Objective To retrospectively analyze the value of postoperative adjuvant therapy in the treatment of stageⅢthoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma ( ESCC) . Methods From 2008 to 2011, a total of 395 patients with stageⅢthoracic ESCC undergoing radical resection were enrolled as subjects. In those patients.97 received surgery alone (S).212 postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (POCT),and 86 postoperative radiotherapy (PORT).Comparison of categorical data was made by chi?square test. The survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan?Meier method. The log?rank test was used for between?group comparison and univariate analysis. Results All patients were followed up for at least 3 years.125 cases were followed up for at least 5 years. The 5?year overall survival ( OS) rates in patients treated with S,POCT and PORT were 17. 1%,29. 2% and 36. 4%,respectively (P=0. 000).POCT and PORT could mainly increased OS in patients of males.upper?and middle?segment,severe ahhesion at surgery.well?or middle?differentiation,stageⅢa andⅢb(P=0. 000?0. 049);whenever ages.tumor lesion,two?/three field esophagectomy.and the number of removal lymph nodes. PORT could improved OS also (P=0. 001?0. 047).POCT could also improve OS in patients of ages≤60, tumor lesion<6 cm and removal lymph nodes<10 ( P=0. 002?0. 049 ) . The 5?year progression?free survival (PFS) were 19. 0% with S,28. 8% with POCT,36. 4% with PORT,respectively (P=0. 012).PORT could improve PFS (P=0. 012);especially for patients of males,ages ≤60,upper?and middle segment ESCC,tumor lesion ≥6 cm,severe ahhesion at surgery,removal lymph node<10 and ≥10,well or middle differentiation,stageⅢa andⅢb(P=0. 001?0. 042).But POCT could not increased PFS (P=0. 119) . Conclusions In the treatment of patients with stage Ⅲ thoracic ESCC undergoing radical resection,both POCT and PORT can improve the OS rate, particularly in patients with stage Ⅲa or Ⅲb middle and upper thoracic ESCC, severe adhesion formation during surgery. and moderately or well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The DFS rate is improved in patients treated with PORT,but not in those treated with POCT.

Objective To study the feasibility and safety of hand-assisted laparoscopic hepatectomy for huge left hepatoma.Methods Nine patients with huge left hepatoma underwent hand- assisted laparoscopic hepatectomy including hepatocellular carcinoma(4 cases),intrahepatic cholangioearcinoma(1 case),hepatic metastatic squamous carcinoma(1 case),hepatic cavernous hemangioma(2 cases),and hepatic spindle cell tumor(1 case).The mean age was 45.3 years.AFP was positive in 3 cases and CEA was positive in 1 case.The preoperative liver function was Child-Pugh A in all patients.The procedure included dissection of left hepatic ligaments and portal triad clamping with Pringle's maneuver and hepatectomy.Results The laparoscopic procedures were completed safely in all patients including 6 left lateral segmentectomies and 3 left hemihepatectomies.There was no conversion to laparotomy.Mean surgical time was 111.7 minutes.Mean blood loss was 97.8 ml.Portal triad clamping was used in 8 cases and mean clamping time was 13.4 minutes.Neither formidable bleeding nor gas embolism occurred.There were no serious postoperative complications such as postoperative bleeding or bile leak or liver failure.Liver function recovered within 7 to 10 days.Preoperatively positive AFP and CEA turned negative after operation.The mean postoperative hospital stay was 8.4 days.Four patients with HCC underwent postoperative prophylactic hepatic arterial chemoembolization within the first postoperative month. All patients were tumor-free as evaluated by postoperative follow-up of 4～11 months.Conclusions Hand-assisted laparoscopic hepatectomy for huge left hepatoma is feasible and safe in appropriately selected patients.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of integrative medicine (IM) rehabilitation protocolon motor function, activity of daily living, and quality of life (QOL) in hemiplegia patients after stroke.

METHODSTotally 120 patients with post-stroke hemiplegia were allocated to four groups using sealed envalope drawing, i.e., the rehabilitation group, the Chinese medical treatment group, the acupuncture group, and the comprehensive rehabilitation group, 30 cases in each group. Based on routine rehabilitative training, patients in the Chinese medical treatment group, the acupuncture group, and the compre-hensive rehabilitation group received standardized treatment based on syndrome typing, Shi's Consciousness-Restoring Resuscitation acupuncture, Chinese herbs + acupuncture comprehensive rehabilitatino protocol, respectively. The treatmet cycle consisted of 4 weeks with 24-week follow-ups. Fugl-Meyer motor assessment (FMA), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale(SS-QQL), and safety assessment were taken as main effect indices before treatment, at week 4 of treatment, at week 12 and 24 of follow-ups, respectively.

RESULTSThere was no statistical difference in FMA score, MBI score, SS-QOL score among the four groups before treatment (P > 0.05). These scores were significantly improved in the four groups at week 4 of treatment, week 12 and 24 of follow-ups, respectively (P < 0.05). Besides, FMA score and SS-QOL score were significantly improved in the comprehensive rehabilitation group at each corresponding time point, as compared with other treatment groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe comprehensive protocol could significantly improve motor function, activity of daily living in hemiplegia patients after stroke, and further improve their QOL. Its effect was better than other single treatment.

Activities of Daily Living ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Hemiplegia ; rehabilitation ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; methods ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Motor Skills ; Quality of Life ; Stroke Rehabilitation ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To study the immunogenicity of human embryonic stem cells(hESCs)and the derived neural stem cells(NSCs)in vitro.Methods The constitutive expression of human leucocyte antigen(HLA)Ⅰ and Ⅱ in hESCs and the NSCs derived from these hESCs were detected by flow cytometry (FCM), as well as the expression of HLA-Ⅰ,Ⅱin NSCs induced by 30 ng/ml recombination human interferon-?(IFN-?).Meanwhile, the NSCs before and after induction of IFN-? were co-cultured with peripheral blood lymphocyte obtained from healthy person.Lymphocyte proliferation standing for the immunoreactivity of NSCs was then investigated.Results The hESCs slightly expressed HLA-Ⅰ(6.18%) and hardly any HLA-Ⅱ before differentiation.However, the NSCs expressed more HLA-Ⅰ(23.56%)as well as HLA-Ⅱ(1.28%, 1.73%)than the hESCs did.Both HLA-Ⅰ(46.43%)and HLA-Ⅱ(8.73%, 10.57%)expressed by the NSCs after they were induced by IFN-? were up-regulated.Conclusions hESCs express certain level of HLA-Ⅰ molecules but do not constitutively express HLA-Ⅱ molecules.The derived NSCs express heavy HLA-Ⅰ and a little HLA-Ⅱ, when treated by IFN-? they can inducibly up- regulated both molecules.The NSCs derived from HESCs are of immunogenicity, which induce rejection aiming at HLA-Ⅰ molecules or even at HLA-Ⅱ molecules when the host is inflammative or under stress, which can result in a failure of cellular transplantation.

Ten compounds were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of the stem bark of Toona sinensis by silica gel, ODS Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies and preparation TLC methods. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and chemical properties as betulinic acid(1), stigmastane-3, 6-dione(2), stigmast-4-en-3-one(3), 7β-hydroxysitosterol(4), 6-hydroxystigmast-4-en-3-one(5), stigmast-4-ene-3β, 6β-diol(6), ergosterol peroxide(7), 7-methoxy-2-(3, 4-methylenedioxyphenyl)benzofuran-5-carboxylate(8), canthin-6-one(9), and α-acetylamino-phenylpropyl α-benzoylamino phenylpropionate(10). All compounds were isolated from T. sinensis for the first time.

Child ; Female ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the antimicrobial effects of erythromycin microspheres against Mycoplasma pneumoniae in rats.

METHODSWith erythromycin lactobionate as the positive control, erythromycin microspheres at 3 non-toxic doses (0.1, 0.5, and 1.2 g.kg(-1).d(-1)) were administered intragastrically for 6 consecutive days in Wistar rats with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. The general condition and lung index of the rats were observed and measured to assess the therapeutic effects of the treatments against Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

RESULTSThe erythromycin microspheres at 0.1, 0.5, 1.2 g.kg(-1).d(-1) significantly alleviated the symptoms of the rats infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae and reduced the pulmonary index of the infected rats from 1.75 to 1.45, 1.38 and 1.25, respectively (P < 0.01). An obvious dosage-effect relationship was noted between the dose of erythromycin microsphere and the tissue pathologies due to the infection.

CONCLUSIONErythromycin microspheres possess strong activity against Mycoplasma pneumoniae in rats.

Animals ; Erythromycin ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Microspheres ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; drug effects ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; drug therapy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo establish a rat model of mycoplasma pneumonia (MP) for investigating the pathogenesis of MP and its therapy with drugs.

METHODSThirty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=5), including a control group, a MP model group, a erythromycin lactobionate group and 3 erythromycin microspheres groups (high, middle, and low dose groups). With the exception of those in the control group, all the rats received intranasal MP administration followed by corresponding treatments administered via tail vein injection. At different time points after inoculation of the pathogen, the lungs of the rats were taken for histopathological scoring.

RESULTSIn the MP model group, the lung pathology was characterized by patchy interstitial pneumonitis with predominantly lymphocyte infiltration and mucosal edema. The bronchiolar walls became thickened and the lumens narrowed. In erythromycin lactobionate and erythromycin microspheres treatment (high and middle dose) groups, clear cell boundaries were observed in the lungs where no obvious pathological changes were found. RT-PCR amplification showed positive results of MP RNA in the model group, erythromycin lactobionate group and erythromycin microsphere groups.

CONCLUSIONThe approach described is practicable to establish rat models of MP. Erythromycin microspheres can effectively relieve the lung inflammations and has therapeutic effect on MP.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Erythromycin ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Male ; Microspheres ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; drug therapy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Objective To explore a kind of simple and high efficient approach to differentiate human embryonic stem cells(hESCs)into neural stem cells(NSCs).Methods hESCs were cultured in bacterial culture dish filled with serum free medium to gain embryoid bodies.Then the mature embryoid bodies grew in the special medium including B27 and noggin by adherent culture to differentiate into NSCs. Results The hESCs kept floating in the bacterial culture dish and growing all the time and then formed mature embryoid bodies 7 to 10 days later.The embryoid bodies could be differentiated into highly pure (96.4%)nestin positive cells.And these cells were differentiated into all kinds of neural cells if cultured further.Conclusions This kind of method is less time-consuming,cheaper,and more efficient than those of the results in literatures reported.It affords very good source of seed cells for cell transplantation therapy in the future.

In recent years, with the in-depth study of PD-1 and PD-L1 and the development of immunotherapy, the first problem is how to screen the beneficiaries. Recent clinical studies have shown that the expression level of PD-L1 in circulating tumor cells (CTC) can be used as a potential biomarker to play a guiding role in immunotherapy of malignant tumors. This article reviews the latest clinical research progress on the expression of PD-L1 in circulating tumor cells in various solid tumors.