Enhanced recovery after surgery in transurethral surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) measures have not been systematically applied in transurethral surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This study was performed on patients with BPH who required surgical intervention. From July 2019 to June 2020, the ERAS program was applied to 248 patients, and the conventional program was applied to 238 patients. After 1 year of follow-up, the differences between the ERAS group and the conventional group were evaluated. The ERAS group had a shorter time of urinary catheterization compared with the conventional group (mean ± standard deviation [s.d.]: 1.0 ± 0.4 days vs 2.7 ± 0.8 days, P < 0.01), and the pain (mean ± s.d.) was significantly reduced through postoperative hospitalization days (PODs) 0-2 (POD 0: 1.7 ± 0.8 vs 2.4 ± 1.0, P < 0.01; POD 1: 1.6 ± 0.9 vs 3.5 ± 1.3, P < 0.01; POD 2: 1.2 ± 0.7 vs 3.0 ± 1.3, P < 0.01). No statistically significant difference was found in the rate of postoperative complications, such as postoperative bleeding (P = 0.79), urinary retention (P = 0.40), fever (P = 0.55), and readmission (P = 0.71). The hospitalization cost of the ERAS group was similar to that of the conventional group (mean ± s.d.: 16 927.8 ± 5808.1 Chinese Yuan [CNY] vs 17 044.1 ± 5830.7 CNY, P =0.85). The International Prostate Symptom Scores (IPSS) and quality of life (QoL) scores in the two groups were also similar when compared at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after discharge. The ERAS program we conducted was safe, repeatable, and efficient. In conclusion, patients undergoing the ERAS program experienced less postoperative stress than those undergoing the conventional program.

The effect of bladder function on the efficacy of transurethral prostatectomy in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a retrospective, single-center study / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

We investigated the impact and predictive value of bladder function in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) on the efficacy of transurethral prostatectomy. Symptomatic, imaging, and urodynamic data of patients who underwent transurethral prostatectomy at West China Hospital of Sichuan University (Chengdu, China) from July 2019 to December 2021 were collected. Follow-up data included the quality of life (QoL), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and IPSS storage and voiding (IPSS-s and IPSS-v). Moreover, urinary creatinine (Cr), nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and prostaglandin estradiol (PGE2) were measured in 30 patients with BPH and 30 healthy participants. Perioperative indicators were determined by subgroup analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Among the 313 patients with BPH included, patients with severe micturition problems had more improvements but higher micturition grades postoperatively than those with moderate symptoms. Similarly, good bladder sensation, compliance, and detrusor contractility (DC) were predictors of low postoperative IPSS and QoL. The urinary concentrations of BDNF/Cr, NGF/Cr, and PGE2/Cr in patients were significantly higher than those in healthy participants (all P < 0.001). After evaluation, only DC was significantly related to both urinary indicators and postoperative recovery of patients. Patients with good DC, as predicted by urinary indicators, had lower IPSS and IPSS-v than those with reduced DC at the 1st month postoperatively (both P < 0.05). In summary, patients with impaired bladder function had poor recovery. The combined levels of urinary BDNF/Cr, NGF/Cr, and PGE2/Cr in patients with BPH may be valid predictors of preoperative bladder function and postoperative recovery.

The Role of Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway in Vascular Remodeling in Bleomycin-induced Systemic Sclerosis Mouse Model / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease that can involve multiple organs throughout the body. It is characterized by extensive vascular disease and fibrosis of the skin and internal organs, but its mechanism is still unclear. Studies have confirmed that the Wnt pathway is involved in SSc fibrosis, but its pathological role in vascular lesions has not been reported. In this study, the bleomycin (BLM)-induced SSc mouse model was used to investigate the role of Wnt pathway in SSc cutaneous vascular lesions. Eighteen BALB/C mice were randomly divided into control, model and treatment groups. The control group of mice was injected with PBS 100 μL/d. The model group was injected with BLM 100 μL/d at a concentration of 1 mg/mL. The treatment group of mice received injection of BLM 100 μL as the model group of mice and retroperitoneal injection of iCRT3 (Wnt and beta-catenin inhibitors) 5 mg/kg/d. Mice were sacrificed on day 28. The thickness of dorsal dermis and epidermis in the model group induced by BLM was significantly higher than that in the control group (P <0. 05). The skin appendages such as sebaceous glands and hair follicles in the model group were significantly reduced. At the same time, the thickness of fat layer became thinner and surrounded by fibrous tissue, and the collagen deposition in the model group was higher than that in the control group. It was identified at the histological level by immunohistochemical staining that α-SMA expression in model group and treatment group α-SMA is highly expressed in skin tissues, and the positive expression of α-SMA around blood vessels was significantly higher than that in the control group. In addition, the expression of IL-6 and IL-17 in serum of model group was significantly higher than that in control group (P<0. 05), and the expression of IL-6 and IL-17 in serum of treatment group was significantly lower than that in model group (P<0. 05). Furthermore, q-PCR analysis showed that the mRNA levels of β-catenin in the skin microvessels of the mice were higher in the model and the treatment groups as compared with the control group. The protein levels of Wnt5A, β-catenin, α-SMA and col1A1 were analyzed by Western blotting and results showed that the levels of fibrosis-related proteins, α-SMA and col1A1, were increased in the model group injected with BLM as compared with the control group (P<0. 05), whereas iCRT3 treatment attenuated the upregulation of α-SMA and col1A1 induced by BLM in the treatment group (P<0. 05). The levels of Wnt pathway-related proteins β-catenin and Wnt5A were significantly increased in the model group as compared with the control (P<0. 05). This study suggests that BLM can successfully induce the skin phenotype of mice with systemic sclerosis. Abnormal activation of Wnt signaling pathway is involved in BLM-induced skin microangiopathy in mice with scleroderma, and the specific Wnt pathway inhibitor iCRT3 can reduce BLM-induced scleroderma. The expression of α-SMA and col1A1 proteins in mouse skin microvessels can improve the microvascular lesions of mouse skin. Inhibition of Wnt pathway may directly or indirectly down-regulate the abnormal expression of cytokines IL-6 and IL-17, and interfere with BLM-induced progression of vascular lesions in mice.

Antidepressant-Like Effects of Chaihu Shugan Powder () on Rats Exposed to Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress through Inhibition of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Apoptosis / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the antidepressant-like effects of Chaihu Shugan Powder (CSP, ) and to explore its underlying mechanisms.@*METHODS@#Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control (CON), chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), fluoxetine (FLU), and CSP groups, 8 rats in each group. All of the rats except for those in the control group were subjected to 3 consecutive weeks of CUMS to establish the depression model. The open field test (OFT), forced swimming test (FST), and sucrose preference test were used to assess the anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects of CSP. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP nick-end labeling was used to determine the apoptosis rate in the hippocampal tissues. The mRNA and protein levels of glucose-regulated protein (GRP) 78, spliced X-box-binding protein (XBP)-1, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), caspase-12, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in the hippocampus of rats were evaluated by real-time PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively.@*RESULTS@#Administration of CSP alleviated anxiety and depression-like behavior in CUMS rats, as revealed by enhanced time and distance in the center of the OFT (P<0.05), an increased preference for sucrose, and longer swimming time and shorter immobility time during the FST (all P<0.05). In addition, CSP treatment significantly reduced the rate of apoptosis in rat hippocampal neurons (P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression levels of GRP78, spliced XBP-1, and CHOP were down-regulated along with the expression of caspase-12 and cleaved caspase-12 proteins (all P<0.05), whereas total and phosphorylated JNK1 protein levels did not differ significantly between control and CSP-treated rats.@*CONCLUSION@#CSP can improve depression-like behavior in rats exposed to CUMS, possibly by suppressing CHOP and caspase-12 mediated apoptosis in the rat hippocampus.

Bibliometric analysis of refractory facial paralysis based on CNKI database / 中国针灸

The current development situation and the hotspot of the relevant research on refractory facial paralysis are explored. The articles on refractory facial paralysis are retrieved from CNKI database. The bibliographic items co-occurrence matrix builder (BICOMB) 2.0 is adopted to extract and analyze statistically literature characteristics and generate the high-frequency keywords matrix. The graphical clustering toolkit (gCLUTO) 1.0 is used to cluster the high-frequency keywords. A total of 750 articles are included, mostly published in

The preoperative serum cystatin-C as an independent prognostic factor for survival in upper tract urothelial carcinoma / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Cystatin-C (Cys-C) has been reported as a valuable prognostic biomarker in various malignancies. However, its effect on upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) patients has not been investigated before. Thus, to explore the impact of Cys-C on survival outcomes in patients undergoing radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), a total of 538 patients with UTUC who underwent RNU between 2005 and 2014 in our center (West China Hospital, Chengdu, China) were included in this study. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between Cys-C and survival outcomes using SPSS version 22.0. The cutoff value of Cys-C was set as 1.4 mg l-1 using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Youden index. The mean age of patients included was 66.1 ± 11.1 years, and the median follow-up duration was 38 (interquartile range: 19-56) months. Overall, 162 (30.1%) patients had elevated Cys-C, and they were much older and had worse renal function than those with Cys-C <1.4 mg l-1 (both P < 0.001). Meanwhile, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the group with elevated Cys-C had worse cancer-specific survival (CSS, P = 0.001), disease recurrence-free survival (RFS, P = 0.003), and overall survival (OS, P < 0.001). Multivariable Cox analysis suggested that the elevated Cys-C was identified as an independent prognostic predictor of CSS (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.997, 95% confidential interval [CI]: 1.331-2.996), RFS (HR: 1.429, 95% CI: 1.009-2.023), and OS (HR: 1.989, 95% CI: 1.366-2.896). In conclusion, our result revealed that the elevated preoperative serum Cys-C was significantly associated with worse outcomes in UTUC patients undergoing RNU.

ARV-7: A biomarker for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer / 中华男科学杂志

As more and more patients with metastatic prostate cancer develop resistance to androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and consequently castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), reasonable selection of therapies is becoming increasingly important for the prediction of the therapeutic results. Many studies show that androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) is involved in the development and progression of CRPC and that the expression of AR-V7, absolutely higher in CRPC than in hormone-nave prostate cancer, plays a significant role in the mechanisms of resistance to abiraterone, enzalutamide and taxane chemotherapies. Further more, some clinical trials have revealed that the AR-V7 level may indicate the prognosis of different therapeutic options: AR-V7 negative in circulating tumor cells suggesting the effectiveness of a new hormonal therapy and taxane chemotherapy while AR-V7 positive indicating the poor result of a new hormonal therapy. These findings show that AR-V7 could be a biomarker for therapeutic options and the prognostic evaluation of CRPC.

Androgen biosynthesis in castration-resistant prostate cancer: Advances in studies / 中华男科学杂志

Prostate cancer is a most common malignant tumor in the male urogenital system. Currently, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a bottleneck in the treatment of prostate cancer, which has a very poor prognosis, with a median survival of merely 12 months. Although androgen-deprivation therapy eliminates the majority of the androgens in circulation, CRPC patients adapt to low-level androgens by synthesizing intratumoral androgens or altering androgen receptors. This review summarizes the main ways of synthesizing testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the enzymes involved, and changes of the androgen level in different stages of CRPC. Blocking any one of the pathways of androgen biosynthesis is likely to upregulate another and lead to incomplete androgen elimination and consequently drug resistance. Therefore, identifying the pathways of androgen biosynthesis may provide an opportunity for the development of the drugs for blocking the major pathways of androgen and introtumoral androgen biosynthesis and antagonizing androgen receptors.

Advances in clinical research on rtA181 mutation in hepatitis B virus / 中华肝脏病杂志

Nowadays, nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) are important drugs for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B and can suppress the virus through inhibiting the activity of hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase. However, rtA181 mutation in HBV can reduce the sensitivity of HBV to various NAs, which brings new challenges to antiviral therapy. This article briefly introduces the research advances in the clinical detection rate of rtA181 mutation and its influence on therapeutic effect and prognosis.

Click-Functionalized Fluorescent Nanoprobes with Folate Receptor-Targeting Ability for Cancer Cell Imaging / 分析化学

Folate receptor ( FR )-targeted fluorescent nanoprobes ( RSiNPs-Folate ) were constructed by modifying Rubpy-doped silica nanoparticles ( RSiNPs) with folic acid ( FA) based on click chemistry coupling method, which was successfully used for cancer cell imaging. Firstly, RSiNPs were prepared by St?ber method and modified with azide groups through the hydrolysis of silane coupling agents ( Az-PTES ) , then propargyl folate were conjugated onto the nanoparticle surfaces via click reaction. It was demonstrated that the FA-functionalized nanoprobes were successfully prepared by monitoring the characteristic peak of the azide group at 2105 cm-1 before and after coupling. In the condition of physiological pH, the nanoprobes exhibited strong red emission at 601 nm when excited at the 458 nm excitation wavelength. The cell imaging results showed that RSiNPs-Folate could effectively target FR-positive HeLa cells, while no obvious fluorescence was observed for FR-negative A549 cells. The receptor-mediated imaging mechanism was confirmed by free FA competition experiments. More importantly, HeLa cells could be selectively recognized and imaged in the mixing cell system. Compared with the carbodiimide conjugation protocols, the click-functionalized nanoprobes had many advantages such as simple synthesis procedures, mild reaction conditions and high yields, which could be potentially used for fluorescent labeling and imaging of different cancer cells.

The anesthesia study of minimally-invasive thyroid surgery with short-stay discharge / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective To evaluate the feasibility,security and efficiency of general anaesthesia compared with regional anaesthesia for minimally-invasive thyroid surgery(MITS)with short-stay discharge.Methods 103 cases undergoing MITS with short-stay discharge from Jan.2013 to Jun.2013 in Fuzhou General Hospital were collected.54 patients were operated under regional anaesthesia and 49 under general anaesthesia.All variables of patients including demographic characteristics,vital signs (blood pressure,heart rate,blood glucose) during the operation,duration and type of operation,postoperative complications,difficulty in airway management and anesthesia consumption were recorded and analyzed.Results There was no difference in respect to level of blood glucose,length of hospital stay,discharge time,patient or operator satisfaction rate,anesthesia or operation complications rate between the two groups.Blood pressure (T1:(90 ± 7.0) vs (79 ± 8.3) mmHg,T2:(88 ± 6.8) vs (80 ±7.6) mmHg,P ＜0.05) and heart rate(T1:(130 ± 18.2) vs(101 ± 12.0)/min,T2:(120 ± 19.7) vs(103 ± 13.3)/min,P ＜ 0.05)level were higher,while the recovery time of anesthesia((0.3 ± 0.14)vs(0.8 ± 0.35)h,P ＜ 0.05)) and anesthesia consumption ((1350 ± 78) vs (2580 ± 220) yuan,P ＜ 0.05)) were lower in the regional anaesthesia group compared with those in the general anaesthesia group.Conclusions Both general anaesthesia and regional anaesthesia for MITS with short-stay discharge are safe and effective.General anesthesia has less psychological trauma,while regional anaesthesia has shorter recovery time and lower anesthetic consumption.

Optimization of initial antibacterial drug regimens for treating common staphylococcal infection in ICU / 重庆医学

Objective To optimize the antibacterial drug regimen in ICU common staphylococcal infection.Methods The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters of antibacterial drugs were collected in combination with the hospital ICU anti-microbial drug resistance monitoring reports from the national antimicrobial resistance investigation net (Mohnarin)of the Ministry of Health and the performance standards for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (2013)issued by the clinical and laboratory stand-ards institute (CLSI),the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)of staphylococci was set by using the discrete uniform distribu-tion method and 16 kinds of administration regimens with 6 antimicrobial agents were worked out.The best initially antimicrobial regimen was optimized by using the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic models and Monte Carlo simulations of cumulative frac-tion of response (CFR)from 5 000 patients.Results The alternative initially drug regimens to the infectious bacteria were:linezolid 0.40 g twice daily and vancomycin 0.75 g twice daily for staphylococcus aureus;amikacin 0.60 g once daily and linezolid 0.40 g twice daily,and vancomycin 0.75 g twice daily for hemolytic staphylococci and staphylococcus epidermidis;linezolid 0.40 g twice daily and vancomycin 0.75 g twice daily for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus;ampicillin/sulbactam 1.50 g 4 times daily, cefuroxime 0.75 g 4 times daily,amikacin 0.60 g once daily,moxifloxacin 0.40 g once daily for methicillin-sensitive staphylococcus aureus.Conclusion In the Staphylococcus aureus infection occurred in ICU,if which being methicillin-sensitive could be deter-mined,ampicillin/sulbactam,cefuroxime,amikacin and moxifloxacin could be selected for treatment,and linezolid or vancomycin could be selected for treating possible methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection or undetermined whether being methicil-lin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy for high-risk prostate cancer: An update / 中华男科学杂志

Recently, the D'Amico classification system is widely used for the risk stratification of prostate cancer (PCa) , although no consensus has been reached for the definition of high-risk PCa. This system defines high-risk PCa as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level > 20 ng/ml, a Gleason score of 8-10, or a clinical stage ≥ T2c. Because high-risk PCa is prone to recurrence and metastasis after treatment, a proper initial therapy plays a crucial role. Currently, radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy are considered to be two most important options for the initial treatment of high-risk PCa although it remains controversial which is better.

Circumcision with no-flip Shang Ring technique for adult males: analysis of 168 cases / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical effects of the no-flip procedure with the Chinese Shang Ring when circumcising adult males with redundant prepuce or phimosis, and to discuss its advantages and disadvantages.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using the no-flip Shang Ring technique, we performed circumcision for 167 adult males aged 18 -72 (mean 27.8) years with redundant prepuce or phimosis, and analyzed the clinical data, including the operation time, postoperative complications, ring-removal time, and postoperative appearance of the penis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Complete follow-up data of 94 cases (56.29%) were obtained. The mean operation time was (5.03 +/- 0.71) minutes and the average ring-removal time was (18.83 +/- 6.70) days. The primary postoperative complications were edema (35 cases [37.23%] at 2 weeks and 9 cases [9.57%] at 4 weeks), including 2 severe cases (2.13%), and infection (3 cases [3.19%]). The pain scores were 2.01 +/- 2.46 during the procedure and 4.52 +/- 2.53 at 24 hours postoperatively. Slipping of the outer ring occurred in 1 case, and delayed removal of the ring in 30 cases (31.91%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Adult male circumcision with the no-flip Shang Ring technique is recommended for its short operation time, simple procedure, fewer postoperative complications, less pain, and better incision appearance.</p>

No-flip method versus external method for Shang Ring circumcision: a meta-analysis / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the effect and safety of the no-flip method versus the external method in Shang Ring circumcision.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We searched relevant randomized controlled trials published in China and abroad comparing the no-flip method and external method of Shang Ring circumcision. Based on the Cochrane Handbook for systematic review, two reviewers independently eval- uated the quality of the included studies and abstracted relevant data, followed by a meta-analysis using the statistical software Review Manager 5.1.0.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally 7 studies with 1 200 cases were included. Compared with the external method, the no-flip method was associated with a lower total rate of complications (RR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.87, P = 0.02), a lower incidence of postop- erative edema (RR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.81, P = 0.02), and a lower 24 h postoperative pain score (MD = -0.35, 95% CI: -0.55, -0.14, P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The no-flip method of Shang Ring circumcision was superior to the external method for its advantages of fewer complications, lower incidence of postoperative edema, and mild postoperative pain. However, our findings need further support by more high-quality randomized controlled trials.</p>

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy of staghorn calculi in patients by mini-tract and standard-tract / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the outcome of mini-tract vs standard-tract percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in staghorn calculi.@*METHODS@#Between May 2009 and May 2011, 122 patients with renal staghorn calculi were treated by PCNL. Fifty-six patients underwent mini-PCNL and the others underwent standard-PCNL. The therapeutic effect and complication of the 2 groups were compared.@*RESULTS@#The two groups had comparable demographic conditions. Although the operation time was significantly longer in mini-PCNL group [(126±24.5) min vs (98±18.9) min], there was no striking difference in hospital stay [(5.7±1.3) d vs (5.3±1.1) d], hemoglobin drop [(9.5±3.2) g/L vs (10.5±3.3) g/L], stone-free state before charge (91.1% vs 89.4%) and complications.@*CONCLUSION@#The efficacy and safety of mini-PCNL and standard-PCNL are not significantly different.

Efficacy and safety of percutaneous nephrolithotomy for treatment of staghorn stones in solitary kidney / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze efficacy and safety of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in the management of staghorn calculi with solitary kidney.@*METHODS@#Between April 2009 and December 2011, 13 patients with renal staghorn calculi in solitary kidney were treated by PCNL in our hospital. The therapeutic effects and complications were the main points of the analysis.@*RESULTS@#Of the 13 patients, surgery time was 92-164 (117.2±21.5) min; 9 cases underwent PCNL through a single access tract, 4 cases through multi-access tracts. The stone removal rate in one session of PCNL was 76.9%, and the total clearance rate was 92.3%. Hemoglobin dropped 11-32 (16.4±4.6) g/L; one case required blood transfusion; no patient had embolism. Hospital stay was 5-10 (6.9±1.5) days postoperatively. Serum creatinine before PCNL in these patients was 83-237 (146.24±38.73) μmol/L compared to 81-242 (134.56±21.52) μmol/L by the end of the 1-month follow-up period (not statistically different). Similar findings were observed in glomerular filtration rates: before PCNL it was 42-114 (71.32±20.82) mL/min and by the end of the 1-month follow-up it was 55-117 (79.40±22.14) mL/min (not statistically different).@*CONCLUSION@#PCNL is effective and safe for the treatment of staghorn stones in solitary kidney, and has advantages such as short surgical duration, fewer complications, rapid recovery, short hospital stay, effective stone removal rate, and so on.

Epigenetics of hepatocellular carcinoma: a new horizon / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Epigenetic changes refer to stable alterations in gene expression with no underlying modifications in the genetic sequence itself. It has become clear that not only gene variations but also epigenetic modifications may contribute to varied diseases, including cancer. This review will provide an overview of how epigenetic factors, including genomic DNA methylation, histone modifications, and miRNA regulation, contribute to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) dissemination, invasion, and metastasis. Additionally, the reversal of dysregulated epigenetic changes has emerged as a potential strategy for the treatment of HCC, and we will summarize the latest epigenetic therapies for HCC.

Clinical and genetic analysis of a pedigree of Kennedy disease / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To review the clinical and genetic features of a pedigree of Kennedy disease in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of patients from a Kennedy disease family were collected. The numbers of trinucleotide CAG repeats in exon 1 of the androgen receptor gene were determined by DNA sequencing and repeat fragment analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the pedigree, 4 patients were identified as Kennedy disease. Clinical manifested with adult-onset, progressive proximal limb muscle weakness and atrophy, gynecomastia, oligospermia were also presented. The number of trinucleotide CAG repeats in exon 1 of the androgen receptor gene was 51 in the proband. The electrophysiological study showed sensory and motor involvement and their serum triglycerides values were elevated significantly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Androgen receptors gene testing is the most reliable diagnosing method, the patients suspected as Kennedy disease should have a gene testing of androgen receptors.</p>

Retroperitoneoscopic ureterolithotomy for upper ureteral calculus: 69 cases / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To review the technical details of retroperitoneoscopic ureterolithotomy and evaluate the clinical effect.@*METHODS@#Between June 2004 and December 2008, 69 patients (55 males and 14 females) with upper ureteral calculus received retroperitoneal laparoseopic ureterolithotomy (40 left sides and 29 right sides). The stone size ranged from 1.5 to 3.1 cm [(2.2±0.6) cm].@*RESULTS@#All the patients underwent retroperitoneoscopic ureterolithotomy. The operation time was 40-295 (63.1±19.8) min,and the blood loss was 30-150 (57.2±23.0) mL.The hospital stay was 5-8 (6.7±1.3) d. During the followup, there was neither ureteral stricture nor recurrent calculus.@*CONCLUSION@#Retroperitoneoscopic ureterolithotomy is safe, effective and minimally invasive, which may replace the conventional open surgery.