Objective: To validate the therapeutic value of CT-guided percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the treatment of metastatic adrenal tumors. Methods: Thirty one foci (diameter ranging from 1.5 cm to 7.2 cm) in 25 patients with metastatic adrenal tumors were treated with CT-guided PEI for more than twice. Plain and enhanced CT scans were performed 1-2 months after PEI to observe the size and necrosis of the tumors. Results: Post-PEI enhanced CT scan showed that 18 of the 20 foci with diameters less than 3 cm completely necrotized; 11 foci with diameters between 3 cm and 7.2 cm necrotized partially, and 2 foci completely necrotized after another 2-3 courses of PEI treatment. Conclusion: CT guided PEI is a simple and minimally invasive means for treatment of metastatic adrenal tumors, and the therapeutic effect is satisfactory.

Objective:To investigate the value of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography(MRCP)in the diagnosis of pancreas divisum by comparing with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP).Methods:The MRCP and ERCP images of 8 patients with pancreas divisum were retrospectively analyzed.The diagnostic accuracy and findings by MRCP were compared with those by ERCP.Results:MRCP had a diagnostic accuracy of 87.5%(7/8)based on the result of ERCP.ERCP displayed the dominant dorsal pancreatic ducts in all 8 cases and ventral pancreatic ducts in 6 cases;MRCP also displayed the dominant dorsal pancreatic ducts in all 8 cases,but the ventral pancreatic ducts only in 3 cases.Conclusion:As a non-invasive technique,MRCP has important clinical value in the diagnosis of pancreas divisum.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of multislice CT (MSCT) in the diagnosis and preoperative TNM staging of gastric carcinoma. Methods: Fifty patients with advanced gastric carcinoma were examined by MSCT, gastrointestinal series (GI), fiberoptic gastroscopy (FG) and transabdominal ultrasonography (US). The results of the 4 methods were compared with postoperative pathological results. Forty patients, who were diagnosed as having advanced gastric carcinoma by both MSCT and US, had their TNM staging evaluated and the results were compared with postoperative pathological TNM evaluation. Results: The detection rates of MSCT, FG, GI and US for advanced gastric carcinoma were 98%, 100%, 88% and 80%, respectively. The detection rate of MSCT was not significantly different with that of FG, but was obviously higher than that of GI (P=0.027) and US (P=0.004). The accuracy of MSCT in preoperative TNM staging was significantly higher than that of US(92.5% vs 72.5%). Conclusion: MSCT, with two-phase thin slice incremental scanning image, multiplaner reformats (MPR) and three-dimension (3D) image, is more advantaged in detecting the gross type, size, location, invasion and metastasis of advanced gastric carcinoma, thus greatly improving the detection rate and preoperative TNM staging of advanced gastric carcinoma.

Objective:To validate the clinical value of CT-guided curve-needle percutaneous ethanol injection (CNPEI) for celiac plexus block analgesia. Methods: Thirty-two patients with end-stage cancer, including 13 complicated with extensive retroperitoneal lymph node enlargement and fusion, were enrolled in this study. All patients complained of refractory upper abdominal pain and had received narcotic analgesics and radiotherapy, but the analgesic effect was not good. CT-guided CNPEI was therefore prescribed. Results: The effective rates of CT-guided CNPEI were 100%, 100%, 96.9%, 90.6%, 87.5%, and 84.4% immediately,and at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks after treatment, respectively. All enlarged lymph nodes had obvious necrosis and became shrunk. Conclusion: Combined application of bilateral anterior and posterior diaphragmatic crura block and trans-lymph node block can produce good analgesic effects, and curve-needle puncture make the above technique simpler.

Objective:To validate the therapeutic value of CT-guided percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the treatment of metastatic adrenal tumors. Methods: Thirty-one foci (diameter ranging from 1.5 cm to 7.2 cm) in 25 patients with metastatic adrenal tumors were treated with CT-guided PEI for more than twice. Plain and enhanced CT scans were performed 1-2 months after PEI to observe the size and necrosis of the tumors. Results: Post-PEI enhanced CT scan showed that 18 of the 20 foci with diameters less than 3 cm completely necrotized; 11 foci with diameters between 3 cm and 7.2 cm necrotized partially, and 2 foci completely necrotized after another 2-3 courses of PEI treatment. Conclusion: CT-guided PEI is a simple and minimally invasive means for treatment of metastatic adrenal tumors, and the therapeutic effect is satisfactory.

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of percutaneous drainage of solitary retroperitoneal abscess under CT guidance.Methods A retrospective analysis was made for percutaneous drainage of solitary retroperitoneal abscess with CT guidance in 13 patients including 4 at the tail of pancreas, 3 nearby the head of pancreas,3 in perirenal space,2 in posterior renal space and 1 case was by the side of psoas muscle.The maximum diameters of retroperitoneal abscess were between 3.5cm and 8cm.Results Out of 13 patients,8 with one time drainage,3 with twice drainages and 2 with thrice drainages.The mean duration of drainage was 16 days with no recurrence or residual lesions during clinical follow up.Conclusion CT guided percutaneous drainage of solitary retroperitoneal abscess is effective and minimally invasive.(J Intervent Radiol,2007,16:828-830)

Objective To isolate and purify VacA protein secreted by Helicobacter pylori or recombinant VacA , and to investigate the effect of VacA-induced cell vacuolar change and apoptosis .Methods VacA proteins were separated and pu-rified from the culture supernatant of H.pylori ( ATCC26695 ) or from the split products of genetically engineered bacteria (pQE30-VacA-E.coli M15) expressing recombinant VacA.The VacA protein obtained was acidified and then incubated with AGS cells for 24 h at different final concentrations of 5 and 10 ng/ml before the vacuolar change and apoptosis of AGS cells were detected via microscopy and flow cytometry assay , respectively .Results H.pylori-secreted VacA and recombi-nant VacA were successfully separated and purified .The H.pylori-secreted VacA significantly induced the vacuolar change and apoptosis of AGS cells (P<0.01) while the recombinant VacA did not.Conclusion H.pylori-secreted VacA protein can effectively induce cell vacuolar change and apoptosis, but recombinant VacA can not, suggesting that the purified VacA protein secreted by H.pylori can be used to explore VacA-induced pathogenesis.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Electroporation ; methods ; Interleukin-2 ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; immunology ; mortality ; pathology ; therapy ; Male ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) in the assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma.

METHODS1H MRS was performed in normal volunteers and in patients with pathologically confirmed HCC and cholangiocarcinomas using a whole-body 1.5-T scanner. The choline-to-lipid ratios were measured by dividing the peak area of choline at 3.2 ppm and lipid at 1.3 ppm.

RESULTSThe ratio of choline-to-lipid for normal liver, cholangiocarcinomas, and HCC were 0.07 +/- 0.04, 0.11 +/- 0.06, and 0.52 +/- 0.15, respectively. The ratio of choline-to-lipid was significantly higher in HCC compared than those in cholangiocarcinomas or normal livers (P < 0.05). However, it was not significantly different between cholangiocarcinomas and normal livers (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn vivo 1H MRS can reflect the pathological changes of HCC and cholangiocarcinomas at metabolic level and thus is useful in the diagnosis of these two cancers.

Adult ; Aged ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Protons ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of male infertility with single nucleotide polymorphisms of the autosomal DAZL gene.

METHODSSemen samples were collected from infertile men (infertility group, n=144) and healthy fathers (fertility group, n=53) in the northeast of China, and the former was further divided into 5 subgroups according to the WHO diagnostic criteria for oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (1999) i.e., oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, oligoasthenozoospermia, asthenoteratozoospermia, asthenozoospermia and non-oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. PCR-RFLP analysis was used to detect the polymorphism of SNP260. The SNP386 polymorphism of the DAZL gene was analysed with a PCR-SSCP based method. Sequencing and statistical analyses were performed.

RESULTSThe SNP260 polymorphism of the DAZL gene was found in both the infertility and the control groups, with no significant difference in between (P > 0.05). There was a larger percentage of SNP260AG in the subgroup of oligoasthenoteratozoospermia than in others, and the SNP386 polymorphism of the DAZL gene was not found in any of the subgroups.

CONCLUSIONThe SNP260 and SNP386 polymorphisms of the DAZL gene are not associated with male infertility in the northeast of China. Further research needs to be done to clarify the association between SNP260AG and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. SNP386 polymorphism may be restricted in some small area in Taiwan only. Therefore neither of them can be used as a molecular marker for the genetic diagnosis of male infertility in the northeast of China.

Adult ; Base Sequence ; China ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; genetics ; Male ; Oligospermia ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; RNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Taiwan