OBJECTIVETo observe metabolomic changes in urine of chronic superficial gastritis (CSG) patients with Pi-qi deficiency syndrome (PQDS) or Pi-Wei dampness-heat syndrome (PWDHS), thereby providing scientific evidence for syndrome typing of them.

METHODSUrine samples were collected from CSG patients with PQDS/PWDHS and healthy volunteers, 10 in each group. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) based metabonomic analysis was performed on urine samples. Contents of related biomarkers were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA), partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and urivariate statistical analysis.

RESULTSPLS-DA analysis showed that metabolites among CSG patients with PQDS/PWDHS and healthy volunteers could be mutually distinguished. Seven differentially identified metabolites were screened from urines of CSG patients with PQDS and healthy volunteers included glutamate, methionine, α-oxoglutarate, dimethylglycine, creatinine, taurine, and glucose. Four differentially identified metabolites were screened from urines of CSG patients with PWDHS and healthy volunteers included 2-hydroxybutyric acid, trimethylamine oxide, taurine, and hippuric acid. Eleven differentially identified metabolites were screened from urines of CSG patients with PQDS and PWDHS included fucose, β-hydroxybutyric acid, alanine, glutamate, methionine, succinic acid, citric acid, creatinine, glucose, hippuric acid, and lactic acid.

CONCLUSIONThe metabolic differences of CSG patients PQDS and PWDHS mainly manifested in glycometabolism, lipid metabolism, and amino acids catabolism, and 1H-NMR based metabonomics may be used in classified study of Chinese medical syndrome typing.

Biomarkers ; urine ; Discriminant Analysis ; Gastritis ; urine ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hydroxybutyrates ; Ketoglutaric Acids ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Metabolome ; physiology ; Metabolomics ; Principal Component Analysis ; Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Qi ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the accuracy and value of the placement of metallic clips during colonoscopy in the localization of colorectal cancer and incision selection.

METHODSA total of 30 patients received metallic clip placement by colonoscopy before operation. Abdominal plain film (supine and upright position) was taken and incision was determined by the projection of clips on the abdominal wall.

RESULTSThe inaccuracy rate of localization by colonoscopy was 30%(9/30). Colonoscopy combined with the placement of metallic clips achieved an accurate incision rate of 100% (30/30).

CONCLUSIONSThere is a considerable rate of inaccuracy for localization in colonic cancer by colonoscopy. Colonoscopy combined with placement of metallic clips should be considered in order to select a reasonable incision.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colon ; surgery ; Colonic Neoplasms ; surgery ; Colonoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Surgical Instruments

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the safety and efficacy of surgical treatment for recurrent colorectal carcinoma in the elderly.

METHODSThe clinical and follow up data of 24 elderly patients with recurrent colorectal carcinoma who were treated between January 2000 and June 2009 at the Changhai hospital of the Second Military Medical University were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSAmong the 24 patients there were 14 men and 10 women. The mean age of the patients was 76.9 ± 5.3 years. The local recurrence was found in 15 patients. In 9 patients, both distant metastases and local recurrence were found. A total of 24 patients received operation, including radical resection in 15 patients and palliative resection in 8 patients. One patient had laparotomy only because of diffuse metastases in the abdomen and involvement of the duodenum and common bile duct.The patient received stent placement in the common bile duct and chemotherapy after the surgery. Postoperative complication occurred in 7(29.2%) patients, which included ileus(n=1), pulmonary infection(n=1), urinary infection(n=1), wound infection(n=2), wound dehiscence(n=1), and wound fat liquefaction(n=1). There were no perioperative deaths. The median survival time was 6 months in the entire cohort. The median survival time was 33 months in patients undergoing radical resection, and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rate was 71.4%, 28.6%, and 14.3%. The median survival time was 3 months in patients who underwent palliative resection, and the 1-year survival rate was 0. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONOutcomes are acceptable after radical resection for elderly patients with recurrent colorectal cancer if careful preoperative evaluation and perioperative management are performed.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; surgery ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo investigate the emergency therapeutic strategy for sigmoid vovulus in the elderly.

METHODSClinical data of 14 elderly patients with sigmoid vovulus were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSThe mean age was(79.1±7.2) years(range, 70-93), and 11 patients (78.6%) were male. Emergency decompression and restoration with colonoscopy was performed in all the patients with a success rate of 100%. No patient required emergent surgery. Four patients(28.6%) recurred and they were managed well by repeat colonoscopic restoration.

CONCLUSIONEmergency colonoscopic restoration is the first treatment of choice for sigmoid vovulus in the elderly because it is safe and effective, and can be performed repeatedly.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colon, Sigmoid ; surgery ; Colonoscopy ; Decompression, Surgical ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Volvulus ; surgery ; Male ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of colonoscopy-guided placement of self-expandable metallic stent without fluoroscopic monitoring in the emergence management for acute malignant colorectal obstruction.

METHODSClinical data of 42 patients (24 males and 18 females with a mean age of 64.3 years) undergoing colonoscopy-guided placement of self-expandable metallic stents without fluoroscopic monitoring for acute malignant colorectal obstruction between January 2010 and June 2012 were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTSThe obstruction was located in the rectum (n=19), sigmoid (n=9), descending colon (n=8), splenic flexure (n=1), hepatic flexure (n=3), and ascending colon (n=2). Technical success was achieved in all the 42 patients (100%). The mean time of operation was (11.8±10.4) min (range 1.1-51.0 min). No serious procedure-related complication occurred. Minor bleeding occurred in 3 cases (7.1%). One patient died on the second day after surgery because of heart failure.

CONCLUSIONSColonoscopy-guided placement of self-expandable metallic stents without fluoroscopic monitoring in emergence management for acute malignant colorectal obstruction is effective and safe with shorter operative time.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction ; etiology ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Stents

OBJECTIVETo demonstrate the association of tumor budding with clinicopathological features and prognosis in T2 rectal cancer.

METHODSClinicopathological data of 123 patients who underwent potentially curative resection for T2 rectal carcinoma between 2001 and 2005 at the Changhai Hospital were collected. All pathology slides were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for microscopic examinations. The maximum value of tumor buds(MV) and average value of tumor buds(AV) were calculated, which were classified as low value (≤5), median value (5 < bud value < 10), and high value (≥10).

RESULTSUnivariate analysis and multivariate analysis revealed that MV(P=0.000), AV(P=0.001), and lymphatic invasion (P=0.006) were independent predictors for lymph node metastasis in T2 rectal cancer. Neural invasion and poorly differentiation were significantly associated with MV(P<0.05). Neural invasion, vascular invasion and poorly differentiation were were significantly associated to AV (P<0.01). Disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with low AV, median AV and high AV was 110.5 months, 95.8 months, and 60.0 months respectively. There were significance differences in DFS of low AV with median and high AV(P<0.05). DFS of patients with low MV, median MV and high MV was 115.1 months, 98.5 months, and 86.0 months respectively. There were significance differences in DFS between low and high AV, and median and high MV(P<0.01 and P<0.05), while no significant difference existed between low and median MV.

CONCLUSIONTumor budding is a useful marker to indicate high invasiveness of rectal cancer and a valuable prognostic predictor.

Female ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Prognosis ; Rectal Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) on expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in different brain regions of aging rats.

METHODSForty male SD rats were randomized equally into negative control group, D-galactose group, EPO treatment group, and positive control group. Rat models of subacute aging were established by continuous subcutaneous injection of 5% D-galactose. Immunohistochemical staining was used to analyze the variation of BDNF expressions in different brain regions of the aging rats with different treatments.

RESULTSSignificant brain region-specific differences in BDNF expression were found among the rats in different groups. Compared with those in the negative control group, the numbers of BDNF-positive cells in the hippocampal CA1 region, CA3 region, dentate gyrus (DG) and frontal cortex were all decreased obviously in D-galactose group (P<0.05) but increased in both EPO group and the positive control group (P<0.05) without significant differences between the latter two groups. In the rats in the same group, the number of BDNF-positive cells varied markedly in different brain regions (P<0.05), and the expression level of BDNF was the highest in the frontal cortex followed by the hippocampal CA3 region and the dentate gyrus, and was the lowest in the hippocampal CA1 region.

CONCLUSIONTreatment with rhEPO enhances the expression of BDNF in rat neural cells, suggesting that rhEPO may protect the nervous system from aging by regulating the BDNF pathway.

Aging ; Animals ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; metabolism ; CA1 Region, Hippocampal ; metabolism ; CA3 Region, Hippocampal ; metabolism ; Dentate Gyrus ; metabolism ; Erythropoietin ; pharmacology ; Frontal Lobe ; metabolism ; Galactose ; Humans ; Male ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Recombinant Proteins ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo analyze the factors associated with anastomotic leakage after anterior resection in rectal cancer with the technique of total mesorectal excision (TME).

METHODSFrom January 2005 and December 2007, 738 consecutive patients with rectal cancer underwent anterior resection. The data of those patients was collected and reviewed retrospectively. The associations between anastomotic leakage and 9 patient-related variables as well as 7 surgical-related variables were examined.

RESULTSLow rectal cancer (located 7 cm or less above the anal edge), non-specialized surgeon and transanal tube use were the risk factors associated with anastomotic leakage on univariate analysis. The anastomotic leakage rate of low-rectal cancer was significantly higher than that of high-rectal cancer (5.9% vs. 0.9%, P = 0.003). The anastomotic leakage rate of the cases operated by colorectal surgeon was significantly lower than that of the cases operated by non-specialized surgeon (3.9% vs. 11.3%, P = 0.031). There was a tendency for colorectal surgeons to operate on a greater proportion of low rectal cancer than non-specialized surgeons (72.1% vs. 52.8%, P = 0.003). The leakage rate of transanal tube group was unexpectedly higher than that in patients without transanal tube (14.5% vs. 3.6%, P < 0.001). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, diabetes mellitus (P = 0.027), distance less than 1 cm from tumor to distal resection margin (P = 0.009) and defunctioning stoma (P = 0.031) were also associated with anastomotic leakage rate besides low rectal cancer, non-specialized surgeon and transanal tube use. In a further analysis of 522 patients with low rectal cancer, the leakage rate of defunctioning stoma group was significantly lower than that of non-stoma group (2.9% vs. 8.5%, P = 0.007). By contract, the leakage rate of transanal tube group was still higher than that in patients without transanal tube (15.1% vs. 4.9%, P = 0.008) because of its poor protective effect as well as the selection bias.

CONCLUSIONSLow-rectal cancer, non-specialized surgeons and diabetes mellitus are risk factors of anastomotic leakage after rectal surgery. A defunctioning stoma was effective in preventing leakage after low-rectal cancer surgery.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anastomosis, Surgical ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Rectal Fistula ; etiology ; Rectal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Rectum ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Surgical Stomas

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the bowel control of the anus-preserving operation for elderly patients over 75 years with low rectal cancer.

METHODSThirty-nine elderly patients over 75 years with low rectal carcinoma (4-7 cm from anal verge) were treated during the study period. The patients were divided into different groups according to the surgical procedures and anastomotic locations. The bowel control and patients satisfaction were compared.

RESULTSThe time of recovering normal defecation frequency was (9.8+/- 2.9) months. There were no differences in bowel control and anorectal manometric findings between the lower anastomosis group and super-lower anastomosis group, the lower anastomosis group and anorectal anastomosis group. The patients in anorectal anastomosis group displayed significantly better bowel control and anorectal manometric findings than those in the super-lower anastomosis group (P< 0.05). The time of recovering normal defecation frequency in colonic J-pouch-anal anastomosis group was (7.7+/- 1.7) months, shorter than (10.6+/- 2.8) months in direct anastomosis group (P< 0.01). The complication rate of I degree incontinence was 36.1%, but there was no difference between the two groups. The anorectal manometric findings were better in J-pouch-anal anastomosis group than those in direct anastomosis group (P< 0.05).

CONCLUSIONColonic J-pouch-anal anastomosis for lower rectal carcinoma can significantly improve the bowel control in a short term without increasing the complication rate.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anal Canal ; surgery ; Anastomosis, Surgical ; Defecation ; Fecal Incontinence ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Postoperative Period ; Rectal Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the diagnosis and surgical management of adult Hirschsprung's disease.

METHODSClinical data of 15 patients with adult Hirschsprung's disease were reviewed retrospectively from June 1992 to June 2004.

RESULTSPatients age ranged from 17 to 54 years old. The main manifestations included long-term (ranged from 9.5 month to 50 years) constipation and abdominal distention. Acute abdominal pain occurred in six patients, but no sign of de hydration and malnutrition occurred in all patients. Bowel stenosis and dilation could be examined by barium enema. Soave procedure was performed in 3 patients, subtotal colectomy with coloanal anastomosis was performed in twelve patients. The function of defecation was improved in all patients after operation.

CONCLUSIONSThe diagnosis of adult Hirschsprung's disease mainly depends on the history of constipation from infant and barium enema. Subtotal colectomy with coloanal anastomosis is an effective and safe operative procedure.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Hirschsprung Disease ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult