Correlation analysis between the changes in plasma ghrelin level and weight loss after sleeve gastrectomy combined with fundoplication.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy combined with fundoplication (LSGFD) can significantly control body weight and achieve effective anti-reflux effects. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between the alteration in Ghrelin levels and weight loss following SGFD, and to compare Ghrelin levels, weight loss and metabolic improvements between SG and SGFD, with the objective of contributing to the existing body of knowledge on SGFD technique in the management of patients with obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 115 obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery between March 2023 and June 2023 at the Department of Minimally Invasivew Surgery, Hernia and Abdominal Wall Surgery, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The subjects were divided into two groups based on surgical methods: sleeve gastrectomy group (SG group, 93 cases) and sleeve gastrectomy combined with fundoplication group (SGFD group, 22 cases). Clinical data, such as ghrelin levels before and after the operation, were compared between the two groups, and the correlation between changes in ghrelin levels and weight loss effectiveness after the operation was analyzed. RESULTS: Three months after the operation, there was no significant difference in body mass, BMI, EWL%, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, and uric acid levels between the SG and SGFD groups (P > 0.05). However, the SGFD group exhibited a significant decrease in body weight, BMI, and uric acid levels compared to preoperative levels (P < 0.05), while the decrease in ghrelin levels was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that ghrelin levels three months after the operation were influential in postoperative weight loss. CONCLUSION: The reduction of plasma Ghrelin level in patients after SGFD is not as obvious as that in patients after SG, but it can make obese patients get the same good weight loss and metabolic improvement as patients after SG. Ghrelin level at the third month after operation is the influencing factor of postoperative weight loss.

[Analysis of weight loss, metabolism, and anti-reflux effect of sleeve gastrectomy combined with fundoplication as treatment of obesity complicated by gastroesophageal reflux disease].

Objective: To explore the weight-loss, metabolism, and anti-reflux effect of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy combined with fundoplication (SGFD) as treatment of obesity complicated by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with the aim of identifying the best treatment for such patients. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. Relevant clinical data of 140 patients with obesity (body mass index≥30 kg/m2) complicated by GERD (confirmed by preoperative GerdQ score, gastroscope, upper gastrointestinal radiography, 24-hour pH monitoring of esophagus, and high-resolution esophageal manometry) who had undergone bariatric surgery in the Minimally Invasive Surgery, Hernia and Abdominal Surgery Department of the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from January 2019 to February 2023 were collected. The participants were allocated to the following groups according to surgical procedure performed: sleeve gastrectomy group (SG group, 92 cases) versus SGFD (SGFD group, 48 cases). SGFD, a new type of anti-reflux weight loss surgery that achieves both anti-reflux and weight loss effects by a procedure involving "cutting first and then folding", was developed by our team. In this study, our main aim was to compare and analyze differences in outcomes between the SG and SGFD groups in terms of weight loss and improvements in metabolism and reflux 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Results: The 140 patients comprised 50 men and 90 women of average age 36.0±9.6 years and preoperative body mass index (BMI) (38.5±6.5) kg/m2. The average preoperative GERD score was 10.2±1.6. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the SGFD and SG groups (all P>0.05). There were also no significant differences in postoperative hospital stay, intraoperative blood loss, or postoperative complications between the two groups (all P>0.05). However, the operation time was longer in the SGFD than SG group (137.5±10.5 minutes vs. 105.3±12.6 minutes, t=-15.131, P<0.001). Compared with preoperative values, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, body mass, BMI, and GERD score were all lower 3 months postoperatively (all P<0.05). Six months postoperatively, triglyceride, uric acid, and DeMeester score were lower in the SGFD than SG group; however, the lower esophageal sphincter resting pressure was higher in the SGFD group (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in weight loss indexes (body mass, BMI, percentage of excess body mass loss) or metabolic indexes (fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, and uric acid concentrations) between the SG and SGFD groups 3 and 6 months postoperatively (all P>0.05). However, anti-reflux indexes (GerdQ score, DeMeester score, and lower esophageal sphincter resting pressure) were all significantly better in the SGFD than SG group 6 months postoperatively (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Obese patients with GERD get good weight loss, metabolism improvement and anti-reflux effect after SGFD. SGFD is a safe and feasible surgical method, and its anti-reflux effect is better than SG at the 6th month after operation, so it is feasible.

Effects of FGB gene polymorphism on fibrinogen level and gallstones incidence in Xinjiang, China / 临床肝胆病杂志

Objective To investigate the association of the polymorphisms of the FGB gene rs4220 and rs1044291 loci with plasma fibrinogen (Fg) level and gallstones in Xinjiang, China. Methods Blood samples were collected from 150 Uygur and Han patients with gallstones and 150 Uygur and Han individuals without gallstones who were hospitalized or underwent physical examination in The People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from December 2017 to May 2020. Plasma Fg level was measured, and based on the previous results of whole exon sequencing of the FGB gene, the SNaPshot method was used to identify the genotype at rs4220 and rs1044291 loci of the FGB gene. The t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups; a multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between each variable and gallstones. Results For the Chinese Han population, the gallstones group had a significantly higher plasma Fg level than the control group [2.90 (2.43-3.49) g/L vs 2.47 (2.06-3.02) g/L, Z =-3.62, P 0.05). For the Chinese Han population, the subjects carrying GG genotype at the rs4220 locus in the gallstones group had a significantly higher plasma Fg level than those in the control group [2.84(2.32-3.61) g/L vs 2.34(2.05-2.75) g/L, Z =-3.04, P 0.05). Conclusion The influence of FGB gene polymorphism on plasma Fg level may be associated with race, and FGB gene polymorphisms at the rs4220 and rs1044291 loci may be involved in the pathogenesis of gallstones by regulating Fg level in the population in Xinjiang.

Application of exhaled gas analysis in the diagnosis of clinical diseases / 中国医师杂志

There are more than 3 000 kinds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in human exhaled gas, which are directly or indirectly related to the pathophysiological process of the body. Therefore, the detection and quantitative analysis of VOCs in vivo is helpful for the early detection, diagnosis and evaluation of treatment results. Breath analysis is a simple, noninvasive, painless, economic and time-saving detection method. It is a new field of rapid development, and has great potential in disease screening and clinical diagnosis. In this paper, the application of human exhaled gas analysis in clinical disease diagnosis and the latest progress in this field will be summarized.

Chronic restraint stress induces esophageal fibrosis with enhanced oxidative stress in a murine model.

Although the underlying mechanism of stress remains unknown, it has been associated with the pathophysiology of gastroesophageal reflux diseases, the development of which appear to be accelerated by oxidative stress and fibrosis. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of chronic restraint stress on esophageal oxidative stress and fibrosis, as well as the impact of oxidative stress in a murine model whereby 8-week old C57BL/6J male mice were subjected to intermittent chronic restraint stress for a two-week period. The current study demonstrated that chronic restraint stress significantly reduced the body weight of mice compared with the control group. Although chronic restraint stress did not significantly alter the levels of triglycerides or cholesterol, free fatty acid concentration was significantly increased compared with the control group. Furthermore, chronic restraint stress significantly upregulated the expression levels of several fibrotic biomarkers including collagen type I, transforming growth factor ß-1, α-smooth muscle actin and SMAD-3 compared with the control group. In addition, the expression levels of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) NADPH oxidase-4 and malondialdehyde were significantly increased, while the expression levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and heme oxygenase-1 were significantly decreased in esophageal tissue from mice in the chronic restraint stress group compared with the control group. In conclusion, chronic restraint stress may induce esophageal fibrosis by accumulating ROS and increasing fibrotic gene expression in a murine model.

Chronic stress augments esophageal inflammation, and alters the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 and protease­activated receptor 2 in a murine model.

Stress is a pivotal factor for inflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and formation of visceral hypersensitivity (VH) in the process of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In the present study, the effects of stress on esophageal inflammation, oxidative stress and VH were investigated in a chronic restraint stress mouse model. C57BL/6J male mice were subjected to 2 weeks of intermittent restraint stress, and histopathological analysis revealed that stress induced esophageal inflammation and fibrosis, while no distinct changes were detected in non­stressed control mice. In addition, increased NADPH oxidase 4 expression was observed in the plasma and esophagus of stressed mice, indicating accumulation of ROS. The expression levels of antioxidants, including Mn­superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), Cu/Zn­SOD, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, were also analyzed using reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR). In addition, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV­1) and protease­activated receptor 2 (PAR­2), which are crucial receptors for VH, were measured by immunohistochemistry and RT­qPCR. The results demonstrated that stress markedly reduced antioxidant expression, while it significantly upregulated TRPV­1 and PAR­2 expression levels in the mouse esophagus. Finally, 2 weeks of restraint stress significantly increased the esophageal and plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)­6, IL­8, interferon­Î³ and tumor necrosis factor­α. Taken together, the present study results indicated that stress­induced esophageal inflammation and ROS generation involves VH.

Clinical and prognostic analysis of 70 cases of gastric stromal tumors / 国际外科学杂志

Objective To discuss factors related to clinical characteristics,biological behavior,and prognosis in gastric stromal tumors (GST).Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical materials and records of 70 GST patients diagnosed after surgery and pathological examinations,all patients were contacted by telephone or mail for follow-up.Results (1) All GST patients had similar distribution of gender,and had age range of 50 to 69 years with mean age of 59.1 years.Clinical symptoms were non-specific,and main clinical manifestations included abdominal discomfort (42.9％),followed by abdominal pain (37.1％),and upper digestive tract hemorrhage (7.1％).(2) Sex,age,presenting symptoms,and original location of tumors were not significantly related to prognosis (P ＞ 0.05).However,size of the tumor,mitosis count,and the malignancy potential grading were significantly associated with patient prognosis.Among them,size of the tumor (maximum tumor diameter ＞ 5 cm vs ＜ 2 cm,HR =21.3,95％ CI:5.9-77.0;maximum tumor diameter 2-5 cm vs ＜ 2 cm,HR =2.3,95％ CI:1.2-7.8),and mitosis count (mitosis count ＞ 10/50 HPF vs mitosis count ≤5/50 HPF,HR =22.5,95％ CI:8.6-58.6;6-10/50 HPF vs ≤5/50 HPF,HR =11.1,95％ CI:9.9-12.3) were independently associated with GST prognosis.Conclusions Tumor size,mitosis count,and malignancy potential grading were associated with prognosis of GST.Among them,tumor size and mitosis count were independent predictors of prognosis.When the tumor size is larger,and mitotic count and the malignant potential grade is higher,prognosis of GST patients were worse.