Objective: To investigate the clinical, radiological and pathological features of visceral parasitic migration of the liver. Methods: Seven cases of visceral parasitic migration of liver were identified at the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Medical School of Nanjing University from January 2008 to July 2017. Clinical data, enhanced CT image and pathological features were analyzed, combining with literature review. Results: There were 5 male and 2 female patients. Five patients presented with abdominal pain or discomfort as the first symptom. Two patients were admitted to the hospital for physical examination with liver nodule. Blood eosinophils were mildly to moderately increased in 4 cases. Enhanced CT showed the liver irregular beaded nodules that showed no significant enhancement of arterial phase. Mild enhancement of round lesions (ring lesion) was seen in a few cases before surgery. By histopathology, the lesions showed central geographic necrosis, surrounded by epithelioid granuloma and inflammatory cell bands. A large number of eosinophils and scattered multinucleated giant cells were found, especially at the peripheral of the lesion. Charcot-Leyden crystals were present in all case and parasitic migrans was found in one case. Conclusions Visceral parasitic migration of liver is a rare liver disease and is easily misdiagnosed as other benign or malignant liver tumors. Combining clinical data, enhanced CT images and pathological examination can improve the preoperative and postoperative diagnosis of the disease.

OBJECTIVETo explore the pathological features and prognosis of appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (AMN) based on WHO classification 2010.

METHODSSeventy consecutive cases of AMN were classified into 5 groups according to WHO classification of digestive system tumors in 2010 including mucinous adenomas/cystadenoma (MA), low grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (LAMN), low grade pseudomyxoma peritoneum originated from appendix (PMP-L), invasive mucinous adenocarcinomas (MAC) and high grade pseudomyxoma peritoneum originated from appendix (PMP-H). Clinicopathological features, classification, treatment and prognosis of AMN were investigated retrospectively.

RESULTSThere were 11 cases of MA with neoplastic epithelium and mucin being defined in lumen and mucosa but without invasive lesions, and no relapse or death was found. In 41 LAMN cases, mucin was found in submucosa, muscularis proparis, or serosa of appendix, no or only scant mucinous epithelium with low grade dysplasia presented in mucinous pools in most cases (39/41). Among 41 LAMN cases, 3 developed relapse or PMP-L, and no death was observed. In 7 PMP-L cases, low grade dysplastic mucinous epithelium in mucinous pools could be found easily in 3 cases and was very scanty in 4 cases, with 1 relapse and 1 death. Eleven invasive carcinomas were found, including 7 MAC cases and 4 PMP-H cases, with local high grade dysplastic epithelium at least. In these invasive lesions, 4 cases recurred and 3 case died (including 2 recurred cases above). MA and LAMN were both non-invasive neoplasms histologically, however, PMP-L, MAC and PMP-H were regarded as adenocarcinomas according to their biological behavior.

CONCLUSIONAMN displays a relatively homogeneous group of neoplasms that pursues a predictable clinical course based on their nature, so it is necessary to diagnose and administrative accurately with consistently standards for these neoplastic entities.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; pathology ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Appendiceal Neoplasms ; classification ; pathology ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myxoma ; pathology ; Prognosis ; Young Adult

Objective To optimize the extraction process of Xuetong capsules and establish its quality control method. Methods The extraction process was optimized by orthogonal experiment using ethanol reflux method to investigate the effects of different factors on diphenylstilbene, aloin and extraction yield. The content of 5 anthraquinone compounds in Xuetong capsule was determined by HPLC. Results The optimal extraction process was to add 10 times ethanol, with an ethanol concentration of 70%, and extract 3 times, each time for 1 h; 5 components had a good linear relationship with peak area within a certain concentration range, r>0.999 7; The range of sample recovery rate was 93.66%-96.85%, RSD range of 1.48%-1.66%. The content determination results of the 5 components in three batches of Xuetong capsules were （0.632-0.641）, （0.660-0.681）, （1.968-1.991）, （2.547-2.580）, and （1.076-1.101） mg/g. Conclusion The method was accurate, reproducible, and highly feasible, which could be references for producing and improving the quality control standards of Xuetong capsules.

Objective To study the clinical, endoscopic and pathological features of gastrointestinal and mesenteric reactive nodular fibrous pseudotumor (RNFPT). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on data of 24 RNFPT patients in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital admitted from October 2008 to June 2016. The clinical, endoscopic, pathological and immunohistochemical characteristics were analyzed. Results Among the 24 patients, 16 complained about discomfort in the upper abdomen and 10 had a history of surgery or trauma. Twenty-one had isolated masses and 3 had multiple masses, with diameter of 0. 5-4. 0 cm. Endoscopically, the tumors were mainly hard submucosal masses with broad base, and smooth surface with no mucosal bridge. Seventeen patients underwent endoscopic ultrasonography, which showed low echoes in lesions and nonuniform echoes partly. Among them, 13 lesions derived from muscularis, 4 others from submucosa. Microscopically, the tumors had clear boundary with no envelope, and most areas showed disorderly arranged spindle cells and extensively collagenous degenerated mesenchyma. The spindle cells had shuttle fibroblast-like morphology and elongated nucleus with no visible necrosis or mitosis. Inflammatory cells scattered between the tumor cells, and lymphoid follicles and calcium deposition could be seen in local areas. Immunohistochemically, SMA was focally positive in 7 cases and only 4 cases expressed CD117 scattered. Desmin, Dog-1, CD34, ALK-1 and S-100 were all negative, and Ki-67 proliferation index was lower than 1％. Conclusion RNFPT has diverse clinical manifestations, with a good prognosis and unlikely recurrences, and should be distinguished from spindle cell tumors.

Objective: To investigate the optimal strategy for immunohistochemical (IHC) staining in bone metastasis specimens from breast cancer. Methods: Twenty-eight bone metastases specimens from breast cancers were divided into three groups and subjected to different decalcifying agents (group A-10% nitrate, group B-EDTA decalcification, and group C-imported decalcifying solution RapidCal). The effects of those on HE and IHC staining for Ki-67, ER, PR, GATA3, RANK, RANKL, HER2 and HER2 FISH results were assessed. Results: There were no significant differences among three groups in HE morphology and IHC staining. Antigen content in the RapidCal group were all intact; the EDTA group showed a similar staining rate, which was better than the nitrate group (P<0.05). Nitrate group showed marked reduction in nuclear Ki-67 staining, but the loss of cytoplasmic antigens (RANK, RANKL) was less than cell membrane antigen (HER2). For FISH, the RapidCal group and EDTA group showed same results, concordant with IHC staining results. The expression of HER2 protein in the nitric acid group was significantly decreased and chromosome 17 labelling was lost (P<0.05). Conclusions RapidCal treated bone metastases specimens from breast cancer show excellent sample quality in morphological, IHC and FISH results compared with traditional decalcifying agents. Owing to the longer time of EDTA decalcification, the new decalcifying agent RapidCal plays an important role in quality control and clinical application.

Osteoporosis （OP） is a systemic metabolic bone disease caused by various factors， with a high incidence， and its pathogenesis is not yet clear. There is no specific drug for prevention and treatment， making it a significant global public health issue. In recent years， research has found that autophagy plays a role in the development of OP， and intervention in autophagy has become a hot topic in OP treatment. With further research， there has been a gradual increase in studies related to autophagy regulation by traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） to treat OP， and the treatment efficacy has been recognized. However， there is still a lack of systematic reviews on the mechanisms of autophagy in OP and the specific targets of TCM intervention in autophagy for OP treatment. Therefore， this article systematically reviewed the impact of autophagy on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells （BMSCs）， osteoblasts， osteoclasts， and bone cells in the development of OP， as well as studies on TCM intervention in cell autophagy for OP treatment， aiming to provide a theoretical reference for the treatment of OP and further research in this field.

Background/Aims: Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric cancers (EBVaGCs) have unique molecular and clinicopathological characteristics. The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway is recently recognized as the critical innate immunity against pathogens and tumors. STING is also a master regulator in the cancer-immunity cycle and targeting STING could synergize with existing immune-checkpoint therapies. However, the role of STING in GC, especially in EBVaGC, and its correlation with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) remain largely unclear. Methods: We collected 78 cases of EBVaGCs and 210 cases of EBV-negative GC (EBVnGC) from a total of 1,443 cases of GC analyzed by EBV-encoded small RNA in situ hybridization. We investigated STING and PD-L1 expression and their concomitant prognostic value in EBVaGCs and EBVnGCs using tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry. The effects of STING and PD-L1 expression on the overall survival of patients with EBVaGC or EBVnGC were assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: We found that both STING and PD-L1 exhibited significantly higher expression in the EBVaGCs than that in the EBVnGCs. The expression of STING was positively correlated with that of PD-L1 in EBVaGCs. Simultaneous negative expression of STING and PD-L1, and positive expression of STING were independent prognostic risk factors for EBVaGC and EBVnGC, respectively. Conclusions This is the first prognostic retrospective study of STING and PD-L1 expression and the prognosis among EBVaGC and EBVnGC. The expression and prognostic value of STING and PD-L1 are different in the two types of GCs. STING and PD-L1 are promising prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for EBVaGC and EBVnGC.

BACKGROUND:The pathogenesis of osteoporosis is complex,and its essence is the weakening of bone formation and the enhancement of bone absorption caused by various reasons,resulting in the imbalance of bone metabolism.In recent years,N6-methyladenosine has been found(N6-methyladenosine,m6A)methylation can prevent and treat osteoporosis by regulating bone metabolism. OBJECTIVE:Taking the regulation of bone metabolism by m6A methylation as an entry point,to systematically sort out and summarize the research progress of m6A methylation in osteoporosis,so as to provide certain theoretical reference bases for the search of new therapeutic targets for osteoporosis. METHODS:CNKI,WanFang,VIP,PubMed,MEDLINE,Nature,and Cochrane databases were retrieved for relevant literature published from database inception to 2023.The keywords were"osteoporosis,m6A methylation,bone metabolism,bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,osteoblasts,osteoclasts"in Chinese and English.Duplicates and obsolete non-referenced documents were excluded,and a total of 73 standard papers were included for further review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:m6A methylation can affect the activity and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,osteoblasts,and osteoclasts through various pathways to regulate bone metabolism and prevent osteoporosis.The regulatory process of m6A methylation is extremely complex,and its related proteins play different roles in different cells.Even in the same kind of cells,the same type of proteins may have radically different roles,regulating different physiological and pathological processes.

Objective To determine the radiation dose of sensitive organs under different protective methods in lung CT scanning environment, and to explore the best protective scheme of corresponding organs. Methods Annealed thermoluminescence dose elements were placed in the stomach, liver, colon, and thyroid gland of a simulated human body model. The dose effect experiment of protective methods included non-protective group, half lead apron group, and full lead apron group. The dose effect experiment of protective thickness included 0.50 mmpb full lead apron group and 0.35 mmpb full lead apron group. The same exposure conditions of lung CT scan were used in the above experiments. Results Compared with the non-protective group, the exposure dose of the stomach, liver, colon, and thyroid gland increased significantly in the half lead apron group (P < 0.05), and the exposure dose of the thyroid gland and colon decreased significantly in the full lead apron group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the exposure dose of the liver, stomach, and colon in the simulated human body model between the 0.35 mmpb full lead apron group and the 0.50 mmpb full lead apron group. Conclusion For lung CT scan, the protective measure of lead apron may not reduce the exposure dose of subjects. The protective thickness of lead apron does not necessarily have a substantial influence on the exposure dose of human body.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of steroids-free immunosuppressive therapy including tacrolimus, cyclosporin A, tripterygium glycosides or intravenous cyclophosphamide in membranous nephropathy (MN) patients combined with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of patients with T2DM complicated with biopsy proved MN in the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University from January 2009 to January 2017. The patients were divided into steroids-free group and control group. The patients in steroids-free group were treated with one or two immunosuppressive agents except glucocorticoids. The patients in control group were treated with glucocorticoid combining with immunosuppressive agents. Results: A total of 64 patients were enrolled in this study. There were 26 cases in steroids-free group and 38 cases in control group. The total remission rate was 69.24% in steroids-free group and 73.68% in control group at 12 months. In a median follow up of 33(12-106) months, two patients in control group entered hemodialysis and one of them died after 1 year of dialysis. One patient in steroids-free group died of accidental death and no patient entered dialysis. All patients in control group had elevated blood glucose level, whereas only 5 patients in steroids-free group had elevated blood glucose and all these 5 patients used tacrolimus. Conclusion Immunosuppressive regimen without glucocorticoid treatment can reduce side effects on blood glucose level in MN patients with type 2 diabetes, with a certain rate of treatment response.