Objectives: The present first-in-human study aimed to assess the feasibility of percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV) for the treatment of isolated mitral stenosis (MS) under echocardiography guidance only. Methods: Data were obtained from 24 consecutive patients with severe MS, who underwent PBMV from October 2016 to October 2017 under the guidance of echocardiography only. Outpatient follow-up including chest radiography, electrocardiography, and transthoracic echocardiography was conducted at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months post procedure. Results: PBMV was successful in all 24 patients under echocardiography guidance without radiation and contrast agent. Mitral transvalvular pressure gradient derived invasive catheterization measurement dropped from(15.0±5.1) mmHg to (6.7±2.9) mmHg (P<0.01). Mitral valve area increased from (0.8±0.1) cm2at pre-PBMV to (1.7±0.1) cm2post-PBMV (P<0.01). Mean balloon diameter was (26.7±1.2) mm. Mild mitral regurgitation developed in 8 patients. Mean follow-up duration was (7.4±3.1) months. At the last follow-up, mitral valve area remained high (1.6±0.1) cm2and mean transmitral pressure gradient remained low (9.0±4.3) mmHg. No pericardial effusion or peripheral vascular complications occurred. Conclusions: In this patient cohort, PBMV could be successfully performed with echocardiography as the single imaging guidance modality, this procedure is safe and effective and avoids the radiation exposure and contrast agent use.

BACKGROUND:The use of normal hyaline cartilage to repair large areas of full-thickness knee cartilage defect has been a hot topic recently; however, a follow-up study with a relative large number of patients is required. OBJECTIVE:To make a preliminary study concerning the methods and therapeutic effects of tissue-engineered cartilage (TEC) implantation for treating large-area full-thickness knee cartilage defects. METHODS:Twenty-one patients (23 knees) diagnosed with cartilage defect of the knee joint (Outbridge III-IV) were enrolled. The area of the cartilage defect was 3.5-11.2 cm2. All of the patients were given TEC treatment. Postoperative functional exercise of the knee joint was carried out in these patients as planned. We regularly reviewed the knee MRI and calculated visual analog scale score, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, and Lysholm score. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:All the patients were followed up for 3 to 12 months. Postoperatively knee pain relieved obviously, and the visual analog scale score was significantly declined compared with the preoperation (P<0.05). All the patients manifested painless 1 year after surgery. The 1-year postoperative MRI showed that the injured cartilage grew well. The thickness and MRI signal of the graft was the same as the normal cartilage, and the bone healed completely. The IKDC and Lysholm scores were significantly improved at 3, 6, 12 months after the surgery, and the difference was statistically significant before and after the surgery (P<0.05). Overall, TEC is an improved technique of chondrocyte implantation, which is an effective and safe method for cartilage defect repair.

To study the chemical constituents of Periplocae Cortex, the separation and purification of 70% alcohol extract were carried out by column chromatographies on AB-8 macroporous resin, silica gel and preparative HPLC. The structure of the compounds were identified by NMR and TOF-MS. A new compound was isolated and identified as 21-O-methyl-Δ5-pregnene-3β, 14β, 17β, 21-tetraol-20-one-3-O-β-D-oleandropyranosyl(1-->4)-β-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-β-D-cymaropyranosyl (1), named as periplocoside P.
Glycosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Periploca ; chemistry ; Pregnenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Saponins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo assess the value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis of solitary nodular-type bronchoalveolar carcinoma (BAC).

METHODSThe clinical and radiographic data were analyzed retrospectively in 30 patients with pathologically confirmed solitary nodular-type BAC who underwent (18)F-FDG PET/CT examinations between August, 2005 and December, 2006. The morphological and radioactive findings of the lesions were reviewed, and the maximum standard uptake values (SUVmax) were measured. The diagnostic accuracy of PET, PET/CT, and HRCT were analyzed.

RESULTSThe (18)F-FDG SUV was markedly lower in BAC than in other well differentiated adenocarcinoma. In 19 of the BAC cases, PET showed a SUVmax of no less than 2.5, demonstrating positive changes. Of the total of 30 cases, 5 had ground glass opacity (GGO) changes, 3 exhibited mixed nodules with GGO changes around the lesions, and 22 cases presented with solid nodules. HRCT showed that BAC located often in the superior lobes of the bilateral lungs, mostly below the pleura in the surrounding lung field; the lesions were patchy or nodular with irregular shapes, showing lobulation in 22 cases, spiculation in 15 cases, pleural indentation in 21 cases, and vacuolar changes in 4 cases. The diagnostic accuracy of PET, PET/CT and HRCT for solitary nodular-type BAC was 36.67%, 93.33%, and 93.33%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe SUVmax of BAC provides only limited value for defining the nature of the lesions, but can serve as a general reference for assessing the disease activity. PET/CT, which allows both functional and imaging assessment, can be a valuable modality to reduce the misdiagnosis rate of BAC.

Carcinoma ; diagnosis ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Lung ; pathology ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Retrospective Studies ; Solitary Pulmonary Nodule ; diagnosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo assess the value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis of solitary nodular-type bronchoalveolar carcinoma (BAC).

METHODSThe clinical and radiographic data were analyzed retrospectively in 30 patients with pathologically confirmed solitary nodular-type BAC who underwent (18)F-FDG PET/CT examinations between August, 2005 and December, 2006. The morphological and radioactive findings of the lesions were reviewed, and the maximum standard uptake values (SUVmax) were measured. The diagnostic accuracy of PET, PET/CT, and HRCT were analyzed.

RESULTSThe (18)F-FDG SUV was markedly lower in BAC than in other well differentiated adenocarcinoma. In 19 of the BAC cases, PET showed a SUVmax of no less than 2.5, demonstrating positive changes. Of the total of 30 cases, 5 had ground glass opacity (GGO) changes, 3 exhibited mixed nodules with GGO changes around the lesions, and 22 cases presented with solid nodules. HRCT showed that BAC located often in the superior lobes of the bilateral lungs, mostly below the pleura in the surrounding lung field; the lesions were patchy or nodular with irregular shapes, showing lobulation in 22 cases, spiculation in 15 cases, pleural indentation in 21 cases, and vacuolar changes in 4 cases. The diagnostic accuracy of PET, PET/CT and HRCT for solitary nodular-type BAC was 36.67%, 93.33%, and 93.33%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe SUVmax of BAC provides only limited value for defining the nature of the lesions, but can serve as a general reference for assessing the disease activity. PET/CT, which allows both functional and imaging assessment, can be a valuable modality to reduce the misdiagnosis rate of BAC.

Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar ; diagnostic imaging ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective: To investigate the effects of docetaxel and ADM (doxorubicin) on migration, invasion and filopodia formation of breast cancer cells. Methods: Triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells were divided into three groups: blank control group, docetaxel group and ADM group. CCK-8 (cell counting kit-8) assay was used to determine the IC10 (inhibitory concentration of 10%) values of docetaxel and ADM. Abilities of invasion and migration were detected by Transwell assay under IC10 of docetaxel and ADM. The effect of these concentrations on cellular proliferation was assayed by flow cytometry to detect the cell cycle. The rhodamine-phalloidin was used to stain cell cytoskeleton to observe filopodia formation after treatment with these two drugs. Results: The IC10 values of docetaxel and ADM in MDA-MB-231 cells were 1.0 ng/mL and 0.5 μg/mL, respectively. These two concentrations had no effects on cellular proliferation and cell cycle (P > 0.05). Docetaxel (1.0 ng/mL) could inhibit migration and invasion of tumor cells more effectively than ADM (0.5 μg/mL). Docetaxel inhibited filopodia formation of triple-negative breast cancer cells more effectively with a statistical significance. Conclusion: Docetaxel can obviously inhibit the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells as compared with ADM, which may be associated with suppression of filopodia formation by these agents. Copyright © 2013 by TUMOR.