Objective To discuss the diagnosis and management of pheochromocytoma in pregnancy. Methods Three cases of pheochromocytoma in pregnancy were managed from 2007- 2009.Case 1, a 41-year-old woman presented with paroxysmal hypertension during 27+1 weeks' gestation.The accompanied symptoms included dizziness, palpitation and sweating. Both B ultrasound and MRI revealed a right adrenal tumor about 7 cm in diameter. The 24-hour catecholamine was higher than normal. A diagnosis of right adrenal pheochromocytoma was made. Case 2, a 28-year-old woman presented with hypertension during 12+4 weeks' gestation. B ultrasound showed a right adrenal tumor about 5 cm in diameter. The 24-hour catecholamine was higher than normal. Case 3, a 32-year-old woman presented with hypertension during 14+3 weeks' gestation. B ultrasound revealed bilateral adrenal tumors. The 24-hour catecholamine was higher than normal. The diagnosis of bilateral adrenal pheochromocytomas was made. Results The first patient delivered a healthy female infant through cesarean section at 32 weeks' gestation. Laparoscopic resection of right adrenal pheochromocytoma was successfully performed at the same time. Both the second and third patients had elective abortion for fear of fetotoxicity. Case 2 accepted laparoscopic resection of right adrenal pheochromocytoma after 4 weeks' medical preparation. Case 3 rejected surgery. The histopathological findings proved pheochromocytoma in case 1 and case 2. Conclusions Pheochromocytoma should be included in the defferential diagnosis in hypertension occurring during pregnancy especially in the following situations:hypertension during early pregnancy; paroxymal hypertension accompanied by headache, palpitation and sweating; hypertension does not relieve after delivery. Early diagnosis and management with medical treatment followed by surgical removal usually results in good maternal and fetal outcomes. The second trimester is good timing of surgical management. Laparoscopic removal of pheochromocytoma is safe in pregnancy.

Objective:To investigate the expression of complement C3 in serums and tissues of lung adenocarcinoma patients with brain metastases and the mechanism of complement C3 in inducing epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT).Methods:The retrospective case-control study, cell experiments and animal experiments were conducted. The serum samples from 20 healthy examinees, 20 advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients without brain metastases and 20 advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients with brain metastases at the First People's Hospital of Yancheng from January 2021 to January 2023 were collected, and the expression of complement C3 in serum samples was detected by immunoturbidimetry. At the same time, lung tissue samples were collected from 10 lung adenocarcinoma patients without brain metastases, and lung tissue and brain tissue samples were collected from 10 lung adenocarcinoma patients with brain metastases in the First People's Hospital of Yancheng. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of complement C3, C3aR, Kruppel like factor 5 (KLF5), and N-cadherin (N-cad) in the tissue samples. Using lentivirus to construct a human lung adenocarcinoma with brain metastases cell line PC14-C3 with stable overexpression of complement C3, with cells infected with empty vector virus as the control group (PC14-Ctrl). Western blotting was used to detect the expression of complement C3, KLF5, N-cad, and E-cadherin (E-cad) in PC14-C3 and PC14-Ctrl cells, and scratch assay was used to assess cell migration ability. Using the random number table method, 12 BALB/c nude mice were evenly divided into PC14-C3 group and PC14-Ctrl group. PC14-C3 cells and PC14-Ctrl cells were subcutaneously inoculated on the ventral side, and the body mass and tumor volume of the nude mice were recorded. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of KLF5, N-cad and E-cad mRNA in various tumor cells and tumor tissues of nude mice.Results:The serum complement C3 levels in healthy individuals, lung adenocarcinoma patients without brain metastases and lung adenocarcinoma patients with brain metastases were (1.14±0.17) g/L, (1.20±0.15) g/L and (1.61±0.21) g/L, respectively. The serum complement C3 level in lung adenocarcinoma patients with brain metastases was higher than that in lung adenocarcinoma patients without brain metastases and healthy individuals, and the differences were statistically significant (both P < 0.001). The results of immunohistochemical testing showed that the proportions of positive expression areas of complement C3, C3aR, KLF5, and N-cad proteins in the lung primary lesions of lung adenocarcinoma patients with brain metastases were higher than those of patients without brain metastases, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The mRNA ( P < 0.05) and protein expression levels of complement C3 in PC14-C3 cells were higher than those in PC14-Ctrl cells, indicating successful transfection. The scratch assay results showed that the migration rate of PC14-Ctrl cells was (37.5±4.1)%, and the migration rate of PC14-C3 cells was (60.4±2.9)%, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = 7.86, P < 0.01). The relative expressions of EMT promoting molecules KLF5 and N-cad mRNA in PC14-C3 cells were higher than those in PC14-Ctrl cells, while the relative expression of EMT inhibiting molecule E-Cad mRNA was lower than that in PC14-Ctrl cells, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). On the 26th day of tumor loading, the tumor volume of nude mice in PC14-C3 group was (610±10) mm 3, while that of PC14-Ctrl group was (321±30) mm 3; the body mass of nude mice in PC14-C3 group was lower than that in PC14-Ctrl group [(21.6±0.6) g vs. (23.2±0.6) g], and the differences were statistically significant (both P < 0.05). At the end of the experiment, 5 nude mice died and 1 survived in the PC14-C3 group; 1 nude mouse died and 5 survived in the PC14-Ctrl group. The relative expressions of KLF5 and N-cad mRNA in the tumor tissues of nude mice in PC14-C3 group were higher than those in PC14-Ctrl group, while the relative expression of E-Cad mRNA was lower than that in PC14-Ctrl group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:Lung adenocarcinoma patients with brain metastases have high levels of complement C3 in their serums and primary lesions. Complement C3 may induce EMT and promote the occurrence of lung adenocarcinoma brain metastases by affecting the expressions of KLF5, N-cad and E-cad.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)for the treatment of chronic functional constipation in the elderly.Methods:A total of 33 elderly patients with chronic functional constipation were included and given three sessions of FMT.Changes in fecal characteristics, constipation, mood and quality of life in these patients were evaluated using the Bristol stool form scale(BSFS), the constipation assessment scale(CAS), patient assessment of constipation symptoms(PAC-SYM), the Zung self-rating anxiety scale(SAS), the Zung self-rating depression scale(SDS), and the patient assessment of constipation quality of life(PAC-QOL)before and 12 weeks after treatment.The clinical efficacy was based on comparison between pre-and post-treatment results for each patient.Results:Clear improvement was achieved in 33 patients 12 weeks after treatment, compared with before transplantation.Post-treatment scores of the constipation assessment scale and symptom self-assessment questionnaire for patients with constipation were(8.9±1.2)scores and(26.5±2.4)scores, respectively, significantly lower than pre-transplantation scores of(12.2±1.1)scores and(32.4±2.4)scores( t=15.034, 13.904, both P<0.001). Similarly, post-treatment scores were also lower than pre-transplantation levels for the self-rating anxiety scale[(50.4±8.4)scores vs.(57.5±9.0)scores, t=10.333, P<0.001], the self-rating depression scale[(50.6±8.4)% vs.(55.0±10.5)%, t=5.301, P<0.001], and self-assessment questionnaire for quality of life[(88.2±7.3)scores vs.(103.7±7.3)scores, t=23.300, P<0.001]. Conclusions:FMT can improve fecal characteristics and constipation symptoms, relieve anxiety and depression, improve the quality of life, and provide a new option for the treatment for elderly patients with chronic functional constipation.