High serum superoxide dismutase activity improves radiation-related quality of life in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVES: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in China. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy and volume-modulated arc therapy have become the main treatments for esophageal carcinoma; however, side effects caused by radiotherapy greatly impact the quality of life in these patients. This study aimed to explore the impact of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels on the prognosis of patients with ESCC undergoing radiotherapy. METHODS: Patients aged between 18 and 80 years with lower-middle ESCC who underwent radiotherapy were eligible for this assessment. Adverse events, responses, treatment outcomes, and overall survival (OS) were assessed. Between 2012 and 2014, 195 patients were enrolled, of which 65 were assigned to the low- and high-SOD groups based on their serum SOD values. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups, except for the T staging. Adverse events in the low-SOD group were significantly higher than those in the high-SOD group (radiation esophagitis, p=0.007; radiation pneumonitis, p=0.032; leukopenia, p=0.023; thrombocytopenia, p=0.037; anemia, p=0.041). There were no significant differences in response, treatment outcomes, or OS. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, high serum SOD activity improved post-radiotherapy quality of life but did not impact the prognosis of patients with ESCC. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report that serum SOD activity is associated with radiation-induced toxicity and moderately increased radiotherapeutic response in patients with ESCC undergoing radiotherapy.

Surgical management of adrenal cysts: a single-institution experience

Objective To analyze surgical methods and evaluate treatment efficacy and safety for managing adrenal cystic lesions. Materials and methods All patients presenting with adrenal lesions of the West China Hospital were reviewed retrospectively from January 2003 to April 2013 and 47 were diagnosed as adrenal cysts. Basic information, clinical history, physical examination, laboratory investigations, abdominal ultrasound and enhanced computed tomography were detailed noted. Cysts with different surgical management were analyzed and surgery option operative time, postoperative complications and after-surgery hospital stay were all noted. The final diagnosis was judged by histopathology. Patients were followed from 3 month to 10 years. Results All the 47 patients with a mean age of 43.8 years were managed by surgical intervention. Compared laparoscopic technology with open technology, the laparoscopic has the advantage of a shorter operation time, shorter hospital stay after surgery and enhanced cosmesis. The histopathologic result was: 23 (50%) were endothelial cysts and 16 (35%) were pseudocysts. One patient had evidence to recurrence at the followed-up stage. Conclusion Adrenal cysts are rare and with the development of imaging techniques many of these are diagnosed incidentally. CT has advantages in detecting the cysts with haemorrhage, intracystic debris, calcification and mixed adrenal mass. Minimally invasive surgery offers equivalent efficacy to traditional open procedures, while providing a shorter operation time, shorter convalescence and improved cosmesis. Patients after surgical resection should be followed up closely especially if functional cysts and histopathology of cystic tumor are present. .

Clinical analysis of 13 cases with growth hormone deficiency combined with pituitary stalk interruption / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the clinical characteristics of the patients with pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS), and to achieve better comprehension of this disease.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Data of 13 patients with PSIS were retrospectively analyzed for the clinical, laboratory and imaging features.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>All the 13 patients (9 male, 4 female) had the chief complaint of growth retardation, 81.5 - 135.0 cm in body height, which were minus two standard deviations below the average of the normal children of same age and same sex. GH stimulated peak levels were all below 5 microg/L; Among them, one was accompanied by delayed sexual development, one by central diabetes insipidus, one was complicated with central hypothyroidism and one was accompanied by central adrenocortical hypofunction.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The most remarkable clinical manifestations of patients with PSIS were growth retardation, partial or complete adenohypophyseal dysfunction. MRI revealed absence of pituitary stalk or anterior pituitary hypoplasia with ectopic posterior pituitary gland.</p>

Effect of cedemex on cAMP and cGMP levels of different brain areas in morphine withdrawal rats / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Cedemex on cAMP and cGMP contents in different brain regions in morphine withdrawal rats precipitated by naloxone.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>A physical morphine dependent model of rats was established by subcutaneous injection of morphine in gradually increasing dosage within 7 days. cAMP and cGMP contents of VTA, cortex and hippocampus of the rat brains were determined by radioimmunoassay.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The morphine withdrawal symptoms of rats were relieved significantly by ig Cedemex. Compared with the controls, cAMP content in the region of VTA, cortex and hippocampus of the morphine dependent rats were significantly higher (P < 0.05), while cGMP contents in those regions were significantly lower (P < 0.05). cAMP contents in the area of VTA, cortex and hippocampus of the morphine dependent rats were significantly reduced, while cGMP contents were significantly increased by ig Cedemex.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Cedemex may significantly attenuate the morphine withdrawal symptoms in rats. The mechanism of this effect may be related to adjusting the contents of cAMP and cGMP in some brain regions.</p>

Retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy with bladder-cuff excision for renal pelvic and ureteral tumors(report of 35 cases) / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To report our experience with retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy with excision of a bladder-cuff for renal pelvic and ureteral tumors.Methods Thirty-five patients (21 women and 14 men;mean age,67 years;age range,49 -82 years) with upper urinary tract tumors underwent retro- peritoneal laparoscopic nephrourcterectomy with excision of a bladder-cuff.Of the 35 cases,15 had pelvic tumors and 20 had ureteral tumors;19 cases had the tumors on the right side and 16 on the left.Two cases had ureteral tumors combined with bladder tumors.One case had bilateral ureteral tumors then concomitantly had bladder tumors.The needle electrode was used to circleround incise the bladder thoroughly 0.5 cm away from the ureterostoma.Three trocars in the waist were used for dissecting the kidney;and the ureter was dis- sected as far distally downward.Then an incision of 5-9 cm was created in the lower abdomen to allow dis- section of the distal ureter and bladder-cuff and intact specimen extraction.Results The operation was successful in all 35 patients.The mean operative time was 3.1 h ( range,1.5-6.0h).The mean estimated blood loss was 166 ml (range,20-1600 ml).Four cases received blood transfusion.The patient's activity re- covered in 20-32 h after operation.Postoperative pathology showed transitional cell carcinoma in 30 cases, poorly differentiated adenocareinoma in 2 (ureter),squamous cell carcinoma in 1 (ureter),leiomyosarcoma in 1 (ureter),xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in 1.Duodenal leakage occurred in 1 patient who had had dialysis a drainage catheter was placed on the third d after operation,and the patient died of heart failure af- ter 2 months.Postoperative vesical irrigation was performed to prevent tumor recurrence.The mean hospital stay was 11 d.During a mean follow-up of 14 months(range,1-32 months),1 patient developed pelvic me- tastasis and was alive with the tumor.The other 33 patients survived free of tumor to date.No patient had re- current transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.Conclusions Our data demonstrate that retroperitoneo- scopic nephroureterectomy for renal pelvic and ureteral tumors has shorter incision and more rapid postopera- tive recovery compared with open surgery.Using resectoscope to resect the termination of ureter allows more complete excision of the ureter.