Gastric cancer is one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and infection with Helicobacter pylori and EBV, smoking and a salt-heavy diet have been shown to be risk factors for the development of gastric cancer. Currently, numerous research has demonstrated that differences in the structure of the gastric flora can be exploited to distinguish the different stages of gastric mucosal lesions and to predict the progression of gastric cancer. Therefore, a new biomarker is presented for the diagnosis of gastric cancer based on the structural differences of the gastric flora. Gastric flora has also potential in the treatment of gastric cancer. The application of non-H. pylori flora to modulate immune cells may increase the sensitivity of tumour cells for chemotherapy, improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors and significantly prolong the survival of patients. This review of advances in the application of gastric flora in the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer is aimed at providing a reference and basis for future research in this field.

Gastric cancer is one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and infection with Helicobacter pylori and EBV, smoking and a salt-heavy diet have been shown to be risk factors for the development of gastric cancer. Currently, numerous research has demonstrated that differences in the structure of the gastric flora can be exploited to distinguish the different stages of gastric mucosal lesions and to predict the progression of gastric cancer. Therefore, a new biomarker is presented for the diagnosis of gastric cancer based on the structural differences of the gastric flora. Gastric flora has also potential in the treatment of gastric cancer. The application of non-H. pylori flora to modulate immune cells may increase the sensitivity of tumour cells for chemotherapy, improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors and significantly prolong the survival of patients. This review of advances in the application of gastric flora in the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer is aimed at providing a reference and basis for future research in this field.

Objective To observe the expression of ciz1 in human colorectal cancer tissues and analyse the relationship between their expression and clinicopathologic features.Methods We detected the expression of Ciz1 and Ciz1 mRNA by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.The relationship between the expression of ciz1 and clinicopathologic features was analied.Results According to immunohistochemical results,Ciz1 showed significant high expression in the primary lesion of colorectal cancer tissue,compared to normal adjacent tissues(66.7%vs.35.0%,P=0.001).Through Western blot analysis,it was found that the relative expression level in colorectal cancer tissue was 0.32±0.03,while in normal colorectal mucosal tissue it was 0.11±0.01.In addition,the relative expression level of Ciz1 in colorectal cancer tissue was significantly higher than that in normal intestinal mucosal tissue(P<0.05).The study found that the overexpression of Ciz1 in colorectal cancer tissue is significantly correlated with the T stage(P=0.018),lymph node metastasis(P=0.022),and AJCC stage(P=0.017)of the cancer.The age,gender,tumor location,degree of differentiation,and the presence of distant metastasis of patients were not correlated with this(P>0.05).The expression level of Ciz1 in colorectal cancer tissue is significantly increased,which is closely related to the T stage(P=0.018),lymph node metastasis(P=0.022),and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage(P=0.017)of colorectal cancer.Conclusion This association suggests that Ciz1 may play an important role in tumor staging,participating in the development and spread of tumors.Therefore,it can be foreseen that Ciz1 is expected to become a new biomarker for evaluating the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients.

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of hydrogen gas on NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes in the cerebral cortex of rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: 120 adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rates were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 24): sham operation group (S group), TBI model group (T group), TBI+NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 group (T+M group), TBI+hydrogen gas group (T+H group), TBI+hydrogen gas+MCC950 group (T+H+M group). TBI model was established by controlled cortical impact. NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 (10 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected for 14 consecutive days before TBI operation in T+M and T+H+M groups. 2% hydrogen inhalation was given for 1 hour at 1 hour and 3 hours after TBI operation in T+H and T+H+M groups. At 6 hours after TBI operation, the pericontusional cortex tissues were obtained, the content of Evans blue (EB) was detected to evaluate the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Water content in brain tissue was detected. The cell apoptosis was detected by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and the neuronal apoptosis index was calculated. The expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD (ASC) and caspase-1 p20 were detected by Western blotting. The levels of interleukins (IL-1β, IL-18) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Compared with the S group, the content of EB in cerebral cortex, water content in brain tissue, apoptosis index and the expressions of Bax, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 p20 in T group were significantly increased, the expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated, the levels of IL-1β and IL-18 were increased [the content of EB (μg/g): 87.57±6.89 vs. 10.54±1.15, water content in brain tissues: (83.79±2.74)% vs. (74.50±1.19)%, apoptotic index: (62.66±5.33)% vs. (4.61±0.96)%, Bax/β-actin: 4.20±0.44 vs. 1, NLRP3/β-actin: 3.55±0.31 vs. 1, ASC/β-actin: 3.10±0.26 vs. 1, caspase-1 p20/β-actin: 3.28±0.24 vs. 1, Bcl-2/β-actin: 0.23±0.03 vs. 1, IL-1β (ng/g): 221.58±19.15 vs. 27.15±3.27, IL-18 (ng/g): 87.26±7.17 vs. 12.10±1.85, all P < 0.05]. Compared with the T group, the T+M, T+H and T+H+M groups had significant reductions in the content of EB and water content in brain tissue, apoptotic index of the cerebral cortex, the expressions of Bax, NLRP3, and caspase-1 p20 in the brain tissue and the levels of IL-1β and IL-18, significant increases in the expression of Bcl-2. However, there was no significant difference in ASC expression. Compared with the T+H group, the content of EB in the cerebral cortex, water content in brain tissue, and apoptotic index, and the expressions of Bax, NLRP3 and caspase-1 p20 were further down-regulated in T+H+M group, the expression of Bcl-2 was further up-regulated, the levels of IL-1β and IL-18 were further decreased [the content of EB (μg/g): 40.49±3.15 vs. 51.96±4.69, water content in brain tissue: (76.58±1.04)% vs. (78.76±1.16)%, apoptotic index: (32.22±3.44)% vs. (38.54±3.89)%, Bax/β-actin: 1.92±0.16 vs. 2.56±0.21, NLRP3/β-actin: 1.94±0.14 vs. 2.37±0.24, caspase-1 p20/β-actin: 1.97±0.17 vs. 2.31±0.19, Bcl-2/β-actin: 0.82±0.07 vs. 0.52±0.04, IL-1β (ng/g): 86.23±7.09 vs. 110.44±10.48, IL-18 (ng/g): 40.18±3.22 vs. 46.23±4.02, all P < 0.05], but there were no statistical significance in all the indicators between T+M group and T+H group. CONCLUSIONS The mechanism by which hydrogen gas alleviates TBI may be related to inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasomes in the cerebral cortex of rats.
Male ; Animals ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Actins ; Interleukin-18 ; Inflammasomes ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic ; Cerebral Cortex ; Caspases

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with the impairment of white matter (WM) tracts. The current study aimed to verify the utility of WM as the neuroimaging marker of AD with multisite diffusion tensor imaging datasets [321 patients with AD, 265 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 279 normal controls (NC)], a unified pipeline, and independent site cross-validation. Automated fiber quantification was used to extract diffusion profiles along tracts. Random-effects meta-analyses showed a reproducible degeneration pattern in which fractional anisotropy significantly decreased in the AD and MCI groups compared with NC. Machine learning models using tract-based features showed good generalizability among independent site cross-validation. The diffusion metrics of the altered regions and the AD probability predicted by the models were highly correlated with cognitive ability in the AD and MCI groups. We highlighted the reproducibility and generalizability of the degeneration pattern of WM tracts in AD.
Humans ; White Matter/diagnostic imaging* ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods* ; Alzheimer Disease/complications* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Cognition ; Cognitive Dysfunction/complications* ; Brain/diagnostic imaging*

Objective: To investigate the related factors and treatments of delayed cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea (CFR) after invasive pituitary adenoma (IPA) surgery. Methods: One hundred and forty-two patients with IPA treated in Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from January 2014 to January 2019 were analyzed retrospectively, including 62 males and 80 females, aging from 38 to 67 years. The clinical data of patients before and after operation were collected. All patients with postoperative CFR underwent endoscopic CFR repair. During the operation, residual or recurrent pituitary adenomas were resected, the dura around the leak was enlarged and the necrotic tissue was removed. For those who still had fluid leakage after repair, the necrotic tissue was cleaned up, the leakage was filled and reinforced under endoscopy. Endoscopic rhinorrhea repair was performed if necessary. The cerebrospinal fluid leak was repaired with multi-layer materials. The related risk factors of delayed CFR after operation were analyzed. SPSS 19.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Among the 142 patients in this group, 64 cases underwent total tumor resection and 78 cases underwent non-total tumor resection. They were followed up for 6 to 72 months. Thirty-one cases had delayed CFR, with an incidence of 21.83%, and occurred between 1 and 5 years postoperatively, with an average of 2.4 years. All 31 patients with delayed CFR underwent endoscopic CFR repair. The nasal endoscopy was rechecked at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after operation. Twenty-eight patients were repaired successfully after 1 operation, while 2 patients after 2 operations and 1 patient after 3 operations. These patients were followed up for 6 to 60 months, and no CFR occurred again. Univariate analysis showed that the degree of tumor resection, recurrence, size, texture, postoperative radiotherapy and operator experience were the risk factors of delayed CFR (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the degree of tumor resection and recurrence were the highest independent risk factors for postoperative CFR, and tumor size, texture, postoperative radiotherapy and operator experience were the independent risk factors in this study. Conclusions: Delayed CFR after IPA is related to the degree of tumor resection, recurrence, size, texture, postoperative radiotherapy and the operator experience. It is necessary to completely remove the tumor under endoscope, to expand resection of the dura and necrotic tissue around the leak, to repair the defect with multi-layer materials, to follow-up closely and to repair timely after operation.
Adenoma/surgery* ; Adult ; Aged ; Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak ; Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea/surgery* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pituitary Neoplasms/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies

Objective: To evaluate the application of combination use of endoscopic endonasal approach combined with the frontotemporal orbitozygomatic approach microscopically in skull base tumor with intra and extra-cranial involvement. Methods: A total of 7 patients (4 males and 3 females, aging from 27 to 65 years old, with a medium age of 48) undergone complicated skull base surgeries via endoscopic endonasal approach combined with the frontotemporal orbitozygomatic approach microscopically from May 2016 to January 2018 were reviewed respectively. The patients included 2 cases of recurrent invasive pituitary adenoma, 3 cases of basal skull meningiomas, 1 case of clivus chondrosarcoma, and 1 case of recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The lesion extensively infiltrated nasal cavity, extending to the paranasal sinus, bilateral cavernous sinus, sellar region, suprasellar, superior clivus, temporal lobe, pterygopalatine fossa, infratemporal fossa and important intracranial vessels. All the 7 patients were treated under general anesthesia by endoscopic endonasal approach combined with frontotemporal orbitozygomatic approach under the microscope. Total excision rate, intraoperative and postoperative complications and postoperative curative effect were observed. All of them were followed up for 6 to 12 months. The Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) was used to evaluate the prognosis. Result: Total tumor removal was performed in 5 cases, subtotal removel in 2 cases. There was no complication during the operation. Postoperative severe complications occurred in 2 cases, including 1 case of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea and intracranial infection, which was cured by lumbar cistern drainage and intrathecal injection; 1 case occurred oculomotor nerve paralysis, which recovered during follow-up. Postoperative complications occurred in 1 case of trochlear nerve dysfunction, 2 cases of facial numbness, and 1 case of tinnitus. During follow-up, all patients recovered to varying degrees. There was no bleeding and death after the operation. No tumor recurred during the follow-up period. All patients were recovered well with GOS grade Ⅳ-Ⅴ. Conclusions: Endoscopic transnasal approach combined with microscopic frontotemporal orbitozygomatic approach can remove tumors in one stage, reduce surgical complications and improve surgical effect. It has good application prospects and is suitable for excising complex intracranial and extracranial communicating tumors of widely involving sellar, clivus and petrous apex area.
Adult ; Aged ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; Meningioma ; Middle Aged ; Pterygopalatine Fossa ; Retrospective Studies ; Skull Base/surgery* ; Skull Base Neoplasms/surgery*

Brachiocephalic Trunk ; Fistula/surgery* ; Humans ; Trachea ; Tracheostomy

Objective: To indicate the clinical features of endoscopic transnasal resection of epidural cholesteatoma at paracentral skull base and to analyze its efficacy. Methods: The total excision rate, postoperative complications and postoperative curative effect of 7 patients (4 males and 3 females, aging from 32 to 63 years old) who underwent middle skull base surgery for epidural cholesteatoma resection under transnasal endoscope at Tianjin Huanhu Hospital between August 2017 and August 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were followed up for 6 to 36 months. The postoperative MRI, clinical symptoms and recurrence were reviewed. Descriptive statistical methods were used for analysis. Results: Among the 7 patients, there were total resection (complete resection of cyst contents and capsule) in 4 patients, near-total resection (complete resection of cyst contents, incomplete resection of cyst capsule) in 1 patient, and subtotal resection (incomplete resection of cyst contents and capsule) in 2 patients. The clinical symptoms of all patients were improved postoperatively with 1 patient who had no clinical symptoms. One case had postoperative cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, which was cured after lumbar drainage and nasal iodoform gauge packing. Up to now, 7 patients (including patients with partial resection) had no recurrence. Conclusion: Endoscopic transnasal approaches may be effectively used for resection of epidural cholesteatoma in the paracentral skull base in carefully selected cases.
Adult ; Cholesteatoma ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Retrospective Studies ; Skull Base/surgery*