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ObjectiveTo investigate the serological markers associated with posthepatectomy recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and to establish a prognostic model to evaluate whether palliative hepatectomy is suitable for such patients. MethodsA total of 111 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent hepatectomy in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from February 2009 to July 2013 and received follow-up were enrolled. Basic clinical data were collected and the patients were divided into recurrence group and non-recurrence group according to whether recurrence was observed during follow-up. The t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups and the Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival differences were analyzed using the log-rank test. A Cox regression analysis was used to perform univariate and multivariate analyses, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to evaluate prediction efficiency. ResultsThe Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the patients with low alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), and fibrinogen and high CXCL13 had a longer median time to recurrence (P＜0.05). AFP (hazard ratio ［HR］［95%CI］=1.69(1.03~2.79), P=0.039), GGT (HR［95%CI］=1.89(1.14~3.14), P=0.014), and CXCL13 (HR［95%CI］=0.54(0.33~0.89), P=0.015) were independent factors associated with posthepatectomy recurrence. The prognostic index PI=0.526×AFP+0.637×GGT-0.616×CXCL13 established based on these factors had an AUC of 0.87, a sensitivity of 93.75%, and a specificity of 63.64% in predicting recurrence within 0-3 months after palliative hepatectomy, with a significant reduction in prediction efficiency for recurrence within 0-6 months (AUC=0.68) or a longer period of time. The recurrence prediction efficiency of this model for palliative hepatectomy was significantly higher than that for radical resection. ConclusionThe prognostic model established based on CXCL13, AFP, and GGT can be used to evaluate the risk of early recurrence after palliative hepatectomy and thus helps clinicians to make diagnosis and treatment decisions based on patients’ benefits.
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Objective@#To establish and evaluate diagnostic efficacy and applicability of serum Golgi protein (GP) 73 based non-invasive diagnostic model with other conventional serological indicators for compensated stage hepatitis B cirrhosis.@*Methods@#666 cases with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who had visited to the Fifth Medical Center of People’s Liberation Army General Hospital from January 2010 to December 2017 were selected as the study subjects, and were classified according to compensated stage cirrhosis into clinical and pathological diagnosis group based on whether or not the liver histological examination was performed. A diagnostic model of compensated stage hepatitis B cirrhosis in the clinical diagnosis group was established. The current clinically used diagnostic model of liver cirrhosis, aspartate aminotransferase/platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis index (FIB)-4 and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) were compared. Eventually, the diagnostic model was verified step by step by pathological diagnosis group.@*Results@#The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of GP73 and APRI, FIB-4, and LSM for cirrhosis patients in the clinical diagnosis group were 0.842, 0.857, 0.864, and 0.832, respectively. The diagnostic efficiency of the four indicators were of similar (P value > 0.05). A diagnostic model of compensated stage hepatitis B cirrhosis (GAPA) using logistic regression analysis was established: LogitP = 1/ [1 + exp (1.614-0.054 × GP73-0.045 × Age + 0.030 × PLT-0.015 × ALP)]. The AUC of the model was as high as 0.940 and the optimal cut-off value were 0.41. The corresponding diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 0.92 and 0.82, respectively. The diagnostic efficiency was better than that of APRI, FIB-4, LSM and GP73 alone (P < 0.05). The AUC of GAPA was 0.877 in the pathological diagnosis group, which was similar to the diagnostic efficacy of LSM (0.891) and FIB-4 (0.847) (P > 0.1), but still superior to that of APRI (0.811) and GP73 alone (0.780) (P < 0.001).@*Conclusion@#GAPA, a diagnostic model for compensated stage hepatitis B cirrhosis established in this study, has a good diagnostic efficacy in both the clinical and pathological diagnosis group, and has certain auxiliary diagnostic value in the areas where resources are relatively scarce or where LSM has not been developed.
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Objective: To explore effects of large dose gamma globulin on cardiac function and immune regulation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and heart failure (HF).Methods: According to random number table, a total of 90 DCM + HF patients were divided into routine treatment group (n=45) and gamma globulin group (n=45, received gamma globulin based on routine treatment, 400 mg kg-1 d-1 intravenous drip for 5d).After three months, therapeutic effect, cardiac function, levels of cardiac troponin T (cTnT), cTnI, N terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and anti-cardiac myosin heavy chain auto-antibodies (AMHCA) IgG titer before and after treatment, incidence of adverse reactions were observed and compared between two groups.Results: After three-month treatment, total effective rate of gamma globulin group was significantly higher than that of routine treatment group (80.00% vs.57.50%, P=0.02);compared with routine treatment group after treatment, there were significant reductions in levels of cTnT [(0.54±0.18) μg/L vs.(0.31±0.12) μg/L], cTnI [(1.35±0.18) μg/L vs.(0.72±0.13) μg/L], NT-proBNP [(758.34±64.28) pg/ml vs.(708.34±60.22) pg/ml], and significant rise in left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF, (39.35±6.23)% vs.(47.32±6.10)%] in gamma globulin group, P<0.05 all;compared with before treatment and routine treatment group after treatment, there was significant reduction in AMHCA IgG titer [(0.099±0.047), (0.092±0.045) vs.(0.069±0.032), P<0.05 both] in gamma globulin group;incidence rate of adverse reaction in gamma globulin group was significantly higher than that of routine treatment group (22.22% vs.6.67%, P=0.04), but the symptoms were mild, and they recovered after symptomatic treatment.Conclusion: Large dose gamma globulin can significantly improve cardiac function and possesses good immune regulation effect in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
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Sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT) is one of the most methods in the transgenic animal research and the efficiency of spermatozoa binding and internalization exogenous DNA after sperm/DNA co-culture is important to a successful SMGT.In this study,the influencing factors of exogenous DNA uptake by spermatozoa were detected using DIG labeled EGFP as exogenous gene.The results demonstrated that porcine spermatozoa could spontaneously take up exogenous DNA which mainly binding occurs on the sub-acrosomal and nuclei region of the sperm head.The rate of spermatozoa binding exogenous DNA increased with the extending action of time.At 37℃ and 39℃,the rate of spermatozoa uptake exogenous DNA would not increase after 60 min incubation,and the similar result was observed on 90 min at 17℃.Binding rates and internalization rates of washed ejaculated sperm cells from the 15 boars varied between 6.57%-35.81% and 2.990%-24.66%,respectively.The binding rate and intemalization rate were mostly inhibited by seminal plasma.The binding rates were significantly increased by liposome and DMSO,respectively.Dead-spermatozoa could bind exogenous DNA,the intermalization process could not be completed.Furthermore,the highest binding rate was found in membrane broken spermatozoa as a result of freeze-thawing and this was independent of the sperm donors.