Objective To explore the feasibility of minimally invasive autopsy by natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery.Methods Autopsy was performed on a deceased patient with COVID-19 via transesophageal,transtrachea,and transgastric natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery.The white light endoscopic manifestations of the corresponding organs were observed,and organ tissue specimens were obtained for routine pathological examination.Results All four pathways reached the corresponding organs successfully.Diffuse congestion and submucous bleeding were seen in the trachea,bronchus and bronchus of the pulmonary lobes.The bronchus of the left lower lobe was filled with dark red sputum;the surface of the left lung was congested obviously.Four thrombi and plaque rupture were seen on the aortic wall.The gastric mucosa was congested,eroded,and had active ulcers.The surface of heart and liver was smooth.Small lamellar panniculitis was seen in the omentum.Routine pathology showed chronic inflammation with acute inflammation of the bronchial mucosa and inflammatory exudation,and partial squamous metaplasia of the epithelium.In lung tissue,some alveolar epithelial hyperplasia,a little fibrin-like exudation,widened alveolar septa,and infiltration of acute and chronic inflammatory cells were seen.The columnar epithelial mucosa of the gastric mucosa showed chronic inflammation with acute inflammation and exudates and fungal masses.Conclusion Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery is feasible for autopsy,and covid-19 virus can cause multi-system and multi-organ damage.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of Shengmaisan combined with polymyxin B in the treatment of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacillus infection with sepsis complicated with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. MethodA total of 90 patients suffering from carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacillus infection with sepsis complicated with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group， with 45 cases in each group. The control group was treated with polymyxin B， and the observation group was treated with Shengmaisan combined with polymyxin B. The treatment course of both groups was seven days. The infection-related indicators ［white blood cell （WBC） count， procalcitonin （PCT）， neutrophil apolipoprotein （HNL）］， inflammatory factors ［interleukin-6 （IL-6）， serum chemokine ligand 2 （CXCL2）］， and T lymphocyte subpopulations （CD3⁺， CD4⁺， CD8⁺， and CD4⁺/ CD8⁺ value）， acute physiological and chronic health Ⅱ （APACHE Ⅱ） score before and after treatment， as well as bacterial clearance rate and 28-day survival rate after treatment were observed. Result① The experiment was completed， and 81 cases were included， including 41 cases in the observation group and 40 cases in the control group. The general data of the two groups were comparable. ② The bacterial clearance rate of the observation group and the control group was 75.6% （31/41） and 52.5% （21/40）， respectively， and the observation group was higher than the control group （χ²=4.7， P<0.05）. ③ The WBC count， PCT， HNL， IL-6， CXCL2， and APACHE Ⅱ scores of the observation group and the control group all decreased after treatment （P<0.05）. Except for the WBC count， the PCT， HNL， IL-6， CXCL2， and APACHE Ⅱ scores of the observation group were lower than those of the control group （P<0.05）. ④ The values of CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ in the observation group were increased after treatment （P<0.05）， and CD8⁺ was decreased （P<0.05）. In the control group， only CD3⁺ value was increased （P<0.05）. The values of CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ in the observation group were higher than those in the control group， and the value of CD8⁺ was lower than that in the control group （P<0.05）. ⑤ The 28-day survival rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group （χ²=4.3， P<0.05）. ConclusionShengmaisan combined with polymyxin B in the treatment of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacillus infection with sepsis complicated with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome can better clear bacteria， control infection， reduce the level of inflammatory factors， regulate the immune state of the body， and improve the short-term prognosis.

To study the mechanism of polysaccharides from seeds of Vaccaria segetalis( PSV) in the treatment of bacterial cystitis through the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. The rat model of urinary tract infection was used and treated with PSV,and the urine and bladders were collected. The level of interleukin-10( IL-10) in rat urine was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay( ELISA). Western blot and immunofluorescence staining were used to detect the expressions of sonic hedgehog( SHH) and NLRP3 inflammasome [NOD-like receptor thermoprotein domain 3( NLRP3),apoptosis associated speck like protein( ASC) and pro-caspase-1]. The expression of Toll-like receptor pathway was detected by RT-PCR. The death of 5637 cells induced by uropathogenic Escherichia coli( UPEC) and lactate dehydrogenase( LDH) release were evaluated using live/dead staining. The results showed that in the rat bladder,the expressions of SHH,NLRP3 inflammasomes and Toll-like receptors were significantly up-regulated,and NLRP3 inflammasomes were significantly activated by UPEC infection. The administration with PSV could significantly increase the concentration of IL-10 in urine,inhibit the expressions of SHH,NLRP3 inflammasomes and Toll-like receptors in bladder,and inhibit the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes. A large number of 5637 cells were dead after UPEC infection and caused LDH production. PSV could significantly inhibit the death of 5637 cells and the release of LDH. In conclusion,PSV could inhibit the expression and activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes by inhibiting the Toll-like receptor pathway,thereby mitigating the bladder injury.
Animals ; Hedgehog Proteins ; Inflammasomes/genetics* ; Interleukin-1beta ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Polysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Rats ; Seeds ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Tract Infections/drug therapy* ; Vaccaria

Objective:To establish an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted diagnostic system for lung cancer via deep transfer learning.Methods:The researchers collected 519 lung pathologic slides from 2016 to 2019, covering various lung tissues, including normal tissues, adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma, from the Beijing Chest Hospital, the Capital Medical University. The slides were digitized by scanner, and 316 slides were used as training set and 203 as the internal test set. The researchers labeled all the training slides by pathologists and establish a semantic segmentation model based on DeepLab v3 with ResNet-50 to detect lung cancers at the pixel level. To perform transfer learning, the researchers utilized the gastric cancer detection model to initialize the deep neural network parameters. The lung cancer detection convolutional neural network was further trained by fine-tuning of the labeled data. The deep learning model was tested by 203 slides in the internal test set and 1 081 slides obtained from TCIA database, named as the external test set.Results:The model trained with transfer learning showed substantial accuracy advantage against the one trained from scratch for the internal test set [area under curve (AUC) 0.988 vs. 0.971, Kappa 0.852 vs. 0.832]. For the external test set, the transferred model achieved an AUC of 0.968 and Kappa of 0.828, indicating superior generalization ability. By studying the predictions made by the model, the researchers obtained deeper understandings of the deep learning model.Conclusions:The lung cancer histopathological diagnostic system achieves higher accuracy and superior generalization ability. With the development of histopathological AI, the transfer learning can effectively train diagnosis models and shorten the learning period, and improve the model performance.

In industrial fermentation processes, bacteria have to adapt environmental stresses. Sometimes, such a self-adaption does not work and will cause fermentation failures, although such adaptation also can generate unexpected positive effects with improved fermentation performance. Our review introduces cell self-adaption to environmental variations or stress, process optimization based on such self-adaptions, with heterologous proteins production by Pichia pastoris and butanol fermentation as examples. Our review can sever as reference for fermentation optimization based on cell self-adaption.
Adaptation, Physiological ; Butanols ; metabolism ; Environment ; Fermentation ; Pichia ; cytology ; metabolism

Objective: To investigate clinicopathologic features and prognosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) involving external auditory meatus. Methods: The clinical presentation and follow-up data of 63 patients with ACC of external auditory canal were collected from January 2006 to February 2017 at PLA General Hospital and Hainan Branch of PLA General Hospital. The clinicopathologic features and prognostic factors of external auditory canal ACC were analyzed. Results: (1) There were 28 males and 35 females and the average age of the first diagnosis was 48.9 years (22-81 years). The tumors showed cribriform pattern in 35 cases (15 cases of late stage), tubular pattern in 14 cases (8 cases of late stage), and solid pattern in 14 cases (9 cases of late stage). Cases with solid pattern was relatively more frequent than that of cribriform pattern and tubular pattern, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). (2) The average follow-up time was 62.4 months (2-228 months) in the 57 available cases. Among the 33 cases with recurrence, 18 cases had local recurrence and 15 cases had distant metastasis. The mean recurrence time was 40.6 months (2-204 months). Nine patients died of ACC: 2 cases in early stage (died at 48 and 102 months after the first treatment), 7 cases in late stage and 57 with (died at 9, 30, 32, 60, 72, 94 and 228 months). (3) Among the 37 patients with perineural invasion, there were 21 cases of cribriform pattern, 4 cases of tubular pattern and 12 cases of solid pattern; the number of cases in early stage and late stage were 15 and 22, respectively; and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). In addition, 31 cases had otalgia among the 37 patients with perineural invasion, where differences were not significant (P>0.05). (4) Thirty of 45 cases with tumor resection or partial resection of temporal bone had recurrence, whereas 3 of 12 cases of tumor combined with superficial lobectomy of parotid gland had recurrence. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy was given in 19 cases, including 7 cases of early stage (2 cases of recurrence), and 12 cases of late stage (8 cases of recurrence), among which there was no significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusions ACC occurring in external auditory canal frequently recurs. Superficial parotid lobectomy at the first operation is necessary to prevent tumor recurrence. Postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy has certain curative effect on patients with early stage tumor, but it does not affect the recurrence rate. Patients at late stage are more prone to perineural invasion than those in early stage. In addition, cribriform and solid patterns are more common that tubular pattern, and there is no significant correlation between perineural invasion and otalgia.

Objective: To investigate the expression of ERG, Fli-1, CD34, CD31 and factor Ⅷ-related antigen(FⅧRAg) in hepatic malignant vascular tumors. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 63 cases of primary hepatic malignant vascular tumors and 31 cases of hepatic other malignant spindle cell tumors collected during January 1986 to January 2014. EnVision method was used to detect the expression of ERG, Fli-1, CD34, CD31, FⅧRAg. Results: Sixty-three cases of malignant vascular tumors, including 24 cases of angiosarcoma, 38 cases of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma and 1 case of hepatic Kaposi′s sarcoma. All of the cases were positive for ERG(100.0%, 63/63). Positive rate of Fli-1, CD34, CD31, FⅧRAg was 96.8% (61/63), 87.3% (55/63), 81.0% (51/63) and 41.3% (26/63), respectively. In other hepatic malignant spindle cell tumors, the positive rate of ERG, Fli-1, CD34, CD31 and FⅧRAg was 3.2% (1/31), 19.4% (6/31), 19.4% (6/31), 9.7%(3/31) and 3.2%(1/31), respectively.The sensitivity of ERG, Fli-1, CD34, CD31, FⅧRAg was 100.0%, 96.8%, 87.3%, 81.0% and 41.3%, respectively.The specificity was 96.8%, 80.6%, 80.6%, 90.3% and 96.8%, respectively. Conclusion ERG is a more sensitive and specific diagnostic marker for hepatic malignant vascular tumors in comparison to Fli-1, CD34, CD31 and FⅧRAg.

Objective To compare the tumor sizes of primary lesions in pancreatic cancer based on CT scan and postoperative pathological analysis and measure the extent of filtration under a microscope,and to determine the CTV in radiotherapy target delineation.Methods A total of 19 patients with pancreatic cancer who were admitted to PLA General Hospital and Air Force General Hospital,PLA from 2013 to 2014 were analyzed.In 15 patients,the maximum diameters of tumor cross-section were measured based on the images of preoperative multi-slice spiral CT and postoperative gross samples,respectively.In 19 patients,the extent of tumor infiltration was measured on pathological sections under a microscope and the actual extent of infiltration was calculated.The paired t-test was applied to analyze the differences in the results of different measurement methods.Results In the 15 patients,the maximum tumor diameters measured with gross samples and CT scan were 33.6 mm and 30.1 mm,respectively (P=0.000),and the median and mean of the differences were 3.1 mm (1.2-8.0 mm) and 3.6±2.0 mm,respectively (95％ CI 1.2-6.0).In the 19 patients,the maximum actual infiltration distance and the maximum distance measured were 3.50 mm and 3.19 mm,respectively (P=0.000),and the median and mean of the differences were 0.31 mm (0.15-0.50 mm) and 0.30±0.09 mm,respectively.The maximum distance between the margin of primary lesions and the infiltrating lesions was 5.21 mm,with a median of 3.34 mm (2.19-5.21 mm) and a mean of 3.50± 0.88 mm (95％ CI 2.19-5.06).Conclusions Contrast-enhanced CT scan underestimates the actual size of primary lesions in pancreatic cancer,and an extension of 5 mm outside gross tumor volume (GTV) as CTV may not be sufficient.It is recommended to extend another 1-3 mm outside GTV as CTV.

Objective To study the clinicopathologic features of thyroid-like follicular renal cell carcinoma.Methods Clinical data were collected in 5 cases of thyroid-like follicular renal cell carcinoma.HE staining and immunohistochemistry were carried out in surgically-removed specimen to analyze the clinical and pathological features with review of the literatures.Results The patients aged 20-55 years, with one male and four females;the tumor occurred in the left kidney in three cases and right kidney in two cases.One case had a history of thyroid papillary carcinoma 3 years ago, and the patient had left flank pain, macroscopic haematuria for 2 weeks.The rest four cases had no consciousness of clinical symptoms and signs, without history of thyroid gland surgery; the physical examination found a mass in the kidney and normal thyroid glands.Three patients underwent radical nephrectomy, and the other two patients underwent tumor partial nephrectomy.The tumors were 2-4 cm in size.They showed a solitary nodular mass of well circumscribed with taupe and gray on cut surface.Microscopically,most of tumor cells arranged in thyroid follicular pattern in different sizes, with papillary configuration in a small portion,in four cases;the follicular structure was intermixed with the papillary each half in one case.A large amount of thyroid colloid was deposited within follicule-like structure or papillary axis, lined by simple columnar cells or cubic cells, with obvious atypia, ground-glass nuclei, nuclear groove and rare mitosis.Immunohistochemical staining showed tumor cells were positive for PAX8,and negative for thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF1) and thyroglobulin ( Tg).One of five patients presented with lymph node metastases (4/4) of renal hilum the same time in the diagnosis.Five cases were followed up for 5 -84 months after operation, and no tumor progression was found.Conclusions Thyroid-like follicular renal cell carcinoma is primary renal epithelial malignant tumor.The diagnosis mainly depends on its characteristics of histological appearance,namely similar to the histological morphology of well-differentiated thyroid follicular carcinoma and papillary carcinoma, and the metastasis from the thyroid papillary or follicular carcinoma must be excluded.On the premise of clinical history, immunohistochemical markers TTF1 and Tg have certain value in the differential diagnosis.

OBJECTIVETo determine the effect of obesity on prostate specific antigen (PSA) in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and develop a PSA-related parameter that can eliminate the effect of obesity.

METHODSWe reviewed the clinical data of 706 patients with BPH. Two PSA-related parameters, namely PSA mass (total circulating PSA protein) and PSA mass ratio (total circulation PSA protein per prostate volume), were calculated for all the patients and the association of BMI with PSA, PSA mass, and PSA mass ratio was assessed.

RESULTSA higher BMI was significantly associated with a greater plasma volume and prostate volume (P<0.05). Linear regression analysis revealed a greater adjusted R2 of BMI versus plasma volume than of BMI PSA (0.569 vs 0.027). PSA was positively associated with the prostate volume and negatively with BMI and plasma volume (P<0.05). PSA mass was positively associated with prostate volume (P<0.05) but was not associated with BMI or plasma volume (P>0.05). PSA mass ratio was not associated with prostate volume (P>0.05) but negatively associated with BMI and plasma volume. Plasma volume and prostate volume, PSA, and PSA mass ratio (P<0.05), but not PSA mass (P>0.05), differed significantly among normal-weight, overweight, and obese patients.

CONCLUSIONA higher BMI is associated with a greater plasma volume in BPH patients. In obese patients with BPH, a lower PSA concentration may result from hemodilution caused by a greater plasma volume, and PSA mass can eliminate the effect of obesity on PSA.

Body Mass Index ; Hemodilution ; Humans ; Male ; Obesity ; pathology ; Organ Size ; Overweight ; pathology ; Prostate ; pathology ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; blood ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; diagnosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis