ABSTRACT
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of thermal ablation in treating low-risk unifocal papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). Materials and Methods: Patients with unifocal PTMC were enrolled in this study, and thermal ablations were performed. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound was used to estimate the extent of ablation immediately after thermal ablation; complications were recorded. The size and volume of the ablated area and thyroid hormones were measured, and the clinical evaluations were performed at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after thermal ablation. From July 2016 to July 2017, the prospective study was conducted involving 107 patients. Thermal ablation was well tolerated without serious complications. Results: Compared with the volume immediately after thermal ablation, the mean volume reduction ratio (VRR) of ablated lesions was 0.457 ± 0.218 (range: 0.040–0.979), 0.837 ± 0.150 (range: 0.259–1), 0.943 ± 0.090 (range: 0.491–1), 0.994–0.012 (range: 0.938–1), and 0.999 ± 0.002 (range: 0.992–1) at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after thermal ablation, respectively. Significant differences in the VRR were found between every two follow-up visits (P < 0.01). Results of patients' thyroid function test before thermal ablation and at 1 month after thermal ablation were normal, and no significant differences were observed (P > 0.05). No tumor regrowth, local recurrence, or distant metastases were detected during follow-up visits. Conclusion: Thermal ablation is a short-term safe and effective method in treating low-risk small PTMCs, which can be considered a potential alternative therapy for patients with PTMC
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Limited information is available concerning the post-treatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in critical limb ischemia patients who receive conservative therapy. Accordingly, this study was designed to evaluate the predictive value of the post-treatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in critical limb ischemia patients without surgery. METHOD: From January 2009 to January 2011, critical limb ischemia patients were admitted to a vascular center. The demographic data, patient histories, comorbidities and risk factors were documented, and the differential cell count was determined at admission and seven days later after conservative therapy. The cutoff value of the post-treatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio was determined by an ROC curve. Patients were divided into groups A and B according to the cutoff value. Amputation-free survival was compared between groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify independent risk factors. RESULT: A total of 172 patients were identified with a mean age 71.98±10.09 years; among them, 122 were male. A value of 3.8 was identified as the cutoff value of the post-treatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio. Groups A (post-treatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio ≥3.8) and B (post-treatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio <3.8) showed a significant difference in amputation-free survival (P<0.001). The 1-year, 2-year and 3-year amputation-free survival rates were 79.6%, 55.6% and 46.3%, respectively, in group A; however, in group B, these values were 89.7%, 79.3% and 75.9%, respectively. The post-treatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio was identified as an independent predictive factor for amputation in critical limb ischemia patients (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The post-treatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio is an independent predictive factor for amputation in critical limb ischemia patients. Patients with a post-treatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio ≥3.8 are likely to suffer from ...
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Down Syndrome/diagnosis , Hearing Loss/diagnosis , Language Development Disorders/diagnosis , Speech Disorders/diagnosis , Articulation Disorders/diagnosis , Comorbidity , Comprehension , Reading , Retrospective Studies , Speech Production Measurement , Verbal Behavior , VocabularyABSTRACT
This study examined the role of regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and its receptor C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) in gastric cancer metastasis and the associated mechanism.The expression of RANTES and CCR5 was detected by using immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting in the gastric cancer tissues obtained from 60 gastric cancer patients with or without lymph node metastasis (n=30 in each).The results showed that the expression levels of RANTES and CCR5 were higher in gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis than in that without metastasis (P＜0.05).The expression levels of RANTES in 30 lymph nodes with cancerous invasion were higher than in 30 normal lymph nodes (P＜0.05).Chemotactic test revealed that the number of migrating gastric cancer cells (n=295.0±54.6) induced by the protein of cancer-invading lymph nodes was greater than that by the protein mixture from cancer-invading lymph nodes and RANTES antibody (n=42.5+11.6) (P＜0.05).RT-PCR showed that the expression levels of the main Th1 cytokines (IL-2,γ-IFN) were lower in gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis (2.22±0.90,3.26±1.15 respectively)than in that without metastasis (3.07±1.67,4.77±1.52 respectively) (P＜0.05),but the expression level of the main Th 2 cytokine (IL-10) was higher in gastric cancer with lymph nodes metastasis (6.06±2.04)than in that without metastasis (4.88±1.87) (P＜0.05).It was concluded that RANTES and its receptor CCR5 may contribute to gastric cancer metastasis through influencing the balance of Th1/Th2.RANTES and CCR5 may become a marker of gastric cancer metastasis.
ABSTRACT
Accurate determination of HIV-1 proviral burden and viral load is very useful in prognosis of HIV-1 infected patients and in assessment of drug for therapy of AIDS patients. In order to establish a quantitative method in detecting HIV-1 proviral burden and viral load, 8E5 cell line and a recombinant RNA constructs were used as the HIV-1 proviral DNA and viral RNA external references, respectively. The PCR products were labeled with the fluorescent DNA dye SYBR green. The amount of burden or load was measured by GeneAmp 5700 Sequence Detection System. Using this method, the HIV-1 proviral burdens in PBMC of patient and in cell suspension treated with the compounds AZT, GL and WT were measured. HIV-1 viral loads in supernatant of the cell culture treated with the above compounds were also determined. The therapeutic indices (TIs) of the compounds calculated based on the inhibition of virus induced syncytial formation, and inhibitionn of proviral burdens and viral loads were compared, and their TIs successively increased. The fluorescent real time quantitative PCR possesses very good specificity, sensitivity and duplication. TI value of a drug based on inhibition of proviral burden in cell culture, and the proviral burden in PBMC of patient may be useful in evaluating a drug on eradicating provirus from resting and memory CD4 T cells.