Ulcerative colitis （UC） is a chronic intestinal autoimmune disease， with clinical manifestations including abdominal pain， diarrhea， mucus and bloody stools， and its pathogenesis is complex. The classic prescription Xianglian pills （XLP） has been widely used in the clinical treatment of UC in recent years. It has few adverse reactions， good patient tolerance， and shows significant potential for clinical application. However， there is currently no comprehensive integration of evidence on its clinical research and molecular mechanisms. Through a systematic review of the clinical research and molecular mechanisms of XLP in the treatment of UC， it is found that XLP and its modified formulas， when used in combination with chemical drugs， can significantly improve the symptoms of UC patients and reduce intestinal inflammation， with superior efficacy compared to chemical drugs alone. Its mechanism of action involves regulating pan-apoptosis， immune response， signaling pathways （hypoxia-inducible factor-1α， nuclear factor-κB， etc.）， intestinal flora， and repairing the intestinal mucosal barrier. Its medicinal materials， monomers and active components can also prevent the differentiation of helper T cells 17 and restore the balance of M1/M2 cells through regulating multiple pathways such as Wnt/β -catenin and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription， thereby reducing intestinal damage in UC.

Objective:To summarize the clinical and pathological characteristics, treatment methods, and prognosis of papillary renal neoplasm with reverse polarity (PRNRP).Methods:The clinical and pathological data of six pathologically confirmed PRNRP patients admitted to Renji Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine from August 2022 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, three were male and three were female, with an average age of (55.3±10.5) years old. All six cases were incidentally discovered during health examinations. Preoperative contrast-enhanced CT scans showed tumors with cortical phase manifestations of uneven enhancement, avascularity, and indistinct borders, with CT values of (85.6±18.7) HU. In the corticomedullary phase, the CT values showed mild elevation, with an average of (94.3±4.7) HU. In the delayed phase, the tumor boundaries were clear, and the enhancement degree was significantly lower than that of the surrounding renal cortex and medulla, with a tumor CT value of (86.3±11.9) HU. The pseudocapsule of the tumor was not clearly displayed on contrast-enhanced CT scans. All cases underwent partial nephrectomy, including two cases of robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and four cases of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.Results:Postoperative pathological measurements revealed a maximum tumor diameter ranging from 6 to 15 mm, with an average diameter of (11.0±3.5) mm. All six cases were classified as pT 1aN 0M 0 stage. Microscopically, the tumors exhibited branching papillary structures with eosinophilic cytoplasm, and the tumor cells displayed low-grade nuclei located at the top of the cytoplasm and away from the basal membrane. Immunohistochemical analysis showed diffuse strong positivity for GATA3 and CK7, while CA-Ⅸ expression was negative. The median follow-up time after surgery was 10(9, 13) months, and no tumor recurrence or metastasis was observed. Conclusions:PRNRP is a rare, low-grade malignant papillary renal tumor. Contrast-enhanced CT scan has characteristic features of avascularity. Pathological morphological features are low-grade nuclei located at the top of the cytoplasm and far away from the basal membrane, forming a "reverse polarity". The immunophenotype shows positive expression of GATA3 and CK7. Partial nephrectomy is the recommended treatment approach, and the postoperative prognosis is favorable.

Objective:To investigate the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of squamous cell carcinoma of renal pelvis.Methods:The clinic data of 28 cases with squamous cell carcinoma of renal pelvis confirmed by pathologic examination treated during June 2007 and September 2019 was retrospectively analyzed. There were 19 male and 9 female patients, with a median age of 56 years. Hematuria was present in 18 cases, flank pain was present in 11 cases, and abdominal mass was present in 1 case. All 28 cases accepted CT or MRI examination. Renal pelvis or renal tumors were found in 26 cases, and severe hydronephrosis was observed in 2 cases. 2 cases underwent PET/CT, and bone metastasis was found in 1 case. Preoperative diagnoses were renal pelvic tumor in 13 cases, renal tumor in 13 cases and renal abscess in 2 cases. Coexisting renal calculi or renal pelvic calculus was detected in 19 cases. All 28 cases underwent surgical excision, including radical nephroureterectomy in 13 cases, radical nephrectomy in 12 cases, palliative resection in 1 case, and pyonephrenectomy in 2 cases. Enlarged lymph nodes were found in 9 cases during the surgery, and local lymph node dissection was performed in these cases.Results:The mean diameter of the tumors was 8.5 cm. Histopathological examination revealed that 9 cases were well differentiated, 11 cases were moderately differentiated, and 8 case was poorly differentiated. 1 case had pT 2 stage, 15 cases had pT 3 stage and 12 cases had pT 4 stage. 9 cases had lymph node metastasis. 5 cases had renal vein thrombosis. Immunohistochemistry staining exhibited consistent characteristics including CK5(+ ), 34βE12(+ ), p63(+ ), CK20(-) and GATA3(-). Postoperatively, 12 cases received adjuvant therapy including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or immunotherapy. Within a median follow-up of 6.0 months (ranging 1-80 months), median overall survival was 10.0 months. 15 cases died of tumor progression. Conclusion:Squamous cell carcinoma is a rare and highly aggressive neoplasm, typically associated with long-lasting renal calculi, hydronephrosis and chronic inflammation. The diagnosis should be established on pathologic examination.CK5, 34βE12 and p63 positivity contribute to the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. Surgery is the foremost choice of treatment, but the risk of recurrence and metastasis is high. The prognosis is extremely poor as the majority of patients are diagnosed with advanced stages.

Objective:To study the pathological characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of primary adenocarcinoma of renal pelvis and ureter.Methods:The clinical pathological characteristics, treatment and prognosis of 5 patients with adenocarcinoma of upper urinary tract treated between January 2007 and May 2019 was retrospectively reviewed. There were 4 male and 1 female patients, with a median age of 60 years. The major symptoms were hematuria in 5 cases and low back pain in 4 cases. All cases underwent B-ultrasound and CT examination, and 4 cases accepted cystoscopy. Preoperative diagnoses were ureter tumor in 2 cases, renal pelvis tumor in 1 case, renal tumor in 1 case and renal calculus in 1 case.Results:5 cases were treated with surgery. Radical nephroureterectomy was performed in 3 cases, and nephrectomy in one case. 1 case underwent first-stage percutaneous nephrolithotomy and second-stage radical nephroureterectomy due to the discovery of tumor. 1 case was treated with radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor postoperatively. The mean diameter of the tumors was 4.4 cm. There were 3 renal pelvis adenocarcinomas and 2 ureter adenocarcinomas confirmed by pathologic examination, including 3 cases of pT 3 stage and 1 case of pT 4 stage. Lymph node metastasis was found in 2 cases. Immunohistochemistry revealed that CDX2(+ ), p63(-), GATA3(-), β-catenin(-)were the common features of five cases. The median survival was 12 months with a median follow-up of 6 months. 2 cases died of tumor progression within 1 year. Conclusions:Adenocarcinoma is an extremely rare malignancy, typically associated with long-standing calculi and chronic inflammation. Given the fact that clinical and imaging findings are nonspecific, the diagnosis is based on pathologic examination, supported by glandular structure of histology. Immunohistochemical staining exhibited CDX2 and CK20 positivity and β-catenin negativity, moreover, GATA3, p63 and CK7 was usually negative or partially positive. Surgery is the foremost choice of treatment. The prognosis is correlated with subtypes, whereas the overall prognosis is poor due to high rates of recurrence and metastasis.