Objective To compare the imaging characteristics and surgical methods of pulmonary nodules in the external 1/3 group and internal 2/3 group. Methods A retrospective analysis of clinical data from patients who underwent thoracoscopic preoperative CT-guided lung nodule localization at the Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from September 2020 to April 2022 was conducted. Results A total of 215 patients were enrolled (247 pulmonary nodules), including 70 males and 145 females, with a median age of 48 years. Based on the location of the nodules under CT guidance, those located in the external 1/3 area of the lung were classified into an external 1/3 group, while those located in the middle 1/3 and inner 1/3 areas were classified into an internal 2/3 group. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of general clinical data, nature of pulmonary nodules, distribution of pulmonary nodules in lobes, localization time, or localization complications (P>0.05). However, there were statistical differences in the distance of pulmonary nodules from the pleura [0.6 (0.0-1.9) cm vs. 1.8 (0.0-4.5) cm, P<0.001], size of pulmonary nodules [0.7 (0.2-1.8) cm vs. 1.0 (0.2-2.0) cm, P<0.001], and surgical methods (P=0.002). In the external 1/3 group, 92.1% of nodules underwent thoracoscopic wedge resection, while fewer patients underwent other procedures; in the internal 2/3 group, 77.1% of nodules underwent thoracoscopic wedge resection, and 19.3% underwent segmentectomy. Conclusion The diameter of pulmonary nodules, the distance of pulmonary nodules from the pleura, and surgical methods differ between the external 1/3 group and internal 2/3 group. Thoracic surgeons can develop more precise surgical plans based on the location and size of pulmonary nodules.

Objective To explore the activation of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)signaling pathway and the expressions of the associated inflammatory factors in NPHP1-defective renal tubular epithelial cells.Methods A human proximal renal tubular cell(HK2)model of lentivirus-mediated NPHP1 knockdown(NPHP1KD)was constructed,and the expressions of TNF-α,p38,and C/EBPβ and the inflammatory factors CXCL5,CCL20,IL-1β,IL-6 and MCP-1 were detected using RT-qPCR,Western blotting or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.A small interfering RNA(siRNA)was transfected in wild-type and NPHP1KDHK2 cells,and the changes in the expressions of TNF-α,p38,and C/EBPβ and the inflammatory factors were examined.Results NPHP1KDHK2 cells showed significantly increased mRNA expressions of TNF-α,C/EBPβ,CXCL5,IL-1β,and IL-6(P<0.05),protein expressions of phospho-p38 and C/EBPβ(P<0.05),and IL-6 level in the culture supernatant(P<0.05),and these changes were significantly blocked by transfection of cells with siRNA-C/EBPβ(P<0.05).Conclusion TNF-α signaling pathway is activated and its associated inflammatory factors are upregulated in NPHP1KDHK2 cells,and C/EBPβ may serve as a key transcription factor to mediate these changes.

Objective To explore the activation of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)signaling pathway and the expressions of the associated inflammatory factors in NPHP1-defective renal tubular epithelial cells.Methods A human proximal renal tubular cell(HK2)model of lentivirus-mediated NPHP1 knockdown(NPHP1KD)was constructed,and the expressions of TNF-α,p38,and C/EBPβ and the inflammatory factors CXCL5,CCL20,IL-1β,IL-6 and MCP-1 were detected using RT-qPCR,Western blotting or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.A small interfering RNA(siRNA)was transfected in wild-type and NPHP1KDHK2 cells,and the changes in the expressions of TNF-α,p38,and C/EBPβ and the inflammatory factors were examined.Results NPHP1KDHK2 cells showed significantly increased mRNA expressions of TNF-α,C/EBPβ,CXCL5,IL-1β,and IL-6(P<0.05),protein expressions of phospho-p38 and C/EBPβ(P<0.05),and IL-6 level in the culture supernatant(P<0.05),and these changes were significantly blocked by transfection of cells with siRNA-C/EBPβ(P<0.05).Conclusion TNF-α signaling pathway is activated and its associated inflammatory factors are upregulated in NPHP1KDHK2 cells,and C/EBPβ may serve as a key transcription factor to mediate these changes.

Objective:To explore the clinical value of recurrent laryngeal nerve dissection in the surgical treatment for congenital pyriform sinus fistula（CPSF）. Methods:The clinical data of 42 patients with CPSF were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were diagnosed and treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University. Results:During the operation, all patients' recurrent laryngeal nerves were dissected successfully, and fistulas were resected completely,no patients had complication of recurrent laryngeal nerve's damage.There were no recurrence cases during the 13 to 48 months of follow-up. Conclusion:The trend of congenital pyriform sinus fistula is closely related to recurrent laryngeal nerve, it's important to dissect the recurrent laryngeal nerve during the operation for congenital pyriform sinus fistula.
Humans ; Neck ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Pyriform Sinus/surgery* ; Fistula/surgery*

Objective:To explore the characteristics of Lowe syndrome, as well as OCRL1 gene mutation and its relationship with phenotype. Methods:Children diagnosed with Lowe syndrome during their visit to Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University (4 cases) and the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (3 cases) from January 2009 to January 2019 were included. The clinical data and peripheral blood samples were collected, and the sequence analysis of OCRL1 was performed after genomic DNA extraction. Then the clinical features of the children and the relationship between OCRL1 mutation and clinical phenotype were analyzed. Results:Seven patients from 6 families who presented with Lowe syndrome were included. All of them had different degrees of ocular-neural-renal symptoms. Six cases from 5 families had congenital cataract and neonatal hypotonia, one case from another family only had a thin lens without cataract. Four cases had nystagmus and 2 cases had glaucoma. Six cases from 6 families had psychomotor retardation and had proximal tubular impairment, included low-molecular-weight proteinuria (LMWP). Serum aspartate transaminase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) were increased in all 6 patients who were tested. Mutations of OCRL1 were detected in all the 6 families, which located in exon 10, 13, 16, 18, 22 and 23 respectively. The mutations of c.891 G>T, c.1682_1683insAA and c.2564_2567del are novel. Conclusions:Three OCRL1 novel mutations in 6 Chinese Lowe syndrome families are identified. The clinical manifestations in different mutations of OCRL1 are heterogeneous. The mutations of c.891 G>T in exon 10 without congenital cataract is rare in clinical.

Objective:To compare the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous translumial septal myocardial ablation in dogs using laser and radiofrequency.Methods:Twelve healthy adult Beagle dogs (males or females) were randomly divided into two groups, namely, group laser and group radiofrequency (6 dogs each group). Under ultrasound guidance, laser fiber or radiofrequency ablation needle was respectively inserted into the basal and middle segments of the interventricular septa via the percutaneous transapical approach to perform ablation. The Beagle dogs received radiologic examination, laboratory tests and pathological detection before ablation, immediately after ablation, at 1 week after ablation, and at 1 month after ablation, respectively. The efficacy and safety of the two ablation procedures were compared.Results:All dogs survived after ablation. The peak gradient of LVOT decreased immediately after ablation using either laser or radiofrequency ( P<0.05), but it increased at 1 week after ablation than before ( P<0.05). At 1 month after ablation, no significant differences were found in the peak gradient of LVOT compared with that before surgery ( P<0.05). The interventricular septum thickness was increased immediately after ablation using either laser or radiofrequency than before ( P<0.05), but it decreased at 1 week and at 1 month after surgery than before ( P<0.05). The ablation zone using radiofrequency was slightly larger than that of using laser[(372.50±69.06)mm 3 vs (116.65±20.15)mm 3, P<0.001], and the surgical time of the former was significantly shorter than that of using laser [(56.00±3.22)s vs (260.00±65.39)s, P<0.05)]. Conclusions:Ultrasound-guided percutaneous translumial septal myocardial ablation is feasible, safe and effective using either laser or radiofrequency. Comparatively speaking, radiofrequency ablation is more simple and convenient.

Objective To explore the expression of zinc finger protein 217 (ZNF217) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its correlation with prognosis of patients. Methods A total of 120 NSCLC patients in Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital from January 2012 to October 2013 were selected. Immunohistochemical method was used to test the expression of ZNF217 in NSCLC tissues and paracancerous tissues. The correlation of ZNF217 expression with patient's clinicopathological features was analyzed. At the same time, the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model multiple factor analysis method were used to explore the factors affecting the prognosis of patients after NSCLC radical operations. Results ZNF217 mainly existed in cell nucleus of NSCLC. The positive expression rate of ZNF217 in the cancer tissues was higher than that in the paracancerous tissues [52.5％ (63/120) vs. 20.1％ (25/120), χ 2 = 25.909, P < 0.05]. The positive expression rate of ZNF217 increased with the increase of tumor T stage (χ 2 = 7.333, P = 0.026), N stage (χ 2 = 7.782, P = 0.020) and TNM stage (χ 2 = 11.557, P = 0.003). The overall survival (P = 0.007) and progression-free survival (P = 0.004) of patients with positive ZNF217 were poorer than those of patients with negative ZNF217. Cox multiple factor analysis showed that ZNF217 was an independent risk factor affecting the prognosis of NSCLC. Conclusion ZNF217 is an independent risk factor affecting the prognosis of NSCLC, and it may be a potential target for accurate treatment of NSCLC.

Objective: To explore the clinical and pathological features and mutational types and their relations with WT1 mutation-associated nephropathy (WT1MAN). Methods: The clinical and pathological data and the results of WT1 mutation analysis of the cases from Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital and The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University whom we recruited recently and reported during the last ten years were analyzed. Results: Totally, 20 cases (6 males and 14 females), included 5 newly diagnosed cases, were recruited. (1) Ten children were diagnosed with Denys-Drash syndrome (DDS): The median onset age of proteinuria was 1 year and 7 months. Diffuse mesangial sclerosis (DMS) were revealed in 3 cases, minimal lesions (MCD) in 4 cases, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in 1 case; renal pathology was not available in the other 2 cases. Glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickening was observed in 2 cases. Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) were administered in 5 cases, complete remission of proteinuria was observed in 3 cases, partial remission in the other 2 cases. Genetic analysis revealed that six cases had WT1 missense mutation, 3 had nonsense mutation, and 1 had frameshift mutation. (2) Two cases were diagnosed with Frasier syndrome (FS): proteinuria was observed at 1 year and 1 month of age and 1 year and 9 months of age, respectively. FSGS with GBM layering were observed in both cases. They progressed to ESRD at 1 year and 6 months of age and 6 years and 6 months of age, respectively. CNI was tried in 1 case with partial proteinuria remission. Both patients were detected to have WT1 splice mutation. (3) Isolated nephropathy (IN) was observed in 8 cases: three had splice mutation, 5 had missense mutation. Of the 3 patients with splice mutation, one was found to have nephropathy and renal failure at the age of 5 months. The other two cases (1 was FSGS and another MCD), both had GBM layering. CNIs were tried on both of them, one got partial remission with normal renal function at the age of fourteen years, the other one had no response and entered ESRD at the age of 6 years and 9 months. Of the 5 cases with missense mutation, 3 had DMS, 2 of them entered ESRD within 6 months of age, another case had DMS entered ESRD at 9 years of age. One case with FSGS, was treated with CNIs and got complete remission. Conclusions Slow progression (7/10) nephropathy was observed in DDS patients. Missense mutation (11/20) was the most common type of WT1 variants, followed by splice mutation (5/20) in this group of patients. Early onset nephropathy (4/5), rapid progression (4/5) and GBM layering (4/4) wereobserved in patients with splice mutation. CNI was effective in reducing or even eliminating proteinuria in WT1 MAN patients (8/9).

Objective To explore the impacts of NPHP1 knockdown on the phenotype of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Methods The expression of NPHP1 in MDCK cells was knockdown by siRNA interference. Cells were divided into normal control group, negative control group and siRNA group. The cellular morphology and migration were observed by light microscope. The mRNA expressions and activities of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP2 and MMP9) were detected by real time PCR and gelatin zymography. The mRNA and protein expressions of E-cadherin, β-catenin, zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1), ZO-1-associated nucleic acid binding protein (ZONAB) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were analyzed by real time PCR, Western blotting and immunocytochemistry. Results Compared with those in normal control group, in siRNA group the mRNA expressions of E-cadherin, β-catenin and ZO-1 decreased, and MMP9, MMP2, α-SMA and ZONAB increased after interfering NPHP124 h (all P<0.05); the protein expressions of E-cadherin,β-catenin and ZO-1 decreased and ZONAB and α-SMA increased after 48 h (all P<0.05), and MDCK cells became elongated with enhanced migration capacity; siRNA cells had decreased expressions of E-cadherin and β-catenin on the membrane, but increased expression of ZONAB in cytoplasm and nucleoplasm after 72 h, and α-SMA was also observed in some interfered cells. Conclusions NPHP1 knockdown induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition in MDCK cells, and ZO-1/ZONAB signaling pathway was activated. These changes may associate with renal interstitial fibrosis of Nephronophthisis type I.

Objective:To detect the degree of oxidative stress in the process when Porphyromonas gin-givalis ( P. gingivalis) stimulates human vascular endothelium, And to investigate the effect of peroxi-some proliferator-activated receptor(PPAR)γ on oxidative stress during this process. Methods:Human vascular endothelial cells ( HVECs) line EA. hy926 ( American Type Culture Collection ,United States) was cultured in high glucose Dulbecco' s modified eagle medium ( DMEM) . Four groups were designed:control group, P. gingivalis infected group, PPARγactivated group and PPARγblocked group. In con-trol group HVECs were cultured with only DMEM. In P. gingivalis infected group, HVECs were time-dependently stimulated by P. gingivalis W83 from 0 to 12 h. In PPARγ activated group or PPARγblocked group, PPARγ was pre-activated or blocked by a representative PPARγ agonist(15d-PGJ2 10μmol/L) or antagonist ( GW966210μmol/L) 30 minutes before the cells were stimulated by P. gingiva-lis. At 0, 0. 5, 1, 1. 5, 2, 4, 8, and 12 h, the culture medium was collected individually and centri-fuged, and the supernatant was stored for assay. Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and malondialdehyde( MDA) were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cellular reactive oxygen species ( ROS) were detected through 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFA-DA) fluorescent probe at various time points of the different groups. Results:In P. gingivalis infected group, the levels of GSH-PX [(5. 56 ± 0. 97) μmol/L] and MDA [(0. 84 ± 0. 18) nmol/L] were significantly higher than those in control group [GSH-PX(4. 71 ± 0. 64) μmol/L, MDA (0. 59 ± 0. 18) nmol/L)]. The levels of GSH-PX and MDA in PPARγactivated group [GSH-PX (5. 38 ± 0. 84) μmol/L, MDA (0. 84 ± 0. 22) nmol/L] and in PPARγblocked group [GSH-PX (5. 37 ± 0. 76) μmol/L, MDA (0. 85 ± 0. 14) nmol/L] were signi-ficantly higher than those in control group (P <0. 05). In the PPARγ activated group, the levels of GSH-PX at 0 . 5 and 8 h were significantly higher than those from 1 . 5 h to 4 h ( P<0 . 05 ) , while no difference was observed on the MDA levels at different time points. There was no significant difference at various time points for the levels of GSH-PX and MDA in PPARγ blocked group. The level of cellular ROS detected by DCFH-DA in P. gingivalis infected group was significantly higher than that in control group (10 108. 65 ± 1 805. 18 vs. 6 049. 06 ± 1 199. 19,P<0. 05). No difference was observed be-tween PPARγ activated group (7 120. 94 ± 1 447. 30) or PPARγblocked group (6 727. 35 ± 1 483. 68) and control group. Conclusion:Oxidative stress happens when P. gingivalis stimulates human vascular endothelium. PPARγ may involve in modulating oxidative stress during this process.