OBJECTIVE: To explore the differentially expressed gene profile in cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues with and without pelvic lymph node metastasis by microarray technique and to screen tumor metastasis-related genes. METHODS: Cancer tissue samples were collected from 4 cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients with pelvic lymph metastasis and 6 patients without metastasis before the treatment. Differentially expressed gene profile was identified between cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues with and without pelvic lymph node metastasis by NimbleGen microarray. Fluorescent real-time quantitative PCR was employed to validate the accuracy of the microarray by detecting the expression of genes picked from the differentially expressed gene profile. We screened tumor metastasis-related genes through the gene bank, PUBMED and gene ontology analysis. RESULTS: With the application of microarray, 329 genes were identified as markedly differentially expressed genes between cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues with and without pelvic lymph node metastasis. Real-time PCR was in accordance with microarray. Forty-four genes associated with tumor metastasis were identified from the differentially expressed gene profile. CONCLUSION Gene profile in cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues associated with pelvic lymph node metastasis is preliminarily identified, indicating that lymph node metastasis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma is a process involving numerous genes.
Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; pathology ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology

Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mastoiditis ; complications ; Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial ; etiology

BACKGROUNDThe primary ovarian sarcoma is a very rare malignancy. The objective of this study was to further investigate the clinicopathologic features and outcome in patients with primary sarcoma of the ovary.

METHODSBetween 1988 and 2007, 24 patients with primary ovarian sarcoma who underwent treatment at Peking Union Medical Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Response to treatment, progression and overall survival were analyzed.

RESULTSPatients with ovarian sarcoma had a mean age of (54.3 ± 10.3) years, and 16 of them were postmenopausal. The most common symptom was abdominal pain, present in 14 patients. Of the 24 patients, 16 patients were pathologically diagnosed as carcinosarcoma (known as malignant mixed mesodermal tumor (MMMT)), 2 as ovarian leiomyosarcoma (LS) and 6 patients as ovarian endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS). The patients in optimal debulking group had a median survival period of 28 months and 1-year survival rate of 71%. The patients in suboptimal debulking group had a significantly lower median survival of 6 months (P = 0.02) and 1-year survival rate of 29%. Among the patients, 23 patients received chemotherapy and most of regimens were based on platinum, 3 patients received chemoradiation. The mean number of courses of combined chemotherapy was 6.6 ± 5.0, and the response was unsatisfactory. The median survival for the entire group was 18.7 months. The one-year survival rate was 58%, and two-year survival rate only 29%.

CONCLUSIONSOvarian primary sarcoma has a poor overall prognosis. Optimal debulking surgery appears to be of prognostic significance. There is a clear need for further study to explore the role and the regimen of platinum-based chemotherapy in primary ovarian sarcoma.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Middle Aged ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Sarcoma ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Survival Rate

Background The primary ovarian sarcoma is a very rare malignancy. The objective of this study was to further investigate the clinicopathologic features and outcome in patients with primary sarcoma of the ovary.Methods Between 1988 and 2007, 24 patients with primary ovarian sarcoma who underwent treatment at Peking Union Medical Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Response to treatment, progression and overall survival were analyzed.Results Patients with ovarian sarcoma had a mean age of (54.3±10.3) years, and 16 of them were postmenopausal.The most common symptom was abdominal pain, present in 14 patients. Of the 24 patients, 16 patients were pathologically diagnosed as carcinosarcoma (known as malignant mixed mesodermal tumor (MMMT)), 2 as ovarian leiomyosarcoma (LS) and 6 patients as ovarian endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS). The patients in optimal debulking group had a median survival period of 28 months and 1-year survival rate of 71%. The patients in suboptimal debulking group had a significantly lower median survival of 6 months (P=-0.02) and 1-year survival rate of 29%. Among the patients,23 patients received chemotherapy and most of regimens were based on platinum, 3 patients received chemoradiation.The mean number of courses of combined chemotherapy was 6.6±5.0, and the response was unsatisfactory. The median survival for the entire group was 18.7 months. The one-year survival rate was 58%, and two-year survival rate only 29%.Conclusions Ovarian primary sarcoma has a poor overall prognosis. Optimal debulking surgery appears to be of prognostic significance. There is a clear need for further study to explore the role and the regimen of platinum-based chemotherapy in primary ovarian sarcoma.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To study the effect of low-to-moderate dose glucocorticoid therapy on viral clearance time in patients with COVID-19. Methods: A total of 72 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from January 19 to February 17, 2020 at the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University were recruited. All patients received oral abidol and/or combined lopinavir/ritonavir, darunavir antiviral, and symptomatic supportive care. Among them, 51 patients received methylprednisolone (0.75-1.50 mg·kg^-1·d^-1) (glucocorticoid treatment group), and 21 patients who did not use glucocorticoid were the control group. The time of stable virologic conversion insputumand the time of radiologic recovery in lungsince onset were compared between the two groups and among the normal patients.The Kruskal-Wallis test or Fisher exact test was used to compare the difference between groups. Results: The median ages of the glucocorticoid group and the control group were 52 [interquartile range (IQR):45, 62] years and 46 (IQR: 32, 56)years, and the differences were significant (P<0.05). The clinical conditions at hospital admission were different between the two groups (P<0.01). There were 52.0% critical ill patients in the glucocorticoid treatment group, compared to that of 71.4% normal patients in the control group. The median times from the onset tostable virologic conversion to negative in the two groups were 15 (IQR:13,20) days and 14 (IQR:12,20) days (P>0.05), and the difference was no statistically significant. The median times from onset to radiologic recovery were 13 (IQR: 11,15) days and 13 (IQR:12,17) days in the two groups, and there was no difference (P>0.05). In ordinary patients, the median timesfrom the onset tostable virologic conversion insputum were no difference (P>0.05), with 13 (IQR:11,18) days in the glucocorticoid group and 13 (IQR:12,15) days in the control group; The median times from onset to radiologic recovery in lungwere also no difference (P>0.05), with 12 (IQR: 10,15)days in the glucocorticoid group and 13 (IQR: 12,17) days inthe control group. Conclusions Low-to-moderate glucocorticoid treatment has no effect on the time of virus clearance in patients with different clinical types of COVID-19. The glucocorticoid is not recommended since no effectiveness on accelerating the improvement of radiologic recovery in lung has been observed.