The diagnosis and treatment of cardiac lymphangioma: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Cardiac lymphangioma is a rare disease. Until now, there have been only a few cases of cardiac lymphangioma reported in the literature. PATIENT CONCERNS: We report the case of a 57-year-old female patient with cardiac lymphangioma from atrial septum. DIAGNOSIS: Color Doppler echocardiography was performed, which revealed a tumor occupying a large amount of space in the left and right atrium. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent thoracoscopic cardiac tumor resection under general anesthesia according to the procedure used for benign tumors. OUTCOMES: The patient recovered completely and was discharged home. Follow-up color Doppler echocardiography scans obtained from 6 months to 2 years after the operation showed no recurrent mass. LESSONS: Once the tumor is detected, surgical treatment should be implemented as soon as possible.

Cisplatin combined with metformin inhibits migration and invasion of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by regulating E-cadherin and MMP-9.

Metformin has been shown to be useful in reducing insulin resistance by restoring sensitivity. Recent evidence suggests that metformin might also possess anti-tumour activity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of cisplatin combined with metformin on the proliferation, invasion and migration of HNE1/DDP human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells, and to provide a new target for treating metastasis. The MTT assay was used to assess viability of HNE1/DDP cells after exposure to different concentrations of 2, 5-diaminopyrimidine-4, 6-diol (DDP; 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 µmol·L(-1)), metformin (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 µmol·L(-1)), and 4 µmol·L(-1) of DDP combined with metformin. Wound healing and transwell migration assays were performed to assess cell migration and invasion, and expression of E-cadherin and MMP-9 was detected using Western blotting. MTT assay results showed that DDP could inhibit the proliferation of HNE1/DDP cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, with an IC50 of 32.0 µmol·L(-1) at 24 h (P < 0.05), whereas low concentrations of DDP had almost no inhibitory effects on cell invasion and migration. DDP combined with metformin significantly inhibited cell invasion and migration. In addition, genes related to migration and invasion, such as those of E-cadherin and MMP-9, showed differential expression in the NPC cell line HNE1/DDP. In the present study, with an increasing concentration of metformin, the expression of MMP-9 was downregulated whereas that of E-cadherin was significantly upregulated. Taken together, our results show that cisplatin combined with metformin has effects on proliferation, invasion, and migration of human NPC cells.

[Multi-center clinical trial of FLAMIGEL (hydrogel dressing) for the treatment of residual burn wound].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of FLAMIGEL (hydrogel dressing) on the repair of residual burn wound. METHODS: Sixty burn patients with residual wounds hospitalized in 6 burn units from November 2011 to May 2012 were enrolled in the multi-center, randomized, and self-control clinical trial. Two residual wounds of each patient were divided into groups T (treated with FLAMIGEL) and C (treated with iodophor gauze) according to the random number table. On post treatment day (PTD) 7 and 14, wound healing rate was calculated, with the number of completely healed wound counted. The degree of pain patient felt during dressing change was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS). The mean numbers of wounds with score equal to zero, more than zero and less than or equal to 3, more than 3 and less than or equal to 6, more than 6 and less than or equal to 10 were recorded respectively. Wound secretion or exudate samples were collected for bacterial culture, and the side effect was observed. Data were processed with repeated measure analysis of variance, t test, chi-square test, and nonparametric rank sum test. RESULTS: Wound healing rate of groups T, C on PTD 7 was respectively (67 ± 24)%, (45 ± 25)%, and it was respectively (92 ± 16)%, (72 ± 23)% on PTD 14. There was statistically significant difference in wound healing rate on PTD 7, 14 between group T and group C (F = 32.388, P < 0.01). Ten wounds in group T and four wounds in group C were healed completely on PTD 7, with no significant difference between them (χ(2) = 0, P > 0.05). Forty-two wounds in group T and seven wounds in group C healed completely on PTD 14, with statistically significant difference between them (χ(2) = 42.254, P < 0.01). Patients in group T felt mild pain during dressing change for 37 wounds, with VAS score higher than zero and lower than or equal to 3. Evident pain was observed in patients of group C during dressing change for 43 wounds, and it scored higher than 3 and less than or equal to 6 by VAS evaluation. There was statistically significant difference in mean number of wounds with different grade of VAS score between group T and group C (Z = -4.638, P < 0.01). Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, E. coli, Baumanii, and Staphylococcus epidermidis were all detected in both groups, but there was no statistical difference between group T and group C (χ(2) = 0.051, P > 0.05). No side effect was observed in either of the two groups during the whole trial. CONCLUSIONS: FLAMIGEL can accelerate the healing of residual burn wounds and obviously relieve painful sensation during dressing change.

[Association between both resistin, visfatin and insulin resistance as well as ß cell function in the first-degree relatives of type 2 diabetes mellitus].

OBJECTIVE: To study the association between the levels of serum resistin, visfatin and insulin resistance as well as ß-cell dysfunction in the first-degree relatives (FDR) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to investigate the role of these adipocytokines in pathogenesis of T2DM. METHODS: Serum levels of resistin, visfatin as well as fasting true insulin (FTI), proinsulin (FPI) levels were measured in 71 patients with newly diagnosed T2DM. 55 subjects with IGT/IFG and 174 NGT from first-degree relatives of T2DM, and 114 subjects of NGT without T2DM family history served as control group (NC). Insulin resistance was assessed by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) and ß-cell function was evaluated by HOMA-ß and fasting PI-to-TI ratio (FPI/TI). Lipid profile, liver function and kidney function were also tested. Anthropometrical parameters such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and blood pressure were also recorded and life style and food intake spectrum investigated. RESULTS: (1) There were no significant differences of serum resistin levels among the four groups (P>0.05). The serum resistin level was not correlated with HomA-IR, HomA-ß and obesity markers (P>0.05).(2) The serum visfatin levels of DM group, IGT/IFG and NGT group were lower than the NC group (P<0.05). There were no significant difference among DM group, IGT/IFG group and NGT. The serum visfatin level was not correlated with HOMA-IR and obesity markers (P>0.05), but negatively correlated with fasting blood glucose, 2 h postprandial blood glucose and blood pressure (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The adipokine profile in FDRs of T2DM had distinctively altered before the development of impaired glucose tolerance. Serum levels of visfatin, showed a favorable effect on glucose metabolism also had a significant decrease on serum levels in the early stage of T2DM.

[Serum levels of retinol-binding protein-4 and its association with metabolic syndrome in first-degree relatives of type 2 diabetes mellitus].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate serum levels of retinol-binding protein-4 (RBP-4) in first-degree relatives (FDR) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with different glucose tolerance status and to observe its correlation to metabolic syndrome (MS). METHODS: Subjects from FDR of T2DM, including 174 with NGT, 55 with IGT/IFG, and 71 patients with newly diagnosed of T2DM and 114 subjects without diabetic family history as control group [(18 +/- 7) microg/ml vs (22 +/- 8) microg/ml, (NC) [(18 +/- 7) microg/ml vs (22 +/- 8) microg/ml, were recruited. Serum RBP-4 level was measured by radioimmunoassay. Insulin resistance was evaluated by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). MS was diagnosed according to 2005 IDF consensus. RESULTS: (1) Serum RBP-4 levels in NC, NGT, IFG/IGT and T2DM groups were (18 +/- 7), (22 +/- 8), (24 +/- 9) and (26 +/- 9) microg/ml respectively. Serum RBP-4 was significantly elevated in NGT group of diabetic FDR as compared with NC group [(26 +/- 9) microg/ml vs (24 +/- 9) microg/ml], and increased with the severity of glucose intolerance. However, no difference was found between serum RBP-4 in the IFG/IGT and T2DM groups. (2) When the distribution of RBP-4 was stratified into quartiles (Q1-Q4), subjects in the top quartile (Q4) was not only associated with greater risk for impaired glucose regulation as compared with Q1 OR = 5.26) , but also significantly with risk for hypertension (OR = 1.96), dyslipidemia (OR = 4.14), obesity (OR = 2.18) and MS (OR = 4.30). CONCLUSION: (1) Serum RBP-4 levels in FDR of T2DM were elevated significantly even before the development of impaired glucose regulation and were further increased with severity of glucose tolerance, suggesting a possible role of RBP-4 in the early pathogenesis of T2DM. (2) Serum RBP-4 level was closely related to MS.