Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of Xihuang capsules as an adjuvant treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer and their impact on immune function. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 112 patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer. The patients were categorized into two groups: a control group (n=56) that did not take Xihuang capsules and an observation group (n=56) that did. The efficacy, improvement of quality of life, toxic and side effects and immune function of the two groups were analyzed and compared. Results After treatment, the disease control rate (DCR) and the rate of improvement in quality of life were significantly higher in the observation group compared to the control group. Additionally, levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and the incidence of adverse reactions, including bone marrow suppression and liver and kidney function damage, were significantly lower in the observation group. Furthermore, the percentages of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, the CD8⁺/CD4⁺ T cells ratio, as well as serum levels of high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) and interleukin 2 (IL-2) in observation group were significantly elevated compared to pre-treatment levels. Subgroup analysis revealed that patients with a Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score ≤80, a high CD8⁺/CD4⁺ T cells ratio, and elevated HMGB1 levels experienced a significantly higher objective response rate (ORR) in the observation group. Conversely, patients with stage IVB disease, who had KPS score ≤80, a low CD8⁺/CD4⁺ T cells ratio and high CEA and IL-2 levels demonstrated a more pronounced DCR in the observation group. Conclusion Xihuang capsules exhibit promising clinical efficacy as an adjuvant treatment for advanced colorectal cancer. They not only enhance patients' quality of life and reduce the toxic and adverse effects of chemotherapy, but also improve immune function. These benefits are particularly significant in patients with a high tumor burden, indicating that Xihuang capsules are worthy of clinical application.
Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/immunology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Capsules ; Aged ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen/blood* ; Retrospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Adult ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Interleukin-2/blood* ; HMGB1 Protein/blood* ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (oxaliplatin +capecitabine,XELOX) for the resectable locally advanced adenocarcinoma of esophageal-gastric junction (AEG).Methods The prospective study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 106 locally advanced AEG patients who were admitted to the Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College from January 2011 to December 2014 were collected.All the patients were divided into the treatment group and control group by single blind,randomized,controlled random number table.Patients underwent preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy (XELOX) + surgery + postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (XELOX) in the treatment group and surgery + postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (XELOX) in the control group.Total gastrectomy + Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy + D2 lymphadenectomy were applied to patients by the same team of doctors.Observation indicators:(1) treatment situations;(2) results of postoperative pathological examination;(3) follow-up and survival situations.Follow-up using outpatient examination was performed to detect the postoperative tumor recurrence or metastasis and patients' survival up to February 2017.Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as (-x)±s,and comparisons between groups were evaluated with the t test.Measurement data with skewed distribution were described as M (range) and analyzed by the nonparametric test.Comparisons of count data were analyzed using the chi-square test.The ordinal data were compared using the nonparametric test.Survival rate and curve were respectively calculated and drawn by the Kaplan-Meier method and survivals were compared using the Long-rank method.Results One hundred and six patients were screened for eligibility,including 54 in the treatment group and 52 in the control group.(1) Treatment situations:① preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy:54 in the treatment group received 2-4 cycle neoadjuvant chemotherapy.During the chemotherapy,gastrointestinal reaction,grade 1-2 granulocytopenia,elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) and grade 3 granulocytopenia were detected in 21,17,8,1 patients,and 7 patients had no adverse reaction.The complete response(CR),partial response (PR),stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD) of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment group were detected in 4,27,20 and 3 patients,respectively.Of 54 patients in the treatment group,4,13,25 and 12 were in grade 0,1,2 and 3 of response to preoperative chemotherapy,respectively.② Surgical situations:preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the treatment and control groups were respectively 4.71 μg/L (range,0.20-36.19 μg/L) and 14.09 μg/L (range,0.71-178.20 μg/L),with a statistically significant difference between groups (Z =-1.92,P＜ 0.05).All patients underwent total gastrectomy + Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy + D2 lymphadenectomy.Operation time in the treatment and control groups were respectively (210± 31) minutes and (195 ±26) minutes,with a statistically significant difference between groups (t =-2.45,P ＜ 0.05).Volume of intraoperative blood loss,cases with intraoperative blood transfusion,time to postoperative anal exsufflation,time to defecation,time for initial diet intake,cases with postoperative complications and duration of hospital stay were respectively (216± 172) mL,6,(4.3± 1.0) days,(4.5±0.8)days,(3.1±0.5)days,11,(15.0±5.0)days in the treatment group and (174±108)mL,4,(4.2± 1.0) days,(4.4± 0.8) days,(3.1 ± 0.5) days,15,(15.0± 5.0) days,with no statistically significant difference between groups (t=-1.01,x2 =0.36,t=-0.31,-0.88,-0.36,x2 =1.03,t=-0.38,P＞0.05).③Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy:all the patients completed the postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.The granulocytopenia,elevated ALT and gastrointestinal reaction occurred in 25,5,28 patients in the treatment group and 21,7,30 patients in the control group,respectively,with no statistically significant difference between groups (x2 =0.38,0.47,0.36,P＞0.05).Some of the patients were merged with multiple adverse reactions.(2) Results of postoperative pathological examination:maximum tumor dimension,cases with lymphovascular invasion,perineural invasion,T0,T2,T3,T4 (T stage),stage 0,Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ1 (TNM stage) were respectively (3.6±1.4)cm,5,10,4,10,20,20,4,7,15,28 in the treatment group and (4.5±1.7)cm,24,30,0,2,13,37,0,1,12,39 in the control group,with statistically significant differences between groups (t=-2.88,x2 =18.14,17.30,Z=14.74,8.13,P＜0.05).(3) Follow-up and survival situations:of 54 patients in the treatment group,52 were followed up for 4-72 months,with a median time of 32 months;of 52 patients in the control group,49 were followed up for 5-71 months,with a median time of 36 months.The postoperative diseasefree survival time,1-,3-and 5-year tumor-free survival rates,postoperative overall survival time and 1-,3-and 5-year overall survival rates were respectively 26 months (range,3-72 months),79.5％,64.7％,61.3％,27 months (range,5-72 months),88.3％,69.2％ and 62.1％ in the treatment group.Seventeen patients had tumor recurrence,including 2 with intraperitoneal local recurrence and 15 with distant metastasis.The postoperative disease-free survival time,1-,3-and 5-year tumor-free survival rates,postoperative overall survival time and 1-,3-and 5-year overall survival rates were respectively 33 months (range,2-71 months),89.7％,55.4％,55.4％,33 months (range,5-71 months),91.8％,72.1％ and 59.7％ in the control group.Nineteen patients had tumor recurrence,including 8 with intraperitoneal local recurrence and 11 with distant metastasis.There was no statistically significant difference in disease-free survival and overall survival between groups (x2 =0.018,0.596,P＞0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in cases with local recurrence between groups (x2=4.41,P＜ 0.05) The tumor-free survival time and overall survival time in the treatment group were respectively 29 months (range,8-72 months),38 months (range,10-72 months) in 31 patients with CR and PR and 11 months (range,3-68 months),18 months (range,4-68 months) in 23 patients with SD and PD,showing statistically significant differences in tumor-free and overall survival times (x2=5.27,7.72,P＜0.05).Concluslon Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with oxaliplatin and capecitabine is safe and effective for patients with the resectable locally advanced AEG,it can also decrease tumor stage and reduce local recurrence,but fail to demonstrate a survival benefit.

Objective To evaluate efficacy on treatment of acute iliofemoral lower extremity deep venous thrombosis with thrombectomy and pharmacological thrombolysis or pharmacological thrombolysis alone. Methods The clinical data of 175 cases of lower extremity iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis wereanalysed retrospectively. Patients were divided into thrombectomy group and thrombolysis group. There were 85 patients treated by thrombectomy, among these patients there were 46 with common iliac vein occlusion or stenosis. According to state of illness suitable treatment was selected, urokinase and low molecular weight heparin were given after operation. The other 90 patients were treated by pharmacological thrombolysis only,including urokinase and low molecular weight heparin. Results No significant differences were found in age, course of disease, swelling and associated diseases between the two groups before treatment (P ＜0. 05); After 1 month of treatment the circumference difference between bilateral limbs was reduced from (4.6±1.6) cm to (0.8 ±0.5) cm in operation group,and declined from (4.0±1.9) cm to (1.8 ±1.3) cm in thrombolysis group. The cure rate was 71.8% (61/85) in thrombectomy group and 38.9% (35/90) in thrombolysis group. 64.6% patients were followed up for an average of (28 ± 11 ) months.After 12 months of treatment the circumference difference between bilateral limbs was (0.4 ± 0.3 ) cm in thrombectomy group and ( 0.9 ± 0.7 ) cm in thrombolysis group respectively. The cure rate was 86.0% (49/57) in thrombectomy group and 53.6% (30/56) in thrombolysis group. In surgical group the incidence of deep venous thrombosis sequelae was less than in thrombolysis group( P ＜0. 05 ). The incidence of venous valve dysfunction in thrombectomy group was less than in thrombolysis group (P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusions Thrombectomy and pharmacological thrombolysis was more effective than pharmacological thrombolysis alone in the treatment of acute iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis.

Studies on nanotechnology in the diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease are increasingly widespread. Nanoteehnology produces a marked effect by its targeted characteristic, which provides a new pathway in the diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease. This paper presents the progress on nanotechnolo-gy in the imaging and treatment of vascular disease both at home and abroad.