Objective To compare the planning quality and volume of organ at risk (OAR) between volumetric-modulated arc therapyv (VMAT) and nine-field dynamic intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in radiotherapy for cervical cancer patients,explore the best way to cervical cancer radiotherapy,Methods Selected 20 patients with cervical cancer were divided into 2 groups,10 cases for each group.Cervical cancer patients with no surgery was performed for A group (group A),received the radical radiotherapy,prescription dose gross tumor volume (GTV) 56 Gy,clinical target volume (CTV) 50 Gy.Another group of patients with cervical cancer radical surgery (group B),giving the whole basin lymph node auxiliary radiation therapy,prescription dose CTV 50 Gy.Each cervical cancer patient received VMAT and IMRT program designs,the differences in dose volume histogram (DVH),irradiated volume of organ at risk (OAR),heterogeneity index (HI),conformity index (CI),maximum dose (PTVmax),minimum dose (PTVmin) and mean dose (PTV mean) were compared between two plans in 2 groups.Results Two kinds of radiation technology in target area dosimetry were not statistical difference between two groups (P ＞ 0.05).In endanger organs on the protection of two groups of VMAT planning groups in the small intestine V20 and left femoral head V20 had obvious advantages with statistically significance (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Two groups of dosimetry between VMAT and IMRT program design are similar in cervical cancer.Two groups of VMAT planning groups to protect endanger organ slightly better than that of IMRT group,but VMAT planning group shortens treatment time and improves the accuracy and efficacy of treatment.

BACKGROUND:Toxic effects of excessive thyroid hormone on myocardium can not be ignored with the increased incidence of hyperthyroidism. As a quantitative marker of heart failure, brain natriuretic peptide has a good application prospect to estimate the changes of cardiac function and myocardial damage in hyperthyroid cardiomyopathy. OBJECTIVE:To explore the correlation of brain natriuretic peptide and cardiac function of rabbits with hyperthyroid cardiomyopathy exhibiting different left ventricular geometries. METHODS:Twenty New Zealand purebred rabbits were used in this study. Hyperthyroidism model was established by intraperitoneal injection of levothyroxine (45 μg/kg) for 4 weeks. The success of establishing model is defined upon the appearance of irritation, decreased body weight and increased appetite. Totaly 18 rats were successfuly established. The left ventricular data of hyperthyroidism rabbits were measured by conventional echocardiography. According to the classification of Ganauet al, the 18 hyperthyroidism rabbits were divided into two groups: concentric hypertrophy (n=7) and eccentric hypertrophy (n=11). In addition, ten rats, receiving intraperitoneal injection of 5 mL saline per day, were taken as the control group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Plasma brain natriuretic peptide level of rabbits in the concentric hypertrophy and eccentric hypertrophy groups was obviously higher than that of the control group (alP < 0.01), and the level in the eccentric hypertrophy group was obviously higher than in the concentric hypertrophy group (P< 0.01). Compared with the control group, the average peak diastolic velocity of mitral ring was significantly lower in the concentric hypertrophy and eccentric hypertrophy groups (alP< 0.01), the average peak systolic velocity of mitral ring was also lower in the eccentric hypertrophy group (P < 0.01). The peak systolic and diastolic velocity had a negative correlation with brain natriuretic peptide (alP < 0.01). Experimental findings indicate that brain natriuretic peptide is a sensitive indicator to reflect the cardiac function and myocardial damage in rabbits with hyperthyroid cardiomyopathy, exhibiting different left ventricular geomeies.

Objective To study the risk factors of lymph node metastasis in the central neck compartment of thyroid carcinoma,and to explore the reasonable range of lymph node dissection in central neck dissection for clinically node-negative papillary thyroid microcarcinoma patients.Methods From Dec.2015 to Dec.2016,a total of 200 patients with CN0 papillary thyroid carcinoma were randomly divided into two groups according to the registration number:unilateral central neck dissection group and bilateral central neck dissection group in Department of Thyroid Surgery,Fujian Medical University Union Hospital.The risk factors of lymph node metastasis and value of bilateral central neck dissection were analyzed.Results The risk factors of lymph node metastasis in the central papillary thyroid carcinoma were ≥0.7 cm in diameter and older than 45 years in age and gender in male.Further analysis found that contralateral central lymph node metastasis occurred in patients with tumor diameter ≥0.5 cm.The positive rate was 22％.The number of lymph nodes detected in the unilateral and bilateral central areas was 9.53±6.04 and 12.19±7.18,P=0.035,respectively.The positive numbers of lymph nodes were 1.17±1.47 and 2.11±2.75,P=0,022 respectively.Conclusion In patients with tumor diameter ≥0.5 cm,bilateral central neck dissection is conducive to improving the thoroughness of tumor dissection and does not increase the risk of complications.

To determine the relevance between MDCT features and anatomic-pathological basis of lymphoid neoplasm in cervico-thoracic junctional region, we performed a retrospective analysis of 69 patients with lymphoid neoplasm (lymphoma: 41 patients; metastatic tumor: 28 patients) involving the cervico-thoracic junctional region for MDCT features and distribution of lesions. The relevance between MDCT features and the anatomic-pathological basis in this region were evaluated. Among all the 41 patients with lymphoma, 29 with NHL (70.7%), 12 with HD (29.3%). The lymphomatous lymphadenopathy mainly located in superficial lateral cervix (51.2%, 21/41) ,deep jugular chain (65.9%, 27/41), supraclavicular fossa (75.6%, 31/41), paratrachea space in anterior mediastinum (46.3%, 19/41), around aortic arch (56.1%, 23/41), aortopulmonary window (53.7%, 22/41), upper anterior mediastinum (41.5%, 17/41), subcarinal space (26.8%, 11/41) and paraesophageal space (17.1%, 7/41). 28 patients had metastatic lymphoid tumor. The primary tumor were nasopharynx tumor (5 patients), thyroid cancer (7 patients), lung cancer (10 patients), and esophageal cancer (6 patients). Most metastasis took stage by stage in the way of lymphatic return, but a minority of cases migrated jumpily. The main metastatic sites were: beside jugular chain (82.1%), supraclavicular fossa (75%), paratracheal in anterior mediastinum (60.7%), upper anterior mediastinum (64.3%), beside aortic arch (35.7%), aortopulmonary window (39.2%), and paraesophageal space (28.6%). So lymphoid neoplasms in cervico-thoracic junctional region were involving both lower cervix and upper thorax simultaneously. The MDCT features and main distribution of lesions correlated with the anatomic-pathological characteristics in this region.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; diagnostic imaging ; Lymphoma ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multidetector Computed Tomography ; Neck ; Thorax ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore whether strontium ranelate (Sr) promotes osteoblast lineage differentiation of rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) through the bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2)/Smad signaling pathway.

METHODSCultured rat BMSCs were exposed to different concentrations of Sr, noggin (an inhibitor of BMP-2) or Smad1 siRNA. The activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the exposed cells was detected by colorimetry, and the formation of mineralized nodules was observed with alizarin red staining. The expressions of phosphorylated (p) Smad1/5/8 and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) in the cells were detected by Western blotting.

RESULTSExposure to Sr at 0.1 to 10 mmol/L for 1 h markedly increased the expression of p-Smad1/5/8 in the BMSCs, and the increment was the most obvious following 1 mmol/L Sr exposure. Preconditioning with 100 ng/ml noggin for 2 h inhibited Sr-induced up-regulation of p-Smad1/5/8 expressions. Exposure of the cells to 0.1 to 5 mmol/L Sr for 6 h significantly enhanced Runx2 expression, and the peak enhancement occurred following 1 mmol/L Sr exposure. Transfection of the BMSCs with Smad1 siRNA decreased the basal level of Smad1/5/8 protein expression, and also inhibited Sr-induced up-regulation of p-Smad1/5/8 and Runx2 expressions as well as Sr-induced enhancement of ALP activity and formation of mineralized nodules.

CONCLUSIONThe BMP-2/Smad pathway is involved in Sr-induced osteoblast differentiation of rat BMSCs.

Alkaline Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Osteogenesis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; Smad1 Protein ; metabolism ; Strontium ; pharmacology ; Thiophenes ; pharmacology

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between thromboelastography (TEG) parameters and bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis and whether TEG can be used to predict the risk of spontaneous bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis, and to provide a basis for its preventive treatment. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 174 patients with liver cirrhosis who attended Huadu People’s Hospital from May 2018 to April 2020 and did not receive invasive procedure, and according to the condition of bleeding, they were divided into non-bleeding group(n=64), gastrointestinal bleeding group(n=61), and mucocutaneous/oronasal bleeding group(n=49). The medical record system and laboratory information system were used to collect related information and laboratory test results for statistical analysis. The t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups; an analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups. MedCalc software was used for receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated for commonly used coagulation markers and TEG parameters in predicting the risk of bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis. Cut-off value, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were determined, and the Z test was used for comparison of indices in predicting mucocutaneous/oronasal bleeding. ResultsOf all 174 patients, 110 (63.2%) experienced spontaneous bleeding, among whom 61 (55.5%) had gastrointestinal bleeding and 49 (44.5%) had mucocutaneous/oronasal bleeding. There were significant differences in maximum amplitude (MA) and K between the bleeding group and the non-bleeding group (t=2.241 and -2.605, both P＜0.05). There were significant differences between the mucocutaneous/oronasal bleeding group and the non-bleeding/gastrointestinal bleeding groups in platelet count (PLT) and the TEG parameters of clot formation time, a-angle, MA, and coagulation index (CI) (F=3.947, H=12.867, F=4.007, F=8.498, F=5.420, all P＜0.05). Among the TEG parameters, reaction time and Lys30 were generally within the normal range, while there was a prolonged kinetics (K) time and reductions in a-angle, MA, and CI. PLT ≤40×109/L, MA ≤357 mm, K time ＞4.2 minutes, a-angle ≤51.6, and CI ≤-5.9 could be used to predict spontaneous mucocutaneous/oronasal bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis (all AUC ＞0.7), with positive predictive values of 82.4, 88.9, 81.0, 72.7, and 73.7, respectively, and negative predictive values of 68.3, 72.5, 73.0, 69.4, and 66.7, respectively. ConclusionPLT and the TEG parameters of K time, a-angle, MA, and CI can predict spontaneous bleeding caused by abnormal coagulation in liver cirrhosis, while conventional coagulation parameters prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time cannot predict such bleeding, which provides a basis for the treatment of coagulation disorder and transfusion of blood components for patients with liver cirrhosis.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM) and survival analysis in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) .Methods:93 patients with MTC admitted to the Department of General Surgery and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from Sep. 2008 to Aug. 2020 were analyzed retrospectively, including 45 males and 48 females, with an average age of 47 years old. SPSS 26.0 statistical software was used for data processing of the initial surgical year and procedures, tumor pathological stages, preoperative calcitonin (Ctn) level, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, LNM status, recurrence free survival (RFS) , etc. The risk factors of LNM and prognosis of MTC patients were analyzed by COX univariate and multivariate regression. Kaplan Meier method was used to estimate the survival rates of independent risk factors affecting prognosis and draw their survival curves.Results:The median follow-up time of 93 patients was 53 months, ranging from 2 to 192 months. The 1-year, 3-year, 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 97.8%, 96.6%, 94.6% and 88.9% respectively. Multivariate COX regression analysis showed that Initial surgical procedures ( P=0.018) and preoperative Ctn level ( P=0.012) were independent risk factors of central cervical LNM. Preoperative Ctn level ( P=0.028) and Capsule invasion ( P=0.024) were the independent risk factors of lateral cervical LNM. Preoperative Ctn level≥180.30 pg/ml and ≥234.15pg/ml indicated central and lateral cervical LNM respectively (all P<0.001) . Distant metastasis was an independent risk factor of RFS ( P=0.037) of MTC. Conclusions:Standardized surgical procedures are recommended for initial treatment of MTC, which can reduce the possibility of residual occult metastasis and the risk of reoperation. Distant metastasis affects prognosis of MTC.

Objective:To study the diagnostic value of the artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostic system, ACR TI-RADS classification and AI+ ACR TI-RADS combined diagnostic performance in benign and malignant thyroid nodules and its guiding significance for surgical treatment.Methods:From Nov. 1, 2021, to Feb. 26, 2022, 349 patients with 605 thyroid nodules who received surgical treatment in Department of Thyroid (Hernia) Surgery, Department of General Surgery, the First Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital, were selected. There were 95 males and 254 females, male: female=1:2.67, aged 16-78 years, and the nodule diameter was 0.2-5.6 cm. SPSS 26.0 and R studio software were used for data processing. AI diagnostic system, ACR TI-RADS grading and AI+ ACR TI-RADS combined diagnostic efficacy were statistically analyzed, respectively. ROC curve analysis was performed in parallel.Results:The AUC value of AI+ ACR TI-RADS combined diagnosis was 0.900, greater than 0.857 of AI diagnostic system and 0.788 of ACR TI-RADS, and the difference was statistically significant ( Z= 7.631, both P<0.001) . The sensitivity of the combined diagnosis was 95.32%, the specificity was 84.61%, the accuracy was 92.56%, the positive predictive value was 94.69%, the negative predictive value was 86.27%, the missed diagnosis rate was 4.68%, and the misdiagnosis rate was 15.38%, which were better than the other two diagnostic methods. With an excellent coincidence rate with postoperative pathological results ( Kappa=0.804, P<0.001) . The accuracy of combined diagnosis in identifying the maximum diameter of different tumors was 89.58% for d≤0.5 cm, 96.09% for 0.54.0 cm, better than the other two diagnostic methods. Conclusions:The combined application of AI+ACR TI-RADS has a certain primary screening value in evaluating thyroid nodule properties. The combined diagnosis of the two can more effectively determine the benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics of thyroid cancer.Methods:Data of 13 673 thyroid cancer patients admitted to the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from Jan. 2014 to Dec. 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the admission criteria, 9 662 patients were screened out, including 2 768 males and 6 894 females, with an average age of 43.98±11.28 years. According to the year of diagnosis and treatment, the incidence of thyroid cancer, the changing trend of age of new cases, the average length of hospitalization, the pathological classification of the tumor, the size of the primary tumor, multifocal tumor, and the rate of lymph node metastasis were statistically analyzed. The surgical methods were summarized and discussed.Results:① Characteristics of population economics: the ratio of males to females were 1.00:2.49, the number of cases increased year by year, and the rate of increase of female was higher than that of male. The average age of onset of the patients was (43.98±11.28) years old, and the incidence rate of the young population increased by 6.0%, showing a younger trend. The mean length of hospital stay was (7.21±2.85) d, and the length of hospital stay decreased. ② Clinicopathological features: There were 9 513 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) (98.46%) , 45 cases of follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) (0.47%) , 58 cases of medullary carcinoma (MTC) (0.60%) and 18 cases of poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC) (0.19%) . There were 2 cases (0.02%) of undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma (ATC) and 26 cases (0.26%) of a particular type. The tumor size was (1.10±0.85) cm, among which the microcarcinoma (D ≤1 cm) accounted for 64.5% and showed an increasing trend year by year, with the fastest growth rate. There were 3 809 cases of multifocal carcinoma (39.4%) , and the proportion of multifocal carcinoma increased year by year in recent 3 years. The central region and lateral region lymph node metastasis rates were 33.0% and 13.0%, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that the differences were statistically significant except for pathological types ( P<0.05) . ③ Surgical methods: in the first 3 years, 2 224 patients (84.2%) underwent normative primary resection, which increased to 94.9% in the last 3 years. In the first 3 years, 2 033 patients (77.0%) underwent central lymph node dissection, which increased to 91.8% in the last 3 years. In the first 3 years, 188 cases (50.5%) underwent normative lateral cervical dissection, which increased to 71.6% in the last 3 years. Conclusions:The incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing year by year, showing a younger trend; Papillary carcinoma accounts for 98.5% of thyroid cancer. The proportion of microcarcinoma and multifocal carcinoma is increasing. The rate of lymph node metastasis in the central region and lateral region is increasing; surgery is gradually standardized, and it is necessary to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer and postoperative follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: The increasing costs of hospital delivery have increased the economic burden of pregnant women, and the mode of delivery is the main factor affecting the costs of hospital delivery. This study aims to explore the difference in costs between cesarean section and natural delivery, and to provide reference for controlling the increase of hospital delivery costs. METHODS: The data of inpatient delivery in the Hunan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from January 2016 to December 2020 were selected to compare the total inpatient costs and average daily costs of cesarean section and natural delivery. The linear trend model was used to analyze the trend change of inpatient delivery costs and the generalized linear model was used to analyze the influential factors for inpatient delivery costs. RESULTS: The average hospitalization costs of cesarean section (10 447.25 yuan) were higher than that of natural delivery (5 567.95 yuan), and the average daily costs of cesarean section (1 902.57 yuan) were higher than those of natural delivery (1 666.40 yuan). There was no significant increase or decrease in trend for cesarean section, while the average annual growth rate of the costs of natural delivery was 11.79%. The main factors affecting the hospitalization costs of cesarean section and natural delivery included age, occupation, medical insurance, route of admission, length of stay, premature delivery and complications (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The total hospitalization costs and average daily costs of cesarean section are higher than those of natural delivery, but the costs of natural delivery show a faster growth trend, and the hospitalization costs of cesarean section and natural delivery should be controlled by targeted measures.
Child ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; Cesarean Section ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals ; Hospital Costs ; Inpatients ; Retrospective Studies