BACKGROUNDGenetic variations at the interleukin 28B (IL-28B) locus are important in predicting outcome following therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The aim of this research was to evaluate the role of IL-28B single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variations in Chinese patients undergoing pegylated interferon-α plus ribavirin (PEG-IFN-α/RBV) treatment.

METHODSTo determine the effect of IL-28B variation on the response to HCV therapy, these variants were genotyped in a cohort of 220 patients who were chronically infected with HCV and received combined PEG-IFN-α/RBV therapy.

RESULTSThe proportions of rs12979860 CC, CT, and TT genotypes were 71.4%, 25.0%, and 3.6% respectively, in the sustained virological response (SVR) group; 15.8%, 60.5%, and 23.7% respectively, in the null virological response (NVR) group; and 38.1%, 52.4%, and 9.5% respectively, in the relapse (Rel) group (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that, compared to those having the CC genotype, CT heterozygotes had an increased risk of NVR and Rel (OR = 10.95, 95%CI = 4.12-29.11, P = 1.5×10(-7) and OR = 3.93, 95%CI = 1.86-8.32, P = 2.1×10(-4) respectively). The RNA quantification assay showed that patients with genotype CC exhibited much higher levels of IL-28 expression than those with genotype CT or TT (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSThe IL-28B SNP rs12979860 genotype was related to the effectiveness of HCV therapy: patients with the CC rs12979860 genotype had higher rates of SVR than those with the CT or TT genotype, and the CC genotype revealed a significantly higher level of IL-28 mRNA expression.

Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Genotype ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Interleukins ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; genetics ; Ribavirin ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo explore the feasibility of laparoscopic-assisted radical right hemicolectomy with the outcome being a complete mesocolic excision (CME).

METHODSBetween February 2010 and June 2011, we performed the standardized surgery of laparoscopic-assisted radical right hemicolectomy with an aim of CME on 14 patients. There were 10 males and 4 females, with an average age of 57 years (range 36 to 74 years). All the pathologic results in 14 cases were primary colonic adenocarcinoma. The TNM stages were distributed as follows: 2 in II A, 3 in II B, 3 in III A, 5 in III B and 1 in III C.

RESULTSSurgery was successfully performed for all patients without open conversion. The average operation time was (178 ± 37) minutes (range 127 to 221 minutes), average intraoperative blood loss was (67 ± 23) ml (range 30 to 110 ml), while the average number of lymph node harvest was 21 ± 7 (range 14 to 31), and the postoperative hospital stay was (10.0 ± 2.2) days (range 7 to 15 days). Minor complications occured in 2 patients. Major complications and post-operative mortality were not observed. All the patients were followed up for 3 to 19 months, no tumor recurrence or metastasis was identified.

CONCLUSIONThe standardized surgery of laparoscopic-assisted radical right hemicolectomy with the final outcome of CME is safe and feasible.

Adult ; Aged ; Colectomy ; methods ; Colonic Neoplasms ; surgery ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Male ; Mesocolon ; surgery ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUNDMicroendoscopic discectomy (MED) is a minimally invasive operation that allows rapid recovery from surgery for lumbar disc herniation, but has replaced traditional open surgery in few hospitals because most surgeons avoid its long learning curve. We evaluated the effectiveness and safety of lumbar MED at stages of spinal surgeons' learning curve.

METHODSFifty patients receiving MED from June 2002 to February 2003 were divided into chronological groups of ten each: A - E. The control group F was ten MED patients treated later by the same medical team (September - October 2006). All operations were performed by the same team of spinal surgeons with no MED experience before June 2002. We compared groups by operation time, blood loss, complications and need for open surgery after MED failure.

RESULTSOperation times by group were: A, (107 +/- 14) minutes; B, (85 +/- 13) minutes; C, (55 +/- 19) minutes; D, (52 +/- 12) minutes; E, (51 +/- 13) minutes; and F, (49+/- 15) minutes. Blood loss were: A, (131 +/- 73) ml; B, (75 +/- 20) ml; C, (48 +/- 16) ml; D, (44 +/- 17) ml; E, (45 +/- 18) ml; and F, (45 +/- 16) ml. Both operation time and blood loss in groups C, D, E and F were smaller and more stable compared with groups A and B. Japanese Orthopedic Association assessment (JOA) score of each group in improvement rate immediately and one year after operation were as follows (in percentage): A, (79.8 +/- 8.8)/(89.8 +/- 7.7); B, (78.6 +/- 8.5)/(88.5 +/- 7.8); C, (80.8 +/- 11.3)/(90.8 +/- 6.7); D, (77.7 +/- 11.4)/(88.9 +/- 9.3); E, (84.0 +/- 8.7)/(89.6 +/- 9.0); and F, (77.8 +/- 11.6)/(86.9 +/- 8.4). Groups showed no statistical difference in improvement rates. Complications developed in three patients in group A, two in group B, and none in the other groups.

CONCLUSIONSSpinal surgeons performing MED become proficient after 10 - 20 operations, when their skill becomes fairly sophisticated. Patients' improvement rate is the same regardless of surgeons' phase of learning curve.

Adult ; Diskectomy ; education ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; surgery ; Learning ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; education ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo observe therapeutic effect of "general regulation" acupuncture and cupping therapy on osteoporosis.

METHODSSixty cases of primary osteoporosis were treated with the "general regulation" acupuncture-cupping therapy: warming needle moxibustion, plum-blossom needle, moving cupping and retaining the cup, thrice each week, for 3 months. The therapeutic effect was assessed by modified life quality scale for the patient of osteoporosis.

RESULTSOf the 60 cases, 3 cases did not complete the therapeutic course and 48 cases had a significant increase of life quality, the score of the life quality scale decreased from (67.45 +/- 15.67) before treatment to (42.28 +/- 27.89) after treatment with a significant difference (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe "general regulation" acupuncture-cupping therapy can effectively increase life quality of the patient with osteoporosis, which is an effective therapy for osteoporosis.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Osteoporosis ; therapy ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo summarize therapeutic experience and the long-term results of early cardiac adenocarcinoma with surgical resection.

METHODSNinety cases were diagnosed with early cardiac adenocarcinoma during endoscopic screening in high incidence rate area of esophageal cancer from 1972 to 1997. All of the patients accepted surgical treatment. Cardiectomy included partial stomach and esophagus was performed through left thoracotomy in all patients. Esophagogastrostomy was carried out in the infra-aortic region and thoracoabdominal lymphatic dissection was performed in all cases.

RESULTSThe resection rate was 100%. One patient died in one month after the operation. Postoperative complications occurred in 4 cases (4.4%). Pathological examination of cancer specimens showed that 46 cases (51.1%) were intramucosal carcinoma without lymphatic metastasis and 44 cases (48.9%) were submucous infiltrating carcinoma with lymphatic metastasis in 5 (11.4%). The patients were followed-up to 2002, and the overall 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 year survival rates were 91.9%, 83.6%, 69.6%, 49.8% and 16.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSEarly diagnosis and early treatment may be the best approach for promoting the survival of the cardiac cancer. Surgical resection of early cardiac carcinoma provides excellent long-term survival.

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Cardia ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Esophagectomy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Survival Analysis ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the factors for the conversion of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) to open prostatectomy and to provide clinical evidence for surgical options.

METHODSFrom January 1997 to March 2005, we performed 1 086 TURP and made retrospective analyses of 11 risk factors concerning the demographics, clinical history, laboratory data, ultrasound results, and intraoperative complications of the patients. In addition, multivariate logistic regression was used to determine those variables predicting the conversion of TURP.

RESULTSThirty-nine (3.59%) of the TURP cases required conversion, mostly because of uncontrollable hemorrhage (71.79%). Multivariate analyses showed that a prostate volume > 85.2 ml (OR = 2.568, P < 0.01), intraoperative slit of capsula prostatic (OR = 1.916, P < 0.01) and a second midstream bladder specimen (VB2) white blood cell count of the urine > 13.5/HP (OR = 1.486, P < 0.01) predicted the conversion to open prostatectomy.

CONCLUSIONBenign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients with a huge prostate and those with intraoperative slit of capsula prostatic undergoing TURP are more likely to be converted. And uncontrollable hemorrhage, huge prostate and poor endoscopic vision are the major reasons for the conversion.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; etiology ; Prostatectomy ; methods ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate ; adverse effects ; methods ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To review the surgical treatment for reconstructing hypopharynx and cervical esophagus after hypopharyngo-oesophagectomy, and to evalue its efficacy. METHODS: Different methods were adopted to reconstruct the hypopharynx and cervical esophagus among 25 cases, including 14 cases of carcinoma of the hypopharynx and 11 of carcinoma of hypopharynx and cervical esophagus. In accordance with the standard of the International Union Against Cancer in 1997, the 25 cases were divided into different clinic stages, among which 5 were in T(2)N(0), 2 in T(2)N(1), 4 in T(3)N(0), 3 in T(3)N(1), 7 in T(4)N(1) and 3 in T(4)N(2). Treatment protocol was as follow: Pure operation for 5 cases, re-operation after radiotherapy for 2 cases, operation plus radiotherapy for 18 cases, laryngeal conservation operation for 8, and neck dissection for 21 cases. Reconstruction was done by using free jejunal transplantation, gastric pull-up, the laryngotracheal flap, and myocutaneous flap. RESULTS: After the reconstruction, 3 cases of free jejunal graft and gastric pull-up, 4 of laryngotracheal flap recovered oral fleeding within 2 weeks. No serious complications occurred. After 18 cases underwent the myocutaneous flap reconstruction, no complications occurred in 10 patients, but there were different complications in 8 cases, including pharyngocutaneous fistula (6 cases), haryngoesphageal stenosis (7 cases), and pectoralis major myocutaneous flap necrotic (1 case). The 3-year survival rate was 38.9% (7/18). CONCLUSION Reconstruction with free jejunal graft, gastric pull-up, and laryngotracheal flap constitutes is a safe and reliable method to restore the continuity of the upper digestive tract after pharyngo-laryngo-oesophagectomy. After the reconstruction with myocutaneous flap, there is high incidence of pharyngocutaneous fistula and haryngoesophageal stenosis.
Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; surgery ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Esophagoplasty ; methods ; Esophagus ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Hypopharynx ; surgery ; Jejunum ; transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Surgical Flaps

Objective To study the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)on production of pulmonary surfactants.Method Fetal rat lungs were obtained at 19-day gestation.Primary culture of typeⅡalveolar epithelial cells(AECⅡ)was performed using IgG panning technique.The rats was divided into groups: VEGF,Dexamethasone,VEGF plus Dexamethasone and a control.Total phospholipids,phosphatidylcholine (PC),phosphatidyl glycerol(PG)and sphingornyelin(SM)were determined.Results expressed as mean?SEM. Comparison between groups were made with LSD-t test and one -way ANOVA.Result VEGF,Dexamethasone and VEGF plus Dexamethasone groups showed increased amount of total phospholipids and its compositions on the first day of culture.Conclusions VEGF-165 promotes the production and secretion of pulmonary surfactant. VEGF and Dexamethason may go through different mechanism for enhancement of synthesis of pulmonary surfactant,thereby improve biological function of AECⅡ.

Objective To study the influence of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) on development of alveolar epithelial cell Ⅱ (AECⅡ) and expression of pulmonary surfactant protein B(SP-B) in premature rats.Methods Wistar rats at 19 days gestation were paunched to get embryo and primary AECⅡculture.The rats were divided into 4 groups ,VEGF-165 group,Dexamethasone group,VEGF and Dexamethason group,control group. AECⅡ and SP-B expression were measured by immunology histochemistry.Results SP-B had positive expression in VEGF group, Dexamethason group, VEGF and Dexamethason group. SP-B had negative expression in control group.Conclusion VEGF-165 can increase SP-B positive expression and secret of AECⅡ.VEGF promotes lung maturity.