Diagnostic efficacy of an ultrasound quantitative method in a rat model of experimental liver fibrosis / 中华肝脏病杂志

To evaluate the efficacy of an ultrasound-based quantitative method to diagnose liver fibrosis using a rat model. Ultrasonography was performed on the livers of 90 Sprague-Dawley rats with or without thioacetamide-induced fibrosis. The liver capsule thickness and 13 texture parameters of gray level co-occurrence matrix were extracted from the standard sonograms. After sacrifice, severity of liver fibrosis (S0-S4 classification) was diagnosed by histopathology. Analysis of variance and correlation statistical tests were used to analyze the differences between groups and determine the relationships between each of the 14 quantitative ultrasound index points and the histological results, respectively. Discriminant analysis models were developed for quantitative diagnosis of liver fibrosis, and the leave-one-case-out method was used to verify the efficiency of models. All 14 indices were significantly correlated with the histological stages of fibrosis (P less than 0.05). The accuracy of the discriminant model for S0, S1, S2, S3 and S4 was 83.3%, 84.2%, 70.0%, 50.0% and 88.2%, respectively. In addition, 73.3% of cross-validated rats were accurately classified. Grouping S0 as no fibrosis, S1 as mild fibrosis, S2 with S3 as moderate to severe fibrosis and S4 as early cirrhosis increased the accuracy of the discriminant model for these four groups (respectively, 91.7%, 84.2%, 69.0% and 88.2%) and allowed for 78.9% of cross-validated rats to be correctly identified. Ultrasonography combined with texture analysis was a novel and accurate method to diagnose liver fibrosis in a rat model; further studies may provide insights into its applicability for quantitating liver fibrosis in other animal models or in clinic.

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A sulfur hexafluoride-filled microbubble ultrasound contrast agent and a continuous real-time imaging technique of contrast pulse sequencing were used. Normal gastric wall was examined by CEUS in 8 healthy volunteers and the results were compared with the findings on multislice computed tomography. Sixty-two patients with gastric cancer proved by biopsies who received preoperative CEUS examination were involved in this study, and the CEUS result was compared with postoperative pathological findings.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The normal gastric wall presented a one-layer structure in the portal venous phase and a three-layer structure in the arterial and equilibrium phase including a slightly hyper-enhanced inner layer, a hypo-enhanced intermediate layer, and a markedly hyper-enhanced outer layer, which corresponded histologically to the mucosal, submucosal, and muscular-serosal layer, respectively. The accuracy of transabdominal ultrasonography and CEUS in determining the T stage of gastric cancer was 72.9% and 88.1% respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (chi(2)=4.37, P=0.036).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CEUS shows the normal gastric wall as a one- or a three-layer structure, which provides a theory base for CEUS in preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer. CEUS is a useful diagnostic method for preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer.</p>

Study on the induced differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells into inner ear hair cell-like cells in vitro / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the feasibility of orientation-induced differentiation of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) into cochlear hair cell-like cells in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MSC were extracted, cultured and identified. The organ of Corti was isolated from post natal day 1-day 3 Sprague-Dawley rats. Then MSC were co-cultured with organ of Corti for 14 days in vitro. The expression of hair cell markers (myosin VIIa, math1 and calretinin) was detected by immunocytochemical analyses and by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The differentiated cells were immunopositive for myosin VIIa, calretinin and math1. And RT-PCR results indicated that these differentiated cells expressed hair cell markers Math1 and myosin VIIa.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>MSC cultured in vitro could be successfully induced to differentiate into hair cell-like cells with hair cell molecular markers.</p>

Diagnostic value of double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in preoperative staging of gastric cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical value of double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography using oral and intravenous contrast agents in preoperative staging of gastric cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-two patients with biopsy-proven gastric cancer were enrolled into this study, and were examined by double contrast-enhanced gastric ultrasonography preoperatively. The results were compared with postoperative pathologic findings.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The accuracy of oral contrast-enhanced gastric ultrasonography and double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in determining the T stage of gastric cancer was 72.9% (T1: 66.7%, T2: 60.0%, T3: 76.9%, T4: 71.4%) and 88.1% (T1: 66.7%, T2: 80.0%, T3: 89.7%, T4: 100%), respectively, with a statistically significant difference between the two methods (P = 0.036). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and Youden index of oral contrast-enhanced gastric ultrasonography and double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in assessment of lymph node metastasis were 74.5%, 66.7%, 72.9%, and 0.41 versus 89.4%, 75.0%, 86.4%, 0.76, respectively. No significant difference in the accuracy of assessment for lymph node metastasis was observed (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography is useful for preoperative staging of gastric cancer, especially for T staging.</p>

The application of ultrasonography to estimate blood vessel injury of upper limbs sustaining electric burns / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore a new method in estimating extent and degree of arterial injury in upper limbs sustaining high tension electric burns.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighteen patients (twenty-four upper limbs) with high tension electricity injury were admitted from December 1998 to September 2002, The damaged limbs consisted of four parts: wrist wound part, 5 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm parts around wrist wound, where the radial and ulnar arteries were detected using B ultrasound and color WP Doppler examination. The changes of endangium, vessel diameter, thickness of the vessel wall and volume of blood flow were recorded respectively. The parameters of normal radial and ulnar arteries were also determined as normal control.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>B ultrasound and color WP Doppler examination showed that the endangium in radial and ulnar arteries become coarse, edema or exfoliation. The vessel wall was thicker than that of the normal control and the thickness was heterogeneity. The vessel wall could be necrosis in severe patient and the vessel cavity was stricture or beaded. Thrombosis or occlusion could occur at the site of severe injury area in vessel. The decrease in volume of blood flow was observed. The condition of the radial and ulnar arteries become well apart from 10 - 15 cm of wrist wound.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The ultrasonography can be used to detect the changes in endangium, diameter, thickness of the vessel wall, blood flow volume in injury blood vessel caused by electric burn injury. It is helpful in judging the degree and extent of injury vessel and could be a safe, non-invasive diagnostic method and is worth popularizing.</p>