosal histology score, colonoscopy morphology, overall treatment effect, serum PCT, CRP and other indicators were observed. Results The disease activity index (DAI) score, Mayo score, fecal occult blood (OB) score, Geboes index, CRP, PCT, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), interleukin (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P ＜ 0. 05), while the clinical efficiency rate, hemoglobin (Hb) and albumin (ALb) levels weresignificantly higher than the control group (P ＜ 0. 05). The intestinal mucosa repair status of the observation group was better than that of the control group. Conclusion Sulfasalazine has significant therapeutic effect on ulcerative colitis in the elderly, which can obviously improve inflammatory factors such as PCT, CRP, and improve the level of intestinal mucosal repair.

Islet transplantation is one of the effective therapies for diabetes mellitus. Nevertheless, multiple issues still exist, such as shortage of donors and adverse reactions caused by long-term use of immunosuppressants, which limit the islet survival post-transplantation. Microencapsulated islet transplantation may overcome these difficulties to certain extent, whereas many factors, such as the destruction of immune isolation microenvironment within the microcapsules and insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients, constrain the application of microencapsulated islet transplantation in clinical practice. In recent years, how to enhance the effect of microencapsulated islet transplantation has been gradually studied. The application of stem cells in microencapsulated islet transplantation has steadily become a research hot spot. Therefore, the optimizing strategies for microencapsulated islet transplantation and the application of stem cells in microencapsulated islet transplantation were reviewed, and the potential improvement techniques of microencapsulated islet transplantation were investigated in this article, aiming to provide reference for further clinical application of microencapsulated islet transplantation.

Objective To investigate the effect of compound Fufangteng mixture-containing serum on the proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) and its mechanism. Methods Rat BMSC were isolated, cultured and purified in vitro by direct adherence method. Cell morphology was observed. Surface markers were identified by flow cytometry. The rats were treated with compound Fufangteng mixture at a dose of 3 mL/(kg·d) by gavage for 14 d, and then the drug-containing serum was collected. BMSC were divided into the blank control group, drug-containing serum group, Notch1 small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) group and Notch1 siRNA+drug-containing serum group. The proliferation rate of BMSC was detected and the relative expression levels of Notch1 signaling pathway-associated messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and proteins were measured in each group. Results Microscopic observation showed that the first generation BMSC were seen in the long spindle shape, and grown in the parallel or spiral pattern. The third generation BMSC positively expressed CD90 and CD44, whereas were negative for CD45. Compared with the blank control group, the proliferation rate of BMSC in the drug-containing serum group and Notch1 siRNA+ drug-containing serum group was significantly increased, whereas that of BMSC was significantly decreased in the Notch1 siRNA group (all P < 0.05). Compared with the Notch1 siRNA group, the proliferation rate of BMSC was significantly increased in the Notch1 siRNA+drug-containing serum group (P < 0.05). Compared with the blank control group, the relative expression levels of Hey1 and Delta-like ligand (DLL)1 mRNA and proteins were significantly up-regulated in the drug-containing serum group, whereas those were significantly down-regulated in the Notch1 siRNA group and Notch1 siRNA+drug-containing serum group (all P < 0.05). Compared with the Notch1 siRNA group, the relative expression levels of Hey1 and DLL1 mRNA and proteins were significantly up-regulated in the Notch1 siRNA+drug-containing serum group (all P < 0.05). Conclusions Compound Fufangteng mixture-containing serum may promote the proliferation of rat BMSC, and its mechanism is probably associated with the activation of Notch1 signaling pathway.

Objective To evaluate the effect of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) coated-islets on instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction (IBMIR) after islet transplantation. Methods MSC labeled with tracer and human islets were placed into an ultra-low adsorption cell culture dish, shaken and mixed twice at an interval of 0.5 h, and then incubated at 37 ℃ and 5% CO₂ for 24 h to obtain MSC-coated islets. The coating effect of MSC and in vitro function of the islets were assessed. A blood circulation tube-shaped model was established in vitro. In the blank control group, 0.2 mL of islet culture solution was added. In the islet group, 800 islet equivalent quantity (IEQ) of uncoated islets were supplemented. In the MSC-coated islets group, 800 IEQ of MSC-coated islets were added, and circulated for 60 min at 37 ℃. A portion of 0.5 mL blood sample was taken for routine blood test at 0, 30 and 60 min, respectively. After 60 min circulation, the blood sample was filtered with a 70 μm filter to collect plasma, blood clots and islets. Blood clots and islets were subject to hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemical staining. Morphological changes and the aggregation of CD11b-positive cells surrounding the islets were observed. The contents of plasma thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), tissue factor (TF), C3a, C5b-9, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and IL-8 were determined by enzyme-linked immune absorbent assay. Results After 24 h co-incubation, the islets were coated by MSC, with a coating degree of approximately 80%. In the islet and MSC-coated islet group, a large quantity of neutrophils and monocytes were observed surrounding the blood clots and islets, and the quantity of CD11b-positive cells in the MSC-coated islet group was less compared with that in the islet group. After co-incubation with the whole blood for 0, 30 and 60 min, the quantity of platelets, neutrophils and monocytes was declined in the MSC-coated and islet groups, and gradually decreased over time. Compared with the blank control group, the quantity of platelets, monocytes and neutrophils was lower, whereas the TF content was higher in the MSC-coated islet group. Compared with the islet group, the quantity of platelets, monocytes and neutrophils was higher, whereas the TAT and TF contents were less in the MSC-coated islet group, the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Compared with the blank control group, the expression levels of C3a, C5b-9, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-8 were up-regulated in the MSC-coated islet group. Compared with the islet group, the expression levels of C3a, C5b-9, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-8 and MCP-1 were down-regulated in the MSC-coated islet group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions MSC-coated islets may reduce the exposure of islet TF in the blood and prevent the incidence of IBMIR during the coagulation response stage, thereby mitigating the injury and loss of islet allograft in the early stage of islet transplantation.

OBJECTIVETo compare the long-term oncological outcomes of laparoscopic and open resection of rectal cancers.

METHODSBetween January, 2003 and December, 2008, 514 patients with rectal cancer were admitted in our hospital, among whom 186 underwent laparoscopic tumor resection and 238 received open radical resection of the tumors. The long-term survival of the patients and the recurrence pattern were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe median follow-up of the patients was 48.54∓28.76 months. No significant differences were found between the two groups in the local recurrence rate (3.9% vs 5.5%, P=0.284), 5-year overall survival (69.4% vs 61.3%, P=0.067), or the 5-year disease-free survival rates (67.7% vs 60.7%, P=0.110). Both the 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival of the patients in stage IV were better in the laparoscopic group than in the open surgery group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONLaparoscopic resection of rectal cancer can achieve long-term oncological outcomes comparable to those of conventional open surgery.

Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rectal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome