Background and Aims:Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC)is a highly malignant liver tumor,with an increasing incidence worldwide,particularly in Asia.Although radical surgical resection is currently the only potentially curative treatment,the high recurrence rate and low postoperative overall survival(OS)rate of ICC remain major clinical challenges.Adjuvant therapy(AT)and neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)are important strategies to reduce postoperative recurrence and prolong OS.Several studies have shown certain efficacy of these treatments.However,the specific efficacy and safety of combined NAT and AT in ICC treatment require further validation.This study was conducted to evaluate the value of combining NAT and AT in improving the therapeutic outcomes of ICC patients through a multicenter retrospective analysis,so as to provide scientific evidence for optimizing treatment strategies.Methods:The clinicopathologic data of 576 patients with ICC who underwent radical resection and were pathologically confirmed from 13 hospitals in China between December 2011 and December 2017 were retrospectively collected.Patients were grouped based on their treatment modality:NAT+AT group,AT group,and non-NAT/AT group.The three patient groups were matched pairwise in a 1∶1 ratio using propensity score matching(PSM)to balance baseline data.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze OS and disease-free survival(DFS),and subgroup analyses were conducted according to the 8th edition of the AJCC TNM staging system.Results:A total of 395 ICC patients were included in the final analysis,with 42 patients(10.6%)in the NAT+AT group,62 patients(15.7%)in the AT group,and 291 patients(73.7%)in the non-NAT/AT group.Before PSM,significant differences were observed between groups in terms of CA19-9,liver function Child-Pugh classification,intraoperative blood loss,surgical margin,differentiation grade,vascular invasion,ECOG score,and lymph node dissection ratio(all P<0.05).After PSM,there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups(all P>0.05).After matching,the median OS and DFS in the NAT+AT group were significantly better than in the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P<0.05),while there were no significant differences in OS and DFS between the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P>0.05).Subgroup analysis showed that in TNM stage I patients,DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(P<0.05),but OS was not significantly different(P>0.05).In TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ patients,both OS and DFS in the NAT+AT and AT groups were significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(both P<0.05),and DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the AT group in TNM stage Ⅲ patients(P<0.05).Conclusion:NAT combined with AT provides better survival benefits for patients with locally advanced ICC,but its benefit for early-stage ICC patients is limited.However,the retrospective design and sample size limitations of this study may affect the stability of the results,and future large-sample,multicenter,prospective studies are needed for further validation.

Objective To retrospectively analyze multicenter data from domestic sources, aiming to explore the link between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) tumor size and prognosis, establishing a classification system based on tumor size. Methods Between December 2011 and September 2018, 280 ICC patients from 13 hospitals were included. The tumor size prognosis cutoff was identified by the minimum P-value method, and the classification's overall survival related effectiveness was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results All 280 patients were divided into the group of tumor maximum diameter ≤4 cm and >4 cm. Tumor size was confirmed as an independent prognosis factor by multivariate COX regression analysis (HR=2.110, 95% CI: 1.358-3.280). Conclusions The tumor size dichotomy classification system based on the Chinese patient group can expediently predict ICC prognosis and offers an important basis for selecting post-operative individualized adjuvant therapy and follow up plans.

Background and Aims:Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC)is a highly malignant liver tumor,with an increasing incidence worldwide,particularly in Asia.Although radical surgical resection is currently the only potentially curative treatment,the high recurrence rate and low postoperative overall survival(OS)rate of ICC remain major clinical challenges.Adjuvant therapy(AT)and neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)are important strategies to reduce postoperative recurrence and prolong OS.Several studies have shown certain efficacy of these treatments.However,the specific efficacy and safety of combined NAT and AT in ICC treatment require further validation.This study was conducted to evaluate the value of combining NAT and AT in improving the therapeutic outcomes of ICC patients through a multicenter retrospective analysis,so as to provide scientific evidence for optimizing treatment strategies.Methods:The clinicopathologic data of 576 patients with ICC who underwent radical resection and were pathologically confirmed from 13 hospitals in China between December 2011 and December 2017 were retrospectively collected.Patients were grouped based on their treatment modality:NAT+AT group,AT group,and non-NAT/AT group.The three patient groups were matched pairwise in a 1∶1 ratio using propensity score matching(PSM)to balance baseline data.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze OS and disease-free survival(DFS),and subgroup analyses were conducted according to the 8th edition of the AJCC TNM staging system.Results:A total of 395 ICC patients were included in the final analysis,with 42 patients(10.6%)in the NAT+AT group,62 patients(15.7%)in the AT group,and 291 patients(73.7%)in the non-NAT/AT group.Before PSM,significant differences were observed between groups in terms of CA19-9,liver function Child-Pugh classification,intraoperative blood loss,surgical margin,differentiation grade,vascular invasion,ECOG score,and lymph node dissection ratio(all P<0.05).After PSM,there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups(all P>0.05).After matching,the median OS and DFS in the NAT+AT group were significantly better than in the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P<0.05),while there were no significant differences in OS and DFS between the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P>0.05).Subgroup analysis showed that in TNM stage I patients,DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(P<0.05),but OS was not significantly different(P>0.05).In TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ patients,both OS and DFS in the NAT+AT and AT groups were significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(both P<0.05),and DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the AT group in TNM stage Ⅲ patients(P<0.05).Conclusion:NAT combined with AT provides better survival benefits for patients with locally advanced ICC,but its benefit for early-stage ICC patients is limited.However,the retrospective design and sample size limitations of this study may affect the stability of the results,and future large-sample,multicenter,prospective studies are needed for further validation.

Objective:To explore the correlation between dietary fiber intake and intestinal barrier function in patients with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D).Methods:IBS-D patients were recruited from May 2019 to October 2019 at the clinic of gastroenterology department in China-Japan Friendship Hospital and healthy controls (HCs) were recruited by advertisement. Clinical manifestations, psychological status and quality of life were assessed using standardized questionnaires. A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary habits in the preceding year. Serum diamine oxidase (DAO) was measured via ELISA.Results:64 IBS-D patients and 35 HCs were enrolled, with no significant difference in sex ratio, age and BMI between the two groups. Second to health concern, food avoidance was the dominant impacting factor for quality of life in IBS-D patients. The intake frequency of dietary fiber was decreased in IBS-D patients, and the intake frequencies of dietary fiber-rich foods were significantly lower in IBS-D patients ( P < 0.01 for tubers, P = 0.002 for vegetables, P = 0.019 for fruits and P = 0.045 for legumes). On the other hand, the intake frequencies of processed meat ( P < 0.01), greasy food ( P = 0.009), barbecued food ( P = 0.002) and animal offal ( P = 0.003) were significantly higher in IBS-D patients compared with HCs, indicating the increased intake frequency of fat. Multivariate logistic regression showed that tubers might reduce the risk of IBS-D ( OR = 0.409,95% CI: 0.232 to 0.722, P = 0.002). The frequency of abdominal pain was positively associated with the intake frequency of greasy food in IBS-D patients. Serum DAO was measured in 37 IBS-D patients and 27 HCs. IBS-D patients had significantly higher serum DAO than HCs ( 77.0 [55.3, 100.6] μg/L vs 42.5 [28.0, 58.2] μg/L, P < 0.01). Among all the participants with serum DAO test results, the level of DAO was negatively associated with the intake frequencies of tubers, vegetables and fruits while positively associated with the intake frequencies of processed meat and barbecued food. Conclusions:Food avoidance was an important impacting factor for quality of life in IBS-D patients. IBS-D patients might have insufficient dietary fiber intake and excessive fat intake. Tubers could possibly reduce the risk of IBS-D. The decreased intake frequency of dietary fiber might have a role in intestinal barrier dysfunction in IBS-D patients.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic radiofrequency ablation on patients with advanced stage unresectable cholangiocarcinoma. Methods Clinical data of 45 cases with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography from October 2011 to October 2014 were collected. The patients were divided into two groups: the group A included 23 cases undergoing radiofrequency ablation, and the group B included 22 cases without ablation. The occurrence of complications, the postoperative levels of CA19-9 and total bilirubin ( TBIL) in blood plasma, the patency of stents, and survival period were compared between the two groups. Results All of the 45 patients completed treatment, and no perforation, bleeding and bile leakage occurred. In the group A, 2 patients got fever and 5 patients got pancreatitis after operation, and the number in the group B was 3 and 4, respectively. Their symptoms disappeared after suitable treatment. The postoperative pain rate in group A ( 21. 7％, 5/23) was significantly lower than that of group B ( 54. 5％, 12/22,χ2=5. 148, P=0. 023) . At 7th day of post-operation, the levels of CA19-9 in the two groups were 960. 5 ± 362. 7 U/mL and 979. 3 ± 378. 1 U/mL, respectively, and the levels of TBIL were 95. 25±28. 36μmol/L and 98. 75±20. 76μmol/L, respectively, which were not significantly different between the two groups( P>0. 05) , but were significantly decreased compared with the levels of pre-operation ( P<0. 05) . The patency of self-expandable metal stent in group A ( 60. 0％, 6/10) was significantly higher than that of group B ( 10. 0％, 1/10,χ2=5. 495, P=0. 019) 9 months after operation. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the median survival time in the two groups had no statistical difference [ 271. 0 days ( 95％CI: 168. 4-373. 4days ) VS 245. 0 days ( 95％CI:200. 3-289. 7 days), χ2=1. 380, P=0. 258]. Conclusion For the patients with advanced unresectable cholangiocarcinoma, endoscopic radiofrequency ablation is able to relieve cancer pain, prolong the patency of stents, and improve the life quality, which deserves clinical applications.

Objective To compare the effects of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and laparoscopic common bile duct exploration combined choledochoscopic exploration( method A)and duodenoscopic sphincterotomy combined with laparoscopic cholecystectomy( method B) in treating choledocholithiasis with cholecystohthia-sis. Methods A retrospective study was adopted to analyze by statistical methods comparatively the clinical data of 114 patients, concerning operation time, blood lost, odynolysis rate, conversion rate,calculi residual rate ,complication rate ,hospitalization time and cost, et al. 68 cases were treated by method A,and 72 ca-ses were treated by method B. Results There were statistical differences in calculi residual rate, a conver-sion rate, apart complication rates and hospitalization cost between two groups, but there was no statistical difference in other index. Conclusion The two methods for choledocholithiasis and cholecystohthiasis has advantage and shortcoming respectively. The treatment for patients must be individualized by MRCP/USG, actual state of illness, and so on.

AIM:To investigate the construction of oligonucleotide microarray specialized for pancreatic adenocarcinoma-associated genes and its preliminary application of detecting differential expressed genes in pancreatic cancer.METHODS:Pancreatic cancer related genes were purposely selected,and oligonucleotide microarray was prepared by spotting oligonucleotide probes on glass slides coated with APS-PDC.Labeled cDNA targets for hybridizations were synthesized by reverse transcription from total RNA in the presence of Cy5-dCTP and Cy3-dCTP,respectively.Hybridized microarray was scanned by Agilent laser scanner,and the aquired image was analyzed by Imagene3.0 software.The intensity ratios of Cy3 and Cy5 were calculated.To confirm the expression profiles of these genes,quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (QRT-PCR) was carried out for CDC25B and TUSC3 genes,and β-actin gene was taken as internal control.The product of PCR was quantitated by comparative Ct method.RESULTS:The signal of microarray hybridization was clear,and the images had a lower background and higher signal-noise ratio.In comparison with normal pancreas,twenty -four differentially expressed genes were identified which included seventeen up-regulated and seven down-regulated genes.The results of QRT-PCR demonstrated that the expressions of CDC25B and TUSC3 in pancreatic cancer were up-regulated and down-regulated respectively,which is consistent with microarray results.CONCLUSION:The oligonucleotide microarray specialized for pancreatic cancer is desirable for its specialty and sensitivity,which can simultaneously and parallelly detect multiple pancreatic cancer-associated genes.