OBJECTIVE: To review recent research progress in the use of auxiliary components of nerve conduits for the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries. METHODS: An extensive review of recent domestic and international literature was conducted to evaluate the role of auxiliary components in nerve conduits for peripheral nerve repair, with a focus on their effects and underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: By incorporating auxiliary components such as bioactive molecules, therapeutic cells, and their derivatives, nerve conduits can create a more biomimetic regenerative microenvironment. This is achieved by providing neurotrophic support, modulating the immune microenvironment, improving blood and oxygen supply, and offering directional guidance for nerve regeneration. Consequently, the nerve conduit is transformed from a simple physical scaffold into an active, bio-functional repair system, which enhances the effectiveness for PNI. CONCLUSION While nerve conduits augmented with auxiliary components demonstrate improved effectiveness, further advancements are required in drug delivery systems and the integration of cellular components. Moreover, most current studies are based on animal or in vitro experiments. Randomized controlled clinical trials are necessary to validate their clinical effectiveness.
Peripheral Nerve Injuries/surgery* ; Nerve Regeneration ; Humans ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Animals ; Guided Tissue Regeneration/methods* ; Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Biocompatible Materials ; Peripheral Nerves ; Drug Delivery Systems

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of pleural effusion after spinal separation surgery for patients with spinal metastatic tumors.Methods:A total of 427 patients with spinal metastatic tumors from January 2014 to January 2022 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine were retrospectively analyzed. There were 252 males and 175 females, with an average age of 59±12 years (range, 15-87 years). All patients underwent separation surgery. Based on the chest CT within 1 month after surgery, the volume of pleural effusion was measured individually by reconstruction software. Pleural effusion was defined as small volume (0-500 ml), moderate volume (500-1 000 ml), and large volume (above 1 000 ml). Baseline data and perioperative clinical outcomes were compared between the groups, and indicators with statistically significant differences were included in a binary logistic regression analysis to determine the independent risk factors for the development of pleural effusion after isolation of spinal metastatic cancer. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were conducted to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) for each independent risk factor.Results:All patients successfully completed the operation. Among the 427 patients, there were 35 cases of large pleural effusion, 42 cases of moderate pleural effusion, and 350 cases of small pleural effusion. There were significant differences in tumor size (χ 2=9.485, P=0.013), intraoperative blood loss ( Z=-2.503, P=0.011), blood transfusion ( Z=-2.983, P=0.003), preoperative total protein ( Z=2.681, P=0.007), preoperative albumin ( Z=1.720, P= 0.085), postoperative hemoglobin ( t=2.950, P=0.008), postoperative total protein ( Z=4.192, P<0.001), and postoperative albumin ( t=2.268, P=0.032) in the large pleural effusion group versus the small and moderate pleural effusion group. Logistic regression analysis showed that decreased preoperative albumin ( OR=0.89, P=0.045) and metastases located in the thoracic spine ( OR=4.01, P=0.039) were independent risk factors for the occurrence of large pleural effusion after separation surgery. The ROC curve showed that the AUC and 95% CI for preoperative albumin, lesion location, and the combined model were 0.637 (0.54, 0.74), 0.421 (0.36, 0.48), and 0.883 (0.81, 0.92). The combined predictive model showed good predictive value. Conclusion:The volume of pleural effusion can be measured individually and quantitatively based on chest CT. Decreased preoperative albumin and metastases located in the thoracic spine are independent risk factors for the occurrence of large pleural effusion after separation surgery. The combined prediction of the two factors has better predictive efficacy.

Objective:To investigate the value of digital medical 3D technology versus traditional 2D technology in the diagnosis and treatment of solid abdominal tumors in children. Methods:A total of 80 children with solid abdominal tumors who received surgical treatment guided by digital medical 3D technology at Guigang People's Hospital from January 2018 to January 2022 were included in the observation group. An additional 80 children with solid abdominal tumors who received surgical treatment guided by traditional 2D technology at the same hospital from January 2014 to December 2017 were included in the control group. Clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups.Results:The surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative exhaust time, postoperative hospital stay in the observation group were (111.8 ± 28.9) minutes, (26.8 ± 25.2) mL, (2.2 ± 1.2) days, (7.5 ± 1.4) days, respectively, which were significantly shorter or less than those in the control group [(193.1 ± 66.0) minutes, (86.2 ± 47.0) mL, (3.7 ± 0.9) days, (12.2 ± 3.5) days, t = 7.00, 6.88, 5.87, 7.53, all P < 0.05]. The complete surgical resection rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [92.5% (74/80) vs. 81.3% (65/80), χ2 = 4.44, P < 0.05]. The incidence of complications in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [6.3% (5/80) vs. 16.3% (13/80), χ2 = 4.00, P < 0.05]. Conclusion:The utilization of digital medical 3D technology in the surgical treatment of solid abdominal tumors in children can markedly decrease surgical time, reduce intraoperative blood loss, promote postoperative recovery, achieve a high surgical resection rate, and minimize postoperative complications.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and antitumor activity of envafolimab monotherapy in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors. Methods: This open-label, multicenter phase I trial included dose escalation and dose expansion phases. In the dose escalation phase, patients received subcutaneous 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 or 10.0 mg/kg envafolimab once weekly (QW) following a modified "3+ 3" design. The dose expansion phase was performed in the 2.5 mg/kg and 5.0 mg/kg (QW) dose cohorts. Results: At November 25, 2019, a total of 287 patients received envafolimab treatment. During the dose escalation phase, no dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) was observed. In all dose cohorts, drug-related treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) for all grades occurred in 75.3% of patients, and grade 3 or 4 occurred in 20.6% of patients. The incidence of immune-related adverse reactions (irAE) was 24.0% for all grades, the most common irAEs (≥2%) included hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, immune-associated hepatitis and rash. The incidence of injection site reactions was low (3.8%), all of which were grades 1-2. Among the 216 efficacy evaluable patients, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 11.6% and 43.1%, respectively. Median duration of response was 49.1 weeks (95% CI: 24.0, 49.3). Pharmacokinetic (PK) exposure to envafolimab is proportional to dose and median time to maximum plasma concentration is 72-120 hours based on the PK results from the dose escalation phase of the study. Conclusion: Subcutaneous envafolimab has a favorable safety and promising preliminary anti-tumor activity in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors.
Humans ; East Asian People ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use*

Objective: To evaluate the safety and antitumor activity of envafolimab monotherapy in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors. Methods: This open-label, multicenter phase I trial included dose escalation and dose expansion phases. In the dose escalation phase, patients received subcutaneous 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 or 10.0 mg/kg envafolimab once weekly (QW) following a modified "3+ 3" design. The dose expansion phase was performed in the 2.5 mg/kg and 5.0 mg/kg (QW) dose cohorts. Results: At November 25, 2019, a total of 287 patients received envafolimab treatment. During the dose escalation phase, no dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) was observed. In all dose cohorts, drug-related treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) for all grades occurred in 75.3% of patients, and grade 3 or 4 occurred in 20.6% of patients. The incidence of immune-related adverse reactions (irAE) was 24.0% for all grades, the most common irAEs (≥2%) included hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, immune-associated hepatitis and rash. The incidence of injection site reactions was low (3.8%), all of which were grades 1-2. Among the 216 efficacy evaluable patients, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 11.6% and 43.1%, respectively. Median duration of response was 49.1 weeks (95% CI: 24.0, 49.3). Pharmacokinetic (PK) exposure to envafolimab is proportional to dose and median time to maximum plasma concentration is 72-120 hours based on the PK results from the dose escalation phase of the study. Conclusion: Subcutaneous envafolimab has a favorable safety and promising preliminary anti-tumor activity in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors.
Humans ; East Asian People ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use*

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the differences and characteristics of microsatellite instability (MSI) in endometrial cancer (EMC), by using colorectal cancer (CRC) as control. METHODS: In the study, 228 cases of EMC were collected. For comparative analysis, 770 cases of CRC were collected. Mismatch repair (MMR) expression was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and microsatellite instability (MSI) was analyzed by PCR and capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis (MSI-PCR). MSI-PCR was detected using five mononucleotide repeat markers: BAT-25, BAT-26, NR-21, NR-24, and MONO-27. RESULTS: In EMC, we found 27.19% (62/228) of deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) using IHC, significantly higher than CRC (7.79%, 60/770). Meanwhile, subclonal expression of MMR protein was found in 4 cases of dMMR-EMC and 2 cases of dMMR-CRC. According to the criteria of major micro-satellite shift, we found 16.23% (37/228) of MSI-high (MSI-H), 2.63% (6/228) of MSI-low (MSI-L), and 81.14% (185/228) of microsatellite stability (MSS) in EMC using MSI-PCR. The discor-dance rate between MMR-IHC and MSI-PCR in EMC was 11.84% (27/228). In CRC, we found 8.05% (62/770) of MSI-H, 0.13% (1/770) of MSI-L, and 91.82% (707/770) of MSS. The discordance rate between MMR-IHC and MSI-PCR in CRC was only 0.52% (4/770). However, according to the criteria of minimal microsatellite shift, 12 cases of EMC showed minimal microsatellite shift including 8 cases of dMMR/MSS and 4 cases of dMMR/MSI-L and these cases were ultimately evaluated as dMMR/MSI-H. Then, 21.49% (49/228) of EMC showed MSI-H and the discordance rate MMR-IHC and MSI-PCR in EMC decreased to 6.58% (15/228). No minimal microsatellite shift was found in CRC. Compared with EMC group with major microsatellite shift, cases with minimal microsatellite shift showed younger age, better tumor differentiation, and earlier International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage. There were significant differences in histological variant and FIGO stage between the two groups (P < 0.001, P=0.006). CONCLUSION EMC was more prone to minimal microsatellite shift, which should not be ignored in the interpretation of MSI-PCR results. The combined detection of MMR-IHC and MSI-PCR is the most sensitive and specific method to capture MSI tumors.
Female ; Humans ; Microsatellite Instability ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; DNA Mismatch Repair

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinicopathological features of blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN). METHODS: A total of 13 cases of BPDCN diagnosed in Peking University First Hospital from January 2013 to March 2022 were collected. The clinical features, histopathological characteristics, immunophenotypes and prognosis of the patients were analyzed retrospectively, and the related literatures was reviewed as well. RESULTS: Among the 13 patients, 11 were male and 2 were female, with a median age of 62 years (ranging from 5 to 78 years). Among them, single organ involvement occurred in 5 cases, all of which presented with skin lesions. Two or more organs were involved in other 8 cases (single organ with bone marrow involved in 3 cases; skin, bone marrow and lymph node involved simultaneously in 3 cases; skin, bone marrow, lymph node and spleen involved simultaneously in 2 cases). Histopathologically, it was characterized by the proliferation of medium to large atypical blastic cells, which infiltrated the whole thickness of dermis. When involved, the bone marrow lesions mainly appeared in a diffuse pattern, while the lymph node structure was usually destroyed, and the red pulp of the affected spleen was diffusely invaded. Immunohistochemical staining showed that all the 13 cases were positive for CD4, CD56, and CD123 (13/13) in varying degrees. All the 9 cases expressed TCL1 (9/9). Variable expression of CD68 (KP1) (8/13), TdT (7/12), CD117 (2/6), and high Ki-67 proliferation index (40%~80%) were showed. The neoplastic cells lacked expressions of CD20, CD3, MPO, CD34, or CD30; EBER in situ hybridization were negative (0/9). After definite diagnosis, 6 cases received chemotherapy, among which 1 received adjuvant radiotherapy, and 2 received subsequent bone marrow transplantation. Another 2 cases only received maintenance treatment. The median follow-up time was 14 months (ranging from 6 to 36 months), 5 patients died of the disease (6 to 18 months), 3 patients survived (7 to 36 months up to now), and the remaining 5 patients lost follow-up. CONCLUSION BPDCN is a rare type of malignant lymphohematopoietic tumor with aggressive behavior and poor prognosis. The diagnosis should be made combining clinical features, histopathology, and immunohistochemical phenotype. Attention should be paid to differentiating BPDCN from other neoplasms with blastoid morphology or CD4+CD56+ tumors.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Retrospective Studies ; Dendritic Cells ; Skin Neoplasms/pathology* ; Skin/pathology*

Objective:To investigate the risk factors affecting the completion of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in elderly patients with progressive gastric cancer.Methods:Clinicopathological data of patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma and treated with radical surgery at our hospital between January 2017 and December 2018 were retrospectively collected, and 96 patients were finally included in the study according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.Patients were divided into a completed chemotherapy group and an uncompleted chemotherapy group depending on whether they had completed 6 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery.The optimal cut-off value was derived from the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve, and the Youden Index was calculated.Relevant factors that might affect the completion of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in elderly patients with progressive gastric cancer were included in univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses to identify independent risk factors affecting the completion of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancer patients.The Kaplan-Meier(K-M)method was used to plot the survival curves for the groups, and the log-rank test was used to compare the survival rates between the groups.Results:A total of 96 patients, aged 60-89 years, with a mean age of(70.3±7.0)years, were included.Sixteen patients completed postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, while 80 patients did not.The following analysis was performed on clinicopathological data of patients in the two groups.Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that patient age ≥70 years( OR=8.135, 95% CI: 1.735-38.153, P=0.008)or a preoperative prognostic nutritional index(PNI)score <49.5( OR=4.765, 95% CI: 1.549-14.656, P=0.006)affected the completion of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.The risk factors that might affect the completion of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in elderly gastric cancer patients were analyzed using multivariate Logistic regression and the results showed that age ≥70 years( OR=9.815, 95% CI: 1.947-49.485, P=0.006)and a preoperative PNI score <49.5( OR=5.895, 95% CI: 1.711-20.305, P=0.005)were independent risk factors hindering the completion of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusions:Age ≥70 years and PNI<49.5 are independent risk factors for the completion of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.Failure to complete postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with a poor prognosis.PNI is a valid predictor for whether postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy will be completed and helps to screen chemotherapy patients who need nutritional intervention.

Objective:To explore the value of convalescent somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in formulating a prognosis for children with severe disorders of consciousness (DOC) caused by brain trauma, infection or hypoxia.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study of 286 children with DOC children treated between 2013 and 2021. They were divided into a trauma group ( n=103), an intracranial infection group ( n=101), a hypoxia group ( n=42) and an other-causes group ( n=40). Their consciousness status and functional recovery were obtained in follow-up appointments, and their functional condition 1 year after discharge was assessed using the modified Glasgow Outcome scale (GOS). Results:During 8-year follow-up, 16 had died, with 4 deaths within 1 year. Among the 191 cases followed up to 1 year, children with a bilateral N20 SEP had significantly better functional outcomes than those with unilateral or bilateral N20 absence. For the trauma group, the presence of a bilateral N20 signal was a strong indicator of good functional outcome at the 1-year follow-up, with a specificity of 90.9%, sensitivity of 55.6%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 92.6%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 50% and a positive likelihood rate (PLR) of 6.111. However, for the intracranial infection group, the presence of N20 had a low specificity for predicting good outcomes, though the absence of an N20 potential predicted poor functional outcome at 1 year with a specificity of 82.4%, sensitivity of 62.1%, PPV of 75%, and PLR of 3.517. For the hypoxic group, bilateral N20 could not predict a good prognosis, though its absence meant a poor outcome, with a specificity of 87.5%, sensitivity of 63.6%, PPV of 93.3%, and PLR of 5.818.Conclusion:SEPs during the recovery period can help to formulate a prognosis for children with severe DOC. Traumatic brain injury and the presence of bilateral N20 potentials can be used as a good prognostic indicator. For intracranial infection and hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, the absence of an N20 potential indicates a poor prognosis.