To explore the clinical efficacy of the modified segmented peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for the treatment of achalasia (AC), AC patients admitted to the Jianhu People's Hospital from December 2019 to December 2021 were included in a retrospective cohort study. Patients received segmented POEM were included in the segmented POEM group, while patients treated with progressive POEM were included in the progressive POEM group. Perioperative indicators (including Eckardt scores preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively), clinical efficacy, and complications were compared between the two groups. A total of 65 AC patients were included, among them, 28 patients were in the segmented POEM group, and 37 patients in the progressive POEM group. There were no significant differences in the general information of the two groups, including gender, age, lesion type, or Eckardt scores before the operation ( P>0.05). There were significant differences in the incidence of postoperative complications, including subcutaneous emphysema [3.6% (1/28) VS 24.3% (9/37), P=0.035] and small pleural effusion [7.1% (2/28) VS 27.0% (10/37), χ2=4.186, P=0.041] between the two groups. Postoperative chest pain duration (36.5±10.5 hours VS 44.3±11.8 hours, t=2.765, P=0.008), severity (4.1±2.1 VS 6.2±2.3, t=3.783, P<0.001), and fever days (2.1±1.3 days VS 3.1±1.5 days, t=2.816, P=0.007) also showed statistical difference. However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative pneumothorax between the two groups [0.0% (0/28) VS 2.7% (1/37), P=1.000]. At the 6-month follow-up, the segmented POEM group had a lower incidence of retrosternal pain and gastroesophageal reflux compared to the progressive POEM group ( P<0.05), and the Eckardt score was significantly improved (2.2±1.1 VS 2.9±1.3, t=2.294, P=0.025). Both segmented and progressive POEM are effective treatments for AC, but segmented POEM has higher safety, lower incidence of postoperative chest pain and gastroesophageal reflux complications, and better clinical efficacy.

To explore the clinical efficacy of the modified segmented peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for the treatment of achalasia (AC), AC patients admitted to the Jianhu People's Hospital from December 2019 to December 2021 were included in a retrospective cohort study. Patients received segmented POEM were included in the segmented POEM group, while patients treated with progressive POEM were included in the progressive POEM group. Perioperative indicators (including Eckardt scores preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively), clinical efficacy, and complications were compared between the two groups. A total of 65 AC patients were included, among them, 28 patients were in the segmented POEM group, and 37 patients in the progressive POEM group. There were no significant differences in the general information of the two groups, including gender, age, lesion type, or Eckardt scores before the operation ( P>0.05). There were significant differences in the incidence of postoperative complications, including subcutaneous emphysema [3.6% (1/28) VS 24.3% (9/37), P=0.035] and small pleural effusion [7.1% (2/28) VS 27.0% (10/37), χ2=4.186, P=0.041] between the two groups. Postoperative chest pain duration (36.5±10.5 hours VS 44.3±11.8 hours, t=2.765, P=0.008), severity (4.1±2.1 VS 6.2±2.3, t=3.783, P<0.001), and fever days (2.1±1.3 days VS 3.1±1.5 days, t=2.816, P=0.007) also showed statistical difference. However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative pneumothorax between the two groups [0.0% (0/28) VS 2.7% (1/37), P=1.000]. At the 6-month follow-up, the segmented POEM group had a lower incidence of retrosternal pain and gastroesophageal reflux compared to the progressive POEM group ( P<0.05), and the Eckardt score was significantly improved (2.2±1.1 VS 2.9±1.3, t=2.294, P=0.025). Both segmented and progressive POEM are effective treatments for AC, but segmented POEM has higher safety, lower incidence of postoperative chest pain and gastroesophageal reflux complications, and better clinical efficacy.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of fibroblast growth factor(FGF)21 in liver lipid deposition.Methods HepG2 cells were divided into control group and induction group.Fatty liver cell model was constructed using oleic acid and palmitic acid in induction group.Lipid deposition under the microscope was observed between two groups by oil red O staining,and the protein expression of FGF21 and glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)in two groups were detected.FGF21 lentivirus-infected fatty liver cells were used as interference group,and scramble lentivirus-infected fatty liver cells were used as non-interference group.The expression level of FGF21 mRNA,lipid deposition and expression level of GPX4 protein were compared between two groups.Results Compared with control group,induction group had significant lipid deposition,significantly increased expression level of FGF21 protein,and significantly decreased expression level of GPX4 protein(P＜0.05).After the interference of FGF21 lentivirus,expression level of FGF21 mRNA was significantly decreased,lipid droplets were decreased,lipid deposition was significantly improved,and GPX4 protein expression level was significantly increased in interference group(P＜0.05).Conclusion FGF21 may promote liver lipid formation by inhibiting lipid peroxidation.

To investigate the clinical features of esophageal neuroendocrine neoplasms (eNENs) and the role of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the management of eNENs, clinicopathologic features and outcomes of 34 patients with eNENs (30 patients diagnosed by histopathology in the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University from January 2010 to December 2022 and 4 patients who underwent ESD reported in PubMed from January 2014 to December 2023) were retrospectively analyzed. Survival analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors of eNENs. The vulnerable patients of eNENs were elderly males (79.41%, 27/34) and the age of onset was 65.41±8.78 years. The lesions mostly occurred in the middle (41.18%, 14/34) and lower (41.18%, 14/34) esophagus. Dysphagia was the most common clinical manifestation, accounting for 58.82% (20/34). The median overall survival time was 36.31 months and the 1, 3, 5-year overall survival rate was 82.35%, 53.45% and 27.94% respectively. In the univariate analysis, the prognosis of eNENs varied in different location, size, stage and treatment strategies ( P<0.05). The primary tumor resection was an independent prognostic factor for the survival of eNENs in multivariate analysis ( P=0.041, HR=0.166, 95% CI: 0.030-0.927). The median survival time of the patients with primary tumor resection was significantly longer than that without resection (42.98 months VS 17.90 months, P=0.005). Whereas, there was no significant difference in median survival time between the patients who underwent surgical operation and those who underwent ESD (43.93 months VS 39.50 months, P=0.835). eNENs has no specific clinical manifestations. Resection of the primary tumor is a protective factor for the prognosis of eNENs. ESD has a comparable result to surgery and can be considered as a treatment modality for paticular patients.

To investigate the clinical features of esophageal neuroendocrine neoplasms (eNENs) and the role of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the management of eNENs, clinicopathologic features and outcomes of 34 patients with eNENs (30 patients diagnosed by histopathology in the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University from January 2010 to December 2022 and 4 patients who underwent ESD reported in PubMed from January 2014 to December 2023) were retrospectively analyzed. Survival analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors of eNENs. The vulnerable patients of eNENs were elderly males (79.41%, 27/34) and the age of onset was 65.41±8.78 years. The lesions mostly occurred in the middle (41.18%, 14/34) and lower (41.18%, 14/34) esophagus. Dysphagia was the most common clinical manifestation, accounting for 58.82% (20/34). The median overall survival time was 36.31 months and the 1, 3, 5-year overall survival rate was 82.35%, 53.45% and 27.94% respectively. In the univariate analysis, the prognosis of eNENs varied in different location, size, stage and treatment strategies ( P<0.05). The primary tumor resection was an independent prognostic factor for the survival of eNENs in multivariate analysis ( P=0.041, HR=0.166, 95% CI: 0.030-0.927). The median survival time of the patients with primary tumor resection was significantly longer than that without resection (42.98 months VS 17.90 months, P=0.005). Whereas, there was no significant difference in median survival time between the patients who underwent surgical operation and those who underwent ESD (43.93 months VS 39.50 months, P=0.835). eNENs has no specific clinical manifestations. Resection of the primary tumor is a protective factor for the prognosis of eNENs. ESD has a comparable result to surgery and can be considered as a treatment modality for paticular patients.

Objective:To investigate the application and effect of the virtual reality (VR) combined with the augmented reality (AR) integrated teaching system in stomatology general medical education of clinical medicine students.Methods:A total of 160 undergraduates from the five-year clinical medicine Batch 2015 of Naval Medical University were randomly divided into VR+AR group and traditional group, with 80 students in each group. A comparative analysis was made on the previous and teaching achievements of the two groups of students, and a questionnaire survey was conducted after the completion of the class. Epidata 3.0 was used to input questionnaire data, and SPSS 23.0 software was used to carry out t test, chi-square test and Fisher precision test. Results:There was no statistical difference in written test scores between the VR+AR group and the traditional group [(52.65±3.76) vs. (51.90±3.46), P=0.516], but the VR+AR group was significantly higher than the traditional group in case analysis scores [(35.85±2.56) vs. (31.40±2.96), P < 0.001] and overall performance [(88.50±4.95) vs. (83.30±4.86), P= 0.002]. The questionnaire survey results showed that the scores of "teaching mode" [(92.30±6.90) vs. (85.20±7.30), P<0.001], "teaching method" [(91.70±5.90) vs. (86.00±6.70), P=0.012] and "teaching improvement" [(90.70± 8.70) vs. (82.30±8.40), P<0.001] in VR + AR group were significantly higher than those in the traditional teaching group. Conclusion:The VR combined with AR integrated teaching system can significantly improve teaching performance and teaching quality, and is convenient for teaching demonstrations and simulation operations in small oral spaces, and is especially suitable for oral general medical education for clinical medicine.

To explore the effect of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) on the micro-structure of bone in older men. A retrospective study was conducted on data of patients over the age of 60 who were admitted to the Geriatric Department of Jiangsu People′s Hospital from June 2018 to January 2019. Patients were divided into control group (taking PPI for less than 1 week, 50 cases) and PPI treatment group (taking PPI for more than 3 months, 30 cases). Biochemical indexes, bone mineral density (BMD)and trabecular bone score (TBS) were analyzed. Compared with control group, the weight and albumin level in the PPI treatment group were lower, and the thyrotropin level was higher ( P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the BMD of femur or lumbar vertebrae between the two groups ( P>0.05), but the TBS of lumbar vertebrae in the PPI treatment group was significantly decreased ( P<0.05). Correlation analysis found that TBS was positively correlated with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ( r=0.45, P=0.002) and body mass index ( r=0.164, P=0.045), and negatively correlated with age ( r=-0.291, P=0.025). Multiple linear regression model analysis showed that there was still a positive correlation between TBS and ALP ( β=0.437, P=0.023). In the elderly men, the use of PPI for more than 3 months can significantly affect the bone micro-structure, and the bone micro-structure can better reflect the adverse effect of PPI on bone than BMD.

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the treatment of superficial esophageal cancer (SEC), and to explore the application value of ESD in the treatment of SEC.Methods:From January 2016 to December 2019, at The First Affiliated Hospital With Nanjing Medical University, the clinical data of 368 patients with SEC and receiving ESD treatment were retrospectively analyzed, induding the general condition, the circumferential proportion of lesions, effectiveness of ESD treatment (en bloc resection rate, complete resection rate, curative resection rate, operation time and resected lesion area), incidence of complications and follow-up. 368 patients were divided into stenosis group (94 cases) and non-stenosis group (274 cases) according to the occurrence of esophageal stenosis after ESD. The circumferential proportion of lesions, operation time and resected lesion area were compared between stenosis group and non-stenosis group, and the independent risk factors of esophageal stenosis after ESD were analyzed. Independent sample t test, chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results:Among 368 patients, 270(73.4%) were male and 98 (26.6%) were female; the age was (64.4±7.6) years old. The circumferential proportion of lesions of 231 cases (62.8%) was <1/2 circle, 49 cases (13.3%) was 1/2 to <2/3 circle, and 88 cases (23.9%) was ≥2/3 circle. The en bloc resection rate of the lesion was 98.6%(363/368), the complete resection rate and curative resection rate were both 97.8% (360/368). The operation time was (89.4±47.9) min. The area of resected lesion was (12.5±8.9) cm 2. The incidence of perforation during operation, delayed bleeding and stenosis was 0.3% (1/368), 0.5% (2/368) and 25.5% (94/368), respectively. The followed-up period was 8 to 53 months, and the median follow-up period was 25 months. During the follow-up period, no recurrence or new lesion was found, and no lymph node or distant metastasis occurred. The circumferential proportion of lesions of 38 cases (40.4%) of stenosis group and 193 cases (70.4%) of non-stenosis group was <1/2 circle, respectively, the circumferential proportion of lesions of 9 cases (9.6%) and 40 cases (14.6%) was 1/2 to <2/3 circle, respectively, the circumferential proportion of lesions of 47 cases (50.0%) and 41 cases (15.0%) was ≥2/3 circle, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=47.30, P<0.01). The operation time of stenosis group was longer than that of non-stenosis group, the resected lesion area was larger than that of non-stenosis group ((126.1±56.3) min vs. (76.8±37.2) min, (17.5±10.7) cm 2 vs. (10.8±7.4) cm 2), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=9.57 and 5.41, both P<0.01). The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that circumferential proportion of lesions ≥2/3 circle, operation time and the resected lesion area were independent risk factors for the occurrence of esophageal stenosis after ESD (odds ratio=0.253, 1.018 and 1.041, 95% confidence interval 0.116 to 0.551, 1.011 to 1.025, 1.007 to 1.076, all P<0.05). Conclusions:ESD is a safe and effective way to treat SEC, with low local recurrence rate and few complications, which is worthy of further clinical promotion.

Background: Esophageal mucosal injury induced by gastroesophageal reflux is a key link to the development of Barrett's esophagus-associated adenocarcinoma. However, the molecular mechanism is still not elucidated. Aims: To investigate the role of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after stimulating esophageal cells with acid and bile acid in the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Methods: The DEGs were obtained through bioinformatics methods after stimulating esophageal cells with low pH and deoxycholic acid, and GO, KEGG enrichment analysis were performed. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was performed to screen the hub genes, and their relationships with prognosis and tumor stage of EAC patients were analyzed. The role of co-expressed genes of GADD45B in EAC was also analyzed. Results: Thirty-one overlapping DEGs were obtained after stimulating esophageal cells with low pH and deoxycholic acid, which mainly enriched in the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, transcription factors activity, and regulation of cell proliferation and apoptotic process. High expression of GADD45B was correlated with the survival prognosis and tumor stage of EAC patients. GADD45B and its co-expressed genes were involved in the production of tumor necrosis factor. Conclusions: The high expression of GADD45B induced by acid and bile acid is correlated with the prognosis and tumor stage of EAC patients, and is a potential diagnosis and treatment target for Barrett's esophagus-associated adenocarcinoma.

Background:Previous study has found that harmine inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer cells by down-regulating cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)expression. However,its molecular mechanism is not fully clear. Aims:To investigate the effect of harmine on proliferation and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells,and explore the role of PTEN/Akt/MDM2 signaling pathway in this process. Methods:Human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line SGC-7901 and MKN-45 were treated with harmine at different concentrations(2,4,8,16,32 μg/mL)for 24,48,and 72 hours. The cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by MTT assay and Hoechst staining,respectively. The expressions of PTEN,COX-2, phosphorylated Akt(p-Akt)and p-MDM2 were measured by Western blotting. Results:Harmine dose- and time-dependently inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of SGC-7901 and MKN-45 cells. Also,harmine dose-dependently increased PTEN expression,and inhibited p-Akt,p-MDM2 and COX-2 expressions in SGC-7901 and MKN-45 cells. Conclusions:Harmine may inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of gastric cancer cells via down-regulating COX-2 expression through PTEN/Akt/MDM2 signaling pathway.