Objectives:To investigate the clinical efficacy of using a homemade minimally invasive percuta-neous bone graft funnel for the treatment of thoracolumbar vertebral fractures with injured vertebral bone graft in combination with percutaneous pedicle screw intemal fixation.Methods:Clinical data from 26 patients with thoracolumbar spine fractures without nerve injury admitted and treated between January 2020 and June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 13 males and 13 females,aged 51.23±9.56 years(33-65 years old).All the patients were single-segment injury,and there were 2 cases of T12,8 cases of L1,8 cases of L2,5 cases of L3,and 3 cases of L4.Internal fixation was performed using percutaneous pedicle screw fixa-tion across the injured vertebrae,followed by intemal implantation of autologous iliac bone into the injured vertebrae via a homemade minimally invasive bone graft funnel.The operative time,intraoperative bleeding and complications were recorded;The visual analogue scale(VAS)of pain,Oswestry disability index(ODI),com-pression ratios of the anterior and middle heights of the injured vertebrae,and sagittal Cobb angle were ob-served and statistically analyzed before operation and at 1 week after operation and final follow-up.Results:All the patients were successfully operated with a follow-up of 12-22 months(15.19±2.51 months).The opera-tive time was 84.62±12.88min,blood loss was 55.58±12.44mL.There were no complications such as wound infection and spinal cord injury,and one patient presented with caudal adventitial loosening of a screwed pedicle.Compared with the preoperative period,the postoperative 1 week and final follow-up anterior height compression rate[(6.89±7.25)％,(10.28±7.50)％]and mid-height compression rate[(7.11±5.75)％,(10.63±6.24)％]of the injured vertebrae,Cobb angle(4.38°±7.77°,2.14°±7.78°),VAS score(3.35±0.56,1.73±0.45)and ODI[(41.96±3.82)％,(13.77±2.42)％]were significantly improved(P＜0.05).Compared with 1 week postoperatively,at the final follow-up,the patients had a slight increase in the compression rate of the anterior[(10.28±7.50)％]and middle[(10.63±6.24)％]heights of the injured vertebral body,a slight decrease in the Cobb angle(2.14°±7.78°)and a significant improvement in VAS scores(1.73±0.45)and ODI[(13.77±2.42)％](P＜0.05).Conclusions:For patients with thoracolumbar fractures without nerve injury,using a homemade minimally invasive bone graft funnel for transforaminal bone grafting in combination with percutaneous pedicle screws can effectively restore the vertebral body height and correct the kyphosis deformity.

Objectives:To analyze the clinical features and prognosis of patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma combined with papillary thyroid carcinoma (combined carcinoma).Methods:The clinical data of 24 patients admitted to Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital from Nov 2012 to Dec 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The treatment methods, pathological results, and prognosis of all patients were examined.Results:The results showed that combined carcinoma accounted for 10.0% (24/241) of all medullary thyroid carcinoma cases. In the combined cancer group, 45.8% (11/24) patients had lymph node metastasis, and the type of metastasis matched the largest lesion. There were no significant differences in gendex ratio ( χ2=0.164, P>0.05), age at onset ( t=1.381, P>0.05), maximum diameter of lesion ( Z=-1.733, P>0.05), multifocality ( χ2=2.695, P>0.05), and lymph node metastasis in the central ( χ2=1.625, P>0.05) and lateral neck regions ( χ2=1.537, P>0.05) between combined cancer patients and those with MTC alone. The median follow-up time for the 24 patients was 77.6 months. Local recurrence was observed in 2 cases, while no distant metastasis was found. There were no significant differences in disease-free survival, disease-specific survival, and overall survival between combined cancer and pure MTC groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion:The pathological characteristics and prognosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma combined with papillary thyroid carcinoma are similar to those of pure MTC. Therefore, clinical treatment decisions can be similar to pure MTC.

Objective:To analyze the correlations between serum thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and clinicopathological features in children and adolescents with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conduced on the clinicopathological data of children and adolescents (age≤21 years old) with PTC admitted to Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital from 2011 to 2019, and then, we used χ 2 test or Fisher′s exact probability test to compare the differences in clinicopathological characteristics between groups with different TgAb and TPOAb status and multivariate logistic regression model analysis to evaluate independent predictors of cervical lymph node metastasis. Results:A total of 304 patients, including 89 males and 215 females, aged 5-21 years (median age 19 years), were enrolled in this study. The comparison between groups with different TgAb and TPOAb status showed that there were significant differences in gender, preoperative thyroglobulin (Tg) level, primary tumor location, number of primary tumors and maximum tumor diameter (all P<0.05), which suggested that TgAb +group ( n=81) and TPOAb +group ( n=84) had relatively better primary tumor characteristics. Patitents with TgAb +and TPOAb +were more common in females and their preoperative Tg level was mostly within the normal range, and there were significant differences in primary tumor location, number of primary tumors and maximum tumor diameter between TgAb +and TgAb -(223 cases) groups (all P<0.05). There was significant difference in the maximum tumor diameter between TPOAb +and TPOAb -(220 cases) groups ( P<0.05). Analysis of risk factors for cervical lymph node metastasis showed that independent risk factors for central lymph node metastasis were maximum tumor diameter>2 cm ( OR=2.84, 95% CI: 1.59-5.07, P<0.001) and extra-thyroid extension ( OR=0.32, 95% CI: 0.17-0.60, P<0.001), and independent risk factors for lateral neck lymph node metastasis included age≤14 years old ( OR=0.34, 95% CI: 0.18-0.67, P=0.002), preoperative Tg +( OR=2.16, 95% CI: 1.10-4.24, P=0.026) and maximum tumor diameter>2 cm ( OR=3.99, 95% CI: 2.33-6.82, P<0.001). Conclusion:It is recommended to test routinely serum TgAb and TPOAb before surgery in children and adolescents with PTC. Preoperative Tg +, age≤14 years, maximum tumor diameter>2 cm, and extra-thyroid extension are risk factors for cervical lymph node metastasis.

Objective:To evaluate the role of Tg in diagnosis of lateral cervical lymph node recurrence in papillary thyoid cancer(PTC)after radioactive iodine(RAI) therapy.Methods:From Jan 2012 to Aug 2018, 22 PTC patients who received RAI therapy after operation were reoperated for lateral cervical lymph node recurrence. The clinical data was retrospectively analyzed.Results:The median recurrence time was 30.5 (5-86) months. All 22 patients received RAI therapy after the first operation, and the median dose of RAI was 250mCi(100-700 mCi) and the episode of RAI therapy ranged from 1 to 4. All 22 PTC patients underwent neck reoperation, among which 20 cases were identified to have lymph node metastasis. The median number of lymph nodes dissected was 31 (8-83) and median number of metastatic lymph nodes was 4 (1-19) . The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in detecting lymph node metastasis was 90.9%. Before reoperation, the median Tg was 1.305 (0.10-99.51) μg/L, with the cutoff value of Tg being 0.2 μg/L, and its sensitivity and specificity were 80.0% and 100%, respectively. The median stimulated Tg was 5.89 (0.14-255.80) μg/L in the 10 patients, with the cutoff value of stimulated Tg of 2 μg/L, and its sensitivity and specificity were 88.9% and 100%, respectively.Conclusions:The serum Tg level is helpful for monitoring the recurence of PTC, but recurrence cannot be completely ruled out for those with low Tg.

Objective:To investigate the BRAF(V600E)gene mutation of pediatric papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and refine their clinicopathological correlates. Methods:Tumor tissue samples of pediatric PTCs (≤18 years old) were collected from tumor tissue bank of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital from January 2012 to December 2016.The medical records of 22 patients with pediatric PTC were reviewed retrospectively.The frequencies of BRAF(V600E) mutation were evaluated and the correlation between BRAF(V600E) mutation and clinical characteristics were analyzed. Results:BRAF(V600E) mutations were present in 45.5% of cases (10 cases). BRAF(V600E) mutation in pediatric PTC was obviously lower than that in adults PTC(77.7%) ( χ2=11.250, P=0.001). BRAF(V600E) mutation in>12-year-old group (66.7%) was remarkably higher than that in ≤12-year-old group (20.0%) ( P<0.05). BRAF(V600E) mutation in female (69.2%) was greatly higher than that in male (11.1%) ( P<0.05). There was no significant correlation with BRAF(V600E) mutation and multiple tumor, tumor size, highly invasive subtype, extrathyroidal extension, lymph node metastasis and radiological history of infants (all P>0.05). The median follow-up time was 45 months.No patients died and BRAF(V600E) mutation was not associated with the increase of recurrence rate ( P>0.05). Conclusions:BRAF(V600E)gene mutation in pediatric PTC is lower than that in adults. BRAF(V600E) mutation does not portend a more aggressive clinical biological behavior in pediatric PTC.

Objective:To investigate the difference of clinicopathological characteristics between mixed medullary and papillary carcinoma of thyroid and medullary carcinoma coexistent with papillary carcinoma.Method:The clinicopathological data of 3 MMPTC cases and 9 MTC-PTC cases treated at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital during the past ten years were retrospectively analyzed. The differences in clinical characteristics, pathological characteristics, immunohistochemistry results, treatment and prognosis of the two groups were compared.Results:In the MMPTC group, the median onset-age was 59 years old. 3 patients were all medullary carcinoma colliding with micropapillary carcinoma. The immunohistochemistry results showed that medullary carcinoma and papillary carcinoma showed their distinctive immunohistochemical characteristics. The lymph node metastasis rate was 66.7% (2/3). In MTC-PTC group, the median onset-age was 55; 8 out of 9 patients had an increased preoperative calcitonin level. Medullary carcinoma and papillary carcinoma showed their distinctive immunohistochemical characteristics. Four out of the 9 cases had lymph node metastasis.Conclusion:Compared with MTC-PTC, MMPTC is more common in middle-aged and elder patients, with higher lymph node metastasis rate. The pathogenesis of MTC-PTC is similar to papillary thyroid carcinoma, and the treatment should be individualized. The prognosis of these two groups of patients is fair.

Objective To investigate the postoperative complications of ex vivo liver resection combined with autologous liver transplantation in the treatment of end-stage hepatic alveolar echinococcosis at high altitude and related prevention and treatment strategies. Methods Surgical data and follow-up data were collected from 11 patients with end-stage hepatic alveolar echinococcosis who underwent autologous liver transplantation in Qinghai People's Hospital from January 2013 to March 2019, and intraoperative and postoperative conditions were analyzed. Results All 11 patients underwent autologous liver transplantation successfully, without intraoperative death, among whom 2(18.18%) underwent hemi-extracorporeal hepatectomy and 9 (81.82%) underwent total extracorporeal hepatectomy. For the reconstruction of the retrohepatic inferior vena cava, 2 patients (18.18%) underwent reconstruction with the autologous great saphenous vein, 4 patients (36.36%) underwent reconstruction with artificial vessels, and the autologous retrohepatic inferior vena cava was preserved in 5 patients (45.45%). For biliary reconstruction, 8 patients (72.73%) underwent choledochoenterostomy and 3 (27.27%) underwent choledochocholedochostomy. The main postoperative complications of the 11 patients included bleeding in 2 patients (18.18%), bile leakage and abdominal infection in 4 patients (36.36%), bilioenteric anastomotic stenosis in 1 patient (9.09%), thrombus in 2 patients (18.18%), pulmonary infection and pleural effusion in 2 patients (18.18%), and echinococcosis recurrence in 1 patient (9.09%). Of all 11 patients, 2 (18.18%) died during the perioperative period, and the other 9 patients (81.82%) were improved and discharged. Conclusion Bleeding, biliary complications, and infection are the main causes of death in patients undergoing autologous liver transplantation at high altitude. An accurate understanding of surgical indication, careful multidisciplinary evaluation before surgery, superb operation during surgery, standardized surgical procedures, and fine perioperative management are the key to reducing perioperative mortality, avoiding and reducing postoperative complications, and achieving good long-term survival in patients undergoing autologous liver transplantation.

Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease. The therapeutic options of advanced hepatic alveolar echinococcosis mainly include: operation combined with drug treatment, percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage, focus puncture drainage, drug treatment, liver transplantation. The individualized and comprehensive treatment mainly based on surgery is an ideal treatment method for advanced hepatic alveolar echinococcosis. This paper summarized the related literature at home and abroad, combined with clinical practice, and summarized the current situation and progress of the treatment of advanced hepatic alveolar echinococcosis.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a kind of RNA with a circular structure. The unique structure of circRNA endows it with various cell biological functions and characteristics. It has become a research hotspot recently. CircRNA can play a role via mechanisms, such as microRNA (miRNA) sponge, RNA binding protein, peptide translation and regulation of gene transcription. CircRNA was found to be associated with disc degeneration, spinal cord injury, scoliosis, and facet arthritis. Some techniques, including bioinformatics and molecular biology techniques, microarray and high-throughput sequencing, can be used to predict and to discover disease-related circRNA, aiming to evaluate whether circRNA can be used as a molecular biomarker for spinal and spinal cord diseases. Based on the current role of circRNA, the corresponding therapeutic strategies have been carried out in experimental animals, which can provide theoretical basis for gene therapy. At present, the researches in circRNA for spinal and spinal cord diseases are still insufficient compared with those in other fields. Currently, the main direction focuses on the miRNA sponge mechanism of circRNA. Due to the variety of diseases in spinal surgery, the research progress of circRNA is also varied. In addition, the development of microarray and high-throughput sequencing technology have greatly promoted the researches in circRNA. The availability of public database is of great significance in the study. The present review summarized the current researches status of circRNA in spinal and spinal cord diseases, aiming to deepen understanding of circRNA in spinal and spinal cord diseases.

Objective:To examine the expression of MHC class Ⅱ in medullary thyroid carcinoma(MTC) and analyze its clinical significance.Methods:98 MTC patients treated at Tumor Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from Jan 2010 to Dec 2018 were included for the study. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of MHC class Ⅱ molecule .Results:The high expression of MHC class Ⅱ was not correlated with age (χ 2=0.900, P=0.410), multifocal (χ 2=0.295, P=0.672), bilateral (χ 2=2.957, P=0.127), T stage (χ 2=0.554, P=0.457), but correlated with gender (χ 2=5.227, P=0.025), preoperative calcitonin level (χ 2=6.663, P=0.019), lymph node metastasis (χ 2=21.651, P<0.001) and AJCC stage (χ 2=19.522, P<0.001). Overall survival rate of patients with high expression of MHC class Ⅱ was 97.4%.It was significantly higher than that of patients with low expression 66.1% ( P=0.016 3). COX regression model showed that age >55 years old ( HR=4.129, P=0.009), T stage ( HR=3.265, P=0.024) were independent risk factors for the prognosis of MTC patients. High expression of MHC class Ⅱ molecules ( HR=0.103, P=0.030) was a protective factor for the prognosis of MTC patients. Conclusion:The MTC patients with high expression of MHC class Ⅱ have a better prognosis.