Humans ; Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Pancreas ; Needles

Objective To compare image quality and radiation dose for abdominal CT angiography(CTA)in infants and young children after liver transplantation using energy spectrum CT and low tube voltage scanning.Methods Totally 41 infants or young children after liver transplantation were included,including 22 cases who underwent energy spectrum CT(energy spectrum group)and 19 cases who underwent low tube voltage(80 kV)CT scanning(low tube voltage group).50 keV single energy images of energy spectrum group were extracted to observe abdominal blood vessels.Subjective and objective evaluation on image quality were performed,the latter aimed at CT value and noise value of hepatic artery and portal vein,the contrast and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)of hepatic artery and portal vein.The examined volume CT dose index(CTDIvol),dose-length product(DLP)and effective dose(ED)of both groups were recorded.Results No significant difference of subjective image quality score was found between groups(P＞0.05).In low tube voltage group,during arterial phase,CT values of hepatic artery,contrastarteries and CNRarteries were higher,and during the portal vein phase,CT values of hepatic artery,liver tissue noise,contrastportalvein and CNRportalvein were all higher than those in energy spectrum group(all P＜0.05).CTDIvol,DLP and ED in energy spectrum group were higher than those in low tube voltage group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Compared with energy spectrum CT,low tube voltage CT scanning combined with iterative reconstruction technology could result better image quality and lower radiation dose for abdominal CTA in infants and young children after liver transplantation.

Objective To investigate the effect of hairy and enhancer of split 5(HES5)on transdifferentiation and apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells induced by TGF-β1 and its potential mechanism.Methods The differentially expressed genes in GSE66494 data were analyzed and screened.The mouse model of unilateral uretera obstruction(UUO)was established,and the expression level of HES5 was detected in the renal tissue.HK-2 cells were treated with 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 for 24 h to establish a tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)model,and then qRT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to detect the expression of HES5 at mRNA and protein levels.After HK-2 cells were transfected with the plasmid overexpressing HES5,the protein levels of fibronectin,collagen Ⅰ,vimentin,apoptosis markers Bax and Bcl2 were detected in 24 h later.Then,HK-2 cells were divided into Control group,siHES5 group,TGF-β 1 group,and siHES5+TGF-β1 group.The protein level of fibrosis and apoptosis markers were measured in above groups with Western blotting.TUNEL staining and flow cytometry were employed to detect cell apoptosis.Western blotting was applied to determine the protein levels of AKT,p-AKT,PI3K and p-PI3K.HK-2 cells overexpressing HES5 were treated with PI3K inhibitor LY294002,and the expression of vimentin was detected.Results The expression of HES5 was significantly up-regulated in both chronic kidney disease(CKD)and fibrotic kidneys of mice.Overexpression of HES5 promoted the synthesis of fibronectin,collagen Ⅰ,vimentin and Bax in HK-2 cells,and inhibited the expression of Bcl2(P＜0.05).HES5 knockdown not only down-regulated the expression of fibrosis markers,but also inhibited the apoptosis of HK-2 cells.Furthermore,HES5 knockdown inhibited the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway induced by TGF-β1 in HK-2 cells(P＜0.05).Inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway inhibitor attenuated the induction of HES5 on vimentin.Conclusion HES5 knockdown inhibits the transdifferentiation and apoptosis in TGF-β1-induced renal tubular epithelial cells,which may be related to the decreased activity of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the role of fibrinogen-like protein 2(Fgl2)in macrophage polarization during cisplatin(Cis)-induced acute kidney injury(Cis-AKI).Methods Twelve male wild-type(Fgl2+/+)mice and 12 Fgl2 gene knockout(Fgl2)mice,aged 8～10 weeks and weighing 20～25 g,were selected,and then after being administered with a single intraperitoneal injection of either saline or Cis for 3 d,they were randomly divided into 4 groups(n=6):Fgl2+/+Saline group,Fgl2+/+Cis group,Fgl2 Saline group and Fgl2 Cis group.Kidney function indicators such as serum creatinine(Scr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)levels were measured 3 d later,and kidney injury was assessed by HE staining.Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the expression of Fgl2 and kidney injury molecule 1(Kim-1)in the renal tissues.RT-qPCR was conducted to assess the expression levels of Fgl2,Kim-1,neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin(NGAL),IL-6,IL-12p40,IL-1β,inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)and TNF-α in the renal tissues.Immunohistochemical assay was employed to detect the expression of Fgl2 and macrophages(F4/80+)in the kidneys.Immunofluorescence staining was utilized to examine the expression of macrophages(F4/80+)and M1-type macrophages(F4/80+CD86+)in the renal tissues.Flow cytometry was employed to analyze the expression of macrophages(F4/80+)as well as M1-type macrophages(F4/80+MHC Ⅱ+)and M2-type macrophages(F4/80+CD206+)in the renal tissues.Results Compared with the Fgl2+/+Saline group,the Fgl2+/+Cis group exhibited a significant decline in renal function(P＜0.05),a notable increase in pathological score of renal tubular injury(P＜0.05),and an obvious upregulation of renal tissue Fgl2 expression(P＜0.05).Compared with the Fgl2+/+Cis group,the Fgl2 Cis group demonstrated a significant decline in renal function(P＜0.05),an elevation in the expression of renal injury-associated molecules Kim-1 and NGAL(P＜0.05),an increase in pathological score of renal tubular injury(P＜0.05),increase in macrophage infiltration(P＜0.05),and an upregulation in the expression of M1-type macrophage-related molecules IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α and iNOS(P＜0.05),as well as obviously increase in the percentage of M1-type macrophages as indicated by flow cytometry(P＜0.05),while there was no significant change in the percentage of M2-type macrophages,and the proportion of M1-type macrophages was significantly higher than that of M2-type macrophages(P＜0.05).Conclusion Fgl2 gene knockout exacerbates Cis-AKI by promoting macrophage polarization towards the M1 phenotype.

To compare the efficacy, safety and economic cost of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided puncture sclerotherapy and laparoscopic decapitation decompression for the renal cysts in the upper pole, data of patients with renal cysts in the upper pole who received EUS-guided puncture sclerotherapy (the EUS group, n=9) or laparoscopic decapitation decompression (the laparoscopy group, n=16) in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2021 to August 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. The effective rate, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, incidence of complications, hospital stay and treatment cost of the EUS group and the laparoscopy group were compared. Results showed that the effective rate was comparable in the EUS group and laparoscopy group (9/9 VS 14/16, P=0.520). The operation time was shorter (29.8±4.8 min VS 70.1±11.1 min, t=10.207, P<0.001), intraoperative blood loss less (0 mL VS 26.1±5.9 mL, t=13.089, P<0.001), postoperative hospital stay shorter (3.5±0.7 days VS 5.4±2.0 days, t=2.663, P=0.014), and total cost lower (10 547.85±2 388.19 yuan VS 15 316.09±5 352.45 yuan, t=2.517, P=0.019) in the EUS group compared with those in the laparoscopy group. There was no significant difference in the total hospital stay (8.1±2.0 days VS 9.3±3.1 days, t=1.019, P=0.319) or operation cost (3 946.79±490.82 yuan VS 3 860.18±857.42 yuan, t=-0.277, P=0.784) between the EUS group and laparoscopy group. There was 1 case of puncture bleeding, 1 case of hematuria, and 1 case of lumbago in the laparoscopy group, while no complication occurred in the EUS group. In conclusion, it is preliminarily believed that EUS-guided puncture sclerotherapy for renal cysts in the upper pole has similar clinical effects with higher safety, shorter postoperative hospital stay and lower total hospitalization cost compared with those of laparoscopic decapitation decompression, which is worth of clinical promotion.

Objective:To evaluate the preoperative localization value of endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle tattooing (EUS-FNT) for laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy in pancreatic lesions with a maximum diameter ≤3 cm.Methods:From November 2017 to October 2022, at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, the data of patients with pancreatic lesions ≤3 cm who underwent laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy were retrospectively analyzed. Eight patients who underwent EUS-FNT assisted laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy were included in the fine needle tattooing (FNT) combined laparoscopic group. And 14 patients who underwent simple laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy were taken as the simple laparoscopic group. The success rate and complications of EUS-FNT were observed. The differences in operation time, surgery-related complications and complete resection rate of lesions between the two groups were compared. Mann-Whitney U test and descriptive analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results:In the FNT combined laparoscopic group, the lesions of 4 cases were located in the pancreatic body and 4 cases in the pancreatic tail. In the simple laparoscopic group, the lesions of 4 cases were located in the pancreatic body and 10 cases in the pancreatic tail. There was a significant difference in lesion size between the two groups (14.5 mm (10.8 mm, 16.5 mm) vs. 27.0 mm (23.5 mm, 30.0 mm), Z=-3.09, P=0.001). In the FNT combined laparoscopic group, EUS-FNT was successfully performed in all 8 patients. The average time of laparoscopy after EUS-FNT was (98.4±8.8) min. The marks were clearly visible under the laparoscopic field of view, and no complications such as abdominal hemorrhage and hematoma were observed. Laparoscopic pancreaticocaudectomy was performed in 5 cases and pancreaticocaudectomy plus splenectomy in 3 cases. The median operation time was 192.5 min (176.3 min, 203.8 min). The amount of intraoperative bleeding was large in 2 patients and blood transfusion was needed. The lesions were one-time completely resected in all 8 patients. The postoperative pathology were 6 cases of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm, 1 case of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), and 1 case of solid pseudopapilloma. In the simple laparoscopic group, laparoscopic pancreaticocaudectomy was performed in 2 cases and pancreaticocaudectomy plus splenectomy in 12 cases. The median operation time was 202.5 min (192.8 min, 235.0 min), which was longer than that of FNT combined laparoscopic group, but the difference was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). The amount of intraoperative bleeding was large in 2 patients and blood transfusion was needed. In 1 patient with pancreatic body lesions, no lesion was found in the specimen examination after the first pancreatectomy, and the lesions were completely resected after the second partial pancreatectomy. Active abdominal hemorrhage occurred in 1 patient on the second day after operation, and underwent interventional embolization for hemostasis. Two weeks after surgery, 1 patient was found to have a encapsulated fluid with a long diameter of 6 cm around the pancreas by computed tomography re-examination 2 weeks after surgery. The postoperative pathology were 5 cases of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm, 2 cases of IPMN, 1 case of solid pseudopapilloma, 1 case of pancreatic cyst with glandular low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, 1 case of ectopic spleen, and 4 cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Conclusion:EUS-FNT can effectively localize small pancreatic lesions before laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy, shorten the operation time and improve the complete resection rate under laparoscopy.

To evaluate the diagnostic value and safety of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) in patients with biopsy-negative malignant gastrointestinal stricture, a retrospective analysis was performed on data of patients whose computed tomography scan showed gastrointestinal malignant tumor with complete lumen stricture and endoscopic biopsy results showed negative, who underwent EUS-FNA in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from July 2016 to January 2020. Perioperative complications, technical success rate and accuracy of EUS-FNA were analyzed. Eleven cases included in the study, including 7 males and 4 females, with mean age of 60.3 years. There were 8 esophageal strictures and 3 rectal strictures. All patients successfully underwent EUS-FNA, and malignant tumor was found in 10 cases and no tumor cell was found in 1 case. No complications were reported. EUS-FNA is a safe and valuable approach to diagnosing biopsy-negative malignant gastrointestinal strictures.

Endoscopic data of 108 upper gastrointestinal elevated lesions caused by vascular or hemangioma compression by endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changshu No.1 People's Hospital, Kushan Hospital of Chinese Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Changshu from December 2010 to June 2019 were retrospectively summarized. The results showed that lesions were mainly located in the esophagus [50.9% (55/108)] and stomach [47.2% (51/108)], especially in the middle [40.0% (22/55)] and upper esophagus [36.4% (20/55)], body [66.7% (34/51)] and fundus of stomach [31.4% (16/51)], respectively. The major etiology included splenic artery and aneurysm compression [29.6% (32/108)], aortic compression [23.1% (25/108)], isolated esophageal venous aneurysm compression [13.9% (15/108)] and gastric submucosal vein and venous aneurysm compression [12.0% (13/108)], with diverse endoscopic presentation. The above results suggest that elevated lesions of upper gastrointestinal tract caused by blood vessels and hemangiomas are mostly due to external vascular pressure outside the lumen, but ectopic submucosal arteries and isolated phlebangioma are not uncommon. The lesions are widely distributed with different gastroscopic manifestations. EUS is important for definite diagnosis, and can be combined with color Doppler technique, CT plain scan and angiographic reconstruction if necessary.

Objective:To investigate the features of endoscopic ultrasonography in the diagnosis of malignant mediastinal and abdominal lymphadenopathy and to provide more evidence for endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiraiton (EUS-FNA).Methods:A case-control study was performed on 83 consecutive patients who underwent EUS in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from September 2016 to February 2021. Lymph node properties were identified by pathological results of EUS-FNA and (or) surgery and follow-up for at least 6 months. According to the final diagnosis, patients were divided into malignant lymph node group ( n=56) and benign lymph node group ( n=27). Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic analysis were performed to identify independent risk factors for malignant lymphadenopathy in terms of EUS features. Results:Univariate analysis showed that the length of short axis, short-long axis ratio, shape, border, presence or absence of hilum, heterogeneous echo, and the growth pattern of lymph node were risk factors for malignant lymph nodes ( P<0.10). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that short axis>10 mm ( P=0.021, OR=9.751, 95% CI: 1.407-57.573), clear border ( P=0.009, OR=20.587, 95% CI: 2.149-197.251), absence of hilum ( P=0.019, OR=28.502, 95% CI: 1.725-470.864), nodal matting ( P=0.004, OR=45.539, 95% CI: 3.429-604.822), partial nodal fusion ( P=0.004, OR=50.012, 95% CI: 3.497-715.266) were independent risk factors for malignant mediastinal and abdominal lymph nodes. Conclusion:EUS is useful to differentiate the lymph node properties in the mediastinal or abdominal cavity. Short axis>10 mm, clear border, absence of hilum, nodal matting and partial nodal fusion are high-risk EUS features of malignant mediastinal or abdominal lymphadenopathy, where priority should be given to EUS-FNA.

Objective:To establish the protein content determination method respectively by Folin-Ciocalteu method and Coomass-ie brilliant blue binding method for mannatide oral solution and compare the results. Methods:The limit of detection, linearity, accu-racy, repeatability, recovery and content of Folin-Ciocalteu method and Coomassie brilliant blue binding method were investigated. Re-sults:As for Folin-Ciocalteu method, the limit of detection was 0. 2 μg, the range of linearity was 0-112. 0 μg(r=0. 9990), the av-erage recovery was 105. 2%(RSD=1. 9%), the RSD of accuracy was less than 1%, and the content result of three batches of samples was 47. 45, 58. 34 and 40. 99 μg·ml-1, respectively. As for Coomassie brilliant blue binding method, the limit of detection was 0. 8 μg, the range of linearity was 0-99. 6 μg(r=0. 9980), the average recovery was 102. 0%(RSD=2. 7%), the RSD of accuracy was less than 1%, and the protein content of samples was not detected out by the method. Conclusion:Folin-Ciocalteu method can be used to determine the protein content in mannatide oral solution reliably and efficiently.