ABSTRACT
Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of ethanol-soaked gelatin sponge (ESG) in the treatment of hepatic arterioportal shunt (APS). Methods: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with APS were divided into experimental group (Group E) and control group (Group C). Patients in Group E were treated with ESG for APS embolization, whereas patients in Group C were treated with polyvinyl alcohol particles for APS embolization, with other treatment unchanged. APS and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) physical status scores of patients before and after the first treatment and further consultation in the 6th week and the survival rate in follow-up visit were recorded. The changes of liver function during treatment were monitored. Results: Before the first treatment, there was no statistical significant difference in APS between two groups. After that, APS in Groups E (P = 2.49 × 10−7) and C (P = 2.10 × 10−4) was improved. In further consultation, APS in Groups E (P = 2.73 × 10−13) and C (P = 2.90 × 10−8) was further improved after examinations and corresponding treatment. After the first treatment and further consultation, APS score was lower in Group E than in Group C, and there were still five patients whose APS score was 2 in Group C. Quality of life in two groups was effectively controlled without getting worse and the ECOG score reduced. Liver function in the two groups did not worsen with the use of liver protective drugs. No deaths occurred in Group E, whereas two patients died in Group C during treatment and follow-up visit. Conclusion: The results show that ESG can effectively reduce APS score and improve the survival rate of HCC patients
ABSTRACT
Background Analysis of genetic diversity is important for the authentication of a species. Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a subtropical evergreen tree. Recently, L. chinensis has been characterized by an improved random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analysis. The goal of this study was to develop sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers from the improved RAPD fragments for the genetic analysis of L. chinensis. Results The improved RAPD fragments from L. chinensis were cloned, sequenced and converted into stable SCAR markers. Sequencing of three cloned RAPD fragments revealed that the clone L7-16 consisted of 222 nucleotides (GenBank accession number KM235222), clone L9-6 consisted of 648 nucleotides (GenBank accession number KM235223), and clone L11-26 consisted of 369 nucleotides (GenBank accession number KM235224). Then, specific primers for SCAR markers L7-16, L9-6, and L11-26 were designed and synthesized. PCR amplification was performed using DNA templates from 24 different samples, including 6 samples of L. chinensis and other plants. The SCAR marker L9-6 was specific for all of the L. chinensis samples, the SCAR marker L11-26 specific for five L. chinensis samples, and the SCAR marker L7-16 only specific for the samples from Luzhou. Conclusions This study developed stable SCAR markers for the identification of L. chinensis by the cloning of the improved RAPD fragments. Combining RAPD and SCAR markers provides a simple and reliable tool for the genetic characterization of plant species.