Objective:The clinicopathological features, diagnosis, and prognosis of follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) with distant me-tastasis as the first manifestation were evaluated in this study. Methods:A total of 129 FTC cases with clinical data were retrospective-ly analyzed in the Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital (January 2001 to January 2016). Survival analysis and conjoint analysis on FTC with clinical data, diagnosis, and morphological characteristics with distant metastasis as the first manifestation were performed. Results:Among the 129 FTC cases, 24 cases demonstrated distant metastasis as the first mani-festation (18.6%). Bone metastasis was the most common (13.2%). The presence of mass and pain at the metastatic sites were the usu-al clinical complaints. The morphological characteristics of FTC with distant metastasis can be classified into four subtypes:microfollicu-lar (10 cases), solid (4 cases), normofollicular (9 cases), and macrofollicular (1 case). Immunostaining tests on thyroglobulin and thyroid transcription factor-1 showed positive results in FTC with metastasis. Survival analysis showed that the five-year survival rates in the 24 cases were 87.1%. The prognosis of patients with solitary metastasis was better than that of patients with multiple metastasis (P=0.022). A higher survival rate was found in the normofollicular and macrofollicular subtypes than that detected in the microfollicular and solid subtypes (P=0.012). Conclusion:FTC is susceptible to distant metastasis. Some patients with FTC demonstrated distant me-tastasis as the first manifestation, and their diagnosis can be confirmed by pathological feature analysis and immunostaining. The prog-nostic significance is possibly related to the number of lesions of FTC with distant metastasis and histopathological subtypes.

Objective To study the impact of hepatic steatosis on the safety and prognosis of patients who received partial hepatectomy for liver cancer.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 338 patients who received hepatic resection for liver carcinoma.Results There were 273,44 and 21 patients who had a normal liver,mild steatosis and moderate-to-severe steatosis respectively.There was a significantly higher body mass index in the steatosis group (P ＜ 0.05).The operative time,blood loss,transfusion rate,postoperative hospital stay and ICU stay increased in patients with moderate-severe fatty liver (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Mild steatosis had little impact on partial hepatectomy.Moderate-to-severe hepatic steatosis was associated with increased blood loss and perioperative morbidity.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of total flavonoids of epimedium (TFE) on the streptozocin (STZ)-induced kidney injury in diabetic rats and discuss the possible mechanism.

METHODSDiabetes was produced by a single injection of streptozocin (40 mg/kg, iv) in male SD rats. The rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 10): control group, model group and TFE group (100 mg/kg, ig). Animals were sacrificed 12 weeks later. The level of blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) as well as the renal index were determined. Detect the specific biochemical of renal tissue: superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA). Use masson staining to observe the morphology of the renal tissue. Immunohistochemistry was employed to determine the protein levels of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1).

RESULTSCompared to control group, the enhancement of blood glucose, renal index, BUN and Cr was found in model group, which was significantly attenuated by treatment with TFE. Meanwhile, elevated MDA level in renal tissue as well as decreased SOD activities in renal tissue were significantly remitted by TFE. Furthermore, TFE decreased the expression of TGF-beta1.

CONCLUSIONTFE can evidently relieve renal damage in rats with diabetic nephropathy induced by STZ, which might be related to antioxidation and modulating the expression of TGF-beta1 protein.

Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the dynamic changes of Streptococcus mutans concentration of plaque during fixed appliance treatment and the effects of two materials of ligation on Streptococcus mutans concentration.

METHODSTwenty-eight patients undergoing fixed appliance treatment were observed. Ligature wire and elastomeric rings were applied on one side of arches, stochastically. The dynamic changes on the quantity and percentage of Streptococcus mutans were observed before and after fixed appliance bonding.

RESULTSStatistically significant increase of the quantity and percentage of Streptococcus mutans was found after fixed appliance bonding, and the percentage of Streptococcus mutans in the plaque around the brackets ligated with elastomeric rings was more than that of ligature wire at the beginning of fixed appliance bonding, statistically.

CONCLUSIONSThe finding suggested that the caries-associated capability of the plaque increased after bonding and there was greater caries-associated capability of the plague on the teeth when elastomeric rings was used than that of the plague when ligature wire was used at treatment beginning. The ligature wire is recommended in the fixed appliance treatment.

Adolescent ; Bacterial Adhesion ; Child ; Colony Count, Microbial ; Dental Caries ; prevention & control ; Dental Plaque ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Orthodontic Appliances ; microbiology ; Orthodontic Brackets ; microbiology ; Streptococcus mutans ; physiology

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of helium neon laser irradiation combined with boric acid wet packing on elder patients with pressure ulcers.Methods 52 cases of elderly patients with pressure ulcer were randomly divided into treatment group and control group.The control group was treated with boric acid wet packing after the wound debridement.The treatment group was treated with the helium neon laser irradiation on the pressure ulcer surface 20 minutes after the wound debridement and then boric acid wet packing once a day.Both groups received comprehensive treatment and nursing measures of pressure ulcers.Pressure ulcer healing was observed for 30 days.Results The effective rate of the treatment group was 96.2％ and that of the control group was 69.2％.Clinical effect of the treatment group was better than that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant( x2 =4.837,P ＜0.05 ).The effect initiating time of the treatment group was lower than the control group [ ( 12.19 ± 6.40) d vs ( 19.36 ± 9.30) d],and the difference was statistically significant ( t =- 2.425,P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusions Helium neon laser irradiation combined with boric acid wet packing can promote wound healing of pressure ulcers in elder patients,shorten course of disease.

OBJECTIVETo develop a bioinformatic tool and to use it to identify proteomic patterns in serum, distinguishing colorectal cancer from colorectal adenoma and healthy individuals.

METHODS182 serum samples including 55 colorectal cancer patients, 35 colorectal adenoma and 92 healthy individuals were subjected to analysis by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization (SELDI) mass spectrometry.

RESULTThe diagnostic pattern combined of 4 candidate biomarkers (M/Z 5911, 8922, 8 944, and 8817) could separate colorectal patients from healthy control with a specificity of 93.3%, sensitivity of 90.9%, and Youden index value of 0.84242. The diagnostic pattern combined of 7 candidate biomarkers (M/Z 17247, 18420 ,5911, 9294, 4654, 21694, and 21742) could separate colorectal cancer patients from colorectal adenoma patients with a specificity of 83.2%, sensitivity of 89.3%, and Youden index value of 0.72484.

CONCLUSIONCombination of SELDI with bioinformatics tool can identify some new biomarkers from the sera of colorectal cancer patients, which has a high sensitivity and specificity to distinguish colorectal cancer patients from healthy control.

Adenoma ; blood ; classification ; diagnosis ; Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; analysis ; Blood Proteins ; analysis ; chemistry ; Carcinoma ; blood ; classification ; diagnosis ; Case-Control Studies ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; classification ; diagnosis ; Computational Biology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proteome ; analysis ; Proteomics ; methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; instrumentation ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of ursolic acid (UA) on the alloxan-induced kidney injury in diabetic mice and explored its possible mechanisms.

METHODSDiabetes mellitus was induced in male Kunming mice by an injection of alloxan (70 mg/kg, i.v.). After 72 hours, blood glucose levels were detected and mice with blood glucose levels over 13.9 mmol/L were considered as diabetic and selected for further experiment. Thirty mice were randomly divided into three groups: control, diabetic and diabetic + UA(35 mg/kg/d, i.g. continuously for 8 weeks). Blood glucose concentration, organ coefficient of kidney, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr) as well as renal tissue levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined. Pathology of the renal tissue was measured by hematoxylin-eosin staining.

RESULTSCompared to the control group, blood glucose, organ coefficient of kidney, BUN and Cr increased significantly. In addition, SOD activities was reduced markedly and levels of MDA and inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6) increased significantly. Renal cells from model group rats showed atrophy and disordered after HE staining and infiltration of inflammatory cells also appeared in renal tissue of the model group. These changes were significantly attenuated in the diabetic group treated with UA.

CONCLUSIONUA can significantly relieve renal damage in mice with diabetic nephropathy induced by alloxan, which might be related to decreased blood glucose level, antioxidation effect and inhibiting the production of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-6.

Alloxan ; adverse effects ; Animals ; Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Creatinine ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; physiopathology ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Kidney ; physiopathology ; Male ; Mice ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Triterpenes ; pharmacology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of thread-dragging through fistula method in treating patients with simple anorectal fistula. METHODS: In this multi-centered, prospective, and randomized controlled clinical trial, 244 patients with simple low or high anorectal fistula were randomly divided into study group (with the method of thread-dragging through fistula) and control group (with the method of incision or thread-drawing). The healing time and curative rate of anorectal fistula, and the integral calculus of clinical symptom and life quality evaluations before and after treatment were all examined. The maximal anal canal squeeze pressure was measured to compare the therapeutic safety between these two groups. The health economical benefits were also assessed to determine which therapeutic method was more economical. RESULTS: The curative rate of simple low and high anorectal fistula were of no significant differences between the study group and the control group. The healing time of simple low anorectal fistula in the study group and the control group were (22.26+/-8.67) d and (31.41+/-11.39) d respectively, while the healing time of simple high anorectal fistula in the study group and the control group were (24.73+/-8.15) d and (32.20+/-12.60) d respectively, and there revealed significant differences between these two groups. Each integral calculus of clinical symptom evaluation in the study group was not obviously different from those in the control group besides the integral calculus of anal sphincter function. The integral calculus of life quality between the study group and the control group of simple low anorectal fistula had no significant differences. The integral calculus of anal sphincter function and confidence in treatment in the study group of high anorectal fistula were better than those in the control group. The hospitalization expense of the study group was remarkably lower than that of the control group. The maximal anal canal squeeze pressure in the study group after treatment was not reduced obviously as compared with that in the same group before treatment, while it was decreased significantly in the control group after treatment as compared with those in the same group before treatment and in the study group after treatment. CONCLUSION: The method of thread-dragging through fistula in treating simple low and high anorectal fistula can shorten the course of the disease, save the hospitalization expenses, improve the life quality of the patients, and protect the anal sphincter function.

OBJECTIVETo study the alteration of protein Z (PZ) in patients with cardio-cerebral thrombotic diseases, its clinical significance and relations with FX.

METHODSPZ and FX:Ag were measured by ELISA, and plasma FX:C by first stage method. In 170 patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), 40 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 60 healthy adults as contrast, PZ, FX:C and FX:Ag were measured and compared between incipience and recurrence, different ages and genders.

RESULTSIn AIS and AMI groups, PZ levels decreased significantly to (940.02 +/- 229.82) microg/L and (1071.44 +/- 180.52) microg/L, respectively \[the contrast group was (2257.97 +/- 479.76) microg/L, P < 0.001\]. But FX:C and FX:Ag raised to (136.73 +/- 34.93)% and (135.54 +/- 54.39)% in AIS group; and to (139.53 +/- 29.18)%, (129.75 +/- 21.91)% in AMI group, respectively, while in the contrast group they were (94.33 +/- 22.00)% and (77.22 +/- 13.19)% (P < 0.001). In the comparative research between the AIS group, AMI group and the contrast group, PZ level was clearly found to negatively relate to the level of FX:C and FX:Ag (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, PZ level, FX:C and FX:Ag in recur-AIS group and recur-AMI group exhibited significant differences (P < 0.05) from those in the primary AIS and AMI groups, suggesting that the decrease of PZ levels reflected the pathological process of the disease. In addition, PZ level gradually decreased with the increase of age (P < 0.05), while FX:C and FX:Ag had no relations with age (P > 0.05). No correlation was found in sex with PZ level, FX:C, FX:Ag (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPZ level was significantly decreased in AIS and AMI patients and was negatively related to FX:C and FX:Ag. The mechanism leading to FX increase may partially related with the decreased of PZ. PZ level was different in the primary and recurrent disease and was gradually decreased with the increase of age. Lack of PZ might be a etiological factor of cardio-cerebral thrombotic diseases.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Proteins ; metabolism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Factor X ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; blood ; Stroke ; blood