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Objective:To explore the efficacy and prognostic factors of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in elderly patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer.Methods:The clinical data of 87 elderly patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer who received IMRT and 79 elderly patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer who received three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) from January 2005 to December 2015 in Changzhou Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University were retrospectively analyzed, and their efficacy and adverse reactions were observed. The log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model were used for univariate and multivariate analyses to analyze the prognostic factors of patients receiving IMRT.Results:In the IMRT group, 27 cases (31.0%) achieved complete remission, and 60 cases (69.0%) achieved partial remission; in the 3DCRT group, 18 cases (22.8%) achieved complete remission, and 61 cases (77.2%) achieved partial remission. There was no statistical difference in the short-term efficacy (CR+PR) between the two groups ( χ2 = 1.43, P = 0.232). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates in the IMRT group were 77.0%, 46.0% and 23.0%, respectively, and the 3DCRT group were 70.1%, 40.5% and 10.1%, respectively. There was a statistical difference in the overall survival between the two groups ( χ2 = 4.89, P = 0.027). For elderly patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer who received IMRT, univariate analysis showed that gender, lesion location, T stage, gross tumor volume, and short-term efficacy were prognostic factors (all P < 0.05); multivariate analysis showed that lesion location, T stage, gross tumor volume, and short-term efficacy were independent prognostic factors (all P < 0.05). In the IMRT group, the incidence rate of ≥ grade 2 radiation pneumonitis was 10.3% (9/87), the incidence rate of ≥ grade 2 radiation esophagitis was 32.2% (28/87), the incidence rate of leukopenia was 18.4% (16/87), and the incidence rate of hemoglobin reduction was 7.0% (6/87), and there was no statistical difference in the incidence of acute adverse reactions between the IMRT group and the 3DCRT group (all P > 0.05). Conclusions:IMRT has more advantages than 3DCRT in the treatment of elderly patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer, especially those with upper cervical and thoracic lesion, T 1-3 stage, gross tumor volume ≤40 cm 3, and complete remission in a short term can benefit from it, and the adverse reactions are mild.
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Objective To explore the effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on activity in the intact motor cortex controlling the suprahyoid muscles and thus on dysphagia after an unilateral stroke.Methods Forty patients suffering dysphagia more than two weeks after a unilateral cerebral stroke were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group,each of 20.Both groups were given traditional swallowing rehabilitation training,while the experimental group was additionally provided with 5 Hz rTMS for two weeks.Before and after the treatment,all of the patients were characterized using X-ray fluoroscopy,video fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and surface electromyography,and their swallowing was evaluated using a standardized swallowing assessment (SSA) and a penetration-aspiration scale (PAS).Results After the treatment,significant improvement was observed in both groups in the average swallowing time and in the maximum amplitude of sEMG,as well as the average SSA,PAS and VFSS scores (P＜0.05).The average values in the experimental group were in all cases significantly better than the control group's averages (P＜0.05).Conclusion Applying rTMS at 5 Hz to the motor cortex of the contralateral hemisphere controlling the suprahyoid muscles can effectively improve unilateral-hemisphere dysphagia after stroke.
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Objective Dendritic cells (DCs), helper T cells 17 (Th17) and regulatory T cells (Treg) are closely related to the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study aimed to investigate the changes of Th17- and Treg-related cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of COPD mice after DC-based adoptive immunotherapy with over-expressed suppressor of cytokine signaling protein 1 (SOCS1) and provide some new ideas for the treatment of COPD. Methods A total of 48 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: healthy control, COPD model control, immature DC (imDC), DC-SOCS1 1×106, and DC-SOCS1 2×106. The healthy controls were exposed to air and fed normally, the COPD model controls injected with normal saline at 0.5 mL/ on the first day of modeling by fumigation, the mice of the imDC group injected via the tail vein with 1 ×106 imDCs, and those of the DC-SOCS1 groups injected with 1 ×106 or 2 ×106 DCs with over expressed SOCS1, all via the tail vein on the 1st and 7th day of modeling. Then the lung tissues were collected from the mice for preparation of paraffin sections and HE staining, and ELISA was employed for determination of the levels of Th17-related IL-17 and IL-23 and Treg-related IL-10 and TGF-β in the BALF of the model mice. Results Compared with the COPD model controls, the mice in the imDC, DC-SOCS1 1×106 and DC-SOCS1 2×106 groups showed significantly decreased levels of IL-17 on the 1st day ([78.87 ± 1.08] vs [46.46 ± 0.77], [34.09 ± 3.98] and [24.12 ± 0.57] pg/mL, P < 0.05) and 7th day after modeling ([78.87 ± 1.08] vs [55.69 ±0.35], [35.65 ± 0.54] and [27.00 ± 0.58] pg/mL, P < 0.05), and IL-23 on the 1st day ([200.62 ± 0.65] vs [150.19 ± 0.53], [121.09 ± 0. 53] and [70.21 ± 0.91] pg/mL, P < 0.05) and 7th day ([200.62 ± 0.65] vs [167.70 ± 1.73], [136.34 ± 0.90] and [99.35 ± 1.83] pg/mL, P < 0.05), but remarkably increased levels of IL-10 on the 1st day ([39.46 ± 3.88] vs [50.74 ± 1.77], [58.71 ± 3.84] and [70.12 ± 2.62] pg/mL, P < 0.05) and 7th day ([39.46 ± 3.88] vs [44.56 ± 2.63], [54.78 ± 1.43] and [63.00 ± 2.57] pg/mL, P < 0.05), TGF-β on the 1st day ([24.98 ± 0.43] vs [36.46 ± 0.98], [42.40 ± 0.62] and [50.55 ± 0.53] pg/mL, P < 0.05) and 7th day ([24.98 ± 0.43] vs [33.27 ± 0.92], [40.12 ± 0.83] and [44.98 ± 0.52] pg/mL, P < 0.05). The contents of IL-17 and IL-23 were markedly lower while those of IL-10 and TGF-β higher in the DC-SOCS1 1×106 than in the imDC group (P < 0.05), and the levels of the former two significantly higher and those of the latter two lower in the DC-SOCS1 2×106 than in the DC-SOCS1 1×106 group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Transfusion of DCs with over-expressed SOCS1 can inhibit the secretion of Th17-related cytokines in COPD, and the effect is better than that of imDCs alone and related to the concentration and time.
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Objective To observe the long?term efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by intensity?modulated radiation therapy. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the data of 183 patients with locally advanced NPC who were hospitalized in our hospital:96 cases in the observation group, 87 cases in the con?trol group. Results There were no significant differences between the observation group and the control group in terms of five?year OS (77.1%vs. 78.2%, P=0.861), DMFS(89.6%vs. 90.8%, P=0.782), RFS (78.1%vs. 77%, P=0.857) and PFS (72.9%vs. 71.3%, P=0.803). Compared with the control group, the observation group did not sig?nificantly improve 5?year OS, DMFS, RFS and PFS in T3?4N0?1 patients and also did not improve 5?year OS, DMFS, RFS and PFS in T1?4N2?3 patients. There were significantly larger numbers of individuals with adverse reactions in the observation group than in the control group. Conclusions Compared with the long?term efficacy in the patients with locally advanced NPC between neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by intensity?modulated radiation therapy with concurrent chemotherapy and intensity?modulated radiation therapy with concurrent chemotherapy, the progno?sis has no significantly differences and neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by intensity?modulated radiation therapy with concurrent chemotherapy leads to a larger number of adverse reactions. The action of neoadjuvant chemothera?py followed by intensity?modulated radiation therapy with concurrent chemotherapy in treatment of locally advanced NPC needs more research.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the application and the effect of edentulous ridge expansion(ERE) technique in maxillary endossenous implant placement.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>49 patients with maxillary alveolar ridge atrophy received edentulous ridge expansion using condenser. In order to be similar to natural root, dental implants were selected and placed to tooth missed sites according to the requirements of aesthetics, function and dimension.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>49 patients with atrophied alveolar ridge received 86 implants. The labio-lingual width augmented from 3.3 to 5.4 mm and the alveolar ridge height from 2 to 7 mm 6 months after operation. The implants osseintergrated tightly with alveolar bone and second-step prosthesis was performed 6 months after implant placement.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The edentulous ridge expansion technique can meet the requirements of aesthetics and function and is applicable to endossenous implant placement in maxilla. The method is simple and valuable to clinical application.</p>