A clinical study of serum human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC) has poor early diagnosis rates due to its insidious onset. Since human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is highly expressed in patients with PC, we assessed whether serum HE4 could be a marker for the detection 3 of PC. Method: Between May 2017 and October 2018, 127 patients with PC were recruited for the study along with 108 healthy controls who underwent health examinations. Serum HE4 concentrations were determined together with levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigens (CA) 242 (CA242), CA19?9, CA15?3, and CA72?4 by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) or chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). Correlations between these biomarkers were assessed. Results: Serum levels of all six biomarkers were higher in patients with PC than in controls (P < 0.05). No correlation was observed between the serum levels of HE4 and the five other tumor markers, although there were strongly significant positive correlations between CA19?9 and CA15?3, and between CA242 and CA72?4. The lack of correlation indicates that HE4 has independent value in the diagnosis of PC. The combined assessment of serum HE4 levels and the other tumor markers improved the sensitivity of diagnosis. In particular, HE4 combined with CA19?9 performed significantly better than HE4 alone, or CA19?9 combined with the other markers. The HE4/CA19?9 combination resulted in 94.49% sensitivity and 99.07% specificity (95% confidence interval: 96.9–100). Conclusion: HE4 is a biomarker associated with PC with a high specificity , either used alone, or evaluated with other biomarkers together improving the detection of PC. This study may provide a new clinical diagnostic approach for PC detection

The No-Touch Saphenous Vein Harvesting Improves Graft Patency After Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Propensity-Matched Analysis

ABSTRACT Introduction: This single-center study of propensity-matched data was performed to assess the effect of the no-touch saphenous vein (NTSV) harvesting technique on early- and long-term outcomes of patients after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) in China. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 767 patients who underwent OPCABG in the Beijing Anzhen Hospital (June 2017 to October 2021) was performed, and their data entered the conventional saphenous vein (CSV) harvesting technique group or the NTSV group. In-hospital and follow-up outcomes were evaluated by adjusting baseline characteristics using propensity score matching (1:1). Clinical outcomes and postoperative angiographic results were compared. Results: The saphenous vein graft patency rates at postoperative three months and one year for the NTSV group vs. CSV group were 99.6% vs. 96.2% (P<0.001) and 97.3% vs. 93.1% (P<0.001), respectively. The two matched groups received a significantly different cumulative incidence function of saphenous vein graft occlusion for the longer follow-up period in Kaplan-Meier curves (χ2=4.330, log-rank P=0.037). No difference in early- and long-term mortality or major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were observed between the groups. The rate of MACCE was not statistically significant different between the groups, but there was a tendency favoring the no-touch technique (9.8% CSV vs. 4.8% NTSV; P=0.067). More patients in the NTSV group developed postoperative leg wound exudation (5.4% vs. 1.2%; P=0.032) and skin numbness (22.2% vs. 8.9%; P=0.001) than in the CSV group. Conclusion: The NTSV is an excellent conduit to be used in OPCABG. There remains a need to reduce leg wound complications.

Long non-coding RNA MALAT1 regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis via miR-135b-5p/GPNMB axis in Parkinson's disease cell model

BACKGROUNDS: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common age-related neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. This research aimed to investigate the effects and mechanism underlying long non-coding RNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) in PD. METHODS: SK-N-SH and SK-N-BE cells were treated with MPP+ to establish the MPP+-stimulated cell model of PD, and MALAT1 expression was determined. Then, the effects of MALAT1 depletion on cell proliferation and apoptosis were determined in the MPP+-stimulated cell model of PD. Besides, the correlations between microRNA-135b-5p (miR-135b-5p) and MALAT1 or glycoprotein nonmetastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) in MPP+-stimulated cell model of PD were explored. RESULTS: MALAT1 was increasingly expressed and downregulation of MALAT1 promoted cell proliferation while inhibited apoptosis in MPP+-stimulated cells. Besides, miR-135b-5p was a target of MALAT1 and directly targeted to GPNMB. Further investigation indicated that suppression of MALAT1 regulated cell proliferation and apoptosis by miR-135b-5p/GPNMB axis. CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal that MALAT1/miR-135b-5p/GPNMB axis regulated cell proliferation and apoptosis in MPP+-stimulated cell model of PD, providing a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for PD.

Healing of gingiva after electrosurgical gingivectomy / 实用口腔医学杂志

Objective:To compare the healing of gingiva after electrosurgical gingivectomy with different power outputs and electrodes. Methods:15 rabbits were randomly assigned to 3 groups which used different electrodes: needle electrode, long loop electrode and loop electrode. 1 animal was chosen as control in each group. Free gingiva of anterior teeth had been removed 2 mm in height with different power output and electrosurgical knife. Gingival specimens were harvested for histopathological study on days 1,7,14,and 21 after operation. Statistical analysis was performed on wound healing. Results:Electrical knife with medium power output caused significantly higher degree of inflammation than other techniques(P0.05). Conclusion:When electrosurgery is used on gingiva, there is no significantly difference with different electrodes. Longer observation is needed after gingival electrosurgery with medium power output electrical knife.