Establishment and validation of a nomogram to predict progression free survival of patients with thymoma / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To explore the prognostic risk factors of thymoma patients after resection, and establish a novel nomogram to predict progression free survival(PFS) of patients with thymoma.Methods:A retrospectively analysis was performed on clinicopathological datas of 267 cases of thymoma patients underwent thymoma resection in Beijing Tongren Hospital from January 2010 to December 2019. The univariate and multivariate Cox risk ratio models were used to analyze the related factors that might affect PFS, and the prediction nomogram of PFS after thymoma resection was established using the screened independent risk factors. Then the predictive ability of the model was evaluated. Results:The univariate analysis showed that age, type of surgery, completeness of resection, WHO histologic classification, TNM stage and postoperative adjuvant therapy were significantly correlated with PFS after thymoma resection( P<0.05). The multivariate analysis showed that only age and TNM stage were independent prognostic factors affecting PFS after thymoma resection( P<0.05). The concordance index( C- index) of the prediction model for the prognosis of thymoma patients established by this method was 0.866(95% CI: 0.809-0.923), which had remarkable predictive efficiency. Conclusion:The nomogram model is constructed and verified based on age and TNM stage, excluding the interference of other clinicopathological factors on prognosis assessment, and which is convenient for clinicians to quickly and individually evaluate the prognosis of patients after thymoma resection.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Relationship between m6A Methylation Patterns and Immune Microenvironment in Lung Adenocarcinoma / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#m6A RNA methylation modification plays an important role in the occurrence and progression of lung cancer and regulates tumor immunity. Current studies mostly focus on the differential expression of some specific m6A effectors and infiltrating immune cell. m6A methylation modification is the result of mutual adjustment and balance between effectors, and changes in the expression of one or two effectors are far from enough to reflect the panorama of m6A methylation. The role of m6A in the immune microenvironment of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is still poorly understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of different m6A modification patterns in immune microenvironment of LUAD.@*METHODS@#LUAD data was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), University of California Santa Cruz Xena (UCSC Xena) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Gene mutation, differential expression and survival analysis were performed for 24 m6A effectors. The m6A modification pattern was constructed by unsupervised clustering method, and the m6A clusters survival analysis, gene set variation analysis, immune score and immune cell infiltration analysis were performed. The association between LRPPRC protein expression levels and infiltration of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes and CD68+ macrophages in the tumor microenvironment was validated by immunohistochemistry in LUAD tissue microarray with 68 cases.@*RESULTS@#The mutations of m6A effector were found in 150 of 567 LUAD cases with a frequency of 26.46%. 6 readers and 3 writers were significantly up regulated in LUAD tissues compared with normal tissues. IGF2BP1 and HNRNPC are the independent risk factors for prognosis of LUAD. Abundant cross-talks among writers, erasers and readers were demonstrated. Three m6A modification patterns with different immune cell infiltration characteristics and clinical prognosis were established. Among m6A effectors, LRPPRC was found to be inversely associated with the infiltration of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes and CD68+ macrophages, and was validated in 68 LUAD tissues.@*CONCLUSIONS@#m6A modification patterns play non-negligible roles in regulating the immune microenvironment. LRPPRC has potential to be a new biomarker for checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy.

Single-versus Two-port Video-assisted Thoracic Surgery in Thymoma: A Propensity-matched Study / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#In recent years, with the advancement of minimally invasive techniques, thoracoscopic thymoma resection has experienced a development process from three-port video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) to two-port (TP) and single-port (SP) variants. However, the feasibility and safety of SP-VATS have not been generally recognized. This study intends to explore the safety and feasibility of SP-VATS in thymoma resection, in order to provide a reference for clinical surgicalselection.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 197 patients who underwent thoracoscopic thymoma resection in Beijing Tongren Hospital from January 2018 to September 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into SP-VATS group (n=42) and TP-VATS group (n=155). After matching propensity scores, there is no statistically significant difference in preoperative baseline data between SP-VATS group and TP-VATS group. Among them, there were 17 males and 25 females with an average age of 28-72 (48.00±9.43) years in the SP-VATS group, and 20 males and 22 females with an average age of 30-75 (50.38±9.83) years in TP-VATS group. The clinical effects of the two groups were compared.@*RESULTS@#The operation was successfully completed in both groups, and there was no conversion to thoracotomy or increased surgical incisions. Compared with the TP-VATS group, the chest drainage time and hospital stay in the SP-VATS group were shorter [(2.95±0.76) d vs (3.33±0.85) d; (4.57±0.83) d vs (5.07±1.13) d], and the visual pain score at 24 h and 72 h after surgery were lower [(3.64±0.85) points vs (4.05±0.66) points; (2.33±0.75) points vs (3.07±0.68) points] (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in operation time [(130.00±26.23) min vs (135.24±27.03) min], intraoperative blood loss [(69.52±22.73) mL vs (82.38±49.23) mL] (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#SP-VATS in thymoma is a safe, feasible, and less invasive procedure, with less postoperative pain and faster recovery than multi-port VATS.

Prognosis and risk factor analysis of cases underwent thymoma resection in single center / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To explore the prognosis and clinical risk factor of thymoma patients after resection.Methods:A retrospectively analysis of 154 cases of thymoma patients underwent thymoma resection in Beijing Tongren Hospital (Myasthenia Gravis & Thymoma Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Capital Medical University) from January 2005 to December 2015, and then the progress-free survival was calculated by Kaplan- Meier method, the differences between curves were analyzed by log- rank test. There were 74 males and 80 females; the median age was 52(22-77)years. 121 cases(78.6%)complicated with myashenia gravis. Thymoma cases were classfied into 5 cases A, 35 cases AB, 27 cases B1, 56 cases B2 and 31 cases B3 respectively. There were 80, 16, 45 and 13 patients with Masaoka-Koga type Ⅰ-Ⅳ, respectively. 122 cases were treated by thoracoscopic assisted operation, 32 cases were treated by median sternum. The risk factors about group of gender, age, thymoma-associated MG (Myasthenia Gravis), completeness of resection, histologic type and Masaoka-Koga stage were calculated by Cox regression analysis. Results:The overall 1-, 5- 10-year progress-free survival rate of 154 cases were 98.7%, 88.3%, and 78.7%, respectively. The adverse prognostic factors for progress-free survival were age, completeness of resection, WHO histologic classification and Masaoka-Koga stage at univariate analysis. The age, WHO histologic classification and Masaoka-Koga stage were the independent risk factors at multivariate analysis.Conclusion:For thymoma, we suggest early discovery and early treatment. For the thymoma patients who are available for surgical treatment, all the tumor, thymus and surrounding adipose tissue should be resected. For the thymoma patients whose tumors cannot excise completely, adjuvant radiotherapy can reduce the risk for tumor recurrence after resection. For patients with thymoma after surgery, MG treatment is particularly critical for prognosis.

Non-thymoma thymic morphology in patients with Myasthenia Gravis / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the non-thymoma thymic morphology in patients with Myasthenia Gravis(MG), and provide the theoretical basis for extended thymectomy.Methods:From September 2008 to March 2018, extended thymectomy had been performed for 150 patients with MG in our department. In order to achieve maximal benefit, combined thoracoscopic and mediastinoscopic approach had been adopted to completely remove both thymus and ectopic thymic tissue in the neck and the anterior mediastinum. Cervical and mediastinal tissue including fat from the thyroid isthmus to the diaphragm was swept away from above the phrenic nerve. The regions containing mediastinal fat were divided into 12 stations.Results:There was no mortality. Pathology reports revealed 126(84.0%) patients with MG had hyperplastic thymus, 17(11.3%)cases with involuted thymus and 7 (4.7%)cases with normal thymus. 98 (65.3%)cases had more than two superior horns, and 59(39.3%) patients had ectopic thymic tissue in the mediastinum and in the neck. Positive rates of ectopic thymic tissue in the 12 cervical-mediastinal fat stations were 7.8%, 10.0%, 8.8%, 3.8%, 3.0%, 2.5%, 0, 0, 0.7%, 13.3%, 12.3% and 9.1%, respectively. After a follow-up period of 2-12 years, the rate of complete stable remission was 44.7%(59/132), and the effective rate was 89.4%(118/132).Conclusion:It is very meaningful to study non-thymoma thymic morphology in patients with MG in order to guide the performance of extended thymectomy and improve its outcome. For the purpose of minimally invasion, one side of mediastinal pleural should be carefully protected.

Survival Analysis of 76 Cases of Head and Neck Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma with Lung Metastasis / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the head and neck often develops lung metastasis. At present, there are not many research reports on ACC lung metastasis, little is known about its exact clinical features and treatment results, and there is no consensus on the best treatment strategy. This study explored the effective treatment strategies, clinical outcomes and long-term prognosis of head and neck ACC lung metastases.@*METHODS@#The clinical and follow-up data of 76 patients with head and neck ACC lung metastases were retrospectively analyzed. According to the initial treatment of patients, they are divided into 4 groups: surgery, surgery+chemotherapy or radiotherapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy and supportive treatment. The patients were staged according to the International Registry of Lung Metastases Staging System (IRLM). Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test were used to compare the statistical differences of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with different treatment methods and different IRLM stages.@*RESULTS@#The OS and PFS of patients undergoing surgery are better than those of supportive therapy or radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy (OS: P<0.000,1; PFS: P<0.000,1). The OS and PFS of patients with low stage IRLM are better than those with high stage (OS: P<0.000,1; PFS: P<0.000,1). Patients with single lung metastasis and without pleural effusion have better OS and PFS.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The long-term prognosis of patients with lung metastasis of head and neck ACC who undergo surgery is better than other treatments, which is related to higher OS and PFS. For patients with ACC lung metastases who are operationally eligible, the significance of complete surgical resection should be higher than other treatment options.

Analysis of Influencing Factors for Postoperative Venous Thromboembolism of Thymic Malignancies / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#The previous study has indicated that the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after thoracic surgery is high. The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence and risk factors of postoperative VTE in thymic malignancy patients.@*METHODS@#This was a single-center study. Patients undergoing resection for thymic malignancy between December 2017 and February 2021 in Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University were enrolled in this study. In addition to the routine examination, all patients were screened for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) by using noninvasive duplex lower extremity ultrasound before and after surgery. Patients did not receive any prophylactic anticoagulant therapy before and after surgery. All patients received modified caprini risk assessment. According to whether VTE occurred after operation, patients were divided into VTE group and control group. The clinical data of the two groups were compared. The occurrence time and possible high risk factors of VTE after operation were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#A total of 169 patients with thymic malignant tumor were enrolled, including 94 males and 75 females, aging from 22 to 76 years. A total of 95 patients underwent thoracoscopic surgery and 74 patients underwent median sternotomy. The total incidence of VTE was 12.4%. The median time for diagnosis of VTE was 4 days (2 days-15 days) after operation. According to the modified caprini score, the incidence of VTE in low risk patients (Caprini score≤4 points), moderate risk patients (Caprini score 5 to 8 points) and high risk patients (Caprini score≥9 points) were 0% (0/7), 7.0% (8/115) and 27.7% (13/47), respectively (Z=1.670, P=0.008). Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences between VTE group and control group in age, operation method, operation time, indwelling central venous catheter, postoperative bed rest time more than 72 hours (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that over 60 years old, operation method and operation time were independent risk factors for VTE after resection for thymic malignancies.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Over 60 years old, operation method and operation time are independent risk factors for VTE. Modified caprini assessment can effectively screen high-risk patients.

Laparoscopic V fundoplication in the treatment of hiatal hernia complicated with gastroesophageal reflux disease / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect and value of V-type fundoplication in the treatment of hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux disease.Methods:From January 2012 to November 2018, a retrospective analysis was performed on 115 cases of patients with esophageal hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux disease who underwent laparoscopic fundoplication in our hospital, including 68 cases of Nissen operation and 47 cases of type V-type stomach fundoplication. The information of surgical status, postoperative recovery, postoperative gastroesophageal reflux disease questionnaire (GERD-Q) score, and postoperative complications were collected and analyzed in these 2 groups.Results:Compared with Nissen technique, the operation time of V-shaped fundus plication was shortened, but the difference was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). There was no statistical difference in terms of indicators including intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drinking time, drainage tube extraction time, postoperative hospitalization time between two types of the operation ( P>0.05); the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant in the improvement of reflux symptoms, manometry and 24-hour pH result among the postoperative patients ( P>0.05); all the patients had no recurrence occurred; the incidence of dysphagia after surgery was significantly lower in V-shaped gastric fundus compared with Nissen operation, with statistically significant difference ( P<0.05); there was no statistical difference in the incidence of bloating, diarrhea, and constipation ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Laparoscopic V-shaped fundus fold surgery, as an anti-reflux technique, has the advantages of simple operation, clear results, fewer complications and easy standardization.

MTA1 in tumor progression and metastasis / 国际外科学杂志

MTA1 is a composition of Nurd,which may deacetylate histone and non-histone to affect gene transcription and protein expression. Since it is often overexpressed in many tumors and closely related to invasion,metastasis and prognosis of the malignancy, MTA1 might be exploited as a tumor marker for clinical application. This article reviews the structure and function of MTA1 and some new research progress on the tumor metastasis related to MTA1.