Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and identify predictive factors for spontaneous passage of common bile duct (CBD) stones.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients diagnosed as having choledocholithiasis via abdominal imaging at outpatient and emergency departments of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine and other medical institutions from January 2021 to November 2023. Participants were stratified into spontaneous passage versus non-passage groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors for the spontaneous passage of common bile duct stones.Results:Spontaneous stone passage were confirmed in 70 cases (15.5%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that an admission diagnosis of acute biliary pancreatitis ( OR=3.317, 95% CI: 1.427-7.713, P=0.005), larger common bile duct diameter ( OR=1.117, 95% CI: 1.000-1.248, P=0.049), and solitary stones ( OR=11.135, 95% CI: 3.602-34.418, P<0.001) significantly increased the probability of spontaneous stones. In contrast, larger stone long diameter ( OR=0.539, 95% CI: 0.441-0.659, P<0.001) markedly decreased passage likelihood. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that the common bile duct diameter predicted spontaneous stone passage with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.662, yielding sensitivity of 52.9% (37/70) and specificity of 73.6% (51/70) at a cutoff value of 9.5 mm. The common bile duct stone diameter achieved an AUC of 0.852 for predicting spontaneous stone passage, with sensitivity of 75.7% (53/70) and specificity of 89.0% (62/70) at a cutoff value of 4.5 mm. Conclusion:Solitary small stones, ductal dilation, and an admission diagnosis of acute biliary pancreatitis are key predictive factors for spontaneous common bile duct stone passage. A common bile duct diameter ≥9.5 mm and stone long diameter ≤4.5 mm are more likely to result in spontaneous stone passage.

Colorectal tumorigenesis generally progresses from adenoma to adenocarcinoma, accompanied by dynamic changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). A randomized controlled trial has confirmed the efficacy and safety of Shen-Bai-Jie-Du decoction (SBJDD) in preventing colorectal tumorigenesis. However, the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to investigate the dynamic evolution of the TME and validated cell infiltration with multiplex immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Bulk RNA sequencing was utilized to assess the underlying mechanisms. Our results constructed the mutually verifiable single-cell transcriptomic atlases in Apc ^Min/+ mice and clinical patients. There was a marked accumulation of CCL22⁺ dendritic cells (DCs) and an enhanced immunosuppressive action, which SBJDD and berberine reversed. Combined treatment with cholesterol and lipopolysaccharide induced characteristic gene expression of CCL22⁺ DCs, which may represent "exhausted DCs". Intraperitoneal injection of these DCs after SBJDD treatment eliminated its therapeutic effects. TMEM131 derived CCL22⁺ DCs generation by TNF signaling pathway and may be a potential target of berberine in retarding colorectal tumorigenesis. These findings emphasize the role of exhausted DCs and the regulatory mechanisms of SBJDD and berberine in colorectal cancer (CRC), suggesting that the multi-component properties of SBJDD may help restore TME homeostasis and offer novel cancer therapy.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and identify predictive factors for spontaneous passage of common bile duct (CBD) stones.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients diagnosed as having choledocholithiasis via abdominal imaging at outpatient and emergency departments of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine and other medical institutions from January 2021 to November 2023. Participants were stratified into spontaneous passage versus non-passage groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors for the spontaneous passage of common bile duct stones.Results:Spontaneous stone passage were confirmed in 70 cases (15.5%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that an admission diagnosis of acute biliary pancreatitis ( OR=3.317, 95% CI: 1.427-7.713, P=0.005), larger common bile duct diameter ( OR=1.117, 95% CI: 1.000-1.248, P=0.049), and solitary stones ( OR=11.135, 95% CI: 3.602-34.418, P<0.001) significantly increased the probability of spontaneous stones. In contrast, larger stone long diameter ( OR=0.539, 95% CI: 0.441-0.659, P<0.001) markedly decreased passage likelihood. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that the common bile duct diameter predicted spontaneous stone passage with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.662, yielding sensitivity of 52.9% (37/70) and specificity of 73.6% (51/70) at a cutoff value of 9.5 mm. The common bile duct stone diameter achieved an AUC of 0.852 for predicting spontaneous stone passage, with sensitivity of 75.7% (53/70) and specificity of 89.0% (62/70) at a cutoff value of 4.5 mm. Conclusion:Solitary small stones, ductal dilation, and an admission diagnosis of acute biliary pancreatitis are key predictive factors for spontaneous common bile duct stone passage. A common bile duct diameter ≥9.5 mm and stone long diameter ≤4.5 mm are more likely to result in spontaneous stone passage.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for circular superficial esophageal cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 74 consecutive cases of circular superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with ESD at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 2015 to December 2019. The success rate of ESD, curative resection rate, incidence of complications, and additional treatment were mainly observed.Results:One case was transferred to surgery, and the remaining 73 cases successfully completed ESD treatment. The success rate of ESD was 98.6%. Postoperative pathology of ESD revealed that 39 cases achieved curative resection, with a curative resection rate of 53.4% (39/73). Intraoperative muscle layer injury occurred in 15 cases (20.5%), and intraoperative perforation occurred in 1 case (1.4%). Two cases (2.7%) experienced delayed bleeding, and one case (1.4%) experienced delayed perforation. Eleven cases were lost to follow-up, and the remaining 62 cases received follow-up for 36.4±19.0 months. Among the follow-up cases, 12 underwent additional surgery and 5 cases additional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Among the 57 patients with follow-up data who did not underwent surgery, 49 developed esophageal stenosis after ESD, with an incidence rate of 86.0%.Conclusion:ESD for circular superficial esophageal cancer is generally safe, but it is prone to muscle layer injury during the operation, with a low curative resection rate, a high incidence of postoperative esophageal stenosis, and a high proportion of additional surgical procedures.

Digestive system tumors,such as esophageal cancer,gastric cancer,colorectal cancer,liver cancer,and pancreatic cancer,represent a yearly increase in their incidence and mortality rates,causing tremendous social economic burdens.Therefore,it is vital to elucidate the mechanisms of tumorigenesis and development of digestive system tumors and take corresponding intervention measures.The intratumoral microbiome forms an integral part of the tumor microenvironment.Recent studies have found that the intratumoral microbiome can regulate the biological behavior of tumors in multiple ways,including promoting DNA damage and mutations,facilitating tumor cell proliferation and metastasis,and influencing the tumor immune microenvironment.It is likely one of the key mechanisms in the development of digestive system tumors.This article reviewed the research progress on intratumoral microorganisms in digestive system tumors.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of AB classification combined with Arima classification for predicting the invasion depth of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (SESCC).Methods:From July 2017 to December 2022, 76 cases of SESCC receiving endoscopic submucosal dissection and intra-epithelial papillary capillary loops (IPCL) AB classification as type B2 in Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital and Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine were included in the study. IPCL was reclassified according to Arima classification. The depth of infiltration determined by pathology was the gold standard. The sensitivity, the specificity, the positive predictive value and the negative predictive value of B2-Arima combined classification in predicting the invasion depth of SESCC were analyzed.Results:In the 76 cases of type B2 IPCL lesions, 31 cases (40.79%) were T1a-MM/T1b-SM1 SESCC. The sensitivity, the specificity, the positive predictive value, the negative predictive value and the diagnostic accuracy of type B2 IPCL to predict T1a-MM/T1b-SM1 SESCC were 70.45% (31/44), 79.64% (176/221), 40.79% (31/76), 93.12% (176/189), and 78.11% (207/265), respectively. After Arima classification, the above corresponding indicators of type B2-4ML and type B2-AVA-4M IPCL in predicting T1a-MM/T1b-SM1 SESCC were 61.36% (27/44), 88.24% (195/221), 50.94% (27/53), 91.98% (195/212), 83.77% (222/265) and 38.64% (17/44), 94.57% (209/221), 58.62% (17/29), 88.56% (209/236), 85.28% (226/265), respectively.Conclusion:B2 IPCL combined with Arima classification can improve the diagnostic accuracy of T1a-MM/T1b-SM1 ESSCC.

Objective:To establish a scoring system for preoperative prediction of the malignant potential of gastric stromal tumors based on gastroscopic and endoscopic ultrasound features, along with validation.Methods:A total of 286 patients who were treated in Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2023 and diagnosed as having gastric stromal tumors by postoperative pathology were enrolled in the modeling group. According to National Institutes of Health classification system, 227 very-low/low-risk patients were classified into the low malignant potential (LMP) group, and the 59 intermediate/high-risk patients into the high malignant potential (HMP) group. LASSO regression analysis was performed to identify predictive factors for HMP gastric stromal tumors, and a nomogram prediction model was developed. Internal validation using the Bootstrap method was performed on the modeling group, and external validation was performed on data from 85 patients who were treated and diagnosed as having gastric stromal tumors by postoperative pathology in Taizhou People's Hospital from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analyses were employed in both the modeling and external validation groups.Results:Tumor size (coef=0.755), tumor shape (coef=0.015), tumor location (coef=0.008), growth pattern (coef=-0.026), cystic change (coef=0.685), and surface unceration change (coef=-0.545) were the independent predictive factors for HMP gastric stromal tumors. The nomogram-based prediction model constructed using these factors achieved an area under the ROC curve of 0.959 (95% CI: 0.898-0.903) in the modeling group and 0.959 (95% CI: 0.857-1.000) in the external validation group. The model demonstrated good accuracy (0.917) and a Kappa value of 0.737 in internal validation. Calibration curve and decision curve analyses indicated strong calibration and high net benefit in both the modeling and the external validation groups. Conclusion:Tumor size, tumor shape, tumor location, growth pattern, cystic change, and surface ulceration change are independent predictive factors for HMP gastric stromal tumors. The nomogram model developed based on these factors offers effective and convenient visualization for clinicians to predict the malignant potential of gastric stromal tumors preoperatively.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on data of 13 patients with rectal or anal canal lesions involving the dentate line who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) at the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 2022 to July 2023. The efficacy and safety of ESD were evaluated. ESD was performed on 14 lesions in 13 patients. The lesions had a length of 1.4 to 12.5 cm and 5.4 cm in average, which were removed entirely in a single session, with an R0 resection rate of 92.31% (12/13). The ESD procedure duration ranged from 35 to 225 minutes, with an average of 88.3 minutes. Anal canal stenosis occurred in 1 case after ESD, which was improved after treatment with anal dilatation. No delayed bleeding, perforation, or other complications occurred. Pathological examination after ESD revealed 6 tubulovillous adenoma, 2 tubular adenoma, 3 tubular adenocarcinoma, and 2 squamous epithelial intraepithelial neoplasia (both 2 lesions were combined with human papillomavirus infection). In one case of tubular adenocarcinoma, the local resection margin showed focal tubulovillous adenoma, while the other cases were negative on lateral margins around and basal margins. The median follow-up period was 7.0 months (range 2 to 13 months), with no local residue, recurrence or metastasis observed. ESD is safe and effective for early rectal or anal canal lesions involving the dentate line, and is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Digestive system tumors,such as esophageal cancer,gastric cancer,colorectal cancer,liver cancer,and pancreatic cancer,represent a yearly increase in their incidence and mortality rates,causing tremendous social economic burdens.Therefore,it is vital to elucidate the mechanisms of tumorigenesis and development of digestive system tumors and take corresponding intervention measures.The intratumoral microbiome forms an integral part of the tumor microenvironment.Recent studies have found that the intratumoral microbiome can regulate the biological behavior of tumors in multiple ways,including promoting DNA damage and mutations,facilitating tumor cell proliferation and metastasis,and influencing the tumor immune microenvironment.It is likely one of the key mechanisms in the development of digestive system tumors.This article reviewed the research progress on intratumoral microorganisms in digestive system tumors.

Objective:To study the short-term (≤3 months) efficacy and safety of esophageal triamcinolone acetonide filling combined with short-course oral methylprednisolone for the prevention of esophageal stenosis after large-area endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) (≥3/4 circumference).Methods:A total of 14 patients with 15 early esophageal lesions who received ESD after evaluation from June 2021 to September 2022 in Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine were enrolled. All received regular esophageal triamcinolone acetonide filling combined with oral methylprednisolone for 7 weeks until the lesions completely recovered by regenerated squamous epithelium (>95%). Patients with esophageal stricture were treated with additional endoscopic dilatation. The stenosis rate, the interval between the first endoscopic dilation and the completion of ESD, the number of esophageal triamcinolone acetonide filling, the healing time after ESD, and the speed and method of squamous epithelium regeneration were observed. The secondary observations were adverse events such as bleeding and perforation after ESD and adverse events related to steroid hormone.Results:No adverse events occurred after ESD in 14 patients. Only 1 patient developed esophageal stenosis, the incidence of stenosis was 7.1% (1/14). The interval between the first dilation and ESD was 39 days. Thirteen patients achieved squamous epithelium regeneration without stenosis or adverse events related to steroid hormone. The median number of esophageal triamcinolone acetonide filling was 6.5 times (4.0-14.0 times), the median healing time was 40 days (32-94 days), and the median healing speed was 0.61 cm2/d (0.30-1.55 cm2/d).Conclusion:Esophageal triamcinolone acetonide filling combined with short-course oral methylprednisolone for the prevention of esophageal stenosis after large-area ESD is effective and safe in the short-term follow-up.